Farmer/owner: Mr Yoshinao Nakashima
Farm location: Kami Bisei, Memuro, Kasai-Gun, Hokkaido, Japan
Farm name: Nakashima Farm
Herd: 200 Holsteins
Milking system: 32 point Fullwood rotary abreast
Date of installation: March 2001
Nakashima has been a Fullwood farm for 21 years. Back in 1991 the farmer changed from a Simplex Parlour to a Fullwood 16/16 Herringbone and then ten years later in March 2001, a 32 point Fullwood Rotary Abreast parlour with Crystal, the Fullwood herd management software was installed.
In 2011 the farmer calculated that over the ten years with his rotary parlour he had produced 16.4 million litres of milk. This is impressive stuff but possibly more impressive is the service record of the parlour. Over its lifetime engineering support was only needed twice for the centre bearing and no attention has even been required on the platform or any other major components.
Nakashima farm boasts over 100 hectares of grassland from which corn and roll bale grass silage is produced. Feed is supplemented with sweet corn, concentrates and beat pulp. Today they are milking 200 cows with 3 people in 1 ½ hours and generating approximately 4500 litres per day.