Kite Consulting

Becki Reay

Kite Consulting provide business services to the entire food supply chain, from farmer to retailer and are widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading dairy consultancy companies.

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305 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes305

Newest first

Oct 4, 2024 · 33 min
Profitability and Farm Costs
Following Chris' report this week, Will and Ben are joined by Kite consulting’s Eliot Greenfield consultant based in Cumbria with special interests including business management and planning, ruminant nutrition and technical consultancy, Scottish Dairy Farmer Robin Campbell, and podcast producer Becki Reay, who thinks it was a good time to look back on farms costs and profits for the last financial year and reflect on what is ahead. The group discuss current market situation, cost of production,
Sep 27, 2024 · 48 min
Discuss the Undiscussabull – communication, conflict & farm succession
In episode 223 of the Kite Podcast, Will and Ben are joined Canada’s Farm Whisperer, Elaine Froese, AHDB’s Amy Hughes and Kite podcast producer, Becki Reay. The group talk about the taboo subject …Succession. Elaine a certified coach, speaker and author and an expert in helping farm families to improve their communication has been brought over to the UK by AHDB to speak in their upcoming Autumn workshops. The group discuss why this appears to be a difficult topic to discuss at home, how to appro
Sep 20, 2024 · 47 min
IFCN 2024 Conference: key messages and take homes
This week after Chris’ report, Will and Ben are joined by Andrea Lendewig, Head of Research and Development at IFCN and Dominik Streyl from Josera, who along with Becki attended IFCN Supporter Conference which was held in Poland last week. With Andrea’s presentation this year on global dairy status, she discusses the challenges the industry has been facing over the last few years, including the effects of unstable global economy, changes in environmental regulations, extreme weather and Geopolit
Sep 13, 2024 · 40 min
Bluetongue update
After Chris’ report this week we are joined by Lorraine Blaxell, a Vet from Three Rivers and Chapelfield Vets and Jonny Crickmore, a dairy farmer from Bungay in Suffolk to discuss the latest outbreak of the Bluetongue (BTV3) virus in the UK. Lorraine explains what the virus is, the animals that are affected and some of the main signs and symptoms we might expect to see as well as how the virus is spread and what treatment looks like for infected animals. She outlines the impact and legal steps t
Sep 6, 2024 · 44 min
Feed markets & forage situation on farm
This week after Chris’ report, Will and Ben are joined by Paul Macer and Amy Watson from Kite as well as James Bolesworth, CEO at CRM AgriCommodities for an update on the feed markets & forage situation on farm. Paul and Amy discuss the growing season and the quality and quantity of forage in clamps, in particular the variability in quality, but with lower protein forages being more common. They consider the impact of late planting on maize growth and both cereal and straw yields. James gives h
Aug 30, 2024 · 47 min
Record Breaking Butter Prices
Following Chris' report this week, Will and Ben are joined by Kite consulting director John Allen and Erik Elgersma, founder and director of Strategic Analysis Services BV. The group talk about the current record high butter prices and how these are underpinning milk prices at present as reflected in today’s milk price announcement by Arla and Muller. They go on to debate the potential risk of a milk price driven by one specific element. Moving on from butter to discuss current milk volumes and
Aug 23, 2024 · 37 min
Calf rearing & heifer management….can we do it better?
After Chris’ report this week, Will is joined by Kite Consultant Emily Stafford and Lincolnshire dairy farmer Zara Dorrington to discuss the importance of good calf and heifer rearing practices on farm. Emily explains why Kite have just updated the heifer rearing blueprint document, with new developments, new research and new technologies available and how this relates back to better heifer rearing, increased profit and also reduces a farms carbon footprint. Emily outlines the importance of the
Aug 16, 2024 · 52 min
Organic Dairy: battered, bruised, but back on the up?
After Chris’ report this week, he joins Will and Ben with guests Rob Daykin from Daykin Partnership and North Devon farmer Adam Stanbury to discuss Organic Dairy. Following the report this week co-authored by Rob, Chris and John Allen, titled “Organic Dairy: battered, bruised but back on the up?”, Rob and Chris discuss the organic milk markets after a sustained period of poor milk price & how the cost-of-living crisis has affected organic demand, as well as the challenge to processors in managin
Aug 9, 2024 · 42 min
Capital Investment for Future Proofing Dairy
Uncommonly at this time of year, Chris Walkland’s milk market report is distinctly positive this week! Will, Ben & the podcast team are then joined by Kite consulting’s Emma McAvoy and Derbyshire dairy farmer Adam Sills to talk about a recent report published by Kite Consulting which highlights £4 billion worth of investment required by the sector in order to future proof farm businesses against the impact & challenges of climate change on their farms. Adam shares his experience on the impact he
Aug 2, 2024 · 49 min
An update on Irish dairy
A bit of good news in Chris’ report today before Will and Ben are joined by Conor Mulvihill, Director of Dairy Industry Ireland and Kite Director John Allen for an update on the dairy situation in Ireland. Conor gives us a general update on how the year has been for Irish dairy including how adverse weather and environmental regulations are affecting farmers and current farmer sentiment. Connor and John discuss commodity markets, the Irish grass-based systems vs elsewhere in Europe, as well as p
Jul 19, 2024 · 57 min
European Politics
Will and Ben are joined this week by Erik Elgersma - founder and director of Strategic Analysis Services BV – a Dutch-based globally active consulting firm in strategy, market and competitive intelligence and training. Also with us is Kite Director John Allen, and Senior Consultant Becki Reay. As the new Labour government settles in here in the UK we thought we’d take a look at the political landscape elsewhere today, especially in Europe. We discuss the political changes happening across Europe
Jul 12, 2024 · 36 min
Investing in your farm team - How to become a employer of choice
Following Chris' report this week, Will and Ben are joined by Lancashire dairy farmer Ed Towers and Kite consultant Tillie Williams to discuss the importance of investing in people. Ed and Tillie address the challenges associated with labour in agriculture, noting that labour costs are the second-largest expense on a farm. They explore how investing in employee development and training can positively impact the business, even if the benefits are not directly financial, by improving the business
Jul 5, 2024 · 47 min
Live from Down to Earth 2024 - Grosvenor & regenerative dairy farming
A very special episode and a Kite podcast first as we record with a live audience from Down to Earth at Grosvenor Farms. Starting with the usual report from Chris Walkland, Will, Ben and Becki are joined by Mark Roach, Managing Director and Charlie Steer, Arable Manager for Grosvenor Farms, Helen Dent, Senior Sustainability Consultant with Kite and Amy Jackson, Director Oxtale Specialist Communications to discuss regenerative dairy farming. Helen outlines what we mean when talking about regenera
Jun 28, 2024 · 49 min
Olympic special with Olympic medallist Dr Anna Watkins MBE, Wendy Martinson OBE & Dr Judith Bryans
After Chris’ report, this week Will and Ben are joined by an impressive line-up with Dr Anna Watkins MBE, double Olympic medallist and two times World Champion in the women’s double scull, Wendy Martinson OBE, Technical Lead and Performance Rehabilitation Nutritionist at the UK Sports Institute as well as Dr Judith Bryans, CEO at Dairy UK to discuss the import role dairy nutrition plays with athletes. Anna describes her journey into elite rowing and the role that dairy plays as part of her diet
Jun 21, 2024 · 47 min
Interrogating party manifestos for food security
After Chris’ report this week, Ben is joined by Chair of the NFU’s dairy board Paul Tompkins for mammoth manifesto discussion. Paul gives us an overview of the manifestos in terms of food and agriculture, drilling down into the different elements relevant for farmers including the budgets for food and farming and where parties mention food security, trade and exports, supply chain fairness, planning permission and environmental priorities to name a few. Paul also outlines what the NFU are doing
Jun 14, 2024 · 43 min
A post-spring milk flow, forage and feed update
After Chris’ report this week, Will and Ben are joined by Paul Macer, Principal Consultant at Kite and Chris Davidson, Head of Procurement at AB Agri, to discuss milk flows, feed markets & the current forage positions across the country. Milk this spring was slightly lower than usual/predicted, so Paul discusses how outlook is looking now and into the autumn. With all first cuts now in the clamp & second cut completed or underway, Paul outlines what the quality and quantity is looking like and h
Jun 7, 2024 · 43 min
NZ dairy update & Muller acquisition of Yew Tree Dairy
There was lots for hosts Will Evans and Ben Eagle to discuss with the guests on this week’s podcast. Firstly, along with the usual milk market update, Chris Walkland and John Allen discussed the very positive news regarding Muller’s acquisition of Yew Tree Dairy and the wider commitment to the sector being shown by UK based processors and how this is supports a positive outlook for UK farmers. Chris & John also joined NZ AgFirst CEO; James Allen and Kite’s Edward Lott in reviewing the past NZ d
May 31, 2024 · 56 min
World Milk Day 2024 - nourishing the world
Other than the sad news about Mona Dairy, the remainder of Chris' milk market report is fairly positive this week. Will and Ben are then joined by Łukasz Wyrzykowski, Managing Director at IFCN and Judith Bryans, Chief Executive at Dairy UK to discuss World Milk Day & dairy across the world. Judith gives an update on Dairy UK and the situation with the potential changes to food labelling and how this may affect the industry. She outlines why World Milk Day is such a significant event in the dairy
May 24, 2024 · 38 min
Arla Investments
On this weeks Podcast we’re joined by the Managing Director of Arla Foods UK, Bas Padberg, Kite Director John Allen, and Senior Consultant Becki Reay who will be discussing Arla and the more than £300 million worth of new UK investments that they’ve announced so far this year. In addition to previously announced plans for its Taw Valley site, Arla have announced that they will be updating and expanding their dairies and creameries at Lockerbie, Stourton, Aylesbury and Westbury. They go on to tal
May 16, 2024 · 48 min
Dairy Industry Newsletter Conference – dairy modification and collaboration
This week Will and Ben are joined by Catherine Paice, the Editor of Dairy Industry Newsletter; Kite Director John Allen and Rory Christie who farms in South West Scotland to discuss the Dairy Industry Newsletter Conference. Catherine outlines what they wanted to address at DIN, specifically in terms of global demand, supply and food security, what steps have already been taken and what needs to be done going forward. John and Rory discuss what they took from the conference and stress the importa