It might be school holidays, but students were out in force at the Tasmanian Precision Agriculture Expo at Hagley Farm School on Thursday.
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Primary and high school students were some of the 250 people looking at drones, yield mapping and agricultural machinery at the expo.
And there is a very good reason for this, Tasmanian Agricultural Productivity Group chairman Jim Wilson said.
“We want to bring those young people to forums just like this to show them that agriculture isn’t dumb, dirty and dangerous; agriculture is sophisticated and there are a whole plethora of opportunities in this sector that they can be excited about,” Mr Wilson said.
This is the fourth year the group has run the expo, with the school location a planned move.
“Our future rests in our young students and, indeed, they understand a lot of this new technology a lot better than we do, so we recognise that our prosperity is linked directly to those young people aspiring to a career in agriculture,” he said.
Primary Industries Minister Sarah Courtney said the industry’s future leaders were picking up tips for their own careers.
“We know that the future of our agriculture does lie in the hands of our youth and that’s why we’re so pleased with so many people attending here today,” Ms Courtney said.
The potato mini expo focused on yield, drainage and combating disease, while the afternoon sessions covered mapping, satellite technology, automation, sensors, data collection and processing.
Farm machinery and technology demonstrations also drew a crowd.
“The machines attract a lot of attention, but there’s also the technology side of our industry, which we heard from in workshop sessions. We’re looking at the latest in data capture and data management helping growers make good decisions about their inputs,” Mr Wilson said.
“It is a great opportunity to increase yields on farm and increase the economic outcomes for their enterprises,” Ms Courtney said.