What was the challenge/problem addressed?

Contractors invest heavily in the latest data-driven technologies (GPS, NIR) on their tractors and other farm machineries but feel that it is not rewarded by their customers, eli, maanviljelijöille. Farmers on the other hand typically focus on their livestock animals. They do not optimally use their most-expensive capital, eli, their land, which gives room for additional services by contractors. kuitenkin, it means that both farmers and contractors should adapt to new roles and learn to communicate differently.

Miten ratkaisit ongelman?

Wageningen Research (WR) started with a group of contractors to learn more about their experiences and issues with respect to valorising farm machinery data, and about their position and routines when they are at the kitchen tables of dairy farmers. Also discussion were held on what data is and how it could become valuable in dairy farmers’ grassland management. Next a learning-by-doing trajectory was started where contractors go explore their potential added value, eli, room for additional services, at the kitchen table of dairy farmers. After giving some background, the contractors were asked to formulate value propositions including self-reflection on what role they aspire: working on the land, providing data, providing advice, or even take responsible for grassland production. The articulated demand of dairy farmers gave them a boost to develop this new role. This automatically led to contractors expressing the need for training and education. WR brought in own research to teach about grassland management, but also external parties, a front-runner contractor, a software platform provider, a NIR sensor calibrator, a dairy nutritionist, a soil and silage specialist, and a specialist on data-driven business models gave short clinics. Lopuksi, the contractors and dairy farmers were challenged to make a contract after some negotiation on prices

Mikä on innovatiivista käytännön tapauksessa?

Market innovation for contractors. They engage in a new role besides working on the field only.

Mitkä ovat menestystekijät ongelman ratkaisemisessa?

The learning-by-doing approach around a real problem and the combination of homework and clinics resulted in major shifts in mindsets among both the contractors and the farmers. The contractors started by complaining that they produce data but no-one is willing to pay for it. The branch organisation for contractors in agriculture, Cumela, motivated the contractors to not complain but start working on a solution. By doing so, the contractors realised that data itself is worthless, and that you need to develop a service based on the data and the (hidden) demand of dairy farmers. One contractor really took the role as free actor and started to give lectures on this topic and in exchange asked veterinarians and concentrate-feed advisors to join his team to help improve the dairy production together with the farmer. The dairy farmers realised that they cannot only use the contractors to give them a single task, ts. to plough the land, but that they can be seen as partners in improving the grassland management. This improves the dairy production and is also good for the environment (less soy imports).

Opittua

A good road map and frequent meeting are needed to keep contractors and dairy farmers make steps. Although they were convinced that the topic was important, they always have other urgent things. Vielä, if you develop an attractive programme and monitor their progress carefully, the learning-by-doing setup really can lead to innovative new roles and services. We are quite sure that mindsets have changed and that this will last after the intervention period

What role does the advisor or advisory service play with the practical case?

  • The front-runner contractor, nutritionist, soil and silage specialist and the NIR sensor specialist were the advisors, giving chunks of knowledge and advice to the contractors
  • The contractors themselves developed an advisory role, or arranged the farmers’ grassland management by contracting specialist advisors themselves
  • Co-creation occurred in the clinics and at the kitchen tables of dairy farmers

 

Voidaanko lähestymistapasi siirtää ja/tai mukauttaa muihin innovaatiohaasteisiin ja -alueisiin?

Joo

Arvioitu siirrettävyys asteikolla alkaen 1 kohtaan 5

(missä 1 on helppoa ja 5 hyvin vaikea)

3

 

Kokemusten jakamisesta hyvistä käytännöistä, ota yhteyttä

Jos Verstegen

jos.verstegen@wur.nl

Link to external information

https://www.cumela.nl/nieuws/nieuws/succesvolle-workshop-verdienkansen-data

https://edepot.wur.nl/635209