The answer to this question is YES, it can be used.
But first let's explain what this technology is.
RFID: Radio Frequency Identification
It is a technology that uses radio waves to encode and store data in transponders, these tags have a silicon chip with an antenna as seen in the figure, the data is stored in that chip.
There are different models, from highway passes, staff entry cards, entry tickets, etc.
EPC: Electronic Product Code.
It uses a string of numbers to identify manufacturer, product, and a unique serial number for each item unit. This string of numbers is engraved on the RFID tag chip. All these data are stored and allow the traceability of any product, including the bags or bags (Big bags) where the grains are transferred.
Another question would be: what are they for in agriculture?
Its use in agriculture, could give a sum of benefits both at the exit of the product at the bagging plant, at the warehouses where the bags are stored as well as the entire marketing line, helping to have an orderly logistics and of course reaching to a very well managed operation with a Certified Product Delivery. ECP is something that is highly desired today, but it is not being fulfilled. It would also allow us to have a stock online correctly, pointing out missing products from other campaigns and all the necessary information for each deposit, as well as for each delivery set up to leave or on the road.
You can create a database to store all the information of the product and before any query have the complete traceability with each event of each of the products sold or to be sold. Being in control of what is being sold, when, how much and most importantly, where.
This new technology can be used in any drying and bagging plant, it is necessary that the distribution channels make the mandate for the implementation of this technology, so its use would be effective and practical.
If the benefits of RFID EPC technology can be understood, and it is applied to all traceability points, the amortization of the system would be faster. The most important thing is the information that could be obtained from the market and the movement of the grains in order to manage a rotation of the stock and the movement of bags, according to the different zones and seasons.
We could also carry out direct marketing actions based on the information provided by the points of sale, in response to the inquiries of the producers.
Regarding packaging, we should only think that in the label that is used today in each of the bags to leave a free space for the placement of the RFID label. In this way, when the product passes through the production line, the label –which is always placed in the same place- is recorded with its data, such as the EPC, batch, year of production, etc.
When talking about costs today it is in the order of 0.10 ctvs. of dollar, however this will change shortly and it is estimated that the price may reach 0.02 ctvs of dollar. Now if we take into account the added value that is had for the different actors in the packaging chain and The incalculable advantages for the producer, the cost of the tag disappears thanks to the benefits that are obtained from the new RFID EPC technology.
We can already talk about the fact that today we have a way to carry out a highly detailed traceability of bags with grains, and that it is done at the product level (unit bag). It only remains for us to define how far we want to trace that merchandise - that is, until the exit of the distribution center, until the exit of the warehouse of the zonal seller or until the exit of the producer's warehouse.
For the scheme used in Argentina, we can define the following stages as traceability steps:
1. When the product leaves the plant.
2. Deposit.
3. When you enter the distribution center.
4. At the time of picking the merchandise, transmitting to a computer the order for the preparation of support documentation, Bill of Lading, Remittances, Invoices, etc.
5. The zonal sales center, upon entry and exit, would be other traceability points.
In the attached graph you can see the moments of data capture.
