COVID-19 has turned a rare spotlight on the importance of workers many Americans take for granted, from delivery drivers to cleaning staff and grocery checkers—and, of course, farmers.
National Ag Day is meant to call attention to the essential and difficult work farmers do to feed America—work that for many consumers tends to fall out of sight and out of mind. But more than a day of advocacy ever could, the empty shelves and supply disruptions in the wake of coronavirus are forcing many consumers to start thinking about where their food comes from.
In the United States—where less than 2 percent of the workforce feeds the rest—we're fortunate that the answer is on our own shores. The nation imports less than 20% of its food supply, and is the world's largest agricultural exporter, too.
But just because our food production is local doesn't mean it's immune to disruptions in the global supply chain. Critical inputs and labor come from beyond the U.S. border. From field operations to processors, the agricultural workforce must find a way to stay productive while contending with an illness that's highly contagious and poorly understood.
Under pressure like this, we know it's more important than ever that farmers are able to move efficiently and make management decisions with confidence. Ceres Imaging will do our part to support our customers as they head in to a challenging season.
Uninterrupted delivery
As some states issue shut-downs, one advantage of remote sensing is that it is just that: remote. While our main office location is closed, our globally distributed team of pilots, analysts, and agronomists is continuing their work as usual. At this time, we do not anticipate service interruptions to flights or imagery delivery for our customers.
Virtual support
We are following CDC recommendations to minimize in-person interactions—but Ceres Imaging's agronomic and remote sensing experts will continue to provide expert customer support via phone and video conferencing. If you have an upcoming sales meeting, training, imagery review, or other appointment with us, we'll help you get set up to collaborate with us remotely. No matter what, your Ceres Imaging representative is always just a phone call or an email away.
As always, we’re grateful for the opportunity to serve our grower community. We wish you, your team, and your family good health during this challenging time.