Friday, 03 October 2014 18:24

Super farm starts production

Written by Sudesh Kissun

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

The world's biggest robotic dairy farm under one roof has started production in South Canterbury.

The Van Leeuwen Group- owned by Aad and Wilma van Leeuwen – has spent $22 million on the farm - it will milk 1500 cows and operate 24 DeLaval robots.

Production started last month; half of the barn is in operation with 12 robots. Contractors are working on installing the remaining 12 DeLaval robots.

Aad van Leeuwen expects the barn to be fully operational by Christmas.

Feed bunkers on the side of the barn can hold 4.5 million kg of dry matter.

Milk production is expected to top 1.2 million kgMS. Van Leeuwen expects production per cow to top 750kg.

* Read the full story in Dairy News October 13th issue.

More like this

Open Country opens butter plant

When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.

Revamped Fonterra to be ‘more capital-efficient’

Fonterra chair Peter McBride says the divestment of Mainland Group is their last significant asset sale and signals the end of structural changes.

Green light for virtual fencing, herding in Victoria

Virtual fencing and herding systems supplier, Halter is welcoming a decision by the Victorian Government to allow farmers in the state to use the technology.

Dairy sector profit still on the table, but margin gap tightens

DairyNZ’s latest Econ Tracker update shows most farms will still finish the season in a positive position, although the gap has narrowed compared with early season expectations.

Michelle Pye elected to Fonterra board

Canterbury farmer Michelle Pye has been elected to Fonterra’s board for a three-year term.

Featured

Czarnikow Launches Digital Milk Pricing Tool in NZ

New Zealand dairy farmers are set to be the first in the world to receive access to a new digital physical milk pricing tool that enables them to fix the price for their physical milk.

Pāmu Opens Farm Gates for Summer Open Farm Days

State farmer Pāmu is opening its farm gates this summer in an effort to give the rural sector the opportunity to see how large-scale, multi-system farming is delivering productivity and profitability across New Zealand.

Northland Study: Emissions Cuts "Unsustainable" for Dairy

A five-year study has found that the cost of reducing emissions without technology may be significant and unsustainable for Northland dairy farmers.

DairyNZ: Waikato Farmers Need Certainty on PC1 Rules

DairyNZ says Waikato farmers need certainty on Plan Change 1, but they say that certainty must be matched with practical, workable rules and a clear transition that doesn't get ahead of the new resource management system currently under review.

NZ Rural Contractors Push for Urgent VDAM Rule Reform

While the Government has moved quickly to make commercial hauliers' lot easier during the current fuel crisis, they appear to be stuck in the creep box when it comes to the agricultural industry.

Government's New Planning System, PC1 'Won't Mesh Together Well'

Waikato farmers have been told that the Government’s new planning system legislation and the region’s Plan Change 1 (PC1) “won’t mesh together very well”.