Midland Farmer February 2023

Serving the farming industry across the Midlands

Midland Farmer

EDITORIAL

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OPINION Johann Tasker

Extra money welcome –but SFI detail still needed

The government's decision to pay an extra £1000 to farmers who join its flagship agri-environment scheme is welcome – but growers and livestock producers will rightly question the motive behind the incentive.

Many farmers have long maintained that existing payments are too low to make the Sustainable Farming Incentive worth the effort. They argue that the amount of work involved in return for little reward would leave them out of pocket.

Midland Farmer is a controlled circulation magazine published monthly for farmers and growers in the Midlands (Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire) or companies supplying goods and services to the sector. To be included on the circulation list, a farmer must have a minimum of 70 acres of land, or 50 dairy/beef stock, or 50 breeding sows/250 growing stock, or 15,000 laying hens/broiler chickens. Intensive horticulture units are required to have a minimum of two hectares.

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Defra farm minister Mark Spencer has now effectively conceded as much by offering an extra £20/ha for the first 50ha to each farm which signs up. He says the additional £1000 will cover the administrative costs of participation.

Mr Spencer says it will also attract smaller farmers – many of whom are tenants –who are currently under-represented in the scheme. The SFI is already paying farmers to improve soil and moorlands – and more standards for 2023 will be published shortly.

This remains a problem for many farmers yet to sign up. They find themselves unable to make an informed decision to join the scheme because they are still waiting for full

information about the standards they are expected to meet.

The specifics of how the management payment will be paid are still to be confirmed, although Defra says those participating in the scheme will benefit. For the early adopters who joined the scheme, it is only fair that this is the case

But as the NFU points out, Defra is still expecting farmers to make crucial long-term decisions essential to running viable and profitable businesses without the vital clarity needed on the scheme and the options that will be available.

Understandably, the union has vented frustration that only a few SFI standards are available – yet almost five years have passed since Defra’s Health and Harmony consultation which set England on a path towards the new scheme.

We have said it before and will say it again, if the government really wants farmers to join the scheme, it urgently needs to provide full details, rather than expecting would-be applicants to take a leap in the dark.

Johann Tasker Editor

Defra pledges extra £1000 for

Payments risk being 'too little, too late'

Industry leaders have welcomed the extra money – but warn that lack of information continues to put farmers off joining the scheme.

NFU vice president David Exwood said: “Farmers and growers are making crucial longterm decisions that are essential to running viable and profitable food producing businesses without the vital clarity needed on ELM schemes and options that will be available.

“It is hugely frustrating that nearly five years on from Defra’s Health and Harmony consultation, which set farming in England on a path towards public goods for public payments, we still only have three standards available for the SFI.”

Mr Exwood added: “It’s a sad reflection of the scheme’s progress and development that NFU

members know more about what they will lose in direct payments than what they will gain from taking part in these new schemes.”

To succeed, the ELM scheme needed to be simple, provide certainty and fairly reward farmers for taking part. This meant the SFI and other ELM schemes needed to be inclusive and available to every farm business – whether upland or lowland, tenant or owner-occupied.

A range of practical and profitable options would ensure the high uptake needed so these schemes had the desired impact, said Mr Exwood.

“Ministers must also demonstrate transparently how direct payments have been redirected to the ELM programme.”

tal Land Management schemes and think about what options and grants

“As custodians of more than 70% of our countryside, the nation is relying on its farmers to protect our landscapes as well as produce the high-quality food ing payment rates to ensure farmers are not out of pocket for doing the right thing.”

Mr Spencer added: “By increasing the investment in these schemes, I want farmers to see this stacks up for business – whatever the size of your holding.”

The new payments will be backdated and make the scheme more attractive, especially to smaller, tenant farmers. The SFI was already paying farmers to improve soil and moorlands – and more standards would be published shortly.

In addition, farmers with a Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreement, of which there are now 30,000 across England, will see an average increase of 10% to their revenue payment rates – covering ongoing activity such as habitat management.

Mark Spencer at the Oxford Farming Conference

January started as we had hoped, busy! First call was to help with a bit of a serious wet spot problem at a well known racecourse. This was literally a patch up job until the hunt season is over and time allows to carry out more intense works. Thankfully the weather held for a few days but after that it got very soggy and even though we tried working off of boards it was a no go and in agreement with the client we pulled off site until the ground has had a chance to dry at least a wee bit.

The wet start to January highlighted quite a few problems for quite a few folks. With the ground being simply too wet to drain it gave us the opportunity to drop into a local coffee bean supplier who was being flooded. Not good when you have coffee beans to worry about.

No one had an idea of where the water was flooding in from but it soon became apparent it was the run off from the guttering and a blocked outlet to the soakaway which was constructed from brick and rubble. All very strange as the obvious place to send the rain run off would have been the pond about 15 metres away and not a soakaway made from rubbish!!

Farm insurer issues flood warning

Average cost of farm flood claims tops £26,000

NFU Mutual is urging farmers to have a plan in place following heavy rainfall and flooding in many parts of the Midlands.

The average cost of farm flooding claims was £26,343 last year – rising to £31,195 in November and December, said NFU Mutual rural affairs specialist Hannah Binns

“With yellow weather warnings currently in place across parts of the UK, we are closely monitoring the situation,” she added.

“The impact of flooding on farming can be significant as it not only disrupts vital work but can place lives in danger, so it is important rural businesses prepare appropriately for this risk.

“There are a number of actions farmers can take to prepare for flooding, such as having a farm flood plan

detailing everyone’s role should the worst happen.

“Farmers can also identify higher ground to move livestock to if water levels rise and move vulnerable machinery, tools, stocks and veterinary resupplies to safer areas.”

For those living in farm houses and who are affected by flooding, it was important to make safety the first priority by keeping family and pets away from the flood water, said Ms Binns.

“Where possible, move to higher parts of the property and switch off electricity and gas supplies in flooded areas.

“Our local agents will be alert to flood warnings in their community and will be on hand to help, so it is important to have access to copies of any insurance documents and the relevant contact details.”

National role for rare farm breed volunteer

Lincolnshire’s Tegan Dowler has been elected chair of Young RBST, the national group for young members of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST).

The RBST is the national charity working to secure a future for the UK’s rare native breeds of livestock and equines. Young RBST is the charity’s group for 18-35-year-olds with an interest in rare and native breeds.

The group provides a network of advice and support for conservation and farming; a programme of online and face to face as social events and seminars; and a strong voice for young people within RBST.

Ms Dowler became interested in action for the survival of the UK’s rare and native livestock breeds as a teenager,

helping with the native British Longhorn cattle and North Ronaldsay sheep on her family’s farm in Lincolnshire.

She became vice-chair of Young RBST in 2021 and remains an active member of RBST’s East of England Support Group alongside her role leading the Young RBST group.

Ms Dowler said: “The group creates an important network for younger people involved in rare breed farming and conservation who are encountering similar experiences and opportunities.

“It’s great to be able to discuss common challenges such as access to land, and finding niche markets for rare breed products like meat and wool.

“I’ve found it really valuable to be part of this forum and get to know other like-minded people from around the UK, while still benefitting from the guidance and expertise of the wider RBST membership through our regional groups.

Breeds like the Lincoln Longwool sheep and British Saddleback pig had much to bring to a sustainable future where farming supports the natural environment, said Ms Dowler.

Poultry processor in phosphate pledge

Avara Foods says it is working with farmers to ensure the company no longer contributes to excess phosphate in the River Wye, Herefordshire.

The poultry processor’s supply chain includes 120 farms within the Wye catchment. “We are proud to be a vital part of the UK’s food production, but recognise that the wider impact must be managed,” says the company.

The remedy revolves around new ways of managing poultry manure from Avara farms, directing it away from the land where possible or with enhanced land management standards in place where it continues to be applied.

“We have consistent-

ly said that the origins of the problem, and implementing the necessary solutions, are not within the power of any single organisation,” it said.

“The situation in the Wye is a jigsaw puzzle of connected challenges and solutions, and it will require collaboration between all interested parties to fully address all of the root causes and return the Wye back to health.

“We have publicly committed to do our part, and have published an overview of our plans here, but there is a very real risk that our actions alone will not be enough to reverse the decline of the River.

“Everyone that plays a part in the river’s current condition must also play their part reversing it.”

Arable

10-point plan to help maintain arable margins

Cutting costs as commodity prices ease could help protect net farm income

Arable growers are being advised to consider making savings – with commodity prices easing back from last year's highs despite steep input costs.

Economic pressures, supply concerns and wider environmental issues are combining to give farm expenditure even greater significance, say experts. And the latest farm budgets now look quite different to those of a year ago.

A ten-point checklist devised by Tim Isaac, an associate partner with consultants Ceres Rural, aims to help growers mitigate the impact of uncertainty on their business – based on the firm’s experience of analysing numerous sets of farm accounts.

As well as helping to maintain margins, cost savings can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, says Mr Isaac. “The quest for net zero is not going to go away and a carbon audit before and after you make any changes will allow you to track any progress.”

1 Seed

Home-saving as much of your seed as possible will save money and guarantee sup ply, says Mr Isaac, even if it requires more planning at harvest.

2 Fertiliser

Timing of purchase is critical with the dramatic increase in prices, but the practical part of reducing fertiliser costs is how much to ap ply. Soil, tissue and grain tests can in form the optimum application rate while everything should be done to maximise utilisation by the crop. Increasing the use of legumes

and organic manures in the rotation will reduce reliance on vulnerable bagged supplies.

3 Sprays

As each sprayer pass involves fuel, chemical, wearing parts and labour costs, every application should be questioned. Make use of thresholds and forecasting, resistant varieties and weather tools to calculate the risk and return of each treatment and reduce the number of applications.

4 Agronomy

Tailored, technical and robust agronomy is key to saving costs, with independent advice usually resulting in a lower spend. Question every decision and discuss alternative options – many growers find becoming BASIS and FACTS qualified is a good investment.

5 Labour

Pressures on the labour market are making it difficult to save money unless you are obviously overstaffed. Make it a priority to recruit and retain the best staff and consider collaboration with neighbours to gain expertise and help spread costs.

6 Machinery

The area where the biggest savings can often be made, as there’s an average range of £200/ha between the best and worst performers. Experience shows that there’s a ten-

dency to carry too much spare for a tricky year, he reports, so matching capacity to cropped area is an obvious place to start. Another easy win is reducing cultivation intensity – providing it is done carefully so as not to impact yields – while accessing grants can help to offset the cost of notill kit.

7 Property and Energy

Make farm buildings and houses as energy efficient as possible, both to save heat and power costs and increase their value.

High energy prices mean renewable energy could be worthwhile. Most systems provide a good payback and allow you to sell any surplus to others.

8 Administration

Put your insurance out to tender at least every three years to attract the best deal, rather than just renewing it. Review insured values every year to make sure they accurately reflect replacement costs.

9 Rent

Rising costs and falling BPS payments mean that rent reviews should be considered on tenanted land, as the best farmers will be in a strong position to negotiate better deals.

10 Finance

The age of cheap money is over. Whether it’s hire purchase, an overdraft or a longer-term loan, shop around for the best rates and restructure or move any debt to keep finance costs to a minimum.

Reducing input costs can be good for business and the environment, says Tim Isaac

Varied drilling dates could increase disease risks

Amixed bag of winter wheat drilling dates this season could add extra pressure to regional disease risks, say agronomists.

Drilling dates have varied widely – from later in the east where persistent drought meant some crops weren't planted until November, to much earlier in north and west England where good soil moisture saw drilling start in the first half of September.

Come spring, this could create a double whammy as the legacy of these drilling dates combines with the usual disease risks experienced in these regions, suggests Syngenta regional technical manager Joe Bagshaw.

“Early drilling increases risks from the key wet weather disease Septoria tritici – and many earlier-drilled crops were in wetter regions, such as the north and west, where pressure from septoria tritici is already traditionally high.

“Similarly, we know when winter wheat is planted later, smaller plants tend to be hit harder by yellow rust. And this season’s later-drilled crops tend to be in the drier east of the country, which is traditionally a yellow rustprone region.”

Spring weather will also affect how diseases develop. But the impact of drilling date should not be overlooked. A T1 fungicide – typically applied in April to protect the first of the top three yield-building leaves – could be pivotal for keeping diseases at bay.

Factors to consider when planning an effective T1 strategy include strong activity against rust, good preventative activity against septoria, and long-lasting protection. An appropriate dose of the SDHI fungicide Elatus Era at T1 can meet these criteria.

“It is generally much easier and more cost-effective to minimise disease establishing in the first place

Buy British.

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We’d be delighted to help you source the grain and proteins you require for your stock. As we’re working direct with farmers there are no additional links in the chain - you’re buying direct from farm.

We sell according to standard grain specifications so you can be confident you’re getting good quality grain. We look after the logistics to ensure the gain is delivered when you need it and then invoice you and pay the supplying farmer. It really couldn’t be simpler.

Growers should plan an effective T1 fungicide strategy, says Joe Bagshaw

rather than trying to get on top of it once it’s built up. It will be important to remain vigilant and use the correct fungicide strategy.”

“Winter cold snaps, such as those we had in December, will suppress yellow rust and other diseases, but will not remove the risk completely.”

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Why we must learn to live with drought

weather matters for farmers and growers in the short and medium term.

The agricultural drought in the summer of 2022 has lessons for us all, says Melvyn Kay

In an uncertain world, drought is something all farmers can rely – including those who irrigate. Which is why we must learn to live with lack of rainfall, even though we cannot know when the next drought will occur.

Summer 2022 was the worst UK agricultural drought since 1976 and Europe’s worst in 500 years. Droughts are becoming more frequent and lasting longer as climate change

Climate change tells us that rainfall will be more erratic in the future and can help long-term planning, whereas weather tells us it will be dry over the next week, and we may need to start irrigating crops.

Many of the ups and downs in our weather are actually “normal” and not always due to climate change. One normal event that is perhaps the world’s most important weathermaking phenomenon is the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) that sloshes back and forth across the Pacific Ocean every few years.

ENSO also creates havoc with weather patterns far beyond the Pacific. It is responsible in 2022 for the horrendous floods in Australia and Pakistan and severe droughts across the USA and north Africa. It impacts the jet stream, which is responsible for our weather too. Climate change is just a bolt-on to ENSO but just try separating them; it’s a scientist’s nightmare.

Copying with drought is not easy. However, there are some useful tools like the Cranfield University D-Risk tool, which enables growers to assess drought risks given certain storage, crops and licence options. The tool is now

able to include rainwater harvesting to help soft fruit, veg and salad growers to assess water available from glasshouses and tunnels.

Those equipped for irrigation have more water security, but those with a licence to abstract directly from rivers in the summer can only take water when it is available and risk a Section 57 Notice, which makes it illegal to continue taking water when rivers start to run dry. Those with a winter licence have the advantage of more plentiful river flows, but there is the high cost of the reservoir needed to store the water.

Farmers are encouraged to invest in reservoirs with government grants available to support construction costs. But the pathway to completion is a painful one at present. First, you need a winter licence, which can take up to six months, then clearance from Natural England and the local archaeologists and planning permission from the local authority. But farmers are in a Catch-22. By the time they get agreement from everyone, the costs have risen and put the project out of reach financially. There are many unhappy farmers out there who are stuck in this process. It needs streamlining if we are serious about producing more food at home rather than ‘letting others feed us’ mode.

Other options being explored include water-sharing schemes, which enable groups of farmers to take full advantage of water available within a catchment when not all abstractors are irrigating.

Melvyn Kay is executive secretary of the UK Irrigation Association. For more details, visit www.ukia.org

Are you ready for the next drought?

Take full advantage of expert advice on drought mitigation at the forthcoming UK Irrigation Association Conference on 1 March in Peterborough. For full details and other information on drought, go to www.ukia.org

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Crop storage

Monitor Farm meeting to discuss grain marketing

• Selling strategies and crop storage

• Marketing pools and forward selling

• Prospects for cereals and oilseeds

Grain marketing – and when to sell or store – will be discussed by analysts and growers at an AHDB Monitor Farm meeting this month.

Two AHDB market analysis specialists will discuss grain marketing, the effect of input costs on margins, and what top performing farms do differently during the meeting on Tuesday, 21 February at Wainfleet, Lincolnshire.

Based seven miles inland from Skegness, second-generation farmers Gary and Debbie Willoughby oversee 75ha of owned land, as well as some tenanted and contracted land. Arable crops include wheat, barley, oilseed rape, beans and peas.

Market outlook

The meeting will include discussions around marketing pools, contracts, forward selling and niche crops. Other topics will encompass the effect of high input prices on the cost of production and margins – and the market outlook.

Wheat and oilseed rape prices have eased since the highs that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine last February. But with many grow-

ers buying inputs at 2022 prices for 2023, good marketing will be vital to maintain margins.

UK feed wheat futures eased last month to around £232/t by mid-January. New crop contracts for November 2023 were also down, with competitive Russian wheat continuing to pressure European prices.

Despite increases in insurance costs for Russian ships, the AHDB says Russia's success in two major purchase tenders from Turkey and Egypt shows that the country’s grain remains competitive on the global market.

Domestic market

Domestic grain prices continues to track continental markets. But the market has also been hit by a dip in domestic animal feed production, which fell to 5.41Mt from July to November 2022 – a six-year low and 5% lower than a year earlier.

With a reduction in animal feed production comes a fall in cereal usage. The AHDB says wheat usage in total feed production fell 3% from July to November, while barley usage was down 27% on the year.

Monitor Farms are part of AHDB’s Farm Excellence programme – a network of farmers dedicated to driving the industry forward by sharing best practice. Regular meetings are during are free and open to anyone interested in coming along.

For details about the Wainfleet Monitor Farm meeting, please email judith.stafford@ahdb.org.uk or visit www.bit.ly/Wainfleet

New smart control system for Magna dryers

Opico has introduced a smart control system for its latest automatic Magna dryer models.

Developed over the last two years and tested on farms across Europe and the UK last season, the system allows operators greater connectivity and remote control of their machine operations, via a mobile device.

The easy to programme new control pan-

el gives greater flexibility and clarity, with a 9.7” HMI interface, user-friendly touch screen display, designed to operate in harsh environments.

The new system works with any mobile network or wi-fi, with 4G speeds or above recommended for live data transfer. Remote monitoring and fault diagnosis support is available from Opico.

OPICO aftersales director Angus Steven

said: “Operation, as well as technical support, can be actioned remotely - from general running to software updates. Real time information cuts downtime and keeps drying operations running smoothly.

“Setting the dryer off is straightforward as it is pre-programmed for a number of crops, although it can also be easily adjusted to each farmer’s bespoke requirements. I’m delighted with this new panel.

Monitor Farmers Gary and Debbie Willoughby

Air curtains good for farm business and environment

Improving the air flow in potato stores is helping to improve crop quality while lowering energy costs and reducing the impact on the environment.

The Farming For a Better Climate (FFBC) team, at SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), is urging potato growers to monitor their energy consumption, to better address efficiency levels in their stores and keep on top of spiralling costs.

“Storing potatoes is a big cost for growers, particularly with increased energy costs the current economic climate has brought,” says SAC potato consultant Kyran Maloney.

“Growers cannot control energy prices, but they can get a handle on their usage and improve efficiency.

“Costs of storage can be daunting to calculate, but there are a number of tools including a costing model we have produced which can help. Growers should monitor their energy consumptions as surprisingly few stores are fitted with smart meters.

“The efficiency difference between a good and a poor store can be huge and areas which

can be looked at include, uncontrolled leaks in stores, optimising airflow by fitting curtains and the basic servicing of refrigeration units.”

James Fairlie, who grows potatoes at Kirkton of Monikie, in Angus, recently had air curtains fitted to two of his stores. He says he is already noticing a difference in air flow, energy use and quality of his crop.

Mr Fairlie grows 160ha (400acres) of potatoes annually. Spiralling electricity and energy costs prompted him to take action, he says. His energy bill for October 2022 was £6500 compared to £9000 for the whole of 2021.

He said: “I probably took electricity for granted in the past as it wasn’t overly expensive, but this year the high costs have given us the drive we needed to become more efficient and look at our whole operation and what we can be doing better.

“We had air curtains installed at two of our four stores to improve air distribution through our boxes and recent tests found that air flow has increased from the standard recommended 0.3m per second, to 1.7m per second.”

Mr Fairlie says this should lead to a reduc-

tion in disease. Early indications are that crop quality has not deteriorated since being on site, he adds. By targeting air directly over the boxes, you reduce cooling times, improve overall efficiency.

“This has allowed us to reduce fridge running times by 30 per cent, which saves a big monthly bill,” says Mr Fairlie. Curtains are affordable and accessible, and his own investment paid off in the first month. To explore different energy options, visit www.farmingforabetterclimate.org

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James Fairlie had air curtains fitted to two of his stores and is already noticing a difference in air flow, energy use and quality of his crop

Planning changes make it easier to upgrade stores

• Larger buildings with less red tape

• Easier to optimise farm productivity

• Permitted development rights eased

Farm businesses are taking ad vantage of changes in the plan ning system to upgrade grain drying and storage facilities.

Changes made in 2018 make it pos sible to construct an agricultural shed of up to 1,000sqm – a significant in crease from 465sqm – without the need to submit a full planning application, says farm adviser Killian Gallagher of Gallagher Planning.

These permitted development rights are still subject to a prior ap proval process – but this involves con siderably less red tape than a stand ard planning application. The entire process is also cheaper, less complex and quicker.

Robert Huddlestone, of Huddle stone Produce, used permitted devel opment rights to upgrade his continu ous flow drier with square bin storage, which had been in place for more than 40 years at Groves Farm, Howden, East Yorkshire.

Unsurprisingly, this grain drying and storage system was no longer re liable and lacked the capacity to cope with modern harvest demands. The time had come to upgrade and reap the benefits to the changes in permit ted development rights, says Mr Hud dlestone.

Productivity boost

“We harvest around 200ha of wheat as a break crop to the swedes we grow for the wholesale markets,” he explains.

“It was key that a new grain-drying and storage plant delivered the efficiency and productivity we needed so that harvest could be completed as quickly as possible. We can’t hold up work around our main crop of swedes which take up most of our time and manpower.”

Mr Huddlestone worked closely with Scott McArthur, director at McArthur Agriculture, with input from BDC Systems, on the options for a new plant which was designed to take full advantage of the change in legislation.

Prior planning approval was ob tained to construct a galvanised steel portal framed shed (42m long x 23.5m wide x 11.75m to the apex) with pre cast concrete grain walls. The plant also had to operate with the existing 100Amp power supply.

Drying capacity

McArthur Agriculture and BDC Systems de signed the grain pro cessing plant to optimise the permitted space, and deliver the required capacity to dry around 2,500t of wheat at 20tph when drying feed wheat down from 20% to 15% moisture content.

The shed is divided into sev en 6m bays. Bays 1-6 are for grain storage and bay 7 houses the intake, Skandia Elevator AB grain handling equipment and a Svegma SVC 4/4 continuous flow drier, both supplied by BDC Systems.

“We chose a Svegma drier, not only because of its proven track record, but as we have to finish harvest as quickly as possible it is likely that we will need to combine grain with a high moisture content,” says Mr Huddlestone.

The Svegma has a lateral fixing system which means there are no fixings or ledges inside the grain column to hinder the grain flow, which is really important if the grain is coming in wet.

Grain enters the plant via a Skandia KTIG 20/40 40tph trench conveyor fitted into a hopper recessed in a concrete trench in the wet grain bunker. The conveyor transports the grain to a pair of Skandia SEI 35/14 40tph belt and bucket elevators.

The drier feed elevator is fitted with a dust and chaff remover to pre-clean the grain before it reaches the drier. The dry grain is fed into the grain store by a Skandia KTIB 20/40 40tph curved chain and flight conveyor.

Build quality

“Skandia conveyors were chosen not only because of their build quality, but Skandia’s range of section lengths and curve options allows for the design of a compact grain handling solution without compromising on reliability,” says BDC Systems sales director Andrew Head.

This was crucial for Mr Huddlestone’s plant as to keep to the 1,000 sqm footprint the drier, grain handling system and control room had to be housed in one bay. The plant was completed within the timescales set despite Covid lockdowns, and has easily kept up with the combine.

“Before the installation of the new plant the previous five harvests had, on average, taken around 100 hours,” says Mr Huddlestone. “Last year we had our biggest yield yet and harvest took just 70 hours.”

“This time saving has been solely down to the new future-proofed plant which allows us to dedicate resources to our other revenue generating business enterprises. I am confident that the plant will continue to meet our requirements for many harvests to come.”

We have to finish harvest quickly

The Skandia elevator conveyor fills the grain store. Inset: Handling equipment alongside the continuous flow grain drier

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•

7:1 return on investment possible

Asimple switch from multiple sheets of traditional black plastic to a single sheet high oxygen barrier (HOB) silage film could reduce silage waste. At a time when livestock producers are using more home-grown feeds, the approach could deliver significant productivity and en vironmental benefits – reducing waste from 15% to 5%, say experts.

“We’re seeing significant reductions in silage waste and improvements in feed quality across the UK with HOB films and this is supported by compre hensive trials across Europe,” says Tim Brewer of silage film specialists Silostop Agri.

One study of over 50 individual pieces of work has shown a reduction in waste of 42% in the top layers of clamps sealed with HOB film compared to standard polyethylene film, adds Mr Brewer.

Better quality

“The proportion of silage judged to inedible by livestock was also reduced with material stored under the HOB film compared with the standard film covering system and the aerobic stability of the uppermost layer of silage under the HOB film was much greater too.

“These results correlate with work carried out at the INRA Research Centre in France where HOB film gave a total silage loss of just 7% compared to over 15% with traditional black polyethylene film."

Silage density was similar for both, but the total amount of silage DM removed for feeding was 17% higher with the HOB material, reflecting lower losses during the storage period, says Mr Brewer.

“Covering ensiled forage maize with a single layer thin HOB film has been shown to give large reductions in primary energy and greenhouse gas production compared to the normal practice of covering clamps with two layers of standard film which is much thicker.

“Work in the Netherlands has shown the total weight of plastic used in a 40m long by 12m wide clamp using standard film to be 241.5kg whereas with an HOB film it was only 43.4kg –just 18% of the standard film weight.

In terms of primary energy needed to produce the film at 78.1 MJ kg film this was 18.9 GJ for the standard film and 3.39 GJ for the HOB. This means it takes less than 20% of the energy to produce HOB film than it does to produce to standard polyethylene.

“At a time when everybody needs to produce their home-grown forages as efficiently as possible whilst limiting any harmful effects on the environment, HOB films have an awful lot going for them.”

Good investment

Jim Juby of Horizon Seeds, says modern HOB films make the ensiling process quicker and more reliable – and also deliver a significant return on investment.

“While use of thicker clamp plastics and clingfilm under conventional black Polyethylene has helped ensure good preservation of silage in recent years, many producers are increasingly concerned about the use of such materials.

“Using cling films and true oxygen barrier films can reduce wastage and ensure more of the forage energy clamped is available for milk or livestock production.

“Used properly, surface spoilage is virtually eliminated and top-layer shrinkage losses are reduced considerably with such an approach which means as well as being able to fed your cows better quality silage, you’re actually feeding more of it.

“All told, we believe that for every £1 spent on a HOB film such as Silostop Max, for example, you'll get up to £7 of extra silage produced as a result."

Clamp management

To make best use of such films, producers need to pay attention to consolidation of material in the clamp and keeping the top layer of forage as even as possible, he says.

“It’s easy to underestimate the speed at which material will enter the clamp but you need to match the speed of material entering the clamp with enough equipment to ensure all material is consolidated properly.

“It’s important, therefore, to make sure you have enough tractors consolidating fresh material as it arrives. It’s a false economy to have high work rates in the field that then lead to clamp management being compromised.

“The rule of thumb is that you want 25% of the number of tonnes being delivered into the clamp per hour as weight consolidating the silage. If a 16 tonne trailer arrives every 10 minutes that’s 100t/hr, you will need another tractor alongside the buck rake.”

We’re seeing big waste reductions

Clockwise from above left: Tim Brewer; SilostopMax silage protection; and orange high oxygen barrier film

Storage cost concern for potato growers

• Ag-inflation fuels cost of storage

• Energy among biggest increases

• Correct cost structure important

Potato storage costs are under the spotlight for the coming season, with agri-inflation driving up the price of farm inputs.

Storage costs are being forced up by rising energy prices, says the 2023 edition of the Andersons Outlook report. But boxes too are becoming more expensive at £100-130 each delivered depending on capacity.

The recent increase in demand for on farm commercial/industrial storage means there is a significant opportunity cost of these buildings, says the Outlook report. Recent analysis suggests this could be as much as £20-25 per tonne based on non-farming rents.

“Adding box cost, plant maintenance, labour for management and outloading costs, comfortably brings the cost up to £40 per tonne. Weight loss, sprout control and the cost of capital are all further additional costs to factor in, before energy.

Storage arrangements

Energy cost varies according to store efficiency, electricity price and length of time in store, says the report. “The range here is significant, but as a grower, factoring in all of the above, storage could cost in excess of £75 per tonne for the season.”

Clearly the impact on third party storage will depend on the component parts of individual arrangements.

Discussions on contracts for the 2023 crop commenced early, with many growers unable to reach an agreement. This means a reduction in the UK po tato area is both necessary and inevi table, says the Outlook report.

“A number of growers are choosing to exit – faced with the demand for ad ditional capital to grow the crop, re structure for a permanent reduction, or take a temporary holiday/short term reduction.”

Getting the resulting cost struc ture right is vital. In previous years, one option to help the numbers add up has been to let land to third par ties. But there may not be so many takers for 2023.

Other costs

“For many growers with irrigated crops, the standout memory of the 2022 season, after the overall dramat ic increase in cost, was the unrelent ing drought, and consequent demand on irrigation.”

This commenced early in the season and continued almost without break, through to harvest. For those with water available, the warm sunny weather produced some respectable yields. But others were not so lucky.

Last year was been saw irrigation costs escalate to record levels – well about £200/ha in some parts of the country. Labour, energy, equipment,

High costs are threatening profitable potato production

underground infrastructure and licence fees have all increased.

The creation of GB Potatoes as a successor to the AHDB Potatoes is in its infancy. But other than headline goals and a proposed levy rate of £10/a – significantly less than the AHDB levy – it is unclear how it will benefit growers, says the report.

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Grain co-ops discuss energy price concerns

High energy prices mean drying grain will be hugely challenging in the event of a wet summer, says a group of farmer-owned stores.

Gas prices rose 128.9% in the year to November, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics. Electricity prices rose 65.4% over the same period, said an ONS update on 13 January.

Although whole gas prices have since fallen to levels last seen just before Russia invaded Ukraine almost a year ago, gas and electricity costs remain high due to global price pressures and supply chain issues.

Relief scheme

Announced last September, the government's Energy Bill Relief Scheme is due to end next month. It has helped support businesses over the winter months by provid-

ing a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices.

In what is believed to be the first gathering of its kind for 20 years, representatives from nine farmer-owned grain storage cooperatives will meet on 22 March to discuss ways to mitigate the impact of high energy costs.

“All the stores face the same challenges,” said Philip Darke of Camgrain. “Times are volatile and we are all affected by energy costs. Last year's dry summer meant grain drying costs were minimal – but a wet year would prove extremely expensive.”

The meeting will take place on 22 March at Silverstone, Northamptonshire. Camgrain will be joined by representatives from Aberdeen Grain, Coastal Grains, Isle of Wight Grain, Lingrain, Trinity Grain, Union Grain, Weald Granary and Woldgrain.

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Haith showcases wash and grade innovations

Vegetable handling experts Haith showcased two washing and grading innovations at last month's Potato Expo in the USA.

The Haith Group has been designing and supplying innovative solutions for farmers, packers and food manufacturers for over 75 years. It exhibited its mobile water treatment system and PRO-Sort mobile optical grader at Potato Expo on 4-5 January at Aurora, Colorado.

The mobile water treatment system can be used on-farm or production factories. Haith has installed numerous systems in the UK and Europe – but complicated planning processes and transportation costs have often deterred American companies.

Haith's new modular system overcomes all of the issues facing potential overseas customers. The plant splits into multiple units for easy transportation by low loaders without special permits, and it can be assembled in less than two days using forklifts or a crane.

Organic matter

Once connected to a wash system, the dirty water flows into the Haith Mobile Water Treatment System, with a screen separating larger organic matter from the water. The effluent is then pumped to a lamella settler which separates the soil from the water.

Sludge drops to the bottom of the tank, from where it is pumped to a dewatering filterpress on the opposite side of the unit. The resulting soil cake can then be conveyed into a skip or soil trailer. Treated water is fed into a storage tank for returning to the process or discharge to sewer.

The company's joint project

with Grimme UK – the PRO-Sort, was the second innovation to feature on Haith's booth.

Optical sorter

The mobile optical sorter automates the removal of stone, clod and foreign debris from potatoes and helps growers cope with labour shortages. At the heart of the machine is a Tomra 3A optical sorter which is capable of handling up to 100 tonnes per hour with high levels of accuracy.

The Tomra 3A employs Near Infra-Red multi-spectral sensors for an unobstructed assessment of every object 'in flight', seamlessly identifying between potatoes and foreign material. As well as debris, the 3A's colour sensors can also detect green potatoes.

This means poor potatoes and the debris can be removed at the end of the conveyor belt by intelligent finger ejectors.As the PROSort is a modular unit, it can be used in the field or on a farm and easily integrated into a new or existing grading line.

In addition to the mobile systems, Haith will update people on developments made to its ProLine modular food handling solution. The Pro-Line combines all of Haith's class-leading machines in an incredibly effective way. ProLine installations in the UK have delivered the same throughput levels as lines featuring twice as many older machines.

Established in 1947 In the UK, Haith offers a range of vegetable handling solutions to fresh produce suppliers. Over the last decade, the company has replicated this success across the Atlantic, developing and installing efficient solutions for potato growers in North America.

The mobile system can be used in the field or in the packhouse

Pumpkins and alpacas seem an unlikely recipe for a successful diversification on a dairy farm. But for Staffordshire farmer Roger Cooke and his girlfriend Ruby the two combined to create a very busy and fruitful Halloween venture.

After considering the idea of growing pumpkins for a couple of years, Mr Cooke took the plunge last spring, spraying off a 0.8ha patch of pasture by his farmhouse at Tunstall Farm Park, Woodseaves into which to plant five different varieties of pumpkin.

“I was told I needed a really fine seedbed for pumpkins,” Mr Cooke says. “But I used my knowledge of seed-to-soil contact, and with the larger seed thought we’d

phorus in the soil to make the nutrients available to the plant. It also contains mycorrhizae fungi to help transport nutrients from further afield and dried seaweed to feed and help retain moisture next to the seed where it is needed most.

“There was lower germination and survival rates where we hadn’t used Mycroboost. The plants visually looked weaker and didn’t crop as well when it comes to fruit production.” In contrast Mycroboost promoted better root growth that helped the plants withstand the summer drought better, he says.

Once the plants reached the size of a football, Mr Cooke applied a dose of Edwards Advanced seaweed, which provides a huge amount of trace elements and plant hormones and meant, other

Biofertiliser boosts pumpkin

be okay with a minimum tillage approach.”

That fits the philosophy of the farm, which is to minimise soil disturbance and reduce synthetic inputs as much as possible.

Instead of a plough and / or power harrow approach, a minimum disturbance strip-till subsoiler was used to create the seedbed into which 4000 pumpkin seeds were planted by hand on 1 June.

Each seed, except in four rows, was coated with a powdered biological seed dressing developed by Edwards Agricultural Supplies in conjunction with bionutrition company Biolevel.

Mycroboost contains a blend of microbes that help fix nitrogen from the air and solubilise phos-

than an application of box muck prior to planting, no fertiliser was required.

“I had put aside one bag of fertiliser for the pumpkins, as they were a cash crop, but I never needed to use it as the plants grew so phenomenally well.”

Further diversification

The main challenge during the growing season was mildew, induced, he thinks, by irrigating with a rain gun mounted on a slurry tank, during the worst of the drought. A natural milde-

wicide, bicarbonate of soda, was used to treat the mildew.

Pumpkin production from the patch compared well with more intensive pumpkin production in other parts of the country, Mr Cooke believes. “We had a bumper crop.”

That led to fruition of part two of the planned diversification – an event staged around Halloween featuring Ruby’s Alpaca business and where visitors picked their own pumpkin.

“It attracted a huge number of people via Instagram, as well as Facebook. People were coming from as far away as the Wirral and Birmingham. “

In total around 5000 visitors visited the Pumpkin and Alpaca events over a two-week period,

An almost organic crop of pumpkins grown with the help of bionutrition proved to be a successful Halloween diversification opportunity for a Staffordshire farm.

The plants grew so phenomenally well

Clockwide from top left: Pumpkins have proved a useful diversification; grassland is good quality; cows were turned out in February

there was still plenty of grass growing until the moisture ran out.”

No water or additional products were applied during the summer drought, he says, with grazing platform recovering well from September to grow a lot more grass meaning he didn’t need to house the cows until mid-November, helping to reduce some of his forage requirements over winter.

Crop nutrition

On land for silage more traditional fertiliser programmes were used, with slurry and calcium ammonium nitrate applied prior to first cut. “As it was so dry, we didn’t put anything on the aftermaths after either first or second cuts, but next year I plan to use BioN and Edwards Advanced Seaweed on them.”

That will help reduce his synthetic requirements further –something which he is also keen to do on the arable crops with ap-

diversification success

Mr Cooke says. “We’re now looking to double our area of pumpkins next year, and perhaps increase the number of varieties we grow.”

In a year characterised by an extremely hot and dry summer, other crops and grassland on Mr Cooke’s 108ha farm benefited from his use of Edwards Advanced Seaweed and BioN –another blend of bacteria from Biolevel which can fix atmospheric nitrogen and make phosphorus more available to plants.

Root growth

Grassland used for grazing by the 140 cross-bred Montbeliarde, Holstein and Norwegian Red dairy cows was sprayed with a single application of BioN, to-

gether with Edwards Advanced Seaweed in April.

That followed a pass with an aerator earlier in the season, he recalls. “In conjunction, the two promoted a lot of root growth, which stood it in good stead for the drought.”

Substantial amounts of grass grew without any applications of slurry or calcium ammonium nitrate until it burned up in the drought. “I was pre-mowing good quality grass with very little rejection from the end of April through to the end of June.”

Cows were turned out at the end of February, with paddocks typically grazed for 12 hours before moving. “We were able to go around the paddocks four or five times, and even on the fifth time

plications of BioN and Edwards

Advanced Seaweed likely to be applied to his 15ha of wheat this spring for the first time.

MaizeNP – a maize specific version of the Biolevel microbial blend – was used as a seed treatment last season, with a follow up spray of BioN and Edwards Advanced Seaweed applied in a nutrition programme that also included a nitrogen foliar feed as late as he could go with a selfpropelled sprayer, Mr Cooke says.

“The maize stayed green into November, as we had to delay harvest until after the pumpkin and Alpaca events were over. The crop did well considering the season, and importantly stayed green and healthy until we could harvest it.”

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Output down as ag-inflation bites

• Producers scale back production

• Farmers blame high input costs

• Focus on productivity not output

Beef and sheep farmers expect to scale back production over the coming months as they strive to remain profitable in the face of high input costs.

Some 40% of cattle keepers suggest they will be reducing numbers during 2023, according to an NFU livestock intentions survey, with 37% saying their numbers will remain the same and only 17% planning an increase.

The survey of 1011 livestock producers was carried out last September, although the results were only made available last month. Responses from all regions of England and Wales covered a range of beef and sheep production systems.

Beef producers

Reasons given to reduce beef numbers were largely predictable. Some 87% of respondents cited high input costs. This was followed by profitability concerns (72%), loss of the basic payment (51%) and lack of market confidence (43%)..

Other reasons included insufficient or unclear information about the government's new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme (42%), government regulartion (41%) and the impact of last summer's drought (29%).

Almost one third of producers said they expected the number of days to finish cattle would increase during 2023. Some 60% of producers said carcass weights would remain broadly the same, with 24% predicting lower carcass weights.

Market signals are driving producers to reduce weights below 400kgs because of processing efficiency and customer requirements on cut and pack size. Finishing cattle at optimum

weights also makes commercial sense when feed costs are high.

Sheep producers

Some 36% of sheep producers suggest they will reduce numbers during 2023, with 41% expecting numbers to remain the same. Only 17% intend to increase numbers with 6% saying they didn't know if numbers will go up or down.

Similar to beef farmers, reasons given to reduce sheep numbers included high inoput costs (76%), profitability concerns (59%), loss of the BPS (39%), lack of market confidence (44%) and lack of information about ELMs (32%) and weather (33%).

In terms of feed, 88% of beef and sheep farmers said they made forage in 2022, with 17% saying the quality of conserved forage was worse than usual. That said, 33% said the quality was better, with 44% saying it was about the same.

NFU livestock board chairman Richard Findlay said 2022 had been dominated by an unprecedented increase in production costs, combined with one of the driest summers on record.

“We have seen critical farm inputs of fertiliser, feed and fuel rise to unsustainable levels,” said Mr Findlay. There was an urgent need for policies

Livestock farmers are rightly focused on productivity, says Richard Findlay

that would help to drive productivity in 2023 and beyond, he added.

“We are focusing more on productivity and with the right support we can invest in our businesses, embrace technology and use data to inform decisions. We need support from our domestic customers and to grow exports.”

Warning against feeding spoiled silage

Dairy and beef farmers are being warned against feeding spoiled silage to their cattle this winter amid reports that some producers are short of forage.

“Making the most out of home-grown forage is more important than ever as feed prices continue to soar – but feeding spoiled silage can do more harm than good,” says Lientjie Colahan, technical sales support at Lallemand Animal Nutrition.

“Feeding spoiled silage, even in small amounts, will have a detrimental impact on how much the cattle eat and how their rumens function.”

One American study found that cross-bred steers fed only good silage had healthier rumens those that fed on spoiled silage. This

meant they had better fibre digestion, said Mrs Colahan.

“It also showed that as the percentage of spoiled silage in the ration increased, the animals ate less and the rumen mat, which stimulates the rumen to contract and mix feed together, started to disintegrate.”

Although it’s too late to influence the quality of silage available for the winter, Mrs Colahan says farmers can make a big difference to how forage – and bought-in feeds – are digested in the rumen.

Alongside the removal of visibly mouldy silage and regular testing of forage to ensure the ration is appropriately balanced, she recommends including a rumen-specific live yeast in the ration.

Tackle mastitis with bedding sanitiser this winter

Dairy farmers housing cattle this winter, are being encouraged to incorporate a bedding sanitiser as part of a holistic mastitis prevention strategy.

Good udder health is vital to maintaining productivity and welfare but is particularly important for keeping somatic cell counts low over the cooler months – housing management is crucial for achieving this.

Timac Agro technical manager David Newton advises farmers to apply a bedding sanitiser, such as Actisan 360, to reduce the harmful bacteria that can cause mastitis infections.

“Actisan 360 is a disinfectant-free drying agent with the capability to absorb three times its own weight in moisture as damp bedding is a major risk factor for mastitis,” says Mr Newton.

Reducing moisture content, while creating a slightly acidic environment which is unfavourable for harmful strains of bacteria, can prevent them from multiplying, allowing for good species of bacteria to establish and grow.

“Strains of bacteria which commonly cause mastitis tend to thrive in more alkaline conditions,” says Mr Newton.

“Good bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, can thrive in more acidic conditions which can be cultivated by using a bedding sanitiser. Research has shown that several of these species can act as an alternative antibiotic-free mastitis treatment.”

Mr Newton explains that only a small

erally advised. This should reap rewards in terms of reduced cases of mastitis, as well as making bedding go further for longer.

“Mastitis control and prevention requires a multifaceted approach, so it’s essential to incorporate protocols that cover all aspects of the farm and herd. Farmers should consider housing environment, heifer management, teat hygiene in and out of the parlour and record all mastitis cases in the herd.”

“While bedding sanitisation is a key element of this prevention strategy, the great-

A bedding sanitiser can encourage good bacteria

How to safeguard cow performance this winter

Farmers should take extra care when transitioning between different silage cuts this winter to ensure milk yield and fertility aren't compromised.

Regular sampling of silage this winter is more important than ever because of the variability in clamps and bales, says Robin Hawkey, nutritionist at Mole Valley Farmers. A ration transition plan will help to safeguard animal performance, he adds.

"Farmers can't simply switch from silage A to Silage B and expect they will maintain performance. It's essential to know the exact quality of your silage and balance it correctly.

"Many farmers are running out of first cut silage and moving on to very different second and third cuts, as well as moving onto new season maize silage. This needs careful consideration when balancing the ration.”

Monitoring cow intakes is key, says Dr Hawkey.

“This will give an insight into what is going on, which is particularly important in autumn block calving herds where accurate nu-

trition is required for the service period to maintain the calving block. Any impact on nutrition will affect fertility, which could have long-term implications.”

Good herd management and accurate feeding will help improve herd performance. This can be achieved by continual monitor ing of silage quality, ration and adaptation to meet herd requirements – especially dur ing the early stages of lactation.

Dung analysis

Cows should be regularly condition-scored with dung analysed for consistency. If indi vidual cows are not looking right, Mole Val ley Farmers will then delve into more detail to find the problem before it becomes a more widespread issue.

Dairy producers will benefit from monitoring first cuts diligently and using the higher value feed carefully through the winter to maximise milk from forage – offsetting the lower value of subsequent cuts.

Experts say it is of paramount impor-

tance to know what is in the clamp and how to feed it out accurately over winter. Only accurate testing will achieve this and regular tests will enable farmers to be more accurate and maximise milk from forage this winter.

Monitor cow intake, says Robin Hawkey

Good ventilation lifts growth rates for Gloucestershire beef producer

Better air flow through cattle housing mean better beef profitability

Improved ventilation in his finishing shed has boosted growth rates for Gloucestershire beef producer Chris Andrews.

Based just outside Cheltenham, Mr Andrews rears dairy beef cattle, taking weaned dairy calves at four months of age, when they weigh approximately 170kg. He finishes them between 580 and 600kg, which is usually when they are about 14 months.

He explains that the calves move from the dairy farm to a calf rearer, before being moved to his farm once they are fully weaned.

“We are a dedicated TB unit, meaning we take weaned calved which are originally from farms with TB so the animals are housed at all stages. They’re fed a total mixed ration (TMR) which we work closely with our nutritionist to optimise for the different groups of cattle,” he adds.

As a beef finishing unit with up to 1,500 animals on-farm at any one time, animal health is optimised to enable strong growth rates and to prevent losses due to disease, which includes considering how the housed environ ment impacts livestock health.

Ventilation

“Although youngstock are often the fo cus when it comes to improving venti lation due to concerns around the im pact of pneumonia on growth rates, we’ve found susceptibility to heat stress in the larger cattle has been an increasing concern in recent years,” he says.

Mr Andrews decided to invest in a VentTube Cool system for the dedi cated finishing shed, following issues during warmer weather when growth rates in the finishing shed dropped.

“As soon as the positive pressure tube system was installed in Febru ary 2022, we noticed the air was im mediately fresher. We continued to see benefits over the hot summer, when

the cattle lay down in a straight line underneath the tube to stay comfortable in the cooler air.”

Mr Andrews notes that he’s also seen benefits when it comes to the amount of bedding used.

“Since installing the pressure tube, the bedding in the finishing shed has been much drier, which has halved the quantity of straw used in that shed.

“I usually use a bale per 100 cattle per day, but in the finishing shed I’m now using one bale for all 200 cattle, which is saving me approximately £20 per day on straw.”

Growth rates

Farm nutritionist Mustapha Salawu from Ruminant Management, says that the housed environment is a critical factor when it comes to optimising growth rates.

“Without any change to ration formulation, improving air quality can improve liveweight gain by 50 to 200g/ day,” he explains. “This is down to the impact on cow comfort, which in turn improves performance.”

Dr Salawu assessed the projected increase in liveweight gain in the finishing shed, based on the improvement

Mustapha Salawu (below)

in airflow after the positive pressure tube system was installed. “With all factors remaining the same, apart from the improvement to airflow, the finishing cattle can be expected to gain an average of 90g/day extra.”

The benefits of improved ventilation were obvious during summer 2022, when there was no need to adjust the ration for the cattle in the finishing shed, says Dr Salawu. Tweaking the ration had been required in previous years to support them during warm periods, he adds.

But the benefits of improved ventilation can be seen throughout the year.

“The cattle at Mr Andrews’ farm are

The amount of bedding used brings benefits too, says

on a consistent ration throughout the growing and finishing periods. They benefit from the consistency, but the ration is formulated assuming an ideal temperature, which is between 5 and 15°C.

“Even in winter, the temperature in the finishing shed can rise above 15°C, because of the heat coming from the cattle themselves. This means good ventilation can support cow comfort and performance year-round,” he concludes.

Innovative use of technology

Installing a VentTube Cool system in a beef finishing shed is an innovative use of a technology which has been primarily tried and tested in dairy, says Matt Sellers, sales manager at Galebreaker. “It’s been great to see how the increased airflow has improved performance in the shed, as well as the unexpected benefit of saving a bale of straw per day,” he says.

Testing this winter is key to liver fluke control

• Low risk but time right treatment

• Some areas are worse than others

• Regular testing vital, say experts

Liver fluke levels are forecast to be relatively low for much of the UK this winter – but experts say the risk to grazing livestock ual farms is less predictable.

This means farmers should test to ensure they don’t treat for the prob lem too soon – or unnecessarily – or get caught out and miss a vital treatment, say the Sustainable Control of Para sites in Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Cattle Parasites Sustainably (COWS) livestock groups.

The mud snail is the intermedi ate host for the liver fluke. And last year's dry summer means there are fewer areas where the mud snail can survive. Without moisture the flukes themselves find it difficult to migrate to pasture.

But not all of the country was so dry, say livestock advisers. Even within a farm, wet, boggy areas may have allowed the liver fluke to complete its lifecycle, creating highly infected areas where the livestock may congregate to drink.

The implication for livestock farmers is that many will not need to treat while others will need to take action, says Diana Williams of Liverpool University. But the timing of any treatment may be later than expected.

“The only way ensure treatments are necessary and given at the right time is to test,” says Prof Williams.

Sentinels

For several years, regular blood testing has been seen as the best way to detect fluke infection in lambs (or calves). This is because young animals will only show a positive result if they have picked up fluke this season.

“They act as sentinels, telling us if and when they have picked up liver fluke,” says Prof Williams. “By continuing to test at regular intervals through the season, farmers can determine if

they need to treat and when.”

Recent diagnostics underline the value of using blood testing.

Last autumn, less than 1% of the animals tested were positive, showing that most farms did not need to treat. This had risen to 10% by midNovember – still a small proportion of farms with the risk of treating too early if following traditional timings.

SRUC vet Heather Stevenson says: “Recent heavy rainfall and relatively mild conditions through into November mean levels may continue to rise during the winter, particularly in areas that were previously dry.”

It is important to repeat testing until the risk period is over. John Graham-Brown at Liverpool University says: “A negative test does not mean you can sit back and relax. Plan to repeat tests in three to four weeks’ time to make sure you don’t get caught out.

“Sheep are most likely to be seriously affected by acute liver fluke disease in the autumn and early winter, which means they are the priority for testing and are also the best indicator of the presence of liver fluke on the farm.”

Mature

Sheep Veterinary Society vice-president Rebecca Mearns, who is a vet with Biobest, says the laboratory has seen the occasional faeces sample testing positive for fluke eggs this season. “This underlines the need to use the blood test,” she says.

“Most samples received so far this autumn have tested negative, but this does not mean liver fluke isn’t present on the farm, because most fluke inside the animals are not yet mature enough to be detected by a faecal test.”

Philip Skuce from Moredun has some practical advice too. He says: “This is year it is probably easier than most to fence off wet areas that may harbour liver fluke, because on many farms these are small and isolated following the dry summer.

“Feedback from the abattoir on liver rejections is also a very useful source of information and any unexplained deaths are always worth investigating, because a post-mortem examination will check for evidence of fluke in the liver.”

Regular blood testing best way to detect fluke infection in lambs and calves

“

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Low scanning percentages fuel concern for spring lambs

Sheep producers are being urged to optimise ewe nutrition to ensure as many healthy lambs are born as possible this spring.

Early scanning shows rates are 20-30% lower than normal following grass shortages due to lack of rain and high temperatures last summer, says Wynnstay national sheep and beef specialist Bryn Hughes.

High input costs and low scanning percentages could leave farmers tempted to cut out feed in the run up to lambing – but this could do more damage than good, warns Mr Hughes.

“While there’s not much that can be done about scanning percentages now, you can work to keep the lambs you’ve got,” he says.

This includes using the month after scanning to increase body condition score without causing problems at lambing from overly large lambs. “A good starting point is to body condition score ewes now,” says Mr Hughes.

Producers should take extra care of thin ewes by offering supplementary feed for a month after scanning. Proactive management is essential to retain lambing percentages and make sure ewes lamb are in good condition with plenty of high-quality colostrum.

“Your aim is to lamb lowland ewes at a body condition score of 3.5 and hill ewes between 2.5 and 3. An increase in condition score of 1 is equivalent to a 10% increase in bodyweight, so this is a big ask for thin ewes.”

Mr Hughes recommends that farmers split ewes into management groups after scanning, with thinner ewes and those carrying twins marked for special treatment. “These can be fed supplementary concentrate feed, fodder beet, or extra forage.”

Adequate colostrum

Feed blocks can also be beneficial. Farmers can offer half a kilo of concentrate feed to each ewe every day. “Reaching target body condition score at lambing will result in better colostrum quality, increased milkiness, and better survivability.”

Some 49% of lamb deaths occur within the first 48 hours of life, says

Emily Hall, product manager for animal health experts Nettex. This is largely due to inadequate amounts of maternal colostrum and lambs suffering from hypothermia.

A first feed should provide at least 50ml of colostrum per kilogramme of bodyweight. Within 24 hours they should receive 200ml/kg. “This means your average 5kg lamb will require 1000ml of colostrum – a high volume to consume in a short period of time.”

“The thick, creamy consistency of colostrum is from its high fat content,” says Ms Hall. “This provides lambs with a rich energy source which allows them to maintain their body temperature and bodily functions.”

How colostrum can help combat cold

Colostrum rates should be significantly increased for lambs at risk of hypothermia, says Emily Hall, of animal health experts Nettex.

Depending on management and genetic factors, some ewes will struggle to produce enough colostrum to feed their lambs. While this is common in triplets, 30% of twin-bearing ewes and 10% of singles do not produce enough colostrum.

Antibodies in colostrum will also be developed to fight against bacteria and disease pressures found on the farm. Because of this, the best practice when colostrum needs to be supplemented is to feed ewe colostrum harvested off of the farm.

While there are a large number of co-

lostrum supplements on the market, farmers should select one based on quality. This should mimic ewe colostrum, with naturally high fat levels, growth factors, hormones, vitamins and minerals critical to lamb survival.

For lambs that have not received ewe maternal colostrum or require high energy, Ms Hall recommends a premium colostrum supplement that is easy to mix with added ewe milk and egg proteins.

When feeding a colostrum supplement, always follow label instructions. Colostrum can then be fed with a bottle or stomach tube. Additional colostrum should be limited to 100ml per feed when feeding via a stomach tube to avoid distension of the stomach.

Colostrum supplements should be fed with a bottle or stomach tube

Twin-bearing ewes are often short of colostrum

A good start is to bodycondition ewes

“

Every lamb will count this spring

Good prices and strong EU demand

Rearing as many healthy lambs as possible will pay dividends this spring, say sheep industry commentators.

UK lamb prices are expected to mirror the trend of the last couple of years and remain firm into 2023, say analysts. This is because low domestic supply is set to meet solid demand from Europe.

“That also means effectively rearing healthy orphan lambs and any taken from triplet and twin-bearing ewes to preserve breeding sheep condition,” says Jessica Cooke, research and development manager with Volac.

“But farmers tell us that when they purchase a ewe milk replacer product to do this, they want to buy one validated by independent feeding trial data.”

Some 95% of sheep farmers said it was important to see positive independent feeding trial data highlighting the performance of proprietary ewe milk replacer products, according to the most recent Volac surplus lamb rearing survey.

Dr Cooke. “Our most recent independent lamb rearing studies confirm that both small numbers and large groups of surplus lambs can be reared highly successfully on ewe milk replacer.”

Trial work, conducted at Harper Adams University and Reaseheath College, highlighted the potential to increase the number of lambs reared

from flocks with a high prolificacy rate.

“Whether you have just a few surplus lambs each spring or plenty needing rearing support away from the ewe, these trial results confirmed the opportunity to make a margin from these valuable newborns.

“While lamb prices remain strong, it makes sense to rear as many as you can. When well-finished lambs have been commanding more than £100 each, there’s still a significant payback on an investment in good quality ewe milk replacer.”

Feeding colostrum

At Harper Adams, 20 Suffolk Mule cross Texel surplus lambs given early life colostrum feeding, the lambs were fed on restricted warm milk from 24 hours of age until trained to feed independently from the feeder.

They then received Lamlac ad lib using a thermostatically-controlled warm milk bucket. Intakes and growth rates were good, with lambs consuming on average two litres per day up until weaning, with a mean total intake of 73.7 litres.

On average, the lambs weighed 16.9kg on abrupt weaning at 35 days of age and achieved an average daily live weight gain up to weaning of 0.34kg per day, said Dr Cooke.

At Reaseheath College, 59 surplus third lambs from triplet-bearing North Country mules were reared on a com-

ing a mean 16.8kg at abrupt wean ing at 35 days of age,” says Dr Cooke.

On both units, surplus lambs were also given access to fresh water, creep feed and forage ad lib throughout the trial feeding period. Lamlac was mixed at the rate of 200g of powder plus 800ml water to give one litre of mixed milk.

Post weaning, all lambs transitioned onto a forage-based diet along with lambs that had reared naturally on their mothers. All lambs graded similarly at slaughter with no discernible difference between those reared on ewe milk replacer or on the ewe.

Help for vets working with pasture-based producers

Aveterinary group is highlighting ways which better grazing management can promote better herd and flock health.

Vet Sustain supports veterinary professionals working towards a more sustainable future. It is working with Pasture for Life, which champions pasture-based meat and dairy products from 900 farmers.

Many of the techniques and practices employed by these farmers differ from mainstream ruminant livestock production. Now a new document sets out how elements such as how weaning, grazing, lambing and calving and parasite control should be managed.

to ensure their cattle and sheep have a 100% pasture-based diet,” says Vet Sustain farming group member Alexandra Tomlinson.

in pasturebased production

“But there are several principles that many adopt and adapt to fit their own farming system. This document outlines these and offers useful links to further resources covering these aspects in more detail.”

The guide aims to help minimise the risk of health and welfare problems – such as poor fertility or increasing parasite burdens through reducing treatments – as farmers transition to a more pasture-based system

The ‘Vet Sustain and Pasture for Life Support Document’ has been written by a dedicated group of vets and Pasture for Life members, who are passionate about enabling more farmers to undertake sustainable farming.

It makes sense to rear as many as you can

“

Carbon farming

Government looking for big increase in biomass crops

• Scheme launch at carbon farm show

• Goal is to help reach Net Zero target

• Farmers and environment to benefit

A£4.8m project to increase the area of UK biomass crops will be launched at this month's Low Carbon Agriculture Show.

Biomass Connect aims to showcase best-practice and innovations in biomass feedstock production at sites across the UK. Funded by the the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), it will be launched at the event on Tuesday, 7 February.

“Our project will act as a focal point for the biomass industry, supporting the expansion of sustainable biomass production in the UK, said project leader scientist Jeanette Whitaker, a principal scientist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).

“The Climate Change Committee indicates that expansion of biomass feedstock cultivation from 10,000 ha to 730,000 ha by 2050 is required to deliver net zero for the UK. This will require significant changes in agricultural land use over the coming decades.”

“Launching the initiative at the Low Carbon Agriculture show was the obvious choice to raise the profile of our project and discuss the challenges for the biomass sector at an event attended by individuals and organisations focused on decarbonising agriculture.

The project launch will include outline ways to do this, explain why more

Book tickets

To book your free ticket to the Low Carbon Agriculture Show, visit www.lowcarbon agricultureshow.co.uk

sustainable biomass is crucial in the quest for Net Zero, and how it can benefit farmers. The goal is to support land managers to plant more sustainable biomass crops.

Energy security

A conference session on the second day of the Low Carbon Agriculture event will discuss the role of biomass in UK energy security and Net Zero plans. It will be chaired by Patricia Thornley, director of the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute.

cal, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS). He will deliver a presentation explaining ways to burn biomass for electricity generation, while capturing the carbon produced.

Envirocrops project manager Callum Williams will explain how farmers can select and grow the most appropriate biomass crops for their farm business, with a further presentation by Dr Whitaker looking at best practice and innovation.

Biomass Connect is also represented in the show’s exhibition, with a stand for farmers to visit and understand which biomass crops could be suitable for them. There will also be a dedicated biomass area in the exhibition so farmers can speak directly with industry suppliers.

Two-day event to discuss carbon farming

Hundreds of exhibitors are expected at the Low Carbon Agriculture Show – which takes place on 7-8 February at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

Held in partnership with the NFU and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), the event incorporates four expositions. They are the Environmental Business Expo, Farm Technology Expo, Energy Now Expo and the Low Emission Vehicles Expo.

Free to attend, the show features new conference sessions, including biodiversity, transitioning to regenerative farming systems, niche crops and managing energy use and costs. Separate sessions cover ways to maximis returns from existing clean energy assets.

A policy workshop, giving farmers and landowners the chance to quiz experts on agricultural, energy and environmental policy has also

been added.

The new topics have been introduced alongside already popular sessions, such as carbon farming, soil health, each renewable energy type and an open debate on reaching net zero in agriculture.

The show also features an exhibition of businesses supporting farmers in the agricultural transition, and a test track for low emission vehicles.

This requires significant

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Claudia Harms-Warlies / Shutterstock.com

TIMBER

CARBON UNITS

WOODFUEL

LEISURE ACTIVITIES

IMPROVE SOIL QUALITY

SUPPORT BIODIVERSITY

NATURAL FLOOD MANAGEMENT

PROTECT CROPS & LIVESTOCK

Carbon efficient cowshed boosts farm productivity

ALincolnshire dairy farm aims to significantly increase its productivity after investing more than £1m in a carbon-efficient cowshed.

Zara Dorrington, whose greatgrandparents moved to White House Farm near Bourne in 1924, runs the business alongside her father Ross and uncle Simon. The fourth-generation 800ha dairy and arable farm and its 300-cow herd produces milk for Arla.

“Slurry management was a key area we wanted to improve when designing the new shed,” said Ms Dorrington. “We knew it was where we could significantly strengthen our sustainability agenda, turning what was historically a waste product into a useable asset with many benefits.”

Construction of the 2,700m² cow-

using deep channels to move liquid manure below ground quickly and without the need for electric pumps.

Natural ventilation

The large, open-plan pitched-roof building uses natural ventilation and LED lighting in a further boost for the farm’s net-zero credentials. Passages are wide enough for a robot slurry

Investing in the new state-of-theart cowshed supports long-term sustainability goals on both the dairy and arable side of the business.

A new slurry separator has allowed the farm to move separated manure away more efficiently and use it to reduce the artificial fertiliser needed to grow the crops, with fields of maize

lengths to make sure its design and build is as carbon-efficient as possible, while also providing a comfortable and nurturing environment for our herd.”

Finance package

The finance package comes via Lloyds Bank’s Clean Growth Finance Initiative, which provides discounted funding to help businesses transition to a lower-carbon, more sustainable future.

Lloyds Bank agricultural relationship manager Steven Withers said: “Every industry is under pressure to improve sustainable practices, and with agricultural land making up 70% of the UK’s land area, farming has a particularly crucial role to play.

“Our Clean Growth Finance Initiative is designed to support businesses with their environmental and sustainability goals. The build of the new cowshed at White House Farm will not only improve efficiency and production levels, but allow Zara and her family to operate more sustainably.

“We will continue to be by the side of land-based businesses like this to help them thrive in the most carbon-

The openplan pitchedroof building uses natural ventilation

How carbon farming stacks up for the arable grower

Carbon farming is proving to be a useful additional revenue stream for cereal grower

Richard Davey

Midland Farmer: Why did you decide to look at carbon farming?

Richard Davey: We looked at regenerative farming first. We were aware of the carbon market and had already reduced our insecticides and herbicides.

The AgreenaCarbon scheme was attractive because it provided a useful income to help fund our transition to regenerative farming andit didn’t require us to make any changes to our farming practices.

MF: What regenerative farming practices are you deploying RD: We use very reduced cultivations to establish crops and a proportion of direct drilling and are reducing fungicides and insecticides where we can. To help the crop stay healthy we use trace elements, rather than fungicides as a blanket approach.

We only use fungicides as a secondary action if we have something we can’t control. And we try to correct crop deficiencies by spraying trace elements to the leaf at different times of the year.

We are also reducing fertiliser usage by using humic and fulvic acids in our liquid fertiliser and are looking to apply more amide nitrogen, which is more efficient. We adopted precision farming and use variable rate technology for fertilisers and seed, and

are looking to do more when using fungicides and growth

the process of understanding what’s possible and what we can get away with while keeping the yields and crop quality high.

MF: What advice did you take before embarking on the carbon scheme. RD: We first talked to Agreena in 2021 and one of our agronomists is forward thinking around the carbon market, so we were already interested. We could see that it fits in with what we were already doing and it seemed logical to take advantage of this emerging market via the AgreenaCarbon program. For us, there weren’t any negatives in joining.

MF: What revenue will you

The reduction in use of insecticides, where we can, is improving biodiversity across the farm and that will continue as we use less inputs.

Cover crops help cut leaching from the soil because it is not left bare. The soil is in even better condition, increasing absorption of rain water and hopefully will become more resilient when we have dry summers.

MF: Are you happy with the carbon scheme?

RD:Yes, more than happy. It’s relatively simple to join and doesn’t take long to enter the base data at the beginning, once you have worked out what information you need and where to find it.

It took us about half a day to input the original data and get the actuals done.

For us, transitioning to regenerative farming is the most logical way to farm and Agreena’s scheme sits alongside that by enabling farmers to benefit from the transition.

Initially, we thought it was going to compromise or complicate our method of farming but it has not. A new

It fits in with what we were already doing Richard Davey

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Low Carbon Agriculture Show 2023

Agreena contract has helped –it is now more flexible. They’ve shifted from not allowing tilling at all to permitting reduced tilling every few years. But you don't receive certificates for the years you till.

The perception is that joining a carbon soil program means that you will have to farm in a certain way but with the flexibility of AgreenaCarbon this is not the case, it isn’t like other programs that have been restrictive and confusing.

Although carbon farming generates revenue for us, our first priority is making decisions that make sense for the farm.

MF: What, if anything, would make the AgreenaCarbon program better?

RD: A higher price for carbon certificates. Seriously, though, the only thing that comes to mind is that integration with crop recording systems would

make it even easier. We use Gatekeeper which is the source of all the data we need to input into the AgreenaCarbon platform. If the two were linked it would be possible to import the data from one to the other. AgreenaCarbon sits alongside what we are already doing. It complements how we farm, we don’t have to worry about fitting into a tight box where we must do this here, and that there. It is a question of just farming and the carbon certificates will come.

ABOUT THE FARM

Richard Davey farms

1,600ha in south Oxfordshire – including 488ha in an Agreena soil carbon scheme. Combinable crops include wheat, barley, oilseed rape, beans and forage maize.

Stand 318

Through the Future Farm Resillience Fund you can recieve a FREE carbon audit and we are also providing a FREE review of your farming business.

If you cannot make the show but are interested in any of the above, please contact: newmarket@laurencegould.com

Telephone Ian Thompson on 01383-730 538 or 07863-135 268

Professional services

Seven trends to watch in 2023

Big challenges are likely over the coming year – but there are opportunities too, says Rhodri Thomas

Farm businesses face some critical influences during 2023. It is clear we are facing a period of accelerated change in terms of land management.

The good news is that some new and exciting opportunities are also emerging – and land managers would be wise to be proactively thinking about their options to identify where the best opportunities might lie.

the financial feasibility of a new solar PV system will vary depending on how much energy is used on site.

An energy review will help determine whether a project is viable. Farmers who already have a solar array, but without an export meter fitted, should consider installing one. There are now some excellent rates paid for exported electricity.

sis, but anyone with a property portfolio will also need to be particularly mindful about its impact on tenants. It is likely there will be commercial and residential tenants who may find themselves struggling to meet their rent.

Damp and mould in properties could also become more of an issue, because of people not being able to afford to heat their homes. Keeping the lines of communication open is vital. Get to know your tenants as well as you can, so you are aware of any early signs of stress.

Higher working capital requirements for Harvest 2023 will put a squeeze on profitability and have a big impact on cashflow.

Harvest 2022 was profitable for many arable growers who purchased the bulk of their inputs before huge increases in input costs. But input costs for Harvest 2023 will be significantly higher and commodity prices have also eased back from the highs seen last year.

Try to benchmark and budget to help navigate the financial challenges of the year ahead – and determine how much working capital you will need over the coming months. Assess how sensitive profit margins are to changes crop prices, fertiliser and diesel costs.

It’s not just about carbon when it comes to responsible environmental management. The issue of biodiversity loss is likely to become increasingly high profile following last year's UN Biodiversity Conference.

Climate and biodiversity are closely interrelated, and we are now seeing a concerted effort among environmental groups to push policy makers to recognise that nature recovery is just as important as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

As we move forward, active habitat management will become more and more important. A big challenge that needs to be overcome is securing appropriate finance to enable this to happen – whether that is from the public or private sector.

Consider what happens to cashflow and profitability if a tenant leaves. Landlords also face the prospect of major legislative changes associated with improving energy efficiency and ensuring a fairer deal for tenants.

Where available, it makes sense to take advantage of grant support to future-proof your business.

The energy crisis is opening up significant opportunities for landowners in the delivery of both large- and small-scale renewable energy schemes.

Developers of large-scale solar projects are prepared to pay index-linked rents of around £1000/acre along with a percentage of turnover. Battery storage site rents are typically between £2,000/MW and £2,500/ MW.

Roof-mounted solar PV schemes are back in the spotlight as a way for farmers to cut elec tricity bills by reducing the amount of bought-in energy. But

Be mindful that there is strong research evidence to suggest farm profits can increase even if the area cropped is reduced, due to the positive effect on production from wildlife habitats,

A new Rural England Prosperity Fund is also on its way, which could be useful for farmers looking to diversify. This type of support can have a significant positive impact for individual businesses and the local rural economy.

Official government figures show rising levels of business insolvencies, so it has never been more important to know your customers and manage the risk of bad debts

Monitor any changes in business practices which might signal buyers are suffering cashflow problems. State terms of business clearly on invoices and set up reminders so you know when you need to start chasing for payment.

The effects of climate change are more obvious every day – we’ve had heatwaves, flooding and the disease risks seem to be increasing for the arable, livestock and forestry sectors.

Researchers from Oxford University, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, the Met Office and Bristol University recently published work showing that farmers have largely compensated for the impact of adverse weather conditions on wheat yields over the past 30 years.

But climate change will push the boundaries of what is achievable through crop management and the research team’s forecast for the next 30 years is that there will be much greater volatility in cereals and grass yields.

Everyone is feeling the effects of the cost-of-living cri-

Rhodri Thomas is head of rural at Strutt & Parker.

Who holds the purse strings?

A personal touch is best when borrowing money – especially in farming, says Clodhopper.

When money is tight, what's the best way to secure adequate borrowing? With finances forever going upwards, how should farmers best ensure their requirements are met over the next few years?

Looking back, it was the traditional high street banks that secured the lending to most farms. One particular bank I used – and still do today – had a production line of local managers. Most were well liked and easy to talk to.

The annual visit from my bank manager seldom mentioned farming – which I always took as a good sign. One particular manager who retained the job for many years, simply asked as he left the office: “Same overdraft facility again next year? 1% over base?”

Changing times

I was always grateful for his support. The thought of switching to another lender never crossed my mind. But in conversation with a large potato grower recently, it seems that times have changed.

A one-size-fits-all overdraft is no longer the norm. Instead, specific lending for specific jobs seems to be the trend. The names

of some lenders will be unfamiliar but some frequently top the best buy tables for savings rates and loans.

More importantly, they are covered by the financial services compensation scheme in the same way as the traditional high street banks. But for the old-fashioned farmers still out there like me, there are no annual visits or walk in appointments.

Their offers are often on sale for only a few days at a time. Often they are only available online – or worse still, need to be downloaded on a smartphone app. Some of these lenders do not even have a customer service number.

Savings and loans

The world is changing – and it is all too much of a concern for me – yet some people are prepared to invest their life-savings or run their business current accounts with these unfamiliar lenders.

At least one bank offers savings and loans to match the seasonality of the farming calendar – recognising that farm income is often spread unevenly across the year, rather than an equal amount each month. But they are not on the high street.

Farm credit is offered so farmers can buy inputs when they need them – and then pay

when their cash flow allows. You must meet certain criteria, and have successfully traded with approved suppliers for at least three years, but it seems a good idea.

Banks need to better understand how farming works – both from a business point of view and in practical terms. Some lenders at least appear to be doing so. But it is important farmers know their own obligations too when borrowing money.

No loyalty

With interest rates on the rise and land frequently used as security, it is important for many family farmers that land values hold their own. After all, the last thing they need is for banks to question their net worth start to call in loans.

Some larger farms – if indeed that is what they still call themselves – have found a way to secure lending without actually farming the land. They diversify and contract out any work – yet still make a living by going from one lender to another.

These days loyalty to one bank or allegiance to a single lender is no longer the case. That is perhaps unsurprising given that the one thing I know for sure is that my old bank has lost its personal touch.

Many familiar faces have gone and the only way to speak to a person is via the call centre. My local agricultural specialist has long gone – in fact there is no one local at all. And if you need to re-finance, the lowest rates are not always the best rates.

Banks need to understand farmers