1) Today, every opportunity is taken to talk at length about digitalisation in the agricultural industry. What does digitalisation mean to you?
Digitalisation is extremely diverse and ranges from simple smartphone apps up to and including fully automated and networked production systems. In each case, digital applications offer an opportunity for the agricultural industry. Lots of farmers also confirm this to me during discussions, because high-performance, productive and sustainable farming is related directly to the digital support of processes and the linking or networking of tools and data.
In my opinion, the fact that everyone has developed different ideas about the term 'digitalisation' is also related to the diversity of agricultural businesses. While manufacturers and traders intensively want to develop optimisation solutions in cooperation with farmers, there is also a controlling approach, particularly in the area of documentation obligations. Personally, I am committed to solutions that create ecological and economic added value.
2) Fundamentally, this issue is by no means new. The idea of precision has now been bandied about for over 25 years. And agricultural machinery now has a number of innovative technologies to offer. Nevertheless, putting them into practice in farming is a very slow affair. Why is that?
That's right, a great deal of agricultural machinery innovation has been undertaken in this area during this period of time, and is still ongoing. At the same time, it is precisely the innovative solutions that are being affected by the gaps in network coverage. The technology manufacturers therefore have to undertake unnecessary, additional efforts in the event of 'no-reception zones'. We would prefer to put this effort to more sensible use in additional training and advanced training for the benefit of our agricultural users. This would enable the ecological and economic advantages and benefits of digital farming to be incorporated even more extensively into the consulting process with our users in the future.
3) What should farmers deal with first if they want to explore the topic? And what should interested farmers take a look at during Agritechnica?
My recommendation is good preparation in the run-up to Agritechnica – that's what makes a visit effective. It's also helpful to list your questions and requirements and then discuss and compare them with the suppliers. Personally, I'm delighted when the people I'm talking to set out their requirements and you can work towards a joint solution to exactly that operational need.
With its software and electronics manufacturers, hall 13 is an absolute must for interested farmers in Hanover in my opinion.
Whoever wants to explore this topic should set aside around 20% of their visit for this area. Thanks to the very compact arrangement layout in the new hall concept, every visitor can easily include hall 13 in their visit to the trade fair. At the same time, of course, lots of exhibitors in the other halls will also be presenting digital innovations related to their product portfolios at their trade fair stands.
4) What else is of personal importance to you as regards this topic?
That we succeed in explaining the topic of 'digitalisation' understandably and that we jointly communicate the advantages and benefits to each individual operation.
At the same time, I would like to make it clear in discussions with people outside of the agricultural community just how sustainable production already is today in wide areas of agriculture thanks to the use of modern, digital agricultural machinery.
1) Today, every opportunity is taken to talk at length about digitalisation in the agricultural industry. What does digitalisation mean to you?
Agriculture has always been engaged in a continuous process of change and optimisation. However, the pace has increasingly picked up over the past 50 years and will take another revolutionary step with digitalisation.
This raises the question of how to simplify existing processes and use new technologies to design further approaches and holistic solutions within the entire food value chain.
The focus here is on the increase in benefits to the user, i.e. the farmer.
2) Fundamentally, this issue is by no means new. The idea of precision has now been bandied about for over 25 years. And agricultural machinery now has a number of innovative technologies to offer. Nevertheless, putting them into practice in farming is a very slow affair. Why is that?
The cost/benefit factor of precision technologies was not in place at the beginning of development. Product developments have to be coordinated more towards actual needs and implemented less on the basis what is technically possible.
3) What should farmers deal with first if they want to explore the topic? And what should interested farmers take a look at during Agritechnica?
Naturally, the overall solutions offered by the major agricultural machinery manufacturers are exciting, particularly because they are claimed to be easier to integrate into the operating processes. Nevertheless, we would also advise taking a close look at start-ups. Often, these still offer the possibility of optimising the product for the market based on your own needs in the form of partnerships. Attractive funding opportunities are even available in some cases. The Agrotech Valley Forum is a very good example of how cooperations and synergy effects offer direct added value.
4) What else is of personal importance to you as regards this topic?
I have a personal opinion about this. In the public realm, agriculture is perceived as having an increasing number of negative connotations. The high supply quality is regarded as a matter of course by society, and the public's image of agriculture is formed by challenges involved in the use of pesticides, animal welfare and seasonal harvest labourers.
The uncertainty resulting from radical societal changes is leading to uncertainty as regards investment decisions and the use of more modern and more precise machinery. However, the right reaction on the part of farmers would be to report openly and vociferously about the true soul of agriculture and its perspectives, while acting boldly at the same time by combining existing knowledge and infrastructure with new models.
1) Today, every opportunity is taken to talk at length about digitalisation in the agricultural industry. What does digitalisation mean to you?
I regard it as the combination of sensor data, algorithms and real-time processing of this data to control production (online data in arable farming or for individual animals). At the same time, it offers the option of linking weather and location data for corresponding forecast models (insect reproduction, irrigation control). Nor should the digital mapping of business processes for controlling these processes (material management, accounting, etc.) be disregarded. It also includes the use of robots with digital control and documentation in principal agricultural processes and in downstream areas.
By no means least, automatic online data collection during a work process makes documentation easier.
2) Fundamentally, this issue is by no means new. The idea of precision has now been bandied about for over 25 years. And agricultural machinery now has a number of innovative technologies to offer. Nevertheless, putting them into practice in farming is a very slow affair. Why is that?
Cost/benefit considerations often arrive at the result that the benefit is completely negated by the costs. Many systems necessitate long and extensive familiarisation. In view of a farmer's multitude of tasks, this is often postponed. At the same time, many farmers have a vague fear concerning the use of their operating data for commercial applications outside of the farm.
Another major stumbling block is that systems are often not compatible with the farm's technology. This increases the time needed to achieve the desired solution. Or accordingly high investment is required before the end of the specific machine's operating life. So far, farmers have focussed on systems for supporting individual company decision-making and control processes (semi-automated processes).
3) What should farmers deal with first if they want to explore the topic? And what should interested farmers take a look at during Agritechnica?
First and foremost, the farm's operations should be analysed. In which areas of the farm are actions necessary or appropriate? Then it's a matter of finding the suppliers with products and services that can be used in the operational circumstances from amongst the variety on offer. In the future, farmers should also give consideration to the digital application options (possibility of automatic control, interfaces, etc.) each time they invest in a machine.
4) What else is of personal importance to you as regards this topic?
New technology is often established very quickly in agriculture if it genuinely functions and offers sustainable benefits. We are very excited to see which specific innovations are coming our way and how they will change the way we work.