AgriWebb boosts UK’s top sheep breeding programme

Innovis, the leading supplier of performance-recorded, forage-reared rams to the UK livestock industry, has become the latest commercial breeder to introduce new livestock management software from Agriwebb into their farming operation.

The technology is the most recent in a series of cutting-edge implementations by Innovis and will bring together a variety of animal and farm data to deliver vital insights, streamline record keeping, and further efficiency and profitability.

From its home farm in Aberystwyth, Innovis runs the largest performance-recorded flock in the UK. This involves maintaining some of the most comprehensive record keeping and reporting across more than 10,000 animals for breeding use – a fairly challenging undertaking. Farming under commercial conditions, Innovis accelerates the very best genetics and at the heart of this is data capture, tracking individual animals and overall flock performance as closely as possible. 

AgriWebb’s new app digitises farm mapping, flock and herd management, and tasks and record keeping, directly integrating with popular hardware such as Tru-Test and all government databases across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Innovis now has access to the easy-to-use cloud-based desktop and mobile app so they can easily record farm activities while in the field, aiding operations with GPS-enabled tasks and linking business goals to flocks and individual animals. Using farm data, tailored best practice recommendations are provided. 

AgriWebb complements other best-in-class technology already used by Innovis, including Tru-Test, Farmax, Rhiza, Genomes, and genetic evaluations conducted in-house by Innovis as part of its specialism in providing UK farmers with access to high performing genetic lines.

'It made sense to go on this journey with AgriWebb'

Dewi Jones, CEO at Innovis, said: “We’ve struggled over the years to find a livestock management platform that matches the quality of data we require, but I immediately liked the look and ambition of AgriWebb – their ethos matches ours and definitely seems like the right fit. Several of our rearing and breeding farmers were already using AgriWebb so it made sense to go on the journey with them too.

“The app integrates with our movement licences and we’re already finding the medicine records, grass measurements, and predictive analytics to be integral to how we’re working at Innovis. It’s exciting what it can already do and the further functionality that’s planned.”

AgriWebb is already used by seven of Innovis’ breeding partner flocks across the UK. James Drummond of Lemmington Hill Head at Edlingham, in Northumberland, was one of the first UK farmers to begin using the software.

He commented: “Agriwebb is used for the grazing and medicine records of all animals on farm, and spray and fertiliser applications. Inputs, including their cost, are put onto the app before being allocated to a field or group of animals. Not only will we have a record for cross-compliance but costings for each field or crop and also per animal.

“We input entry and exit covers into the grazing record, plus covers from regular farm walks. The intuitive app-based approach and its real-time features make inputting records quick and simple.”

Dewi Jones added: “We regularly talk to farmers about how to refine their breeding programmes. When it comes to our breeding farmers we typically let them make their own decisions, but we’ll definitely be encouraging them to use AgriWebb – we’ll have consistent and easier access to data across all animals we work with, and it just makes sense.”