New tech allows farmers to reduce environmental footprints and improve yields
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Writer
Farms.com
A Quebec-based company may have a solution for Canadian producers who irrigate their crops.
Hortau, a clean tech firm that serves growers across Canada and the U.S., developed a platform that allows farmers to manage their irrigation systems through mobile devices. The technology uses sensors to collect real-time soil tension data, which helps farmers ensure their crops receive enough water to maximize yields, the company website states.
Through the platform, producers can remotely control pumps and valves in their fields. They can also monitor water levels and flow rates, as well as set up custom alerts.
By using the platform, these farmers could reduce their water usage by approximately 25 per cent, Jocelyn Boudreau, co-founder and chief executive officer of Hortau, said in a release this morning.
Now, the company could reach more farmers across Canada, thanks to a $7 million investment from Export Development Canada (EDC), the release said.
This funding could help the company “gain a bigger foothold in the world market,” Shelley MacLean, principal adviser at EDC, told Farms.com today.
Hortau also received $5.9 million earlier this year from Sustainable Development Technology Canada, a foundation that helps fund clean technologies.
To find out how North American producers have benefited from Hortau’s technology, click here.
Jeremy Bronson photo