increase font size
Alexander van der Lely.
Automation company Lely says fully robotic farms are the future for the booming global dairy industry.
The company is on the brink of introducing a fully automated decision-based farm management system that will run the farm on behalf of the farmer.
Lely chief executive Alexander van der Lely gave his take on the future dairy farm at the company’s 70th year celebrations and Lely Future Farm Days in Maassluis, Netherlands this month.
Lely says he envisages fully robotic dairy farms worldwide.
“Adaption of automation is really gaining pace now; there seems no end to this trend and there’s a reason for it,” he says.
“Robotisation is for most countries the only answer to labour shortage and to succession. It’s no secret that fewer people want to work in the agricultural industry and automation offers a real solution.”
The company has launched a new, redesigned robotic milker -- the Lely Astronaut 5 -- scheduled to make its NZ debut at the National Fieldays in Hamilton in June.
Lely introduced its first Astronaut robotic milker (A1) in 1992; today 30,000 Lely robots milk cows around the world.
Alexander Lely says farmers are part of his company’s DNA and its innovations are designed to help farmers enjoy profitable and sustainable dairying.
Future farm integrated solutions from Lely will centre on the cow and automate repetitive tasks in the milking shed so that farmers can “focus on things that really matter”.
Lely says the `decision-based´ farm management system supports increased profitability, sustainability and usability for both farmer and cow.
“This software uses the many data sources available on the farm and from the ecosystem surrounding it. Instead of only presenting information, the system will propose or even make decisions with the farmer’s permission.
“The system will be self-learning and, over time, will adapt to the farmer’s preferences for running the farm.”
He urged other dairy industry stakeholders, e.g. vets, feed and insemination suppliers, to work with his company.
“We cannot do this alone,” he said.
Getting calves away to a strong start means attention to detail from day one, so the Lely Calm, an automatic drinking system for calves, prepares and feeds rations at the right temperature and is designed to ensure calves receive smaller, more frequent portions throughout the day.
The first weeks of a calf's life quietly shape the future of the entire herd.
Since its decision to concentrate on milk harvesting and animal husbandry, resulting in the selling of its agricultural machinery brands and factories, Lely’s focus seems to be paying off with a growing business.
With 2025 marking the 30th anniversary of its first milking robot being installed in Belgium in 1995, Lely says it has taken automated milking to the “next level” with the release of the latest version of the Astronaut Series - the A5-Next.
Dairy automation company Lely reported a 3.4% decline in total turnover last year but notes that sales are picking up.
An Auckland gelato shop and an established New Zealand ice cream maker have both been named Supreme Champions at the NZ Ice Cream & Gelato Awards 2026.
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to put pressure on household grocery budgets, new figures show pork remains one of the most affordable fresh meat options for New Zealand families.
OPINION: In politics, credibility is and should be big. It must surely rank higher than charisma, which is quite trite and superficial. Yet, voters nowadays are often wooed and influenced by how someone looks or talks at a superficial level. TV plays a huge role in this.
Farmers can spend less time on paperwork, thanks to a new data sharing agreement between DairyNZ’s DairyBase and LIC’s MINDA software.
Kaikōura families affected by July's severe storm have found a practical solution to a problem that's kept some children away from regular schooling for weeks: a washed-out section of Inland Kaikōura Road, which has stopped the local school bus from running its usual route.
Rural New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s recent package of rural healthcare initiatives.
