Increasing producer use of the TAFCO online automatic weather stations

Tobacco & Associated Farmers Co-operative Limited

  • Project code: PRO-016113

  • Project stage: Current

  • Project start date: Saturday, May 14, 2022

  • Project completion date: Sunday, May 14, 2023

  • National Priority: AFI - AgriFood Innovation

Summary

Our project opens the door for producers to uptake new technology and increase
knowledge, in turn producers will be able to make faster and more accurate decisions.
The data will be used by producers to:
1. Better manage the agronomy of diverse crops and improve animal health, environmental
protection and the utilisation of natural resources, especially water and soils.
2. Improve decision making by landholders over crop selection, irrigation and spray
application
3. Improve risk management decision making based on real time weather information such
as frost, hail, fire, wind spray application and irrigation application
4. Improve quality assurance systems through better decision making
5. Integrated Pest Management is better able to be successfully implemented
6. Improve time management of farmers

Program

AgriFood Innovation

Research Organisation

Tobacco & Associated Farmers Co-operative Limited

Objective Summary

The data available from this project will be used by producers to better manage the
agronomy of diverse crops and improve animal health, environmental protection and the
utilisation of natural resources,
especially water and soils.
1. Within 3 years of the projects completion have 80% of our producer base effectively using
the data available from the automatic weathers stations
2. By 30th June 2023 we will have an increase in producers accessing data the online
weather monitoring from the previous year. This will be the base for measuring future
uptake and can be quantified through awstats linked to website.
3. By 30th June 2023 the project will have successfully increased knowledge of local
producers on how to use data available from the weather station network – this can be
measured by number of participants at workshops.
4. By 30th June 2023 the project will have 80% of workshop attendees subscribe to receive
SMS notifications directly that are relevant to their industry