August 2020

Why now is a good time to consider lime spreading TOGETHER WE’RE STRONGER New supports on the way but lime is still a good investment > page 3 Tel: 1890 47 47 20 | www.lakeland.ie | Twitter: @DairiesJP Co. Cavan farm family wins Lakeland Dairies Supreme Milk Quality Award

A Co. Cavan farm family has been named as the joint winner of the Lake- land Dairies Supreme Milk Quality Award. Stanley and Tanya Graham from , Co. Cavan along with Sean, Shane and Stephanie Sloan from Kilkeel, Co. Down have both been named as Supreme Champion. The awards publicly recognise the achievements of Lakeland Dairies milk suppliers who are committed to quality in all aspects of their milk production. Winning a milk quality award is a truly excellent achievement. The winners emerged from among 3,200 farm families across 16 counties who produce milk for the 1.85bn Lake- land Dairies milk pool. This is the first time in the history of the awards that there have been joint Supreme Champions. As well as winning the Supreme The Graham family from Killeshandra, Co. Cavan joint winners of the Lakeland Dairies Supreme Milk Quality Award. Champion award, both the Grahams Pictured on the family farm from left to right are: Stanley, Chloe, Tanya, Dawn, Eileen and Jim Graham and the Sloans took home individual In the past five years, more than category awards too. 300 new entrants have started supply- going success of the Lakeland Dairies The Graham family also took home ing Lakeland Dairies. business. Quality is the building block the <500,000 litre producer category Kenneth Whittle from Walsh Is- of our entire business and I acknowl- in the Republic of while the land, Co. Offaly has been declared edge all my farming colleagues for Sloan family are winners in the >1m li- the winner of the their continued commitment to excel- tre producer category in Northern Ire- Quality is new entrant category while David Hy- lence.” land. In previous years, winners were lands from Limavady, Co Derry / Lon- Lakeland Dairies Group CEO, celebrated at a function but with CO- the building donderry wins the Michael Hanley said: VID-19 restrictions in place this was block of new entrant category. “The global reputation and success not possible in 2020. our entire Lakeland Dairies Chairman of our business starts with every single WINNERS business Alo Duffy paid tribute to the litre of milk sent to us for processing Outside of the Supreme Cham- and I award winners: and is therefore based on the dedica- pions, Lakeland Dairies has also an- acknowledge “Despite the onset of the COVID-19 tion and hard work of the 3,200 farm nounced the winners in the other cat- all my global pandemic, it is critical to recog- families who we are deeply proud to egories of the Milk Quality Awards. farming nise and reward the commitment of have within our cooperative. In the Republic of Ireland, Der- our 3,200 farm families to the highest “Our customers place the high- colleagues mot Sherry from Drumhillock, Co standards of milk production, sustain- est levels of trust in our credentials of Monaghan is the winner in the for their ability, hygiene, animal health and sustainability, quality and reliability in >500,000 litre producer category. continued overall care for the environment. meeting their needs for value-added In Northern Ireland, Cecil and Gor- commitment “With Lakeland Dairies exporting dairy products. don Wilson from Dromara, Co. Down to excellence. high-quality products to some 80 glob- “We are able to fulfil that commit- won the <1m litre producer category. al markets, the basis of our exporting ment based on the excellent endeav- NEW ENTRANTS success is based on the supreme qual- ours of our dairy farmers.” Lakeland Dairies continues to pay ity produced inside the farm gate. tribute and recognise the impact new “We continue to recognise the in- FOR MORE, SEE PAGE TWO. entrants have on the overall business. tegral aspect of our farmers to the on-

1 TOGETHER WE’RE STRONGER Showcasing the Lakeland Dairies Milk Quality Award Winners

The Sloan family from Co. Down, along with the Graham family from Co. Cavan, won the Supreme Milk Quality Award. Pictured on the Sloan farm are Michael Hanley (Lakeland Dairies CEO), Shane and Sean Sloan with Lakeland Dairies Chariman Alo Duffy. The Sloans also won the >1m litre producer category in Northern Ireland.

Online milk statements

Cecil, Gordon and Julie Wilson with Gordon and Julie’s children James (8) Lydia David Hylands from Limavady, Co. Derry / Londonderry won the Northern Ireland (4) and Adam (6) with Bruno the dog. The Wilsons from Dromara, Co. Down won New Entrant award. Pictured on the farm are David, his wife Aimee and their the <1m litre producer category in Northern Ireland children Seb (4) and Bethany (3).

Winner of the Republic of Ireland New Entrant Award is Kenneth Whittle from Dermot Sherry from Co. Monaghan won the >500,000 litre producer category in Walsh Island, Co. Offaly. Pictured on the Whittle farm are Orla, Kenneth Junior the Milk Quality Awards. Pictured are Dermot along with his parents Owenie and and Kenneth Whittle with Liam Cahill from Lakeland Dairies. Loretta along with Pat Meehan from Lakeland Dairies.

2 TOGETHER WE’RE STRONGER It’s lime time on all farms this autumn

The next month to six weeks will provide a good opportunity to get some lime spread on your farm. While the benefits of liming soils are clear (€7 return on each €1 invested in lime), correcting soil pH will increase the efficiency of fertiliser usage and boost silage and grass yields next year. You are looking at cost of approxi- mately €25/t for lime spread on your farm this year. Consult your soil sample analysis to identify which fields require lime and Having a correct soil pH also makes nutrients more available for plant growth, research apply at a rate of 2.5t/acre (2t/acre on shows average grass production response of at least 1t/ha from lime alone. heavier soils). It is recommended to apply lime on a three or four-year programme on your farm so as to As part of our soil sampling pro- build up soil pH and also maintain soils that are at correct soil pH. gramme, Lakeland Dairies and Lake- Follow this lime plan based on the most recent soil samples available. land Agri have sampled and analysed Lime can be applied all year round, with this time of year being ideal after second/third over 3,000 individual soil samples. cut silage has been removed if no more cuts are planned on that ground, or where paddocks Some 80% of these show that lime have been grazed. is required. It is ideal to apply lime onto bare ground Lime is mainly lost from the soil Urea or slurry should be applied ten days before lime application if required and avoid through rainfall and drainage which spreading after lime as it can lead to nitrogen loss. reduces soil pH. Correct soil pH will make better PROGRAMME FOR GOVERNMENT use of fertilisers applied to land either The recent programme for Government set out by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green organic or chemical. Party alluded to a new Government-supported national liming programme. Farmers should Ultimately, lime is the cheapest be aware of this even if there are not yet any details available on what such a scheme would and most effective fertiliser you’ll ever look like. spread. Reseeding grassland: The top 10 tips you need to know

Depending on the weather, August is the best month for autumn reseeding. So if you are planning on carrying out reseeding this autumn, get prepared well in advance: 1) Spray off the old sward with glyphosate. 2) Soil test and apply lime, phospho- rus and potassium as necessary. 3) If ploughing is not possible, two or three runs with a disc followed by one or two runs of a power harrow ensures good soil to seed contact. 4) A fine, firm seed bed is the objec- tive of seed bed preparation. 5) Select a grass seed mixture based on intended use (contact Lakeland Agri on 1890 47 47 20), and sow at a rate of 14kg of grass seed per acre. 6) Sow into warm, moist soil no deeper than 15mm. Autumn grass management: spread fertiliser 7) Roll well afterwards to ensure good soil to seed contact. Now is an important stage of the year in managing grass on your farm. 8) Monitor closely for frit fly, leather- The Lakeland Dairies/Teagasc Joint Programme has developed Autumn Grazing jacket, wireworm and other pest attack and Management, technical farm notes to accompany this month’s farm notes to guide you take immediate action where necessary through the rest of 2020 grazing. 9) Post-emergence spray is essential. With the closing dates for spreading chemical fertiliser on 15 September applying the Post emergence spray should be applied six correct level of fertiliser will be essential to build covers this autumn. weeks after establishment Check how much fertiliser has been spread already this year and apply the remain- 10) Graze the new reseeds at a cover of der as allowed under the nitrates regulations. This is the last chance you will get so it is 800kg to 1,000Kg/DM/Ha . important to act as quickly as possible especially as growing conditions are at present are good. 3 TOGETHER WE’RE STRONGER COVID-19: the threat remains Supply – demand We continue to ask Lakeland Dairies sup- resurgence of the virus. finely balanced pliers to take the threat of COVID-19 extremely We have recently sent you our video on seriously. how you can protect yourself, your family and The dynamic between how Everyone in Lakeland Dairies from our the entire Lakeland Dairies business at milk much milk is currently being farm families to our staff across our eight sites collection. Please take note of the points con- produced on the global stage have put in an enormous effort to keep each tained within the video. (supply) versus the activity one of us safe. Remember: from buyers looking for product Public health bodies as well as governments • Wipe down any surface you and your (demand) is finely balanced at around the world have paused the full reopen- haulier may come in contact with such as door present. ing of economies and societies in response to handles, the bulk tank etc. Activity from buyers around the surge in new cases. • Have a supply of hot water and soap August is usually more curtailed In the Republic of Ireland, the Government for haulier to wash their hands. with many of the traders on has imposed a regional lockdown in coun- • Make sure there are disposable tow- holidays. ties Laois, Offaly and Kildare where there are els and a bin for the haulier to dispose of the The latest Global Dairy Trade also very significant clusters and outbreaks of towels. (GDT) auction in New Zealand COVID-19 in food related facilities including If you or any of your family become caught many off guard. The the closure of some plants. These are three infected with COVID-19, make contact GDT, which is one of the main counties which we collect milk from and this immediately with Member Relations. barometers for the dairy market, highlights just how local the threat of CO- Your situation will be dealt with in the saw prices fall by over 5%. When VID-19 is to us all. strictest confidence. converting those prices to euro, The rise of national and international cases Hauliers have received training on how to the real fall was closer to 8%. is deeply worrying. safely collect milk on farms which may have There has been little change We are asking you all to redouble your ef- COVID-19. in the market in the past month forts as we face into what appears to be a Stay safe, stay well, protect each since the last edition of the Farm other. Notes. Prices for all the main but- ter and powder products have New sign-up to FundEquip scheme remained broadly in line with where they were last month. Mastek is one of Europe’s leading low and Umbilical Equipment. PRODUCTION emission slurry spreading (LESS) applicator Since 2009, Mastek has retrofitted over Regarding production, most manufacturers and is delighted to partner with 2,000 tanker mounted dribble bars across of the main European countries Lakeland Dairies and Finance Ireland in the Europe. and the UK volumes have now Lakeland Dairies FundEquip scheme. The Mastek patented design means any moved into growth compared to As part of the Lakeland Dairies FundEquip tank can be retrofitted without the need to this time last year. scheme, Mastek is offering its fully galvanised modify the tanker in any way. The US has grown its output Retrofittable Dribble Bars, Micro Trailing Shoe The new Mastek Micro Trailing Shoe will in June by 0.5%. be included in FundEquip. The US produces more milk It can be fitted to all new and used tankers in the month of February than Online statements with existing trailing shoe brackets fitted. the island of Ireland does in an Mastek also offers a full range of umbilical entire year. We are continuing to encourage suppliers equipment as part of this scheme. The new seasons in Austra- towards moving to receiving their milk state- All of the Mastek equipment range is fitted lia and New Zealand have just ments via email. with its award-winning SuperCut Macerator, started with new calves only just We are grateful to those who have an- which has been specifically designed to excel hitting the ground in the past swered our call looking for email addresses. under the harshest Irish conditions. All the couple of weeks. The move to a more digitally-focussed way of retrofitted Dribble Bars are also entitled to Lakeland Dairies will monitor communicating with you will continue in the TAMS funding, with or without the purchase of the market closely in the coming coming weeks and months. a new tanker. weeks and months ahead. Distribution of your monthly milk state- Mastek is based in Cootehill, Co. Cavan and ments as well as circulation of the monthly can be contacted on 049 5555953 or Noel on Farm Notes and other technical advice will 087 4309631 be moving fully online in time. HOW FUNDEQUIP WORKS Contact We appreciate that some of you may not FundEquip allows Lakeland Dairies suppli- The Lakeland Dairies’ Member have access to an email address so we would ers make investments in machinery and equip- Relations Division works with encourage you to provide us with the email ment on their farms providing loans at very all our milk producers to help address of your spouse or partner or a close competitive interest rates over a three-year or drive profitability at farm level relative who you trust. five-year term. as well as providing information We strongly encourage you to contact Loan amounts range from €3,000 to on the progress of the Society. Member Relations with your email address. €75,000 with funding options of between We are always excited to hear Please contact Member Relations three and five years at interest rates of 3.9% for from new entrants. Contact on 1890 47 47 20 for more information three-year terms and 4.5% for five-year terms. us:1890 47 47 20 (ROI). on the emailing of milk statements or Repayments are deducted from a farmer’s email [email protected] milk cheque only between April and Novem- with your supplier number. ber.

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