Irish and French entrepreneurs and investors taking part in an event organised by Enterprise Ireland last Thursday at SPACE, a leading livestock industry show in France, reported strong growth in the sector.

Roscrea-based herd management app Herdwatch is now serving 6,000 subscribers following its expansion into Britain last year.

Its founder, French native Fabien Peyaud, said he was currently exploring options in his home country – the largest agricultural producer in Europe.

Moocall, which is part-owned by the Irish Farmers Journal, gave a preview of a new heat detector.

Ag tech is about importing it into agriculture

The device combines sensors in a collar around a bull’s neck and in cows’ ear tags to text a farmer’s phone when a cow is in heat.

One bull collar and 50 ear tags will cost €1,220 excluding VAT. Moocall’s vice-president for international sales Paul Kenny said there were now 25,000 active units of the company’s existing calving detector in around 40 countries including France.

Kieran Furlong, who is from Co Wexford but has worked for the US-based ag tech venture capital firm Finistere, said he was returning home to start investing in Irish companies.

“Ireland has expertise in adjacent industries such as IT and pharma. Ag tech is about importing it into agriculture,” he said.

Finistere’s new Irish-based business will include two investment funds announced this month with €40m in capital from the State’s Ireland Strategic Investment Fund – half for domestic companies and the other half for overseas investments connecting Irish agriculture with new opportunities.

Minister for Trade and Employment Pat Breen told the Irish Farmers Journal that promising start-up companies would receive a package including capital investment from the Ireland Ag Tech Fund and support from agencies such as Enterprise Ireland to develop markets.

He added that the sector could draw from “many third-level students with a farming background who have seen the benefits of innovation in agriculture and have a lot to offer”.

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