Wayne, Pennsylvania
June 17, 2008
Planalytics
WeatherPin(SM), a unique tool for displaying weather information
that impacts agricultural producers and the businesses they
depend on, has been selected by Farm Journal Media to power the
new MyWeather section of http://www.agweb.com . Scheduled for
launch on July 1, MyWeather provides detailed, site-specific
weather information in a user-friendly interface that
incorporates historic and seasonal weather trends with radar
imagery and other features.
"As we undertook the redesign of our site, we were cognizant of
the fact that, next to market volatility, weather is foremost in
the minds of the more than one million crop and livestock
producers we serve," said David Bergen, AgWeb's Vice President
of Operations and Business Development. "Planalytics' ability to
provide timely and relevant weather insights that are
specifically focused on individual farm and ranch businesses
adds a new dimension to our site," he continued. "They have
taken decades of weather data and combined it with their
forecasting capabilities to make weather information easy to
visualize, comprehend and act on at a very localized level."
AgWeb's MyWeather features historic weather intelligence that is
interpolated to within five miles of any location in the
continental U.S. "Weather conditions in rural areas can vary
dramatically from one location to the next ... even on the same
farm," stated Jed Lafferty, Managing Director of Planalytics
Life Sciences. "Compounding the producer's problem is the fact
that the nearest National Weather Service station could be 60-70
miles away with mountains or bodies of water in between. By
interpolating weather data from multiple weather stations and
adjusting for elevation and other factors, we are able to
provide more precise insights to producers, agribusiness firms,
risk managers, and other users."
Users of MyWeather can enter a specific address or use satellite
imagery to zoom in from a national level down to a particular
farm or field location. Precipitation, temperature, humidity,
growing degree days and other weather variables are summarized
in maps, tables and charts. Current weather conditions can be
compared to historic conditions for that location as well. "Say,
for example, a producer was concerned about the amount of
rainfall during a particular period ... or the number of growing
degree days that have accumulated. With MyWeather he can compare
that with the same period last year or against long-term
averages," Lafferty said.
Besides MyWeather, AgWeb will also feature Planalytics
PestMonitor(SM) which tracks weather conditions, historic and
forecast, that are conducive to crop pests, including soybean
rust and other diseases that affect plant health. "Last year
there were more incidents of soybean rust reported than ever
before," said Lafferty. "Going into this season, users of AgWeb
will be able to better monitor conditions that could lead to
further outbreaks of this disease."
Farm Journal Media is the nation's leading agricultural media
company. Its magazines are the 130-year-old flagship FARM
JOURNAL, as well as TOP PRODUCER, BEEF TODAY, DAIRY TODAY, DAIRY
Today's ELITE PRODUCER and BEEF BUSINESS JOURNAL. The Company's
broadcast division, Farm Journal Electronic Media, includes the
AgDay and U.S. Farm Report ... Town & Country Living television
programs, along with In the Country, a daily syndicated news
vignette. The Company's Internet portal "The Homepage of
Agriculture" is AgWeb.com. Farm Journal Media also publishes
several subscription-based publications including the Pro Farmer
and LandOwner newsletters. Annual live events and conferences
include the Top Producer Seminar, Pro Farmer Leading Edge
Seminar, Farm Journal Forum, Elite Producer Business Conference
and the Midwest Crop Tour. Farm Journal Media also offers custom
publishing and production products and services and provides
extensive database products and services based on its industry
leading producer database through its Database Strategies
Division.
Planalytics, Inc. is the singular global source of Business
Weather Intelligence -- the actionable information companies
need to understand and optimize the impact of weather on their
business. Weather is the most volatile of all external factors
affecting business performance and Planalytics helps companies
proactively manage this risk. Powered by an unparalleled
database of weather's financial and volumetric impacts,
proprietary forecasting technologies and market-specific
expertise, Planalytics Life Sciences has the tools and resources
to assist companies involved in all aspects of food and fiber
production ... from crop inputs (seed, fertilizer, and crop
protection) to food distribution, brokering, and retail. For
more information, visit
http://www.planalytics.com . |
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