2014 Teagasc Student of the Year and converted dairy farmer Edward Payne hasn’t been put off in the slightest by decreasing milk prices. Indeed, he and his father Jimmy are committed to increasing their herd size in the coming year.
“This is the first year that we’ve been feeling the cash flow pinch, but we have no concerns going forward. Dairy farming is the way to go as far as we’re concerned.”
So says the ambitious 30-year-old Roscommon farmer who, along with dad, made the decision to convert from farming suckler cows and sheep to dairying seven years ago. While they still farm about 30 suckler cows, the family’s long-term plan is to be out-and-out dairy farmers.
“Dairy farming appealed to us because it’s an enterprise that can stand up on its own two feet. We wouldn’t go back to what we were doing before. Despite the poor prices farmers are getting for their milk at the moment, our business continues to grow. Our goal is to establish another dairy farm in the next few years,” Edward adds.
The second dairy farm – assuming it comes to fruition – will operate from the Payne’s 150-acre home farm in Ballymoe, Castlerea, Co. Galway which is currently stocked with sucklers and maiden heifers, and is used for silage. The existing dairy enterprise is located in nearby Tulsk, which is a 200-acre grazing platform.
The Payne’s took their first step in dairy farming in 2009 when they purchased 140 dairy heifers as calves. The following year they built a new Waikato herringbone milking parlour and other farm buildings to cater for the stock. They began milking the heifers in 2011 and have since doubled the size of their herd to 280 (it’s projected that this figure will rise to 300 in 2017). The bigger herd resulted in the need for a bigger milking parlour. So last April Dairypower Equipment from Cork sent a team to Tulsk to extend the parlour from a 20-unit to a 33-unit.
The twice-daily milking duties are shared by Edward, Jimmy and Aidan Brosnan. Edward’s mother Dawn and wife Jennifer also contribute handsomely to the smooth running of the operation. The milk is supplied to Aurivo Dairy Ingredients in Ballaghaderreen who, Edward assures us, “always give the best price”.
“It’s a family farm whose strength is its people. My father and I enjoy an excellent working relationship. It’s great to have him involved for his knowledge and the amount of work he does. Everyone puts their shoulder to the wheel,” says Edward, who hopes his sons, four-year-old Benjamin and baby Aaron, will carry on the family tradition into the future.
“As our focus is on growing the dairy enterprise, we don’t cut silage ourselves. We leave that and other similar work to our farm contractor Maurice Gannon from Creggs. We reseeded the whole farm in Tulsk before we started the dairy enterprise and continue to do so.”
Edward made the news in May of last year when he was named as the 2014 FBD-sponsored Teagasc Student of the Year award winner. The prestigious award was presented by the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, at a ceremony in Dublin.
Edward completed a level six Specific Purpose Certificate in Farm Administration at the Agricultural College in Mountbellew, Co. Galway. He was chosen from almost 800 students who completed agricultural training programmes.
“It was a great honour to receive the award,” he reflects. “I learned a lot about modern farming methods in Mountbellew, which has produced the last three Teagasc Student of the Year winners. Kevin Moran won the award the year before me and Damien McGrath won it the year after.”
An advocate of Ireland’s scientific approach to improving the national herd, the young dairy farmer is convinced of the need to use genomic bulls. In 2014, his replacement heifer calves had an economic breeding index of 202. He aims to maximise milk from grass with concentrates kept to just 0.5 tonne per cow per annum. He measures and budgets grass weekly and has an ongoing grass-reseeding programme.
“We want a full-time grass-based cow that’s very fertile and produces as much milk as possible with maximum efficiency. That is what we are striving to attain.”
Edward, who is involved in two farmer discussion groups, is full of praise for his Teagasc adviser Seamus Nolan who gave him and Jimmy the belief and confidence to follow their dream and become dairy farmers.
“Seamus was a huge help to us. He gave us great advice, in particular, on the grass-based system. He straightened us out and got us off the ground. We continue to work very closely with him.”
The affable Ballymoe man concludes by saying: “While the abolition of EU quotas last year was a factor in us going into dairying, it wasn’t the main reason. We were going to get into it regardless because that’s where we believe our future lies.”
Payne’s Farm
Ballybeg,
Tulsk,
Co. Roscommon
Telephone: 087 1358117
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 7, September 2016
