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iLivestock has been highlighted by The Scottish Farmer as an example of technology helping livestock farmers gain better insight into animal performance, health and welfare.
Published in the summer of 2025, the article, “New scheme backs Scottish farmers to adopt agri-tech”, explored the role practical technology could play in making Scottish farming more productive, efficient and environmentally sustainable. The questions it raised remain relevant for livestock businesses today.
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Better livestock data, without more work
For livestock farmers, the article identified weighing and auto-weighing systems as valuable tools for monitoring individual animal performance.
Regular weight data can help farmers:
- identify animals that may not be performing as expected;
- monitor growth and daily live weight gain;
- make more informed selection and management decisions;
- spot potential health issues earlier; and
- reduce the labour and handling associated with conventional weighing.
The article named iLivestock as one of the companies offering this type of livestock-management technology.
At iLivestock, our focus is on making useful individual-animal data accessible to everyday sheep and cattle farmers. Our livestock management app, EID equipment and weighing technology work together to make recording, weighing and reviewing animal performance simpler.
Technology must deliver on farm
The article also raised one of the most important questions farmers should ask when considering new technology:
Will it provide a return on investment in the circumstances of my farm?
Technology should not be adopted simply because it is new. It needs to solve a practical problem. Whether that means saving time, reducing handling, improving livestock performance, supporting animal welfare or helping farmers make better-informed decisions.
That principle has guided the development of iLivestock from the beginning. Our technology is designed around the realities of working farms, with straightforward tools that allow farmers to capture information at the point of work and use it to take action.
A continuing direction across British farming
While the original article focused on Scotland, similar priorities continue to shape agricultural support across England, Wales and Scotland.
In England, the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund includes eligible categories for livestock weighing, EID recording and related handling equipment. Alongside Small Grants – Efficiency in Wales and Scotland’s Future Farming Investment Scheme, it reflects a wider interest in technology that can improve farm productivity, efficiency and resilience.
Some iLivestock equipment packages align with eligible categories within these schemes, including livestock weighing and EID-related equipment.
As each programme has its own specifications, deadlines and purchasing conditions, farmers should refer to the current guidance for their nation before making an investment decision.
Investing in the future of livestock farming
The lasting message from The Scottish Farmer article is that agricultural technology is most valuable when it helps farmers make better decisions and delivers a practical benefit on the farm.
For livestock businesses, reliable individual-animal information can help farmers understand what is happening within the flock or herd and focus their time and inputs where they can have the greatest effect.
The feature may have been published in 2025, but the questions it raised around labour, efficiency, animal performance and return on investment remain highly relevant.
We are pleased that iLivestock was included in that wider discussion about the future of livestock farming and the practical application of agricultural technology, alongside agri-tech companies SoilEssentials, Oxi-Tech Solutions, and Garford Farming Machinery.
Read the original 2025 article in The Scottish Farmer. For current information on grant-related equipment packages across England, Wales and Scotland, visit our grants page.
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