Helping farmers understand the role of Precision Livestock Farming

The use of technology on livestock farms is well established, with the pros and cons clearly defined, and a clear understanding of how technological and artificial intelligence advancements enable increasingly precise monitoring and prediction of health and welfare status of farmed animals. In Italy, farmers are increasingly interested in tools that support precision livestock farming, but given the small size of farms, additional activities need to be carried out to increase their use. In this context, a regional project has started promoting the benefits and challenges of installing technology on farms, as well as demonstrating the potential of data monitoring through videos and technical schemes available online. Finally, the project reports on the expertise gained by farmers. The main objective is to provide farmers with an overview of precision livestock farming and encourage the adoption of technology in livestock systems, including poultry, pigs and dairy cows. Therefore, several precision livestock tools are investigated, focusing on the tools to early detect health issues in poultry, pigs and dairy cows.