Just as the steam engine and mechanization revolutionized agriculture during the first and second industrial revolutions, today's digital technologies are ushering in what some call the third industrial revolution. This new era is characterized by the integration of advanced digital tools, artificial intelligence (i.e., “the other AI”) and innovative management practices reshaping the way many farmers and ranchers operate.
Various emerging technologies are reshaping the beef cattle industry from the packer to the processor, giving ranchers new methods to monitor and manage their herds. Precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies, for example, utilize data collected through sensors, wearables and monitoring systems to track the health and behavior of individual animals. Combined with AI, this data enables real-time feedback that informs daily management decisions. The rapid expansion of PLF and data-driven AI technologies offers ranchers more significant insights into animal health and productivity than ever before.
These technologies cannot replace the time-honored skills of animal husbandry and land management but rather enhance them with data-driven insights and automation. The following are just a few examples of technologies that aim to transform the cattle business.
Satellite imaging for pasture and range management
Satellite imaging provides ranchers with unprecedented insights into their land. Most free tools (such as the one offered by the USDA Web Soil Survey) allow users to map their land online and view soil types and estimated annual forage yields across vast areas. Paid platforms (such as Enriched Ag, AgriWebb and Pasture.io) offer greater decision-making tools to allow for more precise grazing management, potentially opening new revenue streams through carbon credit programs. These satellite-based platforms can help a producer monitor grazing conditions, track forage availability in real time, track changes in forage nutrient content and forage type (such as cool-season and warm-season grasses), monitor animal movements, and even predict intake and weight gain of animals on pasture.
Beyond the visual ID tag
Solar-powered GPS tags are increasing in popularity and provide the ability to monitor animal movements and behavior. Further, facial recognition technology for cattle (such as 406 Bovine) could act as an insurance policy against lost or illegible tags. Facial recognition technology uses AI to identify and track individual cattle using just a smartphone. This noninvasive identification method allows ranchers to track health, behavior and productivity on an individual basis, even in large herds. Facial recognition provides an alternative possibility to track each animal individually throughout its journey through the supply chain.
Blockchain: It’s not just for bitcoin
Blockchain technology, famously associated with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, is emerging as a powerful tool for tracing cattle throughout the supply chain. With the help of an RFID tag (or even a facial recognition record), this decentralized, tamper-resistant ledger system can record every step of an animal's journey from birth to processing. This offers the promise of transparency throughout the supply chain but under a privatized (rather than under a governmental agency’s) umbrella.
For producers, blockchain offers the potential for significant added value. By providing verifiable data on an animal's history, including its origin, feed, medical treatments and handling, ranchers can substantiate claims about their production practices. This transparency can command premium prices in the right markets. BlockTrust Network is one such company that engineers this tech for the cattle industry, with whom CattleTrace, MFA, Red Angus and Vytelle are early adopters.
Water monitoring and virtual fencing
Companies such as RanchBot and 701x offer advanced water-monitoring systems that track levels, flow rates and quality in real time. The system uses sensors installed in water tanks or dams to send real-time data to a cloud-based platform accessible via a smartphone or computer. As such, substantial time and fuel can be saved via live updates on water levels, temperatures and water usage. If water levels drop unexpectedly due to leaks, malfunctioning pumps or overuse, the system sends instant alerts to the producer.
Meanwhile, companies such as Vence, Halter, NoFence and eShepherd are redefining pasture management through GPS-enabled collars and wireless signals. This system allows ranchers to control where cattle graze by setting up virtual boundaries on a map using software on a computer or smartphone, eliminating the need for physical fences. When cattle approach the virtual boundary, their collars emit a sound or mild stimulus to deter them from crossing. Virtual fencing allows for dynamic pasture management, enabling ranchers to move cattle relatively efficiently. This can curb overgrazing, protect sensitive environmental areas, and promote soil and vegetation health. Also, with no need for physical fences, ranchers save on labor costs for fence installation and maintenance.
This is an example of insights gained from a satellite-based grazing management platform. Users can make stocking decisions and even view projections of carbon credit value on their land. Photo provided by Jacquelyn Prestegaard-Wilson.
Challenges and considerations
While these technologies offer exciting possibilities, their adoption is not without challenges.
1. Internet connectivity
One of the most pressing issues for many farmers and ranchers is the lack of reliable, high-speed internet access in rural areas. Many of these new technologies rely on some degree of connectivity for real-time data transmission and cloud-based services.
Efforts are underway to address this digital divide. Companies such as Starlink are working to provide satellite-based internet to remote areas, while some state and federal agencies are investing in rural broadband initiatives. However, progress is slow, and many rural Americans still find themselves in connectivity dead zones.
2. Cost of technology
One of the primary barriers to adopting these technologies is the initial cost. Equipment-heavy digital tools often require a significant upfront investment for hardware, software and ongoing data management. Smaller producers may struggle to afford these technologies without clear evidence of return on investment, particularly in low-margin cattle operations.
3. Data interpretation and decision-making
Having access to vast amounts of data is only useful if it can be effectively interpreted. Many find themselves overwhelmed by the complexity of data from various systems, highlighting the need for user-friendly interfaces that translate this information into actionable insights.
Given the diversity across different types of operations, whether cow-calf, stocker/backgrounding, feedlot or seedstock, there are robust data management systems designed to streamline both daily tasks and long-term decision-making. These tools offer tailored solutions that help producers manage every aspect of their operations more efficiently, enabling better strategic planning and enhancing overall productivity. Platforms such as AgriWebb, Accu-Trac by Micro Technologies, Cattler, FarmTell Beef and FarmTell Views by DSM-Firmenich, and Performance Livestock Analytics can provide multiple options of reports, ranging from real-time, daily or time-series reports related to animal inventory, feed availability, health records and financial metrics of the operation cycle.
Learn, adapt, repeat
In response to these challenges and the need for practical education on emerging technologies, Texas A&M University's Beef Cattle Short Course regularly hosts AgTech sessions and workshops. This series provides a platform for producers, students, researchers and technology developers to share and explore the latest innovations in farm and ranch management. This initiative, which added a workshop component in 2024, has quickly become a highlight session to foster discussions and demonstrations that showcase how technology can improve sustainability, efficiency and profitability in beef operations.
Other opportunities to learn about these technologies are available through cooperative extensions (Colorado State’s AgNext has information on virtual fencing and grazing management tech; Purdue University has an extensive digital agriculture webinar series library on YouTube) or at trade shows such as CattleCon and the Beef Improvement Federation’s Annual Research Symposium.
Looking to the future
The cattle industry is poised for transformation. The key lies in viewing technology as a powerful tool to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency, rather than a replacement for ranching expertise. By embracing these innovations thoughtfully, farmers and ranchers can position themselves to meet the challenges of the future while continuing to steward the land and animals under their care.
