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Aussie food ecosystem shows agility in pandemic
Cameron Magusic
Cameron Magusic summarises the fortnight's agriculture news from around Australia
23/3/21
Major Australian supermarket chain Woolworths has innovated more last year than in the previous five years.
Woolworths Group Chair Gordon Cairns made the claim at the recent 2021 Food Agility Summit as part of his keynote address, Matt Russell writes for FreshPlaza.
Cairns went on to detail some of the innovations his company has brought about, such as car boot deliveries, the Basic Box delivery in partnership with couriers DHL and the ability to see when stores are at their busiest.
Cairns also spoke about innovation in food production, detailing how Australians spent 60 per cent more at Woolworths in 2020 on plant-based protein products, Kim Berry writes for Food & Drink Business.
He also quoted research from think tank Food Frontier that found “74 per cent of consumers said (the) Australian made (label) was important in their purchasing decision making”.
A research project to measure optimal summer fruit growing and harvesting conditions is being validated to determine success.
Research scientist Mark O’Connell told the Food Agility Summit that Sensors for Summerfruit, led by Agriculture Victoria, will enable more domestic sales and exports of stone fruit by more accurately measuring fruit maturity, Matt Russell writes for Fresh Plaza.
In his presentation, Dr O’Connell said, “Our approach is to develop, calibrate, validate and evaluate these sensors and platforms that will give growers and packers data and information on when to pick and any changes to orchard management."
Fellow researcher Alessio Scalisi told attendees, “We are trying to predict in advance when storage disorders will develop; such as mealiness, leathery/rubbery texture and internal browning.”
The project began in October 2020 and is expected to finish in early 2023.
Research scientists have put out a call for dairy farmers in Victoria to validate an app that has been built to better measure and manage pasture.
The DairyFeedbase Pasture Smarts project, developed in a collaboration between Agriculture Victoria, Dairy Australia and the Gardiner Foundation, aims to automate dry matter yield assessment and related metrics in real time, according to Farm Online National.
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NEWS
Nature is still too complex for artificial intelligence (AI) modelling to be effective, but the tipping point is close, according to a new study that found the technology may still trip at the last real-world hurdle.
Feedlot cattle with access to grooming brushes are generally more content, sociable and have less stress, according to recent research out of Murdoch University’s Centre for Animal Production and Health.
Computer modelling and simulation of crops can guide decision making by predicting consequences of crop management and genetic trait improvement options.
With business Greenhouse Gas emissions reporting now a reality in Australia, and agriculture becoming increasingly entangled in the carbon economy, how can farmers best position themselves?
Innovation, technological solutions and teamwork – those were the themes that comprised the first GrowHer ag-tech event in Rockhampton this week.
New Zealand farmers are well-accustomed to turning sunlight into food and fibre. Now, as Mike Casey writes, there’s an opportunity to turn that sunlight into something else that will benefit New Zealand and the rural sector: renewable electricity.
