Is Agricultural Data a New Commodity for Growers, Service Providers?
We all know now that there’s no such thing as a free lunch and that someone is paying to benefit from growers’ ag data right now, writes Agworld’s Doug Fitch at PrecisionAg. If it’s not the growers themselves, it’s a different business that feels like this is a worthwhile investment. Some companies might call it “results-based pricing” or maybe something completely different. Fact remains that, whoever has access to the data, will naturally use it to their own advantage.
So why are we seeing this rush from vendors and other service providers to access growers data? In a way, it’s actually really simple: ag data has become a new commodity but not everyone has realized it yet. Say if one were to stumble upon a new civilization that had gold laying around everywhere but didn’t know its value and therefore didn’t care if it were taken, what would happen? Most people would make sure their truck is filled-up with gas and the tires are at the right pressure…. a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strike it rich!
I believe that this is exactly what is happening in agriculture right now. Agricultural input manufacturers have realized the value of ag data and are trying to get their hands on as much of it as they can for free, before growers realize the same thing and “put it in the bank”. Or, as Agworld user and 4th generation farmer from Holly Bluff, MS, Jack Phillips recently told us: “Data has become a new commodity and, in the wrong hands, it is used against farmers. If suppliers have got an open book into farmers’ accounting, farmers end up with the short end of the stick, and that happens too often.”
Continue reading at PrecisionAg.
Subscribe Today For
