HELLO EUROPE...AMSTERDAM, IRELAND AND SWITZERLAND...

In these blogs I try to pick out the highlights of the research and meetings to share with you (sometimes I cant reveal information due to commercial sensitivity etc), and the best couple of photographs I can pull off my camera...hope you enjoy my research and travels.....

In continuing for the search for the ultimate real time farming tool we travelled to Amsterdam and I met with the Vice President of RABO International, Bart IJnterna and his assistant about the role that I has heard that RABO is playing in developing possible programs and tools to assist in efficiencies in agribusiness, with a particular view towards feeding the world and global sustainability.  RABO recently funded the "Global Farmers Master Class...The rise of the
Rural Entrepreneur" where 50 agri-producers from around the world were flown into Amsterdam to attend a week long conference programme built around real life case studies....we discussed about the vision and passion we have about the challenges that a resource hungry world is placing on our limited resources and we shared our information on what tools and programmes are out there....we will stay in contact with each other and keep sharing what we are finding, as the vision of our research is very complimentary...it was great to meet the guys

After a couple of days in Amsterdam we travelled late Friday night to Cork, Ireland where on Monday and Tuesday I would be meeting with Irish researchers and business owners...some of you have seen on facebook this photo of Jess and I and a treasured horse trail ride we did together over the weekend...it was magic...

After a weekend of enjoying the Emerald Isle (albeit a wet and misty Southern Ireland) we made our way to Carlow to meet with researchers and educators at Teagasc-Oak Park.  Teagasc is the Irish cropping research and ag education providers, I must say it was so refreshing to go and experience research that is not under threat of being cut or disbanded, and I had the most fabulous day talking to Tom, Kevin and Co about the tools they have already developed and in place and where they wish to go with it in the future, and I got to share some of the commercial tools that are coming on line for producers that I have been looking at.  Given that I am also an educator as well as an agri-manager I was delighted to hear about their vocational and degree agri-business courses, and they have over 1000 people per year enrol in their agri courses...how agriculture is sought after as a career in Ireland is so refreshing.....

Estimated 10t/ha wheat crop

Interesting comments were made about Eurozone agriculture as a whole over the past 10-20 years have taken their "eye off the ball" with the CAP (Common Agricultural policies) system in place and efficiencies have not been the driver for agribusiness and the Irish researchers now feel the industry as a whole have a lot of catching up to do to compete with global efficiencies...This is why I have had to work hard to find like minded agri-managers/developers of efficiencies tools in Europe, there is not a huge interest in these tools currently in Europe as the incentive to drive efficiencies is not there currently and this is being acknowledged quite widely in Europe now...what the answer is now given the Eurozone issues etc, no one quite knows, however it is acknowledged that to take the CAP away immediately would be a disaster for Agribusinesses and the communities  in Europe, a gentle roll back over say 20 years seems to be the favoured approach....Teagasc are funding a Masters student to do a thesis on why Agri-managers are not using the management tools available so I will keep in touch with him to see what his research determines.....I also got to walk through some research crops that will go at least 10t/ha...amazing, but interestingly enough the net gross margin is only around $260/ha...the input costs, particularly with fungicide is HUGE....

It was busy but very worthwhile few days in Europe and Ireland and I feel at this stage I have connected with the main players in the agri-tech game in this region, with my visit to the UK earlier in the year and this visit I have networked with some great people who have been so welcoming and sharing with their information....off to Canada now, and I have a swag of meetings in Alberta, Canada...Agri-technology seems to be steaming ahead in Canada...I will let you know what I find....

With my trustee role on SAGIT (SA Grain Industry Trust fund) I loved connecting with another research organisation