BASF acquires digital livestock farming technology company
Cloudfarms, which currently works with farmers in over 37 countries, was founded in 2013. It is headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia.
BASF says this livestock farm management technology enables producers, located anywhere around the world, to continuously improve the efficiency and productivity of complex farming operations.
The system allows farmers manage, track and analyze their production data from daily operations in real-time. Connecting and analyzing data across the value chain helps to increase efficiency, animal vitality and sustainability, added the German firm.
The acquisition of Cloudfarms is a key milestone underlining BASF’s efforts to advance as a leading ingredients and solutions provider for the livestock sector, remarked Daniela Calleri, vice president, business management, BASF Animal Nutrition.
Commenting on the deal, Jens Toppenberg, co-founder and managing director, Cloudfarms, said the technology provider is “very excited about the valuable prospects this partnership will bring to livestock producers.”
Efficiency and sustainability goals
The idea is to combine Cloudfarms’ digital capabilities with BASF’s scientific expertise in animal nutrition. BASF wants to scale up Cloudfarms’ pig production management system globally.
But that won’t happen overnight.
Calleri told FeedNavigator: “At the moment, our priority is focused on welcoming and integrating the Cloudfarms team into our business and we are also in the process of developing the roadmap together to leverage Cloudfarms’ advanced technology and customer experience with BASF’s industry network, global market reach and scientific expertise in animal nutrition and sustainability.”
In addition, BASF will develop new digital solutions for customers along the livestock value chain, she said.
“With these synergies, we expect to improve our product offering by leveraging data for product innovation and offer customers data-based insights on efficiency and sustainability.
“Connecting value chain data and smart analytics will enable us to match the animal’s requirements, sustainable resource input, and product development at an optimal level, which can only be guessed without data insights.”
Asked whether there is a way of linking the on-farm data under the Cloudfarms technology to the feed mill to enhance feed structure, pellet size, or other feed processing parameters to aid on-farm animal nutrition, Calleri said:
“The technological possibility already exists. The implementation of the data exchange is part of the roadmap that we are currently developing.”
