Dairy

The new ranking for young Holstein sires, published by AHDB Dairy, features some show-stopping figures.

A nationwide recruitment campaign to help produce, manufacture and deliver food to meet increasing consumer demand amid the coronavirus pandemic has been launched by the agricultural industry.  

The dairy processor has written to its suppliers to urge ‘co-operation’ in a milk volume reduction plan to help prevent non collection of milk off farms due to Covid-19 impacts.

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) has issued the equivalent of a company profit warning pointing to a likely £6.3m loss of income this year.

The Government has confirmed furloughed workers will be able to take on additional work during the coronavirus pandemic, in a bid to address the farming sector’s labour shortages.

With her husband working off-farm during the day, Northern Ireland’s Caryn Webster has her hands full running the farm and managing the couple’s three young children. Chris McCullough reports.

MPs will probe the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the food supply chain as disruption continues during lockdown.

Cheshire dairy farmer Andrew attended Harper Adams university and went on to manage pedigree and commercial herds. He secured a job with breeding company Genus, where he became sire analyst. He has now returned home to manage the 350-cow herd.

Dairy UK has written to the Defra Secretary urging him to work alongside Treasury to develop a financial support package to help the industry navigate the adverse effects the coronavirus has had on the sector.

The results from Pioneer’s on-farm maize hybrid trials harvested last autumn have highlighted three varieties of interest to UK dairy farmers drilling crops this spring. Sara Gregson reports.