Question One
We read and hear a lot about how data and technology can transform agriculture. It’s a huge undertaking. Why have you chosen to focus on the animal wellbeing side of things?
One of the ways we can make a major contribution to the larger goal of transformation is to increase our understanding about how an animal is feeling in terms of its health but also importantly its wellbeing.
Experienced farmers are good at detecting illness. But we can’t have a farmer monitor an animal in a paddock 24/7. Digital technologies can do a lot of that hard graft. They provide you with a record of what an animal has experienced through a day and that will ultimately provide insight into whether an animal, based on temperature or a reduction in activity, is not well or unhappy. Once you have this understanding, you can change how you intervene to improve their wellbeing.
At present, animals can enter a subclinical disease state without any obvious way of detecting it. Sensors can help farmers be much more proactive, spotting early symptoms, stopping animals getting sick and improving animal wellbeing. They can take the guess work out of farming.
There’s been an explosion in the market for animal health sensors in recent years. The market is confusing so one of our goals is to bring clarity and provide evidence of what is useful and what isn’t looking through a wider wellbeing, as opposed animal health, lens.