Sumer Johal is the CEO of Almanac, which combines agritech brands known in the Central Valley. Photo contributed

An international agriculture company recently launched its new brand in Fresno County.

Vancouver, Canada-based Semios, provider of precision agriculture solutions for growers, agronomists and ag retailers, recently held a “Harvest Celebration Event” at the Sunnyside Country Club in Fresno to unveil Almanac — a combination of its divisions, Semios and Agworld.

Semios offers services including real-time crop data and pest management tools for ag professionals. It has offices in Fresno.

Agworld helps ag companies create efficiencies through one central, standardized data platform to connect agronomists, growers and contractors.

Semios was founded in 2010, and last year, Sumer Johal, a globally recognized leader in digital innovation and AI, joined as CEO. Johal has more than 25 years’ experience in technology in both private and public settings.

Originally from Punjab, India, Johal had early experiences in agriculture as he came from a farming family.

“We are aiming to create products and services that will be helpful, timely, affordable, delightful, convenient, and most importantly — different” Johal said.

Johal said the ag industry is in a state of “transition” and that technology, especially AI, will bring about the next revolution in agriculture.

Since he joined Semios in the last year, he and the team have challenged themselves to expand their knowledge of AI in the industry, and reorganized to be more efficient and responsive for their customers. The company feels “renewed” as they enter the next chapter of their journey, Johal said.

“We wanted AI to be invisible, but always help. We want it to save our customers time and to help them win in their work, but never violating their privacy or their trust,” Johal said.

Johal said that some customers knew the company as Semios, while others knew it as Agworld, which was acquired by Semios a few years ago, and combing the companies as Almanac strikes a clearer vision for the company.

Johal said their technology and services are used for 100 million acres of farmland across three continents.

“Agriculture is always on the move. Its not static,” Johal said.

The ag industry is becoming increasingly connected, and stressed by volatile weather, to geopolitical risks, growing populations, and increasing population, and less resources Johal said.

That shift in the industry made Johal and the team think about what they could do to help professionals in the shift he said.

The shift in the ag industry also made the team think about why they do what they do, and how they should do it.

“We aspire to be the trust source of intelligence for our hyper connected and increasingly complex fruit systems, but bridging this intelligence to our users’ fingertips, we empower and amplify their wisdom,” Johal said.

Johal said the main reason for rebranding as Almanac is to align their identity and purpose, building an enduring brand as they continue their journey as a trusted source of intelligence for food systems.

“We aspire to earn a global reputation for sending the best real time information when and where it matters most,” Johal said.