Increasing productivity in the dairy industry

A unique probiotic extends the reproduction output of dairy cattle

The Opportunity

Uterine infections in dairy cattle are a big problem. They often occur soon after giving birth, and create challenges such as lack of milk production and conception issues. Industry has been tackling this with antibiotics, which has its own issues, including having to dispose of milk, and antimicrobial resistance. With 265 million dairy cattle worldwide, there is a huge opportunity to address this market with a healthy, safe alternative. 

The Challenge

Healthy Cow developed an active probiotic solution that showed multiple benefits in a research setting, including reduced incidence of post-calving infections, improved immune status, increased milk production, and improved reproductive performance. But Healthy Cow needed to conduct field trials to demonstrate the commercial version of the product in terms of efficacy, usability, workflow, and economic benefits to farmers, as well as data to secure regulatory approval.  

NPC’s Solution

NPC provided $50,000 through its Proof of Concept Program to conduct an extensive field trial with thousands of cows. The results – despite many COVID-related logistical challenges – were highly positive, with one of the key partners stating “I do not want the trial to end.” The proven effectiveness helped to cement interest with more dairy industry groups as well as an industry partner, and distribution partner.