26 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2025 Conception Ro-Main Inc. is a high-tech ag company headquartered in Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon, Québec, Canada. Established in 1999 by brothers Robert and Germain Labrecque, it’s the amalgamation of their names “Ro-” and “-main,’ which smartly denote the company moniker. The company’s first technological invention was the development of the Contact-O-Max, a remote-controlled boar cart that revolutionized swine reproduction by facilitating large-scale artificial insemination. Over the years, RoMain has evolved into a global leader in precision livestock farming, particularly in the swine industry. The company specializes in creating intelligent, practical technologies that enhance farm productivity and animal and worker welfare. The company is housed in a 50,000-square-foot facility, with 48 employees. In February 2025, Ro-Main joined the IMV Technologies Group, a global leader in assisted reproduction biotechnologies, for a partnership expected to accelerate Ro-Main’s growth and further its mission of providing sustainable, high-tech solutions for animal farming. Ro-Main continues to operate with a multidisciplinary team of veterinarians, agronomists, data scientists, engineers, and computer vision experts, all dedicated to supporting farmers worldwide in achieving more efficient and ecological protein production through high-tech solutions. Its current product portfolio includes: · SmaRt Counting: an AI-powered system that automatically counts pigs with high accuracy, aiding in inventory management. · SmaRt Breeding: a tool that monitors sow behaviour to determine optimal insemination times, improving reproductive efficiency. · Contact-O-Max: a self-propelled, remote-controlled boar cart that optimizes sow sexual stimulation by ensuring sustained and precise snout-to-snout contact, improving reproductive performance. · Hercules’ Arm: a self-propelled carcass cart designed to assist in the safe and ergonomic removal of deceased animals, especially large sows, from tight spaces, enhancing worker safety. · Companion Cart: a self-propelled carcass cart designed to assist in the safe and ergonomic removal of deceased animals, especially gilts and finisher pigs, enhancing worker safety. · No Backdraft: a ventilation solution that prevents air backflow, maintaining stable and microbe-free barn environments. Benchmark magazine talked with Jacquelin Labrecque, Ro-Main’s Chief Executive Officer, who joined the company in 2011. Born and raised on his family’s pig farm, Labrecque pairs firsthand knowledge of swine farming with his academic background in mechanical engineering and artificial intelligence. After rising through the ranks in both technical and leadership roles, he became CEO in early 2024. “In 2008, we stepped into the realm of data-driven decision-making, integrating software and algorithmic technologies into our family’s pig farms,” stated Labrecque. “It started with PigWatch, a motion sensor-based Italian system designed to predict the optimal time for insemination, a product technology that Ro-Main eventually acquired.” Labrecque explained to the magazine that he discovered a passion for artificial intelligence (AI) while TECHNOLOGY LESS TECHNICAL Making High-tech agricultural tech company is at the forefront of AI usage in helping swine businesses work smarter and more efficiently. Andrew Joseph, Editor Ro-Main's SmaRt Counting—its latest AI technology tool—with the integrated SmaRt Weight technology. Photo by Conception Ro-Main Inc.
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