NetFLOX: remote poultry farming fit for a post-pandemic world
Lead Participant:
FLOX LIMITED
Abstract
This project will develop NetFLOX -- an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system providing poultry farmers with 24/7 media feeds, decision-support data and real-time alerts to improve welfare and performance and reduce environmental impact.
NetFLOX is a remote farm management system with initial applications in the high-welfare UK broiler industry. The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated an endemic labour shortage while underscoring the biosecurity risks of human/livestock interaction. Increased demand for chicken (which spiked further during lockdown) has necessitated farmers building nearer residential locations and vulnerable SSSI ecosystems such as peat-bogs -- particularly in key poultry-producing regions Devon and Shropshire.
In addition, with Brexit looming, the UK is opening itself up to cheaper, potentially chlorinated, low-welfare chicken from the USA. This is putting significant pressure on UK broiler farmers to 'race to the welfare bottom', or find a solution to compete -- all in the context of a post-pandemic world. To help the industry scale sustainably, and remain resilient to "unprecedented times", automation and evidence-led management are a must... and the time is now.
**NetFLOX represents the future of farming: remote, low-impact, high-welfare, and with greatly reduced risk of zoonosis.**
NetFLOX is a remote farm management system with initial applications in the high-welfare UK broiler industry. The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated an endemic labour shortage while underscoring the biosecurity risks of human/livestock interaction. Increased demand for chicken (which spiked further during lockdown) has necessitated farmers building nearer residential locations and vulnerable SSSI ecosystems such as peat-bogs -- particularly in key poultry-producing regions Devon and Shropshire.
In addition, with Brexit looming, the UK is opening itself up to cheaper, potentially chlorinated, low-welfare chicken from the USA. This is putting significant pressure on UK broiler farmers to 'race to the welfare bottom', or find a solution to compete -- all in the context of a post-pandemic world. To help the industry scale sustainably, and remain resilient to "unprecedented times", automation and evidence-led management are a must... and the time is now.
**NetFLOX represents the future of farming: remote, low-impact, high-welfare, and with greatly reduced risk of zoonosis.**
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
| FLOX LIMITED | £214,345 | £ 171,476 |
Participant |
||
| UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER | £65,381 | £ 65,381 |
| INNOVATE UK | ||
| COLE AGRI-TRADING LTD | £91,854 | £ 73,483 |
People |
ORCID iD |
| Imtiaz Shams (Project Manager) |