cows

Dairy production is a critical component of the agriculture industry focused on the sustainable production of milk and milk-derived products.

Key aspects include animal health and welfare, milk quality, and efficient processing techniques. Sustainable and ethical practices, alongside technological advancements, play a vital role in ensuring the quality, quantity, and environmental responsibility of dairy production. Please share tools, information and resources relevant to dairy production.

UK Dairy Industry Statistics September 2021:

  • The UK is the thirteenth-largest milk producer in the world.
  • Milk accounted for 16.4% of total agricultural output in the UK in 2020 and was worth £4.4bn in market prices.
  • The total number of UK dairy cows has fallen from 2.6 million in 1996 to 1.9 million in 2020, a 28% reduction.
  • The UK produced 15.3 billion litres of milk in 2020, the highest annual figure since 1990.
  • In 2019, the UK recorded a trade surplus in volume terms for dairy for the first time since records began (1997). This surplus continued in 2020 although it reduced in size.
  • In 2020, the UK had a negative trade balance in butter and cheese, but a positive trade balance in milk and cream.
  • Farm-gate milk prices for June 2021 were 30.4 pence per litre, up from a low of 21.5 ppl in August 2016.
  • Between 1995 and today, doorstep delivery has declined from 45% to 3% of the retail milk market, despite increases during the pandemic.
  • Supply chains were disrupted following the lockdown imposed to suppress the coronavirus outbreak in March 2020. Milk prices recovered later in the year.
  • Exports of dairy products to the EU decreased following the end of the EU Exit transition period.

Full Parliamentary briefing paper

Reducing the carbon footprint of milk

Related Organisations

Content below is from across the PEP community and is not necessarily endorsed by Stewards or by PEP

Connected Content

AHDB

We deliver transformational projects to drive productivity and boost farming and supply chain businesses. We want the industry to thrive in a rapidly changing world and continue to produce high quality food, maintain our beautiful landscape and leave a legacy for generations to come. 

Grass

Grass in farming is interconnected with livestock systems for their feed, in the form of grazing, haylage and silage, and is also used as 'leys' (short-term grasslands) to regenerate soil structure and quality.

GrassCheck

GrassCheckGB is a grass monitoring project involving 50 dairy, beef and sheep farms.   Growth and quality data is published weekly throughout the growing season

CIEL

Calves

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Animal Health

Animal health is integral to the sustainability, profitability, and ethical considerations of livestock farming. It involves a combination of preventative measures, good management practices, and veterinary care to ensure that animals are raised in a manner that is both economically viable and environmentally responsible while prioritizing their well-being and public health.

Lameness

  Lameness is a significant health issue affecting farmed animals, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry. It refers to an abnormal gait or difficulty in walking, and it can have various causes, leading to pain and discomfort for the animals.

Breedr

Giving farmers the confidence to grow.    The precision livestock network for forward thinking farmers.

Housing

Proper housing is essential for the well-being, health, and productivity of livestock, as well as for the efficient management of farm operations. The type of housing and its design can vary depending on the species of livestock, climate, and specific management goals.

Mastitis

Mastitis is generally defined as the inflammation of the mammary gland. Mastitis can have severe consequences for animal health, milk production, and dairy product quality.

Does extended pasture resting after grazing improve soil microbiology and soil health?

Dairy farmers in the south west of England are exploring whether they can improve soil whilst maintaining forage quality when adopting longer resting periods after defoliation.

Kingshay

Whatever your challenges, from practical to strategic, Kingshay have the expertise to help you get the best from your farm.

Seven ways dairy farmers could help reduce carbon emissions

The dairy sector is often in the firing line when it comes to the criticism cows receive for their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. This is despite total emissions from UK dairy production falling by 16.1% between 1990 and 2020.

Control of infectious diseases in dairy cattle

Animal tissues colonised with pathogenic organisms are said to be ‘infected’.

Strategies and technologies towards reduced lameness in cattle

Lameness is the third most impactful disease in dairy cattle, with respect to economics and animal welfare

Soil Structure Maintained in More Densely Stocked Cell-Grazed Pastures

New study suggests “techno-grazing” approaches can support more cattle in less space without adversely affecting soil structure and function

Webinar: How to provide the perfect ambient environment for calves

Prioritising the future of your herd and looking closely at your youngstock housing should be at the forefront of every farmer's mind.

Lameness in dairy cows

From identifying lesions to treatment and nutrition, our information and resources can help you to manage all aspects of lameness.

National TB Conference

The TB Advisory Service is proud to be hosting the second national TB conference. This is a unique opportunity to bring together all those involved in TB control ensuring a collaborative approach.

CAN feeding and weaning webinar

Find out how a strategic approach to feeding and weaning can help get the most out of your dairy-beef genetics.

Pasture-fed production - findings from the SEEGSLIP project

The SEEGSLIP project sought to evidence the practices of a particular group of farmers, the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association (PFLA) in terms of their social, ecological and economic sustainability. This video explains the project, the pasture-fed concept and some of our research findings.

Youngstock housing

Youngstock are the future of any farm. Investing in them is an investment in the farm’s future, too.

Livestock and the arable rotation

Learn about the benefits of livestock in the arable rotation. See our information on forage crops, cover crops, outdoor pigs, farmyard manure and more.

The Forage First guide

This guide collates the available knowledge and numbers on forage utilisation and feeding.

Outwintering Strategies for Livestock

The aim of this guide is to aid decision making for livestock producers who are looking to outwinter stock and what systems may best suit their farm.

Feeding growing and finishing cattle for Better Returns

Driving feed efficiency is crucial in all beef growing and finishing systems. 

Improving cattle handling for Better Returns

Improving cattle handling for Better Returns

Dairy-Tech 2024

After yet another successful event in 2023, Dairy-Tech will return on Wednesday 7th February 2024 at Stoneleigh Park.

Making use of Bale Grazing at Balcaskie

Bale Grazing is a simple method of out wintering dry cows often used in North America.

Planning grazing strategies for Better Returns

Grass is an important crop and grazed grass is the cheapest feed on farm, yet it rarely earns the respect it deserves as a potentially high-quality, natural ruminant feed.

Counting Carbon; Does a Smaller Footprint Leave Less Impact? Defining Sustainability in the Dairy Sector.

Carbon footprints are presented within the contemporary media, commercial entities and frequently by government agencies as a proximate measure for sustainability.

Choosing bulls for Better Returns

Our bull selection manual explains what to look for when selecting a bull for breeding, including how to use genetics and EBVs, and judging if a bull is fit to work.

Working Towards Net Zero Carbon Emissions: Improving fertility in the dairy herd

Fertility is the key driver of profit in the dairy herd and is dependent on genetics, nutrition and health status.

Managing Nutrients for Better Returns

Nutrient management can often be forgotten on beef and sheep farms, yet there is considerable scope to reduce costs and improve output through the use of home-produced and bought-in nutrients.

LEAP conference 2024

We are pleased to announce a final LEAP conference on 16 April 2024 at Lady Margaret Hall. Registration is now open.

Healthy calf rearing system checklist

This checklist aims to provide a structured approach to assess a calf rearing system.

Parasite control guide

This booklet provides an accurate, easy-to-use reference guide on all available anti-parasitic products in their various chemical groups and summarises the parasites they have been licensed to control.  

Body condition scoring flow chart

A flowchart on how to assess body condition score in dairy cattle, using the Penn State assessment method.

'Green Genes' Revolutionising Cattle Breeding For A Sustainable Future

Green Genes - Revolutionising Cattle Breeding For A Sustainable Future' Is The Theme Of The 2024 British Cattle Breeding Conference, As Chosen By Our Chair Ben Harman.  

Cow-reared calf husbandry in dairy farming

Housing Systems for Species-specific Rearing with Mother Cows and Nurse Cows

Tree leaves as supplementary feed for ruminant livestock

Silvopastoral agroforestry – integrating shelterbelts, hedgerows or in-field trees with grazing livestock – can provide domestic animals with benefits, including shelter and shade, as well as supplementing their diets as tree browse or fodder.

Youngstock housing case study – Eldon Farm

Stephanie Eldon and her family farm a unit with 199 dairy cows in Northern Ireland, producing 75 heifers calving into the herd per year. It is a Holstein closed herd calving all year round, with a 305-day average yield of 8,896 litres (L).

Liver fluke control in grazing livestock

Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) can have a devastating effect on the health and welfare of grazing livestock and historically, control has relied heavily on the routine blanket use of flukicide treatments.

Bale grazing as an effective livestock outwintering strategy

This recording from the Oxford Real Farming Conference is of a discussion between farmers involved in the Innovative Farmers Bale grazing project.

Bale Grazing – Lessons From Our Field Lab - Groundswell 2023

Six Pasture for Life member farms have come together in an Innovative Farmers Field Lab to undertake a four year study to explore the impacts of bale grazing on soil and forage.

The Medicine Hub for dairy, beef and sheep farmers

An online tool to help dairy, beef and sheep producers monitor and compare medicine use and tackle the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Characteristics of top-performing farms 2024

In partnership with The Andersons Centre, AHDB have published an update to The Characteristics of Top-Performing Farms in the UK, a piece of work which remains popular with farmers.

Bluetongue virus technical webinar (9)

Join us to hear from a panel of experts who will provide an update on bluetongue and the current BTV-3 strain that has been confirmed in cases in cows and sheep in Kent and Norfolk.

Lameness Scoring Poster

This Poster from DairyNZ provides a useful guide for assessing lameness in cattle.

Alternatives to antibiotics in livestock production

The ability of an animal to be resilient to diseases is dependent upon several factors which include; immune status, husbandry practises, vaccination, genetics among others.

Bluetongue virus technical webinar: vaccines

Learn about progress with the development of a new BTV-3 vaccine with veterinary vaccine consultant Professor Andy Peters and AHDB's Head of Animal Health and Welfare, Dr Mandy Nevel.

Webinar: Finding the best shed ventilation solutions

Join us (AHDB) virtually for a practical workshop, highlighting the shed ventilation solutions at Willow Tree Farm.

Potential of press cake as fodder source for dairy cows

A fact sheet on the potential use of grass press cake as a fodder source for dairy cows.

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