Farmbot water monitoring system on display at Beef Australia 2021
A new remote watering system on display at Beef Australia 2021 is among on-farm technologies being showcased there.
Technology designed to improve both productivity and profit on-farm will be a highlight of one of the livestock industry’s biggest events this week.
One of many examples on display at Beef Australia 2021 in Rockhampton, which is on until Saturday, May 8, is a new remote water monitoring system, which uses satellites to help Australian farmers farm smarter, not harder.
A drive to provide accurate and up-to-date information on-farm was the catalyst for the new Farmbot system.
Farmbot managing director Andrew Coppin said using technology on-farm was one way producers could better use their time and energy, and work in a more productive manner.
“Customers are driving out to check water on remote properties … and they said how good would it be if they could see problems (on-farm) before they even leave the house?” Mr Coppin said.
“Very often, things that happen like broken water troughs, or even stock in troughs, never happen at a convenient time. Some farmers are driving 10km, to 50km, or up to 300km to check. We’re monitoring some of the most remote water locations in Australia.”
Mr Coppin said technology such as the Farmbot water monitoring system was one way the livestock industry could actively work towards the collective goal of being carbon neutral by 2030.
“If I’m not having to drive around to check things that don’t need checking, this is just going to be one more thing where I can work out if I go, what I take with me … there are additional costs and tasks embedded in agriculture in something as simple as fixing a broken trough,” Mr Coppin said.
“There is massive carbon production just in wear and tear … we are never going to lose farmer intuition, but we can envisage a day, not too far away, where a farmer is checking a dashboard in the morning, checking their assets and looking at what the data is telling them.”
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