Russia to Train IT Experts for High-Tech Farming

As drones take over fields, schools will now prepare tech-savvy agricultural workers.

Russian agriculture is becoming increasingly tech-driven. Drones are already being used across many farms—from massive agribusinesses to smaller family operations—to monitor soil health, track crop conditions, and combat pests. Their capabilities are expanding fast.

But there’s a growing need for skilled personnel to support this shift. At a recent national forum in the Samara region, experts discussed how to bridge the gap between agricultural knowledge and digital fluency. The consensus: the farming sector needs a new approach to workforce education in the face of accelerating digitalization.

To meet this demand, Russia plans to update its educational programs—both in universities and vocational institutions—so that future agricultural professionals are equipped with IT expertise. As drones and digital tools become a fixture in farming training programs will evolve to match.