Science chipping in on the dairy farm

Press, 4 February 1982, Page 10

Science chipping in on the dairy farm

From the Swedish •correspondent of the “Economist.” London

Cows with transponder collars that talk to computers, a 10.000-head dairy herd created in two years in the Saudi Arabian desert, pumps that save energy by extracting heat from dung, and enzyme additives that keep milk fresh in the tropics — these are some of the strange examples of modern technology now making their way on to the farm. Europe's dairy farmers are particularly interested in how a diet of microchips and energy technology can save money. Europe’s lake of surplus milk, soggy dairy prices, and high interest rates have concentrated farmers’ scarce investment money on two areas: more economical use of the concentrates employed as feed and cutting energy waste on the farm.

Computers came to the farm some years ago. Computer logging of milk production and feed consumption is becoming routine. Now AlfaLaval of Sweden, leader in dairy equipment with some 35 per cent of the world market, has a system that goes much farther, ensuring that each cow gets not an ounce more or less feed than she needs.

This system, called Alfa Feed, fits each cow with a transponder on a small collar. The device emits a signal which is recognised by a sensor at the feeding trough in the cow’s stall.

Each morsel of expensive concentrate — feed accounts for half the cost of milk on a European farm — is plotted against a stored record of what the cow should consume to work most efficiently as a machine converting feed to milk, with little wasteful fat or flesh produced in the process. The system turns the feed tap on and off at appropriate times to make sure that the cow gets the small, frequent feeds that provide the best pattern of digestion. If Daisy is too greedy, she gets no more feed until the computer says mealtime has come again. Alfa-Laval is after the American market as well as the European one. American

farmers are seeing their concentrate prices rising too. and are now showing interest in sophisticated feeding techniques. High technology is also being used to save energy. The average barn of 50 cows produces a lot of heat and moisture — from radiated body heat, from the beasts’ breath, from manure, and from the warm milk coming out of the cow at 35deg. C. Theoretically, that output is equivalent to 40 kilowatts of electricity. Alfa’s experts reckon it should be possible to capture and harness about a third. Electricity and heating costs on a dairy farm are only about 4 per cent of milk-production costs. Even so, the saving may be worth

while. But not novel: medie- < val farmers used to live under the same roof as their’,3 beasts to. keep warm smelly). -. ’ Alfa-Laval has developed *: various forms of heat pumps. - ' Working like refrigerators in 2 reverse, these turn the ? warm, over-humid air of the barn into air-conditioned air < and warm water for barn 7 cleaning. (Other heat pumps •. can be used to capture the heat produced in cooling (, milk.) • ■*’ The heat from the barn ’ can even be used to heat the . farmhouse — without simultaneously making it smell ta like a barn. A barn heat , pump costs about $7OOO and ; Alfa claims it should pay for » itself in just over five years. J Two other Alfa-Laval developments are to do with the processing of milk. The first is a new form of mobile pasteurisation plant that is ' economical on a smaller scale than usual. Second. Alfa hopes to get approval in the next few months from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation for an enzyme treatment it has devised for milk in hot climates. Milk goes off very rapidly in the tropics, creating a problem for small farmers wishing to take their milk to the town or to a pick-up point. By adding natural enzymes (lactoperoxide agents) the millk can be kept fresh without chilling for five hours. The Swedes know they have not really invented anything new here. Kikuyu tribes in Kenya have urinated in milk> for years to achieve the same effect.