Concerns about high costs and the value complicated technology will add to their businesses are holding Australia’s beef farmers back from investing in ag-tech.
A study by CSIRO, Australia’s national agency responsible for scientific research, found beef producers in the northern region of the country — covering Queensland, Northern Territory and the northern regions of Western Australia — had a variety of concerns about embracing new technology.
In addition to costs and understanding the value ag-tech might offer, interviews with 15 producers also identified long adoption timelines as a barrier to investing, as well as wanting to concentrate on the basics of production before introducing technology.
Supported by the North Australia Beef Research Council (NABRC), the survey asked producers to share their experiences of technology development and adoption.
Despite a strong desire to work collaboratively to ensure tools being developed have practical applications, those questioned said they had concerns about how efficient technology would make their businesses, and whether they really had the time to learn and integrate it into their operations.
The report suggested more collaboration and ‘co-innovation’ approaches could help farmers better understand the value new technologies could offer their businesses.
It could also help developers improve their understanding of the level of accessibility to technology, the report said.
John Taylor, NABRC chairman, said the findings showed there is more work to be done in breaking down the barriers between researchers, scientists and producers to simplify technology and encourage more people to adopt it.
“The report also challenges the way extension and adoption programs approach graziers, with producers identifying as barriers to adoption the limited time they have available to develop digital literacy, and integrate an innovation into their own enterprise,” he added.
Mr Taylor said “great improvement” had been made in practice change programs in recent years, but the report was a timely reminder for extension providers that producers have different needs, circumstances and cultural backgrounds that need to be considered.
“NABRC’s 11 regional beef research committees are one way in which we bring together researchers and producers, but we’re also working to build knowledge among young researchers through farm and regional tours to familiarise them with the operating environments of different regions,” he added.
Key barriers to adoption of new technologies
- Cost
- Risks associated with early adoption
- Complexity of technology
- Infrastructure required for connectivity
- Digital literacy
- Time to learn
(Source: Insights on technology adoption and innovation among northern Australian beef producers, CSIRO)
