Agricultural Robotization: High Costs, but Significantly Greater Efficiency. Japan as Both a Model and an Inspiration

According to 2024 data from the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information (ÚZEI), 68.8% of livestock farms already use some form of precision or automated agriculture. This includes not only automated milking systems, which are installed in one-sixth of dairy farms, but also robots designed for feed pushing or manure removal.

"Thanks to modern technologies, farmers can better monitor livestock health, optimize nutrition, and prevent diseases, which contributes to both higher productivity and improved animal welfare. Robotization is more widespread in livestock farming, but it is also starting to take hold in crop production, although farmers in this sector often encounter various challenges," says Vojtěch Bílý, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture of Czechia. He further explains why robotization has not yet gained as much traction in crop production: "There are several reasons why robotization is not as widespread in this sector. In addition to the high initial costs of individual machines, there are also regulatory issues, such as legislation governing the operation of agricultural machinery on public roads," Bílý adds.

The Ministry of Agriculture aims to facilitate robotization Beyond legislative proposals designed to make robotization easier for farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture is also working to support the acquisition of costly agricultural machinery. "According to ÚZEI surveys, the main barrier to adopting precision technologies is investment capital, as cited by more than sixty percent of respondents. Robotic feed pushers, milking robots, field robots, and automated feeding systems—all these technologies are being supported and preferentially prioritized, particularly under the ‘Investment in Agricultural Enterprises’ program. In the first and fourth rounds of applications, these technologies were recommended for funding with a total subsidy exceeding CZK 168 million," Bílý explains.

EXPO 2025: A Hub of Inspiration Among the leaders in agricultural robotization in Europe are the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany, while globally, the USA, Israel, and Japan dominate the field. Starting in April this year, Japan will host the world exhibition EXPO 2025, where agricultural robotization will be one of the key discussion topics.

"Agriculture is another area where we seek inspiration, but at the same time, we also have something to offer. Several Czech companies and startups are developing and bringing to market individual components or even entire machines for agricultural robotization," says Ondřej Soška, Commissioner General of Czechia’s participation at EXPO 2025.

Japanese Smart Agriculture as a Model for Czechia The host of EXPO 2025 follows a unique strategy in its agricultural policy. Despite the average age of local farmers being nearly seventy, Japan’s agricultural exports are thriving. The Japanese government, research institutions, and farmers themselves are exploring ways to modernize agricultural practices and increase productivity. Producers are beginning to recognize the need to shift from a “product-focused” model to a “customer-focused” and market-oriented approach.

"In Japan, the future trend is the coordinated control of multiple small robots. This is supported by the development and expansion of new technologies such as fifth-generation mobile networks, high-resolution cameras, and artificial intelligence. The combination of these technologies allows robots to collect high-quality data, transmit it rapidly, process it in the cloud, and apply it instantly," Soška adds.

The Czech Ministry of Agriculture sees many aspects in Japan’s approach that can serve as inspiration. "Agriculture in Czechia is very different from that in Japan, but the goals remain the same: efficient resource utilization, minimizing environmental impact, and optimizing productivity," concludes Bílý.