National Milk Records plc Expands International Reach Into China
National Milk Records Plc, the PLUS-quoted leading provider of livestock services, is actively looking to expand its international reach and utilise its world leading milk recording and farm management software in countries with developing dairy industries. NMR has been working on a number of collaborative projects which could see its premier software and expertise in the UK dairy sector utilised in China following Managing Director Andy Warnes well received talk at the Sino-British International Conference of Cattle Farming and Animal Disease Prevention and Control (the Conference).
The Conference was convened to explore the potential business opportunities between the UK and China and to enhance Chinas network for the innovation and commercialisation in the dairy and livestock sector as the government looks to improve the health of its population through the increased presence of dairy products and milk to its diet. Andy Warne was invited by the Royal Veterinary College to speak at the event to emphasise the importance of applying quality research to the dairy and livestock sectors which can increase milk production by up to 30% and improve milk traceability.
NMRs technology provides an ideal solution to Chinas concerns regarding quality and yield, providing the farmer with accurate and extensive information about the health and strength of the herd. Current yields in China average between 2,000 and 3,000 litres per cow per annum, although they aspire to yield approximately 6,000 litres. At present, a key barrier to milk production is the lack of summer grazing and the logistics of importing supplementary feed.
NMR Managing Director Andy Warne said, Our premier software and extensive service plays a crucial role to farmers working within the dairy sector both on a domestic and international level. We believe that our technology has the capacity to provide effective solutions to concerns about quality and efficiency which affect those operating in the dairy sector and our expertise is certainly transferable to advancing dairy markets.
The Conference has increased our presence in China as experts in farm management and we have embarked upon a number of projects and discussions in an effort to reach government targets. This is perfectly in line with our strategy to increase our geographic reach and demonstrate the importance of research and management in a sector where quality and research is vital.
For further information visit www.nmr.co.uk or contact:
Chris Hughes
NMR plc Tel: +44 (0) 1249 467 220
Duncan Vasey
St Helens Capital Partners LLP Tel: +44 (0) 20 7368 6959
Mark Anwyl
St Helens Capital Partners LLP Tel: +44 (0) 20 7368 6959
Hugo de Salis
St Brides Media & Finance Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 20 7236 1177
Elisabeth Cowell
St Brides Media & Finance Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 20 7236 1177
National Milk Records plc is a PLUS-quoted supplier of milk recording services in the UK, providing management information on individual cows performance in terms of milk quality, yield and fertility. The Company is acknowledged by the industry as the market leader in the provision of milk recording services and herd management software and support.
The Groups two wholly owned subsidiaries, National Milk Laboratories (NML) and National Livestock Records (NLR) expand the Companys reach across various areas of the dairy and red meat industries. Through NMR and NLR, the Group works with both the buyer and the producer to eliminate disease within the herd.
NML provides testing to all of the major UK milk buyers, analysing nearly all the liquid milk consumed in the UK. The subsidiary utilises the parent companies nationwide transport network and with laboratories in Wolverhampton and Glasgow working 24/7 is able to provide results within a few hours of the sample collection. The Group is able to capitalise on current legislation governing food production and hygiene, and the demand from retailers for clean produce, traceable to farms that provide a high level of animal welfare by working with both milk producer and the buyer. The Company provides a wide range of analysis which helps to provide aggregate data of value to vets, research and educational organisations, feed producers and equipment manufacturers.
NLR derives revenue through the distribution of ear tags to dairy and beef cattle, collection of data for sheep breed societies and RFID traceability through the abattoir. NLR is working alongside the Welsh Assembly Government on a project designed to improve efficiency in the sheep industry. The Technology, Agriculture and Greater Efficiencies Project (TAG) includes the use if RFID technology and the development of a central database. From 1 January 2010 EU legislation states that all sheep in Europe must be electronically tagged, and NLR is developing systems to allow farmers to take advantage of this by using the tag to provide information on the history and movements of the animal.