Technology is escalating into all aspects of business, and agriculture is no exception. Farms are becoming increasingly automated and data-driven. Wireless and GPS technology now helps farmers monitor their crops and livestock. It also aggregates and analyzes data to help them make better decisions.
But is it safe to consume the produce prepared with machines?
To find an answer, XFM news team visited The London Farm Show, 2020.
The London Farm Show pic.twitter.com/q73L5Iu620
— Simranjeet Sehgal (@simransehgal07) March 6, 2020
The London Farm show is the biggest indoor farm show in Eastern Ontario with exhibitors and manufacturers from across the province.
Trevor Newman is the director of sales and marketing from Penta equipment, agriculture manufacturer in southwestern Ontario. Penta Equipment was one of the exhibitors at the show. He says technology is helping to reduce the people that are required on the farms.
“What a lot of the farmers are looking for us to figure out how to utilize less manpower to do more Because there are less than fewer people staying on the farm to do the actual work,” he says.
“A lot of the changes that we’re seeing right now and that are going to continue to happen into the future are using data and using a lot of technology to capture data so that we can give better nutrition to our animals so that we can get better production out of our animals and so that we can better track what we’re putting into the animal and what we’re getting out of the animal,” Newman adds.
Newman says their machine is about adding technology to the machinery and the idea is to go and make sure the manure is weighed and applied to the soil in the right format and in the right concentration so that it’s better utilized by the soil and by the plants.
“Technology uses GPS, it uses waying technology. It uses feedback to go and tell you that what you’re putting on the ground. That gives traceability so that we don’t end up with manure running into our streams and creeks and causing problems in the water,” Newman says.
He furthers that it also helps in utilizing the manure and the nutrients out of the manure better, rather than wasting them by letting them run off and not be utilized.
Newman says the technology is not having a bad impact on the animals or the produce.
“I know that in the in the barns today, they’re giving more airflow to animals, they’re putting a lot of, they’re putting pedometers like fit bits on cows to go and ensure that the cows are not walking too far,” Newman says. “And a lot of different things like that they’re really thinking about the comfort of the animal today. And technology helps to kind of move that forward,” he furthers.
“The farming community is ensuring a safe food supply for the consumers”
The farming industry is continuing to evolve and turn production farming into more sustainable farming.
To this Newman says, “there have been things that have happened in agriculture that maybe haven’t been as positive but we’re using the technology to make better decisions and those better decisions are making for a better food supply, safer food supply. And I think today we have excellent, excellent people involved and engaged in the industry that continue to bring good food to the table,” he says.
