The role of collaboration between businesses, experts and farmers, and its impact on the adoption of agri-tech, will be a key topic at the South West AgriTech Showcase later this month.

This is because the agricultural sector is currently being asked to help with climate change by adopting re-wilding, organic or regenerative farming techniques while producing high-quality, low-cost food to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

The AgriTech Showcase – which is just over a week away – aims to help farmers to navigate these issues, as well as assist with forward planning.

“Agriculture is under pressure from cheap imports and a confusing export market,” says Russell Frith, inward investment manager at Wiltshire Council. “At the same time, innovations for the agricultural sector are being brought to market so rapidly it’s hard to keep up, with some describing it as ‘the fourth agricultural revolution’.”

New technologies

Attendees will hear from farmers actively engaging in agri-tech, such as Oliver Lee, the owner of How Now Dairy, the first carbon negative dairy. Arable farmer turned inventor Charles Quick will also be speaking about CSEQ Technologies, which he’s developing alongside the Satellite Applications Catapult to make precision technology affordable for every farmer.

“Autosteer systems have historically been extremely expensive and out of reach to all but the largest farms,” says Charles. “We’re building an earth-shatteringly cheap autosteer system and RTK correction service, with no compromises in functionality. We’ll outline our plan to bring precision farming within the reach of all farmers, everywhere.”

Collaboration

The Showcase offers a place for those across the agri-tech industry to collaborate and discuss the latest developments. “This conference is crucial for our region as it serves as a platform for fostering innovation, collaboration, and growth in the agricultural technology sector,” says Cecilia Bufton, Dorset LEP Chair.

“By bringing together stakeholders, entrepreneurs and experts, we aim to drive forward advancements which not only benefit our local economy, but also contribute to sustainable agricultural practices on a global scale.”

Space developments

Looking to the future, attendees can find out what solutions could be available from the space sector in the Marketplace. “Invest Bristol and Bath will be joining forces with Space West, a regional consortium of academic and industry partners designed to accelerate growth and innovation in the space sector,” explains Antony Merritt, head of enterprise, inward investment and trade at West of England Combined Authority.

“We’re enthusiastic to be presenting the Showcase with solutions from the space sector, like satellite applications, environmental monitoring and data analytics.”

Councillor Rufus Gilbert, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Recovery and Skills, says last year’s South West AgriTech Showcase was a huge success so they’re pleased to be a part of the event again.

“The County Council is committed to farming in the county and we recognise how vital technology is for its future, which is why we’ve encouraged technological innovations through initiatives like the Devon Agri-Tech Alliance (DATA) project and our Future Farming Resilience Project,” he adds.

“The amount of agri-tech being researched and developed in the region is increasing, so this showcase event is a great way for farmers, landowners and those in the agri-tech sector to gather and discuss future opportunities.”

Sign up

Registration for tickets, which cost £12 per person, close on Tuesday 19 March at 12pm. Sign up for the event here.