Tech startup digs into ag DNA
A local startup bringing an innovative approach to the agriculture industry is set to double its usage rate by the end of the year.
AgBoost, a genetic testing service for beef cattle, was founded in 2013 and has about 3,000 animals in its database. Thanks to several contracts expected to be completed by the end of 2018, entrepreneur and AgBoost founder Sean Akadiri said the company likely will have information on nearly 6,000 animals in the coming months.
“Everybody is starting to realize they have to integrate some type of technology,” Akadiri said. “It’s a way of being more efficient and saving money, making more money and providing a quality product. The only way to do that is to be innovative.”
The technology provided by Akadiri is nothing new. It’s genetic data available to a rancher based on a simple DNA test of an animal. But AgBoost differentiates itself in its ability to present the data in an understandable and easy-to-use platform online.
“The problem was not the test itself,” Akadiri said. “But how do we use the information to make the decision and how do we give the ranchers, with no expertise in the data, the information in a way that makes sense?”
Ranchers use measurements, medical records and the old-fashioned eyeball test to evaluate various aspects of a calf, cow, steer or bull when making a decision to invest in a purchase. With some animals fetching more than $2,000, understanding as much as possible about an animal can help a purchaser
feel more confident the purchase will bring a good return.
Similarly, a seller will look to market an animal’s strengths to sell at a premium.
In both instances, supplemental genetic information can be of value. Rancher Aaron Chester met Akadiri about a year ago, and was an early adopter of the technology.
“I was hooked,” Chester said. “I started testing my cattle, seeing what the great traits of my cattle were, where they were weak, and I realized I could market my cattle better based on this data.”
For instance, the data allows Chester to separate calves with better maternal traits from calves more prone to produce quality beef at slaughter. The market is responding positively to the information and he says he is able to sell specific calves for specific purposes to specific consumers. He has seen heifers sell for $250 more than the market rate and some bulls sell for nearly $1,000 more than they would have without the data.
A test costs $39.99 per animal, and there is a $6 annual fee to maintain an animal’s profile on AgBoost. The program displays various traits in colorful graphics and detailed charts. It has proved more than worth its cost for Chester, whose herd consists of 40 head of cattle.
“I plan on testing all of my calves going forward and using the database,” Chester said. “You can use the genetic data for breeding purposes and
you can manage your herd. I think it’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
This iceberg is exactly what Akadiri was hoping to tip. Large-scale operations have used genetic testing in the past, but a large portion of America’s beef comes from ranchers with smaller operations, Akadiri said.
“The goal was also not to just focus on the big producers; it also makes sense to focus on the small producers,” Akadiri said. “How do we give these smaller producers a way to produce quality food, be more sustainable, more profitable and able to compete not only in the U.S. but in other parts of the world?”
It has taken time to get to this point, and Akadiri only sees the business growing as demand increases for genetic tests to supplement the information and knowledge a rancher can obtain through observation.
He also plans to expand into other cattle industries and for use among other animals and into the world of education.
“AgBoost is the first product,” Akadiri said. “We will be extending to dairy, horses and I’m very, very, very excited about the opportunity to use it as an educational tool for kids. The future is exciting.”