USE OF INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICTs) FOR GOOD DAIRY FARMING PRACTICES:REVOLUTIONISING THE INDIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY

USE OF INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICTs) FOR GOOD DAIRY FARMING PRACTICES:REVOLUTIONISING THE INDIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY

The Indian dairy industry has benefited greatly in recent years from technology-driven products, facilities, and solutions. Technology will be critical in bringing in and maintaining the country’s third white revolution. The role of technology in the dairy industry has grown from automated/ mechanized milk collection and testing the composition of milk at the village level to real-time milk procurement, assessment of total milk quality parameters, automatic dairy plant operation, and so on. With the click of a button, one can now track data/ information at the farmer level in the milk pool. In addition, technology is making critical inroads to modernize and revolutionize the dairy sector’s other major spheres.

The right technology and its proper application are needed to assist the largely unorganized Indian dairy industry to structure itself better. The majority of the pain points, or challenges experienced in handling a perishable commodity such as milk, can only be solved by using technology-based solutions. An attempt is being made to digitize as many data points as possible.

Given below are the areas wherein the role of technology has been acknowledged and adoption is expected to grow further:-

Milk Quality and Freshness: Milk is a perishable commodity. It has a tendency to go stale i.e. undergo adverse irreversible quality deterioration if not chilled in time including pasteurization, freezing, and other preservation methods. Milk can now be detected for freshness and thanks to the advancements in technology; it can be processed in such a way that it can be used for a longer duration. Milk purity, microbial load, adulterants, and shelf life can now all be calculated using technology-based apps and programs at the farmer, dairy plant, and customer levels. A few quality criteria that used to necessitate well-established laboratories, wet chemistry techniques, and time-consuming methodologies are being replaced by technology-driven devices.

Monitoring Supply Chain Systems: Due to its dependence on various factors such as cold temperatures, weather, shelf life, and so on, the dairy supply chain in India is highly complex. Milk is one of those products that need to get to its customers in the best possible condition soonest. As a result, technology plays an important role in ensuring timely distribution, cold chain maintenance, and so on. In addition, the supply chain’s participants can efficiently control inventory. The cold chain management system is expected to advance at a breakneck speed. Cold chain systems are now mounted at the shelf level in the malls or marketplace, rather than being confined to insulated/ refrigerated trucks, warehouses, or cold stores/ freezers.

E-commerce Marketplace: Technology is fully responsible for connecting consumers and businesses. On the back end, the seller is linked to the farmers/ suppliers to ensure/ monitor the in-flow of milk. The seller can easily ensure product traceability on both sides of forwarding and backward linkages. Farmers and dairy producers will obtain doorstep services on their smartphones especially with modern equipment and advisory services made possible by technological advancements.

There are numerous initiatives under implementation/ development while technology is gaining acceptance at the farmer level because of its usefulness and ease of adoption, i.e.

Farm Management Systems: A dairy farm must ensure that all of its activities are running smoothly. Farm management systems can assist in the digitization of output and operation processes. Access to energy, a data revolution, and the humble smartphone, with access to wider markets, verifiable knowledge, and high-quality services, are the first steps in empowering farmers. Technology has made it very simple for a farmer to keep track of large herd sizes using an app-based system that can operate on mobile phones. At scale, online payments to farmers are easing operations, providing financial independence, and lowering costs.

Wherein the herd record, performance of cows, managing the breeding cycle, lactation cycle, and vaccination schedule is kept so handy and alerts are generated for a specific activity required at farm/ cow level. There are a few applications that can measure the nutritional needs of cows and feed them accordingly. These programs will automate and digitize a dairy farm’s end-to-end operations. Farmers may also track cattle health, diet, lactation, health conditions, pregnancy, and other factors using RFID-based chips in real-time. Robotic milking machines and herd tracking drones are already being used to control vast dairy farms in developing countries.

Product Traceability: Consumers are becoming more health-conscious and knowledgeable about the origins and quality of the foods they eat. The food supply chain’s traceability is important for consumer retention. The reason why numbers of dairy producers are turning to technology is to show farmers where their products are going, as well as how the milk is being processed and used. Consumers may also use technology, such as a QR code on their phones, to track how their product was collected, packaged, shipped, and then stored.

The Indian dairy industry is really at an inflection point, with multiple opportunities to broaden its influence around the world. As we witness a radically different global paradigm, the dairy industry can play a crucial role in democratizing India’s entrepreneurship landscape, bringing rural communities into the mainstream. It is imperative that we do full justice to the demographic dividend bestowed upon us, and facilitate innovation, efficiency, and scale for the dairy industry.

This lesson will introduce the concept and strength of Information technology (IT), importance of computerization in dairy industry, applications of IT in Dairy Industries and an overview of course contents. These topics will be useful to create IT awareness among the students and its importance and applications in dairy industry.

IT has emerged as a frontier know how for addressing complex problems related to any subject. Innovations made in the field of information technology have revolutionized the ways of collection, storage, retrieval, processing & communication of qualitative & value added information.  Information technology has made a great impact on the society. In computer age, not even a single area whether scientific, commercial, art, social, etc., is untouched from the benefits of information technology. It has, therefore, become an integral part of academic curriculum of almost every discipline. IT has played a significant role in food and dairy processing as well, particularly in the solution of problems, data collection and analysis, online production monitoring, image processing, sensory evaluation, quality control, process control, etc., in addition to routine applications such as word processing and graphics.

The dairy sector has grown many folds during the last few decades, the changes being particularly perceivable after the liberalization of Indian economy, which has opened new opportunities in this area. Though India is the number one milk producing country in the world, most of the milk is consumed in raw form rather than milk products partly due to lack of adequate milk processing facilities. The demand for milk and milk products is increasing day by day. With the rise in economic status, the consumer is more conscious about quality of milk products. Multi-national companies are coming forward for setting up of large dairy farms and milk processing plants with huge investments. To keep high quality standards, these upcoming plants are fully automated.  Most of the machines are process control and computer numerical control (CNC) based to perform routine plant operations. Activities related to personnel, finance, marketing, inventory management, supply chain management etc. are being computerized using high end software such as ERP, SAP, etc.

 Information Technology

IT has become a popular word among common men. IT is a converging spectrum of technologies that includes telecommunications (such as telephony, cable, satellite, and computer networks), computing (computers, intranet, the Internet, software and mobile phones) and broadcasting (Radio and TV technologies). Internet is the latest in the range of IT spectrum. IT facilitates in collection, storage, processing, analyzing, retrieval, transfer and dissemination of information and communication services.

Information technology is associated with mankind since the development of printing press. Therefore, it is not a new item, only the method and tools have changed from old time. Developments in the field of IT have transformed the world in information and communication sector. They have made old services more efficient and as well as added new services and new dimensions in the services. IT was the key technology of the 20th century and will also play a lead role in 21st century. Reduction in the prices of computing and communication devices has played a significant role in bringing IT to the door step of common man.  IT has made a great impact on all corners of the society. Today we are living in the age of Information Society, that is a society where the ability to access, search, use, create, and exchange information is the key for individual and collective well being. Internet along with World Wide Web (WWW) is one of the most interesting and exciting phenomena of IT for information dissemination.

Information technology includes all matters concerned with the furtherance of computer science and technology and with the design, development, installation and implementation of information systems and applications. Information technology architecture is an integrated framework for acquiring and evolving IT to achieve strategic goals. It has both logical and technical components. Logical components include objectives, functional and information requirements, system configurations, and information flows. Technical components include IT standards and rules that will be used to implement the logical structure. The technology of computers, telecommunications, and other devices that integrate data, equipment, personnel, and problem solving methods in planning and controlling business activities is called Information Technology.

Government of India has also recognized the importance of IT applications in all functional areas including animal husbandry and dairying. This is evidently reflected from the recommendations of the National Task Force on IT for linking all villages through computer network. Subsequently, some progressive states and organizations/institutions have made pioneering efforts in this direction. As a result, a few villages have been linked together through a computer network in some regions of the country, viz., Warna Wired Villages (in Maharashtra state) and MS Swaminathan Info Villages in Chennai, Information Village of MANAGE, Hyderabad, e-choupals developed by ITC Ltd., Secundrabad, etc. These info villages are connected thorough hybrid form of wired and wireless technologies for communications. They are using Indian regional and local languages for effective interaction among the farmers and the experts such as Tamil, Marathi, Hindi, etc.

 Strength of IT

Major strength of IT lies in collection, storage, processing, analyzing, retrieval and dissemination of information. The application of electronic communication, information digitization and imaging technologies offers new and effective methods of developing and delivery of instructions, training and learning over the traditional methods. Following are the advantages of using IT tools:

�         Speed and accuracy of data processing

�         Large storage capacity of data or information

�         Variety of tasks can be performed

�         Automation of activities for example process control applications

�         Reduction in cost in long run

�         Reduced manpower requirement

�         Better quality of work, improved customer image, management confidence, etc.

�         Promoting informatics led resource planning and management

�         Strengthening research, education, training, extension and development linkages

�         Improved marketing of milk and milk products

�         E-commerce for direct linkages between local producers, traders, retailers and suppliers.

 

Importance of Computerization in Dairy Industry

In India, dairy sector is growing very fast. At present, India is the largest milk producing country in the world.  India’s milk production is increasing at the rate of more than 3.5% while in the world it is increasing at rate of 1%, approximately. A number of dairy plants in organized sector are coming up to handle large quantity of milk to meet the demand of public for providing quality milk and milk products at low cost. A large dairy plant involves diversified activities like procurement of milk, processing of milk, manufacturing of milk products, marketing, inventory control, human resource management, etc. The complexity in these operations increases with scaling up of handling capacity of milk, manufacturing variety of milk products and multiple locations of manufacturing units.  Therefore, it is imperative to employ state-of-the-art information technology tools to manage multifaceted operations of dairy plant and to disseminate information efficiently and effectively by minimizing losses during handling, processing, manufacturing and transportation of milk and milk products.

Applications of information technology have been proved very beneficial in management and operation of dairy plants. Computer based information systems and process controlled machines have assisted the management in speeding up data processing activities and maintaining quality control of milk products. For example various computerized operations like receiving of milk at dock yard and checking its quality instantly, timely payment to suppliers, monitoring manufacturing process, labor efficiency, PFA standard of milk products, tracking employee’s record, etc., have shown tremendous improvement and impact of IT on end users.

The Structure of Dairying in Developing Countries

From the historical viewpoint, the origin of dairying lies in the developing countries, in Mesopotamia to be precise, at around 6000-7000 BC. From this region, milk production and milk consumption spread to other regions in Europe, North and East Africa, and Asia. The developing countries can be divided into traditional and non-traditional milk producers. Traditional milk-producing regions are, roughly, the countries of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, the Savannah regions of Western Africa and the Highlands of Eastern Africa, and to some extent South and Central America. Further, the consumption of milk and dairy products played an important role among the nomads in Africa and Asia.The majority of the humid regions, South East Asia, China, Korea, and Japan, account for the non-traditional milk-producing countries. Nevertheless, for example in China, milk was regarded as very beneficial for the ill and the elderly.

In the `traditional’ milk-producing regions in Asia and also partly in Africa, the structure of milk production is characterized by small farms with not more than three or four animals. Dairying there is nearly always part of a mixed farming system. The dairy cattle are often used as draught animals as well. Livestock are fed principally on agricultural residues and waste, and are grazed on natural pastures of non-arable land. Cattle husbandry and milk production is largely supported on the by-products of agriculture. In this way, a nutritionally superior product is produced in an ecologically and environmentally favorable way.

In Central and South America, the scale and design of dairying are medium, with mixed beef and dairy operations. The average milk production per cow is higher than in the regions mentioned above, at about 1000 kg per year, but it ranges from 1400 kg to 1900 kg in Chile and the Eastern part of the Argentine, the whole of Uruguay, and the Southern part of Brazil. Nevertheless, here too the small producer also plays an important role. Estimates indicate that in the majority of the Latin American and Caribbean countries between 60 per cent and 80 per cent of the milk producers can be classified as small-scale producers, accounting for 25 to 30 per cent of milk production in these countries.

In the `non-traditional’ milk-producing countries the structure of dairying is more varied. Especially in the tropical and subtropical regions, besides small farms there are also large-scale specialized dairy farms, sometimes with several hundred cows or more, most of which were founded in colonial times or after the Second World War. In the economies with a centrally planned history, there are often still large-scale capital-intensive and specialized state farms, for example in Cuba, China, Ethiopia and Tanzania. Saudi Arabia, for instance, also has large-scale dairy farms with up to several thousand dairy cows.

Characteristics of the Future

The future of smallholder dairying in the tropics will be characterized by a number of unique factors. These will be increasingly recognized as characteristics of importance in their own right rather than variations from a desirable norm in dairy production, as may currently be the case. Such characteristics would include:

• production of milk as one of many outputs from integrated farming systems
• reliance on smallholder dairying for the majority of local area milk and milk product supply
• a increased focus for low cost fresh milk production for local towns
• production of boutique milk products, in many cases oriented to local tastes
• utilization of waste and by-products as principle animal feeds
• adaptation to and utilization of available local inputs
• development based on self-help, leading in some cases to communally-owned processing facilities
• optimizing rather than maximizing milk production within a low cost production system
• national agricultural research system investment in smallholder dairying research
• linkages between rural and urban areas through provision of transportable nutritious and, in a preserved form, non-perishable product.

Application of Computer in Dairy Industry

From a distinguished and misunderstood history to the present day, with the application of a number of indigenously developed techniques, and the increasing application of adapted technologies from international research, smallholder dairying in the tropics has established a viable and expanding future. The application of knowledge has been advocated by many, they provided respectability for a field which in the 2000s should come of age. Nevertheless, in linking social and natural scientists in support of further development of smallholder dairying in the tropics, a wider understanding by scientists and educators is needed. Scientists must understand the indissoluble link between adoption, new technology development and socio-cultural requirements, and small farmers who have traditionally been neglected and who need education about the inter-relationships between technologies. As with many aspects of less developed country agriculture and indeed integrated farming systems, it is difficult to define an individual as a smallholder dairy farmer alone as this may be simply one of many occupations. The paradigm used in our analysis of such enterprises is in itself a limitation to our ability to further improve complex, efficient, integrated systems. The challenge for development agencies, scientists and educators remains one of further increasing their own knowledge of the variables and relationships within such highly integrated systems and the central role of the smallholder in them. (http://www.ilri.org)

Milk Procurement & Billing

Analysis of data for number of milk supplying centers based on quality and quantity was a tiresome job before the computerized billing system came in dairy industry. One can visualize receiving milk in two shifts from thousands of procurement centers. Added with this dynamics, there are other complex payment conditions relating to milk procurement and pricing policies, fat basis, double axis basis, total solids basis, incentives for promoting milk procurement quantity and quality, negative incentives for controlling non-genuine and poor quality milk etc. A number of persons were required in manual system to manage this, which was time consuming and less flexible too. But the computer application made it feasible to frequently bill and pay. Computer application has proved a boon in managing huge information relating to milk collection, quality monitoring, technical inputs, monitoring of artificial insemination activities and providing timely payment to milk producers. Computerized information system can help to determine milk procurement cost and its impact on sale price. Quick analysis of milk value would be helpful in effective purchase of milk and conserve commodities.

Optimization of Product Composition

Measurement of milk composition is essential for the dairy industry and management of dairy farm. The quality of milk has direct influence on the quality of processed milk products. Frequent measurement of the milk composition of every individual cow is important for animal breeding, efficient usage of cows and for nutrition management (Svennersten-Sjaunja, Slaunja, Bertilsson, & Wiktorsson, 1997).  Identification of silent variants of milk proteins; Control of the quality of milk samples submitted for routine analysis; Effects of milk composition on cheese yield and quality.(Ashwani Kumar Kush, 2005)

Plant Automation

Automation with fully integrated or part wise is done to suit the dairy’s requirement. Fully automatic plant employs automatic operations for the entire operations. As discussed earlier, data are captured on computersystem for milk quantity and quality. Based on the collection and demand of the market for milk and milk product, planning is done. Full automation with on line displays/ messages keep informed for timely monitoring. All information regarding stock of milk and milk products, receipt /dispatches, losses etc. are known without any lapse of time to manage the operations. Computerized operations can control the product quality in better way. For this sensor or good sensitivity is employed to measure the process outcome. Sensor feedback is given to controller for adjustment of variable that are responsible for quality attribute. They convert the farm produce into products with desired attributes using unit operation such as drying, evaporation, cooking, etc. Process control is used to run these operations economically to give safe products consistently.

A computer model is developed for accurate control of milk temperature as affected by fouling. It can calculate accurately the increase in steam temperature required for maintaining the desired milk sterilization temperature. The results with steam control are compared with the results without any control and this procedure was found satisfactory for controlling the milk outlet temperature. (P.K. Nema, A.K. Datta, 2005) Computer-aided computation, being fast, facilitates on-line monitoring of the quality. The techniques used center around planar electromagnetic sensors operating with radio frequency excitation. The sensor technology proposed has the ability to perform volumetric penetrative measurements to measure properties throughout the bulk of the product. (Mukhopadhyay, S.C. Gooneratne, Chinthaka P. ; Sen Gupta, G. ; Demidenko, S.N.2006)

Consumption of dairy and food products can be traced back to antiquity. However, the dairy and food industry lagged behind other manufacturing industries such as automobiles and petrochemical industries in introducing automation and computerized process control.

The dairy industry is uniquely positioned for easy adoption of computerized process control because it requires extensive record keeping, finished products generally homogenous with relatively few ingredients and fluid operations are often of long duration, sequential and adaptable to software systems developed for continuous processes. The high capacity of modern continuous pasteurization was made possible by the development of the hygienic automatic diversion valve, used in conjunction with very reliable temperature sensing and equally reliable logic control (initially with relays, then with programmable logic controllers).

Standardization of milk is the primary operation after receipt of milk in a dairy plant. If the fat content of incoming milk is known and it is supplied at constant rate, it is sufficient to measure and control the flow of cream from the separator to obtain milk of desired fat content. Standard control configuration of spray dryer includes two loops. In one loop heat measuring inlet temperature of hot air controls heat input. In the other loop feed rate is controlled by measuring the outlet temperature. As well as, in the process of making cheese, Controlled stirring of the curd during coagulation gives control of consistency, which is a function of entrapped air. From the preparation vats, curd flows at a controlled rate on to a whey removal conveyor. The amount of drainage is controlled by varying the speed of the conveyor. (K. Narsaiah, 2005)

Computerized Accounting System

Computerized accounting is a normal phenomenon in most of the organization. All the input data of transactions are fed into the system on batch or on-line basis. The system gives all the report as per the management requirements. Finalization of account is possible within a short time. All the financialreports including trading account, profit & loss account and Balance Sheet can be taken out promptly. Computerized system also helps in employees’ salary payment, vendor payment and furnishing of all legal return along with deposition of contributions. Similarly accounting of milk and milk products to monitor and control handling losses is quite effective to have control over losses by the use of computers.

The daily data on milk handled and products manufactured, if entered in appropriate software, says MS-Excel, can be used to determine handling losses in fluid milk in absolute and percentage terms. Similarly, losses in fat and SNF content could also be studied during the manufacturing of various dairy products. Reports can be generated on daily basis or on batch basis or periodically to indicate losses incurred in various operations which could be compared with the admissible losses or norms so as to check the excess losses, if any. (D.K. Jain and R.C. Nagpal, 2005)

Applications of Management Information System (MIS)

Information systems refer to computer-based information processing systems that are designed to support the operations, management and decision functions of an organization. Information systems in organizations provide information support for decision makers at various management and decision levels. Thus, they encompass transaction processing systems, management information systems (MIS), decision support systems, and strategic information systems. MIS is a system required to obtain tactical information. MIS raises management from the level of piecemeal spotty information, intuitive guesswork and isolated problem solving to the level of system insights, system information, sophisticated data processing and systematic problem solving. Hence, it is a powerful method for aiding managers in solving problems and making decision. The MIS must fulfill the following characteristics:

• The correctness of input data and that of the processing rules leading to accurate resultant information,
• Information should be complete, i.e., it should include all possible data,
• Information should be reliable, i.e., it should not conceal vital information,
• Information should be regular and timely,
• Information should be relevant and concise, i.e., should be presented in such a way that one may immediately perceive its significance, e.g., the information in a graphical form.

Software tools can be applied to generate useful information relating to processing of milk and milk products. Some of the possible applications include: procurement and billing system, handling losses, cost of production of dairy products, labour efficiency, formulation of ice-cream mix and sale proceeds of dairy products. The cost of manufacturing dairy products needs to be worked out off and on so as to fix the selling price of products which should, as far as possible, match with the prevailing market price. Software can be developed to find out these costs instantly by providing variable inputs costs, e.g., raw material, labour, etc. and by using the pre-determined overhead costs in the process of manufacturing.

Software can also be developed to find out labour efficiency in milk plants. The data maintained on labour employed in different shifts and milk handled could be used to work out the turnout per man-hour employed and compared with the norms available in this regard. The information so generated can serve the basis to determine quantum of bonus payment to be made to the workers engaged in dairy operations. Suitable packages like LP-88 can be employed to formulate linear programming applications, say in the preparation of ice-cream mix, to minimize the cost of production in order to maximize the sales margin, i.e., profit earned. The sales proceeds of different products, if maintained on daily basis, could be used to generate a daily report and periodical reports showing product-wise, product group-wise and overall sales volume by developing suitable software for the purpose. Such a report was developed at NDRI on monthly basis for several years in the past. (D.K. Jain and R.C. Nagpal, 2005)

Based on the data being updated on computer on daily basis, various reports, both tabular and visual, are being prepared and passed on to all concerned in addition to the Manager for their perusal and corrective action where needed. The periodicity of these reports is Daily, Monthly, Fortnightly, Yearly, any other period.

Computerized Network

Organizations are utilizing benefits of Networking by connecting one department and /or organization through computerized system. More information and better monitoring is feasible with the help of wide area networking applications. National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Anand has developed computerized networking system by networking of all the milk unions and federations. Some of such usage of computer includes use of GIS, National Information Network (NIN) etc. Computational Neural Networksbased models have been successfully applied in various real-life problems at NDRI. The research in this field is still under development across the globe. There has been relatively little research into application of Computational Neural Network in the field of agriculture in general and dairying in particular especially in India. (Adesh K. Sharma and R. K. Sharma,2005)

Some potential applications of connectionist models in dairy processing are briefly presented:

• Modeling of pH and acidity for cheese production has been made using Computational Neural Network
• Shelf-life prediction of pasteurized milk has been achieved using connectionist models
• Neural networks have been successfully employed to predict temperature, moisture and fat in slab-shaped foods with edible coatings during deep-fat frying
• Model predictive control (MPC) of an Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) milk treatment plant has been realized using a neural system
• The Computational Neural Network technique has been used to determine protein concentration in raw milk
• Analysis of dairy patterns from a large biological database has been performed using neural networks
• Neural network models based on feed-forward back-propagation learning have been found useful for prediction of dairy yield
• Computational Neural Network have been employed for dairy yield prediction as well as cow culling classification
• Prediction of cow performance with connectionist model has shown better results than conventional methods

Packaging

Computerized system or Robots help to alleviate monotonous, repetitive tasks for employees – all while making the production process more economical. Tools for the packing of dairy products often feature several function. The function depends on the configuration of the product in question. Tools for suction, slicing, clamping or gripping may be used. It is also possible to combine a variety of tools that can be used to handle separation sheets, products, boxes, pallets etc. It develops and supply complete solutions including labeling, separation sheets, and palletizing products ready for shipping. (https:// www.bila-automation.com )

The computerized system used by Siemens Global system Germany, it includes filling and packaging in plant represent high cost factor on the path ready to deliver dairy packaging, this results from heterogeneous and isolated solution. An efficient alternative with optimize packaging, the integrated automation solution for filling and packaging with machine. The Siemens optimized packaging Line integrates filling and packaging systems in a common automation and communication standard. The standardization and integration of individual machines delivers cost- and energy-savings throughout the entire production line. Integration risks are lower and allow the use of scalable production data acquisition and evaluation systems from optimized packaging Line like line overview, diagnostics, OEE, tracking and tracing, and energy recording and management. Moreover, the costs of training, operation, and servicing can be reduced significantly with optimized packaging line. Additionally, dairy packaging line efficiency, productivity, and availability during operation are all noticeably improved. (http://www.siemens.com)

Preventive Maintenance

The data /information of each equipment /machine with required periodicity is helpful in carrying out preventive maintenance effectively. Operator / Technician in manual system and auxiliary equipment in the automatic system will perform the operation of preventive maintenance as per the displayed instruction of computer based on the input data. This will help in automatic generation of break down and maintenance information required for management decision of optimum resource utilization.

Supply Chain Integration and Traceability

ICT applications are also helping supply chains become more vertically integrated. Better cooperation between farmers and buyers along the supply chain mitigates default risk. Amul in India has installed Automatic Milk Collection Unit Systems in village dairy cooperatives. These systems enhance the transparency of transactions between the farmer and the cooperative and have lowered processing times and costs. The application uses computers connected to the Internet at the milk collection centers to document supply chain data such as fat content, milk volumes procured, and amount payable to the member (Bowonder, Raghu Prasad, and Kotla 2005) Dairy Information Services Kiosks at collection centers describe best practices in animal care to enhance milk yield and quality and assists dairy cooperatives to effectively schedule and organize veterinary, artificial insemination, cattle feed, and related services (Rama Rao 2001). Delivery of such comprehensive information helps to improve integration of the supply chain, thus reducing default risk. The early detection of production volatility makes it possible to take preemptive measures to address the underlying risk.

ICT applications, particularly GIS and RFID technologies, have had an impact in mitigating two additional forms of risk in the supply chain: sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) risk and default risk. Larger aggregators and traders use software systems to collect and track information about who is growing what and whether farmers are adhering to the food safety and quality standards imposed in Europe and North America, especially for perishable foods.

Traceability technologies and software to increase integration in supply chains, such as Muddy Boots (http://en.muddyboots.com/) (see Module 10), help to mitigate default risk when suppliers rely on large numbers of small-scale farmers.

Application in Vendor Development

The more common system of inventory management that is used in conjunction with a product date stamping system is FIFO (First In, First Out). Using FIFO, the product with the soonest expiration date is preferentially placed on the retail shelf for sale. With this system, it is still possible to put spoiled product in front of a customer that is not fresh to the taste, or possibly not wholesome or safe. This is because the variation in the temperature history of any given product parcel is fairly large, and some may actually expire before the expiration date says they will. Thus when abuse temperature conditions are encountered during storage, transport and handling, the FIFO policy is unable to compensate for the increased deterioration, and the uniformity in the quality of the product distributed from the stockpile is compromised.

An alternative to this would be to determine issue of store on the basis of observed or estimated food quality rather than elapsed time in storage. This is called Least-Shelf-Life, First Out (LSFO) or Shortest-Remaining Shelf-Life (SRSL) policy. In this system, if the temperature sensing and the integration function of the tags shows an earlier signal in the three dots of the tag (signaling a lower remaining shelf life), then the product is rotated to the retail shelf. This rotation is totally independent of the product dating. Under this scenario, the possibility of placing “bad product thought good” in front of the consumer is almost reduced to zero. This policy would thus reduce food waste and provide more consistent quality at the time of issue for food items which have been exposed to differing temperature conditions.

Computer is used in material management function for inventory control, report generation, generation of orders and vendor performance assessment. This ensures cost effective sourcing of quality materials.

 

Impact of IoT on smart farming

Today, Internet of Things (IoT) is making a significant impact on milk production. Global milk production to meet the demands of the growing population needs to be enhanced with technology. With this technology, farmers can enhance and improve several dairy related activities such as ascertaining the right time to milk cows, increasing the shelf life of the milk and so on.

In dairy farming, the Internet of Things (IoT) plays a crucial in the monitoring of resources by connecting multiple and heterogeneous objects in mixed dairy farms (which produce milk from cattle and cultivate feed grain for livestock), such as buildings, machinery and vehicles or even living organisms like cattle. The IoT Sensor and Edge Computing (EC) enable resource monitoring and traceability in the value chain, allowing producers to optimize processes, provide the origin of the produce and guarantee its quality to consumers.

IoT technology leverages multiple sensors for collecting various data points and data transmission with low power and bandwidth for communication. Adaption of smart sensors and techniques (data sensing methods like pressure sensing, volumetric sensing, sensing schedules etc.) help to improve resource efficiency, are environment-friendly, enable transparency and data security. These techniques maintain a real-time view of the milk levels, monitor the health of the cattle, warehouse management, and safe transportation access.

IoT platforms and integrated AI engines, gateways, LPWA networks and smart sensors push the industry into a real revolution. The latest technologies are being introduced to automate many of the processes. IoT and data-driven techniques are creating greater opportunities for smart dairy farming. IoT can support farmers with wearable sensor devices to keep them aware of the status of every animal. The sensor-based system can effectively and correctly detect the illness of the cattle before it affects the milk production. IoT serves as an important foundation for cattle breeding by tracking real-time cattle information such as activity, temperature, and pulse. This crucial information can then be used to conduct a thorough analysis to determine cattle oestrus. Increase in milk yield, reduced labor and medicine treatment costs, and increase in the revenue of dairy farms are the most exciting benefits of this technology. This technology has also received close attention from dairy product enterprises and animal breeding initiatives.

IoT and AI based technological methods can be used to minimize the negative factors and enhance those factors that positively affect the production. For instance, an artificial intelligence (AI) model developed based on IoT sensors in milking systems can provide data to help farmers determine when the cattle should be milked or to help the farmer change the feeding pattern. These data can be further enhanced to maintain quality of milk and help to understand production. The state of the art framework by combining IoT sensor, IoT platform and AI solutions should be focused on different aspects of smart dairy farming to assist the farmers increase the milk yield by using different techniques and innovation.

The technological adoption of IoT and AI based approach helps in creating innovative methodologies for production (milk yield) and the process of dairy farming. Process innovation can be different for different sets of activities that are performed at several levels in a smart dairy farm. In a dairy farm, the milking process is viewed as a singular process; however, there are several activities that are performed in the farm such as feeding, cow monitoring, and preserving milk. The intervention of IoT can be in different processes and procedures like the feed system to sense the hunger needs of the cows and automatically feed them. It can also proactively monitor automatic heat detection that will assist in reproduction. Assessing health and monitoring cows for disease detection and prevention will help the farmer to locate any animal that needs medical attention.

Smart dairy farming includes real time sensors that collect data from cows with the help of wearable smart collars, machine learning data analysis, and cloud-based data centers that manage data and support the farmer in order to manage quality of dairy products as depicted in Figure 2.

Benefits envisaged

IoT and AI technology adoption can play a significant role in the dairy industry to simplify the operations for milk producers and meet the increasing demand for quality dairy products. The technological advancement in IoT can help minimize environmental issues, decrease the use of resources, and enhance animal health by using advanced sensing and data analyzing technologies.

IoT based technology can be used in farm management to reduce costs and make operations efficient. Here are some key outcomes:

Health monitoring: Monitoring and tracking of cattle health data like heart rate and other vital signs of a cow can help farmers in early diagnosis of health issues and provide correct medication.

Monitoring of anomalies in milk production: It is essential to understand cattle behavior and milk production by monitoring continuously and comparing the regular patterns. Each animal can be tagged with a unique identification number to help track the animal’s production and understand their health patterns.

Tracking of automatic water and food supply:

• Water is an important nutrient for all animals, and it is important that cows should have sufficient quality water. Milk contains almost 87% water. The water requirements are closely related to milk production, the moisture content of the feed, and environmental factors such as air temperature and humidity.
• Food is necessary for nutrition because it determines the amount of nutrients available to the animal for health and production. It is important to track the food feeding & and nutrition to maintain good health of the cattle. The underfeeding of nutrients limits production and affects animal health. Overfeeding of nutrients increases feed costs, can lead to excessive nutritional load on the environment, and can be too toxic or dangerous to health.

Technology driven future for the dairy industry

New-age smart techniques using IoT devices will help farmers with increased milk production, advanced monitoring of cattle health & anomaly detection, thereby streamlining the business and processes. Although smart dairy farming using IoT gives various features to a common farmer, it may be a costly affair at the beginning; yet offers the promise of cost recovery with longer usage. IoT helps in efficient monitoring of the feeding and drinking method which can lead to better nutrition of cows, and more milk production. The system with overall architecture, better adaptation of technology, and versatile design can make IoT-based farming more efficient.

DR.CK SANT,DAIRY ADVISIOR,PUNE

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