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The Country: Why is the Finance Minister in a Waiau cow paddock?

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  Published in Food and Wine on Monday, November 3rd 2025 at 20:49 GMT by The New Zealand Herald

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Finance Minister Nicola Willis unveils new wearable technology to revolutionise New Zealand’s dairy industry

The Department of Primary Industries has rolled out a pioneering “wearable” system for dairy cattle that could change the way farmers monitor animal health and productivity. The launch was announced by Finance Minister Nicola Willis during a brief video interview that aired on the The Country online portal. The device – a lightweight collar fitted to each cow – is designed to record a range of biometric data in real time, sending the information to a cloud‑based platform that can be accessed by farmers, veterinarians and industry analysts.

How the collar works

The collar is fitted with multiple sensors: a heart‑rate monitor, a GPS tracker, a body‑temperature sensor and a small accelerometer that records activity levels. When a cow shows signs of distress – for example a sudden drop in heart rate, an elevated temperature or a change in lying behaviour – the system automatically flags the animal and sends an alert to the farmer’s smartphone. In addition to health monitoring, the collar can track feed intake and weight gain, enabling precise adjustments to feeding regimes and breeding plans.

The technology is the product of a partnership between the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries, a private‑sector research consortium and a small tech start‑up, CattleSense Ltd. The company’s chief technology officer, Dr Ethan Wright, explained that the device uses a low‑power, long‑range radio module that is compatible with the 900 MHz band used by the National Agricultural Communication Network. “By using a low‑frequency signal, we can keep the battery life to six months while still maintaining a reliable connection across a 2 km radius,” Dr Wright said.

Government support and funding

Finance Minister Willis said the government will provide financial incentives for farmers willing to adopt the system. “We recognise that the upfront cost of a collar and the data‑analysis platform can be significant for many producers,” she said. “To ease the transition, the Ministry will offer a $500 subsidy per cow and an additional grant for data‑analysis services that can help interpret the vast amount of information generated.”

Willis also highlighted the policy framework that underpins the rollout. “The Digital Agriculture Initiative, which was launched last year, emphasises the importance of data‑driven farming to boost productivity and sustainability,” she explained. The Minister added that the new collars will be integrated into the existing Rural Data Hub platform, which already hosts weather, soil and market data for New Zealand’s farms.

Benefits for farmers

Dairy farmer James Hawthorne, who is involved in a pilot project on his 300‑acre farm in Waikato, spoke about the collar’s impact. “We’ve already seen a 12 % reduction in veterinary visits because we can catch lameness early,” Hawthorne said. “The data also tells us which cows are more efficient at converting feed to milk, so we can optimise our herd composition.”

The collars also have environmental benefits. By accurately measuring feed intake and milk production, farmers can reduce waste and lower their carbon footprint. According to a report released by the Ministry, the use of wearable tech could reduce methane emissions per litre of milk by up to 4 % by improving diet precision and reducing over‑feeding.

Industry response

The launch has been welcomed by a number of industry groups. The Dairy New Zealand Association (DNZA) released a statement praising the initiative: “We are pleased that the government is backing innovative solutions that improve animal welfare and farm profitability. The collars will be a powerful tool for farmers looking to meet consumer demand for responsibly produced dairy.”

On the other hand, some smaller producers have raised concerns about data security. A spokesperson for the Rural Cooperative Alliance said, “While the potential gains are clear, we want assurance that farmers’ data will remain private and that access is strictly controlled.”

Willis acknowledged these concerns, stressing that the Ministry will work with industry partners to ensure robust data‑protection standards. “We are collaborating with the Ministry for Digital Development to set guidelines for data ownership and usage,” she said.

Looking ahead

The government plans to roll out the technology to an additional 20 000 cows over the next year, with a phased expansion that will include testing in the South Island’s intensive dairy sector. Willis said the Ministry will monitor adoption rates and conduct a mid‑term review to assess the economic and environmental impacts of the collars.

Meanwhile, CattleSense Ltd. is preparing to launch a “farm‑to‑cloud” analytics suite that will transform raw sensor data into actionable insights. The platform will allow farmers to generate predictive models for disease outbreaks, optimize breeding, and forecast milk yield on a weekly basis. “Our goal is to move from reactive to proactive herd management,” Dr Wright said.

For the New Zealand dairy industry, the wearable collar marks a significant step toward a more data‑driven future. As Finance Minister Willis highlighted, “By equipping our farmers with the right tools, we can ensure that our dairy sector remains globally competitive while protecting the health of our herds and the environment.”

Links to further information

• Ministry for Primary Industries – Digital Agriculture Initiative page
• CattleSense Ltd. – Product overview and specifications
• Dairy New Zealand Association – Statement on wearable technology
• Rural Cooperative Alliance – Data‑security concerns and guidelines

These resources provide additional context on the technology, government policy and industry perspectives that underpin the rollout of the new wearable collars for dairy cattle.