How do you decide to stop dairying?

In the past 10 years the number of dairy farmers in the UK has nearly halved, with 10,381 producers shutting up shop between 2002 and 2012.

For various reasons – retirement, lack of investment, no successor in place, financial difficulty and so on – many producers are considering doing the same.

To address the issue, Farmers Weekly spoke to three dairy farming families who have left in the past year – a small island doorstep dairy, a tenant farmer switching to beef and a first-generation dairy couple who have relocated from Cornwall to Ayrshire.

We also spoke to consultants and advisers for top tips on what to consider when planning your exit from the sector.

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