This is the VOA SpecialEnglish AGRICULTURE REPORT.
A small but growing number of farmers are using robotictechnology to get milk from cows. These farmers have invested inrobotic milking systems. Supporters of the system say it makes thejob of farmers easier and increases milk production.
Mike Schutz is an agricultural expert at Purdue University inWest Lafayette, Indiana. He says robotic technology has been used inCanada and Europe for several years. He says a few farms in theAmerican states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin also are using thesystems.
Some farmers in Indiana are interested in starting a roboticmilking program. Purdue University plans to work with Indiana stateofficials to study the effect of robotic milking. They will examinethe quality of the milk, animal health and other issues.
Currently, the United States Food and Drug Administration permitsonly the testing of robotic milking machines.
Mister Schutz has traveled to other countries to learn about theequipment. He is now teaching farmers about the device. He says ithelps farmers spend less time milking cows. He also says milkproduction increases because the cows are free to decide when theywant to be milked.
The robotic system is designed to operate twenty-four hours aday. Cows are trained to move through a series of passageways to themilking equipment. Mister Schutz says cows can be trained to use thesystem without human help after three or four weeks.
The design of the system permits the milking of only one cow at atime. Robotic equipment cleans the animal and connects it to themilking machine in about one minute. Milking then takes about fiveminutes.
Mister Schutz says farms with sixty to one-hundred-twenty cowsare best for this technology. Each system can milk about fifty cowseach day. Each cow is milked three times a day.
For many farmers, the biggest issue is cost. Purdue Universityreports that one machine costs up toone-hundred-seventy-five-thousand dollars. In addition, not everycow will use the equipment. Mister Schutz notes that cows are notphysically inspected for health problems when they are milked. And,the milk quality needs to be inspected.
This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by GeorgeGrow.