GPS collars, virtual fencing and real-time livestock monitoring were at the center of the first AgroTechnological Seminar organized by the Núcleo de Criadores de Bovinos de Raças de Carne da Ilha Terceira, bringing innovation directly from the conference room into the pasture.
For generations, cattle farming on Terceira has been shaped by pasture, stone walls, gates and the daily presence of the farmer. On September 25 and 26, 2026, the Núcleo de Criadores de Bovinos de Raças de Carne da Ilha Terceira (NCBRCIT), in partnership with Digitanimal Portugal, demonstrated how another element is entering that landscape: digital technology. Under the theme “Pasto a Passo no Futuro,” the first AgroTechnological Seminar brought together cattle breeders from different islands, mainland technicians, university professors, veterinarians, animal scientists, representatives of associations and cooperatives, and producers from different agricultural sectors to explore GPS collars, virtual fencing and new approaches to livestock management.
The initiative reflected a mission the Núcleo has pursued throughout its history: defending and supporting producers while promoting the modernization and sustainability of Terceira’s beef-cattle sector. That vision is also reflected in the experience of its president, André Borba, who completed an agricultural internship at California State University, Fresno—an international experience that brought him into contact with different approaches to livestock production, agricultural education and technology. Under his leadership, together with the Núcleo’s directors and collaborators, the organization has continued to create opportunities for producers to exchange knowledge, encounter new technologies and establish connections beyond the island. The AgroTechnological Seminar was another expression of that philosophy: learning from elsewhere while adapting innovation to the realities of Terceira.
The first day provided the knowledge; the second took it into the field. Following an extensive technical and practical presentation by Gonçalo Matos, participants visited farms on September 26 to see GPS collars and virtual fences operating under real conditions. The technology allows continuous information to be collected about an animal’s location, activity and behavior, while digital boundaries can assist in managing extensive grazing without relying exclusively on traditional physical fencing. Satellite-connected and solar-powered systems can also provide producers with new ways of organizing pasture use and monitoring animals across dispersed terrain.
The potential benefits reach beyond productivity. Real-time monitoring may help farmers identify unusual movement or behavior more quickly, manage grazing areas with greater precision and reduce some of the repetitive work associated with locating livestock and maintaining physical boundaries. For producers whose days require constant attention to animals distributed across different pastures, knowing where cattle are, receiving alerts and being able to manage grazing boundaries digitally can offer something agricultural technology discussions sometimes overlook: time, efficiency and greater peace of mind.
This approach is consistent with the broader work the Núcleo has developed over the years. Its activities have included promoting beef breeds, livestock exhibitions and competitions, technical training, genetic improvement, educational initiatives and exchanges between producers. More recently, it has strengthened connections beyond Terceira, including exchanges with other islands and mainland Portugal, while welcoming opportunities to bring younger generations and students closer to the realities of Azorean agriculture. The organization’s willingness to connect practical farming experience with education, science and innovation has increasingly become part of its identity.
That is perhaps the most important message behind “Pasto a Passo no Futuro”—pasture by pasture into the future. Agricultural innovation matters most when it serves the farmer rather than merely displaying technology. GPS collars, data and invisible fences will never replace experience, observation or the knowledge accumulated through generations of working with cattle. They can, however, become additional tools in the hands of those who already understand animals and land.
The Núcleo and its directors, under the presidency of André Borba, deserve particular recognition for creating this kind of encounter: farmers beside researchers, veterinarians beside technicians, and technology tested not merely in theory but in the fields where its usefulness must ultimately be demonstrated. Borba’s own experience at California State University, Fresno, also reflects something increasingly important for the future of Azorean agriculture—the value of crossing borders, observing other agricultural systems and returning home with ideas that can be adapted rather than simply copied.
Terceira’s cattle landscape will remain unmistakably Terceirense—green pastures, animals, stone walls and people shaped by generations of agricultural knowledge. But increasingly, alongside those old walls, there may also be boundaries no one can see.
The pasture remains the same. The tools for caring for it are changing.
Photos from the Association’s Facebook page by Hildebrta G.