Nine projects were funded via AGMARDT’s transitional Agribusiness Innovation Grant (AIG) round in August 2026. This small round provided a bridge between our previous grants approach and the more relational, collaborative funding model we’re moving towards in 2027.
We received an incredible number of Expressions of Interest (EOI). Fifteen were invited to a full application. Nine projects were then funded, distributing around half a million dollars, with some funding held in reserve for more strategic, collaborative approaches to persistent problems that were targeted by multiple EOIs.
Several of the projects funded are aimed at developing or extending entire sectors (unlocking more value from wool and honey, a fund for growing organic supply, long-storing feijoas). Others put information directly into farmers’ hands (an AI scanner for orchard yield forecasting, real-time cost information for water-quality mitigation, and a diagnostic score for smarter drenching decisions).
“The nine projects we’ve funded cover large parts of the agricultural sector – horticulture, wool and sheep genetics, cattle, environmental resilience and organics – reflecting the breadth of ideas we received, and confirming that AGMARDT is well-placed to support the kind of cross-sector collaborations that can enable real transformation in future,” says Lee-Ann Marsh, Chief Executive of AGMARDT.
Funded projects
AI Ultrasound for Intramuscular Fat in New Zealand Sheep
neXtgen Agri International Limited was funded $109,608 (of $182,680) for an AI-enabled ultrasound and computer vision system that measures intramuscular fat in live sheep, supporting higher-value meat exports. Right now, only two accredited technicians in New Zealand can score IMF from ultrasound images, and both are already working at capacity, limiting how fast breeders can improve meat quality. neXtScan’s AI model aims to break through that ceiling, making measurement faster and more available. Breeder partners are contributing $36,800 in cash towards the project, and links with Beef + Lamb Genetics gave Trustees confidence there’s wider industry appetite for the tool.
Fund to Grow New Zealand’s Certified Organic Supply Pipeline
Organics Aotearoa New Zealand Society was awarded $60,000 (of $100,000) to design and test an innovative industry-led funding approach that helps farmers transition to certified organic production, closing a persistent barrier to higher-value organic exports. The model draws on the US’s Mad Capital Perennial Fund, which raised an oversubscribed US$78 million in 2025.
Catchment-Managed Risk-Sharing Feasibility Pilot
Perrin Ag was awarded $30,000 to test a catchment-managed risk-sharing model, where downstream landowners help fund upstream mitigation work that reduces flood and erosion risk for the whole catchment. It’s an early feasibility study, testing a new way for catchment groups to share the cost of resilience. A report will be released so the idea can be used and developed further in collaboration with industry, government and the private sector.
Evidence-Based Diagnostics for Cattle Drenching
DAGI Limited received $29,888 for TrueWorm Score, a diagnostic tool to give cattle farmers evidence-based drenching decisions, reducing unnecessary drenching and slowing the development of drench resistance. The tool will combine worm egg counts with species data. The project’s open-source approach and alignment with the wider Coalition Against Drench Resistance initiative gave Trustees confidence this would make a contribution towards slowing drench resistance in cattle, before it becomes the chronic systemic problem facing the sheep sector.
Identifying Genetic Links to a Long-Storing Feijoa Trait
Massey University was funded $115,000 (of a total $420,000) to identify genetic markers linked to extended feijoa storage life. Longer-storing cultivars could shift feijoa exports from air freight to sea freight, opening new international markets. The project builds on decades of breeding work by Nigel Ritson, an independent breeder whose germplasm underpins the opportunity. Trustees saw this as a rare, time-limited chance to help build an entirely new New Zealand export category from the ground up.
Vehicle Agnostic 3D Crop Scanner
HoloCrop Limited was funded $54,000 (of a $95,000 project) to develop a vehicle-agnostic 3D crop scanning system, with a camera that can be mounted on common farm vehicles to improve yield forecasting, harvest planning and supply-chain efficiency for fruit growers. Existing scanning tools have been built for ideal research scenarios with a focus on a single crop, while HoloCrop’s system will be trialled across apples, cherries and wine grapes, in partnership with growers including Rockit, Electric Cherries and Cloudy Bay. Trustees saw a clear case for the technology and wide potential benefit.
Understanding the Cost Effectiveness of Mitigation Options in Real Time
Scarlatti Limited received $30,000 to build a decision-support tool that will enable farmers to assess the current cost and effectiveness of different environmental mitigation options. Rather than creating something new for farmers to learn, the tool is designed to feed directly into platforms farmers and advisers already use, such as DairyNZ’s FarmAPT and Ballance’s MitAgator. Involvement from Dr Katrina Macintosh (DairyNZ) and Professor Richard McDowell, who respectively helped build FarmAPT and MitAgator, gave Trustees confidence the tool has a genuine path to uptake.
Wool Bioproducts Playbook
New Zealand Wool Collective received $29,900 to develop an industry playbook identifying and prioritising New Zealand’s highest-potential wool bioproduct opportunities, including keratin and cholesterol-derived products. Rather than developing a product, the playbook is designed to strategically guide where future investment, research and commercialisation effort should be targeted across the wool sector. A similar strategic research plan was previously effective for growing our merino sector. The project is being delivered in collaboration with the NZ Product Accelerator and complements AGMARDT’s investment in the Future of Fibre Aotearoa project, which aims to connect the full value chain of New Zealand’s fibre, textiles and biomaterials.
Polyphenolic Profiling of New Zealand Honey and Fruit Bioactives
Mānuka Performance Limited was awarded $30,000 (of $50,000) to test the polyphenolic profile, stability and compatibility of honey and whole-fruit bioactive formulations, to create evidenced products for high-value export markets. The project’s findings, including its testing methodology, will be shared as a case study for other New Zealand exporters working with similar ingredients.