Anglesey dairy farmer named as finalist in regional awards
Arthur Davies, who farms at Trescawen Home Farm, Capel Coch, Llangefni, was named as a regional finalist in this year’s ForFarmers Excellence in Farming Awards, in the Forage Manager of the Year category.
He milks 225 autumn/winter block-calving Holstein-Friesian cows, aiming to maximise yield from high-quality forage and grass silage.
The herd has an average yield of 7,200 litres per cow (5.56% fat and 3.45% protein), with 4,599 litres from forage.
ForFarmers account manager Dyfrig Hughes explained why he put Trescawen Home Farm forward for the award: “Arthur is incredibly focused on making the best silage he can, as well as putting the best-quality grazing in front of his cows.
“He has the soil in each field regularly analysed and has a nutrient management plan, ensuring it can provide both the quality and quantity of grass.
Herd manager David Williams is a key player in achieving such high levels of grassland output – as is the introduction of a GPS system, aiding precise and timely application of fertiliser throughout the growing season.
“It’s one thing to grow grass, but Arthur also manages to utilise a high percentage of the crop he grows,” continues Dyfrig.
“He ensures grazing areas are in great condition with low levels of rejection sites. This year he has moved more towards a multi-cut silage system as he continues his drive for improved silage quality.
“By managing that high-quality forage through the dairy animal, he can get 18 or 19 litres a day from forage and reduce his need for boughtin feed,” he concludes.
Arthur is one of the finalists in the northern region in the Forage Manager of the Year Award category.
He will soon go head to head with further farmers from across the country in the final round, with one being crowned the national winner at an event in London in November.
ForFarmers, based in Lochem, the Netherlands, is an internationally operating feed company that offers total feed solutions for conventional and organic livestock farming, including a targeted approach with specialist and expert support.
With sales of approximately 9.6 million tons of feed annually, ForFarmers is market leader in Europe. ForFarmers has 2,325 employees and production facilities in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. In 2017, revenues amounted to over €2.2bn.
The ForFarmers Awards is now in its third year and aims to recognise and reward farmers that are excelling in one of the three awards categories – Dairy Feed Efficiency Award, Forage Manager of the Year and Youngstock Producer of the Year.
All finalists will then be invited to attend an event in London, where the overall winner in each category will be announced.
Each national winner will win two places on an organised four-day study tour in Europe.