Key Takeaways
- Lely has invested in Grassa through a cooperation agreement supporting a two-year pilot to industrialize grass valorisation in the Netherlands.
- The investment funds the installation of a large-scale grass processing facility in Gelderland, enabling new protein extraction and fibre processing capabilities.
- Farmers participating in the initiative will be compensated for grass proteins delivered, creating the potential for a new revenue model.
- The partnership aims to accelerate sustainable dairy farming by improving nutrient efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
- Lely sees strategic value in exploring whether grass processing can evolve into a scalable business model for farmers.
Lely Invests in Dutch Scale-Up Grassa to Advance Grass Processing Innovation
Lely has announced a strategic investment in Dutch agri-tech scale-up Grassa, formalized through a cooperation agreement that deepens the companies’ joint efforts to elevate grass valorisation as a new agricultural opportunity. The investment supports Grassa’s two-year pilot project to scale up grass processing across the Netherlands.
The initiative signals Lely’s intent to explore future opportunities in grass-based value creation while contributing to more sustainable dairy production. This marks a notable strategic move for Lely, known for its automation and dairy technology portfolio, as it evaluates grass processing as a potential additional business model for farmers.
New Processing Facility Enables Protein Extraction at Scale
Infrastructure to Support Protein and Fibre Separation
The project includes installing a large-scale grass press in Gelderland, where farmers will deliver fresh grass. The facility will separate grass juice—processed into high-quality proteins usable in animal feed and potentially future human nutrition—from ‘opened’ grass fibre.
