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Events calendar

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WAFarmers column

WAFarmers column

With many events cancelled this year, here is an early look at what is coming up in 2021. Information was current as of going to press

Geelong Classic Truck & Machinery Show – Breakwater

January plays host to one of the biggest and best displays of classic trucks, tractors, cars, machinery plus much more. As well as having a range of visiting clubs and displays, the event also showcases the Vintage Machinery Section’s own pavilion with more than 15 fully operational steam engines, 12 permanently installed oil engines, a 1,000 horsepower marine steam engine, a wool scouring machine, and a large collection of steam models. WHEN: January 9-10, 2021 MORE INFO: www.classictruckandmachinery.com.au

IDW Australia – Tatura Park

Australia’s International Dairy Week, held in Tatura Park, Victoria, is a forum to showcase the latest developments in Australian dairy cattle, farming practices, dairy knowledge, breeding and genetics, machinery, equipment and technology, environmental management and services. Held during the third week of January each year, IDW is the place to be for all dairy farmers, breeders, producers, companies, organisations and others operating within the dairy industry. WHEN: January 17-22, 2021 MORE INFO: http://internationaldairyweek.com.au

Eurobodalla Agricultural Show – Moruya

Held at the Moruya Showground in Moruya on the south coast of NSW, the Eurobodalla Agricultural Show will focus on local produce alongside animal shows, showjumping and a vintage and veteran vehicle show. WHEN: January 23-24, 2021 MORE INFO: https://eurobodallashow.org.au

Berry Show – Berry

The Berry Show is an annual agricultural show held in the picturesque rural town of Berry on the NSW south coast. The show has been promoting excellence in the local community for over 132 years. Attractions include large cattle and horse shows and fantastic entertainment such as a rodeo, woodchopping, the Young Farmer Challenge, Showgirl announcement and fireworks. WHEN: January 29-30, 2021 MORE INFO: http://berryshow.org.au

Royal Canberra Show – Canberra

The ActewAGL Royal Canberra Show, Canberra’s largest all ages event, is staged annually by the Royal National Capital Agricultural Society. While having agriculture at its core, the Show has broadened over the years to reflect more entertainment, educational features and exhibitions, ensuring that there is a vibrant mix of ‘city meeting country’ and ‘country meeting city’. WHEN: February 26-28, 2021 MORE INFO: www.canberrashow.org.au

Camden Show – Camden

The Camden Show provides huge exposure to exhibitors and contributors, where they are able to promote their goods and services to over 43,000 visitors over the show weekend. The Camden Show is a community event showcasing and promoting excellence in agricultural, horticultural, commercial and industrial resources in the Macarthur region through competition, exhibition and entertainment in a relaxing and enjoyable environment. WHEN: March 19-20, 2021 MORE INFO: www.camdenshow.com

Sydney Royal Easter Show

First held in 1823, the Sydney Royal Easter Show is Australia’s largest annual ticketed event, attracting over 850,000 attendees on average. Revenue generated by it allows the RAS to invest in agricultural programs, competitions, education, youth and rural NSW. WHEN: April 1-12, 2021 MORE INFO: eastershow.com.au

Seymour Alternative Farming Expo – Seymour

Held in the heart of Victoria at Kings Park, Seymour, the Expo features approximately 500 exhibitors and attracts 20,000 visitors across three days. Explore the latest technology, practices and trends in small and backyard farming, visit the animals and enjoy the market style shopping, food and entertainment. WHEN: April 16-19, 2021 MORE INFO: www.seymourexpo.com.au

For the full year’s calendar of events: tradefarmmachinery.com.au/events

2.5T - 21T AVAILABLE NOW, NATION WIDE. FROM YOUR LOCAL DIECI DEALER. 1300 888 479

show

GOES ON

The 2021 Brisbane Truck Show is like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel

Above: The National Apprentice Challenge is making the big move to the South Bank Piazza in 2021

It is equally a great opportunity for you to connect with your suppliers.

Amid the madness of 2020, sometimes it is difficult to know if we are heading in the right direction. At times it feels like the pace of things is slowing down to a cautious crawl at the expense of our businesses, our economy and maybe even our sanity. Then, that speck of light in the distance provides us with everything we need to pick up our pace again and start heading forward, with the surety that everything is going to be alright. Naturally, there have been some nerves about whether everything will be good to go by 2021. Well, five months into 2021 actually: the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show will run from May 13 to 16 next year. Then there are some actions that add the level of confidence that everyone needs. Try Brisbane hosting the AFL Grand Final for starters and looking at a capacity of 30,000. Add to that the Australian government’s stimulus to restart Australia’s business events sector. The announcement includes a whole range of support for exhibitors to attend and build their displays. What does that mean for you as an attendee? It means all the pieces are falling into place to ensure that your expectations of the Brisbane Truck Show you know and love will all be met, and typically exceeded. It means the exhibitors are given the assurance they need to invest in bringing their full array of products, displayed with the flair that you have become accustomed to. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack hit the mark when he said the government’s grant program would provide opportunities and encourage businesses from regional Australia to attend events in their own backyard. “Making it less expensive and easier for regional businesses to attend events in Australia will present new opportunities to connect with and secure new customers,” he says. It goes both ways: it is equally a great opportunity for you to connect with your suppliers – and with your mates of course. I bet there’s plenty of them you’re looking forward to seeing again soon. The social side of the event keeps getting bigger as many who enjoyed the South Bank activations at the last show can testify. Rest assured the hotels, restaurants, cafes and pubs of South Bank are all looking forward to welcoming you back.

NATIONAL APPRENTICE CHALLENGE

The call for apprentices from around the country is out now. The opportunity to compete in the National Apprentice Challenge, with selected teams taking on the best-of-the-best from all over the country, has been raised another notch. The prizes are hugely attractive for a young bloke/lady on the tools, what with a fully hosted trip to the V8 Supercars up for grabs. The full corporate treatment and pit lane tours and a whole lot more. Now there is the added pressure of performing under the spotlight. The apprentice challenge is moving from the loading bays at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) into South Bank Piazza. The set-up at BCEC was great, but this is like going from kick around at the park to the MCG in one fell swoop. Or in this year’s case – the Gabba.

site for sore eyes

John Deere hopes its new

instructional website

will help farmers get the most out of their machines – whether they are John Deere customers or not

In a move to help farmers get the most out of their precision agriculture technology, John Deere has launched a new website it hopes will serve as “an evolving tool and library of information for use by industry”. The new John Deere Digital Agriculture Hub, designed specifically for Australian and New Zealand farmers, features a series of how-to videos, case studies and information about how digital farming can help transform agricultural businesses. Company precision agriculture manager Ben Kelly says advances in connectivity and data transfer means these technologies are now easier to use than ever before. “For example, it was common to have to manually input data, save it on a USB, and carry that with you from machine-tomachine and back to the office,” he says. “However, connectivity is improving and the movement of data is increasingly automated, meaning information is now much more readily available.

Above: John Deere precision agriculture manager Ben Kelly Left: John Deere hopes its new Digital Agriculture Hub will be a home for digital farming information, insights and learning resources

Left: ProAgni chief technology officer Robert Bell, left, chief executive Lachlan Campbell and chief financial officer Fiona Soulsby. Image courtesy ProAgni

“These days, you can simply turn the key of the tractor and drive, safe in the knowledge updates are streaming securely to your account and are available on your smartphone or tablet, as well as in the office. This information can then be used to make decisions that have powerful impacts on an operation’s performance.” Deere adds that while the site will focus on its own digital platforms, the site will allow farmers with any brand of equipment to create a MyJohnDeere account, load in their farm machinery and gain access to the John Deere Operations Center and the MyOperations App. “The information on the site provided by our local solutions specialists and farmers ranges from how to set up an account through to the ‘Help Me Improve’ section for those who are already using technology but want to be able to extract more value from it,” Kelly says. “We have something for everyone, no matter how progressed they are, as well as resources that allow people to gradually build on their knowledge.”

You can visit the John Deere Digital Agriculture Hub at JohnDeere.com.au/GotWhatItTakes

future five

Robots and ag food additives, precision irrigation and recycled food waste are all being promoted by Aussie startups selected to take part in a new start-up mentoring

program

Five Australian companies will join entrepreneurs from around the world in a mentoring and showcase program run by Rabobank. From a field of 340 applicants, the companies are among 45 from 14 countries to be invited to take part in the FoodBytes! Virtual Pitch 2020 program. Each of the 45 startups will participate in two weeks of virtual mentorship programming and one-on-one meetings with corporate leaders and investors, before pitching their solutions to Rabobank and 17 corporate and investor members. Of this group, 15 finalists will be chosen to participate in FoodBytes!’ live-streamed pitch competition December 2 for a chance to win one of three $10,000 and consultative prizes. Rabobank Australia head of innovation, knowledge and networks Nathalie Gibson says the selected Australian startups are a testament to local talent. “These companies are pioneering the future of food and agri and will showcase their ideas and Australia on the global stage,” she says. The shortlisted Australian startups are: • Food tech business Carapac (NSW) – which uses discarded crustacean shells to produce a durable, home-compostable alternative to plastic packaging • Field robotics company Agerris (NSW) – which is commercialising autonomous, solar-powered farming robots for weeding and spraying crops • SWAN Systems (WA) – a precision irrigation and fertiliser platform to help growers precisely schedule, monitor and report on water and nutrient consumption to improve economic and environmental outcomes • ProAgni (NSW) – makers of antibiotic-free nutrition products for sheep and cattle that delivers a 20 per cent improvement in feed conversion • I Am Grounded (Queensland) – which buys discarded coffee fruit to turn into snack bars. Each of the companies has had some form of success already to date – with ProAgni winning Beef Australia’s Pitch in the Paddock 2018, before winning a Global Edison Foundation Award for innovation this year. Swan Systems signed a collaboration agreement this year with Telstra Services to work together on the development of a farm management platform, with Swan’s software to provide precision irrigation management suggestions. Agerris received $6.5 million to help commercialise its robotics platforms, intelligent automated tools and artificial intelligence (AI) last year, while at the smaller end of the scale, I Am Grounded rebranded from the Coffee Fruit Bar after a successful Kickstarter campaign.

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