A COMPANY that makes the trains run on time, could help beef producers profit from digital technologies.
Hitachi technology is being used in a research and development project underway in Queensland.
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) said the MLA Donor Company (MDC), in collaboration with Australian Country Choice (ACC) and Australian Cattle and Beef Holdings (ACBH) is undertaking the project using Hitachi’s sensor-driven data collection and analytics technology.
The collaboration with Hitachi includes an on-farm pilot evaluating a series of data streams generated by weather stations, soil moisture probes and water trough monitors which are integrated with process intelligence and data analytics to support management decisions and forecasting.
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), research and development grass-fed beef project manager, Dr Nigel Tomkins said the project adapted digital technologies from other sectors for use in the beef industry.
“Our initial interest with Hitachi was around their camera technologies to identify cattle and behavioural traits,” he said.
“We quickly saw that more was available for the application in extensive grazing systems, putting the technology and making some of the data collection autonomous would put some real tools in the hands of producers and make quite a big difference.”
Dr Tomkins said Hitachi brought to the table a wide breadth of knowledge and capabilities from outside of agriculture, beyond what most people know them for.
“It’s not all air-conditioners or heavy machinery,” he said.
“Hitachi cover a huge range of capabilities.
“They also manage the autonomous rail system for the United Kingdom.
“As part of that package they manage people movevement, ticketing and scheduling at stations.
“They operate in a very complicated space.
“Dealing with a complicated system, is not a challenge for them.”
Dr Tomkins said the work being done by Hitachi was very applied, integrating some existing technologies.
“We have platforms and software,” he said.
“Beef producers are probably already using some of these technologies, we need to ensure they are integrated and make a difference.”
However, he said, producers were often using technologies in isolation, rather than as part of a whole system.
“We’ve got examples of producers trying to run about 24 different software packages,” Dr Tomkins said.
“Farm budgeting, feed budgeting, weather forecasting and accounting.
“It is quite complicated.”
Dr Tomkins said building a common platform was the key to success.
“It is creating a data conduit,” he said.
“Where you start collecting data on your weaners or breeders such as genetic background, and estimated breeding value.
“You can then match it up to climate data and forecasting.
“Or market data and forecasting.
“This creates a whole of value chain approach for getting the most out data.”
Dr Tomkins said it was important that data collection was autonomous.
“We want to get away from this mindset of farmers having to enter a lot of data,” he said.
“There will always be that expectation they are going to have to enter some data.
“But the more we can make autonomous. the easier it is for the farmer to start interpreting this huge data stream.”
Dr Tomkins said the project with Hitachi would also enable the use of predictive algorithms across the value chain.
This, he said, would give producers a tool to gain insight into their operations and help them to make timely and informed decisions.
“In the next three weeks, you might run out of feed or those animals might reach that target weight.
“Maybe the market is predicted to hit this spike or a trough.
“So this will help the decision to either sell, buy or agist cattle.
“It is very advanced decision support.”
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