The Promoting Precision Agriculture Act led by U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann of Kansas and Don Davis of North Carolina passed by unanimous consent in the House Agriculture Committee.

Originally introduced in March of this year, the legislation would establish a partnership between the federal government and the private sector to create voluntary interconnectivity standards and prioritize the cybersecurity needs for precision agriculture technologies.

“Precision agriculture is a critical tool for agricultural producers as they work tirelessly to feed, fuel, and clothe the world,” Mann says. “I am proud to see this bill pass out of committee and grateful for my colleagues’ support on this important piece of legislation. Technological advancement has helped producers improve crop yields and make informed management decisions, but new technology brings new challenges. The Promoting Precision Agriculture Act will ensure that producers have a seat at the table when Congress establishes new precision agriculture standards.”

Precision agriculture includes the use of robotics, sensors, monitors, drones, etc., to help growers increase efficiency, potentially boosting crop yields while lowering costs.

The Promoting Precision Agriculture Act would direct USDA, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to:

• Support the development of standards, guidelines, and best practices for precision agriculture.

• Comprehensively address the evolving demands of precision agriculture by requiring the USDA, FCC, and NIST to consider the effects future technologies such as 6G will have on precision agriculture when developing guidance to promote the economies of scale of precision agriculture equipment.

• Prioritize the needs of precision agriculture while protecting it from cyber threats.

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