IOT can transform agriculture
Digitising the value and supply chains allows for produce to be tracked and traced from source to retail shelf, says Andre Strauss, director of Partnerships at IoT.nxt.
Using the Internet of things (IOT) technology can push the efficiency of farming to completely new levels, as the food demands of a growing global population puts increasing pressure on agriculture around the world.
According to a report by Business Insider, published at the end of last year, the world will need to produce 70% more food in 2050 than it did in 2006 in order to feed the growing population of the earth, based on numbers produced by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
André Strauss, Director of Partnerships at IoT.nxt, highlights five key areas where the use of IOT can dramatically improve efficiencies and reduce costs:
See alsoSAs IoT.nxt raises $7.7m for global expansionIoT.nxt secures R100m fundingIoT.nxt * Digitisation of the value and supply chains allows for produce to be tracked and traced from source to retail shelf, delivering quality control and the ability to immediately identify problem areas at production source.
* By connecting all legacy machinery, warehousing/packaging plants can be more productive and efficient. Farm managers can, for instance, assess how many packers, machines and delivery trucks will be required on any given day.
* Energy management, a significant cost at large-scale farming operations. Use of power, management of irrigation, pumps, dam levels, and water required at production plants are all aspects of energy use that can be managed in real-time and changed seamlessly for exceptional cost savings and improved efficiency.
* Tracking of livestock, which, among other things, will allow for management of the health of the livestock. Read more…