Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., last week introduced the
Promoting Precision Agriculture Act, a bill that Thune said “would establish a partnership between the government and the private sector to develop voluntary interconnectivity standards and prioritize the cybersecurity needs for precision agriculture technologies.”

“Agriculture is the lifeblood of South Dakota,” Thune said in a news release. “Making agriculture more efficient and more productive is not only good for our nation’s food supply, it’s good for South Dakota farmers and ranchers and their families.”

“Technology is an integral part of farming in the 21st century,” said Warnock.

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“Georgia producers use robotics, sensors, monitors, and even drones to increase crop yield and use their resources effectively. It only makes sense that these technologies should work seamlessly together. This bill is good for farmers and the families they serve.”

The news release said the Promoting Precision Agriculture Act would:

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▪ “Direct the Agriculture Department, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to support the development of voluntary, consensus-based, industry-led interconnectivity standards, guidelines, and best practices for precision agriculture to encourage the adoption of precision agriculture technology.
▪ “Support the evolving demands of precision agriculture by requiring USDA, the Federal Communications Commission, and NIST to consider the impacts next-generation technologies will have on precision agriculture.
▪ “Prioritize the cybersecurity needs of precision agriculture. As advanced precision agriculture technologies become more readily available, the agriculture industry has increasingly become vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.”