Nishibaru Pasture Cooperative Association
Pasture area: 55 ha
Altitude: 843 m
Number of grazing cattle: Approx. 12
Number of gateways installed: 1
Number of collars introduced: 8
Number of staff managing grazing: 1
Terrain characteristics: Hilly pasture with deep valleys
Grazing operation period: Early May to the end of December
— Are there any difficulties in managing grazing cattle due to the climate and terrain unique to the Aso region?
Because the terrain is quite rugged, I think accidents are more likely to happen.
— How do you manage the cattle while they are grazing?
I do one patrol each morning. That hasn’t changed before or after introducing Ushimiru.
— What made you decide to introduce Ushimiru?
We were informed about it by the local government office, and we’ve been using it since around the year before last.
— When introducing the collars, were you concerned about behavioral changes or stress in the cattle?
Our cattle were already wearing a different device around their necks, so I wasn’t too worried about that. That said, Collar Model 1 has a fairly large and heavy box,*1 which I do find a bit concerning. When cattle are grazing, there are places like forked tree branches, so I’m slightly worried it could get caught on something like that (it hasn’t happened so far, though).
— In what situations do you typically use Ushimiru?
When I look around the pasture in the morning and can’t see the cattle. However, so far, whenever I go to check, they’re always there 100% of the time, so I haven’t really felt the benefit yet. But this year, there was an accident where one animal got stuck in a water channel. In situations like that, if the animal were wearing Ushimiru, we could identify its location quickly, which would increase the chances of rescuing it. That’s a valuable point, I think.
— Did you get used to operating Ushimiru and fitting the collars quickly?
When I use it on a smartphone, the map is hard to see, and I find it a bit difficult. In the field, hardly anyone checks Ushimiru on a computer, so if it were easier to view on smartphones, it would be even more user-friendly.
— Is the communication range between the gateway and the Ushimiru collars sufficient for your pasture?
Surprisingly, the valleys don’t pick up the signal very well.*2 Accidents are more likely to happen in valleys, and as the grass runs low, the cattle gradually move toward the valleys, so it would be ideal if the signal could be received reliably there.
— What effects do you think Ushimiru can bring?
Because the cattle move as a herd, for managing this pasture, it might be enough to put it on just one animal to understand where all of them are. However, if you consider the possibility of accidents like slipping and falling, it may be better to equip every animal so they can be found more quickly.
— If you were to recommend Ushimiru to other farms, what would you highlight?
I think it would be extremely useful for operations that are struggling with labor shortages. We’re fortunate to have enough people right now, so we’re okay at the moment. But for example, if in the future I had to manage everything alone, using something like this would make management much easier. If you’re managing alone, there will be days when you can’t go out to the pasture. In those cases, you can use Ushimiru to check the cattle’s status and location remotely.
*1 A thinner and lighter “Ushimiru Collar Model 2” is also available for purchase in addition to “Ushimiru Collar Model 1.”
*2 Depending on the pasture size and terrain, installing multiple gateways can create a more stable communication environment.
