Establishing Agricultural Cloud Services

Establishing Agricultural Cloud Services

Published: 2013.07.10
Accepted: 2013.07.11
57
Board Director
Taiwan Flowers Development Association

Dr. Hwang-Jaw Lee, PhD

Board Director, Taiwan Flowers Development Association

 

Cloud computing, which utilizes the internet to provide remote services to distant users, has been aided by the proliferation of smartphones and information technology in recent years. The future of cloud computing remains rosy as the world seeks to create value-added products based on its remote storage and retrieval capabilities.

As cloud technology development continues, the COA will establish the integrated agricultural cloud services system and cloud systems for agricultural production, marketing, leisure and food, and utilize GPS digital positioning to obtain photographed evidence so as to improve the efficiency of agricultural disaster surveys. The COA will create in 2013 the farmers' smart card for trial application on measures such as providing machine gasoline and fertilizer subsidies at the initial stage. Farm production and various agricultural information operations will then be integrated into the smart card system step by step for the government to obtain timely agricultural production and marketing information and to provide farmers with diversified services.

Accessible via an internet connection on a computer or smartphone, the COA Taiwan Agriculture and Food Traceability System (TAFT) is an online databank that provides extensive consumer information. Users can trace agricultural products back to their producers or manufacturers, as well as flag and request the total recall of any products deemed unfit for human consumption. TAFT, and the national cattle pedigree program scheduled for the near future are both measures enacted by the COA to safeguard consumer rights. On the production side, the COA offers the cloud-based Agricultural Producer Resource Management System, where farmers can input and keep track of expenses, sales, inventory levels, total salary paid to hired hands, volume of production and other accounting figures.

Given that integration is the key concept of cloud computing, the COA has an entire array of online services to offer to the agricultural sector – specialized production and ranch management, agricultural trade and logistics, farmer’s almanac and planting time tables, to name a few. By making the wealth of information public through cloud computing, the COA hopes to keep the nation’s farmers informed on the latest changes in the environment, market prices and economic trends, which will help balance domestic supply and demand. With all these handy services and practical information at hand, the nation’s agricultural sector is one step closer to becoming healthier, less complicated and more superior than ever before!

 

Date submitted: July 2, 2013

Reviewed, edited and uploaded: July 11, 2013

 

 

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