Although most farmers will not be able to make significant investments in infrastructure on their farms this year, some should still be made.
A high cost of production coupled with low milk prices means that for many dairy farms the margin from milk sales is likely to be low this year.
Continuing to invest in the farm is important to ensure that progression is made and improvements are made to the farm, while also ensuring that the farm becomes more labour efficient.
Investments
One of the key areas of investments that should be considered is grazing infrastructure on farms.
Improving grazing infrastructure is extremely beneficial as it can lead to an increase in grass grown, its utilisation and then production from cows.
If more grass is being grown and eaten by cows there should be a boost in production performance from the cows – if the grass is of good quality, of course.
Roadways also play a major role on farms to ensure that cows can access these paddocks efficiently and also to ensure that grazing can be flexible when conditions are challenging.
Repairing surfaces or putting down astroturf should improve cow comfort and decrease the number of lameness cases.
Other measures could be improving paddock layout or making new entrances and exits to paddocks – which should make management easier.
Technology
Another area that farmers could be considering is around technology on the farm.
Some major areas to look at include cow health and heat detection systems, with these now being covered under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS).
They offer a number of significant benefits to farmers, with a large amount of information available on cows at anytime.
If used correctly there should be an increase in the number of cows picked up in-heat and detection of cows with health issues sooner.
Most farms are at a stage where numbers have reached their peak and instead the focus is on improving cow performance within the herd.
Systems like this allow for easier management of cows and should result in a more compact calving.
Milking parlour
The final area that could be looked is the milking parlour and making small improvements to it.
These could include installing rubber matts on the floor of the pit or rubber matts where cows are turning to reduce lameness issues, or repairing or replacing damaged or broken steel work in the parlour or making other small improvements.
All large investments or changes need to be considered carefully this year, but making upgrades should also be carried out when required.
They should improve efficiency in the milking process and also improve the quality of milk produced on the farm.
A very basic parlour can be as efficient at milking cows as a top-of-the-range parlour, so in a low-margin year changes should only be made if they will have a considerable impact or are required.
Repairs
Any repairs to buildings, facilities, or machinery should also be completed.
If there is damage to cubicles in the shed they should be repaired as they pose a risk of injury to not only livestock, but also to anyone working in the shed.
Machinery should also be looked at to ensure that it is in full working order. Machinery on farms can be extremely dangerous and if it is not working properly it is even more dangerous.
There is a continued need for repairs to happen on farms, and low margins in 2023 should not stop them from happening.