€10 million high-tech dairy research barn opens in Jokioinen

A new 6,000-square-metre dairy research facility costing €10 million has opened in Jokioinen, Finland, where scientists will study how to reduce cattle emissions by improving feed efficiency, state-owned research centre Luke announced Tuesday.

Around 100 cows moved into the barn on Tuesday morning after the completion of the morning milking in their old facility. The new barn features milking robots, automated feed stations, and respiratory gas analysers that reward cows with candy for participating in methane measurement tests.

Heidi Leskinen, head of Luke’s animal production research group, described the facility as a hub for “internationally top-tier research,” where scientists examine what cows eat, how their bodies process it, and what exits—whether as milk, manure, urine, or greenhouse gases. “The more efficiently a cow uses its feed, the lower its emissions,” Leskinen said.

Cows in the study will experience a mix of standard farm life and controlled experiments. While they receive treats for cooperation—such as candy from the gas analysers—they may also face restrictions, like being limited to specific feed stations offering predetermined rations. “Sometimes the neighbour’s cup has greener grass, so to speak, but they can’t always access it,” Leskinen noted.

The barn’s opening was delayed after leaks were detected in its slurry pits during construction. Once fully operational later this year, the facility will house up to 180 cows. Research will focus on breeding, feed optimisation, and animal welfare, with findings aimed at cutting agricultural emissions without reducing milk production.