Livestock News

Regulations coming into force later this year will ensure supply contracts in the dairy sector are fair and transparent, with farmers being paid a fair price for their produce, the government has said today (11th July).

Enzootic abortion (EAE) is responsible for considerable losses in the UK sheep industry. Yet, despite adequate vaccine availability and veterinary advice on disease prevention, the endemic disease is still present in many flocks, and many farmers only vaccinate after an outbreak.

AHDB’s Great British Beef Week (GBBW) campaign, which celebrates the quality, taste, and world-leading farming credentials of British beef, has been hailed a resounding success inspiring millions of consumers across a variety of platforms.

A trade mission led by AHDB is set to showcase British red meat to buyers from Asia, the Middle East and North America, who will meet with farmers and UK exporters at the Great Yorkshire Show to discuss potential business opportunities.

Farmers are being encouraged to assess the risk of abortion in their sheep ahead of the next tupping season and work with their vet if necessary to minimise lamb losses next year.

A new initiative to breed sheep with naturally low methane emissions has been awarded £2.9m funding through Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and will see farmers, researchers and businesses come together to make a positive contribution to UK agriculture’s journey towards net zero.

A sale of 145 pedigree and pure-bred Hereford cattle at Shrewsbury Auction Centre last Tuesday (27th June) attracted great interest among breeders in England and Wales, with a cow and calf pair from the esteemed Santa Maria herd bringing in the top price at 4,100 guineas.

Farmers, breeders and smallholders in the East of England will have the opportunity to buy and sell pedigree Southdown sheep at a new early breeders sale taking place for the first time at Thrapston Livestock Market on Saturday 29th July.

Livestock farmers will continue to have uninterrupted access to key cobalt salts as emergency authorisation for cobalt in livestock feeds has been granted for England and Wales following approval in Scotland.

UK dairy cooperative Arla has warned of further food price increases and a possible risk to food security if labour shortages are not addressed as a matter of urgency by the government, with a recent survey highlighting a serious and imminent risk to milk production.

At the Down to Earth South event last week (21 June), British farmer-owned dairy co-operative First Milk announced a new partnership with dairy manufacturer Yeo Valley, which will see the creation of a new regenerative milk pool in the Southwest of England.

Farmers are being urged to carry out regular faecal egg count (FEC) testing before drenching lambs to get an accurate estimation of worm burden across groups, as a more targeted approach to parasite control can save producers time, money and labour.