Harvesting better security and cropping waste
Agrícola Alvorada upgrades security with Axis cameras, security radar, and speaker horns. Cameras also help improve worker safety and reduce product loss.
Mission
Agrícola Alvorada, one of the largest agribusinesses in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso had always felt that traditional alarms and security guards were sufficient protection for their business which stores and sells soy, corn and agricultural inputs. But their confidence in this business model was shaken when thieves broke into one of their warehouses. The company decided that augmenting their security staff with surveillance technology could improve detection and reaction time to security threats at their branch operations and storage facilities. But they also wanted a system that could help them improve worker safety and reduce product waste.
Solution
AUSEC is a leader in Brazilian agribusiness, a security integrator, and an Axis partner. They devised a solution that would address Agrícola Alvorada’s current needs and easily scale to meet future expansion. The integrator proposed three goals: standardizing technology, consolidating information, and layering protection. To achieve those goals, AUSEC installed Security Center Omnicast – an advanced video management system (VMS) from Genetec™ – that integrated data from more than a hundred Axis fixed and pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras and Axis security radars deployed at Agrícola Alvorada properties. The integrator also deployed Axis horn speakers at key locations to help guards proactively respond to incidents in real time.
Result
With Axis security radar, Agrícola Alvorada can reliably detect movement within 50 meters of their properties. The Axis PTZ cameras allow security staff to follow intruders and direct guards to their whereabouts. Security staff use Axis horn speakers to broadcast pre-recorded messages or live warnings to deter trespassers from advancing further.
The Axis/Genetec solution helps us better monitor our operations 24/7/365. It’s not only about improving property security. With closer oversight through the cameras and security radar, we’ve been able to improve workplace safety and reduce product waste.
Partnering with local corn and soybean producers
Agrícola Alvorada, located in one of Brazil’s most productive regions, works in direct partnership with rural growers in the State of Mato Grosso. In addition to purchasing and marketing their corn and soybean crops, the agribusiness provides farmers with high-quality seed, fertilizer, and pesticides to help them increase the yield from their fields.
Over 60,000 tons of grain arrive daily at Agrícola Alvorada’s network of storage sites, with another 40,500 tons shipping out daily to buyers around the globe. Since its founding in 2002, the company has been using its aggregate storage capacity and commodities markets expertise to negotiate the most favorable terms for its rural producers.
For years, the company used security guards to protect the movement and storage of grain at its warehouses. “Everything was working fine . . . until one day it wasn’t,” says Francisco Vargas, Financial Director for Agrícola Alvorada.
In 2019, a gang specializing in agricultural cargo broke into one of the company’s warehouses. “We knew these kinds of cargo robberies were increasing throughout Brazil,” says Vargas. “But up until then, we hadn’t had a problem. This invasion made us realize we needed to do more to protect our operations.”
Using technology to step up security
Agrícola Alvorada hired AUSEC, a security integrator and Axis partner, to implement a technology solution to increase the security of the company. “We wanted a solution that would address our current needs and easily scale to meet our plans for future expansion,” says Vargas. “AUSEC possessed the expertise and we needed to get the job done right.”
“We analyzed their strengths and vulnerabilities to determine their current and potential threats going forward,” explains Wagner Figueiredo, CEO of AUSEC. The risk analysis led the integrator to propose three pillars of action to help Agricola Alvorada to reach their goal: 1) standardized technology, 2) consolidated information, and 3) layered protection.
Central to the project was the unified platform – an advanced video management system (VMS) and alarms from Genetec™. AUSEC chose the Genetec™ VMS for its seamless compatibility with Axis technology. Genetec Security Center integrates data from 131 Axis bullet and minidome fixed cameras and 19 Axis Q61 Series PTZ cameras, as well as 27 strategically placed Axis security radars and 8 Axis horn speakers deployed across Agrícola Alvorada properties.
“The Genetec™ Security Center VMS gives the security staff a unified overview of all Agrícola Alvorada units on a single screen,” shares Figueiredo. “Incorporating Axis technology into the solution gives them the layered protection they need to proactively detect potential threats and effectively respond to incidents in real time.”
For example, Francisco Vargas cites the benefit of having Axis security radar that can detect movement within 50 meters of the property. “Having an early warning system gives us more options,” explains Vargas. “Security can broadcast a pre-recorded message or live warning through an Axis horn speaker to deter the trespassers from advancing further. If the intruder chooses to ignore the warning, the radar directs the Axis PTZ cameras to track the individual’s movement and inform operators of their whereabouts.”
Improving employee safety and reducing product waste
While the initial impetus for investing in the Axis and Genetec™ technology was to increase security, Agrícola Alvorada has since discovered other uses for the system. For instance, managers use Axis cameras to check whether forklift operators are wearing their seat belts.
Another area where the new technology has proven especially valuable has been in controlling waste. “In the past, a pipe leak in the middle of the night would result in damage,” explains Vargas. “Now with the Axis cameras, the warehouses are monitored 24/7. If a pipe breaks when the facility is closed, the control center can see it happening and immediately send maintenance to fix the problem.”
The technology has proven so beneficial to the agribusiness that Agrícola Alvorada plans to implement this solution in every new warehouse it builds.
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