ESTABLISHING a data sharing co-operative could be the next big step for CBH, according to its chairman Wally Newman who is keen to explore the concept after a recent trip to the United States.
Mr Newman was in the US to attend a Co-operative Life Cycle Workshop which was held at the University of Missouri and run by Professor Michael Cook.
Professor Cook is one of the world’s leading experts on co-operative structure and has worked with CBH in the past.
At the course, Mr Newman said he had discussions with representatives of CRV, a large Dutch dairy herd recording co-operative that was instrumental in establishing a data sharing co-operative, JoinData, in the Netherlands two years ago.
JoinData is a non-profit co-operative that said it was working towards a secure and transparent data platform for the Dutch agricultural sector.
According to its website, its goal “is for data to be actively shared within the agricultural sector, thereby encouraging innovations, which will eventually result in improved performance in terms of sustainability, profitability and welfare”.
Mr Newman said the model was something that CBH was “definitely interested in” going forward.
“I am not an expert on data, but the more data you can gather the better you can harvest it or farm it to get really good outcomes,” Mr Newman said.
“Instead of my farming operation having data with separate entities, through this it all goes to one central point into the co-operative.
“There are a number of corporate companies that are harvesting this data at the moment and they aren’t doing it for fun, they are harvesting it because there is a dollar in it.
“There is money in those outcomes and you could generate an income from that for the data co-operative.”
Mr Newman said the JoinData co-operative was a good model that CBH could look at emulating in Australia.
“Given we are both co-operatives there is a possibility we can join in with JoinData or they can help us set one up, if we don’t join them,” he said.
“The idea would be to set it up the same as their model, make it a not-for-profit entity to store data for anyone and everyone.
“There is a huge amount of data available already which can be fed into this.
“For example, when growers do their estimates through the CBH Loadnet Paddock Planner, they can use the mapping tool to map their properties and add their commodities, varieties and hectares – this data then helps CBH to plan the best services for sites which helps growers with faster deliveries at harvest.
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“There is also a wealth of historical data out there also which can be pooled in one place to get a picture going forward to predict potential outcomes for seasons.
“Once you have it established and more people begin to use it, the lower the unit cost.
“I can see a lot of benefits in it and it would lead to more accurate decision making (for farmers).”
Mr Newman said anything that might give WA farmers a leading edge needed to be looked at.
“With our grower members we have a huge pool of information and we are competing in the world market and we need every advantage we can get,” he said.
“As it works, your own personal data is protected as an individual, but collectively it is available to whoever manages the database.
“These are the sorts of things we need to look at to keep our growers out in front.
“Whether they be dairy farmers or grain farmers – they need that advantage.
“We have more access than many corporate companies in this space because we, as the farmers, are the ones generating the data.”
