Sixty four dairy herds are through to the next round of the 2007 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup competition and include herds of five different breeds and from mainland Britain, Isle of Man, and for the first time ever, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.

RABDF Gold Cup

All these herds have met rigorous criteria; more than 70 cows/heifers in the milking herd, an annual somatic cell count average for the recording year ending 30 September 2006 of 200,000/ml or less or less than 400,000/ml for organic herds and a minimum PIN value specific to the breed – £5 for Holstein and £6 for Jerseys for example.

And all 64 herds completed a detailed questionnaire with their herd performance details, environment, grassland, feeding and herd management plans and their outlook for the next five years.

A short list of herds will be judges up by this year’s Gold Cup judges, dairy farmer and RABDF Chairman Lyndon Edwards, dairy farmer and NMR board member Trevor Lloyd and Dr Malcolm Crabtree, Leckford Estates. The 2007 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup winner will be announced at the Dairy Event on Wednesday 19 September.

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