Sunday 27 May 2012
Dairy
The importance of grass variety selection on animal performance - specifically milk production - has been put under the spotlight by the Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre at Moorepark, near Cork. The results to-date have been revealing. Barenbrug’s agricultural product manager David Long considers the findings and implicati...
The Boards of Arla Foods amba and Milk Link have announced the proposed merger of the two dairy co-operatives. The proposal will result in the full merger of Milk Link, the UK’s leading dairy farmer co-operative and Arla Foods amba, one of the largest European dairy co-operatives. The merger will bring together two growth orientated f...
The agricultural show season has got off to a winning start for Milk Link, with the cheese makers gaining 21 awards at the Devon County Show. This included regaining the coveted Supreme Champion title for Taw Valley Creamery’s Double Gloucester cheese. Taw Valley also won the Reserve Champion title for its reduced fat cheese as well...
Former dairy farmer, Andrew Jones, has joined the World Wide Sires UK team as a breeding advisor for the counties of Dorset and Hampshire. Andrew has experience beginning with his dairy farm near Frome in Somerset, taking in a National Diploma in Agriculture at Bridgwater College in Cannington, and including over a decade of farming in extreme c...
A new bull has marched to the top of the Holstein sire rankings as the number one improver of feet and legs and offers outstanding health and fertility traits into the bargain. The Goldwyn son, Bullgneis, scores a massive +4.19 for feet and legs which is far above his nearest rival, while he is also the highest Type Merit bull (at +3.44) amongst...
Ford Farm, a West Dorset Based cheesemaker has announced that it has recruited ’Prospect Farming’ as its latest milk supplier. Prospect Farming is a new dairy business that has revived the age-old ’Hosier’ method of milking - a process that takes the milking parlour out into the fields instead of the cows to the milking p...
A total of £540,000 has been raised by the Eden Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency to improve the condition of the River Petteril in North Cumbria. Work will go towards reducing pollution and improving the river for wildlife. Eden Rivers Trust has just completed the latest phase in this long term plan to help the Petteril, spending £180,...
Increasing demand for sites for Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plants could see farmers and landowners across the country being approached by developers looking to build a plant on their land - providing the farmer with a significant rental income. At least 8 well funded AD developers are currently looking for sites throughout the UK to build 1.5 - 2...
The NFU is urging dairy farmers to lobby their local political representatives and milk buyers to take urgent action against the recent cuts in milk prices. Over the course of the past fortnight a number of milk buyers have cut their milk prices and the NFU fears that many dairy farmers will be forced out of the sector due to unfair milk contrac...
The NFU has held an emergency meeting with a Cheshire MP as the fight to stop milk processors exploiting dairy farmers continues. MP for Eddisbury, Stephen O’Brien, met with six south Cheshire farmers at short notice to listen to their concerns about the current milk price cuts and how this affects all dairy farmers in the county. Durin...
A dry start to 2012 followed by 150mm rain in April has made life extremely difficult for dairy farmers according to Livestock Director Robbie Taylor. Velcourt currently manages over 8000 cows in 14 herds and the variable weather has put additional pressure on the company’s dairy Farm Managers to make the right decisions. ’Recen...
Milk Link have announced a reduction in its Member milk price of 1.5ppl from 1st of June. The decision reflects the significantly weaker returns being generated from the dairy ingredients and fresh liquid milk markets. The price reduction will be implemented via a change to the Business Market Related Adjustment to all Milk Link Member schedule...
The NFU has called on milk processors to stop exploiting dairy farmers following the news that four major companies are to cut farm gate milk prices. In the past two weeks, Dairy Crest, Robert Wiseman, Arla and Muller have announced cuts to their suppliers of exactly two pence per litre (ppl). The action backs NFU claims that something is fu...
British dairy farmers have given a vote of confidence to the medium and long term outlook for both the industry and their own farm businesses, according to the Farmer Intentions Survey for 2012. Speaking at the AHDB Outlook Conference, analyst Julie Macleod revealed the headline findings of the annual survey, which showed that 36% of farmers in...
Dairy-bred beef needs to be championed rather than seen as second class, encouraging producers to milk the potential profit from an enterprise which accounts for half of all UK beef produced. The Beef Expo 2012 will begin on May 24th at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, Worcestershire. The chairman of the NFU Beef Group believes the...
The NFU today condemned Dairy Crest’s price cut to farmers supplying into its nonaligned liquid contracts. NFU dairy board chairman Mansel Raymond said Dairy Crest’s decision to slash the price paid to its producers by two pence per litre (ppl) with a mere four days’ notice was "outrageous." "How can any farmer ru...
A new £15 million fund to aid research into improving the efficiency of food production in the UK has been welcomed by agricultural accountants. Government grants will be on offer to large companies looking to invest in research in the food sector, while additional hand-outs totalling £500,000 and worth up to £25,000 apiece will be made availab...
At a recent NFU Cymru Milk board meeting members heard of the positive work that is being undertaken through the Improving the Welsh Dairy Supply Chain project to help farmers understand the concepts and the advantages of collaborative or joint ventures. Milk Board members learnt how new entrants can find it extremely challenging to find the fin...
Cheshire dairy farmer Denis Parton is the 2012 winner of the Capesthorne Millennium Cup. The cup was donated to the Cheshire Agricultural Society by Mr and Mrs Bromley Davenport of Capesthorne Hall and is awarded annually for ’exceptional endeavour’ in promoting the interests of agriculture or countryside related activities in Cheshi...
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