Livestock industry platform, EuroTier 2026, will be organising the DLG Innovation Award EuroTier 2026, where an independent panel of experts will be evaluating industry relevant innovations based on practicality, animal welfare, labour efficiency, and environmental and energy efficiency

This year, the Innovation Award has been bestowed for solutions encompassing diverse industrial needs such as resource-efficient feeding and animal-monitoring sensors to automated barn control and climate adaptation, as well as new, integrated husbandry concepts. The common factor binding these innovative offerings is integration of animal welfare and health, reduced labour burdens, cost-effectiveness, and the efficient use of resources.

With 217 innovations submitted and 176 qualifying, as well as four gold and 27 silver medals, every technical developments honoured stands apart in practical application scopes. They reflect comprehensive development trends over individual product trends. The awards will be felicitating exhibitors from 10 different markets across three continents.

Innovations in feeding is a key area for improving economic efficiency and sustainability. As animal-related sensors are becoming integral to digital barns, a shift is visible from mere monitoring to preventative and automated control.

Future-oriented livestock management systems are integrated to include link sensors, control systems, actuators and workflows that operate independently of the manufacturer, optimising workload as well as resource utilisation.

Artificial intelligence, bots, imaging techniques and health monitoring are defining today's digital herd management systems. Modern sensors and cameras are gathering ever more information on behaviour, performance, health and animal welfare, enabling the early detection of diseases and abnormalities, as well as more targeted breeding and management decisions. 

JBT Marel has launched SensorX Xpress, a new advanced X-ray image‑processing algorithm that promises up to 20% higher inspection capacity while maintaining proven detection accuracy

The SensorX inspection system will not compromise food safety or product quality even when matching the rapid evolution of poultry processors, which are continuously growing to offer higher speeds, larger birds and increasing volumes. 

Its higher than usual conveyor speeds secure throughput and reliability for advanced poultry operations. The system generates boosted output while eliminating the need for equipment, labour or risk.

As processing lines accelerate, inspection often becomes a bottleneck. More product entering inspection in less time means that capacity, consistency, and trust in detection performance are essential. With Xpress software integrated, SensorX is able to inspect more products per hour while continuing to accurately detect residual bones and other hard contaminants.

This capacity increase allows processors to fully utilize upstream equipment such as high-speed deboners, while keeping food safety standards intact and production running smoothly.

SensorX has been in the market for 20 years, safeguarding risks related to residual bones in deboned products during poultry processing. Over the years, SensorX has evolved to include SmartBase, Infeed Monitoring, and Adaptive Bone Detection, featuring an upgraded X-ray sensor. Now SensorX Xpress builds further on this foundation.

The Xpress upgrade delivers consistent and reliable inspection performance, also at the highest line speeds. Processors benefit from improved food safety, fewer false rejects, stable operations, and strong brand protection. At the same time, SensorX remains simple to operate and maintain, with minimal need for operator intervention. This allows plants to run efficiently, even when staffing levels are limited.

Exxaro Resources has officially opened a sheep-shearing and hydroponics facility worth R36 million (approx. US$2.18mn) in EliXeni Village, Cofimvaba, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape

The development reinforces the company’s efforts to expand sustainable economic opportunities and support community development beyond its mining activities.

Established under Exxaro Matla Mine’s Social and Labour Plan (SLP), the facility combines conventional livestock farming with modern agricultural production through a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponics enterprise. It aims to strengthen agricultural productivity, generate employment, support sustainable livelihoods and increase local food production across EliXeni, eThunzini and Ezingxingweni villages in Cofimvaba. The infrastructure is intended to provide sheep farmers and hydroponics beneficiaries with opportunities to earn sustainable incomes while laying the groundwork for an agricultural hub serving the wider Cofimvaba community.

Construction encompassed site establishment, civil and structural works, a sheep-shearing shed, dipping facilities, equipment procurement, a packhouse and hydroponics infrastructure. The project has created employment opportunities for 74 people to date.

The facility is equipped to support substantial agricultural output. During the annual shearing season, the operation is expected to handle up to 500 sheep daily, producing approximately 22,418 kg of wool annually. The hydroponics enterprise consists of two tunnels, with an estimated annual capacity of approximately 90,000 heads of lettuce and spinach.

Ben Magara, CEO of Exxaro, said, “For Exxaro, impact is measured not only by what we extract from the ground, from solar and wind, but by what we help communities build beyond the surface for generations to come. This facility brings together traditional farming and modern agricultural technology to create sustainable economic opportunities, while demonstrating how SLPs can translate mining investment into meaningful socio-economic development. Although Cofimvaba is not a host community to our mining operations, it is part of our broader labour-sending footprint, and we believe our responsibility extends to the communities from which our people originate. By investing in productive infrastructure and sustainable livelihoods, we are helping build stronger, more resilient communities and ensuring that the benefits of mining extend beyond the mine boundary.”

The initiative also highlights the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in delivering sustainable community development. Such projects depend on collaboration between multiple stakeholders, combining financial resources with technical expertise, institutional backing, local knowledge and community participation. Bringing these contributions together can help establish initiatives capable of delivering long-term benefits.

Gwede Mantashe, minister of mineral and petroleum resources (DMPR), said, “We are pleased to hand over the newly constructed sheep-shearing shed to local farmers in Cofimvaba. We thank Exxaro for contributing to the construction of this important facility through its Social and Labour Plan. Named after the late Deputy President of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Crosby Moni, the facility will support local farmers, create sustainable economic opportunities and strengthen agricultural development in the community. This is the transformation we seek to achieve in the mining industry, where mining is not only seen as extractive, but also as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and improved livelihoods. Mining must leave a lasting and positive legacy in both host communities and labour-sending areas”.

Exxaro’s investment reflects its wider approach to responsible business and sustainable social development. The company emphasises that its role extends beyond regulatory compliance and mineral extraction to include stakeholder engagement, community investment and a long-term commitment to improving social and economic outcomes.

The facility’s inauguration coincides with Exxaro’s 20th anniversary of listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The occasion offers an opportunity to consider the company’s development and its contribution to employees, communities, business partners and South Africa’s broader economy.

Looking ahead, Exxaro intends to continue collaborating with government, communities and other stakeholders to identify and develop initiatives that advance sustainable socio-economic progress. The company’s approach recognises that its long-term sustainability is closely connected to the resilience and prosperity of the communities within its wider social and economic network.

More than 1,500 smallholder farmers in Bauchi State’s Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency are using solar-powered irrigation systems, which will not only unlock year-round farming but also cut operational costs

Distributed to the farmers by Mansur Manu Soro, the representative for the constituency in the House of Representatives, the aid package was designed by the government to transition local agriculture away from expensive petrol and diesel pumps toward sustainable energy. Each participating farmer was supplied with a DC solar engine pump along with three solar panels, giving them direct access to water for continuous cultivation without the burden of heavy fuel bills.

Addressing the initiative, Soro highlighted that the project directly targets key productivity bottlenecks—most notably the soaring expense of operating traditional irrigation equipment. By utilizing solar energy, farmers can dramatically cut production overhead, tap into available farmland more effectively, and cultivate crops well past the traditional rainy season.

“Turning sunlight into water, water into crops, and crops into income is the real story behind this initiative,” Soro said.

The transition to solar-driven irrigation provides crucial relief for smallholders facing high fuel prices. With dependable water access outside the wet season, farmers can expand into multiple cropping cycles a year and maintain steady yields even during dry spells.

By merging renewable energy with everyday farming, the intervention aims to build resilient livelihoods, cut operating expenses, and foster long-term agricultural growth across the Darazo/Ganjuwa constituency.