Farm Technology

This special episode of Dairy Country, powered by MSD Animal Health, dives into how SenseHub Dairy is reshaping modern herd management through real-time insights and connected on-farm technology.

Taranaki farmer Ed Whiting shares how adopting SenseHub Dairy has transformed the way he and his family run their system, lifting animal health, streamlining decision-making, and giving them greater confidence through timely, accurate data. Alongside Ed, West Coast sharemilker Terry Swney explains how the technology supports heat detection and herd performance in a challenging climate, while South Island team leader Laura Christensen offers a behind-the-scenes look at the tools farmers are using to monitor rumination, young stock, and milk-quality trends.

The future of dairy is data-driven, with New Zealand farmers exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools can transform efficiency, animal welfare and sustainability.

In this episode, Anne Lee speaks with Cameron Henderson, DairyNZ deputy chair and North Canterbury dairy farmer, Peter Morgan, Waikato dairy farmer, Dr Joao Dorea, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA, and Dr Claudia Kamphuis from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. They share insights from the Precision Dairy Farming Conference in Christchurch, discussing the role sensors, computer vision, drones and AI are having on farm decision-making, the rise of ‘digital twins’, and the importance of co-design, collaboration and local skills to turn research into practical solutions for New Zealand’s pastoral system.

Te Mania Angus is utilising cutting-edge technology to select the best breeding stock suitable for the beef and dairy industries. Words Sarah Horrocks.