MooField and RAKwireless Deliver Practical IoT Innovation to Modern Cattle Farmers
| Quick Look: Use Case Summary | |
|---|---|
| Supporting Themes | LoRaWAN® and Internet of Things (IoT) |
| Industry | Smart Agriculture IoT |
| Sub-Industry | Livestock Tracking & Management |
| Deployment Area | Remote and large-scale cattle farms, grazing lands, and rural pastures |
| IoT Stack Used | WisGate Edge Pro, WisDM, and MooField’s GPS ear tags with integrated LoRaWAN |
Highlights
Many farming businesses need reliable IoT solutions that install quickly, perform well in open areas, and can easily adapt to their proprietary systems. This is especially important for smart cattle tracking, where farmers need location data from wide grazing areas without constant manual checks. RAKWireless’ hardware runs on solar power and supports remote access, which is particularly useful for outdoor production setups. These solutions make field operations way easier, reduce downtime, and improve data collection processes. With such a setup in place, operational teams can spend less time fixing network issues and can better focus on crop performance and farm productivity.
Company Profile
Cattle tracking is changing fast with the help of IoT technology. GPS cattle tracking makes this change more practical because farmers can see where their animals are in real time. In many parts of Africa, farmers may not own land, but they do own livestock. These animals often act as their main asset when applying for loans; therefore, keeping track of them is very important.
Traditional methods like ear tags and collars still exist, but newer IoT tools are now replacing them. MooField has stepped into this new market gap with lightweight GPS ear tags for cattle, each weighing less than 30 grams. These tags are built for long-range cattle tracking and suit the specific needs of steer management in the beef industry. It's a clear, targeted approach in a sector ripe for technological advancement.
MooField’s solar-powered GPS ear tags give accurate location data to help farmers avoid losing their animals, which is a common problem in large, open areas. These GPS livestock tracking devices help farmers act faster when animals move too far from expected grazing zones. With 24/7 GPS tracking, farmers will know if an animal strays too far or gets hurt, and can take required actions on time. Farmers get the hardware and a subscription plan with this livestock tracking system, which is integral to their business model.
The Key Benefit MooField Offers
One thing that makes MooField stand out is the cost. The tags are designed to cost around $10 per tag per year, which makes them affordable for farmers. The wireless cattle ear tags allow farmers to manage their herds better without spending too much. This makes smart livestock monitoring more accessible for farmers who need better visibility without high costs. As a result, more and more farmers can indulge in advanced and smart cattle tracking practices.
MooField's Market Differentiation with LoRaWAN
Unlike many industry players, MooField prioritizes lightweight and cost-effective solutions, without compromising on functionality. The system doesn't only inform when something goes wrong. It continuously keeps farmers updated in real-time about their cattle’s location and the conditions around them.
The real-time updates feature functions through LoRaWAN technology. It offers long-distance communication that helps cover large farming zones where regular tracking methods usually fall short. The network also uses low power because it runs on solar energy.
Also, with a network like LoRaWAN in place, smart cattle tracking doesn’t need heavy infrastructure. LoRa® provides affordable, long-range connectivity for cattle farming. The MooField team said:
‘‘We wanted a technology that didn't require repetitive maintenance efforts. LoRa's low power consumption, combined with solar energy, keeps the tags running for a long period. Also, farmers can track their cattle over vast distances due to LoRaWAN’s extensive coverage.’’
LoRaWAN keeps the system simple and gives farmers a reliable way to track their cattle over vast areas of land, making it a strong fit for LoRaWAN cattle tracking. This gives MooField a stronger base for LoRaWAN livestock management across remote farms and wide grazing areas.
The Problem
Farmers often face the challenge of keeping track of cattle spread across large areas. Livestock is a source of food in many parts of the world and also the primary income stream for many farmers. Conventional cattle tracking methods, such as ear tags, collars, or manual headcounts don't work well in wide-open pastures. Searching for missing cattle can take hours or even days. Many farms also operate far from towns and don't have any nearby power source to run equipment. Installing a system that works in these conditions and gives accurate location updates in real time is a big challenge.
Location
Australia
IoT Technology in Cattle Tracking
IoT forms a connection between everyday devices and the internet, so they can share information and help users see data in real time. In IoT cattle tracking, this means location data can move from the animal to the farmer without constant physical checks. The data can be any data, depending on the industry where IoT sensors are installed. When connected to farms, this data helps farmers see live what happens on their farms. They can know where their animals are, what their crops need, and how to use water or land better. This significantly saves time and reduces waste, even for farms located in far-off areas.
The Solution
While LoRaWAN ensures long-distance connectivity, there are still real-world challenges like network dropouts, poor data flow, and inconsistent device performance in rural environments. To make the whole system more dependable, especially in remote zones, MooField decided to work with RAK.
RAKwireless provided the farm IoT infrastructure needed to keep tracking data moving across large rural areas. With RAK IoT hardware, the tracking ear devices send data across large farms without any trouble. Together, MooField and RAKwireless created an IoT solution for cattle farms that supports wide-area tracking and remote network management. Let’s see how this works.
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WisGate Edge Pro
The gateway collects location updates from the cattle and sends them directly to the MooField platform. WisGate Edge Pro also functions as a router and keeps the connection stable in remote farms. This solves signal drop problems and ensures real-time tracking. -
Solar Battery Solution
The solar battery supports a solar-powered IoT gateway in areas without electricity. This ensures continuous operation and avoids downtime, even in far-off areas. -
WisDM
RAKwireless also offers WisDM, a tool that supports remote farm monitoring by managing the network from a distance. With WisDM, the team can check the system, fix small issues, or update settings without physically going to the farm. This saves time and ensures the network keeps running smoothly in real farming conditions.
With RAK’s IoT setup and MooField’s GPS ear tag, farmers now have a livestock IoT solution that works on wide lands and in harsh weather, and doesn't require constant upkeep. During a visit to MooField’s office in Brisbane, Australia, the team shared what influenced their decision to collaborate with RAKwireless and how they feel about this partnership
“We chose your gateway because it offers router functionality, has a long range, and comes with a solar battery. That battery is key for us. To get full coverage across farms, we usually have to place gateways in the middle of the property where there’s no power source. So having a solar battery option simplifies our deployment significantly.”
~ said a MooField team member
The RAK integrated IoT solution helps MooField to improve operational efficiency and streamlines overall maintenance of their GPS cattle tracking system.
How Does the New System Work
MooField’s smart cattle tracking system starts with GPS ear tags that collect each animal’s location data in the field. The tags send this data through LoRaWAN cattle tracking technology, which helps cover long distances across large farms and open grazing areas.
The WisGate Edge Pro receives the data and routes it to MooField’s platform, where farmers can check cattle location and movement. WisDM helps the team manage the network remotely, so the system stays easier to monitor and maintain across faraway farm sites.
This creates a practical livestock tracking system that connects cattle, gateways, network management, and farm visibility into one working setup.
System Flow
- GPS ear tags collect location data
- LoRaWAN sends data over long distances
- WisGate Edge Pro receives and routes the data
- WisDM remotely manages the network
- Farmers monitor cattle through MooField’s platform
This flow gives farmers a clear way to track cattle across wide areas without relying on manual checks or constant field visits.
The Outcome
MooField’s smart cattle tracking system helps farmers move from manual cattle checks to more consistent remote visibility. With GPS cattle tracking, farmers can follow cattle movement across wide grazing areas and respond faster when animals move too far from expected locations.
RAKwireless strengthens this setup with long-range LoRaWAN connectivity, solar-powered gateway support, and remote management through WisDM. This makes LoRaWAN cattle tracking easier to support across remote farms where power access, network reliability, and field-side maintenance can become daily challenges.
The joint solution of MooField and RAKwireless create a practical livestock tracking system for modern farms. The result is a stronger IoT cattle tracking approach that helps farmers save time, reduce uncertainty, and manage their herds with more confidence.
Looking Ahead
Although their system works well now, MooField still sees room to grow. Some farms are so big that full coverage is hard to achieve. That’s why the team is exploring satellite options.
“A solution like satellite backhaul from RAKwireless could help us reach every corner of a property, and we can offer even more comprehensive coverage for our clients.”
~ they said.
MooField aims to provide complete coverage for every farm and ensure no animal goes untracked. Satellite solutions could make their system even more reliable and far-reaching.
Conclusion
MooField is leading the way with its affordable GPS-based smart cattle tracking system. Supported by RAKwireless, this cattle GPS tracking system becomes easier to scale across large and remote farms. Their focus on long-range and lightweight devices fits the beef industry well. With RAKwireless’ advanced IoT tools and effective collaboration, MooField excels in a rapidly evolving industry and stands out from the competition.
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It is time to empower your farm with real-time visibility and long-distance tracking.
