MANAGE LIVESTOCK FROM ANYWHERE WITH HALTER

With $8 million in financing, New Zealand-based Halter is planning to use the recently secured funds to commercialize its artificial intelligence-powered point-and-click application in combination with its proprietary Cowgorithm.

“Halter is set to redefine an industry and truly modernize farming,” says Peter Beck, Rocket Lab CEO and Halter director.

This patented technology gives farmers the ability to shift and manage cattle. By using the Halter app, farmers can do the following:

Set schedules to remotely guide their herds when it’s time for animals to be milked

Be notified when cows are becoming lame, are about to calve, or are in heat

Keep cows out of rivers and drains by creating virtual fences

The app leverages data sourced from the Halter Hoop, which is a solar-powered, GPS-enabled neck band that uses sensory cues to direct cows. The artificial intelligence behind the platform can detect complex cow movements, can monitor cow health and temperature, and can allow for path planning.

The technology has undergone tens of thousands of hours of testing at the company’s Morrinsville, New Zealand, research and development farm. It plans to further evaluate the technology on five pilot farms in the Waikato, New Zealand, region.

GOING GLOBAL

Founded in 2016, Halter founder and CEO Craig Piggott says it is looking to provide global technology for the future of dairy farming. Initially, Halter Hoop will be available in the Waikato area. However, the company has a global vision and is taking pre orders ahead of its debut in North America, South America, Australia, and Europe.

“We’re inspired by incredible farmers who are looking for ways to efficiently monitor their herds – all while meeting increasing food demands and running an environmentally sustainable operation,” he says. “It’s a constant juggle that involves working long hours.”

Halter is a subscription service, which means subscribers simply pay for the app. Halter owns and maintains the Hoops.

“A lot of farmers have told us they’re tired of running old hardware that won’t sync with new software,” says Piggott.

The company also knows farmers have grown weary of having multiple applications and entering the same data into multiple systems. Farmers want something that is smart, is simple, and doesn't create more work.

“This means we are constantly looking at existing farm systems, technologies, and tools to see how we can work together to make things easier for the farmer,” he says.