Editorial: Fewer herds, more milk
OPINION: The latest New Zealand Dairy Statistics report paints a picture of an industry trending towards fewer but larger herds.
From this month, the Halter platform will send accurate heat alerts to the MINDA app, LIC’s cloudbased herd management system, allowing farmers to schedule drafts within MINDA for on-heat cows.
Halter farmers will also gain access to some of their herd’s MINDA data via the Halter app, including calving date, mating sire ID and body condition score, providing them with an overall picture of herd performance, health and fertility to help them make more informed decisions on farm.
Halter chief executive Craig Piggott says the integration is indicative of Halter’s rapid pace of innovation, flexibility and commitment to farmers’ needs.
“From day one, our goal has been to make farmers’ working lives better. Integrating Halter into MINDA is something farmers have asked for, and we’ve responded," says Piggot.
“It’s a perfect example of how Halter helps. Our integration simplifies the admin so farmers can get on with more important jobs.”
LIC chief executive David Chin says the farmer-owned co-operative is pleased to welcome Halter to its growing suite of wearables partners.
“Enabling MINDA to integrate with cow wearables is key to unlocking more value for our growing number of farmers who have invested in this technology,” says Chin.
“We’re excited to partner with Halter to provide more farmers with improved access to data and insights to make their lives easier.”
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Halter says it's main aim is to make farmers' working lives better. |
Piggott says the integration is an important step in the tech company’s evolution. He looks forward to continuing to foster relationships with partners who share a vision to support farming communities.
“We are on a path to an ecosystem where we connect partners to farmers to help drive business success. This LIC integration is the beginning of that journey.”
Founded in 2016, Halter is made up of over 180 engineers, data scientists, farmers, designers and business people. Collars are leased under a per-cow subscription model – based on the features farmers require.
Halter retains ownership of the collars and therefore takes responsibility for their maintenance. The company is backed by Founders Fund, along with Rocket Lab’s Peter Beck, K1W1 and Blackbird VC Fund.
