BayWa announced on Wednesday that it intends to launch new software for manufacturer-independent digital farming. 

Once on the market, the NEXT Machine Management software will "enable compatibility between machinery and equipment," says the company. This applies to equipment from different manufacturers.  

It claims that this technology will remove one of the greatest barriers to investing in digital farming. By providing automated documentation of data, it will allow farmers to systematically digitize. 

BayWa considers this a "milestone", saying that it will "boost the acceptance of digital solutions among farmers".

As farmers have "shied away" from digitalization, this will make it easier for them to go digital, BayWa adds.

CEO Klaus Josef Lutz says its goal is “for all farmers to be able to benefit from smart farming technologies regardless of what agricultural equipment they prefer, how many hectares they farm or whether or not their farms are organic".

Among other recent announcements by the German company, the aim to launch this software on the market represents a certain feeling of teamwork. 

Collaboration is a central part of the management module. BayWa notes that "it is exceptional that several large agricultural equipment manufacturers have agreed on one common digital basis".

Specifically, the software is integrated into the NEXT Farming farm management system from FarmFacts.

Individual manufacturers AGCO, Krone, Kuhn, Lemken, Pöttinger and Rauch and FarmFacts GmbH supply this technology. However, machinery that farmers already have can also use it.