In the Radviliškis district, village of Bebrujai, the “Agrokoncerno” group is building one of the largest and most modern cow farm complexes in Europe. Currently, the halfway stage of the works has been reached, marking which a symbolic “Roof Festival” was held.
The main building structures have already been built in the complex, and the installation of one of the most modern “Delaval” 100-seat carousel cow milking area on the market has also begun. This equipment will ensure higher milking efficiency, fast, accurate milking process favorable to animal welfare.
Automated processes will help to optimize the need for staff, and timely data analysis during milking will allow effective decisions regarding feeding, treatment or breeding of cows. Compared to standard Lithuanian farms, better hygiene and milk quality will be ensured during each milking cycle. Also, optimized use of electricity, water and detergents will contribute to more sustainable farming. The installation work of the milking carousel platform is planned to be completed by the end of May.
It is planned that the first cows will arrive at the 53-hectare complex at the beginning of November. In total, about 10 thousand cattle will be kept in the farm of which 4 thousand is dairy cows. About 50 employees will work in the complex.
Ramūnas Karbauskis, the owner of „Agrokoncerno“ group, says that this is one of the most ambitious projects, which significantly changes the entire agricultural sector of the country.
“In crop production, we have successfully applied the model of cooperation with science, so we will follow it in livestock production as well. Solutions will be implemented in the cowsheds that allow real-time monitoring of the condition of each cow. Accurate feeding, laser milk analyzers, automated equipment and feed prepared on our farms will help ensure the quality of milk and the health of the animals,” says R. Karbauskis.
According to him, this project helps to solve a long-term problem of the sector – the decreasing number of farms selling milk. According to statistics, slightly more than 12 thousand dairy farms that are operating in Lithuania, when in 2016 there were more than 28 thousand of them. About 30 percent the country still imports raw milk from Latvia, Estonia and Poland.
“We plan that after the construction of this complex, about 140 tons of milk will be milked every day, and the annual amount will exceed 51 thousand tons. This will make it possible to reduce import dependence and significantly increase the amount of raw milk produced in Lithuania,” says R. Karbauskis.
Kęstutis Vanagas, general director of the sustainable urban development and construction company YIT Lietuva, which is building the cow farm complex, says that this is one of the largest objects to be worked on, where the amount of concreting alone reaches 53 thousand cubic meters. Currently, the frames of 8 out of 9 farm buildings have already been built, 5 out of 12 reservoirs have been concreted, the installation of fodder trenches is being completed, half of the internal infrastructure roads have been built, and the entire territory is surrounded by a segmental fence.
“Among the technologically more complex works is the specific installation of the floor, and exceptional technical solutions were necessary due to the high groundwater level. Despite certain features of the project that require additional attention, the work is proceeding intensively, the entire project team working harmoniously and professionally helps to keep to the schedule,” comments K. Vanagas.
Deividas Medžiuolis, deputy director of the “Agricultural Innovation Center” belonging to the “Agrokoncerno” group for animal husbandry, discussed the main decisions. High ceilings, wide aisles are planned in the cowsheds, the cows will spend a lot of time feeding on their own, constant movement will be ensured. All this will allow creating favorable conditions for animals, which are directly related to milk quality and productivity.
This project is being developed in close cooperation with the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU). University researchers plan to conduct applied research in the complex, and students will have the opportunity to do internships.
“Our goal is to strengthen the country’s dairy sector, to promote the implementation of technologies and the application of scientific knowledge in practice. We aim for this complex to become not only a milk production center, but also a livestock innovation center in Lithuania,” says D. Medžiuolis.
According to him, the implementation of the project is proceeding according to the plan, so the milk production processes are planned to start in the first quarter of 2026. The construction of the complex is planned to be completed in the summer of next year.
By the end of 2027, a biomethane power plant will be installed next to the farms, where animal manure will be processed into biogas and biofertilizers. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
According to preliminary calculations, due to the sustainable livestock manure management system and the centralization of milk collection, the project will prevent more than 7,200 tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions every year.
