Farmers push for greater fitness
Dairy farmers Neil and Glenda Gray are ready to swap the paddock for the tarmac as they prepare for the Farmstrong Fit4Farming Cycle Tour.
Fitness tracker devices have a worldwide following; now there's one for cows, by the Japan tech giant Fujitsu, to boost their breeding efficiency.
The estrus detection system for cattle (EDSC) determines exactly when cows are biologically primed for artificial insemination, reports Digital Trends.
Smarter breeding and birthing are the aims. They consist of a wearable cattle pedometer and a stationary receiver to process tracked data.
The data collected by the receiver is sent to the Microsoft Azure cloud, from where EDSC automatically sends the feedback to a computer or laptop. This gives cattle owners access to loads of valuable information about the livestock, such as timing for early conception and predicted due dates.
Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
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