$64 Billion in Benefits With Increased Broadband Access

(WASHINGTON, DC) If access to broadband and adoption of digital agricultural technologies matched producer demand, U.S. agriculture would realize benefits amounting to nearly $64.5 billion annually. The report from USDA and published by the American Broadband Initiative analyzes the possible economic benefits of bringing e-connectivity to the heartland and, more importantly, what needs to be done to make it happen. From the way producers store and ship commodities to how consumers purchase their food, the introduction and widespread usage of the household refrigerator has irrevocably changed the food supply chain system. With the advent of digital technology and next-generation precision agriculture, the same could be true for agriculture. The report outlines how ever-increasing productivity with fewer inputs, better market access, and healthier rural communities could set the stage for huge productivity gains by farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness.