Innovation in Good Company

This year, as The Dairy Exporter marks its 100-year milestone, Gallagher reflects on a shared history that has shaped the dairy industry – and the vital role innovation continues to play for the benefit of New Zealand dairy farmers.

When The Dairy Exporter published its first issue in 1925, it was the start of a century-long commitment to keeping New Zealand’s dairy farmers informed, connected, and supported.

Just over a decade after the magazine started, a farmer-inventor from Waikato sparked what would become a bold new chapter of agricultural innovation when a horse called Joe decided to use the family car as a scratching post.

Bill Gallagher Senior solved the problem by creating an electrical circuit that delivered a small pulse whenever the horse rocked the vehicle. Joe got the message, and the concept for the world’s first ever electric fence system was born.

This fortuitous invention started a legacy in New Zealand and globally that would flourish alongside the dairy sector it served. Gallagher has remained true to its purpose: to protect what matters most. For dairy farmers, that means safeguarding animal wellbeing, supporting productivity, and helping ensure the long-term business sustainability.

With increasing demands on dairy, finding solutions is as essential as ever. Gallagher invests in research, collaborates with sector partners, and develops tools to solve real problems on farm. Gallagher’s virtual fencing solution eShepherd represents a major shift in how farmers can manage land and livestock, challenging even Gallagher’s own traditional fencing business. The decision to invest in such a transformative technology reflects Gallagher’s long-term commitment to innovation and a drive to solve real challenges. By enabling more precise pasture allocation, improving labour efficiency, and supporting environmental outcomes, eShepherd has the potential to reshape grazing management systems.

Gallagher’s Animal Performance app continues to develop greater capabilities  through integrations with trusted industry platforms, including LIC’s MINDA app. This connection across valued industry partners allows dairy farmers to seamlessly link animal data across platforms – reducing double entry, improving data accuracy, and enabling better-informed decisions around genetics, health, and productivity.

Another ground-breaking recent partnership combines Gallagher’s eShepherd virtual fencing technology with Nedap’s SmartTag Ear. This collaboration aims to revolutionise livestock management by providing farmers with real-time insights into cow health, reproduction, and grazing management.

A Century of Progress, and More to Come

As The Dairy Exporter has shown for 100 years, it’s not just about the tools. It’s about the people using them and the knowledge that supports them. Gallagher acknowledges the vital role The Dairy Exporter has played in shaping the conversations, connections, and confidence that keep the farmers and businesses of the New Zealand dairy industry moving forward.

Here’s to a century of shared progress and to the ingenuity, grit, and good ideas that will carry us through the next one.

Visit am.gallagher.com/en-NZ