Objectives
Twenty dairy farmers from South West Wales have come together to investigate whether milk from production systems in west Wales already contain valuable levels of omega-3. They aim to identify which pasture-based management practices produce the highest levels of the fatty acid.
Objectives
Mae ugain o ffermwyr llaeth o Dde Orllewin Cymru wedi dod at ei gilydd i ymchwilio a yw systemau cynhyrchu llaeth yng Ngorllewin Cymru eisoes yn cynnwys lefelau gwerthfawr o omega-3. Eu nod yw dynodi pa arferion rheoli ar sail porfa sy’n cynhyrchu’r lefelau uchaf o asid brasterog.
Activities
Every farm will provide monthly bulk-tank milk and feed samples. Samples will be tested for their fatty-acid profile with particular emphasis on omega-3 and omega-6. Forage samples will also be collected from all 20 farms monthly, aligned with every bulk milk sample. Four dairy production systems will be examined:
1) Conventional Housed Winter/Grazing Summer
2) Herds housed all year round
3) Organic herds
4) Spring Block Calving
In the second year more focus will be given to testing rations where systems are producing higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids to provide further information on the cow nutrition that produces optimum levels.
Activities
Bydd pob fferm yn darparu samplau tancer bylc a phorthiant. Bydd y samplau yn cael eu profi am eu proffil asid brasterog gan roi pwyslais arbennig ar omega-3 ac omega-6. Bydd samplau o borthiant hefyd yn cael eu casglu o’r 20 fferm yn fisol, wedi eu cysylltu â’r sampl o laeth tancer bylc. Archwilir pedair system gynhyrchu llaeth gwahanol:
1) Confensiynol Dan do yn y gaeaf/allan yr haf
2) Buchesi sydd dan do trwy’r flwyddyn
3) Buchesi organig
4) Buchesi sy’n lloea mewn bloc yn y gwanwyn
Yn yr ail flwyddyn, bydd mwy o bwyslais ar brofi dognau pan fydd systemau yn cynhyrchu lefelau uwch o asidau brasterog omega-3 i roi rhagor o wybodaeth am y maeth i’r fuwch sy’n cynhyrchu’r lefelau gorau.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014UK06RDRP004 United Kingdom - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Wales
Location
- Main geographical location
- South West Wales
EUR 46 990.00
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
1 Practice Abstracts
The human body isn’t capable of producing omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. These are termed “essential fatty acids” as they have to be consumed from our diet. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t getting enough omega-3 and tend to have much higher levels of omega-6 in our diets. This imbalance of fatty acids can negatively affect our health. Increasing our omega-3 intake and getting the right balance of the two is vital and is found to have multiple health benefits to both our mind and body.
Twenty dairy farmers from South West Wales have come together to investigate whether milk from production systems in west Wales already contain valuable levels of omega-3. They aim to identify which pasture-based management practices produce the highest levels of the fatty acid. The results could give dairy farmers the opportunity to consider forage-based options as a way of producing milk with enhanced levels of omega-3. This could provide a marketing advantage without going to the extra cost of adding supplements to their forage. The group supply their milk to several different milk buyers and processors, including commodity liquid milk, premium organic liquid milk, cheese manufacturers and high value food ingredient manufacturers. All of these milk outlets could potentially take advantage of the project results by marketing the products for their high omega-3 content.
Nid yw’r corff dynol yn gallu cynhyrchu’r asidau brasterog omega-6 ac omega-3. Gelwir y rhain yn “asidau brasterog hanfodol” gan fod rhaid iddynt gael eu bwyta yn ein diet. Yn anffodus, nid yw’r rhan fwyaf ohonom yn cael digon o omega-3. Rydym yn dueddol o gael lefelau llawer uwch o omega-6 yn ein diet. Gall y diffyg cydbwysedd hwn mewn asidau brasterog gael effaith negyddol ar ein hiechyd. Mae cynyddu faint o omega-3 yr ydym yn ei gael a chael y cydbwysedd cywir rhwng y ddau yn hanfodol a gwelwyd bod i hynny fanteision amrywiol o ran iechyd i’r meddwl a’r corff.
Mae ugain o ffermwyr llaeth o Dde Orllewin Cymru wedi dod at ei gilydd i ymchwilio a yw systemau cynhyrchu llaeth yng Ngorllewin Cymru eisoes yn cynnwys lefelau gwerthfawr o omega-3. Eu nod yw dynodi pa arferion rheoli ar sail porfa sy’n cynhyrchu’r lefelau uchaf o asid brasterog. Gallai’r canlyniadau roi cyfle i ffermwyr llaeth ystyried y dewisiadau ar sail porthiant o gynhyrchu llaeth gyda lefelau uwch o omega-3. Gallai hyn roi mantais wrth farchnata heb fynd i’r gost ychwanegol o ychwanegu ategolion at eu porthiant. Mae’r grŵp yn cyflenwi eu llaeth i nifer o wahanol brynwyr a phroseswyr llaeth, gan gynnwys llaeth hylifol, llaeth hylifol premiwm organig, cynhyrchwyr caws a chynhyrchwyr cynhwysion bwyd uchel eu gwerth. Mae potensial i’r defnyddwyr llaeth yma i gyd fanteisio ar ganlyniadau’r prosiect trwy farchnata eu cynnyrch am eu cynnwys omega-3 uchel.
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Jeremy Bowen Rees
Project coordinator
Project partners
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Andrew Rees
Project partner
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Dai Gravell
Project partner
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Dai Miles
Project partner
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David & Eirian Thomas
Project partner
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Deian Evans
Project partner
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Derrick Davies
Project partner
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Dylan Evans
Project partner
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Dylan Harries
Project partner
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Gareth & Sharon Richards
Project partner
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Gareth Thomas
Project partner
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Hugh & Rael Thomas
Project partner
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James George
Project partner
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Jamie Adams
Project partner
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John Griffiths
Project partner
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Lloyd Thomas
Project partner
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Nick & Kristy Hughes
Project partner
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Rhys James
Project partner
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Roger & Moira Ridgway
Project partner
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Roger Evans
Project partner
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Seimon Thomas
Project partner
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Tom & Francisca Harries
Project partner