Darryl Lyons

🌱 Proof of Concept Funding Program - Applications now open 🌱 GRDC is seeking proposals for proof-of-concept activities that have well-thought-out future R&D pathways to deliver impact to Australian grain growers. Proof of concept activities demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative concept through experimentation or pilot projects. Projects may be up to 18 months in duration with a budget of up to $250K. Example eligible activities include: 🔬 in planta proof-of-concept studies in relevant models 🔬 controlled environment trials 🔬 pest management methods/technology in situ 🔬 in-silico modelling 🔬 feasibility studies Proof of Concept funding rounds will open every April and October. For more information or to apply visit: https://bit.ly/3BqQmCl #Opportunities #ProofofConcept #Research #Grains

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Strategic #VC collaboration is helping transform the future of Australian #agriculture. The GrainInnovate fund, a partnership between Grains Research and Development Corporation and Artesian, is proving just how powerful a targeted, mission-aligned investment strategy can be. GRDC commissioned independent economic consultants Marsden Jacob Associates to analyse GrainInnovate’s impact. By backing early-stage #startups solving real problems for grain growers, GrainInnovate has delivered: ✅ $6.70 in total value for every $1 invested ✅ $4.80 in direct on-farm value ✅ Co-investment leverage of $24 per $1 GRDC committed Half of the portfolio companies are already in commercial deployment, with others advancing through pilots and prototypes. Strategic VC like GrainInnovate doesn’t just fund companies. It builds ecosystems, accelerates time-to-impact, and attracts global talent into Australian #agtech. It supercharges the E in RD&E. https://lnkd.in/gpC2D35e #agritech #strategy #innovation

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MASSIVE TRADE NEWS National backs Kiwi farmers, growers and exporters to get out there and sell their products to the world. The NZ-UAE trade deal has passed into law, meaning Kiwi exporters can now access a $500 billion market that imports 90% of its food. That means lower tariffs, more opportunities for Kiwi exporters, and a stronger presence in the Middle East. Because growing our trade overseas means a stronger economy here at home – more jobs, higher incomes, and more opportunities for all Kiwis to get ahead.

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🚀 Meet the Startup Alley Partners powering innovation at #evokeAG2025 Brisbane! These trailblazing organisations are leading the charge in creating solutions that drive sustainability, profitability, and innovation in agriculture: 🌱 Artesian (Alternative Investments) - With a focus on impact investment, Artesian collaborates to build innovation ecosystems. Their investments target critical challenges like decarbonization, food security, health, and more. 🌾 GrainCorp - For over a century, GrainCorp has partnered with growers to connect them to global markets. With cutting-edge technology and innovative processes, they continue to enhance supply chain efficiency while maintaining exceptional quality. 🌟 GrainInnovate - A partnership between GRDC and Artesian, GrainInnovate supports early-stage startups developing transformative solutions for the grains industry. From pre-seed to growth stages, their investments are designed to tackle grower challenges and seize new opportunities. 🍓 Hort Innovation Frontiers - Teaming up with local and global innovators, Hort Innovation Frontiers is investing $500M over the next decade in R&D to transform Australian horticulture. From tech disruptors to forward-thinking growers, they’re shaping a more sustainable future for the industry. Join us at Startup Alley in Brisbane to see how these partners are driving change and empowering the next wave of ag innovation. Check out the 2025 cohort https://bit.ly/4gAX0oF #evokeAG #startup #partners #innovation

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Agtech leader SwarmFarm Robotics is aiming to accelerate its growth into North America after a successful capital raising. The central Queensland company raised $30m in a Series B round to follow its Series A round of $12m announced in February 2023. SwarmFarm CEO Andrew Bate and his wife Jocie founded the company on their farm at Gindie near Emerald in Central Queensland, and manufacturing recently moved to Wellcamp just outside Toowoomba. Leading the latest round was Belgium-based company Edaphon, whose investments include agtech and biological-input companies in Europe, Israel, and India. Also contributing are existing investors Melbourne-based Tenacious Ventures, the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s GrainInnovate as managed by Artesian (Alternative Investments) Venture Partners, and Canada’s Emmertech, the lead investor in the Series A round. Read more: https://bit.ly/4o3hJow

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AUSVEG has commissioned an independent and comprehensive White Paper, Horticulture Compliance and Regulation: Reducing the Burden by 2030, which will unpack how the growing compliance burden is affecting the horticulture industry. In the most recent AUSVEG Industry Sentiment Survey over 30 percent of respondents indicated they were considering exiting the industry in the next 12 months, and the increasing regulation and compliance requirements, alongside escalating input costs and poor price returns, were confirmed as the main reasons. With the vegetable sector producing 98% of fresh vegetables consumed in Australia every year its viability is critical to national food security and for thriving regional communities, and AUSVEG wants an independent analysis of what the true cost of compliance is. Enough anecdotal evidence has been gathered, and what we need now is data driven, research-based analytics. We need to understand what constitutes the compliance burden in horticulture, how much is it costing, and what practical actions can be taken to reduce or simplify the burden. This significant body of work is groundbreaking and will provide a robust agenda for necessary compliance reform in the coming years. It is time for smarter, not more, regulation. Let growers get back to growing food - not filling in forms. AUSVEG has commissioned Corporate Value Associates (CVA) to create the report which is due to be released in the second half of 2025. You can find more information at: https://lnkd.in/gNXbZxkV

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Just Released! The 2024 Australian Agritech Sector Report is here! This year’s insights reveal the real state of play in Australia’s agritech landscape—from funding and workforce shifts to adoption challenges and the urgent need for a unified national approach. A huge thank you to our partners the NSW Government’s Farms of the Future Program and AgriFutures Australia for supporting this important work. Read the full report now: https://loom.ly/ZBS85FA #Agritech #AgInnovation #AustralianAgriculture #AgTechAU #FutureFarming #AusAgritech #EcosystemBuilding #FarmsoftheFuture #AgriFutures

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🚀 From paper records to precision tech — vineyard data just levelled up. After 20+ years powering New Zealand vineyards, homegrown software company Integrape has launched Integrape Pro, offering vine-by-vine insights at a 10x10m scale. From soil to yield, it connects data like never before, helping growers work smarter and spot vineyard variability in real time. 🌱🍇 Alongside the upgrade comes a new Vine Audit service, giving vineyards a clear snapshot of vine health and numbers — perfect for planning, monitoring, or even sales and leases. As Whitehaven’s Viticulturist Jess Wilson says, the platform has saved her “so much time” — a far cry from the days of paper records. ✨ Read the full story at the link below 🔗 https://bit.ly/45HTm9M #nzwine #wine #nz

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Nearly 20 Hawke's Bay peach orchards just received termination letters from Wattie's (Kraft Heinz). After decades of supplying the company, these growers are out. Aotearoa NZ imported over 5,500 tonnes of preserved peaches in the most recent period, with imports reaching over 16,000 tonnes in recent years. Chinese preserved peaches are entering at $2.45 per kg - prices our producers can't match. The same price pressure is hitting other sectors. We import 60% of our pork, including from countries with lower welfare standards. The grain industry sees the writing on the wall and is registering a New Zealand-grown certification mark to help consumers identify local products (an initiive from Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) and Eat New Zealand that I wholeheartedly support) - but that only works if people actively choose them despite higher prices. Could we reach a point where most of our food, including meat and dairy, consumed in New Zealand is imported because it's cheaper, while our home-grown products get exported for higher global returns? These industries have strong export markets now, but if local production becomes unaffordable for domestic consumers, we could see this split. At the same time, price competition is forcing domestic producers out entirely - like these peach growers. Once that production capacity disappears, rebuilding is incredibly difficult. Orchards don't just regrow. Processing facilities don't just reopen. What's driving this? Affordability pressures on all sides e.g. companies like Watties making commercial decisions for viable business models, and families needing accessible, affordable food. But relying heavily on imports brings consequences beyond price. Imported products often come with different food safety protocols, labour standards, environmental requirements, and biosecurity risks from multiple global sources. They come from countries that subsidise their agriculture - something Aotearoa NZ doesn't do. Our producers compete on an uneven playing field, yet attract public blame for high food costs when prices are driven by global markets and costs accumulate through the entire supply chain. So how much import reliance are we comfortable with? What does it mean for our food security when we produce food we can't afford to eat? And what about the producers being priced out of their own domestic market? The grain industry's certification approach shows one path - making it easier for consumers to choose local. But it requires people willing to pay more. What's your take? How do we balance accessible food prices with supporting our producers? What are the responsibilities of consumers, producers, companies, and government in this scenario?

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Transforming agriculture through innovation 🚀 With AgriFutures evokeAG only a few weeks away, we're spotlighting Advance Queensland recipients across the Agtech industry, and their innovation success stories 👏👏 SwarmFarm Robotics received Ignite Ideas funding in 2018 (round 4), enabling them to accelerate the development of their autonomous farming solutions. They've revolutionised farming practices with their innovative autonomous agricultural robots which are designed to perform farming operations (spraying, wedding, moving and seeding). This support has helped position this regional Queensland business at the forefront of agricultural innovation and has allowed farmers to implement site-specific crop management strategies with accuracy and efficiency. Founded by Andrew and Jocie Bate on their family farm in Gindie, near Emerald in Central Queensland, SwarmFarm has grown from a farmer's vision into a leading agricultural technology company. The company's success demonstrates Queensland's capacity to nurture world-class agricultural technology businesses. SwarmFarm has delivered more than 135 robots now improving farming efficiency across over 6 million acres  across Australia, helping growers improve productivity while reducing their environmental footprint. Find them at AgriFutures evokeAG at the Scaleup Station 👉 https://bit.ly/4hDDKqY #AdvanceQueensland

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