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Newsletter #5 – July 2024

31 Jul 2024

July Edition – Welcome

Dear Readers,

We are pleased to present the July edition of the AgriGuide Newsletter, highlighting:

Proposed PPP labelling regulations
Enhancements to our technical platform and label models
Outcomes of our National Industry Associations webinar
German agricultural feedback on the AgriGuide application

We appreciate your continued interest. Should you have summer holiday plans, we wish you a refreshing time off.

Best regards

The AgriGuide Team

Draft regulation to replace the existing regulation on PPP labelling 547/2011

In July, the EU Commission made available publicly an advanced draft of the new regulation, which focuses on updates for physical labels but also establishes the future existence of digital machine-readable labels.

The draft regulation proposal will mean that labels will need to be submitted both physically and digitally for new product submissions from January 2026, although details of the understanding and scope are being clarified with the EU Commission. As an industry, we support the principles of digital labels proposed in the draft regulation and are preparing for a follow-up workshop with MS authorities and the EU Commission to discuss the implementation and workflows from January 2026.

This draft proposal impacts the AgriGuide roadmap, which is being refined by the team.

The draft document can be seen in the comitology register here :
https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/comitology -register/screen/documents/098624/1/consult?lang=en

Webinar with National Industry Associations

We recently held a productive webinar with national industry associations from across Europe. This dynamic session served multiple purposes:

Sharing valuable insights from our ongoing pilot programme

Discussing the next steps for AgriGuide’s implementation across all 27 EU countries

Preparing for the upcoming digital labelling regulation

The session fostered constructive exchanges and helped align our efforts across different regions.

We extend our sincere thanks to all participants for their engagement and valuable input.

News from the technical teams

Platform Updates: Label Model v1.0

Following our early pilot phase, we’ve made significant progress:

Label delivery and support requests have stabilized, allowing us to focus on feedback.
We’ve used this feedback to improve how label data flows through the system.
We’ve also updated user interfaces to display label information more clearly.

The AgriGuide label model, the heart of our system, has been upgraded to version 1.0:

This update includes minor technical changes and some simplifications.
We’re developing more robust processes for review and implementation.
The new model allows us to handle multiple label versions simultaneously.

For a smooth transition to the upgraded label model:

The platform core will use the new v1.0 model.
Apps will continue to support the legacy v0.4 model for several weeks.
The platform will translate v1.0 information into the v0.4 structure for the apps.
This approach ensures backwards compatibility and enables a gradual shift to more advanced features.

Pilot Progress and User Engagemen

In all over 100 users (including farmers/technicians/member company representative) have been invited to the pilot and are helping us test the system and provide feedback.
The platform and app delivery team are transitioning to a monthly programme release cadence to maintain delivery speed and formalise processes across the programme.
Since the proof-of-concept phase, we’ve helped with 295 support tickets covering various topics and improvements!

Planning Workshop for 2024 H2 and 2025

Our technical team recently met in London for a two-day planning workshop:

The meeting was held at Data Language’s offices, our platform implementation partner. The team :

Reviewed upcoming technical and project challenges.
Outlined key milestones, actions, and areas for further investigation.

Key outcomes:

Created a template for onboarding new countries, listing necessary technical steps.
Identified potential risks and began developing mitigation strategies.
Drafted plans to be reviewed with the wider project team.

Next steps:

Review identified risks and develop matching mitigation steps.
Test our draft plans with the wider project team.

We’re excited about the progress made and look forward to implementing these plans to improve AgriGuide further.

AgriGuide Playbook and Grower feedback

AgriGuide Playbook: Supporting New Countries

To ensure a smooth expansion of AgriGuide across Europe, we’re finalising a comprehensive AgriGuide playbook for national associations and member companies representatives. If you’re a member, you’ll receive the link soon. Haven’t received it in a few days? Do reach out using the email at the end of the newsletter.

The playbook will cover:

Key project phases and tasks
Main aspects of AgriGuide implementation
Best practices and lessons learned from our pilot programme

This will be a living document, regularly updated to reflect the latest information and insights gained as we progress.

German Farmers’ Feedback on the AgriGuide App

We’re pleased to share some encouraging feedback from German farmers using the AgriGuide app:

AgriGuide roadmap

Looking ahead, we’re working on several exciting developments:

Release 1.5 features, including integration with country-regulated databases and implementation of simple application records
Engaging with Farm Management System (FMS) providers to ensure seamless integration
Collaborating closely with National Industry Associations to prepare for the January 2026 implementation of the new PPP labelling regulation

These initiatives will enhance AgriGuide’s functionality and ensure its alignment with upcoming regulatory changes, further solidifying its position as an essential tool for European farmers.