Margaret and Bonamy Martel with their Queen's Cup-winning bull. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0811495)

CONFIDENCE in farming is the highest it has been for several years, an industry leader said yesterday.

Royal Guernsey Agricultural & Horticultural Society president Ray Watts said the industry had turned a corner.

‘We’re in the best position since milk quotas were introduced [2001] and there’s a buzz within the industry,’ he said.

‘Farmers are getting prices that are acceptable and the dairy is doing a good job.’

Mr Watts was talking at the society’s annual show in Saumarez Park, which he said was the ‘shop window’ for the breed.

In 1970, there were more than 200 Guernsey farms with an average of 35 cattle each. Today, there are 19 farms with an average of about 80 animals.

Mr Watts said that when prices were squeezed, farmers had to try and work more efficiently and they had done that by increasing cow numbers and yields.

In 2000, the industry had produced about 10 million litres of milk but the dairy could cope with only eight million and this had led to quotas.

‘Now, we are producing just about enough for the island’s needs but the dairy wants more to develop its by-products, such as cheese.

The dairy and the Guernsey Farmers’ Association are currently in talks over the matter.