Using new technology for smart farming
Brexit has presented several opportunities for the country’s livestock sector, but with the desire for independence has come uncertainly and the potential for us to have to change mindset.
To ensure the future sustainability of the industry, I think it is important now more than ever, that we look for ways to maximise efficiency and production to make the UK agricultural sector robust and competitive as a self-governing nation.
For us to lead a highly efficient livestock industry, we must look at new research and technological developments to facilitate production and ensure food security. Encouraging innovation is a viable strategy for facing future challenges and I believe that technology is really helping to make farming smarter and less wasteful.
It has become clear to my business that by observing cattle and recording data digitally, a comprehensive analysis of lameness can be gathered for a herd. Paper documentation is becoming less and increasingly we’re going online; and when it comes to accessing data at your fingertips in the collecting yard or field, we need to look for new technologies that talk to our tablet devices.
Over the last couple of months, I have been trialling All4Feet; a smart cattle management tool designed to withstand the rigours of the farmyard. Foot trimming professionals like myself can use the technology to gain greater visibility of herds by having a robust yet easy-to-use online manager for monitoring herd health.
Using real-time information, uploaded by hoof trimmers via the mobile app, immediate action can be taken when cattle are in ill-health and we can coordinate a plan of action with the relevant people involved in the cattle welfare, whether that is the farm manager, vet, herdsmen, nutritionist and so on.
The online manager enables professional foot trimmers like me to view hoof reports anywhere and anytime, to receive updated herd data in real-time, to respond immediately to any concerns and to share important welfare information with farming customers. The easy-to-use app comes pre-installed on a rugged touchscreen tablet that’s built for outdoor use.
With a few simple screen taps, I can generate detailed hoof trimming reports, which are automatically uploaded to the online manager. All4feet is making my whole livestock trimming business more transparent and integrated - and ultimately improving efficiency. Treatments, disease scores and photos can all be uploaded to the system and all the data is securely stored in the cloud, so nothing gets lost or damaged.
Technology is radically changing how the world operates and smartphone technology in particular is a practical solution for farming with information being accessible from the farm yard. Apps and herd management systems like All4Feet ensure accuracy, decrease wastage, and offer a secure place for storing data.
Nick Challenor is the owner of ND Challenor Professional Livestock Services.
