A DAIRY farmer has brought his milking processes into the 21st century thanks to a £78,000 grant.

The family-run Deighton farm has installed robotic milking equipment to streamline processes and allow for improved milk production.

Hambleton District Council’s external funding officer helped the farm business access the Rural Development Programme grant.

The farm has been in the Henry family since 1954 and had been using traditional milking methods which are now considered outdated and inefficient.

Thanks to the grant, the milking parlour has been replaced with two robotic milking systems costing almost £200,000.

The new system has meant the number of cows has been reduced but the volume of milk yielded increased – increasing profit and reducing labour costs.

Jayne Cranston, external funding officer, said: “The move towards robotic technology will allow the farm to compete in a very challenging market sector.”