A family-owned dairy farm in has increased production after investing in a new rotary milking parlour.
Price and Co Farming at Gelliargwellt Uchaf Farm, near Gelligaer, has seen milking times reduce from around six or seven hours to just three hours as a result of the new equipment, which they received support from the Welsh Government to buy.
The company can now milk twice as many cows as before.
The farm is now producing approximately 1,500 litres of milk a day, which is roughly six million litres each year.
Paul Price, co-owner and director of Price and Co Farming, said: “The new parlour has been an all-round success for us. Milking times have reduced and is much easier, the herd is much calmer, and yield is up by 31%.”
“The first milking takes place at 5am, followed by one at 1pm and the final milk at 7pm. With the remaining farming jobs including feeding, bedding down, drying off, vet checks and foot trimming being completed between milkings.
“Most of the work is completed by 9pm, unless calving or silage is taking place, where overnight activity is required.”
The milking parlour project was part-funded with £400,000 from the Welsh Government’s Rural Development Programme 2014-2019, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The Sustainable Production Grant is an important mechanism through which we support farm businesses to become more efficient, more resilient, and ultimately it is hoped, more prosperous.”