Although prices of raw materials continue to rise and delays continue with importing materials, 2021 has been no different to any other year when it comes to the demand for milking machines.

Whether it is extensions, upgrades or greenfield sites, dairy farmers continue to upgrade facilities in a bid to improve milk quality and on-farm efficiency.

Things only get busier from now until next spring, as milking machine companies get ready for the rush of work to be done while cows are dry.

Different processors have different penalties for milk quality

The primary function of a milking parlour is to get milk from the cow into the bulk tank and from there, the processors get it to the shelves for consumers. Hygiene at farm level is critical to this process and some of the pinch points faced by farmers are highlighted here.

Different processors have different penalties for milk quality and while many have moved to chlorine-free detergents, managing hygiene around milking equipment is more critical than ever.

There are many different reasons for choosing a particular parlour, but for the two farming families in this week’s focus, after-service came at the top of the list.

Sustainability isn’t just about environment – working hours, labour efficiency and lifestyle are critically important also

The exclusion of the dairy equipment scheme from TAMS in the consultation document for the CAP strategic plan would be a big blow for dairy farmers trying to make dairy farming more sustainable.

Sustainability isn’t just about environment – working hours, labour efficiency and lifestyle are critically important also.

The Dairy Equipment Scheme is one of the most popular schemes within TAMS.

The sector still badly needs new equipment on some farms to cater for the expansion that has happened and for better efficiency and monitoring.