How Henry van Neerven's Dairy Farm Gained 3-4% More Milk With RUDAX

The Problem: Insufficient Light, High Energy Costs 

Henry van Neerven had been running his dairy farm for years, but a growing sense of dissatisfaction with his existing Agrilight setup led him to look for alternatives. As he explains it:

 "I felt that the lighting was no longer sufficient in the correct areas and was insufficient during the dark periods. And the power consumption was actually quite high." 

This is a challenge many dairy farmers recognise. Gas lamps and older LED systems often create uneven light distribution - too bright in some spots, too dim in others - leaving cows in shadow zones that can negatively affect behaviour, feeding patterns, and ultimately milk production. The lights also ran continuously, with no intelligence to respond to natural daylight.

The result: wasted energy and a less comfortable environment for both cows and farm workers.

The Solution: RUDAX LED Lighting

Henry's barn was equipped with RUDAX lighting, HATO's flagship dairy cattle lighting system, designed to deliver the right intensity, colour temperature, and distribution to support both animal welfare and milk production.

The RUDAX system offered several immediate improvements:

• Higher and more uniform lux levels throughout the barn, eliminating shadow zones
• Optimised colour temperature, scientifically calibrated to support cow physiology
• Automatic daylight sensors, so the lamps dim and switch off when natural light is sufficient
• Significantly lower energy consumption compared to the previous gas lamp system

The Results: 3–4% More Milk - With No Other Changes 

The farm participated in a structured research study, jointly conducted by HATO and Van Grinsven Agritechniek en Advies. The findings, as reported by Bas from Van Grinsven, were clear and consistent.

There were no alterations to feeding regimes, milking routines, or herd management. The only variable was the lighting. That makes the 3–4% increase in milk production directly attributable to the switch from gas lamps to RUDAX.

For a dairy operation of any scale, a 3–4% lift in production - sustained over a full lactation cycle - represents a significant return on investment.

Beyond Production: Energy Savings and a Better Working Environment

 For Henry, the benefits extended well beyond the milk tank. The energy savings alone made a tangible difference: 

 "The energy consumption has been reduced compared to gas lamps. The HATO lamps burn for much less time than the gas lamps because they also turn off in daylight. And that makes working in the barn more pleasant." 

The automatic daylight response - a standard feature of RUDAX installations - means energy is never wasted illuminating a barn that already has sufficient natural light. Combined with the inherent efficiency of LED over gas, the reduction in running costs compounds the financial case for switching.

The human factor matters too. A brighter, more evenly lit barn is simply a better place to work. Tasks like pen scraping, health checks, and herd observation become easier and more accurate when shadows are eliminated.

A Research Partnership Built on Trust 

The collaboration between Henry van Neerven, Van Grinsven Agritechniek en Advies, and HATO is a model for how this kind of change works best.

This three-way partnership: farmer, local agri-technical advisor, and lighting manufacturer, ensures that solutions are not generic but genuinely adapted to the specific barn, herd, and operational needs of each farm.

Research forms the foundation; real-world results validate it. 

Final Takeaway: The Right Light Pays for Itself

Henry van Neerven's experience demonstrates what the science consistently shows: lighting is not a passive utility in a dairy barn. It is an active lever for animal welfare, worker comfort, energy efficiency, and milk production. Switching from outdated gas lamps to RUDAX - with the right partner, the right plan, and the right system -produced a measurable, sustained increase in output without a single change to milking practice.

The light changed. The results followed.