Ag group steers to a global future

After its first participation in last year’s Australian Export Awards, Toowoomba-based precision agriculture company FarmscanAg is once again a finalist in the 2016 Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards, which feed into the national program.

The Australian-owned precision agriculture design, manufacture and solution provider won the Environmental Solutions Award in the 2015 State awards, which celebrate business excellence in international trade, while this year it is one of four finalists in the Agribusiness section.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, FarmscanAg provides leading technologies in GPS guidance, auto-steering, spraying, planting and spreading control, and monitoring systems, and it is continuing to develop global markets, particularly in South and North America, Europe, China and New Zealand.

It opened a UK office in Cambridge, England, this year to boost support to the region and its wider customer base throughout Europe.

FarmscanAg business manager John Chalmers said the company was proud of its achievements at the awards, which had given the business some exposure.

He said the Federal Government promoted international trade and many companies aspired to developing export markets, but it was not always achievable.

Mr Chalmers said the awards were a recognition of the time and effort the business had devoted to developing export markets.

“For us, it has been beneficial because the agricultural market is seasonal and by going into a different hemisphere, we have opened up different seasons for our business,’’ he said.

“There are also some negatives, however, because we are now almost a 24-hour business, supporting different customers around the globe.’’

Mr Chalmers said the award programs had created good networking opportunities and business contacts, which had assisted the use of FarmscanAg products for different applications.

“We have experienced a significant peak in interest after the award programs,” Mr Chalmers said.

He said interest from China was ongoing and sales activity to Argentina and Brazil was increasing, mainly of the company’s AgGuide guidance and auto-steering systems for large, self-propelled sprayers.

The systems needed to be adapted to the Portuguese language and other requirements.

Mr Chalmers said strengthening activity in the UK had resulted in the establishment of the Cambridge office in January this year.

To further support its export business, FarmscanAg also attends various trade events around the globe, including EIMA International, to be held at Bologna, Italy, next month and World Ag Expo, which will be staged at Tulare, California, next February.

The Australian Export Awards program, now in its 54th year, is presented by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and CPA Australia.