Dairy Herd Management Market - What Factors Will Drive The Market

Posted by Nicky Arora on May 31st, 2021

The global dairy herd management market size is expected to reach USD 3.8 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rising awareness among dairy farm owners toward improvement and optimization of production methods to decrease operational cost is anticipated to drive the market.

Increasing global population and changing dietary habits are increasing demand for milk and milk products. The per capita income of individuals is increasing and as a result, they are spending more on foods that are rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and other vital nutrients. Milk and milk products being a major source of protein, their demand is expected to rise in the upcoming years. In order to cater to this increasing demand, farmers are upgrading manual operations to automated ones, such as waste and environment management, and increasing usage of mobile apps for managing cattle and dairy production.

The dairy industry has been lagging behind, as compared to other industrial sectors, in the adoption of robots. This can be attributed to limited knowledge about the technology and low per capita income of dairy farm owners. However, there is a wide range of potential applications of robotics in this industry. Milking robots or automatic milking systems are one of the effective and successful applications of robotics in this space. Robotic milking refers to extraction of milk from dairy animals without human labor. The implementation of automated systems in this industry is expected to boost the market.

Advanced software and hardware components such as temperature controllers and behavior monitoring cameras and sensors used in dairy herd management have minimal error probability. Use of these components in combination with integrated historical database helps in improving production output. Advantages of dairy herd management during calving and pregnancy, such as health and behavior monitoring and medication tracking, are also expected to support market growth in the upcoming years.

However, manufacturers have struggled to integrate these health-related operational improvements into mainstream dairy farming practices. While attempts were made in the past to introduce new these technologies, small-scale farmers have been skeptical to use new technologies and have rejected the same. This arises from an orthodox mindset or focus on buying new livestock to increase production rather than investing in new technology.

The large-scale end-user segment has been dominating the market and is expected to retain its dominance over the forecast period on account of higher rate of adoption. Moreover, increasing awareness regarding its cost benefits over traditional management techniques, coupled with rising labor cost, is expected to boost the market in the upcoming years. Growing competition trends have also led farm owners globally to install innovative solutions that help them attain operational efficiency. However, high initial investments inclusive of expensive consulting fees, major infrastructural developments, and advanced controllers and equipment, combined with low awareness among end users are expected to restrain the market growth.