To read the article which was published in the Australian Forest and Timber News in February 2010.

Australian Forest and Timber News- Published Feb 2010

Vying for top honours against stiff competition, FREDD was at the heart of an entry from a multi-organisational team from the South African sugar industry.

FREDD is now fully operational within the local sugar industry at four sugar mills owned by three of southern Africa’s top sugar corporations.

“FREDD has had a phenomenal impact on both the South African and Swaziland sugar industry supply chains and is now the main technology platform driving supply chain efficiency improvement in the sugar industry, ” says Peter Lyne, Programme Manager, South African Sugar Research Institute.

“Apart from impressive fuel savings due to reduced vehicle idling at the respective mills, FREDD has set new productivity benchmarks within the sugar industry, including cost savings for growers and hauliers from the reduced mill turn-around times in excess of R12.7 million at one mill alone. For the mill owner, savings associated with the reduction in mill stops are estimated to be in excess of R14.7 million per annum” says Ryan Giles from Crickmay and Associates who coordinated the project.

Agtrix shared the honour with the South African Cane Growers Association, TSB Sugar, Tongaat Hulett, Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation, Sumit Solutions, the South African Sugar Research Institute, together with specialist supply chain efficiency consultancy, Crickmay and Associates

It is great that the life work of one of Agtrix’s staff, Grahame Dines, was recognised for its value.

In a recent ABC interview, the Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke identified AgDat technology as being the best he’s seen. He was touring North Queensland, checking out whether funding to improve farming practice is getting the desired result.

Tony Burke was visiting farms that received a slice of the $200 million Reef Rescue package, which aims to reduce chemical and nutrient run-off reaching the Great Barrier Reef.

Minister Burke says he’s been very impressed with the how the first round of funding has been spent.  He says the farmers in the north are the most environmental responsible in the country.

Minister Burke Interview (Audio)

Click here for Interview (transcript) with Federal Minister for Agriculture Tony Burke regarding AgDat Remote

Tractors around Mackay are getting installed with cutting edge technology, so farmers can more efficiently keep records.

Small touch screen computers are part of the “AgDat” program, that has been developed by local industry groups over the last year.

With the help of Reef rescue funding, 6 tractors have the equipment, with 20 to be installed in the next couple of weeks.

John Markley is the Projects and Productivity co-ordinator at Mackay sugar says there’d a big benefit for growers.

“Growers are like anyone need to keep lots of information”.

Aside from convenience, the technology has an environmental benefit, in that it minimises the amount of fertiliser used on the farm,

Mr Markley says, while the technology was not developed with the government’s reef regulations in mind, but will be useful when the laws come into effect.

Markley interview (audio)

Technology developed by Agtrix enters its trial period with Forests NSW to more accurately pinpoint harvest areas and exclusion zones within the State’s timber areas.

Forests NSW timber supply manager Steve Rayson said the technology would assist in identifying native flora and fauna zones, as well as hazards such as drainage lines. A proximity alarm would notify harvester operators approaching boundaries. .

“Our system will ultimately assist Forests NSW to monitor the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests located in harvest areas.”

Using integrated Global Positioning Systems (GPS), mobile Internet and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Forests NSW will be able to provide harvesting contractors with detailed maps that record all harvest boundaries as well as the location and movement of harvesters, trucks and in-field bins.

“The technology will help harvesting contractors meet their environmental requirements,” Mr Rayson said.

“With access to more detailed maps and information, timber managers will also be able to better monitor their crews and coordinate the movement of machinery.

“This technology will also reduce the time spent by forestry officers physically marking out potentially hazardous harvesting areas.

“The applications for this technology are numerous. We are also looking at extending the system to track firefighting equipment in harvest areas.”

Mr Rayson said harvesting activity recorded with the new technology would be available to Forests NSW and harvesting contractors through a secure web site.

Agtrix Managing Director Robert Crossley said “We’ve been successfully working with the Australian and South African sugar industries for many years, and about 85 per cent of Australia’s sugar industry now uses Agtrix software to manage GIS data of farms and crops.  Agtrix welcomes the opportunity to demonstrate how these solutions can be applied across other agricultural industries,”