Three companies were crowned winners at the first annual Canadian Animal Ag Tech Awards on Thursday during Canadian Western Agribition in Regina.
The event spotlighted companies creating technology for the livestock industry, with products ranging from water sensors to artificial intelligence-powered monitoring systems.
Australia’s Smart Paddock received the Innovation Award. The company’s GPS ear tags allow producers to track and monitor their cattle. Producers can also track other assets such as vehicles, and monitor fence lines and water tanks with the company’s products.
Producers are looking for “timely solutions” to alert them to “stray or stolen animals,” says Darren Wolchyn, founder and CEO of Smart Paddock.
FarmSimple, based out of Vibank, Sask., received the Rising Star Award.
The company, founded by brothers Katlin and Dustin Lang, sells Herd Hand, a product that monitors remote water systems. Herd Hand texts producers if water runs low. FarmSimple in 2022 won an Innovation Award at Ag in Motion at Langham, Sask.
OneCup AI was awarded Business of the Year. The Canadian company uses artificial intelligence and cameras — a system dubbed “BETSY” — to recognize individual cattle and monitor nutritional intake, growth, lameness and other health indicators.
Producers can monitor animals through their smartphones or laptops, and the system will notify them in emergencies such as calving issues or animals escaping.
Other finalists included Flokk, Dyneval, CATTLEytics Incorporated and HerdWhistle Technologies.
Each finalist pitched their technology to a panel of judges on show grounds on Wednesday. Judging criteria included team/experience, technology and market potential/finance.
Deloitte sponsored the event and presented the Business of the Year Award, while Innovation Saskatchewan presented the Innovation Award, and Economic Development Regina presented the Rising Star Award.
— Lisa Guenther is editor of Canadian Cattlemen.
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