1. A FARMER SPEAKS

2. Gerald Dunne, Bree, Enniscorthy
Married, Kathy
Family, Four sons years
All children still in education
Kathy working at home, full-time

3. FARM Home/Leased Farm: Liquid Contract 1300 litres/day (78%)Ha
Quota (Litres)
Owned 70
280,000
Leased 53
325,000
Managed 65
310,000
Total
176
910,000
Home/Leased Farm: Liquid Contract 1300 litres/day (78%)
Cropping 2006 Ha
Maize 15
Wheat/Barley 30
Grassland 131

4. MANAGED FARM LEASED FARMS 11 kms from home farm
Owner runs a business in UK
Seven years, open ended, from 1st. October 2004
LEASED FARMS
182,000 litres/28 ha since 1996
143,000 litres/25 ha since 1997
Both Farm Retirement Scheme Participants
Distance 20kms from Home Farm
Rent paid on land and quota since 1996 = c. €500,000
1996 Existing Family Partnership dissolved, with land/quota divided

5. LIVESTOCK CARRIED LABOUR EMPLOYED Dairy: Milking Cows 155 0-1 y.o. 70
Beef: 0-1 y.o. 80
1-2 y.o. 80
S.R. 2.4lu/grass ha or 1.7lu/Farm ha (c. 150kgs org N/Ha)
2005 Yields produced per cow: Home Farm 7385 litres
Managed 4882 litres
LABOUR EMPLOYED
Own, plus two full-time in 2005
Extra man employed for 2006

6. 2004 EFFICIENCY DETAILS Dairy Common Costs 13.22 cpl
Dairy Common Profit cpl
But…
Less i) Labour
ii) Interest
iii) Leases = Net Profit
Profits are in top 10% of autumn calving winter herds – some (limited) scope for efficiency gains
Teagasc 2004 Profit Monitor Analysis ex. 134 winter herds:
Dairy Common Costs cpl
Dairy Common Profit cpl

7. MILK QUALITY DETAILS – HOME FARM
2005
2004
Butterfat
3.95
3.98
Protein
3.42
3.39
TBC
12,000
11,000
SCC
180,000
182,000
Thermodurics
120
180
Milk Payment to reward solids yield?

8. KEY INGREDIENTS OF FARM EFFICIENCY
Nutrition
Maize
Alternative Forages
Animal Breeding/Milk Recording AI
EBI
Grassland Management
Reseeding
Focus on Fixed Costs Control

9. THE FUTURE I wish to remain in and expand milk production
Further growth in production/quota
Producing 1mil litres
Managing 1 mil litres
Quotas – How long more?
Partnerships
Continuation of Productivity Improvement
Have a sustainable business, long-term
Off-farm investment