One of the solutions to improve the efficiency of poultry farming is artificial intelligence (AI) – a technology that is predicted to create a breakthrough development for the smart poultry farming industry. However, there are still concerns that this technology is not really as “magical” as advertised and many opinions say that AI is being misplaced in the poultry industry. But in the future, many workers will fall into unemployment when AI is widely used in livestock farms.
Applying AI and smart technologies to livestock farming brings a myriad of benefits, the most obvious of which is making work faster and easier by improving planning and forecasting capabilities; opening up more feasible approaches and better analysis of prices and costs. Using smart technology is a way for farms to better understand labor costs, and make information easier to access.
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Today, smart technologies are also becoming a bridge for many livestock farms to cooperate more closely. In general, AI is promoting cooperation between the public and private sectors, as well as between producers and farmers, and even between competitors, because data sharing is necessary to create AI solutions.
In Western countries, AI technology is pushing the poultry industry in the right direction. Meanwhile, the poultry industry in many parts of the world still lacks cooperation, because there are too many large companies that want to monopolize the market. This hinders the poultry industry from developing and innovating. Although there are many concerns that AI will become a powerful tool reserved for financially powerful livestock corporations, in reality, small farms still have opportunities.
AI benefits the entire poultry industry, not just online but also in offline applications. Poultry management software company AbuErdan also believes that for AI technology to truly be effective, there needs to be a concerted effort from technology providers, large farm owners and farmers. In fact, many farms have already reaped huge benefits by investing in advanced software to optimize various production operations from hatching to managing poultry slaughter data. In addition, AI technology is also beneficial in reducing theft and fraud.
Despite the positives, some concerns continue to surround AI and other new technologies. For example, will it reduce job opportunities and how long will it take to build the right infrastructure and train people to operate the technology? Who will own the data and how will it be used? However, there will be some companies that cannot afford to invest in AI. Of course, there is also the issue of data misuse. Sometimes AI gives advice that is not entirely correct. Therefore, farmers still need to be cautious when using AI and other data solutions in general.
There are also some barriers to AI adoption, such as a lack of openness among industry suppliers or a reluctance by many farmers to be transparent with their data. While the technology is advancing at a rapid pace, it is not happening at the same pace across all sectors. However, AI is expected to bring huge benefits to both the poultry and egg industries, but it is important to note that these benefits are shared and that companies, large and small, will need time to adapt and grow.
Nan-Dirk Mulder
Animal Protein Industry Analyst, Rabobank