REVIEW ▶▶▶
Success stories: Innovative farming in South America
The demand for dairy products is growing in South America. At the same time, consumers are becoming more demanding when it comes to food safety, traceability, animal welfare and environmental concerns. Innovation is a way to strengthen the competitiveness of companies.
BY JOS VAN DE VOOREN I
Agrindus’ set-up has an American feel: open-air feeding troughs and few buildings.
nnovation is also a tool that can be used to meet societal challenges. To inform the sector about possible solutions, a virtual edition of the Congreso Internacional de Inno- vación Láctea (which translates as ‘International Con-
gress of Dairy Innovation’) was held recently in Argentina. The event was organised by Rosario Stock Exchange, food and re- newable energy producer Adecoagro, the Rosario Food Bank (BAR) and Dairy Farm Grupo Chiavassa. The main aim was to give examples of developments in dairy farming with pres- entations of three success stories (Nuestro Agro). The story of IMBO Agropecuaria comes from Argentina. This company produces milk, meat, feed and grains using modern technology. It has a dairy farm where milking is done with milking robots and where manure is processed into compost. Agrindus’ story comes from Brazil. This company is one of the
three largest milk producers in the country. It uses innovative technologies to improve the genetics of the animals, and it produces a remarkable type of milk under its own brand. The Chilean company Agrícola Ancali is one of the largest milk producers in South America. It is known for using ad- vanced production technologies, genetics, management and robotics to achieve the highest possible quality of milk. These companies share a common vision with well-defined objec- tives. They see their company as more than just a raw materi- al producer. Their objective is to make food that meets the demands of conscious consumers.
Argentina: IMBO Agropecuaria An example of innovation in Argentina is the company IMBO Agropecuaria, near Córdoba. IMBO is a family business that has expanded through innovations into a dairy farm with 660 dairy cows. One of the most important innovations was the renewal of the management system. “We have outlined a vision for 2025, with a strategy that will help us achieve our goals,” said María Pía Bonamico, one of the directors of IMBO. Half of the work is done by six DeLaval VMS milking robots in a fully automated system. The barn is free range and modu- larly designed, which allows for different treatment of cows and heifers. The company hopes to increase the current daily average of 34 litres per cow to 40 litres when the second au- tomated free-range barn is ready. Manure is removed using a flushing system and a manure separation system that separates the solid fraction from the liquid fraction. The liquid fraction is reused for rinsing after several sedimentation basins. Rainwater from the barn is collected in a reservoir with a storage capacity of 2 million litres, and this water is used to clean the milking parlour. The
18 ▶ DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 8, No. 3, 2021
PHOTO: AGRINDUS
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