Ceredigion: Sychpant Strategic Dairy Farm launch – Breeding profit into every cow

Join us at the launch of the new AHDB Strategic Dairy Farm where we introduce our new hosts, Marcus Ferraro and family from Newcastle Emlyn, Wales.

See this event in Welsh

As well as an introduction to the background of the farm, and a farm tour, we will explore how to drive herd improvement through better genetic insight. This three-year strategic farm programme will focus on business improvement – but to make progress, you first need to know where you are now. So, what tools are available to help measure and benchmark your herd’s performance?

With input costs tight and labour stretched, every cow on your farm must contribute to the bottom line. Understanding which animals are driving profit, and which are being carried, is more crucial than ever.

This meeting will cover

• A tour of the farm and an opportunity to find out more from the hosts about their operation and performance figures with farm consultant Anna Bowen
• How breeding indexes can help herds identify and focus on their most profitable animals, with AHDB Geneticist, Victoria Ashmore
• The role of genomics and how it can support smarter breeding decisions, including within crossbred herds
• The hosts' long-term vision for the farm and goals for the next three years as part of the Strategic Dairy Farm network

Whether you're already tracking genetic data or just starting out, this meeting offers practical, research-backed tools and ideas to help you improve herd efficiency and profitability.

About Sychpant

Sychpant in Newcastle Emlyn, Ceredigion, is owned and managed by Marcus Ferraro and his family. They are milking 300 Pro-Cross cows on a 16/32 parlour across a mix of 60 hectares owned and 122 hectares rented land. Their cows are averaging 6,500 litres each, with 3.65% protein and 4.52% butterfat.

Jamie McCoy, Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager – Dairy