RIVERINE Plains invites tertiary students working towards a degree, diploma or certificate in an agriculture-related field to apply for one of 20 Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) sponsored tickets to the 2023 Riverine Plains Innovation Expo.
The expo will be held at Mulwala from August 24 – 25 with the theme: Putting farmers first – driving decisions using data focusing on the increasingly important role that data plays in farming businesses.
Riverine Plains CEO, Catherine Marriott, said the Innovation Expo is a fantastic opportunity for farmers, researchers and advisors, as well as students and young people starting out in agriculture, to learn more about the challenges and opportunities created by changes currently occurring across global markets.
“Farmers collect a lot of data on farm and the expo will cover not only how to use the data to increase productive and profit performance, but also address the importance of data capture to maintain access, particularly into premium markets,” Ms Marriott said.
“This is especially important because data capture will also likely impact farmers’ access to financial and insurance products in the future.”
The expo aims to explore the ways farmers can prepare themselves and their businesses for these inevitable market changes, either through collecting and using new types of data, or by better using the data they already have.
There are 20 GRDC sponsored tickets available for agriculture students, valued at $500 each, which provide full-event access to the event including the Innovation Conference, Gala Fundraising Dinner and Farm Tour.
Sponsored tickets will be allocated on a first in, first served basis.
“GRDC is generously investing in the future of our region, with their support of students attending the Innovation Expo," Ms Marriott.
"It is a terrific opportunity for the next generation to learn how farmers can harness their data to improve farm productivity and profitability, while also having the opportunity to network and learn about agriculture in the region more generally.”
The Innovation Expo gets underway with the Riverine Plains Alvan Blanch Australia Innovation Conference on Thursday, August 24.
High-calibre speakers, including Alexandra Gartmann, chair of the Victorian Agriculture and Climate Change Council and Nigel Hart, managing director GRDC will discuss data and the use of new technologies, including data-sharing with end-users, artificial intelligence and privacy.
Brad Egan, 2022 Young Farmer of the Year, will share his experiences of using data for agricultural innovation, profitability and sustainability.
There will also be a farmer panel discussion on how farmers are collecting and using data to make more informed decisions. Panelists includes Nick Ennis from Lawson Grains, Anna Toland from Toland Merino, Brad Egan, Broden Holland and Emma Ayliffe from Summit Ag.
A supply-chain panel discussion, featuring Rohan Jarvis from New Edge Microbials, Keryn McLean from Bayer, Mark Allen from Thera Capital Management, Dwain Duxson from Farm Tender and Chris Stevens from Kellogg’s Australia will provide further insights into how markets are driving data collection.
The Riverine Plains New Edge Microbials Gala Fundraising Dinner will be held on the evening of Thursday, August 24, with renowned comedian Jean Kittson providing the entertainment.
The Riverine Plains Alvan Blanch Australia Farm Tour will be held on Friday, August 25 and takes a practical look at how farmers are employing new technologies such as drones, weed-detecting technology and grain dryers to make better and more sustainable farming decisions.
Riverine Plains Innovation Expo program and ticketing information, as well as applications for GRDC sponsored student tickets, are available at https://riverineplains.org.au/innovation-expo-2023/.