EuroTier, the big German livestock show, once again delivered some of the most innovative ideas in animal agriculture
The future of farming will be based on automation, robotics and farming by your phone, according to exhibitors at the latest EuroTier show in Germany. About 155,000 farmers attended EuroTier 2018 in Hannover, Germany, this year, classed as the world’s leading trade fair for animal production, organized by the German Agricultural Society, DLG. This time […] Read moreStories by Chris McCullough
Harry the robot is ready for action planting crops
A British agritech start-up company has unveiled its latest robot for planting crops that it says will revolutionize farming. Based in Shropshire, the Small Robot Company has unveiled its digital planting robot, called Harry, and previewed an early version of its Wilma Artificial Intelligence interface. Harry is a prototype of the world’s first digital drilling […] Read more
New method of chick gender ID hits market
It’s hoped the technique will prevent the culling of millions of unwanted male chicks after they are hatched
Millions of male chicks from laying hens are culled each year because they are considered to have no breeding or meat purposes in food production. Growing concerns voiced by consumers over animal welfare have prompted researchers and supermarkets to look into novel methods of gender identification. In Germany, 45 million male chicks from laying hens […] Read more
Africa’s biggest cattle company sells amid collusion claim
Although mired in controversy, the sale of Africa’s biggest cattle company appears to have gone through for a deal worth C$472 million. Based in South Africa, the majority share of Karan Beef has been acquired by a joint purchase including South Africa’s Public Investment Corp. (PIC), the manager of pension funds for South Africa’s government […] Read more
Lamb exports soar as Chinese become richer
Australia and New Zealand are the country’s dominant suppliers, giving them a competitive edge over other producers
Higher incomes in China are giving more families chances to buy meat that was once too expensive for them. With a newly acquired taste for lamb, China is changing the dynamics of the global sheep meat market and is now the largest producer, consumer and importer of sheep in the world. Global lamb and sheep […] Read more
Fully automated indoor farm launches in California
CORRECTION – 1135 CST – November 9, 2018 – the original version of this story incorrectly referred to Iron Ox’s indoor farm as a greenhouse. The first fully automated robotic farm has started operations in the United States, hoping to help address the labour shortage problem facing many operations. Iron Ox, based in California, said […] Read more
Drought takes toll on European cereal production
Soaring hot temperatures and extreme lack of rain this summer throughout Europe has caused an estimated eight percent drop in total European Union cereal production. In its latest short-term outlook report by the European Commission, the EU total cereal production for 2018 is expected to be 284.3 million tonnes, which is a five-percent decline compared […] Read more
Latest study touts benefits of whole-fat milk
A glass of whole fat milk three times per day is good for the heart and may help extend life, according to conclusions of a new study. The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study, recently published in The Lancet, followed 136,384 participants from 21 countries aged 35 to 70 years old for an average of […] Read more
New Deere forage harvester touches 1,000 horsepower
John Deere has unveiled a new beast to the self-propelled forage harvester market in the form of the 9000 Series with the largest model touching 1,000 horsepower. Following intensive German farm association DLG’s testing in high yielding maize fields in northern Italy and in Germany, John Deere has unwrapped the new 9000 Series of harvesters. […] Read more
U.K. announces replacement system for EU farm subsidies
Farms in the United Kingdom receiving large subsidy payments under the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy will be among the hardest hit by new Brexit plans. U.K. Environment Secretary Michael Gove recently introduced the new plans. The proposed changes set out how farmers and land managers will in future be paid for “public goods”, such […] Read more
