“During my trip to the Netherlands, I visited another demonstration dairy farm — this time in the southeast of the country, in Limburg province,” – shared his observations on Facebook by Ion Moraru, Head of the “Dairy Cattle Development” project at the Union of Dairy Enterprises of Ukraine.
The farm was built in the early 1990s. Initially, the owner was engaged in pig farming, but later fully shifted to dairy production. Today, around 2,000 Holstein cows are kept here. The main milking facility — an 80-stall rotary parlour — was commissioned in 2018.
Special attention deserves the manure removal system. The farm uses slatted floors with manure channels and scraper-based manure pushing. In practice, this system has proven inefficient and prone to frequent malfunctions. For those planning new farm construction, this is a clear signal: a Manure Vacuum system is a much more reliable solution.
The feed and manure alleys are covered with rubber flooring — a positive element for hoof health and animal comfort. Part of the herd is inseminated with semen from beef breeds, mainly Blanc-Bleu Belge. A 56-cubic-meter feed mixer is used to feed the entire herd, and a number of processes on the farm are automated.
The enterprise employs a relatively large number of staff, which is explained by the combination of two activities on the same site — milk production and processing. A significant share of employees are specialists from Poland.
All milk produced is immediately sent for processing: the plant is located directly on the farm, on the second floor above the milking parlour. The main product is lactoferrin, which can rightly be called the “golden cream” of milk. Other fractions are used to produce additional dairy products.
Among the interesting details: the farm still operates an old carousel–tandem milking parlour that is already 36 years old; it is used for cows from the hospital group. Silage is covered with plastic film weighted down not with old tires, but with ordinary soil — simple, free, and reliable.
This farm is a good example of how careful planning, combining production with processing, and a willingness to learn from one’s own mistakes create long-term business efficiency. It is no coincidence that a biblical proverb is mentioned: “The plans of the diligent lead surely to profit, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
Ion Moraru also separately thanked GEA Farming partners for their support during the trip.
Source: Facebook post by Ion Moraru.
