Steering students into jobs of the future

Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud said he was “very impressed” with the research being undertaken at the University of Sydney’s Narrabri campus following a recent visit.

“It is high tech, ground-breaking work that brings the 21st century smarts into agriculture,” Mr Littleproud told The Courier.

“The best minds and research facilities are no longer confined to the sandstone universities of the capital cities; they are now in regional and rural Australia.

“This gives country kids the chance to get cutting edge careers in agriculture in their home towns.”

The Minister was in Narrabri to announce funding for adoption officers for the northern NSW-southern Queensland Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub to ‘put boots on the ground in regional Australia and give farmers practical assistance applying the latest in drought resilience innovation and technology’.

Mr Littleproud also spoke about the importance of attracting young people to the bush, offering career pathways and support in regional areas, and inspiring workers to join the thriving agriculture industry.

Following the announcement, Mr Littleproud and Member for Parkes Mark Coulton travelled to the Sydney University campus, where Associate Professor Guy Roth and his colleagues spoke to the politicians about the exciting and innovative research projects and developments underway. From the skills of the farm-hand robot that can use its optical sprays to target weeds to the revival of the native grains industry through the Indigenous Grasslands for Grain project.

Mr Littleproud and Mr Coulton were also taken on a tour of Llara farm and gained an insight into the DigiFarm project.

The project aims to unlock the tools and technologies that will help improve the sustainability, productivity, and efficiency of farming practices.

Making the work of farmers and agronomists easier and supporting future job opportunities in agriculture.

It includes a suite of activities and studies, including remote and automated farm sensing, the digital monitoring of wild pigs and feral animals and precision weed management.

The Sydney Institute of Agriculture has set up its DigiFarm project on Llara with funding support from the Australian government’s Smarter Farming Partnerships Landcare program to develop its education platform, so people can experience the latest ag-innovation thinking relating to soil health, robotics and digital agriculture, cropping, livestock systems.

Mr Coulton said the tour was an opportunity for his colleague, Mr Littleproud, to meet the researchers and get an understanding of the scale of the Sydney University research facility.

“It was great to tour the DigiFarm and find out more about the fascinating work they’re undertaking right here in Narrabri,” Mr Coulton told The Courier.

“Much of the success of the cropping industry in northern NSW can be attributed to the research that’s come from this farm, so it was good to show Minister Littleproud the cutting-edge technology it’s delivering for grain growers in this region and across the country.”