Machinery matters - industry news in brief

If the forecast comes to fruition, it reflects a compound annual growth rate of 20.5 per cent over the forecast period to 2033.

The report says the agricultural robot market is experiencing a significant upsurge globally, primarily driven by the increasing demand for automation in primary production due to the rising cost of labor.

Milking robots led the market in 2023, holding a dominant 48.6pc share, transforming dairy farming through automation. Drones and driverless tractors are also witnessing substantial growth, fueled by increased funding and industrialisation.

The report says planting and seeding represent a significant segment, emphasising increased precision in crop distribution. Soil management is also poised for rapid growth due to the utilisation of mobile robots for fertilising and weeding.

According to the report, while market drivers are labor shortages and rising costs, which fuel the demand for agricultural robots to enhance productivity and efficiency, the biggest restraint is the high initial cost of digitisation, which poses a challenge, particularly for smaller farms.

Case IH is releasing the biggest combine it's ever produced: the AF Series.

The new series delivers on capacity, speed, precision technology, and simplicity to make up for skilled labour shortages and to address the need to deliver more efficient harvests.

"Farmers depend on being able to manage harvest as efficiently as possible and the AF Series takes this to another level," hay and harvest product manager Australia/New Zealand Tim Slater said.

The AF series features engines up to 578 kilowatts or 775hp, 24 per cent more than previous models.

Other features include a larger grain tank holding up to 20,000 litres, a longer rotor with 50pc more separation to process high yielding crops, an unload rate of 210 litres/second, a 25pc increase in fuel tank size, and a new Cross Flow Plus cleaning system that is 32pc larger than previous models.

Part of the AF series' optimisation comes to life through a suite of integrated technology, which makes operating the AF series combine more intuitive and efficient.

Greater control and consistency in harvest are found through tailored visibility in the dual Pro 1200 displays, real-time machine automation through AFS Harvest Command and remote diagnostics and fleet logistics through AFS Connect.

"Axial-Flow combines were founded on some very important core principles: simplicity, grain quality, grain savings and crop adaptability. These remain the foundation of this range today, and are further enhanced in our new AF Series," Mr Slater said.

Details on the commercial release of the AF series will be announced later in the year.

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Charles Sturt University researchers have revealed the benefits and implications of a concerted data sharing approach for the agricultural technology industry.

Senior lecturer in computing in the Charles Sturt School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering Dr Michael Bewong led the project, and said the Australian Agricultural Data Exchange (AADX) initiative was launched in August 2020 in an effort to strengthen the sector overall.

"The purpose of the AADX initiative is to support and enhance already existing data sharing practices across our diverse agricultural landscape - technological, sectorial and scale," Dr Bewong said.

"It has several downstream benefits in areas like biosecurity, traceability, governance and access to new markets, both nationally and globally.

"My team conducted research looking specifically at the potential implications and benefits of the AADX initiative in relation to the agricultural technology sector."

The research, 'Potential implications and benefits for the agricultural technology sector from the introduction of the Australian Agricultural Data Exchange' took place from September 2022 to June 2023.

Dr Bewong said one of the challenges of such a system is ensuring it is secure, trustworthy and efficient.

"Environmental, ethical, regulatory and consumer-driven demands for ethically sourced and sustainably grown produce are driving the digitalisation of agriculture globally," he said.

"The future of Australian digital agriculture depends on the generation of a safe data sharing culture, underpinned by the right protections and good governance."

In exploring how to achieve this, Dr Bewong and his team of researchers interviewed individuals from 15 Australian agtech companies and seven national and global public data exchanges. They also surveyed a further 32 individuals from Australian agtech companies.

"We found that stakeholders were concerned with transparency, governance and handling of data, but there was also a definite interest in how industry-wide data could be leveraged to enhance efficiency and support smart agricultural practices," he said.

"Such a system would also rely on a broad range of agricultural industries and complex supply chains participating, ensuring the data is inclusive, accessible and representative of the whole sector, not just those with a monopoly on certain markets."