Focus: Agriculture

LONDON — Satellites have the capability to play a huge role in the sustainable agricultural revolution. This was a key theme during the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, which took place in London this week. NASA Harvest Director Inbal Becker-Reshef said that food security is one of the most “critical issues of our time,” as the...

Agriculture manufacturer Case IH recently showcased its upcoming satellite terminal for tractors, combines, and more at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, as it prepares to roll out a satcom solution with Intelsat.    Via Satellite spoke with Case IH during Farm Progress to hear about why the manufacturer chose to work with Intelsat, and...

John Deere is going through an early access program for certain customers to test the company’s new agriculture connectivity solution with Starlink. Via Satellite spoke with Michael Kool, John Deere senior product manager of Connectivity, at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, this week to get an update on the Starlink rollout. Announced in...

German smart agriculture company BASF Digital Farming GmbH will expand the scope of its existing contract with Planet Labs in order to access more data from Planet’s Crop Biomass Planetary Variable analysis feed. In an announcement published Tuesday, BASF Digital Farming said it will increase its use of Planet’s satellite data products to power its...

John Deere’s work with SpaceX to equip thousands of agricultural machines with Starlink connectivity lays the groundwork for the future of autonomous farming, John Deere leaders said recently at SATELLITE and in conversation with Via Satellite.  John Deere announced its selection of Starlink in January after a long RFP process that launched in 2022. Deere...

Musang Valley Plantation (MVP) is to use space-based technology to drive and implement sustainable practices and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. The Malaysian integrated plantation company will use advanced Earth observation (EO) data and analytics solutions provided by SC Solutions. It announced the deal, Jan. 29. Under the agreement, SC Solutions will work closely...

John Deere selected SpaceX’s Starlink for its agricultural connectivity solution, the company announced Tuesday, after a long RFP process with the satellite industry.  The satcom solution will connect both new and existing machines through satellite internet service and terminals. The company said Jan. 16 that John Deere dealers will install a ruggedized Starlink terminal on...

SatSure, an Earth observation startup based in India and focused on using satellite data for agricultural insurance use cases, raised $15 million in a Series A round. Baring Private Equity Partners, India (BPEP India) and Promus Ventures led the round, with participation from Omidyar Network India, xto10X, Force Ventures, Luckbox Ventures, and IndigoEdge Advisors. SatSure,...

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel put out a call for representatives from diverse and underrepresented communities to apply for membership on the FCC’s Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force, including socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. The FCC issued a release on Aug. 21 announcing its intent to charter the task force for a third and final term....

Aspia Space has developed a new tool harnessing AI and satellite data to enable grassland farmers to remotely measure the height of their grass from space. The company announced the new tool, July 18. Aspia Space is partnering with Origin Digital to launch the service with farmers in Ireland this summer. By accurately measuring the...