What is three birds with one stone in the "Space Cow Project"?
July 20, 18:01
I heard that the "Space Cattle Project" is currently underway in Kagoshima Prefecture, which has the largest number of Japanese beef cattle in Japan.
What kind of connection is there between "universe" and "cow"?
What's more, this project is called "Three Birds with One Stone".
(Kagoshima Bureau Reporter Kotaro Inomata)
Cows receive radio waves from satellites!
??
"You can meet" space cows ","
said Professor Takafumi Goto of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University. I headed to the ranch in Shibushi City in the eastern part of the prefecture.
When I arrived at the ranch and saw the cows grazing, it seemed that they were just eating grass, but I noticed that a device slightly smaller than a smartphone was attached to their neck.
It is said that this device, in fact, receives radio waves from artificial satellites such as "Michibiki" mounted on the H2A rocket launched from Tanegashima last year.
The position of the cow is measured by the received radio wave.
The exact position of the current cow is sent to the livestock farmer's smartphone at any time.
Professor Goto, Kagoshima University
"It shows the movement of cows in the pasture within the last hour.
It is also called the" Space Cow Project "."
The aim of the "Space Cow Project" is
What is the aim of the "Space Cow Project"?
I visited an agricultural corporation in Shibushi City that is participating in the project.
This agricultural corporation has been grazing beef cattle for three years in an attempt to effectively utilize the abandoned cultivated land that continues to increase due to the aging of farmers.
The number of abandoned cultivated land grazing has increased to about 40, but it was difficult to look around every day because each area is small and dispersed.
Agricultural corporation Sakaue Serada Farm manager
"If it is true, I would like to raise it on a large ranch, such as tens of hectares like Hokkaido, but it is difficult because the fields are really small in the mountainous areas."
Efficiently from a remote location
That's where the "Space Cow Project" started.
In addition to Kagoshima University, Keio University, and Hokkaido University, major advertising agencies and JAXA = Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are also cooperating.
Professor Goto of Kagoshima University, who is the representative, aims to establish a technology that can efficiently manage cattle from a remote location using artificial satellites.
It is not only the location information of cows that can be monitored by satellite.
The device attached to the cow's neck also has a function to detect the inclination of the body, and it is said that it can grasp even if an abnormality such as an injury occurs in the cow.
In addition, images of pastures were taken from satellites.
By comparing the images, you can check the growth of grass and check if there is a shortage of food.
But don't worry if you run out of grass in the meadow.
Professor Goto's team has also developed a device that can automatically feed from a remote location.
You can automatically feed all the cows that have been trained to gather when you hear a sound, and you can also take a picture of it with a camera and check it with your smartphone.
Currently, we are renting one pasture land from an agricultural corporation in Shibushi City and conducting a demonstration experiment on five cows.
The price of the device attached to the cow's neck is about 20,000 yen, but the device that can feed fully automatically is over 7 million yen per unit because Professor Goto made a special order from a company.
We are planning to proceed with studies to reduce the cost of the equipment even in the demonstration experiment, but we believe that the price can be reduced if the project expands and the equipment becomes widespread in the future.
Professor Goto, Kagoshima University
"When I have a cow, I can't leave the cow every day.
I want to create a farmer who can live a life that suits the sustainable lifestyle of the future."
Expected to have the effect of three birds with one stone
It is said that the following three effects can be expected as the "Space Cow Project" progresses.
1. "Resolving labor shortage"
2. "Utilizing abandoned cultivated land"
3. "Reducing feed"
By using grass and weeds as the main food, we can reduce the amount of imported feed that is soaring due to the situation in Ukraine and the depreciation of the yen.
In addition, since cows roam freely during grazing, the meat is also rich in lean meat, and it is said that the original taste and aroma will be stronger.
The "Space Cow Project" has just begun, and there are issues such as how to keep costs down, but Professor Goto thinks that by advancing the project, we can present a new way of livestock farming.
Professor Goto, Kagoshima University
"I think that information from satellites and IoT can be used for detailed breeding.
How large a grass is given and how much supplementary feed is given to make it a business .
I would like to collect the data on whether the amount and quality of meat can be obtained. "
Digital transformation in the primary industry
Cows can make protein just by eating grass.
As the world's population continues to grow, I felt it was important to think about the usefulness of grazing in order to carry out livestock farming without relying on imported feed.
I thought that the primary industry and digital were not so related, but as I proceeded with the interview, I realized that there are many parts that can actually be utilized.
In addition to problems such as labor shortages and aging populations, Kagoshima Prefecture and other domestic primary industries are now exposed to the turbulent waves of the rapidly changing international situation, such as the rapid depreciation of the yen and soaring fuel prices.
I would like to continue to cover whether the utilization of new technologies will lead to the solution of these problems.
Kagoshima bureau reporter
Kotaro Inomata
Joined in 2004
After working at Maebashi bureau, Hakodate bureau, News 7,
etc.