Northern Ireland Milk Price Tracker

yoki

Member
On the subject of charging, what are people paying now for relief milking?

And I'm talking in terms of someone reliable, not the beer money brigade.
 

yin ewe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Antrim
Anyone got 50p/ litre yet, in 1 mile radius from me there were 7 dairy farms,some small, now there's 2,including myself,5 were only 1 generation 1 is 2nd generation and the other 3rd generation, is there any youth coming forward who want to milk, only a bunch of old slave drivers left

It's the same everywhere, but herds are just bigger, a neighbours father always milked 48 cows, now the son has a 2 in front of it, which is as many as the half dozen herds that have quit within a mile here. Plus I can think of another half a dozen that have started up in the last couple of years within 5 miles so probably no fewer cows in the area overall.
 
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is there any youth coming forward who want to milk, only a bunch of old slave drivers left

Sadly it doesn't suit the aspirations of the youth of today. Plenty of farmers son's & daughters are prepared to milk but it's getting the staff that you need is the real problem.

I think we are all guilty of assuming that people will work 13/14 hrs a day with every other weekend off for a "Lock of Pound" but those days are long over.

A lot of the big herds who have approached the shift pattern work style seem to be doing ok though with staff. 4 on 4 off could work for managing staff on the smaller herds but just means the owner will probably be working 8 days a week managing the whole thing.
 
Sadly it doesn't suit the aspirations of the youth of today. Plenty of farmers son's & daughters are prepared to milk but it's getting the staff that you need is the real problem.

I think we are all guilty of assuming that people will work 13/14 hrs a day with every other weekend off for a "Lock of Pound" but those days are long over.

A lot of the big herds who have approached the shift pattern work style seem to be doing ok though with staff. 4 on 4 off could work for managing staff on the smaller herds but just means the owner will probably be working 8 days a week managing the whole thing.
Much will depend on whether a farm is looking for full-time or part-time staff. There's probably a good share of people who would welcome part-time and/or seasonal work be that milking or calf rearing.
Probably more work for the employer in seeking and managing a number of part-time workers but less pressure in losing a part-time staff member than a full-time one, though.

I think it's an option that merits consideration at least.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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