Yuma agriculture impresses leaders statewide
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - Yuma’s agriculture is shinning bright on the map and gaining the attention of leaders statewide. Arizona State University President Dr. Michael Crow recently stopped in Yuma for his Board of Regents visit.
He visited three different farms and says he was very impressed by what he calls world class farming technology and facilities.
"The great thing for me was the level of sophistication and planning that goes into the agricultural enterprises in and around Yuma and then throughout the county and throughout that region- in the sense that really as agriculture moves forward, as we need better and better higher quality products, you need more and more advanced systems to be able to manage this in Arizona. So what I saw was you know obviously water management and land management and technological tools to enhance the production quality, unbelievable packaging facilities, but the WiFi network that was built in for the agricultural technologies to operate from all of this was basically as advanced as the big very advanced technical agricultural systems I've seen in the Netherlands and in Israel so the same kind of level but in some ways in many ways on a larger scale," said Arizona State University President Dr. Michael Crow.
Dr. Crow says he's also impressed seeing several community members from different sectors working together from financial, labor, and agricultural leaders.
The Arizona board of regents also recently approved a $3 million dollar grant to launch the Arizona hub for agriculture innovation anchored in Yuma.
“There's a huge opportunity because of the natural assets of Arizona through sunshine but also the presence of you know very large amounts of water but mostly the presence of an agriculturally oriented very very creative population. And so I think there's a huge opportunity to greatly expand agricultural and growing economies for Arizona- as well as then everything that comes with that- new computing systems, a new decision making systems, new machine systems, new ways of doing things, and so I just think there's a huge opportunity in Yuma to really take off," said President Crow.
