ZERO UPFRONT COSTS WITH SUBSCRIPTION-BASED MONITORING

The latest round of farm equipment and technology grants has made herd monitoring systems more affordable in England

The latest round of farm equipment and technology grants has made herd monitoring systems such as SenseHub® and Dataflow II from MSD Animal Health UK Limited (a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE: MRK)) more affordable in England. The option to use SenseHub and Dataflow II on a subscription basis further increases the affordability of the company’s class-leading fertility and health monitoring systems.

The latest round of the Rural Payments Agency’s (RPA) Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) offers grant funding for a range of equipment and is divided into two main categories: Productivity and Slurry items (Annex 3), and Animal Health and Welfare items (Annex 4).

Within Annex 3, heat detection systems (FETF90*) and their associated ear tags and neck collars (FETF91*) are eligible for grant funding to the amounts of £740 and £29 (per tag or collar) respectively. Similar grants are also available in Wales as part of the Welsh Government’s existing small grants efficiency scheme.

Alternatively, the costs of investing in a herd monitoring system can be spread with MSD Animal Health’s simple and affordable ‘GO’ subscription model. With zero upfront costs, GO gives users access to all the necessary equipment, installation, tags and applications for a single monthly fee and allows full flexibility to change or add to their system as their needs evolve. Subscriptions are available as multi-year contracts, with silent renewals giving customers the peace of mind that they will have automatic access to new features, continuous service and no unexpected costs.

The subscription service is available for all SenseHub and Dataflow II application plans (Starter, Advanced and Premium) and can be used to monitor multiple populations or groups of animals including cows, heifers and youngstock. GO also enables users to use a mixture of MSD Animal Health’s intelligent ear tags and/or neck collars.

Crucially, the subscriptionbased service gives users access to priority-level service support, with customers also benefitting from a full programme of onsite and online training modules including regular webinars and on-farm support to ensure they are able to get the most from their system. All equipment is also covered by a continuous warranty which lasts for the full duration of the subscription.

Commenting on the new package, Paul Mitcham, Nationals Sales Manager (Monitoring) MSD Animla Health, said: “The GO package highlights MSD Animal Health’s commitment to provide a fully supported, service-based solution to herd improvement by offering dairy and beef farmers an affordable, simple and flexible route into the use of herd monitoring technologies.

“With no upfront costs, GO gives farmers access to the full suite of MSD Animal Health monitoring hardware – including our intelligent ear tags and/or neck collars plus the necessary antennas, controllers and any applicable training and support – for one affordable monthly payment which is calculated according to the number of tags or collars being used and the application plan on which they are registered.”

The new subscription package offers complete flexibility, with customers able to increase the number of tags/collars and to upgrade their application plan at any time. Coverage can also be expanded as and when the herd grows to ensure all groups of cows, heifers and youngstock are monitored.