Bright ideas for cattle

Young cattle fitted with GPS-based eShepherd collars operated by smart phones can be trained to move within virtual fences. Photo / Supplied

A collar worn by cattle which enables stock to be "fenced," moved and monitored remotely via smart phone is an Australian innovation with possible application on this side of the Tasman.

And Northland farmers could also be interested in another Australian development - a biofuel generator which makes diesel from the seeds of oil-based plants.

Melbourne-based agri-tech company Agersens is developing an eShepherd collar providing virtual farm fencing by building on patented technology developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the Australian federal government agency for scientific research.

Animals are trained to respond to prompts provided by the collar, which can also collect data to help farmers control grazing, improve animal health and make farm management decisions.

The GPS-based collar is claimed to be the first of its kind to be use used on farms anywhere in the world.

Pricing of the device hasn't yet been finalised, but The Country was told it was expected to be around AUD $100 a collar.

Agersens managing director Ian Reilly said the device was in demand globally.

"The eShepherd will transform the productivity, profitability and sustainability of livestock farming by cutting labour, fencing and other input costs," he said. "It can be used as flood and fireproof fencing to prevent cattle pollution of waterways."

The Australian Government is taking virtual fencing seriously, granting Agersens $640,000 to accelerate commercialisation, and Dairy Australia last year awarded $2.6 million to lead a four-year industry testing programme. Victorian and NSW Government based Catchment Management Authorities and Local Land Services are supporting trials on rivers and wetlands.

Meanwhile, in Australian wheatgrowing districts, the SA BioFuels company is offering to install biodiesel generators from which wheat farmers could make fuel with seed from oil-based plants such as mustard or safflower, which they grow as rotational crops.

SA BioFuels founder Morgan Hunter said the generators could make 1.2 million litres of biodiesel a year, but a farm didn't use that much fuel so the company was looking for four to five farmers or a council to use each setup.

Farmers would load their seed into the generator, which is the size of a shipping container, and then drive away with an equivalent amount of fuel. A tonne of mustard seed would net the farmer 350 litres of fuel and a tonne of safflower would produce 300 litres.

To cover the cost of setting up and maintaining each generator, Mr Hunter said SA BioFuels would charge up to 45c for each litre of fuel produced, less than half $1.30 AUD per litre price of diesel.

"It can save them quite a bit of money in fuel costs, and you're not trucking fuel across the country, " he said. BioFuel SA has one trial co-op set up in Kaniva, Victoria, with a second to open in Tailem Bend, South Australia, later this year. The company is also in talks with several councils on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula to set up and maintain biodiesel generators for community use.¦