High number of herds qualify to enter Gold Cup 2024 competition

HIGH NUMBERS QUALIFY FOR 2024 NMR RABDF GOLD CUP

 

A record number of dairy herds have qualified for the 2024 NMR RABDF Gold Cup through milk recording channels and nominations. This year, 1,217 dairy businesses recording with NMR and CIS have made the entry criteria, and, with herds that have been nominated, will be invited to enter the competition.

Rated as the industry’s most prestigious awards, those herds with accredited milk records meeting the criteria gain automatic entry and have been notified, and invited to enter, through their milk recording company. Dairy businesses can also be nominated for entry by dairy discussion group leaders or by achieving defined KPIs submitted industry nominations

The Gold Cup qualifying criteria for milk recorded herds is set at 100 cows or more, 100 with qualifying lactations in the milking herd, an average somatic cell count for the year ending 30 September 2023 of 200,000/ml or less, or 250,000/ml or less for organic herds and a minimum PLI specific to the breed or time of calving for block calving herds.

A total of 647 NMR recorded herds have met this level, including 193 from south west England, 112 from the west Midlands, 63 from the north of England, 82 from Wales, 41 from Ireland and eight from Scotland.

NMR marketing manager, Katy Stanlake, is encouraging these dairy businesses to enter. “We recognise the high levels already achieved by the qualifying herds and in recognition of this we have presented them with a qualifying certificate.

“This year’s winner, NMR-recorded Bisterne Farms, is a shining example of the standards achieved and targets met across the business and the plans to future-proof and progress the dairy unit going forward.”

This year the competition organiser, the RABDF, has streamlined the application form and automated data collection for herds milk recording with NMR and CIS.

“This means that these herds just have to tell us some background to the business and an outline of plans,” says Gold Cup competition manager Romany Marshall. “The herd data is collected automatically. Non -recorded herds will provide data alongside their entry forms.”

Entries must be submitted by July 22, 2024, and the resulting finalists will be judged by a panel of specialists covering each aspect of the dairy business considered in this award.

The 2024 Gold Cup winner will be announced at the Dairy-Tech event in February 2025.

More details on the 2024 Gold Cup are on the RABDF Gold Cup competition website www.rabdf.co.uk/gold-cup-comp