The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and four Chinese institutions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop and apply artificial intelligence (AI) to family farming. The agreement was signed during an Embrapa mission to China in September.

The partnership brings together Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU), the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS), Sinomach Digital Technology Corporation and the International Association for People's Cooperation (IAPC). The work programme is expected to last five years.

Under the agreement, the Brazil–China Cooperation Centre for the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture is to be established, alongside joint research, the exchange of researchers, technicians and postgraduate students, and training activities.

Provision is also made for the joint establishment of smart agricultural machinery pilot centres in family farming areas of Brazil. These facilities should enable technologies to be demonstrated and evaluated under real production conditions, combining sensors, the Internet of Things and digital platforms.

The President of Embrapa, Silvia Massruhá, said the aim was to develop solutions jointly and adapt them to Brazilian conditions, promoting the digital inclusion of small and medium-sized producers.

The cooperation is expected to combine Chinese expertise in intelligent mechanisation with Brazilian knowledge of tropical agriculture. Cooperatives in the pilot areas will also take part in collecting and managing the data generated by the activities.

(Source: Revista Cultivar, 5 October)