Croptracker
Looking for an easier way to do your paperwork? Want to be able to quickly record and access data on who has done what work in a particular field? Want to trace the movement of a lot of fruit from the field through to the customer?
Turns out, there’s an app for that. Croptracker is a leading example of ‘seed-to-sale’ crop management systems that have become increasingly popular as farmers seek more efficiency and cost savings.
“Croptracker allows growers to measure and manage their operations more efficiently,” explains Matt Deir founder and CEO of the Ontario based company Dragon Fly IT, that developed the software. “It manages events, people, produce and expenses really well.”
The iOS and Android compatible app allows a grower to map a particular field and then record all events in that area. It can record the equipment used, the work performed, such as pruning and thinning and the personnel involved, information that can help with labour and machine scheduling as well as wages. “At harvest time it can do the math to make sure that a worker who might not be the fastest is getting minimum wage,” explains Deir.
Croptracker records production practices such as a spray application and which chemical was used, it checks against the PMRA label information and it can send you an email when it is safe to re enter a field.
Beginning at harvest time it tracks the produce, the worker, the area of the orchard and the bin, all the way through to the retail shelf. “We affix a label with an RFID tag (radio frequency identification device) to the bin,” says Deir. ”Wherever we place an antenna, we have automatic traceability of the bin’s movement. When the bin goes into the shed overnight we will know that, when it comes over the loading doc at the packer we will know that. At retail, the produce manager can look back all the way to the orchard.”
Up to fifty different reports can be generated to analyze your business and Croptracker will work with you to customize the information to your individual company needs.
“We’ve developed the system over the last 10 years with input from growers in Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick,” says Deir. “We initially built it so Croptracker could do all the GAP recording magic, so it’s Canada GAP, FSMA and GFSI compatible.”
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