Irrigation Technology News

FRESNO, CA: Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd, has acquired the technology and core team of Australian Observant Pty Ltd, which is a world leader in providing in-field hardware and cloud based applications for precision farm water management.

To provide farmers with a broad suite of capabilities to increase crop yields while, at the same time, responsibly and profitably manage limited resources, the acquisition will combine Jain’s global irrigation manufacturing and precision agriculture technology platform with Observant’s broad field monitoring and control technology.

Aric Olson, President of Jain Irrigation, Inc, said, “Technology and innovation are core focus areas for Jain. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to access the best technology in the industry with Observant, a globally recognized Ag Tech leader. The award winning Observant product line is ready to scale to the tremendous global market that the Jain company services. With Jain’s backing, farmers will have access to the best technology and the backing of a 30-year-old company with 11,000 associates.”

Managing Director of Jain Irrigation Systems Limited, Anil Jain said, “In combination with our complementary products technologies from the United States, Australia, India, and Israel, we have unmatched capabilities to help farmers deliver on our promise of ‘More Crop per Drop’.”

Observant was founded in 2003 with a mission to transform agricultural water management through the application of innovative technology with practical farm-ready solutions. Observant helped to establish the market that exists today for precision farm water management as they are early pioneers in Ag Tech. Observant is recognized as a leader in the field as more than 5,000 connected devices in the field, and operations in Australia and the USA.

co-founder and Executive Chairman of Observant, Simon Holmes à Court said, "We are delighted with the opportunities this acquisition brings. To help optimize agricultural input costs and increase productivity, Observant has taken a ‘no-compromise’ approach to developing and delivering farm-ready technology. We’re immensely proud of what we’ve built over the past 14 years and excited by where Jain will take us.”

Matthew Pryor also said, "Precision water management is a global opportunity, and by combining our technical leadership with Jain’s global scale and reach, more farmers will have access to the technologies required to meet the food challenges of the 21st century."

Co-founder J. Matthew Pryor will take the role of Australian CEO and CTO. Simon Holmes à Court will continue a relationship with Observant in an advisory capacity. Fennebresque & Co. served as exclusive financial advisor and Norton Gledhill as legal advisor to Observant. Ice Miller and Corrs Chambers Westgarth provided legal advice to Jain.

Source: http://www.jains.com/