Lantmännen invests in robotic milking from DeLaval

Stockholm, Sweden ─ With seven new DeLaval VMS™ robots Nötcenter Viken strives to reach new production levels.

Lantmännen has in recent years conducted several successful projects to increase the production results from its test farm, Nötcenter Viken, in Falköping, Sweden. To increase the production levels even further, the old rotary is now being replaced by seven milking robots ─ DeLaval VMS™ V300 and DeLaval VMS™ V310.

 “The business investments that we have done in the last years have paid off, and the primary reason for that is high quality feed and well-balanced rations, together with great management. We now have a milk production level very close to 13,000 kg ECM. Going forward, we want to take the production and the tests to the next level, and for that we need new milking equipment. The new robots will allow us to better utilise the cows’ full potential, as well as improving our feed trials,” says Ulrika Nilsson, Operations Manager at Nötcenter Viken.

There are two barns at Nötcenter Viken that host 450 dairy cows and 500 heifers and calves in total. One of the barns will be equipped with four VMS™ V300 that has several unique features, including DeLaval PureFlow™, a separate wash cup that cleans and prepares the teats and DeLaval InSight™, an advanced camera- and software combination that result in an efficient milking process. The second barn will host three VMS™ V310, which in addition to the technical features of the V300, includes DeLaval RePro™, a feature that detects heat and pregnancy by measuring the progesterone levels in the milk based on an advanced bio model.

“We are very proud that our milking equipment is going to contribute to Lantmännen’s research. Feeding is an area that can contribute to helping dairy farms both reduce their environmental impact and increase profitability on farm,” says Paul Löfgren, EVP Cluster EMEA, DeLaval.

“Lantmännen believes in competitive Swedish milk production and want to drive the development forward. Our ambition is that the Nötcenter Viken production shall be one of the top producers regarding yield, animal health and environment. Investments in new technology is a prerequisite to get us there,” says Kristina Gustafsson, Feeding Manager at Lantmännen.

The installation project will soon commence and is planned to be finalised during September 2021.

About Lantmännen
Lantmännen is an agricultural cooperative and Northern Europe’s leader in agriculture, machinery, bioenergy and food products. Owned by 19,000 Swedish farmers, they have 10,000 employees, operations in over 20 countries and an annual turnover of approximately SEK 45 billion. With grain at the heart of our operations, we refine arable land resources to make farming thrive.