TAFE, Harper Adams Univ join hands for work in agri, food sector

Tractors and Farm Equipment (TAFE) today said it has entered into a collaboration with UK-based Harper Adams University for development of advanced technological, agronomic and educational solutions for delivery of sustainable food production around the world.

The collaboration will include joint research projects and programmes, joint publications and staff exchanges, the company said in a statement.

"This collaboration will provide opportunities for developing a range of advanced training skills, learning and the promotion of international technology transfer and exchange," TAFE President & COO T R Kesavan said.

The areas of research will focus on agriculture, engineering and technology development programmes on autonomous farming and energy efficient implements, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems and sensor technologies, among others.

The partnership will also include working together on 'the Hands free hectare project' to be implemented at JFarm India TAFE's adaptive agriculture research centre, it added.

Engineers from TAFE have moved into the new Agri-EPI Centre on the Harper Adams University campus to work on the centre's first major research and development project.

Harper Adams University engineering lecturer, Kit Franklin said,"We at Harper Adams have been building contacts with TAFE for the last 18 months...Along with the completion of the project, I hope the team will get a flavour of British agriculture, helping them to return with fresh new ideas".