Connor Wass

A data analyst on every farm.

It’s a nice thought, but the reality is that these skills, capital and resources are not always available in farming regions. 

Integrating digital technologies into small and medium-sized farms could unlock huge potential, says Tasmania’s Connor Wass.

Connor works for Tassal, Australia's largest aquaculture producer, which has invested significantly in digitalisation to improve farm oversight, fish performance, and business competitiveness.

His role is to support Tassal in providing timely data analysis of the farm's performance.

“There is a high importance placed on understanding fish performance in extreme detail and using data to provide prudent insight into the realities of our farms,” Connor said.

He will build on his first-hand knowledge through a Nuffield Scholarship, supported by the Public Sector Pension Investment Board. He plans to explore what roadblocks exist for smaller farms to invest in their data. 

“Farmers are already investing in amazing technologies, meaning the data is being created somewhere, but the utilisation isn’t always there."

Connor said it was important to learn from businesses of all sizes and at different phases of digitalisation. He plans to visit leading organisations outside of farming who are using data effectively for decision making. 

“The entire motivation behind the study is to digest the learnings from larger organisations around the world and return with knowledge on how to build a data strategy for farms.”