As growers continue to face rising input costs, a new digital tool is being created to provide them with clearer information before making a commitment to a crop
Hort Innovation is funding the creation of a new digital tool to help vegetable, onion and potato growers make clearer and more confident decisions before committing to crops, inputs and production plans.
Named Veg SmartMargins, it directly responds to fuel, fertiliser, labour and pricing pressures by giving growers a practical way to see whether a crop is genuinely profitable once total labour and overheads are included, not just variable costs.
Scheduled to launch in 2027, the tool will move growers beyond basic gross margin calculations to a secure, web-based platform that supports full enterprise level financial analysis and decision making.
Growers will be able to use the tool to test scenarios before decisions are locked in.
By adjusting prices, yields and input costs, growers can also see how different choices affect whole farm profitability, cashflow and risk.
“Growers are making decisions in a far more volatile and high-cost environment compared to a decade ago,” Hort Innovation general manager industry service and delivery Andrew Francey says.
“Veg SmartMargins builds on a tool growers already recognise and updates it for the realities they’re facing today, giving them clearer information before they commit time, money and resources.”
Hort Innovation says the tool will be shaped by growers throughout the duration of the entire project, from discovery through deployment.
Through structured regional workshops and beta testing, grower input will directly shape how costs are allocated, scenarios are tested and results are presented, ensuring the tool reflects how growers think and record their costs to deliver a practical and intuitive outcome.
“This tool is about helping growers answer real questions,” South Australian vegetable grower Scott Samwell says.
“What should I plant? What can I afford? What is my cost of production? What happens if costs rise further?
“By testing scenarios first, growers can make decisions with more confidence in a tough climate.”
The platform will also integrate anonymised industry benchmarking data from the national vegetable and onion benchmarking program, allowing growers to see how their business compares with national and regional averages while maintaining full control of their own information.
Grower financial data will remain private and secure, and benchmarking information will only be presented in aggregate anonymised form.
To support real world use, Veg SmartMargins will be backed by practical training and extension activities, including plain English user guides and manuals, short, targeted video tutorials and regionally delivered online workshops.
