Smart Paddock is an Australian agtech company that specializes in advanced livestock monitoring and GPS tracking. In the new agreement, SaskTel and Smart Paddock will explore ways to advance the deployment of smart technologies in Canada's livestock industry.
"We're looking forward to working with SaskTel to deploy our smart GPS ear tag solution across the Canadian Prairies to improve livestock producers' daily lives as well as the care and wellbeing of their animals," said Darren Wolchyn, Smart Paddock Founder and CEO.
The partnership between these two companies is centered on Smart Paddock's smart ear tag solution. Smart Paddock's solar-powered smart ear tags include GPS tracking, accelerometers, and temperature sensors, providing livestock farmers with precise location data and tracking on the go.
By capturing the data gathered by ear tags, livestock producers will track the movements of their entire herd and monitor any biometric anomalies that may indicate a sick or calving cow.
"At its heart, it's a solar-powered ear tag that connects to a cost-effective wireless technology called "LoRa", it's fairly durable and rugged," said Mike Stefaniuk, the Director of Business Development for IOT and Digital Transformation with SaskTel.
"You can actually correlate location data with other factors, with the future roadmap it's only limited by imagination in terms of what data sets can be corelated in an efficient way for producers". As Stefaniuk illustrates, a data set could track where a herd is drinking, and if it is from an unsuitable source, step in to correct the situation.
The partnership was formed after Stefaniuk attended an event organized by the Canadian Cattlemen's Association and Ag-West Bio. In learning about Smart Paddock's approach and model, he immediately saw a connection with SaskTel's recent efforts to focus on Digital Transformation in the agriculture sector in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Tel's recent investment in the Livestock and Forage Excellence Centre at the University of Saskatchewan represented a mutually beneficial partnership.
It is intended that part of the partnership will be focused on further research into Smart Paddock's technology and potential applications in Canada. Researchers will then transfer their findings to the industry through stakeholders such as the Canadian Cattlemen's Association and Glacier Farm Media.
Livestock and Forage Excellence Center has already identified this type of technology as necessary for the Canadian Cattle Industry. Hundreds of Smart Paddock tags are already in demand.
Stefaniuk mentioned that the Smart Paddock System is slated to be delivered to the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence within the next few months to educate and gauge additional interest from the industry.
By making this investment, Smart Paddock and SaskTel hope to accelerate technological advancements in the Canadian market and foster innovation in the agriculture sector.
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