Dairy farms closing

The number of dairy farms in England and Wales has fallen by more than 1,000 in three years, an industry body has reported.

One in ten farms has closed since June 2013, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

The board said it was concerned by the milk price paid to farmers.

An AHDB spokesman said some farmers were still paid about ten pence a litre less than the cost of production, despite protests by the National Farmers' Union last year.

In total, 1022 farms have closed over the three year period. Those getting out of dairy include seventy farms in Cheshire.

Despite the closure of farms, the number of dairy cows in the UK increased by around 113,000 between 2013 and 2015 according to figures from the House of Commons library. The report said the average herd size had risen as smaller producers left the industry. During that period, milk prices fell by about 30%.

The report said UK milk production had increased by 8% between 2013 and 2014, mainly due to a higher yield per cow.

The Coole Lane area near Audlem was said to have been the most intense dairy country in Europe back in the mid-twentieth century. It's a very different picture now.

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