FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE (July-August 2022)

Proud to support Scottish farming, and agriculture throughout the five nations

Tuathanachas Alba

magazine

Combine Harvesters Telehandlers Kelso Ram Sales Turriff Show Trailers Potatoes in Practice Perth Show

Our Farm Shop Rhug Estate Organic Farm Shop Topic Pest Control

Articles Return of Native Predators?

Food Crisis Government Support Capercaillie Conservation

Made in Scotland Hot Chefs and Heritage Meats Travel Scotland Laurencekkirk

Meet the Producers Having a Rum Time!

Advertorial Rethink your packaging

£3.75

plus

August 2022

Flavour of Scotland • The Northern Isles Beatha an Eilean • Scottish Country Life Farmhouse Kitchen including our regular news areas and columns

contents

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Topic

Perth Show Potatoes in Practice Combine Harvesters Turriff Show Telehandlers Kelso Ram Sales Trailers

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Return of native predators?

Food crisis support Capercaillie conservation

Flavour of Scotland 16

Say cheese!

Food & Drink 18

Virtual Cheese Award Winner

World Farming 22

Opportunities in the Dominican Republic

Our Farm Shop 26

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Rhug Estate Organic Farm Shop in Wales

Pest Control

Having a Rum Time!

Northern Isles Orkney & Shetland

Made in Scotland 80

Hot Chefs & Heritage Meats

Book Serialisation 84

Part 4 of Native: Life in a vanishing landscape

Beatha an Eilean 92

Life on the Islands

Scottish Country Life 93

With Linda Melllor

Women in Agriculture 98

Get to know Carole Brunton

Advertorial

Travel Scotland

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100 Laurencekirk & area

Rethink your packaging

All Editorial & PR enquiries EDITOR Athole Murray Fleming Tel. 01738 639747 E-mail: mail@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

83 News Areas

Meet the Producers

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Articles 25

81

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Features 14 20 28 40 47 64 102

August 2022

All Advertising & Editorial enquiries ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Athole Murray Fleming Tel. 01738 639747 E-mail: mail@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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Arable & Root Crops Organics Environment Science & Technology Beef Livestock Dairy Sheep Pigs Aquaculture Horses Estate Forestry Machinery Finance People Book Shelf

Columns 6 13 17 19 24 37 57 59 61 63 70 71 89 90

Editor’s Bit James Hutton Institute Scotland the Brand Scottish Government R.S.A.B.I. Farming for the Climate Quality Meat Scotland NFU Scotland The Vet Scottish Dairy Hub National Sheep Association Crofting Conservation Matters Scottish Land & Estates

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Christina Fleming Email: christina@atholedesign.com

91 95 99 123 128

Scottish Forestry Southern Belle Farm Advisory Service The Money Man

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FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE is designed, produced and published by Athole Design & Publishing Ltd., Tolastadh, 18 Corsie Drive, Kinnoull, Perth, Scotland PH2 7BU. Tel. 01738 639747 est 1994

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arable & root crops editor's bit Don’t mention Brexit!

One of my favourite TV moments comes from the wonderful Fawlty Towers, and from an episode called ‘The Germans’, where the ever more frantic Basil says, “Don’t mention the war, I did, but I think I got away with it!”….before even more mayhem unfolds and the hugely funny chaos continues.

Contrast this with the BBC News and their approach to not mentioning Brexit when reporting on staff shortages, falling exports and supply chain problems.

Their denialist “Basil moment” is to state that something has gone badly wrong “Partly due to Covid!”….at this point I don’t laugh, preferring instead to shout at the telly!

If something is going wrong ‘partly due’ to an outside effect, then there must also be another more serious element causing the problem, and in my opinion the BBC is making a deliberate editorial decision to exclude the fact that Brexit is a disaster for many businesses and industries up and down these islands.

There is nothing making me laugh about this politicised broadcasting organisation and their so obvious right-wing slant on how they report their brand of news.

Leaving out the ‘bloody obvious’ is a worrying trend in our mainstream media, as is the ownership and the right leaning power that funds and supports them.

Brexit is real, it is damaging, NHS losing recruitment from Europe, businesses are having to cease trading, and the whole thing was a highly stupid act of selfharm based on lies and sadly not a little elitist xenophobia whipped up for good measure.

As for the BBC and Basil Fawlty?

The first one I don’t trust anymore, and the second one should stand for PM, after all, “Things can only get better”, right?

Oops, nearly swallowed my tongue there!

Slàinte, Athole.

Wheat growers to be spoilt for choice this autumn Arable farmers will have ample choice when selecting an autumn wheat variety with five new varieties on the Recommended List.

Wynnstay’s head of seeds, Toby Reich, shares that the new wheat varieties - KWS Dawsum, Champion, Typhoon, RGT Stokes and Bairstow are all strong varieties with good agronomic packages, and regional demand.

“The new varieties will complement three exceptional varieties already established in the market; Extase, Graham and Gleam,” he says. “Despite the high number of wheat varieties to choose from, there’s clear differentiation between them. Growers can make informed choices based on their region, rotation, or market they’re selling into.

“Champion, the highest yielding variety this year, is best suited to drilling from early

October onwards. For more flexible sowing across the UK, I would opt for KWS Dawsum, which has the best combined grain quality and yield,” Mr Reich advises.

“RGT Stokes is the ‘true growers’ variety’,” he adds. “It provides big tiller numbers and biomass, making it an excellent

choice for feed and straw, while it also scores ‘good’ for distilling quality.”

In the barley market, the new entrants are not so plentiful. Mr Reich notes it is the increased availability of varieties which were in short supply last year, which will be most beneficial to growers”.

Yara and Cranfield University partner to research and trial organo-mineral fertilisers Yara has announced a new partnership with Cranfield University as part of the latter’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programme, a three-way venture between a business, a UK university, and a Post-Doctoral researcher. The purpose of this partnership will be to research and trial organomineral fertilisers (OMF), a product that will help growers to add organic matter and create a larger ‘nutrient store’ in their soil for long-term yield resilience.

“The partnership is a funding mechanism that creates www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

arable & root crops a mutually beneficial knowledge exchange between industry and academia,” says Dr Ruben Sakrabani, Associate Professor in Soil Chemistry. “Fertiliser prices are skyrocketing, alongside other challenges. Yara is championing this OMF project and Cranfield aims to provide vital scientific insights over a 30-month period.”

This KTP partnership will be facilitated by Dr Emma Burak, the Associate of the KTP who will act as the bridge between Yara and Cranfield. Her research will combine ongoing trials and lab work.

“The main investigation will be regarding the efficacy of OMF, as well as their environmental impact,” says Emma. “These are quite broad questions, which we will hone and refine as time goes on. Current trials show no yield deficit when switching to OMF products and trials will run across multiple sites, mainly focusing on the major crops.”

This will, in turn, help Yara to create more sustainable fertiliser products. “Whether it’s green ammonia or OMF, Yara

wants to help growers become more sustainable,” says Natalie Wood, Agronomy Operations Manager at Yara. “That becomes

possible when we become more sustainable ourselves and find ways to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Cereal choices for autumn 2022

Now into early summer, we look ahead with Hutchinsons National Seed Manager David Bouch, to autumn 2022 and some of the varietal considerations to be made

Winter wheat There are no dramatic changes in this sector in my view. Skyfall, Zyatt, Crusoe and Illustrious for the NABIM Group 1 market with Crusoe being the preferred quality and the best converter of Nitrogen to protein. (Milling premiums are currently an unknown quantity) I would advise that growing Group one wheats is only suited to those who can consistently produce

full spec, otherwise the risks are too high.

Group 2 will remain in the clutch of KWS Extase with its

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very high untreated yield and a realistic end market. Mayflower, new to the AHDB list, offers excellent untreated yield, but

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arable & root crops is behind Extase when treated scores are considered.

Group 3 has several new additions, although I believe that LG Astronomer still has the best all -round package. Not the highest yield, but sufficient, given its excellent grain quality and good agronomics. KWS Guium is now the highest yielding Group 3, but I would like it to have better septoria resistance. RGT Rashid has the best septoria score in the sector but offers no yield advantage over LG Astronomer. Both Rashid and Guium have OWBM resistance.

Group 4 wheats see LG Skyscraper with 10% of the market and being challenged by newcomer RGT Bairstow with a step up in septoria resistance compared to the market leader.

Both need a robust PGR programme. Saki will still have support, especially where early drilled.

In the hard endosperm group, the two new varieties added offer high yield with strong disease and OWBM resistance. Champion is the highest yielding variety on the list. It will find strong demand, with limited seed supply. KWS Dawsum has outstanding grain quality with a bushel weight of nearly 80 and a Hagberg over 300. When this is coupled with a very good agronomic package (only Extase has higher untreated yield) and good standing ability, it will find a big market. Dawsum does not have OWBM resistance like Champion, but this should not hold it back, as it is also the

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highest yielding variety in the West.

Gleam, SY Insitor and Graham will undoubtedly remain popular, whilst newcomer LG Typhoon will attract support and interest with a consistent yield in all regions and very strong agronomics.

Winter barley Not many additions to the AHDB winter barley list offer an improvement on last year.

Hyvido choices should be relatively straight forward with Kingsbarn, Thunderbolt and Belmont being logical selections, however Javelin can still offer an alternative. Concerns about its higher brackling score are certainly understood, but with its earlier ripening than its competitors and its outstanding Rhynchosporium score it should not be discounted.

Moving onto conventional six rows, newcomer KWS Feeris presents this option with the bonus of BYDV tolerance coupled with good bushel weight and very low screenings.

Finally, the two row barleys are a very simple choice. Craft and Electrum remain the preferred malting varieties with the end users and in the feed market its KWS Tardis, Bolton, Bordeaux and LG Lightning, in that order, with Tardis being the outstanding choice.

Winter Oats and Hybrid Rye Mascani remains the most popular variety with oat millers and growers, being less susceptible to

mildew than most recommended varieties and with moderate resistance to crown rust. RGT Southwark provides the highest yield on the Recommended List, but the millers drive variety choice.

Hybrid Rye builds in popularity, with high grain

yields competing with many second wheats, high blackgrass suppression, high straw yield, excellent drought tolerance and developing end markets. Varieties Poseidon, Helltop, SU Performer, Serafino and Tayo are key options for autumn 2022.

Celebrating 50 years of the British Agriculture Bureau

The four UK farming unions (NFU Scotland, NFU, NFU Cymru and Ulster Farmers’ Union) have marked a milestone of 50 years of the British Agriculture Bureau (BAB) being established in Brussels, celebrating all it has achieved over the last halfcentury and its continued support of UK farmers and growers as it builds a new relationship with the European Union (EU).

Over the years the BAB office has helped UK farmers to navigate and adapt to huge changes; from the introduction of direct payments to the end of quotas, embracing new technology and innovation as it came along, adjusting to the introduction of the World Trade Organization, and striving to meet new environmental targets.

To this day, BAB continues to advocate on behalf of

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its farming members to the European institutions, other European partners and Brussels stakeholders.

Guests joined the UK farming unions to celebrate this work, including MEPs, members of the EU Agriculture Commissioner’s cabinet, the UK ambassadors to the EU and Belgium, and members of the European farming group Copa-Cogeca.

In a joint statement, the UK farming union Presidents said: “Even though the UK has left the EU, it has never been more important for farmers across Europe to work together to tackle the challenges we face on a global scale.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shone a light on the fragility of food systems across the world. There are many countries now confronting the reality of how farmers can continue to feed the world when

arable & root crops supply chains are pushed to their limits, input costs are soaring, and climate change is wreaking havoc on harvests.

“But the war has also demonstrated the importance of

international unity. Ultimately, if we are to feed 10 billion people by 2050, global food security must be a priority, and this means working together across borders to find solutions”.

Stress factors add to Alternaria risk

Stress factors set to hit potato crops could increase the risk of Alternaria (early blight) outbreaks, warns Syngenta Technical Manager, Andy Cunningham.

Many crops are still suffering the adverse effects of exceptionally low rainfall this spring, while the hugely inflated cost of fertiliser has seen potato growers cut back nutritional inputs to the bare minimum.

“Any agronomic factor that increases stress on the crop can act as a precursor for Alternaria infection, as well as the severity of the outbreak,” he advised.

“Early season infection and subsequent loss of leaf area inevitably has a greater impact on yield.”

With the onset of stress effects, Mr Cunningham believes

growers should look to consider Alternaria protection earlier in their blight programme, as fungicide control of the pathogen must be applied preventatively.

“Alternaria treatments have historically been focussed to start around the end of June or beginning of July,” he said.

“Where growers have identified an increased risk of stress, or have historically suffered from Alternaria losses, however, that may need to be brought forward this season.”

To counter the Alternaria threat, Mr Cunningham advocated growers and agronomists utilise Amphore Plus through the primary risk period incorporating the strong late blight protection of mandipropamid with the Alternaria activity of difenoconazole.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out September 2022 Subscription page 125 www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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arable & root crops How to provide for rapid growth in maize

Maize can grow quickly over a short period of time. It’s therefore essential that farmers provide for this growth window by ensuring the crop first develops a healthy root system. Natalie Wood, Agronomy Operations Manager at Yara claims that without an extensive root system, the crop will be unable to absorb all the nutrients it needs to sustain such rapid growth.

“It’s common to see a production of 50 t/ha of fresh weight in a Maize crop over a four month period,” says Natalie, “but this is only possible if you’ve achieved optimal crop establishment to preserve its future growth potential.”

Managing growing conditions The best way to secure a good root system is to ensure the crop has sufficient access to phosphate. But phosphate is highly soluble so if maize 10

is drilled into a cold and wet soil, there will be little to no phosphate availability. “One way to get around this difficulty is to apply phosphate at the same time as drilling to provide the crop with immediate access to the nutrient, enabling it to grow a resilient root system quickly,” explains Natalie.

But just as we solve one weather inducing issue, another occurs. After a relatively sunny spring with very few April showers, the resulting dry soils can cause further problems.

General nutrient availability decreases in the kind of dry soil we’re managing at the moment. This will also hinder root development, adversely affecting establishment in that key growth window.

“Doing the same thing every time will never deliver optimum results every year because you’re dealing with different weather

conditions, changes to input costs and evolving soil fertility” says Natalie. “So, the best we can do is anticipate and respond to conditions as quickly as possible to maximise a good return.”

Faced with difficulties in getting nutrients to the crop via the soil, an excellent alternative is foliar application of nutrients.

Applying foliar phosphate direct to the crop is the best way to ensure your growing maize crop has access to the right nutrients at the right time, allowing it to develop a healthy, robust root system and direct energy to growth when it matters most.

“Although we often accept that there’s nothing we can do about the weather, if we are clever, we can take action to protect our crops from the stress that adverse weather can cause.” Natalie goes on to say that “biostimulents have shown

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excellent promise in protecting crops from abiotic stress caused by inclement weather such as drought. Trial work carried out in the UK in 2021 to investigate the effectiveness of biostimulants saw a maize yield increase of up to 4.4t/ha.”

By tackling the problem from both angles – protection through biostimulants and feeding the crop through foliar applications, we can secure an efficient, healthy crop that delivers a good return.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out September 2022

arable & root crops Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year announced at Cereals Winner of Syngenta’s Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year is Steve May, arable foreman at Fromant & Sanders, Clarkes Lodge, Kislingbury, Northamptonshire.

Mr May is back in the final four years after making the top six in 2018. He does all the spraying on 810ha of arable crops across both owned and contract farmed land.

Syngenta application specialist Scott Cockburn was one of the judges, and said he was impressed by improvements in the spraying logistics on the farm, which boasts a new chemical store and water supply.

“Mr May is always seeking knowledge and not sitting back,”

he said. “He is consistently trying to improve his understanding and has shown this by acquiring the BASIS diploma and FACTS qualification. He is well organised and his attention to detail is very impressive.”

Mr May said he was excited to win the award, which includes a trip to the 2023 Agritechnica event in Hannover, Germany. “I am honoured and pleased to have won,” he said. “I try to improve all the time, year-on-year in what I do. I would like to continue doing what I am doing but also to look into collaboration with the Voluntary Initiative. I feel I have something to give to that.”

He also has a top spraying tip.

“Home-made, extended tractor

mudguards protect nozzles and keep the sprayer clean in the field as well as preventing mud being thrown onto passing traffic on the road.”

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The Syngenta Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year trophy was presented at Cereals by Jonathan Halstead, managing director at Syngenta UK.

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arable & root crops Seed potato trade deadlock with Europe continues to anger and frustrate Scottish growers The ongoing post-Brexit ban on selling seed potatoes to the valuable European market continues to anger and frustrate Scottish growers.

The Union is calling for urgent action from the EU Commission and the UK Government to agree a new model for two-way trade in seed potatoes between GB, the EU and Northern Ireland, but fears that politics will continue to rob Scottish growers of a valuable market.

The Trade and Co-operation Agreement with Europe, announced at the end of 2020 as part of Brexit, failed to agree equivalence on seed potatoes, resulting in significant prohibitions on Scottish seed exports to the EU and Northern Ireland. The consequence for growers was immediate and remain in force.

Pre-Brexit, Scotland exported around 20,000 tonnes of high health seed potatoes, worth almost £11 million, to Europe each year.

Scotland exported seed to 18 EU countries in 2020/21.

However, imports of seed potatoes from the EU to GB have been made possible, with

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Defra permitting the importation providing they are not used for ‘marketing purposes.’ This has meant the internal GB market for seed potatoes has not developed as much as it could have done, to the detriment of Scottish seed growers.

Last week, NFU Scotland President Martin Kennedy, Vice Presidents Andrew Connon and Robin Traquair accompanied Robin Manning and Jenny Brunton from the UK Unions’ Brussels office to meet officials from DG SANTE - the European Commission's Directorate-General responsible for policy on food safety and health.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Kennedy said: “The current deadlock on the trade of seed potatoes from GB to the EU and Northern Ireland continues to cause huge amounts of anger for growers.

“This was a robust meeting with officials in Brussels but, frustratingly, the UK and the EU remain at loggerheads on this matter, and it is Scottish seed potato growers who are paying the price for an issue that is becoming increasingly political”.

Top Quality Onions for Quality Fruit & Veg Ltd with new optical sorting line

One of the UK’s most advanced onion handling lines is ensuring first-class quality onions for Peterborough-based onion packer and wholesaler Quality Fruit and Veg Ltd (QFV).

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Designed by leading UK manufacturer Tong Engineering, the new optical onion sorting solution at QFV has been custom-built to utilise the company’s existing

infeed equipment and replace traditional grading facilities with high-performance optical sorting technology from French machinery manufacturer MAF Agrobotic. These new upgrades combined are significantly reducing labour requirements whilst increasing capacity and yield across the company’s onion processing operations.

With annual onion processing totalling over 20,000 tons of crop, Quality Fruit & Veg Ltd works closely with its dedicated growers to ensure only the highest quality produce. “The new optical onion sorting facility from Tong is a big investment for QFV,” says Muzzafar Ali, company director at Quality Fruit & Veg Ltd. “The availability of suitable labour continues to be a big challenge in our industry, whilst demand for our produce continues to grow. We needed a more automated handling line which allows us to guarantee the quality and availability of our produce. By optically sorting crop, we are able to achieve much more consistent sorting and production.”

The new system at QFV is fed by infeed equipment which receives onions transported fresh from the field to QFV via bulker lorries. Once onions are received onto the line, onions are topped with QFV’s existing fan topper to ensure the best presentation of crop to the MAF sorter, for optimum sizing and defect sorting.

The new system sees topped onions now being transferred to MAF’s flagship optical sorting machine, the Pomone, which weight-grades crop as well as externally and internally sorting with an advanced camera system which is fine-tuned to suit the exact specification of QFV’s range of wholesale customers. The 6-lane model of the Pomone at QFV is sorting crop at an average capacity of 18 tons per hour with an average onion weight of 130 grams. The machine is capable of capacities over 18 tons per hour and larger models can be specified for processing over 30 tons per hour.

‘Fight Against Blight’ to continue for 2022 season Work by researchers at the James Hutton Institute that helps protect Scotland’s valuable potato crop against late blight is to continue thanks to funding from the Scottish Government for the Fight Against Blight (FAB) campaign in 2022. There had been uncertainty over the ?????????????????/ future of the project following the end of AHDB Potatoes operations last year.

Professor Gerry Saddler, Head of SASA, and Chief Plant Health Officer for Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government are providing interim support for this important initiative in recognition of the needs of the Scottish potato industry.”

As in previous seasons, the work is based on monitoring of Phytophthora infestans populations by a network of agronomists, growers and industry representatives who submit field samples from suspected late blight outbreaks around the country.

The 2022 effort will include the annual sampling of late blight outbreaks by these FAB Scouts and then the characterisation of pathogen populations. In work led by Dr Alison Lees, fungicide sensitivity testing will be carried out once again for a selection of active ingredients.

Feedback will be provided to scouts throughout the season and, in combination with the summary at the

end of the season, updates the potato industry on best-practice for late blight management.

Project leader Dr David Cooke of the James Hutton Institute said: “This is great news for growers and the sector more widely, and it’s also great news for the longerterm research effort that supports this area. Detecting any shifts in the population as early as possible is key to understanding the threat levels, how the blight pathogen is evolving, and the responses required.”

For season 2022, previously registered FAB Scouts will automatically receive sampling packs for this continuation work. New scouts wishing to register and submit samples, or any scouts with other queries, should contact fab@hutton.

ac.uk. A dedicated website will be forthcoming, and scouts will be kept informed of any developments and relevant new information.

Any sample packs, prepaid envelopes and FTA cards from previous seasons can still be used.

The situation for late blight risk monitoring and response beyond 2022 is currently under discussion between a range of industry stakeholders to resource ongoing work in this area for 2023 and beyond.

The James Hutton Institute is a world-leading scientific research organisation working to resolve global challenges in food, climate, energy and water security. The Institute works in partnership with people, organisations and governments to enhance sustainable environmental, social and economic development to deliver practical solutions for our shared future. www.hutton.ac.uk

PERTH SHOW 2022

Showtime returns to Perth It's back!

Perth Show - the city’s longest running two-day family event stampedes back to the city's South Inch this August after a two-year Covid imposed absence.

And the eagerly awaited 160th annual agricultural showcase is set to be a real crowd pleaser for farmers and general public alike.

The unique event - Scotland’s only agricultural show to be held in a city centre - will take place on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th August.

Perth Show competes with the best in Scotland and organisers are keen to provide “something for everyone” as they cater for a public deprived of the district’s largest agricultural showcase since 2019.

"Perth Show has grown from being simply an annual gathering of the farming community to a much-loved and anticipated outing for the general public from both Perthshire and beyond," said Show secretary Neil Forbes.

"Everyone has missed the fun and fellowship that the two-day

event brings over the past two years and we're confident this year's 160th Show will re-establish it as a 'must-see' on the local and national events calendar."

And the organising team, under the chairmanship of Mark Mitchell - who uniquely retained his title for three years in order to host his first physical show - is guaranteeing some new attractions for this year's spectacular.

"In addition to all the livestock and equestrian classes that everyone has come to enjoy, we have a full programme of entertainment," said Neil.

"This includes the first ever Scottish agricultural show outing for Pig Racing, with all the fun and frolics of these captivating porky entertainers."

New features including donkey rides, children's races and dedicated dog show all join this year's line-up alongside the hurdling piggies.

And favourites such as the Grand Parade of Champions, Vintage Vehicle show, Perthshire

Perth Show Chairman Mark Mitchell

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On A Plate Food Festival, Scotland's national farrier team and a wealth of trade and craft stands will all return alongside some of the best farming stock in the country, "The farming world hasn't been idle during the past two years and we're looking forward to seeing some new champions among the livestock classes which attract entries from all across Scotland for cattle, sheep, horses, donkeys and goats," said Neil.

"It's great for the exhibitors to be back in the ring and for the agricultural community to showcase the best of the best," he added. "With everything from showjumping to shopping and machinery to music, Perth Show continues to offer a great day out for everyone."

This year's Perth Show is backed by a wealth of sponsors including key funders Binn Group, Morris Leslie Group, A-Plan Rural Insurance, Bell Ingram, E Q Accountants and Netherton and Westbank Equestrian.

PERTH SHOW 2022 And Chairman Mark Mitchell is quick to recognise the vital input of sponsors to the running of the Show.

“We simply couldn’t stage a Show without the support of our sponsors and volunteer teams,” he said.

“The whole Show is put together by volunteers and funded by businesses and individuals who recognise the value of such an event to Perthshire, the public and our farming and equestrian communities. We can’t thank them enough.”

Favourite attractions set to return this year to delight the crowds include the spectacle of ridden Clydesdale horses - a class which debuted in 2019 thrilling everyone who witnessed the magnificent giants thundering across the show ring at the canter and setting the turf trembling.

“This is something that few people will ever have witnessed,” explained Neil, “and it’s a joy for Perth Show to host this ‘must see’ attraction for a second time.”

Four-legged friends of the canine variety will also take centre stage this year as Perth Show creates a “show within a show” to cater for the country’s ballooning number of dog lovers.

“We’ve always welcomed lots of dogs to the show ground over the two days,” said Mark, “so this year we’re giving them something special - their own show!”

The Perth Show Dog Show will feature a selection of classes open to all comers and ranging from those that recognise poise and pedigree to those that favour cuteness and character.

“During Covid the country went dog-tastic and we wanted to build on the success of our inaugural dog show in 2019 by creating something significant that

dog owners could really enjoy.

“We’ve also secured bookings from a wealth of canine product suppliers and producers to create a dedicated dog section.”

Friday at Perth Show focuses on the equestrian world with classes ranging from tiny ponies to statuesque hunters, who make way on Saturday for their showjumping cousins, heavy horses and carriage driving teams.

"This year's Show will continue to feature many of the traditional aspects of agricultural shows loved and valued by generations of farmers, as well as a growing array of new and exciting visitor attractions," said Neil.

"No matter where you are in the show ground or what day it is, there will be something to get involved with, compete in or marvel over - whether it's watching a chef in action, strolling through the livestock pens, trying your hand at a challenging sideshow, enjoying hospitality at one of the many trade and business stands, pouring over the latest state-ofthe-art machinery, watching the champions on parade, chatting with the experts, stopping for a tasty bite or a drink at the food pavilion or concession offerings, shopping from the wide range of goods and crafts or cheering on your favourite tug-o-war team.

"It's two days of constant and widespread entertainment and engagement that we feel sure will appeal to both farmers and townsfolk,” Perth Show has always prided itself on being a window to the world of agriculture and a learning ground for youngsters.

Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), who have captivated Show-goers in recent years with their hands on displays and interactive displays including a

lambing simulator, an oilseed rape press and their ever-popular Daisy - the milking cow, will play a key part in that education - as will the farmers and livestock themselves.

"It's not just educational," said Mark. "For some it's a case of awe and wonder, being up close to a Charolais bull or a giant beautifully harnessed Clydesdale is awesome when you're only a few feet high!

And what child doesn't delight in the cute pygmy goats and enchanting Highland cattle. It's a first sighting for many youngsters and our exhibitors are only too happy to chat with the kids and tell them all about their animals and life on the farm."

Saturday at Perth Show also traditionally recognises those workers who have dedicated a lifetime to local agriculture through the presentation of Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland Long Service Medals.

This year will see 40-year service medals go to farm workers and tractor men Sandy Baird at

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Milton of Collace Farm, Burrelton and George Godfrey at Fullerton Farm, Meigle.

The farming community has been straining at the leash to return to a busy agricultural show calendar in Scotland this year, with potential livestock champions being groomed and pampered in time for the August 5 and 6 showdown at Perth.

And the equestrian following is also delighted to have Perth Show back in their diaries with entries from far and wide lining up to compete in a busy competition schedule.

But Mark is looking forward to his own favourite moment to savour.

"When I hear the excited buzz and the happy vibe of a busy show ground and know that we've done everything properly to make people want to return to Perth Show and enjoy themselves, then I'll be content that my time as Chairman was a success - albeit the most prolonged in our Society's history!"

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FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND

Waitrose and M&S put Highland Fine Cheeses on the shelves

Highland Fine Cheeses, maker of iconic brands such as Caboc and Strathdon Blue, is celebrating the success of its advance into lucrative English markets from its base in the farming community of Tain in Ross-shire.

The family firm, which has been delivering high-quality produce since the fifties, had until the turn of the century focused on distinctive Scottish cheeses such as Caboc and Crowdie for the domestic Scottish market.

It now specialises in blue, brie and washed rind cheeses, which make up 90% of its output, and which have attracted the attention of influential wholesalers such as Rowcliffe, the UK’s leading importer and distributor of quality cheese and fine foods.

Highland’s relationship the Kent-based giant means that its cheeses will now feature in Waitrose selection boxes sold from its deli counters across the UK, as part of the chain’s lockdowninspired support for artisanal cheesemakers.

In another first, the company’s Morangie Brie, named after the Glen of Tranquility, is being promoted by M&S at its outlets across London.

Owner Rory Stone, whose parents established the near-£2 million turnover company, said: “Rowcliffe has been a vital part of our expansion into the rest of the UK, and is taking our products in the direction we need to go in order to maintain what in recent years has been quite extraordinary growth.

“We have had a long-term connection with Rowcliffe which, like us, is a family concern. Until recently, we featured primarily in its Scottish range, and achieved great sales on occasions such as Burns Night and St Andrew’s Day. “Now it is promoting us to much bigger, UK-wide companies, 16

which I believe is a recognition of our ability to consistently deliver a quality product and to handle the volumes which these new markets will demand.”

Rowcliffe is now among Highland’s top five customers, taking 10% of its output. Other major buyers include French food conglomerate Lactalis, Aldi,Lidl, Crest, Clark Speciality Foods, Braehead Foods and Williamson Food Service.

Its range – creamy Caboc, pungent, washed rind Minger, Gruyere-style Fat Cow, Skinny and Black Crowdie, Highland and Morangie Brie, Blue Murder, Strathdon Blue and Tain Cheddar – has won a number of national and international awards.

Mr Stone added: “It used to be that 90% of what we sold was Caboc and Crowdie. But tastes change and now these items account for only 10% of production. Consumers have been exposed to much more variety and there is a voracious appetite for quality.

“Despite challenges in the form of soaring raw materials – milk prices have gone up by 60% - as well as energy and labour costs, we are now very well

positioned to flourish in a greatly expanded territory.”

Sunit Mehta, Managing Director of Rowcliffe said: “We are proud of the relationships we have with our artisan supplier partners and we provide a

platform for them to supply products to independent and multiple retail customers.”

Highland Fine Cheeses employs 13 people and is now actively recruiting to sustain growth.

Quality Meat Scotland sizzles with summer campaign As consumer trends change, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) is placing a greater focus on targeted marketing than ever before with its forthcoming

campaign, pursuing an insightdriven strategy that is aligning with the core values of the target audience, ensuring that appetites for red meat continue to rise and

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Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork remain keystones of the weekly shop.

With eight million 18–39-year-olds in the UK

FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND

Scotland The Brand

The Growing Move to Land-Based Learning

By Ruth Watson

identifying as flexitarian, the movement, which sees consumers buying less, but better-quality meat, is rapidly gaining momentum. To these consumers, sustainability, animal welfare, traceability and local produce are all key to their buying behaviour, as is the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet.

With these ethical, environmental and health considerations in mind, the quality assurances and nutritional credentials of the Scotch brands are well placed to motivate consumers to trade up to better quality, high welfare, locally reared meat, even in the face of economic uncertainty.

Adopting a social media first strategy that is in tune with their lives and lifestyles, QMS will be connecting with this audience through compelling Instagram and Facebook posts and partnerships with TikTok influencers that showcases ‘Cred’, or the credibility underpinning the Scotch and Specially Selected labels.

Lesley Cameron, Marketing and Communications Director at QMS says: “We are committed to having authentic, positive conversations about red meat

consumption, and it is projected that we will reach 75% of our target audience with this new approach that centres around key consumption moments throughout the week and recipes that will make your meat products go further.

“Our brands are constantly evolving, and that is why we see these changing market dynamics and consumer behaviours as an opportunity rather than a threat.

As long as we continue to work closely with our processors and retailers to understand their needs, red meat will remain a staple on shelves and at the heart of weekly meal times.”

Last year’s summer campaign reached 3.1 million adults in Scotland and delivered a £3 return for every £1 spent on beef in retail. ‘Make It With Cred’ will further strengthen consumer understanding around what buying Scotch really means, how to cook economically with red meat and to reduce food waste.

Keep up to date with the marketing campaign via the @ MakeItScotch social channels, or find out more about the Scotch brands at https://www. qmscotland.co.uk/

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Scotland’s farmers work hard to put high quality produce on our plates. Brexit has seen workforce numbers plummet, putting significant pressure on the sector. The Scottish Government is working to develop landbased learning, from primary school pupils through to the new National 4 ‘Skills For Work’ qualification. The idea is to for school-leavers to have a clear understanding of the opportunities available in agriculture and horticulture so a career on the land is an appealing prospect.

“There are more than 80 different roles in the sector; the diversity and innovation is huge. There are so many opportunities for school leavers and people looking to change career later in life,” says Gail Robertson, Group Operation Manager for Ringlink. She is part of the Land-based Learning Commission, a review body set up by the Scottish Government. With rural skills education now established in schools across the country and career opportunities in the sector being actively encouraged, it came as a shock to many when Dundee and Angus College announced it is considering

closing the land-based courses they have been offering for 30 years.

Peter Beattie lectures in Agriculture at Dundee and Angus College. He has worked to develop a course which gives students practical experience of work on local farms, delivering the experience and insight classrooms alone can’t provide. He thinks the growing emphasis on rural skills in schools is key: “We need to find ways to support Dundee and Angus College. I’m sure they don’t want to cut the courses. We need to fill those classes with keen students who have a career path ahead of them.

The industry has a responsibility to advocate for agricultural skills and we need schools to explain to pupils and parents the amazing opportunities agriculture provides.”

As Scotland works to develop food security in the face of the cost-of-living crisis and Brexit, encouraging school leavers to consider careers on the land is taking on new importance for us all.

Ruth Watson is the founder of the Keep Scotland the Brand campaign.

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food & drink Whey to go! Keens Cheddar crowned Supreme Champion at the Virtual Cheese Awards 2022 In a gripping final filled with good-old fashioned cheese intrigue, Somerset-based Keens Cheddar fought off over 200 British cheeses to be crowned Supreme Champion and Best of British Cheese at the Virtual Cheese Awards 2022.

This was the third year of the UK’s only online cheese awards.

The final was held on Friday 13th May 2022, unlucky for some but not for Keens Cheddar’s traditional raw milk extra mature cheddar which went through three separate judging rounds to be named the top cheese of the year.

Keen's Cheddar is made by James Keen and family using milk from their own herd of cows fed on the lush pasture around their Somerset farm. The clothbound cheddar is matured for at least 12 months giving it a rich creamy flavour.

The Extra Mature ages for at least 20 months, that impressed the judges. Judges noted that the cheddar was a “fantastic example of a mature cheddar which ticks all the boxes. It is beautifully balanced with complex flavours.

Superb job.”

James Keen, head cheesemaker at Keens Cheddar said; “Winning the prestigious Supreme Champion Award at the 2022 Virtual Cheese Awards has, without a doubt, made our year!

“The concept of having live virtual judging is simply a genius idea. It creates a unique opportunity for anybody to peak behind the curtain and learn the intricacies of the industry from a first-class line up of judges who know their curds from their whey.”

Silver was awarded to Blackwood’s Cheese Company for Edmund Tew, a washed rind raw milk soft cows cheese 18

made with organic milk farmed on a regenerative system and Cropwell Bishop’s Classic Blue Stilton was awarded bronze.

The Virtual Cheese Awards was created in 2020 by Sarah de Wit to celebrate and support Britain’s world-leading cheese industry. It aims to demystify cheese awards by making the judging process completely transparent and open to everyone. This unique process helps celebrate creativity and gives cheesemakers valuable feedback from some of the most influential cheese experts in the country.

The five-and a half hour LIVE final took place on Friday 13th May 2022 hosted by BBC broadcaster and local food and drink champion, Nigel Barden and was beamed online to 1000s of cheese fans who watched the cheese action unfold.

Sarah de Wit, co-founder of the Virtual Cheese Awards and Cheese & Dairy consultant said: “It was such a thrilling final and it was wonderful that Keens Cheddar won Supreme Champion and Best of British cheese with its iconic extra mature cheddar.

We only started the Virtual Cheese Awards as a one-off in the pandemic so it’s so amazing to see how its grown in its third year. The passion, prowess and perfectionist nature of the British cheese industry was woven into every aspect of the 2022 awards and was a showcase for how our industry is the best in the world bar none”.

The final featured seven final cheese categories which were all judged by a panel of cheese experts who work at supermarkets, cheesemongers and in the cheese industry. The categories included Cheddar,

Speciality, Artisan Hard and Soft, Territorial, Enhanced and Blue cheese categories.

James Keen, head cheesemaker at Keens Cheddar adds; “Our flagship mature cheddar is aged for 12 months in our cheese stores to produce a smooth creamy cheese. It carries a multitude of delightful flavours that develop into a cacophony of savoury, grassy and herby notes, and sometimes into a wonderfully surprising fruity flavour. As skilled artisans, we can spot which cheddars have the

potential to become outstanding when aged for longer.

“However, cheddar cheese in its cotton cloth needs care to bring out the best characteristics, and this is where the skill of the affineur comes to play.

We use our five generations of experience to ensure our Keen's Extra Mature Cheddar maintains the smooth texture and the flavours grow to an almostlost-forever traditional cheddar experience. Lingering for a long while on the tongue but lasting forever in the memory.”

Scotland's Good Food Nation Bill a step in the right direction, say campaigners The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill, passed in Parliament last week, has been warmly welcomed by the Scottish Food Coalition. Its passing marks a seminal moment in Scottish food policy, through the creation of a

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strong and cohesive legislative pathway that will help facilitate and deliver a better food system for Scotland. Many challenges remain, though, and swift progress must now be made to build on the momentum created

food & drink by the Bill and deliver its vision for Scotland’s food system.

Scotland is the first of the UK devolved nations to create a food law of this nature and the Bill was passed with the unanimous support of the Scottish Parliament.

This is a progressive step and a clear response to growing public concerns about food in recent years. Campaigning by citizens, NGOs, food banks, trade unions and farming organisations has not let up. In the last two weeks alone, over 850 letters have been sent by members of the public in support of the Bill and the Food Commission.

This new legislation requires Scottish Ministers, local authorities and health boards to produce National and Local Food Plans and report regularly on progress. The plans will need to consider a broad range of foodrelated issues, including social and economic wellbeing, the environment, animal welfare, health outcomes and child poverty.

Crucially, the Bill establishes a new independent statutory body – a Food Commission – to support and review the delivery of the plans. This legislation is the first attempt to take a systemsbased approach to food issues, by acknowledging explicitly the many elements involved in getting food from farm to plate as well as their wider impacts on nature and climate, health and wellbeing, and local economic development.

Although the Bill itself, and its associated measures, represent real progress, more will be needed to address the many systemic issues impacting our food system – e.g. increasing household food insecurity, health-related food concerns and the lack of food workers’ rights. Not putting the Right to Food into Scots law and the absence of targets as part of the Bill are seen as missed opportunities. It is imperative that targets now be embedded into the food plans and the Scottish Government must hold to its promise to include and incorporate the Right to Food in forthcoming Human Rights legislation.

Professor Mary Brennan, SFC Chair said: "After a long and winding journey, we warmly welcome

the passing of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Bill. Whilst congratulating all the efforts made to date, the hard work is only really beginning to deliver on the Scottish Government’s vision for a Good Food Nation for all.

Going forward, it is essential a strong, agile and dynamic independent Scottish Food Commission emerges and that coherent national and local food plans are developed that support and drive forward better outcomes for all.

Going forward, we remain steadfastly committed to delivering on the purpose and vision of the GFN Bill. We look forward to providing support and guidance in the creation and work of the new Food Commission whilst continuing to robustly represent the voices and lived experiences of civil society stakeholders from across our food system.”

Vicki Swales, Head of Land Use Policy at RSPB Scotland said: “We face a nature and climate emergency and our food system is a significant contributor to this. We must transition as fast as possible to more environmentally sustainable food production and consumption. National and local food plans, scrutinised by the new Food Commission, must set out clearly how we are going to do this.”

Despite the commitments to create a Food Commission, more work is needed to truly change Scotland’s food system.

Polly Jones, Head of Scotland at Trussell Trust said: "Food insecurity is rising across Scotland because people do not have enough money from work and social security to buy the essentials. The Good Food Nation Bill was an opportunity to tackle these systemic issues and create the framework for a better food system – and it falls far short.”

Polly Jones added: "Together with the Scottish Food Coalition, we will continue campaigning for statutory targets to reduce food insecurity, to enshrine the right to food in Scots Law and for universal free school meals for every child.

We can't be a good food nation when thousands of Scots are going hungry”.

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Agricultural shows are back – let’s support them

By Mairi Gougeon Across Scotland this summer, agricultural shows are making a welcome return to the rural calendar.

Over the past two years, the pandemic saw many of these events cancelled, reduced or moved online, so I am really looking forward to attending some of these in person.

It has been a challenging time for agricultural show organisers and I would like to pay tribute to the hard-working teams, often volunteers, whose year-round efforts ensure these events are a success and enjoyed by locals and visitors from all walks of life. There is something for everyone.

These shows highlight the incredible range of high-quality ingredients and nutritious food and drink made in Scotland.

They are also a platform for the industry to demonstrate the leading role it is playing in helping us achieve our Net Zero ambitions by producing our food in an increasingly environmentally sustainable way.

For equipment manufacturers and service providers, these occasions are also great opportunities to engage with their key customer base and generate sales.

With an increasing interest in how our food is produced, transported and prepared – from farm gate to plate – agricultural shows are a fantastic way for consumers to learn more about farming and engage with industry leaders in person.

For many, the flagship agricultural event each year is the Royal Highland Show, which celebrates its bicentenary in 2022 with a packed programme of events and displays.

The Royal Highland Show has an international reach and reputation. This year, funding from the Scottish Government of £200,000 will extend that reach by supporting the Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland to use digital technology to stream parts of the show to audiences at home and abroad.

I am keen to see how this technology is deployed and explore how it can be used to showcase Scotland on the global stage in other ways.

Agricultural shows are a tradition that stretches across generations and are eagerly anticipated, but they can only continue if they are supported and I would encourage people to go along and enjoy one if they can.

Potatoes in Practice 2022: An unmissable date in the potato calendar Potatoes in Practice, the UK’s largest field event for potatoes a highlight of the season, brings the sector together to view variety demonstrations, learn about current and new research while viewing trade exhibits in one place.

PIP is set to return to Balruddery Farm (Angus, Dundee DD2 5LJ) on 11 August 2022 when it will focus on new research and current challenges, with the support of event partners James Hutton Institute, Agrii UK and SRUC. It is a welcome comeback for an event that has become an unmissable date in the potato industry calendar. After cancelling the event in 2020 and holding a socially distanced event in 2021, Potatoes in Practice is back in full force, with a full seminar programme, demonstration plots, and field exhibits where the trade can interact and re connect

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to discuss issues including sustainability, Food security, netzero, pests and diseases, new varieties, IPM and current market challenges.

Notwithstanding the many challenges for the potato industry, Potatoes in Practice 2022 is shaping up to be a vital forum for the discussion of key topics about the technical and business realities.

The seminar programme for this year includes the following talks: • Professor Lesley Torrance, James Hutton Institute: A world leading International Potato Innovation Centre.

This seminar will describe the Institute’s concept of a centre of excellence to translate innovation and research into solutions for the potato industry.

The International Potato Innovation Centre is envisioned as a collaborative partnership of

researchers, knowledge brokers and commercial companies, acting as a nucleus for the sector, bringing together partners and conducting challenge-led research, promoting translation of innovations, and accelerating the adoption of new research products across the potato value chain.

• Dr Philip Burgess, Scottishpotatoes.org: Bringing “PCN Action Scotland” to Life. This seminar will discuss work funded by a Scottish Government investment of £2.2m in the future sustainability of the Scottish potato sector.

The project aims to protect the land base for future generations, control the PCN epidemic and enable the introduction of PCNresistant varieties. Dr Burgess will answer three key questions during his seminar. 1. Why

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should I be worried about PCN? 2. How do I know I have PCN? and 3. Can resistant varieties help me?

• Archie Gibson, Mercury Programme Partner: Centre for Agricultural Sustainable Innovation (CASI) Crop Quality Centre for the UK Potato Industry. The prospect of developing an industry-owned and run quality centre, the first of its kind in the UK, is really exciting. The quality centre will aim to assess multiples of 300 tuber samples from the field or store using state of the art optical sorters capable of reporting size bands, skin finish, while also checking for internal defects, dry matter and storability. In addition to field inspections, these quality assessments will reinforce the reputation of the Scottish

POTATOES IN PRACTICE seed industry promoting our high-grade seed for export and domestic customers alike.

Assessment data from seed lots and ware samples will be collated and confidentially returned to the grower, to help them validate varietal economic performance and integrated pest management strategies along with other useful benchmarking information. The centre will be open to all potato growers whether growing table potatoes or certified seed for export or the home market.

Dr Philip Burgess, director of Scottishpotatoes.org, comments: “Potatoes in Practice is a unique event that brings together the whole potato supply chain into one field and the range of discussions this year will cover everything from geopolitical events to the rooting structures of different varieties!

“World events have always had an impact on the potato

sector in Scotland and the current situation is no exception. Russia’s war in Ukraine has directly disrupted seed supplies as well as planting operations in the country.

The full impact of these events is only just beginning to reveal themselves as the knock-on effects of food supplies around the world are felt and the impact on seed potato exports around the world is uncertain. Egypt for example imports large amounts of wheat from Ukraine and seed potatoes from Scotland while exporting substantial volumes to Russia.

The Brexit agreement, despite considerable effort by many, continues to prevent the export of seed potatoes to EU countries (and Northern Ireland).

“Meanwhile the major input costs in growing potatoes; labour, fuels and fertiliser, have rocketed since the last PIP, further challenging both domestic and international supply chains. These changes will have an impact on

the choices growers make in growing crops. Just where can new precision technology or advanced varieties reduce production costs to keep the potato competitive?

“The potato sector in Scotland is a resilient industry, well supported by technical innovation and uniquely placed to meet these challenges.

Investment is being planned or underway; PCN Action Scotland, a large programme of research and knowledge exchange aims to provide tools for growers to tackle the increasing PCN problem. Major initiatives are being brought together such as the Centre for Agricultural Sustainable Innovation (CASI) which aims to bring a potato crop quality centre to Angus.

Meanwhile, the James Hutton Institute and partners are building support for an international potato innovation centre in Scotland.

The PIP seminar tent is the place to go if you want to know more.

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“Growers are also organising into new groups, following the demise of AHDB, with aims of representing their interests to government and supply chains as well as supporting the required research and innovation to ensure the future sustainability of the sector. It’s exciting to see a new landscape of grower representation forming.

“In summary I see an industry facing many pressures but determined to find a way ahead.

There will be much to discuss and see at this year’s PIP. Come along and find out what is happening in the sector.”

The event partners, organisers and exhibitors look forward to welcoming everyone to Potatoes in Practice 2022, on Thursday 11 August at Balruddery Farm, Angus. See you there!

For a full event programme, visitor information and to book your free place, visit pip.hutton. ac.uk.

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WORLD FARMING

FAD-funded project to create opportunities of employment and economic inclusion for rural youth in the Dominican Republic The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of the Dominican Republic signed a financing agreement yesterday that will support the implementation of the Productive Inclusion and Resilience of Poor Rural Youth Project (PRORURAL Joven). This rural development operation aims to improve opportunities for rural youth to access jobs and establish businesses, and to build resilience among them and their families to climate, social and economic shocks and stresses.

With a total investment of US$ 33.38 million, PRORURAL Joven will benefit around 27,000 households. The project is expected to improve opportunities for 18,600 young people (50 per cent women) to gain fruitful occupations (either by accessing jobs or as entrepreneurs) and to improve the resilience of 14,800 households with young members.

“The Dominican Republic’s economic performance and the Government’s social inclusion programmes have resulted in a significant reduction of the country’s poverty levels over the last few years. However, inequalities persist, with rural youth and women bearing the brunt. This project seeks to empower rural youth to be agents of change and to thrive through the employment and entrepreneurship opportunities they build in rural areas” said IFAD’s Country Director for 22

the Dominican Republic, Maija Peltola.

Rural young people in the Dominican Republic face significant vulnerabilities.

Their jobs tend to be part-time and poorly remunerated. They frequently cope with low levels of human capital, education and job training; scarce participation in decision-making processes; very limited access to land and financial services; negative perceptions about agricultural activities; and limited access to alternative economic activities or high-quality employment.

To counter these barriers, the project will heavily invest in building rural youth life and professional skills, relying on public-private partnerships.

Alongside these investments, the project will advocate for

public policies that address the root causes of the challenges faced by rural youth. Training will be complemented with financial support to two types of business plans: group plans, focused on agricultural and livestock

production and value addition initiatives, and micro-business plans, not necessarily related to agriculture. Innovation will be encouraged through technological initiatives that foster inclusion of the most vulnerable.

NGO welcomes Dutch plan for 0% VAT on fruit and vegetables Food awareness organisation ProVeg International has welcomed plans by the Dutch Government to reduce the VAT rate on fruit and vegetables to zero as part of efforts to encourage healthy eating.

“We really welcome the government plans to lower the VAT on fruit and vegetables which we believe will support

a shift to healthier, plant-based diets,” Pablo Moleman, Manager Food Industry and Foodservice of ProVeg Netherlands, said.

“Plant-based diets are shown to have a much lower impact on the environment than diets based on animal foods, so a zero VAT rate will also contribute towards putting the brake on climate change,” Moleman added.

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Until recently, the EU applied a minimum VAT rate to this category of 5% so any change would have required consultation with the European Commission.

However, EU finance ministers have since agreed to offer Member States the option to set the rate at 0%, under EU Directive No. 2022/542, which

WORLD FARMING was published in the EU’s Official Journal on 6 April 2022.

Last month in Germany, the Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, called for the scrapping of VAT on fruit and vegetables to combat rising food prices as well as supporting healthy diets.

“We urge all EU Member States to consider reducing VAT on fruit and vegetables to support the booming plantbased sector. And we encourage them to include plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy as well,” Moleman said.

Farm to Fork The EU’s Farm to Fork strategy already encourages the use of VAT rates to act as an

incentive to support organic fruit and vegetables.

ProVeg is actively campaigning to prevent the watering down of the strategy in the face of food security concerns triggered by the war in Ukraine.

The European Commission has come under pressure to postpone implementation of the strategy and make more land available for farming to boost food production.

ProVeg believes this is shortsighted, urging instead that EU ministers should encourage the shift to a plant-based diet and reduce the amount of grains poured into animal feed.

A positive for the environment and for the grower: the benefits of introducing herbaceous crops among mandarin trees A Diverfarming project study compares the environmental footprint and the economic performance of traditional mandarin monocropping as opposed to growing mandarin

intercropped with herbaceous crops and the use of deficit irrigation The transformation towards intensive agriculture has led to agricultural practices in Europe

that have centred on increasing the yield and reducing costs in recent decades, and which involve a major dependence on external sources of agrochemicals and energy.

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These intensive monocropping systems have generated biodiversity losses, water contamination, and high rates of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as degrading the soil and reducing the ecosystem services.

Faced with this situation, the European Diverfarming project has trialled the diversification of crops throughout the European Union, seeking the best practices to combine crops and focusing on reducing inputs to find the best options to preserve the sustainability of the systems and increase the resilience of the European agricultural sector.

To do so, it is also necessary to know the impacts of these practices both at environmental as well as economic level.

With the aim of knowing the environmental footprint and the economic performance of the introduction of herbaceous crops among the alleys of the mandarin trees using controlled deficit irrigation in a mandarin grove located in the Region of Murcia, a team of researchers from the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena have carried out a life-cycle assessment of the crop 23

and an evaluation of the costs and income of the farm for the three years that the experiment in this case study was carried out.

Although the growing area increased with the introduction of the herbaceous crops (in this case purslane, cowpea, broad beans, and a barley-vetch mix), no detrimental effects occurred in terms of exhausting resources, acidification, or global warming.

Therefore, the practice of intercropping did not cause additional contamination or other environmental impacts. This, in addition to the results of the increase in nitrogen and organic carbon content and in the soil and the reduction in erosion and run-off makes the introduction of herbaceous crops in the alleys of the mandarin trees a good sustainable environmental option to cope with the current challenges of the sector.

In economic terms, the financial security of the agricultural community also becomes a key element for successfully adopting diversified systems. This study highlights, through the economic assessment, that intercropping can lead to an increase in production costs, mostly related with a greater demand for labour in comparison with monocropping. However, the study also concludes that “the correct choice of intercropping practices can bring economic advantages”. The results showed that the mandarin crop with purslane and broad beans as intercrops could be profitable and reduce the risk for the grower against volatile prices in the main crop.

In this way, considering all the potential environmental and economic benefits of intercropping practices, these systems arise as a tool to move towards more sustainable and profitable agricultural systems.

The valorisation of agricultural products that are more respectful to the environment on the part of consumers and the backing of public funding (e.g., direct help to growers who introduce intercropping) are key aspects to drive the adoption of these practices.

Awards for Outstanding Contribution to RSABI Two awards for outstanding contribution to RSABI were presented at a Jubilee event on board HMS Albion, attended by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal.

The award for individual contribution went to agricultural journalist, Andrew Arbuckle, and a group award to Gregor Caldwell, representing the Ayrshire Volunteer Committee.

Andrew Arbuckle has raised more than £100,000 for RSABI – as well as lots of smiles - through the sale of a series of three light-hearted books. The books were compiled by Mr Arbuckle, with his late brother John also working on two of the titles.

Gregor Caldwell, Deputy Head of Agricultural Staff at Scottish Government, founded the Ayrshire Volunteer Committee to

support RSABI in 2009.

Gregor has chaired the committee since it was set up and during the past 12 years, the committee has raised around £120,000.

David Leggat, Chair of RSABI, said: “During our anniversary year we are very much celebrating the extraordinary people involved in Scottish agriculture and thanking everyone who, in a huge variety of ways, supports the work undertaken by RSABI. “The support of people like Andrew, Gregor and the Ayrshire Committee is absolutely vital to the success of the work we do, and our sincere thanks go to them and all the farming and crofting families and agricultural businesses who help us in different ways.

“Knowing we have the industry behind us is a huge strength which underpins

Group, from left – David Leggat, RSABI Chair, Gregor Caldwell, Carol McLaren, RSABI CEO and Andrew Arbuckle.

From left – Gregor Caldwell and Andrew Arbuckle, recipients of the awards for outstanding contribution to RSABI

the work we do for people facing challenging times and this year we are also aiming to recruit a further 125 new Supporters’ Scheme members. If you are not already a member of our Supporters’ Scheme, please visit our website and sign-up to help us reach our target.”

RSABI’s helpline is open every day of the year from 7am to 11pm on 0300 111 4166. Visit www.rsabi.org.uk for more information on support provided.

ARTICLE

Bringing back native predators to tackle invasive species crisis Restoring native predator populations could help to keep in check some of the most problematic invasive species around the world, suggests a new study led by Queen’s University Belfast and Cornell University.

Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity globally and are the main cause for the extinction of vertebrates in the last century, with an estimated cost of at least $162 billion (USD) a year.

Native predator populations have been depleted globally, despite being essential for the functioning of the ecosystem and biodiversity. The absence of native predators facilitates the spread of invasive species leading to the extinction of native species throughout the world.

The research, published in Global Change Biology, found that restoring native predators could provide a solution to a variety of the most damaging invasive species globally.

According to the study, the evolutionary naivety of invasive species to native predators, coupled with a lack of spatial refuges from predation could underpin the abilities of native predators to provide effective control of certain established invasive species.

The research team have previously shown how the recovery of the native pine marten in the UK and Ireland has resulted in landscapescale declines of the invasive grey squirrel. Building on this research, the team have now evaluated native predator reintroduction and restoration as a viable nature-based solution to the invasive species crisis.

Lead author, Dr Joshua Twining from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast and the Department of Natural Resources

at Cornell University, says: “In a modern world that is daunted by environmental crisis and ecological collapse, it is more important than ever to realise the potential of restoring native predators to ecosystems from which they have been previously lost. This applies globally but is especially applicable in Britain and Ireland where we have persecuted all our large-bodied predators into extinction with no natural means of recovery.”

One example shows how reintroducing the native lynx could help to manage one of the most damaging invasive species to the environment in Europe, the sika deer. Sika deer are considered a pest as they graze on crops and “ring” trees, stripping the bark from the base and causing the tree to die. They are also thought to contribute to the spread of diseases such as bovine and avian TB. The new research provides strong evidence that the lynx could impact sika deer populations in Britain and Ireland. It also shows how the lynx and wolf recovery in Europe could limit raccoon dogs below the threshold for rabies persistence, which remains a huge threat to human and animal health.

Further afield, the research examines how the predator Florida panther, one of the first species added to the U.S. endangered species list in 1973, could contribute to control of invasive feral pigs. Feral pigs are widely considered to be the most destructive invasive species in the United States, causing damage to the ecosystem, wrecking crops and hunting animals like birds and amphibians to near extinction. The research shows how reintroducing the Florida panther could effectively provide a nature-based, efficient, and cost-effective solution to limit

Wolf. Courtesy Milo Weiler

Lynx. Courtesy Glen Hoppr

the further spread of feral pigs.

Dr Twining concludes: “Our work demonstrates the plausibility of a nature-based approach to the control of certain invasive species around the world. Native predator restoration can provide effective solutions to some of the most damaging of invasive species and thus buffer our natural

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systems against some of the worst of human impacts.”

The study, funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council, involved a team of researchers from Queen’s University Belfast, University of Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt, Cornell University and the National University of Ireland, Galway.

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O U R FA R M SHOP Corwen, Denbighshire, North Wales When you visit Rhug Estate you will find a memorable foodie experience at one of the largest organic farms in the UK. In our Farm Shop we have hand-selected over 3,000 products with a real focus on Welsh, local and organic.

In our Farm Shop our butchers counter is stocked daily with Rhug Organic meat – which is also supplied to many of the finest hotels and restaurants around the world.

There is something for everyone, whether you want a simple supper or a French-trimmed Organic Rack of Welsh Lamb. Rhug is a true farm to fork experience as you can take a walk around the organic farm, which surrounds the Farm Shop to see the animals quietly grazing for yourself. The animals are slaughtered locally and we have an award-winning team of butchers on site at Rhug. We have recently introduced sustainable packaging for our organic meat products. The introduction of new paper-based meat trays, which reduce plastic by around 80 percent compared to traditional trays, is the latest giant stride forward in Rhug’s war against the use of single use plastic. The trays are made of recyclable cartonboard with a liner that can be removed and disposed of prior to recycling. The new meat trays improve the shelf life of Rhug’s organic meat and give the consumer an extra two days on the use-by date – that means a Rhug Organic Steak will stay fresh for 12 days.

Our deli counter in the Farm Shop offers a range of Welsh, British and continental cheeses as well as charcuterie, roasted meats, 26

Rhug Farm Shop

pies and quiches. The shop also offers a wide selection of beers, wines and spirits, the latest Rhug Estate Wild Beauty skincare collection and a wide range of other gift items.

Nestled alongside the Farm Shop we also have our Café which offers regular visitors and tourists an all-day dining experience. Our ‘On the Hoof’ Takeaway offers Rhug’s award-winning organic burgers to those wanting food on the go. We have a wide selection of burgers on the menu, including burgers for vegan and vegetarian visitors, for those wanting to either pick-up and go, eat on the terrace, or in our heated outdoor seating area. For those who don’t have time to stop we also have our Drive Thru’, which is positioned conveniently at the main entrance

to Rhug Estate. Here we offer a wide range of hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, pastries and cakes, paninis and toasties, sandwiches, hot food and breakfast rolls for those who only have time for a quick stop.

If you are en route to or from the beauty of Snowdonia, secluded Llyn Peninsula and stunning Welsh coastline, then a visit to Rhug Estate is the perfect excuse to break up your journey along the busy A5.

As more of us are transitioning to electric vehicles, Rhug Estate has teamed up with InstaVolt to bring in the latest evolution of its service – the installation of rapid electric vehicle car charging points.

Eight ultra-rapid EV charging stations, capable of adding 100 miles of range in just 15 minutes,

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are currently being installed in Rhug’s car park. This will make Rhug Estate the largest private provider of EV charging points in Wales!

The installation of the eight new 120kW InstaVolt chargers are in addition to the existing Dual 7kW Type 2 PodPoint chargers located at the Rhug Estate farm shop car park, which were placed five years ago, demonstrating Rhug Estate’s commitment to promptly responding to demands of the local area and its innovative ambition.

Organic farming is at our heart At the heart of Rhug Estate is Lord Newborough’s commitment to an organic, sustainable, lifestyle.

Rhug farm has been organic for over 20 years.

OUR FARM SHOP Rhug Estate covers 5,018 hectares of breath-taking scenery across central and coastal areas in north Wales and sustainability is firmly at the heart of the business’ mission. When Lord Newborough took over the estate management from his father in 1998, it was his vision which shaped a wholly sustainable farming model, which includes high standards of animal welfare, and sustainable use of natural resources.

Lord Newborough said, “I could see the virtues of following an organic lifestyle when it wasn’t very trendy at all. Organic food was extremely difficult to get hold of back in the ‘90s and when I chose to convert the farm to organic I had quite a few raised eyebrows and doubters to deal with.”

Rhug’s organic farm leads the way with all the animals reared on the farm, fed on feed grown on the farm, and they can range freely onto clover-rich pastures.

Rhug Farm is self-contained and a true ‘field to plate’ operation applying the highest standard of sustainability. Rhug is renowned for producing the highest quality, award-winning meat: beef, lamb, chickens, game, venison, geese, turkeys and even bison!

Lord Newborough puts this down to organic farming methods which embrace the highest animal welfare standards; by not using sprays or artificial fertiliser and by not routinely injecting or drenching animals, and handling them all the time, this helps to minimise stress and a happy animal produces the best quality of meat.

Organic farming is using the best

animal welfare standards being environmentally responsible, caring for our heritage and supporting the local community.

Rhug is sustainable farming at its very best ensuring a better healthier world for future generations. The Estate produces its own power through solar, hydro and wind systems to ensure a truly sustainable approach to agriculture. The capacity of the renewable energy schemes on the estate ranges from 4KW to 5MW and generated electricity is either used on site or exported to the grid.

Rhug’s Wild Beauty skin care products are bottled and packaged in recyclable materials. The majority of products are produced in glass jars or bottles. Where Rhug has used plastic bottles for select body products, these are made entirely (100%) from PostConsumer Recycled (PCR) plastic.

This is an environmentally friendly alternative that recycles plastic waste that would otherwise find its way into landfill. All mail order delivery boxes are made from 100% recycled cardboard and printed with 100% vegetable inks.

Twelve months ago Rhug Estate started measuring and monitoring its carbon footprint so that improvements could be made, if necessary, to make the entire farm business reach the Government’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Early calculations showed, however, that the farm was in a carbon negative position already.

Continuing with its awardwinning ways, Rhug Estate was

recently announced as one of the first-ever winners of a Net Zero Award in the Medium/ Large Business category. Rhug also won a ‘Footprint Award’ for its renewable heat and power generation and the Daily Post’s Green Business Award.

Lord Newborough was thrilled to have been granted a Royal Warrant of Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales in 2018, for Rhug Organic Farm which incorporates the farm, the wholesale meat business, the cutting plant and the butcher’s counter at Rhug Farm shop. In order to be eligible, the Royal Household expects holders of Royal Warrants of Appointment to have a responsible approach to sustainability issues.

Companies should understand the environmental and social impacts of their business activities and to do what they can to manage them

including the use of renewable natural resources, extraction of raw materials, supply chain management and traceability, minimising waste, the fair treatment of people and standards of animal welfare.

Lord Newborough said: “I have always maintained a policy to protect and enhance the environment for the next generation. Climate change is our biggest threat and we owe it to the next generation to do everything we can to mitigate its effects.

At Rhug we really care about sustainability in everything we do, organic farming, organic skin care, green energy and caring for the environment. We are constantly looking at how each aspect of the business can reduce its carbon footprint. Work will never stop on making Rhug as efficient as it possibly can be.”

Steve James, Rhug Estate Butchers Counter Manager

Cafe Rhug

Lord Newborough in the farm shop

Rhug Estate Corwen, Denbighshire LL21 0EH Website and online shop: www.rhug.co.uk Shop telephone: 01490 411 100 www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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Combines

The big boys in the fields A look at some of the current combine harvesters available for this season Case IH Axial-Flow combines range The Case IH Axial-Flow combine range includes the 150 series, with models from 312 to 459hp and the 250 series, with models from 498 to 634hp.

The grain-on-grain threshing action of Axial-Flow® not only limits grain losses in the field through more effective separation, but also ensures that what goes into the grain tank is a clean and high quality crop, adding revenue to the customer’s bottom line. The single rotor technology delivers a smoother and gentler thresh than a conventional drum, with fewer moving parts, and the transition from threshing to separation is completely seamless. Centrifugal forces ensure perfect separation even in the most difficult conditions and the Axial-Flow® delivers best in class grain quality, high throughput and low grain losses.

Every Axial-Flow® model has a grain tank with high-capacity elevators allowing high-speed unloading of high-yielding crops.

Unloading times are best in class.

In addition, class-leading residue management is available; when the X-tra chopping straw chopper is fitted, swath to chop is easily selected to produce a swath of straw suitable for baling.

Case IH Varicut® headers cater for controlled-traffic farming operations. A new 8-metre header has been introduced for customers using tramline widths of 16/24/32 metres. The working width is 8.53 metres (28’) and offers all the same features and benefits as the other Varicut® models. All grain headers also feature crop lifters, 28

which have been designed to reduce losses by utilising a higher lifting profile to better lift lodged crop up to the cutter bar. To help improve wear resistance, the crop

lifters also feature a wave formed skid.

The Axial-Flow® 150 and 250 series are covered by SAFEGUARD WARRANTY

Standard Market Offer 1+2 years for free, with no minimum claim value or excess fees (max 1,000 hours).

All new, higher capacity CLAAS combines The past three years have seen the culmination of an unprecedented redevelopment of the complete CLAAS combine range, with a considerable expansion in models and a host of new features that set new output standards and

increases in productivity and efficiency.

The LEXION combine has always been the byword for high output, cost efficient harvesting, and the new generation takes that reputation to a new level. A total

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of 15 HYBRID and straw-walker models are now available, both in two different body widths.

Leading the LEXION range is the new 790hp LEXION 8900, which is the most powerful in the 8-model LEXION HYBRID

Combines range, comprising three wide body and five narrow bodied versions.

At the heart of the LEXION HYBRID range is the new APS SYNFLOW primary threshing system in which the threshing drum has been enlarged by 26% to 755mm and the feed drum is now 600mm. As a result of this, not only can the drum be run at a lower speed, but the separation area has been considerably increased, so that even the smallest LEXION 7000 model has a larger concave area than the old LEXION 780.

The ROTO PLUS secondary separation system has also been redesigned for higher throughput and reduced straw damage. The concaves are of an open finger design and an additional fourth cover plate (bomb door) has been added.

From the cab and using the new CEBIS Touchscreen terminal, the operator has complete control over all the main combine settings, including a new pivoting concave bar that can be engaged in tougher threshing conditions.

The new LEXION strawwalker range has been expanded to seven 6- and 5- walker models, again headed by a new model, the 507hp LEXION 6900. These feature the new APS SYNFLOW WALKER primary threshing system. In addition to the larger threshing drum, this includes a new 600mm diameter separation drum and again the main concave area has been considerably increased and includes the pivoting concave bar.

Also new on all straw-walker models is the well proven JET STREAM cleaning system and all LEXION models incorporate the latest QUANTIMETER pressure cell yield measuring system. The number of tracked models has also been increased and includes a new 5-walker TERRA TRAC version for the first time.

A TRION to ‘Fit your Farm’ Completing the line-up of new models, last year saw the introduction of the 20-model

TRION range. In addition to 5- and 6-straw walker versions, there are also single and twin rotor variants, plus the availability of MONTANA hillside and TERRA TRAC models.

So whatever the size of farm or range of cropping, this wide range of models, for which an extensive selection of options is available, makes it possible to

tailor specify a model that ‘Fits your farm’.

Common to all TRION models is the APS threshing system, centred on a 450mm accelerator and 600mm closed threshing drum, resulting in a considerable increase in the concave area compared to the TUCANO. Total separation area has also increased and to handle the TRION’s increased

throughput, all now come with JET STREAM cleaning.

Power for the TRION comes from British built Cummins engines with fuel saving DYNAMIC POWER as standard. Operators benefit from a completely new cab design with the CEBIS Touchscreen terminal again giving them complete control over the combine.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out September 2022 Subscription pages 105 and 125

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Combines

Updates for the Fendt combine harvesters Reliable, high-quality machines stand out with continuous innovation and improvements. The Fendt IDEAL model year 2022 comes with added options in lane guidance and straw distribution.

A lane guidance system increases the efficiency of your machines and precision when working the fields. By using lane guidance with the RTK correction signal, the entire fleet works the fields by consistently following the set tracks, avoiding any offsetting.

Controlled Traffic Farming is also possible thanks to VarioGuide with RTK. Fendt IDEAL customers have enjoyed the VarioGuide tracking system and a NovAtel or Trimble receiver as standard features on their combine harvesters for several years now. Now you can also order the correction signal RTK pre-installed at a track accuracy of 2 cm.

Fendt meets European approval standards The range of tyres for the models Fendt IDEAL 7 and Fendt IDEAL 8 has been expanded to make travelling safe on the narrow roads typical of Germany, France and southern Europe. The 710/70 R42 tyre meets European approval standards for driving on winding country roads and navigating tight spaces.

Even better performance The cleaning system of the Fendt IDEAL 9 has been reworked, helping to boost the machine's overall performance even further, with improved cleaning results. In the new cleaning system, the grain drops down to the top sieve through two curved double-drop steps.

Thanks to the curved shape, the laws of physics see the heavy grains gather in the lower section while the lighter parts accumulate above.

The curved steps of the cleaning system provide a wider air outlet, which can significantly increase the air volume and make the cleaning process even more efficient. With two drop levels, most of the short straw and chaff is separated on the first level. The remaining non-grain components are separated on the second. The cleaning system works over four sections, two return floors ensure even distribution and coverage across the preparation floor.

The ActiveSpread SwingFlow straw distributor has been specially designed for tough harvesting conditions.

ActiveSpread SwingFlow is an extra straw spreading option that achieves a more even distribution even in humid harvest conditions.

New features on Fendt straw walker combine harvesters All E, L and C series Fendt straw wolker combine harvesters meet the European emissions standard Stage V.

Selected models with Tier 2 emissions stage are available for the markets of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. These include the models Fendt 5185 E, Fendt 5255 L and 5255 L MCS, Fendt 6275 L, Fendt 6275 L MCS and Fendt 6336 C and Fendt 6336 C PL. In 2020, the Fendt 5275 C SL (SuperLevel) was introduced as a new 5-straw walker C series model for very steep terrain. The unique horizontal levelling feature can compensate for lateral inclinations of up to 38%. When driving uphill, the slope compensation will level out inclines of up to 35%. The Fendt 5275 C SL is now also available in Spain and Romania.

Connectivity for Fendt IDEAL and straw walker combine harvesters Fendt combine harvesters from the Fendt IDEAL, Fendt C and Fendt L series can now be equipped with the central Fendt Connect telemetry system. Fendt Connect helps you to manage your fleet wherever you are and optimise your machine settings.

Customers can use their PC or smart device to view and analyse

their own machine data, including machine position and its CAN bus data, such as engine speed, fuel and AdBlue consumption and machine speed. This helps you plan your harvesting processes faster and more efficiently. Fendt IDEAL customers can view harvest data including yield, moisture and machine settings to check machine utilisation more precisely.

Fendt Connect also unlocks up additional services offered by dealerships. With the consent of the vehicle owner, the dealer can access the machine data. A quick overview of upcoming service intervals or checking error codes makes maintenance work on the machine easier and reduces downtime during harvesting. The customer always retains ownership of their machine data. Operating statistics and agronomic data are neither stored nor transmitted. The entire process meets the strict regulations of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Fendt Connect comes as standard on the Fendt IDEAL and is available as an optional extra for C and L series Fendt straw walker combine harvesters.

The John Deere X9 Combine John Deere’s X9 combine represents the next level of harvesting performance, helping farmers and contractors harvest more tonnes per hour and cover more hectares per day, even in tough conditions.

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The X-Series features the widest feeder house on the market, which is the foundation for performance. Coupled with a new dual rotary separator and the industry’s largest cleaning shoe.

These work together to improve

crop flow and increase harvesting capacity.

The X9 is designed to excel in high moisture, tough separation conditions. This machine has been tested extensively and has been proven

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to achieve over 100 tonnes/hr at a 1% loss level.

During harvest, the highly fuel-efficient machines can run for up to 14 hours without refuelling and are powered by a John Deere PowerTech 13.6-litre six-cylinder

Combines diesel engine delivering up to 700hp (515kW). The X9 also features HarvestMotion; a robust belt-drive system which delivers 20% lower fuel consumption and 30% more torque, as well as lower engine rpm.

To ensure customers can spend maximum time harvesting, the X9’s 1,250-litre fuel tank can be fully refuelled in under 2.5 minutes with the new Fast Fuel System, providing filling speeds of up to 550 litres/min.

Through ground-breaking developments in transmissions, crop handling, cleaning systems and the new Xcel straw chopper knives, harvesting power requirements have been reduced by 120hp (86kW), while at the same time delivering increased performance.

As testimony to this concept, the X9 was awarded a DLG silver medal for its ‘large combine efficiency package’ at Agritechnica 2019.

With LED lighting as standard, night can be turned into day,

while other features such as gullwing LED lights on the Ultimate

visibility package provide a nice finishing touch.

A range for all harvests from Massey Ferguson From simple and straightforward, to advanced and sophisticated, Massey Ferguson's comprehensive range of combine harvesters is the culmination of generations of exhaustive research, technical development and innovation.

Today's line-up comprises a spread of versatile machines designed to cope easily with challenging conditions and terrain. As pioneers in the field of harvesting a wide range of crops, MF has always been aware of the difficulties many growers face in terms of, for instance, making the most of what may be sporadic windows of opportunity.

Four model options make up the range: MF Activa, MF Activa S, MF Beta and MF IDEAL, so here's a quick look at their main features.

Simple, straightforward and very economical to run, the MF Activa is designed for smaller-to-medium arable operations and is available with either 176hp or 218hp engines,

with cutting widths of 4.2m or 6.6m. Up front is the proven and acclaimed Freeflow cutting table, then the high inertia cylinder.

There's a simple, highlyeffective three-speed transmission, while AutoLevel is an option for those working on sloping ground. The smaller MF 7340

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engine puts out 176hp and has a tank capacity of 5200 litres, while the 7344 has a 218hp engine and 6500-litre tank. Both have five straw walkers.

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Combines Moving up the capacity scale, the MF Activa S version has two models, this time with 243hp and 306hp engine options and the

Proline cab environment. Buyers can choose between the Freeflow table, up to 7.6m cutting width, or Powerflow up to 6.8m.

Next, we have the proven MF Beta. With 306hp or 360hp engine options and Skyline cab, the Beta offers 7.7m Powerflow

or 7.6m Freeflow cutting tables, six-row straw chopper and an unloading rate of 105 litres/ second.

The New Holland Agriculture CH7.70 combine The New Holland Agriculture CH7.70 combine is the latest addition to the CR twin rotor rotary ‘proven record holding’ range and the proven CX conventional range. Introducing a brand-new, Crossover Harvesting™ concept that brings together outstanding Twin Rotor® separation technology with the brand’s proven and renowned conventional threshing technology.

This Crossover Combine delivers outstanding grain and straw quality, for all crops and conditions. The highly fuelefficient engine with patented HI-eSCR 2 technology for Stage V compliance, delivers high productivity, extremely low operating costs and comes with the superior comfort of the Harvest Suite™ Deluxe cab.

The Crossover technology delivers up to 25% higher throughput than a conventional combine in this segment. The two-drum threshing system features a 600mm diameter drum delivering outstanding threshing performance. The large drum combined with the user-friendly sectional concave, enables fast adaptation to different crops, in less than 20 minutes.

Drum speed is controlled from the cab by a new heavyduty hydraulic drum variator,

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ensuring that the speed is perfectly matched to crop and field conditions. The New Holland Opti-Thresh™ system adapts to crop conditions and maturity by repositioning the rear part of the concave – no tools required. When the hinged top section is moved away from the drum, the rubbing action is gentler, improving straw quality.

The CH7.70 combines this high-capacity two-drum system

with New Holland’s proven Twin Rotor concept delivering the Crossover Harvesting experience.

The specially designed 21-inch, 3.45-metrelong Twin Rotor system provides the largest separation area in the segment, at some 2.9 m2. Minimal settings changes when switching between crops are required, resulting in outstanding crop-to-crop versatility.

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New for Harvest 2023 will be the availability of the New Holland by MacDon range of draper headers, both rigid and Flex Draper. Incorporating a range of headers from 25’ to a truly massive 50’, the New Holland by MacDon will complement and extend the existing VariFeed range and provide operators with options to cover all terrains and cropping requirements.

ADVERTORIAL Although sustainability is increasingly a priority for consumers when making purchasing decisions, with packaging often central to a product’s visual appeal for purchasers - many businesses are yet to sufficiently prioritise sustainability and circularity when considering design, use and disposal of packaging, with most packaging still single-use and nonrecyclable.

This ‘take, make, dispose’ economic model still largely dominates capital production.

Only 14% of the plastic packaging used globally is recycled, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports. A worrying 40% ends its useful life in landfills, while a further third does so in fragile ecosystems such as the ocean. One estimate predicts that by 2050 there could be more plastic in our ocean than fish.

Why should we care about sustainable packaging?

Sustainable packaging is important because it reduces the ecological footprint of all the stages in the product's life cycle. It helps both the producer and the consumer reduce their environmental impact. Let us not forget, packaging generates the most plastic waste of any sector.

The impact of humankind on the natural world is one the greatest challenges we face today and, in the decades, ahead. So, it is time to #RETHINK If you are looking for proof of a return on investment from sustainable packaging and sustainable-operations, why not look at some encouraging financial evidence from recent years.

• According to the World Economic Forum-, consumers are willing to pay more for goods and services from sustainable companies • The 100 most sustainable companies in the United States, as named by investment magazine-Barron's, enjoyed share price growth of 29% in 2017, compared to 22% for the S&P 500 Index.

• The 2018 Global Sustainability Index Institute Report looked at the number of sustainable development goal statements in the annual reports of

#RETHINK your packaging

400 of the world’s largest business-es and found that sustainability goals had more than doubled. The reasons for the in-crease? Company performance benefitted, and stakeholders were interested in sustainability-.

Brands turn to sustainable packaging for many reasons, including corporate social responsibility, reducing their carbon footprints, reducing waste, increasing sales — and because retailers require it.

How do you prevent packaging waste and be more sustainable?

Here is some examples of how others are approaching it ELIMINATE: The simplest way to prevent packaging waste is to consider whether the packaging is needed at all. Supermarkets like Tesco and ASDA have been phasing out the use of unnecessary plastic films for products such as multi-buy tins.

INNOVATE: In some cases where the packaging was doing an essential job, innovative design can achieve the same result in a unique way. For example, Carlsberg has replaced the plastic rings holding six-packs of beer with dots of glue that stick the cans together.

ICA Gruppen in Sweden has tried laser etching to replace labels on fresh fruit and vegetables. There are even edible coatings, which keep food fresh by using organic materials rather than plastic.

REFILL: Where packaging cannot be eliminated, it can be reused. Major manufacturers such as Unilever and SC Johnson

have started offering concentrated versions of products that can be decanted into spray bottles at home. There is a thriving start-up scene of companies specialising in refills for products ranging from toothpaste tablets to detergents in powder form that can be made up just by adding water. Global beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have invested heavily in modern technologies to improve drinks dispensers, encouraging consumers to use their own bottles.

RETURN / REUSE: The traditional milkman has seen a renaissance in recent years – but consumers can now get a lot more than milk. Danone offers a subscription service for its water dispensers in Latin America, reusing the jugs it collects. DabbaDrop in London is one of many locally based meal delivery services, with its containers inspired by the tiffin boxes of Mumbai. Global reuse platform Loop recently signed a partnership with Tupperware, adding their iconic reusable plastic food containers to its existing stock of glass and metal.

RECYCLE: If the packaging itself cannot be reused, at least the material it is made from can be. The average European generates about 175kg of packaging waste a year – with only two-thirds of that being recycled.

To improve that, manufacturers are finding ways to make recycling plastic a more attractive option. Coca-Cola has started selling Sprite in easierto-recycle clear, rather than

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green, bottles. Even “invisible barcodes” embedded within product branding are being trialled, so that the plastic can be automatically sorted by recycling plants.

COMPOST: Replacing long-lasting plastics with biodegradable materials can help to reduce environmental damage. PG Tips and Yorkshire Tea are among the brands that are replacing the plastic in their tea bags with compostable alternatives. In New Zealand, apple grower Bostock is using compostable stickers on their fruit.

SUBSTITUTE: Innovations in paper packaging could eliminate the need for polystyrene and bubble wrap.

Packaging sustainability encompasses everything from design to production to disposal.

The true size and scope of “sustainable packaging” can make it difficult to appreciate (and account for) the many varied factors and variables that go into creating a sustainable packaging program in the first place.

LET NNZ HELP – TIME FOR A ~RETHINK Developing (and implementing) a sustainable packaging program is not easy, but that does not mean it is not worth doing. With growing consumer demand for purpose-driven products, companies and organisations that challenge conventional packaging will be rewarded for their efforts.

With all the new options in our portfolio and as this year we are celebrating our 100-year anniversary we are launching #RETHINK – a free audit of all your packaging – to see how we can offer you more sustainable, impactful, dependable, and affordable packaging – protecting your produce whilst helping save our planet!

So why not give Craig or Gordon a call in our Glasgow office and see how we can help you with making the right choices for your business and our planet – let us help you #RETHINK your packaging!

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topic Think outside of the bait box with BASF’s covered and protected baiting technique

Rats and mice on farms can cause all kinds of problems for farmers, from contaminating grain stores and animal feed, to damaging buildings and machinery.

In fact, it is estimated that one rat eats and contaminates 100kg of stored grain and feed annually, with 200 rats destroying a massive 20 tons. And with rats carrying 45 diseases, not only does an infestation pose huge financial loss, but it also presents a serious risk to the biosecurity of the whole food chain.

“Of course, the best way to prevent an infestation in the first place is to ensure you have an integrated pest management programme in place to reduce the likelihood of rodents moving in,” says Helen Hall, rural hygiene specialist at BASF Pest Control Solutions.

“This includes steps as simple as keeping farmyards around buildings clear of rubbish, weeds and objects that rats can use as harbourage, proofing buildings and ensuring any openings are covered with mesh smaller than 10 mm, and using nonchemical control methods such as trapping,” she added.

“But if you have exhausted all of these options, it may be 34

time to try a chemical control method.”

Traditionally, most chemical pest control methods call for a tamper resistant bait box, but increasingly many farmers are reporting that both rats and mice simply won’t enter the bait boxes, let alone eat the bait inside. So, what do you if you are faced with an infestation avoiding bait boxes?

Helen Hall explains: “Both rats and mice have a fear and hence avoidance of new objects, called neophobia, which is why some farmers may have difficulty getting rodents into traditional bait boxes to take the bait in the first place. We recommend trying a covered and protected approach to baiting, instead: 1. First, select strategic sites where rats are known to forage along rat runs, but ensure that these locations aren’t easily accessible to other wildlife to minimise exposure to non-target species.

2. Next, secure seven blocks of Selontra® with a sturdy material, such as garden wire, and attach this onto or inside an object like a pipe or tray to “protect” the bait.

3. Using natural materials from around the site, such as palettes, timber, tyres, or anything that is heavy and can’t be easily moved, cover the container holding the secured bait.

4. Finally, ensure the bait point is clearly labelled, as per the CRRU guidelines, to alert any other persons on site as to what is underneath the object.

“This is a much more effective method of baiting, as it doesn’t disturb the rodents’ usual activity or behaviours, meaning bait take is much more likely.”

BASF’s newest rodenticide, Selontra®, uses the active ingredient cholecalciferol and causes death from hypercalcaemia; the accumulation of too much calcium in the blood.

This mode of active means that rodents stop feeding, on

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both the bait and any available food on a farm, 24 hours after consuming a lethal dose. This makes Selontra® 30% more efficient than many anticoagulant rodenticides as it saves on further rodenticide use, and quickly stops contamination and damage to the site.

“Of course, it is important to remember that in order to use Selontra®, you must have a certificate. We recommend completing BASF’s new interactive training hub programme, where you can also gain CPD points and complete a CRRU recognised exam for the safe use of rodenticides.”

Take the nine-module course and exam on BASF’s Real Results Virtual Farm.

For more information about BASF and Selontra®, visit www.pestcontrol.basf.co.uk/en/

organics

Organic farming on the rise in the UK A growing number of farmers are converting to organic as naturefriendly farming increasingly meets consumer demand and offers resilience, according to Soil Association Certification.

Date released from Defra has revealed that land going through the two-year conversion period to organic rose by 34% in 2021, compared to the previous year.

UK organic land also rose by 3.6% last year, following a rise of 0.8% in 2020.

Sophie Kirk, Business Development Manager for Soil Association Certification, said: “It is encouraging to see that the latest statistics show confidence in organic farming is on the rise in the UK. Our farming sector has dealt with many shocks over the last few years but opportunities for sustainable farming remain strong with rising consumer demand and government support for organic.

“It is clear both government and shoppers are waking up to the benefits organic can deliver for nature and the environment, and these latest figures show that, with the right incentives, nature and climate friendly farming can grow rapidly.”

The rise in organic farming last year is expected to continue in 2022 after the government announced earlier this year that they would pay up to double the previous rates to farmers in England who convert to organic.

All payments for organic farming are rising by between 50 and 500% for those entering a new scheme with Countryside Stewardship, which is open for applications until July.

Arable farmer Alex Fraser (pictured right) and his brother Rob (pictured left) completed conversion to organic on their 260 acre farm in West Yorkshire last summer. They are growing

spring beans and spring wheat in an intercropping system, and applying the same approach to oats and vetch, as well as growing barley and oats.

He said: “We took our family farm back in hand three years ago when the previous tenancy came to an end and straight away decided to put it into organic conversion. It has been a massive learning curve for us but when faced with issues such as climate change, biodiversity losses and the burden of chronic health conditions, it was the perfect time to build a sustainable farming system from scratch. We couldn’t really imagine farming in any other way; it just felt like the right thing to do.

“Not everything we’ve tried has worked. We’re learning as we go along and being dynamic and flexible in our approach means we can make the most of every situation.

“We’ve had the support from Countryside Stewardship and we’ve been getting loads of advice from other farmers in the organic farming community to encourage us to try things like intercropping to provide fertility and control weeds.

“If you look at the huge input costs that keep going up and you also look at all the benefits organic can offer, to me it seems the most viable option both financially and for supporting biodiversity and the climate.”

UK farming must rise to the challenge The latest land stats also follow the UK organic market* breaking the £3 billion mark for the first time ever in 2021 – growing by 23% from 2019 to 2021, and significantly outperforming non-organic sales.

Kirk added: “Currently more ingredients and products are imported to support the

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increased demand for organic food. We need robust UK supply chains to support more organic production at home, particularly as our research shows consumers want to buy British.

“The long-term goals that government has set out for agriculture, with a new focus on protecting soils, wildlife and the environment, are in harmony with the principles of organic farming. Alongside continued growth in the organic market, this should give any farmer greater confidence to switch to or maintain organic farming practices, despite the short-term uncertainty facing every farm.”

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out September 2022

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environment New discussion papers spark the debate on the carbon market Carbon market must have positive environmental outcomes and deliver community benefit, say new discussion papers Economic and legal experts have explored how to help manage Scotland’s growing natural capital dilemma, as investor interest in acquiring land for carbon offsetting continues to grow. Commissioned by the Scottish Land Commission as part of a series of independent papers, the latest Land Lines discussion papers analyse the current state of Scotland’s carbon market and offer suggestions for ensuring that major changes to the use of land have positive environmental outcomes, and land owners and developers collaborate with local communities.

Within the papers, the authors state that Scotland cannot afford to allow a small number of actors to make the key decisions about natural capital which will affect everyone in Scotland for decades to come.

The papers conclude that preemptive policy interventions are deemed necessary to ensure that carbon markets make a positive contribution to the just transition to net zero.

The ‘Land Lines’ papers were written by Economics Professor, Sir Dieter Helm CBE of Oxford University, and University of Glasgow School of Law’s Dr Jill Robbie and Dr Giedre Jokubauskaite. Natural capital is the renewable and non-renewable stocks of natural assets, including geology, soil, air, water, and plants and animals that combine to yield a flow of benefits to people. Adopting a 36

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natural capital approach enables us to understand the role of our natural environment, alongside its intrinsic value, as an asset that underpins and enhances our economy and society.

The launch of the papers comes as part of a wider engagement exercise by the Scottish Land Commission, alongside its ‘Natural Capital and Land’ online eventswhich will see the Land Lines’ authors discussing natural capital and its role in Scotland.

Hamish Trench, Chief Executive of the Scottish Land Commission, said: “The new papers are incredibly helpful in stimulating the debate surrounding the land and carbon market within Scotland.

“Through commissioning leading experts in the field to draft these papers, the reports show there is much to be learned from considering wider legal and economic principles to help shape Scotland’s approach to harnessing the value of carbon and natural capital effectively.”

The papers were commissioned by the Scottish Land Commission to stimulate public debate and follow the recent launch of the Rural Land Market Insights Report, which revealed the drivers behind the major changes to Scotland’s surging rural land market.

The new papers suggest regulation on carbon markets, with guidance models on all things from carbon unit trading to public carbon planning.

To find out more about the Scottish Land Commission, visit: https://www.landcommission. gov.scot/

environment

Environmental and productivity ‘win-wins’ on Scottish Livestock farms

Livestock productivity and environmental delivery can go hand in hand, and a brand-new project enlisting the support of Scottish farmers, is going to prove just that.

Sheep and beef specialists from SAC Consulting, Poppy Frater and Lesley Wylie, will be leading a project with four farmers across Scotland this year, looking at how they can combine efficient livestock production with biodiversity and climate change benefits.

The project runs until December 2022, and will deliver factsheets, case studies and an open farm meeting this summer, which will be free for anyone to attend.

Poppy Frater surmised: “Often, environmental-based approaches to farming come with a negative impact on agricultural production – we either leave land for biodiversity or might compromise production per hectare with lighter stocking rates or slower growth rates for environmental reasons.

“However, food production is still an important public service.

We are running this project to question whether we can ‘have it all’, by using methods such as

agroforestry, deferred grazing and diverse pasture swards.”

One of the four participating farms, Oakwood Mill, run by Giles and Stuart Henry, boasts fantastic wildflower and insect populations on deferred grazing land, yet the cows are outwintered cost-effectively and the majority of youngstock sold finished at 19 months, off grass. ‘’The judicious grazing of our hill by cows in the winter has dramatically changed the biodiversity of the area,” reported Giles. “From an area that was previously over grazed in the summer and early winter, we now have a complete community of flora and fauna along with all the living creatures this brings of every size and description. The change has been dramatic and the benefit to our environment is immeasurable.

It has also allowed us to maintain a herd of cows whose wintering costs are the envy of many.‘’ The other farmers involved with the project include: David Whiteford, of Logan of Maxwelston in Ayrshire; Jock Gibson, of Edinvale Farms in Moray; and SRUC’s Hill and Mountain Research Centre in Crianlarich.

Slurry; planning and precision pays Rebecca Audsley, Principal Consultant, SAC Consulting

Following dramatic increases in the price of feed, fuel and fertiliser this year, we are all looking for ways reduce costs and improve efficiency. With estimates suggesting that a single 10m³ tanker of slurry can contain the equivalent fertiliser value of over £80, maybe now is the time to consider how you can make best use of nutrients in slurry through planned and timely applications, supporting the nutrient demands of the growing crop.

How and when you apply slurry matters.

Precision application, using kit such as dribble bars, trailing shoe or injection places the slurry closer to the growing crop when compared to splash plate application. Broadcast slurry application using a splash plate has been estimated to lose around 30% of available nitrogen in the form of ammonia gas in

the first three hours and up to 80% within 12 hours post application, depleting the nutrient value at a loss to the farm business. With changes to Scottish legislation, high trajectory splash plate application of slurry will no longer be an option for most farms from January 2023.

Slurry should not be considered a waste. If you don’t have a nutrient management plan in place already, maybe now is the time? By reviewing soil and pH test results and planning fertiliser applications accordingly, you can maximise the value from farm slurry and manures whilst also making the most cost-effective use of bought in fertiliser. Not only can this approach save you money, but it could decrease the farm carbon footprint and reduce diffuse pollution risks, benefitting the farms environmental performance too.

Farming for a Better Climate is funded by the Scottish Government For more information on other practical measures to improve farm efficiency and how these can also reduce the farm carbon footprint, see www.farmingforabetterclimate.org Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @SACfarm4climate.

Free nutrient management planning tools are available at www.planet4farmers.co.uk; guidance on the rules around slurry application are at www.farmingandwaterscotland.org

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science & technology

A Swedish invention can prevent soil compaction in agriculture Food production must increase.

At the same time, at least 6% of the harvests are lost due to soil compaction, a problem that has increased with heavier machines. If soil compaction could be reduced, the soil would be more fertile and easier to cultivate, which would save fuel. Furthermore, biodiversity would increase as, for example, earthworms thrive in loose soil. Less soil compaction also contributes to the reduction of nitrous oxide emissions from soil.

A Swedish team has now invented a concept called the Compaction Prevention System (CPS) that can prevent soil compaction. The concept is presented for the first time now

in June. CPS was awarded the Agritechnica Innovation Award 2022 on June 15 during the DLG Feldtage.

How does CPS work then?

- A computer processor is fed with information about soil pressure, soil type, soil moisture and field status. The latter is included because roots from growing crops can make the soil less susceptible to pack damage, says Alice Molin, a civil engineering student and part of the team behind the invention.

- The information is updated in real time and communicated through a risk meter that the farmer can have in the cab and through maps that can also be analysed at the farm office, says Axel Lagerfelt, technology

agronomist, farmer and part of the team.

CPS has been developed within the framework of the innovation platform Agtech

2030, which is coordinated by Linköping University. Behind CPS are farmers, advisors, researchers and civil engineering students.

New intelligent combine tyres Continental CombineMaster and CombineMaster VF tyres can now be specified with ContiPressureCheck™, a unique tyre monitoring system that will help to prevent downtime this harvest.

ContiPressureCheck™ monitors the pressure and temperature of tyres. Sensors in the tyre communicate the pressure and the heat build-up to help the operator decide on the optimum operating pressure. There are two warning levels offered by the sensor. The first suggests that a fault has occurred, but the machine can continue to work. The second 38

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calls for an immediate stop due to a more severe tyre problem.

“This is a good way to improve the life of combine tyres and reduce unnecessary downtime. Operators can choose to have a handheld device, or a terminal mounted in the cab. Both will feed back information on the tyre and help the operator to make adjustments that will reduce the likelihood of tyre failure,” explains Continental agricultural tyre specialist Rebecca Shedden.

The most sensitive part of a tyre is the valve. ContiPressureCheck™ provides tyre data without the need to touch the valve.

ARTICLE

Food crisis risk without Government support for farmers The nation is at high risk of a food crisis if the Government does not act fast and support British farmers, according to the NFU’s new vice president, David Exwood.

Speaking at the Royal Bath & West Show recently, he stressed that the closeness of war and the threat of a global food crisis are being compounded as consumption continues to climb. “We don’t know what a food crisis is going to look like or what shape it might take,” he said. “But we know that food doesn’t come out of thin air and it’s a hard thing to produce now we have the perfect storm of global production problems and political crisis.

“Food security and strategic supply matters: It’s unlikely we’re going to run out of food on the shelves but what will be available, and the price of it, we still don’t really know.”

Farming in the current climate of volatility and uncertainty is challenging – heightened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said Mr Exwood. “The serious war in Europe has changed the landscape.

We have to think about those farmers and what people are going through not so very far away.”

Serious discussion around the food production challenges appears to be in its infancy at Number 10, he warned. Extraordinary inflation, historic price rises, and volatility are increasing risk and pressure on farmers, economically and emotionally. “The risk of farming is greater than ever and that has created a great deal of uncertainty – farmers certainly don’t feel very confident.”

The Government’s U-turn on its farming stance has caused frustration. “Three or four years ago Michael Gove said that food was not a public good, it wasn’t the

business of the Government, that it was all about the environment,” he said.

“The NFU has lobbied, and while there is now a farming policy, there is still a long way to go. In this country we have targets for the environment and biodiversity, and we have a strategy for energy production - but we have nothing for food; yet. There is nothing to balance out those two huge forces and keep food production central, and that is a problem.”

However, there is a food strategy coming and the NFU is making it clear that farming matters as the industry navigates the transition away from Basic Payments towards new policy and payment schemes.

“Farming is at the heart of the rural economy and the Government must not underestimate the impact taking away BPS will have on farmers and their businesses,” he said. “The loss of that money – and it is a loss – and delinking will be big moments.

“But the new policy is not there yet – Defra says the new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) will be running, and farmers will be able to apply, by the end of this month - but we know precious little detail, even after all this time.”

So far, the headline SFI figures are leaving farmers underwhelmed. And the success or failure of the scheme relies on farmer engagement. “If it doesn’t deliver fairly on money, doesn’t have flexibility to suit the nature of farming, and overall, isn’t attractive to farmers, then the policy is meaningless - and it won’t deliver on Government targets,” he said. “What we need, and really want to see, is a properly funded scheme – it is the future and the only way forward.”

Mr Exwood had an agreeable outlook on farming delivering for the environment. “The future of farming is all about having a great environment alongside food production; it isn’t one or the other, it’s got to be both,” he said.

“We have to achieve clean water and air, increase biodiversity and our food production - from the same

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land at the same time. There are extraordinary challenges in that, but that’s what we need to do.

And it isn’t all doom and gloom; it’s also a really exciting time for agriculture.

“As a farmer, I’m enjoying farming more than ever. There’s a lot of good happening on farms across the country – farmers are doing a fantastic job.”

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2022 TURRIFF SHOW Sunday 31st July and Monday 1st August Scotland’s largest two-day Agricultural Show is ready after a two-year break to welcome everyone through the gates for the return of the 2022 Show on

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Sunday 31st July and Monday 1st August.

The Show is set to take place at The Haughs, Queens Road, Turriff and is again hoping to attract

exhibitors and visitors from the length and breadth of the country.

The Main Sponsor this year is Bridgend Aggregates, King Edward. This family owned

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business has sand, gravel. rock quarries, ready-mix concrete plant and a SEPA registered disposal site at King Edward as well as a quarry at Fraserburgh.

TURRIFF SHOW There is a full ringside entertainment programme on both Sunday and Monday with the return of the Pageant – Open Theme for any local groups/organisations with each entry receiving £250 and £100 awarded to the Best Comical, Best Decorated and Most Comical entry. There will be performances from Vander Super Heroes Quad Space Wheel which will be 50ft at its highest point and the team run, skip, juggle and even go blindfolded on the outside of the wheel during this mesmerising stunt display. This will be a truly adrenalin fuelled act that will leave you with your heart in your mouth. Included this year in the afternoon races will be the Children’s Sack Race and Big Bag Race for teams of 4.

We are delighted to be hosting the National Highland Cattle Show and Judge – Mr Jim McKechie, Gartocharn will start

JOHN DEERE BALER RANGE

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TURRIFF SHOW judging at 8.30am on Monday morning and an excellent entry from a wide geographical area is anticipated.

The Overall Champion of Champions will be judged this year by Mrs Helen Goldie, Dundonald. Other Champion Judges include Mr Tom Arnott, Kelso for the overall Cattle; Mr Gordon McConachie, Grantown-on-Spey for groups, pairs and young bull interbreed; Mr Hamish Dykes, West Linton for overall Sheep; Mrs Caroline Nelson, Kelso for overall inhand Horse and Pony and Mrs Marion MacLennan, Inverness for overall ridden Horse and Pony.

The Friday night Marquee Dance on 29th July will be a new format this year with The Gerry Cinnamon Experience with tickets now available from www.ajfevents.co.uk.

Sunday is the day for the judging of the Horse and Pony

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TURRIFF SHOW classes with the prize-winning animals leading the Grand Parade at 2.15pm.

Goats, Rabbits, Cavies and Pigeon judging also takes place on Sunday.

Judging of the Cattle, Sheep, Clydesdale Horses and Poultry is held on the Monday and The Sleigh Family Trophy will be awarded to the overall winners from the Horse and Pony, Cattle, Dairy, Sheep and Clydesdale Horse Champions.

By popular demand, The Oxford Sheep Breed section has been reinstated this year.

With over 1600 classes ranging from the best livestock to vintage vehicles, the Show will be offering over £85,000 in prize money and 330 trophies will be awarded.

The Industrial Marquee hosts competitive classes for a wide range of produce (eggs, butter, oatcakes etc.), preserves, cookery, sewing, knitting,

shepherds crooks to classes for children to proudly show off their artistic and crafting skills.

The Horticultural Marquee is a truly resplendent display of a variety of home-grown flowers and vegetables and there is no entry fee to enter exhibits in both these Marquees.

There are over 200 wellpresented outdoor trade stands at Turriff Show. Agricultural trade stands include machinery stands with tractors and a vast array of machinery, both large and small from all the leading local manufacturers and there will also be a wide range of motor vehicle, motorhome and caravan stands and several stands featuring renewable energy.

Other stands include fashion, clothing, garden furniture, toys – something for everyone.

The Food and Drink Marquee will have an extensive range of quality stands promoting the very best of predominantly

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TURRIFF SHOW Scottish food and drink. Take the opportunity to sample such traditional delights from award winning cheese, luxury ice cream, fudge, porridge oat flakes and oatmeal, home produced pork, sausages and bacon to local gins. Multi-Award winning Chef, Gary Maclean will be showing off his culinary skills with cookery demonstrations on both Sunday and Monday – Gary was crowned MasterChef: The Professionals Champion in 2016 and we are honoured that Gary is taking part in the 2022 Show.

The Indoor Shopping Mall has a selection of stands offering luxury skin care, footwear, clothing to original art and limited edition prints.

In the Exhibition Marquee you find stands promoting alternative and holistic health care to kitchen design, property letting experts to pet care and grooming products.

The Art and Craft Marquee hosts an excellent selection of quality craft stands and visitors can expect to find a variety of craft items including cushions, lampshades, goat milk soaps, patchwork quilts to bronze wildlife figurines Enjoy a nice cool glass of prosecco while watching the livestock judging, grand parades and great entertainment in the ring in the Gin and Prosecco Bar. A visit to the Old MacDonald’s InFARMation in the Ferguson Hall is a must for children. There will be exciting displays from local school children taking part in this year’s School’s Competition with the theme this year – ‘Her Majesty The Queen’ to coincide with the Platinum Jubilee.

There will also be hands-on activities for youngsters to try including interactions with local magician, Dean Spruce who will perform feats of magic with his

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mini magic school and balloon modelling.

The Open Dog Show on Sunday will have 144 classes (under Kennel Club Ltd Rules & Regulations) and the Companion Dog Show on Monday where dogs need not be K.C. Registered to take part and includes some fun classes for entrants – waggiest tail, prettiest bitch, handsome dog etc.

Local talent including Turriff Silver Band, Deveron River Brass Band and Turriff Community Singers will perform in the Band Stand area and on Sunday afternoon, Turriff & District Pipe Band will be performing in the ring and around the Show field.

Show Jumping on the Monday includes the Open Junior Qualifier and Final, The Muirden Energy 1.05m Open, The Blair Equibuild 1.15m Open, Morrison Motors 1.25m Open and the Mini-Major Relay.

The finale on the Sunday evening will be the Vintage and

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Classic Vehicle display with over 150 vintage tractors and classic cars making their way round the ring – a great way to finish off the first day of the Show.

We are delighted to see the return of The Sheep Show to the 2022 Show which is a live Show that is both educational and very amusing for all ages.

The Showground is open from 7.00am on Sunday and Monday with Trade Stands open at 9.00am each day and the Showground closes at 8.00pm Sunday and 6.00pm Monday.

Adult Admission is £17: £15 advance, Concession (Senior Citizen/Student/Children 15 and over) - £12: £11 advance and Family Ticket £50: £45 advance.

Children 14 and under are free.

Discounted Admission Tickets are now on sale and online entries are open – for further information visit website – www.turriffshow.org.

TURRIFF SHOW Closing date for entries into the Industrial Sections, Saturday 16th July – Adult and Junior Show Jumping and Vintage Vehicles and Saturday 23rd July – Open Pageant. All schedules and entry forms are available to download from the website.

It will be great to see everyone back at the Show field after the two-year break on Sunday 31st July and Monday 1st August for another fun packed Show.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out September 2022 Subscription page 125

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TURRIFF SHOW

Balgownie at Turriff Show

Balgownie Ltd is proud to have served goods and machinery to the North-East farming industry since 1907. The current board of directors have been at the helm of the company for 35 years, during which time the business has expanded into various other sectors. Today we are a major force in the agricultural, construction and groundcare sectors covering the North of Scotland.

With our modern, purposebuilt depots at Thainstone Business Park, Inverurie, and Markethill Industrial Estate, Turriff, the business continues to be a major supplier of machinery to the agricultural, construction, groundcare and domestic sectors. With a portfolio of world-leading brands including Doosan, Bobcat, McCormick and Ifor Williams to name but a few.

At Balgownie Ltd our core values are to build and nurture long term customer relationships. We are responsive to our customers' requirements, providing an excellent pre and after-sales service. We are honest and reasonable in our dealings and every customer is special to us, no matter how big or small.

It is a measure of the company's professionalism that Balgownie has the honour of being a Royal Warrant Holder for the supply and service of agricultural machinery to HM The Queen.

With the recent acquisition of the McCormick dealership, we have strengthened our agricultural line-up to help you tackle all your farm challenges. With superior machines that combine all-day

comfort, dependability, and robust build quality we can offer you farm machinery you can truly rely on.

We look forward to welcoming all customers, old and new, onto our stands at Turriff Show to

explore our range of world-leading brands and find out all about our exclusive show deals. Our team will be on hand with their expert advice to help guide you every step of the way.

Come and visit us to experience our award-winning service for yourself.

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Telehandlers

Little workhorses with a long reach Pontchateau Now Even More A Major Asset for Bobcat Telehandlers have been part of the DNA of the Pontchateau site in Loire-Atlantique in France for more than half a century. Before the year 2000, the factory used to manufacture the Sambron range of products, but after a succession of changes in ownership, it is Bobcat telehandlers that now come off the production line.

All Bobcat rigid telehandlers for the world market are manufactured here, including 29 models split between ranges for

the construction and agricultural markets. The factory was originally built on an 82,000 m² plot of land and was extended in 2019 to meet higher demand.

“In 2016, as our logistics capacity reached saturation and demand grew, Bobcat defined a 3 year expansion plan for the facility, representing 4 million euros of investment," explains Jerome Miermont, Site Director for the Bobcat Pontchateau facility.

Completed in 2019, with the addition of 13,000 m2 of extra space and a new 1500 m2 plus logistics building, these developments have made it possible to meet the effects of substantial growth in the brand’s activity (+75% between 2017 and 2022). This was also accompanied by a reorganization of the manufacturing process.

Up to 17 machines can be assembled daily. "Last year we produced 2658 machines.

The Case Farmlift loader The Farmlift telescopic loader series from Case IH caters for the needs of a multitude of material handling tasks, offering six models with maximum reaches ranging from 5.7 to 9.1 metres.

The Farmlift range is built with safety at the core, featuring a stable design with a lift capacity of between 3,300- 4200kg depending on model. Further safety features include a ‘visual safe load indicator’ to check a load is within safe limits at a

glance and an automatic cut off system to prevent overloading or putting the machine in an unstable situation. Inboard wet disc brakes offer excellent stopping power and increased durability and all Farmlifts are built with a heavy-duty frame ensuring stability and rigidity throughout the whole machine.

A large, curved windscreen allows all around visibility in the cab, with a 360o LED lighting package available for safe

working at night. On high spec models, all key functions are ergonomically grouped on one joystick, which is mounted onto the comfortable seat allowing it to move with the operator, with an air suspension seat optional.

Ventilation is standard, whilst

air conditioning is optional on all models. Power shuttle and gear changing commands as well as hydraulic attachment locking can be carried out from this joystick, meaning that in most cases, attachments can be coupled without leaving the cab.

New twin motor drive for Claas SCORPION The VARIPOWER transmission in the SCORPION 1033, 741, 736, 732 and 635 has now been replaced by the new VARIPOWER 2 twin motor,

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designed and manufactured exclusively for CLAAS. The compact drive unit from the JAGUAR forage harvester promises a long service life, 47

Telehandlers improved drive efficiency and reduced noise levels.

VARIPOWER 2 comprises two hydrostatic motors inside a compact housing which share a common shaft and swash plate.

Both motors have a maximum swivel range of 23 degrees, with both traction units controlled by a common distribution unit.

As before, the operator can select three driving ranges – 0 to 15 km/h, 0 to 30 km/h and 0 to 40 km/h – with the simple press of a thumb. The top speed is reached at a reduced, fuel-saving engine speed.

VARIPOWER 2 transfers just as high torque to the wheels as the previous VARIPOWER transmission. The simple, compact design, which dispenses with the need for transfer gears, ensures a high level of wear tolerance and long service life. The new feature is that the housing oil is continuously extracted from the drive housing by a powerful Venturi tube, which significantly reduces churning losses when driving at speed. This ensures maximum efficiency and low fuel consumption even on fast road journeys.

Fendt Cargo T740 – Lift it up The new Fendt Cargo T740 telescopic loader has a lifting height of 7.70 m and a lifting capacity of 4 t in the class of 6 to 8 m working height. With this compact model, Fendt is pushing ahead with the volume segment, which occupies more than 80 percent of the European market for telescopic loaders.

The agile and efficient machine is at home in mediumsized mixed operations. The telescopic loader combines a working height of up to 7.70 m with high breakaway force, precise control and a viewing

height of over four metres.

For example, the Fendt Cargo T740 can be used for a wide range of agricultural work such as handling straw, transport, feeding or silo removal.

The Fendt Cargo T740 offers unique driving comfort with the new generation of the Fendt TopViewCab lift cage with vibration damping.

The cab can be raised to an eye level of 4.10m and thus allows the direct view in trailers or feeder mixers during the loading. When manoeuvring, the unrestricted view of the

vehicle and the entire workspace increases safety. The continuous curved front window from the roof to the floor is not covered by

a dashboard. This gives drivers the best view up and down. This facilitates, among other things, the storage of straw bales.

JCB commits £100m to hydrogenfuelled engine development JCB is investing £100 million on a project to produce super efficient hydrogen fuelled engines.

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A team of 100 is already working exciting development recruitment of up to

engineers on the with the 50 more

engineers under way as JCB targets the end of 2022 for the first machines to be available for sale to customers.

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The wraps have already come off two prototype hydrogen powered JCB machines – a backhoe loader

Telehandlers and a Loadall telescopic handler.

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said: “Our sort of machinery will need to be powered by something other than fossil fuels.

We make machines which are powered by diesel so we have to find a solution and we are doing something about it now.

“We are investing in hydrogen as we don’t see electric being the all-round solution, particularly not for our industry, because it can only be used to

power smaller machines. It also means we will carry on making engines and they will be superefficient, affordable, high-tech hydrogen motors with zero CO2 emissions, which can be brought to market quickly using our existing supply base.

“These will be our industry’s first hydrogen engines, developed in Great Britain by British engineers. Hydrogen motors have the potential to help the UK reach CO² emissions targets more quickly.”

The new telehandler KT3610

by Kramer With the KT3610, Kramer reaches new lift heights and transmission ranges with its new dimensions, in doing so the 3-piece boom ensures maximum compactness. The vehicle has just one length (without bucket) of 5.03 metres and is 2.28 metres wide. As a result, the vehicle belongs to the “perfect all-rounder” class for its diverse application in the Kramer telehandler portfolio, to which the KT407 success model also belongs. With an operating weight of 8,200 kilogrammes (depending on options) and its compact dimensions, the KT3610 achieves a maximum

stacking height of 9.50 metres and a maximum payload of 3,600 kilogrammes. To ideally adjust the machine to individual application ratios, there are also two cabin options available for the KT3610. The vehicle with the standard cabin is ideally suited to low stables and passageways. With its standard 24 inch tyres, the vehicle has a total height of just 2.31 metres, which presents a special feature in this size class. If the maximum vehicle height is not a limiting factor, there is an option available for an 18 centimetre raised cab for optimal all-round visibility, particularly to the right

hand side. Even the KT3610 is equipped with the familiar features: Smart Handling,

intelligent overload protection, automatic bucket return and the telematics solutions - EquipCare.

Manitou connected machines Since January 2019 all new compatible machines*1 built by Manitou has the capability to be a ‘connected machine’. This opensup endless possibilities to improve performance, safety, security, and reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) for customers.

“Connected machines are an essential source of data for our goal of reducing TCO for users” comments Olivier le Pesquer, Service Range Manager for Manitou Group. Based on data from early connected 50

machines, Manitou Group has noted significantly lower fuel consumption across all four applications of a telehandler, namely loading, handling, road travel, and operating at idle speed.

Connected Machines offer a range of other benefits to users.

Firstly, connected machines include a tracker which can communicate the machine’s location at any time and it’s also possible to GeoFence the machine for increased safety and security. Secondly, the dealer www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Telehandlers or fleet manager will be able to track the machines and identify their service needs remotely.

Preventive maintenance will be

made much easier, and the dealer will be able to connect to the machine in advance of a service visit, to ensure that any faults can

be rectified during the first visit.

Manitou has also rolled out an app users can download called ‘MyManitou’, which has been

designed to provide instant access to a stream of data transmitted by the connected machine in real time.

Massey Ferguson MF TH telehandlers Massey Ferguson’s current machines, are the MF TH telehandler Series, which feature a completely new cab plus other significant changes that further enhance comfort, operation and productivity.

Six models in the latest generation MF TH Series are designed to handle every job with ease. The line-up starts with the semi-compact MF TH 6030 and goes up to the latest MF TH.8043, which provides a maximum lift capacity of 4,300kg and height of 7.5m and can be equipped with a 3,500-litre capacity bucket.

Significant improvements to the hydrostatic transmission, which

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include a new operating mode, ensure the MF TH Series operate more smoothly to ease operation and increase productivity. Powerful and high flow hydraulics, equipped with proportional control, deliver optimum materials handling accuracy and productivity.

“MF TH Telehandlers already have a strong reputation for excellent performance, productivity, visibility and manoeuvrability. These new models now introduce the most exciting developments in 10 years’ of MF TH production.

This is not just an upgrade – it is a breakthrough,” says Thierry Lhotte, Vice President & Managing

Director Massey Ferguson, Europe & Middle East.

“The MF TH Series is completely transformed. Now equipped with a high comfort

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cab, this new generation delivers outstanding comfort and control, combined with smoother operation and additional automation” explains Mr Lhotte.

Telehandlers

Merlo eWorker wins Silver at the Royal Highland Technical Innovation Awards

most manoeuvrable and dynamic machines to date. A wide range of Merlo attachments are available including buckets, pallet forks, muck forks and work platforms.

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) has established a

reputation for recognising and rewarding excellence.

The Technical Innovation Awards are a distinctive and prestigious means for manufacturers, distributors and inventors to promote new ideas, technologies and innovations.

“It’s a real honour to receive this prestigious award from RHASS,” states Shaun Groom, General Manager of Merlo UK. “We were particularly pleased that the judges recognised the innovative and sustainable nature of the eWorker”.

Merlo UK are pleased to announce that the recently launched electric Merlo eWorker telescopic handler has been awarded a Silver medal by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) in their annual Technical Innovation Awards.

The Merlo eWorker is a fully electric telescopic handler, with a run time of eight hours from a nine hour charge of its high capacity 48 Volt battery. The eWorker is Merlo’s most compact handler to date, working in confined spaces and around livestock with ease.

The added benefits zero noise, zero emissions and zero fossil fuel usage make for an attractive proposition in a wide range of applications.

Offering a 2.5 tonne lift capacity and a 5m maximum lift height the eWorker is available in either a 2 or 4 wheel drive configurations. Rear axle steering with an 85 degree steering angle makes the eWorker one of Merlo’s

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Telehandlers

New Holland TH Series telehandlers The New Holland Agriculture range of Telehandlers are the ideal solution to match the specific requirements of different farming operations.

The TH Series now boasts an impressive nine metre telehandler together with an eye-catching bright yellow and gray livery which fully integrates the telehandler range into New Holland’s Harvesting family. A brand new transmission with electronic modulation ensures enhanced shifting and shuttling.

Operator comfort has not been overlooked with a refreshed cab interior and new look seat.

The Classic version, available on six, seven and nine metre models, is ideal for small livestock farmers and farmyard use. It features a limited-slip differential in the rear axle to increase the tractive effort in demanding conditions, variable displacement hydraulic pump and reversible cooling fan for high efficiency all-day-long.

The new transmission on the 4x3 version on S and Classic models improves third gear travel on slopes and second gear operation for silage work.

The TH Series offers 6 models and 14 versions: The entry level S version, available on the TH6.32 and TH7.32, delivers a powerful performance with its 133 hp engine and simple specifications for a small investment.

D-K-R

AGRICULTURAL SERVICES LTD. Main Dealers for KRAMER Telehandlers

The new 6R Series

D-K-R AGRICULTURAL SERVICES LTD. Westfield, Coulter, Biggar, Lanarkshire ML12 6HN Tel. 01899 220897 • FAX. 01899 221413 E-Mail: dkrcoulter@hotmail-com

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beef

Alternative feed strategies required to combat increased input and production costs

High-energy feed alternatives can help improve margins With barley and urea prices at an all-time high, beef finishers will face diminishing returns unless they adopt alternative feed strategies and improve feed conversion efficiencies over the summer, warns KW Feeds.

“With barley costs surging upwards of £300 per tonne and urea availability and costs extremely volatile, many beef producers will stop finishing unless they consider alternative feed strategies,” explains Dr Anna Sutcliffe, regional ruminant technical manager at KW Feeds.

The soaring production and input costs have put more pressure than ever on beef producers to control feed and input costs, with many looking to extend the grazing season and make more use of forage, moving away from cereals-based diets.

“The danger is too many will become over-reliant on relatively low-digestibility grass, which cannot be converted into liveweight gain (LWG) as efficiently as the best dry, moist and liquid feeds,” she adds.

Complementing lower feed value feeds with the best value alternatives, capable of lifting nutrient density, increasing palatability, driving intake and reducing sorting will not only increase growth rates, but also cut the cost per kg LWG. “Higher quality feeds may cost more per tonne, but they’re often better value because they supply more nutrients per £ spent and are converted into growth more efficiently for a lower overall cost per kg of LWG,” says Dr Sutcliffe.

According to Dr Sutcliffe, feeds like processed bread can often be a better choice than bought-in cereals when it comes to supplying starch, whilst the moist feed C*Traffordgold is a great value source of energy, protein and digestible fibre that also promotes intakes.

“Moist feeds add palatability to rations, which can help lift intakes. The high energy moist distillery feed C*Traffordgold can promote very efficient growth by supplying both energy as digestible fibre, plus moisture to increase ration palatability,” she adds.

“The key is to feed what you need. Make best use of the feeds available by combining them into highly efficient, high value feeding systems. Failing to do so can add significant feed costs per kg liveweight gain,” concludes Dr Sutcliffe.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out September 2022 Subscription page 125

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livestock

Cull cow market offers opportunity to tighten calving intervals With cull cow prices reaching a record high this year, there is an opportunity to replace unproductive cows with improved genetics and focus on tightening calving intervals, improving overall herd performance.

Robert Gilchrist, CEO of the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, suggests that with the cull cow market paying a premium, it’s pertinent to evaluate your herd as a whole and take a considered approach to bringing in replacements and building a more productive, younger herd.

Fertility is known to be the key profit driver for a suckler herd, so placing an emphasis on maternal traits should be a priority.

“The UK suckler herd currently has an average calving interval of 445 days. However, the ambition should be to have suckler cows that calve unassisted every 365 days, with easy fleshing characteristics,” explains Mr Gilchrist.

“Aberdeen-Angus as a breed is well renowned for its maternal traits, but I would still encourage farmers to utilise the data that is available to them. Using Estimated Breeding Values (EBV’s) will help farmers to push their herd forwards by

selecting replacements that will enable them to hit these targets.

“Selecting replacement heifers with the right traits in the first instance will help farmers build a herd on solid foundations.

Heifers from cows conceived in the first or second cycle are more likely to have better fertility for example.

“There are EBV’s for calving ease (direct and daughters) and gestation length, along with birth weight which are important areas to focus on when building a profitable suckler herd. For example, calving ease daughters is a trait you can use to identify how easily a sire’s daughters will calve at two years old; an industry target not always achieved,” he adds.

“Overall, easy calving cows are better able to recover, and get back in calf again, tightening the calving interval.

“Empty days cost you money, that’s why it’s so important to get the calving interval down to the target 365. For every difficult calving, you're likely to lose at least one cycle (21 days) which can cost you as a minimum £21 in keep. But you should also factor in the 21 days lost calf production and the knockon effect for the next breeding season. At an average DLWG of

1.2kg per day you could have a 25kg lighter calf in 12 months’ time, losing around £60/head in calf value,” he adds.

“Protracted calving periods and calving difficulties are also more expensive in losses, labour and vet costs.”

Alongside genetics, there are also a number of management

techniques that farmers can consider to tighten the calving pattern.

“Ensure you're feeding the highest quality grass and driving a rising plane of nutrition into bulling. This will ensure the cow is at prime body condition for when they go back to the bull”.

Innovative ruminant diet formulation needed as feed costs soar With high feed costs jeopardising profitability, dairy and beef producers are being encouraged to utilise proven feed additives to make diets more cost effective and flexible, replicating the approach taken in monogastric diet formulation.

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“Fine tuning ruminant diets with proven feed additives such as live yeasts could help increase milk or meat production per kilogram (kg) of feed or support lower cost rations while maintaining productivity,” says Mark McFarland, feed additive

product manager at Lallemand Animal Nutrition.

He says that in pig and poultry diets, several feed additives have been accepted for decades for improving the productive value of commercial feeds, but the use of additives in the ruminant sector

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is much less consistent.

“The use of enzymes for example, are a routine part of monogastric ration formulation that offer flexibility in formulating least cost diets. Similar benefits are to be had from using feed additives such as live yeasts in

livestock A New Monitor Farm Project fit for the future ruminant rations, however this is not currently standard practice, despite the positive response on digestion and feed efficiency being well documented.”

Mr McFarland says the dairy and beef sector could benefit greatly from more innovative ration formulation that supports least and iso-cost diets.

“Up to 75% of feed is digested in the rumen, which is essentially a huge fermentation vat that hosts a complex anaerobic microbiota, with over 100 billion microbes per millilitre of rumen fluid.

Getting the microbial balance within the rumen right, can make a significant difference to the animal’s ability to digest feed, particularly the fibre fraction of the diet,” he explains.

Feed additives that favourably modify the rumen environment can therefore be an incredibly useful tool to optimise ruminant diet formulation he says, although advises selecting those that have robust scientific backing, citing the live yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077 as a good example.

“The effects and modes of action of the live yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077 on rumen microbiota have been extensively studied. The main benefits shown include stabilising ruminal pH, increasing fibre degradation and digestibility, and speeding up rumen maturity in youngstock,” says Mr McFarland.

Avoid knee-jerk reaction against extra silage cuts based on fuel price Do not let high fuel costs put you off taking extra grass silage cuts this season, without first considering the consequences, says Ecosyl silage specialist, Peter Smith.

The impact of higher diesel prices could be minimal compared with the benefit of harvesting better quality grass and being able to make more

silage over the season, he says. This is particularly the case given current strong milk prices and since good silage has become a more valuable asset as bought-in feed costs have risen, he adds.

“First-cut silage has been made 2-3 weeks early on many farms this year,” says Mr Smith, “but some farmers are now

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Bruce McConachie

A new Monitor Farm Scotland project has been confirmed

by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, to support a new approach to the delivery of knowledge transfer programmes within the rapidly changing Scottish agriculture sector.

Funded by the Scottish Government’s Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF) and run by QMS in collaboration with AHDB, and with the support of the Irish Farmers Journal (IFJ), the aim of the programme is to instigate positive transformational change in innovative sustainable farming practices on nine farms across Scotland, with the learnings used to benefit the wider agricultural industry.

The project, which builds on the success of the 2016– 2019 Monitor Farm Scotland programme and legacy findings, as well as the Farm Profit Programme, is now accepting applications from farm businesses interested in getting involved. It will follow the same format of data collection as previous initiatives but will represent mixed farming systems across Scotland, will extend over four and-a-half years instead of three and will have a dedicated in-house delivery team to support the monitor farmers and community groups as well as maximising engagement.

Chair of QMS, and former Monitor Farmer, Kate Rowell, said: “The new iteration will continue to build on all the experience from previous monitor farms but will focus even more closely on measuring and recording in order to make the best changes for the participating farms.

“The whole ethos of the programme is that it’s led by the farmers themselves, and there’s no advice more valuable than from someone who’s actually been there and done it.”

Bruce McConachie, Head of Industry Development at QMS comments that: “This programme will help create outputs in greater detail and at a larger scale than any Scottish knowledge exchange programme has ever achieved.

“The particular focus on economic, environmental, and social sustainability reflects the current Scottish agriculture landscape and will assist farmers in building dynamic, resilient businesses that meet the needs of an evolving market, as well as guide the industry and policy development.”

If you are interested and want to know more about the Monitor Farm Programme, please contact QMS at monitorfarms@ qmscotland.co.uk or Bruce McConachie on 07793 814 764.

livestock considering dropping out a cut to save fuel.

“Clearly, farmers need to look at the financials for their individual farm situations. But don’t just look at the cost of each cut. Look also at its potential benefits.”

Based on diesel being 60 p/ litre more expensive this season, and putting diesel consumption for harvesting and ensiling grass at around 25 litres/acre (62 litres/hectare), Mr Smith calculates each grass cut costs just £15/acre (£37/hectare) more this year compared with last year. However, grass silage is also worth more at around £45/t compared with £35/t last season, he stresses, plus milk prices have risen, and research shows that cutting grass younger and more often produces higher quality and more yield over the season – offering the potential to produce more milk from forage.

Mr Smith says: “Research we conducted a few years ago showed that grass cut five times had the potential to support 3,500 litres/ha more milk compared with taking three cuts. This was based on the five cut approach being both higher

in metabolisable energy and producing a higher dry matter yield over the season. At a milk price of 40 p/litre, that extra 3,500 litres is worth £1,400 compared with £875 when milk was just 25 p/litre.

“The other advantage of cutting more often is it provides more opportunities to apply slurry. That can be significant

if looking to reduce reliance on expensive bagged fertiliser.

“Grass cut younger and more often does need ensiling well in order to protect its quality and dry matter, since its higher protein content can contribute to buffering the fermentation, and shorter cutting intervals can mean less time for slurry bacteria, such as enterobacteria, to dissipate.

But the research also found that by improving the fermentation with a proven additive not only were enterobacteria numbers as much as 100,000 times lower, but DM loss was halved and there was evidence of better protein preservation. I would always urge farmers to use a proven additive, and preferably one also tested on multi-cut grass.”

Poultry sector must make every gram of feed count With escalating cereal prices and volatile commodity markets, production margins are shrinking dramatically, and the poultry industry is being urged to examine strategies that focus on maximising feed utilisation.

“Sky-high feed prices have left the poultry industry extremely vulnerable. Mitigating the impact while maintaining performance, however, is a challenge,” says world renowned poultry nutritionist Rick Kleyn.

Mr Kleyn says there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution but a good starting point is to ensure you are utilising as much of the available feed as possible.

“Strategies that prioritise 58

gut health are fundamental in maximising nutrient absorption and feed utilisation, particularly in the absence of antimicrobial solutions,” he says.

“Gut health is a complex area that combines nutrition, as well as bird health and physiology.

Maintaining intestinal barrier function, controlling parasitic infections such as coccidiosis, supporting microbial diversity and preventing dysbacteriosis, and reducing inflammation and endogenous loss, are all important factors to consider in the context of gut health.”

From a nutritional health perspective, Mr Kleyn says there are clear areas to bear in

mind when formulating diets, highlighting the example of antinutritional factors (ANF’s).

“ANF’s are substances which by themselves, or via their metabolic products, affect health

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and production and can interfere with nutrient utilisation,” explains Mr Kleyn.

“An example of an ANF is β-mannans, which are intensively anti-nutritional and

a potent stimulator of an innate immune response, known as Feed-Induced Immune Response (FIIR). They are commonly found in vegetable feed ingredients, such as legumes but also cereals.

“Young chickens are very vulnerable to the ill-effects of FIIR and gut inflammation, and only low β-mannan concentrations are needed (0.20%) to trigger the immune system, making it a common problem in poultry production,” says Mr Kleyn.

He says it’s therefore very important to consider the potential impact of dietary β-mannans, particularly in scenarios where rations are being reformulated with ingredients that may present a higher risk.

“There are tools available to counteract specific issues and while on the face of it they might seem expensive, the return on investment should be weighedup before rejecting their use”.

Dairy and beef producers encouraged to consider crimping cereals

With rising feed costs set to heavily erode production margins this winter, dairy and beef producers with cereals in the ground are being urged to consider crimping crops to maximise nutritional value and dry matter yield.

“Making the most of homegrown feed, whether that be grass, maize or cereals, will be crucial to maintain margin over feed costs this winter,” says Lientjie Colahan, technical sales support at Lallemand Animal Nutrition.

NFU Scotland

livestock

Uncertainty is not good for business

By Gary Mitchell, Milk Committee Chair

Gary Mitchell

Inflation in agriculture has rocketed to over 30%, the highest level for decades, with dairy businesses hit hardest writes Stranraer dairy farmer Gary Mitchell, chair of NFU Scotland’s Milk Committee.

In relation, UK inflation has hit a 40-year high of 9% as cost of food and energy soars.

The difference in these two percentage figures is not only significant but should be a warning for all in the sector and beyond.

I currently receiving the highest milk price this farm has ever seen, but I also have a long list of costs and invoices to match. Feed, fuel, energy and fertiliser have become the industry mantra and added to that list is the issues surrounding labour. Not only has inflation pushed wages up, but training and retention also requires investment.

The recent increase in milk prices is vital to ensure continuation of supply, while also prioritising the highest standards are maintained on farm. And it should not be forgotten by anybody both within and out with the supply chain that, like any business, our key objective is to make a profit…a profit

which allows us to reinvest and meet head on the challenges our industry will meet in the short and long term.

For too long, milk price had been in a period of stagnation, but 2022 has seen monthly increases across the board, increases that are urgently required.

However, I do have concern about the disparity of pricing, not only the percentage levels between the “haves and the haves nots” but the timing of milk price announcements and the subsequent implementation when made.

This is set against a backdrop of some reports suggesting that, at time of print, spot milk is hitting 60ppl and milk supply is around 2.5% below this time last year.

Milk price at retail level is often used by the media as a barometer of consumer behaviour, but what is often forgotten is that we are starting from a very low base, where historically milk has been sold as a loss leader. This needs to change, although price elasticity, the wider economic factors and the changing habits of consumers cannot be ignored.

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While farmers are not directly responsible for setting the shelf price at retail level, our hands are not completely tied. The farming unions are working tirelessly on this, making it very clear to retailers and politicians both north and south of the border that fairness across the whole supply chain is a priority. We need to manage the pressure that inflation brings and an assurance that farmers are being supported during this challenging time.

In an article written by myself as recent as November 2021, I stated that for too long, 30 pence per litre had been seen as the great target for dairy farmers. And at that time, I suggested that 40ppl was to be the new 30ppl. A statement that raised an eyebrow amongst many.

Well, who would have thought how grossly outdate that figure now looks?

The biggest challenge we face going forward is uncertainty. Uncertainty of not only milk price, but input costs at all stages of the supply chain. It is extremely difficult to make sound business decisions when costs across the board are changing daily.

livestock “Crimped cereals are often overlooked, but providing they are handled and ensiled correctly, they are a very good feed option that can bolster the energy content of rations and lower the need for purchased concentrates.

“It also gives the option of baling the straw left behind, and because the crop is harvested earlier than dry grains, the feed value of the straw is increased,” says Mrs Colahan.

Offering a rumen friendly source of starch, Mrs Colahan says crimp is a very safe way to lift the energy content of rations and is a particularly good option in situations where the available silage falls short of energy.

“Some farmers may have made high bulk but lower quality silage. Making up the shortfall in rations with purchased energy is going to be very costly this year and therefore if first-cut grass silage is analysing low in ME, crimped cereals should be considered,” she says.

Suitable crops for crimping include maize, barley, wheat, oats, triticale and grains should

be harvested at a moisture content of between 25 and 40 percent – typically two to three weeks earlier than conventionally combined cereals. Due to the high moisture, all crimped cereals will need to be treated with an appropriate inoculant to reduce spoilage and nutrient loss.

“Spoilage microorganisms such as yeasts and moulds must be controlled when the crimped grain is fermenting, as well as when it is being fed out, to inhibit them from consuming the valuable nutrients preserved within the clamp,” explains Mrs Colahan.

“Taking control of the fermentation process and microbes that are present is particularly important with crimp, given that starch is an ideal nutrient for spoilage microbes and that it tends to be removed and fed quite slowly,” she adds.

Egg producers encouraged to keep up worming routines

Elanco is offering the industry’s leading in-feed de-wormer, Flubenvet™, at a more costeffective price to help sustain egg producers during a period of unprecedented increase in the cost of production.

According to Elanco’s Jeremy Marsh, with margins at risk, producers are being put in a difficult situation whereby they may feel that they have to compromise on bird health, welfare and productivity. However, he says that overlooking some key areas of routine management, such as worming, could prove false economy and further compound the economic pressure.

“When margins are so heavily squeezed, understandably it’s tempting to cut corners in attempt to

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livestock offset the rapidly rising costs.

But it’s important to consider the implications. We know that parasitic worm burdens for example, are associated with significant costs which could hit producers’ pockets further down the line,” says Mr Marsh.

To help producers continue to implement robust worming programmes, he explains that Elanco, who has manufactured Flubenvet™ for over 20 years, is offering the product at a more cost-effective price following a review of their supply structure.

“We want to support egg producers in keeping up their routine worming programmes so that they can continue to achieve optimum levels of bird growth, performance and production efficiency, while balancing financial returns.”

Due to the large number of different species of worms and the way that laying hens are housed, Mr Marsh explains that the risk of these damaging parasites is inevitable.

“Free range birds are at constant risk of developing an infestation, as they can ingest the parasite from faeces inside and outside the shed. Worm eggs are very resistant and can survive on the ground for up to one year and so now they’re back on the ranges they could be exposed to new challenges,” he explains.

Mr Marsh encourages producers to work alongside their vet to review the worm challenges present on their farm and implement a worming programme accordingly.

“There’s a number of different species that can be problematic and it’s important that the worming programme takes this into consideration.

The ideal solution is to use a wormer that tackles all species at all stages to give a full spectrum of control,” he adds.

To find out more about how a preventive programme could support flock health and protect your profits, please contact ElancoUK@elanco. com or call 01256 353131.

The

VET

The Greening of Sustainable Envy

By Andy Cant Northvet Veterinary Group I now get a monthly email from our veterinary wholesaler to tell me how many trees they have planted to offset the carbon impact of packaging and delivering my drug order. Really? Apparently so and it makes everything sustainable. The cynic in me thinks what a lot of nonsense but then again maybe I’m being a laggard on the adoption curve of going out of your way to show what your business is doing to embrace sustainable values.

Sustainability of any business is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability to meet the needs of the future. Where do you start? Luckily in the veterinary profession a group called Vet Sustain has teamed up with other veterinary associations to give guidance falling into four categories.

1. Business Resources – using energy saving devices and renewable

energy, less disposables – we use lots, syringes, drapes (I wondered why we’ve kept those old glass and metal syringes from years ago, and cloth drapes – back to the future!). We’ve started emailing out invoices rather than posting to save on paper 2. Business Operation – minimise anaesthetic gases (Nitrous Oxide we no longer use), promoting animal welfare and supporting welfare friendly agriculture (I would like to think we’ve always been doing that!)

Reducing business travel (tricky for an ambulatory vet practice) We’ve not yet made the jump to electric vehicles but that may not be far off.

3. Responsible Medicine use – again something I would like to think we have been onto for some years now. But perhaps one that

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brings the above definition of sustainability into focus.

Irresponsible use now = no useable medicines in the future.

4. Empower the team – don’t forget your people!

Health and wellbeing. With 50% of vets leaving the profession after 6yrs we have a bit of catch up to do here So, what are you doing in your business to embrace the new thinking and to shout about it?

Sustainable animal agriculture must be environmentally, ethically and economically acceptable to us all, consumers, producers and wider society. As demand for food gets greater, we must take care not to compromise animal welfare over human need and animal welfare, in itself, must be seen as a key sustainability objective. So, let’s do it well and make the rest of the world greener with envy.

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dairy

Precision feeding can help extend grazing period Increase milk from forage and achieve margins through precision feeding

Rocketing feed and input costs mean many dairy producers will be looking to extend grazing periods and make more use of forage this summer, but if margins are to be achieved it is crucial that grazing is balanced with the correct nutritional supplementation, says UFACUK. With high production costs putting extreme pressure on margins, the temptation is to consider ways to reduce feed costs, but producers are reminded it is vital that grazing is measured and managed, so it can be balanced with the correct buffer feeding, to maximise DMIs and margins.

“Don’t over-estimate the nutritional supply from grazing alone. While purchased feed prices continue to rise, so too

have milk prices,” says UFACUK ruminant technical manager Mike Chown.

“Rather than thinking ‘what can I save if I cut something out of the ration?’, consider what returns you will get if you spend a little more, or indeed, what do you risk losing if you cut something out,” he adds.

Mr Chown says the promotion of efficient use of grass by precision feeding can help increase milk from forage.

He advises farmers to focus on what they want the cows to achieve, and consider how they can harness seasonality benefits alongside the nutritional supplementation required to support grazing.

“We want cows to graze efficiently and to milk in a way that can achieve those best

returns, through a combination of good quality milk and hitting the profile,” he explains.

“To maximise forage DMIs, we first need to know what we are feeding, so we should regularly analyse all forages, and balance them with the correct nutrients, such as structural fibre, sugar, starch, rumen protein,

by-pass protein and rumen inert fatty acids,” explains Mr Chown.

“We must ensure speed of break down in the rumen is matched, while at the same time, paying attention to acid loading and rumen pH. This will optimise rumen microbes to promote fibre digestion and intakes, most costeffectively,” he adds.

£21m Digital Dairy Chain opens The South-West of Scotland and Cumbria will become the “go to”

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region for future investment in high-tech dairy processing.

This is according to project leads at the £21 million Digital Dairy Chain, which was officially launched this week near Dumfries.

Led by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) from its Barony campus, it will see partners across South-West Scotland and Cumbria focussing on developing a fully integrated and traceable dairy supply chain.

Aligning with Scotland’s Strategy for Economic Transformation, it is planned that the Digital Dairy Chain will

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eventually lead to the creation of more than 600 jobs and generate £60m a year of additional value.

It will do this by attracting large dairy processors to the region, supporting investment in industry-focussed research and development and by turning South-West Scotland and Cumbria into a “magnet” for tech companies.

Supported by £21.3m from the UK Government’s Strength in Places Fund, the Digital Dairy Chain’s initial focus will be on the use of sensors and data from

dairy dairy herds and how it can be utilised to produce more and better dairy products.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “The Borderlands are home to many innovative dairy farmers and producers who are boosting the value of their industry and the region’s economy while also making significant improvements in both sustainability and welfare.

“The UK Government’s £21.3 million investment will help the development of these innovations by supporting the

use of sensors and data right across the industry.

“We are also investing £4m in the flagship Dairy Nexus facility at the Barony Campus as part of our £265m investment in the Borderlands Growth Deal.”

Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, said: “Working with local and national businesses, the Digital Dairy Chain will transform the region’s dairy production systems and establish it as a global leader in advanced, sustainable and high-value dairy manufacturing”.

Dietary changes to mitigate heat stress losses in dairy cows For dairy producers going into hotter months, having a plan in place to adjust rations as temperatures spike can offset production losses associated with heat stress, says Dr Richard Kirkland, ruminant nutritionist for Volac Wilmar Feed Ingredients.

“When temperatures reach 25°C, cows can really start to be impacted by heat and reduce feed intake. Intake continues to decline as temperatures increase, with research data demonstrating a 20 to 40 percent decrease in dry matter (DM) intake when temperatures reach 40°C,” says Dr Kirkland.

These effects become more pronounced where humidity is also an issue, and the temperaturehumidity index is often used to indicate degree of stress on dairy cattle. Higher humidity will see more-severe heat stress issues at lower temperatures. A reduction in DM intake results in a reduction in energy intake, resulting in less energy available for production. This is further

compounded by an increase in maintenance requirements of the cow, increasing upwards of 25 percent as breathing rate and panting are elevated to help lose heat for body temperature regulation, therefore reducing energy availability.

“If not managed, cows will quickly fall into an energy deficit,” says Dr Kirkland. “As a result, other functions including fertility and milk production are significantly reduced. Research studies have reported conception rates falling as low as 10 percent during the hottest months of the year and milk yield falling by 35 percent.”

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The True Price of Milk

By Stuart Martin, Scottish Dairy Hub Manager Let’s start with some good news. In last month’s article I wrote about “World Milk Day Campaign” that was on 1st June. Established in 2001 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations to recognize the importance of milk as a global food, and to celebrate the dairy sector, this event goes from strength to strength.

This year the global campaign reached over 1 billion people on social media, showcasing the benefits of milk consumption, sustainability, and community cohesion worldwide.

It has been widely reported that inflation in agriculture has soared to over 30%, the highest level for decades, with dairy businesses hit hardest.

In relation, UK inflation has hit a 40-year high of 9% as cost of food and energy soars. The difference in these two percentage figures is very significant.

This is on a backdrop of AHDB figures stating that milk supply is currently over 3% behind the same position as 12 months ago, and spring flush never hit the peak of 2021.

Milk price at retail level is often used by the media as a barometer of consumer behaviour, however what is often forgotten is that we are

starting from a very low base, where historically milk has been sold as a loss leader.

Cheap milk at retail level should be a concern for all.

Not only does it distort a whole supply chain, but it also confuses the consumer on the cost of producing milk and devalues the whole offering.

Not to mention that it creates an environment where price increases are more difficult to achieve in future, something that is now playing out in front of our eyes.

First lesson in economics was all about price elasticity, i.e. how much is consumer demand affected in relation to a change in a products price.

This is no better reflected than in the recent rise of on farm processing in particular vending machines which has underlined the relationship between the consumer and the true price of milk. For some time the vending machine operators have been charging a price that not only reflects the true input cost but offers the consumer a product of great provenance which they clearly value.

Let’s all remember milk contains a variety of nutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iodine, and several B vitamins. Not bad for something the same price as a first-class stamp!

The SCOTTISH DAIRY HUB offers dairy farmers and service providers a free signposting service connecting the dairy sector throughout Scotland. Visit our website to view all the latest information on our noticeboard and events page www.scottishdairyhub.org.uk Tel: 03454 755110 Mob: 07500 766083 Email: lnfo@scottishdairyhub.org.uk

Kelso Ram Sales

Kelso Ram Sales 2022 On the second Friday of September 1838, a sale of more than 120 Rams was held at The Knowes Kelso, the entries making £3 - £4 each. This was probably the first public auction sale of Rams in the world and was the forerunner of what was

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to become the Great Kelso Ram Sale.

By 1845 the numbers of entries had risen to 230 and as entry numbers grew the start time of 10am and annual date of the second Friday in September were fixed. They remain in place

to this day. As does the annual ballot to determine the order in which the lots of Rams will be sold.

By the end of that decade the Ram Sales were firmly established on the Scottish Borders farming calendar.

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Sheep, in particulalr the Border Leicester breed, are such an important part of the Borders agricultural economy that it was quite natural the Border Union Agricultural Society should organise a sale of Rams, as it had been done in other

Kelso Ram Sales markets earlier. The coming of the railways in the next decade was to lift the Ram Sales to an event of National significance and to boost the reputation of the breeds of rams sold across the country and abroad.

In 1850, 500 Rams were presented for sale and as the event grew a two-ring sale was proposed and was a great success, even with some concerns that running two sale rings at once would be impossible. The sales International reputation was also growing including the sale of 30 Rams to go to Ireland. The multiple ring process enabled 700 Rams to be sold in 1851 and 1,000 in 1852. Increasingly, Kelso was becoming the epicentre of Ram sales in the UK. Encouraged by the easy access of rail visitor numbers, sales grew rapidly outgrowing the historic Knowes site and moving to a larger field in Kelso.

Thus, the Great Kelso Ram sales grew and prospered balanced on the delivery of prime stock concentrated over one day in September. It has survived all manner of challenges in farming and global pressures including war, disease, flood and more recently pandemic. It has on occasion had to be cancelled.

The modern day annual sale procedure still operates in an almost identical way to years gone by, honed by years of practise. The event regularly commands entries in excess of 5000-6000 head of sheep and now requires 15 auctioneers rings, selling 20 breeds of sheep over the same single day. The sale, still on the second Friday of September, is conducted under the historic principal of balloted order and starts in time honoured fashion promptly at 10am, all this called to order at the sound of the bell rung by the Border Union Agricultural Society Secretary.

The Border Union Agricultural Society home is Springwood Park Showground in Kelso, where the annual Kelso Ram Sales auction takes place under the cover of marquees, excepting the unusual challenges in 2021 which left the event open to the elements for the first time since 1968.

The showground is a registered agricultural market and carries its own farm holding number.

It is not common elsewhere to see so many auctioneers selling at the same event, but this practise, like its many other idiosyncrasies, gives the sale its unique and global reputation.

The principal auctioneers at the early Kelso Ram Sales were Mr Donkin of Rothbury, Mr Embleton of Berwick, Mr Fairbairn of Kelso and Mr Oliver of Hawick. Mr Fairbairn being a legendary figure reputedly selling 800 Rams in one 9 hour stint without a

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break. The Kelso Ram Sales sales are now supported on the day by a number of local and national auctioneers including; Border Livestock Exchange Ltd, C&D Auctions, Harrison & Hetherington, Hexham & Northern Marts, Lawrie & Symington, North Eastern Livestock Sales and United Auctions.

The Kelso Ram Sales are without doubt one of the primary events in the Scottish Borders Calendar.

Their commercial value to business, travel, hospitality and the accommodation and hotel trade is significant with many customers booking their rooms and restaurants year on year.

The sale attracts annually over 7,000 visitors and delivers a tremendous financial injection, driving well over a £1M into the local economy. In addition, it attracts customers from around the world and every section of

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Kelso Ram Sales the UK, showcasing the Scottish Borders at what is undoubtedly a beautiful time of the year.

Many of our trade customers from Scotland, The Borders and North Northumberland support the event by taking space at the Kelso Ram Sales. With over 30 companies joining us here in 2021 there was even more reason to make a visit as experts in the agricultural, and specifically the sheep farming world, descended on Springwood Park to demonstrate and sell their new systems, machinery and feed solutions. Yet more confirmation of the importance of the event and its place in the sheep farming calendar.

The Kelso Ram Sales have been supported by Norbrook, a leading global provider of veterinary pharmaceuticals for some years. They were established in 1969, in Newry, Northern Ireland, by the late Lord Ballyedmond.

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It is one of the largest, family owned, veterinary pharmaceutical companies in the world with a portfolio of trusted animal health products

distributed in more than 100 countries. They aim to be the first to market with generic veterinary pharmaceutical products with differentiators or

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enhancements in comparison to pioneer products. They have a history of product innovation; and invest significantly in research and development.

Kelso Ram Sales The Kelso Ram Sales have benefited from a long relationship with Norbrook under the Closemectin banner and latterly the Solantel brand.

Their marketing team are close companions on the day and are delighted with their ability to connect with the whole sheep industry in a professional environment where their clients are in one place at one time.

The Border Union Agricultural Society works closely with sponsor partners to deliver the event, planning the catalogue and marketing campaign cohesively to ensure

a successful outcome. Costs in every industry are rising and it is essential to find robust partnerships to continue the event sustainably and demonstrate value for money to vendors and purchasers alike.

Whilst the history of the Kelso Ram Sales appears to many to have been built on the reputation and development of the Border Leicester breed there have been many others that have graced the pens of the Springwood Park site over the last 180 years. In 2021 amongst the 4285 Rams presented for sale on the day there were high

numbers of Suffolks, Texels and Beltex amongst 20 breeds in all.

That sale saw a new record high price when a Texel shearling sold at £65,000 beating the previous sales record of £35,000.

The Society is gearing up for the next sale on the 9th September 2022 when the canvas marquees will return as well as potentially more than 5000 quality rams from around the country and possibly from across the water. Interest is already growing and the town’s reputation for holding the finest sale of rams in the world is set to continue.

Border Union Chairman Peter Douglas of Ruletownhead said; ‘Kelso Ram Sales provide the single most effective one stop shop for purchasing quality stock of many different breeds. The sale is rightly renowned across the world for premium rams and generates considerable revenue for the community and commercial business in the Scottish Borders. We look forward to another fantastic day continuing the tradition and enjoying the excitement of the Kelso Ram Sales in full flow.’

The 2022 Kelso Ram Sales are free to enter and commence at 10am Friday 9th September info at www.borderunion.co.uk

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sheep Breedr launches sheep recording app Sheep and beef producers can now record their livestock data in one place, helping to improve farm management, compliance and efficiencies.

Breedr, the precision livestock network, has launched a new sheep element to its free app, meaning producers can record lambing details, weights and medicine usage directly into their phone or tablet. They can also produce performance reports and trade livestock directly with other farmers, based on lifetime animal data, for fully transparent supply chains.

Pembrokeshire farmer Steve Prentice helped to develop the sheep app and is impressed by how it helps to improve breeding and management decisions.

“There are a lot of software

programs for managing cattle but there are differences in how sheep farmers think and work – the value of cows is significantly more and they don’t have triplets all the time,” he says.

“There are also differences in requirements for pedigree flocks where everything is recorded and the more commercial flocks where individual genetics are less important but overall lambing performance and weight gain are key. Breedr can look at both.”

Steve uploads new lamb data to the app, including dam, sire, date of birth and weight, as well as vaccinations and treatments for coccidiosis, fluke and worms.

“Breedr replaces the Defra medicine book by recording medicines, batch numbers and treatment, for every animal.

It also allows us to record the general performance of ewes.”

Once a month he runs all sheep through a race and crush where he scans ear tags and automatically records the animal’s weight. “It is fast and easy, linking the weight to the animal identity without having to do any typing or manually read ear tags.”

Looking ahead, Steve is keen to optimise his flock performance. “With limited land we need to decide which sheep to keep and which to sell based on performance and bloodlines – with the app those decisions are based on data.”

As well as the free sheep app, Breedr has launched a Pro version enabling mixed farmers to record their beef and sheep data in one place. As well as

giving them seamless access to their sheep and beef information and trading platforms, Pro offers advanced reporting of Key Performance Indicators, benchmarking against industry targets and other Breedr farmers, and detailed farm maps to show where different animals are located or grazing.

Peter Broad, who farms near Launceston, Cornwall has been using the app to gain a deeper insight into data from both his cattle and sheep enterprises.

“I wanted to use as much data as possible – it’s vital to the business.”

Peter runs a flock of 400 commercial Mules and buys in store cattle or calves to finish indoors in February and March. He used the Countryside Productivity Scheme to buy

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sheep Prepare to use a group 4 wormer this season

some weigh heads and scales and now tracks daily liveweight gains in the Breedr app. “The biggest thing is that I’ll be able to predict how many lambs to sell each week and book them in so we’re not keeping them any longer than we need to.”

The app is also useful for capturing the breeding information for each sheep, he

adds. “By linking the lambs back to their mothers and capturing all the lambing history we have a clean, easy to access set of records when it comes to replacing some of the older or underperforming ewes.”

For more information visit www.breedr.co or call 03300 436327.

Sheep farmers are being reminded to incorporate a group 4 (orange) wormer into their worm control strategies, to prevent resistance building and maintain production efficiency this season.

Matt Colston, vet at Elanco Animal Health, says wormer resistance is a growing, yet invisible problem, with data showing that 94% of farms are resistant to white wormers, 68% resistant to yellow wormers, 51% resistant to ivermectin and 19% resistant to moxidectin[1].

He highlights that monitoring of growth rates and

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routine testing will help alert farmers to potential resistance issues, although emphasises that it is crucial not to wait until there is an identified problem before strategically introducing a newer wormer active.

“Repeated use of the same wormer groups will speed up the rate that resistance develops and once this happens, it cannot be reversed. Introducing a newer group 4 wormer at strategic points within worming programmes now will therefore pay dividends.

“It will help slow down the development of resistance to the

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sheep

Resilience is the key

By Grace Reid, NSA Scottish Region Coordinator

It has been a busy few months in the lead up to NSA Scotsheep 2022 and the Royal Highland Show! On a policy front, food security remains at the forefront of our minds alongside the input emergencies. Despite all this, prices remain high for our hard-earned outputs which is a relief and long may it continue. Quite worryingly however, land prices continue to skyrocket with the looming threat of tree planting, carbon credits and alternative land uses to livestock and food production becoming a real focus. Many will be tempted with these agile offers with not much of a reason to refuse.

With little news or outcome on the Defra or Scottish Government Animal Welfare in Transit consultations, Scottish Government have made some strides with their new agricultural policy.

It is anticipated that a consultation will be announced in late summer this year which will then feed towards a Scottish Agricultural Bill in 2023. The National Test Programme (announced in October 2021) builds on the work of the Farmer Led Groups

and of ARIOB and is aimed at all farmers and crofters in Scotland. This comes as the first step, in the journey towards CAP Replacement and is based on the principles of collaboration and co-creation that are the foundation of a Just Transition. Further detail on Track 2 of the Programme will be issued in the coming months with an anticipated pilot involving 1,500 farmers to be announced.

Despite our industry being increasingly resilient, we do require a safety net or some sort of contingency for ‘just in case’ scenarios.

It unfortunately doesn’t take very much for a situation to escalate with a series of perfect storms. The debate between food production, climate change mitigation or biodiversity cannot escalate to the point where one is prioritised over another. We have spent generations laying down the infrastructures within the supply chain which all work albeit sometimes with disruption and need for oiling. Farmers have always been in the business of risk management and it is this which makes them resilient.

However, is what is now being asked of them a step further than resilience?

older wormers, deeming them more effective for longer, and clear out any resistant worms that could be compromising lamb growth and performance,” he explains.

Use a group 4 at two points in the season Mr Colston recommends swapping one dose of an older group 1,2 or 3 wormer, to Zolvix™ for lambs in the midlate grazing season.

“This should deliver visible improvements in lamb performance, by removing any resistant worms left from previous treatments.

“On top of one annual dose for lambs, Zolvix should also be used as a quarantine treatment for any incoming sheep, to prevent resistance being brought onto the farm,” he advises.

When administering any treatments, Mr Colston highlights that farmers should not worm sheep and move them to clean pastures straight away.

"Sheep should be housed or returned to the same fields for four to five days before moving.

This avoids taking any resistant worms that have survived treatments onto clean pasture.

“Farmers should also undertake a post-dosing faecal egg count, also known as a drench test, whenever a wormer is given. This can quickly provide an indicator of wormer efficacy and determine whether further treatment is needed,” he adds.

The government’s new Animal Health and Welfare Pathway is set to offer support for wormer efficacy testing, providing the ideal opportunity for farmers to work with their vets and establish a sustainable worming programme.

For further advice on which wormer to use and when, head to the Sheep Wormer Checker https://www.farmanimalhealth. co.uk/sheep/sheep-worms/ sheep-wormer-checker.

New campaign to ram the sheep scab message home Land-based training provider, Lowe Maintenance, has joined forces with several industry stakeholders including The Livestock Auctioneers Association

Limited (LAA), Bimeda, and Biobest to launch the Break the Sheep Scab Cycle Campaign.

The campaign seeks to raise awareness of the rise of sheep

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sheep scab, support the management of the condition, stop reinfection and empower farmers to adopt a prevention mindset by working together as a community.

Sheep scab not only impacts animal welfare; it has huge financial implications.

It’s estimated that the cost of this disease to UK farmers is £80£200 million per year (Nixon et al., 2020).

Sheep scab had been almost eliminated 30 years ago when compulsory dipping was a legal requirement but has re-emerged to what are now endemic levels.

While the highly contagious disease in sheep doesn’t pose a risk to humans, it can rip through a flock before any symptoms are displayed.

Richard Scofield, Sheep Dipping Expert, and Assessor with over 20 years of industry experience explains: ‘Sadly, scab has returned with a vengeance, but this time we have all the tools to combat it. If we work smartly and collaboratively, we can break the cycle.

'Responsible treatment and testing are our weapons, but

if used incorrectly we’re just battling and not winning the war on scab.

'Dipping, where necessary, should be done sequentially from September to the end of November in relation to how high up the flock grazes, taking place before tupping. And of course, coordinating with neighbouring farms is vital.

'Being open and honest is so important. No, matter the bio-security knowing thy neighbour has never been more important. Bolstering this with testing and when there is a breakout, rapid & targeted treatment, and testing in infected farms in the vicinity until scab has gone.’

Campaign materials are all available to download, including posters, social media posts, and a handy ‘how much dip should I use’, tool, which can be found here: www. breakthesheepscabcycle.co.uk along with dedicated podcast episodes on Lowe Maintenance’s Up Hill and Down Dale podcast linked to Breaking the Sheep Scab Cycle coming soon.

Top breeding boosts profit and productivity in commercial lambs RamCompare’s year six results demonstrate how rams with key breeding traits can optimise flock profitability. In four case studies, flock profitability was enhanced by £1.98 to £5.17 per lamb; with some rams producing lambs that finished several weeks earlier than others.

The full results, which report the data collected and analysed from rams with the fastest growth rates, best conformation and most valuable progeny, will be presented in an industry webinar on 19 May, which is free

to attend and open to all.

RamCompare uses nominated performance-recorded rams from many breeds on commercial farms across the UK. The project, which is fully supported

by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) alongside 16 other partners, has recorded the performance of more than 30,000 lambs, sired by 313 rams over six breeding seasons. For the year six results, a team of 60 natural service rams were used, producing performance data from more than 5,000 lambs.

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crofting

Geese – do the sums

By Patrick Krause, Chief Executive, Scottish Crofting Federation

A few weeks ago the Scottish Parliament Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee took evidence on the petition that was lodged by SCF, “Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to address the problems created by increasing populations of wild geese …”

In 2013, when the petition was lodged, there were 8,000 greylag geese counted in the entire crofting counties. There are now 8,000 resident birds in Uist alone and the numbers in Lewis and Tiree are similar.

These are the areas that the Minister for Environment and Land Reform, Mairi McAllan, referred to when saying, “I understand how serious the impacts can be for crofting communities, and for the unique machair habitat and biodiversity that their traditional form of agriculture supports.”

Following the reduction and eventual cessation of any funding to control numbers, the goose population has exploded, as expected. The minister has responded to SCF’s lobby by reinstating only £6,000 to each of the Hebridean schemes.

In Uist we need to aim for a population of no more than 3000, reducing from the current 8000. It costs £8 per bird to shoot them so this year

we could see a reduction of 750 birds. The bird numbers increase through natural replacement at about 25% (2000) or more per year. So even with current shooting levels the flock is increasing at 1250 birds per year. Just to halt increasing numbers, we need to shoot 2000 birds minimum this year (£16,000) but we have to reduce them, so let’s say 3000 birds, £24,000. As we reduce the numbers the proportion will reduce so the cost will diminish year by year. Realistically we can get numbers back to acceptable in 3-5 years and to maintain them at 3000 will then cost £6000 per year. This applies to the other Hebridean islands too.

If we don’t get past that threshold and the goose numbers go up instead of down, the clearance of crofters to make way for geese will escalate. If this happens all the good associated with crofting, the high biodiversity of the machair and the preservation of heritage crops, will be sacrificed.

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sheep This joint levy-funded research project demonstrates how commercial producers can use specific estimated breeding values (EBVs) to identify rams with high genetic potential and prove their worth when assessing financial impact.

Bruce McConachie, Head of Industry Development at QMS, said: “The project is not only vital in driving the industry forward, but the results are invaluable to farmers seeking to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The data ensures that terminal sire ram buyers have confidence that selecting and using the best EBVs will have a positive benefit to their bottom lines.”

When looking at how ram selection might influence meat eating quality, the data highlights genetic differences in shear force, an indicator of meat tenderness. With thanks to Randall Parker and Dunbia, trial lambs were selected for primal measurements to determine front, middle and haunch carcase yield, and at the same time, loin samples from these carcases were retained. Over 4,000

lambs have been included from a range of Terminal sire breeds to identify rams whose progeny produce the most tender meat.

This pioneering work which has been led by AHDB, will also identify how sheep breeding programmes can change to enhance traits that influence meat eating quality.

RamCompare Project Coordinator, Bridget Lloyd says: “The RamCompare results identify progeny groups which have excelled for carcase conformation and value as a direct result of the genetic merit of their sire.

“We have also identified sires with enhanced genes for speed

of growth whose lambs were finishing a week or two ahead of other progeny groups on the same farm. These are large differences in performance and clearly show why producers wishing to enhancing flock profitability, must select those rams with the best genetics for their production system and end market.”

NSA supports EFRA recommendation on post Brexit trade deals The National Sheep Association (NSA) is adding its support to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s (EFRA) recommendation to Government to formally commit to upholding animal welfare and

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environmental standards in all post Brexit trade deals.

NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker says: "As NSA highlighted in an evidence session on the Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) earlier this month the terms of the FTA have damaging consequences and present risks for the UK sheep industry due to the proposed volumes of meat (not defined between carcase weights, meat cuts and whether frozen or not) and the clear non-equivalence of animal welfare and environmental standards of Australian lamb, compared to the extremely high standards demanded of UK producers. UK sheep farmers

are already producing to these high standards, and we are also experiencing a rapid raising of environmental and welfare related standards, all of which bring an element of cost.”

The report outlines Government estimates that the FTA, which removes tariffs on a wide range of imports from Australia, including sheep meat, will boost the UK economy by £2.3bn (or 0.08%) by 2035, but that some sectors including farming will lose out.

The report from EFRA calls on the Government to aid the UK farming and food sector in making up £278m estimated loss the sector will experience as a result of the FTA by allocating

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additional support for exports.

Mr Stocker adds: “It is encouraging the committee has taken on board the evidence supplied by witnesses but there is little commitment from Government there will be any provision to create a level playing field for UK producers. It is equally disappointing the deal did not include more far-reaching provisions on animal welfare, an area that UK producers lead on.

As seen with the more recent New Zealand FTA it is difficult to see whether the Government is taking industry concerns seriously and whether perhaps, we risk exporting our emissions and losing our high welfare standards overseas.”

pigs

African swine fever on mainland Europe sparks fresh calls from union on border checks The spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) into a new area of Europe has sparked fresh calls from NFU Scotland for proper border checks on imported pigmeat to be brought into place.

The confirmed case of ASF in late May on a domestic pig farm in the South West of Germany is a short distance from the French border. More worryingly, the latest case is more than 500km away from other outbreaks, suggesting that the disease has been transported.

ASF, were it to enter the UK, is a highly contagious disease that would devastate the Scottish pig herd. The Union is on record as having previously requested that the disease threat from ASF be raised from ‘moderate’ to ‘high’ and this latest case justifies that call. The Union has also called Government plans to postpone proper border checks on food entering the UK from Europe until the end of 2023 as ‘utter madness’.

NFU Scotland Pigs Working Group Chair, Jamie Wyllie said: “This devastating disease is not in the UK and the Government should be doing everything within its powers to keep it out.

“Instead, the UK Government continues to leave pig producers exposed to African Swine Fever, a disease that would wipe out our

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pig production were contaminated pork products to arrive on our shores. We are on record calling for the threat from ASF to be raised from ‘moderate’ to ‘high’ and for UK retailers to seriously reconsider where in Europe they are choosing to import pork from.

“Border checks are absolutely crucial to our biosecurity, animal health and food safety and without them we are leaving ourselves at risk. The UK Government has kicked the can down the road and recently postponed introducing proper Border checks on goods entering the UK from the EU for a fourth time.

“For Scotland’s beleaguered pig sector, the lack of checks at the border on EU pork imports not only gives a competitive advantage but presents an unacceptable risk to the health and welfare of the Scottish pig herd.

“The latest German outbreak, which has 'jumped' 500km from known disease cases in wild boar, shows how easily the disease can be spread and can only have happened through movement of humans, pigs or food rather than wildlife. It highlights how easily the disease could enter the UK without proper checks in place.

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“Illegal imports of products of animal origin, coming in with travellers or by mail, also presents a risk and we welcome Scottish Government introducing sniffer dogs trained to detect illegal meat at some of Scotland’s ports, airports and parcel hubs. These dogs have demonstrated that there are significant quantities of illegal meat coming into the country by these routes and we remind everyone that even small parcels for meat imported in this manner and for personal consumption are an unacceptable risk and are illegal.”

Aquaculture Ambitious green finance initiative launched: £500,000 initially available to enhance Scotland’s coasts and seas A ground-breaking initiative has been launched by Scotland’s Minister for Environment and Land Reform, Mairi McAllan, to transform the health of Scotland’s coasts and seas.

The Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) has received £500,000 from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund to begin this vital work. Now, NatureScot and partners are asking marine business and industry to contribute to this ongoing green finance initiative to support projects that will help to ensure that our coasts and seas are healthy, productive and rich in nature.

The fund accepts voluntary donations from a range of marine users and will award grants to marine environmental enhancement projects.

SMEEF has been established by NatureScot, Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland with the support of Scottish environmental groups including Scottish Wildlife Trust and RSPB Scotland and funding from the offshore wind energy sector.

Today, the fund is formally open for donations and expressions of interest for grants.

All marine businesses are being encouraged to come forward and support the work of SMEEF with donations.

Launching the fund on a visit to Aberlady Bay Local Nature Reserve in East Lothian, Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “Tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss is a truly national endeavour which will require the collective effort of governments, businesses and our whole society to deliver the change needed.

“That is why we are keen to support this new and innovative approach to funding projects that enhance Scotland’s marine environment, bringing together the collective resources of the public sector and business to deliver truly transformative change.

“The Scottish Government is committed to taking forward a step change in marine protection – ensuring that our seas are clean, healthy, safe, productive and diverse, and managed to meet

the long term needs of nature and people. Our £65 million Nature Restoration Fund is making an important contribution to meeting our climate targets and restoring Scotland's marine and terrestrial environment, including through a contribution of £500,000 to SMEEF to help begin its vital work.”

Francesca Osowska, NatureScot’s Chief Executive, said: “Our future depends on tackling the nature crisis and that includes our coasts and seas. This important new fund will support the recovery and enhancement of our rich marine environment, helping to ensure that Scotland’s spectacular coasts and seas are healthy, resilient and productive for future generations.

“Today, we are launching this exciting new green finance initiative with £500,000 to start building the momentum for this important work. But this needs to be a long-term and cooperative approach. So we encourage businesses which benefit and depend on Scotland’s healthy

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seas and coasts to come forward and contribute to the fund.”

Simon Hodge, Chief Executive of Crown Estate Scotland, said: “This is a great opportunity for a joinedup approach to protecting and improving our marine environment. I want to encourage those involved with marine activity to commit to investing in joint action for maximum benefit. Crown Estate Scotland is pleased to be supporting SMEEF, and to be part of this collaborative effort to look after our seas and coastline.”

SMEEF is managed by NatureScot, working closely with Marine Scotland and Crown Estate Scotland. The donations will be assessed by an Ethical Contributions Board and the awards will be evaluated by a Grants Panel. Both the Board and the Panel have independent chairs and include input from Scottish Environment LINK. For more information, to make a donation or a grant enquiry visit www.smeef.scot 75

meet the producers

Having a Rum Time in Scotland

By Janice Hopper

Jacine Rutasikwa and her partner Paul Rutasikwa are making waves with their Scottish produced rums, Matugga and Liv. Every bottle is distilled from scratch in Scotland, crafted with Scottish water and infused with Scottish, East African and Jamaican botanicals, but the Livingston distillers have just scooped a significant new investment.

In March 2022, the awardwinning producers sought £300,000 of investment through crowdfunding to expand their team and purchase additional distillery kit to increase their output eight-fold. The funds were raised in just two weeks, welcoming more than 200 new shareholders who have bought into the company’s plans to take Scottish rum worldwide by blending distilling skills honed

in Scotland with their proud African and Caribbean roots.

With this healthy cash boost, head distiller Paul hopes to accelerate Matugga’s export strategy and he’s planning work on a sugarcane plantation in his native Uganda, where the family have 120 acres of land situated just north of the capital city of Kampala. Paul says, “The African market is buoyant but craft drinks companies in the UK don’t see the opportunity.

When it comes to export, UK companies immediately think of Asia and North America - but they are missing out on huge demand, appetite and spending power across African nations.’

‘We are fortunate to have the contacts, cultural affinity, family ties and product-market fit to be an early mover,’ continues Paul.

‘Our team shares a common

desire to support the livelihoods of sugarcane growers in East Africa. We are developing a sugarcane plantation on our family land that will employ and train local agricultural workers.

By harvesting cane from our land and converting it into highquality distilling molasses we will become a ‘Cane to Cask’ rum producer.”

The couple hopes to capitalise on the rising popularity of rum, which had a global market of £17.2bn in 2021. The UK rum market alone grew by 37% in just two years from 2019 – amounting to £1.3bn last year, so it’s a burgeoning market.

Jacine and Paul’s distillery creates ‘Matugga’ and ‘Liv’ rum, two different brands, each with their own identity. Matugga is a gourmet range of premium smoky golden rums aged in ex-

Introducing Liv Rum

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bourbon casks, and aromatic masala chai spiced rums, aimed at rum aficionados (RRP £40£55 / 70cl).

The ‘Liv’ brand is inspired by the pride Jacine and Paul feel in their adopted hometown of Livingston. Liv has a more youthful vibe, aimed at a younger clientele who know their own minds and enjoy trying something new. This is a new collection of unaged artisan white and spiced rums and flavoured rum liqueurs that are infused with Scottish fruits and botanicals (RRP £23-£31 / 50cl).

Matugga was set up back in 2018. Prior to this Jacine was a Chartered Marketer and Paul was a Chartered Civil Engineer.

They spotted a gap in the market for craft rums that have been created from scratch in the UK and took the opportunity

meet the producers to branch out to embrace distilling, farming and running a company together. Matugga currently employs seven people in Scotland across production, sales and marketing. They also use honey sourced from John Mellis in the Borders, fresh Scottish raspberries from local shops, Scottish heather, and as much lavender from their front garden as possible.

Jacine, who is believed to be the UK’s first black female distillery owner, says, “When starting a business, black entrepreneurs, female entrepreneurs and particularly black female entrepreneurs face huge barriers and often struggle to get to the next phase for a number of reasons – whether its access to finance, networks, education or mentorship.

There are still, sadly, systemic inequalities and individual and institutional biases at play. But we’re lucky that since moving to Scotland we’ve encountered a highly supportive community who value our craftsmanship.”

On the plus side, tapping into their international land ownership and cultural knowledge, gives Jacine and Paul an edge. Jacine says, “Our company and brands draw upon our rich ‘Rum Triad’ – rooted in Jamaica’s rum making traditions (I’m of Jamaican heritage); showcasing the culture and flavours of East Africa (Paul was born in Uganda); blended with Scotland’s proud distilling heritage. As a result, we are producing some of the most adventurous and unique rum expressions available anywhere in the world.”

Learning from the Scottish “ginaissance”, the pair have helped to spark the “rumaissance”. They’re also keenly exploring other revenue streams at the distillery, including immersive tours, virtual tastings, retail pop-ups and private cask investments,

with plans to launch a new rum club, a rum school and a contract distilling service too.

Jacine continues: “We can’t keep up, our distillery is now at full capacity. The rum market is ready for disruption. Hardly any major retailers stock locally made craft rum, but the appetite is there so we need to think big to be ready to meet that opportunity. We are producing New World rum and we’re rewriting the rulebook.”

Matugga is certainly turning heads, attracting celebrity fans including chef James Martin, who featured the rum on his Saturday morning ITV television show. The distillery has already sold more than 25,000 bottles through its online stores, as well as retailers such as the Co-op, Master of Malt and DUGAS, a leading French distributor.

In terms of research, Matugga is collaborating with HeriotWatt University on a project to characterise the composition of its distillery waste (pot ales) and find new ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the distillery.

This research programme is supported by The Scottish Food & Drink Net Zero Challenge Fund.

Jacine concludes, “Not only do people get invested in our products, but they become invested in our story. People think what we’re doing is different, and there’s been incredible support and goodwill from our community.“

As we head into the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, Scottish rum may be coming a glass near you soon.

FACTBOX Visit Matugga Distillery here matuggarum.com Explore the crowdfunding campaign here - crowdcube. com/companies/matuggadistillery/pitches/bVNXjb

Jacine and Paul Rutasikwa - Matugga Distillers

Matugga Rum

Janice Hopper is a freelance writer based in Aberdeen who’s written features, copy and social media text for a range of publications and clients. Her Scottish family travel blog, Scots2Travel.com, covers child-friendly short breaks, attractions and activities. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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NORTHERN ISLES News

High hopes for anaerobic digestion plant ‘This an excellent opportunity for the whole of Orkney’

By Ethan Flett

Cheap fuel, cheap fertiliser, and less waste — is this what the future has in store for Orkney agriculture?

This is the hope of SymBIOsis Community Solutions Ltd — the developers trying to build an anaerobic digester in the county, which will turn agricultural waste into biogas and digestate fertiliser.

On Thursday, the team behind the project from Robert Gordon University held a public 78

consultation to hear what the community would want from the proposed 1.2MW bioplant.

They also sought to investigate the opportunity to form a local cooperative to have majority ownership of the facility.

In 2019, the university held an event in the county, which led to a feasibility study assessing the potential for a communitydrive anaerobic digestion plant.

Looking at the available waste sources, they identified three main ones: agricultural, distillery, and brewery waste.

The proposed system involves the anaerobic digestion plant, with the ability to process 60,000 tons of waste, which will be sold to the plant, into biogas and 45,000 tons digestate — a significantly cheaper source of fertiliser. For the gas, there will

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be a filling station, providing power for 187 farm vehicles at a “much cheaper rate” than the current diesel prices.

However, because of the operational costs of £400,000 per year, the team explained that the plant would have to operate on a forprofit basis, with the gas being sold.

As for the location of the plant, the team has looked at sites in Kirkwall, Twatt, and

Holm, though they are open to considering others as well.

SymBIOsis is just entering the investment stage of the process, where it hopes to raise £3.5million.

After that, it will start talking with manufacturers and suppliers.

As for converting farm machinery to run with CNG, it has yet to collate the statistics on how many farmers in Orkney would be willing to do this.

When the plant will start production depends on the funding stage of the process that it is just entering. If it’s successful with raising the investment, it hopes to have the plant working within three years at the latest.

The team also outlined possible areas of future expansion, including the heating of three acres of greenhouses, 30 glamping pods, or 3,500 homes using the biogas.

As their study concludes, an anaerobic digestion plant, an abattoir, and a waste management plan “will support the community to become an independent island

system” while also helping to “create an island circular economy.”

For some of those at the meeting, this was all a cause for great optimism.

After saying about the particularly difficult time facing Orkney agriculture, and its likely long-term effects, one farmer said: “I welcome the opportunity to hear the discussion about this digester idea, but at the end of the day you need the fields to put the digestate on.

“As a farmer, I would go for more than digestate — I’m looking for a means of getting rid of my fossil fuels and powering my machinery with something else.”

He added that being able to sell waste from the farm to the plant would add another income stream, “whereas in Orkney here we have very limited choices for what we can do. This is an excellent opportunity for the whole of Orkney to cooperate in a project such as this.

It has been said before that the local

authority finds it difficult to support our industry, and I believe that’s because most of the decisions are made at the national level, but here is an opportunity for the Orkney authority to help and provide such a facility so it can benefit the whole community.”

As well as agricultural waste, the audience were also told that whole dead animals could be sold to the facility as a feedstock, if a pretreatment system were included.

With hopes of an abattoir being restored in the county — as was reported in The Orcadian on April 14 — the team also explained that waste from that could be bought by the bioplant for use as a feedstock.

Likewise, the team also confirmed that geese carcasses could also be used in the digester.

In short, there is a huge range of things that can be used to create the outputs, from fish-farming waste and the waste from cheese making, to human excrement.

“There’s a few options we can work with and we can balance

that to get the best out of that waste without a high cost storing process,” said James Njuguna, from SymBIOsis.

However, not everyone was as enamoured by the proposals.

For example, when told that the waste entering the facility would not all be analysed, one farmer pointed out that if cattle were treated with antibiotics, the waste from that farm could kill the digester — and that it would take six months for the facility to get back up and running again.

Likewise, he raised biosecurity concerns about waste from one farm entering another in the form of digestate. “I could have bugs on my farm that could end up on the farm next door, and his cattle couldn’t cope with it, or vica versa,” he said.

Mr Njuguna responded: “We would need to look it, but one thing I know is that, with the digestate coming through the process, you sample quite regularly.”

OIC meets with bioplant developers

By Ethan Flett Orkney Islands Council has held meetings with the developers behind a project to build an anaerobic digester plant in the county.

SymBIOsis Community Solutions Ltd, involving researchers from Robert Gordon University, hopes to build an anaerobic digester in Orkney, which would turn agricultural waste — as well as distillery and brewery waste — into biogas and digestive fertiliser.

When the team were in Kirkwall to host a public consultation at the start of the month, one of the farmers in the audience questioned if the local authority would be offering their assistance.

“It has been said before that the local authority finds it difficult to support our industry, and I believe that’s because most of the decisions are made at the national level,

but here is an opportunity for the Orkney authority to help and provide such a facility so it can benefit the whole community,” he said.

Asked if this would be an option, a spokeswoman from the council said: “OIC are aware of this project, and the waste team have had meetings with the developer. We are supportive of this effort to find a way of extracting value from organic

waste and retaining it within the county.

“The proposed digester will not impact on the current plans for the Integrated Waste Facility, as it is planning to take much larger volumes of organic waste than that dealt with by the council.

“However, we will continue to engage with the project team, and will identify any areas of cooperation as they arise.”

In association with

www.shetlandtimes.co.uk Tel: 01595 742000

www.orcadian.co.uk Tel: 01856 879000 www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

79

Made in Scotland

Hot Chefs & Heritage Meats

By Wendy Barrie

Scottish Thistle Award Regional Ambassador (2018/19) for Central, Tayside & Fife Director of Scottish Food Guide As a pair of ethical omnivores we enjoy seeking out interesting eateries and good food is essential whether we are at work or play.

Sometimes this results in a sumptuous day of dining, dipping into a country inn or a coastal café, savouring a mouth-watering mutton pie, a venison tagine or perhaps a summer berry crème brûlée. On other occasions I recall driving for hours, trying to find that elusive place to pause, tempting me with their clean bright façade and welcoming lights, when all I pass are fast food chains or unloved establishments. Many a time my fellow passengers were starving but they knew the score: travel with me and they would dine like kings but only when I found the smultronstället as they say in Sweden, meaning “that special place.” Until then they must haud yer wheesht and be patient! I have certainly found hidden gems in Scotland however there is always room for improvement.

A few years ago in Sweden, we booked into an eco hotel, proudly displaying its sustainability credentials for saving the planet in style. Our room was lovely, minimalist, with virtuous bars of soap, a trickle of 80

water lest we waste any and light bulbs that flickered faintly. The environmental message continued through the design, heating, waste water and textiles however when it came to food it was conspicuous by its absence. Although there were a number of barbecues with signage inviting guests to cook al fresco, there had been no advance enlightenment on the subject. In the event, we, along with all the other tourists, had to return to our cars and drive ten miles to the only food outlet, a garage with a mini mart, and buy mass- produced rations to tide us over until breakfast. Twenty miles worth of fuel is hardly eco. I contemplated what the owners might have in their fridge as food did not seem high on the agenda and yet it plays such a significant role in both tourism and our environment.

What a missed opportunity. Local meats, dairy and bread in a fridge with an honesty box would have been sufficient to transform our visit. We could have all barbecued simple delicious meals and supported the local producers.

The importance of buying from fine Scottish producers, respecting and remaining loyal to them is a sign of a great chef or

cook. Sustainability is certainly a buzzword these days but, like ‘local,’ it can become over-used by marketeers as a throwaway line with little or no meaning. It is well-documented that menus with ‘Aberdeen Angus’ or ‘locally landed seafood’ are an instant draw but they have become so ubiquitous, how do we know which are genuine?

Chefs who spend time building relationships with their suppliers have a depth of knowledge – they walk the walk, not just talk the

North Ronaldsay mutton

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talk. It takes time and energy and the results are rewarding: a strong produce-led menu, brimming with high quality ingredients, expertly prepared resulting in flavours that dance on your palate and remain in your memory. That is value for money and a marvellous meal experience. These same cooks are also thrifty, using every inch of each ingredient, sourcing sustainably and reducing their waste - a winning combo. And the dishes created need not always be complex: mouth-watering stovies

The winners of these Awards are recognised as placing sustainability as a core value in their modus operandi: supporting rare and native breeds, from nose to tail, and working in partnership with artisan producers, recognising their important role in maintaining biodiversity and rural communities. With a range of both food and farming categories, one is left in no doubt that farming is all about food production and sustainable chefs are all about linking – often directly - with these producers, be it Ardoch Hebridean lamb or Uradale Shetland Kye. The Award Winners were announced at the Royal Highland Show and the Sustainable Chef of the Year entries were so impressive there were Joint Winners for 2022: Paul Newman of Errichel, Perthshire and Fred

©fred med

using heritage mutton or an East Neuk crab salad can be equally enjoyable.

So who are these trailblazers?

The chefs and cooks who go that extra mile and seek out producers with whom to collaborate? Well I’m delighted to report they are on the increase. There are also growing numbers of exceptional Scottish producers who recognise the value of these chef/farmer relationships that enrich their lives – both financially and in the recognition from both chef and customers. The creative collaboration is greater than the sum of its parts.

A very welcome and exciting new addition to the awards calendar reflects this enlightenment and movement, The Rare Breeds Survival Trust Scotland Food & Farming Sustainability Awards.

Berkmiller of l’Escargot Bleu, Edinburgh, both very worthy winners and exemplars, growing their own produce and seeking out specific producers of heritage meats and artisan produce. Family businesses themselves, they are actively supporting other families, rare breeds and rural livelihoods, the results of which can then be savoured by their customers.

Paul and Becky at Errichel keep Large Black pigs, Native Shetland sheep and Shetland Kye, all reared outdoors as nature intended and used in Paul’s kitchen and deli charcuterie. They grow some vegetables and source remaining ingredients from local suppliers, supporting cheesemakers and sourdough specialists too. Fred and Betty at l’Escargot Bleu grow virtually every vegetable they use and link with family farms throughout Scotland that use pasture fed systems, never grain, to feed their ruminants, ensuring all their meats are high welfare and fine flavours.

Sustainable chefs who follow a similar path all specialise in heritage breeds - setting aside our fabulous seafood restaurants for the moment, as this is all about

farming. In Perthshire, Graeme Pallister at 63 Tay Street, Fabrice Bouteloup at Barley Bree, Tom Lewis at Mhor and David Barnett at Blasta are all dedicated in their sourcing of ingredients and suppliers, also using many locally foraged wild ingredients in their dishes. In Edinburgh, Scott Smith at Fhior and Neil Forbes at Café St Honore go the extra mile to ensure the provenance of the dishes throughout their menus. Over on the west, The Chip has definitely made its mark, now celebrating fifty years, and in 2013, The Gannet joined the Glasgow scene with the incredibly talented Peter McKenna, skilled in matching flavours whether it’s oysters from Gigha, Shorthorn carpaccio or Peelham mutton, not to mention his delicious breads served with “Brenda’s butter” from Jersey cows. With too many cooks to mention, you will find them on Scottish Food Guide and hopefully student chefs will follow in their footsteps. The movement is set to continue but it takes dedication and passion to carry off – it is a journey not a day trip, and both producers, farmers and diners will appreciate that devotion.

©Chris Watt Photography

Fred Berkmiller of l’Escargot Bleu, Edinburgh

Paul Newman of Errichel, Perthshire

Peter McKennna of The Gannet, Glasgow

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horses 5 things you should NEVER feed horses when walking in the countryside

The days are longer, sunnier and warmer…what could be better than a long family walk on a summer's day? The countryside is always stunning at this time of year, and there's plenty of wildlife to look out for, too.

However, while it can be tempting to feed animals while out and about in the countryside, especially when with young children, this practice can be incredibly dangerous. Horses especially are often fed by the passers-by without consent and without an understanding of what could harm them. Lockdown showed several instances of unwell horses that linked to snacks fed to them by the public (The British Horse Society).

So, to minimise the chances of pedestrians causing unintentional harm to horses with this gesture, Horse & Country have put together 5 things you should NEVER feed horses.

however, chocolate is a step too far.

Like dogs, the chemicals found in cocoa is harmful to horses causing seizures, crippling colic and in some severe cases, internal bleeding. Making it one of the most dangerous foods to dish out while passing a field.

Equines are also essentially lactose intolerant, they do not have the enzymes to absorb lactose in the body, so any dairy products can have a lasting negative affect.

Chocolate Horses have been known to enjoy a sweet treat in the form of peppermints and sugar cubes,

Bread Sandwiches are a day out essential, so this could be the first thing that springs to mind when spotting a

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Tomatoes While the taste of the tomato plant is unappealing to horses, it’s harmful too.

The presence of alkaloid in tomatoes slows the gut function of horses and can result in diarrhoea.

This includes cherry tomatoes, so even a miniature version can cause great discomfort.

Make sure to check your picnic spot for any roll-away tomatoes before leaving.

gate with friendly faces peering over. But, ensure you avoid doing this at all costs.

Baked goods including bread can become sticky and doughy in the intestine, making it hard to digest and causing blockages.

Bread can also cause a calcium deficiency, which could lead to more serious health concerns for our equine friends.

Lawn clippings This may seem an unusual one as horse graze daily on grass.

However, picking freshly cut grass from the ground and using it as feed is not advised. As the grass has been finely chopped it allows the horse to eat more and chew less in a short space of time and can be a choking hazard.

This could also cause a fatal stomach-ache, negative effects on hoof health and colic making it incredibly important to avoid.

Pitted fruit While apples are among horses’ favourites, other sweet fruits that probably taste delicious are not so good. Fruits that have seeds or

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pits contain cyanide and are toxic to horses.

Not only this, but the pits can also get caught in the throat, without a vet’s immediate attention, would be life-threatening.

“It’s of course tempting to pet and feed horses while spending time in the countryside, especially with young children in tow, as they are incredibly affectionate animals.

"However, to keep both you and the horses safe, it’s important not to feed them something that is potentially harmful. Stable owners and equestrians tend to have set diet plans in place and it’s vital not to disrupt this.

"Sometimes you may be able to feed them something safe such as a carrot or a piece of apple, but you should always get permission from the owner first.

"Lastly, if you’re out and about this spring, always make sure to clean up after a day near a stable or farmyard as rubbish and leftover scraps could be consumed without your knowledge.” - Katie AllenClarke at Horse & Country

horses Martin Clunes announced as President of the World Clydesdale Show 2022 The World Clydesdale Show 2022 is proud to announce the appointment of Martin Clunes as President of the World Clydesdale Show 2022.

Martin Clunes as well as being a writer, presenter and actor is also an incredibly keen heavy horse enthusiast.

Martin Clunes took over as President of The British Horse Society on 1 June 2011. Already known to millions from his stage and screen appearances, including Doc Martin, Manhunt and Men Behaving Badly, his 2010 ITV documentary series Horsepower revealed his passion for horses and latterly a second equine documentary, Heavy Horsepower, in 2013.

Martin, owns two Clydesdale horses Ronnie and Bruce and knows first-hand the joy that these gentle giants can bring to owners, exhibitors and spectators alike at shows like this one.

Mr Clunes will be attending the 4 day long show at P&J Live in Aberdeen between the 20th and the 23rd of October this year. With over 300 hundred Clydesdale horses from all over the world and over 21,000 spectators over 4 days this is the first World Clydesdale Show to be held in Europe let alone the UK. ‘I am really excited to be the President of this prestigious show. Like a lot of people I get a gut punch when I see Clydesdale horses so to be present at a world show with horses from all over the world is just too exciting. I am also very happy to show my boys off and 1’m crossing my fingers that they behave themselves.’ said Martin Clunes.

‘We are so very proud that Martin Clunes as agreed to be the World Clydesdale Show 2022 President.’ said, Ailsa Clark, Chief Executive and

Director, ‘His love of horses and dedication to the Clydesdale

Breed is tremendous and to be able to welcome the President of

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the British Horse Society as our president is a great honour.’

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BOOK SERIALISATION

Native: Oat couture/ Harvesting by hand Are the old ways really the best? In his extract from his award-winning book, Patrick Laurie tries doing without machines to cut and thresh his crop

By Patrick Laurie

Oats fell and dropped a blizzard of chaff; white flakes like fish scales blew in eddies under the high clouds. Swallows skimmed by and stirred them in a bow wave.

I found bare soil, and light plunged down into the roots

to reveal sprigs of nettles and thistles, fat hen and chickweed.

Then I stacked the stems in a heap and tied them tightly around the middle with string like a corset. I’d seen it done it books, but I had no idea if this was right. Even my elderly

neighbour Sanny had a machine to do this binding job; he was not sure what to make of my ancient method. He said it looked alright, and I noticed that he was calling my bundle a ‘sheaf’. It made a pleasing sight, buxom and waspwaisted. Soon there were five

Artwork: Sarah Ross-Thompson

The oats passed beyond the colour of rich and lovely gold, and it was time to begin the harvest. I borrowed a sickle and cut bristles of straw until I got a feel for that stuff. It was glossy and thick, and soon there was stubble crackling under my feet.

Whether raising cattle or growing their feed, Laurie’s Galloway farm is run along lines that his ancestors would have had no problem recognising

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sheaves, and Sanny explained how to lean them up against each other like a teepee to form a waterproof stook. Barring a monsoon, the crop can stand like this for a fortnight until the wind has blown through the heads and dried the crop for storage.

It took me three hours to make thirty sheaves. It’s a tiny harvest, but there was something compulsive about the work. I could hardly take my eyes off the golden stems, and it was exciting to see the soil laid bare after months beneath a rustling canopy. My mind was elsewhere, and I swung the sickle into my index finger. The blade stuck for a moment and the impact stunned my entire skeleton like a tuning fork. There was a bright flash of bone, then deep gouts of blood. The skin hung open like an unzipped pencil case.

‘That was bloody careless, son!’ shouted Sanny as he sipped at his tea. I pinched the edges of the gash together like stifled lips; blood hung in drips from my fingertips and blots of it fell onto the straw. I felt sick and shaky, but I was working again within the hour. Dirt gathered on the sticky edges of a beige plaster.

I’ve picked up dark calluses, black nails and cracked fingers in the last few years. I smart with sunburn and ache with strains. A hot bath should relax my tendons, but the water seeps into a network of fresh cuts and scrapes and makes me squeal like a boiling kettle. I’m on my way towards canvas palms and pumice fingers; it’s not a painless process. I’m being shaped for purpose, and my brain’s changing too.

The scythe is a beautiful tool. It’s a snaking bend of wood and steel, held in a bitter pitch of lucid sharpness. Wullie Carson [the previous owner of the farm] left three scythes hanging from the rafters in his tool shed when he died. I noticed them when we were shown around and I couldn’t wait to swing them again. But Wullie’s family made a bonfire of his old tools when our offer was accepted and the scythes were burnt along with

a host of other paraphernalia.

They were just tidying up and couldn’t imagine that anyone would ever want wooden tools again.

Those oats were almost a hobby in the early days. I was dipping my toes in the water, being careful not to rely on them until I knew more about the ways of mixed farming. But then the summer was dry, and the grass failed. I took a poor cut of hay and didn’t have the chance of cutting again. Neighbours complained that they would run short that winter, and I found myself with nowhere to run. I’d have to produce my own feed or go without. Going without would mean a reduction in stocking, and I couldn’t bear to face the loss of a single animal.

The oats would have to pull their weight.

I returned with the reaper to speed things up. Chattering teeth skimmed through the oats and they fell in a drift like a rustling wave. Cereals are tougher than grass, and they’re not so fussed about rain. If wet weather’s coming, you leave the crop standing or you cut it and bind the stems so they’re upright.

It’s not an option to leave them on the ground because the seeds will sprout in no time at all and the crop will be ruined. The weather seemed hard to fathom.

I worked cautiously and only cut what I could tie and stack. I cut the crop in narrow sweeps and each one gave me forty sheaves.

It took an hour of patient stacking and binding to tidy up in silence, and then I had eight stooks like golden chapels on the stubble.

Drying the crop is one thing; threshing it is something else.

Nowadays the whole job is done by a combine harvester.

The lumbering machines cut the crop, thresh the grain and do all the work in one go. A tractor just drives along beside and carts the grain away by the ton. Before combines there were enormous mills like buses which used to travel around and clean the cereal crops for a whole parish.

You dried the crop in sheaves, then you fed them into the mill

Illustration: Sharon Tingey

BOOK SERIALISATION

Five sheaves stacked together into a stook can stand for a fortnight until the wind has blown through the heads and dried the crop for storage.

through a hole in the roof. And if a person fell into that hole, it was curtains. There’s no clear idea what came before the big mills, but it’s fair to reckon that separating the grains from the strain was a job for oldfashioned elbow grease.

So I would have to clean my oats by hand. I tried a few gadgets and techniques, but nothing was straightforward.

The best method was a hand flail which I copied from an old book illustration. Hand flails have been around since the days of Ancient Egypt, and mine took the shape of a five-foot broom handle with a joint towards one end. You throw down a tarpaulin, chuck a sheaf on it and then batter it with the flail until the seeds have fallen off and you can start on another sheaf. The joint helps to amplify the power of every swing, and the end slaps the heads rather than jabs them like a spear. It’s as simple and back-breaking as that.

I beat black hell out of those sheaves. Seeds came tumbling out onto the tarpaulin sheet, along with a carnival of beetles and harvestmen, moths and ladybirds. Soon it was pooling in the dips, and I could run my hands through it and start to weigh my progress.

Threshing was a slow and steady slog. I took the best from

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every sheaf, but it was hard to resist wasting mugfuls of the seed. I needed dry weather for this work because rain clogged the seeds and made the job sticky. I picked my moments and threshed when it was dry, and a good breeze blew the chaff away in a blizzard of beige teardrops until the field was papery and crinkled and the seeds lay clean and crisp like beans.

If you were to measure my progress against the value of my gains, the comparison would be depressing. I can manage about sixty pounds of bagged, clean seed in an hour. The figure rises to a hundred when I have help. I could work at my desk and earn enough to buy twice as much, but I’ve always been happier to spend time in lieu of money.

My main consolation is that now I’ve got stiff calluses and my hands no longer bleed.

The sky was thick with swallows. I counted 170 on the telegraph wires below the house. The yellowhammers have produced a hearty brood of youngsters, and there are greenfinches and goldfinches swarming like ants over the fallen crop.

Native: Life in a Vanishing Landscape by Patrick Laurie is published by Birlinn (£9.99, pbk) www.birlinn.co.uk 85

estate CNPA Board agrees to take the lead in bringing beavers to the Park

The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) has committed to taking a lead role in bringing Eurasian beavers to the Park, working with partners to restore a ‘lost’ species.

Eurasian beavers have European Protected Species status and the Scottish Government is supporting translocations as a proactive measure to establish beavers outside of their current range. As a result of this, the CNPA has been considering its role in bringing them to a suitable location in the Park.

At a recent board meeting, a range of options were outlined to members in terms of the CNPA’s 86

role in facilitating the Scottish Government policy to actively expand the beaver population in Scotland.

Members were asked to consider what level of involvement the CNPA should adopt regarding any potential project going forward. Following an in depth discussion, the board decided on a proactive approach, wishing to take on a lead role in the process, including managing the application, delivery, mitigation support and monitoring, working alongside a range of partners.

Recommending this approach to board members, the CNPA’s Head of Conservation, Dr Sarah

Henshall said: “As an organisation we are well positioned to take a leadership role and have in place the Cairngorms Beaver group to provide input to this project. The Park Authority already undertakes a huge amount of conservation work throughout the Park and is therefore well placed to have the right conversations with land managers, communities and organisations as we develop this work.

“The role of the National Park Authority is to coordinate the management of the Park area and to ensure that the aims are collectively achieved. A reintroduction of a species to the

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Park is exactly the sort of issue the CNPA was created to lead on. We have an opportunity to deliver an exemplar approach here, bringing together organisations and individuals and joining up the conservation, land management, community, research and business interests.”

However, Dr Henshall did stress that the CNPA’s approach will be collaborative: “We will be doing work around supporting land managers and owners, as well as communities, over the coming year to be well informed and prepared for living with beaver, prior to any application being made to NatureScot.”

estate DM Hall markets rural property with 32 acres of grazing outside Dollar for offers over £645,000 A substantial bungalow, stables and land extending to 32.46 acres (13.14ha) with outstanding panoramic views at Muckhart has been brought to market by Baird Lumsden, the rural property arm of DM Hall at offers over £645,000.

The property, with 4 bedrooms and 3 reception rooms, forms an established smallholding amidst highly appealing surroundings.

Alongside the bungalow sits a well-maintained stable block.

The property also boasts a sufficient area of land suitable for a range of uses including equestrian, livestock and, potentially, planting purposes. There is also underlying development potential.

Jennifer Campbell, Head of Rural Property at Baird Lumsden, said: “This is a stunning opportunity for those who aspire to rural family life, with wonderful countryside walks and cycle routes to be enjoyed from the doorstep.

“Ochilview Muckhart provides a peaceful and private location yet one with easy access to the central motorway network. There is a village

primary school and golf course at the end of the road, as well, of course, as development potential, subject to obtaining the necessary consents.

“Anyone interested in this property, which is on the market at offers over £645,000 should contact me at Baird Lumsden on 01786 833 800 or atJennifer.campbell@dmhall. co.uk.”

Promising results from mountain hare survey Joint news release issued by NatureScot, the British Trust for Ornithology, the Mammal Society, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and the James Hutton Institute.

An innovative survey of Scotlands mountain hares involving volunteer citizen scientists has been hailed as a success in a new report published

today.

Last year, hillwalkers, bird and mammal surveyors and other outdoor enthusiasts took part in a novel on-the-ground national survey, recording sightings using a free smartphone app called Mammal Mapper when out and about, to shed more light on the distribution and numbers of the charismatic animals. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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estate Mountain hares are Scotland’s only native hare and an important species in the Scottish hills. They are classed as Near Threatened in Scotland on the UK Red List of Mammal Species, and were given full protection in Scotland in March 2021.

The Volunteer Mountain Hare Survey project aimed to gather more accurate information to better inform conservation efforts.

A total of 66 volunteers surveyed 1,465 km using the app. The species was recorded from some new areas, such as near Loch Ewe in the North West Highlands, in addition to many sightings from its previously known strongholds in Scotland.

The report highlights areas where the survey approach and technology could be improved, which will guide refinements for this year’s survey.

The project is a partnership of NatureScot, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), the Mammal Society, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust and the James Hutton Institute.

It builds on previous work to develop suitable counting methods in the mountain hare’s core range and seeks to complement these other counts to allow improved monitoring of mountain hares across their range in Scotland. The hope is that the survey will in due course transition to an on-going annual monitoring scheme.

Frazer Coomber, Science Officer for the Mammal Society

has said “When compared with previous years, the Volunteer Mountain Hare Survey, has significantly increased the Mammal Mapper App's survey coverage in Scotland.

“Since the inception of this citizen science survey we have seen a substantial increase in the number of mountain hare sightings reported through the app and these records are continuing to be submitted – a big thank you to all those who submit their sightings.”

Rob Raynor, a mammal specialist at NatureScot, said: “The results from this innovative citizen science survey are

really promising, with lots of volunteers getting involved to help achieve better coverage than previous surveys.

“Improving the information we have on mountain hare populations is crucial so that we can protect and conserve this much-loved species, so we’re hugely grateful to all those who took part. We hope that many more volunteers will sign up to get involved this year to help this project go from strength to strength.”

Mark Wilson, senior research ecologist at British Trust for Ornithology, said: "We were delighted at the levels

of involvement from existing BTO volunteers, many of whom already give generously of their time to other wildlife surveys.

“As well as recording mountain hares, these volunteers surveyed a range of other mammal and bird species, often in remote upland areas where there has been little previous wildlife recording.

This highlights the potential of the Volunteer Mountain Hare Survey to contribute useful information on a range of datadeficient upland species.”

For more information about the survey see: www.bto.org/ mountain-hares

Houses let via tenanted farms require bespoke legislative solutions Regulating houses let as part of agricultural holdings through private rented sector legislation instead could lead to intractable problems for farming businesses, Scottish Land & Estates said today.

The rural business organisation held its annual 88

conference in Edinburgh today, with a focus on rural Scotland’s housing stock.

The Scottish Government has signalled its intention to bring homes within agricultural tenancies into greater line with the regulation and operation of the social and private rented

housing sectors.

SLE said it fully supported the need for the quality of homes to be improved but that bespoke rural solutions were required rather than a one-size fits all approach more suited to urban settings. The organisation said regulation should be

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incorporated into an Agricultural Holdings Bill rather than an ill-advised attempt to bring the sector into a future Housing Bill.

Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive of SLE, said: “We support the broad effort to improve the standard of housing stock on tenanted farms where

estate required, ensuring homes are safe and warm for all.

“One of the current considerations by government is to look at housing let through agricultural holdings and how that could be brought closer into line with private rented sector legislation.

“We firmly believe that any changes to legislation should only occur through bespoke legislation, taking account of the complexity of agricultural holdings legislation rather than trying to retrospectively apply housing legislation. That would be done through an Agricultural Holdings Bill but taking cognisance of wider housing policy principles. We would reach the same outcome but through a route that was better suited to tenant farming.

“Issues such as repairing obligations, rent, tenants’ improvements and farmhouses forming part of the fixed equipment must all be considered. To override the current arrangements without careful consideration could present real difficulties for all within the industry and exacerbate the problems that exist.”

SLE added that it was vital that action was taken immediately to tackle the wider rural housing problems in Scotland.

Ms Laing added: “Since the inception of the Scottish Parliament, there has been a wide political consensus to improve the sustainability of our rural communities but the stark reality is that we should be much further forward than we are now.

“Provision of rural housing is essential to the success of that strategy. We all share the goal of trying to increase the amount of rural housing but all too often that ambition is thwarted by delays in planning processes, lack of funding for private affordable homes, prohibitive infrastructure and utility costs and an ever-growing burden of private rented sector legislation.

“Members of Scottish Land & Estates provide more than 10,000 homes for rent in rural

Big Farmland Bird Count in Scotland 2022 Blackbird comes out on top again Dr Dave Parish, Senior Scientist in Scotland, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust

The annual GWCT Big Farmland Bird Count is an opportunity for land managers to record the birds on a small part of their ground and highlight the positive impact that conservation actions, such as growing cover crops or providing supplementary food, can have.

This is the ninth year that the count has taken place and back in February 115 farmers in Scotland took part, observing a total area of almost 45,000 hectares.

Once again, blackbird was the most frequently seen species, occurring on 73% of all farms taking part, and robin, pheasant, woodpigeon and chaffinch made up the remainder of the ‘top five’, again very similar to previous years.

In terms of the number of birds seen across all Scottish sites, woodpigeon was, not surprisingly, the most abundant species, once again. This common UK resident can form huge flocks in winter, especially if they start to congregate in

favourable areas. Indeed, it is flock-forming species that comprise the other most abundant species recorded, such as chaffinch, barnacle goose, starling and rook.

It is most encouraging that four of the 25 most frequently seen species, and an additional five species from the list of those that were most abundant during surveys, are currently on the ‘red-list’ – this is the list of species of greatest conservation concern in the UK due to declining numbers.

These were house sparrow, starling, tree sparrow, yellowhammer, linnet, fieldfare, lapwing, curlew and herring gull.

Clearly the management of the land on these count sites is supporting these threatened species to some degree. It is not clear exactly what the land managers at these sites were doing to support birds on their land, but we know that 33% of participants were in the Scottish agri-environment scheme and 43% were providing seed-food, either via cropping or directly. This means that they could have

been implementing a wide range of measures that may have benefited the birds in each area, but more pertinently it shows a desire to take action and to try to make a difference.

Worryingly, these figures are significantly down on last year (by 38% and 26% respectively), presumably reflecting the prevailing uncertainty in the future of agri-environment schemes in Scotland at present.

It’s great to see that, once again, Scottish farmers have taken part in the Big Farmland Bird Count and provided some very interesting information.

It’s particularly pleasing to see the red-listed species prominent in the data, showing again how important the actions that farmers take can be for biodiversity. It is a shame, though, that a declining number of participants were in Scotland’s agrienvironment scheme. I would hope to see that figure increase in the coming years once the current uncertainty about the shape of future schemes ends.

www.gwct.org.uk/auchnerran/

estate areas and many businesses are actively involved in building homes. They are dedicated to meeting a real social need but they are frustrated. Delivery of new homes is more complicated than it need be, and we continue to lose affordable rented housing due to ever increasing burden on landlords. The rate of new build

affordable rented houses just cannot match the homes we are losing from the sector week on week.

“The time for action is now and we need to see the Scottish Government deliver on its commitment to provide rural solutions to rural housing need.”

Farmers and crofters can play a leading role by planting more trees to help tackle dual climate and nature emergencies A new joint report from Woodland Trust Scotland and Soil Association Scotland makes the case for the widescale integration of trees on farms and crofts across Scotland as a key strategy to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change.

Woodland expansion and tree planting are crucial to the nature and climate crisis and will play a significant role in delivering a 75% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2045. The Scottish Government has also set a target to achieve 21% forest and woodland cover by 2032, while achieving greater land use integration.

The report highlights how trees on farms have largely been overlooked in Scotland and yet offer significant benefits to farmers and society while complementing farming systems, enhancing soil fertility and reducing erosion, providing shelter for livestock, habitats for wildlife and pollinators and providing welcome additional revenue for farmers.

However, the report also highlights significant barriers to achieving this in Scotland, not 90

least the current focus on grants for woodland creation rather than a more integrated approach and cultural issues which have maintained a separation of trees and farmland as well as a shortfall in skills, education and research. It seeks to address this by outlining the benefits and challenges of integrating trees and farmland and making recommendations to support a significant increase in tree planting on Scottish farms and crofts.

David McKay, Soil Association Head of Policy for Scotland, said: “Integrating trees on farms and crofts offers a viable and cost-effective way to enhance tree planting without reducing agricultural production and therefore offshoring the impacts of the food system.

“New tree planting and farm woodland can provide a range of environmental benefits and improve the performance and resilience of food production in the face of the twin climate and nature emergencies.

Agroforestry – integrating trees on farms – can also open up potential new markets for farmers in timber products, fruit and nuts.

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What price carbon credits?

By Stephen Young, Head of Policy at Scottish Land & Estates It’s the time of year where thoughts turn to the agricultural show season and more than ever, there is a level of anticipation about meeting friends old and new - while we all make the excuse that it’s all about business.

If Scotsheep is anything to go by then we’re looking forward to an enjoyable summer ahead. The day itself was well organised and the mood was very upbeat, despite these being quite precarious times for livestock farming.

The Foot on the Farming Ladder seminar saw two new entrants from the south of Scotland share their experiences. The energy and passion was impressive, with both working as part of joint ventures with estates, sharing the capital burden and enabling them to grow their businesses and innovate to enhance their resilience and profitability.

Perhaps most impressively, both had entered into further agreements with the estates which saw them grow their business again,

demonstrating while it is not easy to do, it can be done.

The session was chaired by Ian Davidson of the Scottish Land Matching Service, which plays a crucial and growing role in enabling new entrants to enter the industry.

One of the other seminars at Scotsheep discussed farming and the journey to net zero. One piece of advice given was to hold onto carbon credits as your supply chains may need them. This I do take issue with.

Unless supply chains are able to extract a premium for producers, then there is no way we should be handing over any credit. We have seen multiple times before things which begin with a small premium for enhanced products then becoming the norm, with no premium being paid but more onus being put on the primary producer. As an industry we should resist any moves by supply chains to lay their hands on carbon credits unless the price is right. What that price is now is not exactly clear - but it is vital that we don’t hand it over for very little gain.

For more information www.scottishlandandestates.co.uk Telephone : 0131 653 5400

ARTICLE

Capercaillie conservation in the spotlight for Cairngorms National Park Authority Board The board of the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) have agreed to support a range of measures to help capercaillie, following the publication of a scientific report earlier this year, which said urgent action was required if the species is to survive.

Members were asked to consider a range of options to support capercaillie and to advise on the CNPA’s key priorities for action, taking account of the NatureScot Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) report and the CNPA led Cairngorms Capercaillie Project.

The options presented to members include looking at new ways of preventing disturbance to capercaillie by human activity; possible expansion of diversionary feeding of predators; enhanced predator management and consideration of measures to remove protected species from core capercaillie areas; along with fence marking and removal.

The CNPA has been supporting land managers involved in capercaillie conservation since the publication of the capercaillie framework in 2015, as well as taking forward the strategic coordination of conservation efforts. In 2018, working with a wide range of partners, the Park Authority was successful in the development and subsequent delivery of the National Lotteryfunded Cairngorms Capercaillie Project, which puts people at the heart of capercaillie conservation in order to find sustainable solutions to the issue of human disturbance and other causes of population decline.

Speaking after the CNPA board meeting which took place on Friday (10th June),

Director of Nature and Climate Change, Andy Ford said: “The recent NatureScot SAC report highlighted that, despite a huge amount of work being done across the Park by a range of organisations and land managers, we need to go further to reverse the decline of this iconic species.

“Capercaillie conservation is a collective effort and it is crucial that the CNPA prioritises those areas where we can have greatest impact and it’s important we identify where we should take a leadership role. Last week’s meeting was an important opportunity to discuss a range of practical measures that could be taken forward to help the species and to determine where the Park Authority should focus its efforts, and where it should support the

work of others, adding value to this shared endeavour.”

There are believed to be fewer than 1,000 capercaillie left in the wild in Scotland, with more accurate population figures set to be released later this year following spring lek counts and the results of the national survey. The NatureScot SAC report stated that capercaillie could be lost within two to three decades in Scotland if action is not taken quickly and that employing a single option of those issues listed will not be sufficient to prevent further population declines. Instead, it proposed that action should be taken on all key areas and that any interventions will need to be carried out on as wide a scale as possible within the core area of Badenoch and Strathspey.

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Xander McDade, Convener of the CNPA board said: “Given the current rate of decline, I firmly believe that there is a need for action that will achieve quick results. As such, we need to act swiftly and decisively, which is why I am happy to support the recommendations set out in the board paper.

“Capercaillie are a key species in the Cairngorms National Park, and it is therefore extremely important that the Park Authority should focus on the areas of work that will have the most impact. It would be catastrophic if we were to lose capercaillie from our native woodlands, so as an organisation, let’s make sure we are championing the areas of work outlined.”

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Beatha an eilean

Deasbad a’ bhidhe a’ teasachadh

By Murray MacLeod Tha an deasbad mu thimcheall de seòrsa taic a bu chòir a thoirt do chroitearan is tuathanaich a bhith faighinn a’ tòiseachadh a’ teasachadh agus dùil ri Bile Aiteachais ùr an ath bhliadhna.

Ann an 2024, cuiridh Alba, agus dhà-riribh Breatainn air fad, an cùlaibh ri Poileasaidh Choitcheann an Aiteachais leis gun tig an t-aonta eadar-amail às dèidh Brexit gu crìch.

Tha e a’ ciallachadh sa Phàrlamaid an ath bhliadhna gun tig tòrr ùine a chaitheamh air Bile Aiteachais a dhearbhas ciamar a thig taic - subsadaidhean - a thoirt do thuathanaich is croitearan san àm ri teachd.

Tha an siostam mar a tha e an-dràsta cianail fhèin duilich a thuigs' agus a leanntainn - fiù ‘s dha daoine a tha eòlach air - agus tòrr de dhiofar sheòrsaichean taice ri fhaighinn aig diofar ìrean.

Ach, gu sìmplidh, tha iadsan aig a bheil an cothrom as fheàrr biadh àrach a’ faighinn a’ chuibhreinn as motha dhen mharaig, le taic a bharrachd an siud ‘s an seo airson gnìomhan co-cheangailte ris an àrainneachd.

Tha e ciallachadh dhan £600 millean a tha a’ dol gu tuathanas sa bhliadhna ann an Alba, gu bheil a’ mhòr chuid ann an làmhan na feadhna air an talamh as toraiche.

Chan eil dol às air nach bi barrachd cuideam ga chur air an àrainneachd a’ dol air adhart (bhiodh sin air tachairt fo CAP cuideachd), ach tha cunnart ma thig crathadh bunaiteach air cùisean gun toir e droch bhuaidh air na thathas ag àrach de bhiadh ann an seo fhèin, rud a bhiodh na cheum mòr air ais.

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Tha cliù aig obair àiteachais ann an Alba airson a bhith nas fheàrr dhan àrainneachd na iomadach àite eile agus an uimhir dheth a’ crochadh air beathaichean a bhiadhadh air feur, ach tha tuigse agus aithne ann gum feumar tòrr a bharrachd a dhèanamh.

Tha fìor chothrom ann an seo taic nas motha a thoirt dhaibh-san aig a bheil na duilgheadasan as motha - glè thric an dearbh fheadhainn aig a bheil dòighean obrach a tha math dhan àrainneachd - ach thig gu leòr a chuideam bhon fheadhainn mhòra a tha gam faicinn fhèin mar cnàmh-droma a’ ghnìomhachais.

ThuirtDòmhnallMacFhionghuin, cathraiche Caidreachas Croitearachd

na h-Alba: “Gu mi-fhortanach, ro thric tha sinn air a bhith faicinn poileasaidh ga dhealbh fa-leth ri ar feumalachdan bidhe.

“Ged a tha e cudromach gu bheil poileasaidh a’ coinneachadh ri grunn nithean, bho ghnothaichean na h-àrainneachd gu cuisean eaconomaigeach, chan urrainn dhuinn sealladh a chall air cho cudromach ‘s a tha biadh.”

Thuirt Mgr MacFhionghuin gu bheil dà ni gu sònraichte gu bhith riatanach san t-seagh seo Bile a' Bhidhe Mhaith, a chaidh tro Phàrlamaid na h-Alba san Ogmhios, agus Bile an Aiteachais an ath bhliadhna.

“Chan e a-mhàin gum bidh seo cudromach dhan ghnìomhachas ach dhan dùthaich air fad -

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feumaidh a h-uile duine againn ithe agus tha cò às a tha ar biadh a’ tighinn gu math cudromach,” thuirt Mgr MacFhionghuin.

“A-thaobh sin, bheir ciamar a chuireas an dà riaghaltas laghan air dòigh buaidh oirnn uile.”

Bidh an deasbad gu mòr a’ cuairteachadh air dè cho fada ‘s a thig cuideam a chur air gnothaichean co-cheangailte ris an àrainneachd an cois de seòrsa taic a thig a chumail ri tuathanaich is croitearan son obair tradiseanta.

Thuirt Màrtainn Ceannadach, neach-gairm Aonadh nan Tuathanach ann an Alba: “Tha sinn a’ sireadh taic thar nam partaidhean airson aithneachadh cho cudromach is a tha obair tuathanas is obair croitearachd ma tha sinn dol a choinneachadh ri ar amasan a-thaobh bidhe bhon dùthaich seo fhèin - a thilleadh air dèiligeadh le gnothaichean na h-àrainneachd.

“Ach, cha ghabh seo deànamh as aonais sgeamaichean taic a tha ag amas gu dìreach air obair àiteachais thairis na diofar roinnean gu lèir.

“Feumaidh seo gabhail a-staigh taic airgid a bhios ag aithneachadh obair àiteachais mar a dh’aithnichear e, a bharrachd air gnothaichean eile a dh’obraicheas ri thaobh agus a chuireas ri obair tuathanas is croitearachd.

“Le obair àiteachais a’ gabhail an uallachd airson siostam a’ bhidhe agus ann a bhith a’ brosnachadh na h-àrainneachd, feumaidh luchd poileataigs agus luchd dealbh nam poileasaidh deànamh cinnteach gun tig gluasad gu cothromach gu bunstèidh ùr a tha ag aithneachadh gu ceart na cosgaisean agus an obair a dh’fheumar a dheànamh.”

Isn’t the world a better place when the everything is in full bloom? We travelled through the month of May going from warm to cold, rain to sunshine, windy to calm and back again. What a month it was but, thankfully, the much-needed rain made all the difference to the countryside, and everything exploded into life. I watched a healthy number of young garden birds, red squirrels, and rabbits not too far from the house and enjoyed seeing them mature over the weeks. Probably my favourite wildlife scene is watching the roe deer in June. There’s not much can beat the pictureperfect scene of a roe doe and her twins on a summer’s evening.

Flock-down ended at the beginning of May, much to the relief of poultry farmers and birdkeepers but bird health concerns continue.

The pheasant shooting season has a precarious look to it due to the restriction of gamebird imports from France this year because of Avian Influenza.

The shooting season for pheasants runs from 1st October – 1st February in Scotland. One Shoot Captain I spoke to in late May said, “I

by Linda Mellor

SCOTTISH COUNTRY LIFE think a number of pheasant shoots are going to struggle and go out of business. Many of the shoots rely heavily on importing birds and bringing them on but this year it is looking very likely they will not have any pheasant poults.

Everyone is scrambling around looking for alternative suppliers.

If Covid-19 impacts were not bad enough for a shooting business, this has increased the stress of running a pheasant shoot, and it is a worrying time for all concerned.”

Previously, each year, the UK imported large amounts of partridge and pheasant, however, this year, the impact from Avian Influenza is going to drastically affect the British shooting industry. Any imports of egg and chicks from France have been stopped and there are no dates provided for lifting the

Left Scott MacKenzie and right Richard MacGregor

restrictions in the immediate future.

Now we’re into the Show and Game Fair season, and I am keeping my fingers crossed we’ll get the right sort of weather for them. We don’t want any dates cancelled due to inclement weather, and we don’t want any muddy show grounds and ploughed up car parks. It’s always a challenge for everyone attending or taking part, but more so if you are showing animals, everyone wants to look their best in the showring especially if you are vying for best in show.

Many will be looking to get away and out of the country now we are free of lockdown and can roam the world once more, however, cancellations and travel chaos have blighted many holiday expectations. I hope Scottish locations can benefit from people staying in Scotland or visiting from within the UK and other countries. Scotland has much to offer including something special for the sporting tourist. I have seen an increase in the amount of hunters enquiring and booking a holiday in Scotland.

They want to enjoy the full Scottish experience of staying in a remote hotel, soaking up the scenery, dinning on local cuisine, sipping a nip or two of whisky, and stalking a red stag. Scotland is set up to cater for hunting tourists: we can offer them as many

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activities and experiences as they can squeeze in. A great example is on the Isle of Skye. Pop over the Fearann Eilean Iarmain in the south of Skye and you can tick off a list of outdoors activities without leaving the estate.

Multiple Award Winning Gamekeeper of the Year Scott MacKenzie will guide you over the hills on a deer stalk or on an equally challenging, simulated deer stalk where your target shooting is put in the spotlight. If you are more of a shotgun shooter then the newly designed clay shooting ground will keep you on your toes. Beginner, novice or a well-seasoned shot the course will take you through your paces. There’s also woodcock shooting, fishing, and guided wildlife walks. A choice of accommodation on the estate includes a hotel, pub, and self-catering cottages, all are perfectly situated for an incredible time and an unforgettable Skye experience. Do take my word for it as I speak from experience. I spent three days at Fearann Eilean Iarmain in mid-May, and what a treasure it is. Beautiful scenery, a tasty menu to tempt you with delicious seafood, estate venison, and they produce their own whisky and gin.

Scott’s hosting is first class, and everyone takes great care of you, so much so, you don’t want to leave.

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forestry Extensive commercial forestry for sale close to Edinburgh A rare opportunity has arisen to acquire an extensive area of accessible commercial forestry and mixed amenity woodland close to Edinburgh.

For sale through specialist rural property consultancy Galbraith, Woodland at Buteland Farm represents an attractive forestry investment located within reach of a range of timber markets across central and southern Scotland.

With spectacular views over the surrounding countryside, the property extends to approximately 390.70 Ha (965.42 acres) in total.

The woodland contains a mixture of productive conifer species which are dominated by Sitka spruce with some smaller areas of secondary conifer including Norway spruce, Scots pine and Hybrid larch. There are a number of areas of mixed broadleaves which enhance the diversity, sporting and landscape benefits of the overall woodland.

Duncan Barrie, Galbraith partner handling the sale, said: “The woodland at Buteland Farm represents a fantastic opportunity for an interested party keen to expand their investment portfolio. Crops are growing well with all the 2013 and later planting having been undertaken with improved Sitka spruce. It is estimated that the Sitka spruce will achieve a projected Yield Class of 24 or more. Prospective purchasers should make their own determinations on projected Yield Class, but it is anticipated that the woodland will provide an opportunity to grow substantial volumes of high quality timber in the future.

“Whilst much of the recent planting has been established within deer fencing, there is also a well-managed resident population of roe deer and the woodlands have been laid out to facilitate deer management.

In addition to expanding on the 94

potential sporting opportunity, there is also scope for further environmental interests if desired.”

The significant areas of commercial woodland have been planted under various woodland schemes principally over the last decade and are interspersed with some smaller areas of mixed broadleaf woodland and older shelter belts. There is also

an area of woodland, formally subject to lease which has been bought back in, felled by the previous owner some years ago and restocked in 2022.

All the younger planting has been carried out under a range of schemes with the latest planting being carried out in 2017, 2019 and 2022 under the current Forestry Grant Schemes.

The Woodland at Buteland Farm

occupies an accessible location on the boundary between the administration districts of Edinburgh City and West Lothian just to the south of the village of Balerno and to the south of A70. The Water of Leith partially bounds the property to the north west.

Woodland at Buteland Farm, Balerno, Edinburgh at offers over £3,500,000.

GMG Energy pounces on 400 acres of forestry in the northeast of Scotland

Sustainable biomass supplier and timber products specialist GMG Energy has made a strategic purchase of a substantial swathe of forest in the far north-east of Scotland to protect future supply and increase its resilience to market shocks.

The resource-rich company, which originated on a farm

in the Strath of Halladale in Sutherland, has acquired 400 acres of softwood-planted land at Quintfall Forest, towards the east coast south of John O’Groats.

The forest contains 21,000 tonnes of productive timber, very roughly equivalent to 90,000 tree-sized logs. The sawmill at GMG Energy’s production

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facility currently processes in the region of 2,000 tonnes a year, meaning that the purchase has created security of supply for the foreseeable future.

As a major plank of its business model, the company is committed to replacing every log of timber that it uses, and plants 10,000 new trees a year, which grow to maturity in

forestry

Integrating trees network: a growing success

35 years. It far exceeded this target last year, planting in the region of 20,000 trees.

Malcolm Morrison, Director of GMG Energy, said: “It has been our policy up until now to buy our raw materials on the open market, from established local suppliers, but this deal will ensure continuity of supply in an increasingly volatile environment.

“Quintfall is just over 20 miles from our base of operation at Bighouse Farm, so it will not add to the road miles burden and the acquisition will chime with our wish to invest locally and provide a reliable resource for other local companies.

“The purchase will not affect our ongoing planting programme, as replenishment is the key to sustainability, and we will continue to try to reduce our impact on the environment by not wasting any of the product with which we work.”

At the same time as the Quintfall purchase, GMG

Energy has invested £150,000 in state-of-the-art sawmill equipment which takes its larger timber and processes it into posts, rail, cladding and purlins, or structural roof members.

It also plans a spend of in the region of £100,000 on timber treatment equipment which will open up new markets among construction companies and farm businesses which require treated and stress-tested products.

Carbon-aware GMG Energy is also investigating the possibility creating heat and steam from wood waste to turn a turbine in order to self-generate the electricity it uses and to further minimise its environmental impact.

GMG Energy is sited at Bighouse, where Mr Morrison’s Sutherland-born mother still lives in the farmhouse. The company increased turnover in the year to August 2021 to just over £2 million, up from £1.7 million the previous year.

Farmers and crofters across Scotland have been sharing their experiences, warts and all, about growing trees as part of their businesses.

The Integrating Trees Network is a farmer and crofter-led initiative supported by Scottish Forestry and the Scottish Government. Its aim is to build up a strong network of farm woodland demonstration sites across Scotland, with the hosts showcasing how growing trees have boosted their business.

Sharing experiences and hearing from those who are actually doing it is all part of the ever growing Integrating Trees Network. The initiative has now run 13 virtual events and one on farm event with more on farm events in the coming months.

Farming Networks Our fantastic farming hosts have shared their experiences and have produced a number of key practical messages for others who are thinking about growing trees. These are: • Understand your reasons for wanting to plant trees on your land and your business priorities;

but could still be suitable for planting trees; • Ask whether having trees on the farm will help diversify the nature of the business to become more adaptable, and in the future will it provide much needed shelter • Make sure you consider whether planting trees will complement your existing farm enterprises; and • Get going now, I wish I had done what I’m doing now 10 years ago.

More details about our great host farmers can be found on the Integrating Trees Network website along with a wide range of resources.

On farm events coming up Walking and Talking trees with Andrew Whiteford of Burnfoot Farm, Nr Sanquhar. Wednesday 20th July, 10am – 1pm Walking and Talking trees with Andrew Adamson of Netherurd Home Farm, Blyth Bridge, near West Linton, Peeblesshire.

Wednesday 27th July, 10am – 1pm

• Do your research: evaluate your land and More info and booking monitor your farm to find details on the Integrating out what areas are under Trees Network website and www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com performing for livestock Eventbrite

forestry Wee Foresters plant thousands of trees across Scotland School children and local communities have planted more than 16,000 native trees as part of Scotland’s growing network of Wee Forests.

A total of 27 urban forests are now taking root in towns and cities across the country, including Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, thanks to the hard work and support of pupils from over 50 schools and 1,000 volunteers in ten local authorities, supported by six local environmental organisations.

Most Wee Forests have been planted near primary schools in areas with a lack of naturerich greenspace. But planting is just the beginning, as the school children, or “Wee Foresters”, begin learning how to care for the trees and monitor the nature they attract.

Led by NatureScot, and supported by £500k of Scottish Government funding, Wee Forests give young people the opportunity to tackle nature loss and the climate emergency, as well as contributing to Scotland’s tree planting targets by planting and looking after their own forests in their own neighbourhoods.

Each forest contains around 600 native trees, and is capable of attracting up to 500 different animal and plant species with the first three years. Volunteer Tree Keeper Teams are protecting and monitoring the forests as they grow, while schools can use the nature-rich spaces for outdoor learning.

Supported by Earthwatch Europe, young people will also take part in science activities to raise awareness of climate change and the value of urban trees.

This will include monitoring the butterflies that use the forests and measuring how much carbon is captured by the trees as they grow.

Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “This fantastic network of 96

Wee Forests is an important legacy of COP26 and is a great example of partnership working between the public, private and voluntary sector. Connecting people with nature, particularly in urban areas, brings so many benefits in terms of health and wellbeing. Creating more green spaces will enable people to enjoy spending time outdoors and care for the natural environment on their doorstep.

“As we approach COP15 on biodiversity, innovative projects like this will showcase to the rest of the world how Scotland is leading the way in our action to tackle the twin crises of climate change and nature loss.”

NatureScot Board Member

Dr Heather Reid said: “These Wee Forests are inspiring young people to protect, restore and value nature.

As they grow up alongside their forests, they’ll not only benefit from learning about nature, but they’ll also spend more time in the outdoors, improving their physical and mental health.

“Recent research shows that when people get involved in science activities such as those available through Wee Forests, they develop and sustain positive attitudes towards the environment and we’re keen to encourage more of this.

“It’s fantastic to see so many of these urban forests taking root in our towns and cities, so a

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huge thanks to our partners and all the young people and local communities which helped make this happen. We’re now working with partners to find ways to bring even more Wee Forests to more people across the country.”

Earthwatch Europe CEO Steve Andrews said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with NatureScot to expand the Wee Forest movement across Scotland. Getting communities involved in planting and ongoing citizen science at their local Wee Forest is an exciting opportunity to connect people with nature, whilst providing vital data on forest growth and environmental benefits.”

Get to know Women in Agriculture Scotland (WiAS) Committee Member Carole Brunton

The Brunton family

My name is Carole Brunton, I live on the family farm at Balmonth in the East Neuk of Fife.

My husband Ian and I have three children; Lianne is a Physiotherapist in Edinburgh, Jenny is a Senior European Policy Advisor with the British Agriculture Bureau in Brussels, and Ally is at home on the farm.

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On the farm we have 260 breeding ewes and 300 acres made up of 250 arable and 50 grass & woodland.

We also have a 500kw wind turbine on the farm which was erected in 2015.

Having been born and raised on a farm, agriculture and the rural industry has always been a huge part of my life. This

passion has led to agriculture and education being at the heart of both my professional and personal life.

I currently sit on the WIAS Committee where our aims are to share experiences of land-based industries and rural Scotland, seek advice, support and skillsbased learning and to access networking through peer group

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support. This year we are excited to be hosting a Breakfast at the Highland Show with networking opportunities and interactive information sessions on issues relating to Scottish Agriculture.

I am Honorary President of Fife & Kinross District Young Farmers, as a past member of East Fife Young Farmers it is great to still be involved with

Women in Agriculture Scotland Young Farmers sharing their enthusiasm and passion, and I am a member of YFA Scotland which is an organisation for Young Farmers, both past and present, who have represented Scotland on an International Exchange which I did in 1986 heading to New Zealand for a six month exchange, this group gets together at the Highland Show every year to share stories and reminisce about their time away.

On June I, along with 5 others, we represented RHASS in Frankfurt at the Women in Food and Agriculture Summit which was a very busy few days. The Summit was entitled “A Force for Change” and in my opinion, change is always good, great things never come from inside your comfort zone!

Outwith the farm I work for the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) and have done for over 20 years as Project Coordinator in Fife.

RHET Fife Countryside Initiative started in 2002, supported by a committee and numerous volunteers. I organise farm visits for schools right across Fife, alongside my wonderful assistant Angela Mill.

Balmonth has hosted visits since I took on the post and I feel it is important to give children the real messages about farming.

We don’t hide anything from them and hope they go away with a better understanding of Scottish agriculture.

As a whole, RHET is made up of 13 Countryside Initiatives and thanks to around 80 plus volunteers, RHET Fife is one of the busiest in Scotland. Carole says, “the farm visits really make an impact on children; I often get approached by young adults who say they remember visiting a farm when they were in primary school.”

All the services of RHET are provided free to schools in Scotland and designed to build bridges between pupils and the agricultural community while fulfilling the learning objectives of a Curriculum for Excellence.

I have also been involved with RHET’s Year of Beef which is running throughout this

academic year this allows us to look at beef production from farm to fork. Creating a library of resources which allows us to address the misinformation being taught in schools.

Lesley Mason (Project Coordinator in the Scottish Borders) and myself were asked to head up RHET’s Year of Beef.

This topic was chosen to teach about sustainable Scottish beef production to help teachers with the facts and allow them to tackle some of the misinformation being taught in schools.

We started with great ideas and enthusiasm which continued throughout the year culminating at this year’s Highland Show.

We decided to focus on a topic each month and produced a calendar of resources and activities for schools from September through to June, working in partnership with QMS and RNCI, RHET told the story of beef production in Scotland. We developed a range of resources for use in schools covering sustainability, grass, careers, butchery, cooking, technology and much more over the duration of the academic year.

Thank you to all the supporters of RHETs Year of Beef. Without the support of numerous companies and organisations we would not have been able to complete this wide-ranging project and help inform school pupils from across Scotland about sustainable beef farming.

Thank you must also go to all the RHET volunteer farmers and local Countryside Initiative Co-ordinators who engaged with pupils virtually while schools were under covid restrictions.

The Year of Beef activities have reached 190,000 school pupils across Scotland.

RHET, like farming, is not a job its more of a way of life – my family will tell you that it doesn’t matter where I am, I’m always taking photos or notes because “it might be handy for RHET” I’ve even got them doing it too!

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Southern Belle We fall down but we get up again Early summer, in the not so balmy south-west, heralds the ‘Common Riding’ season. These are centuries old traditions, celebrated through all of the Border counties.

Here in Dumfries, we celebrate Riding of The Marches and explaining what it is all about, is like explaining silage to someone in the city, or trying to explain how to tie a tie without touching it.

Beginning at 7.00am, when the pubs open (obviously), The Cornet, his Lass (the Principals) and 200 followers, ride out to the marches and arrive back around lunchtime, having partaken of several stirrup cups en-route, then to the rugby club to watch the horses racing around the pitch.

The Queen is crowned, the Guid Nychburr (good neighbour) is appointed, the parade takes place later in the afternoon and the pubs close at 7am. People fall of horses (and pavements) overindulge and suffer but everyone knows the score and no one is risk assessing something which we’ve done for centuries.

A day fraught with danger, which everyone enjoys and takes responsibility for themselves.

After two years without a Royal Highland Show, we are being told we are not allowed to drink outdoors on the showfield, or the drink will be confiscated! The bars are to be shut early and so, if the outdoor drinks ban is followed through, then the much valued kist parties will be frowned upon. This is some people’s annual holiday! This is not school!!

Farmers pay a fortune in entry fees, caravans and parking to make the event a spectacle for everyone. As grown-ups, we’ve policed ourselves (and others) for years without ‘our mother’ telling us to behave and go to bed and we (and others) have survived the experience.

We can however, gallop horses through the centre of a town, drink for 24 hours and have a great time with friends with few incidents or injury watched by the police who are enjoying it as much as anyone.

And in the rest of the world … a friend of mine had a verbal waring this week for sitting her bag at the right-hand side of the desk, where she could fall over it as she exits her desk on that side! Whatever happened to your mother saying, when you fell of the wall…. “Well you’ll know not to do that again!”

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Travel Scotland

Farming Travels in Laurencekirk

by Janice Hopper Laurencekirk is a small town in the Howe of the Mearns, situated between Aberdeen and Dundee.

Many people drive past it, whizzing from one city to another, but if you have time for some rural relaxation, Laurencekirk and its surrounding villages offer learning, literature and libations in the tranquil Kincardineshire countryside.

For something different make your first stop the Flower Field.

Many travellers have experienced pick-your-own-fruit but few have picked their own flowers. Just off the A90 is this unexpected

The flower field

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farming nugget, offering blooms from spring though to late summer. The season starts with daffodils, tulips, iris and alliums, followed by sunflowers, gladioli and dahlia. A display board advises visitors when and how to pick each flower, and costs range from 40p-£1.00 per stem.

From the customer’s point of view, this small field offers a colourful oasis of flowers to choose between, at a reasonable price point. I found it a calming experience to spend time selecting blooms at my own pace.

From the farmer’s point of view,

it’s a relatively simple business model featuring a few cutting implements, info boards, an honesty box and PayPal account, yet no staffing costs.

The Flower Field is part of N J McWilliam & Co farm, which has evolved over the last 130 years from a traditional mixed farm of cereals and livestock to a 500 Ha intensive arable unit made up of cereals, potatoes and flowers. Alongside pickyour-own flowers, McWilliam supplies winter barley and winter wheat for feed, spring barley for malting, oilseed rape, cut flowers for supermarkets, daffodil bulbs destined for the USA and Europe, and potatoes heading as far afield as Egypt, Israel and North Africa, as well as England.

From a field of blooms, our next stop was the ‘Farming in the Field Education Centre’ at Burn of Balmakelly Farm. This venture offers a learning experience primarily aimed at schools and nurseries, schoolchildren with additional needs, the Scout

Farming in the field

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movement, pension groups and care home residents, but any family that would like to give it a try are more than welcome.

Look out for family friendly events over the summer months, such as farming treasure hunts. At Farming in the Field Education Centre children are introduced to the knowledge and skills of farming, which they can transfer back to their home and garden.

The centre is run by Marie Thomson, a farmer’s daughter who studied and worked in the care profession. Now she combines these two skillsets and passions, working primarily with local pupils with active assisted needs, giving them hands on experience and rural education.

We dropped by with our own two mini volunteers (aged 8 and 7).

The kids had fun meeting the pet Kunekune pigs, Pinky and Dotty, but the educational angle was always present. The children had to monitor the pigs’ gait as they watched them run for the feed, check the animals’ skin and hair,

Travel Scotland ‘Stained Radiance’ in 1930. But it was the moving and sensitive ‘Sunset Song’ of 1932 that captured the world of north-east farming beautifully in prose, and caught the attention of readers and critics alike.

The tale of ‘Sunset Song’s heroine, Chris Guthrie, exposed the raw beauty and exhausting struggle of farming life. Lewis Grassic Gibbon poignantly conveyed the poverty, toil, harshness of religion and oppressive reality of life for working men, but particularly women, at a period when WW1 loomed large and farming technology was changing the agricultural world forever.

The Grassic Gibbon Centre screens a 15-minute documentary about the writer, alongside providing a host of information boards covering his life and other key works such as ‘Cloud Howe’ and ‘Grey Granite’ (that make up the renowned ‘Scots Quair’).

Also on display are personal items belonging to James Mitchell, and local artefacts from early twentieth century rural Aberdeenshire, summing up the brief but prolific life of this Scots writer who died aged only 35. The informative centre also offers a gift shop, playground and a friendly café.

For those inspired by the books and wish to appreciate the landscape further, take a hike up the Hill of Garvock or the Cairn O’ Mount to view the surrounding countryside. Other key stops and producers in and around Laurencekirk include the Spud Hut at Westerton Farm, for all your tattle requirements. For local produce drop by the Westerton farm shop and refillery, Farm to Table. Also consider Burnside Brewery and Fettercairn Distillery.

Lastly, if you do wish to leave the land behind and head seawards, then the picturesque harbour town of Johnshaven and the expansive sweeping sands of St Cyrus are

only a fifteen minute drive from Laurencekirk. These intriguing locations are a little under the radar and off the beaten track, making them ripe for quiet exploration this summer.

FACT BOX The Flower Field - njmcwilliam. co.uk/copy-of-our-people Farming in the Field farminginthefieldeducation.co.uk £6 per person.

Balmakewan Farm Shop facebook.com/Balmakewan The Grassic Gibbon Centre - grassicgibbon.com Entry to the exhibition is £2.75, but free if you make a purchase at the café.

The Grassic Gibbon Centre

Courtesy of VisitScotland / Paul Tomkins

and learn more about how pigs live, and what pigs are fed, when and why. We were also asked what we imagined a ‘pig sty’ would look like? Marie suggested that it’s probably tidier than the children’s bedroom. When we peered inside the sty we all conceded this point.

The next stop was dropping by Marie’s rescue donkeys, Keiran and Johnny. These donkeys are being trained to follow a simple obstacle course, ably led by our children, and the aim is to enable them to tow a cart, and ultimately allow wheelchair users to guide the donkeys around the course too. All participating youngsters at Farming in the Field are allocated jobs throughout their shift, because they have to learn teamwork and be able to constructively help and contribute. My boys were filling troughs, watering plants and pushing wheelbarrows wherever Marie required them.

After ‘working the land’ it’s time to reward mini farmers with a hearty lunch, or drink and a cake at Balmakewan Farm Shop.

As you drive up Balmakewan’s dirt track, a large herd of deer are quietly grazing in the surrounding fields. Inside the farm shop discover local produce (including venison pie), a range of rural homewares and gifts, toys tractors, plus an expansive café.

Once fed and watered, a key destination on any Laurencekirk itinerary is the simple but hugely informative Grassic Gibbon Centre. This attraction neatly sums up the life and works of famous Howe of the Mearns author, James Leslie Mitchell, better known as Lewis Grassic Gibbon. Youngest son of a Kildrummy farmer’s daughter and an Insch crofter, James Mitchell was born in Hillhead of Segget in Auchterless, before moving to Bloomfield croft, an isolated and remote but beautiful spot two miles above Arbuthnott.

As a young man Mitchell wrote for the Aberdeen Journal and the Scottish Farmer, and his first books were published when he was in his late twenties. ‘Hanno’ came out in 1928, followed by

St Cyrus

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Trailers

Trailers

A brief look at four current models available on the market today…

Hydraulic Bale Clamps from Bailey Available as an option across the range of Bale and Pallet trailers from Bailey Trailers, Hydraulic Bale Clamps provide the perfect solution for moving high volume round or square bales more easily, quickly and safely.

Bailey has designed each side to lower below the height of the trailer bed which provides easy access for fork lifts. Additionally, because both sides are powered independently you can select either nearside or offside loading to fit your needs. The simple press of a button raises the clamps and the load is totally secured in just a matter of seconds, then you’re ready for safe transit across field and road.

Need more height? Not a problem. Bailey’s new Twin

Hydraulic Bale Clamps provide the option to load bales at a height of three Hesston’s. This latest innovation offers the ideal solution for contractors and large-scale farm businesses looking to further reduce the number of loads and save valuable time, plus save on fuel costs.

All Bailey Bale and Pallet trailers in the Bailey range are 2500mm/8'2" overall and fitted are with a 4.5 mm chequer plate floor with 60 x 40 RHS floor runners at 300 mm centres. Bale trailers feature heavy-duty 8 mm side rails and a 600 mm high headboard for safe and secure loading of pallets, bags and boxes.

A wide range of optional extras are available for Bale and Pallet trailers including: a

Hydraulic Working Platform to aid filling of potato boxes; a Box Pusher for safe transportation of loads and a Rollover Sheet for protection against adverse weather conditions.

For more information on Hydraulic Bale Clamps and the Bale and Pallet trailer range speak to your local Bailey dealer or visit baileytrailers.co.uk

Trailers form Harry West Harry West (Prees) ltd are one of the UK’s trailer manufacturers along side their award winning muck spreader range.

The West flatbed/bale trailer to as two models available, FB26 & the FB 32, as the model denote they are 26’ & 32’ long both with a 14T capacity. The use of 250 x 150 box section in the construction and full commercial parabolic springs with ADR 10 stud hubs giving the trailers a very strong and durable construction.

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A similar construction is also used in the West C27 trailers which are made up of both 14T & 16T capacity grain trailers and silage trailers. These trailers are built to the same excellent quality expected in any West product. A short compact design these trailers give good manoeuvrability in and out of gateways and up tight lanes.

Both the FB & C27 ranges have numerous options with tyre choice, air brakes, ABS systems www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Trailers and our ESP information unit.

The ESP unit is incorporated in the ABS control block and gives the operator an accurate record of miles/km travelled, speeds travelled and weights carried.

This can give contractors simple details when costing work carried out.

At the other end of the spectrum we at West still give the option of a “classic” built

trailer in the 10T & 12T capacity grain/utility & silage trailers.

These units have been tried and tested over the years and run on the rocking beam design. These are both road friendly but come

into their own when used on undulating fields and heavily rutted lanes and gateways. These units are available with spring system axles and this give us a wide and varied line up.

The Ktwo Roadeo Compact and Push trailer Our Roadeo Compact and Push Trailer is unique in its design because it doesn’t tip to empty it’s produce, instead it compacts and pushes its contents out.

This increases capacity through compaction and reduces costs by increasing the volume each trailer can take by up to 40%.

The Ktwo Roadeo Compact and Push Trailer is available in 3 sizes 18, 20 and 25 ton capacity (31, 35 and 42 m3 non compacted volume capacity). The trailers

are also available with a wide variety of configurable options, making them suitable for almost every application including the movement of cereals.

The Roadeo Compact and Push Trailer’s success is also based on its safety and reliability.

The chassis and running gear with heavy duty suspension have been designed to provide maximum stability with the very best of on-and-off road handling characteristics as demanded by

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Trailers today’s high-speed tractors. It is fitted with high specification axles and brakes to ensure that the trailer can stop safely in all conditions.

Safety is also improved by the use of the push ejection mechanism rather than a traditional tipping mechanism, this provides greatly

improved stability as well as the ability to empty the trailer in low buildings, uneven ground and without the worry of overhead powerlines. The cycle time of the ejection process is very quick and also aids with quick turnaround times when compared to a conventional trailer.

The Roadeo Compact and Push Trailers are already being used by farmers and contractors in the UK and worldwide and are regularly praised for their time and cost saving benefits to farming. The increased capacity and emptying speeds reduce fleet running costs dramatically.

‘’We’re 20% more efficient running Ktwo Compact & Push Trailers’’ States P&R Burbage Agricultural Contractors. ‘’It has brought efficiency and productivity to our business.’’

Get in touch with your local dealer to arrange your demo this season and try it out for yourself!

New contractor trailer with GSM remote

Tramspread has launched the first contractor trailer to feature its Teletram GSM remote control system. The chassis of the contractor trailer has been widened by 200mm to enable the trailer to carry more equipment and the remote control will enable single operator use.

The Teletram 2020 GSM remote does not rely on radio connectivity and instead can connect a mobile device, using its 2G to 5G data connection, to one or multiple engine driven pumps.

The remote control features a seven-inch colour screen and industrial grade instrumentation that can be operated using Apple or Android mobile devices. Communication is not compromised by distance 104

and multiple pump units can be controlled by the same device. “This means that an operator pumping over an eightkilometre distance with four pump units will only need one device to monitor and operate all of the pump units,” explains Tramspread managing director, Terry Baker.

This, combined with pressure sensors and a flowmeter, allows the entire umbilical system to be accurately operated and monitored by just one man.

Fitted with Tramspread’s Raven Box mapping and recording technology, the unit can also report the areas treated and the quantity of slurry utilised. “The combination of knowing the speed of flow and being able to control it remotely is key to the

time and equipment savings this trailer offers. The unit also keeps a record of the slurry utilised so operators can measure how effective each application is and improve distribution in the future,” says Mr Baker.

The contractor pump trailer is powered by a 175 horsepower Iveco engine coupled to a Bauer SX2000 pump which is capable of pumping up to 300 cubic metres per hour depending on distance and hose diameter.

The long drawbar enables an applicator, such as a dribble bar, to be carried on the tractor’s rear three-point linkage while towing the trailer.

Up to 2,000 metres of drag hose is carried on two galvanised detachable spools located at the front of the trailer, while a

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further 1,000 metres is carried on the tractors front 3-point linkage via a powerful twin hydraulic drive reeler, giving a total system capacity of 3,000 metres. Over the twin sprung high-speed axles there is a large 900 litre fuel tank. Mounted over the fuel tank is a compressor which is also remote controlled and a suction hose loading area with two large toolboxes.

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machinery JOSKIN Continues and Strengthens its “Advantage” Series Production Launched in January 2019, the “Advantage” series production concept continues to gain momentum, in particular with the regular addition of new ranges and models. It offers all users the possibility of getting highperformance, super-equipped equipment at the price of a standard product.

As a reminder, with the "Advantage" concept JOSKIN wanted to prove that it was possible to produce high-quality, well-equipped machines at affordable prices.

Each Advantage machine is fully equipped and comes at a low price. To achieve this, the company relies on a manufacturing process with assembly lines, which was until then not used in the agricultural trailer industry. Advantage machines are assembled on dedicated assembly lines and are manufactured in identical series, allowing JOSKIN to achieve economies of scale (cheaper raw materials, more cost-

effective production, increased efficiency of automatic tools).

In three years, more than 4,000 Advantage machines have left the JOSKIN factory. This figure proves that users are interested in series-produced equipment and confirms that this concept has a future.

The Advantage family is growing with the series production of new ranges and models! In view of this success, JOSKIN continues to expand its "Advantage" range with new references. From the Drakkar multipurpose trailer, to the Volumetra slurry tanker, Tornado muck spreader,

Trans-KTP construction tipping trailer, Trans-CAP agricultural tipping trailer and Scariflex meadow aerator, a total of ten models have been produced in "Advantage" version over the past months. The latest examples are the Wago bale trailers and the Ferti-SPACE2 muck spreaders.

SlurryKat’s top dealer of the year named

Gerard Barrett from Drumlish Farm Machinery, Omagh, was presented with SlurryKat’s inaugural Dealer of the Year dealer award by Garth Cairns , SlurryKat CEO.

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SLURRYKAT’s inaugural Dealer of the Year award has been presented to a Co. Tyrone dealership.

Drumlish Farm Machinery, Omagh, is the first dealer to receive the accolade.

Gerard Barrett’s firm, which became a dealer for Waringstown based SlurryKat, in 2015, was one of 48 dealers globally, shortlisted for the award.

Speaking at the award presentation SlurryKat CEO Garth Cairns commented: “It was a pleasure to present the award in recognition of Gerard’s hard work, excellent customer service and dedication to the SlurryKat brand.

“The dealership continues to go from strength to strength and Gerard and his team deserve this recognition.”

machinery Upgraded Luxxum tractors from Case IH Case IH’s Luxxum tractors have been upgraded with a new engine and other features, continuing its position as a key choice amongst all-purpose utility tractors.

The three all-rounder models, designed for mid-size livestock and mixed farms and delivering 101, 110 and 117hp, now offer even better performance while meeting latest, Stage V, engine emissions regulations.

Still paired with the ActiveDrive 4 smooth-shifting semi-automatic transmission, the new FPT Stage V four-cylinder engine provides more power and greater efficiency. The new larger capacity F5 engine is a 3.6 litre, taking up the same space as previous engine, which maintains the Luxxum’s compact overall size.

The new engine has a number of performance benefits, including increased power output at the lower end of the range, and up to 5% higher torque levels, delivering higher productivity and better driveability. Maximum torque is now hit at the lower engine speed of 1,300 rpm, which improves load response and start capability under heavy loads.

“The Luxxum is already a very popular model with mixed and livestock farms in both upland and lowland areas” says Can Tümer, Product Marketing Manager. “Thanks to the latest technology, these improvements give it more punch on a slope or with a big trailer. Add the other upgrades and you get a truly excellent all-rounder”.

The new Luxxum tractors also get a new exhaust after-treatment system, the maintenance-free “Compact HIeSCR2” solution. To meet Stage V legislation, this integrates a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), a maintenance-free particulate filter and a selective catalyst reduction (SCR) unit.

The engine's low rate of exhaust gas recirculation, which at under 10% currently is the best on the market, helps optimise combustion while minimising the 108

SCR’s system in a single compact layout, all located under the hood.

As a result, forward visibility of operator is unaffected as is tractor’s manoeuvrability. The Compact HIeSCR2 after-treatment system is maintenance-free, which means no replacement of components or less mechanical cleaning during the whole lifecycle.

Luxxum Stage V tractors now come with some new

options, emphasising its leading position in the all-purpose utility market. An optional leather steering wheel, and carpet on the cab floor, will be available as it is on its bigger brothers, as will two new worklights, increasing the total number to ten, for easier and safer operation at night and on dark days.

As an all-purpose utility tractor, front loader operation is

key for to the Luxxum’s owners.

The new machines will have a fully compatible electrohydraulic joystick that speeds up work rates. It combines the front loader controls with those for the transmission, so there is no need to switch between the Multicontroller and joystick.

The new tractors and loaders are available now through Case IH dealers across Europe.

Vaderstad launches Carrier XT 425-626 Vaderstad has added Carrier XT to its portfolio of disc cultivators, used for high-speed primary tillage and seedbed preparation.

Hydraulically rotating disc axles help to increase the disc angle towards the soil, so penetrability is maximised. This allows a full cut-out at a shallower working

depth or reduced soil flow at deeper working depths. Both factors contribute to lower diesel consumption.

Carrier XT can either be fitted with the 450mm disc, 470mm TrueCut disc or the ultra-shallow CrossCutter Disc. Each disc is built from high-quality Swedish V-55

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steel, ensuring a high wear resistance and long-lasting field performance.

The Carrier XT is available in three different working widths: 4.25m, 5.25m or 6.25m and can either be delivered as trailed or mounted versions.

All Carrier XT models can be equipped with a range of

machinery

both single and double packer options.

The new Carrier XT has its official premiere at the

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German field exhibition DLG Field Days in June. It will be available to order from October 2022.

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machinery 30 years strong for dedicated Fendt dealer Unwavering commitment and loyalty to selling a premium brand has been a key cornerstone to the success of Alan Snow Agricultural Engineers Ltd, who this year celebrates 30 years as a Fendt dealer.

The dealership covers the whole of Devon and Cornwall, selling the full range of Fendt machinery from tractors and sprayers, through to hay tools and foragers. Alan says the dealership’s expansion over the years has been down to the hard work and commitment of his staff and shows the customer base in these areas that the business is there to support them.

“We have a loyal and strong team. Some of our service engineers have been with us for 25 years and our Fendt sales manager and parts manager for over 15. A lot of the wider team

Alan and Di Snow accept dealer award from Martin Hamer

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machinery have been here for well over a decade, too.”

“We really value this as a business. It is not only good for us, but it is great for our customers to see familiar faces turn up on their farm. It offers reassurance and guarantees them a level of service they have come to expect.”

“We’ve recently employed extra sales people to add strength to the team. I believe that to be a key part of the longevity, and is one of the reasons why we have been able to work closely with Fendt for 30 years. It comes down to the service we offer and doing a good job on behalf of Fendt.”

Alan started as a mobile agricultural service mechanic offering servicing and maintenance to Fendt tractors in Devon and Cornwall in 1986, on behalf of importer Bill Bennett Engineering. “The Fendt brand was still in its infancy and there were not that many units across the UK back then, but I learnt a lot about the tractors, and having the opportunity to support some of the early customers in the area was a good start,” says Alan.

However, in 1992, Alan Snow Agricultural Engineers Ltd was awarded the full sales and service franchise for Fendt in Devon and Cornwall by importer Bonhill Engineering, and the brand has

grown in strength across the two regions since then. “I started out as apprentice agricultural engineer and my passion is still service and aftersales which is where I spend a lot of my time these days. I still get great joy from seeing a quality machine being operated properly and the sound of a tractor working hard, especially if we’ve supplied it.”

The dealership began life from a small workshop in Thornbury.

In 1989 Alan, Di & daughter Becky moved the business to a new workshop in Sutcombe near Holsworthy. The popularity of Fendt in the Devon and Cornwall over the years meant Alan Snow Agricultural Engineers Ltd

opened a second depot in Truro in 2007. This depot was outgrown and a purpose built premises in Tolvaddon, Camborne was opened in 2020. This ensured a premium sales and service support was provided throughout the counties and all Fendt customers were backed up wherever they were.

Alan Snow Agricultural Engineers Ltd has been a key factor in Fendt’s increased presence across the South West and the business has seen Fendt sales and popularity grow steadily over the past three decades.

With our excellent team, we are ready to offer what our loyal customer base wants.”

New Syngenta 3D ninety nozzle gets LERAP 4* rating The new Syngenta 3D ninety nozzle has been awarded a LERAP 4* rating. The highest rating available in the UK testing system, operated by Silsoe Spray Applications Unit, it recognises the unique 90% drift reduction technology (DRT) design.

Announcing the development Syngenta Application Specialist, Harry Fordham, highlighted the 4* rating was attained at up to 5 bar pressure for the 05, 06 and 08 nozzle sizes, which would assure operators could fully benefit from the drift reduction over a wide range of conditions and water volumes.

“Nozzles have typically only achieved their best LERAP ratings when operated at lower pressures, in order to reduce the proportion of more drifty fine droplets,” he explained. “The design of the 3D ninety consistently produces a more even droplet spectrum and maintains the pattern even at higher pressures. That give added flexibility to adjust pressure and forward speed on the move, to maintain the desired water volume application rate.”

Syngenta has engineered the 3D ninety with a pre-orifice design to generate the desired droplet spectrum. That means that it is 112

fully compatible with the latest pulse width modulation (PWM) technology, unlike some designs of nozzle that use air-induction to create lower drift droplets.

A 4* rating effectively means the nozzle creates 90% less drift, compared to a conventional flat fan nozzle operating in the same conditions. “Reducing drift is essential to keep more of the product in the field and hitting the intended target. But it is also

about having the right design and operation to give effective coverage to give maximum effect.”

Mr Fordham highlighted trials have shown the angled design of the 3D ninety has proven to give results in pre-emergence herbicide applications at least as good, if not better, than the widely acclaimed and previous industry standard, Defy 3D nozzle.

“The key lies in the specific 55-degree angle of the nozzle

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design,” he reported. “With the very consistently sized droplets, that angle is optimised for allround coverage of seedbed soil clods.” It is recommended to fit the nozzles to alternate facing forwards and backwards along the spray boom for best results.

In grass weed trials the 3D ninety has given an 18% improvement in control from a preem treatment of Defy + flufenacet/ diflufenican, compared to the Defy

machinery 3D, and 31% better than an airinduction 90% DRT nozzle.

“The combination of the nozzle angle and droplet spectrum has also proven to be especially effective for foliar applications in dense crop leaf canopies, such as potatoes, beans and later treatments in oilseed rape.

“The angle of spray ensures there is good coverage of the top leaves, while the larger droplets provide the momentum to penetrate deeper into the crop.

Together, it gives very effective spray retention throughout the canopy for better results.”

Each Syngenta 3D ninety features an integrated snaplock cap, for quick and easy fitting onto the boom, in place of the conventional bayonet cap. Available now in the most popular 05 size, a full range from 03 to 08 sizes are planned to be available from the autumn.

More comfort and power for John Deere tractors John Deere’s 5G series tractors now offer more model diversity and comfort for the varied tasks involved in high-value crop farming. The series has undergone a complete update for all tractors above 75hp, including five new, more powerful models in the GV, GN, GF and GL configuration.

A key new 5G feature is the fivespeed Hi-Lo PowrReverserTM Eco-transmission, which enables travel at 40kph with reduced engine revolutions, making the tractors more fuel efficient and more comfortable to drive.

To meet individual customer requirements, new models have been added to the 5G Series. Chief of these are the new 5115 tractors for the GF, GN and GV model series that deliver up to 120hp max.

power from a 3.6l four-cylinder engine. Furthermore, John Deere offers more power versatility for operation in the tightest rows in the vineyard as the GV model range gets two new power ranges – the 5105G and 5115G with a maximum power of 105 and 120hp respectively.

The redesigned cab is now better adapted to the driver’s needs. The new design offers improved ergonomics as well as more legroom, which increases driving comfort and makes working with the new 5G tractors an even more enjoyable task. A significantly reduced bonnet height provides an unrivalled view to the front. More visibility, especially during the night, is also provided by the optionally available LED

The Air Compressor and Pressure Washer Specialists

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lighting. While the new cab makes the work more comfortable, the driver’s health will also benefit.

The Category IV filter system (in accordance with EN 15695) integrated into the roof of the driver's cab is optionally available and provides protection against dust, aerosols that are hazardous to health, and vapours.

Another highlight of the latest 5G Series tractors is the new 5-inch digital display, which presents important vehicle information centrally in front of the driver and even allows various tractor- and machine settings to be changed conveniently.

The new tractors are not only easier to operate, they are also getting smarter. The tractors can optionally be equipped with

machinery ISOBUS and retrofitted with the JD-Link telematics module. This allows the tractors to be connected to the free of charge John Deere Operations Center, which saves time and money. Operations can be digitised and planned more easily as state-of-the-art fleet management tools come with the tractor for free.

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machinery Standen Engineering Ltd Purchase Salmac Ltd

Standen Engineering and Salmac, which specialise in the supply and support of vegetable, salad & fruit machinery for the grower, have shared a mutual working relationship since January 2020.

Over the last two years they have shared sales teams and allowed Standen to offer even more niche

imports brands to their established UK and Republic Of Ireland customer base.

Tom Jones, the Managing Director of Salmac Ltd is taking the opportunity to follow other avenues after more than 30 years in the industry. Tom will stay on for a period as a consultant and to

provide some continuity during the transfer of the business to Standen Engineering.

Edward Gilbert, Sales and Marketing Director of Standen Engineering Ltd said “In Salmac Ltd, Tom has built up a fantastic company over the last 18 years with a strong customer base and

great working relationships with some of the best machinery brands in Europe. Salmac Ltd is a great fit for Standen, slotting in well with our Standen Imports offering.

We have enjoyed a great working relationship with Tom over the last couple of years and we wish him all the best for the future”.

Next generation DPF technology in Farmtrac’s big hitter Newly designed with next generation DPF technology to meet all Stage V emissions standards, Farmtrac’s FT6075E delivers a powerful combination of performance and economy in one of the largest tractors in the range from award-winning distributor Reesink Agriculture.

Now with DPF technology, this tractor brings the same amount of power from the 3460CC CRDI diesel engine as it did in the outgoing model, but with far fewer emissions. And results aren’t affected by the transition to Stage V technology, the FT6075E still offers the bestin-class torque to carry heavy operations as well as delivering 75hp at 2000rpm too.

Reesink’s tractor sales manager Steven Haynes says: “Farmtrac has always matched customer demands for value, economy and performance, and this new technology doesn’t affect that, in fact it enhances it.

Churning out the power with far fewer emissions, the FT6075E in its newly designed guise can tackle everything its customers need it to, whilst emitting less emissions”.

In addition to the new engine, the designers at Farmtrac have also looked to revise the tractors cabin which now features a more ergonomic control layout with controls repositioned to

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fall neatly to hand. Part of the internal redesign has allowed for additional storage within the cabin to store items like mobile phones, etc.

The FT6075 comes as standard with a 12x12 speed Carraro-made transmission, or a 24+24 creeper option is also available. Proven MITA hydraulic lift that offers heavy-

duty lifting capacity of up to 3000kg, combine to meet the needs of agricultural and farming applications. Plus, the Smart Life feature means quick lifting and lowering of implements during headland turn.

With more torque, better fuel economy and multiple speed availability for different applications and soil conditions,

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life becomes a lot easier with an FT6075E. It features a selectable 4WD, independent dual-speed rear PTO, position and draft control, rear hydraulic spool valves and trailer brakes and heavy-duty three-point linkage system for added versatility.

As with all the tractors in the comprehensive and innovative nine-strong smart-

machinery looking 22-113hp tractor range, this model incorporates worldclass components and its smart

appearance is attributed to styling by the Porsche design studio.

For the ultimate peace of mind, the FT6075E comes with a robust warranty, supported

by Reesink Agriculture, the award-winning UK distributor renowned and trusted for its servicing, maintenance and back-up.

New Krone BaleCollect feature improves bale handling

The new GPS auto feature on the Krone BaleCollect bale accumulator makes bale handling easier and more convenient, by allowing bales to be deposited automatically at right angles along pre-set virtual lines.

Depositing bales in this way ensures efficient bale

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collecting, less field traffic and operator hassle. In the past, operators had to trigger the unloading function manually, which meant that not all bales were deposited along straight lines.

The GPS-controlled auto depositing feature is designed

with contractors and large scale farmers in mind, because it saves time and costs for bale transport by reducing fuel consumption, the number of tractor hours and working hours.

Another important benefit of this feature is increased

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work safety in awkward places and on the headland.

Also, bales are no longer overlooked and accidentally left in the field. Field traffic can be significantly reduced too, leading to lower soil compaction issues, better field management and higher yields.

machinery

NOVACAT V 10000: The new standard in mowing Pöttinger mower combination delivers impressive performance

The new mower combination combines high output with the best possible ground tracking and the greatest reliability thanks to intelligent technology. The NOVACAT V 10000 is available with a headstock for 3.0 or 3.5 metre wide front mowers. This makes working widths of up to 9.62 and 10.02 metres possible.

As an option, the NOVACAT V 10000 can be equipped with the proven COLLECTOR cross conveyor belt and CROSS

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FLOW auger for merging swaths.

The NOVACAT V 10000, like its predecessor NOVACAT A10, is a front/rear combination that is exceptionally adaptable and convenient to operate thanks to an extensive electronics and hydraulics update: The hydraulic cylinders integrated into the booms shift the cutter bar by up to 370 mm on each side. As a result, they ensure optimum overlap and perfect

mowing quality on slopes, when cornering and on flat surfaces.

The ground pressure automatically adapts to the working width. Optimum hydraulic weight alleviation guarantees soil conservation and the best forage quality. In addition, wear is significantly reduced and fuel costs are lowered. This automatic adjustment system is available as an option on the NOVACAT V 10000.

The patented Y DRIVE input gearbox features an output shaft

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on the opposite side. This has the advantage that longer standard PTO shafts can be used with less of an angle in operation. The result is exceptionally smooth operation and high performance, even in really tough conditions and at the headland. This new design extends service life significantly.

The NOVACAT V 10000 is equipped with the very latest ISOBUS-capable SELECT preselect control system as standard.

machinery The job computer is located directly on the machine. An ISOBUS cable or the new SELECT CONTROL terminal can be connected to the job computer.

All functions can be preselected and then performed using the tractor's remote valves.

Only one double-acting hydraulic connection is required. The control system allows the mower units to be lifted individually.

Hydraulics are also used to fold the side guard (optional), adjust the working width and operate the transport interlock.

The control terminal has an integrated maintenance indicator. This displays the next maintenance tasks (greasing points and oil change) that need to be carried out on the machine, depending on the hours worked.

First-class mowing quality, reliability, cost effectiveness and long service life are also the hall marks of the new NOVACAT V 10000 mower combination from Pöttinger.

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New Holland T6 Methane Power tractors

The T6 Methane Power tractor The tractor is a true game changer, capable even of a negative footprint when powered with bio-methane generated from liquid manure. Not only does it deliver a supremely sustainable performance, but it has all the features that have made the T6 a favourite among farmers across the world.

“The T6 Methane Power tractor is the culmination of New Holland’s pioneering work in the development of methane technology and one of the many tangible outcomes of our Clean Energy Leader strategy,” stated Carlo Lambro, New Holland Brand President. “At New Holland we are passionate about enabling and promoting sustainable,

Many thanks to all that visited KATTRAK INTERNATIONAL LTD at the Royal Highland show 2022

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machinery efficient and profitable farming through advanced technologies, extended connectivity and reliable powertrain technology.

The T6 Methane Power tractor,

now in production and available to our customers, is a vital link in our Energy Independent Farm’s virtual cycle that delivers carbon neutral production.”

Doosan Confirms Details for Five New Compact Wheel Loaders

Maximising Silage Quality

As silage time is upon us, it is worth thinking about the key steps in the silage making process to maximise nutritional quality and minimise nutrient losses as much as possible.

Following the signing of an exclusive supply agreement with Netherlands-based TobrocoGiant, Doosan has confirmed the details of the new five model range of 3.5 to 5 tonne compact wheel loaders now available from the company. Comprising the DL60-7, DL65-7, DL807, DL85-7 and DL80TL-7 models, the new Doosan compact wheel loaders cover a wide range of applications, including construction, agriculture, earthmoving, waste/recycling, rental, builders merchants, landscaping, materials handling, warehousing and general industry.

Just like their heavier versions in the Doosan range, the new compact wheel loaders set the industry standard for productivity, flexibility, comfort, safety and reliability. All the new machines offer a full package of modern technology features including:

• A powerful Stage V engine • Hydrostatic 4-wheel drive • 100% differential lock on both axles • Versatile and powerful hydraulics • High lift capacity with dependable stability The DL60-7 and DL65-7 are driven by a Stage V engine providing 48.5 kW (66 HP) of power at 1600 RPM. The Stage V engine in the DL80-7, DL85-7 and DL80TL-7 provides 55 kW (75 HP) of power at 1500 RPM. Both Stage V engines offer high-pressure fuel injection and precise timing to provide a highly efficient fuel burn and perfect combustion. The aftertreatment system is composed of an oxidation catalyst and long-life diesel particulate filter to reduce emissions without requiring SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction).

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Cutting The feed value of silage is largely determined by the time of cutting, with higher protein and metabolisable energy and less fibre the earlier the grass is cut. While this will compromise yield, earlier cutting of 1st and subsequent cuts may allow an extra later cut depending on the season.

Do not be tempted to cut grass closer to the ground to add quantity as this risks taking soil into the pit, leading to an unfavourable fermentation.

A residual of 6-7cm is recommended to allow good regrowth and minimise soil contamination.

Wilting Rapid wilting is key to minimise excessive sugar and protein losses. Aim for a minimum dry matter of 30% and no more than a 24-hour wilt. Water loss is greatest in the first two hours after cutting so aim to leave a wide swath behind the mower.

Compaction and sealing Chop length should vary with dry matter and the drier the crop, the shorter the chop length required to get good compaction. Ideally fill the pit in layers of six to nine inches and roll continuously as loads are layered into the clamp. Any thicker than nine inches runs the risk of air pockets forming which will lead to slower fermentation and poorer quality silage, with growth of moulds and yeasts and heating when the clamp is opened.

Effective sealing of the clamp will go a long way to helping reduce waste.

Oxygen barrier film products effectively seal the top of the clamp by clinging to the silage for optimal fermentation conditions, keeping oxygen out.

Use underneath your normal plastic sheet. Black plastic is porous and can let in two litres of oxygen per m2/day.

Additives Silage additives are well proven to speed up fermentation resulting in a quicker drop in pH, lower dry matter and nutritional losses, less microbial growth and spoilage at feed out and improved animal performance.

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Rack of pasture-fed lamb with pesto

By Wendy Barrie

Ingredients: 1 x rack of lamb – allowing 2-3 cutlets per person Mutton or lamb dripping/rapeseed oil Isle of Skye Sea Salt & milled black pepper 2tbsps pesto – preferably homemade Redcurrant jelly – optional Method: • Pre-heat oven to 190°C and place the rack in an ovenware dish with a drizzle of rapeseed oil or a nugget of dripping from a previous roast – I always have some in the fridge.

• Open roast the seasoned rack until it is sizzling then cover in tin foil and roast for 40 minutes in all – this will retain a hint of pink when ready so if you prefer rarer or well done, than adjust timing accordingly as it is all a matter of taste.

• Remove foil then spread on pesto and return to oven, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes to set the pesto and allow it to infuse through the layer of fat.

• Allow to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes before carving. Any juices can be set aside for dripping and stovies another day or alternatively the fat can be spooned off and a glaze made with the juices by adding a spoonful of redcurrant jelly, for example.

Serving suggestion: sauté potatoes & petit pois a la française – with Shetland kale instead of lettuce!

Petit pois a l’ecosse Drizzle of Supernature rapeseed oil Knob of garlic butter A few leaves of Shetland kale

75g peas Isle of Skye Sea Salt & milled black pepper

Method: Simply shred and blanch the kale before tossing in a wok with peas, garlic butter, oil and seasoning until tender.

Native Shetland lamb, Shetland kale and Isle of Skye Sea Salt all feature on Slow Food International Ark of Taste as heritage foods of Scotland.

Scottish Thistle Award Regional Ambassador (2018/19) for Central, Tayside & Fife, Wendy Barrie www.wendybarrie.co.uk is a highly respected campaigner for local sustainable food, popular cookery show presenter and food writer.

Founder & Director of award-winning www.scottishfoodguide.scot & www.scottishcheesetrail.com Wendy is Leader in Scotland for Slow Food Ark of Taste & Member of Slow Food Cooks Alliance.

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Photograph © Wendy Barrie

Deliciously flavoursome, this particular rack is Native Shetland lamb, coated with my own wild garlic pesto made from equal quantities of Supernature rapeseed oil, wild garlic leaves, Isle of Mull Farmhouse cheese and macadamia nuts.

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Proud to support Scottish farming, and agriculture throughout the five nations

finance NFU Scotland welcomes Scottish Government announcement to bring forward payment schedule NFU Scotland has welcomed an announcement from Scottish Government that it is to bring forward the timetable for crucial support payments by almost a month.

The announcement that support payments will now commence in September 2022 rather than October will deliver vital cash flow certainty to farmers and crofters and help with business planning. It also allows the thousands of farmers and crofters to budget and plan

for any purchases or deals they may do at this important event in the Scottish farming calendar.

The announcement comes one month after 11 key Scottish farming organisations, led by NFU Scotland, wrote to the Scottish Government to express concerns over the impact that the unprecedented cost inflation is having, calling on it to bring forward crucial support payments.

NFU Scotland President Martin Kennedy, a signatory to

that letter said: “The farming and crofting industry is currently facing unprecedented input price pressure around the likes of fuel, fertiliser, feed grain and wages.

“That input cost inflation has been long-lasting and is already having a significant impact on business decisions at a farm and croft level. This has implications not only for primary producers but also many upstream and downstream businesses that rely on agriculture for their customers and their suppliers.

“While there is no quick fix to the current crisis, the Scottish Government decision to agree to our request and bring forward Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Greening payments will help to build confidence across the industry, as we enter one of the busiest weeks in the Scottish farming calendar “This announcement about the accelerated delivery of payments to bolster cash flow is an important boost.”

£1.2bn SMA fund launched to support farmers across the UK HSBC UK has launched a £1.2 billion fund today for agriculture businesses as part of its commitment to help British farmers to innovate, thrive and grow.

With the agriculture sector contributing almost £10 billion of the UK’s GDP, and the wider agri-food sector contributes £127 billion or 6.5% of national food production according to the National Farmers Union (NFU), the sector is vital to the UK’s collective recovery.

Despite an environment of high input costs, workforce shortages and the removal of Basic Payments which has already started in England, many farming customers remain alive to the many opportunities for diversification, expansion and improving efficiency through investment in their farms and remain confident about the future prospects for their businesses.

Farming plays a critical and unique role in the move towards net zero both in reducing emissions and in the 126

sequestration of carbon. The wider move towards carbon neutrality in Agrifoods may lead to greater integration with retailers and processors which often requires investment in operations and both physical and digital systems.

As the first bank to have a dedicated agriculture team, HSBC UK provides specialist knowledge and support focusing entirely on the industry. Our national network of over 100 Agriculture Managers are dedicated to helping farmers and growers drive their businesses and realise their goals.

The Agriculture Fund is part of a broader £15 billion lending fund to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK. Supporting regional economies, employment opportunities and driving growth. Since launching the SME Fund in 2014, HSBC has lent more than £90 billion to UK SMEs as part of its commitment to help British businesses to grow in the UK and internationally.

Martin Hanson, Head of Agriculture at HSBC UK, said: “Farming is vital to the UK’s economic recovery, and many of our customers have told us they are ready to invest for growth and are taking a long term view of the industry. With the £1.2 billion fund for agriculture businesses, we want to make a significant

contribution to economies across the country, driving employment, local wealth and growth by providing funding, when and where it’s needed most. We know our customers are innovating and adapting at pace and British farmers need their bank to be flexible, supporting future growth opportunities.”

CLAAS to invest €40 million in Bad Saulgauto increase production capacity

Due to the increased demand for its range of Green Harvest products and to allow for future growth, CLAAS is to invest 40 million Euro in its Bad Saulgau production plant, which is home to the Green Harvest product

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range and where everything from mowers through to the chopping system and crop flow for JAGUAR forage harvesters is manufactured.

To accommodate current and future demand, the

finance plant infrastructure is being considerably expanded and upgraded, along with production logistics, assembly optimisation and the energy infrastructure.

CLAAS has seen particularly high demand for the new ORBIS maize header, in particular the ORBIS 900, necessitating the need for increased production space to meet this demand. As a result of this and in view of the global decline in demand for forage wagons, the decision has been made to cease production of the CARGOS loader wagon as from the end of the 2022 season.

Survey shows input cost increases having immediate impact on Scottish food production

All sectors already responding to soaring fertiliser, fuel, energy, animal feed and wage hikes.

Production on Scotland’s farms and crofts is set to be scaled back as producers respond to unprecedented price increases for key inputs.

During the past year, a combination of several factors including the tragic events in Ukraine, has seen fertiliser and energy prices treble and prices for fuel and animal feed double.

A total of 340 responses were recorded throughout the 10day period. The impact of cost increases has been immediate with 92 percent of respondents indicating that they had already altered production plans.

The survey included sector specific questions for those who farm spring and autumn cereals, dairy, beef, sheep, pigs, poultry, soft fruit, potatoes and vegetables.

For every sector, there were respondents who indicated that they were planning to reduce production or had already taken steps to do so.

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THEMONEYMAN

Capital Allowances – It’s all in the timing

By Ian Craig Farmers and many other businesses involved in agriculture often require high levels of investment in plant and machinery and technology to enable them to operate efficiently.

Incentives to invest are provided in the form of Capital Allowances which are deductible from profits or can create losses and can make a big difference to the tax bill of the business.

The main types of capital allowances currently available on plant and machinery and the ones that can make an immediate impact are 1) Super deduction – provides an allowance at 130%. It is available only to limited companies for new machinery purchases and on expenditure to 31 March 2023.

2) Annual Investment Allowance (AIA)– provides an allowance at 100%. It is available to most limited companies, partnerships and sole traders on new or used machinery. The annual expenditure limit is £1m and the allowance and limit are in place until 31 March 2023.

3) Writing Down Allowance (WDA) – available at the rate of 18% or 6% on expenditure above the AIA limit or on unclaimed expenditure from previous periods.

It is very important to get the Capital Allowances in the correct accounting period to

maximise the tax relief and get the relief as soon as possible particularly if high profits are anticipated. There are rules which determine when an asset has been purchased and therefore when the tax relief is available. Planning and making a decision early are essential when considering new machinery where currently there are long lead times on many new items from the manufacturer.

Getting the timing wrong can lead to the business facing both a high tax bill and having to pay for the new plant and then waiting a further year to eventually get the tax relief in a year where the savings are lower.

There is often a misconception that ordering new machinery, asking the dealer for an invoice dated within the accounting year or signing up to an HP agreement before the year end will be sufficient to support a capital allowance claim but that is not the case.

The rules state that before capital allowances can be claimed there must be a contract which is binding and for most agricultural plant and machinery this will be on delivery of the goods to the customer meaning the asset has to be on farm before the year end to qualify.

Capital allowances are also available on motor vehicles and in particular crew cab pick up trucks are common not only for their ability and performance but also because for their tax status. These are generally

classed as commercial vehicles, VAT can usually be recovered on the purchase and they attract the capital allowances applicable to plant outlined above. Watch when taking delivery of a new vehicle if you want to take advantage of the latest number plate change.

You could push the capital allowances in to the next year if not careful!

Motor cars however do not attract such generous capital allowances unless the vehicle is a new electric or zero-emission one where a 100% First Year Allowance is available. Used electric vehicles attract only an 18% WDA. Allowances on other motor cars are restricted, depending on how fuel efficient they are, to a WDA at 18% for cars emitting between 1 and 50 g/km and 6% for those in excess of 50g/km. Buying a car therefore doesn’t bring much in the way of immediate tax savings.

Putting up a new shed or altering or improving an existing one for use in a business also attracts capital allowances on most of the costs and this type of allowance is the Structures and Buildings Allowance.

The rate of allowance is 3% each year.

Although the tax incentives to invest in business assets are good don’t forget that investment in any asset should be made first and foremost for sound commercial reasons. If you are to invest get the timing right!

If you would like to discuss tax planning for your farming business contact Ian Craig on 01738 441 888 or email ian.craig@azets.co.uk.

Ian is a Partner at Azets, accounting, tax advisory and business services group.

people “Viva Espana” as our very own Trevor Knights retires to the good life!

Our Sales Manager and family friend Trevor Knights has now retired from Farming Scotland Magazine. Along with his wife Deborah, they have now started a great new adventure on the next part of their journey of life to the land of sun, sea and Sangria!

Trevor worked with us and helped us to build up the magazine over the last nine years, after previously retiring from the financial sector.

Meeting at a band gig in Perth, Trevor and Deborah quickly became great friends to Christina and myself.

However, a year later I managed to talk him out of retirement to come and help us on the magazine and the rest as they say “is history!”.

Despite supporting Aberdeen FC, Trevor always maintained a great sense of humour and was always fun to work with, and on a few occasions drink with!

We all at Farming Scotland Magazine (Myself, Christina, Barry and the three cats) wish Trevor and Deborah all the very best, and our love goes with them for their new Spanish life in the sun.

(Editor)

Young Auctioneer receives top student award

Thainstone based young auctioneer has been awarded the M J Thomson Memorial Prize for being the top student in his year in Scotland.

Scott Chapman, store and breeding cattle auctioneer, originally from Turriff in

Aberdeenshire now auctioneers mainly at Thainstone Centre but also heads up sales at Caithness Livestock Centre. The 27-yearold recently graduated with a certificate in Higher Education in Professional studies in Livestock Market Operations and

Management, from Harper Adams University.

Scott was presented with his fellowship to the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers (IAAS) by their president Donald Young. The Scottish Institute, along with the Livestock Auctioneers Association in England support the course at Harper Adams University as a way of providing the chance for budding auctioneers to improve their knowledge and reputation within the industry.

Aberdeen & Northern Marts is a division of members-owned co-operative ANM Group. Scott Chapman said “The course was excellent, and I am proud to have completed this course as well as receiving recognition for top

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student with this award. A huge thanks must go to Harper Adams and the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers for providing such a fantastic course, I’d encourage any young person to participate if they are granted the opportunity.

I am enjoying applying my skills within the workplace and look forward to continuing to support members and customers” _ Alan Hutcheon, Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers, Council Member said “We are delighted to see Scott receiving this prize and completing the course. It is vital for auction companies to invest in the next generation of auctioneers, and I am sure Scott will continue to be successful in his career.”

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THE BOOK SHELF MEADOWS: The Swedish Farmer & The Scottish Cook

By Bosse Dahlgren & Wendy Barrie

Sustainable recipes, selfsufficiency, biodiversity, food security and conservation doesn’t even come close to describing the topics covered in this 424 page fully illustrated book. Exploring Scottish and Nordic food culture with over 100 recipes, this hardback is the result of years of research and practical experience.

Co-written by Scottish Food Guide creator Wendy Barrie and her husband Bosse, they highlight serious issues seasoned with lighthearted anecdotes from farming life to inform and entertain.

Bosse Dahlgren is a regenerative farmer, horse logger and lifelong campaigner for biodiversity, working with rare breed living genebanks. He has been milking cows since he was eight years old, his grandfather broke in horses for the army and as a boy he watched his grandmother carry out nose-to-tail pig butchery on the kitchen table every December.

Nordic in style, Nordic by nature, together they explore the shared food cultures of Northern Europe, created by landscape, climate and soils, reflecting on the past and looking to the future 130

with refreshing ideas for food production and tourism: making the most of what you have and using it in ways that will provide the best food in the kindest way for our planet following Slow Food principles.

This book combines Bosse’s first hand knowhow of nature friendly farming practices, supplying chefs and restoring landscapes, alongside Wendy’s collaborations with artisan food producers, chefs, restaurants, festivals and food tourism. Their book, like many of the heritage foods therein, is truly a rare breed.

This book is aimed at…

• Growers who wish to cook more • Cooks who seek insights into how food is produced • Farmers, smallholders and gardeners • Self-sufficiency • Environmentalists • Supporters of the Slow Food movement • Students of life • Gastronomes and foodies Available @ £30 (includ. UK p&p) online from www.scottishfoodguide. scot

The Horizontal Oak: A Life in Nature

By Polly Pullar

Polly Pullar’s life has always centred around nature. From running wild with deer, eagles, otters and seals as a young child in Ardnamurchan, to learning how to rehabilitate endangered red squirrels and snowy owls as an adult, The Horizontal Oak tells her extraordinary life story and how wilderness has always been at the heart of it.

The Horizontal Oak is not your average memoir, nor is it a typical story about rewilding in Scotland. It expertly brings these two narratives together, taking the reader on a sometimes laugh-out-loud, sometimes heart-wrenching journey through Polly’s triumphs and losses as she navigates her family’s painful secrets and an ever-changing natural landscape around her.

Though her childhood might have been blessed with unspoilt natural Highland beauty, it was also marred by family enigmas which ultimately turned to tragedy. Her parents divorced when she was only eight years old, with her father’s ongoing battle with alcoholism a key reason for their separation.

Polly also struggled to discover her true parentage, as doubts began to surface about the identity of her real biological father. As she grew older, Polly began to bear more of the burden of caring for her father, which strains her mentally and physically. This book deals with intense themes of mental illness and loss, but in a very honest, sensitive, and meaningful manner. In her early adulthood, when she is still just discovering herself and her interests, Polly loses her father to suicide, and faces her own dark moments as well.

After this devastating period, Polly shows her resilience and strength, as she rebuilds her life, finds love, and devotes herself wholeheartedly to nature. Sorrel, a kestrel with an injured wing, becomes Polly’s trusted companion throughout her grief and heartbreak.

She then becomes a registered wildlife rehabilitator, which sparks a lifelong journey of caring for injured

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and disabled animals. Every animal that enters Polly’s care comes with its own incredible story, and as the reader, you can’t help but root for their survival and healing as Polly pours all of herself into saving them. The Horizontal Oak shares a wealth of wisdom about the native wildlife of the Scottish Highlands, the various threats to these animals’ habitats and subsistence, and how to best support them.

Each stage of Polly’s life is marked by new challenges, both in her environmental work and personal endeavours. Over time, her relationship with her effervescent and often difficult mother breaks down. Polly must reconcile with this complex and important relationship, even as she navigates the end of her own marriage and the intricacies of being a new mother herself. The Horizontal Oak, however, is far from a downer, as each of these phases are peppered with humour and candour which endears you to the author and the grace with which she has faced the setbacks in her life. For a moving, authentic, and wonderfully human story about one person’s incredible life with nature at the heart, The Horizontal Oak is the ideal summer read.

The Horizontal Oak: A Life in Nature is published by Birlinn on 21 July 2022 (£16.99, hardback) www.birlinn.co.uk