Telit, a global enabler of the Internet of Things (IoT), partners with the ConectarAGRO Association, a Brazilian non-profit organisation that aims to give Brazilian farmers access to 4G mobile internet throughout the country and promote adoption of smart farming technologies.
Lack of internet signal is one of the greatest challenges facing rural farmers in Brazil. In an Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) hosted webinar, it was stated that only 23% of the Brazilian agricultural space has some level of connectivity. The webinar also covered the significance of digital sciences in contributing to productivity enhancement and recommended taking a comprehensive look at digital platforms and the digital delivery of services.
4G critical to production
“The increasing usage of 4G in rural areas will be critical to production along with the adoption of smart farming techniques and technologies,” said Gregory Riordan, President, ConectarAGRO. “Through integrated technologies from members like Telit, producers are enabled to easily communicate with customers and suppliers from the field, as well as process and monitor field data, all of which will save time and boost productivity. As we advance our mission, it is our goal to ensure every producer can achieve greater development by taking advantage of the most current technological and digital resources available today in Agriculture 4.0.”
“With significant investments and technological innovations in recent years, agriculture is one of the most exciting IoT sectors in the market right now,” said Andy Castonguay, Vice President of Strategic Intelligence at James Brehm & Associates. “Telit’s comprehensive portfolio of modules, data plans and platform capabilities give agricultural producers and solution providers the crucial connectivity, data and management tools they require to deliver IoT applications like crop/livestock monitoring, water/irrigation management, farm-to-fork regulatory compliance and precision farming.”
Connectivity expanded to more than 5.1 million hectares
According to CNH Industrial, one of the founders of ConectarAGRO, in 2019 alone, the association expanded connectivity to more than 5.1 million hectares of rural areas in Brazil via 4G LTE 700 MHz broadband. This coverage helped more than 575,000 individuals, 218 towns and eight states, as well as more than 24,000 kilometers of roads in an area greater than the size of Belgium, Holland and Switzerland combined.
Fernando Guerra, Regional Sales Director Latin America, Telit, said: “Agriculture IoT application developers and system integrators have a unique opportunity to build connected agricultural solutions that can lead to improved yields, reduced costs and a well-fed world. Telit’s sensors, smart gateways, modules and monitoring systems that collect and analyse information will help in ensuring connectivity and informing decisions that drive improvements, even under adverse circumstances.”