Saturday, March 30, 2024

Ballance wins inaugural Smart Farming Award

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Ballance Agri-Nutrients’ breakthrough environmental planning tool MitAgator has taken out the inaugural South Island Agricultural Field Days Smart Farming Award. Backed by 30 years of independent science from AgResearch, MitAgator helps farmers reduce contaminant losses that affect water quality.
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As agriculture has become more sophisticated technology that lets farmers work smarter has assumed greater importance. 

To acknowledge the changing times and the role innovation plays in helping farmers meet the demands they face the field days initiated the Smart Farming Award. 

Canterbury consultancy firm Agri Magic sponsors the award. The judges were Blinc Innovation’s Toni Laming, Anzco founder Sir Graeme Harrison and primary sector business innovator Richard Green.

They were unanimous and say MitAgator was a standout given the key judging criteria centred on new technology that enables improved decision-making and adds value to agricultural businesses.

Ballance chief executive Mark Wynne said MitAgator took 10 years to make.

“MitAgator will change the way we farm in New Zealand for the better. 

“It gives farmers a speedo on their dashboard that takes the guesswork out of farming within limits by mapping hot spots for the four key water contaminants – nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment and E coli pathogens.

“This tool is tailored for today’s farming because it shows where to invest to achieve the greatest environmental gain. Farmers know where the real risks are and where they can make the biggest impact for every dollar they spend, whether that should be fencing a stream or building a wetland.” 

MitAgator was developed by Ballance Agri-Nutrients with financial support from the Primary Growth Partnership.

It is available to farmers through Ballance’s team of farm sustainability advisers. Its risk map and scenario analysis deliver a new gold standard in farm environment plans, Wynne said.

The judges also gave a Special Award for emerging innovation to Kiwi company Halter for its virtual fencing and animal movement technology. The concept is in its early days but is truly innovative, they said.

The judges wanted to encourage Halter’s out-of-the-box thinking with a special sward. 

Halter gave its prize money to the Muslim community in Christchurch.

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Visit finalists at the field days:

Ballance Agri-Nutrients, site 228

Halter, covered site C62,

FarmIQ, on Farmlands site

Or visit www.siafd.co.nz or email info@siafd.co.nz

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