Leading global precision ag and data management company, Farmers Edge, announced the appointment of former Syngenta executive, Scott McKinnon, to head the company’s Australian expansion beyond New South Wales as General Manager of Australian Operations.

“With variable cropping conditions throughout the country, we’re seeing strong demand for agtech from Australia’s growers to assist with their decision making and profitability,” said Scott McKinnon, General Manager, Australia at Farmers Edge.

Wade Barnes, president and CEO of Farmers Edge added, “Australia represents a significant growth market for data-driven, precision agriculture to flourish.”

The Australian agricultural economy is expected to exceed a value of $60 billion this year according to the company, and with the country’s growing reputation as a safe source of food, the potential to meet the voracious demand from Asian markets is vast. The Conversation reports that between 2002/03 and 2012/13, Australian food exports to China tripled, accounting for 10 percent of Australia’s exports in 2012. However, since then demand for Australian infant formula, beef, wine, seafood and dairy products has soared, making China the top destination for Australian food since 2014.

This is the latest announcement by the company that has, so far, had a rather dynamic year.

In January, Farmers Edge announced it has closed on a C$58 million (US$41.2 million) investment round led by Mitsui and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers’ Green Growth Fund, and including Osmington Inc.

Then in March, the company announced the establishment of a regional headquarters in Campinas, São Paulo and the appointment of former Monsanto executive, Lucas Trindade to head up the expansion of Farmers Edge’s presence in Brazil by ten-fold by the end of the year.

This was quickly followed by the announcement in April that the company agreed to partner with Eastern Colorado Seeds as part of a strategic plan to expand across the U.S. Plains states. At the time, Wade Barnes, president and CEO of Farmers Edge, stated, “Right now, we are rapidly expanding and bringing our field-centric approach to regions primed for more productive agriculture.”

In May, as the wave of expansion continued, Farmers Edge announced it had received a $3.2 million investment from Toronto-based commercial real estate firm, Osmington Inc.

This year also saw the company open an Iowa headquarters in Ames, and forge a new partnership with Delta Agribusiness in New South Wales, Australia. These moves by Farmers Edge have been successful in giving the company a foot in each of the world’s top agricultural production regions including Canada, the U.S., South America, Russia, and Australia.

 

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Lynda Kiernan