One of Britain's top dairy herds comes under the hammer in a shock move that caught many unawares and raised questions about the viability of dairying north of the central belt.
Dean Anderson's Mayne herd has been in the top flight for some years, in 1999 and 2000 it was ranked the highest yielding herd in Britain and individual Holsteins regularly win yield awards. Dean has spoken to packed farmers meetings all over the UK and the world about getting the best out of milk production. In addition to producing milk he has retailed it around the doors in the Inverness are with a farm shop in Elgin. He has experience of both sides of the equation.
He has modern, efficient facilities, with loose housing for his high yielding cows and a 48 point rotary parlour to milk them in. He has enough land to raise his own replacements and makes a good income from selling the genetics, either as heifers, embryos or semen.
Recently he sold the dairy business and along with all the other dairy farmers in that part of Scotland, was left with the creamery at Nairn as his only outlet. It is a creamery formerly owned by the North of Scotland milk Marketing Board, then a farmer owned Co op before being bought by Northern Foods. They sold it to Arla the UK arm of one of the tow giant Scandinavian farmers co ops. Which supplies ASDA.
According to Dean their quality premiums etc mean they get a reasonable price for their milk in comparison to most farmers, but it still doesn't reward them sufficiently for their management input and certainly doesn't leave enough for future investment. Deans son has lost enthusiasm for the dairy sector and wants to turn to beef.
At a time when so many farmers are questioning the wisdom of staying in milk the news that the Andersons were getting out came as a shock. When a quarter of all dairy farmers have given up in last 4 years, if a player like this can't make it, what hope is there for anyone else?
Watch Ken's report on the player. The Future of Dairy On Landward 2007. (opens new window)
Page first published on Friday 29th June 2007
Page last updated on Thursday 16th October 2008
