Does regional Australia have the connectivity and capability to take agricultural data to the next level? And who do you trust to use this information fairly for the betterment of the industry?
These are both delicate questions that need investigating so that agricultural data can make inroads into the advancement of the agricultural industry.
For many living in rural and regional Australia connectivity is a big issue, and often, and inhibitor to progress. For some, making a simple phone call can be challenging.
For farmers to progress, data needs to work in the most effective way by being relevant, up-to-date and timely, and consequently, connectivity is at the core of this.
Once the data have been collected, and most often, from different pieces of farm machinery which do not sync, interrogating and interpreting the data is where farmers are currently becoming unstuck.
In a recent BCG workshop series, many farmer attendees agreed that “systems are not there to collate and interrogate from our different machines, so it is currently hard work.”
The agricultural industry needs people with the capability to be able to undertake these tasks.
One farmer said that “we have probably gotten to the point where we can go no further, we need more support to get the information into a form that it can be used.”
“At this point in time having access to the technology is currently outweighing the issues and therefore, ignorance is bliss.”
Another farmer stated that “I never wanted to be a contract lawyer. The power is in the control of the data and the decision behind how it can be used.”
Griffith University associate professor Leanne Wisemann said that compared to many other countries Australia hasn’t moved much into this area, but consumer protection laws are a lot stronger in Australia compared to many other countries.
“Growers need to be ready and understand information in the terms and conditions before agreeing because that is where the legalities around data can be found,” she said.
At the fourth and final workshop in the series on the Monday 27 March from 5.30pm at the Berriwillock Community Centre. Business Council for Co-ops CEO Melina Morrison, will base her presentation on what type of farm business structure maximise the use of data and whether farmer co-operatives increase the chance of data success.
The event is free to attend and will include dinner, RSVP for the farmer data co-op workshop series go to: www.bcg.org.au or phone 03 5492 2787.
