Agrigate has been developed by the two farmer-owned cooperatives to make it easier for farmers to access information about their farming business in one place; identify areas where they can benchmark their performance; make smarter and faster decisions; and manage their environmental information.
Fonterra and LIC developed Agrigate following requests from farmers for a single site to access their core data, including on milk production and quality, herd, pasture, and local weather forecasts.
“Agrigate will add value to dairy farmers’ day to day lives and businesses by saving time and improving the quality of their information experience,” LIC chief executive Wayne McNee said.
Having data in one place and working in real time makes it easier to make comparisons, see trends and make better management decisions, he added.
Tool will continue development
Fonterra Farm Source chief operating officer Miles Hurrell said the tool is an example of dairy industry innovation, allowing farmers to identify areas of their business where they are performing well and areas where improvements can be made.
A prototype of Agrigate was trialled with 50 farmers in August 2016. The product is now undergoing testing with a small group of farmers and is due for a full release in February 2017.
Post-launch feedback from farmers will continue to shape the development of Agrigate, with additional features added as new data partners come on board.