Co-ops share farm data

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.