Farming Technology TodayFarming Technology Today
  • News
    • Agricultural Drones
    • Animal Health
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Autonomous Robots
    • Autonomous Vehicles
    • Biotechnology
    • Data & Analytics
    • Energy
    • Environment
    • Farming Equipment
    • Fertilisers
    • Harvesting Technology
    • Insect Farming
    • Internet of Things (IoT)
    • Livestock
    • Microsensors
    • Plant Health
    • Precision Agriculture
    • Robotics
    • Satellite Crop Monitoring
    • Soil Management
    • Sowing and Planting
    • Sustainability
    • Water & Irrigation
    • Weather & Climate
    • Weed Control
    • Yield Monitoring
  • Technology Features
  • Stock and Shares
  • Videos
  • Events
  • About This Site
  • Meet the Writers
  • Advertising
  • Email Newsletters
Twitter LinkedIn
  • About This Site
  • Advertising
  • Meet the Writers
  • Free Email Newsletters
LinkedIn Twitter
Farming Technology TodayFarming Technology Today
Get Weekly Email News Alerts >
  • Farming Technology
        • Agricultural Drones
        • Animal Health
        • Artificial Intelligence
        • Autonomous Robots
        • Autonomous Vehicles
        • Biotechnology
        • Data & Analytics
        • Energy
        • Environment
        • Farming Equipment
        • Fertilisers
        • Harvesting Technology
        • Insect Farming
        • Internet of Things (IoT)
        • Livestock
        • Microsensors
        • Plant Health
        • Precision Agriculture
        • Robotics
        • Satellite Crop Monitoring
        • Soil Management
        • Sowing and Planting
        • Start-Ups
        • Sustainability
  • Tech Features
  • Videos
  • Stocks & Shares
    • AGCO Corporation (AGCO)
    • Caterpillar Inc. (CAT)
    • CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF)
    • CNH Industrial NV (CNHI)
    • Corteva Agriscience (CTVA)
    • Deere & Company (DE)
    • Nutrien Ltd. (NTR)
    • Origin Agritech Limited (SEED)
    • S&W Seed Company (SANW)
    • The Andersons, Inc. (ANDE)
    • The Mosaic Company (MOS)
  • Events
    • Virtual
    • North America
    • Europe
    • MENA
    • Asia
    • South America
Farming Technology TodayFarming Technology Today
Features

GSatSolar Rancher – solar-powered satellite livestock tracker to launch

Anthony JamesBy Anthony JamesApril 29, 2021No Comments
Share
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

A solar-powered, low-cost, rugged ear tag that uses satellite monitoring to track cattle could soon provide ranchers with a powerful, new, bargaining tool

Whether you call them ranches (US) or stations (Australia), the sheer size of some cattle grazing grounds defies belief, often stretching over thousands of acres, with King Ranch in Texas (825,000 acres), and Alexandria station in Australia (4 million acres), among some of the biggest and most well-known examples.

Keeping track of livestock across such vast and varied landscapes in all weather conditions is a clear challenge, whether on horseback, from the front seat of a four-wheel drive or even from an aircraft cockpit. However, go higher still – all the way into space, in fact – and suddenly a very different picture starts to emerge.

Satellite livestock tracking with the GSatSolar Rancher

A new generation of intelligent monitoring devices that utilise satellite tracking, as opposed to dedicated and expensive telecoms infrastructure on the ground, offers ranchers a hassle-free method to locate their cattle, boost efficiency and improve animal welfare.

The GSatSolar Rancher is small and takes the form of an ear tag

The GSatSolar Rancher, which officially launches next month, is one of the first satellite-enabled solutions to hit the market. The small, solar-powered tracking device takes the form of an ear tag and is designed to keep tabs on any animal for its entire life – all at a low, one-time cost. Once mounted, the device collects and sends location data four times a day via satellite. Ranchers can then access a dedicated web-based platform, GSatTrack, to view and manage the data.

“Prior to GSatSolar, there was no cost-effective, specifically engineered satellite-based livestock tracker, and it was designed to fill that gap in the market,” explains Justin Vizaro, product manager, Global Satellite Engineering (GSE), which manufactures the device.

The ear tag itself features a proprietary plastic blend that performs well in outdoor environments, and which is also medical grade to ensure animal welfare. The tag has been designed to be deployed on each animal for a period of three years, without the need for maintenance or support of any kind. “We have seen no evidence in testing to suggest the product won’t meet these performance expectations,” says Vizaro.

GSE continues to put the product through its paces on ranches of various sizes across North America: “Our product testers are almost entirely tracking cattle on free range grazing areas that are 100% off grid and outside of cellular coverage. The primary testing goal [because of the short time window] was to track enough animals to be able to see movement patterns, establish benchmarks for normal daily activity, and identify ‘hotspots’ where animals go frequently or ‘cold zones’ they typically avoid in the grazing areas. After two weeks of testing, most were able to see these macro insights, which only become clearer over time and with more animals tracked.”

Farm-to-fork traceability and loss prevention

Beyond feed scheduling insights, the data captured can be used to ensure farm-to-fork traceability and loss prevention, while GSE continues to work on further applications.

“This product is creating an entirely new category for connected assets in the ag field,” adds Vizaro. “As such, we expect natural evolution as customers tell us how they’re ‘hacking’ a solution for other aspects of their ranches or farms using our products, and whenever possible, we will use that feedback to improve future offerings.”

Other mounts are also available, allowing the device to operate as a standard low-intelligence IoT device for vehicles and equipment.

“Quite frankly, we find that many of the people we talk to are just excited about the prospect of knowing where their assets are in the first place,” reports Vizaro. “Beyond that, it’s mostly functional aspects of GSatTrack that drive value. Being able to run reports, set alerts about certain activity, group assets, draw geofences, and view asset movement history on a map are all tools that were never available or accessible in this market,” he continues.

GSatTrack also supports custom map tiles and overlays, allowing ranchers to view real-time data like weather conditions, topographic imagery, dirt roads, and unmarked access points in the same map interface as the assets.

“We have spoken to a few customers who mentioned using GSatTrack reports and shared views to assist with various types of industry association audits, to the point of even starting conversations about API integrations to automate those audit processes,” notes Vizaro.

Locate to accumulate

“The system can help a vet find and care for an animal or send a specific alert based on the behaviour of an animal,” adds Jeff Palmer, GSE’s CEO, who grew up on a large cattle farm in Montana, USA, when asked about the most common, current use cases. “It can tell the vet or farmer a specific time of day that an animal comes to a watering hole or feed lot. The consumer or retailer can utilise location data to learn about where the meat they’re eating was raised, and what sort of life it had – how many thousands of miles it walked during its lifetime as opposed to being reared in a pen. Imagine finding a simple QR code on the food packaging or menu that tells you about the life and history of that animal.”

“Traceability from farm to fork has not previously included the life of the cow, so it is now much easier and more verifiable to certify subsets of beef products as ‘organic’ or ‘grass-fed’,” adds Vizaro.

Such distinctions help command premium pricing, and the level of detail available with GSatSolar could even establish a new verification standard for food labelling.

However, Palmer believes the data captured by the GSat Solar Rancher really comes into its own when used to build a better picture of the supply chain. As such, the technology has the ability to disrupt industry practices that can lead to over-supply and shortages.

“The demand starts at the store or the restaurant, which feeds up to the processor to tell them how many cattle they need each month to keep up,” he says. “When that’s all on paper and done via phone calls and manual orders, you’re always going to be behind the algorithm. You’re having to over process to meet consumer demand and ensure you don’t run out. The data we provide ensures farmers and processors can monitor, manage and maximise their operations to meet demand more efficiently.”

In particular, Palmer foresees a future application that includes information on the age of tracked assets to enable processors and farmers to identify which animals are best placed to meet surges in demand. “A downstream processor could go to a cattle inventory site and find out which farms have cattle ready for finishing,” he says. “At this stage, our goal is to learn about the industry. There’s a lot of very interesting feedback coming back from farmers and processors and it’s clear there are some real opportunities. I’m quite shocked at how much demand there is for something like this.”

In effect, adding such traceability to free-range livestock production could usher in a truly transparent supply chain, where producers and buyers can track available supply in near-real time, allowing rolling, just-in-time production management.

US customers could also use location data to secure government subsidies from the Bureau of Land Management: “The bureau provides carbon offset paybacks to farmers based on where they graze their cattle,” notes Palmer. “The tracker can prove that your cattle are aerating ground in certain areas.”

Going forward, Vizaro says he expects the majority of product growth to be on the software side, enabling the company to create, test, and deploy new intelligence features, reports, and visualizations much more quickly and effectively. “That’s just another reason to go with GSatSolar – the ability we have to improve the entire product experience without waiting on vendors and service providers gives us the power to respond directly and immediately to customers’ needs.”

Payback guaranteed

In terms of total cost, Vizaro notes the standard US$130 per unit price includes three years of satellite airtime, plus the software license. “Prices scale for larger herds,” he says, with GSE having already secured orders from farmers with over 10,000 heads of cattle.

He expects they will see a healthy return on their investment: “The economics of data intelligence ROI include a number of measuring criteria, but we have chosen to focus quantifiable benefits on cost savings related to time and fuel during round up, loss prevention and recovery, and premium pricing on the sale of animals that can get designations such as ‘grass fed’, ‘free range’, ‘organic’, etc – because of the increased traceability.”

For now GSE appears to have cornered the market: “Alternatives to the GSatSolar for solar-powered satellite animal trackers are all still in development and have not launched yet,” suggests Vizaro. “We expect to be the most competitively priced option due to our relationship with the airtime provider and because of our software platform being an in-house product as well.”

Share. LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email
Anthony James

With over 20 years experience in editorial management and content creation for a broad spectrum of market-leading B2B magazines and websites in the transport and technology sectors, Anthony has written news and features covering everything from airport security to autonomous vehicles, and stadium design to sustainable energy.

Related Stories

Autonomous Robots

Series A boost for Australia’s SwarmFarm Robotics and its Integrated Autonomy solutions

February 18, 2023
Autonomous Vehicles

Advanced Path Planning Technology announced by Trimble Autonomy

February 17, 2023
Latest News

Series A boost for Australia’s SwarmFarm Robotics and its Integrated Autonomy solutions

February 18, 2023

Advanced Path Planning Technology announced by Trimble Autonomy

February 17, 2023

Loam Bio’s endophyte harnessing technology receives fresh investment

February 17, 2023
Upcoming Events
  1. World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit 2023

    March 14 @ 8:00 am - March 15 @ 5:00 pm
  2. 15TH ANNUAL GLOBAL AGINVESTING – New York 2023

    April 3 - April 5
  3. Foodex 2023

    April 24 @ 9:00 am - April 26 @ 5:00 pm
  4. Agritech Israel 2023

    May 2 @ 8:00 am - May 4 @ 5:00 pm

View All Events

In the Spotlight

Reducing methane emissions from cattle and dairy farming

November 15, 2021By Matt Peskett

At COP26 this month, 105 countries including the US, Canada and Brazil promised to reduce…

Visited our sister title?
Site Information

About This Site
Advertising
Meet the Writers
Free Email Newsletters

LinkedIn Twitter
  • Vertical Farming Today
© 2022 Food & Farming Technology is a Firetop Media publication by Firetop Ltd 4854392 | © Editorial images: stock.adobe.com | All rights reserved
Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Analytics" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
elementorneverThis cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time.
PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
ab1 yearOwned by agkn, this cookie is used for targeting and advertising purposes.
CMID1 yearCasale Media sets this cookie to collect information on user behavior, for targeted advertising.
CMPRO3 monthsCMPRO cookie is set by CasaleMedia for anonymous user tracking, and for targeted advertising.
CMPS3 monthsCMPS cookie is set by CasaleMedia for anonymous user tracking based on user's website visits, for displaying targeted ads.
CMST1 dayCasale Media sets this cookie to collect information on user behavior, for targeted advertising.
DSID1 hourThis cookie is set by DoubleClick to note the user's specific user identity. It contains a hashed/encrypted unique ID.
id1 year 1 monthSet by Google DoubleClick, this cookie is used to create user profiles to display relevant ads.
IDE1 year 24 daysGoogle DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile.
KADUSERCOOKIE3 monthsThe cookie, set by PubMatic, registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device across websites that use the same ad network. The ID is used for targeted ads.
KTPCACOOKIE1 dayThe cookie, set by PubMatic, registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device across websites that use the same ad network. The ID is used for targeted ads.
mc1 year 1 monthQuantserve sets the mc cookie to anonymously track user behaviour on the website.
mdata1 year 1 monthThis cookie is used by Media Innovation group and registers a unique ID to identify a visitor on their revisit, in order to show them relevant ads.
OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
OAID1 yearCookie set to record whether the user has opted out of the collection of information by the AdsWizz Service Cookies.
ov1 year 1 monthThis cookie is set by the provider mookie1.com. This cookie is used for serving the user with relevant content and advertisement.
pxrc2 monthsThis cookie is set by pippio to provide users with relevant advertisements and limit the number of ads displayed.
rlas31 yearRLCDN sets this cookie to provide users with relevant advertisements and limit the number of ads displayed.
test_cookie15 minutesThe test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
uuid3 monthsMediaMath sets this cookie to avoid the same ads from being shown repeatedly and for relevant advertising.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
__gads1 year 24 daysThe __gads cookie, set by Google, is stored under DoubleClick domain and tracks the number of times users see an advert, measures the success of the campaign and calculates its revenue. This cookie can only be read from the domain they are set on and will not track any data while browsing through other sites.
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_154262053_11 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
u1 yearThis cookie is used by Bombora to collect information that is used either in aggregate form, to help understand how websites are being used or how effective marketing campaigns are, or to help customize the websites for visitors.
uid1 year 1 monthThis is a Google UserID cookie that tracks users across various website segments.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
GoogleAdServingTestsessionNo description
ppwp_wp_session30 minutesNo description
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
CookieDurationDescription
na_id1 year 1 monthThe na_id is set by AddThis to enable sharing of links on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
na_rn1 monthThe na_rn cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_sc_e1 monthThe na_sc_e cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_sr1 monthThe na_sr cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_srp1 minuteThe na_srp cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
na_tc1 year 1 monthThe na_tc cookie is used to recognize the visitor upon re-entry. It allows to record details on user behaviour and facilitate the social sharing function provided by Addthis.com.
ouid1 year 1 monthAssociated with the AddThis widget, this cookie helps users to share content across various networking and sharing forums.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
CookieDurationDescription
d3 monthsQuantserve sets this cookie to anonymously track information on how visitors use the website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo