More Choice, More Capability: 144-Cell Trays and Our Third Sowing Room

By Yield Australia ·

More choice for growers. More capability in the nursery. Yield Australia now offers 144-cell trays alongside our standard 198, 112 and 244-cell trays. Our third sowing room has also been officially commissioned and is fully operational—another practical step in supporting the needs of commercial primary producers.

Built on experience. Investing in what comes next.

From a Williames Hi-Tech sowing machine more than 40 years old to modern, Italian-engineered Urbinati precision sowing technology, our operation brings together hard-earned experience and new capability. The new room and additional tray option give us more flexibility to discuss the right propagation program for each grower, crop and planting system.

We are not investing in technology simply to say we have it. We are investing to improve how we work and respond to the practical demands of commercial production. Precision sowing is already part of that approach; emerging technologies will keep being assessed against the realities of the nursery and paddock.

A changing industry needs practical answers

Growers are managing pressure across labour, seed, substrates, fuel and other inputs, while farmgate returns do not necessarily keep pace. Prices vary by crop, market and season, but the margin squeeze is real: in AUSVEG's July 2025 survey, 62% of surveyed vegetable growers said they were financially worse off than a year earlier, and two in five were actively considering leaving within 12 months. These were intentions, not confirmed departures.

For family businesses, uncertainty about returns also makes conversations about succession and the next generation harder. There is no single reason a grower steps away, but a sustainable future needs a credible business case—not simply an expectation that families will keep absorbing the pressure.

Labour is a major cost in this labour-intensive sector, so it is no surprise that efficiency and automation are front and centre. ABARES reported that around 40% of Australian horticulture farms used machinery to reduce labour demand in 2022–23. Technology should support skilled people and viable businesses, not overlook the knowledge on the ground.

Grower-led, not sales-led

We do not have a conventional sales-rep team. Our conversations are led by people who grow, have grown, or have worked alongside commercial growers and major buyers. That experience helps us understand the daily pressures—from production and labour to quality expectations and market requirements.

We listen across the supply chain: growers, on-the-ground workers, buyers and retailers. That feedback informs how we adapt, innovate and keep pace with a rapidly changing industry. We cannot solve every pressure facing horticulture, but we can keep investing, keep learning and work alongside the people growing its future.

Talk to our team about the new 144-cell option and your next seedling program: contact Yield Australia or call 1300 094 353.

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