Meandarra farmer Tom Coggan has amassed an impressive CV in a short space of time.
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At just 23 years of age the fifth generation Western Downs, Queensland, farmer has completed his Masters of Agribusiness through the University of Queensland and has recently completed a subject at the prestigious Mannheim business school.
Now back home on the farm, Mr Coggan is busy exploring the opportunities automation, through concepts such as Swarm Farm robotics, could have on the family business.
With this plethora of achievements under his belt already it was little wonder last week he was judged the winner of the Australian Summer Grains Conference Ben Coleman Award.
The $5000 travel and study award is handed out to a farmer dedicated to improving industry outcomes.
It is named after the late Ben Coleman of Mt Moriah on the Darling Downs who, after a career in rural banking, went back to expand his family farm business.
Mr Coggan was presented his award by AgForce grains president Brendan Taylor and SunCorp's Don Brown at the conference gala dinner.
Mr Taylor said Mr Coggan's achievements made impressive reading for someone his age.
"You've done a tremendous job to do so much in agriculture and I am sure there is plenty more to come," he said.
The Coggan family run a vertically integrated farm business featuring cropping and livestock, including feedlots.
Mr Coggan said he enjoyed the cropping side of the operation and saw some big opportunities in the future.
He said he saw ag tech solutions help lower input costs through concepts such as spot spraying and variable rate fertiliser application helping make cropping businesses more sustainable.