The last dairy farmer in Banffshire is hanging up his clusters and retiring after a lifetime in the industry.
Geddes Chalmers, 64, will disperse the entire milking portion of his Drum herd next week.
The dispersal sale takes place at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ Thainstone Centre near Inverurie on Tuesday, May 23 at 10am.
Approximately 140 cows and 10 in-calf heifers will go under the hammer.
Mr Chalmers, whose family has been dairying at Drum Farm near Keith since 1951, said he was retiring from the industry and selling the farm.
He said the decision by dairy giant Muller last year to shut the only milk processing factory in the region had “crystalised” his retirement plans.
“A year ago Muller gave us an ultimatum to accept a price cut and transport charge or give 12 months’ notice to quit. I was planning to retire anyway so I gave notice to quit,” said Mr Chalmers.
He said the transport charge of 1.75p a litre, which applies to all Muller non-aligned producers in the north-east, would have cost his business up to £30,000 a year.
Mr Chalmers admitted selling his cows would be difficult, but said he was looking forward to spending more time with his family and not having to get up at 3am every day for milking.
However he was critical that his 500-acre farm, which is being marketed through Savills, could not continue as a dairy unit despite interest from potential buyers.
“It’s a bit frustrating that a few people who came to look at the farm wanted to be dairy farmers but Muller won’t take on new people within this area,” added Mr Chalmers.
Aberdeen and Northern Marts auctioneer Colin Slessor said next week’s dispersal sale had attracted interest from local dairy farmers as well as producers in Orkney and down south.
He described the Drum cows as coming from a “good, genuine herd” and said the sale was significant as large dairy sales were not a common sight in Aberdeenshire these days.
Mr Chalmers said the cattle were summer grazed with an out of parlour buffer feed, and cubicle housed in winter with a complete diet ration.
The herd is currently average 7,700 litres a year and the cattle have more Friesian breeding, than Holstein. The herd has been closed since 1996 with the exception of stockbulls bought from the Deveronside herd at Turriff.
Further sales of youngstock and in-calf heifers from the Drum herd will take place later in the year.
