Keeping cyber attacks at bay
Fonterra says it takes the ongoing threat of 'adverse cyber action' extremely seriously.
Co-operatives Ballance AgriNutrients and Fonterra are working together to streamline data sharing to make life easier for their joint customers.
Ballance, a farmer and grower-owned co-operative, has been supporting primary sector communities for over 70 years. Ballance says it actively works with its farmers to help them manage their nutrient usage and help them respond to new regulations.
"We are really pleased to announce that we have developed a solution that will help our custoemrs who supply Fonterra save valuable time and effort," says Jason Minkhorst, Ballance's general manager of sales.
"We recognise that it can be frustrating to enter the same information into multiple systems for different reporting needs, which is why we have worked with Fonterra to create a solution that streamlines the sharing of data between our two co-operatives."
The new solution is very simple, and customers can opt-in to share their nitrogen fertiliser data with Fonterra via a form. "Our customers that opt-in to share their data can rest assured that their data will be available to be automatically populated, allowing them to focus on what matters most - running their farm."
Ballance's focus is on providing farmers with sustainable and innovative nutrient solutions to help them grow more with less impact on the environment. Ballance is committed to sustainability and takes a holistic approach to farming, considering the economic, social, and environmental impacts of their operations, this is packaged up in a programme called Ballance with Nature.
"We offer a range of products and services, including fertilisers, animal feed, and advisory services, to help farmers improve their productivity and profitability. Our nutrient specialists work closely with customers to understand their needs and provide tailored solutions to help them achieve their goals," says Minkhorst.
"By opting into the data sharing we can send Fonterra information about Ballance product use during the season. This will include the amount purchased per product, months of application, and maximum application rate (if known from use of our Nitrogen Limit Management tool and associated Proof of Application data)."
The benefit to farmers is that by purchasing from Ballance, their end-of-season Farm Dairy Record reporting can be auto-populated, saving valuable time.
"At Ballance, we're always looking for ways to improve the customer experience, and this new data-sharing feature is just the first small step to greater data sharing with our trusted partners, like Fonterra," says Minkhorst.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.