The demand for Lely milking robots has increased dramatically since Eurotier 2010. The reason for this is that many dairy managers are in a phase of expansion to ensure future profitability. Many of them favour the use of a milking robot to keep working hours under control when herds are enlarged. The increasing popularity of milking robots came to the attention of the Minister for Economic Affairs of Saarland, Germany, who took the opportunity of a visit to a local dairy farm to find out more about this new technology. Frank Weber from Waldhof farm in Illingen explained all about automatic milking. He told the minister that the key factors for the decision to use a robot were not only the reduced labour involved but also the fact that it enabled certain cows to be cared for more meticulously. During their talk Frank Weber emphasized that he had maintained a close relationship with his 160 animals in spite of the new technology. 

The production figures of Lely, a family business based in the Netherlands, have increased every year up to now thanks to the rising demand for automatic dairy equipment worldwide. In addition to the two Lely representatives, the visit was also attended by two representatives from Festo, a Saarland company manufacturing important components for the movement of the robot’s arms. The positive development of recent years has meant that Festo, like the Lely Center in Cologne, have enlarged their work force in the region. Minister Hartmann commented that it was of prime importance for agriculture to be based on economic efficiency and productivity. At the same time he stressed that the use of technology enabled agricultural enterprises to work more efficiently, saved energy and was attuned to the needs of the animals.

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About the Lely Group

Lely directs all its efforts at dairy farmers, so that their financial and social welfare is advanced and they can anticipate market developments. For 60 years, Lely has been synonymous with products, services and solutions that are relevant and meaningful for dairy farmers, simply because they are developed specifically to address their wishes. Lely is also the undisputed market leader in the sales and service of automated milking systems; in addition, the company has a strong position in the roughage harvesting machinery market. The company is active in more than 60 countries and employs some 1,400 people. The annual turnover is around 403 million euro. For more information, see www.lely.com.

For further information, please contact:

Els Versluis
International Marketing and Communications Manager
Lely Group
eversluis@lely.com 
T: + 31 (0)10 59 96 500