Senwes Scenario October/November | Page 23

INNOVATION IoT Farmers need technology tools that are built and delivered to intuitively meet their needs in an organised way. “Vox Internet of Things” Slim tegnologie om te alle tye jou bates te bestuur aren’t just about higher yields, but also about being as efficient as possible, producing more with less and in a sustainable and reli- able fashion. The digital Ag industry is still very young. Data is being used today to make better prescriptions, optimise fertility, spot pest and disease pressure earlier, manage logistics, etc. Thus, for now the value of Ag data is defined by the improvements our customers recognise directly through increased productivity. A SOLUTION OR “PLATFORM” APPROACH Too often we’re seeing innovative products from multiple, disparate ventures that have been created in closed environments, requiring farmers to purchase and navigate many different applications to receive a full spectrum of benefits. Simply put - farmers need technology tools that are built and delivered to intuitively meet their needs in an organised way. If we’re asking them to try to shift between a dozen different apps as they’re planting a field, the digital Ag industry is not meeting their needs in a realistic manner. As an industry, we need to cultivate and support new agricultural technology in open, collaborative platforms or solutions. CONCLUSION There’s no question that digital Ag will continue to expand in the years to come, providing farmers with increasingly powerful tools to improve harvests and profitability while reducing food security con- cerns and enabling more sustainable agricultural practices around the globe. But, at the same time, there are significant challenges such as: how quickly digital tools can develop and how quickly the digital Ag industry, farmers and the entire agriculture ecosystem can adapt to make the most of them. Peuterwaarskuwing Voertuigmonitering Dieremonitering Nutsmonitering Slim knoppie Besoek ons by vox.co.za Abbreviated from: The Age of Digital Agriculture. Mark Young, CTO, The Climate Corporation. SENWES SCENARIO | SUMMER 2018 1995 - Senwes Scenario ad 90x250 V1 20180906 FA.indd 1 21 06/09/2018 16:15:54