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Falling technology costs, labour shortages are driving popularity of digital tools to improve crop yields, farm incomes in Asia

Asia Pacific is one of fastest growing markets for agri-tech as falling technology costs and labour shortages drive adoption. Digital tools can cause job losses and widen inequities, experts say.

Asian farmers turn to drones, apps for labour, climate challenges

As a child, Manit Boonkhiew watched his grandparents plow their rice farm near Bangkok with water buffaloes, and harvest by hand. His parents switched to tractors and threshers, while he now uses a zippy drone to spray pesticide in his field.

While agricultural technology "help farmers produce more with less water, land, inputs, energy and labor," it also poses risks from job losses to social inequities.