Dear Member,
It probably won’t have escaped your notice that fertiliser prices have gone through the roof and are harder to come by at the moment. Ongoing global tensions and uncertainty in international supply chains, are once again reminding us just how vulnerable fertiliser availability can be. All of this makes every tonne an even more valuable resource, and getting the best possible return from what you use on farm has never been more important.
We are pleased to be sharing two new Dairy Insight publications that focus on areas where getting the basics right really can make a difference, both practically and financially.
Getting Maize off to a Good Start
Maize can be a highly valuable crop on dairy farms, providing a reliable source of starch to balance the protein in grass silage and support milk from forage. However, with rising input costs, it is certainly not a cheap crop to grow, so there is little room for error.
Good establishment underpins the success of the whole crop. Optimising soil conditions, choosing the right variety, drilling at the correct time and applying fertiliser accurately all play a vital role in helping maize reach its yield potential. When these fundamentals are done well, maize can deliver both high output and tighter cost control, helping to protect overall dairy enterprise profitability.
This Dairy Insight pulls together best practice and practical guidance to help you give your maize the best possible start.
Safe Handling & Storage of Fertilisers
We are also sharing a publication on the safe handling and storage of fertilisers. Fertilisers remain a cornerstone of grass and crop production on most conventional farms, but they are not without risk. Some products are more hazardous than others, and understanding these differences is essential.
This guide highlights best practice and current regulations for the safe and secure storage and handling of fertilisers on farm. The aim is to help protect your personal safety, ensure good health and safety for everyone working on the farm, and reduce the risk of incidents, environmental harm or theft, particularly important when fertilisers are both valuable and harder to replace.
We hope you find both publications useful and relevant as you plan the season ahead. If you would like to chat through any of the points raised, or discuss how they apply to your own farm, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Warm regards,
Enclosed in your physical mailing envelope is a flier for Kingshay Grass Seed – Boost the productivity of your pasture!
Renovated swards deliver up to 33% more yield in the first year, and around 10% more each year thereafter, compared with leys over five years old. Good practice recommends reseeding 10 to 15% of the farm annually. For an average 200‑cow herd, this typically means reseeding 25 to 30 acres a year.
Members save over £100 on this acreage (£4/acre), there is an additional 5% discount on orders over 25 acres.
Give your cows the grass they love. Contact Kingshay on 01458 851555 to find the right grass mix for your system.
If you are free next week, do pop along to the Calf Conference. It would be great to see you there, have a catch‑up and talk through some of the challenges and opportunities facing dairy farms at the moment.
The Calf Action Network Calf Conference 2026
Raising the Standard: Rearing All Calves with Care and Purpose - 21 April 2026, 9.30am – 16.00pm at Hartpury College
A practical one-day event for calf rearers and farmers, focused on giving calves the right start and improving consistency, health and welfare on farm.
PS - Equipment and technology funding: deadline reminder – FETF 2026 for funding to support investment in equipment and technology across productivity, animal health and welfare, and slurry management. The window to apply closes at midday on 28 April!
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Contact us with any technical queries on contact.us@kingshay.co.uk or call 01458 851555