Ranchers in the Holy Land are turning to airborne drones in hopes of discovering a far more efficient method of herding cattle; BeeFree Agro believes it can eliminate costs for ranchers while lowering stress within the herd itself.
Regardless of the line of work, efficiency is always a key pursuit, as well as time management. It is also likely that you would never put the words “rancher” and “drone” in the same sentence – until now. BeeFree Agro believes their product has the potential to revolutionize the world of ranching.
After initially utilizing drones for the sake of “visual security” on ranches in northern Israel, BeeFree quickly realized that the drone accomplished far more than they originally set out for it to do. This is how their drone, ‘Joe,’ became a reality. Not only are ranchers provided with an efficient means of obtaining visual security over their land and animals, but Joe offers what has been revealed to be an extremely effective method for herding cattle.
According to BeeFree Agro:
“JOE is a technological system that moves up to 1000 heads of cattle over vast expanses of land without human intervention, using a single drone. Named after our favorite herding dog, JOE displays all the characteristics of a good herding pal: intelligent, loyal, follows orders, autonomous, fast and easy to operate. JOE revolutionized our lives, significantly reducing our operations costs and organizational and personal stress levels. Join us in pursuit of faster, simpler and more cost-effective ranching.”
Furthermore, they claim that Joe helps them to maintain their way of life via a threefold system of analyzing, planning, and executing. Joe not only detects where cattle are located, but it also identifies potential terrain obstacles and provides the best route by which to move the cattle. After forming a plan of action, Joe “autonomously herds the cattle according to plan.”
The drone operates autonomously as long as the rancher remains within a three-mile radius. Amazingly, it’s equipped with the parameters of the individual’s land, including landmarks like pastures, gates, cattle guards, etc. And after the rancher inputs which location he wants the drone to work, sets the initial destination of the drone, and programs the ideal route, he/she can press “Go” and watch the drone go to work while they continue other projects. Joe also provides real-time footage.
Undoubtedly, Joe has several selling points – its autonomous operation capabilities, cost-effectiveness, and even user-friendliness, just to name a few.
Another benefit of Joe is that it offers a less stressful environment for the cattle. BeeFree Agro CEO Noam Azran stated in an interview, “Using a drone, instead of cowboys and dogs, creates a much less stressful environment for the animals, and an animal that is less stressful is a lot healthier and more productive.”
While Joe was developed in the Jewish State, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has already shown interest in the product as well, which is just the tip of the iceberg as far as its worldwide market potential is concerned.
