AgTech programs and case studies on farms
Victoria’s On-Farm Internet of Things Trial
Agriculture Victoria invested $10 million on the Internet of Things Trial for farmers to adopt Internet of Things (IoT) technologies on their farms.
Program outcomes
The program funded internet connectivity for 299 farm trials across five eligible rural regions, plus an average grant value of around $17,000 to subsidise the purchase of IoT devices by farmers in the trial.
The types of technologies adopted by the farmers included:
- weather monitoring
- soil moisture monitoring
- security systems
- water trough and tank monitoring
- irrigation management.
The Participants reported that, as a result of this trial:
- 79% increased their knowledge of IoT technologies.
- 70% experienced positive impacts on farm operations.
- 55% would recommend the IoT technology they used to others.
- 81% would likely make further investments in IoT.
Farmer case studies, Internet of Things Trial
Participants talk about their experiences in the trial in the following videos:
Sam Sorrenti, Horticulture, Cobram
Tim and Susan Lockhart, Sheep and Cropping, Berrimal
Neil and Sue Davis, Cropping, Birchip
Program details
The $12 million On-Farm Internet of Things (IoT) Trial was part of the Victorian Government’s $45 million ‘Connecting Victoria’ initiative to improve digital technology and infrastructure across regional Victoria.
It supported on-farm adoption of IoT technologies by addressing barriers to uptake, including:
- lack of connectivity
- digital literacy
- capital to invest in on-farm IoT technologies through grants and co-contribution.
The trial tested a range of devices across four types of farms: dairy, sheep, horticulture and grain crops.
Farms were selected from five local government areas:
- Wellington Shire
- Buloke Shire
- Loddon Shire
- Moira Shire
- City of Greater Shepparton.
The Trial was undertaken in with two rounds of grants offered to farmers:
- Round 1 funded two thirds of the farmers’ AgTech purchases, up to $30,000
- Round 2 funded two thirds of the farmers’ AgTech purchases up to $25,000.
Agriculture Victoria partnered with the National Narrowband Network Co. (NNNCo) to deliver IoT network connectivity to the trial regions. NNNCo delivered LoRaWAN (long range wide area network) to support the use of IoT apps and devices on farms in the trial.
A dedicated team of Industry Technology Coordinators were also appointed to support farmers in the trial. These industry experts helped farmers navigate the complex AgTech ecosystem and organised educational workshops to help farmers select from the range of apps and devices available.
Digital Agriculture Investment Scheme
The Digital Agriculture Investment Scheme was a $10 million government funded program, conducted to support the Agriculture Strategy’s theme of modernisation in Victorian farming.
Program outcomes
There were 372 AgTech projects funded on farms across Victoria, with an average grant value of $25,717.
The types of technologies that the participating farmers purchased include:
- smart collars for monitoring animals
- GPS tracking
- smart irrigation management
- robotics and automation
- farm management platforms.
Participants’ feedback on the scheme was very positive, including that:
- 99% of farmers surveyed reported benefits.
- 94% reported they are likely to make further AgTech investments.
- 85% of farmers surveyed agreed that the program increased their knowledge of AgTech.
Farmer case studies, Digital Agriculture Investment Scheme
Hear from some of the participants about their experience
Kevin and Dani Crook – Cropping & Stud Merino Farm, Ouyen
Monique and Mark Bryant – Dairy, North East Victoria
Alistair Murdoch – Cropping Farm, Kooloonong
Brent Reeve – Fruit Orchard, Merrigum
Tammy Goff – Beef Cattle, Sale
Program details
In November 2020, the Victorian Government launched the Agriculture Strategy to foster a Victorian agriculture sector that is strong, innovative and sustainable. To support this, $10 million was committed to the Digital Agriculture Investment Scheme to help farmers across Victoria and from all farming sectors to invest in digital agriculture technologies.
This program was based on the learnings from the Internet of Things Trial to further support farm businesses to invest in technology across Victoria.
The Digital Agriculture Investment Scheme was administered by Rural Finance on behalf of Agriculture Victoria.
Grants of up to $50,000 (ex GST) were available for eligible farm businesses for eligible projects. The grants were offered with a co-contribution requirement, with recipients contributing a minimum of 50% of the total cost of the project. Grants were available to eligible businesses from all farming sectors and across Victoria.