Opinion
Suggestions that farm safety statistics can be improved by better farmer education is insulting nonsense
Dairy
With the removal of milk quotas only a few months away, many Irish dairy farmers are set to calve and milk a lot more cows in 2015 than in previous years.
Increasing the number of dairy cows is expensive and can be a significant drain on cash in a fledgling dairy business.
The group I met are realistic enough to know that this trend can’t continue and are proactively exploring a ‘third option’ for themselves and following generations.
Agriland recently reported that ‘If you’re not farming for profit, we’d like to wish you well with your hobby’. An interesting statement....
Regardless of numbers, the basics of calf-rearing never change – colostrum, hygiene and regular observation.
In my role as a farm consultant I am fortunate to work with lots of dairy farmers who have significantly expanded their herds.
COMMENT: From 2015 the new quota in Irish dairy farming will be the amount of milking platform hectares that cows can reasonably be walked to.
For dairy farmers considering significant expansion making the transition from managing cows and grass to a team of people is a major challenge.
