From satellite imagery and soil sensors to AI-driven insights and virtual fencing, agri-tech is reshaping how farmers manage productivity, sustainability and resilience.
In this episode, host Katie Rodwell speaks with Brendan O’Connell, CEO of AgriTech New Zealand, about what agri-tech really means, how it is being adopted across farming systems, and the opportunities for New Zealand to become a global leader in agricultural innovation.
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Show Notes:
What is AgriTech?
Agri-tech is more than just physical machinery on-farm. Brendan explains that it covers physical, digital, and biological solutions that support land-based farming, from livestock and horticulture to viticulture and arable systems. This includes everything from electric fencing and animal ID tools to robotics, pasture measurement apps, and business management software.
Tangible Benefits on Farm
Agri-tech empowers farmers with new levels of insight and control. Tools like Halter and pasture measurement technology can lift productivity, reduce labour demands, and improve decision-making. Beyond efficiency gains, these innovations free up time for farmers to focus on strategy, family, and quality of life. Agri-tech also enables farmers to see variability in land or stock performance that might otherwise remain hidden.
Barriers to Adoption
Despite the opportunities, adoption is not without challenges. Brendan identifies affordability, integration, and fit-for-purpose design as the key barriers. Farmers often face frustration when technologies don’t communicate with one another, though integration is improving rapidly. Large players like Fonterra are now pushing for better interoperability to reduce compliance burdens and unlock more value from data sharing.
Data as a Source of Value
Data is becoming the new “fuel” of agriculture - essential for proving sustainability claims, capturing value in global markets, and supporting premium contracts. Brendan emphasises that while agri-tech creates value across the supply chain, farmers must also see tangible benefits at the farm gate through improved profitability, contracts, and potential new ways of sharing value.
New Zealand’s AgriTech Advantage
New Zealand is well positioned to lead in this space. Farmers are naturally innovative and pragmatic, and the sector has already produced global successes like Gallagher and Halter. Brendan believes agri-tech could one day contribute more to the economy than the dairy sector, with opportunities for New Zealand to create world-leading solutions in horticulture, aquaculture, and beyond.
Key takeaway
Agri-tech is not about replacing farmers’ knowledge but supercharging it with tools, data, and insights. With growing global demand for sustainable food systems, New Zealand has both the capability and appetite to make agri-tech a cornerstone of its agricultural future.
