Study visit persuades Huw of ewes’ milk viability
WALES’ ability to grow high-quality grass puts the country in pole position to capitalise on any upsurge in demand for sheep milk, according to Anglesey sheep farmer Huw Jones.
With a view to setting up his own dairy sheep unit, he went on a fact-finding visit to France in 2019. The sector is relatively common in France where farmers add value to the milk by producing cheese.
After visiting a variety of farms it quickly became clear to Huw that diversification was possible – but only if buyers could be found, the UK market still being relatively niche.
French producers, he discovered, mostly milk their flocks in the morning and spend afternoons making cheese.
Some fed sainfoin grass and lucerne to sheep in their dry period. He also learned that:
■ the farms that he visited milked just once a day;
■ most farmers milk their sheep for seven months of the year;
■ milking 50 sheep in France provides a living for one person;
■ and cheese and yoghurt are the most common products.
Huw made another important observation. “In my opinion, the Welsh climate is better suited for dairy sheep than the south of France as we can produce topquality grass,” he said.
But Huw warned that farmers must have a market for the milk before they start producing.
For this reason he would like to see UK supermarkets do more to educate consumers about the sheep’s milk products they sell, mainly in the form of yoghurt and cheese.
Huw now plans to press ahead with his plans for a ewes’ milk unit. He currently has 200 breeding ewes at his holding in Llanerchymedd.
“Diversifying into sheep milking is a good idea,” he said.
“It required a relatively low investment, generates significant gross margin and the market for sheep’s milk produce is growing.”
Huw’s study trip was supported by Farming Connect’s management exchange programme.