Top Companies in Milking Automation Market

The milking automation market is estimated at USD 2.61 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 3.68 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 7.1%. The milking automation market is at the crossroads of animal welfare, dairy productivity, a lack of workers, and the digital transformation of farming. The market comprises equipment, systems & software that automate all or part of the milking cycle, such as preparing the teats before milking, attaching them, extracting the milk, detaching them, and cleaning up after milking. It also collects data on the cows’ health and the parlor’s performance. The dairy industry has grown from its early days of mechanization to a connected ecosystem full of sensors that help with precise dairy management and ongoing improvements in yield, quality, and herd health. The intensity of adoption is strongly related to the cost of labor, the size of the herd, and the availability of financing. This leads to different patterns of adoption across regions and types of farms.

Top 10 Companies in the Milking Automation Market

1. DeLaval (Sweden)
2. Afimilk Ltd. (Israel)
3. GEA Group (Germany)
4. Nedap N.V. (Netherlands)
5. Allflex Livestock Intelligence (US)
6. Boumatic (US)
7. Waikato Milking Systems (New Zealand)
8. Dairymaster (Ireland)
9. Beco Dairy Automation Inc. (US)
10. Milkplan (Greece)

 

Some of the major players in the milking automation market are DeLaval (Sweden), GEA Group (Germany), Nedap N.V. (Netherlands), Afimilk Ltd. (Israel), Allflex livestock Intelligence (US), BouMatic (US), Waikato Milking Systems NZ LP (New Zealand), Dairymaster (Ireland), and BECO Dairy Automation Inc. (US). These players have incorporated various organic and inorganic growth strategies, including collaborations, acquisitions, product launches, partnerships, agreements, and expansions, to strengthen their international footprint and capture a greater share of the milking automation market.

Lely (Netherlands)

Lely is one of the world’s leading innovators and suppliers in the milking automation market, recognized primarily for pioneering robotic milking systems and integrated dairy farm solutions. The company’s flagship offering, the Lely Astronaut robotic milking system, revolutionized voluntary milking by allowing cows to decide when to be milked, thereby improving animal welfare, labor efficiency, and milk yield consistency. Beyond milking robots, Lely provides a comprehensive portfolio including automated feeding systems (Lely Vector), barn cleaning equipment, herd management software, and data-driven platforms that integrate milking performance with cow health, reproduction, and feeding data, enabling precision dairy management. Lely has a strong presence in Europe, North America, and Oceania, with growing penetration in Asia and Latin America, supported by a well-established dealer and service network that ensures local commissioning, maintenance, and training. The company differentiates itself through its emphasis on modular, future-ready solutions and its vision of fully automated, sustainable dairy farms that optimize efficiency while enhancing cow comfort and environmental performance. By focusing on robotics, data integration, and sustainability, Lely has captured a significant share of the global milking automation market, particularly in small to medium-sized farms where robotic systems are increasingly preferred. Its business strategy combines hardware excellence with software-driven herd management and lifecycle service contracts, ensuring customer lock-in and recurring revenue streams. Positioned at the forefront of digital transformation in dairying, Lely continues to shape the evolution of modern dairy farming through innovation, sustainability, and close farmer partnerships.

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Delaval (Sweden)

DeLaval is one of the global leaders in dairy farming solutions and a dominant player in the milking automation market, known for its broad portfolio that spans robotic milking systems, advanced automatic milking parlors, and high-capacity rotary systems. Its flagship robotic solution, the DeLaval VMS (Voluntary Milking System), is widely adopted among medium and large farms, offering precision teat detection, milk quality monitoring, and cow health insights integrated into the DeLaval Plus herd management software. Beyond milking, the company delivers a complete suite of dairy automation products, including feeding systems, barn environment controls, hygiene solutions, and herd management technologies, positioning itself as a one-stop provider for large-scale and industrial dairy operations. With a strong global footprint across Europe, North America, South America, Oceania, and Asia, DeLaval leverages its extensive dealer and service network to provide reliable installation, training, and after-sales support. Its emphasis on efficiency, milk quality, and cow comfort, combined with a focus on sustainability through energy-efficient pumps, water-saving cleaning, and environmentally responsible operations, allows it to maintain a leading market share worldwide.

GEA (Germany)

GEA Group is another major force in the milking automation market, particularly renowned for its expertise in high-capacity rotary and parlor automation systems designed for large-scale industrial dairies. GEA’s DairyRobot R9500 robotic milking system competes in the voluntary milking space, offering efficient teat detection, gentle milking, and advanced milk quality monitoring, while its DairyProQ fully automated rotary parlor represents a breakthrough for very large herds, combining high throughput with robotic precision. The company complements its hardware with herd management software, data analytics, and service programs, enabling integrated farm management solutions. GEA’s strong presence in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific is supported by a global service and dealer network that ensures operational reliability and maximized uptime for large herds where efficiency and consistency are critical. With a focus on innovation, sustainability, and delivering tailored solutions to intensive dairying operations, GEA differentiates itself through its ability to scale automation to thousands of cows, making it a preferred partner for large commercial farms seeking high productivity, durability, and advanced herd data integration.

Market Ranking

The milking automation market is competitive, with five leading players collectively holding 30–45% of the total market share. Companies focus on expanding their production facilities, entering into deals and partnerships, and launching products to grow their business and, in turn, their market share. For example, in June 2025, at the Future Farm Days, Lely unveiled Astronaut A5 Next, Astronaut Max, and Lely Hub—enhancements aimed at automation reliability and digital resilience to support the “Farm of the Future” vision. The A5 Next robotic milking system, introduced in mid-2025, includes new OS capabilities enabling remote software updates, enhanced diagnostics, and automation of routine maintenance tasks. Field trials on 71 farms showed a 10% increase in milkings between alerts, reduced alarms, and less downtime.