Valmiera event on 30 October to focus on using farm data and digitalisation

An event titled "Digital Agriculture in Vidzeme. Data and Digitalisation for Smarter Farming" will be held on 30 October from 10:00 to 13:00 in Valmiera, at Mūrmuižas iela 18, the premises of the agricultural service cooperative VAKS. Participants will discuss how data available on farms can be used in decision-making, as well as digitalisation and data exchange in the agricultural sector.

The organisers note that many farms already collect data about their operations but do not always use it for decisions. Records of fields and harvests, information on costs, resources used and work carried out can help assess more precisely what is happening on a farm and plan future work. Farmers, sector experts and others involved in agricultural development are invited. The programme also includes examples useful to small farms, to show that using data and digitalisation matters regardless of farm size.

Programme

Terēze Riekstiņa, a systemic consultant, trainer and business mentor with more than 20 years of experience in business and consulting, will explain how data helps identify connections, assess resources and make more economically sound decisions.

Ilze Andersone, a crop farming expert at the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre and a practising organic farmer, will share her experience. Using the "Mans Lauks" platform as an example, she will show how digital tools help record and compile data, plan work, make decisions and prepare reports. Such solutions can make everyday work easier and save time on small and medium-sized farms too.

Representatives of VAKS will present the cooperative's experience with digitalising data and explain how it improves work efficiency and decision-making. Indulis Āboliņš, a representative of the Rural Support Service, will speak about record-keeping in agriculture, comparing paper-based and digital storage of information, and will present examples of digital data exchange between farmers and the service.

Registration

Registration is open until 28 October or until all places are taken. Applications can be made on the website of the Vidzeme Planning Region, vidzeme.lv.