Co-op, one of the largest agricultural retailers in Western Canada, is partnering with farm management company Decisive Farming to provide growers with precision agriculture, crop marketing and data management services.
The move allows 125 Co-op Agro Centres to deliver new, high-value services with Decisive Farming’s technology and service platforms.
“It’s a win for us, Co-op and their loyal growers,” said Remi Schmaltz, chief executive of Decisive Farming.
“Our variable-rate services have a proven track record and Co-op can offer these same services to its growers without capital investment, years of in-field trials or having to build software and apps from the ground up.”
Decisive Farming’s patented flagship product, Optimize RX, uses soil analysis and GIS mapping to help farmers efficiently seed and fertilise their crops, maximising yield and return on investment.
The company’s cloud-based software app, My Farm Manager, connects key service providers, sensors and data, helping users manage and optimise their entire farming operation.
With on-farm data provided in near real-time, growers can capitalise on opportunities to farm more efficiently, while providing upstream traceability reporting and improving environmental, social and economic sustainability.
During the 2016 growing season, Co-op Grow Team agronomists tested the Optimize RX programme at eight sites in Western Canada, which provided opportunities for growers and agronomists to become familiar with it.
“This is an exciting initiative that will enable Co-op Grow Team agronomists to bring advanced soil testing and variable-rate technology to more growers in Western Canada,” said Trish Meyers, manager at Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), which is part of the Co-operative Retailing System (CRS), along with approximately 200 independent retail co-ops.
She added: “With the latest precision ag technology and experienced Co-op Grow Team agronomists at their fingertips, western Canadian farmers will be well equipped to grow today and into the future.”
