Leading independent UK milk payments laboratory, Eclipse Scientific Group is expanding into dairy herd recording with the acquisition of herd milk testing specialist, OnMerit.

A concept partner in the newly-launched national Centre for Dairy Information database and a key element in the CIS 1-Stop herd management system, OnMerit is the sixth acquisition by Eclipse since its management buyout last July.

It is currently being integrated into the UK's largest analytical business for the food and drink, pharmaceutical, water, environmental and animal feed industries, operating through 11 state-of-the-art laboratories across the UK and Ireland.

"Though our milk division, based on specialist labs in Somerset and Shropshire, we have long-standing expertise in milk payments testing and consultancy," pointed out Eclipse managing director, Julie Dedman. "At the same time, we also provide extensive silage, grass, feed and hygiene analyses and support to the farming industry.

"OnMerit is the ideal platform for developing our quality-driven, joined-up approach far more widely across the dairy industry in which we have always had such a strong involvement.

"For the first time ever, UK dairy herds will have access to a milk-testing service fully accredited to the same high UKAS quality assurance standards demanded by leading retailers, processors, manufacturers and Government agencies.

"I know it's not fashionable to want to invest in dairy farming just now, but we see major opportunities for harnessing the latest analytics technologies to provide higher quality as well as more rapid, economic and innovative support services to producers and processors alike.

"We are committed to playing a central role in the more integrated farm and food testing, recording and assurance services we have no doubt will be vital to the future of British dairying."