North-east farmers are invited to apply for funding to develop digital technology through a new agri-food technology fund being launched by Opportunity North East (ONE).
The economic development body, backed by oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood, will offer grants of around £6,000 to help farmers bring digital technology ideas to fruition.
“The grants are available to help businesses to get a new piece of digital technology to the point of proof of concept,” said ONE director of food, drink and agriculture, Peter Cook.
“The grants are for getting an idea to a stage where you try out a monitor on something with a bit of software.
“It will be co-funding so the farmers will have to put in money themselves or get money from other sources.”
He said the fund would be launched at a special event later this month, where producers in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen and Moray can come along to learn more about agri-technology.
Speakers at the event, which takes place on February 19, will include Marc Skivington, who has developed an app to enable farmers to log machinery defects and all necessary actions and repairs.
Mr Skivington developed the Smart Farmer app, in conjunction with Robert Gordon University, while tackling machinery-based health and safety requirements in his job as arable manager for John Forbes at Slainspark Farm, near Kinneff.
Other speakers will include Insch farmers, Murdoch and Jilly Duncan who have developed a cattle management equipment and data system.
Mr Cook said: “The challenge for agriculture is how to increase margin per animal and acre when labour and time are scarce.
“Agritech is moving beyond field mapping to the low-cost monitoring and management of livestock to radically improve growth rates, efficiency and ease of handling.”
The event takes place at the Lochter Activity Centre, near Oldmeldrum. Places can be booked by contacting Diane Whittle on 01224 711044.