According to Joel van der Schyff, managing director of Agri Logiq, the world is losing arable spaces. In South Africa, he says, the amount of available arable land is decreasing every year, and the land is just not getting enough time to recover. [Source] The future of agriculture, he says, “has to be soil-less!”
Let that sink in for a minute…
If we, as a people, are going to survive and thrive, farming needs to adapt in such a way that regardless of climate issues, arable land issues, socio-geo-political issues, and the ever-increasing population demands – it will be able to deliver on demand.
It is for these reasons and more, that there has never been a more important time to start integrating technology into farming to support food security.
And this is where South African based Agri-tech company; Agri Logiq is leading the way!
Putting the power back in the hands of the grower
Agri Logiq, is a uniquely South African solution developed specifically for the polytunnel greenhouse sector.
Polytunnels are a reliable, cost-effective, easily adaptive solution that diminishes the risk factors and put control back in the hands of the grower!
Unlike glass greenhouses or Closed Environment Agriculture (CEA), which are expensive, manual, resource intensive, and subject to human error, Agri Logiq’s climate automation solution is plug-and-play simple!
Agri Logiq’s intelligent poly greenhouse climate automation system combines world-class undercover farming systems and hardware, with a cloud-based IP-intensive software platform, to enable wireless and intelligent poly greenhouse automation and remote management.
Using a centralised, accurate data and system control, the technology pulls and records data from both on and off-site locations, using parameters set by the grower.
Once these parameters are entered, the system, with its highly unique rain, wind, and sun safety algorithm, then automatically vents the structure to meet the grower’s requirements, adjusting the vents in the greenhouse, based on real-time weather conditions.
This easy-to-use system enables the user to make immediate, swift, informed adjustments based on measurable metrics, such as wind speed, rain, temperature, and humidity. Tracking the internal environmental changes whilst ventilation is underway.
No more guesswork
Joel explains, “During the SA winter months, a naturally vented Agri Logiq system is able to maintain a greenhouse at an optimal temperature between 8 – 10 times longer than a manual system, at three quarters the operational cost and a third of the capital cost of a full pad and fan system.”
By taking the guesswork and reaction time away from manual intervention and into automation, real-time change can be implemented with immediate effect, from anywhere, at any time – remotely! This ensures a sustained, optimal climate for maximum yield, and reduces the risk of crop damage.
This level of automated control over the environment enhances efficiency, allows more crops to be grown with a lower energy and water requirement, and improves food security by enabling more efficient use of the land, and higher crop yields.
The wireless communication system minimises installation costs, and with a design geared towards simplicity of use and modular growth, it literally grows with the farmer. Farmers can start small and build up, on demand. And, because it’s SA homegrown, hands-on support is always just a click or call away!
In a world that is losing arable spaces; where increasing demand means the land doesn’t get enough time to recover, and there is no grace for reduced yield, Agri Logiq’s simple-to-use, climate-control systems have put the power back in the hands of the grower, empowering farmers to be proactive rather than reactive.
“Agri Logiq presents the perfect marriage of technology and hardware working together to solve a global challenge. Which of course made them a perfect fit for Savant”, says Thaheer. “When we first met Joel and the team it was obvious, that we had to invest. What Agri Logiq represents is at the very heart of what Savant is working towards enabling.”
Agri Logiq’s growth bears testament to a solution born for such a time as this, and this is reflected in the speed at which success has come. Positioned as a global solution, helping to prepare farmers for climate change, Agri Logiq’s solutions are literally going global. Within its first two years of operation, the company is already building a client base all over Europe and North America.
Of their rapid growth and success, Savant’s Senior Associate Thaheer Mullins explains, “It’s no surprise. Agri Logiq is one of the most capable companies in our portfolio. They’ve got experienced founders who know their strengths and weaknesses. They’ve built a great early-stage business to account for those. And, in terms of product… Their approach to doing high technology development is based on customer’s needs. They’ve only built what customers have asked for!”
On the home front, Agri Logiq is literally proving ‘local is lekker’. Their hands-on support philosophy, and client-centric approach, has literally made all the difference, enabling each system to be adapted to each client’s individual needs.
“Agri Logiq presents the perfect marriage of technology and hardware working together to solve a global challenge. Which of course made them a perfect fit for Savant”, says Thaheer. “When we first met Joel and the team it was obvious, that we had to invest. What Agri Logiq represents is at the very heart of what Savant is working towards enabling.”
The relationship between the two is, to quote Thaheer: “symbiotic”. “Savant not only invested capital into Agri Logiq, but they also invested a wealth of knowledge and expertise – and an incredible network. It has been a privilege to work with them thus far,” says Joel, “having Savant backing you is like having additional team members, with great skills, instantly plugged into your team! It is invaluable.”
On the flip side, says Thaheer, “Agri Logiq has experienced tech founders that are willing to help mentor their peers within our portfolio, so they are an asset to Savant. While Savant gives Agri Logiq access to its networks on a needs basis, but also assists with the strategic direction and positioning of the business.”
And as for the future: Agri Logiq’s long-term goal is to be the preferred tech partner with protected agriculture – a term that refers to using technology to modify the environment of crops and create better yields. Cost optimisation and risk reduction are key areas of interest for food security. The global need for more sustainable, high agricultural output is only going to increase, in the midst of global population expansion and climate change. “At Savant, we’re always looking long term, so as Agri Logiq grows, our role will change, as the business’ needs change.”
From where we are standing, the future is certainly looking “greener” already!
Learn more about Savant: www.savant.co.za
Learn more about Agri Logiq: www.agrilogiq.com
