The companies attending cover the spectrum of farming and food production, including virtual fencing systems, remote irrigation operations and mastitis detection technology.
The evokeAg start-up exhibition will showcase emerging technology linked to farming and food with an emphasis on Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific agritech industries.
Agritech New Zealand executive director Peter Wren-Hilton said a NZ contingent of more than 100 is expected to attend.
He was invited to be part of the event’s steering committee to ensure a good level of NZ involvement.
The combined trans-Tasman approach helps both countries’ agri-tech sectors punch above their weight on a global level.
“This year we will also be hosting a NZ pavilion within the exhibition, with a very visible presence.”
One of the higher profile technologies is a remote fencing system developed alongside AgResearch with Gallagher investment.
In a farming environment severely compromised by bush fires interest is expected to be strong in the release of a virtual fencing system, initially distributed in Queensland this year by Gallagher.
The technology is the result of work between AgResearch and Australian company Agersens, with Gallagher group as a strategic investor.
The eShepherd technology has a GPS collar on individual cattle, fencing them off invisibly from no-go areas. The solar powered collars emit an audible and electrical alarm when livestock go beyond their defined area.
AgResearch has been closely involved in trying the technology in NZ where interest is coming from farmers with significant water course boundaries requiring fencing and intensive bull finishing operations.
The collars are expected to sell in Australia for about A$300 each. Fencing for extensive Waikato drystock blocks to exclude stock from waterways is estimated at $500-$750 a hectare.
EShepherd developer Ian Reilly said evokeAg showcases world-first technology to producers and investors.
“The technology will reduce time it takes for farmers to rotate cattle but it will also be useful for natural resource managers who are trying to help farmers keep stock out of rivers or for farmers who are running stock on extensive grazing systems and want to avoid putting up fences.”
A virtual boundary of a farm is created on a tablet and it feeds co-ordinates to the remote collars, defining no-go zones, with the collar alarms activated when those no-go co-ordinates are breached.
Another company hoping to draw investor interest is Otago based NextFarm. It has developed a cloud-based system for monitoring and controlling networks of irrigation and effluent delivery systems, including post-mounted, in-paddock sprinklers.
Typically, such fixed grid systems require individual monitoring and adjustment, depending on conditions and irrigation schedules.
“The evokeAG event for companies on the ground offers a what’s next in technology window.
“We now have 1500 units in the field this season.
“We are definitely in a growth phase and this offers a window to what we have achieved.”
The company is also working on systems suitable for effluent distribution and has been in discussion with Chilean farm groups, including NZ dairy farm company Manuka in southern Chile. The company has 13 shareholders and worked with Callaghan Innovation for it is initial development phase.
Mastaplex director Olaf Bork said the expo is a chance to boost his company’s exposure.
Mastaplex has developed an on-farm mastitis diagnosis system with results uploaded to the cloud and available within 24 hours.
A separate investor pitch session lets start-ups talk directly to investors. Mastaplex is the only NZ firm with a spot in that session.
