Peter Stegmaier, Chief Technical Officer, Datamars and Joan Francesc Vilaseca, International Development, Livestock ID, Datamars

We are convinced that automatic identification of objects and animals based on RFID technology can revolutionise key business processes and lead to exceptional productivity increases, functionality improvements and cost reductions.

Peter Stegmaier, Chief Technical Officer, Datamars
Joan Francesc Vilaseca, International Development, Livestock ID, Datamars

How is your organisation involved with RFID technology?
Datamars is a leading global supplier of high performance RFID-based solutions in the companion animal, livestock and textile identification markets. We are convinced that automatic identification of objects and animals based on RFID technology can revolutionise key business processes and lead to exceptional productivity increases, functionality improvements and cost reductions.

What benefits do your RFID solutions bring to consumers?
The main advantages come from the way RFID makes traceability possible in various applications. For cats and dogs, "traceability" means an owner can more easily be reunited with a lost pet that has been brought to a shelter or a veterinarian. For livestock such as cattle and pigs, traceability means safer food for consumers. Thanks to RFID tags like the ones we provide to our customers for their livestock, all of the movements of an individual animal can be traced and monitored. So, if ever there is a problem – an outbreak of a disease, for example – RFID-enabled traceability will allow livestock producers to more easily identify where the potentially dangerous meat is now located, and quickly remove it from the supply chain.

And what about for the livestock producers themselves, what advantages does RFID bring to them?
RFID tagging of cow, sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, and other livestock is growing more and more common because it gives producers increased visibility on the exact location and recent movements of their animals. It also allows livestock producers to carry out a recall with limited economic losses, because they can know exactly what type of animal must be recalled and exactly where it is now. RFID can also help prevent the theft of cattle much more effectively than fire branding can: Fire brands can be modified, but an RFID tag is completely inalterable.

Beyond these tracking and tracing applications, RFID tagging also allows farmers to get a better yield out of their flocks and herds. For example, they can easily know which animals produce the most milk or the best meat or the healthiest young, and use them for breeding. This sort of information is of course available without RFID tagging, but doing it manually is very labour-intensive and thus prone to human error. For small farms with 10 milk cows, it might be possible to manage this type of activity manually, but for a farmer with 3,000 sheep, it is simply impossible. There is a reason that counting sheep puts you to sleep! RFID makes the entire process automatic and error-proof.

What is your vision for RFID in the future?
The automation of manual tasks is inevitably going to increase because it brings a wide range of benefits to both companies and consumers. RFID allows many tasks to be automated – RFID is in fact an excellent solution to many business needs.  We therefore expect the use of RFID to continue to rise in the coming years.

Datamars is a leading global supplier of high performance RFID-based solutions. Founded in 1988, the company has developed a broad range of identification solutions based on RFID transponders, readers and antennas and is currently market leader in the companion animal and textile identification markets. Fully integrated product portfolios, technological innovation and a profound understanding of customer requirements have earned Datamars a reputation for quality and performance worldwide. As an RFID manufacturing company, Datamars works with strong partners and has developed a worldwide distribution network in each of its target markets. Datamars employs around 350 employees globally with offices in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. For more information, see www.datamars.com