Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster this week officially launched an innovative new product for the dairy farmer which research at AFBI Hillsborough has been shown to improve milk yields and enhance milk quality in Northern Ireland dairy herds by 7% cent on average. Rumitech© is a next generation rumen enhancement product that was pioneered by John Thompson and Sons, researched by AFBI and supported by Invest NI.

Launching Rumitech©, the Minister said: “This new product represents a significant breakthrough which will help improve the productivity and health of dairy herds in Northern Ireland. It will therefore benefit not only John Thompson and Sons but also the entire dairy supply chain.

The product is a result of a 3 year, £500,000 research project conducted by Thompsons with support from Invest NI. “Rumen function is the first, and main, driver of dairy cow performance, and is a well- documented subject.” Gordon Donaldson, Sales Director with Thompsons told farmers at the launch. He added ”On Northern Ireland dairy farms, it is under continual pressure, particularly with winter diets where the high acid loading arises from the combination of high energy supplementary feeds along with conserved forages.. Any product which has a positive effect on rumen performance would be evident on- farm through metrics such as milk yield, milk solids, feed efficiency and herd health”.

With this in mind the challenge of the project was to identify the key drivers of rumen efficiency on Northern Ireland dairy farms, and identify a product to enhance rumen function and therefore improve dairy cow productivity and profitability. Stipulations of the project were that all research must be local, independent and be verified in controlled studies at AFBI and on commercial dairy farms in Northern Ireland.

Declan Billington, Chief Executive of Thompsons said : “The future of Northern Ireland dairy farming and its ability to export products competitively, depends above all else on profitability on farm. A recent report from the NI Food and Drink Association highlighted how the agri food industry has grown through the recession and its ability to play a major role in the future of our economy. This can only happen if our farmers remain profitable. We are committed to an ongoing program of research and investment to find next generation products that will drive up productivity, performance, health and welfare of every dairy herd in Northern Ireland.”

Arlene Foster echoed these remarks and also pointed out that the project is an example of what can be accomplished through collaboration and by taking advantage of the specialist expertise that resides in our local research institutes. Thompsons worked closely with the Agri- Food and Biosciences Institute in Hillsborough to carry out the research, and also involved over 40 local farms in the study.

She went on “John Thompson and Sons has been a pioneer in the animal feed manufacturing sector for over 100 years, investing significantly in research and development. This focus on innovation has delivered ongoing success for the company and is also contributing to the health of the local agri-food sector, which is a key contributor to Northern Ireland’s economic success.”

The initial aspect of the project involved 42 local dairy farms. On each farm, over 35 different types of measurements were taken in order to understand the key drivers of rumen efficiency. These parameters related to different aspects of the herd, ranging from diet characteristics, housing and cow comfort, rumination details and performance data on both a herd basis and on an individual cow basis. All of this data was fed into a database to determine a rumen efficiency score for each of the specific farms. This created the benchmark for potential improvements in rumen efficiency for the project.

Thompsons Project team, along with Dr Conrad Ferris, at AFBI Hillsborough, were then able to build on the information gained from the farm research by conducting detailed rumen function studies which explored the use of many existing and many new innovative products that could be used to improve rumen function. By doing the research at AFBI, in Northern Ireland, with local cows given local forages, a continuity of research was achieved ensuring that it would be truly significant to the local producer. This was critically important as all too often products are brought to market based on data that has little or no relevance to diets that are fed in Northern Ireland.

Over an 18 month period, three detailed studies were conducted at AFBI, under the stewardship of Dr Conrad Ferris. These three different studies involved measurements such as fibre digestibility, ruminal pH, Volatile Fatty Acid production profiles, and chewing and rumination patterns. Production studies were also conducted at AFBI which showed that the new product Rumitech©, was consistent in statistically increasing milk yield and the yield of milk components (fat + protein). These improvements in milk yield and milk quality were then replicated on commercial dairy herds.

Rumitech© is a shining example of what can be accomplished when industry leaders work together. Thompsons, AFBI (Hillsborough) and Invest N.I. took on the challenge of three years research to create a solution to rumen functional problems within Northern Ireland. The pathway was not necessarily a straight one, but a problem was identified, a mode of research was outlined and a solution was realised in June of this year.

Due to the research results, indicating an average response of 7% increase in milk yield, and a return on investment of 8:1 for the producer, Rumitech© should be considered as a necessity for the Northern Ireland dairy farmer this winter.

Rumitech© will be available from Thompsons in both the HGM and Classic Dairy ranges, and will also be available within dairy blends. For more information on the next generation of rumen technology, please contact; Thompson’s Technical Team on: 028 90351 321

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