Spotlight on rise of dairy sheep farming
Welsh Government carrying out feasibility study
WELSH farmers looking for a new enterprise are being encouraged to consider dairy sheep farming.
A feasibility study is being carried out by the Welsh Government to assess if a dairy sheep sector would be sustainable in Wales.
In the last 50 years the global market for sheep milk has doubled, reaching 11m tonnes – around 1.3% of global milk output – by 2019.
However it is still considered an underdeveloped sector, especially in Asia, with forecasts of a 26% increase in volume by 2030.
The Farming Connect advisory service was due to host a webinar yesterday with Ian MacDonald, a sheep producer in New Zealand where ewes milk exports are projected to reach £125m by 2024.
The webinar also featured Welsh farmers who are already successfully milking sheep.
They include Alan Jones, who has been milking sheep at his organic farm at
Chwilog, near Pwllheli, for nearly five years. He became interested in dairy sheep after hearing about a cheesemaker who was looking for more suppliers of ewe’s milk.
He now has 200 Lleyn ewes and aims to increase the flock to 400.
Most of the milk goes for cheese, with some also destined for an artisan chocolate maker.
“It’s going well, we are doubling production each year,” he said.
“It is very important though that you find a buyer for the milk before you start producing, or that you are prepared to process it yourself.”
A Farming Connect exchange programme to France inspired Anglesey farmer Huw Jones to take up dairy sheep.
Huw, who farms at Llanerchymedd, started in 2019 with 50 bought-in ewe lambs.
He has just finished his first milking season, and this year has more than doubled the number of ewes put to rams.
Huw said: “It’s an exciting time for the
dairy sheep industry in Wales.
“There is a growing market, especially with people looking into different types of milk alternatives.
“I sell to a local cheesemaker and next year I hope to start making milkshakes.”
As sheep milk has a higher solids content than goat or cow milk, it is used to make a variety of high-value products, from cheese to powdered infant formula milk.
Per litre, it can yield twice the amount than goat and cow milk, selling for three times the latter.
As it is easy to digest, sheep milk is popular with people who can not tolerate cow’s milk.
Another farmer milking sheep is Pembrokeshire’s Eurig Evans, who was looking
for a new venture after the family farm’s dairy herd was sold in 2010.
With his local Agrisgôp group, he visited a dairy sheep enterprise in North Wales before buying a milking flock from a cheese producer looking to semiretire.
Currently he has 85 Friesland x Romney ewes.
“I see milking sheep as a golden opportunity, particularly for small Welsh farms,” he said.
“The costs are low as you don’t need to spend thousands of pounds on buildings or sophisticated milking parlours.
“However, unless you intend processing and making your own products, you’ve got to find a buyer – that is key.”