Press release Routeplanner Dairy Cattle provides economic rationale for farm choices
For four years, agricultural economists and dairy experts from ILVO, Boerenbond, Inagro and the Hooibeekhoeve worked on the economic calculation tool Routeplanner Dairy Cattle. According to its creators, it is now able to flawlessly and company-specifically calculate the economic costs and benefits of numerous business choices on a dairy farm. "If you enter your individual farm figures, as a farm manager you receive an open and perhaps critical view of the (future) choices that are economically most appropriate," says ILVO researcher Jef Van Meensel.
During a free 'preview' study day at Agriflanders 2025, farmers and farmyard owners could get to know Routeplanner Dairy Cattle in depth. For 200 Flemish dairy farmers, potential business choices have already been calculated with the tool. Such a thorough testing and upgrading phase means that Routeplanner Dairy Cattle can make robust, comprehensive and guiding judgments about management decisions on a dairy farm.
Objectifying choices on the farm
Dairy farmers are confronted with many business choices: scaling-up or downsizing, implementation of PAS measures, adjustment of rations and corresponding roughage extraction, cultivation of marketable crops, purchase of roughage, (size of) seasonal leases, whether or not to switch to organic, various investments (for example: milking robot, barn, milking installation), whether or not to outsource the rearing of young livestock, whether or not to work with external labor, scenarios when taking over the farm...
It is essential for dairy farmers to gain insight into the economic consequences of these choices in an objective, independent and company-specific manner. The Routeplanner Dairy Cattle provides this economic foundation. It is a company-specific and integral tool that takes into account the various business processes and their interaction, changing market conditions and legislation.It is remarkable that exactly the same dilemma to be examined, e.g. whether or not to switch to organic, will result in a different answer depending on the farm figures and the farm manager. Because the basic facts of each farm and dairy farmer are different.
Comparing different choices, in an interactive and digital manner
Working with the tool requires some effort: First, company-specific figures are collected. Second, the tool calculates the economic impact of various options/scenarios that may be of interest to the farm. It shows how these options affect the various business processes (such as labor requirements, area filling, manure sales). The scenarios can be compared with each other. Graphs can also be generated showing, for example, the effect of a changing milk price on the achieved balance. In addition, under what (market) conditions choices remain economically appropriate.
The tool is digital and interactive.Conclusion
Routeplanner Melkvee indicates for individual farms not only which choices are economically interesting, but also which are not and why not. Reasons may be a shortage of labor, or land, or insufficient technical performance, or too expensive manure disposal... As a dairy farmer, you are given tools to reach a well-considered conclusion.
In just over two months (March 25) Routeplanner Melkvee will come online at ILVO. Dairy farmers can turn to several partners involved for guidance on how to apply it to their own future farm choices.With support from:
