SMARTFARMRANI – Progress Report: Period 2 Advances

The SMARTFARMRANI Operational Group is developing practical solutions to improve the sustainability, resilience and profitability of extensive beef cattle farms raising the native Avileña-Negra Ibérica breed.

This report presents the latest progress achieved during the second implementation period of the project.

Main activities carried out

• A new group of replacement heifers has been incorporated into the rearing centre.

• New feeding strategies are being tested by comparing different feed formulations and locally produced forages.

• Health monitoring has been expanded through additional sampling of heifers, breeding bulls and their farms of origin.

• Two artificial insemination campaigns have been completed to evaluate new reproductive management protocols.

• Animal welfare assessments have been carried out on all pilot farms and at the rearing centre.

• Electronic collars are being used to continuously monitor animal activity and behaviour.

• Environmental data have been collected to calculate the carbon footprint and perform Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a method used to measure the environmental impact of a production system throughout its entire life cycle.

• Researchers are analysing data to develop resilience indicators. These indicators help identify animals and farms that are better able to cope with health, environmental and production challenges.

• A common database is being developed to integrate information from nutrition, health, reproduction, animal welfare, behaviour and environmental sustainability.

Expected impact

The project will provide practical recommendations for farmers and technical advisors to:

• Improve animal health and welfare.

• Increase farm productivity and profitability.

• Reduce environmental impact.

• Support better decision-making through Precision Livestock Farming technologies.

• Strengthen the resilience of extensive beef cattle production systems under changing environmental conditions.

The project also continues to disseminate its results through technical publications, videos, seminars, livestock fairs and online communication activities to ensure that the knowledge generated reaches the livestock sector.