Currently, the Orsha district produces approximately 180 thousand litres of milk daily. This represents 106% of last year's level, as stated by Sergey Skiruk, Deputy Head of the Department – Head of the Livestock Department of the Agriculture and Food Department of the Orsha District Executive Committee.
Currently, the Orsha district produces approximately 180 thousand litres of milk daily. This represents 106% of last year's level, as stated by Sergey Skiruk, Deputy Head of the Department – Head of the Livestock Department of the Agriculture and Food Department of the Orsha District Executive Committee.
Following the Vitebsk district, the Orsha region holds the second position in the oblast for gross milk production.
At the "Brazdetchino" dairy farm of "SGC "Zadneprovsky" alone, over 13 tonnes of milk are produced daily. All of it is of "extra" grade. According to Denis Provalinsky, head of the robotic dairy complex, some cows yield up to 37 litres during peak lactation, while a high-yielding cow produces 20-27 litres of milk per day.
The modern complex, where processes are managed by intelligent machines, was commissioned 5 years ago. Through trial and error, a common denominator was reached. Milk production has doubled since 2015. The improvement in feed quality has also contributed to this.
“Since last year, we have started crushing corn and preserving it in ‘sleeves’,” explains Irina Dudkina, chief zootechnician for cattle at the agricultural branch "SGC "Zadneprovsky".
At the "Brazdetchino" dairy farm, computers are responsible for almost everything, including animal health. All data on a cow's well-being is read from an electronic chip on its neck and transmitted to the control room – the complex's command centre.
“The human factor is excluded at the complex,” emphasises Denis Provalinsky. “While an operator on a conventional farm might overlook something, a robot precisely executes assigned tasks.”
There are two robotic sections at the complex. One area is designed for newly calved cows, and the second section houses high-yielding cows. Four pushers, two mechatronics engineers, and two daytime livestock specialists work per shift.
“We work shifts of 24 hours on, 72 hours off,” says mechatronics engineer Sergey Lyakhovich. “The salary is over a thousand rubles. I never dreamed of such work before – automation on all fronts.”
Today, he is not a milking machine operator but a mechatronics engineer – a previously unheard-of but now very prestigious specialty in the agro-industrial complex.