This episode featured as part of the Agritech segment in partnership with Sensehub by MSD.

Rising fertiliser and fuel costs are pushing New Zealand farmers towards precision agriculture.

Connected Farms’ Tom Andrews says New Zealand has been slow to adopt precision tools, until now.

“There hasn’t been that need to actually zoom in and start looking at the advantages that precision ag can bring,” he says.

“Now we’re seeing New Zealand farmers are putting their head up and having a little look around.

“The low Earth orbit satellites have transformed the challenges of getting connectivity out on farms because it’s essentially available everywhere.”

The same satellites now carry direct-to-device messaging, giving lone workers a way to make contact in an emergency.

This episode featured as part of the Agritech segment in partnership with Sensehub by MSD. To learn more, visit www.sensehub.co.nz 

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.