Key Takeaways

• Optiweigh from Armidale won “Herd Management Solution of the Year” at the 2025 AgTech Breakthrough Awards.
• The system offers automated livestock weighing, allowing producers to monitor performance without traditional methods.
• It uniquely combines weight tracking with real-time methane emissions measurement, enhancing sustainability in livestock management.

Innovation in Livestock Management

Optiweigh, an innovative livestock management solution developed in Armidale, has received global recognition as the “Herd Management Solution of the Year” at the 2025 AgTech Breakthrough Awards. This prestigious annual program showcases the best in agricultural technology from around the world, reviewing thousands of entries across various categories, including robotics and food technology.

Designed for efficiency, Optiweigh provides an automated in-paddock weighing system that eliminates the need for traditional livestock yard weigh-ins. It allows producers to monitor livestock performance swiftly and conveniently. The system can be set up in minutes, delivering live weight data directly to producers’ devices.

Co-founders Bill and Jacqui Mitchell emphasize that Optiweigh transforms farm management, stating, “Think of Optiweigh not just as your farm’s new best friend but as your window into everything that’s going on with your livestock.” They expressed pride in receiving this award, highlighting the challenge of delivering precision livestock management in a commercially viable manner, which Optiweigh successfully achieves.

Optiweigh works by attracting cattle to the unit, where their electronic identification is logged, and their front feet are weighed. The data is processed in the cloud using an algorithm to calculate total body weight. Live weight information is updated several times daily, providing producers with timely insights through a daily email summary and access to detailed reports on the Optiweigh website.

Bryan Vaughn, Managing Director of AgTech Breakthrough, praised Optiweigh’s innovative approach in a competitive sector, noting its simplicity in making precision livestock management effective. He observed that while many solutions promise data-driven insights, few deliver immediate benefits to producers. In an increasingly technological agricultural landscape, Optiweigh stands out for its practical application.

As agriculture embraces smarter technologies, Optiweigh sets a precedent by integrating real-time weight tracking with enhanced animal monitoring and environmental insights—factors critical for modern farming. Vaughn emphasized that through weight tracking and methane measurement, Optiweigh represents a next-generation solution where efficiency and sustainability align.

Further enhancing its capabilities, Optiweigh has teamed up with Agscent to integrate methane emissions monitoring into its platform. This collaboration marks Optiweigh as the first product globally capable of measuring methane emissions concurrently while weighing livestock, with data provided remotely and in real time, marking a significant leap towards more responsible livestock management.

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