An artificial intelligence (AI) cattle management tool added to the Herdwatch app saw the company named champion of Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Areana at Ploughing 2025.

Herd Intelligence has been developed to assist farmers’ decision making on herd management using data ranging from health records, to grazing plans and regulations.

It is intended to support everyday farm management decisions for tasks such as tracking veterinary treatments, grazing schedules and ensuring compliance navigation.

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A total of nine companies delivered live pitches at the Innovation Arena final on day one for the Ploughing in the 12th annual instalment of the Enterprise Ireland awards.

Start-up success for cow scanning tool

The Co Cork-based ScanInsights was awarded start-up of the year award for its AI-assisted cow scanning tool built from a base of 2.5m scans of Irish dairy and beef scans.

The innovation has been stated to improve both the accuracy and efficiency of cow pregnancy scanning by assisting the scanner with a real-time estimate of the foetus’s growth stage and sex during the process.

Green impact at GlasPort Bio

Galway firm GlasPort Bio took the crown for the green impact award at the Innovation Arena for its GasAbate slurry management system designed to cut methane, sulphur dioxide and methane emissions, while enhancing the nutrient content of manure.

Key to the system is the dosage and verification system that delivers data straight to the cloud to support compliance and the generation of carbon insets.

The company took its development commercial this year, with plans to cut 12,000t of carbon equivalents from EU food production each year.

Epitome of innovation

Speaking during the judging of the nine companies shortlisted to the Innovation Arena’s final at the National Ploughing Championships, Enterprise Ireland’s CEO Jenny Melia stated that participants represent the epitome of quality, excellence and knowledge in agri innovation.

“Their ambition and drive are not only transforming this sector globally, but the agri-tech businesses we are celebrating this week are also deeply rooted in sustaining rural communities and economies by creating high-quality jobs and important local expenditure,” Melia commented.

“Enterprise Ireland’s ambition is that exporting-focused companies will become the primary driver of the Irish economy and these innovation-focused agri-tech companies are at the heart of that strategy as they embrace new technologies and deliver novel innovations for global challenges.”

Managing director of the National Ploughing Association Anne May McHugh congratulated all of the exhibitors on show at the Innovation Arena.

“It is inspiring to see so many companies bringing forward solutions that will shape the future of farming, not just here in Ireland but across the world,” McHugh said.

The National Ploughing Association is “proud to provide a stage” for the innovators to showcase their latest developments, she added.

A total of 40 Irish agri-tech companies will put on show their innovations in animal science, engineering, animal health, sustainability, climate action and farm safety at this year’s Ploughing.