Farming data management, like most technology, has changed a lot in the past few decades.
As many services move online it’s no surprise there’s wide concern about what’s happening to farm data once it’s out there.
To address those concerns a number of primary industry leaders, including Te Tumu Paeroa, have come together to create the Farm Data Code of Practice. The code aims to make data sharing safe and enable innovation across the sector. It covers all varities of information from herd management to effluent systems.
The code is the product of two years of consultation with 60 rural organisations and 200 industry professionals and farmers. Farmers around the country were frustrated at having to repeatedly supply their data to different service providers. The Farm Data Code of Practice changes that. Under the code, information only needs to be provided once to an accredited organisation, who shares it with other organisations but only with farmers permission.
When an organisation signs up to the code of practice they’re promising to store data securely, maintain industry standards and use agreed language across their dealings. The code of practice developers, including Te Tumu Paeroa, believe this will reduce frustration for farmers and allow the primary industry to compare apples with apples, enabling accurate research and speedier innovation.
“Farming moved into the 21st century a long time ago, but our support systems are still catching up” says Aaron Hunt, Rural Advisor at Te Tumu Paeroa. “The Code of Practice will get everyone talking the same language and that’ll help us turn good ideas into reality. For farmers that means less office time and more security. It’s good for the whole industry” Aaron says.
On 3 March the first Code of Practice accreditations were given to farm management software provider Farmax, farm information hub FarmIQ Systems and environmental management information host Gateway Data Services. These companies now bear the trademark of the Code of Practice and they’re listed on the Code’s website.
Te Tumu Paeroa oversaw the project along with Beef+Lamb NZ, DairyNZ, NZ Vet Association, Dairy Companies Association, Meat Industry Association and Federated Farmers. These industry leaders are also working on two supporting projects, Farm Data Standards and Data Linker.
The Farm Data Standards project defines how data is exchanged between farm software. Data Linker, facilitates data exchange on terms that are agreed on by both parties.
Funding for these projects was provided by DairyNZ (through the Transforming the Dairy Value Chain programme), the Ministry of Primary Industries through the Primary Growth Partnership and the Red Meat Profit partnership.
For more information on the code and how to get accredited go to www.farmdatacode.org.nz
