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22 September 2008
Arla’s cream of the crop have been recognised for producing exceptionally high quality milk at the annual Arla Foods Milk Partnership milk quality awards, held last week.
AFMP members the Fletchers of Dam Dale Farm in Buxton, Derbyshire, were the overall winner for the second year running, with an average cell count of 43 and won the medium volume category. They cited attention to detail and their focus on the health of each individual cow as the reason behind their success. "Milk quality is paramount to our farming practice and we ensure that we follow strict quality routines and prioritise cow comfort, to get the most out of our herd and the best milk price possible," said Jonathan Fletcher.
Whilst maintaining milk quality, the Fletchers have increased production over the last year and made some improvements on farm, including a new dry cow shed and a new nutrition plan for the dry cow and transition periods. Jonathan Fletcher plans to pass on the prize money to his two sons Gareth and Haydn, who both work full-time on the farm, as an incentive to maintaining their high standards. The Fletchers clearly have a winning formula, enjoying a string of top accolades in recent years, including first prize for the best all round herd by the Derbyshire Holstein Club in 2007.
D & A Blacoe, of Warton Hall Farm in Lytham, Lancashire, won the small volume category. Andrew Blacoe, who has a degree in agriculture reiterated the importance of attention to detail and was keen to thank his 79 year old great aunt who cleans the parlour!
CM & AR Pearce of Lower Farm in Itchington, Bristol won the large volume category and said that they owed their success to good quality staff and a single-minded, determined approach to milk quality. As Julian Pearce, who runs the farm, explained: "It’s more about getting the basics right and using your equipment properly, than having the latest technology."
Winning certainly isn’t easy. The winners are the top three amongst 1,450 AFMP members who consistently achieve significantly higher hygiene levels than the average farmer, according to National Milk Laboratories (NML) figures. There are three categories - small volume (up to half a million litres a year), medium volume (between a half and a million litres a year) and large volume (over one million litres a year), plus an award for the category winner who has produced the best milk quality overall.
In order to qualify for the Partnership awards, members must have a geometric mean of somatic cell count below 130,000 and a bactoscan below 40,000, for the entire 2007-2008 milk year, together with no incidents of antibiotic failure or added water in their milk. In addition they must adhere to the Assured Dairy Farms Scheme.
Ian Cameron, Arla Foods’ group farm liaison manager, said that the winners should be particularly proud of their achievements. "Arla works hard to produce high quality dairy products and similarly, our farmers work hard to supply us with high quality milk. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate with our members, who are critical to our business. Not only have the winners proven themselves to be leading their industry, they have maximised their income since those who produce the highest quality, receive a premium."
The Arla Foods milk quality award winners are:
- Overall winner: JE & CM Fletcher, Dam Dale Farm, Buxton, Derbyshire.
- Winner in the small volume category: D & A Blacoe, Warton Hall Farm, Lytham, Lancashire.
- Winner in the medium volume category: JE & CM Fletcher, Dam Dale Farm, Buxton, Derbyshire.
- Winner in the large volume category: CM & AR Pearce, Lower Farm, Itchington, Bristol.
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