Wanted: Computer scientists and computer engineers to work in animal agriculture. Why the need? Because the pork industry continues to evolve toward more automation and specialization, with the goal of helping producers manage more effectively. Three experts spoke at the 2024 World Pork Expo about the implications of technology and how it may attract more young people to pork production.
“How do we employ [artificial intelligence] and/or farming techniques to address labor issues?” asks Dr. David Rosaro, Assistant Professor at Iowa State University. “The timing of when I sell my pigs is very important and can mean $4 to $5 profit or loss per pig.”
Rosaro says some devices take the average weight of an entire pen, which allows producers to be more precise in their marketing.
“We want to be able to know Pig A weighs 80 lbs. today and when it is at market weight to predict loads,” says Tammi Brown-Brandell, with the University of Nebraska. “They can also estimate weights on a group of animals. RFID is the cost of the tag and the cost of the equipment. Doing it in a way that doesn’t add a lot of cost is going to take us a little longer.”
“More companies are estimating weights with devices or fixed cameras but producers should ask for the data and find out how accurate they are,” he says. “Just the color of the pig might change the equation.”
He adds that producers need to do their due diligence on devices to determine their value. Cameras can be used to help producers weigh pigs and market them more strategically, but it still boils down to cost-effectiveness of new technologies.
Improving health
Gene-editing technology shows potential, says Dr. Dan Carlson, Chief Scientific Officer at Recombinetics. Edited genes that can prevent or minimize disease would have enormous cost benefits for producers, but there are hurdles to cross. He says the industry can’t avoid having labels on packages, and some labels might have a detrimental effect on consumer acceptance.
“We need to have programs in place to help,” says Carlson, along with acceptance of gene-editing practices from trading partners.
Technology can help identify pigs that don’t find the feeder or waterer for a few days, which can lead to health problems.
“Is the decrease in time at the feeder relevant on day one? What about day three? When we use technology to create models, we need good data in before we get good information out. Producers can help us capture the golden standard data,” Brown-Brandell says.
Animal husbandry still important
Rosaro was a nutritionist for a pork operation before joining the university. He understands the day-to-day importance of animal husbandry and identifying problems before they escalate. For example, sound sensors can be used to monitor coughing, he says, but a person still needs to find the pigs that are coughing.
“We can never eliminate the animal caretaker in the equation – we need to make sure we don’t lose the human factor,” says Tammi Brown-Brandell, with the University of Nebraska. “As long as we’re attracting the right people to the industry, we should be fine.”
Biotech in the barns
Chris Hostetler, Director of Animal Science for the National Pork Board, moderated the session and points out after close out, no more decisions related to those pigs can be made by the producer, so being able to make pre-emptive decisions will improve animal welfare. That’s where technology comes into play.
“We need to understand the producer and help them understand the value of technology,” he says, pointing out that in a relatively short time, the industry has engaged more computer scientists.
“We’re at the forefront of asking computer engineers to understand animal agriculture,” adds Rosaro, but he acknowledged that the industry loses a lot of scientists to human gene therapy.
“I grew up on a farm and stayed in the industry, but I dabbled in the biomedical field. We need to keep interested parties in the ag industry rather than going into the human field,” he says.
Attracting a new workforce
Rosaro says he tries to expose young people to the future of the swine industry.
“Technology changes the dialogue we have with young people,” he says. “It’s a different conversation and will encourage more people to come back to the farm.”
The ability to work with data and computers changes the mind of some students and new technologies make the industry more attractive to tech-oriented individuals.
“As educators we have to let students know how they can fulfill their dreams and as an industry, we have to create opportunities and technologies for them,” Rosaro points out.
