AHDB Food & Farming · AHDB

Learning from Danish dairy farmers and tracking weekly fertiliser prices

April 1, 2026·40 min·3 clips
Two UK dairy farmers reveal what they learned from Denmark's highly progressive dairy industry on an AHDB study tour.
The wellies banter matters. It gives the programme a farm-kitchen feel before Charlotte and Hannah turn to dairy guests just back from Denmark and the Profit Through Prevention Study Tour. They keep the conversation relaxed, giving Sally and Stephen room to talk through what stood out in Danish dairy systems, especially the concentration around Arla supply. The 98% figure lands because it hints at a different kind of operating environment, one where less commercial noise may leave farmers more headspace for improvement. The episode does not treat Denmark as a tidy model to copy. The guests stay with working realities and what producers might take from them. Then Alice Perry moves into the AHDB news update for the week commencing the 13th of April, keeping it brisk but useful. Great British Beef Week gets a mention, with farmers encouraged to showcase locally sourced British beef when the campaign returns from the 23rd. Fertiliser prices get the sharpest practical steer: tailor applications to crop condition, soil type, and weather instead of treating the season as business as usual. Growers also get a deadline, with the 2026 Planting and Variety Survey open until the 15th of May to help build an early harvest picture. The British Pig and Poultry Fair gets a reminder too, with levy payers encouraged to book a free ticket. The grass update is properly detailed. Forage for Knowledge reports average growth of 40 kilos of dry matter per hectare, with contributors ranging from 15 in Dumfries Shear to 56 in Gloucestershire. The quality figures steady the story: 12.6 ME, 22% dry matter, and 19.7 crude protein, handy numbers in a spring moving quickly.

As heard by us

A grounded dairy discussion, framed by timely updates and the Denmark study tour.

The episode centers on a dairy discussion built around a study tour of Denmark and the note that almost all producers supply Arla. It works best when it moves from travel report into plain industry detail, where the focus and business structure come through cleanly.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a Danish dairy study tour plus weekly AHDB updates, press play.

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