The University of New England and Sheep Industry Innovation CRC will embark on a $1 million trial of smart data collection and analytics of “sheep-related data”.

The Data-to-Decision-to-Dollars project, which is 50 percent funded by the Federal Government, will see the creation of a “cloud-based sheep data management system”.

Sheep CRC chief executive James Rowe said the system would target production efficiencies, improved animal wellbeing and smarter marketing outcomes.

“There are a number of technologies already available, such as semi-automated measurement systems and eID, that are limited in their uptake due to the lack of integration with other operating systems and the difficulty in getting the most value out of the data,” Professor Rowe said.

“This project aims to facilitate machine-to-machine transfer and smart analysis of large amounts of data, so that we can effectively use information and apply it in productive and practical ways.”

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said that good information was “critical to making good decisions on the farm”.

“This project will facilitate better on-farm decision-making and contribute to better care of the flock, improved productivity and faster genetic gain which will drive better profits back to the farmgate,” he said.

While the initial trial focused on sheep, it was also hoped the system could be applied to manage other types of livestock.