Mechanized Farms Displacing Traditional Farms in Ukraine: New Trends and Technologies
In Ukraine, there is a decline in demand from processing enterprises for products originating from private farms. As noted by the General Director of GEA in Ukraine, Yaroslav Nitsak, mechanized farms are currently given the main advantage, as they provide more stable quality and production efficiency.
This is reported by AgroReview
Reduction in Livestock and Prospects for Large Farms
According to Yaroslav Nitsak, the population of cattle in Ukraine has significantly decreased compared to the Soviet period since independence. The largest processors are increasingly refusing milk obtained from private households and are shifting to cooperation with modern mechanized farms. One of the reasons for this is the tightening of environmental requirements in Europe and the availability of necessary resource bases in Ukraine, creating favorable conditions for the development of large, technologically equipped farms.
“The cattle population in Ukraine has significantly decreased compared to the Soviet period. And the largest processors are gradually refusing milk from private farms. There is a trend of transitioning from private households to mechanized farms. The tightening of environmental requirements in Europe and the availability of resource bases create prerequisites for the development of large modern farms in Ukraine,” Nitsak stated.
Within the framework of Euro-integration, Ukrainian enterprises have the opportunity to produce milk and dairy products for export to the European market. According to the expert, this creates conditions for the long-term profitability of investments in dairy farming.
Latest Technologies and Economic Viability of Innovations
Yaroslav Nitsak emphasized that in March 2026, there is a decrease in milk prices. However, interest in increasing the cattle population remains stable, as investors understand the cyclical nature of the market. At the same time, GEA is implementing artificial intelligence-based solutions for dairy farms — the CattleEye system. There are already enterprises in Ukraine that use this technology.
The CattleEye system involves installing several cameras in areas where cows move in a straight line. By analyzing the animals’ gait (intervals, fluctuations, amplitude of movements), the data is compared with a global database of 190,000 connected cows. This allows for highly accurate determination of whether a cow has health issues, lameness, or weight gain problems.
The technology enables health issues to be detected with 99% accuracy within 3-4 days, and sometimes even a week earlier than they can be visually observed. This allows farmers to respond promptly to changes in the animals’ condition and minimize losses.
According to the specialist, each day of unnoticed lameness in a cow can cost the farmer about 4 euros per animal. Accordingly, quick detection and response to such problems have a direct economic effect.
The implementation of the CattleEye system is carried out on a try&buy basis: after the farm’s inquiry, the technology is installed free of charge for a month of testing. If the farmer is satisfied with the results, further commercial terms of cooperation are agreed upon.