AskBill is an innovative new online app developed by Sheep CRC that combines climate, stock and pasture information to produce 90-day forecasts on a property.

A pre-commercialisation trial launched last week and has already attracted 130 expressions of interest from sheep producers, advisers and consultants across the country.

“It’s a data platform where we can combine information about the weather, both past and future, with biophysical models,” Sheep CRC coordinator for industry engagement and training, Lucinda Hogan said.

The data presents an easy-to-read visual display of possible hazards on a property including risk of worm infection, fly strike and heat or cold stress on the sheep.

“It also analyses how much pasture you’re growing and whether you’re going to have enough pasture for the needs of the sheep on the property,” she said.

“It gives you alerts if there is a potential problem such as a risk of worm infection, or a risk you are not going to have enough pasture.”

Not only does AskBill tell you when there is a problem – it also develops possible solutions. 

“You can AskBill ‘I’m not going to have enough pasture … what if I gave them some grain?’ and it would give you a solution to get you out of that hazard zone,” Mrs Hogan said.

The data is created in conjunction with climate information from the Bureau of Meteorology and the farmer’s own personal information about their property.

“They can locate themselves on a Google map and then put in information about how many sheep they’ve got, when they’re going to lamb and what targets they have in terms of growth or future production for condition score,” she said.

“We’ve got 200 licences available for people who want to test the system,” she said.

Visit www.askbill.com.au for more. AskBill will officially launch in November.