On The Land
14 May, 2024
F2F TEKFarm to deliver exciting possibilities for producers
TECHNOLOGY has come a long way since a demonstration in the Hammond Centre of the former Queensland Agricultural College in November 1988 showed a primitive version of what producers now know to be the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) tag for livestock.
There are technologies now which farmers consider indispensable and could never imagine operating without them.
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in tractors, Automatic Dipping and Flushing systems (ADF) in dairies and Artificial Insemination (AI) in livestock are just some of the technologies which have made their way into modern-day farming practices.
Now technology is reaching new heights with farmers enjoying the benefits of such things as using solar-powered sensors which transmit water levels via a smartphone.
Producers who are looking to enhance their business’s drought resilience and profitability are encouraged to participate in a ground-breaking project developed by Farmers2Founders (F2F) and the Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (TNQ Drought Hub).
The initiative is designed to help primary producers identify on-farm challenges, build capabilities and accelerate the adoption of agricultural technologies (Agtech) which enhance resilience to drought.
With its innovative approach, F2F TEKFARM aims to assist primary producers in enhancing their profitability, productivity and sustainability by improving soil health, land condition and water management through the adoption of technology.
This project received funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
TNQ Drought Hub Technical Adoption Officer Keerah Steele said it was a valuable opportunity for the region’s primary producers to participate in the project and there was room for 15.
“I have 15 remaining places for farmers across Tropical North Queensland, in any field, to participate in the F2F TEKFarm project,” Keerah said.
F2F TEKFARM will be delivering projects across a variety of regions and industries.
While developing innovative solutions for agriculture is important, the real challenge lies in getting farmers to adopt these technologies.
F2F TEKFARM stands out for its innovation as it encourages farmers to describe what their problems are and what they want from technology.
No one knows a farming operation better than the producer themselves and farmers are constantly “brainstorming” and generating innovative ways of how they can make things easier, better and more profitable for themselves.
What makes F2F TEKFARM different is that it doesn't follow the traditional approach whereby people come up with ideas first and then search for markets.
Instead, Farmers2Founders actively seeks a producer's viewpoint to identify problems and generate ideas aimed at solving those specific challenges.
Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub Program Lead - Agricultural Innovation & Commercialisation Tony Matchett said the project would help unlock the value of Agtech for producers within their farming businesses by identifying their drought resilience challenges and opportunities.
“A F2F TEKFARM Agtech adoption facilitator will visit a producer at their property to explore and establish the nature of their business, technology readiness, issues of concern and whether participation within F2F TEKFARM is a good fit for them,” Tony said.
“With support from the facilitator, an Agtech Adoption Plan will be developed to help identify the problems to be solved, the Agtech solutions available to solve them with and to plan the implementation and integration of ‘fit-for-purpose’ Agtech solutions.
“The facilitator will then help evaluate the value and benefits delivered by the Agtech solutions and will give the farmer the opportunity to share the learnings with fellow producers and agricultural advisors, giving them the knowledge and confidence to adopt Agtech solutions within their businesses and to also assist others to adopt Agtech.
“We connect farmers with the best tech companies, both in Australia and globally, for a collaborative, de-risked Agtech trial or implementation process.”
Producers are then provided with support to integrate the technology into their operations to achieve the best possible results.
The return on investment of the technology implemented is an important factor which is also evaluated.
The project will facilitate the building of strong connections between like-minded producers, intermediaries such as trusted advisors and consultants, producer and industry groups as well as the Agtech providers themselves.
Farmers and Agtech providers, along with all other interested parties as well as potential funding partners, are encouraged to participate.
For further information contact Program Lead, Tony Matchett: tony.matchett@jcu.edu.au or 0438 482 728.
