Data faster
Leafy AI helps growers unlock HortIQ insights
HortIQ / Insights for impact
Read time: 3 minutes / Try time: 1 minute
Data faster
Leafy AI helps growers unlock HortIQ insights
HortIQ / Insights for impact
Read time: 3 minutes / Try time: 1 minute
Growers and industry have visited HortIQ more than 10,000 times in the past 12 months, seeking evidence-based insights to inform vital business decisions, and those searches are about to become a whole lot easier, thanks to the introduction of Leafy AI.
HortIQ is Hort Innovation’s one-stop shop for consumer, category, production, supply and trade data across Australian horticulture. It is rich with dashboards, reports and webinars, covering everything from shopper behaviour and category performance to exports, supply and market trends.
But as HortIQ’s Felecia White explains, while there is no shortage of information, finding the right insight can take time.
“Leafy AI allows you to ask questions using natural language, so you don’t have to wade through reports. It makes the information so much more accessible,” Felecia says.
Ask for what you want
That is why Hort Innovation has launched Leafy AI, a large language model trained on HortIQ’s data. Instead of searching through individual PDFs, dashboards or webinar recordings, users can type a question into a chat-style search and Leafy AI will search HortIQ’s data, return a plain English answer and cite the source.
For growers, that could mean faster access to insights that help with retailer conversations, marketing plans, export thinking, packaging decisions, category reviews or simply understanding where consumer demand is heading.
Every month, HortIQ adds between five and 12 reports across 23 different commodities.
Leafy AI makes it easier for growers to find the information that matters to them.
“You can just ask Leafy AI, ‘How did bananas perform?’ and it will search the latest report and give you those findings,” Felecia says.
She expects growers and industry will use the tool to explore commodity performance, consumer attitudes and barriers to purchase.
“You can ask questions around who is eating your product, how are they eating it, and what are the top three things stopping people eating it?”
From data search to practical decisions
Say you grow mangoes and want to better understand younger consumers. Instead of opening multiple reports, you could ask Leafy AI:
“What do we know about younger shoppers and mangoes?”
From there, you could ask a follow-up:
“What could that mean for social content or in-store messaging?”
Or, if you are preparing for a category review, you might ask:
“What are shoppers saying about cherries this season?”
For growers working with retailers, wholesalers or distributors, faster access to this type of information can help them talk more knowledgeably about how their commodity is tracking from the demand side.
It also helps turn HortIQ from a library of reports into a more practical starting point for business conversations.
A smarter starting point for social content
Growers who create their own social media content can also use Leafy AI to find insights that support their planning.
For example, a passionfruit grower could ask:
“What are the top three ways people eat passionfruit?”
That answer could help spark ideas for recipe posts, seasonal content, usage tips or messaging that reflects what consumers are already doing at home.
“They’ll get ideas they could post on their socials,” Felecia says.
Click the sound icon to hear from Australian Produce Partners' Lyndall Hadlow.
Prompt Coach
Not sure what to ask? Start with the question you would ask a person.
Be specific
Ask about a commodity, timeframe, market, shopper group or topic.
Ask follow-ups
If the first answer is too broad, narrow it down.
Check the source
Leafy AI helps you find the information faster, but it is important to check the cited source.
Keep it practical
Try questions that connect to real decisions.
Try asking LeafyAI
“How are mangoes performing?”
“What are the barriers to people buying cherries?”
“How do we get more people to eat vegetables?”
“How are younger shoppers using avocados?”
“What export market insights are available for my commodity?”
“What has changed in the latest report?”
Leafy AI’s real strength is speed
Instead of manually searching through reports on sales, shopper attitudes, packaging, organics, exports or category performance, users can start with the question they actually care about.
“I think it’s exciting,” Felecia says. “It just makes interrogating the data so much easier. I’m looking forward to seeing how growers use it.”
Ask your first question
Leafy AI is now available through HortIQ.
Already registered? Log in and try Leafy AI today.
Through research, marketing and trade, we work with growers, industry and partners to support innovation, grow demand and open new markets for Australia's $18.4 billion horticulture sector.
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