Exhibitors at Agritechnica’s first ever Australian exhibit in Germany last month. Photo: AusAgritech

AUSTRALIA has made a splash at its first ever appearance at the world’s leading agricultural machinery trade fair, Agritechnica.

Organised by the Australian Agritech Association, or AusAgritech, the exhibit saw 11 entities take part in the inaugural Team Australia delegation.

“Going global was something we were aiming towards, and it came down to good timing,” AusAgritech executive officer Meg Lovegrove said

The idea to exhibit at Agritechnica 2025 was floated at EvokeAg in Brisbane in February this year.

“We started socialising the idea at EvokeAg, and having conversations around making that happen.”

The push then started to sign up delegates and seek funding, which came nine weeks out from the conference via the Queensland Government, the only taker of all the state goverments approached, and AgriFutures’ GrowAG.

SwarmFarm’s Andrew Bate (left) and Alex Lawrie with Sonya Comiskey from CQ-based consultancy Pine Tree Projects at Agritechnica 2025. Photo: SwarmFarm

Focal point for Aussies

Held biennially in Hanover, Germany, Agritechnica, organisers clocked 477,054 visitors to the November 9-15 event under the theme Touch Smart Efficiency.

Apart from the vastness of the event, Ms Lovegrove said a surprise was how many Australians beyond the exhibit were at the trade fair.

“We probably came across 250 Australians.”

They included family and corporate growers, and those involved in investment and technology, as well as those keen to work in agriculture in Australia.

“People were asking about how they can come to Australia and work on our farms; we hope next time, we’ll be in a better position to answer that question.”

Ms Lovegrove said Agritechnica was known to be the place where discussions take place about what’s in the pipeline for agriculture.

“In two years’ time, that will come to life.

“This time, it was about autonomous and robotic technology and labour, because we’re not the only country in the world having issues with labour.”

Along with Ms Lovegrove, AusAgritec committee member and Recode Ventures managing director Michael Macolino were drivers in pulling together the exhibit, which received in-kind support from Austrade.

Companies represented on the stand were:

• Agtecnic, Tingalpa, Qld: Designers, developers and producers of brand-agnostic software and hardware  for machine autonomy and spot spraying;
• Connected Farms, Terranora, NSW: Provider of fence-to-fence connectivity solutions to enable full and reliable use of software;
• CropNexus, Caulfield, Vic: Provider of data-driven crop monitoring with agronomic interpretation for tree, nut and vine crops;
• DataFarming, Toowoomba, Qld: Digital platform which uses satellite imagery to provide insights into crop development and requirements, with more than 25 million hectares of field data processed across 50 countries;
• GrainKing, Cunderdin, WA: Family-owned designer and manufacturer of chaser, seed, super, and mother bins;
• GrowAG, Wagga Wagga, NSW: AgriFutures’ platform for Australian and global agrifood innovation;
• Kelly Tillage, Booleroo, SA: Designers and manufactures of tillage equipment as sold on every continent;
• ResonAg, Pickering Brook, WA: Developers of soil-moisture probes designed to inform crop-planting and irrigation decisions.
• SwarmFarm Robotics, Gindie, Qld: Designers and manufacturers of autonomous spray units, with more than 250 units now working across Australia, mainly on grain and cotton farms;
• TSBE, Toowoomba, Qld: Toowoomba Surat Basin Enterprise is a regional economic-development organisation working with agricultural, energy and other businesses to attract investment and provide a commercial ecosystem.

DataFarming was one of the companies to take part in the Team Australia exhibit at Agritechnica 2025. Pictured are Peta and husband Tim Neale, who co-founded DataFarming.  Tim is a committee member and past president of AusAgritech, and Peta is pictured speaking with CQ grower Renee Anderson. Photo: AugAgritech

The exhibit also involved others in the Australian agtech landscape, including Sonya Comiskey, who was invited to take part at Agritechnica by the Qld Government in her role as chair of its Agtech Advisory Group working alongside the Qld Department of Primary Industries.

Ms Comiskey was also representing her company, Pine Tree Projects, and scouting technology for the Central Queensland Inland Port.

Ms Lovegrove said companies on the Australian stand represented a healthy cross-section of the national offering, with machinery companies like Kelly Tillage and GrainKing, which established prior to the digital era, being important inclusions.

“Our agritech ecosystem is really strong, and we are ahead of the curve.”

Ms Lovegrove said AusAgritech’s ability to secure exhibition space in Hall 5, with its mixed of displays, was helped by AusAgritech’s existing relationship with Agritechnica’s organiser Hannover Fairs and  DLG.

“We have a working relationship with Hanover Fairs and DLG through the FutureAg Expo which takes place in Melbourne each year.”

Ms Lovegrove said coming months will see AusAgritech report on the delegation to Agritechnica, and look at the possibility of expanding in 2027.

“If anybody’s interested, they can reach out.

“Hopefully by the New Year, we can put out that call to action.”

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