Farmers aim for the clouds - what broadband can offer rural New Zealand.
Sunday 21 March 2010, 2:48PM
By Federated Farmers of New Zealand
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Some of the country’s leading broadband visionaries and pioneers are assembling at Federated Farmers in Wellington this week to set an agenda for the future.
“Along with Rod Drury who is a driving force behind Xero and the Pacific Fibre company we are staging the most advanced agriculture – technology gathering ever held in New Zealand,” says Federated Farmers Chief Executive, Conor English.
“It’s part of our three part plan that we believe is vital if New Zealand farming is to remain at the forefront and our rural communities future proofed. There’s our joint campaign for cheaper cell phone calls and texts, truly fast rural broadband and thirdly, assisting the development of farm applications that will harness these innovations.
“Our gathering ‘Farming in the Cloud – Rural Online Solutions’ features an amazing line up of speakers at the cutting edge of rural online developments.
“Our priority of course remains high speed broadband for rural New Zealand, that’s the enabler. We need to get the broadband “pipes” out there through the rural community and the announcement from government last week on the $300 million rural Broadband Initiative is a great first step.
“The federation is focussed on our ability to continue to farm for generations. This is about economic and social transformation so we’re looking for useful and efficient tools to assist farm production and productivity and also to improve education, health outcomes and social connection,” Mr English said.
Rod Drury said, “I applaud the leadership Federated Farmers is showing not just in securing broadband connectivity to the rural sector but thinking about the applications that will be delivered to drive productivity. .
For further information contact:
Conor English, Federated Farmers Chief Executive 04 494 9189, 0274 410 786
Farming in the Cloud – Rural online solutions industry day
As at Friday 19 March 2010
Agenda
10.00am - 10.15am
Conor English and Don Nicolson, Federated Farmers
Introduction about farming market, broadband and Xero partnership
10.15am - 10.30am
Rod Drury, CEO, Xero
Introduction, who we are, the opportunity that online software provides for farming
10.30am - 10.45am
Landcorp (TBC)
10.45am - 11.00am
Gavin McEwen, Business Manager Farm Software, LIC
11.00am - 11.15am
Mark Harris, Marketing Manager, Gallaghers
Discussion on Farm Animal Data collection system and integrating with other systems
11.15am - 11.30am
Clive Nothling, General Manager, AG-Hub
AG-Hub is an Agricultural web portal based on the SaaS business model
11.30am - 11.45am
Dave Meaney, Director, Rural World Ltd
Rural World has developed a technology platform for the farming community
11.45am - 12.00pm
David Walker, Rural Market Manager, Gen-i
12.00pm - 12.10pm
Brendan O'Connell, Group Business Development Manager, Tru-Test Ltd
Demonstrate to the industry what Tru-Test offer and what their interests are
12.10pm - 12.20pm
Clifton King, System Design Manager, MAF Biosecurity NZ
Benefits and scope of Farms OnLine
12.20pm - 12.50pm
Lunch (will be provided)
12.50pm - 1.00pm
Rebecca Bain, General Manager Sales and Marketing, Farmside
Discussing Farmside technology in conjunction with Gen-I, who have developed Fonterra Milk
Vat management system
1.00pm - 1.10pm
Brain Eccles, Managing Director, CRS Software
Enhanced farm management when operating in a connected world
1.10pm - 1.20pm
Colin McFadzean, Managing Director, Farmworks Precision
Automation on farm data systems that underpin farming in the cloud, ensuring data integrity
1.20pm - 1.30pm
Steve and Alistair Lane, Directors, Key Farm Solutions
Onto-it is a data communication technology system used to track and improve farm
performance
1.30pm - 1.40pm
Matthew Nolan, CEO, Readynet
Readynet is a web-based service that shares emergency management information with 111
and Civil Defence.
1.40pm - 1.50pm
Roger De Salis, Managing Director, Opto Network Ltd
National Fibre Optic network for rural NZ
1.50pm - 2.00pm
Jon Sherlock, Managing Director, iFarm
iFarm - an information service for NZ farmers aimed at arming them with the information they
need to make more profitable decisions.
2.00pm - 4.00pm
Discussion / Q&A / Afternoon tea