Adoption of cutting-edge technologies for precision livestock in beef cattle feedlots in Brazil

Purpose This study aims to identify the determinants of the adoption and intensity of adoption of cutting-edge precision livestock technologies by beef cattle farmers in Brazil. Primary data were collected by in loco interviews in a sample of 191 feedlots in the five Brazilian regions. Design/methodology/approach The methodology used was a systematic survey of primary data to assess the factors determining the adoption of digital technologies among feedlot farmers, using Logit and Poisson probability models. Findings The results show that the age of the decision maker and the difficulty of hiring labor negatively influence the decision to adopt some type of digital technology, while the size of the herd, the education level of the farmer, the hiring of consulting and the difficulty of obtaining inputs have a positive effect on adoption. Age also negatively affects the intensity of adoption of digital technologies, whereas experience with the feedlot system, production scale and hiring consulting services have a positive effect on the intensity of adoption. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this research was the evaluation period, which only considered the year 2020. However, the results allow us to identify fundamental characteristics of the profiles of livestock producers in Brazil who are more likely to adopt some type of digital technology. Originality/value Although these results were obtained exclusively from feedlots data, we must emphasize that this is an important economic activity in which digital technologies have diffused. It is also noteworthy that several of the determinants of adoption found here were also found in empirical studies in crop and livestock farming.