The most modern cow farm in Europe in Dobanovci – biogas factory in 2010

The cow farm in Dobanovci will have 2,400 heifers in September 2009 and it will then become one of the largest and the most modern cow farms in Europe. In addition, a biogas factory within that farm should be put in operation in 2010.

Holstein heifers from Canada, which have high genetic potential, are transported from Airport "Hamilton" by airplane Boeing 747. Following the expiration of 30 days that they need to spend in quarantine, cows are settled in the refurbished stables equipped with state-of-the-arts equipment.

Serbian-Canadian company "BD Agro" invested about 30m EUR in reconstruction of collective farm "Budućnost", 25m EUR of which was invested in construction works and procurement of best breeds of cattle, while 5m EUR was invested in modern accommodation and milking systems.

Petar Petrović, the Director General of company "GEA WestfaliaSurge Serbia Ltd.", a member of global Engineering Group GEA (www.geagroup.com ), the global leader in various spheres of processing and food industry, told "eKapija" that that company had provided equipment for automatization of milk production, and that the next step was construction of the biogas factory.

Total of 28 stables and accompanying facilities have been refurbished and the new equipment for stables, produced by renowned Dutch manufacturer "Royal De Boer" that has recently become a member of GEA Farm Technologies Group, has been installed, which has made it possible for company "BD Agro" to adopt free system of animal keeping. Stables are equipped with ligeboxes with mattresses for every head of cattle, animal watering system, venting system and automated system for fertilization and depositing of manure in lagoons. Company "GEA WestfaliaSurge Serbia Ltd." has provided complete equipment for milking system, so that the farm in Dobanovci is equipped according to the latest standards for the farms of that capacity.

Petrović points out that the preliminary project for construction of the biogas factory is finished and that it will be realized once the farm reaches its full capacity because it will be profitable then.

Milking system

Milking process in the free system of cattle keeping is carried out in the central milking place. All facilities are connected between themselves and with the central milking place by means of precisely designed cow-routing, which ensures organized transportation of cows to and from the milking place.

"GEA WestfaliaSurge" has equipped modern rotating milking center of new generation AutoRotor Global 90 with 60 milking places, while small milking center of fishbone type got 16 milking places.

Such milking center enables control of health condition of cattle, control of milking process, control of productivity and sustainability of bacterial-chemical quality of milk. The work of the milking center is automated and backed by information system where milking parameters of each cow are generated and read by means of transponders on cows’ necklaces. Every milking place provides easy access to udders, which enables regular and good hygiene. The equipment is made of zinc-coated steel and it is easy to wash. The milking center encompasses special premises where three lactofreezes of total capacity of 75,000 liters are settled.

Small milking center is built in the vicinity of the hospital and delivery room for cows. It is intended for milking of pregnant cows and those with health problems, so that the milks of healthy and sick cows can not be mixed.

- The way of keeping cattle in free system and quick and easy milking with all collected data ensure maximum production, quality final product and profitable farm – said our collocutor and pointed out that every farm that optimized production would become more competitive in the market.

GEA WestfaliaSurge

Company "GEA WestfaliaSurge" is present in our market since 2001, and it represents GEA Group in Serbian market and registers regular growth of both operations and the organization itself. In that period, GEA Group has implemented large number of projects in Serbia, and the most significant are: Automation of beer production process in Greenfield "Rodić MB Brewer" in Novi Sad, complete bio-diesel factory for "Victoria oil", reconstruction and automation of complete reception and pasteurization system in company "Imlek" in Belgrade, as well as expansion of capacities of brewery "Calsberg" in Čelarevo.

Speaking about necessary education of local farmers, Petrović pointed out that company "GEA WestfaliaSurge" educated farmers and organized visits to the trade fairs in Hannover, Paris, Madison, as well as visits to the farms in Netherlands, Austria, Germany and United States of America.

GEA Group in Serbia has annual incomes of about 10m EUR and, according to the words of Petrović, there is plenty of job for them in our country “because almost every factory in Serbia needs new technologies”.

M.K.