News

• The BOVIEX 4.0 Operational Group strengthens traceability and animal welfare in the livestock sector, adding value to the final product.
• The integration of sensors, geolocation, and data analysis allows for the optimization of extensive cattle management.

Extensive livestock farming plays a key role in socioeconomic balance, the preservation of rural areas, and sustainable food production. However, this production model faces significant challenges related to profitability, efficient resource management, and the need to adapt to an increasingly digitalized environment.

In this context, the Operational Group (OG) BOVIEX 4.0 emerges , an initiative that is committed to incorporating advanced technology into extensive cattle farms to improve their productive efficiency, reduce economic losses and facilitate the daily work of farmers, without losing sight of animal welfare and the sustainability of the system.

Goals

GO BOVIEX 4.0 was created with the aim of modernizing extensive livestock farming through digital tools that allow for more precise and efficient management. Its main lines of work are:

• Improve the profitability of farms through systems that optimize production and reduce costs.

• To detect early clinical or physiological signs in animals in order to act quickly.

• Optimizing grazing management in extensive farms.

• To improve the quality of life of livestock farmers by facilitating decision-making.

• Adding value to extensive production.

Innovation

One of the project's key focuses is the integration of technological solutions into livestock management. Using devices developed by specialized companies, GO BOVIEX 4.0 is working to improve monitoring systems that allow for continuous animal tracking. The research areas are:

• Geolocation systems that allow you to know the location of livestock at all times.

• Development of new functionalities, such as temperature measurement to detect possible health problems.

• Use of satellite data and digital tools to improve pasture management.

• Adapting these technologies to the specific needs of each breed and farm.

This technological advancement not only improves current farm management but also paves the way for the progressive adoption of digital tools in the sector. In this regard, Juan María Gallardo, coordinator of GO BOVIEX 4.0, emphasizes: “It is very gratifying that livestock farmers are working with tools such as GPS collars and satellite analysis systems, because it demonstrates that digitalization is here to stay in the sector.”

Results

The project has already concluded with positive results, both in terms of technology adoption and collaboration between livestock farmers and participating organizations. Furthermore, it has advanced our understanding of animal welfare in extensive farming systems. Key results include:

• High level of animal welfare in breeds such as Avileña-Negra Ibérica and Asturiana de los Valles.

• Animals with good body condition, adequate nutrition and low incidence of disease.

• Identifying improvements in aspects such as water management and handling facilities.

• Complete record of the location of the animals throughout their productive life.

• Generation of verifiable information about the production system.

• Greater transparency for the end consumer and enhanced food safety.

In the words of Juan María Gallardo, “the experience has been very positive, as it has allowed farmers and technology companies to connect, facilitating their digitalization and making their daily lives easier.”

Participants and funding

The GO BOVIEX 4.0 is coordinated by the Royal Spanish Federation of Associations of Selected Livestock (RFEAGAS) and is made up of:

• Royal Spanish Association of Breeders of Select Cattle of the Avileña-Negra Ibérica Breed (RAEANI)  

• Spanish Association of Breeders of Select Cattle of the Asturian Valley Breed (ASEAVA)  

• Digitanimal SL  

The project has received aid of 598,672.43 euros, financed 100% by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) from the European Union Recovery Instrument (EU Next Generation) and framed within the National Rural Development Programme 2014-2022 (PNDR), within the cooperation actions through the European Innovation Partnership on agricultural productivity and sustainability (EIP-Agri).