Young Chinese herder drives modernisation of herding through technology

On a morning in the vast grasslands of Chagan Naoer in Abaga County, Xilingol, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, over 100 cattle and sheep graze peacefully. However, the sight of diligent horseback herders patrolling the grasslands is becoming increasingly rare. A solar-powered monitoring device mounted high on the grassland slowly rotates its camera, transmitting real-time images of the grassland conditions, livestock distribution, and water source status.

Delhei Honggeer, a herder born in 1989, sits inside a yurt. With a light tap on his phone screen, he can switch water wells on or off and remotely monitor grassland data. A native of a herding family, Honggeer grew up with traditional herding and understands the harshness of conventional livestock farming. For years, he has been actively involved in frontline grazing areas, exploring grasslands across every sumu and gacha in Abaga County. He meticulously documented challenges faced by herders—such as long patrol distances, frozen water wells in winter, time-consuming manual feeding, and blind spots in remote grazing management—and turned them into research topics.

After graduating from Inner Mongolia Agricultural University with a degree in Agricultural Mechanisation and Automation in 2012, he chose to leave urban job opportunities and return to his hometown. Determined to apply his professional knowledge to address industry challenges like low efficiency, high labour costs, and difficulties in traditional grazing management, he aimed to bring ‘smart brains’ to traditional grassland livestock farming.

Without a standardised laboratory, the endless grasslands became his testing ground. Lacking precise testing facilities, he relied on his own livestock to repeatedly disassemble, adjust, and refine equipment, optimising technical solutions through trial and error over many years.

For over a decade, Honggeer has consistently contributed to pastoral fields, from grassland monitoring and water resource management to smart feeding and digital grazing management. His innovations directly address herders’ real needs and delve into intelligent research and development across the livestock industry chain.

His self-developed wireless smart grassland monitoring system features solar power and withstands extreme weather like strong winds, snowstorms, and sandstorms. It provides 24-hour real-time monitoring of vast grassland areas, replacing traditional horseback patrolling throughout the year.

In response to harsh winters, scattered water sources, and limited electricity in grazing areas, he developed a remote smart water supply system operable with a single phone tap, real-time temperature and water level monitoring, and automatic alerts for freezing or blockages. This system has resolved longstanding issues with livestock drinking water supply during winter.

Additionally, his specially developed smart feeding equipment and automated livestock management systems suit large-scale cattle and sheep breeding. The technology enables precise feeding and scientific management, significantly reducing feed and labour costs.

Thanks to consistent R&D, Honggeer has secured 13 national utility model patents and five computer software copyrights. All his implemented research and development成果 are practical, field-appropriate, user-friendly, durable, and perfectly adapted to the complex grassland production environment.

Currently, his smart livestock devices are widely deployed across Inner Mongolia’s grazing areas, including Xilingol, Hulun Buir, and Ordos. In over 1,000 herders’ farms, the smart devices operate efficiently: surveillance cameras monitor grasslands, smart water pumps ensure water supply, and automated systems deliver precise feeding. The traditional ‘weather-dependent herding and manual breeding’ model has been completely transformed.

Honggeer’s smart livestock technology continues to be applied and promoted, significantly reducing manual labour for herders and easing pastoral workforce demands while enhancing the overall standardisation, intelligence, and precision management of the grassland livestock industry. The technology has helped pastoral communities save nearly 300 million yuan (1 yuan = Rp2,615), freeing traditional livestock sectors from ‘difficulties, fatigue, and complexity’.