The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) today called on Congress to support four bipartisan bills that will accelerate the adoption of precision agriculture technologies across rural America. The Precision Agriculture Loan (PAL) Act, the Producing Responsible Energy and Conservation Incentives and Solutions for the Environment Act (PRECISE) Act, the Promoting Precision Agriculture Act, and the Linking Access to Spur Technology for Agriculture Connectivity in Rural Environments (LAST ACRE) Act represent critical steps toward building a more productive and competitive U.S. agricultural economy.

“Today’s precision agriculture technologies help farmers and ranchers grow more with less,” said Kip Eideberg, AEM Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations. “Equipment manufacturers applaud the bipartisan group of lawmakers championing access to precision agriculture technologies, helping producers drive efficiency, productivity, and profitability, and ensuring that they remain competitive in international markets. These four bipartisan bills will ensure America’s farmers and ranchers have the tools and connectivity they need to feed the world while also protecting our natural resources.”

• Precision Agriculture Loan (PAL) Act – Establishes the first-ever federal precision agriculture loan program through USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Offers loans with interest rates under 2%, terms between 3 and 12 years, and an aggregate limit of $500,000. (Co-sponsors: Senator Fischer, Senator Warnock, U.S. Representative Feenstra, U.S. Representative Panetta)

• Producing Responsible Energy and Conservation Incentives and Solutions for the Environment (PRECISE) Act – Expands eligibility for USDA’s Conservation Loan and Guaranteed Loan Programs to include precision agriculture and rural broadband investments, enabling more producers and rural entities to access smart-farming technologies. (Co-sponsors: Senator Fischer, Senator Klobuchar)

• Promoting Precision Agriculture Act – Directs USDA and NIST to work together to develop interoperability standards to ensure equipment manufactured by different OEMs can work and function together in sync. (Co-sponsors: Senator Thune, Senator Warnock)

• Linking Access to Spur Technology for Agriculture Connectivity in Rural Environments (LAST ACRE) Act – Advances the expansion of high-speed rural broadband through USDA, ensuring ubiquitous “last acre” internet coverage. The bill draws on recommendations from the USDA-FCC Precision Ag Connectivity Task Force established by the 2018 Farm Bill. (Co-sponsors: Senator Fischer, Senator Lujan)

Precision agriculture technologies such as auto guidance, variable rate application, precision irrigation, machine section control, and fleet telematics help producers operate more efficiently. For example:

• Soil moisture sensors could save enough water to fill 750,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.

• The application of an estimated 30 million pounds of herbicide was avoided due to adoption of P.A. technologies, with an estimated 48 million pounds of additional herbicide that could be avoided with broader adoption.

• Adoption of auto guidance and fleet telematics could reduce fossil fuel use equivalent to removing 193,000 cars from the road annually.

(Source: AEM Environmental Benefits of Precision Agriculture Report)

AEM is urging lawmakers to become champions for precision agriculture by co-sponsoring all four bills and supporting America’s farmers in building a more resilient and resource-efficient food system.