The Australian grain industry is looking to adopt digital image recognition technology to enhance the speed, accuracy, and consistency of grain quality testing. Grain Trade Australia (GTA) is leading discussions with key industry specialists in Sydney, Australia to establish a standard and supporting framework for the national adoption of this technology.
Current processes for some grain quality tests rely on visual examination or other methods that have not changed for many years. Therefore, there is a need to develop a standard and an accepted process to ensure the consistency and accuracy of new equipment before it is introduced to the market.
GTA’s chief executive officer, Pat O’Shannassy, emphasized the potential of digital image recognition technology to improve the efficiency of grain quality testing. Having consistency in the various grain supply chains is important for all stakeholders and contributes to the smooth facilitation of trade.
Researchers and technology providers are eager for the industry to adopt digital image recognition technology, but there is currently no standard or implementation framework to support its acceptance and use across the grain industry. GTA is proposing an industry standard and supporting framework to enable the digital assessment and transformation of quality and phytosanitary components of the Australian grain testing and certification processes for both domestic and export grain.
If successful, this will allow both government and commercial companies to adopt a uniform system for assessing, approving, and maintaining emerging digital imagery grain assessment technology. This will ultimately lead to improved efficiency, accuracy, and consistency in grain quality testing across the industry.