Paula Hynes: Ignore tariff threats, food finally has value

No doubt the consumer will be told in time that farmers are making record profits, while the reality is we are getting paid a fairer price for our produce and rewarded for the work we do, writes dairy farmer Paula Hynes.

The US dairy industry is highly dependent on exports, with 20% of domestic production exported, with a value of $8bn and the industry accounts for 3.2 million jobs, so the last thing Trump needs is a trade war on dairy, writes Paula Hynes. Picture: AP Photo/Ben Curtis

Most of our early calvers are hitting their peak intakes now, and it is always something worth keeping an eye on to make sure cows have access to enough feed in March as a cow which is calved six weeks will eat a lot more feed than a freshly calved cow. 

The herd is averaging 28L a day at the moment, which we are very happy with as that also includes stale cows. We are still grazing the herd once a day and they seem really content with being settled in that routine.