A MANSFIELD-BASED agtech company committed to protecting farming families and their assets was recognised by Worksafe Victoria at the coveted 2023 Worksafe Awards in Melbourne last Thursday.

Developed by local brothers and farmers James and Paul Diamond, AirAgri was a finalist alongside Mildura Citrus and named as the winner of the Commitment to Workplace Health and Safety on a Farm category in a glittering ceremony at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins.

From the 100 nominations received, 16 finalists were shortlisted across six award categories.

AirAgri’s safety tracking and alert solution provides a series of automated safety notifications using proprietary rules, location, emergency and medical information, along with access to inventory and safe handling working documents to act like a digital filing cabinet on a farmer’s phone.

AirAgri’s solution is made up a series of independent components, designed to work where typical phones do not.

Leveraging direct to satellite and ground IoT networks the team have devised a solution that not only works in the bush but is easy to use, allowing farmers to get on with their job while having an added layer of confidence.

The business also provides property-specific weather forecasting enabling farmers to access accurate forecasts for their individual rural assets.

AirAgri co-founder James Diamond thanked WorkSafe Victoria for their commitment to identifying and rewarding businesses revolutionising agriculture in the work health and safety space.

“At AirAgri we have always believed the safety and well-being of farmers is paramount,” Mr Diamond said.

“Being acknowledged by WorkSafe Victoria not only validates our efforts but also reinforces our dedication to creating a safer, more resilient agricultural community.

“Our journey to this point has been driven by a passion for leveraging technology to address the unique challenges faced by the agricultural industry.

"From our advanced lone worker safety system to our property-specific weather forecasting and mental health monitoring solutions, every innovation is designed with the welfare of the agricultural community in mind.”

Mr Diamond paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of the AirAgri team, partners and the farming community embracing the technology.

“We remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in agricultural safety and productivity," he said.

"We believe that together we can create a future where every farmer and agricultural worker operates in a safe, supported and sustainable environment.”

AirAgri was one of 20 emerging Ag Tech start-ups to benefit from a $50,000 grant under the Victorian Government’s $1 million AgTech Grants Program.

The business was supported by the state government’s $15 million AgTech Regional Innovation Network (AgRIN) to complete the “Rocket Seeder” and the Farmers2Founders pre-accelerator programs helping them refine their idea and develop their business skills.

Within AirAgri, 100 per cent of the data is stored and sovereign in Australia and is owned by the individual, who at any time can delete their data.

The farmer can download their digital map and export it in a global format into a competing platform or another format for later use, or in turn, AirAgri can import data from other platforms.

According to James Diamond, AirAgri’s value proposition was never about helping farmers to drive yields or efficiency.

“Bring the farmer home safely and let them then manage yields and efficiency – there is no one better placed to do so,” he said.

“It’s all about the broader family, business operator or landowner having confidence and peace of mind when operating in rural Australia.

“Our key focus is farm safety – there is no better reason to get out of bed than to try and make sure every Aussie farmer comes home at the end of every day.”

AirAgri provides a free base service for digital property maps, individual and livestock record keeping, a second-tier service (tasks, paddocks and livestock) for the price of a cup of coffee and a premium service of proprietary farm safety capability.