Farming is said to have begun in parts of present-day Turkey and the Middle East. Evidence has been found of people using seeds to plant their crops there some 10,000 years ago.

For many years, that is until the 1700s, there was little change in farming practices. In that century, mediaeval techniques were put aside to give farming a more modern look. The development continued further in the mid 19th century, when the industrial revolution also brought about a sharp change in farming, with new mechanised methods increasing production rates as well as making life less difficult for the farmer.

The world’s evolution continues, and with it the evolution of the world of farming. In a day and age when computers dominate each and every segment of our lives, it is no surprise that computers have found themselves in farming too. It could not be otherwise.

Not so long ago, oxen were used to pull the plough and they were eventually replaced by machines. Today, the farmer’s life could become much easier and more profitable with the use of computers.

During Environment Week last month, Rural Affairs and Environment Minister George Pullicino paid a visit to Charles Micallef, a former hospital technician who abandoned his career to become a full-time farmer. Not the traditional type, however, but a farmer who has invested in and perfected a computerised system of sustainable farming that is yet another important development in agriculture.

The system regulates the amount of fertiliser that goes into the water used for irrigation. The use of fertilisers has therefore been reduced by 80 per cent, meaning less expense for the farmer and also a better product, considering that the amount of chemicals that are found in the soil is reduced.

This also results in plants having a longer life-span, again giving a better yield and improving profitability. The crops themselves also have a longer shelf-life.

The system is to be further upgraded by incorporating calculations of temperatures and wind. Recorded computer data also allow the farmer to monitor his harvest better and plan for the future in a more comprehensive way.

No doubt, this is another “farming revolution”, one that is also more environment-friendly and healthier too, considering the reduced use of fertilisers.

Protecting the environment and eating healthier foods are two basic concepts of our everyday life. For too many years the environment has been neglected and it has become increasingly difficult now to make amends. What’s more, a hectic life style has meant a change in our diet, and healthy food seldom forms part of our daily menu anymore.

A shift to “computerised farming” could therefore kill two birds with one stone. On the one hand the crops produced, grown with a minimum amount of fertiliser, are certainly healthier for consumers. The second benefit is that the reduced use of fertiliser is also beneficial to the soil in which the crops are grown, and therefore environmental damage is reduced.

The major hurdle in all this is to convince the traditional farmers – who have become used to their own ways – to invest in such a system. This might not be easy, but in the end they should be made to understand that, on the whole, such a system could make their working life less strenuous, reduce their costs and thus improve their income.

Farming must be given its due importance because, after all, the production of crops for consumption will continue to be necessary for humankind to survive. If this can be done with less toil, better yields, healthier systems and, why not, improved profits for the producers, then all the better.