| 7 RURAL PEOPLE » Beef + Lamb East Coast: Patrick Crawshaw Te Hau Station is a 250-hectare effective sheep and beef property in Patoka, west of Hastings. Predictive farming technology. Everyday farmmanagement. farmiq.co.nz farmax.co.nz FarmIQ was established eleven years ago, as part of a Primary Growth Partnership (PGP), with the original goal of deriving greater returns from the red meat supply chain, from inside the farm gate to the supermarket shelf. At the conclusion of the PGP project, FarmIQ became a commercial entity and its capability extended beyond red meat to include dairy. FarmIQ remains farmer-focused, designed to make the planning and recording of everyday activities on farm simple and easy, with those records accumulating to make assurance and compliance reporting a breeze, taking the stress out of evidence reporting to regulators and processors. The digital farm map at the centre of FarmIQ is a real-time management tool, where farmers record stock and land events, as well as other features like farm environment plans and all health and safety requirements. In 2021, FarmIQ purchased farm modelling company, FARMAX, expanding its oering to farmers. FarmIQ Executive General Manager, Gavin McEwen, says FARMAX enables users to create a digital twin of their farm system and model dierent scenarios such as; what if the milk price decreases further? Or, what if there’s a drought? Or, when is the best time to sell stock to the works? “The core value of FARMAX is the ability for farmers to pull levers within their farm system; to test scenarios before implementing them on farm; and to be aware of what the eects will be on profitability, production and sustainability.” Gavin oers the example of Patrick and Isabelle Crawshaw who commenced using FARMAX when they bought their Hawke’s Bay sheep and beef property, Te Hau Station. “They are a young farming couple and wanted to get a better understanding of their property and the farm as a business. Under the guidance of their farm consultant, the Crawshaws use FARMAX to plan, make educated decisions about when to buy or sell stock, and what profit margins might look like if they pursued a certain course of action. They have commented that FARMAX helps them operate the farm as a business, knowing how they are tracking towards farm goals and providing the confidence to make on-farm decisions.” The Crawshaws also use FarmIQ as the hub where all important farm information is input and stored, becoming the one source of truth that over time — and combined with the power of FARMAX — will enable informed forecasting for better outcomes. Compliance reporting a breeze
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