EkoNiva Group, Russia’s largest dairy holding, is implementing a programme to introduce automated solutions at its dairy farms. Starting from 2026, robots will be used in the milking parlours at the group’s farms located in Kaluga oblast, the Volga region, Siberia and other regions.

In early 2026, several robots were launched at EkoNiva’s modern farms to facilitate the process of milking animals on the rotary milking parlour. The new technology has been implemented at Dobrino, Petropavlovka, Bobrov and Verkhniy Ikorets dairies in Voronezh oblast, at Kurskaya Vasilyevka, Naratly, Semeno‑Makarovo dairies in the Volga Federal District as well as at Yelban farm in Novosibirsk oblast.

The robots are used for post-dipping the cow’s udder after milking on the rotary unit. Previously, special water guns were used for this procedure. Nowadays, the robots perform this routine operation, which makes the work of machine‑milking operators much easier: it lowers the physical strain and increases the efficiency of the entire process. Currently, four operators plus a robot — instead of five — are involved in handling the cows on a rotary milking parlour.

In 2025, EkoNiva launched the pilot project. The first robots were installed at Vysokoe and Bodeyevka dairies in Liski district, Voronezh oblast. Initially, the equipment was test run under production conditions, the machinery was adjusted, and the processes were fine‑tuned. Today, the robots are used daily, and they work properly.

‘By introducing robots into production processes, we are relieving manual labour. It is important for us to maintain the high quality of raw materials while simultaneously accelerating the work progress rates, that is why we are implementing modern work methods and innovative technologies. Moreover, in the context of the current staff shortage, robotics and process automation are taking on a whole new meaning and becoming a production necessity,’ says Aleksey Losev, Head of Livestock Mechanization Department at EkoNiva-APK Holding.

During 2026, it is planned to install robots at all modern dairy farms of EkoNiva Group. Equipment supplies, both imported and domestic, are underway. Among others, EkoNiva has been cooperating with the domestic manufacturer PK Agrogruppa for more than 10 years.

EkoNiva Group manages 43 modern dairy farms. The average herd size as per January–June 2026 amounted to over 257,700 head, including 121,700 dairy cows. The Group is the largest raw milk producer in Russia. Since 2021, it has remained the only company in the country to produce over 1 million tonnes of milk per year. In 2025, EkoNiva’s enterprises produced approximately 1.45 million tonnes of raw milk in physical weight and 1.6 million tonnes in protein- and fat-corrected weight (3.2% protein; 3.7% fat).