Rockwell Automation has announced a partnership with ISAP India Foundation aimed at modernizing dairy farming in the water-scarce region of Antargaon in Maharashtra’s Wardha District. This collaboration, titled “Economic and Social Development of Indian Village Through Technology-Enabled Dairy Farming,” includes involvement from technology implementation partner eVerse.AI for the execution of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) project.
India, with the world’s largest bovine population, is a significant milk producer. Nonetheless, challenges persist, such as low milk-yield per animal and inadequate milk product quality. The decentralized structure of dairy farming and limited awareness about scientific veterinary practices among rural farmers exacerbate these issues.
Partnering with ISAP India Foundation, a non-profit organization specializing in national-level livelihood promotion and agricultural marketing consultancy, Rockwell aims to enhance the livelihoods of dairy farmers in one of India’s most water-scarce areas. This involves utilizing innovative products and services leveraging digital technologies for livestock development through scientifically-proven veterinary practices.
The initiative offers various services to dairy farmers, including:
· Provision of Internet of Things (IoT) enabled collar devices for monitoring vital health parameters of dairy animals.
· Mobile phone-based alerts and advice to farmers from veterinary experts.
· Adoption of a muzzle-based biometric identification system to provide digital identity to animals along with a 12-digit Pashu Aadhar.
· Utilization of eVerse.AI’s CowGPT platform for providing accurate insights and advisory services to dairy farmers regarding animal health, ration balancing, fodder development, supply of quality animal feed, village-level animal health services, dairy farming extension programs (training, demonstrations, expert visits), market integration activities for milk sale, and the creation of additional revenue sources for families of dairy farmers through animal waste products.
The project, launched in May 2023, has shown promising results. A recent field visit to Antargaon showcased progress to local dairy farmers through an interactive session. Farmers provided positive feedback, noting a 15-20% increase in milk production over the last six months. Additionally, milk quality has improved, enabling them to command higher prices and increase household income.
“We are pleased to witness the early success of our CSR project in Antargaon, Maharashtra,” stated Dilip Sawhney, Managing Director of Rockwell Automation India. “This initiative is delivering tangible benefits to local farmers by enhancing their incomes and improving the management of their farm animals’ health and reproductive cycles through technology. We believe projects like this will contribute to better incomes and a higher quality of life in rural Indian communities.”