Capital Press

TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Local officials and community leaders gathered on Friday at the College of Southern Idaho to welcome CropLogic to the area.

The New Zealand company, which provides digital agricultural technology and agronomy services for growers of irrigated crops, will locate a regional sales office on the CSI campus.

“We’re very excited to be here. We’re excited to be part of the community,” James Cooper-Jones, CropLogic CEO, said.

The company has received a great reception locally and is excited to collaborate with the city, economic development organizations, CSI and others, he said.

The company operates in New Zealand and Australia and has expanded into the Pacific Northwest with clients in the Columbia Basin and southern Idaho. Its suite of digital technology includes remote soil moisture monitoring, aerial infrared imagery and predictive modeling.

Two years ago, the company opened an office in Pasco, Wash., starting with 84 real-time soil moisture monitoring sites. The response was excellent, and the number of monitoring sites grew to 524 serving 140 to 150 clients in the Columbia Basin, he said.

The company already offers aerial imagery to southern Idaho growers and wants to expand its footprint here, he said.

CropLogic launched in 2010 to further develop and commercialize technologies developed by agricultural institutes in New Zealand with 30 years of research and development. The company works in collaboration with growers and agronomists in New Zealand, Australia and the U.S.

In early 2016, the company moved from development to commercializing the technology. But New Zealand is a small market, and the company recognized it needed to expand beyond the country’s borders, Cooper-Jones said.

“It’s a business that has a very sound basis and agronomy expertise,” he said.

The technology is not just a concept. It has practical application in the field, providing growers with real-time data needed to make decisions that will maximize yields, he said.

Agriculture worldwide faces many challenges, particularly in growing crops and feeding a growing population. Meeting that challenge demands agricultural innovation and continually developing technology, he said.

Collaboration, partnerships and relationships are a big part of how CropLogic operates, and it’s important in the communities where the company does business, he said.

The partnership with CSI will be beneficial in developing and researching future technology, he said.

It’s an exciting opportunity for the college and the community and a partnership for the future, Jeff Fox, CSI president, said.

The college has had successful partnerships for workforce development with Chobani, Clif Bar and Dell as well as the wind energy industry.

CropLogic’s locating in Twin Falls came about quickly, with CSI, the city and Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization each bringing something to the table, Connie Stopher, SEIDO executive director, said.

SEIDO is excited to welcome CropLogic and is looking forward to years of partnership, she said.

Agricultural technology, science and research are key components the community wants to build on for continued economic development, Shawn Barigar, mayor of Twin Falls, said.