From Internet of Things to Internet of Cows…yes "Cows"

South African government has recently embarked on project Nguni Cattle Development Trust which in my observation is a brilliant initiative.

For each successful application, 24 Nguni cattle (23 heifers and one bull) are handed over in a form of a loan (in animals and not in money). Each beneficiary will enter into a contract, committing to return back to the project 11 heifers and a bull after five years and keep the remaining number and any progeny resulting from efficient management of the herd.

So basically you receive 24 and return only 12 after five years…here are the tricky key words “efficient management”.

Known facts about this Nguni cattle:

The bad side:
They are not ideal for drought environments and strictly grass feed.
The good side:

• Their meat is delicious and softer.
• Resistance to diseases

Very interesting facts I was not aware of:

BMW and Mercedes Benz are using Nguni cattle hide for making leather car seats. Some local furniture manufacturing companies have also started using the Nguni cattle hide which is valued for its softness and non-loss of its fur, for making leather sofas.

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Let’s get back to the words “efficient management”…to qualify:

• Livestock must be managed in a controlled environment
• Commitment to the project and that daily supervision of livestock must be ensured.

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This is where Internet of Cows comes into to reality…well if they have not realized yet.

Internet of Cows can allow farmers to track their cows well in real time as they are gracing all around the farm.
This can be done via an app with a WIFI connected to the cloud and the newly introduced Narrow-Band IoT then:

• Keep a count of their cows;
• Map the farm for palatable grass (heat maps);
• Feeding/gracing patterns;
• Health of cows;
• Mating sessions (like the HeatWatch II)

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NB-IoT will also bring battery savings and lower the costs for IoT modems, effectively enabling the possibility of installing many devices, in a cost-effective way and in a “fit and forget” fashion whereby batteries might not need to be replaced again for 10 years. Also, in a similar approach, NB-IoT will extend the “depth of coverage” by reaching down to basements where cellular signal couldn’t reach before.

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Here are some of the apps for connected farms

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