In 1987, the United Nations (UN) defined sustainability as ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations’. If we then relay this to food production, it’s producing nutritional food in a system that’s productive, profitable and resilient, while tackling climate change. But what does this actually mean for dairy farmers who are aiming to produce more sustainably?
For me, sustainability is about the efficiency of the cow and the system around her, which isn’t a new concept. UK dairy farmers are constantly striving to increase yields/cow/year while minimising input costs and their carbon footprint, and we’re in a great position compared to the global dairy outlook.
This is the focus of the latest episode of the Agri-Hub Podcast, with Lewis Davies, group environmental and sustainability manager and myself, which you can listen to here.
One area Lewis and I discuss is the metric CO2-equivalent per litre. Put simply, it’s a measurement of the greenhouse emissions of each cow throughout her productive lifetime. It takes into account all processes such as milk production, the emissions of the cow and her productivity within the herd, making it a great benchmark and giving farmers some core areas to review, influence and ultimately improve.
If this is a new metric for your system, there are three areas I would recommend focussing on to improve your CO2 equivalent per litre.
Why are cows culled in your herd?
A place to start is identifying the reasons behind your culling policy, with a particular emphasis on cows who leave the herd early. This generally comes down to mastitis, hoof health and fertility. If all these areas are in line, it gives a good starting point for improving cow health. I covered improving hoof health in an earlier episode of season one of the podcast.
Heifer management
Age at first calving is key. The trend is coming down, averaging at 26.5 months, but there are still areas to improve. The reasoning behind this focus is that as heifers get older, they tend to lay down more fat. With this, they’re less likely to get into the calf and be productive compared to those that calve down under two years. Plus, if the equation is milk produced compared to emissions, then the faster you can get milk in the tank from a heifer the better.
We need to be looking at heifer breeding, management, housing and nutrition, so it’s worth getting one of the Wynnstay dairy team on-farm and review your system with you.
Reducing methane through the diet
A core focus at Wynnstay is supplying our farmers with additives that support the natural processes of the bugs in the rumen. Our latest feed range, launching this April, will contain Rumitech – a plant-based extract that has been proven to control the population of rumen bugs, methanogens, that produce methane. Watch this space for more information on our Rumitech range.
Listen to the Agri-Hub podcast, Episode 6: Sustainable Dairy Production
In this episode, Tony explores sustainable dairy production with Head of Dairy, David Howard and Group Environmental & Sustainability Manager, Lewis Davies as they delve into myth-busters and win-win management tips.
