Building networks at expo
Data and data management are set to revolutionise the agricultural industry, but growers keen to be part of the direction will need to be willing to build trust.
This message will be explored at a Birchip Cropping Group Future Farmers Expo on July 5, where BCG chief executive Chris Sounness will discuss weather station networks with growers Paul Petering and Chris Colbert.
Mr Petering, from Murtoa, and Mr Colbert, Watchem, both own weather stations as part of a Data Farmer weather stations network, which enables participants to monitor weather data collected on their properties 24 hours a day.
Mr Sounness said the convenience of the information provided by this automated system was helping growers with many different farm-management decisions.
“Farmers farm because they want to farm, not because they want to spend time in the office keeping records,” he said.
“Anything that will increase the time for record keeping is probably not going to be used.
“What we come up with will need to be automated so workloads aren’t added to. The internet allows things to happen virtually automatically.” Connectivity is still an issue for many growers, whose access to weather information can be restricted when smart devices do not have adequate internet access.
Mr Sounness said there was recognition to tackle these connectivity issues to ensure farmers received fit-for-purpose solutions.
Attendees at the BCG expo can also learn more about farm data collection in a session with 2015 Nuffield scholar and Kaniva grower Jonathan Dyer.
Mr Dyer will discuss how his farming operation uses yield and protein monitors during harvest to effectively market grain and make agronomic management decisions for the following season.
BCG partner Next Instruments will be available throughout the day in the exhibitor section to demonstrate a range of agricultural analysers.
“The wider farming sector and the rest of the value chain are very keen to get on board with data monitoring, but farmers are very wary of the value chain with a long history of feeling like they have come out second best whenever technology has been adopted,” Mr Sounness said.
“Industry needs to ensure the farmer gets the value proposition first, then the rest of the value chain gets some value from it.
“We’re keen to facilitate these discussions at the expo.”
The BCG Future Farmers Expo is at Birchip P-12 School from 11am to 5pm.
Entry is free for BCG members and $50 for non-members.
A tapas style dinner will follow the event from 6pm at Birchip Hotel. Tickets are $30 a person and are available by calling 5492 2787 or visiting website www.bcg.org.au.