Three finalists have been shortlisted, from over 25 entries, for this year’s Royal Dairy Innovation Award. They are: SmaXtec – TruDrinking, UFAC – Envirolac and HerdVision – Auto Mobility & BCS.
These three finalists have been chosen for their research and development in the dairy industry. The award will be given to the most practical, relevant product or service which is likely to be the most significant innovation for the future of dairying.
Each company will exhibit their product/service at 9:45am in the Innovation Hub at this year’s Dairy-Tech to a panel of independent judges, comprising dairy farmer and competition chair Tim Downes; competition sponsor the Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Livestock’s (CIEL’s)Â head of innovation Dr. Mark Young; and commercial director of last year’s winning product, Cattle Eye, Michael Halliwell.
Cattle Eye is an autonomous livestock welfare and performance-monitoring product that is the world’s first hardware-independent, autonomous, livestock-monitoring platform on the market. It can be used to detect locomotion deviations, which are highly correlated to lameness in dairy cows.
The 2023 winner, which will receive a signed framed certificate and trophy from the Princess Royal later in the year, will be announced at 3:55p.m at the event.
Royal Dairy Innovation Award finalists
The three chosen finalists offer innovation in cow health, performance and management.
SmaXtec’s TruDrinking is a bolus that measures the water consumption of cows. It can immediately detect irregularities in water provision or cow health, and records inner body temperature, rumination and activity, giving it the ability to highlight any possible health issues in the cows long before visible signs may appear.  Â
UFAC’s Envirolac is a palm-free fat supplement for high-yielding dairy cows. The product has been proven to increase milk yields and quality while offering a lower carbon footprint than palm-oil-based fat supplements.
It is designed to increase dietary energy density while optimising rumen fermentation and prime liver function to increase milk yield and constituents and improve cow health and fertility.
Lastly, there is HerdVision Auto Mobility & BCS, which provides real-time data on the health and nutrition of a herd. It does this by using a small digital camera, positioned above a race, to capture 3D images which are fed back live by integrating with an intelligent online monitoring system.
Data is delivered directly to the user’s phone or tablet – supporting daily management decisions. Â
Dairy-Tech
Dairy-Tech 2023 will take place at Stoneleigh Park on February 1. It will showcase more than 85 new products and services and have over 300 exhibitors on site.
Tickets bought before the show are priced at £17/person compared to £20 at the door.
Members of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) receive two free complimentary tickets to the event.Â
