In 2002, the municipality Nishiokoppe, a small village in the northern island of Hokkaido, has spent 1.8 billion yen (13.7 million Euros) to connect all homes via fiber optics. Today, thanks to this system, 18 farmers and dairy companies are using robots to monitor their flocks 24 hours on 24.

This system allows farmers to observe the stable through their computer staff and go there immediately when needed, eg calving.

And with the onset of the BSE and the establishment of a system of traceability, monitoring of mating animals is essential.

Nishiokoppe The municipality has provided farmers a software herd management that centralizes and view data on each animal through a barcode attached to their ear.