Industry Insights & News

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…

As the lambing season is approaching on many farms across the country, Dr David Johnston, Ruminant Nutritionist at Fane Valley Feeds, looks at the key nutritional areas to consider. In the 6-8 weeks pre-lambing, it is important to maintain an increasing plane of nutrition to meet the energy requirements of the ewe due to increasing…

As winter feeding commences, Fane Valley Feeds’ Ruminant Nutritionist Dr David Johnston outlines some practices farmers should employ to maximise efficiency during the coming months. With most cows housed in recent weeks due to adverse weather conditions, many dairy farmers across Northern Ireland are keen to maximise silage use within their milk production systems this…

Fane Valley is delighted to show its support once again to Balmoral Show after the COVID-19 pandemic put a hold to Northern Ireland’s premium agricultural show last year. Fane Valley Feeds will sponsor the Holstein and Hereford livestock classes and is looking forward to engaging with all the class participants and overall winners. Speaking at…

Improving efficiency on dairy farms is the key message from Fane Valley Feeds this autumn. Ensuring that every step of production on your farm is efficient and therefore achieving results will help to withstand current market pressure from increased grain prices. Fane Valley Feeds’ Dry Cow Primer rations have been designed to balance 2021 grass…

This week has seen record temperatures throughout Northern Ireland and therefore, the risk of heat stress in cattle is at its highest. What is Heat Stress? Heat stress is when cattle fail to control their body temperature and it starts to rise. A cow’s body temperature needs to remain a constant 38.8 oC (± 0.5…

The building blocks of a productive lactation begins with good foundations laid in the dry period. More and more is expected of the modern dairy cow, and in order to ensure an effective transition from the dry-cow period, we need to assess late lactation cows and plan accordingly. While much emphasis is placed upon the…

Favourable weather conditions have resulted in accelerated grass growth in recent weeks. Laura McConnell, Ruminant Nutritionist with Fane Valley feeds, explains, “As grass growth reaches its seasonal peak, now is the perfect opportunity to maximise milk from grass.” In a bid to help optimise grass utilisation, Fane Valley Feeds publishes a Grass Monitor, which can…