Kieran Coughlan: Nine ways dairy farmers can face up to new nitrates rules
Contract-rearing is an attractive solution as it simultaneously cuts down the workload, while maintaining yields
As dairy farmers brace for spring calving, the upheaval caused by nitrates changes is adding a new dimension to business planning.
As each farm and herd has its own specific characteristics, there is no common solution. Apart from herd and physical farm differences, farmers are at different life stages, are carrying varying levels of debt and have different household income structures and expenditure requirements, which influence whether a farmer decides to dig in, reduce or exit.
