Enhancing the profitability and productivity of livestock farming through virtual herding technology

Overview

The livestock industries (beef, dairy and sheep) could be transformed by this emerging technology – a virtual herding system that is essentially a transition to fenceless farming for containing, moving, mustering and monitoring livestock.

Project Summary

Overall, the project aims to:

  • evaluate the on-farm application of virtual herding (VH) technology
  • quantify and extend its benefits across the major livestock industries in Australia
  • assess the animal welfare implications of using a VH system in livestock farming systems
  • develop an understanding of the learning, management and ethical challenges faced by farmers that may implement VH on their farms.

Subprogram 5

The University of Melbourne project team is responsible for leading Subprogram 5. The key goal of Subprogram 5 is to:

  • define and document the adoption pathway(s) for implementation of VH technology as a coordinated plan across the livestock industries (beef, dairy and sheep)

Two key strategies to achieve thus goal:

  1. Identify the key considerations involved in adopting VH technology from a range of VH stakeholder perspectives across the livestock value chain.
  2. Conduct a set of case studies looking at the challenges of integrating VH technology on commercial farms (beef, dairy and sheep) and assessing the cost and benefits (economical, environmental and social) from applying a virtual herding system.

What research methods will be used?

Literature review (meta-analysis): Targeting international studies of adoption and integration of precision agriculture innovations into livestock systems.

Facilitating a participatory technology assessment process of VH: Focus group workshops will be held to engage livestock producers, agricultural advisors, natural resource managers, food processors, supermarket retailers and the general public with virtual herding technology and deliberate what the VH adoption opportunities and challenges are, what might the implications be for their sectors from the adoption of VH technology and what role each stakeholder could play in the VH innovation space.

Case study farm analysis: dairy, sheep and beef farm case studies will be developed to examine the integration challenges for VH and assess the costs and benefits of VH technology on-farm based on farmer interviews, farm data collection and whole farm systems modelling. The assessment of costs and benefits on farm will draw on the results of the other sub-programs in the Project.

Cross-sectoral qualitative analysis: an assessment of the key considerations for adopting and integrating VH technology across the livestock value chain to inform the development of an adoption pathway(s) for VH technology.

What will Subprogram 5 achieve?

By the end of 2020 Subprogram 5 will deliver:

  • a multi-stakeholder technology assessment of VH technology that is both industry specific and general to the beef, dairy and livestock industries
  • a socio-economic and environmental return on investment for commercial farms from the adoption and integration of VH technology;
  • knowledge about the adoption pathways and processes associated with VH technology and how agricultural innovation is supported by participatory technology assessments.

Project Duration

July 2016 – August 2020

Research Group Leader/Key contact

Nicole Reichelt

Other Personnel

Ruth Nettle, Brendan Cullen

Contact details

Nicole Reichelt 
reichelt@unimelb.edu.au

Partnership details

Funded by: Australian Government, Department of Water and Agricultural Resources

Project research partners: Dairy Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia, Australian Wool Innovation and Australia Pork Limited

R&D Providers: CSIRO, University of New England, University of Sydney, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Melbourne and Agersens

Resources/Links

Media

Image:  eShepherd system

eShepherd system