Livestock

The expression ‘the perfect storm’ seems to be a phrase used more and more recently. Unfortunately for farmers, it sums up what many of us are going through in 2022. Whichever way you look at the outlook, economic or weather-related, the picture does not appear to be hugely rosy.

Holstein UK president John Jamieson made a successful switch to organic milk production in 1999 and has just completed a five-year plan to modernise the facilities on the family farm near Dumfries. Wendy Short reports.

Dairy farmer Andy Venables farms in partnership with his family, milking 330 cows in Cheshire, selling milk on a Co-op contract. He is also managing director of Hillsgreen, a marketing agency dedicated to agriculture with many high-profile clients, including NFU and Cereals.

Rising costs and modern grazing techniques have seen an Oxfordshire farm lead trials to gain valuable insight into commercial beef systems in the UK. Ellie Layton reports.

A record average of 4,831.02 was set at Scottish National Texel sale at Lanark which peaked at 160,000gns with three sales of 100,000gns or more and an 83 per cent clearance rate.

Roger Evans discusses the price of milk, whether it is viable for farmers to keep producing their goods, and gives a suggestion for what needs to happen in Westminster.

The Jersey Cattle Society of the UK is holding its national show at this year’s Dairy Show which will be judged this year by Duncan Hunter, owner of Hunter Dairy Consulting.

The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has requested that ‘misleading content’ linking red meat to cancer and other fatal diseases be removed from respected medical journal The Lancet immediately, after leading scientists questioned the validity of its claims.

Farmers must not be forced to feed sheep a methane-suppressing diet which disrupts natural and well-established grazing systems, National Sheep Association chief executive Phil Stocker has warned. 

Concerns over the cost-of-living crisis are influencing the beef market, but demand remains relatively strong.