Censortec has been the main supplier of Nedap’s activity monitoring technology, cow collars, in Ireland since its establishment in 2017.

In the past eight years, it has become Ireland’s leading supplier of cow collars.

Recently, it caught up with some of its longest-standing customers and found out how the technology has improved their lives.

PJ O’Donoghue farms in Co. Cork and has valued the peace of mind that the collars have brought him since he installed the system in 2017.

"We have collars that are constantly monitoring our cows, so we have the peace of mind that someone is always looking after the cows and ready to tell us any problems," he said.

He installed the Censortec collars in 2017 and trusts the system completely.

"It’s so accurate and reliable. I haven’t had any problems in the eight years since I installed the collars, and they’re still functioning perfectly," PJ said.

"Cow welfare has definitely improved since we started using the collars, but you know, farmer welfare has improved too, and that’s what it’s all about."

Dick O’Neill, who milks 260 cows with his son Eoghan in Co. Cork, installed the collars in 2018.

"It’s an extra pair of eyes on the cows, and you can’t possibly watch everything all the time," he explained.

"That’s not necessarily just during the breeding season. That can be from the health point-of-view all year round. It’s given us a lot more freedom in how we farm."

In 2021, Noel Griffin decided to go with Censortec collars.

"The cow collars improve my quality of life by taking the workload off me completely. It’s like having two men working for you, one at night and one during the day," he said.

"The cows are being watched the whole time, making farming a lot simpler."

Noel finds that the collars have given him a much better quality of life, on and off the farm.

"It also gives you more time for other things in life," Noel added.

"Farming will take every hour you give it, but you must know when to stop and enjoy, and Censortec helps take the pressure off. I recommend collars to anyone. It just takes the hardship out of farming and is worth every euro."

Limerick farmer Declan Flynn became a Censortec customer in 2021.

"It’s made everything far simpler," he explained.

"You can take more time off and entrust someone else to read the information from Censortec because they can read a tool and draft the cows. So, you don’t have to be there for 12 weeks of breeding yourself."

Censortec, based in Co. Kerry, has a dedicated team.

Sales is led by Donagh Crowley, with technical support from Sean Crowley and Andrew Helen, while Padraig Kelly, Eric Kelly, and Michael Lyons carry out installations.

Rachel Cooper has just joined the team as a farm support specialist to help farmers get the most out of their collars.

Rachel grew up on a dairy farm in Co. Cork, where she still regularly helps out. She is also a recent graduate of University College Cork's (UCC) bachelor of agricultural science degree.

Censortec is the agent for Nedap cow monitoring technology in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

It has been supplying Nedap SmartTags since 2017 and has a long-established relationship with Nedap.

Nedap is based in Groenlo, Netherlands. It is the global leader in heat detection and health monitoring, having monitored dairy animals for over 40 years, with nearly six million cows wearing Nedap collars.

Using the latest technology, cows are monitored 24/7. Data from the neck collars can be accessed via a smartphone, laptop, or tablet, giving farmers complete visibility of their herd.

You can contact the Censortec team at 066-9713000.