“Business Intelligence” is one of the key strategic pillars that CAAR recognized as vital for its membership. CAAR is embarking on its first major undertaking toward developing this pillar by helping to facilitate the 2019 Canadian Precision Agriculture Dealership Survey, developed in partnership between the University of Guelph and Purdue University with input from CAAR.

The purpose of the survey is to take a clear snapshot of the state of precision agriculture services among Eastern and Western Canadian ag retailers. CAAR’s participation in this initiative is a demonstration of how the breadth of CAAR’s membership and the association’s strong relationships with industry partners puts the association in a unique position to gather and share aggregated data.

The survey results will have multi-fold purposes and provide value to numerous stakeholders including CAAR as an association, its members, farmer customers and academics.

This information will serve to:

• provide valuable benchmarking tools and long term trend analysis;
• guide CAAR’s future training and activities on behalf of members regarding precision agriculture;
• provide academics with a reference to guide future research and study;
• support 4R management activity measurements.

This survey is new to Western Canada but not a new concept. Purdue University and CropLife America have partnered on a survey of the adoption of precision agriculture among American ag retailers since 1981. Two years ago, the University of Guelph and the Ontario Agri-Business Association undertook a similar survey for Ontario retailers. The U of G, Purdue and CAAR recognize that it is time to start gathering the same level of information about agriculture techniques here in Western Canada.

CAAR members have been identified as one of three key target groups, which include:

• CAAR members, suppliers and partners;
• Certified Crop Advisers;
• Canadian equipment dealers.

The survey opened mid-July and can be completed online in about 15 minutes. By now you should have received, or should shortly receive, an email invitation from the University of Guelph to submit your feedback. If you haven’t received an invitation, click here for a direct link.

I urge all members and non-members to participate, and to encourage peers within the industry to do the same. Developing credible metrics on industry trends and directions will be a huge asset to the industry.

All results will be public. CAAR will distribute a summary and detailed report to members after the survey’s closing. Watch The CAAR Network, @CdnAgRetail on Twitter and future issues of The Communicator for more details. I look forward to sharing these metrics with CAAR members.

Thank you,

Mitch Rezansoff
Executive Director