Morgan Tudor

Llysun Farm,

T&A&R Tudor,

Powys

Sponsored by: KW Feeds

FOLLOWING the tragic death of his father, Richard, in April 2020, Morgan Tudor took on the running of his family’s dairy farm at the age of just 17. At the time, the Tudor family was just four weeks into their first calving season, having recently made the decision to convert from a beef and sheep farm to a block-calving dairy unit.

Morgan had just returned home after attending college and working on a dairy farm to gain some experience ahead of the changes to the farm, which included the installation of a 50-bale rotary parlour and new buildings. Morgan says: “We milked 350 heifers in 2020. I then started a joint venture with a neighbouring farm to start milking 550 in the 2021 season.” The joint venture will come to an end at the end of this year and Morgan says he will be milking 400 Jersey cross
Friesians next year.

Grass growth, says Morgan, has been the biggest change since the move to dairy farming, with 10.4 tonnes of dry matter (DM) per hectare achieved in 2020, 11.2t DM/ha in 2021, and the farm on target to reach 12t DM/ha this year, despite the drought-like conditions seen across the country. This improvement is down to Morgan’s strategies regarding paddock grazing, careful muck and slurry use, reseeding, the use of break crops to break up weed burdens and the
introduction of nitrogen fixing clover and grass mixes.

He says: “The cows are here to make the best use of the grass we grow and turn that into profit. Therefore, it is essential grass comes first as it is the most important aspect of our business.” Looking ahead, Morgan is considering the environmental aspects of his family’s business and has started to reduce fertiliser usage, is considering renewable energy options, and he aims to become self-sufficient in terms of feed.

He also wants to expand the business in the future, but for the short term he aims to ensure the home farm is run as efficiently as possible. He says: “I have no fear of the future and I look forward to it directly and the challenges it will bring.”

Business aims

  • Keep improving grassland yield
  • Become self-sufficient and reduce reliance on imported goods
  • Pay back debts quickly and build capital in order to expand
  • Implement measures to help industry reach net zero targets