'Without weather data, 20 hectares of onions would have been drowned'

Local weather data is indispensable for contractor and arable farmer Gjalt Cazemier. Potatoes and onions are grown on 900 hectares. "We are increasingly confronted with very local downpours, such as on our onions this spring. Because we knew where the rain fell, we were able to intervene and save 20 hectares."

Even at the end of November it is still very busy at the Sandee arable farming and contracting company in Onstwedde, Groningen. The three four-row bunker harvesters on caterpillars are laboriously plodding through the land to harvest starch potatoes, the beet harvester still has many hectares to clear and the corn chopper is also still out and about. Technicians in the workshop are already busy with winter maintenance, provided they are not called away for a towing job.

Check the app every day
"It no longer matters how many millimeters fall, it is just much too wet," Cazemier sighs. "Normally, I check the AgroExact app every day to see how much precipitation has fallen where. Now that doesn't matter anymore." In addition to our own arable farm, many activities in arable farming and livestock farming are also carried out for third parties. Cazemier is responsible for planning and administration at the company he runs with his in-laws. "Local weather data is crucial for me as a planner. Previously, I would drive around for hours to assess which plots were suitable for cultivation. Now I look in the app and work in a much more targeted manner. That saves a lot of time."

Despite the bad weather conditions, Sandee employees managed to fill the storage shed with 6.000 tons of starch potatoes. "It took us 3,5 weeks, while last year the harvesting took six days," he reflects. "Not all the potatoes are in the field yet. There is also a small area of ​​onions."

20 hectares of onions saved
Fortunately, the majority of the 100 hectares of seed onions were harvested under good conditions this autumn. In that crop it was especially exciting in the spring. Cazemier: "Just after sowing, 100 millimeters of rain fell in a short time, completely flooding the land. We loaded a bus with spades and boots and together we saved what could be saved. A good move - as it turned out. afterwards - because it saved 20 hectares of onions. These plots are 20 kilometers from our company. Being able to view the amount of precipitation remotely has made the difference this year."

Two irrigation reels are ready to irrigate the onions. Cazemier also relies on the weather data from AgroExact. "I determine which plot should be irrigated first. The soil we cultivate is approximately within a radius of 20 kilometers around our company. It is impossible to look everywhere at the same time. The next step is the use of soil sensors. AgroExact offers them, but we don't use them yet."

Extensive network
The arable farmer-contractor benefits greatly from the extensive network of weather stations. "When we started we were one of the first users, but AgroExact did its best," he laughs. "I can see in an instant how much water has fallen on my colleagues where we also have plots nearby. It also helps in contract work. Previously you asked the farmer whether the land was suitable and then it turned out afterwards that the conditions were disappointing and you could not get started. Now you will no longer be faced with surprises. The same applies the other way around. It is quite possible that a certain region received less water, so you can move quickly."

Sandee consciously chose an AgroExact station. "The concept in which the station remains the property of the provider and you only pay for an annual subscription appealed to us very much. If there is something wrong with it, it will be resolved quickly. Our station was replaced as a preventive measure because, according to AgroExact, it was not functioning properly. If I have a question, they can be reached quickly by telephone and there is always a solution."

No misses
Cazemier advises fellow contractors to also become a subscriber, where you will also receive your own station. "When you have to rely on a farmer's rain gauge, you never know exactly whether it is correct. My experience is that something quickly goes wrong because, for example, a meter has not been emptied in time. With the data from AgroExact I always have the correct weather data at my disposal. local level."

View more information about the AgroExact solution here