The P2D project brought together all 15 Research and Development Corporations (RDCs) for the first time to develop six projects that evaluated the current and desired state of digital agriculture in Australia. Recommendations are provided by the P2D project to ensure Australian primary producers are able to overcome the challenges currently limiting digital agriculture and profit from their data.

Eight regional stakeholder workshops were held in five states and producers were surveyed across the nation to better understand the current perceptions and needs for digital agriculture by producers and other stakeholders. The project commissioned six detailed technical reports to address key areas that are constraining digital agriculture moving towards its promised potential in Australia. A Summary Report  has been delivered which brings together the key findings and aggregates the 67 detailed recommendations into 13 key recommendations. It also provides direction on the next steps required to implement the recommendations.

The principle findings of the P2D project are:

• Digital agriculture in Australia is in an immature state in many parts including strategy, culture, governance, technology, data, analytics, and training.5 This is to the detriment of innovation and producer adoption of digital agriculture in Australia.
• With maturity, the economic modelling identified that the implementation of digital agriculture across all Australian production sectors (as represented by the 15 RDCs) could lift the gross value of agricultural (including forestry and fisheries) production by $20.3 billion (a 25% increase on 2014-15 levels).6
• To achieve maturity, cross-industry and cross-sector collaboration is vital as many of the issues impeding maturity are common and this scale of investment is required to implement solutions for Australian conditions and to keep pace with the rest of the world.

The P2D project has detailed a clear value proposition and pathway forward for transformational improvement in Australian farm business management and decision making through digital agriculture. For this potential to be realised, it will be essential for industry, RDCs, government and the commercial sector to commit to work together. 

The P2D project has detailed a value proposition and identified a pathway forward for transformational improvement in Australian farm business management and decision making through digital agriculture. The 67 recommendations from the six P2D technical reports have been aggregated into 13 detailed recommendations. 

Delivery of these recommendations could result in a lift in the gross value agricultural production (GVP) of $20.3 billion. For this potential to be realised, it will be essential for industry, RDCs, government and the commercial sector to commit to work together in each of the following areas: 

• Policy
• Strategy
• Leadership
• Digital literacy

• Enablers.

   

This historic collaboration of RDCs to jointly fund the P2D project has occurred because many of the issues associated with the transition to digital agriculture are not industry specific. Consequently, the recommendations from this project are focused on benefiting all industries. A cross-industry approach to providing the leadership, governance, connectivity, datasets and platforms and increased digital literacy is required.

The project summary recommendations in brief include:

1.      Develop a Data Management Policy for Australian Digital Agriculture.

2.      Develop a voluntary Data Management Code of Practice and a Data Management Certification or Accreditation Scheme.

3.      Policy and investment to improve telecommunications to farms and rural businesses.

4.      New investment models including public/private investment.

5.      RDC’s develop Digital Agriculture Strategy’s and implementation roadmap.

6.      Big Data Reference Architecture and Data Management Implementation Plan.

7.      Establish, review and refine foundational data sets.

8.      Establish a Digital Agriculture Taskforce for Australia (DATA) headed by the Chief Digital Agricultural Officer – to deliver outcomes.

9.      Establish a Digital Agriculture Taskforce for Australia Working Group (DATAWG) – to provide guidance.

10.   Provide education and capacity building to increase digital literacy in the agricultural sector.

11.   Establish baseline patterns of data usage and a national mobile network coverage (data speed and volume) database.

12.   Digitise and automate data collection including for regulatory compliance activities.

13.   Execute a cross Industry Survey every three years to identify producers’ needs and issues in digital agriculture.

Implementing the recommendations from the project will set the stage for increasing the profitability of producers, providing clarity and trust in data ownership and access rights, and stimulating an innovation environment that facilitates the development and adoption of technology. 

The support of all of the Rural Research and Development Corporations and the Australian Government has enabled the P2D project to benefit from a co-ordinated national approach. The thirteen key recommendations provide a clear sight of the way ahead and a next phase of P2D has a compelling case. 

It is recommended that all RDCs co-invest in enacting the recommendations at the national scale and seek co-investment from the Australian Government through the Rural R&D for Profit program. For Australian agriculture to realise the potential $20.3 billion benefit from digital agriculture, the functional engine of digital agriculture needs to be operational. 

Recommendations from this report detail the key strategy components of policy, strategy, leadership, digital literacy and enablers that must be addressed for the elements of trust, confidence, functional delivery and operational effectiveness to achieve data driven practice change by producers.

The P2D project has detailed a clear value proposition and pathway forward for transformational improvement in Australian farm business management and decision making through digital agriculture. For this potential to be realised, it is essential for industry, RDCs, government and the commercial sector to work together. The P2D project has the benefit of being supported by all of the RDCs and the Australian Government, enabling a co-ordinated national approach. The thirteen recommendations provide clear sight of the way ahead and a next phase of P2D has a compelling case. 

The next steps in delivery of a successful digital agriculture program will enable Australian agriculture to remain internationally competitive and at the forefront of best practice for production, environment and community benefit. 

It is recommended that the P2D Project Management Committee agrees in principle to: 

1. All RDCs co-invest in enacting the recommendations at the national scale via a Phase 2 P2D project and seek co-investment from the Australian Government through Round 4 of the Rural R&D for Profit program.
2. Nominated RDC representatives on the P2D Project Steering Committee lead the process of developing a detailed joint investment submission to the Australian Government Rural R&D for Profit Program.
3. Support the agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries to convene the Digital Agriculture Taskforce for Australia (DATA) and Working Group (DATAWG) to advise on good data policy for the sector.

The Council of Rural Research and Development Corporation CEOs unanimously agreed in principle in December 2017 to support a process of implementing next steps in delivery of these recommendations. The P2D summary Report was released by the Hon. David Little proud, Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources at on the 6 March at Outlook 2018.