Agtech Guide

Pasture is the single most important resource for most livestock enterprises in Tasmania. Pasture is the cheapest source of feed, yet it is often under utilised an/or poorly managed. Poorly managed pasture can reduce productivity reduce carrying capcity and increase reliance on costly supplementary feed.

Digital grazing tools, biomass sensors, and modelling platforms increasingly enable farmers to reliably manage their pastures, matching stocking rates and grazing intensity more closely to pasture growth. This maximises natural feed use, reduces input costs, and supports animal growth and profitability.

Climate variability is placing increasing pressure on Tasmanian farms, with impacts on soil health, water availability, and crop and livestock productivity. Many farms lack consistent monitoring of these environmental factors, limiting their ability to plan and adapt.

By measuring and valuing natural resources through soil sensors, climate monitoring, and carbon tools, farmers can build resilience and reduce costs. Reusing and recycling farm resources in circular systems creates sustainability gains while protecting long-term natural capital.

Tasmanian farms often struggle with poor connectivity and fragmented data storage, making it hard to access, share, and act on information. This limits record-keeping, compliance, and timely decision-making across the farm.

By improving internet and on-farm connectivity, and moving data into secure, accessible systems, farmers can manage records more efficiently and build transparency across operations. Strong data foundations enable all other technologies to work effectively.

Rising production costs —including, fertiliser, water, energy, and labour, freight and compliance, remain one of the biggest challenges for Tasmanian farmers. These pressures continue to erode margins across all sectors and production systems.

Technology can reduce these costs by optimising applications, lowering waste, and improving efficiency. Farmers who select tools that directly reduce creeping production costs — and support them with reliable service and contingency planning — can secure sustainable margin improvements.

Managing irrigation manually is time-consuming and disruptive, while poor drainage reduces yields and impacts overall production margins. These challenges are especially acute in variable conditions where water needs shift quickly.

Technologies such as remote pump monitoring, automated scheduling, and smart drainage systems reduce wasted water and energy while freeing up farmer time. By providing timely information and remote control, they can also improve work–life balance for farmers — allowing more flexibility to spend time off-farm and reducing the physical demands of manual handling.