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Know How / Dairy / Livestock marketing

With processors beginning to place greater rewards on milk quality and constituents it can be important for a farm business to look at breeding, feeding and parlour routines to boost milk quality and the farmgate price. Meanwhile, the growth of dairy-sired beef and veal is offering dairies more marketing options for its calves.

Here we provide insights into how to maximize your milk cheque and make the best out of your cull cows and youngstock.

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DAIRY

Video: How Icelandic yogurt adds value to a dairy farm

On-farm skyr production has raised the value of milk on a Skipton dairy unit to £1/litre. The change in direction at the 137ha (340-acre) dairy farm on the edge of…

LIVESTOCK MARKETING

How dairy farmer makes over £6/kg from Jersey bull calves

When Devonshire dairy farmer Neil Weston switched from being a flying herd to breeding his own replacements it created an unwanted boom in dairy bull calves. But after being inspired…

DAIRY

Ethical 'cow-with-calf' dairy targets premium market

Mainstream dairy farming requires that calves are separated from their mothers soon after birth, but one farm business, the Ethical Dairy, is employing a more natural route. David and Wilma…

DAIRY

How one dairy farm set up a processing unit to sell direct

A dairy farming couple are using their expertise in food manufacturing to process their own milk from their Holstein Friesian herd and sell direct to customers. Lawrence and Izabela Hembrow…

DAIRY

How South African dairy farms are surviving rising costs

South African dairy farmers are concerned that Brexit could cause more cheap milk from the UK and Europe to be dumped on to their already struggling market. Being in a…

DAIRY

Single source milk deal secures Cumbrian farmer's future

A demand for consistent milk qualities and high butterfat to make frothy coffees has opened the door to a new market for the Harrington family in Plumpton, Penrith. Phil Harrington,…

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LIVESTOCK MARKETING

How online trade has transformed dairy sales

Online selling has taken what were once local or regional livestock sales and given them a global audience, with particular success seen in the dairy sector. Online auction platform MartEye…

DAIRY

How spring-calvers can prepare for end of bull calf euthanasia

Producing a viable dairy bull calf is a challenge in a system that relies on an efficient cow of smaller stature to maximise milk production from grazed grass on the…

LIVESTOCK MARKETING

Alternatives to selling livestock at markets this autumn

Ongoing social distancing restrictions and the uncertainty surrounding some breeding stock sales mean farmers may have to think about alternative ways to buy and sell their stock. The backend of the…

LIVESTOCK MARKETING

So you want to... set up a milk vending machine?

With about one-fifth of farmers planning to diversify to survive after Brexit, according to a recent NFU Mutual report, milk vending machines could prove an attractive option to add value…

DAIRY

Video: 10 steps to excellent calf handling in the ring

There is a lot to think about in the show ring, and a lot at stake. Whether it’s your first or fiftieth time stepping into the ring, there is a…

LIVESTOCK MARKETING

6 ways livestock farmers can improve carcass eating quality

Carcass defects and poor eating quality of meat cost the livestock sector millions of pounds a year, yet simple steps could be taken on farm that would minimise losses. Research…

Insights

LIVESTOCK MARKETING

What farmers need to know about livestock sales this year

Covid-19 has shaken up the way livestock sales can take place, with social-distancing rules making it difficult to operate as normal in livestock markets. Although the sale of breeding stock…

DAIRY

3 key ingredients for milk contracts

Many UK dairy farmers are either fully or part way through converting to being paid for full milk solids rather than volume and yet I still see arguments by farmers that…

LIVESTOCK

August bull proof sees shift towards high fat and protein

The latest profitable lifetime index (PLI) genetic rankings for daughter-proven Holstein bulls, published today (9 August) by AHDB Dairy, continue to show a shift towards fat and protein improvers, to…

DAIRY

A farmers' guide to selling unpasteurised milk

Milk that leaves the farm at £1.20/litre is very appealing in the current climate. But what does selling unpasteurised milk really involve?  Plenty of farming families are fans of milk…