SIP Leader: Viorel D. Marin (ANAMOB)
Sector: Dairy/cows
Countries Involved: Romania
Partners involved:
ANAMOB: SIP leader, SmartRDI provider
Farmers involved: 2 small meat and dairy farms
The necessity for sustainability
Currently, there is insufficient compliance among small farms with animal welfare regulations. Moreover, meat and milk production needs to be increased, while simultaneously lowering the risk of animal health problems related to both on-farm and in-transport processes. One of the reasons why small farms need assistance is due to the limited financial resources.
How will SIP7 address the challenge?
SIP7 will engage with the issue at hand through real-time animal welfare monitoring and control systems which will be seamlessly integrated into existing farm practices for dairy farms. The goal is to provide small farmers with low-cost SaaS and easy system maintenance. The Agricultural Digital Solutions (ADSs) offered to small farmers will be customizable to the needs of individual farms, first and foremost by having the ADSs adapted to farmers of different levels of digital literacy. SIP 7 will take advantage of IoT sensors, custom-designed tracking enabled digital ear tags, decision support system and user platform.
The business and governance model for SIP7 will center on offering Software as a Service (SaaS) with an affordable structure for both the initial investment and ongoing system maintenance. This approach is driven by market demands stemming from European Union regulations related to transmissible animal diseases, animal welfare, and transportation. Governance matters will include considerations related to data sharing with SmartRDI and establishing rules for co-ownership of technology.
The measurable results expected from SIP7 are 10% increase in milk production by reducing ambiental stress in the shelter and 5% increase in meat production by reducing thermal stress during animal transports to slaughterhouses.