CAAR is pleased to welcome Sean Mitchell to the 2020 CAAR Conference. Mitchell, a Chancellors’ Scholar Research Assistant in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Guelph, will be presenting the results of the 2019 Canadian Precision Agriculture Dealership Survey.

Mitchell’s research surveying the adoption of precision agriculture technologies has been published in the Canadian Journal of Plant Science. He knows that while the future of precision agriculture looks bright, its adoption presents unique challenges and opportunities for our industry. Hailing from a midwestern Ontario cash crop farm, he aims for his work to be relevant to farmers, agriculture retailers and academics alike.

Canadian Precision Agriculture Dealership Survey

The Canadian Precision Agriculture Dealership Survey aimed to capture a clear snapshot of the state of precision agriculture services among Canadian ag retailers.

Initiated at Indiana’s Purdue University over 30 years ago, the survey was adapted by the U of G in collaboration with the Ontario Agri Business Association in 2017 but focused on precision agriculture in Ontario only. This year, with CAAR’s input, the Canadian version of the survey was given a significant overhaul and will be run nationwide on a biennial basis.

“We’ve revamped the survey to ensure that it is relevant for all of Canada, which meant putting an emphasis on different farming practices,” says Mitchell, who was a driving force in the development and delivery of the survey. “While many input dealerships offer custom application services in Ontario, this isn’t as prevalent in Western Canada. At the same time, agri-businesses tend to be larger in Western Canada than elsewhere.”

According to Mitchell, the final report will paint a detailed picture of the state of precision agriculture adoption and use in Canada. He says the information presented, along with the perceived profitability of different technologies and services, will be very useful for individuals and companies who are considering investing in precision agriculture, and it could help prioritize how they invest or identify some of the obstacles.

Mitchell looks forward to sharing the findings from the 2019 Canadian Precision Agriculture Dealership Survey at the 2020 CAAR Conference. Find out what the results say about the adoption of precision agriculture technology in ag retail during his insightful presentation – Interpreting the 2019 Canadian Precision Agriculture Dealership Survey Results – on Feb. 12 at 11:15 am.

Click here for the full conference agenda.