Innovation Awards 2026 Winners Showcase Primary Sector Ingenuity
The bright ideas of New Zealand's primary sector have been celebrated with an announcement of the winners of the 2026 Innovation Awards.
The award is for slow-release bolus, Emitless, which the company says delivers over 75% methane reduction in cattle for 100 days from a single treatment.
Head Judge Peter Dowd says this year's winner has not only demonstrated strong underpinning science and a thorough product development process but also a solid understanding of the market and regulatory environment that their product will be entering.
“Their IP is well considered, and effective implementation of their solution will have a drastic impact on New Zealand's emissions profile”.
Oamaru’s Alps2Ocean Foods Tapui Ltd won the Early-Stage Award supported by Map of Ag with its product Mīti, which transforms surplus dairy calves into a world-first, shelf-stable, functional protein snack.
Head Judge Shane Dooley stated that this idea provides a game-changing solution, transforming bobby calf waste from the dairy industry into a high-value, low-carbon protein product.
"By addressing a long-standing social license challenge, they're helping reshape the wellbeing narrative around calf management in New Zealand," says Dooley.
CropX, from Wellington won the Growth & Scale Award and judges noted that CropX stood out for its exceptional ambition, strategy, and execution. They were impressed by the development and introduction of the Evato1 evapotranspiration sensor, a transformative addition to the CropX platform.
Head Judge Brendan O’Connell said, “This innovation significantly enhances the insights available to global growers, positioning CropX at the forefront of agritech solutions that enable smarter, more sustainable farming”.
Hamilton’s St Paul's Collegiate School’s KiwiPrune team won the Fieldays Young Innovator Award for entrants 19 years old and under. KiwiPrune was designed and developed as part of coursework for the AgriBusiness in Schools program, to simplify the labour-intensive task of removing the plastic clips used to secure the Kiwi fruit vine. The device is designed to remove clips from kiwifruit vines on orchards, improving productivity, reducing strain, and enhancing sustainability.
Steve Chappell programme manager, New Zealand National Fieldays Society says the five short-listed finalists in each category had their entries judged by a panel of 18 sector experts on Wednesday.
"It is always exciting to see who has taken out these awards; it takes commitment and perseverance for innovators to put themselves out there to be critiqued", he says.
"This year, we have seen entries that combine impact, innovation, and industry leadership; there are some true standouts," says Chappell.
