Cattle weight estimation app. (Courtesy of Marubeni)
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Marubeni has begun a trial of a free smartphone app that estimates cattle weight using the phone's camera. The app instantly provides an estimate with a margin of error of around 4%. It frees producers from the strenuous task of weighing animals that can reach nearly one metric ton.
The service reflects Marubeni's enduring merchant spirit, attuned to the needs and challenges of its partners. Founded by merchants from Japan's Omi region (now Shiga Prefecture), the company has long embraced the business philosophy of Sanpo Yoshi: "good for the seller, good for the buyer, and good for society." That ethos continues to guide Marubeni today.
The company plans to further enhance the app's accuracy and begin offering it as a paid service as early as January 2026.
Tackling Industry Challenges
The app was developed by Marubeni's Grains and Oilseeds Division, which imports grains such as wheat, corn, and soybeans for livestock feed and raw materials. According to the division, Japan's livestock industry faces pressing challenges, including an aging workforce and labor shortages. Improving efficiency and productivity has become more crucial than ever.
Simply selling feed is no longer enough to maintain relationships with producers. Supporting their operations directly has become essential. "We wanted to find ways to help solve the challenges our producers face," the development team explained.
Cows can grow to around 900 kilograms. Weighing such large animals individually is exhausting work, so many producers skip regular measurements. Marubeni recognized that an app capable of estimating cattle weight could meaningfully reduce this burden and deliver real value.
Artificial Intelligence
Development began in October 2024 in collaboration with Hutzper, an Osaka-based company specializing in AI-driven inspection systems. The AI was trained on 7,100 images and corresponding weight data from cattle across Japan. This dataset enables it to estimate weight based on visual information. In prototype testing, the average margin of error was 4.2%.
By taking a single side photo of a cow with a smartphone, users can obtain an estimated weight in just 0.2 seconds. The app supports Japan's main cattle breeds: Japanese Black (Kuroge Washu), crossbreeds, and Holsteins.
Narrowing the Margin of Error
Marubeni began offering the app for free in October through partner feed companies, including its subsidiary Nisshin Marubeni Feed. The only requirement is participation in Marubeni's dairy and livestock data management platform, the "Beeco Program." About 30 farms nationwide are currently using the app. The total number of cattle images collected, including those used in development, has already surpassed 10,000.
Even during the trial phase, feedback has been positive. A producer in Hokkaido commented, "A cow's weight can fluctuate by as much as 50 kilograms in a single day depending on how much it eats or drinks. Being able to roughly track its growth with just a smartphone is really helpful."
A producer in Kyushu, where labor shortages have made weighing difficult, also praised the app: "I've been relying on intuition to monitor growth, but it's fun to see actual numbers so easily."
As more images and weight data are collected, the AI's accuracy continues to improve. Marubeni plans to continue the trial through the end of December and launch the paid version in January 2026.
Rooted in Merchant Spirit
Visualizing cattle growth, which has traditionally depended on experience and intuition, allows for more efficient feed management. It also helps identify underweight animals early for timely care and supports more accurate shipping schedules. Together, these improvements can help reduce production costs.
The cattle-weight estimation app benefits both producers and Marubeni while also contributing to the sustainability of local farming communities. While not a large-scale global trade project, it exemplifies Marubeni's merchant spirit in action — a practical service born from a deep understanding of customers' needs on the ground.
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Author: Katsufumi Sato, The Sankei Shimbun
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