Over the years, technology has played a vital role in dairy farming, making the industry more efficient, productive, and sustainable.”, says Dr K Rathnam.
Dairy production is an essential component of the agriculture industry, providing a significant portion of the world’s food supply. Dairy farming has significantly evolved over the last decade and continues to change at incredibly fast pace. The Indian dairy industry too has benefited greatly in recent years from technology driven products, facilities and solutions.
The CEO of Milky Mist Dairy, Dr K Rathnam strongly believes that technology will be
critical in bringing in and maintaining the countries third white revolution.
There has been significant increase in role of technology in Indian dairy industry, from
automated milk collection and testing the composition of the milk at village level to real-time milk procurement. Assessment of total milk quality and automated milking systems are also important technical developments in the industry. Since the early days of dairy farming, dairy producers have been responsible for cow record-keeping and now with click of a button they can track minute details at a single cow level and provide the needed attention. In addition, technology is pushing critical developments to modernize and revolutionize the dairy sector’s other major spheres.
Today, dairy farmers are increasingly embracing technology to manage their operations and
improve the quality and safety of their products. In this article, Dr K Rathnam will explore
the role of technology in dairy production and the benefits it offers.
Automated milking systems
Automated milking systems are among the most significant technological innovations in the
dairy industry. These systems use sensors and robotic arms to milk cows. Automated milking systems offer numerous benefits, such as increased milking efficiency, improved milk quality, and enhanced animal welfare. These systems also provide farmers with real-time data on milk production, allowing them to monitor cow health, identify potential problems, and make informed decisions.
Milk Quality Sensors
Milk quality sensors are another technology that has revolutionized the dairy industry. These sensors analyze milk samples for various parameters such as fat content, protein content, and somatic cell count. They can detect early signs of mastitis, a common and costly disease that affects dairy cows. Milk quality sensors allow farmers to monitor the health of their herd and make timely decisions about treatment and culling. They also help ensure that milk meets the quality standards required for processing and consumption.
Rumination Collars
Rumination collars or cow collars as it’s known, is like a ‘Fitbit’ for a cow. These collars
helps in gathering a large amount of data on health, habits and happiness of the cow. It uses a microphone to measure a dairy cow’s rumination to help ensure a smooth transition period.
Changes in rumination can be early sign of calving diseases, negative impact of recent ration changes, cow comfort etc. The data can be used by dairy producers to treat those cows and minimize any negative impact.
Precision Livestock Farming
Precision livestock farming involves using technology to monitor and manage animal health, behavior, and performance. This technology includes sensors, cameras, and other monitoring devices that provide real-time data on cow activity, feeding behaviour, and other metrics.
Precision livestock farming allows farmers to make data-driven decisions about feed
management, herd health, and breeding programs. It also helps farmers identify and address problems early, reducing the risk of disease outbreaks and improving animal welfare.
Monitoring supply chain system
“Due to dependence on various factors, such as cold temperatures, weathers, shelf life and so on, the dairy supply chain in India is highly complex. Milk is one of those products that needs to get to its customers in best condition possible soonest. As a result technology plays an important role in ensuring timely distribution and cold chain maintenance etc. In addition supply chain’s participants can control the inventory efficiently.”, says Dr K Rathnam Milky Mist.
The cold chain management system is expected to advance at a breakneck speed. Cold chain systems are now mounted at the shelf level in malls or market places, and are no more confined to warehouses, cold stores or insulated trucks.
E-commerce Marketplace
Technology has played a very important role in connecting customers and businesses. Apart from consumers, a seller is also connected to the farmers and suppliers to ensure and monitor the inflow of milk. The sellers can now easily ensure product traceability on both, the forward and the backward channels of supply chain.
“Technology has played a critical role in the evolution of the dairy industry, providing
farmers with new tools and capabilities to manage their operations more efficiently,
sustainably, and profitably.” says Dr. Kr Rathnam of Milky Mist, who is exploring numerous
ways to bring the use of technology in dairy farming to improve the milk quality, animal
welfare and farm profitability for farmers.
As today’s technology continues to grow and evolve, the dairy industry will follow suit. From apps that monitor herd health, drones that scan fields, thermostat-controlled curtains that keep cows comfortable throughout the winters, the Indian Dairy industry is becoming more advance than ever before. Adoption of technology is bound to continue by the farmers to improve production and also promote animal quality.
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