Kurokawa Pasture Cooperative Association
Pasture area: 1,410 ha
Altitude: 932 m
Number of grazing animals: 370 (Japanese Black cattle, Japanese Brown cattle, and horses)
Number of gateways installed: 1
Number of collars introduced: 15
Number of people managing the pasture: 2 employees
Terrain features: A vast grazing area with many steep slopes and valleys
Grazing period: Year-round grazing (no regular patrols by herdsmen except from April 1 to December 20)
― What challenges do you face in grazing management due to Aso’s climate and terrain?
There are a lot of valleys here. The grazing land is also steep, so compared with other pastures, cows are more likely to fall into valleys.
― How did you manage cattle on the pasture before introducing Ushimiru?
We used to patrol both the western and eastern sides of the pasture once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
― How often do problems occur?
Each year, about two or three cows fall into valleys. It happened several times this year as well, but those cows were not wearing Ushimiru collars.
As for cows breaking through fences, that happens fairly often in winter, once the grass in the mountains is gone. When they start escaping, they usually go out through the same place each time.
When cows get out, we often receive calls from the police or local residents telling us that cattle are out. Regardless of the cause, I would say that around five or six cows die each year. Sometimes we only find out later that a cow has died, and in situations like that, I think Ushimiru can really help.
― Did you have any concerns about stress or behavioral changes after attaching the collars?
Did you have any concerns about stress or behavioral changes after attaching the collars? It was also easy to attach the collars.
―How do you usually use Ushimiru?
We check the cattle’s location on a smartphone before going out for patrols or feeding.
― How has Ushimiru changed the way you patrol and work?
When we look at Ushimiru, we can roughly tell where the cattle are. That means we do not have to keep searching all over the pasture. We can go straight to the area where they are, and that has been very helpful.
― Can you share a moment when you felt Ushimiru was especially useful?
It is especially helpful during feeding. We can get a rough idea of where the cattle are, so we do not have to spend time searching across the pasture. That has reduced the time needed to find them.
― Are there any improvements you would like to see in Ushimiru going forward?
I think this is probably because the pasture is so large, but the signal reception is not always very good.
The gateway is placed near the center of the pasture, and I hope the signal can eventually reach farther areas more reliably. That said, I think many of us, myself included, feel that Ushimiru has been helpful. It lets us see the cattle’s location at a glance, and without it, searching over such a large area would be very difficult.
So if the communication becomes more stable and we can see the cows’ location in real time more consistently, it would be even better.
― How do you feel about introducing Ushimiru in terms of cost, including pasture management costs?
Income from boarding fees has been declining for a long time, and without subsidies, it would be difficult to manage this pasture at all.
If we were to introduce Ushimiru on a full scale, it would be tough to pay for it using only the pasture’s own budget unless subsidies or other support were available.
― What kind of pasture do you think Ushimiru is best suited for?
Signal transmission is naturally better on flatter pastureland.
That said, if it can be used in a way that matches the conditions of the site, I think it is still very useful even on large pastures, because it helps us find the cattle more easily.
Note: Depending on the size and terrain of the pasture, installing multiple gateways can help create a more stable communication environment.
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