RURAL NEWS // NOVEMBER 7, 2017
AGRIBUSINESS 27
Mapping the shift to digital farming AGRESEARCH SAYS it is starting a big programme to prepare New Zealand for the new era of digital agriculture. It will identify the barriers to taking up new digital technologies on and off the farm, and will develop a technology ‘roadmap’ to support the industry’s transition. AgResearch research director Greg Murison says many farmers are already using technologies such as sensors on their farms connected to their mobile phones or devices. However, he believes there is enormous potential for uptake of other new tools, and digital platforms that can bring together and analyse large amounts of data from different sources onfarm to guide decisionmaking. “There are huge gains on offer from digital agriculture in terms of productivity, the envi-
ronments we farm in and pressures on farmers,” Murison says. “It’s crucial that NZ, as an agricultural nation and exporter, stays ahead of the game. We want to support the industries as best we can. “We believe our programme will be among the first of its kind where a system-wide analysis of digital agriculture has been done in NZ. There are a lot of smart people and companies developing these new digital tools for farmers.” Murison says AgResearch’s role is looking at the big picture of adoption across NZ and how best to measure and interpret the data essential to the operation of these tools. “We are already collecting data from our Tokanui research farm, where for example we are digitally tracking the movements and behav-
SAFELY MANAGING HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES FROM PAGE 30
others from the dangers of hazardous substances. Workers need to be informed of the risks and have the training, supervision and equipment to do their work safely. “For example, if you send someone out to spray diazinon, you need to make them aware of the health risks of exposure as well as providing the necessary personal protective equipment,” Handforth explains. Some substances may need to be secured and only handled by people with the appropriate training. Approved handlers become certified handlers under the new regulations. There will be fewer substances that require a certified handler, but a greater emphasis on making sure all workers handling hazardous substances can do so safely. “And don’t forget, even the most safety-conscious farmer can have an accident. Make sure you have an emergency plan in place, including who to contact and who is responsible for what.” What to do now As well as looking at what is changing on December 1, it’s important to remember there are already rules in place. Now is a great time to review your hazardous substances management and make sure you are complying with your duty to protect people from harm in your workplace.
iour of cows,” he explains. “We are also testing and trialling new technologies that become available to see how they can be integrated into NZ farming systems, and what value they can bring for our farmers.” AgResearch has recently worked with Aus-
AgResearch’s Greg Murison believes there’s huge gains on offer from digital agriculture in terms of productivity.
tralian firm Agersens to trial its new virtual fencing technology in NZ. This uses collars on livestock that enable farmers to restrict, move and monitor stock from anywhere and anytime via an app. @rural_news facebook.com/ruralnews
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