As dairy farmers nationwide face into rising costs caused by the drought, two organic dairy farmers describe their struggles weathering the heat this summer.
East Midlands dairy farmer Wil Armitage, milking over 900 cows on an organic farm in Leicestershire, has been feeding a full winter ration for weeks now – months earlier than he would in a normal year.
“It’s costing the business an additional £1,300 a day in feed, labour, machinery and water. That works out at over £2.50 additional cost, per cow, per day compared with a typical year.
“We have no grass growth, which has been the case for almost two months. This has not happened in 35 years at Keythorpe,” Wil said.
Wil farms on a medium clay loam, with organic matter levels of 10–12%, which would normally hold moisture well. But after two years of experiencing summer drought conditions, he says the subsoil is drier than he has ever known it.
“The amount of forage we are having to feed will impact our winter feed stocks, so some serious decisions will have to be made in terms of stock numbers, or the level of milk production we target,” Will said.
In Shropshire, farmers are faring no better. Organic dairy farmer, Tim Downes, milking 300 cows near Shrewsbury, said the dry weather is a real concern among farmers in his discussion group network, with a lack of rain since early June having a major effect on grass growth.
“Milk production has fallen by around five litres per cow, per day during the recent heatwaves. Grass recovery will be slow with soils so dry and most farmers are eating into their winter feed stocks at high cost to keep production up.”
However, the real impact could be yet to bite and the market will have to respond, Tim warns, “Using up supplies of forage now will for a very tight winter for milk volumes. Maize crops have come off very poorly, so the feed will have to be replaced from somewhere. It comes down to the milk to feed price ratio. Spot milk prices have been upwards of 45ppl, which is surely where conventional milk price needs to be to cover costs and keep volumes up over the coming months, with organic exceeding far beyond that.”
Investing to protect cow welfare
At Keythorpe, Wil is making use of existing shelter belts for shade and housing cows when temperatures rise above 27°C. Additional water troughs have been positioned around the farm and water storage increased to ensure the mains supply can keep pace with higher consumption.
“All farmers are taking extra steps at considerable additional costs to keep cows comfortable. Sprinklers are being used in our uncovered collecting yard and extra fans have been installed in buildings to help keep cows cool and manage airflow.
“With the dry conditions continuing, so does the need for greater support for investment in cow cooling and water infrastructure,” said Wil.
Drought support
RABDF has shared feedback from dairy farmers throughout the UK in discussions with Defra about the impact the drought is having on dairy farms.
The government announced a package of drought support on 15 August following a COBRA meeting on extreme heat, wildfires and drought. Measures include temporary adjustments to Environmental Land Management agreements, improved access to water during drought conditions and up to £15 million to support the construction of on-farm reservoirs.
RABI has launched a £2 million Emergency Drought Grant programme to provide £2,000 grants towards personal and household expenditure for eligible farm owners and tenant farmers experiencing significant financial pressure as a result of the impact of drought across England and Wales.
The NFU recently hosted an industry roundtable, attended by RABDF, to update and share what each organisation can do to support farmers at this time. NFU Members affected by the dry weather can access the NFU’s drought resources for the latest information and advice, or contact NFU CallFirst on 0370 845 8458 for individual support.
