With over 850,000 animals (as of May 2023), bull fattening is an important agricultural sector in Germany. But what innovations are on the horizon in bull fattening? In the current “Chart of the Month” from DLG-Agrifuture Insights, we present the results of the 2023/24 winter survey.
As part of the current Agrifuture Insights study, participants were asked from November 2023 to the beginning of January 2024 about their assessment of expected innovations in bull fattening. All three market groups surveyed - farms science and consulting as well as industry, processing and trade - put an improvement in animal health at the top of the list.
When it comes to improving animal health, the interviewees presumably have the transition from the breeding farm to the fattener in particular in mind. As a rule, fatteners lack information about the animals' previous history, i.e. they do not know which vaccinations have been given, which diseases have already been overcome, etc. An exchange of data within the value chain could lead to improvements in the organization of work, but also to a reduction in the use of medicines.
There is certainly also potential for innovation in animal observation, although a great deal of creativity is required in terms of implementation. For example, cameras could be hung in the barn and AI-supported video analysis could be used to evaluate the animals' movement behavior and draw conclusions about their health.
Last but not least, the respondents hope for innovations to increase the efficiency of coarse feed supply and improvement of work organization. A high intake of high-quality, energy-rich coarse feed can reduce the use of expensive concentrated feed and thus improve the operating result of the farm, while improvements in work organization could save working time and thus be a solution to the increasing shortage of skilled workers.
DLG-Agrifuture Insights – a comprehensive view on agricultural development
DLG-Agrifuture Insights is the DLG knowledge brand and platform for international trend analyses in the agricultural sector. It examines the business environment in agriculture in Germany and worldwide. For this purpose, farmers and people from agribusiness, science and consulting are surveyed annually on their assessments of the economic situation and development of agricultural businesses, as well as technology trends and innovations in the individual