How do you explain what a sustainable dairy business is? According to Laurence Shalloo, the key requirement for the dairy business and the expansion process is that it is sustainable from all aspects of the business perspective. In practice, this means that the business should focus on the efficient conversion of home-grown feed to saleable products that are recognised as high quality and safe to consume.
It is also necessary that the production system minimises nutrient losses to water (nitrate, phosphorus) and emissions to the atmosphere (GHG, ammonia), and that the production system operated is broadly perceived to be acceptable by society as a whole (ie, good animal welfare, preservation of ecosystems, biodiversity).
Padraig French said that “you should not consider expansion without a plan that quantifies the impact of the expansion on farm profit, cashflow and the labour requirement”. The plan should also deal with the implications of a low milk price year and reduced animal performance in the early years of expansion.
He says: “The production system must be profitable, afford a good work-life balance and provide a good working environment for the farmer and any staff that are directly employed in the business.” Laurence adds that “the key drivers of sustainable expansion must be based on the two key targets – grass utilised per hectare and six-week calving rate”.
Moorepark researcher Brendan Horan says that “dairy farmers need a broader range of skills and experiences and an increased focus on business management to be successful today than in the past”.
He said any farm business expansion must be based on healthy, low-stress, profitable family farming that provides a good standard of living for the farmer and his/her family. Every farm business should have a family farm plan that aligns the family’s goals with realistic goals for the farm.
He says: “As herd size increases, time spent in the office is much more valuable. To create time specifically for management, dairy farmers will have to reduce the time spent on operational jobs.”
He also says every dairy farm family should participate in a discussion group to share ideas and learn from each other. Together with an excellent support network of professionals (adviser, accountant, vet, etc), this will bring a much larger pool of experience and skills to bear on the analysis of the farm business.
Not alone will there be discussion on improving the skill set of existing dairy farmers but the forum at the end of the main stands will focus on training the next generation of dairy farmers.
Is that grown or utilised, I queried – very definitely utilised is the answer I got. In 2014, the Moorepark researchers say increasing grass utilisation by one tonne DM/ha increased net profit by €267 per hectare. Higher stocking rates will require substantial increases in both grass production and utilisation. Only 10% of dairy farms have optimal soil pH, P and K status; this is a major constraint to grass production.
Oak Park-based researcher Mark Plunkett says: “With up to 90% of soils currently deficient in at least one of the critical elements (pH, P or K), poor soil fertility poses a significant threat to achieving increased productivity and sustainability on dairy farms.”
Grazing management factors will be the greatest influence on grass production and utilisation.
Data
National grass production data shows that high grass DM production can be achieved on dairy farms irrespective of location, provided soil fertility and grazing management are optimum.
Michael O’Donovan of Teagasc says that “weekly farm grass cover measurements combined with grazing management decisions arising from these measurements need to be adopted on all farms”.
In any dairy business, cow fertility and longevity are critical components of herd profitability. While there is improvement, average performance on Irish dairy farms continues to be substantially below optimum.
Moorepark researcher Donagh Berry pointed out that “increasing herd average lactation number from 3.5 to 4.5 reduces costs by 1.6 c/l”. The evidence is overwhelming that both the exploitation of genetic improvement and application of best reproductive management practice will result in reproductive targets being readily achieved.
Is the EBI set up for a no-quota Ireland and to breed a fertile cow for the future? What fertility EBI sub index do you need?
Based on the results from the Next Generation Herd, Frank Buckley says “that a herd fertility sub-index of €140 is required to achieve the necessary herd fertility and longevity targets”. A review of international breeding goals shows the economic values on the milk production traits in the EBI are similar to most international breeding goals. In an index with just milk production and fertility, 32% emphasis would need to be placed on fertility to simply halt any deterioration. In terms of feeding and body condition score, Stephen Butler says that “no matter what has happened over the last number of years, the best nutritional indicator of reproductive performance on dairy farms is still body condition score at mating start date”.
Most dairy farmers are now vaccinating as a prevention strategy for most of the diseases on Irish dairy farms. Moorepark researcher Riona Sayers is working with a team of researchers around the area of herd health.
She says: “Infectious diseases result in a variety of clinical signs, many of which are detrimental to the profitability of a dairy enterprise. Depending on the herd somatic cell count, mastitis is the most costly infection on Irish dairy farms. The presence of salmonella, however, is also very costly. Carriers in a herd can result in losses of over €11,000 in an unvaccinated 100-cow spring-calving dairy herd.
“A combination of biosecurity, diagnostic testing and vaccination will reduce the risk of disease introduction and spread, thereby minimising losses due to infectious disease.
Riona has always been strong on biosecurity and keeping diseases outside the farm gate.
Recouping losses
She says: “The implementation of biosecurity, testing, and strategic vaccination programmes will greatly assist in recouping losses due the presence of infectious diseases on Irish dairy farms. Such programmes are an investment, not a cost.”
The key drivers of sustainability are grass utilised per hectare and six-week calving rate.People management and skill set are now more important than ever.Target 12 tonnes of grass utilised per hectare.Aim for an EBI fertility sub index of €140.Mastitis and salmonella – can be very costly.
How do you explain what a sustainable dairy business is? According to Laurence Shalloo, the key requirement for the dairy business and the expansion process is that it is sustainable from all aspects of the business perspective. In practice, this means that the business should focus on the efficient conversion of home-grown feed to saleable products that are recognised as high quality and safe to consume.
It is also necessary that the production system minimises nutrient losses to water (nitrate, phosphorus) and emissions to the atmosphere (GHG, ammonia), and that the production system operated is broadly perceived to be acceptable by society as a whole (ie, good animal welfare, preservation of ecosystems, biodiversity).
Padraig French said that “you should not consider expansion without a plan that quantifies the impact of the expansion on farm profit, cashflow and the labour requirement”. The plan should also deal with the implications of a low milk price year and reduced animal performance in the early years of expansion.
He says: “The production system must be profitable, afford a good work-life balance and provide a good working environment for the farmer and any staff that are directly employed in the business.” Laurence adds that “the key drivers of sustainable expansion must be based on the two key targets – grass utilised per hectare and six-week calving rate”.
Moorepark researcher Brendan Horan says that “dairy farmers need a broader range of skills and experiences and an increased focus on business management to be successful today than in the past”.
He said any farm business expansion must be based on healthy, low-stress, profitable family farming that provides a good standard of living for the farmer and his/her family. Every farm business should have a family farm plan that aligns the family’s goals with realistic goals for the farm.
He says: “As herd size increases, time spent in the office is much more valuable. To create time specifically for management, dairy farmers will have to reduce the time spent on operational jobs.”
He also says every dairy farm family should participate in a discussion group to share ideas and learn from each other. Together with an excellent support network of professionals (adviser, accountant, vet, etc), this will bring a much larger pool of experience and skills to bear on the analysis of the farm business.
Not alone will there be discussion on improving the skill set of existing dairy farmers but the forum at the end of the main stands will focus on training the next generation of dairy farmers.
Is that grown or utilised, I queried – very definitely utilised is the answer I got. In 2014, the Moorepark researchers say increasing grass utilisation by one tonne DM/ha increased net profit by €267 per hectare. Higher stocking rates will require substantial increases in both grass production and utilisation. Only 10% of dairy farms have optimal soil pH, P and K status; this is a major constraint to grass production.
Oak Park-based researcher Mark Plunkett says: “With up to 90% of soils currently deficient in at least one of the critical elements (pH, P or K), poor soil fertility poses a significant threat to achieving increased productivity and sustainability on dairy farms.”
Grazing management factors will be the greatest influence on grass production and utilisation.
Data
National grass production data shows that high grass DM production can be achieved on dairy farms irrespective of location, provided soil fertility and grazing management are optimum.
Michael O’Donovan of Teagasc says that “weekly farm grass cover measurements combined with grazing management decisions arising from these measurements need to be adopted on all farms”.
In any dairy business, cow fertility and longevity are critical components of herd profitability. While there is improvement, average performance on Irish dairy farms continues to be substantially below optimum.
Moorepark researcher Donagh Berry pointed out that “increasing herd average lactation number from 3.5 to 4.5 reduces costs by 1.6 c/l”. The evidence is overwhelming that both the exploitation of genetic improvement and application of best reproductive management practice will result in reproductive targets being readily achieved.
Is the EBI set up for a no-quota Ireland and to breed a fertile cow for the future? What fertility EBI sub index do you need?
Based on the results from the Next Generation Herd, Frank Buckley says “that a herd fertility sub-index of €140 is required to achieve the necessary herd fertility and longevity targets”. A review of international breeding goals shows the economic values on the milk production traits in the EBI are similar to most international breeding goals. In an index with just milk production and fertility, 32% emphasis would need to be placed on fertility to simply halt any deterioration. In terms of feeding and body condition score, Stephen Butler says that “no matter what has happened over the last number of years, the best nutritional indicator of reproductive performance on dairy farms is still body condition score at mating start date”.
Most dairy farmers are now vaccinating as a prevention strategy for most of the diseases on Irish dairy farms. Moorepark researcher Riona Sayers is working with a team of researchers around the area of herd health.
She says: “Infectious diseases result in a variety of clinical signs, many of which are detrimental to the profitability of a dairy enterprise. Depending on the herd somatic cell count, mastitis is the most costly infection on Irish dairy farms. The presence of salmonella, however, is also very costly. Carriers in a herd can result in losses of over €11,000 in an unvaccinated 100-cow spring-calving dairy herd.
“A combination of biosecurity, diagnostic testing and vaccination will reduce the risk of disease introduction and spread, thereby minimising losses due to infectious disease.
Riona has always been strong on biosecurity and keeping diseases outside the farm gate.
Recouping losses
She says: “The implementation of biosecurity, testing, and strategic vaccination programmes will greatly assist in recouping losses due the presence of infectious diseases on Irish dairy farms. Such programmes are an investment, not a cost.”
The key drivers of sustainability are grass utilised per hectare and six-week calving rate.People management and skill set are now more important than ever.Target 12 tonnes of grass utilised per hectare.Aim for an EBI fertility sub index of €140.Mastitis and salmonella – can be very costly. 
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