Focus on robotization and grazing at Grazing Covenant Day

During the Grazing Covenant Day, one message was central: the decline in the number of dairy farms with grazing will not stop on its own. Various developments are putting current grazing figures under pressure. Robotization and increasing labor pressure also play a role in this. At the same time, grazing remains of great value to the image and public support of the dairy farming sector.

On behalf of the Robot & Weiden project, carried out by Aeres University of Applied Sciences Dronten, Netwerk GRONDig, and NAJK, Roos Verhoef-Roeleveld provided an explanation regarding the opportunities and challenges surrounding this theme.

Within the Robot & Weiden project, research was conducted into how dairy farmers who milk with robots view grazing. To this end, over 300 dairy farmers completed a nationwide survey, supplemented by in-depth interviews. The research shows that the choice for grazing depends heavily on the balance between what it demands and what it yields.

It is striking that financial aspects are not the only important factor. Of course, premiums and practical matters play a role, but ‘soft factors’ such as the sector’s image, job satisfaction, and intrinsic motivation often prove to be decisive. Dairy farmers who spend many hours grazing, in particular, indicate that they graze primarily because they personally consider it important.

At the same time, many dairy farmers are also facing challenges. These include increased labor, reduced robot utilization, extreme weather conditions, and monitoring of pasture milk. Especially now that farms are becoming larger on average, this calls for practical and future-proof solutions. An important insight is that more attention must be paid to the different target groups and their needs. Therefore, no ‘one size fits all’, but rather more tailored solutions for the various subgroups.

During the covenant day, attendees were therefore challenged to collectively think about real “game-changers” for the future of grazing. For there is no single solution, but the shared ambition to keep grazing future-proof was clearly palpable throughout the day.