02/09/2024
This article first appeared in the spring 2024 edition of Meat & Livestock Australia's Feedback magazine.
A sophisticated counting and weighing system developed for the European pig industry has been successfully trialled in Australian livestock export facilities, with potential application including on-property, during transport, and in feedlots and saleyards.
The cutting-edge innovation leverages artificial intelligence (AI) which has been trained to recognise Brahman cattle as part of a project funded by the Livestock Export Program (LEP), a collaboration between LiveCorp and MLA.
In a recent trial at Broome, WA, the system counted cattle with 99% accuracy. The weight estimation also showed promising results, with an average of 93% accuracy.
The algorithm is expected to improve further as the AI learns more about cattle, different weight ranges and Australian conditions.
Accuracy important
When managing and moving large consignments of cattle in preparation for export, it’s important to have accurate information about numbers. This technology removes some of the manual labour out of the process, providing greater efficiency and precision.
The ability to record the weight of individual animals at loading and at discharge off the boat has potential to provide additional insights into their wellbeing during voyages, as well as their performance.
It can also be used to measure weight change during time in pre-export quarantine yards and feedlots.
PigBrother is watching
A camera is installed in a race or a similar location to limit the number of cattle moving through the video at any one time.
This is connected to the AI interface, which is set up remotely by PigBrother, the company which developed the technology. The model can adapt to understand a site’s specific conditions, and then it works offline.
The project is part of the LEP’s Open Innovation approach to research, which takes advantage of the booming agri-tech sector. It aims to find existing solutions or technologies from other industries and other countries that could support improvements in the livestock export industry, and to pull them across into the sector through proof-of-concept trials.
Other trials
Two other trials are also underway:
installing rubber flooring to support the welfare of livestock during loading and unloading
using automated sensors to monitor gases and other environmental conditions on livestock export ships.
Rubber mats are already extensively used in stables, dairy farms and feedlots across Australia. The upcoming trials will assess their effectiveness in minimising the risk of slipping in areas such as ramps, corridors and hospital pens at pre-export quarantine facilities, as well as on a livestock export ship.
According to the mat provider, Numat, flooring for sheep is a previously untapped area for the company, and the trial is generating a lot of interest from producers.
The sensor technology being tested is currently used in the poultry industry. Monitoring environmental conditions is an important part of managing livestock welfare during export voyages, and data was collected during two shipments using advanced gas monitoring sensors created by Transport Genie.
The trials have focused on assessing the effectiveness of the sensors in monitoring ammonia, carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity levels on livestock export vessels.
The insights gained from these proof-of-concept trials will help the technology companies adapt and further develop their systems to provide robust and effective commercial solutions to support animal welfare and efficiency – not just for the livestock export industry, but other parts of the supply chain.