Holstein herd heads for the market

DEVERONSIDE: Muller’s milk plant closure forces Mairs to make ‘sad’ decision

The first sale to disperse part of the renowned herd of Deveronside Holsteins from the Mair family at Kinnermit, Turriff, takes place later this month.

The sale, on November 22 at Harrison and Hetherington’s Borderway Mart in Carlisle, will offer 150 of the most recently calved cows from the family’s 347 pedigree Holstein herd.

The 830-acre unit has been home to the Deveronside prefix since 1942, when Stuart Mair established the herd at Kinnermit and is now run by Barclay and Lucy Mair, in partnership with Barclay’s father Kenny Sr and wife Muriel.

The family’s decision for a change in farming policy is due to the closure of Muller’s Aberdeen milk plant and the company’s enforcement of a “crippling” haulage charge of 1.75p litre to all non-aligned producers in the north-east to have their milk hauled south for processing.

The Mair family has calculated that this additional charge costs their farm business around £65,000 annually.

“We are very sad to have to arrive at this decision to sell the Holsteins, however we want to pass on a sustainable business to the fourth generation – something which is not going to be achieved by continuing to milk cows in this region for the foreseeable future, if ever,” said Barclay.

His wife Lucy said: “We have a lot of great memories and have had very fond times with our beloved herd, but with reinvestment almost impossible at present, we need to think to the future.”

The oldest family in the herd, which dates back to the establishment in the 1970s, is the Barbara family which has proved very successful for the Mairs over the last 75 years.

The family have also imported Canadian bloodlines and other strong families in the herd include the Helga family – one line producing three generations of Excellent and 100-tonne cows.

The Mairs intend to sell another batch of early lactation cows in January, followed by an entire young stock dispersal in spring or early summer.

Wewantto pass on a sustainable business to the fourth generation

Judy and Kenny Mair Jr with one of their herd after a successful show.