Dairy farm increases production with robotics technology investment

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17/01/2018

A family dairy business in Gloucestershire has increased its milk production by 10% after investing in new technology.

Court Farm Partnership - which is owned by husband and wife, Calvin and Rachele Pugh, daughter Sarah, and her fiancé, Rich Carter - has moved away from using a conventional milking parlour for the first time in its 74-year history. The farm has now installed a robotic system, which is capable of milking cows three times a day, optimising their production value.

The machinery, which has been funded by Clydesdale Bank, allows Court Farm to control its business costs while increasing its productivity. The new process also gives greater insight into the health of the 240-strong herd, as the technology analyses and monitors each individual cow and the milk produced.

Calvin, who grew up in farming, said: “A number of dairy farmers are now using robotics to milk their herd and as the younger generation have joined us, we have wanted to evolve to ensure the longevity of the business. We switched to this process in November so it’s still very early days, but we are already seeing a 10 per cent increase in milk production and we are confident this will increase even further.”

Sarah added: “The health of the herd is always our top priority and the information the system can share with us is a game changer. We are now able to monitor our herd much more closely and identify any issues or concerns quickly and, if necessary, take action.

“The technology also gives the family much more flexibility and a better work life balance which is incredibly important.”

Clydesdale Bank has worked with Court Farm for a number of years and Jonathan Powell, Agribusiness Relationship Manager, worked with the family to ensure the best investment approach.

Calvin added: “We couldn’t have done it without Jonathan and the team at Clydesdale Bank. They have been really helpful throughout this process and have offered invaluable support and guidance.”

Jonathan said: “We have a long-standing history of supporting UK farmers and it’s important that we are supporting growth opportunities in this sector. We worked with the Court Farm team to ensure they explored the range of investment opportunities available and the introduction of this technology has been an excellent result. They are already seeing a number of benefits in a short space of time, which will allow their business to grow and develop.

“At Clydesdale Bank, we are passionate about supporting SMEs and we have £2bn of new lending available to grow small business in 2018.”

Milk from Court Farm’s herd is sold to a local dairy supplier which has customers across the UK.