Development of integrated management system for ostrich breeding ventures

• Grant number: 01/08408-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: March 01, 2002
• End date: October 31, 2004
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Firetti
• Grantee: Ricardo Firetti
• Company: Brasil Ostrich Comercial, Importação e Exportação Ltda

Abstract

Brazil is considered in the world ostrich-breeding community as one of the countries with the greatest growth potential in this activity. The vigorous growth of flocks in the country has been noticeable over the last few years. The first imports occurred in 1995 and the market has grown at rates of around 30 per cent per year. However, for Brazilian ostrich-breeding to achieve a competitive space in the market, certain actions have to be set in motion. Amongst them, effective tracking programs, the genetic improvement of flocks and improved management of the businesses which comprise this activity; it would be of considerable value to create a mechanism for centralizing technical and economic information, thus enabling an efficient business management process, imposing traceability on the products and making available data on the origin of the animals. This is the basic proposal of the present project which aims to develop a piece of software in partnerships with businesses specialized in the breeding of ostriches and in computer science, capable of bringing together indispensable information for the management of business and the implantation of programs of genetic improvement geared principally to the productive segment. Phase 1 of the project regards the technical viability of the proposed ideas via the gathering of information pertinent to the system, to the definition of its scope and logical functions and the analysis of the alternatives of support software in its elaboration. Phase 2 proposes to develop a system of computerized management which helps in the control, storing, organization and processing of data from the entire production process of ostrich breeding. (AU)