Vantage NSW carves out bright future in precision technology

FARMERS across the country are discovering the advantages of working with an independent adviser to assist with implementing their precision technology solutions.

Often the weakest links in a farming operation stem from incompatibility between machinery, technology and agronomic services.

Vantage NSW are experts in precision agriculture and have a long history of seamlessly integrating these resources to increase productivity and profits, across a wide range of machinery, implements and crop types.

As an important supplier and distributor of Trimble Ag technologies, Vantage NSW are well aligned with the corporate direction major manufacturers such as AGCO and Trimble are taking to help deliver a more seamless experience for the grower.

In recent months Trimble and AGCO announced a joint venture aimed at aligning the two companies that aims to bridge this gap by putting the farmer first.

One of the largest ag tech deals in history, the JV will see Trimble contribute its precision agriculture business 'Trimble Ag' and AGCO will contribute its JCA Technologies business - a business dedicated to developing scalable autonomous solutions.

"The JV will align two leading companies dedicated to serving farmers worldwide with cutting-edge technologies to help farmers drive productivity, efficiency and sustainability," the announcement from Trimble read.

"For customers, the JV's technology is expected to offer seamless integration and connectivity across geographies, equipment brands and the crop life cycle."

Vantage NSW general manager Michael Casey said the JV has opened up an opportunity for Vantage NSW to further establish itself to bridge the gap between machinery, technology and agronomy.

"Ag technology is not getting any easier. It's becoming more complex, and it is more important than ever for growers to find a partner that can assist them with their precision technology solutions," Mr Casey said.

"It is the intimate understanding of a particular farm that helps us to deliver the right solutions at the right time for our customers."

Vantage NSW is focused on improving the fundamentals of an operation, such as the current mix of guidance solutions already on-farm as well as the correction services mix and vehicle positioning.

Some of these are easily rectified and others may take more time, such as data management of AB guidance lines and recording of field boundaries.

These processes can take a season or two to straighten out, so the sooner they are dealt with the better.

"Often our technicians will visit a new farm and find some very quick wins, with some basic calibrations and upgrades that result in a far more positive experience for the grower," Vantage NSW senior field technician Curt Daley said.

Another major change to the way Trimble products are distributed, is the termination of the global agreement with CNH Industrial which has severed the previous distribution partnership between Trimble Ag solutions and CNH.

Customers who have either purchased Trimble or CNH branded products in the past will no longer be able to do this through their CNH dealer.

"We want to let those customers know that we are here to support them through this change to ensure they have continuity on-farm," Mr Casey said.

"Not only can we support existing customers with their Trimble hardware but with a brand agnostic approach, we are also able to support other aspects of their operation such as implement control solutions, farm data management services as well as satellite positioning services and RTK base station infrastructure."

With key trends in agriculture continuing to focus on furthering autonomous technology, Mr Casey said the framework Vantage NSW is helping to position customers for an exciting on-farm evolution.

"Customers often ask us when Trimble Ag will release their 'autonomous' tractor solution.

"The fact is, most of our customers are already using pieces of automation that eventually add up to increase the level of autonomy," he said.

"By building on solutions with features such as automated turning, software upgrades that reduce human interaction and then combining those solutions with hardware designed with built in redundancy, our growers are realising the benefits in their everyday operations."

Mr Casey said Vantage NSW are assisting their clients to prepare for the next stage of autonomy by understanding how the whole farm fits together.

This holistic view has helped them transform many operations and assist them to further increase their productivity and profitability in the short term, but to also position them for success in the future.

"It's about cleaning up your farm records and datasets.

"It's understanding which displays are on farm and understanding field data compatibility and then we progress to the next stage to ensure GNSS receivers and positioning services are aligned," he said.

"The work we are doing in the field has an immediate impact on the operation today, but also helps to lay the foundation for more success in the future as technology develops."

Vantage NSW practises what they preach.

While technicians and consultants work in the field to deliver real solutions, a huge amount of work is going into building bespoke software solutions inside the business to enable fast and efficient service capabilities.

These investments assist Vantage NSW to record, report and act on service analytics that provide more transparent communication back to the grower as well as support sub-dealers by increasing access to resources that enable them to also serve their customers more efficiently.

"Ag tech has progressed rapidly over the last 20 years," Mr Casey said.

"What I believe we need now is a more collaborative effort to break down the silos of knowledge so we can ensure all stakeholders are able to benefit.

"We will continue to keep the farmer front of mind, working transparently and collaboratively to play our part in progressing precision technology adoption in Australian agriculture.

"We believe this is our key to remaining competitive in the global market."

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