Challenge 24. “Automating agricultural tasks to optimize fieldwork”

Challenge 24. “Automating agricultural tasks to optimize fieldwork”

Grupo Virto operates in the agri-food sector, where the availability, quality, and efficiency of agricultural products are critical factors in ensuring a steady supply to its customers. In this context, the company has made it a priority to advance the automation of certain agricultural tasks that currently require a high degree of manual labor.

This need arises in a context marked by the growing difficulty in securing sufficient talent and labor in the agricultural sector, as well as by the need to streamline repetitive, labor-intensive, or difficult-to-perform tasks in the field. This situation particularly affects crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, tomatoes, and other vegetables relevant to the company’s operations.
 

The Virto Group aims to explore technological solutions that automate, assist with, or streamline various agricultural tasks, reducing reliance on manual labor and improving operational efficiency in the field. The challenge lies not only in incorporating machinery or technology, but in identifying viable solutions—adaptable to different crops and agricultural conditions—that can be progressively integrated into the daily operations of the farmers and farms with which the company works.

In particular, we will prioritize solutions that are capable of:​

• Automate or assist with manual tasks in vegetable crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, tomatoes, and other vegetables.

• Reduce reliance on labor during critical periods of the season.

• Improve the efficiency, speed, and accuracy of agricultural work.

• Adapt to different types of crops, terrain, field conditions, and work schedules.

• To facilitate adoption by farmers, cooperatives, or partner farms.

• Incorporate technologies such as agricultural robotics, computer vision, sensor technology, autonomous guidance, operator support tools, and smart machinery.

• To propose scalable, robust, and economically viable solutions for use in real-world agricultural settings.
  
   

Expected benefits

A solution in this area will enable Grupo Virto to make progress on several fronts:​

• Reduced reliance on labor: less exposure to shortages of available workers for labor-intensive agricultural tasks.

• Improved field efficiency: optimization of manual tasks, reduced turnaround times, and increased operational capacity during campaigns.

• Greater supply chain stability: the ability to guarantee product volumes and quality at critical times.

• Improving agricultural competitiveness: implementing solutions that enable more productive and technologically advanced farming practices.

• Support for partner farmers: tools to streamline their operations, reduce workloads, and improve farm efficiency.

• Scalability across different crops: the solution can be applied to various product families relevant to the Virto Group.
  
   

What are you looking for in a partner?

Grupo Virto is looking for employees who can provide practical solutions for real-world agricultural settings, with the ability to understand the unique challenges of fieldwork and adapt technology to variable, demanding, and often non-standardized conditions.

The following qualities are particularly valued:​

• Experience in agricultural automation, robotics, smart machinery, or field assistance technologies.

• Knowledge of vegetable crops and the dynamics of agricultural work.

• Ability to tailor solutions to different products, terrains, and growing seasons.

• Robust, user-friendly, and cost-effective solutions.

• Ability to conduct pilot studies under real-world field conditions.

• A practical, progressive approach focused on making an impact from the very beginning.

• Sensitivity to working with farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural supply chain, facilitating the adoption of the solution.