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MEDIA RELEASE
17 June 2009
Investment in innovation underpins confident sector
Innovation award winner Farmworks helps maintain Kiwis' world leadership in pasture management
Farmworks Precision Farming Systems was named the 2009 winner of the New Zealand Agritech Inc. Commercialised Innovation Award for their cutting edge Feed Reader at the organisation's recent Fieldays Annual Dinner.
The Farmworks Feed Reader gives farmers their dry matter production from grass which allows them to plan in detail targeted body weight gain for livestock – among other benefits.
New Zealand Agritech Inc. Board member, managing director of Ancare Scientific and convenor of the judges, Colin Harvey, said the judging panel faced a difficult decision and the margin between the six finalists was very tight.
“It is particularly pleasing to see the winning entry, and so many of the finalists, were up to the minute with regards to farm management of animals under pasture. We are world leaders in this area, and our technology continues to surge ahead,” he said.
New Zealand Agritech Inc. CEO, Colin Kennedy, said every single one of the six finalists demonstrated that agritech is one sector that continues to invest heavily in innovation and importantly, the commercialisation of that innovation.
“Research and Development is all very well, but we need to see tangible results and the agritech sector consistently achieves successful commercial outcomes. As a result, our sector remains very confident and well positioned to be a major revenue earner for this country.
“New Zealand needs to be exporting technology and agri-technology is a natural integration of the two things we already have, an excellent and widespread international reputation for farming and leadership in innovation. If we want to make quick gains in foreign trade, New Zealand agritech is a sector that deserves continued emphasis and greater support.”
Farmworks Precision Farming Systems Director, Colin McFadzean, said the product and systems took eight years to develop from idea to finished product, including commercialisation.
“We spent 30 per cent of our annual turnover every year on research and development. We plan to market this using our AG Hub concept – an international web application that promotes New Zealand's agricultural offerings.
“It will be sold as a totally integrated and installed system on the farm. To do this we are creating a global franchise network to go out and install and support the system,” he said.
The Farmworks Feed Reader has a very small reading head which allows for versatile use with an ATV, while an in-built GPS identifies the paddock and starts reading pasture cover automatically. It stops recording when travelling too fast or too near fences, and data is transferred by Farrmnet or USB memory stick to the PC. Reports include feed wedge, pasture growth and order of grazing.
The other finalists were
· Donaghys (Canterbury) for their world first development and commercialisation of LessN, a nitrogen response enhancer designed for use in New Zealand's pastoral based farming systems – improves pasture and halves the amount of nitrogen applied.
· Racewell Ltd (Waikato) for their world first development and commercialisation of the Automated Drafting and Data Transfer via PDA and Voice Activated Over-ride system.
· Simcro Tech Limited (Waikato) for their world first development (in conjunction with Novartis Animal Health Inc.) of OPTILINE(tm) a revolutionary new drench gun for sheep.
· Gallagher (Waikato) for their world first development and commercialisation of SmartTSi Farm Weighing and Data collection System, using Electronic Identification (EID).
· Sensortec and Waikato Milking systems (Waikato) for their world first development and commercialisation of D-Tect, a novel mastitis detector for dairy farms.
Farmworks won $10,000 worth of free advertising from Sky's The Country Channel and a DVD production of their product worth $3,000.00, also sponsored by The Country Channel.
Ends/...
About New Zealand Agritech Inc.
NZ Agritech Inc is a New Zealand group of diverse agricultural technology companies including suppliers of dairy and milking equipment, livestock feed for raising cattle and sheep, to animal health remedies, farm machinery, pasture grass intake and performance data, and a lot more; all of whom distribute around the world.
New Zealand Agritech Inc is the national industry and export development body for companies which supply technology to the farm. The industry accounts for more than $700 million in exports a year, and domestic sales of three billion. A solid earner, the industry is growing at between 9% and 12% per year.
For more information see: www.agritech.org.nz
Contact Colin Kennedy
CEO NZ Agritech Inc.Colin McFadzean
Director Farmworks Precision Farming Systems027 245 6060 021 783 660 Email: colin.kennedy@agritech.org.nz colin@farmworkspfs.co.nz