Waikato Milking Systems will showcase its full product range to demonstrate how it can help dairymen grow the value of dairy at this year’s World Dairy Expo in the US.
The company’s head office is in New Zealand while its US office is based in Verona, Wisconsin. A team of staff from both locations is looking forward to being part of this year’s expo in Madison from October 1-5.
Waikato Milking Systems won the Large Site Daily Booth Award in 2018 and the company’s international sales manager Grant Wisnewski said this year’s booth is set to be another winner.
“We will have our full product range from dairy parlors, milking automation technology, our NaviGate Dairy Management System and Dairy Hygiene products,” Grant said.
Based in the Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center, the company’s booth will also have a special focus for those exploring goat and sheep dairy production.
“We’re looking to build on our successful foray into the goat and sheep dairy market and we will have a segment of our Small Ruminant Rotary for expo visitors to inspect.”
The company installed a 100-stall goat rotary in Canada in 2017 and is keen to talk more about its capability in the sheep and dairy industry in North America.
Grant said the Small Ruminant Rotary is durable, can easily be used in large industrial situations but it’s also lightweight and easy to operate.
He said public awareness of the lower environmental impact of sheep and goat dairy was growing.
“There is also an increased awareness of the nutritional benefits of sheep and goat milk products which has resulted globally in an increased consumption.”
The Waikato Milking Systems booth will also feature an interactive video display which will take visitors on a 360˚ tour of three US dairy parlors operating the company’s milking systems.
It includes Vogel Farms in Cato, Wisconsin, which is running a Parallel system to milk 650 cows twice a day.
The second is at Clinton Farms, Bear Creek, Wisconsin, where a Centrus Composite Rotary is milking the farm’s 500 cows.
The third farm is Indian Ridge, Comanche in Texas, where an 80-stall Centrus Composite Rotary was commissioned in late 2018.
“People will be able to explore the three farms using the 360-degree imagery to see how our technology and components work on a commercial dairy,” Grant said.
And if you want to see a Centrus up close and personal, the Waikato Milking Systems booth will have a segment of the platform for people to explore.
“The Centrus, like the one at Clinton Farms, is much lighter and stronger than concrete platforms for example,” Grant said.
“It means there’s less wear on running gear and over time that translates into lower maintenance costs.”
Visitors will be able to talk to staff about their own dairy parlors and discover how Waikato Milking Systems can help improve their businesses.
That included exploring milking automation options to improve efficiencies and reduce time spent in the parlor.
Waikato Milking Systems has developed its Plug ‘N’ Play feature to connect automation technology options across all of its platform types.
It allows farmers to select the level of milking automation suitable for their dairy operations, and upgrade later when the budget allows.
“If udder health important to you, plug in the SmartD-TECT Pulsator to measure the conductivity of each quarter,” Grant said.
“If you’re looking to reduce labor, plug in the SmartSPRAY option to automatically spray your animals on a rotary platform.”
Expo visitors can also learn about the NaviGate Dairy Management System, which acts as an extra pair of hands in the parlor.
It can monitor the milking performance of each cow, its weight, heat cycle and health. It will also automatically sort the cows when they exit the parlor.
The data helps farmers make decisions to improve the overall productivity and profitability of the herd and farm.
Grant said he and the Waikato Milking Systems team is looking forward to meeting up with some familiar faces at the World Dairy Expo but also making some new connection with people in the industry.
“We’re putting the finishing touches on our expo booth now and looking forward to demonstrating the capability of our people and products to dairy farmers in the US.”
Waikato Milking Systems will be at the World Dairy Expo, Madison, Wisconsin, October 1-5, in booths EH6101-6205.
