Key Takeaways

• Coleg Glynllifon hosted an Agri-Tech Cymru Cluster event to showcase innovations in agriculture.
• Demonstrated technologies included the UK’s first fully autonomous tractor and AI tools for biodiversity monitoring.
• The event emphasized collaboration among industry, academia, and technology for advancing agricultural practices.

Event Overview

Coleg Glynllifon, part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, recently hosted an event for the Agri-Tech Cymru Cluster, aimed at fostering collaboration and innovation in North Wales’ agricultural sector. The cluster, managed by M-SParc, brought together organizations such as Ambition North Wales, Bangor University, BionerG, and others to explore agri-tech advancements.

Attendees were presented with current and future innovations, followed by practical workshops that showcased several pioneering technologies. Among the highlights was the AgBot, the UK’s first fully autonomous, commercially available tractor, and Chirrup.ai, an artificial intelligence tool designed to monitor biodiversity by identifying calls from 148 bird species.

The event also featured discussions about a proposed sheep-milking center that promises to enhance business opportunities for Welsh sheep farmers. Other studies conducted at Glynllifon included hydroponics for crop growing, TechnoGrazing systems for livestock, biological fly control in pig units, and LoRaWAN sensors to improve farmers’ decision-making capabilities.

Pryderi ap Rhisiart, managing director of M-SParc, noted that Glynllifon exemplifies the region’s leadership in adopting agricultural technology. He stressed the importance of collaboration between industry, academia, and technology in driving agricultural advancements.

Alwyn Roberts, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s water project manager, highlighted the synergy between improving farm production efficiency and protecting water quality. He remarked on the critical need for events like this to disseminate agri-tech developments, which can benefit both farm profitability and environmental outcomes.

Martin Jardine, director of Agri Food at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, expressed enthusiasm about Glynllifon’s role in supporting the agri-food sector. He emphasized the campus’s growing capacity to deliver knowledge transfer and professional development, enabling farmers to diversify, adopt new technologies, and improve sustainability.

Coleg Glynllifon, located on the Glynllifon Estate near Caernarfon, is committed to advancing agricultural education and practices. For more information about their programs and initiatives, please visit their website.

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