Low payout, smarter herd management

Low payout, smarter herd management

“If you want to get the best out of your farming business when payout is low, you need to have the right tools.”

That’s the view of Drury-based dairy farmer Sue Dyer, who recently presented at a series of workshops run by CRV Ambreed to teach farmers how technology can be better used to achieve their herd improvement goals.

Dyer said dairy farmers spend too much time on administration and managing their herd information, and when time is money, farmers have to make a considered decision about the products and services they use and how they use them.

Dyer has been using CRV Insight since its launch in 2012 and believes the online herd recording app has significantly helped her increase productivity on the farm.

“I carry my smartphone with me everywhere, so having access and being able to enter data about my cows wherever I am on the farm - in the paddock, shed or at home – is a no brainer,” said Dyer

“I get a great snapshot of how my Friesian, Friesian cross herd of 370 cows is performing, information about my individual cows, and a full range of reports. I’ve really enjoyed showing other farmers over the past month how easy it is to use and some tips and tricks to make their data management easier.”

Frost and Sullivan recently predicted that by 2018, New Zealand would have 90% smartphone and 78% tablet ownership levels. Mainstream activities like social networking and online shopping are already part of our everyday lives, and Andrew Singers, information management and information technology manager at CRV Ambreed, said the dairy industry needs to keep up with a growing demand for technology on the go.

“There is still a huge amount of work to do to help dairy farmers adopt and use herd management technology to its full capacity,” said Singers.

“We have a fantastic tool on offer for farmers, one that we will continue to develop and invest in over time. Our goal is for CRV Insight to be the ‘single point of access for farmers to get information and make on-farm herd improvement decisions.”

He said CRV Ambreed is fully committed to providing herd improvement products and services that benefit dairy farmers, and the free workshops are just one of the ways CRV Ambreed will support customers to work in a clever, more efficient way’s when times are tight.

ENDS

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