Sustainability is a term that can be interpreted, and used, in lots of different ways.

In the context of a dairy farming business, we can look at sustainability in relation to the technical efficiency of the enterprise which will be closely related to financial performance and thus economic sustainability.

However, we are perhaps more familiar with the term sustainability in an environmental context.

Sustainable dairy businesses have to do all three – perform well technically, be profitable and now even more than ever, farm with the environment in mind.

With changes to the basic Payment Scheme coming after 2025, more Government support will be conditional on what is done on the farm to protect the environment, and enhance biodiversity through farm activities. For those working in the agricultural sector, it would be wise to act now and plan ahead to maximise the support received.

With this in mind, it is worthwhile considering the following actions:

1. Do a carbon audit – funding is available through the PSF fund and should cost the business nothing other than the farmer's time to look out the required information. The audit is useful to identify where reductions in inputs and improvements in physical performance of the dairy herd can be made, not only reducing carbon emissions but improving profitability as well.

2. Have a nutrient management plan in place – carry out regular soil sampling (again funded through the PSF fund if a carbon audit has been done in the last three years) and use this information to target purchased fertiliser use. Slurry or farm yard manure analysis is instrumental in this plan. For example, at one of the Farming for a Better Climate focus farms, improvements made to soil health, on the back of soil testing and targeting better use of slurry, increased grass yields. This meant that a third cut of silage was not required, saving 19.2t of purchased fertiliser for third cut (27:14:0) and 418 litres of red diesel – a saving of about £8000 at today’s prices. The farm’s carbon footprint was also reduced by 74,559kg of CO2e.

3. Have a business plan in place – this can take the form of an Integrated Land Management Plan or Specialist Advice Plan (potential for funding through the Farm Advisory Service).

4. Animal health and welfare interventions – Support is available from January 2023 over two years (up to £250 for each intervention: a total of £750 in year one and £500 in year two) to help improve herd health and welfare. Intervention areas for cattle include bull fertility, calf respiratory disease, liver fluke and roundworms. Farmers must be able to show evidence of investigatory work and what action they have taken on the back of the advice from either a vet or agricultural advisor to qualify for payments.

5. Biodiversity – what are you doing to address the biodiversity crisis? You may already be active in this area depending on your milk buyer requirements. A biodiversity audit from an advisor is worthwhile to look at what options would best suit your farm and potential funding available.

There is no doubt that dairy businesses will also have to increase their resilience to the volatility the industry has seen over the last 18 months in input costs and meet more criteria to help the Scottish Government achieve our net zero target by 2045.

In support of this, dairy farmers and other representatives working in the dairy industry are invited to attend a one-day conference in Ayr (Thursday, September, 28). Organised by SAC Consulting (part of Scotland’s Rural College), the conference titled ‘Challenging the Norm: Future Dairy Systems’ will bring together expertise from consultants, researchers, farmers, and industry representatives on wide ranging topics to help advise how dairy farmers can adapt to tackle the challenges facing the industry through the following sessions:

• Dairy outlook and business resilience

• Soil carbon and the road to net zero

• Meeting the biodiversity challenge

• Future breeding and management strategies

To register for this free event please visit here