John Deere unveils digital ag hub

John Deere has launched its new John Deere Digital Agriculture Hub which will host digital farming information, insights and learning resources, designed specifically for Australian and New Zealand users.

The site features information on data and decision-making; easy-to-understand ‘how to’ videos, as well as case studies of primary producers using digital farming to successfully transform their businesses.

John Deere Precision Agriculture Manager, Ben Kelly, said the website was built to support farmers with tools and knowledge to make adoption of digital technology both simple and profitable.

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“Many farmers have digital tools inbuilt in their farm equipment but may not be aware of how to get the most from that technology,” he said.

“We saw the opportunity to help them do this by providing resources such as ‘how to’ content and simple guides, and we hope this will also ignite more conversations about the practical application of precision agriculture to achieve greater efficiency and profitability across Australian and New Zealand farming.”

The Australian Farm Institute estimates $20.3 billion can be added to the gross value of agricultural production through digital technology, while the National Farmers’ Federation has identified it as one of the keys to making agriculture a $100 billion industry by 2030.

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Kelly said advances in connectivity and data transfer now meant more farmers than ever could contribute to these industry goals while directly benefiting their own businesses.

“There is no doubt that a decade ago implementing precision ag technology was more challenging,” he said.

“For example, it was common to have to manually input data, save it on a USB, and carry that with you from machine-to-machine and back to the office. However, connectivity is improving and the movement of data is increasingly automated, meaning information is now much more readily available.

“These days, you can simply turn the key of the tractor and drive, safe in the knowledge updates are streaming securely to your account and are available on your smartphone or tablet, as well as in the office. This information can then be used to make decisions that have powerful impacts on an operation’s performance.”

While the new Digital Agriculture Hub focuses on John Deere’s platforms, farmers with any brand of equipment can create a MyJohnDeere account, load in their farm machinery and gain access to the John Deere Operations Center and the MyOperations App. The major difference would be the level of automation for John Deere vs non-John Deere machinery.

“The information on the site provided by our local Solutions Specialists and farmers ranges from how to set up an account through to the ‘Help Me Improve’ section for those who are already using technology but want to be able to extract more value from it,” Kelly said.

“We have something for everyone, no matter how progressed they are, as well as resources that allow people to gradually build on their knowledge.”

John Deere has committed to consistently updating the site with new information, advice and case studies to make it an evolving tool and library of information.

“The application of digital technology in agriculture will only increase over the next decade as the sector strives to become more productive, profitable and sustainable,” Kelly said.

“We want to empower farmers to adopt technology, implement it and maximise their own return on investment.”

Visit the John Deere Digital Agriculture Hub.