European Dairy Farmers e.V.

European Dairy Farmers e.V. A Club of open minded and visionary dairy enthusiasts who are eager to improve their knowledge and skills by exchanging information and experiences.

28/08/2026

Are you ready for a Farm Visit?!

Today: Grosvenor Farms Lea Manor Dairy - Eaton Estate, Chester

Grosvenor Farms was established in 1974 as a separate operating company within Grosvenor and remains part of the Grosvenor family’s long-standing rural business. Today, the farm covers 2,340 hectares of dairy, arable and environmental land.
The dairy enterprise evolved from Shorthorn cows to a 1,400-cow high-output Holstein herd across four dairies, culminating in winning the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers Gold Cup in 2009. Following a strategic review, the herds were consolidated into the purpose-built Lea Manor Dairy, which opened in 2014. Designed around animal welfare, efficiency and sustainability, the facility also provides capacity for future growth. Cogent Breeding originated within Grosvenor Farms in the late 1990s, before becoming a separate business.

Under the leadership of Dairy Manager David Craven, Lea Manor Dairy has evolved into a modern, high-output system housing 2,600 cows, producing over 13,000kg per cow. Over 34 million litres of fresh milk are supplied annually to Müller through a Tesco supermarket contract. The farm team carries out all operations, growing around 560 hectares of maize, 300 hectares of rotational grass on a multi-cut system and river meadow and permanent pasture cut for dry cows and heifers.

What did impress you most during this farm visit?

🎢🐄EDF CoP 2026 – Resilience in Volatile TimesAfter another year of historically strong milk prices, many EDF dairy farms...
16/07/2026

🎢🐄EDF CoP 2026 – Resilience in Volatile Times
After another year of historically strong milk prices, many EDF dairy farms achieved high profitability in 2025. However, the outlook for 2026 highlights increasing pressure on dairy businesses.

💰 2025 profitability
Average Entrepreneur’s Profit reached 11.3 ct/kg ECM across conventional EDF farms in the EU+UK. The strongest results were achieved in Denmark, Slovakia, Finland and Italy, while France, Portugal, Lithuania and the Netherlands faced greater challenges.

📈 Rising cost pressure
Average Total Costs increased to 55 ct/kg ECM – around 13 ct/kg ECM higher than seven years ago. The long-term Break-Even milk price has risen to 42 ct/kg ECM, compared with only 29–30 ct/kg ECM two decades ago.

📉 2026: resilience will be tested
With milk prices expected to decrease by around 10 ct/kg ECM, Entrepreneur’s Profit is projected to approach zero. Without direct payments, many farms would face negative results again.

🐄 Productivity alone is no longer enough
Higher yields help, but they cannot fully offset rising expenditures. Dairy farming is becoming more capital- and labour-intensive, increasing pressure on farmers, resources and cows.

💳 Short-term survival vs. long-term sustainability
A cash-cost-covering milk price of around 30–32 ct/kg ECM may prevent short-term financial distress. But sustainable dairy farming requires full-cost coverage – including fair returns for labour and invested capital.

Data and insights based on the EDF CoP 2026 presentation by (EDF Scientific Team).

📚 Interested in learning more about dairy farm profitability, benchmarking and resilience?
Become part of the EDF network and benefit from international exchange, data-driven insights and practical experience from dairy farmers and experts across Europe.

23/06/2026

How did You like day 1 of the EDF Congress 2026 ?!

What was your favorit part and which item in the congress bag is the most useful for You?

23/06/2026

The EDF Congress 2026 starting in Chester in the UK 🇬🇧!

Hosted by UK farmers, this is a great opportunity to connect with fellow dairy professionals, exchange ideas, and explore the future of dairy farming.

************************************
EDF Congress means 3 days of inspiration, dairy knowledge transfer and meeting dairy enthusiasts from all over the world.

Every year more than 350 farmers, partners and interested dairy professionals meet to discuss global topics and to learn about dairy production in the host country. The EDF Congress is a unique opportunity to network in a stimulating atmosphere of dairy farmers and industry leader and to enjoy the vibrant and social environment with delegates from more than 24 countries.

18/06/2026

Where are you from?!

And are you excited for this year’s congress in England?!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

The EDF Network is an international platform to create dairy knowledge and to improve farmer’s strategic business decisions all over Europe and beyond.

We are a club of dairy farmers from Europe and other dairy regions looking for inspiration. We offer an international platform for interactive knowledge creation and inspirational exchanges to improve farmer‘s strategic business decisions. The EDF Mobile App as well as national meetings and international events facilitate and foster wide ranging exchanges throughout the year!

Interested? Follow for more!

The average standard milk price declined again in April, marking the tenth consecutive monthly decrease since July 2025....
05/06/2026

The average standard milk price declined again in April, marking the tenth consecutive monthly decrease since July 2025. Prices averaged €39.76 per 100 kg, down €0.72 vs. March (-1.8%) and around 21% below April last year.

Most European processors either lowered prices or kept them stable. Spain saw the strongest decline after a long period of high prices. In contrast, US milk prices continued to rise, driven by higher protein values.

KEY PRICE CHANGES – APRIL 2026

Price developments were mixed across Europe and global exporters, mainly driven by fat/protein movements, seasonality, and currency effects.

Strong increases: FrieslandCampina (+2.36), DMK (+2.00), LDA (+1.25), USA Class III (+0.67)

Stable: Hochwald, Dairygold, Tirlan

Slight declines: Arla, Kerry, Mlekpol, Emmi, Sodiaal, Savencia

Stronger declines: Capsa Food (-7.44), Saputo UK (-3.48), Valio (-3.40), Danone (-1.31), Lactalis (-0.63)

Overall, the average milk price fell by €0.72 per 100 kg, continuing the downward trend.

Global exporters remained broadly positive in production, while currency effects (CHF, NZD) influenced euro-based prices (e.g. Emmi, Fonterra).

EU MILK SUPPLY +4.5% IN Q1

EU milk supply increased strongly again in March (+4.2%), driven by Western Europe and Poland. Ireland was the only exception. Overall, supply rose by 4.5% in Q1 2026.

Global milk production also remained strong: New Zealand (+9.7%), USA (+2.3%), Australia (+2.8%), Argentina (+7.9%), and Uruguay (+11.3%). Total output of major exporters was +4.1% year-on-year up to March.

BUTTER & SMP PRICES STABILISE

Butter prices fell below €400 in early May after sharp declines but have since stabilised. High production, strong stocks, and weak seasonal demand continue to weigh on the market.

Skimmed milk powder prices have risen since January despite higher supply, but have also stabilised recently. Demand has softened again, adding pressure. The EU remains the most competitive global supplier.

The EDF–ZuivelNL International Milk Price Comparison benchmarks average milk prices paid to producers by sixteen major European dairies, including key bonuses such as quality, volume, sustainability, and seasonal payments, providing a transparent global comparison of milk price developments.

21/05/2026

A little throwback to the EDF Congress 2025 in Portugal 🇵🇹 !

Our next Congress will be in Chester in UK 🇬🇧!
Join us at the EDF Congress 2026 June 23rd to 25th! Hosted by UK farmers, this is a great opportunity to connect with fellow dairy professionals, exchange ideas, and explore the future of dairy farming.

************************************
EDF Congress means 3 days of inspiration, dairy knowledge transfer and meeting dairy enthusiasts from all over the world.

Every year more than 350 farmers, partners and interested dairy professionals meet to discuss global topics and to learn about dairy production in the host country. The EDF Congress is a unique opportunity to network in a stimulating atmosphere of dairy farmers and industry leader and to enjoy the vibrant and social environment with delegates from more than 24 countries.

🌽 Celebrating 100 Years of supporting farmers with innovation, quality, and progress in agriculture.From pioneering hybr...
19/05/2026

🌽 Celebrating 100 Years of supporting farmers with innovation, quality, and progress in agriculture.

From pioneering hybrid seed technology to advancing modern farming solutions, Pioneer has been helping growers improve productivity and sustainability for generations.

We are proud to have Pioneer / Corteva Agriscience as a Gold Sponsor of this year’s Congress and thank them for their strong support of the global dairy farming community.

https://www.dairyfarmer.net/edf-congress/

👣 Step into the future of dairy farming at the EDF Congress 2026.From June 23–25 in Chester, dairy farmers and industry ...
18/05/2026

👣 Step into the future of dairy farming at the EDF Congress 2026.

From June 23–25 in Chester, dairy farmers and industry leaders from across Europe will come together to exchange ideas, discover practical solutions and shape the future of our industry. 🌱🐄

Expect inspiring farm visits, networking, new technologies and discussions around sustainability, profitability and the next generation of dairy farming.

⚠️ Registration closes at the end of May — don’t miss your chance to be part of Europe’s leading dairy farmer network.

👉 Register now at dairyfarmer.net

A huge thank you to our sponsors for your support and involvement in our event — you’re amazing! Special thanks to our partner for the organization and fantastic support! 🙌

SenseHub GB Dairy is a smart system that helps dairy farmers better understand their cows in real time. It collects impo...
11/05/2026

SenseHub GB Dairy is a smart system that helps dairy farmers better understand their cows in real time. It collects important information about health, behaviour, and productivity and turns it into easy-to-use insights.

This helps farmers make better decisions, improve animal welfare, and manage their herds more efficiently—from calves to adult cows.

We are proud to welcome MSD as our Platinum Sponsor at the EDF Congress and are delighted to have them as a key partner at this year’s event.

Adresse

Grüner Kamp 19-21
Rendsburg
24768

Telefon

+494943314360190

Webseite

Benachrichtigungen

Lassen Sie sich von uns eine E-Mail senden und seien Sie der erste der Neuigkeiten und Aktionen von European Dairy Farmers e.V. erfährt. Ihre E-Mail-Adresse wird nicht für andere Zwecke verwendet und Sie können sich jederzeit abmelden.

Die Schule/Universität Kontaktieren

Nachricht an European Dairy Farmers e.V. senden:

Verknüpfungen

Teilen