Lely to sell its forage business to AGCO to concentrate more on dairy

Family-owned business Lely had, until now, focused on two different product categories and markets with its dairy and forage business units
Family-owned business Lely had, until now, focused on two different product categories and markets with its dairy and forage business units

Dairy and forage machinery company Lely is to sell its forage business to Massey Ferguson parent company AGCO.

Chief executive officer Alexander van der Lely said the company will focus more on the dairy side of its business, developing robotics for milking, data collection and farm automation.

Family-owned business Lely had, until now, focused on two different product categories and markets with its dairy and forage business units.

But under a strategic review, it decided that to be able to continue operating successfully in the market, the organisation must adapt to the increasingly wide range of requirements of its different product groups.

Alexander van der Lely said: “Lely intends to focus entirely on its role as innovator in the field of robotisation, and sensor and data systems for use on dairy farms. Over the last 15 years, these product groups have grown into a successful activity for Lely, with a great deal of potential for the future.

"Besides the innovative milking robot, other products have also been developed that are primarily based on automation with the aid of robots.”

Lely was founded in 1948 in the Netherlands and has customers in more than 60 countries globally.