Arla Foods Milk Partnership farmer John Hayes of Pale Fence Farm, Derbyshire, was awarded national winner of the Arla Foods Milk Partnership milk quality awards recently.
The Hayes' business topped the awards beating 1,600 other Partnership members to the post. Overall, 33 Partnership members achieved the required criteria.
In order to qualify for the awards, producers must have had a geometric mean on somatic cell count below 130,000 and on bactoscan below 30,000 for the entire 2004 - 2005 milk year together with no incidents of antibiotic or added water in their milk, in addition to adhering to the National Dairy Farm Assured Scheme.
Robert Redfearn, herdsman at Pale Fence Farm, near Belper, who collected the trophy on behalf of John Hayes said his success in achieving consistently low cell count and bactoscan figures was the result of attention to detail. "I don't treat milking as a race, I follow the same routine everyday and set myself very high standards," he explained. The farm's Holstein Friesian herd of 170 milkers averages 8,500 litres.
In second place were the winners of the small producer category of up to 500,000 litres per annum, ER & EJ Holsey from Yoxall, near Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
Other Partnership award winners include:
- In third place was last year's national winner, C & P Milton, who farm near Frome
- In fourth place was RL Wright & Sons at Kirk Syke Farm, who farm near Skipton
- In fifth place was D & E Beresford & Son who farm at High Ground, near Skipton