A west Wales dairy farmer is one of four finalists for this year's Dairy Farmer of the Year award, part of the British Farming Awards.
Staying ahead of legislation and consumer trends is a key focus of Emyr Bowen of Lan Farm and its pedigree Holstein herd near Carmarthen.
Celebrating 100 years of the Lan Herd in 2024, farming has been in the family for a long time. Emyr and his father Robert run the farm full time alongside floating members of staff and contractors, giving them the time to focus on the animals.
Calving all year round, the herd has a rolling average of 11,000 litres at 4.5bf and 3.2p. For animal health and production reasons, the herd is housed at night in sand bed cubicles and grazed in the daytime over summer.
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The herd is fed to yield in parlour and outer parlour feeders, on grass silage, straw, minerals and yeast. This move has led to an increase in yield from 1500 to 2000 litres.
At the beginning of 2024 Emyr transitioned his herd onto a soya free diet which has had positive results on fats, proteins and fertility.
He says: "We’ve gone soya free across the entire milk herd and the beef unit is 100% grass fed" – which will help the industry achieve net zero targets.
Not only has the transition put Emyr in a better position to take on retail contracts in future, with environmental issues becoming a more prominent focus for companies, it has reduced costs. Focusing on achieving the correct silage quality has limited feed costs and improved the herd's output.
In line with Welsh Nitrate Vulnerable Zone rules, Emyr has increased slurry storage on the farm. This has been a positive move for Lan Farm, using the slurry to improve the soil health on the farm and save costs on fertiliser.
Moving forward, Emyr hopes to continue taking positive steps for the environment, working towards securing grants when the government has confirmed its plans for the agricultural industry.
The awards ceremony takes place on October 17 at The VOX in Birmingham.
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