'Island's dairy farming industry needs new blood'

A former farmer has expressed concern for the future of Guernsey's dairy industry unless more young people start careers in agriculture.

Raymond Watts, former president of Guernsey Farmers Association (GFA), moved to the island in the 1970s and bought Meadow Court farm which he ran until 2021.

He said it was hard for young people to get into the industry, especially if they were not born into a farming family.

Young people in the island have said there appears to be a lack of opportunities in dairy farming and called for more information and better promotion of vacancies.

Mr Watts said it would be "quite worrying" if there were not enough young people working in dairy farming to sustain its future.

"If that day ever came I think it would be a great demise for the Guernsey breed, it would be a very sad day if that ever happens," he said.

Mr Watts said it was hard for young people in the island to get into farming, especially if they were starting from scratch.

He said: "If anybody is coming into the industry it is very difficult to get a foothold, it is not easy.

"It is all very much stacked against people outside the industry, you have got to be very dedicated and very resourceful."

Ollie, 16, said he managed to get a week's work experience in dairy farming through a schools programme for Year 10 students.

He carried out general farm jobs including scraping out slurry and helping milk cows.

Ollie said: "The states and the schools should advertise [farming] a bit better, to make it more appealing".

Fourteen-year-old Charlie said he was passionate about agriculture but had struggled due to lack of opportunities.

With his mother's help, he has tried to find jobs and work experience but said he had received no responses and was left unsure how to get started.

He said he would welcome school trips to farms "to see what it is like".

Brother and sister Robin and Rachel Le Cocq run Les Hubits Farm and offer the chance for young people to gain experience.

Miss Le Cocq said it was "fantastic" to have young people who wanted to get involved.

"There are not many people but the ones who are coming through are really enthusiastic," she said.

She added: "We have got to change our picture of what agriculture looks like to the industry."

She said most people saw dairy farming as "male dominated with long working hours" but that was not the case.

"Females can come into the industry, there is opportunities for anyone and you have just got to have the right attitude," she said.

Miss Le Cocq said there were no agriculture apprenticeships or courses on the island but these would be "a great way to get into the industry".

Chris Torode, director of apprenticeships at The Guernsey Institute (TGI), said opportunities were offered in careers with sufficient demand.

He said there needed to be at least eight to 10 apprentices per year for a course to run but there had only been "limited expressions of interest" in dairy farming.

"With any apprenticeship it is demand-led and we have got to ensure that any apprenticeship we offer is sustainable," he said.

Dairy farmer Josh Dorey inherited his interest in dairy farming from his grandfather.

He went on to do part-time work at farms, gained a foundation degree in dairy herd management and had a five-year tenancy at a farm in St Saviours.

At 31, Mr Dorey now owns La Petite Croute Farm, the largest cow farm on the island, which he took over in 2023.

He said it had not been an "easy thing to start up from nothing".

He said young people interested in dairy farming should try to get experience.

"If you like it and enjoy it, try and get a job on a farm and learn that way.

"There is a lot to learn in farming and it takes a number of years to learn what to do."

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