Planning for expansion after milk quotas go

Dairy herd sizes are increasing, as are average milk yields on many farms, so further investment is being considered by many to cope with expansion plans after milk quotas are abolished in April 2015.

The vast array of new technology in modern milking plants can help farmers make substantial savings, achieve significant improvements in performance, and make the most of rising milk prices.

Many farmers are investing in new bulk tanks to cater for milk collection every third day, to allow for bigger herds, and, of course, new tanks will cool the milk quicker, and use far less energy, detergents and water.

A bulk milk tank in combination with an industrial plate cooler is very cost effective. It cools the milk within minutes of milking and the automated wash system cleans the tank at the touch of a button, as fast as 20 minutes.

Energy Saving Tips

Energy audits carried out by Teagasc, Moorepark, on 22 farms in 2011 showed a breakdown of the main areas of electricity use on dairy farms. These were milk cooling, 31%; operating milking equipment, 20%; water heating, 23%; other equipment, 18%; water pumping, 5%; and lighting, 3%. The average cost of electricity was €24 per cow per annum (ranging from €12 to €42).

The wide range should en-courage anyone to make improvements.

According to Teagasc, the average farm is using 40% day rate for heating water. All electrical water heating should be at night rate only.

Effective pre-cooling of milk can reduce costs by 50%.

Variable speed drive (VSD) pump motors can save over 60% of the energy used by vacuum pumps.

The VSD can adjust the rate of air removal from the milking machine to match the air entering the system at a given vacuum level. All the energy used to move air through the conventional vacuum regulator is saved.

One should insulate all refrigerant pipes and keep all cooling equipment well maintained, and this includes cleaning air condensers. Maintain the correct refrigerant charge, and check the tank temperature, because overcooling results in much higher energy usage.

Use a timer on your water heater so the water is at the right temperature, only when you need it.

Repair leaky taps promptly; a leak of only one litre per hour can waste 8,500 litres of hot water, and 3800 Kwh of energy, per year.

Reduce standby heat loss, with additional insulation on storage tanks, if appropriate, and on all hot water piping. Also ensure the vacuum pump motor is clean, well ventilated and serviced regularly. Finally, when replacing a piece of equipment (pump, motor, etc.) consider the most energy efficient option. Even if it is more expensive, it will quickly pay for the extra cost.