Archive Article: 2001/02/02
Andrew Groom
Andrew Groom has managed
Purlieus Farm near Swindon,
Wilts, on contract since
1991. The 138ha (342-acre)
farm, owned by P&A
Crocker, is stocked with
200 dairy cows with
replacements reared on a
separate 26ha (65-acre)
farm. His interests include
whole-crop cereals and
cross-breeding cows using
a Brown Swiss bull
EASING back after the excesses of Christmas and New Year I thought was a human trait, but this year cows decided they would join in.
As the weather became colder silage intake fell along with daily production; perhaps a little more than I would have liked.
Night time temperatures of -6C meant low yielders were happy to spend more time in beds and less time foraging. I thought I might go out in the early hours and encourage them to eat silage, but stepping out into the cold one evening I realised they probably had the right idea.
Cutting back on quantity of silage in the mix seems to have encouraged them to be a little more aggressive in feeding.
This welcome cold and dry spell, if it lasts, will hopefully give us a chance to spread muck on maize ground and finish ploughing wheat ground, as my target is to complete drilling by mid-February.
Maize acreage will be increased this year, as it was last year. It has been a contributing factor to the herd yield increase and looking at forward prices for feed is as scary as looking at fertiliser prices.
I am moving the calving pattern to more of a year-round one in order to maximise daily production. This will increase annual production without having to spend on buildings, which at the present milk price would be laughable.
Express Dairies, along with all the processors, seem to have started the New Year in the same vein as they left the old one, taking absolutely no interest in the plight of their producers and completely ignoring the market-place on price.
There has never been a stronger argument than at present for lifting farm gate price. Commodity prices are high, supply is reduced and the exchange rate is in our favour yet still they stall.
Along with a large percentage of the membership, I feel it is time to vest interest in producers and drop the words Express and Partnership from the Express Milk Partnership. Come on Mr Smith, lets get back to a strong producer group being paid for its commoditys value and not exploited for its lack of strength. *
Despite strong arguments for lifting milk price, Andrew Groom is disenchanted by dairy companies failure to act.