South West Dairy Development Centre

The South West Dairy Development Centre (SWDDC) is a state-of-the-art, 180-cow dairy unit in Somerset, the heart of the Southwest milk ﬁeld. The Centre, a fresh vision for the UK dairy industry, provides a truly innovative environment for the development, testing and demonstration of new technologies and techniques to support sustainable, eﬃcient and high health and welfare milk production.

The housing design, which reﬂects the best of the natural cow environment while providing automated protection from changing weather conditions, optimises the well being of the cattle, and includes enrichment elements such as rotary brushes, state of the art lighting and cubicles.

Supporting sustainable UK milk production

State-of-the-art dairy facility

Profit and resource efficiency
Demonstrate profitable and resource efficient milk production
Latest technology
Use the latest technology available to optimise animal welfare and sustainable milk production
Precision grazing
Integrate robotic milking with precision grazing
Dairy innovation
Provide state-of-the-art facilities for research, development and demonstration

Agri-EPI South West Dairy Development Livestock Farming

Industry impact

A film produced by Cisco in conjunction with BBC Storyworks describes how 5G-connected technology is being tested at Agri-EPI Centre’s South West Dairy Development Centre in Somerset. The film, which is being broadcast internationally, highlights how 5G technology has the potential to bridge the connectivity gap between urban and rural areas, helping to ‘reinvigorate the businesses and industries that drive rural economies.

Watch Film

Dairy Innovation Solutions

If you are interested in a research and development project at the South West Dairy Development Centre, or any aspect of our agri-research, development and UK-wide facilities, we’ll be delighted to talk to you.

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Precision Grazing

Precision grazing

The use of hyperspectral imaging and satellite data is to monitor and predict grass growth to optimise precision grazing. A network of cow tracks and automated grazing gates give the cows access to four fresh paddocks every day. The cows are free to return to the building, at any time they choose, to get milked by one of the three GEA robot milkers and return to the grazing.

5G Connectivity

Agri-EPI Connectivity 5G RuralFirst South West Dairy Development Centre

5G Connectivity

The South West Dairy Development Centre was one of three UK ‘testbeds’ for the 5G RuralFirst project, the UK’s most ambitious connectivity project. A number of technologies utilising 5G data were trialled, including connected cow collars, monitoring health and welfare, drone technology to measure and monitor grazing, and 5G enabled farm security.

Measure to manage

Sensor technology – satellite and wearable technology – is used at the South West Dairy Development Centre to gather data to maximise precision in feeding, production, health and welfare of the cows, when indoors and outdoors, and permits our skilled staﬀ to devote more time to cow health and welfare.

“The South West Dairy Centre fits very well with Innovate UK’s vision to support the development and adoption of new technologies to help UK farming become more sustainable, efficient and profitable.”

Ian CoxInnovate UK Innovation Lead Agri-Tech Centres

Innovation in dairy farm technology

Cow comfort

The building has been designed to ensure the herd’s comfort with:

Excellent light levels and ventilation
Well designed cubicles & mattresses to optimise lying time
Enrichment activity includes rotary brushes
Well laid out housing to ease cow ﬂow from lying area to milking to feeding

Sensor Technology

Sensor technology

The use of sensor technology allows us to:

Manage information across the farm
Access high speed internet connectivity that links data across the Agri-Tech programme and wider industry supporters
Put wearable technology on the cows
Access 3D imaging to monitor cow health.

Cow health

A prototype 3D imaging system that measures incremental changes in cow body condition and mobility was tested at the South West Dairy Development Centre and is now a commercially available product.
An agri-tech SME recently used the facilities to test prototypes of its in-line system to analyse progesterone levels in each cow’s milk to precisely identify oestrus status in the cows.

Virtual Reality experience

Don’t have time to visit the Centre? Take a look around the Dairy Centre with this VR experience.

Barclays has been supporting the agricultural sector for over 275 years and is committed to supporting the industry and looking at ways to improve efficiencies in food production for the UK and global market. This VR experience is brought to you by Barclays Eagle Labs to raise awareness for dairy innovation in the UK.

Go to VR Experience

Automated and controlled farming

Controlled environment

Agri-EPI South West Dairy Development Livestock Farming roof

Controlled environment

Curtain wall controlling airﬂow
Adjusts to wind speed, rainfall, internal temperature
Remote control via Cloud App

Automated milking system

Three robots
Providing high levels of data
Low levels of cow stress

Automated feed system

Agri-EPI South West Dairy Development Livestock Farming automated feeder

Automated feed system

The feed system delivers precision diets multiple times a day
Weigh cells on feed bins linked to feed mill to optimise supply logistics

A leading partnership

The South West Dairy Development Centre was established in close partnership with independent dairy specialists, Kingshay.

Kingshay provides farmers with practical, unbiased information and support, which is based on its own trials and investigations. Kingshay’s range of services includes technical notes and reports taken from farm-based research, ﬁeld scale evaluations, surveys and product comparisons.

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Visitor Centre, meeting facilities and farm tours

We oﬀer a well equipped and connected meeting facility, which is available for hire and can include a farm tour with a member of the farm team. Book your next meeting facility and farm tour.

Event capabilities

South West Dairy Development Centre Visitor Centre Meeting Room

Event capabilities

Organise your gathering in an atmospheric farm environment

Meeting room facilities

Holding up to 50 people in a conference and board room style

Workshop & training spaces

A personal tour around the farm for you and your guests

With thanks to our sponsors

Agri-EPI South West Dairy Development Centre Brochure - cover

Brochure South West Dairy Development Centre

If you are interested in a research and development project at the South West Dairy Development Centre, why not download the product brochure to have all the information in one place.

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Network of dairy centres

The South West Dairy Development Centre is one of three world-class, complementary dairy facilities owned by Agri-EPI Centre. It has also established a youngstock research facility based at Scotland’s Rural College Crichton Farm in Dumfries and a robotic milking and adaptable housing cow behaviour research centre on campus at Harper Adams University in Shropshire. Further dairy facilities have been established on commercial farms as part of the Agri-EPI network of satellite farms.

Explore Other Dairy Centres