The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has released a comprehensive report from the Milking Edge Project, offering valuable insights for Australian dairy farmers considering Automatic Milking Systems (AMS) technology.
The research revealed that while on average, AMS-equipped farms in Australia achieve comparable economic and physical results to conventional milking systems, AMS is beneficial for freeing up labour for other key tasks such as pasture management, boosting overall farm productivity.
NSW DPIRD Development Officer Juan Gargiulo said that by analysing the economic and operational performance of AMS in the Australian dairy industry, the report provides clear guidance for farmers exploring this innovative approach to milking, while supporting them to more effectively adopt and operate AMS.
Key findings from the report include:
- Australian AMS farms typically milk between 150 and 240 cows and operate between three and four robotic units.
- Average daily milk production per cow typically ranged from 19.3 to 26.3 kilograms.
- Cows are milked on average 2.17 times per day, with each robot harvesting approximately 1,200 kg of milk daily.
The study also identified key drivers of profitability, including robot efficiency (milk harvested per robot), labour efficiency, and pasture utilisation per hectare. These factors are crucial in determining the success and financial viability of AMS technology on Australian farms.
"The findings from this report provide valuable benchmarks for AMS profitability and efficiency in the Australian dairy industry, helping farmers and stakeholders make informed decisions about technology investments and operational strategies," Mr Gargiulo said.
"While AMS performance varied across different operations, the research highlights key opportunities for improving productivity and profitability, such as the ability of AMS farmers to reallocate labour from milking to other tasks like farm business management, herd health, and pasture management, enhancing overall farm efficiency and sustainability."
Since its global introduction in 1992, AMS is reported to have transformed dairy farming, with over 50,000 systems now in use worldwide.
In Australia, AMS is currently implemented on around 1.5% of dairy farms, with growing interest as farmers assess its benefits.
Importantly, researchers debunked a common perception in the Australian dairy industry that adopting AMS technology often leads to more frequent milking and increased milk production.
"While this is largely true in European and North American dairy systems, where cows are housed in barns with closer access to AMS units, the report found that in Australia's pasture-based systems, milking frequency and production levels were similar to those in conventional systems," Mr Gargiulo said.
"This is partly due to the greater distance between paddocks and milking stations, requiring cattle to walk further compared to barn-housed cattle."
Another key finding was that for a majority of pasture-based AMS farms in Australia, the key to improving profitability was not increasing milking frequency, but rather maximising the number of cows milked per robot.
This report was designed to provide valuable insights into the performance of AMS systems for dairy farmers, industry advisors, consultants, and researchers involved in AMS adoption or performance analysis.
The NSW Government encourages the dairy sector to review the report before investing in AMS technology to determine whether it is the right fit for their operation.
The Milking Edge Project was a five-year initiative led by NSW DPIRD in collaboration with Dairy Australia and DeLaval, with the AMS report available on the DPIRD website.
