Farming Talk: Dairy farming still has place in Shropshire

Where have all the cows gone?

Few of us who live in Shropshire need reminding that we are in one of the most rural counties in the country. It is not surprising, therefore. that agriculture is the predominant land use in Shropshire, and according to recent data, amounts to 86 per cent of the total land area.

Whether travelling through the county by road or rail, it is hard not to notice that most (just over half) of the land is grassland, which generally means cattle, sheep and dairy farming.

But keen observers, especially those who have lived here for many years, will have noticed that they aren't as many dairy herds as there used to be.

I am often asked "where have all the cows gone?" The number of dairy herds is certainly declining, but it is not a new trend. The number of dairy farms has been declining over the last half century, not just in Shropshire or even the UK, but in all developed dairying countries.

However, driven by economics, herd sizes have increased in all countries, and through improvements in breeding, nutrition and health management, cow yields have also improved.

A recent report from the International Dairy Federation shows that the growth of world milk production continues to increase. Milk from cows represents well over 80 per cent of total milk produced, but milk from other animals is vital in many countries. The buffalo is a very important milk producing animal in Africa and Asia, especially India. We are accustomed to seeing goat's milk in our supermarkets, but it is economically important in southern Europe and Africa. Sheep milk production is increasing in some countries, including the UK, and for lovers of useless information, 0.3 per cent of global world milk production comes from camels.

Importantly, the global demand for milk and milk products is also increasing, especially in those countries which are developing socially and economically. The latter demand is driven by income and population growth and by changes in customer preferences towards dairy products. It is perhaps surprising that, as countries develop, people want to take their protein from milk and meat sources. And then there is China. Both production and consumption of milk and milk products is rising at a rapid rate, as is China's investment in dairy companies in many overseas countries.

This global demand means that the medium-term outlook for dairy farmers, including those in Shropshire, is positive. In spite of the decline in herd numbers, dairy farming remains economically important and Shropshire can still boast it has a higher percentage of dairy farmers than the average across the country. So while it may be more difficult to spot the dairy cows, they are still here and play a key role in the county's economy.

John Sumner is secretary of Shropshire Chamber of Agriculture.