InTouch director Conan Condon told the Irish Farmers Journal that the service would open a new location in Quebec, Canada, this month. Three more in China, South Africa and Australia are scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2017.
The new offices are typically hosted by local partners, such as the Chinese Academy of Science in China.
If the information goes outside the parameters we're expecting, it will flash on our dashboard
Keenan already operates InTouch hubs in Ireland, France, Sweden and New Zealand, where nutritionists monitor data from the diet feeders of farmers who subscribe to the service. "If the information goes outside the parameters we're expecting, it will flash on our dashboard," Condon said. "One of the nutritionists will proactively contact the farmers." He said a typical scenario would be a drop in milk yield, protein or fat compared to the feed's expectation. A discussion with a nutritionist taking into account other parameters such as cow body condition score can then lead to a reformulation of the diet.
Eastern Europe
When rolling out the service to new countries – currently in eastern Europe – Keenan first connects its InTouch customers to its Irish office in Kilkenny, before opening a local hub when demand is sufficient.
The nutritionists who man the hubs are recruited locally and in Ireland depending on the mix of skills and languages required. "We would be a very strong recruiter of ag science graduates from the likes of UCD and WIT," Condon said.
Alltech takeover
He added that the takeover of Keenan by Alltech six months ago had helped with the current development phase: "It's been a great fit. It was a difficult period in the business and the fastest-growing agribusiness in the world with a presence in 28 markets has given us the capacity to expand rapidly."
The next phase under consideration for later next year is the opening of an InTouch hub for the US at Alltech's headquarters in Kentucky.
Read more
A Keenan feeder that lives on bales
InTouch director Conan Condon told the Irish Farmers Journal that the service would open a new location in Quebec, Canada, this month. Three more in China, South Africa and Australia are scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2017.
The new offices are typically hosted by local partners, such as the Chinese Academy of Science in China.
If the information goes outside the parameters we're expecting, it will flash on our dashboard
Keenan already operates InTouch hubs in Ireland, France, Sweden and New Zealand, where nutritionists monitor data from the diet feeders of farmers who subscribe to the service. "If the information goes outside the parameters we're expecting, it will flash on our dashboard," Condon said. "One of the nutritionists will proactively contact the farmers." He said a typical scenario would be a drop in milk yield, protein or fat compared to the feed's expectation. A discussion with a nutritionist taking into account other parameters such as cow body condition score can then lead to a reformulation of the diet.
Eastern Europe
When rolling out the service to new countries – currently in eastern Europe – Keenan first connects its InTouch customers to its Irish office in Kilkenny, before opening a local hub when demand is sufficient.
The nutritionists who man the hubs are recruited locally and in Ireland depending on the mix of skills and languages required. "We would be a very strong recruiter of ag science graduates from the likes of UCD and WIT," Condon said.
Alltech takeover
He added that the takeover of Keenan by Alltech six months ago had helped with the current development phase: "It's been a great fit. It was a difficult period in the business and the fastest-growing agribusiness in the world with a presence in 28 markets has given us the capacity to expand rapidly."
The next phase under consideration for later next year is the opening of an InTouch hub for the US at Alltech's headquarters in Kentucky.
Read more
A Keenan feeder that lives on bales
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