RUMINATIONS A new regular column by Rob Daykin of Daykin Partnership Feeding on a least cost-least
labour basis Dairy cow nutrition – who’d have it, eh! There’s a complicated rumen to look after, as well as three other compartments; billions of rumen bugs to keep contented, and a core raw material in the forage that’s as variable as the weather. Then, on top of that, there’s all the supplementation to do as well – be it with concentrates, straights, blends, vitamins and minerals, anti-mycotoxins, essential oils and goodness knows what else. It can be a challenge even at the best of times, and I don’t think I’ll
be the first to point out that there are far easier ways to make a living than producing and delivering animal feed or rationing cows! But throw into the mix today’s issues and the complications and
costs can quickly and easily escalate. These include a shortage of raw materials (or an outright ban on the use of some like soya); plus, a significant cost price rise on all of them; plus, shipping problems; and Covid; a shortage of labour throughout the supply chain to actually deliver the feed from its origin to the farm store, and then from the store to the feed face. Because that’s the position we’re in now, with increases in costs
for our customers undermining much of the increases in milk prices over recent months. You won’t need to read an article in this magazine to know about those cost increases or supply difficulties, but I’ll throw in what I think is the case so you can agree or disagree: from my point of view compound feeds are up about £35 to £40 since May for a conventional 18% protein prices range, between £270 - £320/t depending on the spec. Organic prices are over £400/t. Thanks to these and other increases the latest cost of production for milk is around 31p, for example. But only Arla is paying that outside of the retail pools. And all of these new challenges are coming at a time when our
customers are facing the most significant change to their farming businesses in decades. Going is the comfort blanket of BPS, meaning that livestock farmers are even more reliant on the performance of their animals than ever before. Coming are more demands for environmentally friendly farming with less greenhouse gas production, and other pollutants. More output, using lower amounts of imported feeds, producing less “mess” will be the mantra for the future. What a fantastic opportunity for those supply businesses and people who are at the top of their game, and who have the expertise and skills to help! We need to step up to the plate to help our customers more than we have ever done before! But can we? And if so, how? Well, it will be far from easy, and much of what we need to do will
depend on what is unfolding before our eyes in what looks like being the new post Covid, post Brexit world of two diametrically opposed forces. On the one hand there is no doubt that demand for dairy has
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rocketed during Covid, with cheese a particular beneficiary. The forecasters don’t see this demand diminishing much, which is obviously good news as recent history shows that farmers on a cheese contract get paid the highest prices. But on the other hand, the labour situation on farm is crippling
many businesses. No one foresaw a mass exodus of labour from the UK market after Brexit / Covid, but that’s the reality and it’s seemingly drawing so many people away from dairy farms that many businesses have major problems holding on to their staff or sourcing replacement ones. The Government currently seems deaf to calls for solutions to mitigate the labour shortages. The feed sector will not be immune to changes here. More cost-
effective automation will be a certainty on many farms in the form of more robot milkers and robot feeders, with the uptake of both largely dependent on the grant situation. Other units may revert to the simplest form of feeding to reduce labour demands. Whatever you think about the merits of silage and cake systems they don’t require too much labour! Straights usage might reduce in favour of blends and compound feeds and more home-grown feeds should be grown to reduce the reliance on imported or bought in feed stuffs. Who knows, there may also be premiums for grazing that might make some units rethink what they do, and how. A good start, though, looks like becoming better at not only feeding
cows from a least cost ration point of view, but also mastering the art of feeding them on a least cost-least labour basis too. In conclusion, the next few years will be one of immense change
for our customers and the dairy industry. There are huge opportunities, and equally huge challenges to overcome. I have every confidence that with a fair political wind in its sails, and common sense from the whole supply chain up to retailers and consumers, the industry will overcome them to grasp the many opportunities that lie ahead for dairy.
WHO WE ARE Daykin Partnership has over 30 years of experience in agriculture, expertise in estate management, product development and logistics. We work hard to provide up to the minute news and information as well as the latest and most innovative products from across the industry. Our extensive network covers every aspect of modern dairy farming from supply chains, market information and raw material sourcing to budgeting, staff training and ration formulation.
www.daykinpartnership.co.uk
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