12 June 2025

2025 Fieldays® Innovation Award Winners Have Taken to the Stage

The spotlight is on the agricultural industries most promising ideas, as the Fieldays Innovation Award winners have been announced tonight. 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", said Steve Chappell Programme Manager, New Zealand National Fieldays Society. "This year, we have seen entries that combine impact, innovation, and industry leadership; there are some true standouts," says Chappell. 

Hosted by Te Radar, a longstanding Fieldays supporter and the events official MC, the evening recognised 63 participants across Prototype, Early-Stage, and Growth & Scale, highlighting those shaping the future of the rural sector. 

Ruminant Biotech from Auckland was the winner of the Prototype Award supported by Sprout Agritech and Blender Design for its slow-release bolus, Emitless, which delivers over 75% methane reduction in cattle for 100 days from a single treatment. 

Head Judge Peter Dowd said, "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," said Dooley. 

It creates value from waste, reduces emissions, and offers a commercially viable path forward for a more circular and ethical agri-food sector. CropX, from Wellington won the Growth & Scale Award supported by NZME and KingSt from a highly competitive field of outstanding finalists. 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. 

Head Judge Jenny Cameron said “The judges saw significant potential for use in kiwifruit orchards both in NZ and overseas, as well as in other horticulture and viticulture applications”. 

The People’s Choice Award continues until Saturday, allowing visitors to vote for their favourite innovation. All participants are in the running for this award, and the innovator with the most votes will take home a $2,000 cash prize from Fieldays, while one lucky voter will win a voucher for $500.

Visitors can vote during the event at the kiosk inside the Fieldays Innovation Hub.

The Fieldays Innovation Awards are kindly supported by Sponsors Map of Ag, Gait International, King St. Advertising, NZME, Sprout Agritech, and Blender Design.

You can sign up to be the first to hear about the Fieldays Innovation Awards at www.fieldays.co.nz/innovation