In an exciting first for Australian agriculture, SwarmFarm Robotics Pty Ltd today announced it has partnered with Westpac Agribusiness to develop robotic technology for farmer use — revolutionising the future of farming across Australia.
The agricultural robotic company, based at Gindie near Emerald in central Queensland, is commercialising robot use in crop production, aiming to improve productivity, lower costs, increase production and reduce environmental impacts.
Farmers Andrew and Jocie Bate began developing the robots after hours spent in the tractor led them to question whether it was more effective to have smaller, slower, highly precise equipment instead of increasingly large, fast equipment. In essence a “smarter not bigger” solution.
The possibilities appealed to former Queensland Premier Campbell Newman. Mr Newman, who has a background in agribusiness and engineering, now chairs SwarmFarm’s board.
He says the partnership with Westpac Agribusiness will allow SwarmFarm to achieve its goals of full commercialisation, putting the cost-reducing technology in reach of Australian farmers.
“Andrew and Jocie wanted a partnership at this time as it was considered pre-mature to be enlisting venture-capital support,” he said.
“The strategic partnership between SwarmFarm and Westpac Agribusiness is a perfect fit, with both being front runners in innovation and agriculture.”
Mr Newman said there is more to the partnership than funding.
“To support agriculture, an agribank must have a network of people on the ground, who know and understand both the people and the business,” he said.
“Westpac Agribusiness are bankers but, they also have a very strong passion for, and technical knowledge about, farming.
“It’s so important that people in agribusiness finance have the ability to do some real linking, bringing new techniques and information to people, because they’re out, talking to customers.
“That obviously helps the viability of their agricultural customers.”
Steve Hannan, General Manager Agribusiness, said digital innovation was driving rapid change in agriculture, with robotics and drones leading the charge.
“SwarmFarms’ autonomous robots offer many benefits to farming in the future including environmental guardianship and the reduced environmental impacts of agriculture,” Mr Hannan said.
“Andrew and Jocie have developed a solution that will revolutionise the future of farming across Australia delivering savings in terms of labour costs, increased yields, more efficiently used inputs and greatly improved capital productivity.”
Mr Newman said that wile SwarmFarm was about transforming Australian agriculture through using swarms of small, light-weight, low-cost machines that perform a multitude of agricultural tasks, the business is also determined to export the technology to the world.
“We don’t want this to be snapped up by a large international company; our aim is to pursue it in Australia, so the technology, the software, the know-how stays in Australia,” he said.
“We’re pretty big on that. We see the local and international linkages that Westpac Agribusiness has are important to achieving this.
“We’re delighted that a financial organisation like Westpac Agribusiness is supporting us, with its reputation, knowledge and understanding of innovation in sustainable agribusiness.”
