FarmIQ and Fronde put the smarts into farming

FarmIQ and Fronde put the smarts into farming

Wellington, 19 October 2013 - In collaboration with technology company Fronde, FarmIQ has created an online farm management system that helps farmers produce a red meat product that will consistently meet consumer preferences and provide better returns.

FarmIQ, co-funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries, Landcorp and Silver Fern Farms was established to transform the nearly $8 billion annual export red meat industry through innovative technology.

Mark Johnstone, FarmIQ System CIO, said FarmIQ is giving farmers, processors and marketers the tools to refine every activity involved in delivering red meat from the pasture to the plate.

“In collaboration with Fronde, we have created a web-based information hub that helps farmers capture valuable data like soil types, fertiliser, pasture measurements, stock genetics, animal health treatments, buying and selling animals, and moving stock between pastures. It also gives farmers information from the processing companies about stock they’ve supplied.

“This gives farmers an accurate view of their farm management and helps them make better-informed decisions.”

Johnstone said that as a new company starting from scratch, FarmIQ had a huge challenge ahead of it and needed a partner that would contribute fresh ideas and help it to do what hadn't been done before.

“Not only did we have to build the best farm management system, but we had to integrate it with multiple external parties and systems to link up the value chain and build an agricultural sector ecosystem around us.

“From the outset, we have been overwhelmed with the level of Fronde’s contribution towards and desire to see a successful outcome, not just as the project level, but in respect of FarmIQ's success in a commercial sense.”

Fronde CEO Ian Clarke said delivering a system that gives a farmer a complete physical and logistical view of their farm was only a small part of what adopting innovative cloud technology achieved.

“FarmIQ was looking for a solution not so much designed to transform its business, rather to support a transformation in the red meat sector.

“Together, FarmIQ, Fronde and partners are creating a demand-driven integrated value chain which will deliver sustainable benefits to farmers, processors, marketers, the end consumer and all others in the pasture to plate chain.”

Clarke said Fronde involved local Wellington companies Pikselin and e-Spatial to work with it on elements of user experience and to present the solution in a useable map form.

“Fronde is delighted to have led the delivery of a solution that supports immediate and long-term strategic decision making in the red meat industry. Through the collaboration of innovative local IT companies we have delivered FarmIQ a comprehensive farm management solution,” said Clarke.

ENDS.

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