Introduction Balancing the family’s aspirations and harnessing the enthusiasm of the next generation led us to change from all year round calving to block calving. In addition we took on two additional farms through joint venture agreements and breeding cows to suit the systems, all whilst satisfying the needs of our customers for milk and calves. We are currently farming 1350 acres on four farm...

On the 12th October 1988 the Kimland Herd of pedigree British Friesians was sold, I hadn’t quite understood at the time the impact of the sale. At 19 years of age I was studying Agriculture at Nottingham University and it really hadn’t clicked that my opportunity to become a dairy farmer had just vanished. In any case, I was far too busy with the social side of University to worry about the sale o...

Introduction To meet the anticipated increase in world demand for dairy products over the next 10–12 years, it is predicted that world milk production will need to increase by 29% to over 1,000 billion litres of milk (IFCN 2013). It is forecast that this rise in production will be met by a further 47 million dairy cattle, resulting in a global population of 406 million dairy cows and buffaloes. T...

Introduction Genomics has revolutionized dairy cattle breeding by dramatically shortening the generation interval and increasing the rate of genetic progress. The US–Canadian database includes over 850,000 genotypes, which are used to evaluate Holsteins, Jerseys, Brown Swiss and Ayrshires. Parentage validation based on genotypes improves the accuracy of pedigrees and, therefore, traditional evalu...

Innovate UK (the new name for The Technology Strategy Board) is the UK’s innovation agency. Taking our 2011–15 strategy, Concept to Commercialisation, as the start point, our role is to help accelerate economic growth through the stimulation and support of business-led innovation. We are business-focused and business-led; our governing board and our staff have strong experience of R&D and innovati...

Introduction Many surveys have been conducted over the years which include questions about the perceived view of farmers and their importance or otherwise to the nation’s economy and security. There have been many positive descriptors applied; hardworking, honest, salt of the earth, good at ensuring high standards of animal welfare, custodians of the countryside etc. However, I am yet to hear a h...

Devenish, formerly known as Devenish Nutrition, was founded in Northern Ireland in 1952. Devenish Nutrition provided the Irish agricultural sector with products and services primarily through home mixers and the feed industry. The current management team bought out Devenish Feeds in 1997, and the company became Devenish Nutrition Ltd. At this time, the company employed 23 staff with a turnover of ...

It is a great honour for me to speak to the conference today, I first attended the Cattle Breeders Conference in Cambridge in 1992, and I remember vividly there were 8 people in the beef section! To see close to 300 today is great. I have been asked by your chairman Dr Phil Hadley to finish today with my story of how we started farming in 2006, with no more than a wheelbarrow and an overdraft (whi...

Background Te Mania Angus is built on a gene pool already 85 years in the making. It provides Angus bulls, semen, embryos, elite stud cows, ET recipients and commercial females for the premium beef industry. The Te Mania Angus philosophy is to breed sound, quiet, highly fertile cattle with calving ease, high growth rates and exceptional carcase quality which will enable its clients to meet stric...

It is impossible to go to a conference these days without it being pointed out that the world population is going to grow to 9 billion by 2030 and that this is the most promising time to be in agriculture in a generation, if not two. We are constantly being urged to embrace innovation, see the big picture, and be entrepreneurial. We need to feed this growing population. From a beef perspective, we...

Sustainable beef production and profitable beef production go hand in hand and in many instances the aspects that make a business sustainable are also those that make it profitable. Asda is committed to working with its BeefLink producer group farmers to help them deliver increased profits as that is to the benefit of both farmers and consumers. Profitable farm businesses are able to invest for ...

Introduction Beef genetic evaluations have usually been developed within country. Increasingly, breeders are seeking to compare domestic and foreign bulls in order to enlarge the choice of animals that best fit their selection needs. As more and more genetic material is traded around the world, the need for accurate comparisons of the genetic merit of bulls from different countries has become inc...

Background Beef suckler cows comprise approximately half (1.1m) of the cow population in Ireland. Late-maturing continental breeds now account for over 75% of suckler cows, of which, 85% are bred to continental sire breeds (McGee, 2012). They are operated within systems where grazed grass is the major dietary input. These cows are predominantly spring-calving with their progeny taken to finish at...

A growing world population, a rapidly emerging middle class in the new economies and a recovery from recession in mainland Europe and the UK heralds a time of unprecedented opportunities for the British beef and dairy industry. Blips in the upward trends shouldn’t distract from the overall objective of growth. The Irish agri sector is optimistic for a bright future and for example, post quota remo...

2014 was a year of profound change in the U.S. beef industry. The long-term effects of a significant drought that began in the Southern U.S. in 2010, moved to the Midwest, and settled in the West were revealed in 2014. A severe cull occurred in the beef herd. The U.S. now has the lowest number of beef cows since 1951. Texas lost 24% of its total beef herd from 2010 – 2014 and Oklahoma lost 13%. A...