The 80 innovations entered into Eurotier’s Innovation Awards competition last year were evaluated by 28 committee members from various countries in the EU and Middle East. The judges soon became aware of a number of trends amongst the candidates. They included a focus on optimisation in animal husbandry; increased on-farm smart solutions; monitoring of animal health and welfare; automated data collection for production; cross-linked sensor technology; automation of production data analyses; and support for decision-making. Collectively, these indicate a move towards a systemic approach to the technologies used in animal husbandry.
CRITERIA TO BECOME WINNERS
An important criterion that the Innovation Committee uses to decide which innovations deserve a medal is whether or not the technology is relevant to practitioners in the dairy, pork and poultry production value chains. Other important criteria include animal welfare, labour and energy efficiencies, environmental protection, and occupational health and safety. An innovation might improve productivity, for example, but it must also be able to meet these other criteria to varying degrees.
Today, more than 70 000 robots and other automated systems are available for carrying out mechanical functions such as milking, feeding and manure removal in dairy, pork and poultry production operations.
There is also a rapidly growing range of technologies to perform evaluative functions, such as health monitoring, oestrus detection, emissions measurements and animal identification.
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Denne historien er fra January 29, 2021-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
