낙농경영에 있어서 자동착유시스템 도입의 경제성 분석

Economic Analysis of the Introduction of Automatic Milking Systems in Dairy Management

Many dairy farms in Korea have been using a different type of conventional milking systems (CMS) such as tandem and herringbone. CMS require farmers to collect milk twice a day. Compared to this, automatic milking systems (AMS) require less time and labor intensity for milking. However, dairy farmers do not know whether or not AMS are economically beneficial for them due to the lack of information about AMS. Therefore, this study compared the various features of AMS and CMS using economic analysis such as cost analysis and break even point analysis. In conclusion, AMS do not have a higher economic efficiency than CMS because dairy farmers need more time and cost to install AMS than CMS. On the other hand, AMS reduce working hour and labor intensity for milking. Therefore, farmers can spend more time for feeding management or disease control instead of milking. These could increase a lifespan of dairy cow which is economically beneficial for dairy farmers.