New tech allows cows’ weights to be monitored from space

SYDNEY: Australian farmers managing cattle stations as large as some European nations will soon be able to monitor their cows and pastures from space as part of ‘groundbreaking’ technology, scientists say.

The technology, developed with government and private funding, taps into a satellite passing overhead to record the weights of herds daily while monitoring pasture conditions — a task traditionally impossible due to the stations’ vast sizes and harsh, remote locations.

Some stations, such as Newcastle Waters in the Northern Territory, span 10,000 square kilometres — an area larger than Cyprus — and home to 55,000 cattle.

Australia is one of the world’s largest beef exporters.

“There’s just a huge labour component and time that goes into collecting that data (of weight and pastoral conditions), which is essentially why producers don’t do it on a more regular basis,” Sally Leigo from the Northern Territory’s primary industry department, the project’s research leader, told AFP yesterday.

On average, cattle are only weighed 1.5 times a year and only two percent of pasture is regularly viewed, the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation, the private-public funded organisation that developed the tool, estimates.

The technology exploits the stations’ semi-arid conditions, which means there is little access to surface water with cattle having to walk to man-made watering points each day.

A weighing platform that the cows — which each have an electronic tag — must step on is placed at the watering points and powered by solar panels, with the data fed to a satellite and then to a station manager’s computer.

The satellite also monitors pastures every 250 metres, allowing farmers to determine when cattle must be moved to the next paddock.

“The global demand for beef is booming at the moment,” said Murray Grey, whose family has for three decades run the remote West Australian 1,970-square-kilometre Glenflorrie station, one of the five taking part in the trial before a public showing next week.

“We’ve haven’t got the room … to breed more cows, but we have got the room to make the cows that we have got produce more efficiently.

“Ultimately, it’s getting that animal to market quicker,” Grey added, saying the technology would boost efficiencies in the lucrative business, such as cutting costs and lifting revenue, by 25 to 40 percent.

While farmers traditionally look for a visual change in a herd to determine when they are losing weight and their feed needs to be refreshed, the technology will allow them to monitor this almost instantaneously.

“There’s a lot of systems still in place on pastoral stations that haven’t changed in over 100 years … and it’s great for our industry to finally be in pace with the technological world,” Grey said.

Leigo said she was hopeful the technology would become commercially available to cattle stations worldwide by 2017. — AFP

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/10/23/new-tech-allows-cows-weights-to-be-monitored-from-space/#ixzz3pN6IpfDm

Cattle population under control at councillor’s farm

SERIAN: State Councillor Sunny Kon who rears Bali cattle has to impose some control to prevent them multiplying too fast as there would not be enough room to roam.

Kon said there were over 100 heads of Bali cattle on his 10-acre farm.

“Without some control, the population could have easily increased quite a lot because as we all know Bali cattle multiply faster. I need to impose some control on reproduction because of the limited space available,” he said.

He disclosed this when briefing a delegation from Terengganu Veterinary Department which made a study tour to his farm here yesterday.

According to Kon, he started breeding Bali cattle also known as ‘banteng’ or ‘tembadau’ about 10 years ago with only eight heads and within that period the number had multiplied more than 10-fold.

“I have not sold any of them. My plan is to breed as many as possible first and pass down the breed to others interested in the future.

“Bali cattle bred well in Serian. The problem is that the land I am using is only about 10 acres for about 100 heads of cattle,” he said.

Kon said he had identified a 200-acre piece of land nearby but at this stage he was still unable to move in as everything, including the infrastructure, was not ready.

“Having that size of land I am confident the population of Bali cattle in the state will expand very fast and one day Sarawak can become a major supplier of Bali cattle calves in this region,” he said.

He said to achieve this vision sooner, the government could come in to assist potential farmers.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/10/21/cattle-population-under-control-at-councillors-farm/#ixzz3pIzrFQO0

Possible to rear wild Bali cattle

SERIAN: A delegation of 10 officers from Terengganu Veterinary Department on a study tour discovered that it’s possible to rear the wild Bali cattle.

Terengganu veterinarian delegation leader Dzulkafli Hamzah said they had heard that Bali cattle could be set free to roam in the wild, not enclosed in farms.

“Some plantation operators in Terengganu had tried to rear Bali cattle as part of integrated farming, but most of them failed.

“The planters would release the cattle on their plantations and allow them to graze and roam freely. As Bali cattle are wild they would forage for food in the jungle and not return,” he said.

He said this was the experience of those trying to rear Bali cattle on oil palm plantations as part of integrated farming.

“After witnessing the successful breeding of Bali cattle in Sarawak, we look forward to learn more to introduce them here,” he said.

Dzulkafli said this when leading the delegation to visit Serian Bali cattle farm owned by Councillor Sunny Kon here yesterday. They were accompanied by a few State Agriculture Department officers and veterinarians.

A senior member of the delegation from Terengganu Shamsudin Mamat said this was the first time he saw such a huge herd of Bali cattle being reared like cows.

“It’s amazing that Bali cattle can be reared like tame species. They don’t seem as wild as we thought,” he said.

He said the government should encourage more people to venture into Bali cattle breeding and rearing, with a ready model available.

“I’m sure councillor Sunny (Kon) is more than willing to share his experience with those serious about running the business,” he said.

He said the meat of Bali cattle was softer than normal cows – similar to deer, some claim.

The delegation comprising mostly retiring officers was brought to Kon’s farm for an educational visit.

“We hope to learn about Bali cattle breeding and rearing. And if time permits, return with some calves to Terengganu,” Samsudin said in jest.

On their arrival at the farm yesterday the delegation was briefed by Samarahan assistant veterinary officer (AVO) Parag Kaweh.

Those attending the briefing included state veterinarian Dr Nicholas Jenek, Serian district senior assistant agriculture officer (SAAO) Tedwin Beti, Kon and a few local businessmen.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/10/21/possible-to-rear-wild-bali-cattle/#ixzz3p9ixfsFG

Possible to rear wild Bali cattle

SERIAN: A delegation of 10 officers from Terengganu Veterinary Department on a study tour discovered that it’s possible to rear the wild Bali cattle.

Terengganu veterinarian delegation leader Dzulkafli Hamzah said they had heard that Bali cattle could be set free to roam in the wild, not enclosed in farms.

“Some plantation operators in Terengganu had tried to rear Bali cattle as part of integrated farming, but most of them failed.

“The planters would release the cattle on their plantations and allow them to graze and roam freely. As Bali cattle are wild they would forage for food in the jungle and not return,” he said.

He said this was the experience of those trying to rear Bali cattle on oil palm plantations as part of integrated farming.

“After witnessing the successful breeding of Bali cattle in Sarawak, we look forward to learn more to introduce them here,” he said.

Dzulkafli said this when leading the delegation to visit Serian Bali cattle farm owned by Councillor Sunny Kon here yesterday. They were accompanied by a few State Agriculture Department officers and veterinarians.

A senior member of the delegation from Terengganu Shamsudin Mamat said this was the first time he saw such a huge herd of Bali cattle being reared like cows.

“It’s amazing that Bali cattle can be reared like tame species. They don’t seem as wild as we thought,” he said.

He said the government should encourage more people to venture into Bali cattle breeding and rearing, with a ready model available.

“I’m sure councillor Sunny (Kon) is more than willing to share his experience with those serious about running the business,” he said.

He said the meat of Bali cattle was softer than normal cows – similar to deer, some claim.

The delegation comprising mostly retiring officers was brought to Kon’s farm for an educational visit.

“We hope to learn about Bali cattle breeding and rearing. And if time permits, return with some calves to Terengganu,” Samsudin said in jest.

On their arrival at the farm yesterday the delegation was briefed by Samarahan assistant veterinary officer (AVO) Parag Kaweh.

Those attending the briefing included state veterinarian Dr Nicholas Jenek, Serian district senior assistant agriculture officer (SAAO) Tedwin Beti, Kon and a few local businessmen.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/10/21/possible-to-rear-wild-bali-cattle/#ixzz3p9bAhefc