by Aidan Connolly, President, Agritech Capital, USA
From the average consumer to professionals in the grain industry, everyone has grown accustomed to the seamless and intuitive experience provided by Apple’s iPhones, apps, and other products. Apple’s approach to simplifying hardware, along with its streamlined icons and easy navigation, has revolutionised consumer expectations.
Apple’s model for Agtech
For those in the grain and milling sector, technological advancements have not quite lived up to the standards set by Apple. Agtech within the grain processing industry struggles to match the seamless experiences that have become second nature to users. As a whole, of course, the industry is not hostile to disruptive technologies. On the contrary processors are keen to embrace technologies that demonstrate clear benefits. The problem is where the rubber meets the road technology has been far from seamless and easy to implement.
Simplifying data for farmers
The lessons are clear. First, agtech needs to make the management of the chain easier. Initiatives are underway to leverage the Internet of Things (IoTs) for this purpose. The use of sensors in planting and harvesting equipment have been in place successfully for over a decade. Grain storage has not benefitted from the same. For instance, BinSentry is pioneering in agricultural IoT in the US by offering precise inventory monitoring for on-farm silos with IoT sensors, aiding processing and mills in reducing costs through heightened operational efficiency and real time information. Likewise, Distynct is upgrading traditional technologies on the farm with more data and functionality at comparable prices, making IoT solutions more accessible and practical for farms.
Second, agtech innovations need to make data simple and useful to use. The industry needs tools that, like Apple, make complex technologies user-friendly and distil large datasets into actionable steps. Technologies employing AI and big data analytics offer solutions for navigating the complexities of weather patterns, genetic considerations, and market fluctuations.
Companies such as Ever. Ag and Partners for Production Agriculture are at the forefront of this in the US, providing realtime insights and data-driven advice, assisting farmers in making informed decisions swiftly in response to market changes. The complexity of the market requirements continues to grow and the requirement for sustainability and carbon data means that new services such as the Truterra platform from Land O’Lakes now with 30,000 growers are becoming more and more essential. Indigo combines biological products with digital technologies both growers and grain buyers to help address sustainability issues. While also offering a logistics platform and an online marketplace for farmers and buyers.
Origin Digital Services (UK) and Xfarm (Switzerland) collectively offered digital management of almost 10 million hectares in Europe for grain producers, advisors and those service in those farms.
Farming involves navigating complex systems with many variables, where even minor adjustments can have substantial consequences. The tendency of some solutions to overpromise yet underdeliver leads to technology ventures failing and contributes to farmer fatigue. Only if more agtech companies aim for Apple’s user-centric experience can agtech innovators achieve its full promise for farmers and grain processors globally.
Published in the September 2024 issue of Milling and Grain.
