During the closing ceremony of the Mario Preve Award, xFarm Technologies, a technology company specialized in digitalization and sustainability projects for agri-food supply chains, and Riso Gallo, one of the largest rice mills in Europe and one of the oldest in Italy, They presented the results of the 2023 pilot project and the beginning of the most intense phase of their collaboration. The objective of the project is the total digitalization of the Riso Gallo supply chain, currently made up of more than 180 farms participating in the "Riso che sustain" project (which in Italian means Rice that supports), to guarantee complete traceability of the activities carried out in the field, production efficiency and, therefore, greater environmental and economic sustainability of supplier farms. In 2023, six pilot farms have already been involved to test xFarm technologies, with a total of more than 400 hectares digitally mapped. The goal for 2024 is to expand the number of users by creating a platform dedicated to managing the entire rice supply chain.

The project was launched in the 2023 campaign, during which the pilot farms used Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and the xFarm platform: the objective is that within four years all farms Participants in the project use the digital tools that Riso Gallo will provide them free of charge. Farmers participating so far have received sensors, such as weather stations and soil moisture sensors, and specific training given by xFarm Technologies in collaboration with the Riso Gallo team of agronomists to learn about the functionalities of the platform and be accompanied in every step of the process. "With last season's pilot project, we wanted to start collecting opinions from farmers. The participating farms showed great interest and understood the added value of the initiative. This enthusiasm is very positive and is essential to encourage the spontaneous adoption of the tools in all the farms participating in the 'Riso che sustain' project", says Giacomo Luddeni, B2B Execution Manager at xFarm Technologies.

The objective is to develop, in collaboration with Riso Gallo, a specific platform for all companies in the Riso Gallo supply chain, supporting them in the adoption of more virtuous agronomic practices. This will make rice production more efficient and sustainable thanks to technologies such as DSS (Decision Support System) and, at the same time, certify the product through precise data on the field, transmitting the added value to the consumer.

Agronomic support against rice diseases to improve sustainability

xFarm Technologies and Riso Gallo will develop two main innovations specific to Riso Gallo's "Riso che sustain" supply chain. The first is a sustainability indicator dedicated exclusively to rice cultivation, which will make it possible to identify the most virtuous agronomic practices and have a complete supply chain sustainability report at the end of the season. This will allow us to calculate and compare the impact of the different varieties of rice grown or the different agronomic techniques, in order to make decisions that have the lowest possible environmental impact. The second is a DSS that will be calibrated for the main varieties of interest to Riso Gallo, and that will be specific for rice blight, a particularly aggressive fungal disease. Development and calibration work will begin in 2024 and will be carried out by a team of agronomists, engineers and researchers who will carry out experimental tests to calibrate the models as best as possible. This will provide precise indications on the best time to carry out treatments, protecting the crop and reducing the number of necessary interventions and, consequently, the environmental impact.

"xFarm has a great attachment to rice cultivation, since it is one of the first in which we have developed our technologies. That is why we are especially excited to work with a brand like Riso Gallo to digitalize one of the most important rice supply chains at an Italian and international level. This ambitious project will help supplier farmers improve agronomic management and sustainability, while making production more efficient through the use of rice disease-specific DSS. Rice blight is one of the diseases that causes the most economic damage in agriculture worldwide. This is one of the reasons why we are convinced that this project can become a benchmark within the European agri-food sector and lead more and more farmers to use more sustainable agricultural practices" - says Matteo Vanotti, CEO of xFarm Technologies.

"This important and innovative collaboration is part of the path undertaken by Riso Gallo to promote an increasingly holistic approach to sustainability, capable of generating a concrete impact and guaranteeing increasingly higher product standards, while preserving fertility of the soil and all environmental resources. We immediately recognized the value of xFarm and the convergence of values and objectives, so we decided to collaborate with them to develop a tool that specifically supports farmers, allowing responsible, effective and efficient development of their business", says Riccardo Preve, CEO of Riso Gallo.

xFarm Technologies is a technology company that helps the agri-food sector go digital by providing innovative tools that can help agricultural entrepreneurs and stakeholders manage their farms. Today, xFarm Technologies supports the work of 300,000 farms belonging to more than 50 supply chains and covering 4 million hectares in more than 100 countries around the world.

Riso Gallo is one of the largest rice mills in Europe and one of the oldest in Italy. Its history began in Genoa in 1856, but the company is currently located in Robbio Lomellina, in the heart of the province of Pavia. Riso Gallo has known how to treasure its traditions and combine them with the present. Today it is a 100% Italian company at the forefront of the Made in Italy food industry, in its sixth generation. Its continuous growth confirms its attention to the market and the needs of consumers, to which it responds punctually, with passion and dedication, innovating and diversifying its offer, always guaranteeing high quality. Riso Gallo, a leader in sustainability, is present in more than 90 countries around the world.