MODERN farming was the theme of the day at Muresk Institute recently with the latest farming technology on full display as part of the Farm Smart Showcase.
The free event was well attended by industry, with a range of trade displays, demonstrations and presentations from professionals, as well as farm tours which enabled attendees to see some of the smart technology in action.
Muresk's Smart Farm is the first public demonstration farm in WA set up to make the most of cloud-based Smart Farm technology.
The property integrates digital equipment, such as sensors and GPS technology, which can aid efficient decision-making within a farming enterprise, making it the perfect setting for the Farm Smart Showcase.
The event was officially launched by Agricultural Region MLC Darren West, who represented Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery on the day.
"It is essential that we continue to upskill and keep up-to-date with new technology so that we can take advantage of the efficiencies and opportunities it presents to our industry," Mr West said.
"As a farmer, I have seen first-hand how technology is changing the way we do things and how it has opened up new opportunities for jobs.
"We're very proud of what we've done here at Muresk in terms of the Smart Farm initiative and we're glad to be providing public access to these new systems."
Attendees enjoyed presentations from a range of industry professionals who are developing and utilising smart farm technology, highlighting the possibilities which come with integrating new technology and existing farming practices.
Kicking off the day of presentations was Sue Middleton, who spoke about digital agriculture adoption from a farmer's perspective.
Ms Middleton and her husband Michael, manage a diversified farm in the WA Wheatbelt growing grain, oaten hay and pork and have developed Moora Citrus on a 210 hectare orchard near Dandaragan.
James Williamson, from beef and lamb exporter Latitude 28, spoke about bridging the gap between Australian beef and lamb producers and Chinese consumers through the use of blockchain technology, GPS data and social media branding.
Mark Ferguson, NextGen Agri, spoke about unlocking the potential of the Australian sheep industry through technology, touching on the sensor and camera technology research he is involved with.
Other presenters included Tim Watts, from the WA Livestock Research Council and Peter Rossdeutscher, AgriStart, with plenty of other smart farm and tech-related content from a broad range of organisations.
Telstra's mobile Farm Smart IoT Technology Lamb was one of the stand out features among the displays and demonstrations.
