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INNOVATION IN PRACTICE
The technology developed and commercialised by the Australian agritech sector will be critical in Australia reaching its productivity ambitions, writes Andrew Coppin. Technology has been revolutionising the way Aus- tralians farm for generations. From on-farm ma- chinery to two-way radios and eventually the use of mobile apps, it’s hard to envision a time when technology didn’t aid the agriculture industry. Over several decades agritech (technology used in agri- culture) has grown to support farmers to overcome operational, financial, and supply chain efficiency challenges. Applying technology to everyday oper- ations allows farmers the opportunity to increase overall management, limit impact on natural re- sources, and guarantee after-growing conditions. Australia’s world-leading agritech sector – in- cluding farmers, start-ups, scale-ups and en- terprises, accelerator and incubator programs, industry groups, and universities and research institutions – is on the frontline enabling on-farm and supply chain adoption of technology. It is the cornerstone for transforming the way Australians farm, driving our world leading export reputation, and how the supply chain operates. It is a key en- abler of sustainable practices and climate impacts through the development of commercial and scaled applied technology solutions. Agritech, the future of farming
As the Australian agriculture industry currently has a farmgate output of approximately $72 bil- lion and aims to reach $100 billion by 2030, the relationships that foster the sector are becoming increasingly valuable. Researchers, technological developers, farmers, and the agritech ecosystem must work together with varying other stakehold- ers to ensure the sector continues in a sustainable, high-yielding, and adaptive way. One of the largest agritech sub-sectors is water management. The global desire to increase water management has sparked the revolution of many agritech companies, providing close to real-time visuals and alerts, enabling farm managers to view various water supplies across their farm and ana- lyse the best operations for its use. Agritech offers farmers sophisticated systems that supply weather forecasting and pump management, and allows growers and producers a better way of anticipat- ing how to deal with the inevitable altering climate while gaining the highest yield from their crops.
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