Copyright Ian Pearson, BT Futurologist

 

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IT in the Countryside - what can we offer

 

Feb 1999

 

á        ISDN over radio system where it is not cost effective to offer suitable cable - many rural lines are not capable of offering ISDN.

 

á        Offer internet based quota exchange agents for farmers, and rural databases  - crops, set-aside, quotas and grants available. Land use database management. Remote administration outsourcing services.

 

á        Accurate satellite/GSM tracking for tractors for field maintenance, harvesting, crop spraying etc

 

á        Farm positioning systems, should be able to use laser beacons to position tractors and robotics to millimetre accuracy

 

á        Real-time analysis of data from tractors - soil composition, fertiliser requirements, yield etc. Use computing on demand for analysis instead of farmer having to invest in equipment.

 

á        On-line auctions of farming equipment and produce.

 

á        Virtual co-operatives between farmers to give greater negotiation power with supermarkets, suppliers etc. Co-purchasing and ownership of plant, remote management of maintenance etc. Also better logistics regarding use of equipment economically

 

á        Electronic commerce with each other and with customers

 

á        Direct sales to public via internet in alliance with local distribution companies. Cut out supermarkets and everyone saves.

 

á        Monitoring of public access to land access using video surveillance

 

á        Vegetable patch outsourcing - grow on request form public, who buy the produce before it is planted and can control its treatment - organic etc. Assists cash flow and offsets price worries.

 

á        Network based animal registration and health record databases and ID verification using IRIS scans or chip tags, again animal may be bought early in its life and controlled (feed, hormones etc) by the ultimate domestic consumer. ID based feed troughs in fields?

 

á        Stakeholder countryside, public may partly own the land in return for access

 

á        Farmer guilds

 

á        Environmental monitors in fields, monitor weather, pollution, pollen counts, sell data on network

 

á        Insect microbotics use for crop pollination, pest control and disease control, also for data gathering, monitoring etc