Japan to create AI agricultural special zones in Hokkaido — The Japan Times
The Japanese government has decided to grant 19 municipalities in the Tokachi region on the island of Hokkaido, including the city of Obihiro, the status of national strategic special zones for the development of agriculture using artificial intelligence. This was reported by The Japan Times.
Driverless tractors in convoys
Special regulatory easing will be introduced for these areas. In particular, authorities plan to simplify procedures for using robotic tractors on public roads and spraying crops with pesticides using drones.
Under current rules, autonomous tractors must have a driver while traveling on public roads, for example between a warehouse and a field. If several such machines operate on large farmland, each of them must be assigned a driver, preventing the full use of the technology's labor-saving benefits.
In the special zones, autonomous tractors will be allowed to travel without a driver if they move in a convoy with a truck or another vehicle carrying a driver. Regulatory requirements for developing the communications infrastructure needed for unmanned operation of machinery will also be eased.
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Demonstration site in Tokachi
This is the first time that national strategic special zone status has been granted specifically for agriculture using AI. The Japanese government hopes the decision will encourage technology companies to join the agricultural sector.
Obihiro Mayor Yosuke Ueno said that the Tokachi region, with its large farms, is well suited as a testing ground for agricultural technologies using artificial intelligence. According to him, research and a demonstration project by Japan's Cabinet Office are set to begin later this month, while a symposium is planned in Obihiro in November.
Previously, the national strategic special zone mechanism had already been used in the agricultural sector: in the city of Niigata, farmers were allowed to open restaurants on agricultural land.
