A New Zealand agritech start-up, Aimer Farming, has launched a new tool called Aimer Vision. This tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help dairy farmers measure pasture (grass) more easily and accurately. Over 170 farms in New Zealand and Australia are already using it.
Aimer Vision works by scanning the pasture with a smartphone in just five seconds. It gives results with about 90% accuracy, saving farmers hours of manual work. In the past, measuring pasture was slow and not always correct.
Jeremy Bryant, the founder and CTO of Aimer, said, “With Aimer Vision, farmers can get fast and smart pasture information using their phones. This helps them plan grazing better, avoid waste, and earn more money.”
Experts say this tool can help increase farm profits by up to $400 per hectare, which means $60,000 to $80,000 more income for an average dairy farm every year.
Aimer Vision was first tested by a small group of farms, thanks to funding from Agmardt. After checking 15,000 video scans across different seasons, Aimer is now ready to offer the tool to more farms. They are also collecting data in Ireland to prepare for launching in Europe.
The tool is designed to be simple to use, helping farmers deal with labour shortages and rising costs in the dairy industry. One special feature is that it can predict pasture growth up to 21 days ahead, which helps with better planning. It even creates a “digital twin” of each paddock to give personalized advice on feeding and grazing.
Phil Townend, Aimer’s chief commercial officer, said the impact of Aimer Vision is big. “We’re building the world’s largest database on pasture growth. This can help global food companies track sustainability from farm to final product.”
Source: foodbev
