Boost for veggie growers with farm data initiative

Following the launch of a $6.1m data initiative, Australian vegetable growers could see a major boost to productivity and profitability. Through the five-year benchmarking program, growers will be able to identify opportunities to transform their enterprises and bolster the nation’s food supply.

The program, delivered through Hort Innovation and led by agricultural firms Planfarm and RMCG, will give growers the ability to benchmark their business against national and regional benchmarking data. This will enable growers to track their performance against industry averages and ‘best-in-class’ performance, providing the catalyst for positive practice change and farm business growth.

Brett Fifield, Hort Innovation CEO, said the program would work with growers and industry to address the notion ‘you can’t manage what you can’t measure’.

According to Fifield, the initiative will build and provide farm data to growers, helping them make changes and improvements in their operations. It will also enhance the financial and business literacy of vegetable growers across the country.

Fifield said the program would involve benchmarking experts working with growers to track production and map out opportunities for improvement in their businesses.

Michael Coote, AUSVEG CEO, said the program would enhance the resilience of the vegetable industry and help growers focus on how they conduct their business.

“Growers currently do not have access to holistic data which gives them meaningful insights into how they are performing in comparison with others. This initiative will give growers a mechanism to evaluate their business’s performance compared to others based on their specific crop type and location,” Coote said.

“The data will also provide insights to the industry as a whole, so that we can identify areas to invest more heavily in to enhance our competitiveness and unlock a more prosperous future.”

Planfarm Horticulture Director Paul Omodei said the program would build on previous Hort Innovation investments in which Planfarm was a central delivery partner.

“The benefits of this in-depth consultative approach extend beyond individual growers and supports a more robust and resilient horticulture industry, equipping growers with a financially sophisticated level of understanding of their business,” Omodei said.

“Access to a robust set of industry benchmarks brings clarity to decision-making across industry, including business owners, peak industry bodies, research and development organisations and financial institutions.”

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