Market Overview

Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) encompasses the use of integrated sensor technologies, algorithms, interfaces, and animal husbandry practices to enhance animal production. Although PLF technology is applicable across all animal production methods, it is most extensively explored in dairy farming. The field of PLF is rapidly evolving, moving from mere health alerts to comprehensive decision-making systems. It incorporates both external and internal data, including sensor and production information from animals. However, many of the proposed and commercially available applications have yet to undergo scientific evaluation, leaving uncertainties about their impact on animal health, productivity, and welfare.

For example, in February 2022, a research team at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture received a $1 million grant to develop and implement a computer vision system for tracking chicken production. This funding was provided by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.

The transition from precision to decision-based livestock farming is a major driver of market growth, alongside increasing labor costs and the demand for automation in the livestock sector.