Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
In farming, fishing and forestry, conditions are often tough. Machines and appliances work in all weather conditions and are sometimes exposed to large (natural) forces and aggressive (manure) substances, also in stables. At the same time, they need to generate high yields and operate efficiently, because pricing pressure is always present – certainly in the food industry, which is confronted with the continuing price war among the supermarkets.
Metaphorically speaking, these sectors have also had a hard time from politicians and the general public. Agriculture has to be more sustainable, with a greater focus on animal welfare and reduced emissions of harmful substances (ammonia, pesticides). The fishing industry needs to prevent overfishing, and in forestry, sustainable forest management is high on the agenda, to contribute to the fight against global warming.
The circumstances require equipment that is solidly constructed and has been produced with robust components. Servicing, also in the sometimes remote locations, must be well organised. Downtime should be avoided, because the harvest season is often short. In addition, the machines and devices have a high degree of automation, necessary due to the lack of labour and in order to increase quality and efficiency.
In sectors such as agriculture and fishing, innovation continues to thrive. For example, the combination of crop monitoring (from a satellite) and GPS-localisation makes precision farming possible, thus providing for optimal use of raw materials. Operations and dosing, such as for fertiliser, are carried out with precision according to local needs. The same automation can also be used for monitoring and logging all activities for accountability towards the authorities.
In fact, agriculture, fishing and forestry must all be committed to targeted and sustainable operation, and when doing so they need all the help they can get. The technical value-added distributor can advise broadly on these topics and help reduce the ecological footprint. The technology needed to deliver automation, sustainability and energy savings is also supplied by him. For efficient operation, he also provides the mechanical and electrotechnical supplies and employs sophisticated concepts for the logistics and servicing they involve. This enables these sectors to work together sustainably with the technical value-added distributor.