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Food processing and packaging technology manufacturer, GEA, has acquired CattleEye, a Northern Ireland-based agricultural software company known for its artificial intelligence (AI) system. The acquisition underscores GEA's dedication to advancing next-generation farming strategies, particularly in the dairy sector. While financial details remain undisclosed, the integration of CattleEye's AI solution into GEA's portfolio marks a milestone in the company's efforts to enhance herd management practices. CattleEye's flagship product is an AI-driven system engineered to swiftly detect and forecast lameness in dairy cows, offering vital insights into the animals' body condition scores. Lameness, alongside mastitis, poses a threat to dairy cow welfare and productivity, impacting fertility and milk yield. By leveraging CattleEye's technology, farmers gain actionable intelligence to address issues affecting herd health and performance.

The CattleEye system uses a sophisticated combination of a 2D camera and specialised software to analyse cow movement and body score patterns. This integration provides farmers with unparalleled visibility into their herd's well-being, enabling timely interventions irrespective of the milking system employed. Peter Lauwers, CEO of GEA farm technologies division, said: “With the trend towards larger and more automated dairy farms, the need to monitor and track animals and production is becoming increasingly important. By adding CattleEye’s advanced AI technology, we are expanding our DairyNet portfolio for modern herd management. This can be a game changer for farmers to improve herd health, farm productivity and financial stability.” CattleEye was established in 2019 by AgTech entrepreneur Terry Canning and senior software architect Adam Askew. Leveraging deep learning image analytics, honed over a decade, CattleEye's system has garnered widespread adoption, currently monitoring over 100,000 cows globally. Terry Canning, CEO, and co-founder of CattleEye, added: “CattleEye was born out of a vision to harness the capabilities of advanced artificial intelligence in video analytics to revolutionise the dairy industry. After starting our partnership last year, we are thrilled that GEA will be using and developing this innovative solution with our team to improve animal welfare and drive positive change in the industry.”