New tool helps farmers identify crop loss

Jun 21, 2018

SkyClaim converts drone maps into crop damage reports

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Farmers can use a new mapping tool to help identify potential crop losses in their fields.

Calgary’s Skymatics developed SkyClaim, which transforms aerial maps into crop damage reports.

“Producers or insurers can upload that map onto skyclaim.io, where we have many different layers of analysis to highlight and classify crop damage within those maps,” the sales and marketing coordinator with Skymatics told Farms.com today.

About 40 crops are listed in SkyClaim’s database including corn, canola and wheat. Vineyards and orchards aren’t part of the platform’s crop inventory.

Once users upload maps, they can enter customized information and pinpoint the areas on the farm they wish to examine in greater detail.

“Things like the map’s capture date are very important,” said the spokesperson. “If you’re talking about hail damage that’s one day or 10 days after a storm, that can make a big difference.

field as seen from tool
SkyClaim screenshot

“As someone is uploading their map they get to pick damage hotspots,” the spokesperson added. “They can pick five points in total and say ‘This point right here is the most damaged point.’ That tells us to go through the map and find all of the points that are similar.”

SkyClaim can identify two specific types of damage.

“If you have a map and you want to assess the wildlife damage, we can do that,” the spokesperson said. “If you want to determine the damage from flooding, we can do that too. But we’ve set (the system) up in such a way so that, in the future, we can identify and classify more sources of damage.”

The information farmers enter into the system can help them ensure they receive the proper compensation should they have to submit insurance claims.

“If you receive a claim from your insurer saying your crop is 30 per cent damaged and you know for a fact it’s at least 50 per cent damaged, you can have this data to back that up,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve seen adjustments of $100,000 go in favour of the producer because of the analytics.”

Users can upload a map free of charge and only pay for the damage reports they wish to receive.

Skyclaim.io also has demonstration maps farmers can use to become familiar with the tool.

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.