High-Tech Cow Collar Can Raise Milk Production

IN THE past, farmers put bells around their cattle's necks to keep track of them. Now, it is probable that if you see a cow with a collar, it could be a high-tech version designed to give the dairy industry a huge productivity boost by monitoring the animals' fertility levels.

The sophisticated neckwear has been developed by a top software company, Embedded Technology Solutions, that has teamed up with dairy management company National Milk Records in an exclusive partnership to supply computerised cow collars to the dairy industry in the United Kingdom now, and later abroad.

The collar's supporting software system continuously monitors cows' activity and detects changes in behaviour related to fertility that enables producers to improve herd management, leading to better herd health and productivity.

With growing worldwide demand for dairy technology, the global financial benefit associated with monitoring cow behaviour to perfect timing of fertilisation is estimated at about two billion US dollars a year in potential lost milk volume.

Embedded Technology Solutions (ETS) has developed its software - called Silent Herdsman - by using the very latest technology financed by a Scottish Enterprise research and development programme funded by 4.75 million pounds. This was set up to help drive commercialisation of Scotland's capabilities in sensor and network technology.

Ensuring a traceable, sustainable milk supply has become paramount to the global dairy industry, with large production groups such as Kraft, Nestle and Danone coming under increasing pressure to meet market demand.

ETS chief executive Annette MacDougall said: "Our core technology represents a compelling platform for heat detection in dairy cattle that can scale well beyond the competition in terms of performance, accuracy and overall predictability of animal behaviour.

"We are pleased to have signed a strategic partnership with National Milk Records (NMR) for the UK market as we set forth to realise the benefits of the collaborative research and development programme initiated by Scottish Enterprise. NMR is ‘best in class' within the industry and represents the best partner of choice in our go-to-market strategy for the UK."

By the third quarter of 2010, ETS will be active in the international markets notably, the United States and Canada (http://embeddedtech.co.uk/).

Lena Wilson, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, said: "We are delighted that following on from the successful commercialisation of the technology, ETS has secured its first deal to take Silent Herdsman out to market.

"Scotland is well placed to capitalise on the future global market opportunity and lead the world in the application of sensor and network technology in animal welfare.

"This early success proves that we boast well-established skills and expertise in both research and commercial fields and have the potential to realise significant economic gain from the exploitation of sensor and network technology," she added.

The technology was developed by Professor Ivan Andonovic and colleagues at the University of Strathclyde's Faculty of Engineering, renowned for world-leading research and teaching.

Professor Jim McDonald, the university's principal, said: "I am extremely pleased to see this latest example of Strathclyde technology being deployed in an important sector of the economy. The ETS story reflects Strathclyde's mission to enhance its successful links with business and industry, and underlines the positive impact these partnerships can have on wider society."

NMR supplies milk recording and dairy management services, including the market-leading software system, InterHerd, to about 50 per cent of dairy producers in the UK and most leading dairy veterinarians and consultants.

NMR managing director Andy Warne said: "Silent Herdsman brings enviable accuracy levels and significant advances to fertility monitoring on dairy farms. Movement technology has advanced considerably and, at the same time, heat detection is becoming far more challenging.

"Priced competitively, we are confident that the system will be attractive to many progressive producers in Britain. We are keen to see the technology develop, linking in with our current software systems and being applied to other important management functions." Apart from farming, possible applications span other industries such as the industrial and energy sectors.

The global dairy market grew by 3.7 per cent in 2008 to reach a value of 311 billion US dollars. In 2013, the market is forecast to have a value of 373bn, an increase of 19.6 per cent since 2008. There are an estimated 24 million diary cows in the European Union.


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