Is augmented reality the future of farming?
Imagine a farmer being able to tell a paddock’s pasture cover and dry matter content just by looking at it, or accessing information about a cow’s body condition score in the same way.
The new Health and Safety at Work Act has put the spotlight on employers and organisations.
They must identify risks they or their employees are likely to encounter daily, so the launch of an online app called Onside will be of interest to many.
The app allows farmers to develop their own Health and Safety Plan by working through pre-populated lists of potential risks, overlaid on a satellite map of the property.
The system saves time and allows farm staff or visitors to be aware of risks and how to manage them, to reduce incidents and improve farm safety overall.
Contractors or visitors will need to be encouraged to sign-in on a smartphone as they cross a virtual 'geo-fence' -- typically farm boundaries -- and will then be advised of risks and asked to acknowledge them.
New risks can be updated by the farmer in real-time and visitors can report any new risks via their smartphones. All information is cloud-stored -- no paperwork -- and offline capability applies in areas of poor cellphone coverage.
The technology allows users to map boundaries of the enterprise, uses photos rather than written descriptions to show known risks, and allows users to access instructions for emergencies in real-time.
Farmers and industry experts in health and safety contributed to the development and technology partner Jade Software wrote the app. It has huge potential in a complex, but necessary part of a modern farm.
A free trial is offered for the month of April.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.