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Dairy calf registrations: Q3 numbers show shift in farm size and system
Thursday, 23 November 2023
In the third quarter of this year (July – September) GB calf registrations to dairy dams totalled 445,181 head, according to the latest BCMS data. This is a decline of almost 4,000 head (0.9%) compared to the same period in 2022. Although calf registrations in September grew, this growth was outweighed by declines in both July and August.
Dairy farmers across the UK have been struggling with tightening farm margins this season with input costs remaining elevated while milk prices drop. Our recent producer survey showed there was a 4.5% drop year on year in the number of dairy producers in GB. However, for the year to date (January – September) calf registrations have recorded only a marginal decline of 0.3% year on year and for the 12 months ending September 2023 registrations are almost flat on the previous 12-month period. This indicates a further shift towards fewer but larger farms.
Paired alongside this, farmers have been moving towards block calving systems. The gap between Q2 and Q3 registrations has been steadily growing, supporting this change. Registrations in Q3 2023 were up by almost 140,400 head versus Q2 2023. This is in comparison to a difference of 93,300 head in 2014.
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