And the award goes to…
Agri-TechE 
“It is deeply satisfying to win a prize in front of a lot of people” said Wilbur, the pig in children’s novel Charlotte’s Web, on winning a ribbon at the county fair. This year’s agricultural shows have seen the usual wealth of four and two-legged prize winners, and we are coming up to Awards season with the Yield Enhancement Network prizes, Farmers’ Weekly awards and others. Indeed, our keynote speaker for REAP 2017 won last year’s Kleckner Prize from the Global Farmers Network.
So how do prizes help move the industry forward? Are awards a valuable accolade demonstrating industry recognition, or simply dust-gatherers for the vainglorious?
Inspiration and peer recognition
Awards are usually designed to help promote and reward achievement, offer valuable profile to the organisers and sponsors, and select winners who can help inspire others. Just as importantly, they are also a reason to celebrate success in the industry and show peer recognition of effort and excellence – sometimes an even bigger prize.
The east of England has an impressive track record of farming and business winners.
Poul Hoveson (left), our Vice Chairman and host of a previous Water Special Interest Group meeting, was the Arable Farmer of the Year 2014 as well as Farmers’ Weekly Farmer of The Year.
Emily Norton, speaker at our Young Innovators’ Forum Agri-Science conference, is this year’s finalist for the Farmers’ Weekly Mixed Farmer of the Year.
Russell Smith Farms, members and host of a number of Agri-TechE events, was a finalist for Employer of the Year in the 2016 awards.
This month, Aponic was declared Small Business of the Year in the prestigious East of England Business Awards and PBD Biotech scooped the Innovation Award for new crop or livestock technology at the Ag-In-Motion competition in Canada.
Pushing the boundaries
The Yield Enhancement Network, coordinated by ADAS and sponsored by so many players in the industry, is a way in which farmers can demonstrate their ability to push the boundaries of yields in wheat, oil seed rape and, most recently, peas. The winners show what is possible – especially in terms of reaching yield potential.
The winners of our GROW agri-tech start-up business competition have benefitted from not only the profile but also the support they have received as part of their prize – it is most helpful when winning comes with not just an ornament but also has a practical use as well (and not just as a paperweight!).
Agriculture is an inherently competitive industry, with county and regional shows being one of the earliest examples of farmer rivalry, each competing for the best-in-class animal, crop or skill. But we need to use prizes more effectively help to spread the magic to motivate others, and raise standards across the board.
Ambassadors of best practice
Winning a prize is, as Wilbur said, deeply satisfying. It usually recognises hard work, care and thought, and a whole host of other attributes – including creativity, inspiration and persistence in the face of adversity.
So, award winners need to be ambassadors. It’s not the winning that counts, and it’s not even the taking part. It’s the sharing of best practice that will help everyone raise their game and take the industry to new heights.
Good luck!
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So will Yagro now be looking at the overseas market?
No, it’s not a new form of diversified livestock management – unicorns, gorillas and gazelles are terms used to describe businesses in various stages of growth and success. The final of our GROW agri-tech business plan competition has got us looking at the global deal flow into agri-tech and how start-ups are developing.
With the final of GROW approaching we have been looking at the global landscape – how much is being invested, who are the rising stars, where the smart money is going, and how this is shaping the industry and the businesses within it.
Unlike those in other more mature industries, global agri-tech deals have yet to deliver impressive and reassuring exits for investors. At Agri-Tech, we work with many companies seeking investment at various stages of their development, and one of our most common questions to them is about the expected size and scale of their exit – when can their investors expect to get their money back – plus more! We always encourage people to be really clear on the investment proposition – “how much”, and “by when” are the questions we know the investors will ask.
Working with farmers, the Wensum Project has been testing and assessing how a variety of land management measures can reduce run-off into the river whilst maintaining farm profitability. The University of East Anglia will be displaying a 3D model that demonstrates how agricultural activity can be adjusted to reduce loss of nutrients, there will be a water analysis laboratory and a display of some of the cover crop plants and how their root systems can help. The Wensum is recognised as one of the most important chalk river habitats in the UK, with over 100 plant species and a rich invertebrate fauna.
“The agricultural economy currently faces uncertainty, so it is more important than ever for farmers to have tools to better control their costs and improve performance,” according to Alex Dinsdale, Area Manager for SOYL. The company will be showing how an iPhone app can help farmers improve the precision of their farming. On a single farm, there is a great deal of variation between fields; in topography, soil type, and nutrition levels. SOYL is set to showcase a range of products: to manage variable rate applications, improve soil structure, map soil nutrients and identify variants in phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.
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