VIDEO: for agri innovation, look to farmers

“A lot of these innovations will be led by farmers on the land, particularly where it relates to agricultural innovation,” she told bluenotes on video.  

" [Farmers are] the people who really understand the problems they are facing and are able to better innovate." Naomi Stuart 

“They’re the people who really understand the problems they are facing and are able to better innovate.”

As a farmer herself, that’s where idea for her startup FARMpay came from, Stuart says. FARMpay is a secure online platform which offers real-time payment for on-farm grain sales, aiming to reduce risk and improve cashflow.

Located in Wagga Wagga in southern NSW, Stuart says being regionally based is important for the company. 

“We want to be located in the agricultural heartland,” she said. “I hope by showing you can be a female entrepreneur [and] located in a regional location it might inspire other females and other growers to take that next step with their own start up or business idea.”

Stuart also touched on the emerging importance of big data in agribusiness and her experience in the ANZ-supported SheStarts program.  Watch the video above to find out more.

Carina Parisella & Greg Szopa are bluenotes contributors

Stuart is one of the finalists in the 2017 SheStarts accelerator program which is supported by ANZ.