AgWatchers: AI, agriculture and why people still matter

AI, agriculture and why people still matter

Agriculture is embracing more technology, more data and more artificial intelligence, but this week’s AgWatchers conversation makes the case that relationships and local knowledge still matter just as much.

Matt and Andrew are joined by Peta Ward, Westpac’s Managing Director for Regional Commercial and Agribusiness, to discuss innovation, regional banking, the next generation coming into agriculture and the changing role of regional Australia. Peta’s own pathway is unusual, beginning in western Queensland before working as an animal nutritionist, including developing diets for cattle, pigs, poultry and even polar bears, before moving into banking.

One of the strongest themes is the way younger people are returning to family businesses with new ideas. Peta says she is seeing more use of agtech, data, AI and different machinery, with older generations increasingly supporting them to try new approaches. She also rejects the idea that agriculture is slow to adopt technology, arguing that farmers are often willing to experiment when there is a clear practical benefit.

AI is part of that change, particularly because farms now generate so much data. The challenge is not simply collecting information but working out what to do with it and how it can improve decisions. Peta sees AI as a tool that could help turn that growing volume of information into something more useful.

At the same time, the conversation highlights why personal relationships are still important. Peta says customers may be comfortable doing routine transactions digitally, but they still want face-to-face contact when making major financial decisions. That is one reason Westpac is putting relationship managers back into regional communities and encouraging bankers to spend time on farms and inside businesses.

The discussion also covers diversity in agricultural leadership, attracting different skills into regional careers and why senior roles no longer must be based in a capital city. Peta leads a national business from Toowoomba, with staff spread across regional Australia, and argues that technology has made that increasingly practical.

It is a conversation about an industry moving quickly into AI and automation while rediscovering the value of some very traditional things: trust, local knowledge, curiosity and strong relationships.

And, because it is AgWatchers, there is also considerably more discussion about polar bear nutrition than you would normally expect from a banking podcast.

Listen to the full episode now by clicking below or visiting episode3.net/links