John Deere launches Harvest Profit in NZ & Australia
Recently released in Australia and New Zealand by John Deere, a unique new software platform offers near real time profitability monitoring across crops and individual paddocks.
A collaboration between Claas and JD is described as agri’s first direct cloud-to-cloud data exchange solution.
For ten years or so, technology such as GPS, auto steering, precision seeding and variable rate fertiliser application have helped boost farmers’ profits.
The only real problem, particularly for operators of mixed fleets of differing brands, has been the inability of machines to ‘talk’ to one another.
Now comes DataConnect, a venture between Claas, 365 FastNet and John Deere. It’s described as agri engineering’s first direct cloud-to-cloud data exchange solution.
The collaboration is part of the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AIEF) project that allows manufacturers to talk to one another using an agreed common interface.
Currently, farmers or contractors with machinery fleets of differing brands have only been able to record, process and document data using the respective equipment and web portals of the individual brands. But DataConnect allows users to exchange their data via a common interface, and to monitor and control the fleet via the favoured system.
The concept allows users to choose a preferred platform from a specific manufacturer, and to transmit data from other machines via the new interface. This means data will still be available in each of the brand’s portals and this can be exchanged in real time from one cloud to another.
A key benefit means that all machine configurations are available in one system. This enables the exchange of important machinery data, eg past and current location, fuel levels, work status and forward speed.
The system will also likely be able to transmit agronomic data in due course.
DataConnect is scheduled for release at Agritechnica ‘19 in November.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling for nominations for director roles in the Eastern North Island and Southern South Island electoral districts.
Going one better than a frustratingly close second place finish at last year's event, the country's top axeman, Jack Jordan of Taumaranui, last weekend won the Stihl Timbersports World Championship individual event in.
Canterbury A&P Association (CAPA) show president Brent Chamberlain says a big development for this year is the Wool Zone, first introduced two years ago as a showplace for everything produced from wool, but now greatly enlarged with its own Wool Marquee and more than 30 trade sites.
Salmonellosis is a serious disease in cattle.
Drench resistance is already hitting farm profits; it's not just a future problem.
Applications are open for Horticulture New Zealand's (HortNZ) 2026 scholarship programme, with 20 funding opportunities available.

OPINION: Your old mate hears some of the farmers involved in the Meat Industry Excellence (MIE) group ten years ago…
OPINION: The Hound reckons the recent stoush about the old Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) expanding its brief – with no…