Capturing the Value of AgTech Innovation On-farm

The long-term benefits of adopting AgTech on-farm are well known. Technology has the potential to significantly increase productivity, profitability and sustainability but despite the benefits, AgTech adoption in Australian agriculture remains low.

Many Australian producers describe new technology as difficult to navigate and worry about making unwise investments without a guarantee of return.

At Southern NSW Innovation Hub, together with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), industry partners, and KPMG, we’re working with producers to make AgTech adoption easier by clarifying the costs and benefits of AgTech and showing how digital tools could improve on-farm decision-making.

This project is part of our Agricultural Innovation Hubs Program, a joint initiative with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Learn about the Agtech ROI Calculator

The AgTech ROI Calculator tool will allow producers to see the costs and benefits of AgTech as it applies to their operation – either by entering their own farm data or by using calculations built into an online platform.

About the project

Starting in 2022, the Capturing the Value of AgTech Innovation On-farm project set out to address one of the barriers to AgTech adoption by developing a tool producers could use to see the costs and benefits of AgTech as it applies to their operation – either by entering their own farm data or by using calculations built into an online platform.

The aim was to create an easy-to-use online AgTech ROI Calculator for producers to estimate the net benefit (or cost) of the potential of AgTech solutions if adopted on their farm. The tool will also be a lasting asset for Southern NSW with significant potential to expand to other industries and regions.

Find out more about the project

Project partners

This project is a collaboration across the Southern NSW Innovation Hub, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI), Charles Sturt University (CSU), beef producers, the Farming Systems Group Alliance (FSGA) and NSW Local Land Services (LLS), with development from KPMG.

Project funding

The Southern NSW Innovation Hub's Agricultural Innovation Hubs Program is a joint initiative with the Australian Government's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, in alignment with the National Agricultural Innovation Priorities.

The Hub is building strong working relationships between farmers, industries, researchers and associated organisations across the region to increase adoption of innovation and technology and drive tangible on-farm and in-community benefits across the Southern NSW region.