In taking on national responsibility for the Genex HerdMonitor in Australia, Jon Down knows he’s backing a good thing.
“I want to be part of a product that makes a difference for farmers,” he says. “It’s a struggle to get good staff and technology is filling that gap, and on top of that, staff want to work on farms that have good technology.
“Not only is it helping farmers to gain better insights into their herds, it’s a real attraction to get good staff.”
Based near Adelaide, Jon will ensure farmers across Australia receive dedicated support and guidance to maximise the value of their systems.
His role as a product specialist for the Genex HerdMonitor collars is a new position within GA, reflecting the growth and popularity of the product.
With both ear tags and collars, Genex HerdMonitor delivers accurate heat detection, health insights, and herd performance tracking, all accessible via an easy-to-use App from anywhere in the world.
“Farmers are relying more and more on new technologies and HerdMonitor can help to improve reproductive performance and identify cows earlier that are getting sick
“Without it, you will normally only pick up that a cow is sick when she starts showing the clinical signs, but HerdMonitor will alert you to any problems earlier . It shows if she is moving less, eating less, ruminating less, or all three, and from that you can treat her earlier so she can return to the milking herd quicker.”
While Jon will be promoting the Genex Herd Monitor system, his focus is equally on ensuring farmers receive the best backup service available. “This isn’t just about selling technology — it’s about making sure farmers get full value from it,” he says. New technology can be daunting, so a high level of support is crucial in order to get the best use out of it.
Jon grew up in North Devon in the south-west of England in a family that was very involved in agriculture. In 2018 he moved to New Zealand and worked in the dairy industry as a genetics product specialist before progressing into a role of product lead for cow wearables.
“I was very interested in cow wearable technology and how it was making a difference on farm, not only filling a gap of a shortage of on-farm skilled labour, but also allowing farmers to make better on-farm decisions based on actual cow and herd data coming from the collars, especially in terms of animal health and repro.”
From there he went into a role of North Island territory manager for Nedap Livestock Management, a company that provides technology solutions for dairy farmers, focused on monitoring and managing individual cows and whole herds. The Genex HerdMonitor is powered by Nedap technology so Jon is well aware of the reliability and accuracy of the technology that monitors over 6 million cows worldwide.
He recently moved to Australia with his wife Ashlee to be closer to her family.
Jon will be working with National Sales Manager Rohan Butler who says he brings a wealth of experience in herd monitoring, genetics, and wearable technology. “Jon’s blend of technical expertise and on-farm experience are a perfect fit for Genetics Australia and Genex Herd Monitor. His appointment is another step in ensuring we back up our products with the right level of service and farmer support.”
Jon can be contacted on [email protected] or 0403 440 217.
