Sector: Science, Technology and Innovation

Country location: Australia, Argentina

Grantee: CQUniversity Australia

Project Description

CQUniversity Australia and the National Agricultural Technology Institute of Argentina (INTA) are combining their skills to tackle a major challenge for cattle producers in need of more precise information about the performance of their stock.

They will work together with agri-tech firm DataMuster, which has developed software that links on-farm sensor hardware – walk-over-weigh scales, vision recognition, water flow meters and communications systems – and automatically analyses data for presentation on a simple web platform. DataMuster provides cattle producers with the critical information they need for more timely and precise management decisions on stocking rates, mustering and marketing dates, feed availability, and animal health treatments.

By partnering with researchers at CQUni and INTA, it is hoped that DataMuster can be enhanced to automatically measure the amount of grain consumed by individual animals in a feedlot. This data is vital to cattle producers selecting and breeding the most feed efficient animals – that is, stock which convert the least amount of grass and grain into the maximum amount of beef in the shortest period.

The team will also engage with livestock hardware manufacturers and retailers in Australia and Argentina to ensure the technology can become readily available to farmers in both countries.

Social media: CQUniversity, DataMuster and INTA will each be using their Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts to promote the activities

Council on Australia Latin America Relations grant offer: $22,000 inc GST

Total project value: $90,000