Producer Technology Uptake Program

Overview

The AgriFutures Australia Producer Technology Uptake Program (PTUP) commenced in 2021 to support producer groups to increase adoption of technology and innovation solutions on-farm.

Digital technologies are critical to increased productivity through optimising input use, more timely decision making, labour savings and improved market access.

PTUP aims to establish a national network of farmers, fishers and foresters that champion and accelerate innovation and practice change on-farm. The program works with well-connected producer groups who know and understand their local producers’ needs, including knowledge gaps, skills and experience that prevent them from implementing agtech innovation. In 2022, the program’s eligibility was expanded to include agricultural high schools with projects focused on building student capacity to learn, understand and incorporate technology and innovation on-farm.

The national initiative rolls out program activities over a 12-month period to drive peer-to-peer learning and is delivered across three tranches: farm-tech capacity building planning workshops, tech adoption grants and access to an online Community of Practice (CoP). In the first three rounds of the Program, successful producer groups and agricultural high schools were awarded a grant of up to $20,000 to deliver their technology uptake program. In December 2022, Northern Australian producer groups could apply for up to $30,000 through the Northern Western Australia and Northern Territory Drought Hub to deliver a bespoke project.

In January 2023 producer groups that had completed their PTUP projects were able to apply for a progression grant of up to $100,000 to expand or pivot project activities to continue to support the increase adoption of technology and innovation solutions on-farm. A co-contribution of 20 percent was required from participating producers, producer groups, and supporting suppliers for the progression grants.

PTUP grant recipients 

To date, PTUP has engaged 59 producer groups and 11 agricultural high schools, approximately 400 farmers are participating with a further 3,000 producers indirectly impacted nationally, across many industries and enterprise sizes. The program has a footprint in all states and territories.

Check out all the successful producer groups here

Timeline

2021 – Round 1 Pilot Producer Technology Uptake Program

$20,000 grants for producer groups to help overcome known barriers to technology adoption, including digital literacy, lack of understanding on the potential return on investment, and overall appetite for technology.

2021 – Round 2 Producer Technology Uptake Program

$20,000 grants to deliver activities that specifically address known barriers to technology adoption identified by producer groups
Focus on industry groups that have pre-existing extension and capacity building functions for producers on the ground.

2022 – Round 3 Producer Technology Update Program

$20,000 grants to design bespoke projects to increase technology adoption on-farm and on-boat
Program eligibility expanded to include agricultural high schools developing projects that will build students capacity to learn, understand and incorporate technology on-farm.

2022 – Targeted Northern Australia Producer Technology Update Program

$30,000 grants to deliver activities that specifically address known barriers to technology adoption identified by producer groups in partnership with the Northern WA and Northern Territory Drought Hub.

2023 – Progression Grants Producer Technology Uptake Program

$100,000 grants with a 20% co-contribution requirement to expand or pivot initial project activities to continue to support the increase adoption of technology and innovation solutions on-farm.

We want to hear from you!

We have built this Community of Practice specifically to support producers and growers like yourself along your AgTech journey. We want to make sure this site is as helpful as possible, so please reach out and let us know how we can help.

Please be assured that your information is strictly confidential and will be handled and stored in accordance with AgriFutures Australia’s Privacy Statement. The primary purpose of the data collection is to inform ongoing program delivery and to evaluate and report on the impact of the program. A secondary purpose has been identified that may include the provision of de-identified, aggregated data towards other third-party research projects/programs for the purposes of supporting agtech adoption by Australian producers.

PTUP Feedback Form