Integrated Farm Management Systems

Waikato Innovation Park, Rezare Systems and Abacus Biotech Ltd jointly led the design and installation of an integrated farm management system(IFMS) for the sheep, beef and deer industry. Buoyed by the successful industry collaboration on the Walton Farm, NZTE again commissioned this project in partnership with commercial providers.
 
The goals in the project are:
  • To encourage collaboration amongst New Zealand’s agri-tech industry partners to develop integrated farm management systems that are simple to install and use, and
  • To demonstrate that the installation and use of technology can add significant profitability
  • To demonstrate that traceability technologies can be used as productivity tools (rather than be viewed purely as a compliance burden)
IFMS offer the meat industry productivity and marketing opportunities with the easy integration of electronics-based farm technologies. In particular, identification and traceability technologies provide farmers with a better understanding and control of their farm systems.
 

Demonstration Farms

Two demonstration farms - one North Island, one South Island - form the core of this project. On each of the farms, our teams have selected and implemented technologies that add to the financial bottom line. We used discussion groups with farmers and meat processors around New Zealand to identify key areas of value. The steering committee comprises industry, research, and commercial representatives, and the farmers from both demonstration farms. Steering committee members have a real understanding of the issues faced on farms, and are able to undertake robust debate around the technologies proposed.
 

Objectives

The Steering Committee has identified a number of areas where the utilisation of a suitable technology suite can assist in achieving tangible results. These include:
 
1. Utilising more forage through choosing stock policies that keep the pasture cover within the optimum for growing grass by:
  • Accurate and timely measurement of pastures
  • Coherent calculation of forage growth forecasts
  • Timely responses that utilise emerging surpluses or avert feed deficits
 
2. Develop livestock breeding enterprises that are substantially more efficient by:
  • Introducing genetics that complement stock requirements
  • Selecting sheep with superior genes
  • Identifying sheep performance and drafting non performance
 
3. Develop finishing enterprises that produce a greater trading margin through
  • Culling unprofitable stock early
  • Diagnosing diseases through more frequent monitoring of live weight profiles
  • Running more accurate on-farm trials
 
4. ICT technologies could also be used to save on labour for repetitive tasks such as:
  • Electric fence monitors
  • Automatic gate openers for winter and large mobs
  • Monitor water supply system using water flow monitors
 
As the Project progresses these objectives will be studied and revised to suit the aims of the overall project.