Shropshire cows produce special milk down on the farm
They might not look like anything out of the ordinary, but Richard Yapp's cows are a bit special. Mr Yapp's herd produces milk that has a different kind of protein that can be drunk by people who struggle to digest dairy.
The 42-year-old, of Lawns Farm in Northwood, near Wem, has a herd of specially selected British cows that produce a2 milk, a protein that is easier to digest.
It is a natural milk from cattle whose DNA is free from a protein called a1, that can lead to digestive discomfort.
The milk is being sold in Morrisons and Budgens stores from this week, with major Tesco outlets also due to sell it soon.
Just 12 farmers in the UK are producing the milk for Wiseman Dairies.
Mr Yapp inherited his farm from his parents and has 120 cows on 100 acres. Wiseman paid for Mr Yapp's herd to be DNA tested for the a2 gene and 32 tested positive. They are now milked separately from the other cows to obtain the special milk.
Mr Yapp said it was a great honour to produce the milk and said the move had many benefits for his farm. He said: "It is very exciting. I milk the herd separately but for me that wasn't much hardship because we keep them in two groups when milking.
"I don't feed them anything different and get 2.5 pence per litre more than the conventional milk."
It is believed that two-thirds of people who are diagnosed as lactose intolerant could actually be intolerant to the a1 protein found in regular cows' milk. The a2 milk has been a huge success in Australia.
The first collection of a2 milk from Mr Yapp's farm was last week. Wiseman has guaranteed the price of 31.5p per litre for two years. It comes after a summer of protests by dairy farmers who supply regular milk and do not get paid enough to cover their costs. Wiseman pay 29ppl for conventional milk, but farmers claim it costs 31.5ppl to produce.
Melanie Bibby, nutrition manager for a2 Milk UK, said: "While a2 milk isn't suitable for people in Shropshire who have been diagnosed with milk allergies or lactose intolerance, it's a great option for those who suffer from an a1 milk protein intolerance."
