15 Mar 2011

Ballance diversifies into online services

2:10 pm on 15 March 2011

Fertiliser co-operative Ballance Agri-Nutrients is diversifying into online farm information and technology.

The company is taking a majority shareholding in Farmworks Systems Limited which has an online service, AgHub.

The service enables farmers to capture, store and analyse information across farm management systems and is linked to GPS maps of farm properties.

Ballance chief executive Larry Bilodeau says the company will have a 51% stake in Farmworks Systems and the technology will help its farmer shareholders to farm more productively, sustainably and profitably.

He says the existing owners and developers of Farmworks Systems and AgHub will continue to hold a significant stake in the business and will work with Ballance to continue to advance the technology.