Dairy farmers Len Gallichan, Richard Lee, Chris Cudlipp and David Le Cornu have confirmed to the JEP that they are planning to retire in the near future.
Their exit from the industry will leave the Island with 15 dairy farmers, but a spokesman for Jersey Dairy said a succession plan was in place so there would be no discernible effect on milk yields.
‘The Jersey dairy industry is entering a period of consolidation over the next two years during which four dairy farmers will be retiring,’ the spokesman said.
‘This outcome has been anticipated for some time and is being managed by the board so that the decrease in the number of herds will have no impact on milk production or on prices in the shops.’
The spokesman added: ‘The consolidation will involve those remaining farmers, who have invested in the future and have strong succession planning, acquiring much of the equipment and adding to the size of their own herds during the next two years.
‘And it is hoped that the land remains for use by dairy farmers.’
In 1916 there were just under 6,000 milking cows. Today, there are less than 3,000 in Jersey. However, Jersey is getting as much milk from the Island’s cows today as it did 100 years ago thanks to the decision by the States to amend the legislation to allow the importation of Jersey bull semen back into the Island ten years ago.
Jersey farmer Rob Perchard said this was why the industry would be able to cope with the shrinking dairy farming demographic.
‘Since the lifting of the Jersey bull semen ban and importation of overseas genetics, the cattle have become more efficient milk producers, and there’s a residual core of producers who are willing to take up the extra litreage that is required [after the four farmers retire],’ said Mr Perchard, who runs La Ferme on the north coast in St Martin – Jersey’s largest dairy farm with about 250 milking cows. Mr Gallichan (60), who has run Cross Cottage Farm in Trinity for more than 45 years, said he may retire as early as this September.
‘There are a lot of reasons why I’m retiring: age and being a one-man band are two of them,’ he explained. ‘Hopefully I will sell my milking cattle to existing farmers and the land should go to existing farmers.’
Mr Lee (59), who has a milking herd of 225 cattle in St Peter, where he took over the farm 35 years ago from his father-in-law, said: ‘I’m retiring out of milk production, but I will continue to farm Angus beef.’
He cited ‘bureaucracy, red tape, staffing and income’ as the reasons for his decision to exit the dairy industry.
Mr Cudlipp, who runs Les Ormes Farm in Trinity, said: ‘I’m going in September 2019. I’ll be in my sixties and it’s just time.’
And David Le Cornu (58), who runs Meadow Farm in Grouville with his sons Stephen and Peter, confirmed: ‘I am retiring from dairy farming and one of my sons will probably be going to work on another farm.’
Meadow Farm, which was bought by Mr Le Cornu’s father 60 years ago, occupies 350 vergées.
‘We’ll be keeping the land,’ Mr Le Cornu added.
