Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster last week announced an investment in what it calls “the world’s first interactive, operational planning software for autonomous agriculture“. The project has a total investment of $10,811,321.
The Standard Data Platform for Autonomous Agriculture project is said to focus on bringing digital technologies and automation to the farm that will help farmers be more efficient, increase their output, lower their costs, and have a positive impact on the environment.
“As our country moves toward net zero, all sectors of the economy understand we must all do our part to get there. For farmers and the agriculture sector, developing digital innovations can lead to greener, faster and more sustainable food production,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
“With the help of this investment, it’s great to see Canadian innovators coming together with bold and innovative ideas that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create more green jobs and support sustainable futures for Canadian farmers and families from coast to coast to coast.”
Led by Verge Ag in collaboration with Terramera, i-Open Group, Simon Fraser University and QuantoTech, this project will create a digital twin of a users’ farm to support operational planning and decision-making.
The platform will leverage new data sources to help farmers characterize their fields, crops, soil, and environmental factors and combine that with historical farm data to optimize planning, manage costs and maximize net returns.
“Canadian farmers rely on cutting-edge science and research to sustainably grow their businesses. Scientific breakthroughs have led to new farming technologies and practices, provided farmers with better crop varieties, and helped protect crops and livestock from pests and diseases,” said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture.
“This investment in new digital technologies and agri-food data analytics will help make our agricultural industry even stronger while protecting the environment and opening up new market opportunities for our agri-food businesses.”
Source: Digital Technology Supercluster. Read the full release here
