A ROBOTIC milking parlour and automated system for feeding baby cows will be installed at a farm at Askham Bryan College thanks to investment from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership.

A farm information centre with a new digital classroom will also be built at the college as part of the £670,000 hub scheme.

The site, which specialises in agricultural higher education courses, has a dairy herd of 200 animals based at Westfield Farm, within the main York campus.

The organisation was awarded £430,000 from the LEP Local Growth Fund, with work expected to begin in autumn and be completed for the start of term in September 2019.

Catherine Dixon, the college’s chief executive said: “We want our students to experience the very latest technology as this will equip them to be at the forefront of their chosen industries. Precision farming technologies are a vital part of improving food productivity and sustainability and for ensuring the very highest welfare standards are met. To have support from the LEP is a real endorsement of our vision and we also look forward to welcoming students with a passion for the outdoors and employers working in the rural community. Digitising our farm means that we will be able to collect data, analyse it and compare different milking systems, looking at costs and driving efficiency. Monitoring animal health is also vital and again this will inform how we manage the herd. Students will have the opportunity to learn whilst working on our digital farm.”

She said the new technology will also be used to work with farmers and students’ potential future employers.

The Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth minister Jake Berry said: “An investment of £430,000 from the Local Growth Fund towards the Digital Future Farm project will further develop the digital connectivity of Westfield Farm. The expansion of Askham Bryan College will offer students the opportunity to study agricultural courses and make a positive impact on the future of farming.

“This Government is committed to boosting economic growth across the whole of the Northern Powerhouse and building a country that works for everyone. We have invested a total of £145.9m to the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP through three rounds of growth deals.”