As stockmen and women prepare to saddle up once again and drive cattle across outback Queensland, CERES TAG is helping connect communities around the world to support an important cause: tackling food insecurity in regional Australia.
The 2026 Foodbank Charity Cattle Drive officially began on the 24th of May, with this year’s route spanning from Longreach to Blackall across 47 days on the road. The initiative is a unique blend of traditional stockmanship and community fundraising, supporting the thousands of Queenslanders experiencing food insecurity every day.
Following their support of the 2025 Charity Cattle Drive, CERES TAG has again donated CERES RANCHER devices this year to benefit cattle participating in the drive, supplied by Australian Cattle Company (ACC). The solar-powered satellite livestock monitoring technology will provide real-time insights into herd location, health and wellbeing throughout the journey, while offering supporters unprecedented visibility into the cattle drive itself.
CERES TAG is an Australian agtech company transforming livestock management through satellite-enabled animal monitoring, providing producers with 24/7 access to herd performance and behaviour data. The technology captures key metrics including location, activity, feed intake, grazing behaviour, rumination, resting patterns and walking distance, helping producers make more informed decisions around animal welfare, productivity and profitability.
For the Foodbank Charity Cattle Drive, this same technology will allow communities across Australia, and around the world, to follow the journey in near real time, creating a deeper connection between supporters and the purpose behind the drive.
Data from participating cattle will be made available through the Mapipedia platform, an interactive visualisation and analytics platform designed to transform complex livestock data into meaningful, accessible insights. Through Mapipedia, supporters will be able to track animal movement across the route and monitor behavioural trends.
“Last year, people from across the world connected with the CERES TAG data in a meaningful way, becoming invested in the journey and developing a personal connection with the cattle while supporting an important initiative,” says David Smith, CEO of CERES TAG. “By providing real-time insights into cattle location, behaviour and wellbeing, the technology helped showcase how data can improve visibility and support better livestock management. This year, we’re excited to be tagging more cattle and once again taking a Queensland cattle drive to a global audience.”
The partnership also demonstrates how emerging agricultural technologies can complement traditional practices, using innovation to preserve and strengthen the industry while increasing transparency and engagement.
By combining generations of stockmanship with satellite-enabled livestock technology, the collaboration aims to bring greater awareness, participation and support to the issue of food insecurity in regional communities.
As the drive progresses, supporters will not only witness an iconic Australian tradition unfold, but also gain a new understanding of livestock behaviour, herd management and the role technology can play in supporting both producers and communities.
To follow the 2026 Foodbank Charity Cattle Drive, click here.