From agriculture to AI-griculture: How tech is changing farming
Farmers in Northern Ireland are increasingly adopting AI-powered cameras and robotic milking systems to monitor cattle health and improve farm efficiency. These technologies allow for early detection of illness and streamlined operations, marking a significant shift from traditional manual farming methods.
Why it matters
The integration of AI and automation in agriculture is essential for increasing food production efficiency and improving animal welfare in a changing labor market.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Louise Cullen Agriculture and environment correspondent, BBC News NI BBC George McMaster uses technology to help him with work on his farm George McMaster's farming career started with milking eight cows in a byre, relying on his eyes to spot any health issues in his cattle.
He still watches his now-300-strong herd, but via a feed from an AI camera in the milking parlour at the farm near Islandmagee in County Antrim.
The device uses an algorithm which assigns each cow its own ID, records a short video of the animal every day, analyses it and flags any changes - often before they are visible to the human eye.
For the third generation farmer, it is "absolutely incredible to move from all hand-done to sitting on the phone, watching what's happening outside".
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