Kate Watts

Kate Watts has an extensive background spanning on-ground operations and digital systems. She brings this experience to her role helping manage data integrity and strategic livestock planning across one of Australia’s largest beef enterprises, the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo). 

She receives a Nuffield scholarship to explore how traceability tools, such as ultra-high frequency (UHF) ear tags and automated data systems, can improve real-time decision-making, especially for smaller and remote producers. 

As Livestock Systems Lead at AACo, Kate manages a team of six across Queensland and the Northern Territory, supporting the coordination of livestock budgets and supply chains across AACo’s primary production system. 

Kate is already leading a Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA)-supported pilot project trialling UHF tags alongside traditional low-frequency tags at AACo, gaining firsthand insights into the benefits and barriers of adoption. Kate says the tags can improve data quality, reduce labour and streamline livestock management. 

At the same time, the work has highlighted practical barriers – such as limited tag supply, cost and system complexity which often prevent adoption. 

Through her Nuffield studies, Kate will investigate ways to overcome these challenges. Her goal is to identify scalable technologies that reduce labour, enhance welfare, and support drought resilience, making advanced data tools more accessible across the industry.

Her work builds on previous research, including MLA’s UHF Feasibility Study and Nuffield reports on digital transparency.

Kate’s research will investigate models and approaches in places like Scotland, Canada, the USA, and the EU, where digital agriculture and traceability are reshaping livestock management.

The study aligns with MLA’s Red Meat 2030 vision and Cattle Australia’s strategic priorities, focusing on sustainability, productivity, and supply chain integrity.