AI gives Belgian dairy farming a boost
Artificial intelligence is moving from the lab to the cowshed in Flanders, where researchers are developing tools to monitor cattle health, behaviour and welfare around the clock. Algorithms can already predict which calves have the best long-term potential as milk cows, helping farmers cut costs, improve efficiency and reduce emissions.
The work, led by PhD researcher Maarten Perneel at KU Leuven and Ghent University, was presented this week on a dairy farm in Lokeren. Perneel, who grew up on a family farm, combines practical know-how with data science. His studies have shown how genetic and historical farm data can be used to identify the most promising calves, a method recently published in the Journal of Dairy Science.
Perneel’s latest research goes further: computer vision that can recognise individual cows through video, even if they are lying down or partially hidden. The system tracks location and behaviour without sensors, detecting lameness, illness or abnormal activity in real time. By avoiding physical tags or wearables, the technology also benefits animal welfare.
Such applications remain rare in Europe, but the need is pressing. Flemish dairy farmers face mounting pressures from stricter environmental rules, labour shortages and falling numbers of new entrants. By acting as a 24/7 digital assistant, Perneel argues, AI can ease workloads, improve care for animals and help the sector become both more efficient and more sustainable.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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