Share equiptment and cut your costs

15th November 2007

All First Milk members are part of a co-operative but can co-operation extend beyond marketing of milk?

British farmers have engaged in co-operation to share machinary and farm operations via machinery rings or informally between neighbours, but most still prefer to buy their own machinery rather than to share it.

EFFP is encouraging a change in attitude from farmers through its Share to Farm and Share to Milk initiatives. EFFP is an expert on how farmers can collaborate to share resources, save money and generally develop their businesses. The advice given works on a whole farm level or more simply can be practical sharing of individual pieces of expensive equipment. For example, EFFP could help facilitate a contract partnership arrangement between a young, ambitious farmer who wants to grow a dairy business to an older, retiring farmer who would like to take more of a back seat. Equally, EFFP could also help four of five farmers get together to buy machinery and share costs.

Assessing the potential of farmer to farmer co-operation lies behind a series of meetings planned by First Milk Academy and EFFP. The objectives are to:

  • Raise awareness of the opportunities and benefits
  • Advise on how to set up collaborative ventures
  • Help potential groups to become established

"Farmers are facing a lot of cost in the near future, particularly for the likes of muck and slurry management," says Simon Thelwell of EFFP. "We think there is potential for farmers to share the costs with their neighbours as they are increasingly doing on forage making or feeding equipment. There are a lot of successful ventures around the country now, and we are keen to see how we could help First Milk members develop some as well."