A LIMERICK manufacturing company has taken home a top prize at Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena Awards at last week’s National Ploughing Championships.
Samco Agricultural Manufacturing took home the Innovation Arena Champion Award this past week for their new innovation, an application system and mulch film designed around establishing earlier planting and growth of potatoes.
Samco’s app will mean that potatoes will be able to be harvested earlier, leading to earlier entry to the market where farmers will have a greater price premium.
A total of nine Irish agri innovators were finalists in this year’s Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards, including fellow Limerick company Cotter Agritech.
Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland said that Irish agri innovators are shaping the global agriculture sector.
“Irish agri innovators, including those exhibiting in this year’s Innovation Arena, are truly shaping the sector globally. It is their innovations and solutions which are driving efficiencies, and helping to address global challenges by meeting growing demands for food, safeguarding our planet for future generations and ensuring farm families have good livings,” Mr Clancy said.
“We believe that Irish-owned enterprises can, over time, be the prime driver of the Irish economy, and Irish agritech companies and farm families will have an important role to play in that shared ambition,” the Enterprise Ireland head added.
The Irish agritech sector currently employs over 4,700 people here, and over 130 companies are supported by Enterprise Ireland.
These Irish-owned companies generated sales of almost €1.6billion in 2023, with exports accounting for €1bn.
