The new web-based system developed by FarmIQ & Fronde will provide farmers with the information they need to make better decisions
The new web-based Farm Management System, developed by FarmIQ and Fronde, will provide farmers with the information they need to make better decisions for their business; helping produce a red meat product that will consistently meet consumer preferences and deliver better returns.
Information technology is the meat in the sandwich when it comes to reaching this goal. The value proposition is to improve total farm profitability through the sharing of more information and thereby helping value chain participants to refine every activity from pasture to plate.
The web-based system lets farmers capture data from farm activities such as fertiliser, soil types, stock, buying and selling animals, moving stock between pastures, animal weight and more.
Picture an international tasting panel of 12,000 consumers rating beef on eating quality. Then picture this feedback combined with information from the processing plants supplied to the farmers who raise the beef, matching consumer demand.
A system that aggregates all the data from thousands of farms is what enables this outcome. A system that gives a farmer a complete physical and logistical map of their farm and every animal, ounce of fertiliser, piece of equipment and other input and output involved – which can be compared to surrounding farms whilst maintaining farm privacy. As a result, the farmer can make better decisions to produce a final product that will taste better, look better and provide better returns.
An online farm management system as part of an integrated value chain for the red meat sector.
The technical solution is a web-based HTML5 client accessing a Java application server and MS SQL Server database.
Fronde recommended an Agile project approach, based on Scrum methodology, which enabled fast responses to the unknown. The team worked in two week sprints, demonstrating the software fortnightly to a wide ranging audience, many of whom viewed the demonstration remotely via WebEx.
FarmIQ is jointly funded between the Ministry for Primary Industries, Landcorp and Silver Fern Farms. Established to transform the red meat industry through the development of a demand driven integrated value chain, it aims to deliver sustainable benefits to all participants: farmers, processors and marketers.
Mark Johnstone, CIO at FarmIQ Systems Ltd said,
"From the outset, our engagement with Fronde has been hugely successful. The level of contribution from Fronde towards a successful outcome is very refreshing and very welcome.”
*These case studies are from our archives. Exact publish dates are not known.
