The Netafim Dosing 5G portfolio has been announced as the winner of the “Precision Fertilization Solution of the Year” award in the seventh annual AgTech Breakthrough Awards programme conducted by AgTech Breakthrough.
This comes on the back of the recent launch of NetaJet™ 5G, an adaptive precision fertigation solution powered by GrowSphere™ technology, in the Southern and East African market.
Based in the USA, AgTech Breakthrough analyses global food tech and agritech markets to identify and recognise standout technologies driving digital transformation of the end-to-end food supply chain.
Global recognition for smart fertigation innovation
In a statement, Netafim said fertiliser has become one of the most constrained and costly inputs on the farm, yet conventional dosing systems remain reactive and operator-dependent, often requiring manual calibration and struggling to stabilise under changing field conditions.
“The result can be over-application, nutrient waste and inconsistent crop performance. Netafim Dosing 5G solutions take a different approach to fertigation, treating it as an optimisation solution rather than a dosing task.
“The full Dosing 5G range includes several fertigation solutions for different use cases and markets. Netafim Southern & East Africa places strong emphasis on testing technologies in local conditions before officially launching these products into the market. Farmers and irrigation suppliers are encouraged to speak to their local Netafim representative about available solutions,” Netafim said.
Netafim Southern and East Africa dealers and team members during the local NetaJet™ 5G launch. Photo: Netafim
AI tech tailored for African farming conditions
Nickie Theron, Netafim Southern and East Africa’s product manager specialising in digital farming, said they are extremely proud of this accomplishment in California.
“We recently launched the NetaJet™ 5G, which incorporates the new and advanced injection technology. The fertiliser injection method used by Dosing 5G solutions is a game changer that is linked to the AI-driven learning and precise fertigation injection,” Theron said.
The launch of NetaJet™ 5G came after approximately two years of field testing. The launch event took the form of dedicated dealer training, equipping suppliers to support farmers in applying the new technology successfully. This reflects Netafim Southern & East Africa’s commitment to introducing solutions that are fit for local farming conditions, while also building the skills needed to apply these technologies optimally.
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Ofer Oveed, VP of technologies and crops at Orbia Netafim, said dosing 5G reflects their commitment to delivering intelligent, comprehensive solutions that help farmers make better decisions, improve performance and farm more sustainably.
“This recognition reinforces what drives our innovation, helping farmers succeed with greater precision, efficiency and confidence in an increasingly complex world,” he said.
Michael Esmeraldo, managing director of Netafim Southern and East Africa, said they are very proud of this achievement, and it is very well deserved.
“This is just another stepping stone, this time in the fertigation space, on our journey of continuous innovation as market leaders in this industry. We continue to work hard to develop advanced solutions and intelligent practices that will help farmers grow more with less,” he said.
Driving efficiency in a changing agritech landscape
The agritech sector is rapidly redefining how food is produced, managed and distributed, transforming one of the world’s most essential industries. From AI-driven crop analytics and precision farming platforms to sustainable agriculture solutions and autonomous equipment, agricultural technology is delivering greater efficiency, transparency and environmental responsibility.
The mission of the annual AgTech Breakthrough Awards programme is to recognise the innovators transforming the global agricultural and food production landscape through technology. The programme conducts a comprehensive analysis of the companies, technologies and solutions redefining the industry.
“Input efficiency has been one of the strongest themes across this year’s entries, and fertigation is becoming one of the most important areas of innovation in precision agriculture.
Bryan Vaughn, managing director at AgTech Breakthrough, noted, “Dosing 5G stood out in our evaluation for how completely it automates a task growers have long managed by hand, and for delivering that capability across an entire product line rather than a single device. We are proud to recognise Orbia Netafim as our 2026 Precision Fertilization Solution of the Year.”
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