SCOTLAND'S top 20 dairy farms have been announced, with the traditional dairy heartland in the south-west once again dominating the list.
But there are also businesses from Aberdeenshire, Midlothian, the Borders, Lanarkshire, Stirling and Kincardineshire in that top 20, and all are now in the running for the 2016 AgriScot Scottish Dairy Farm of the Year award, sponsored by Cogent Breeding, with the overall winner due to be announced at the farm business event on November 16.
This year’s official awards assessor is Carrs Billington dairy farm specialist Jimmy Goldie, who said of his judging ordeal: “Assessing all the performance data from nearly 1000 farms, without knowing their identity, before deciding on the top twenty, was certainly a tough task! 
"All the performances were worthy of credit, especially in these difficult times. Now I’ve got the even harder job of working out the four finalists.
“It was not all about yield," he added. "Various factors that affect profit were taken into consideration, especially age at first calving, calving index, length of time in the herd and somatic cell count, all of which reflect happy and well cared for cows.”
The averages for the top twenty were 431 cows in the herd, first calving at 25.5 months, calving index 384 days, yield 10273 litres at 3.84% bf and 3.21% protein, scc 151 and 15.8% of the herd in their 5th or later lactation.
Mr Goldie will now visit the four best herds from the list of 20, to allow him to select the overall winner of the 2016 title. The names of that top four will be released in September prior to their inspection.
Award convenor Jack Lawson said: “It is always exciting when the top twenty list is revealed and I’m delighted to see some new names on there as well as a few that were considered last year, but were just pipped at the post. I don’t envy Jimmy in his job to choose a final four, but we will be eagerly awaiting the results at this year’s event on November 16.”
The Cogent Breeding Ltd AgriScot Scottish Dairy Farm of the Year top 20 farms, in alphabetical order, are as follows:

  • W Baillie, Hillhead of Covington, Biggar, Lanarkshire (245 Holsteins)
  • R and L Barron, Darrahill, Udny, Aberdeenshire (276 Holsteins) 
  • A Colquhoun Ltd, Dendoldrum, Inverbervie, Kincardineshire (688 Holsteins) 
  • AW Currie and Son, Bardennoch, Ruthwell, Dumfrieshire (568 Holsteins) 
  • Robert D Fleming, Hillhead, Kilpatrick Fleming, Dumfriesshire (276 Holsteins) 
  • Robert C Gemmell, Brownfield, Kirkton Road, Dumfries (366 Holsteins)
  • W Hamilton and Son, Meldrum, Blairdrummond, Stirling (741 Holsteins)
  • KSH Farmers, Kennetsideheads, Eccles, Kelso (1066 Holsteins)
  • I Marr, Cultercullen, Udny, Aberdeenshire (240 Holsteins)
  • Messrs Marshall, Hardgrove Fms Ltd, Ruthwell, Dumfries (530 Holsteins)
  • R and J McDonald, Kelloe Mains, Duns, Berwickshire (712 Holsteins)
  • Fergus McDowall, Rerrick Park, Dundrennan, Kirkcudbright (1000 Holsteins)
  • K and I Miller and Sons, Trailflat, Lochmaben, Lockerbie (210 Holstein/Jersey)
  • IC Morton and Partners, Carsenestock, Newton Stewart, Wigtown (261 Holsteins)
  • T and C Owen, Potstown, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire (229 Hols/Jer) 
  • John Rome, Kirkbog, Thormhill, Dumfriesshire (301 Holsteins) 
  • W Sloan, Ryemuir, Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire (175 Hols/Ayr) 
  • University of Edinburgh, Langhill Farm, Roslin, Midlothian (230 Hols/Shorthorn) 
  • T and AW Wadsworth, Big Balcraig, Whaphill, Newton Stewart (322 Holsteins) 
  • J and E Wilson, Largs Farm, Twynholm, Kirkcudbright (198 Holsteins)