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CBH offers incentive for early grower crop estimates

Grain Central, June 11, 2019

Key points:

  • A fee discount of $0.50 per tonne offered to Western Australian growers this season.
  • To be eligible for the discount, growers must submit their 2019-20 crop estimates through Paddock Planner and make harvest deliveries using the CDF app.
  • New and improved functionality made to Paddock Planner following grower feedback.
  • Estimates help CBH better plan harvest services according to grower demand.

THE CBH Group is set to offer growers a discount on their fees this season to encourage growers to submit their crop estimates early to help with site and service preparations for harvest.

The co-operative is asking growers to submit their cropping plans through Paddock Planner – the online mapping tool that helps growers to keep their information up to date and accurate to a paddock level.

Available through CBH’s secure online portal LoadNet, Paddock Planner provides CBH with a clearer picture of what crops are being grown and where it is likely to be delivered so sites and services can be planned according to grower demand.

This year, growers will be able to earn a $0.50 discount on their receival fees* if they:

  1. Complete their cropping plans and estimates through Paddock Planner by 14 July 2019, and
  2. Use the CDF app for their harvest deliveries up to 28 February 2020.

The discount is in addition to any rebates that may apply for the 2019-20 season.

All estimates data entered into Paddock Planner automatically syncs with CBH’s CDF app used at delivery including paddocks, commodities and varieties. Together, the programs help to make harvest deliveries easier, with real time notifications, and speeds up turnaround times at site for growers (more information on the CDF app is below).

Chief executive officer Jimmy Wilson said CBH’s performance at harvest started with growers’ cropping plans.

Jimmy Wilson

“Estimates are essential for CBH to plan the right services at the right sites for our growers, and through Paddock Planner, we’re able to get a more accurate picture to optimise our planning,” Mr Wilson said.

“Estimates also help determine future investment into the network, where we can start to take a longer-term view of what storage and services are needed and start planning for those accordingly.”

Mr Wilson said he appreciated that through Paddock Planner growers were sharing more detailed information with CBH and assured them the co-operative was committed to protecting personal and business information in line with Australia’s Privacy Act.

“We take our growers information security very seriously – their privacy is our priority, every day,” Mr Wilson said.

“We collect estimates only for the purpose in which it is intended, which is to ensure our Operations division can provide the services that growers demand for the coming harvest, better plan for future harvests and keep improve our services and products.

“We cannot do this effectively without accurate estimates from growers”.

It is the second consecutive year growers can complete their crop estimates through Paddock Planner, with approximately 40 per cent of estimates completed last year through the online tool.

General manager operations Ben Macnamara said following feedback from growers last year, CBH had made some improvements so growers could better manage their properties and estimates.

“Growers can now upload shapefiles, KMZ or KML files from other mapping software that they may already use directly into Paddock Planner, potentially saving them time when mapping out their paddocks before they then enter estimates,” Mr Macnamara said.

“There is also the option of splitting paddocks and entering multiple commodities or varieties, so growers have a clearer overview of their business.

“Of course, there’s always room for improvement and we’re always open to suggestions to keep improving Paddock Planner in years to come.”

…………….

Paddock Planner – how it works 

  • For first-time users, growers will need to map their paddocks with the mapping tool, and then enter their estimates including commodity, variety, hectares and planned delivery site.
  • For growers who used Paddock Planner last year, they will only need to update their paddocks if anything has changed with their farm, then enter their estimates for the current season.

CDF app – how it works 

  • The CDF app replaces the traditional paper-based Carter’s Delivery Form for grain deliveries.
  • Growers and truck drivers pre-submit their load information, most of which is pre-populated with data from Paddock Planner, for grain deliveries while on the farm to notify the CBH receival site of a coming delivery.
  • When the load arrives at site for sampling, the load information is automatically available and once the sampling assessment is complete, grade results are immediately available in the app.
  • The truck driver can then choose to accept the grade and continue with the delivery or opt to deliver to another site that is providing the service.
  • Real-time notifications are sent throughout the delivery process including the sample results and the driver’s arrival and departure from the receival site.
  • The app also shows which sites are open, which grains are being accepted at each site, and the approximate waiting time at the site.

Source: CBH

 

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