Digital Dairy: Cows Learn to Work with Robots
A new robotic dairy farm in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region is set to become one of the country’s most advanced agricultural facilities, housing 700 cows and marking a new chapter in Russia’s digital transformation of the agri-food sector.
A Long-Awaited Dream
The idea of building a robotic dairy farm in Chelyabinsk had been a long-standing ambition of the region’s governor, Alexey Teksler. He first announced the initiative back in 2019 at the Russian agricultural exhibition 'Golden Autumn' in Moscow, emphasizing the need to expand milk production.
Now, the complex and costly — yet strategically vital — project is nearing completion. Located in the Verkhneuralsky district, the first phase of the robotic complex is in its final construction stage. The total investment is estimated at roughly $11m, with part of the costs covered by the regional government under agricultural support programs.
According to Alexey Kobylin, Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Governor of the Chelyabinsk region, heifers have already been delivered, and the animals are currently adapting to robotic milking systems.
Mechanical Hands with a Gentle Touch
The complex is being built by Khlebinka, an agricultural company operating in the region since 1990. The enterprise manages over 1,200 head of cattle, produces more than 3,500 tons of milk annually, and cultivates 14,000 hectares of farmland.
The new robotic farm will expand the herd and significantly increase milk output. Automation will minimize manual labor by digitizing nearly all physical tasks, removing the human factor from production bottlenecks and boosting efficiency.
Kobylin noted that the first phase of the project is effectively operational: ‘We are finalizing the documentation now. It’s a complex and expensive project, but the team is passionate and experienced. Next year, we plan to move on to the second construction phase.’
AI and Automation Transform Russian Dairy
Automation in Russia’s dairy sector is moving beyond experimentation and becoming a new standard for modern agriculture. In addition to Chelyabinsk’s robotic farm, several other regions are digitizing livestock operations.
A standout example is the Tritikum farm in the Omsk region, where nearly all processes — from feed and water supply to manure removal — are automated. Each cow wears a collar equipped with sensors that track its condition in real time. The data is analyzed by specialized algorithms that assess animal health and automatically adjust feed composition. Even the grooming process has been automated — cows have access to mechanical brushes.
Other producers are developing their own digital ecosystems, such as the 1C:Livestock Selection software suite by MATRIX, which manages herd performance and breeding records. Meanwhile, EkoNiva Group — operating in 13 regions — has developed its own software-hardware complex, Eko.Feed, to optimize feeding processes and coordinate communication between feeding departments and livestock technicians.
A Boost for the Dairy Industry
The Chelyabinsk robotic dairy complex marks a major technological leap for Russia’s agricultural sector. Its implementation supports the national project 'Technological Foundations of Food Security,' launched in 2025.
If successful, this model could be replicated in other regions. Scaling milk production helps reduce unit costs, stabilize retail prices, and ensure supply for downstream food producers. It also creates new business opportunities, increases tax revenue, and stimulates job creation. The push toward automation in Russia’s agriculture is also creating demand for skilled specialists and driving innovation in domestic machinery and IT companies.
In the future, Russia’s robotic dairy complexes could even become exportable technologies — offering competitive pricing and proven reliability.
