Innovation at Pāmu

Innovation at Pāmu focuses on improving current farming methods while preparing for upcoming challenges. As the largest pastoral farming business in New Zealand, Pāmu uses its scale to test and share practical innovations. These efforts aim to lift productivity, improve environmental outcomes, and strengthen resilience across the food and fibre sector.

Practical focus

The innovation work happens under real farm conditions to ensure results are useful for farmers. Key goals include:

• Supporting operational excellence.
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Improving animal wellbeing.
• Making farming safer, more efficient, and more profitable.

Many of these programmes are long-term. Pāmu works alongside science organisations, industry groups, and government agencies to develop these solutions.

Innovation in practice

Innovation shows up across the business in several ways:

• On farm: This involves new genetics, different land-use systems, and better ways to manage nutrients and pasture. It also includes animal health tools and practices to lower emissions.
• Technology: Digital tools and artificial intelligence are used to automate simple tasks. This helps farmers and managers make better decisions based on accurate data.

Sharing knowledge

As a State-Owned Enterprise, Pāmu has a responsibility to share its findings with the wider sector. Results are demonstrated through field days, open farms, and case studies. This transparency helps the New Zealand farming community learn from Pāmu's trials, regardless of whether the results are a success or a challenge.

Sustainability and performance

New technologies are not judged on environmental impact alone. Pāmu assesses how innovation supports productivity, profitability, and the people working on the land. This ensures that new practices are practical and can work at scale on commercial farms.

By testing ideas and sharing what works, Pāmu helps build capability across the food and fibre system in Aotearoa New Zealand.