Quang Doan Hong, an accountant and pig farmer in Vietnam, is facing the challenges of managing a farm with about 600 pigs. With the changing weather conditions, he has had to quickly learn about pig health, including when to administer antibiotics to prevent respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases.
Mr. Hong has also had to navigate the world of information sources, joining farming groups and doing online research to ensure he is getting reliable information. However, he has realized that not all information, especially on platforms like Facebook, is trustworthy and has learned to filter it.
As his farm has grown, Mr. Hong has become hesitant to have veterinarians visit due to the risk of disease transmission. This concern is shared by biosecurity experts who are working on developing remote veterinary technologies to provide farmers like Mr. Hong with a hybrid source of information that combines the expertise of veterinarians with digital access.
One such app, Farm2Vet, recently won a top prize for its innovative approach to addressing antimicrobial resistance, a global health threat. The app aims to provide farmers with reliable information on animal care, with an AI-powered chatbot for simple questions and connections to veterinarians for more complex cases.
In Vietnam, where only larger farms can afford veterinarians, the development of such technologies is crucial to improving animal health and preventing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. By providing farmers with easy access to veterinary expertise, these apps could help prevent infections and reduce the need for antibiotics.
While it will take time for these apps to be fully developed and implemented, farmers like Mr. Hong are eager to use them for the practicality and user-friendliness they offer. With the support of biosecurity experts and researchers, these technologies could revolutionize the way farmers manage animal health and contribute to a more sustainable farming industry.
