Agriculture
Connecting agricultural and agtech startups with research, testing and real-world application.
Agriculture is one of the strongest threads running through the SRI founder community. From agtech and data platforms to on-farm solutions and new approaches to food systems, many of our founders are working directly in or alongside the agricultural sector.
Whether you’re solving a problem based on lived experience, developing new technology, or translating research into application, you’ll find a community here that understands the opportunities and challenges of agricultural innovation.
UNE Kirby SMART Farm Innovation Centre
WHY THE SRI WORKS FOR AG FOUNDERS
Being part of the SRI means being connected to the University of New England’s long-standing strength in agricultural teaching and research.
Our founders can draw on UNE’s expertise when it’s useful, including access to researchers, students and facilities that support testing, validation and collaboration. This includes the UNE SMART Farm, which provides real-world environments for agricultural innovation across livestock, cropping, soils, water and food systems.
Just as importantly, ag founders are surrounded by others building in the same context, regional, resourceful, and deeply connected to place. That mix of lived experience, research capability and peer support is what makes this ecosystem work.
The UNE SMART Farms provides a test-bed for agricultural technologies. UNE operates the largest beef cattle research feedlot in Australia, a working property, the global headquarters for livestock genetics, world class wool production technologies and food system researchers.
AgTech founders collaborate with researchers and industry to develop solutions for water, soil, livestock, cropping, horticulture and poultry industries for regional and global application.
UNE has long had a passion for Agriculture. Our locations in Armidale, Tamworth, Moree and Narrabri means we have local access to over 90% of the food stuffs grown in this country. Our founders can work in one of the most diverse and productive food production eco-systems in the country.
In 2018–19, the gross value of agricultural production in the New England and North West region was $1.8 billion, which was 15 per cent of the total gross value of agricultural production in New South Wales ($11.7 billion).
The New England and North West region has a diverse agricultural sector. The most important commodities in the region based on the gross value of agricultural production were cattle and calves ($611 million), followed by cotton ($390 million) and wool ($115 million). These commodities together contributed 64 per cent of the total value of agricultural production in the region. In 2018–19 the New England and North West region accounted for 86 per cent ($67 million) of the total value of the state's sorghum production.
Featured event: AgTech Youth Innovation Summit 2024
Featured Founder: Ag360
Featured UNE SRI founders working in the ag space
