Victoria's On-farm Internet of Things Trial
As part of the Victorian Government’s Connecting Victoria initiative program, a two-year On-Farm Internet of Things (IoT) Trial is being rolled-out across the state. By the end of the trial, there will be up to 600 IoT enabled farms across four farm types and regions:
- Dairy (Maffra)
- Horticulture (Tatura)
- Sheep (Serpentine)
- Broadacre cropping (Birchip)
Agriculture Victoria is delivering IoT network connectivity in each of the four regions and will partner with participating farmers to select IoT solutions to trial. The trial will break down barriers such as lack of connectivity, digital literacy and capital to invest. The impact of IoT on farm performance will also be measured and will provide the agriculture sector with a clear rationale for investment in on-farm IoT.
How will the trial will work?
- IoT network deployment in each trial region.
- Testing the AgTech market to discover proven IoT applications and devices for our On-farm IoT Trial.
- Agriculture Victoria will partner with participating farmers to complete a digital farm plan and select an IoT solution to trial.
- Agriculture Victoria will assess the impact that the IoT solution has on farm performance and profitability and publish its findings.
If you manage a farm in one of these regions and would like to work with us on this exciting initiative, or if you are an agriculture IoT provider and would like to be involved in the trial, please register your interest via the link below.
What are the opportunities?
IoT is all about the power of data. Our world is digitally connected and data is a critical asset. Connecting physical resources on farms to the internet promotes:
- Faster and quicker insights from real-time data helping farmers to respond to what the market wants,
- Efficiency in how we produce food to ensure less wastage, expediency to market, and to demonstrate safe and sustainable food to our customers, and
- Building the capabilities to respond to new and emerging technologies and investing in research and development to contribute to ongoing innovation and improved productivity.
Insights gained through the trial will drive the Victorian Government's longer-term response to the opportunity of digital agriculture.
Useful links
A summary of the research, analysis and planning for the trials is provided in these reports:
- KPMG summary report – Internet of Things trials (PDF - 1.1 MB)
- KPMG summary report – Internet of Things trials (WORD - 109.0 KB)
The trial is part of the government’s Connecting Victoria initiative.
Register your interest in receiving updates on digital agriculture and The Internet of Things trials.
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