In partnership with Food Agility CRC and Charles Sturt University, Telstra will road-test a new integrated AgTech data platform at the Global Digital Farm in Wagga Wagga, NSW.
The ‘Farm Data Services’ platform aims to securely manage and integrate data from multiple technologies across the farm, a difficult hurdle in modern data-driven agriculture.
Enabled through Telstra’s Data Hub, the Farm Data Services platform provides a scalable and secure data-sharing space to integrate, standardise and, with permission of the data owner, distribute data sets from existing AgTech deployments.
The proof of concept is thought to demonstrate the value a platform can provide farmers, agritechs, institutions and researchers by connecting applications across a farm to simplify the permissioned sharing of data. It will also create a convenient single point to access permissioned data for analysis and research.
Set to be trialled this year at the Global Digital Farm at Charles Sturt’s Wagga Wagga campus, the road test will aggregate data sources from three AgTech providers to enable Charles Sturt’s research.
The trial will be managed in partnership with Food Agility as a test bed for agrifood research and technology.
Jon Young Flores, Telstra’s Industry Executive & Group Owner of agribusiness, supply chain & retail, said that the first wave of digital agriculture delivered a storm of data that in turn, left many farmers concerned about how their data was being used.
“This next phase of digital agriculture is about a farmer-centric approach to security, integration and demonstrating the return on investment.”
“The Farm Data Services platform puts farmers in the driver’s seat, giving them control over the flow, access and monetisation of their data.
“Ultimately we are seeking to prove the value permissioned data sharing can provide to stakeholders across the farmer value chain.” Mr Young Flores said.
Richard Norton, Food Agility CEO, thinks that the Global Digital Farm is unique in Australia and therefore the perfect place to road test Telstra’s Farm Data Services Platform before scaling nationally.
“The Global Digital Farm is a real-world testing environment, where the 1600-hectare commercial farming operation works in tandem with scientists and technologists,” Mr Norton said.
Professor Renee Leon, Charles Sturt Vice Chancellor, adds, “Home to the Global Digital Farm and AgriPark, the Wagga Wagga campus more closely connects the people who grow food to the innovation ecosystem, so we can get new knowledge and technologies into the hands of farmers faster.”