Artificial intelligence can be applied in agriculture. Data collected from sensors can be converted by artificial intelligence into information to support farm planning and monitoring, to manage crops, herds and land, through to determining management decisions for individual plants and animals.

AI is being incorporated into agricultural robots, to interpret sensor data, and support pest control, crop growth, fertiliser and water management, planting and harvesting, history and prediction.

AusAgritech is shaping the future of Agritech in Australia and its contribution to the Australian economy. Agritech is a standalone sector which applies technology to the agri-food supply chain, and contemporaneously crosses over into energy, water, sustainability, environment, climate, industry and emissions reduction.

Our world leading Agritech sector is on the frontline enabling on-farm and supply chain adoption of technology, as well as building a clean, green and sustainable future. It is the cornerstone of transforming the way we farm, how the supply chain operates, drives a world leading export reputation and is a key enabler of sustainability and climate adaptation through the development of commercial and scaled applied technology solutions.

The Agritech industry powers Australia when it strives to reach its national level agricultural productivity, export, sustainability and digitilisation goals.

We exist to bring the Agritech ecosystem to the table to grow a vibrant sector.

The Australian seaweed industry is small: currently valued at an estimated GVP of AUD $3 million. Of this, the majority is from one company, Kelp Industries Pty Ltd on King Island in Tasmania, who collect storm-cast Bull Kelp (Durvillea pototorum) predominantly for export to a large alginate manufacturer and for use in biofertiliser products.

Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows seaweed exports from Australia are valued at $1.5 million for non-human consumption and it is assumed that this is almost entirely from Kelp Industries exports.

There are currently no commercial ocean seaweed farms in Australia and only two small land-based operations for Ulva spp. cultivation in Shoalhaven, NSW (Venus Shell Systems) and Ayr, QLD (Pacific Biotechnology). Both of these operations each have less than five hectares of seaweed under production.

Two Australian seaweed product manufacturers of note are Seasol, who make a biofertiliser from Australian Bull Kelp, and Marinova who manufacture fucoidan extract from largely imported seaweeds for the health and nutrition market. There are also a small number of boutique food product producers using some Australian and imported seaweeds, such as Alg Seaweed.

But much of the recent commercial interest has been sparked by the discovery that a group of native Australian seaweeds, Asparagopsis spp., can reduce the methane emissions from cattle by 99% when as little as 2% is added to their feed (Kinley et al., 2016; Machado et al., 2016). This discovery is being commercialised by FutureFeed Pty Ltd, which was established by CSIRO to hold the exclusive rights to the patents from CSIRO, James Cook University and Meat and Livestock Australia.

As there is currently no large-scale commercial cultivation of this seaweed anywhere in the world, there is now a global race to begin large scale cultivation. FutureFeed will work with partners across the value chain to bring this product to market: establishing the production supply chain, processing, storage, distribution, QA, certification, marketing and carbon credit methodology. In Australia, there are two new entrants: 1) CH4 Global in South Australia and 2) Sea Forests in Tasmania. This is a fast-emerging, major opportunity for growth of the Australian seaweed industry and is discussed in the next section.

Queensland is a significant global beef processor, servicing domestic and global markets with high-quality beef products. In a typical year, almost 50 per cent of all Australian beef and veal products are processed in Queensland.

The beef processing industry directly and indirectly supports regional businesses right through the beef supply chain. It is a major regional employer providing skilled employment opportunities including processing, food technology, trades, administration, professional and marketing roles.

The Fight Food Waste CRC aims to improve the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of the Australian food industry.

Our research partners and industry participants undertake high quality research to solve industry-identified problems through outcome-focused collaborative partnerships.

Food Agility makes innovation easier. We broker, design and deliver innovation programs for the Australian agrifood industry, ensuring maximum impact for investment. We specialise in using data and digital technology to increase profits and improve sustainability.

‘Future food’ is our shorthand for categories of food that are differentiated by exceptional values for nutrition, environmental sustainability, safety and trust. Not only does Australia have capability to build global market share in these categories, we think consumers are increasingly demanding a future in which the food industry responds to these values.

Systems technologies and ‘systems thinking’ are critical to increasing the efficiency and resilience of the food supply chain, nationally and globally.

The Soil CRC (CRC for High Performance Soils) was established in 2017 to give farmers the knowledge and tools they need to make decisions on extremely complex soil management issues.
By bridging a gap between soil scientists and farmers, we will ensure that soil performance is increased not just in the short term, but in the long term.
Our practical, real-world outputs will allow farmers to optimise their productivity, yield and profitability, and ensure the long-term sustainability of their farming businesses.
Through its soil research and innovation program, the Soil CRC will develop new solutions that will unlock the potential of Australia’s agricultural sector.
It will address the billions of dollars in lost opportunity experienced by farmers and regional communities due to infertile and underperforming soils.
CRCs are led by passionate and motivated industry partners, and draw in the brightest researchers from across Australia to address issues of national significance.
• New mechanisms for financially rewarding management of high performance soils.
• New integrated soil management solutions that provide greater precision for farmers.
• New ways to measure the performance of soils.
• New advanced and innovative products to increase soil fertility and function.

With an ageing workforce and expensive labour, robotic and digital applications and products have the potential to enable farmers to understand the state and needs of crops, reduce labour costs and chemical inputs, and provide precision and timeliness in crop management, all whilst ensuring production levels either stay the same or increase.

Some farmers are already using drones, precision tractors and robotic arms for planting, harvesting and other functions. Agricultural automation and robotics have the potential to develop whole new farming and production systems.