Cost-benefit analysis of digital and precision livestock farming technologies for sheep and goat farms

Sm@RT is a EU Horizon 2020 funded project, involving 8 countries, which aims to encourage technology uptake by sheep and goats farmers. In a series of national and international workshops, farmers identified 166 different needs and challenges regarding technology use on their farms. Sixty potential solutions were collated and proposed to farmers, who voted to retain 30 different technologies across the sheep (meat and dairy) and goat (dairy) industries; each subsequently had a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) undertaken. For context, each CBA was based on a benchmark farm. Information on initial set-up and running costs of each technology, training requirements and potential benefits were collated. An overall summary included an ease-of-use scale, information on value for money, and a recommendation for different types of sheep and goat farms. These CBAs enable farmers to assess objectively whether a technology is appropriate for their farm needs, system and budget. The impact of using each technology is highlighted by the range of potential benefits associated with social, environmental and welfare topics. Benefits relating to flock management, labour efficiency and animal welfare were evident for many of the solutions proposed.