DeLaval HIGHLIGHTS 2025/2026
Hamra Farm inauguration marks new era for innovation
DeLaval inaugurated its Hamra Farm expansion project in Tumba, Sweden, home to the company’s commercial dairy farm and Research and Development Centre. The new facilities will enable Hamra Farm to nearly double the number of milking cows – from 260 to 550 – bringing the total herd to over 1,000 animals. The development includes three new barns: a maternity and calf barn, a heifer barn and a VMS barn that doubles as a visitor centre. The VMS barn features four DeLaval VMS™ V310 and one DeLaval VMS™ V300. “Hamra Farm plays a key role in demonstrating what’s possible in modern dairy farming – well beyond its own gates,” said Paul Löfgren, President & CEO of DeLaval.
Launch of ground-breaking new solutions
A strong focus on efficiency, sustainability and animal welfare underpinned DeLaval’s new solutions in 2025. These included the latest model in the DeLaval VMS™ V300 series, featuring innovative upgrades such as DeLaval Flow‑Responsive™ Milking for faster, gentler milking. The system can also be equipped with DeLaval BioSensor Milk Cell Analysis (MCA) to monitor udder health by measuring somatic cell count in the milk, along with new DeLaval Plus applications to support overall herd health and management. Read more about these solutions in the Technology section on page 21.
Milk Sustainability Center wins prestigious award
The Milk Sustainability Center, which is a partnership between DeLaval and John Deere, was announced as a winner of the AE50 Award. Presented annually by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), the award celebrates technological advancements that increase efficiency, enhance quality, improve safety and boost profitability. The MSC integrates data on crop and animal performance to help farmers improve their operations and reduce environmental impact, by tracking nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions across their farm, herd and fields. In addition, new strategic partners and locations with new test customers joined the MSC in 2025.
Elevating exhibitions: cheese and the latest VMS technology
From live demonstrations to customer engagement, DeLaval continued to make its mark at agricultural exhibitions. One standout example was the Tarmstedter Ausstellung, northern Germany’s largest agricultural fair. DeLaval Germany showcased the first commercially manufactured systems from the latest DeLaval VMS™ V300 lineup in both left‑ and right‑hand configurations, each bearing the serial number 0001. Milk was collected from live milking demonstrations with Fleckvieh cows – around 2,000 litres in total – and handed over to a mobile dairy, which started the process of turning the milk into cheese onsite. The finished cheese was sent out to customers – a tasty slice of innovation indeed.
Celebrating a century of progress, partnership and pride in Finland
DeLaval Finland celebrated its 100th anniversary – a century of working hand in hand with Finnish farmers. From the early days of the centrifugal cream separator to pioneering technologies that improve animal welfare, this journey has been built on trust and continuous development. To mark the occasion, DeLaval Finland hosted a series of celebrations, including a family day at a local amusement park for customers, employees and business partners with their families (almost 3,000 guests in total!) and an evening reception featuring guest speakers from the dairy industry, including the Finnish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. Finland’s openness to innovation – from automation to unique service concepts – has made it a strong reference point for modern dairy farming. This spirit of progress will continue to shape the future.
Strengthening research ties and creating career pathways
Collaboration with leading universities continued to play an important role for DeLaval in 2025. These partnerships are essential because they help ensure that our products and solutions are rigorously validated for performance and sustainability. Notably, DeLaval Japan reached an important milestone in 2025 by launching its first internship programme for new university graduates, developed together with institutions such as Rakuno Gakuen University. The DeLaval Scientific Committee also continued to advance research and innovation through the Gustaf De Laval Fund, which supports PhD and master’s students around the world.
More farms choose DeLaval VMS™ Batch Milking
VMS Batch Milking saw increased adoption in 2025. In Cieszymowo, Poland, Fortune Sp. z o.o. opened the world’s largest VMS Batch Milking farm, operating 25 DeLaval VMS™ V300 robots and managing up to 1,500 cows daily. Sweden also saw its second installation at Fridene Stommen in Hjo, where eight VMS V300 units were commissioned. Today, more than 25 farms worldwide have adopted this approach – a figure that is set to double in 2026. VMS Batch Milking combines the fixed milking schedule of parlour or rotary systems with the automation of robotic milking. Read more about how it’s reshaping dairy operations worldwide on page 23.
Japan’s first live-streamed robotic milking installation
Kalm Kakuyama Co., Ltd., a leading Japanese dairy farm, partnered with DeLaval to live‑stream its upgrade to the
DeLaval VMS™ V300 robotic milking system. The live‑streamed installation was widely praised by the industry for its transparency and forward‑thinking approach, and serves as a valuable reference for other farms considering similar upgrades. Kalm Kakuyama and DeLaval Japan have made headlines before: in 2015, the farm installed eight VMS units, becoming the first in Asia to adopt large-scale robotic milking – a bold move that set a new standard for the industry.