Record number of dairy herds qualify for 2024 NMR and RABDF Gold Cup
This year, 1,217 dairy businesses recording with NMR and the Cattle Information Service (CIS) have met the entry criteria. These herds, along with nominated ones, will be invited to participate in the prestigious competition.
Entries for the 2024 NMR RABDF Gold Cup must be submitted by July 22, 2024. Finalists will be evaluated by a panel of specialists covering all aspects of the dairy business. The winner will be announced at the Dairy-Tech event in February 2025.
Dairy herds with accredited milk records that meet the criteria gain automatic entry and have been notified and invited to enter through their milk recording company, RABDF stated. Dairy businesses can also be nominated by dairy discussion group leaders or through achieving defined key performance indicators (KPIs) submitted by industry nominations.
The Gold Cup qualifying criteria for milk recorded herds include having 100 or more cows, with 100 qualifying lactations in the milking herd, an average somatic cell count of 200,000/ml or less (250,000/ml or less for organic herds) for the year ending September 30, 2023, and a minimum PLI specific to the breed or time of calving for block calving herds.
A total of 647 NMR recorded herds have met this level, including 193 from southwest England, 112 from the West Midlands, 63 from the north of England, 82 from Wales, 41 from Ireland, and eight from Scotland.
Katy Stanlake, NMR marketing manager, commented, “We recognize the high standards already achieved by the qualifying herds and have awarded them with a qualifying certificate. This year’s winner, NMR-recorded Bisterne Farms, exemplifies the standards and targets met across the business, along with plans to future-proof and advance the dairy unit.”
RABDF has streamlined the application process and automated data collection for herds milk recording with NMR and CIS. Romany Marshall, Gold Cup competition manager, explained, “This means these herds only need to provide some background information about their business and outline their plans. Herd data is collected automatically, while non-recorded herds will submit data alongside their entry forms.”
The competition underscores the sector’s dedication to improving dairy farming standards and showcases the commitment of dairy farmers to sustainability and excellence.
