Industry Insights & News

With the majority of cows housed in recent weeks due to a change in weather conditions, many farmers across Northern Ireland are keen to utilise silage within their milk production systems to help maximise herd performance during the coming months. Fane Valley Feeds Technical team have been proactively testing forages throughout the year, with results…

Correct dry cow nutrition especially during the close-up period, is essential for optimum performance in the next lactation, both in terms of milk yield and fertility, and to reduce the incidence of metabolic disease during the fresh period. The Role of Calcium There are many aspects of dry cow nutrition that need to be considered,…

Reducing the age of first calving (AFC) to 24 months is now the target on most dairy farms, given the associated benefits of reduced rearing costs, higher lifetime yield and increased longevity. This is still a challenge on many farms as NMR’s most recent key performance indicators show that the average AFC is 26.5 months….

Dry matter intake is the key driver to maintaining performance at grass and can fluctuate dramatically due to a multitude of factors. It is essential to take a flexible approach when considering potential ‘litres from grass,’ considering grass quality on the farm and variable weather conditions. Under optimum grazing conditions, cows have the potential to…

Fane Valley will once again continue its sponsorship partnership with Balmoral Show and is set to support the Holstein and Hereford sections plus the Hampshire Down and Charolais sheep sections. Speaking at the sponsorship launch, Matthew Armstrong – Technical Support Manager at Fane Valley Feeds said, “Sponsoring Balmoral Show is another way for us to give…

William and David Irvine farm the Halftown Holstein herd at Mountnorris in County Armagh. A strong emphasis has always been placed on making and conserving high quality forage. A key element to producing high quality forage is using PIONEER® forage additives.William explains, “We have used PIONEER® additives on this farm for at least the last…

As the cost of milk and meat production has increased dramatically in recent times, it has become ever more important to get the most from our home grown forages this spring. Given the weather conditions we encountered in early March, it has been difficult to get cattle turned out to grass. Conditions have improved in…

These are unprecedented times with global grain market prices hitting extraordinary heights. This makes it more important than ever to maximise production from grazed grass. Dr David Johnston, Ruminant Nutritionist with Fane Valley Feeds, discusses spring feeding strategies to maximise grass utilisation and milk production from grazing systems.  David begins, “Over the past few weeks,…

The financial pressures facing farmers this year will be exceptional with feed, fertiliser, and fuel costs at record highs. Fane Valley Feeds and Agronomy & Forage teams will be working together to develop solutions to help farms remain profitable. The aim will be to do the simple things well and focus on being efficient in…

New payment structures are being introduced in Northern Ireland which will offer enhanced payments for milk with higher fat and protein. Optimising compositional quality will be a vital tactic to supporting margins whilst the dairy industry is currently facing unprecedented challenges with input costs continuing to rise dramatically.  Due to this increasing financial pressure, it…