The State Government has started a global search to find cutting edge AgTech to support its On-Farm Internet of Things (IoT) trial.
The trial is the cornerstone of the government’s $27 million investment in digital agriculture.
It will investigate everything from network connectivity to on-farm IoT applications, which enables the remote sensing and control of physical objects by computer based systems..
Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford said AgTech was the next revolution in farming.
She told the recent Victorian Farmers Federation conference, in Ballarat, she wanted Victoria to be the centre for investment in digital agriculture.
“I also want as many people who are interested to be able to access the new technology and new ways of doing things,” Ms Pulford said.
Digital agriculture would drive better profits and productivity.
“We want to make it as accessible and inclusive as we possible can,” she said.
Victoria had been building digital capability, from scratch.
“We know AgTech, including IoT, has the capacity to change the agricultural landscape for decades to come - so to ensure it can deliver the results it promises, we need to do research on the ground and that’s exactly what this is all about.”
“This is a fantastic opportunity for farmers and AgTech providers to get down to the nitty-gritty of what works and what doesn’t, breaking down barriers such as a lack of connectivity, skills and capital to invest.”
The trial will cover Victoria's major agricultural sectors of dairy, horticulture, meat production and broadacre cropping.
It will be rolled out in four sites around Maffra, Tatura, Serpentine and Birchip.
Mr Pulford said tenders were being sought for the establishment of IoT networks for each of the four trial regions, to provide the connectivity needed to enable the use of on-farm IoT solutions.
A second request would follow shortly, inviting Agriculture IoT providers to submit proposals to supply applications and devices for the four farm types included in the trial.
Farmers participating in the trial would be able to select IoT solutions to trial on their farm, with financial support from Agriculture Victoria.
The IoT solutions used in the trial should help farmers make more informed decisions and improve farm performance by providing greater information through monitoring of farm variables.
Ms Pulford said it was expected 600 farms would be connected to the system, within the next few years.
Agriculture Victoria will also soon be recruiting farmers to participate in the trials.
To register your interest, please visit vic.gov.au/digitalag
The trial was part of the government’s Connecting Victoria initiative, which was ensuring regional communities were digitally connected through free public WiFi pilots, new towers to fix mobile blackspots, and $45 million Connecting Regional Communities Program to address regional priorities.
