SMALL TECH, BIG GAINS

An Emerald livestock enterprise has become a shining example of the simplicity and value of embracing agtech.

CHDC has released this new video about Marathon Wagyu and its remote stock water monitoring system that saves Marathon’s McCosker family hours a day.

The technology, called Farmbot, was installed as part of a collaboration between CHDC and Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to support local producers to adopt profit-boosting on-farm data management tools.

The McCoskers, who first saw Farmbot at Beef24 last year, can now simply use an app to check their herd’s water supply rather travelling to each trough and tank across their sprawling property.

“We could see (at Beef24) that we could just check the tanks, check the pressure of our pumps and see that everything was rolling on fine,” Ellie Parkinson (nee McCosker) says in the video.

“So, it meant we could just go out and clean troughs once a week rather than checking them every day.

“(This technology) in the long run will make our business a lot more profitable and resilient.”

CHDC hopes the video inspires other primary producers in the Central Highlands to adopt agtech.

“It might all seem sci-fi and intimidating but Marathon’s story is a great real-life example of how it really doesn’t need to be complicated,” CHDC Agribusiness Development Officer Jess Davison says.

“Even a straightforward solution to a single issue on your property can make all the difference.”

Marathon Wagyu is one of three local properties to participate in the trials, which followed a workshop in February 2024.

The Smarter, Stronger Ag Through Farm Data program has been supporting Central Highlands producers to adopt on-farm data management tools to reduce expenses and increase yield quantity and quality.

The project is coordinated by CHDC and DPI with funding from the State Government’s Agribusiness Digital Solutions Grants Scheme. 

More case studies for this project will be released in due course.