Producer Technology Uptake Program

⁠⁠⁠Building on the success of the 2021 pilot program, AgriFutures Australia is rolling out Round 3 of the Producer Technology Uptake Program to support eligible producer groups and Agricultural High Schools to increase adoption of technology solutions on-farm.

The program is designed to work with existing producer networks, who know and understand the needs of producers in their region as well as producer maturity in terms of digital literacy and capacity for technology uptake.

This is a national program and projects are to be completed over a twelve-month period. AgriFutures Australia will work closely with successful groups to support the roll-out of program activities. A key part of the program is to leverage learnings across groups and ensure there is peer-to-peer learning across producers.

The program targets producers that are interested and willing to research and innovate and adopt technology, but may lack the knowledge, skills or experience to achieve it. We know that there are a range of barriers to on-farm technology adoption, including:

• Producers overwhelmed with options
• Lack of local support or advisory services
• Lack of individual skills or knowledge around technology and its application
• The value proposition or return on investment is not clear
• Integration of technology across multiple systems, e.g. software applications

The program targets producers who may not have kicked off plans to adopt technology in their business but want to overcome some of these barriers to begin.

The program is not designed for “early” technology adopters, ie. those that have developed skills and are already well-established technology users, but it is an asset to have their input as part of the program.

Agricultural High Schools

AgriFutures Australia is pleased to announce an expansion of the program to include eligible Agricultural High Schools. Eligible schools will have the opportunity to apply for up to $20,000 (excluding gst) to develop a bespoke activity or project that will build students capacity to learn, understand and incorporate technology on-farm. In addition to the grant, successful Agricultural High Schools will also have access to an online technology adoption resource hub. Eligible schools are encouraged to discuss their application with AgriFutures Australia and consider what support mechanisms may be required for the activity or project roll-out.