Dairying

If we were farming in such a position, We’d look to rent the extra 30 acres and maintain farm output.

I don’t begrudge or envy any dairy farmer, they deserve all they earn, for the work they do, it can be a tough life on families too.
I would not enjoy being a dairy farmer, I know it’s not the life for me.

From where I’m sitting, the policy is clearly pushing to reduce stocking rates on intensive dairy farms.
There’s two options, reduce cow numbers or increase acres.
This will put pressure on the on land for a while, markets will always supply what’s in demand.

@MF 698T
Made reference to Raymond Potterton’s advertisement, of land for lease in Meath, it’s a while since, I’ve seen such an amount of land come up for rent, it’s all leases now and everyone except the auctioneer is the better for it imv.

There are plenty of farms around here with no successor. several are dairy farms, the big prices for rent, will bring land to the market.
Within 5 years, some of these existing dairy farms will be coming up for lease.


As beef and tillage farmers we rent land, I could be negative and say we can’t compete with dairy farmers and there’s no future for our system.

However I’m more upbeat about farming and our farming system than I’ve been in many years.
We’re not out trying to compete for land against another farmer who can pay multiples of what our economic price is.
I’m not worried about land availability, the land will come to us, that’s business we’re in.

Environmental pressure is reducing food production, on a world scale.
Less chemical, less fertiliser.
Production will decrease, demand will increase.

As a mixed farmer, growing a mix of crops and finishing beef cattle, using our own slurry and dung, along with more, imported from other farmers, the real shite, not paper piss.
We are in a better position, than we were previously.
We regularly hear or read about the number of world harvests left on some land.
With our current farming system our land is only getting better year after year, despite what many environmentalists experts and policy makers may think,

The biggest problem we currently have is the increasing price of some farm machinery.
Similar to culling and replacing dairy cows or selling a finished animal and buying a store.
We need to keep our machinery updated or go will end up reducing production.


Best of luck to all farming in 2023, hopefully it will be a good year.
Though I believe we are overdue a wet summer, with a decrease in Winter acres and more spring crops to plant. We will be making our crop decisions with a cautious expectation that it could be a wet summer.
All of that is spot on, the only issue I have is other sectors are going to begrudge the dairy sector for essentially doing what it needs to survive. Dairy has the most profit from what’s been said so it will paid the most rent, the most for fertiliser, accept a fiver for a calf all to survive. That damages every other sector. All because of policy changes that are literally past over at a moments notice. The agri sector has poor representation at every level, along with the sector fighting amongst its self. Quotes is prob the answer but the boats gone too far to seas to try bring it back imo
 
If oil prices stay high output prices should remain high enough.
A big drop in oil would change the outlook.
The journal headlines this week suggest beef will be very dear, didn't read it so don't know how long that forecast is for.
Stores at 3/kg plus will need good sale price
 
If oil prices stay high output prices should remain high enough.
A big drop in oil would change the outlook.
The journal headlines this week suggest beef will be very dear, didn't read it so don't know how long that forecast is for.
Stores at 3/kg plus will need good sale price

Tabloid heading yet again :nono:
 
If oil prices stay high output prices should remain high enough.
A big drop in oil would change the outlook.
The journal headlines this week suggest beef will be very dear, didn't read it so don't know how long that forecast is for.
Stores at 3/kg plus will need good sale price
The headline vs the column that is written, carries no substance for such a headline. Y
 
If we were farming in such a position, We’d look to rent the extra 30 acres and maintain farm output.

I don’t begrudge or envy any dairy farmer, they deserve all they earn, for the work they do, it can be a tough life on families too.
I would not enjoy being a dairy farmer, I know it’s not the life for me.

From where I’m sitting, the policy is clearly pushing to reduce stocking rates on intensive dairy farms.
There’s two options, reduce cow numbers or increase acres.
This will put pressure on the on land for a while, markets will always supply what’s in demand.

@MF 698T
Made reference to Raymond Potterton’s advertisement, of land for lease in Meath, it’s a while since, I’ve seen such an amount of land come up for rent, it’s all leases now and everyone except the auctioneer is the better for it imv.

There are plenty of farms around here with no successor. several are dairy farms, the big prices for rent, will bring land to the market.
Within 5 years, some of these existing dairy farms will be coming up for lease.


As beef and tillage farmers we rent land, I could be negative and say we can’t compete with dairy farmers and there’s no future for our system.

However I’m more upbeat about farming and our farming system than I’ve been in many years.
We’re not out trying to compete for land against another farmer who can pay multiples of what our economic price is.
I’m not worried about land availability, the land will come to us, that’s business we’re in.

Environmental pressure is reducing food production, on a world scale.
Less chemical, less fertiliser.
Production will decrease, demand will increase.

As a mixed farmer, growing a mix of crops and finishing beef cattle, using our own slurry and dung, along with more, imported from other farmers, the real shite, not paper piss.
We are in a better position, than we were previously.
We regularly hear or read about the number of world harvests left on some land.
With our current farming system our land is only getting better year after year, despite what many environmentalists experts and policy makers may think,

The biggest problem we currently have is the increasing price of some farm machinery.
Similar to culling and replacing dairy cows or selling a finished animal and buying a store.
We need to keep our machinery updated or go will end up reducing production.


Best of luck to all farming in 2023, hopefully it will be a good year.
Though I believe we are overdue a wet summer, with a decrease in Winter acres and more spring crops to plant. We will be making our crop decisions with a cautious expectation that it could be a wet summer.
Excellent post

Re the weather There is a cohort who believe we get NZ weather six months after them and they are after having a wet summer.
 
Riddle me this.we are restricted by banding and 220 to 250 limits…… are there any restrictions in the UK. Grasstec have a video up of a farm on Scotland 1700 milked 3 times a day hoping to go to 2000.

As supply drops here will it flow from NI to the south more so than ever??
 
Riddle me this.we are restricted by banding and 220 to 250 limits…… are there any restrictions in the UK. Grasstec have a video up of a farm on Scotland 1700 milked 3 times a day hoping to go to 2000.

As supply drops here will it flow from NI to the south more so than ever??
They grow a lot more crops over there. Most dairy farms have more hectares than cows over there- not to mind acres!
 
They are saying great prospects with the Chinese Market open.

Where have we heard that before?

It's all being blown out of proportion but it may put smaller finishers back in the driving seat for a while. As I understand it any feedlot or any herd that has been restricted for a certain period is not eligible for China.
 
All of that is spot on, the only issue I have is other sectors are going to begrudge the dairy sector for essentially doing what it needs to survive. Dairy has the most profit from what’s been said so it will paid the most rent, the most for fertiliser, accept a fiver for a calf all to survive. That damages every other sector. All because of policy changes that are literally past over at a moments notice. The agri sector has poor representation at every level, along with the sector fighting amongst its self. Quotes is prob the answer but the boats gone too far to seas to try bring it back imo

It's hard to disagree with what you say above.

I want to be clear, I was not pulling you up specifically on your thoughts but just trying to expand it how it could have such knock on impacts.

Unfortunately as I see it, the government wants farmers in dairying, forestry or organics and no in between where most of us are currently and would like to remain.

Whatever about land availability, surely the other hot topic for dairy is the availability of labour? The amounts of ads looking for people even on a full time basis is unreal at the moment.
 
It's hard to disagree with what you say above.

I want to be clear, I was not pulling you up specifically on your thoughts but just trying to expand it how it could have such knock on impacts.

Unfortunately as I see it, the government wants farmers in dairying, forestry or organics and no in between where most of us are currently and would like to remain.

Whatever about land availability, surely the other hot topic for dairy is the availability of labour? The amounts of ads looking for people even on a full time basis is unreal at the moment.
yeah and that’s fair enough. I guess I see this really as a big problem from the whole sector. I get everyone has to look out for themselves but I think it’s only going to end in disaster.

Let’s not forget the government also let banks lend for people to have 4/6 houses a plane. We have been here before imo and that ended in tears. Problem I see with this is the amount of low value land being driven to crazy price. I just personally have a very concerned outlook for the industry as a whole. Beef is on its knees if not on the chopping block, dairy maybe heading a similar road other than the “big men” .

I personally feel the dairy industry is a bit like a time bomb. It’s not a matter of if,but when for me. Thinking about our own place, we are one of the few around me that didn’t go all in.still an old 6 unit, that really hasn’t seen huge upgrades in 10/20 years. We are still milking only 80 cows with a “beef” side(using that term lightly!) for cash flow mainly. This banding essentially means we have a decision to make between renting land, or losing a part of the business that been here for 3/4 generations. So we are going to end up adding to the problem ourselves.I know I’m still in somewhat of a privileged position so I’m not looking for sympathy or anything. But I feel dairy has been pushed too far and it’s all big money and mental heath of the country is bad enough. .and let’s not forget we still have fucking tb around along with bvd!

Labour will be a big problem. It already is. Cost of living is gone crazy from both the farmer and the worker and everyone else in between. Rush are getting richer and poor poorer.
 
yeah and that’s fair enough. I guess I see this really as a big problem from the whole sector. I get everyone has to look out for themselves but I think it’s only going to end in disaster.

Let’s not forget the government also let banks lend for people to have 4/6 houses a plane. We have been here before imo and that ended in tears. Problem I see with this is the amount of low value land being driven to crazy price. I just personally have a very concerned outlook for the industry as a whole. Beef is on its knees if not on the chopping block, dairy maybe heading a similar road other than the “big men” .

I personally feel the dairy industry is a bit like a time bomb. It’s not a matter of if,but when for me. Thinking about our own place, we are one of the few around me that didn’t go all in.still an old 6 unit, that really hasn’t seen huge upgrades in 10/20 years. We are still milking only 80 cows with a “beef” side(using that term lightly!) for cash flow mainly. This banding essentially means we have a decision to make between renting land, or losing a part of the business that been here for 3/4 generations. So we are going to end up adding to the problem ourselves.I know I’m still in somewhat of a privileged position so I’m not looking for sympathy or anything. But I feel dairy has been pushed too far and it’s all big money and mental heath of the country is bad enough. .and let’s not forget we still have fucking tb around along with bvd!

Labour will be a big problem. It already is. Cost of living is gone crazy from both the farmer and the worker and everyone else in between. Rush are getting richer and poor poorer.

There are cracks in any industry and price fluctuations will mean that vulnerable operators will crack, that's the nature of capitalism.

Labour is a problem in every industry in the developed world and not confined to dairy farms in Ireland. As people get wealthier, we are expecting more for doing less.

When dairy expansion started here in 2013, we were told that the market would quickly become flooded and we'd end up like the builders in the recession. 10 years later and the markets for dairy are still strong with no great increase in production to be talked about.
A big difference between dairy and beef in this country is that dairy sells produce to make money and has moved away from depending on government support. It has been successful in creating a market for it's produce that it has a natural competitive advantage over other countries (ie. producing milk from grass). Our beef industry has been competing with grain fed beef lots.

Environmental constraints will halt the dairy expansion story, which already halted last year anyway! We have to remember that a whole generation never got to see extra dairy cows in the country so there was going to be a period of adjustment when quotas were removed.
 
met a senior executive of lakeland that I know in teemore engineering this evening, wasn't an encouraging conversation, markets got soft in his words and trading about 40 c a litre at the minute and not looking alot brighter on the horizon either,fairly big price re adjustment coming for the spring
 
Hard understand a company trying to quote me 460 per ton for a dairy nut this evening so!
met a senior executive of lakeland that I know in teemore engineering this evening, wasn't an encouraging conversation, markets got soft in his words and trading about 40 c a litre at the minute and not looking alot brighter on the horizon either,fairly big price re adjustment coming for the spring
 
There are a lot of companies out there who have not woken up to lower current product prices for farmers and think they are grand raising there input prices to the agri sector by 20% and more. A kick up the behind would not go astray on some of them.
Hard understand a company trying to quote me 460 per ton for a dairy nut this evening so!
 
met a senior executive of lakeland that I know in teemore engineering this evening, wasn't an encouraging conversation, markets got soft in his words and trading about 40 c a litre at the minute and not looking alot brighter on the horizon either,fairly big price re adjustment coming for the spring
Is mid 40s not the expected dairy price for this season? That's what I took from chatting 3 dairy lads over the last month
 
There are a lot of companies out there who have not woken up to lower current product prices for farmers and think they are grand raising there input prices to the agri sector by 20% and more. A kick up the behind would not go astray on some of them.
Just leave them with the product if you consider it over priced. Thankfully I haven't found much price gouging with those I dealt with over the last year
 
Hard understand a company trying to quote me 460 per ton for a dairy nut this evening so!
that's true,but very hard to get better value,what spec of nut was it.seemingly the protein end is still quite dear,
was that for a 16% protein nut with base spec mineral package
 
that's true,but very hard to get better value,what spec of nut was it.seemingly the protein end is still quite dear,
was that for a 16% protein nut with base spec mineral package
That was their top of the range nut with all the minerals and a 17% protein content ,could also be got with 15 or 19% protein content.
 
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