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AgriFutures: Export Fodder Innovation Challenge

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Opportunity for 

  • Innovations to reduce weather-damaged hay and boost export-fodder quality.

Opportunity description 

Industry challenge: 

Australia’s export fodder industry supplies around one million tonnes of cereal hay and straw each year, valued at more than AUD $500 million annually. High-grade fodder is exported primarily to Japan, Korea, China, and increasingly the Middle East, where it supports intensive dairy and livestock systems.

Current opportunity: 

AgriFutures Australia’s Export Fodder Program is seeking innovations that increase the productivity and profitability of high-grade export fodder. The industry’s number one challenge is reducing weather damage prior to baling, when hay is at risk while drying on the ground.

The Program invites innovators, manufacturers and researchers to collaborate on practical, scalable solutions that address this challenge across fodder production, processing and sustainability.

Projects may address one or more of these areas and include enhancements to existing technology or entirely new developments.

The Export Fodder Program supports a wide range of collaborators, from startups and SMEs to established manufacturers and research organisations. "Enquire Now" on growAG to find out more. 

The Program welcomes both early-stage concepts and near-commercial technologies.

Opportunity background: 

The industry’s success is built on a reputation for premium quality and reliable supply, but it faces ongoing challenges from weather risk, residue management, and market access pressures. Weather events during drying can significantly reduce fodder quality and market value, creating major production and export risks for growers.

To stay competitive, the sector is prioritising new technologies that shorten drying times, reduce weather exposure, and improve moisture and quality control. The Export Fodder Program is seeking innovations in machinery, automation, agronomy, genetics, sustainability, and digital management systems that can deliver measurable productivity and profitability gains for growers and exporters.

For innovators and manufacturers, Australia presents a significant opportunity to trial and scale solutions with an industry known for professionalism, scale, and rapid technology adoption. Export fodder is produced across all major grain-growing regions, offering a unique test environment for technologies adaptable to international markets.

 

"RDC"

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