WA Farm Data Sharing

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WAFDS – Where we are at

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) WA Farm Data Sharing (WAFDSX) modelling team has been rigorously testing the project’s model and data transfer infrastructure with real data provided to them by a South Coast grower partner. 

DPIRD’s Matthew Antulov, LEAP Developer

First Data Set received from Farmer 

Project lead Dr Adam Sparks said he was thrilled to see the model working after many arduous months spent refining the process. 

“The model has now successfully ingested the data from the first grower via DPIRD’s Extrata platform and a third-party provider – AxisTech’s AxisStream, and has sent it back the other way too,” he said. 

AxisTech Managing Director Wes Lawrence said the use of AxisStream gave growers confidence when giving permission to share data with DPIRD’s Extrata platform. 

“We have worked with the grower to collate data around their cropping program, soil test results, productivity and yield,” Mr Lawrence said. 

“We have then received data outputs from the model and can present them within our platform for grower utilisation and analysis. 

“Using AxisStream also allows AxisTech to create a user-friendly interface and an experience that is familiar to growers at the other end,” he said. 

One crucial element to the project is that the grower data remains protected as it travels through the data transfer infrastructure to be analysed against DPIRD’s LEAP model tool. 

Dr Sparks said it was integral for the project to bring a trusted data agent into the mix. 

“In projects that involve the collection and management of data, we often find the primary producer’s ultimate concern is the security and privacy of their valuable information,” he said. 

“That is why utilising DPIRD’s end to end encrypted Extrata platform as a digital courier helps build trust between us – the service provider, and the growers.

And that is not the end of it.  

Now that the data has successfully been ingested and a draft report sent back the other way, there is still more testing that needs to occur before a final report is provided to the grower. 

“We are close,” Dr Sparks said. 

“We’re in the final phases of refining and testing the model and hope to present a final report to the farmer in Esperance next month.” 

For more project updates, join the early adopter community here. 

 Contact Alison Lacey at GGA .