Farmers Guardian 11th November 2022

THE HEART OF AGRICULTURE

YEARS OF TURMOIL

● Farmers must brace for recession ● Push for higher farmgate prices

By Jane Thynne

FARMERS must brace themselves for two years of turmoil, a leading economist has warned, cautioning that the UK could quickly be ‘operating in a recessionary environment’.

HSBC head of economics Mark Berrisford-Smith told delegates at the NFU Cymru conference last week that a combination of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the transition away from EU policy and dealing with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic meant farm businesses were operating in a ‘very dangerous

world’, with financial conditions ‘never experienced in our lifetimes’.

While he said markets had calmed quickly after the ‘disastrous mini-Budget’ announced by former Prime Minister Liz Truss, the move had led immediately to the interest hikes on mortgages and loans and to the issuing of a further fiscal statement which would, he said, ‘reveal just how much a price there is to be paid’.

He highlighted the fact the UK stood on the brink of recession, with a 0.3 per cent contraction in UK GDP now expected for 2023 – a downgrade from the 1 per cent growth forecast in summer.

NFU Cymru president Aled Jones said in order for farmers to survive the current turbulence, it was vital governments across the UK took action now.

Severe inflation

Addressing delegates, Mr Jones said: “Farm businesses, like the rest of society, have had to deal with severe inflation. The latest Defra statistics show the price index for agricultural inputs increased by 30.7 per cent in the 12 months to August 2022.

“We are living through a period of unprecedented political instability, but I want to make it clear to politicians

in Westminster and Cardiff that commitments made to maintain funding for Welsh farming must be honoured. This means we expect, as a minimum, the £374 million that is currently provided through the Common Agricultural Policy legacy schemes to be available annually through the Sustainable Farming Scheme.”

His words were echoed by chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association George Dunn, who said: “There will be no escape from the economic headwinds coming our way, but farmers and growers must not be left bearing the brunt of this by retailers and food service providers seeking to hold consumer prices, while protecting their own profit margins by forcing farmers and growers to accept prices below costs of production.”

According to Mr Berrisford-Smith, the biggest challenge for the farming industry and the UK as a whole was the ‘stratospheric’ price of gas, with recent drops not likely to filter through to businesses until 2024. He said it was critical for Government to get the situation under control and hoped it would be addressed by the forthcoming economic statement.

He said: “The best news we can hope for is an end to the war in Ukraine, but without an end to the conflict, economic life for all of us will be tough.”

MORE FROM THE CONFERENCE

For more on NFU Cymru conference, see page 4.

With

NFUS holds Holyrood rally

By Ewan Pate

MORE than 300 NFU Scotland members from all over the country rallied outside the Scottish Parliament last week under the banner ‘#Food Needs A Farmer’.

About 40 MSPs came out of the building to meet the farmers or take the microphone.

Unsurprisingly, none of the politicians disagreed with the central premise that food security was a desirable aim, but there were few concrete suggestions as to how the goal was to be achieved.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon did, however, promise to make a statement in the Holyrood chamber the following week (see page 9) and hinted that it might include details of the next phase of the National Test Programme.

Basic Payment

She also reiterated her intention to make sure a Basic Payment Scheme component would be an ‘essential’ part of the forthcoming Agriculture Bill.

delivery in Scotland so far six years on from Brexit.

“An Agriculture Bill has already been passed in Westminster. It is important though to keep food security at the top of the agenda.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat agriculture spokeswoman Claire McLaren added: “The current lack of any direction from Scottish Government as to how future financial support will be calculated is holding back critical innovation and investment within the industry.

Under attack

“Scottish agriculture’s ability to maintain a competitive and resilient food supply chain is under attack.”

After listening to contributions from all the Holyrood parties, NFUS president Martin Kennedy said: “At a UK level, we have taken our eye off the ball on energy and look at the mess we have got ourselves into.

‘Ag

But Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, criticised the lack of progress so far.

He said: “We have seen no

“We cannot repeat that same mistake with food, or the cost of living crisis we are all currently enduring will simply get worse. Food security is now a global issue and we have a moral obligation to produce it.”

Latest round of CS Facilitation Fund open

FARMERS have been urged to apply for the latest round of the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund.

The £2.5 million budget opened on Tuesday (November 7) and closes on January 25, 2023.

FARM BUSINESS INNOVATION

Diversification and additional revenue streams garnered increased interest from farmers, exhibitors at the event claimed.

The fund encourages collaboration between farming groups, while supporting Government efforts to protect and enhance the local environment in line with local Countryside Stewardship priorities.

The scheme will reward farmers for activities such as restoring habitats for wildlife and improving biodiversity, creating woodland, improving air and water quality or restoring historic environments and also support the delivery of the 25-Year Environment Plan.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “By joining forces on shared environmental ambitions, farmers and landowners are able to deliver a

greater positive impact on our landscape than they could achieve alone.”

The fund is part of the Rural Payments Agency’s (RPA) aim to support agricultural and rural communities across the country.

Seventh round

This is the seventh round of the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund under the current Rural Development Programme for England.

The fund has benefited more than 180 groups with over 4,000 members, with this round of funding expected to support more than 40 further groups.

Paul Caldwell, chief executive of the RPA, said: “We want to see uptake from new and existing groups to deliver large-scale environmental improvement in their local areas, create valuable connections and share farming knowledge.”

at The CropTec Show this year. See p26-30.

PRETTY IN PINK

THESE ‘beweties’ have been enjoying their 15 minutes of fame after their pink hairdos landed them on the pages of several national newspapers last week.

Owner of the 20-strong flock of Swiss Valais Blacknose, Richard Nicholson, of Cannon Hall Farm, Yorkshire, said his shock at their new look prompted him to investigate what was behind the eye-catching coiffure.

“I thought one of the team had been over-enthusiastic with the marker, which we use to show which ones have had medication and so on,” he told Farmers Guardian.

“But we eventually worked it out that it is down to the new feeder which is red. The Blacknoses have got quite thick, coarse wool and the red paint has rubbed off onto their heads.”

Mr Nicholson said the sheep, which are now referred to as the ‘Pink Ladies’, all seemed happy with their fresh finish and were carrying on with their lives. It is good to know their new-found fame has not gone to their heads.

‘Prepare for extreme storms’

February’s rainfall fell in just seven days, bringing some of the worst deluges the UK has seen.

not deal with the devastating consequences of flooding alone.”

By Jane Thynne

FARMERS have been told to ignore flood warnings ‘at their peril’ as the UK gears up for another winter of extreme weather which could see a repeat of the devastating storms that ripped through rural communities last February.

The advice was issued by the Environment Agency (EA) as part of its Flood Action Week campaign, which urged those living and working in rural areas to ‘act now’ to protect their homes and businesses in the face of extraordinary conditions brought on by climate change.

Caroline Douglass, executive director of flooding at the EA, warned that despite drought measures remaining in place across much of the UK, ‘unexpected flooding could occur at any time’.

According to the Met Office, the UK is once again caught in the La Nina weather system, meaning that a repeat of the storms that lashed several regions last February is likely.

Ms Douglass said 180 per cent of

Three people died and about 400 properties were flooded during storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin, which also left about 1.4 million homes without power and caused damage worth more than £500m.

In order to prepare for future weather emergencies, the EA and the Government have invested £5.7 billion in flood management since 2016.

However, industry groups have appealed to the Government to do more to ensure farmers are equipped to deal with extreme conditions and that food production is protected.

Mark Tufnell, president of the CLA, said: “Farmers are already doing everything they can to invest in irrigation and water storage systems. But with increasing periods of drought and extreme flooding, more support is badly needed.

“Government must urgently review its current planning permission system, which stalls farmers from building the lagoons and reservoirs they desperately require to cope with increasingly severe weather conditions.

“An Emergency Recovery Scheme needs to be put in place so farmers do

His words were echoed by Joe Stanley, head of training and partnerships at Allerton Project, who said: “The EA needs to invest in hard infrastructure to protect farms and food production.

“Government really needs to be taking the threat to farms seriously.

“Farmers are on the frontline of the

climate emergency and there must be more done to ensure farmers have resilient water management in place.”

MORE INFORMATION

To hear about how farmers are coping with the devastation caused by Storm Arwen one year on, listen to last week’s Over the Farm Gate podcast on your preferred platform.

Surprise as FSA puts vet in-sourcing plan on hold

INDUSTRY has been left surprised by a Food Standards Agency (FSA) decision to put its plans to directly employ abattoir vets on hold.

The move was broadly supported by the meat sector as it was expected that job security and civil service career pathways would help with recruitment and retention of official veterinarians, which are in short supply.

But an FSA calculation that costs to the sector would increase by 7-10 per cent over the next two years sparked controversy, with the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS)

claiming the wage rates paid to current monopoly supplier Eville and Jones would be ‘on a par’ with the employed model.

Now, the agency has told Farmers Guardian it was ‘minded to put on hold’ its in-sourcing plans, given the ‘severe pressure’ public finances were facing and ‘inflationary challenges’.

Norman Bagley, AIMS policy director, said: “If the FSA was to remove the highly duplicative management structure and overheads between themselves and their contractor, real cost savings could be made.”

THE HEART OF AGRICULTURE

Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Caxton Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9NZ

Editor

Ben Briggs, 01772 799 429 ben.briggs@agriconnect.com

Head of News

Abi Kay, 01772 799 511 abi.kay@agriconnect.com

Head of Business

Alex Black, 01772 799 409 alex.black@agriconnect.com

Business Reporter

Cedric Porter cedric.porter@agriconnect.com

News and Business reporter

Jane Thynne jane.thynne@agriconnect.com

Scotland Correspondent

Ewan Pate ewan.pate@agriconnect.com

Group Editor – Arable

Teresa Rush, 07917 271 989 teresa.rush@agriconnect.com

Senior Arable Technical Specialist

Alice Dyer, 07966 445 458 alice.dyer@agriconnect.com

Arable Technical Specialist

Ash Burbidge, 07786 190 188 ashleigh.burbidge@agriconnect.com

Head of Machinery and Farm Technology

Toby Whatley, 07583 054 831 toby.whatley@agriconnect.com

Head of Livestock

Katie Jones, 07786 856 439 katie.jones@agriconnect.com

Head of Livestock Sales

Angela Calvert, 07768 796 492 angela.calvert@agriconnect.com

Senior Livestock Specialist

Hannah Park, 07824 498 702 hannah.park@agriconnect.com

Livestock specialists

Ellie Layton, 07814 997 407 ellie.layton@agriconnect.com

Katie Fallon, 07815 003 227 katie.fallon@agriconnect.com

Farming Life & Community

Contents Producer

Emily Ashworth, 01772 799 446 emily.ashworth@agriconnect.com

Head of Creative Services

Gillian Green, 01772 799 417 gillian.green@agriconnect.com

Picture Editor Marcello Garbagnoli, 01772 799 445 marcello.garbagnoli@agriconnect.com

Head of Commercial Sales

Stephanie Ryder, 07917 271 987

Stephanie.ryder@agriconnect.com

Circulation

Subscription hotline 0330 333 0056 help@subscribe.farmers-guardian.com

Newstrade enquiries

01772 799 434

UK print subscriptions: £169; Europe: £202.80; RoW: £253.50.

VIP digital subscriptions: £99.

News trade distribution

Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT.

Tel 0207 429 4000, Fax 0207 429 4001

Published by Agriconnect

NEWS CONFERENCE

rWelsh Gov commits to 43,000ha of woodland

HOPES that the Welsh Government may rethink its demand for planting trees in order to encourage more farmers to join its new Sustainable Farming Scheme were dealt a blow last week, after Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths insisted farmers ‘need to share the load’ in the face of the ongoing climate crisis.

Addressing the NFU Cymru Conference at Llandrindod via a pre-recorded video message, Ms Griffiths answered questions posed by union director John Mercer regarding members’ concerns about the Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme, which will provide the framework for the industry following the end of the Basic Payment Scheme in 2025.

Mr Mercer said many farmers had already ‘ruled themselves out’ of joining the proposed scheme, which offers a baseline payment in return for farmers undertaking a series of universal actions, including a commitment to 10 per cent tree planting and 10 per cent habitat.

He said members were worried about the ‘impact on farm viability and losing what, in many cases, will be a significant portion of their land to trees’.

However, in response Ms Griffiths said: “We will pay you [farmers] to plant these trees, but if you cannot do it or you do not want to do it, then we will look to how else we can do it.

“What we have said is we need is 10 per cent of tree cover, but that can include existing trees and hedges – it

on tree planting’

is not about creating 10 per cent of new woodland.

“We want each farm to take 10 per cent so we can share the load.

“That way, there will not just be one area of Wales where the land use has changed completely.”

The Welsh Government has committed to creating 43,000 hectares of woodland by 2030 as part of the country’s drive to reach net zero by 2050.

TIME TO MOVE ON FROM CARBON

MEAT is losing out to its plant-based rivals owing to its lack of appeal to younger consumers, according to Prof Jude Capper, who delivered a presentation on how the industry could address the sustainability challenge.

The Harper Adams University academic said the sustainability debate ‘must now move beyond carbon’ if the meat industry was to cut through the noise surrounding on-farm emissions and the environment.

She called on governments to develop a carbon standard that could be used across all food production in order to give consumers a better understanding of how and where their food is produced.

Consumers

She also said the farming industry could not just stagnate and must search for new messages that would reach out to future consumers. She pointed to the vibrancy and colourful

Ms Griffiths added: “It is really important for both the climate and nature emergencies that we do this and I look forward to having these conversations.”

She urged farmers ‘not to rule themselves out from joining the scheme when we are still in the co-design period’ and to share their views via the consultation, which is open until November 21.

packaging used in plant-based products, which attracted a more youthful or ‘flexitarian’ shopper.

She said: “We have to think about the other side of the coin.

“We need to market to those who may eat vegan and vegetarian dishes, but who will still eat meat.

“We have to get the message out there that you do not have to feel guilty about eating meat.

“We need to encourage people to buy local and buy better.”

Conference salutes ‘green’ champion with award

DAIRY farmer Aled Lewis, from Penbont, Tregaron, has been announced as the winner of this year’s NFU Cymru/Wynnstay Sustainable Agriculture Award.

Launched at the NFU Cymru Sustainable Agriculture: Food, Farming and the Environment conference in

June, the award was presented by NFU Cymru president Aled Jones.

Mr Lewis has been at the forefront of many new technology and energysaving innovations, including operating a robotic milking system, ground source heating and the installation of 4kW of roof mounted

solar panels and a 185kW biomass boiler.

Judge Hedd Pugh, NFU Cymru rural affairs board chair, said Mr Lewis was ‘a shining example of the contribution that Welsh farmers make to the economic, environmental, social and cultural well-being of Wales’.

NFU Cymru held its first in-person annual conference for three years in Llandrindod Wells last week. Jane Thynne reports.

‘No U-turn

Lesley Griffiths urged farmers not to rule themselves out of joining the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

PICTURE: GETTY

Levy value fall brings AHDB tough choices

rSpending power slashed by inflation

By Alex Black

SECTOR councils have had to make tough decisions to deliver on levy payer priorities as AHDB faces a decline in the value of the levy, according to the board’s chief executive Tim Rycroft.

Despite a 37.6 per cent cut in the value of the levy due to inflation and changes in AHDB’s tax status, Mr Rycroft said the board was not in a position to ask for an increase as it needed to earn back the trust of levy payers.

He was speaking as the board

outlined the sector priorities following its ‘Shape the Future’ vote.

“It is a big piece of context that the levy has not increased for over 10 years,” he said.

“It was one thing when inflation was low, but inflation is not very low anymore. It means we have to be sharply focused. But it is the same situation the levy payer is facing, the effect of inflation on their business.”

But he added: “I would love to be in a place where levy payers say ‘we like what you do and would like you to do more’.”

The results of the vote threw up some surprises for AHDB, with the environment lower down the agenda for levy payers than expected.

But Mr Rycroft said farmers re-

Changes to licensed TB unit rules announced

cognised the best way for them to become more sustainable was to be more efficient and they would rather the body focused on that than on becoming a ‘campaigning organisation’.

Priorities

The board’s work on people in agriculture also scored relatively low on levy payers’ list of priorities, with Mr Rycroft acknowledging other organisations could do that better and they needed to focus on things AHDB was in a unique position to offer.

The sectors will still be working together on areas where there are synergies, such as the livestock sectors working together on exports and marketing and on data and digital.

DEFRA has announced that changes to licensed TB unit rules designed to provide greater flexibility for producers are set to take effect across England and Wales from December 31, 2022.

The first change is to increase from 30 to 60 days the validity of a pre-movement test for cattle from TB-restricted holdings entering a TB isolation unit.

Secondly, a pre-movement test will no longer be required for cattle moving directly between approved finishing units (AFUs), both grazing and non-grazing, and indirectly via approved TB-dedicated sales. However, these movements will still need to be licensed by APHA in the usual way.

Looking at direct movements, as part of the veterinary risk assessment done before issuing a licence, APHA will review whether there has been any non-compliance recorded at the last annual audit of both the sending and receiving AFUs. If there are any unresolved non-compliances, the pre-movement testing dispensation will not apply.

Cattle and calves over 42 days old, which are moved from TB-restricted herds to AFUs directly or through TB dedicated sales, will still need a negative TB skin test within 90 days before the movement.

Defra has also confirmed a new AFU finder will be made live by the end of 2022, with users able to select their five nearest approved finishing units using the finder.

SOURCE: AHDB

Bumper profits for fertiliser companies as inflation soars

FARMERS and governments in the G20 spent £19 billion more on key fertiliser imports in 2021 and 2022, while the world’s biggest fertiliser companies are expected to make almost £73bn profit over the same period, according to new analysis released by GRAIN and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) this week.

The report, The Fertiliser Trap, calls for action to reduce the consumption of chemical fertilisers.

It came as the European Commission prepared to publish plans this week to increase domestic production and make EU farmers less dependent on fertilisers.

Heads of state from the G20, a group of 20 of the world’s largest economies, will also discuss the fertiliser crisis when they meet in Indonesia on November 15-16.

Protect

Dr Sophia Murphy, executive director of IATP, said: “The era of cheap chemical fertilisers is over.

“To reduce prices and protect food production, governments must end corporate profiteering, stop the overuse of chemical fertilisers, boost the production of organic alternatives, and redirect public spending towards agroecological farming practices that cause less harm than chemical fertilisers.”

The surge in fertiliser prices is putting farmers and Government budgets under economic strain and contributing to food price inflation, with the UN warning harvests could be hit if prices remain high.

The report was published as Reuters reported Russia had requested sanctions be eased to allow Russian grain and fertiliser traders to process payments and access vessels, insurance and ports.

Last week, Russia withdrew from an agreement to keep the Black Sea grain corridor open for four days. Ukraine is now seeking alternatives, including an overland pipeline, to export large quantities of grain to mitigate dependency on ports affected by the invasion.

Food giants team up to encourage switch to regen

rPlans to deploy approach at scale

By Cecilia Keating

THE bosses of a dozen of the world’s largest food companies have formed a task force which aims to make regenerative farming approaches more accessible to farmers around the world.

As part of the initiative, launched late last week, the chief executives of McCain Foods, McDonald’s, Waitrose and Partners, Olam and PepsiCo produced a joint action plan detailing how to boost adoption of regenerative farming practices globally, in a bid to reduce the food system’s impacts on climate and biodiversity.

Chair of the new Agribusiness Task Force, Grant Reid, suggested better economic incentives needed to be introduced to make a switch to regenerative farming practices a ‘no brainer’ for farmers.

“These are unprecedented times, with supply chains under enormous pressure and the impacts of climate change all too real,” he said.

“Regenerative farming is a critical part of the solution and our report shows all too clearly that - despite pockets of great workadoption rates are far too slow as the short-term economic case for change is not compelling enough for farmers.”

After assessing the progress and

impact of regenerative farming in three specific value chains - wheat in the US, basmati rice in India, and potatoes in the UK - the task force has set out a number of recommendations for how the approach could be deployed at scale.

Income

Proposals include the creation of common metrics for assessing environmental outcomes, the introduction of measures that ensure farmers can generate income from environmental outcomes, such as the sale of carbon credits, and the creation of finance mechanisms that enable farmers to share the cost of

transitioning to new practices with other stakeholders, such as food companies and governments. Government policies which enable and reward farmers that make the transition and the development of new sourcing models to spread the cost of the transition, could also boost takeup of regenerative farming, the plan argues.

The task force, which also includes the bosses of Mondelez, Yara International, Bayer, HowGood and Indigo Agriculture, said it would hold discussions with key stakeholders at this week’s COP27 Climate Summit that would help drive its work forward in 2023.

Global food system needs £300bn a year

THE global food system needs £300 billion a year of public money until 2030 in order become sustainable and climate resilient, new research has claimed.

The calculation was made in the Global Alliance for the Future of Food report, ‘Untapped Opportunities’, which also revealed food systems only receive 3 per

cent of public climate finance at present.

Over the past five years, just £8bn was spent on food systems measures – a fraction of the £280bn ploughed into climate change mitigation.

The report said: “This is an urgent issue. Even if we halt all non-food-systems-related emis -

sions immediately, emissions from global food systems alone would likely exceed the emissions limit required to keep global warming below 1.5degC in the next 40 years.

“Investing in food systems transformation is a cost-effective way for the climate finance community to achieve huge emissions reductions.”

The task force looked at making potato production more sustainable.

The era of cheap chemical fertilisers is over

DR SOPHIA MURPHY

Fendt Early Bird 2023.

Fendt Early Bird 2023 starts on 5th July 2022. Enjoy exclusive price advantages on our huge Early Bird sale for products in the field of harvesting equipment and forage harvesting technology. Find out more at www.fendt.com/earlybird Scan

It’s Fendt. Because we understand Agriculture.

Meat fears halt Brazil trade talks despite new president

rLula wants access for Brazilian beef

By Abi Kay

A UK Government decision to maintain import barriers for Brazilian meat products is holding up progress on a trade deal, according to the team of Brazil’s new president-elect, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Ministers set out plans for an Enhanced Trade Partnership with Brazil in February, when Jair Bolsonaro was

in power, but progress on negotiations has been slow and is not set to speed up under the new administration.

A member of Mr Lula’s team told The Independent: “In our view, the proposals being made by the UK are unbalanced and unfair in their current form.

“They want access to the financial market, IT and education, yet there are barriers to the import of Brazilian meat products, especially beef. They seem to have EU regulations in place despite Brexit.”

Earlier this year, Farmers Guardian reported that the Brazilian Govern-

ment was unhappy the UK would not lift its ban on the import of hormone-treated beef, or allow meat packers to benefit from ‘pre-listing’, where exports are approved without the need for inspection.

Suspended

The EU did have a pre-listing system in place with Brazil, but it was suspended in 2017 after some of the country’s biggest meat processors, including JBS and BRF, were found to be selling rotten beef and poultry.

Farm groups across the UK have welcomed the UK Government’s position.

Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) chief executive George Dunn said: “If it is indeed the case that the UK Government is blocking Brazilian beef

entering the UK market because of concerns over standards of production, including in respect of the environment and animal welfare, the TFA would congratulate the Government on taking that stance.

“We would encourage the Government not to weaken its resolve merely to gain market access for UK exports. Any standards which apply at home must also apply at our borders, otherwise, what is the point of them at all?”

Farmers’ Union of Wales president Glyn Roberts echoed these remarks, adding: “We are clear it is essential for the UK Government to refocus its trade policies and negotiations, such that the UK’s long-term food security is given the focus it deserves.

“Protecting our beef in this instance is critical.”

Farm groups have welcomed the UK Government’s position on the import of Brazilian meat products.

Scots face fresh policy delay

rIndustry pleads for Ministerial direction

By Ewan Pate

SCOTTISH farmers and crofters are facing a further delay to the introduction of a new support scheme, with Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon proposing a ‘hybrid system’ in 2025.

In a ministerial statement made in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday (November 8), Ms Gougeon explained the four-tier scheme currently under discussion would potentially not be introduced until 2026.

Until then, the present system will be blended with ‘enhanced conditionality’ of the Basic Payment Scheme, which will make up 50 per cent of support.

The 2020 Agricultural Act, which set the rules for a transition period, will have to be amended to allow for this extended period of changeover.

Crucially, Ms Gougeon did how-

ever, confirm that the existing three-region model for payments would continue to be used at least over the next few years.

Explaining why she would not be introducing any new system which might emerge from the long running Agricultural Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB), Ms Gougeon said: “The climate and nature crisis we face means that we cannot simply wait for implementation of these new powers.”

Responding to the statement, Scottish Conservative MP Edward Mountain said: “There is very little detail here. We need to see the full package. Will everyone qualify for payments?”

The Cabinet Secretary replied that the 2025 scheme year would see all existing schemes rolled over and the enhanced conditionality measures would match suggestions made by the Farmer Led Groups which met in 2020 and early 2021.

The 2026 payment year would see

more conditionality attached to payments and the possible introduction of the four tier payment scheme currently being discussed in the consultation for the new Agriculture Bill.

The merging of the new and old schemes will continue after 2026, with the introduction of new elective and complimentary schemes becoming more important.

NFU Scotland director of policy Jonnie Hall said: “Scottish agriculture is facing some extreme challenges and the whole industry is seeking certainty and confidence.

“In our opinion, the proposals offer little to suggest agricultural activity and production will be championed in a way that will continue to underpin the rural economy, rural communities and the food and drink sector as well as having a critical role in tackling climate and biodiversity issues.

“What is missing is what farmers and crofters will be expected to do in the future if they are to unlock all the support likely to be available.”

KWS Maize Varieties 2023

n With the latest KWS hybrids you no longer have to sacrifice yield for maturity

n Dedicated breeding programme

n Rapid early vigour

n Excellent starch content

The existing three-region model for payments will continue to be used.

Edited by Emily Ashworth – 01772

People need to be fed and farmers must lead the way

IT was Churchill who said, ‘Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it’. And looking back over the years, through each crisis the world faced, it was farming which has continued to ‘keep calm and carry on’.

During World War II the country saw one of its biggest successes, as those who took to the land to farm managed to keep our agricultural cogs turning, resulting in a rise in homegrown food. Had this not happened, it would have undoubtedly been one of the most demonstrable chinks in our nation’s armour and led us into submission through starvation.

Fast forward a few decades, the tastes of the nation have changed and foods that were once seasonal delicacies are now year-round pleasures. But in what ways has this cost us? Perhaps the more important question is, how do we fix it?

further uncertainties. We have, however, turned food production on its head before and maybe to move forward, we need to look back.

There are vital lessons to be learned from the past, as explored in this week’s ‘Great Britain’s fight for food’ (see p108-109). Historian Paul Reed said that although food security was one of the country’s biggest threats during the war, a positive was that there was a huge focus on food waste, self-sufficiency and eating in a different but more practical way.

And finally...

Last week saw Agriconnect’s Farm Business Innovation show take place at the NEC, Birmingham. For reports from the event, see pages 15 and 80.

We are in a new era of agriculture, one where change is probably necessary to survive as we face multiple obstacles, including subsidy loss, a global climate emergency and trying to navigate our way through Brexit. This has only presented us with

But what stands out most is that even in its darkest hour, community was, as ever in farming, at the heart of it. Thousands of women left their homes and families to join the Women’s Land Army; farms welcomed prisoners of war; those who could not be on the frontline joined the fight from Britain’s countryside and, as one, they managed to keep the country fed.

We now have new battles and the world has changed but at the crux of this is a fact we cannot get away from: people still need to be fed. The country’s farmers should once again be allowed to lead the way.

YOUNG FARMER FOCUS

UK must minimise the need for imports’

Background: At home we run a mixed beef and sheep enterprise, which is what lead me to study a Level 3 diploma in agriculture.

After finishing the course it was clear that I was interested in the livestock side of the industry, from the general health of the stock to the nutrition needed to make them thrive, but specifically the efficiency of livestock production.

Being a practical learner, I decided that university was not for me and my attention turned to finding a job which suited the aspects of the sector I enjoyed the most.

I now work as an animal health sales specialist, providing farmers across Mid Wales with advice related to the health and welfare of their stock.

Challenges: This year has not been

easy for farmers, with challenges being faced every day. However, I believe these challenges can provide opportunities which will benefit the sector in the long run.

At work, I see price increases on all ranges of products, from feed and fertiliser to animal health products. The reasons behind this include the supply and demand ratio, the lack of raw materials abroad and, more recently, the energy crisis.

I think some of these factors have highlighted the vulnerability of the UK production chain.

This, paired with ever-decreasing lack of subsidies post-Brexit, is becoming a real concern for the future of farming.

Despite this, I think it provides an opportunity to encourage farmers to adjust their current systems, to be

more efficient and maximise the productivity of their livestock and, in the long-term, become more profitable. Future: In the future I think that the UK needs to work towards becoming more self-sufficient, minimising the need for imports of raw materials, such as soya for protein, and continue to produce food to our own high standards, as stated after leaving the

EU. Sourcing materials from this country will not only help boost our own economy, but will also lower food miles, therefore reducing carbon emissions.

By doing this, I hope that the industry is seen to be actively working towards a sustainable future, not only for their own businesses, but the environment as well.

This would help improve the public’s perception of the meat industry and the way our food is produced, encouraging support for our farmers.

MORE INFORMATION

If you would like to be featured, email abi.kay@agriconnect.com

‘The

Holly Page

Montgomery, Powys Holly Page, 20, is from Montgomery, Powys, and works as an animal health specialist.

Holly Page

Emily Ashworth has written a book based on individual stories from the Women’s Land Army, which will be out in May 2023.

Heading for food shortages

IT seems we are heading for food shortages, as farmers and growers cut production in the face of costs continuing to outstrip prices for produce.

Supermarkets discount products to maintain or increase market share, cutting their margins, but have suppliers producing food at below the cost of production. From laying hens to pigs and vegetables, farmers are considering it is better to not produce than produce at a loss, while others cut back and produce less at lower costs.

Since Covid-19 there was talk of food security, but nobody wants to pay to secure it. Farm incomes plummet, as do Basic Payment Scheme payments. The environment is so important, but before long there will be few with funds to manage it, and nobody can eat it.

That old Chinese proverb comes to mind. A man with a full stomach has many problems, a man with an empty stomach has one.

Andrew Holdsworth, North Yorkshire.

Confidence in Farmers Fresh

I WAS sad to read the story regarding Farmers Fresh, ‘Concerns raised about Farmers Fresh leadership’ (FGinsight.com)

I worked with the directors travelling the country to promote what was then the Farmers Ferry 24 years ago. Money was raised and the boat was very successful in raising the sheep trade at the end of the 1990s when prices were dire.

Contact us

■ IF you would like to send us a letter for consideration, please note that our email address has now changed to fgeditorial@agriconnect.com

If you have a classic picture you would like to share, please email it to marcello.garbagnoli@agriconnect.com

Since then, the abattoir at Kenilworth was purchased and later another at Wrexham. Now, because some dividend cheques were printed with the wrong sort code, one digit out, the whole company is being hauled over the coals. Anyone who has dealt with a bank recently will understand that even when an error is spotted, it is nearly impossible to rectify it quickly.

We have three auction sites at Hereford, Builth Wells and Talgarth and deal with Farmers Fresh every week at all three. The company accounts are open for anyone to read. Farmers Fresh is a very successful, well capitalised, profitable company and is one of our fastest payers.

The company has done a great deal for the sheep industry over 24 years and long may it continue. We have every confidence in Farmers

Fresh and its directors and when there are changes in any boardroom there are usually ‘issues’. The old adage ‘if it is not broken do not fix it’ comes to mind and so does ‘a storm in a teacup’.

Well done Farmers Fresh and keep up the good work.

Richard Hyde, Director, Hereford Market Auctioneers.

Milk like Canada

A FRIEND recently passed on a bundle of Farmers Guardian magazines and the issue of March 18, 2022, caught my eye. I was taken by the article on milk packaging, ‘Companies move to replace plastic packaging for milk’

Reading through the article, I

thought back to visits to Canada, where milk is packaged differently.

Much milk over there is sold in thin plastic sleeves, which weigh about 5 per cent that of plastic containers.

When needed, the milk sleeves are simply placed unopened in a jug and one corner snipped off to allow pouring.

Does any milk processor in the UK market package milk this way? Is it rocket science?

Of the packaging used, there must be a substantial cost in the manufacture. If processors looked into this form, there would be savings all round.

In these straightened times, surely anything which helped to reduce cost and environmental damage would be hugely beneficial to all?

Brian Shaw, Pontefract.

PR2 9NZ. For the purposes of this policy, we are the data controller of personal data provided to us. We are a UK company specialising in providing information services including news, analysis, data, pricing, insight and market intelligence to agribusiness professionals across the globe. This policy sets out how we do this and applies the use of your personal data that you disclose to us by entering into our competition to win £200 for the Stockjudging Competition or £20 Love2Shop vouchers for the weekly Crossword Competition, referred to throughout this statement as the “Competitions”. How we collect your information: We collect the personal data you have provided to us by lling in the form on our website www.fginsight.com OR printed form when entering the Competitions. If you have entered the Competitions via our site we may also collect some technical information about how you use our site, for example, the type of device you are using, your operating system, IP address, uniform resource locator (URL), clickstream and length of visit. How we use the information you provide: We will use your personal information: • to administer the Competitions, on the basis that the use of your personal data for this purpose will be necessary to enter you into the competitions and, if you are successful, contact you to notify you of your prize; and, • if you are new to Farmers Guardian and where you have agreed to this, to provide you with news and updates from time to time about our services; and, if at any point in the future you do not wish to receive any news and updates from us or from, you can unsubscribe from our marketing list at any time by following the steps below. To unsubscribe from any communications using the link on the email we send you or by emailing us at dataprotection@farmersguardian.com. We will not use your information for any purposes except those listed in this policy without letting you know and getting your permission, if necessary, rst. Who do we share your information with?

We will not disclose your information to any third parties without your consent, except where: • it is necessary to enable any of our sta , employees, agents, contractors, suppliers or commercial partners to provide a service to us or to perform a function on our behalf; • we have a legal obligation to disclose your information (for example, if a court orders us to); or • there is a sale or purchase of any business assets, or where Farmers Guardian or any of its group companies are being acquired by a third party. Where we use third parties as described above to process your personal information, we will ensure that they have adequate security measures in place to safeguard your personal information. For how long do we keep your personal information? We keep your personal information for 36 months for the purposes for which it was collected or for any period for which we are required to keep personal information to comply with our legal and regulatory requirements, or until you ask us to delete your personal information. Your rights: You have a number of rights in relation to your personal information. These include the right to: • nd out how we process your personal information; • request that your personal information is corrected if you believe it is incorrect or inaccurate; • obtain restriction on our, or object to, processing of your personal information; • ask us not to process your personal information for our own marketing purposes; and • obtain a copy of your personal information which we hold about you. We will take steps to verify your identity before responding to your request and will respond as soon as possible and in any event within a month. If you would like to exercise any of your rights or nd out more, please email us at dataprotection@farmersguardian. com. Complaints: If you have any complaints about the way we use your personal information please contact us at dataprotection@farmersguardian.com and we will try to resolve the issue. If we cannot resolve any issue, you have the right to complain to the data protection authority in your country (the Information Commissioner in the UK). If you need more information about how to contact your local data protection authority please let us know. Contact us: Please read this policy carefully and if you have any questions, concerns or comments about this policy or, speci cally, how we might use your personal information, please contact us by email at dataprotection@farmersguardian.com.

A small Massey Ferguson tractor pulling a large load at Gilestone Farm, Talybont-on-Usk, which has just been bought by the Welsh Government. Picture sent in by Gareth Davies, Llangynidr.

Agricultural shows have been a key part of the farming calendar for more than 250 farmers, but with so much uncertainty in a post-pandemic world, how are organisers

The future of ag shows in a postpandemic world

rCovid-19 continues to impact shows

THERE is no doubting the huge role agricultural shows play in the farming world, offering opportunities to see the best livestock and a time for those in the rural community to socialise and exchange knowledge.

Shows also bring value beyond their local communities, by promoting rural tourism and, in some cases, attracting visitors from outside their counties and even from abroad.

Research from the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO) found about 10 per cent of the UK population attend agricultural shows on an annual basis.

And a further study carried out by the University of East Anglia estimated that the Royal Norfolk Show generated £20 million for Norfolk in 2018, including £2m spent in the showground alone.

This year saw agricultural shows able to run at full capacity for the first time since the pandemic began and across Great Britain, they were well supported by the number of visitors attending.

But according to the ASAO, about 5 per cent of its members cancelled shows this year.

Additionally, there was a general decrease in trade stands across all sectors by 10-15 per cent at the beginning of the season.

This figure gradually improved during the height of the show season, but did not recover to preCovid-19 levels.

The ASAO believes this could be due to the staffing difficulties traders are facing, which it says has been the same for contractors supplying workers, from caterers to car park attendants and volunteer stewards to security companies.

There has also been a drain in knowledge and experience, with many staff members leaving the industry from all types and sizes of shows, both after being placed on the furlough scheme and to source a higher salary.

Some smaller events, including Hawkshead Show in the Lake

District, were cancelled again in 2022. Organisers for that event are set to hold a meeting at the start of next year to decide whether the show will run in 2023.

Representatives said: “This decision has not been taken lightly.

“Many avenues have been looked at and explored, but unfortunately due to the costs incurred by cancelling several of the previous shows at the last minute and Covid-19 restrictions halting any fundraising events, the society could not afford to put on a show this year.

“As the society is a registered charity, it relies heavily on generous donations from sponsors to help with covering the prize monies, for example.

“In the current financial climate, it was felt that to request monetary donations from businesses would be imposing on their generosity.”

Other shows, however, used the pandemic to their advantage.

The Westmorland Show was able to run towards the end of 2021, creating a two-day show to comply with the post-pandemic Government requirements.

It has continued in this format this year due to popular demand.

Christine Knipe, the chief executive of Westmorland Agricultural society, said: “The committee is

meeting shortly to make a decision regarding the format going forward, but early indications are that it will remain as two days next year.”

Mark Stoddart, financial controller at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, which organises the Great Yorkshire Show, also pointed to the positives.

He said: “The last few years have given shows a huge opportunity to try things. The Great Yorkshire became a four-day show.

“We have talked about four days for the last 10 years and whether or not we should do it, but because the council and public health said we could not have full capacity, we had to go to an extra fourth day to make it financially viable.

“Subsequently, in 2022, we have done the same.”

Income

Still, though, the havoc the pandemic wreaked on the agricultural show charitable sector has left a large wound, which the ASAO predicts will take several years for the industry to fully recover from.

Some agricultural shows have set up other events during the year that use the showgrounds to provide a steady stream of income.

One way the Royal Highland Show diversified this year was by hosting a musical festival.

‘Big Top’ live music concerts took place throughout summer and one coincided with the Saturday of the agricultural show.

Alan Laidlaw, chief executive of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), said: “These concerts and other events which take place at the wider Royal Highland Centre generate vital funds which support the charitable work of RHASS, which works to promote and protect the interests of Scotland’s agricultural and rural sector.

“The concerts this summer are yet another example of how the society

The last few years have given shows a huge opportunity to try things

MARK STODDART

About 10 per cent of the UK population attends agricultural shows on an annual basis.

years, showcasing the work of British adapting? Lucy Baxter reports.

is maximising our income so we can continue our charitable work.”

Some farming visitors to the show, however, were not pleased about the concert, claiming the sound posed a welfare risk to the livestock present.

But Mr Laidlaw said: “The concerts themselves had no adverse impact on the experience of show visitors and the two events went ahead in harmony on the day.”

Other shows have also found there is an inherent tension in trying

to appeal to both a farming audience and an urban one, which is increasingly disconnected from the land and rural culture.

This year at the Great Yorkshire Show, for example, the parade of hounds was cancelled after animal rights activists put pressure on the show organisers.

Mr Stoddart said: “It is a huge balancing act. The only way you can do it is by putting the agricultural content in there, then that draws

the audience that you are wanting. But for those who are not necessarily coming for that, you are then doing the education side.”

One other development which has caused controversy is the attempt by shows to advance technologically, whether by urging people to pre-book tickets online or holding digital events.

There is certainly a positive case to be made for allowing people all over the world to watch livestock showing from the comfort of their own homes, but some agricultural society members have raised concerns that farmers who have poor broadband

or are not IT-literate risk being excluded.

David Tite, chair of the ASAO, said: “Reliable broadband coverage will increase across the UK over the coming years and until that time, we as agricultural societies need to be mindful of the challenges posed by poor connectivity to those very people we really want to see at our shows.

“The pandemic showed the industry the opportunities and inclusivity streaming can offer and this now has a future, working hand in hand with the practical running and attendance at our shows.”

• Independently proven to increase total N by 22%

• Reduces fuel costs due to pumping a thinner, more workable slurry

• Reduces surface crusting

• Proven to reduce on-farm ammonia emissions from slurry by 31%

There was a 10-15 per cent decrease in trade stands at the beginning of the 2022 show season.

The Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations believes it will take several years for the industry to fully recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Edited by Alex Black – 01772 799 409

Low egg prices cause of shortage

FARMERS have hit back after claims egg shortages on supermarket shelves were caused by avian influenza rather than low prices.

Taking to social media, egg producers said supermarkets had been warned months ago that shortages would be on the horizon if they did not increase the price paid to farmers.

Posting on Twitter, Welsh farmer Ioan Humphreys said the real reason for the shortage was low prices.

“The supermarkets have increased their prices for you the consumer. But they have not filtered that down to us the farmers,” he said.

Empty sheds

He added farmers could not afford to produce eggs so would be leaving sheds empty which would lead to shortages.

“If supermarkets paid us a fair price for our eggs, we would stock our sheds. There would be more sheds going up and the UK could be self-sufficient in Great British eggs.”

Pilgrim’s UK to close two sites

PILGRIM’S UK has confirmed it will close two of its sites following consultations announced in September.

The consultations were launched after the company announced an operating loss of £16 million for the year to December 26, 2021, as the pig sector faces ‘the most challenging time in its history’.

A Pilgrim’s UK spokesperson confirmed it had decided to close its manufacturing sites at Bury St Edmunds and Coalville.

“This will be a phased process while the transfer of products to alternative Pilgrim’s UK sites takes place.”

It added it was ‘working closely’ with those at risk of redundancy and providing them with support and guidance.

Cereal usage was down 9.4 per cent in the quarter from July to September, according to AHDB figures.

Cereal demand poor as farmers cut usage

up 0.8 per cent on the year, but blends were down 3.5 per cent. Total cattle and calf feed production saw a 2.2 per cent decline.

premiums show the trade is fully expecting the New Year will bring the millers back to the market.”

By Alex Black

FEED demand is being squeezed as livestock farmers look to use less in the face of inflationary issues and the challenges facing the pig and poultry sector.

Cereal usage was down 9.4 per cent in the quarter from July to September, according to figures from AHDB.

Cefetra farm grain origination manager Simon Wilcox said domestic feed demand was poor, particularly for the pig and poultry sector.

Sheep feed was the only sector to see an increase in production, mainly due to an increase of sheep breeding compounds.

Compounds for dairy cows were

Pig and poultry made up 60 per cent of animal feed production last year. But with the pig breeding herd contracting, and avian influenza hitting poultry flocks, feed production was affected.

Lagging

Mr Wilcox said: “The ethanol plants are also lagging, apparently running at only 60 per cent capacity.

“Add to that our €10/tonne export un-competitiveness and we have little to be bullish about for this side of Christmas, even though the specific prices are historically high.

“Feed barley is priced to maintain its place in domestic rations, but the demand for malting types is slow. Quality wheats are quiet, but decent

The organic sector was also being hit by muted demand.

Andrew Trump, Organic Arable managing director, said grain usage at feed mills was slower than anticipated.

“The poultry sector is coping with avian flu which is creating uncertainty and making buyers defensive about taking too much cover,” he said.

“Dairy farmers are responding to higher feed prices by reducing production and feed use – with reports of some decertifying, although numbers on this are difficult to ascertain.”

He added wheat continued to dominate the market, with opportunities for feed barley and particularly feed oats challenging.

First Milk agrees partnership with Arla Foods Ingredients

FIRST Milk has agreed a new partnership with Arla Foods Ingredients to produce a specialist whey protein powder at its Lake District creamery. The partnerships will allow the co-operatives to service the growing consumer trend for protein enrichment of food.

The patented micro-particulate whey protein concentrate product, Nutrilac FO-7875, developed by Arla Foods Ingredients, is used as an

ingredient to enhance the level of protein in food and drink products while retaining texture and taste.

International

First Milk will manufacture Nutrilac FO-7875 on behalf of Arla Foods Ingredients using the company’s proprietary process, with Arla Foods Ingredients marketing and selling the product internationally.

In addition, First Milk will continue

to manufacture whey protein concentrate powder, WPC80, and market it through its existing partnership.

Shelagh Hancock, chief executive of First Milk, said the collaboration would deliver ‘real value’ for both co-operatives.

She added First Milk was ‘well placed’ to expand the range of high quality, specialist products it can efficiently manufacture.

“We see this type of collaboration as

key to our success, enabling our members to be part of the worldwide dairy supply chain, enriching life to secure a positive future for all.”

Henrik Andersen, chief executive of Arla Foods Ingredients, said it was a new kind of partnership for the company at a time when demand for ‘high-quality protein solutions’ had never been greater and both dairies shared expertise and ‘commitment to the highest standards’.

rPig and poultry sector particularly affected

MORE ON RENEWABLE OPPORTUNITIES

See next week’s magazine for a special feature on renewable energy.

Uncertainty prompting more to consider diversification

rFarmers looking to renewables

By Ben Briggs

DIVERSIFICATION and additional revenue streams were garnering increased interest from farmers as a result of the wider economic turmoil, exhibitors at Farm Business Innovation claimed.

The event, which is owned and run by Farmers Guardian parent company Agriconnect, attracted thousands of visitors over two days at the NEC, Birmingham, last week.

And whether it was farmers looking at renewable energy, native livestock breeds, rural tourism ventures or direct selling to the public, there was a feeling among exhibitors that there was a growing hunger to consider diversification opportunities.

One area which received a lot of attention was renewable energy, with panel discussions delving into this topic and many companies showcasing their expertise in this field.

Helen Moffat, an associate at Carter Jonas and energy consultant,

said enquiries about installations such as rooftop solar had quadrupled since the start of the year against a backdrop of rising energy costs.

“Rooftop solar is the first thing many can do,” she said. “If you can oversize your solar and export to the grid then you have another income stream.

“If you do not adapt then you can get left behind and energy is a good example of that. Diversification is certainly at the forefront of a lot of farmers’ minds.”

Incentive

Christopher Price, chief executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, claimed lower input costs associated with rare or native breeds was a big incentive for some farmers at a time of rising inflation and reducing Government support.

He said: “We have been speaking to livestock farmers looking for something different or new entrants who have decided they want to go into farming and are open to suggestions.”

For Andrew Jones, of Rossett, North Wales, it was a chance to

SOCIAL MEDIA CONSISTENCY

BEING consistent about when you post and what you post on social media was key to success, according to keynote speaker Will Roobottom, who addressed the first day of the show.

He said: “Posting at a similar time and with consistency throughout

the week is key. Try to target people in the morning or evenings when they are on their phones.”

Speaking to an audience of more than 100 at the show, Mr Roobottom said social media had unlocked huge opportunities for him and also his sheep breed of choice, the Lleyn.

return as a speaker to the event where he bought three safari tents in 2017. These now form the basis of his hugely successful tourism offering, Rackery Retreat, which he set up after exiting the dairy industry.

While the site had been a bit quieter this year compared to 2021, driven in part by people jetting off overseas and the current financial

squeeze, he was hugely positive about farm diversification.

“As farmers you have to keep an eye out for new options or ideas coming down the drive,” said Mr Jones.

BEN Briggs has recorded a special edition of the Over the Farm Gate podcast from Farming Business Innovation, available on Saturday (November 12) on your preferred podcast platform.

More from the show

Top growers consider quitting

rLack of labour causes crop loss and waste

FALLING prices and rising costs have left top fruit growers contemplating whether to give up production.

The volume, quality and taste of this year’s apple and pear crop is exceptional, but the prospects of the industry are not, Sarah Calcutt, executive chair of the National Fruit Show told this year’s event in Kent last week.

Ms Calcutt said: “Growers urgently need more support from supermarkets and we need them to understand the financial pressures growers are facing and to pay a fair price for the crops they grow.

“It is disappointing that we are currently seeing a large volume of imported fruit on supermarket shelves at a time when they should be packed with British apples and pears.

“This is the best possible time to buy British fruit with the maximum number of varieties available and straight off the trees. We need the British public to support British growers and to buy British fruit at a really critical time to help the industry.”

She said one grower had told her that they were getting 40 per cent less for their apples compared to last year, while costs had jumped by 25 per cent.

“Another grower told me that it cost them £300,000 to produce their apple crop, but they can only sell it for £250,000. They are now seriously contemplating giving up.”

She added that smaller growers who do not have their own storage and packing facilities are the most at risk of going out of fruit growing, but the loss of them also impacts on those larger growers who store and pack for the smaller ones.

Mark Lumsdon Taylor of accountants Macintyre Hudson Associates, said one Bramley grower he knew was receiving less than half the £525/ tonne they were receiving last year for their apples, while Defra figures show that August dessert apple grower prices were 20 per cent lower than the year before, with pear prices 46 per cent down.

The Office for National Statistics calculated that the average retail dessert apple price in September was 222p/kg, which was 5.5 per cent less than last year, but the second highest price for the time of year ever.

Falling fruit area

Defra estimates that the UK fruit orchard area was 23,030 hectares last year, a drop of 0.3 per cent on the 2020 area and 41 per cent lower than in 1984. Many in the fruit industry fear

a greater rate of loss in 2022 and 2023.

Currently around half the apples sold in the UK are British grown. A visit to a Kent supermarket at the weekend revealed apples from France, South Africa and New Zealand alongside British ones, with only Belgian pears on offer.

Trade body British Apples and Pears has a goal of a 60 per cent apple market share by 2030. It said that British apples can be the most affordable on supermarket shelves during the season.

One issue for the British fruit industry is that UK dessert apple sales are focused on smaller apples which provides a market for smaller imported apples which are not in great demand in other markets.

This year British Apples and Pears has launched a ‘Value at the Core’ message highlighting the storability

of British apples and pears, their low food miles and health benefits. It said that so far in 2022 the campaign has generated media that has reached 682 million readers and 2.7m social media impressions.

Labour shortages

Along with other horticultural businesses, fruit farmers are struggling to get enough staff. Show president Teresa Wickham urged all farm and food industry employers to take part in a survey into labour shortages before November 21, which will inform the Labour Review set up by Defra.

The NFU estimated £22m worth of fruit and vegetables were wasted in the first half of 2022, because of the lack of labour, with 40 per cent of respondents in one of its surveys reporting crop losses due to lack of labour.

Pork production cost rises in October

PIG farmers were continuing to lose money on every pig as the cost of production rises again in October.

According to AHDB, compound spot feed prices, which had eased during summer, increased slightly in September and have increased again in October. However, they remain below the peaks seen in May and June.

Carol Davies, AHDB lead analyst for farm economics, added interest rates had also been affected.

Ms Davies said: “With the bank base rate at 2.25 per cent throughout

October, short- and long-term interest rates have increased.

“Fuel prices continue to fluctuate, and energy prices are being maintained, but at an elevated level.”

As a result, the full economic cost of production is currently estimated to be 232p/kg deadweight in October, assuming average technical performance, up 8p/kg on September.

Assuming a standard pig price of 200p/kg and all pig price of 203p/kg deadweight, pig producers are estimated to be losing £26-£28 per pig.

With imported fruit currently filling supermarket shelves at the peak of the UK season, Cedric Porter takes a look at the prospects for the fruit sector.

Sophie Countess of Wessex examines the competition display of 13,000 apples and pears with National Fruit Show executive chair Sarah Calcutt.

PICTURE: ROD KIRKPATRICK

rUK produce targets premium market

EXPORTS are a crucial part of UK agriculture, with British meat having a very important story to tell. That was the message from AHDB chair Nicholas Saphir, speaking at SIAL Paris.

While SIAL Paris is held in Europe, it is most certainly an event of global scale, with exporters from all over the world in attendance.

Considered the world’s number one food exhibition, SIAL Paris is a key event in the British export calendar and it remained evident at the event that British meat was not competing as a commodity, but as a niche product.

The UK currently exports 350,000 tonnes of pork, 180,000t of beef and 80,000t of lamb annually, making exports crucial to UK agriculture. Although they are a comparatively

Exports add value for British meat

small percentage of the way British agricultural products are marketed, Mr Saphir said exports lie at the centre of AHDB’s overall strategy.

Misunderstood

He said: “There are markets where our provenance, sustainability, genetics

and animal welfare are really wanted and there is a premium for it.”

He said the UK could export pork to Mexico, even though the United States has an enormous pork industry, and British lamb was exported to countries where Australian and New Zealand lamb had always been prevalent.

Down on the Farm

He said: “I think it is because there is a certain cache around British meat and we better not lose it. We have to rebuild it and make sure it is there.”

Mr Saphir said the importance of exports to levy payers was widely misunderstood, not just in terms of volume, but improving farmgate

with Philip Cosgrave Agronomist, Yara UK Ltd.

Soil fertility is vital: Test It, Review It & Take Action

At some stage, over the next couple of months, plan to do some soil testing if you haven’t done so already. Once you have the results, don’t file them in a drawer! Review them and use them to put together a nutrient management plan (NMP) for 2023. Your NMP is about prioritising how to use organic and mineral nutrients on the farm in the most cost effective way possible.

Too often, organic manures are applied on the same parts of the farm, year after year. There are plenty of reasons why this is done, but it’s not maximising the potential value of this valuable resource. Using umbilical spreading systems may be an option to target other areas of the farm. Target cattle slurry at low K index soils as it’s a cost effective potash source.

Intensively stocked grassland farms should consider soil testing more regularly. By soil testing every 2–3 years, you’re in a better position to monitor soil fertility trends. Fertiliser recommendations are not an exact science, hence soil testing more frequently together with measuring grass yields will help you fine tune your NMP for every paddock or field on your farm.

Remember, grass requires a continuous and balanced nutrient supply from the soil to achieve its production potential. If a farmer is regularly soil testing, say every three years, then the £1 ha/year cost is money well spent.

With exporters from all over the world in attendance, SIAL Paris is a key event in the export calendar. Katie Fallon reports from Paris.

SIAL Paris is a key event for negotiating exports of food and drink.

return, with a considerable part of UK exports based on fifth-quarter products.

“It is a fact that other countries use offal better than we do in terms of human consumption,” he said, adding it was easier to export fifth-quarter products than try and convince British consumers to eat more offal.

Dr Phil Hadley, international market development director at AHDB, said the exports of red meat from the UK in 2021 were worth almost £1.5 billion.

A large proportion of this value was from products that do not sell well in the UK, such as offal, which is a desirable product, commanding a high price in many countries.

Dr Hadley said: “Beef tongues to Japan are often the highest price anywhere in the world because they are a desired product. So having the opportunity to now export our beef tongues to Japan adds more value back into the carcase.”

He said it was about carcase balance.

“At one end you have offal products where you can compete on a global price and, at the other end, we have products going to market which are high welfare, outdoor-reared and grass-fed, which are desirable and create a premium.”

Dr Hadley said the UK was not a low-cost producer of commodity protein, but a modest producer of high-quality protein, with stringent standards providing the opportunity to sell premium products.

He said: “British meat is viewed as a premium product to the rest of the world, because overseas buyers recognise we have a lot of standards in place and they recognise us as a reliable source of quality protein.”

Events such as SIAL were key, Dr Hadley said.

Situated in the heart of the meat hall, AHDB provided a large platform to promote the levy payers’ product to an international audience, facilitating conversations between UK exporters and importers from around the world.

Platform

Dr Hadley said: “Events such as SIAL are two-fold. One is to reinforce the existing customer base, but equally there are new connections made at a show like this, with people who have little to no exposure to UK products.”

And new connections were just as important as reinforcing existing ones.

He said: “People do business with people. The ability for people to meet in person, talk about and taste the product, then make some commercial agreements or arrangements is what this platform is perfect for.”

AHDB hosts similar platforms at other key events around the world in markets where the UK is trying

to drive sales, such as China, the Middle East and, more recently, the US. AHDB also provided a platform for 11 co-exhibiting exporters from the UK at SIAL, which otherwise would not have had a presence at the event.

Michael Acheson, of Foyle Food Group, which was co-exhibiting with AHDB at SIAL, said it was very important to the business.

Mr Acheson said: “We went from nearly all our business being in the European Union, to now exporting 1520 per cent of our product to the USA, Canada, Japan and the Philippines, which are markets we have seen grow and we think will continue to grow.

“This show is great for facilitating that, as already today I have spoken to customers from America, the Middle East and Japan.”

When looking at how AHDB’s export work benefits the levy payer, Dr Hadley said AHDB is using levy money to do two things.

He said: “Firstly, to identify, understand and open new markets, working closely with industry and Government to agree the export health certificates, while supporting processor levy payers to meet the technical requirements to be able to trade with that country.”

Secondly, once export health certificates have been agreed, AHDB is responsible for the trade development work required to help exporters promote their products with representatives around the world.

Dr Hadley said: “France is the largest effort, as they take about half of our export lamb volume, but we also have representatives in five major European markets, as well as a representative in the Middle East and China.”

Representatives are also present in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Aware that levy payers, particularly farmers, are not always aware of AHDB’s export work and events such as SIAL, farmer and beef and lamb sector council chair Colin Bateman said attending SIAL proved just how important exports are.

Mr Bateman said: “What I realised

today is that I have not got a business without all these people here.

“There are millions of pounds’ worth of business being done here today on behalf of us farmers, but we do not see it because we are at home busy working, looking after our animals.

“But we need people selling that product on our behalf, otherwise we do not have any kind of a business.”

Mr Bateman said it was important for farmers to understand that exports add a lot of value to each individual animal.

He said: “AHDB has calculated that exports are adding about £31 to a sheep carcase. When I found that out, I was staggered, because if you removed £31 from the value of a finished lamb carcase, I would question how many of us have a sustainable business without subsidies at that kind of a price.

“For every pound of levy invested in exports, it is returning about £12. Obviously, that money does not directly find its way into the farmer’s pocket, but if the companies which are selling meat have more money in their pockets because of exports, they will look for more product, which pushes up our prices.”

Involvement

Mr Bateman added that before his involvement in AHDB, he had never thought about who was going to add value to his product.

He said: “If we do not start thinking about that, we are not going to get the highest value possible for our product.”

Mr Bateman said this work has not always been communicated back to levy payers, which resulted in a lack of understanding surrounding its importance.

Mr Saphir highlighted if all the 3bnt of animal protein the UK produces had to be sold in the UK, the home market would be a lot lower.

He said: “It has to be more important as we go forward, there is no question about that.”

AHDB has calculated that exports are adding about £31 to a sheep carcase COLIN BATEMAN

We have products going to market which are high welfare, outdoorreared and grassfed, which are desirable

DR PHIL HADLEY

AHDB hosts platforms for promoting British produce at a number of global trade events.

ALL WRAPPED UP

SHOWTIME SUPPLIES

SHOWTIME Supplies has been established since 1992 and has progressed to become the UK and Ireland’s premier supplier of large animal grooming products.

Showtime will provide you with everything you need from training your animal to entering the showring, even clothing to advertise your herd.

THE STOCKMAN

BY KATE SIMPSON

THE breathtaking backdrop of Northumberland’s countryside inspired Kate to draw the unique animals which inhabit England’s border county.

Moving in with her partner Jack to his family farm, Kate turned her talent to capturing the character of the animals which live and work there.

Website: katesimpsonart.uk

Call: 01759 368 588

Website: showtime-supplies. co.uk

Email: sales@showtimesupplies.co.uk

SLOW LANE BY ANTHONY FORSTER

JUST one of many limited edition prints for sale through our web catalogue (farmingpictures.co.uk) priced at £120 fully framed.

Exclusive to Hood and Broomfield, our web catalogue shows a fascinating display of farming and countryside pictures available just mounted or fully framed, packed and courier delivered to your home for

Christmas. Order for a delivery time from farmingpictures.co.uk.

Call: 01782 626 859 or 07740 076 799

Email: enquiry@ hoodandbroomfield.co.uk

ORDER YOUR FARMERS GUARDIAN SUBSCRIPTION AND RECEIVE A LIVESTOCK PRINT AS A WELCOME GIFT

SUBSCRIBE to Farmers Guardian

VIP+ for £177.32 and choose one of these stunning A3 livestock prints, illustrated by artist A Farmers Daughter, as your welcome gift.

To order, call 0330 333 0056 or visit FGinsight.com/artprints

It is time to start planning for Christmas. Here are some ideas to help you get ahead of the game, so when Christmas comes you can relax knowing everything will run smoothly.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Journey to Net Zero Competition

The Journey to Net Zero Competition is down to the final, with eight finalists announced. Learn more about each entry and their proposed studies.

Net Zero finalists revealed

Eight finalists have been announced in the School of Sustainable Food and Farming Journey to Net Zero competition. Launched in late summer, the competition is looking to support the development or implementation of a sustainable farming system, process or processes.

There is a total of £50,000 grant funding available which will be awarded in sums of between £5,000-£20,000.

The finalists have now been invited to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges in early December, 2022

FIND OUT MORE

For more information on the finalists, their submissions and the next phase of the competition, visit: www.FGinsight.com/netzerocompetition

Who would you choose?

WHICH projects would you award the funding to?

Scan the QR code below and cast your vote now:

BEN ADAMS - IMPROVING SOIL CARBON THROUGH POLYCROPPING

BEN Adams farms on a 380-hectare (939-acre) diversified arable cropping farm at Bicester, Oxfordshire, farming combinable crops and processing and delivering firewood over the winter months.

Intercropping

The farm has been trialling intercropping and would like to win an

SSFF grant to further this work.

Ben explains his plan would be to trial a range of different crop species together in the spring after a multi-species cover crop, in order to find what works better financially and rotationally.

Issues such as pests, weeds and disease would also be monitored to assess how best to

ANDY BRADFORD - HEDGEGROW WOODCHIPS

ANDY Bradford is a Duchy of Cornwall tenant farmer at Brimpts Farm, a 282ha (697-acre) Dartmoor hill farm.

In 2009, Andy installed a biomass boiler which was a great success and Brimpts Farm subsequently became the site of The Dartmoor Woodfuel Cooperative, setup by a local group of Dartmoor residents, with support from the Duchy of Cornwall.

The co-operative now supplies about 40 local installations, with around 10,000cu.m of woodchip biomass per year.

A novel source of woodchips is from the large growth of hedgerows.

Impact

The application focuses on evaluating full-scale impact of the harvesting, drying and processing

RYAN McCORMACK - DENNINGTON HALL FARMS

RYAN McCormack is farm manager at Dennington Hall Farms in Suffolk, a 1,200ha (2,965-acre) arable farm, with 40 suckler red poll cattle, 80ha (197 acres) of woodland, two biomass boilers and a property portfolio.

Main objectives

In his application, Mr McCormack outlined his five main objectives for the funding.

“Firstly, to accurately measure

our total carbon footprint and core sampling the fields to see how much carbon we are storing.

“Secondly, we will develop a robust biological nutrient plant, to brew our own biological tea and reduce the artificial nitrogen requirement.

“Thirdly, capturing energy and nutrients from cover crops and cover crop destruction by purchasing a crimper roller and electric fencing for strip grazing.”

manage the different crops and calculate how little inputs can be applied to them.

Ben says he would also like to monitor levels of sequestered carbon and natural capital gain.

“I am hoping that after the trials are all done it will be a lot clearer as to which combinations of crops will be financially viable.”

of hedgerow woodchips on biodiversity, the use of chips for a fuel, a replacement of bought-in straw bedding and the use of composted dirtied woodchips to reduce bought in mineral fertiliser.

The objective of this project is to determine the impact of hedgerow woodchips in terms of carbon emission reductions, provision of enhanced hedgerow habitats and financial benchmarks.

Fourthly, he says he would like to begin trials using Endophyte seed dressing, coupled with biostimulants, alongside a new product called R-LEAF to hopefully take nitrous oxide from the atmosphere and turn it in to a nitrate which can be absorbed by the crop.

Finally, he would like start using drone technology for monitoring, measuring crop growth and applying nutrients.

JAMES BAIRD - SUPPLEMENTING NITROGEN THROUGH SOIL BIODIVERSITY FOR MILLING WHEATS

JAMES Baird farms a 500ha (1,235acre) arable farm in Littlehampton, West Sussex, growing all milling wheat, oats, seed peas for Birdseye and oilseed rape.

Eliminate insecticides

He would like SSFF funding to further his trial work to eliminate

insecticides which, he says, is proving challenging especially in peas due to aphid pressures.

James says: “It has taken 15 years to build soil organic matter and following a trial last year we are now confident to move to direct drilling within the next three years.”

He says he would use the funding to undertake more trial work, including harvest and postharvest evaluation, assessment of the ability to achieve marketable protein and retention of nitrogen in the soil.

“Working with the Association of Independent Crop Consultants,

I want to expand my trials including multi-year clover companion cropping,” he adds.

“I would like to trial various compost teas to help identify beneficial bacteria and fungi which could reduce the break crop time for legumes from six years to five and then to four.”

E.C. DRUMMOND - GROWING POTATOES WHILE IMPROVING SOIL FUNCTIONALITY HEREFORDSHIRE business

E.C. Drummond grows 324ha (324 acres) of processing potatoes, with most going to into the frozen chip market.

Over the last 10 years, they have adapted and evolved their potato growing system to have much less of an impact on the soil.

Grower Ben Drummond explains: “There have always been challenges in our growing area in

relation to soil management, adapting growing techniques allows us to demonstrate that soils are fundamental to our business and an asset to be nurtured.”

Regenerative principles

The business now believes regenerative principles are the foundations of future potato growing and Mr Drummond says machinery to remove weeds will be

another tool to the armoury that will let soils and crops to be managed differently.

He says adoption of timely weed control, with machinery matched to planting and harvesting configurations, will allow reduction in the use of herbicides. The SSFF funds would be used to help purchase machinery to develop the area of potatoes grown under fully regenerative principles on-farm.

J.R. AND H.J. JONESHOTSTUFF

J.R. and H.J. Jones and Sons farm 81ha (200 acres) on the flood plain of the Rivers Severn and Vyrnwy. Last year the business converted from a mixed farm to dairy and aim to be milking up to 500 dairy cattle within the next two years.

Water system

They would like funding to construct a system to heat warm water for feeding calves and cleaning in the parlour, by using microbial activity through composting farmyard manure (FYM) to lower the current energy requirements.

Farmer and environmental consultant Mandy Stoker explains:

“We will take used bedding from the cattle sheds, which comprises manure and chopped straw, and place into a purpose-built ‘composting vessel’. A series of water-filled hosepipe-based units will run through the compost.

“The energy and heat generated by the microbial community will warm the water. The water can then be drawn off twice a day during feeding times.”

MESSRS T.I. WETHERELL AND SON - ALTERNATIVE FERTILISER PLAN FOR BEEF AND SHEEP SYSTEM

MESSRS T.I. Wetherell and Son is a family farm in Cumbria, with a beef and sheep enterprise looking for funding to research the production of natural fertilisers.

The 283ha (709-acre) farm has 50 cows (100 followers) and 1,000

breeding ewes. Around 90 per cent of the farmland is permanent pasture and the remaining 10 per cent is made up of temporary leys and woodland.

The current fertiliser plan is using NPK compound fertiliser combined

with farmyard manure and slurry, but the family feels this is unsustainable for the future. In the past they have explored the option of using biosolids and chicken manure but it did not deem viable.

The SSFF funds would be used to

explore the production and use of natural fertilisers made from plants including, but not limited to, comfrey, calamint and nettles.

The plan is to grow the plant, process into liquid fertiliser and deliver onto the soil.

CLIMATE SPHERES - INVESTIGATING THE BEST TECHNIQUES TO CREATE AND APPLY BIOCHAR USING CROP WASTE

CLIMATE Spheres UK (CSUK) is a UK start-up, formed with the aim to help farmers become more sustainable and resilient to the impacts of climate change.

They are looking for funding to develop a process to use crop

waste to produce biochar that can be applied back to fields.

Soil enchancer

This provides a climate-friendly soil enhancer which can reduce CO2 emissions directly by sequestering

carbon and indirectly by reducing the need for standard fossil fuel fertilisers.

Biochar also offers a number of co-benefits including increasing soil carbon and crop yields, improving water retention (increasing

resilience to both flooding and droughts) and absorbing soil pollutants. We are developing the processes to use carbon credits from applying biochar to subsidise the biochar production and application.

Sponsored by

Each finalist will pitch their sustainable farming project idea in December 2022.

SECTION HERE SECOND BROW FARM PROFILE

Edited by Emily Ashworth –

01772

799 446 – emily.ashworth@agriconnect.com

Although a sheep farm at heart, opening the farm up to children and offering experiences duri

Children bring life back to

Diversifying is not just about bringing in extra income, it is vital to the survival of their business, say Yorkshire sheep farmers James and Kate Tyson.

And finding their niche has seen the couple build their enterprise and give it a new future.

Third generation farmer James keeps 500 Mules at Irton, near Scarborough, and helps his father John, 79, with his flock of 100 Swaledales. He also offers an onfarm mix and mill service to bring in an extra income.

The couple run their stock across 101 hectares (250 acres), with most of the land being tenanted and based within a threemile radius of Irton.

Historically the family kept cows, but James decided to give up his cattle – a herd of 40 Limousins – a few years ago, because Kate was not comfortable handling them. They upped sheep numbers, taking them to a weight of up to 44kg before selling them on to Dunbia Carnaby, which supplies supermarkets and other retailers.

Kate says: “We keep Mules as they are generally good mums and as a rule they are easy lambers.

We often wonder how others manage financially by just having sheep - if they do not do anything else - how do they make a living?

KATE TYSON

“We bring them in two weeks before they give birth and they stay inside until we are done.

“Mules tend to have a lot of triplets, so to cope with that we take one away and bottle feed it, until it can be adopted. If we leave them with three, they cannot look after them.

“We make sure they have had their colostrum, then take one away and put it to another which only has one lamb. But it does not always work - last year we were left with 11 pet lambs, but ideally when they go back out we like them all to have two at their feet.

“John still keeps Swales, although he does have a few other breeds including Valais Blacknose too. He likes a bit of variety. He breeds our replacement gimmers.”

The sheep follow a grass-based diet, but are supplemented with high energy buckets and fodder beet six weeks before lambing.

Before Covid-19, Kate, mum to

Molly, 16, and Elsie, 4, and step mum to Lola, 14 ,and Harry, 12, ran a pre-school musical and movement group for about 15 years.

Different viewpoint

Kate says: “We often wonder how others manage financially by just having sheep - if they do not do anything else, how do they make a living?

Covid-19 brought the idea forward for Kate to move her musical classes for children on-farm.

ng lambing has given it a new lease of life. Kate Chapman finds out more.

Yorkshire sheep farm

“I have married into farming which has been good in a way, as I am able to bring different ideas to the table that others might not necessarily think about. I come at it from a different viewpoint and think what could we do with the farm? How can we diversify?”

Covid-19 forced Kate to cancel all

her sessions at the start of the first UK lockdown in March 2020, as all her groups met indoors in libraries and halls.

She used the time to develop an idea she had been considering for a while and adapted the business to Harminis on the Farm.

This meant her young members

Farm facts

■ Run 500 Mules across 101 hectares (250 acres)

■ Breeds include Mules, Swaledales and Valais Blacknoses and are sold to Dunbia to supply retailers

■ Harminis on the Farm

could enjoy the same songs, stories and fun, but on-farm in an outdoor setting, with the bonus of a farm tour and chance to feed the newborn lambs.

“Before the pandemic we had always had friends and people I knew well from the classes come down and visit the farm to watch

diversification runs on 17 days during lambing season and is a child-led programme for children up to eight years old

■ Online courses on how to diversify are held twice a year

the lambs. They always said what a good time they had and that I ought to charge for visits. I started to think about it and realised I probably could,” says Kate.

She began planning - researching insurance, health and safety and thinking about what appropriate activities she could incorporate into

Third generation farmer James and wife Kate Tyson, keep 500 Mule ewes.

Children can have an on-farm experience during lambing.

FARM PROFILE YORKSHIRE

the visits that would be suitable for babies and children up to eight years old.

“It is very different having customers, so I put together a plan, got an insurance quote and spoke to Environmental Health to see what else would need to be done as Covid-19 was still a factor,” says Kate.

“In the end it was a low start-up cost of about £200, which went on things like straw bales to create walls and a safe space for the children.

“I also bought a few toy tractors and ride-ons, to go with ones we already had.

“To advertise, I put a couple of posts on social media and it blew up really fast and then the people who came shared posts about it online without me even asking.

“The only thing I have to make sure is that we have a couple of lambs already born, so they can be bottle fed by the visitors.

“Schools seem to be very anti farming at the moment because of climate change and they all seem to be jumping on the vegan bandwagon without much thought.

“Running these sessions gives me the opportunity to promote eating homegrown British food with low food miles and by letting the public handle the animals they make that connection about where their food is coming from.”

Sessions

Kate runs two, one-hour sessions over 17 days during lambing.

She keeps groups small and for the past couple of years there have been eight children, but she has increased this to 10 which she can comfortably manage.

Sessions are priced £9.95 per child, with one accompanying adult included in the ticket price, but extra adults can join in for £4.95 each.

“It has been really successful –

last year when tickets went on sale, two-thirds sold out within the first 12 hours,” she says.

“I make around £3,000 over the 17 days and this enables us to have the luxury of night staff to let us get some sleep at lambing time, which we could not do before.

“I could probably squeeze in a third session each day, as demand is there, but I have got to think

about my own children, myself and the other farm work. Lambing time is hard enough as it is.”

Kate has added another successful string to her bow too, by creating an online course which she delivers via Zoom twice a year, teaching other farmers how to follow her business model, at a price of £49 per ticket.

“As soon as the sessions became popular other farmers started asking how I was doing it and asking me to teach them,” she says.

“So, I pulled together a course which I deliver twice a year. One is at the end of October or in early November, to suit those involved with Christmas lambing. As feeding the lambs makes a change from visiting grottos and is a great opportunity offer a unique activity during winter.

“The second session is in January for the spring lambers. I ran a beta (trial) version in November and then had 20 sign up the next time, so I will hopefully be doing that again soon and releasing the tickets for the next public lambing sessions just before Christmas, as they make a lovely gift.”

Community is important too. Kate runs a Facebook group offering support and friendship to farming families - The Organised Farming Family group which has 1,300 members and is growing all the time.

Support

She posts every day to offer encouragement, motivation and to remind other members that they are not alone, while the rest of the chat covers topics including business, animals, children, home and more.

But the various income streams all play into one main focus – to ensure the farm’s future. With current uncertainties, the couple are not averse to expanding more either.

As well as Harminis on the Farm and her courses, Kate is adding a Shepherd’s Hut for farm stays to her diversification portfolio and is open to other opportunities too. She says: “With the way all our costs are going up, especially essentials like diesel, we have got to think about the future.

“We love living in the country, but we need these diversifications to keep the farm going.”

I pulled together a course which I deliver twice a year. One is at the end of October or in early November, to suit those involved with Christmas lambing

KATE TYSON

Kate found further success by creating online courses for farmers looking to do the same lambing diversification.

A shepherd’s hut is next in line for the farm’s diversification portfolio.

The mobile feed mixer is part of the diversification on-farm.

Edited by Teresa Rush – 07917 271 989

Oilseed rape prospects good

rSowings of 412,758ha estimated this season

By Andrew Blake

UK FARMERS have sown nearly 7 per cent more winter oilseed rape than last season. But if next harvest’s yields are no more than the five-year average of 3.3 tonnes per hectare, the country will still need imports to satisfy demand, according to United Oilseeds.

It estimates this season’s sowings cover 412,758ha, including 40,422ha from farm-saved seed. Last year 386,103ha were sown, only about half the area a decade ago.

Comparing last season’s output against sowings, managing director Chris Baldwin says there had been a 5 per cent loss.

“We think the loss this year could be 5-10 per cent, but with the weather we are having at the moment, crops are looking very good.”

Although domestic demand has fallen by 100,000t since 2021 because of the closure of the Cargill crushing plant in Hull, applying the five-year average yield to this season’s crop will still leave a shortfall of about 438,000t, he calculates.

Oilseed rape crops are generally looking very good this season, says United Oilseeds managing director Chris

“And I have to stress that is without any losses. So, we are still going to need to import oilseed rape and the market will be good going forward.”

Announcing the trading and seed sales results for the independent farmers’ co-operative, he says the crop’s annual yields have been on a rollercoaster. This year’s average of 3.7t/ha is the highest since 2017.

“It is interesting that back in 2011 we had nearly 4t/ha,” says Mr Baldwin.

This year the co-op sold enough seed for 110,389ha, an increase of 30.76 per cent on 2021 sales, he adds.

“We have the right varieties. There has been a very big swing towards hybrids.”

Sales between 2017 and 2022 show the area sown to them almost doubled to 86,835ha against the 23,240ha for conventional varieties.

App calculates BYDV risk

EARLY-SOWN cereal crops are at increasing risk of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) transmission from infective aphids, as mild conditions continue to encourage pest movement into crops.

The Syngenta BYDV Assist app uses local weather data, field location and date of crop emergence, inputted by the grower, to calculate the risk of aphid infestation and BYDV infection. This allows growers to inspect

their fields to assess the threats and determine if an intervention is required. Multiple fields across any area can be entered into the app for monitoring.

Aphid activity

Research has shown that at 170 day degrees (DD), aphid activity is at high risk to transmit BYDV. The app provides a warning at both 145DD and 170DD and includes an application

Between 2021 and 2022 the conventional share of the UK sown area fell by more than 9 per cent, while hybrids rose by nearly 29 per cent, Mr Baldwin says.

2022 sowings

Looking in more detail at 2022 sowings of certified seeds, high oleic and low linolenic (HOLL), high erucic acid rape (HEAR), Clearfield, and clubroot-resistant varieties all account for more than in 2021, the latter up by nearly 50 per cent to 28,131ha.

“That is a significant increase and we wondered whether it was correct. But then you look at the variety Crome, which has a 50 per cent market share [of clubroot resisters] and I think a lot of growers are growing that type of variety as an insurance – and it does yield very well.”

Tips for minimising BYDV

■ Destroy green bridges between crops

■ Drill later as the threat of an aphid infestation typically declines

■ Sow higher seed rates for stronger compensatory growth

guide to achieve optimum timing if treatment is required.

The main vectors of BYDV include the bird cherry oat aphid, grain aphid and rose grain aphid. National insect

The co-op offers market leaders in all sectors, Acacia dominating with 40.63 per cent of conventional varieties, Aurelia with 30.15 per cent of hybrids, and Matrix with 63.24 per cent of Clearfield types.

Noting the value of the co-op’s harvest pool price of £600/t for 20212022, Mr Baldwin says that anyone selling 10t every day at spot prices will have received £59/t less. Last summer’s effect on oil contents, averaging 46.17 per cent against 43.56 per cent from the 2021 harvest, highlights the value of sunshine, he adds. The difference in the oil bonus between the two years is more than £21/t.

“The financial impact is massive,” says Mr Baldwin.

Overall, the co-op reportedly traded 421,132t in 2022, 6.5 per cent more than in 2021.

■ Direct drill to preserve beneficial predators

■ Apply insecticides at full rates to minimise the risk of resistance among aphid populations

Source: Syngenta

monitoring has indicated that while the number of aphids being caught is relatively low, compared to previous seasons, the proportion carrying BYDV and acting as potential vectors is higher.

We are still going to need to import oilseed rape and the market will be good going forward

CHRIS BALDWIN

Baldwin.

PICTURE: GARY NAYLOR

ARABLE CROPTEC PREVIEW

to see at The CropTec

Technical arable farming event The CropTec Show celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

The event was originally created by Stephen Howe, former development director for the Farmers Guardian group which owns CropTec and LAMMA. Aware of the many changes facing arable growers at the time, Mr Howe could see the opportunity for a ‘no frills’ technical event specifically for the sector.

At the time, new EU regulations were affecting pesticide use and availability while UK legislation, such as the Water Framework Directive, Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) and cross-compliance requirements, brought a raft of further demands on farmers and their operators.

Alongside this, the cost of agrochemicals was increasing and environmental issues posed further challenges.

Mr Howe says: “We wanted to raise awareness among farmers about what was going on, what was coming up in the next year or two and what steps they could take to prepare.”

Nick Rainsley, head of marketing for Hutchinsons, was a member of the original CropTec steering committee which launched the event.

He says: “We wanted it to be about information and knowledge exchange to and from manufacturers, suppliers and growers as efficiently as possible.

“I have been to CropTec every year since and it is important for Hutchinsons to be there. The key strength is the quality of the growers.

“It draws out the more technically-minded and those who are looking for opportunities and to learn.”

Stephen Burcham, director Horsch UK, agrees. He says:

The Voluntary Initiative at 21

THIS year’s show is set to feature a special session - The Voluntary Initiative at 21: Past, Present and Future

The session will include a panel discussion on the organisation’s past achievements, current activities and the role of an integrated pest management-

“Horsch has been exhibiting at CropTec since the start. People come for information and we like to be part of that by sponsoring the seminars. It gives us the opportunity to reach the right people.”

Over the years the event’s themes have changed to reflect the hot topics, with the continued aim of keeping growers and their advisers informed and inspired.

The theme for this year’s event is Farming in a changing climate: Controlling costs, cultivating resilience, with the seminar programme set to address issues around environmental regulation, data, natural capital opportunities and disease control.

Information

Gareth Jones, CropTec event manager, says: “Much has changed over the past decade but the rationale behind CropTec remains the same – to bring together practical know-how and scientific research to equip farmers with the latest information and technology to help

based approach to the future of sustainable farming.

Voluntary Initiative chair and Albanwise head of environment

Phil Jarvis will chair a panel comprising Hampshire farmer and chair of the NFU crops board chair Matt Culley; Hazel Doonan, head of agronomy and crop protection

EXHIBITION

FIND more than 130 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services in crop nutrition, crop protection, precision farming, agri-tech and much more in The CropTec Show exhibition.

them make the right decisions for their businesses.

“We look forward to welcoming farmers, growers and their advisers to this year’s event.”

This year’s show will deliver the tried and tested CropTec formula of an industry-leading exhibition with an informative and thought-provoking seminar programme, plus specialist hubs and zones.

sector, Agricultural Industries Confederation; AHDB monitor farm host, contractor and VI champion Matt Redman; current Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year champion and Northamptonshire Beekeepers’ Association chair Steve May, and a Defra representative.

Charity partner

THE CropTec Show’s charity partner YANA plans to use the event to highlight its recent service expansion.

The charity has been operating in Norfolk and Suffolk since 2008 but expanded into Cambridgeshire and Essex this year. It comes after an 88 per cent increase in calls to its confidential helpline (0300 323 0400) in 2021 followed by a further 77 per cent increase in the first nine months of 2022.

Charity manager Emma Haley explains that typical reasons for calls include stress, anxiety and depression, with an increasing number of people calling because they are concerned about someone else.

She says: “Last year, 46 per cent

After a successful harvest, the season ahead looks set to be a challenging one for Show will provide a wealth of opportunities to search for solutions to some of the What

Much has changed over the past decade but the rationale behind CropTec remains the same – to help farmers make the right decisions for their businesses

GARETH JONES

UK arable farmers. A visit to The CropTec sector’s most pressing issues.

Show this year

SEMINARS

THE seminar sessions get underway with a look at ways to tackle some of the most pressing questions around cost management in the arable sector (see page 30).

Further sessions explore how new technology and data can help

Essential information

■ The CropTec Show takes place on November 23-24 at the East of England Showground, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. For satnav, use PE2 6HE

■ Follow The CropTec Show on

control fertiliser costs and how environmental deliverables can be monetised on-farm. The afternoon session explores strategies to help farmers reduce chemical inputs, while also asking ‘where next for disease control?’

social media. Twitter: @CropTecShow, Facebook: CropTec Show, LinkedIn: The CropTec Show

■ For more information and to book your free ticket, visit croptecshow.com

SPRAYER DEMONSTRATION

BACK for another year, the Sprayer Demonstration Area will allow visitors to put the latest sprayer technology through its paces. Those looking to invest in new kit can test drive sprayers, quiz the experts, get up close to

check out all the key features of the machines on display and compare all of them in one place. Visitors simply need to speak with manufacturers on the day to organise a time slot for their in-cab experience.

More information over the page.

Join

Have you considered growing high welfare pigs? Do you have an under u lised buildings?

Or simply wish for another revenue stream on the farm? We o er:

- Help and advice for conversions and new buildings

- Long term sustainable contracts

- A regular and stable cash flow

- Total support from our experienced team of Field sta and Vets

of calls led to us funding counselling sessions. Feedback from those who have received counselling shows improvements in relationships, work and mental health, with 96 per cent reporting that they are able to manage their problems better after their six sessions. It shows that we are meeting the needs of people who contact us.”

As well as running the confidential helpline and funding counselling, YANA – which stands for You Are Not Alone – also offers

mental health awareness training to associated businesses. Alongside the expansion into Cambridgeshire and Essex, it has also increased its training remit to provide support to those who have completed its mental health first aid courses, as well as introducing refresher courses and short one-hour sessions on stress and anxiety.

“Being charity partner for CropTec is a great opportunity for us to talk to farmers and others in the industry about our expansion and to reach more people and raise awareness that we are there to offer support.

“The show is a good fit for us and a great location to meet people from our region and have some good conversations,” says Ms Haley.

- Good income and quality muck back in return for supplying the building, water, straw and labour

ARABLE CROPTEC PREVIEW

Hubs and zones

FROM managing water quality and quantity, to data-led decisions and continued professional development, the hubs and zones at this

year’s CropTec Show are all set to deliver concise intelligence on some of the industry’s most pressing issues.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR WATER

AFTER one of the driest summers on record, farmers received a stark reminder this year that water cannot be taken for granted.

In this year’s Water Hub, sponsored by Anglian Water, farmers and growers will be able to join the conversation about the impact water will have on their business over the next five years.

From water quality, quantity and security, the hub promises to debate what the future might hold for water in agriculture and visitors are being asked to come armed with questions for the

In association with

Anglian Water team, to resolve how land managers and water companies can work together to achieve the same goals.

Speakers will include representatives of Holkham Estate, Dyson Farming, the British Beet Research Organisation, Harper Adams, Syngenta, Oakbank Game and Conservation and Anglian Water.

WHERE TO START WITH NATURAL CAPITAL

WITH farmers looking to new income streams, interest in trading natural capital continues at pace. But with the concept still in its infancy, there is understandably caution around the idea.

The Leveraging Natural Capital Knowledge Hub, sponsored by Trinity AgTech, will answer common questions around carbon and biodiversity net gain, all the way from

In association with

Ag Tech Zone

auditing to product marketing. It will also chart the evolution of carbon audit technology to explain why calculators provide different answers and how these should be interpreted.

ARE YOU WASTING YOUR DATA?

DATA is swiftly influencing the way we farm, but with such huge amounts being generated, utilising it all can seem daunting and time consuming.

The Digital Farming Hub, sponsored by Bayer’s Climate FieldView, will explore how new technology can be used to influence variety choice, optimise nitrogen use, evaluate disease management and streamline data collection. The

In association with

SETTING THE BALANCE BETWEEN FOOD AND THE ENVIRONMENT

WITH the industry waiting on tenterhooks for Defra’s National Action Plan for the sustainable use of pesticides to be published, which will lay out a five-year strategy to increase the sustainability of pesticide use in the UK, the CropTec IPM Hub will explore setting the balance between profitable food production, responsible input use and enhancing soils and the wider environment.

Hub sponsor AHDB has tools, independent research-based

KEEPING CLUED UP

BACK for another year, the training zone, supported by BASIS, will focus on keeping the future of farming clued up and ready to face current and emerging agronomic and environmental challenges.

In association with

information and services to guide growers looking to reduce soil movement, review the return on inputs and get more from varieties to make the best decision for the farm and crop.

In association with

hub talks will be full of practical examples that can be implemented on any farm and show how farmers can start reaping the benefits of digital farming to unlock the potential of their data.

There will be three seminars each day, encompassing soil training for agronomic advisers and machinery manufacturers; an environmental focus with speakers from the Game and

Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; and a crop protection discussion highlighting the importance of staying up to date with new developments in the crop protection sphere.

AS the destination to hear about the latest and greatest tech developments in agriculture,

CropTec’s Ag Tech Zone will display some of the exciting new advances set to carry crop production forward.

Water quality and security will be in focus in the new Water Hub.

November 23-24, 2022

East of England Showground, Peterborough

What’s on at The CropTec Show 2022

The CropTec Show’s themes of cost management and building a resilient business have become increasingly relevant and important over the past 10 years. But The CropTec Show 2022 is here to provide all the advice and support you need, with an impressive line-up of show features, speakers, exhibitors and networking possibilities.

Visitors to this FREE technical arable farming event will have the opportunity to learn best business practices to face uncertainty with an arsenal of knowledge and tools to cut costs and increase profit.

SEMINARS

Tackle disease control, cost management, natural capital and tech-adoption

NETWORKING

Over 50% of CropTec attendees intend to network and push their businesses forward

EXHIBITION

Explore the best products and services available with more than 150 exhibitors

Tickets for The CropTec Show are FREE Register today and bring your team along to learn the latest insights within arable farming

Sponsors:

KNOWLEDGE HUBS

Five Knowledge Hubs explore the most pressing issues facing arable farming today

TEST DRIVE

A selection of sprayers are set-up ready for a test drive in our demonstration area

CPD POINTS

You can earn BASiS points and NRoSO points at The CropTec Show

Bringing together science, practice and policy, this year’s CropTec Show seminars – which feature across both days of the show – are designed to help growers future-proof their businesses in the following areas:

■ Coping with change: Costs, environmental regulation and cultivating resilience.

Speakers: Caroline Nicholls, Future Farming and Countryside Programme; Harry Henderson, AHDB; Edward Reynolds, Cambridgeshire farmer; Sebastien Mallet, ODA Connect.

■ Trusting data: How tech adoption could be key to controlling fertiliser costs.

Speakers: Mark Tucker, Yara; Tom Hawthorne, Nottinghamshire farmer; Ben Abell, Dyson Farming.

■ Maximising natural capital revenue opportunities.

Speakers: George Cook, Ander-

Leading voices in the arable sector will tackle some of the contemporary challenges facing British farming in a seminar programme marking The CropTec Show’s 10th anniversary.

Seminar programme to signpost industry’s route to success

NIAB; Dr Phil Howell, NIAB; Colin Chappell, Lincolnshire farmer.

■ Strategies for disease control in a changing climate: Where next?

Speakers: Andrew Watson,

Leading farming politics journalist and Farmers Guardian head of news Abi Kay is chairing the ‘Coping with Change’ session.

She says: “As farmers grapple with soaring prices for energy, fertiliser and diesel, there has never been a better time to discuss cost management. We have a great set of guests on the panel at CropTec to explore the implications of the current crisis.”

Another pressure point being addressed is the ongoing loss of plant protection products.

Products

Andrew Watson, east region agronomist at NIAB, says: “It looks highly likely that tebuconazole and some other related products will be banned in the UK within two years.

“Tebuconazole is really the only pesticide that can quickly eradicate yellow and brown rust already established in a wheat crop. If it is banned, around a third of the current recommended list winter wheat varieties may be too risky to grow.

“Integrated control of yellow rust is possible, however planning and risk management are key.”

As input costs continue to rise, farmers are under increasing pressure to improve efficiencies. NFU crops board chair and Hampshire farmer Matt Culley hopes the ‘Trusting Data: How tech adoption could be key to controlling fertiliser costs’ session he is chairing, sponsored by Yara, will provide plenty of practical advice.

CROPTEC SHOW 2022 SEMINAR SPONSORS Monetising

He says: “It has never been more important to get crop nutrition right, which means not just focusing on nitrogen, but also potassium, phosphorus, and sulphur.

“My aim is to help growers learn a bit more about the technologies available and ways they can get the best out of the fertiliser they will use next spring.”

Rounding off the seminars, the ‘Maximising natural capital opportunities’ session aims to help farmers understand how they can make the most of new opportunities.

Session chair Dr Liz Lewis-Reddy, director of ADAS policy and economics, hopes the discussion will start to shift mindsets over environmental markets.

Resistance

She says: “My goal for this session is to break down some barriers and help others overcome their resistance to environmental markets and natural capital and instead see them as an opportunity for the long-term viability of the agricultural sector.

“Every farm has natural capital and is generating environmental goods and services, so this is not necessarily about fundamental change. This is about revealing that existing value, maximising its production potential and turning it into something that works for farming businesses.”

MORE INFORMATION

For more information on The CropTec Show seminar programme go to croptecshow.com

Control of diseases, such as yellow rust, in the face of a declining armoury will be one topic of discussion at the seminars.

sons; Dr Nigel Davies, Maltdoctor; Michael Kavanagh, The Green Farm Collective.

Edited by Angela Calvert – 07768

Bonanza sale of Suffolk females peaks at 8,500gns

THE Bonanza sale of pedigree Suffolk females held at Jalex Farm, Randalstown, Northern Ireland, topped at 8,500gns for a shearling gimmer from Jack Smyth and Emma McElhill’s Bessiebell flock, Newtownstewart.

By Theviews 8 out of a homebred daughter of Scrogton Jack The Lad, it sold carrying twins to Scrogton Snapchat and with a recipient carrying a embryo by Frongoy Rocket, to Messrs Alexander, Randalstown.

Stephanie and William Tait’s Burnview flock, Lislap, Co Tyrone, peaked at 4,000gns for a Strathbogie Joel-sired gimmer out of a Strathbogie I’m Invincible daughter scanned with triplets to Forkins Ferrari, to Messrs Screen, Co Tyrone. Also selling for 4,000gns was a

gimmer by Scrogton Snapchat out of a Strathbogie dam from James Alexander’s Jalex flock, Randalstown. It sold, carrying triplets by Theviews 6, to Messrs Leonard, Co Donegal.

Gimmer

The Oakbridge flock from P. Gurney, Colraine, peaked at 3,000gns for a gimmer by Convoy Pablo Escobar out of a Benedyglen-sired ewe which sold in-lamb with twins to Castelisle Kingsman to Messrs Tait, Co Tyrone.

AVERAGES

Bannview flock – 4 shearling gimmers, £1,496.25. Bessiebell flock – 1 flock ewe, £945; 7 shearling gimmers, £3,090; 2 ewe lambs, £630. Burnview flock – 7 flock ewes, £1,192.50; 16 shearling gimmers,

Logie Durno Charollais sell to 12,000gns

r70 shearling gimmers average £1,851

LEADING the trade and setting a new female joint record at 12,000gns at the Logie Durno and Loanhead

Export Charollais production sale held at Carlisle on behalf of the Ingram family, Inverurie, was a shearling ewe by Dalby Tuilagi. It sold carrying twins to Wernfawr Ace, to Messrs Powell, Co Armagh. Its dam also bred Walking Thunder, the

£1,890; 9 ewe lambs, £1,190. Craigdoo flock – 3 flock ewes, £700; 5 shearling gimmers, £1,365. Donbraid flock – 2 flock ewes, £1,050; 3 shearling gimmers, £1,225; 3 ewe lambs, £1,610. Jalex flock –

2020 premier sale champion, which sold for 9,000gns.

Next, at 7,000gns, was a Foxhill Va Va Voom daughter in-lamb with twins to Foxhill Walkabout which was knocked down to Messrs Hoggard, Newark.

Another shearling by the same sire and in-lamb to Walkabout, then made 4,500gns to Messrs Sloan, Dumfries.

This was closely followed at 4,200gns by a ewe lamb, also by Va Va Voom, which sold to Messrs Miley, Roscommon.

AVERAGES

14 flock ewes, £1,402; 70 shearling gimmers, £1,851; 24 ewe lambs, £2,121.88; 4 ram lambs, £1,023.75. Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

Strong trade at Cheshire on-farm Holstein dispersal

THE entire herd of 460 unregistered Holsteins, which was averaging 13,000 litres, was dispersed on-farm at Nantwich on behalf of the Darlington family and averaged £1,382/head. A seven-year-old fifth calver sold for 2,750gns and 37 head made 2,500gns or more.

Fresh calved animals were in demand, but young spring calvers were regularly more than 2,000gns.

Served heifers peaked at 2,200gns for a November calver, maiden heifers sold up to 1,020gns and stronger calves at foot topped

at 800gns for a Bomaz Vader daughter.

AVERAGES

267 cows and calved heifers, £1,835; 56 served heifers, £1,482; 35 maiden heifers, £654; 107 A lot heifer calves, £456. Auctioneers: Norton and Brooksbank.

Suckled calves to £1,620 high twice at Barnard Castle

AN entry of 340 suckled calves at Barnard Castle topped at £1,620 twice for Limousin heifers from J.W. Dent and Son, Lartington, and N.G. Beveridge, Tow Law.

The pre-sale show was judged by Will Harrison, Bishop Burton, and Matthew Brown, Bridlington, who

awarded the championship to a seven-month-old British Blue heifer from Messrs Dent. It later sold for £1,500 to Alan Barnett, Shap. Reserve champion went to a Limousin steer from Messrs Beveridge, which sold for £1,600 to Messrs Smith, Carnforth.

In the breeding cattle section the championship went to a Limousin heifer with a Limousin heifer calf from Messrs Tindale, Shadforth, which made £3,200 to Messrs Dent.

Auctioneers: Barnard Castle and Teesdale Farmers Auction Mart Co.

Shearling gimmer from Jack Smyth and Emma McElhill, Newtownstewart, which sold for the day’s top price of 8,500gns, to Messrs Alexander, Randalstown.

20 shearling gimmers, £1,690.50. Letrim flock – 6 shearling gimmers, £822.50. Oakbridge flock – 6 shearling gimmers, £1,417.50; 4 ewe lambs, £1,050.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

Champion leads Gisburn dairies

AN Altaspring-sired fresh 26-monthold heifer from the Sandcrest herd of J. and M. Sanderson, Kirkham, took the championship and sold at the top price of £3,380 in Gisburn’s dairy sale which drew an entry of more than 100.

Also topping the £3,000 mark was Fordswood Applefree Marie Red from J., J.M., and H.J. Walmsley, Pilling. Sold giving 36kg, it went to W. Hesketh and Son, Preston.

B.F. Blezard, Ribchester, went to £2,720 for a Secretariat heifer from M. and J. Bristol’s Newton-inBowland-based Claremont herd.

They also sold the top priced pedigree cow at £2,780. The second calver, Manunited Dealmaker Dawn, had given 10,414kg as a heifer and sold to J.J. and J. Graves, Carlisle.

Heifer

A 34kg heifer from the Smellows herd of J.D. Taylor and Son, Skipton, made £2,680.

A two weeks calved 30kg heifer from T. and C. Robinson, Tosside, put a ceiling on the non-pedigree heifer trade at £2,520, while in-calvers sold to £1,950 for a non-pedigree from J.L. Millin and Son, Ashton-under-Lyne.

AVERAGES

Pedigree newly-calved cows, £2,288; pedigree newly-calved heifers, £2,342; non-pedigree newly-calved cows, £1,590; non-pedigree newly-calved heifers, £1,920; pedigree in-calf heifers, £1,410; nonpedigree in-calf heifers, £1,870; pedigree bulling heifers, £1,122.

Auctioneers: Gisburn Auction Mart.

Salers top 9,000gns at Castle Douglas

Commercial trade to high of £2,750/head

THE Farmers Guardiansupported premier show and sale of pedigree and commercial Salers at Castle Douglas topped at 9,000gns for the reserve senior champion, Drumaglea Perseus.

A Cantal-sired October 2020-born bull from Judith and Patrick Boyd, Isle of Tiree, it sold to R.A. Austin, Boreland of Girthon, Gatehouse of Fleet.

The junior, male and overall champion, Bacardi Rodney from Roy and Adam Crockett, a grandson of the successful show cow Bacardi Jessie Jay which was a Royal Highland Show and Great Yorkshire Show champion, was bought by Rusko Farms, Gatehouse of Fleet, for 7,000gns.

Also making 7,000gns was the intermediate, male and reserve overall champion, Cleuchhead Rocky, a Nomad son from Livesey Farming, Melrose. It was bought by Messrs Lawrence, Blackpots, Aberdeenshire.

The Livesey family sold fourth prize winner Cleuchhead Red Rocker by Noble for 6,500gns to H.G. and S.G. Pritchard, Llangybi, Gwynedd.

Also at 6,500gns from Messrs

Boyd was the Sancy son, Drumaglea Prince, selling to A. and J. Wright, Girvan.

In the haltered female section, the reserve junior and reserve overall champion, Lisnamaul Rascal by Herbin, from P.J. Maginn and Sons, Northern Ireland, sold for 2,500gns to A. and J. Wright, Givan. Overall and junior female champion was Gentons Renate, a February 2021-born Herbin daughter from Bertie Facon, Banbury, which made 2,100gns to Eugene Gallagher.

Pedigree

The three pedigree production drafts of females topped at 4,800gns for Drumaglea Pearl, a September 2020-born heifer by Baron from Messrs Boyd. It sold, in-calf to Variegeois, to Michael Drumbreck, Skelton-on-Ure.

The draft from Allison Devereux Farms, Co Durham, topped at 3,400gns for Harperley May Mist 4, a Mistral daughter with an Aprilborn heifer calf at foot, to E. James and Co, Ceredigion.

Gerald and Morag Smith’s Drumsleed draft was led at 2,600gns by Drumsleed Rose, a June 2021-born daughter of Cleuchhead Outlaw, which went to Lewis Ralston, Jedburgh.

Leading the commercial trade at £2,750/head was A.R. Lee, Lumbylaw, with three in-calf heifers selling to I. Stark, South Ballo, Abernyte.

Best pen

The best pen of commercial Salers went to Livesey Farming, which sold the five bulling heifers for the section top price of £2,000 apiece to R. and M. Dunlop, Barr. Andrew M. Brown,

Corsock,

AVERAGES: 15 bulls, £5,185.33, (+£296.27 on 2021); 11 in-calf heifers, £3,035.45 (+£675.57); 8 pedigree bulling heifers, £2,191.88 (+£433.14); 8 heifers with calves, £2,572.50, (+£210). Commercial – 137 bulling heifers, £1,287.23 (-£52.77); 29 heifer stirks, £998.28 (-£195); 62 in-calf heifers, £1,773.39 (-£175.14).

Reserve senior champion, Drumaglea Perseus, from Judith and Patrick Boyd, Isle of Tiree, which sold for the day’s top price of 9,000gns.

Overall, junior and male champion, Bacardi Rodney, from Roy and Adam Crockett, which sold for 7,000gns.

Reserve overall, male and intermediate champion, Cleuchhead Rocky, from Livesey Farming, Melrose, which sold for 7,000gns.

Fourth prize winner Cleuchhead Red Rocker, from Livesey Farming, Melrose, which sold for 6,500gns.

led the heifer stirk trade at £1,250.

Auctioneers: Wallets Marts.

PICTURES: ISLA CAMPBELL

Swaledale rams hit £38,000 at Hawes

TRADE was mixed at the two-day sale of Swaledale rams on behalf of the Swaledale Breeders Association B District at Hawes. The market saw 522 rams go under the hammer, with 81 failing to sell and averaging £2,052.26 overall, just less than £200/head on the year.

Claiming the top price of £38,000 was the small breeders champion, Long Close Funky from James Metcalfe, Usha Gap, Muker. By an Usha Gap sire, it was knocked down to Craig Ridley, Haltcliffe.

Next, at £30,000, was Swalehead Thiago, by Helbeck Rambo from R.W. Clarkson and Son, Low Whita, which sold in a four-way split to Richard Hird, Shepherds Lodge; Matthew Lawson, Buddle House; Jocky Hird, Gillfield; and Messrs Allison, Mill Lane.

Paul Harker, Punchard; Phillip and Tom Hutton, Setmabanning; and Jack Lawson, Hundith; joined forces to pay £28,000 for a son of a

£17,000 Bull and Cave ram from Andrew Harrison, Beck Head.

Second prize

Colin and Ann Martin and Clive Owen, Close Hills, took the second prize rosette in the large breeders section on the second day with a son of the Silver Dream ram. It sold for £25,000 to John Tully, Burncroft, and Peter Lightfoot, Gillside.

Strong dairy trade at Carlisle

Small breeders champion, Long Close Funky, from James Metcalfe, Usha Gap, Muker, which sold for the day’s top price of £38,000 to Craig Ridley, Haltcliffe.

MORE than 400 dairy cattle went under the hammer at Carlisle, selling to £3,200 twice, with milking heifers averaging £2,336.

First to sell for £3,200 was Carnduff Attico Rosebud, consigned by the Bryson family, Lesmahagow, who sold another three heifers to average £3,000. The buyer was Messrs Austin, New Abbey.

Messrs Fisher, Kirkcudbright, paid £3,200 for Cambus Useful Sietske from Nether Pratis Farming, Fife, which also sold a Westcoast Ardor daughter and daughter of Siemers Bloomfield for £3,000.

The second prize winner from the first day’s large breeders section was Lummas Unique by a Haltcliffe ram which was champion at the Swaledale Online show 2020 from D. and E.M. and I.D. Brown, Lummas House, Marske. It sold for £22,000, to Wilf Buckle, Kirkby Stephen; Mr Lightfoot and Bill Cowperthwaite, Reeth. Auctioneers: Hawes Farmers Auction Mart.

High of 3,200gns for Skipton Suffolks

THE top two prices at Skipton’s sale of Suffolk females went to Myfyr Evans’ Rhaeadr flock, Denbigh. Leading the trade at 3,200gns was a ewe lamb by Millhouse Magic Touch out of a Stockton Sniper’s Son-sired dam. It sold to A. Oare, Hollywell.

Next, at 1,800gns, was the pre-sale show champion, a ewe

lamb by Ardlea Arbenning out of a Lakeview-bred Strathbogie Stradivarius daughter, which sold to the judge, Kate Crossley, Barkisland.

The second prize ewe lamb by Benrafton Barney Boy from Alan Blair’s Thornfleet flock, Thornton Cleveleys, sold for 1,600gns to R. Gill, Ingleton.

Ewe lamb, from Myfyr Evans, Denbigh, which sold for the day’s top price of 3,200gns to A. Oare, Hollywell.

Stephen Bolland, Bolton Abbey, sold the third placed ewe lamb, a Solwaybank Cracker daughter, for 1,500gns to J.M. Robinson and Son, Grimsby.

Mr Bolland also had the winning in-lamb shearling ewe and reserve champion by the same sire, which sold, scanned with a single to Bridgeview Maximum, to the Fitzsimon family, Shawhead, for 1,750gns.

In-lamb shearling

Another in-lamb shearling from the same home, again by Cracker and carrying twins to Maximus, made 1,500gns to Simon Bennett, Silsden.

The consignment from Steve Buckley’s Sitlow flock, Buxton, topped at 1,600gns for a 2020-born ewe by Logie Durno Sonny Bill, carrying triplets to Sportsmans Black Label. It went home with A. Morton, Denny.

AVERAGES

17 ewes, £673.29; shearling ewes, £742; ewe lambs, £714. Auctioneers: CCM.

The Errolston herd owned by the Davidson family, Gretna, topped the cow trade at £3,000 for Errolston Security BA Ricki, a recently calved second lactation cow producing almost 50kg.

John Adamson, Lanark, sold a group of Ayrshire cows and heifers topping at £2,500 for a second calver.

Dispersal

The final dispersal of Lord Inglewood Farm Partners’ Inglewood herd, Plumpton, topped at £2,600 for Inglewood Rager Neeltje, a freshly-calved heifer by Rager Red. Inglewood Tropic Kitty from the same home led the bulling heifers at £1,900 and their 30 heifer calves topped at £980 for a daughter of Alum.

North Corbelly Dairying, Dumfries, sold 40 freshly-calved mainly Jersey Friesian cross-bred cows all in their second lactation, topping at £2,600.

In-calf heifers peaked at £2,300 for Wormanby Dalliance Miss America from Wormanby Farms, Burgh by Sands.

AVERAGES

113 Holstein heifers in-milk, £2,336.55; 13 Holstein cows in-milk; £21,96.15; 6 Ayrshires in-milk, £2,275; 11 British Friesian cows in-milk, £2,000; 40 Jersey Friesian cross cows, £1,923.61; 18 faulted cows/ three-quartered cows, £1,293.33. Inglewood dispersal – 59 cows and heifers in-milk, £1,484; 16 dry cows due December, £1,518.18; 53 Holstein and Brown Swiss in-calf heifers, £1,550; 49 Holstein bulling heifers, £1,106.09; 30 Holstein maiden heifers, £534.33; 16 Jersey Friesian cross maiden heifers, £199.37. Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

rSale sees overall average of £2,052.26

PICTURE: WAYNE HUTCHINSON

Holsworthy dairy event sees £5,200 top for Willsbro herd

rOverall champion leads day’s prices

FOR the first time the Farmers Guardian-supported annual dairy event at Holsworthy was held as a stand-alone day, with an entry of more than 175 dairy cattle on offer.

The day’s top call was £5,200 for the winning cow and overall champion, Willsbro Klutch Roxy 319 S9, a second calver from Wills Bros, Wadebridge.

The reserve champion and winning heifer, also from Wills Bros, was Willsbro Duplo Dolly 117 which sold for £3,700. The second prize-winning cow, Willsbro Klutch Amber 217, also a second calver from Wills Bros, made £3,400, with its 12 fresh calvers averaging £3,383.

R.A.S. Johns and Partners, Shebbear, sold the third prize cow, a second calver yielding 42kg at £2,900, with H. Burrows and Sons, Woolacombe, also selling the freshly-calved heifer, Glendene Mahogany 61 at £2,900.

Steve Wonnacott, Bideford, sold a fresh calved heifer at £2,800 and Messrs Johns sold another secondcalving cow, Newrock Nihao Peace 271 GP84 SP, at £2,800 with another second calver from the same vendor realising £2,750.

Fresh calvers

A consignment of 37 robot-milked fresh calvers from R.N. and D. Jenkin, Manaccan, Helston, topped at £2,900, with others to £2,800 twice and £2,700 three times to average £2,188. Dry cows from the same vendor peaked at £2,150.

In-calf heifers were a steadier trade compared to the milkers topping at £1,750 twice. Firstly, for a heifer due in December to pedigree Aberdeen-Angus from R.N. and D. Jenkin, Helston, and then for the winning in-calf heifer, Loford Appeal Inksou, due in December from M.J. and J.E. Wade, Bideford.

Maiden heifers topped at £1,700 for Willsbro Davinci Sharon 4069, a June 2022-born heifer from Wills Bros.

AVERAGES

In-milk cows and heifers, £2,505; dry cows, £1,708; in-calf heifers, £1,340; maiden heifers, £656. Auctioneers: Kivells.

Overall champion and winning cow, Willsbro Klutch Roxy 319 S9, from Wills Bros, Wadebridge, which sold for £5,200.

Reserve overall champion and winning heifer, Willsbro Duplo Dolly 117, from Wills Bros, Wadebridge, which sold for £3,700.

Auctioneer Mark Brommell.

Rob Wade, of Loford Holsteins, collecting his rosette for best maiden heifer from Hilary Skipper.

PICTURES: FARLAP

Whitebred Shorthorns top 3,200gns

rFemale champion sells for 2,000gns

WHITEBRED Shorthorn cattle sold to 3,200gns at Carlisle for the male and overall champion, Blackburn Almighty, an April 2021-born bull by Glentyne Grafter Boy out of Blackburn Margaret from G. Jackson, Newcastleton. The buyer was Messrs Ireland, Holmrook.

Making 2,000gns, was the female champion, July 2020-born Glentyne Lucinda 2, a daughter of Glentyne George out of Hottbank Lucinda 12. Consigned by M.G. and J. Taylor, Castle Douglas, it sold, incalf to Glentyne Grafter, to Messrs McAllister, Newton Stewart.

Harvey’s Eminem, a January 2021-born Galloway bull, which had been reserve junior male champion at the Royal Highland Show, sold for 3,000gns. Consigned by George and Beth Harvey, Balfron, the son of Braveheart of Gall-Way was knocked down to Messrs Whalley, Chorley.

Bulling heifers

Galloway bulling heifers topped at 3,000gns for the female champion, Edna 84 of Kilnstown, an April 2021-born daughter of Troloss Nitro from Kilnstown Farms, Bewcastle, which sold to Messrs Chinn, Broughton-in-Furness.

Ben Lomond Esperanza, a June 2020-born heifer by Wipa of Romesbeoch from J.M. and D.

Maxwell, Drymen, sold, in-calf to Barlaes Trooper, for 1,850gns to Messrs Bowman, Newton Stewart.

Non-pedigree Galloway bulling heifers topped at £1,800 apiece for a pair from William Thomson, Ettrick, which went home with Messrs Wallace, Hexham.

AVERAGES

Galloways – pedigree – 1 bull, £3,150; 18 heifers in-milk/in-calf, £1,577.92; 20 bulling heifers, £1,253.47; 2 cows in-milk/in-calf, £1,400; non-pedigree –

Suckled calves to £2,000 at Forfar

THE sale of spring-born suckled calves and store cattle at Forfar topped at £2,000 for the winning single bullock calf and champion, a 374kg British Blue from R. Simpson and Son, Blairgowrie.

Heifers peaked at £1,260 for the winner of the single heifer class and reserve champion, a 464kg Limousin consigned by A.J. Adam, Glamis.

Top price per kilo was 441.6p for

a 275kg Limousin heifer from Osborne Farms, Balmadies.

Winning pen

The winning pen of four bullock calves, which sold for £960/head, was from Glenkilrie Partnership, Blacklunans, which also had the first prize pen of four heifer calves which made £920/head.

Topping the store cattle trade

was G.D. MacDonald and Son, Blairgowrie, with a 546kg Limousin heifer which realised £2,080 (380p/kg).

Bullocks topped at £1,470 for a 584kg Limousin from the same vendor.

Top price per kilo for bullocks was 291.8p for a 466kg Limousin, consigned by I.G. Grant, Bank of Gallery.

Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington.

4 heifers in-milk/in-calf, £1,482.50; 10 bulling heifers, £1,188; 3 cows in-milk/ in-calf, £1,160. Whitebred Shorthorns – 2 bulls, £2,126.25; 13 females, £1,158.23.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

Lazonby store lambs to £128

THE 1,105 store lambs at Lazonby topped at £128 for a pen of six Beltex from E.C. Hodgson, Ingledene, Penrith.

Texels sold to £124 for a pen of three from Messrs Horn, Penrith, who also topped the Suffolks at £90/head.

Mules also topped at £90 for V. Coulson, Hexham. Hill lambs peaked at £70 for a pen of Swaledales from J.T. Green, Alston.

AVERAGES

1,105 store lambs, £64.32.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

Store cattle and feeding bulls realise high of £1,615 at Penrith sale

THERE was a strong trade for the 258 store cattle and feeding bulls on offer at Penrith which topped at £1,615 for a 20-month-old Limousin bullock from T.E. Clarke, Howgill Castle. It sold to David Barker, Scarborough, with this

consignment of 18- to 19-month-old cattle averaging £1,507.

D. and J. Errington, Annfield, sold 24-month-old dairy-bred British Blue bullocks to £1,435 and the same home topped the heifer section at £1,475 with a Limousin

cross Hereford, with the consignment averaging £1,375 for both bullocks and heifers.

Non-farm assured, 21-month-old, dairy-bred British Blue heifers sold to £1,355/head for W.H. Raine, Renwick.

A consignment of 14- to 15-month-old Limousin bullocks from C.W. and Y. Dixon and Son, Haresceugh Castle, averaged £1,207.50.

Auctioneers: Penrith and District Farmers Mart.

Ruthin sees much improved prime lamb trade as prices top at £147/head

THE 2,658 lambs on offer at Ruthin on Tuesday were a much improved trade, topping at £147/head for 59.5kg lambs from I.W.L. and P.E. Evans, Maes Carneddau, and 305p/kg for 40kg lambs from F.R. Jones, Y Graig.

The 1,400-plus mediumweight

lambs averaged £108/head, with the 676 standards at 250p/kg and lightweights better on the week at 240p/kg.

Lightweights topped at £84/ head (271p/kg) for 31kg lambs from J.D. Pierce, Bryn Deunydd, and

standards at £116/head (297.4p/kg) for 39kg lambs from J.G. and E.V. Roberts, Simdde Hir.

Medium lambs

Top price per head for medium lambs on the day was £128 for

43.5kg lambs from Gwion Morgan, who also sold 46.5kg lambs at £135/head.

The overall average was 252.6p/ kg with an SQQ of 253.8p/kg.

Auctioneers: Ruthin Farmers Auction Co.

Harvey’s Eminem, a January 2021-born Galloway bull from George and Beth Harvey, Balfron, which sold for 3,000gns, to Messrs Whalley, Chorley.

Sion Eilir Roberts is recognised for the re-establishment of the cattle section and instigation of new catalogued sales for breeding sheep at St Asaph Livestock Market, all within the last two years, but his a iliation with the industry started long before then.

Sion was brought up on the family beef and sheep farm near Corwen in North Wales, running a commercial flock of 1,500 Texel cross and Welsh Mountain breeding ewes, alongside a pedigree and commercial herd of 50 pure Limousin cows.

He says: “My grandfather and two uncles have had a huge influence on my life, igniting my passion and enthusiasm for farming. I was fortunate enough to accompany them travelling the length and breadth of the UK, sourcing the best quality livestock available, while learning a huge amount in the process.”

It was, however, the National

Sion Eilir Roberts wins New Auctioneer of the Year Award

Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, a key part of Sion’s life, that gave him his first ‘live sales’ experience.

He says: “My journey towards becoming an auctioneer began in a Young Farmers’ Club [YFF] competition, when I was given the task of valuing 10 general items and selling one of them in front of an audience.

“I am highly indebted to the federation and believe much of my success as an auctioneer can be attributed to the solid foundations laid as a member of YFC.”

Graduating with a degree in agriculture from Aberystwyth University in 2017, Sion took his first tentative steps into the industry after being o ered the position as a part-time auctioneer at Welshpool Livestock Market by Glandon Lewis.

By the beginning of 2018, he had progressed to a full-time role, selling cull ewes at Welshpool and Rhayader and prime lambs at Oswestry.

Sion says: “I must really thank

Glandon, as he mentored me in my first days in the industry. Without him I would not be where I am today.”

However, the draw back to his roots in the Vale of Clwyd was too good an opportunity for him to miss.

Following three-and-a-half years at one of the largest livestock markets in the country, he was o ered a senior auctioneer role at St Asaph in November 2020, selling prime and store lambs.

Challenge

He soon embraced the challenge of re-establishing the cattle section and has since sold more than 4,000 prime cattle, 4,500 store cattle and 300 cows and calves.

All of this was initially achieved in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, with vendors entrusting Sion with selling their stock. Many of these vendors had previously sold stock deadweight.

Last year, he established the new catalogued sales for breeding ewes at

the market, selling more than 15,000 breeding ewes and ewe lambs so far.

Sion has also been pleased to maintain the well-established reputation of the prime lamb yard, succeeding in drawing new vendors from further afield and significantly increasing the throughput of lambs.

Chris Dodds, executive secretary of the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association, says: “These achievements, in such a short space of time and with such a strong focus on serving his farming community, clearly demonstrate Sion richly deserves this recognition.”

As well as Glandon Lewis, Sion thanks his family and the team at Jones Peckover for the opportunities they have given him.

“Most importantly, I would like to thank the farmers from North Wales and beyond. Without their support I would not be receiving this accolade,” he says.

In association with Supported by

Awards night (left to right): host Patrick Kielty; executive secretary of the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association Chris Dodds; Sion Eilir Roberts; and head of commercial sales at Farmers Guardian Stephanie Ryder. Inset: Sion at work.

ELM FOOD RISK

Market Results

Dairies to £2250, Cull Cows 205p/kg - £1415.50, Pigs 154p/kg - £155.40

Calves BB Bull to £340, Lambs £294p/kg - £188.34, Ewes £195

Pedigree Sale

150 HOLSTEINS, AYRSHIRES, SHORTHORNS & BRITISH FRIESIANS

Fully Catalogued Sale from some of the Leading Herds in the Midlands and Surrounding Counties. A TREMENDOUS ENTRY already received from:

Alkmonton (15), Braemarhouse (3), Broomhouse (7), Chardan (5), Collycroft (4), Dovetrent (4), Field (2), Hollyhurst (2), Kedleston (3), Kenco (3), Littonfields (2), Meadowfold (4), Meldamar (4), Millhurst (3), Noonsun (3), Overseal (4), Rownall (4), Shieldhouse (4), Sterndale (4), Sternmoor, Timberlane (2), Twemlow, Weaverdale (4), Whitster (2) Incl various well bred In-calf Hfrs & Youngstock & the following Special Entries: 29 Dry Cows & 15 In-calf Heifers (All due Dec/Jan) from the University of Nottingham. Robot Milked, Cubicles. Herd Av 11473kg 4.08%F 3.15%P cc116.

15 Pedigree Ayrshire Cows & Heifers from the Alkmonton Herd of Messrs Harris.

Also 3 Stock Bulls: Ped Sim (17mths), a Ped Beef Shorthorn (19mths)

TUESDAY 15TH NOVEMBER 2022 11AM

Store Cattle Sales

500 STORE CATTLE

SATURDAY 19TH NOVEMBER – Further Entries Invited

Store Sheep Sales

7460 STORE AND BREEDING SHEEP SALE

THIS SATURDAY 12TH NOVEMBER 10AM

Fat/Barrens: Graham Watkins 07976 370894

Dairies: Meg Elliott 07967 007049 Stores: Mark Elliott 07973 673092

Sheep: Robert Watkins 07929 946652 Visit us at www.leekauctions.co.uk

CLEE TOMPKINSON & FRANCIS 3 Kings Rd, Llandovery SA20 0AW

LLANDOVERY MARKET, CARMS, SA20 0AW Friday 18th November at 11am

SALE OF BEEF BREEDING COWS & CALVES, IN CALVERS, BREEDING BULLS, STORE CATTLE, FEEDING BULLS & TESTED FEEDING OTM.

To Include

SPECIAL ENTRY from the LLANON HERD of PEDIGREE CHAROLAIS on behalf of L Bessent comprising 3 Cows & Calves, 1 In-Calf Heifer, 5 Bulling Heifers & 2 Bulls

And DISPERSAL of the CYNDEYRN HERD of PEDIGREE WELSH BLACKS

comprising 15 Cows & Calves, 5 In-Calvers, 9 Bulling Heifers, 11 Maiden Heifers & 1 Stock Bull. Also 1 PEDIGREE HEREFORD BULL 22 months old. Catalogues available – 01550 720440 www.ctf-uk.com

BRECON LIVESTOCK MARKET

SATURDAY 12th NOVEMBER

Follow

BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

Annual Premier Autumn Show and Sale

Comprising: 29 Bulls, 21 Females

Show at 9.30am, Sale at 12noon

Online bidding via: mccartneys.auctionmarts.com

Catalogues or more information:

Worcester Office Tel: 01905 769770

Leek Smith eld

Barn elds

Leek

Sta ordshire

ST13

www.leekmarket.co.uk

For any enquiries contact

Eleri Evans - 07506 083590 eleri@farmersmarts.co.uk

Dylan Davies - 07979 156650 dylan@farmersmarts.co.uk

www.farmersmarts.co.uk 01341 422334

16th of November

Online Catalogue available NOW at farmersmarts.auc onmarts.com

Bidding opens on Monday 14th of November

Bidding closes on Wednesday 16th of November

Buttington Cross, Buttington, Welshpool, Powys SY21 8SR T: 01938 553438 F: 01938 554607

MONDAY 14TH NOVEMBER

Sale of 2000 Store Lambs & Breeding Ewes Lambs Store Lamb Sale to commence at 10:30am

Sale of 5 Cows & Calves

Sale to commence at 11:30am Late entries invited

THURSDAY 17TH NOVEMBER

North West Midlands & North Wales Limousin Club Sale

Sale of 41 Bulls & 9 Females

Show to Commence at 9am, Sale to Commence at 11am

TUESDAY 22ND NOVEMBER

Sale of 300 Store Cattle

FESTIVE FEMALES, FRIDAY 2ND - MONDAY 5TH DECEMBER

Online timed sale of In Lamb, Empty & Recipient females

Entries close Wednesday 30th November

THURSDAY 15TH DECEMBER

Sale of Pedigree Females, including Badger Face Texel, Beltex, Blue Texel, Charmoise, Dutch Spotted & Texel’s

SEDGEMOOR

SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE.

THIS Saturday 12th November 2022 at 11:15am

**SPECIAL CONSIGNMENTS as part of our Weekly Dairy Market** 87 PEDIGREE

HOLSTEINS

Alongside anticipated 80 Fresh Dairy Cows & Heifers

Consignment of Milking Cows & Heifers plus Incalf, Served & Bulling Heifers from the “Somerset” Herd.

Comp: 23 Milking Cows & Heifers, 6 Incalf Heifers & 38 Served and Bulling Heifers For Bridgwater & Taunton College

Consignment of Bulling Heifers from the “Beaconhill” Herd. Herd average: 12,500 kgs; Cubicle housed; Robot milked; BVD & IBR vaccinated; Johnes monitored with no known cases. For MJK Reed & Son

SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE 01278 410250 | livestock@gth.net, NORTH PETHERTON, SOMERSET, TA6 6DF

Thursday 17th November 2022 at 11:00am

The November Collective Dairy Sale of 351

DAIRY CATTLE

✰ 95 FRESHLY CALVED COWS & HEIFERS from Bettiscombe (x15); Clenchers; Dinnaton (Dispersal) (x13); Dorset; Keevil; Peacehay; Pinkmoor; Moorshard; Wiltor; Winkleigh; Arrijan Farming Ltd; CJ & JA Reed; CJ Clarke

✰ 63 INCALF HEIFERS from Arrijan Farming Ltd; B Comer & Lottisham Church Farm Ltd

✰ 31 BULLING HEIFERS from Coombe Farm (ORGANIC), MD & D Clothier (Dispersal),House & Son Ltd

✰ 2 YEARLING HEIFERS from Greenway

✰ 16 HEIFER CALVES from The Colgrove Partnership & CJ & JA Reed

To include

The Dispersal of the Milking and Incalf Heifer portion (146 head) for J & N Biddle (removed from Manor Farm, Purton, Glos) In conjunction with Gwilym Richards & Co

NMR Herd Av: 10944 kgs 4.15%BF 3.37%P SCC=166

Calving All Year Round; Herringbone Parlour; Cubicle Housed, Many 40kgs+ Cows

** Live bidding on MartEye for all dairy sales, please register in advance at gth.marteye.ie **

Farmers look to streamline

They say ‘a testing summer leads into an uncertain winter’. The summer’s drought in the Midlands has caused grass issues with stock rates and future plans put into question.

Through out the year we have seen record numbers at a constant rate through the cull ewe section of the market, due to flock thinning, which has led to a smaller than normal breeding sale season lacking in buyer confidence.

With three main breeding sales at Thrapston this autumn, many farmers bought their replacements on a reduced scale, as low as half on their usual annual numbers in some cases. Will this lead to major demand for in-lamb ewes in the new year?

Trade seems hard to predict in recent times, especially in the

prime lamb sector which saw a sudden decline two weeks ago, followed by a sharp rise last week.

Meat lambs look to be in limited supply, with the short-term forecast looking strong.

There are still a lot of store lambs yet to be sold with finishers now finding confidence as root crops and grass are beginning to catch up.

All this seems to coincide with record feed prices and many

NORTH WEST AUCTIONS

questioning their route forward will working around the quoted £400 a tonne.

Bletsoes runs three prime and store markets at two sites alongside regular farm dispersal and collective machinery sales.

This year boasts a record year with 14 farm dispersals and 11 collective machinery sales, capitalising on the recent soar in used machinery prices, with international buyers and local traders relying

on second-hand sales to supply end users.

Many farmers are continuing to look to the second-hand market for upgrading their machinery as the production line on most new machinery seems to slow and prices continue to soar.

Many farmers are now looking to streamline their operations, with the sale of unused kit being the mainstay in the collective sales.

Farm dispersals this year have been split between retirement and change in farming practices, with many looking towards contract/ share farming and amalgamating resources with neighbours.

Future sales in the calendar look to follow the same lead, with this year’s machinery prices causing many to think about the cashing out potential.

Jake Wagstaff is an auctioneer for Bletsoes Auctioneers. Call 01832 732 241, or email jake. wagstaff@bletsoes.co.uk

Saturday 12 November

9.30am Weekly Cast Ewes & Prime Sheep

10.00am 2 SHEEPDOGS, 320 BREEDING SHEEP & 1500+ STORE LAMBS Catalogue online

Thursday 17 November

10.30am PRIME & CULL CATTLE

10.30am REARING CALVES

11.00am SEMEX & JAMESONS DAIRY Entries to Eleanor 07706347505 by Monday 14th

Saturday 19 November

9.30am Weekly Cast Ewes & Prime Sheep

Monday 21st November

12noon STORE LAMBS

Friday 25th November

MONTHLY SALE OF STIRKS

CHRISTMAS SHOW & SALES

Monday 5th Dec:

10.00am BREEDING, FEEDING & STORE CATTLE

Entries to the office by Tuesday 15th

CHRISTMAS SHOW & SALE DATES

Saturday 26 November – Store Lambs

Thursday 1 December

Rearing Calves, Prime Cattle, Dugdale Dairy

Saturday 3 December

Cast Ewes, Prime Sheep, Store Cattle

Thursday 8 December – Cast Cattle, Stirks

Saturday 10 December – Charity Prime Lambs

Wednesday 14 December – Carol Service

Thursday 15 December – Semex & Jamesons Dairy

Wednesday 21 December – Festive Poultry

Schedules & Classes on the website

Jake Wagstaff on trade predictions

Jake Wagstaff

MONDAY 14TH NOVEMBER

‘Special Backend’

Show and Sale of 400 Suckled Calves and Feeding Bulls

On this day - Many calves with obvious show potential

Prime Cattle Christmas Show Christmas Shopping Fayre 3pm – 7pm

EARLY WINTER 2022

MONDAY 5TH DECEMBER

‘Christmas Cracker’ special sale of store cattle Judging - 8.30am

THURSDAY 8TH DECEMBER

DFAM’S

EVERY MONDAY (GREEN 6 DAY RULE)

9.30am – Cast Cows, Bull’s and OTM

10.30am – Store Lambs & Feeding Ewes

11am – Breeding Cattle, Store Cattle & Young Bulls

EVERY THURSDAY (RED DEDICATED SLAUGHTER)

9.00am – Prime Pigs

9.30am – Prime Bulls

10.30am – Prime Clean Cattle

1.00pm – Prime Lambs

3.00pm – Cast Ewes & Rams

Owned by Farmers. Run by Farmers. Hall Road, Norwich, NR4 6DW 01603 502690

Saturday 12th November

Christmas Show & Sale of 150 Store Cattle.

Beef Breeding Cattle & Cull Cows.

Judging 9am. Sale 10.30am.

Sponsored by Yorkshire Dales Accountancy (Hawes), Wensleydale Vets

Tuesday 15th November

2000 Prime Lambs at 10.00am

400 Cast Ewes & Correct & Cast Rams 30 Swaledale Gimmer Shearlings at 12

Friday 18th November

1500 Store Lambs at 10.30am

Tuesday 6th December

Christmas Show & Sale of Prime Lambs inc. classes for Young Farmers also Christmas Show & Sale of Calves.

Telephone: 01969 667207, 015396 20895, 07974 126397, 07711 469280.

Saturday November 19th at 11am. At Norwich livestock Market. Dispersal sale of 115 Simmental X, South Devon X, Shorthorn X Suckler cows. On behalf of Exning Estates, Newmarket. due to the sale of the estate.

Briefly comprising: 82 SimX, SDX, Shorthorn X cows Pd’d ic to AA, Sim, SD. Due March/ April. 20 heifers Pd’d ic to AA, due March/ April.

13 Cows Pd’d ic to AA, with 17 calves at foot ( April born) - mainly AAX.

Ped Simmental bull b. 2021

Ped South Devon bull b. 2021 2 Ped AA bulls b. 2019 and 2020

All cattle are TB 4 status. Catalogues available in due course. Please see website for full details.

www.norwichlivestockmarket.com

THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST ALL TB 4 MARKET

FARMSTOCK AUCTIONEERS, BROKERS & VALUERS

BORDERWAY MART, CARLISLE

Tel: 01228 406200

Sale of

40 JACOB IN-LAMB SHEEP

Friday 18th November - 12 noon

80 ewes, 25 shearling ewes & 7 empty ewe lambs

‘THREE NATIONS SHOW & SALE’

SUFFOLK IN-LAMB FEMALES

Friday 18th November – 5.00pm

presenting 95 in-lamb females & empty ewe lambs with consignments from Lakeview flock 5 gimmers;

Bridgeview flock 6 gimmers, 2 ewes, 3 ewe lambs

Wharfe flock 4 gimmers & 4 ewe lambs;

Tolgus flock 3 gimmers

Harpercroft flock 4 ewe lambs; 3 ewe lambs;

Frongoy flock 4 gimmers;

Howgillfoot flock 5 gimmers;

Strathbogie flock 3 gimmers;

Pyeston flock 11 gimmers;

Myddle flock 5 gimmers, 3 ewes,

Claycrop flock 5 gimmers; Benedyglen flock

3 gimmers; Buller flock 2 gimmers

Solwaybank flock – 2 gimmers, 1 ewe & 3 ewe lambs;

Kexbeck flock 3 ewe lambs;

Morris flock 5 ewe lambs;

Rhaeadr flock 6 ewe lambs;

Limestone flock 6 ewe lambs;

Top Genetics will be on offer from these flocks. All flocks are MV Accredited and Scrapie

Monitored or tested ARR/ARR

CONTINENTAL IN-LAMB FEMALES

Thursday 8th December

Entries close Friday 25th November

ONLINE SALES

Genetic Selection Sale Of SEMEN & EMBRYOS

GENETIC SELECTION SALE of Frozen Embryos and Semen

Bidding starts 12noon Wednesday - Monday 12th December until 12noon Tuesday 13th December

Entries close Friday 18th November

ON SITE SALE

‘BIG BANG EXPORT SALE’ OF SUFFOLK & DUTCH SPOTTED FEMALE SHEEP

Saturday 19th November – 12 noon AT BALMORAL PARK, HALFTOWN ROAD, LISBURN, N.IRELAND presenting 135 in-lamb females & empty ewe lambs

WELSHPOOL LIVESTOCK CENTRE

Buttington Cross, Welshpool SY21 8SR Tel 01228 406230

Autumn Show and sale of 48 PEDIGREE LIMOUSIN CATTLE

On behalf of NW Midlands & North Wales Limousin Club

Thursday 17th November

Show 9.00am Sale 11.00am on behalf of the North West Midlands & North Wales Club

39 bulls and 9 females Sale inconjunction with WLS

ON FARM SALE

TRACTORS, MACHINERY, IMPLEMENTS AND SMALL TOOLS

at CASTLE HILL FARM, Durisdeer, Thornhill DG3 5BL on behalf of Mr R Osbourne

Friday 25th November – 11.00am

Full list available on our website

BARNARD CASTLE AUCTION MART

Teesdale, County Durham, DL12 8AD

TUESDAY 15TH NOVEMBER

Sale of 20-25 OTM Cattle

10 FEEDING BULLS

CHRISTMAS PRIZE SHOW & SALE OF 470 STORE CATTLE

(This sale includes many cattle with show potential and cow making potential Also a tremendous selection of commercial cattle) Sale at 10am

PATELEY BRIDGE AUCTION MART

Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, HG3 5HN

SATURDAY 12TH NOVEMBER

Sale of 115 Cattle

25-30 OTM & Prime Cattle

2 Breeding Cattle

11 Feeding/Suckler Bulls & 80 Store Cattle Sale at 11am

SATURDAY 26TH NOVEMBER

Christmas Prize Show & Sale Of OTM Cattle, Store Cattle & Feeding Bulls Sale at 11am

SATURDAY 3RD DECEMBER

Christmas Prize Show & Sale

Of Prime Cattle & Lambs

Also Young Handlers Lambs

ST JOHNS CHAPEL AUCTION MART

Weardale, Co. Durham DL13 1QF

SATURDAY 19TH NOVEMBER

Sale of 1200 Store Lambs

Also Sale of Feeding/Breeding Sheep Sale at 11am

CATALOGUES FOR ALL THE ABOVE SALES CAN BE VIEWED ON OUR WEBSITE

www.barnardcastleauctionmart.co.uk

Libby Bell Auctioneer on 07818 435728

Maximise your price to survive

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LIVESTOCK

SKIPTON AUCTION MART

Tel: 01756 792375

www.ccmauctions.com

Auctioneers: Jeremy Eaton - 07747 780481

Ted Ogden - 07855 958211 Kyle Hawksworth - 07538 539077

All Catalogues available at ccmauctions.com/Sale-Day/Sale-Catalogues

Monday 14th November

SALE OF REARING CALVES Sale 10.30am

SALE OF PRIMESTOCK (6 day rule)

CLEAN CATTLE Sale 11.30am followed by CAST & FEEDING COWS (4 Year and Pre Test followed by TB EXEMPT CATTLE (pre enter CROP & PRODUCE Sale 10.30am

SALE OF SPRING LAMBS & CAST EWES Sale 12.30pm

Wednesday 16th November

6000 STORE LAMBS & BREEDING SHEEP Inc 5850 STORE LAMBS & FEEDING EWES, 150 GIMMER LAMBS & 20 RAMS Sale 10.00am Main Ring

Wednesday 23rd November

Sale of FEEDING BULLS, BEEF FEEDING COWS, STORE & BREEDING CATTLE

Inc 2nd AUTUMN NATIVE STORE SALE & NEW SPECIAL SHOW & SALE OF WEANED BEEF BRED BULLS

(Entries close Wednesday 16th Nov)

Dairy Cattle

Monday 14th November –

SHOW & SALE OF DAIRY CATTLE

Regular dairy consignment sale to include circa 10 fresh in milk and in calf cows and heifers

Monday 21st November –

Exciting consignment of 30-35 FRESH & IN-CALF YOUNG COWS & HEIFERS from the PEDIGREE THRESHFIELD HERD of AL DEAN & SONS

Special 2nd Production sale from the Pedigree High Health Herd of AL Dean & Son, Toft House, Threshfield

In CCM Skipton at 11.30pm to include 37 mainly fresh young cows and heifers

This batch features over 35 in their first to third lactation and all are under 120 days calved or due in the next 6 weeks

The animals will be available to view from 7.30pm the evening before the sale at CCM

Brockholes Arms Auction Mart

Claughton On Brock, Preston PR3 0PH 01995 640280 www.garstangmart.co.uk

15th November, 2022

9.00 a.m. Prime Lambs

All Lambs Must Be Belly Clipped - Facilities Available Cast Ewes/Tups 10.30 a.m. Prime Cattle & Store Cattle 11.30 a.m. Rearing Calves and Stirks

Wednesday 16th November, 2022

10.30 a.m. OTM Cattle Sale & TB Exempt Cattle

Tuesday 6th December, 2022

Christmas Show & Sale of

Prime Lambs, Store Cattle & Calves

Wednesday 7th December, 2022

Christmas Sale of OTM Cattle

...Yorkshire’s Friendly Mart

WEDNESDAY 16TH NOVEMBER

Weekly Sale of Primestock

390 Prime Cattle, 500 Prime Sheep, 285 Pigs

Pigs 9am Sheep 9.45am Cattle 10.30am

Dairy Cattle

Monday 28th November –

CHRISTMAS SHOW & SALE OF DAIRY CATTLE

(In Milk, In Calf, Maiden)

Entries & Enquires to Sarah Liddle 07710795585

Sunday 27th November

CRAVEN CHRISTMAS SHOW

Primestock, Carcass, Cookery & Children’s Sections, Produce & Charity Auction Schedule Available Online

Monday 28th November

CHRISTMAS SHOW & SALE OF CALVES

CHRISTMAS SHOW & SALE OF CAST CATTLE

CHRISTMAS SHOW & SALE OF CAST EWES

Online Sheep Dogs

Wednesday 30th November -

ONLINE TIMED AUCTION OF WORKING SHEEPDOGS

Saturday 17th December

SALE OF BORDER FINE ARTS

(Entries Close Friday 25th November)

PEDIGREE SHEEP

Sale of PEDIGREE BELTEX FEMALES

(Entries close Friday 25th November)

Sale of PEDIGREE TEXEL FEMALES

Sale of PEDIGREE BLUE TEXEL FEMALES

(Entries close Friday 25th November)

Sale of PEDIGREE BADGER FACE

TEXEL FEMALES

(Entries close Friday 25th November)

WINTER SHOW STARS

Annual Sale of Cont Females (MVA & Non MVA) on behalf of Joel & Edmondson 70 Shlgs/Ewes, J Wood 30 Shlgs/Ewes

Monday 14th November @10.00am

Prime Pigs, Prime Lambs & Cast Ewes

Followed by Clean & Cull Cattle

Inc Monthly Lamb Show

Thursday 17th November @11.00am

Final Store Sale of the Season

1000 Store Lambs, Breeding Sheep & Rams

Saturday 19th November @11.00am

Machinery/Sundries Sale

Items accepted for Sale 12 – 3pm Friday Or Saturday 7.30am onwards Ian

SATURDAY 12TH NOVEMBER

Store Sale of Breeding & Store Cattle inc

25 Lim heifers,10-12mo,A Dusi

25 Lim Str/Hfrs, Smith Bros

18 Lim strs/hfrs,14-20mo Kexborough Farms

3 pure Lim Hfrs 18mo, J Smithson

8 Lim/BBX Bulls 8-10mo, S & P Padfield

6 Lim X Bulls 10mo, T Thomas & son

Breeding & Store Sheep inc

50 Belt/Char Lambs, P&K Gregory

30 Tex X Lambs, I Blakey

10 Lambs, C Swaby

200 Breeding & Store Pigs

Pigs 9am Sheep 9.45am Cattle 10.45am

Entries Invited

***Save the Date***

CHRISTMAS FAIR & PRIME CATTLE SHOW

TUESDAY 29th NOVEMBER

Show Cattle, Pork Pie, Rib Beef, Sausage Competition, Stands & Stalls, Music, Bar & Food 01757 703347 (Market Office)

www.selbymart.co.uk

Richard Haigh 07768 594535

BENTHAM AUCTION MART

015242 61444 - Sale Days 61246

Stephen 07713 075 661

Greg 07713 075 664

Will 07590 876 849

Bakewell Market Results

Market Results - Monday 7th November

784 Cattle, 1,705 Sheep

Full report available on our website Store Cattle Entries now being taken for Monday 14th September Deadline - 12 Noon on Friday 11th September Call 01629 812777

**SPECIAL ENTRY - 39 Hfrs in calf to Ped Lim Bull, due Feb, March April 2023**

Watch the livestreamed cattle sales on www.streaming.auctionmarts.com **********************

T HURSDAY LUNCHTIME WEEKLY SHEEP SALE Entries/Enquiries, contact Peter Oven: peter.oven@bagshaws.com or 07973 982443

Or Ivor Lowe: ivor.lowe@bagshaws.com

Friday 18th November - 10.30am

Store & Breeding Sheep

2,200 STORE SHEEP to include 22 Rams

Further Entries Invited Selling starts at 10.30am.

FINAL ROUND UP

Of Store Sheep 2022

Friday 9th December

Call the Bakewell Office on 01629 812777 With any Entries/Enquiries

Tel 01629 812777

FARM DISPERSAL SALE

Dates for your Diary

ENGLISH WINTER FAIR

Bingley Hall, County Showground, Sta ord, ST18 0BD

“The Midlands Premier Primestock Event”

SATURDAY 19TH & SUNDAY 20TH NOVEMBER

Cattle, Sheep & Pigs Sections to Include the National Pedigree Calf Show

YFC and Duke of Norfolk Competitions Fair

Machinery Exhibits, Christmas Country Fair

Livestock Handling Equipment

Auction of Cattle, Sheep & Pigs on Sunday at 1.15pm

FREE Butchers Tickets Available from Uttoxeter (01889) 562811 Ref: EWF

Classes for Newly Calved & In Calf Cattle

Your one stop shop for all agricultural sales

www.bagshaws.com

Thursday 24th November At 10:30 am

Mollards Farm, Gawsworth, Macclesfield SK11 9JE

To include Lamborghini R854 2wd, 2,362 hrs, Ransomes 801 Combine Harvester, Land Rover 90, Zetor 67411, Bobcat Clark 310 Skid steer John Deere 3130 2wd, Grassland Equipment to include Fella Drum mower, Vicon RP 900 Round Baler, Massey Ferguson conven onal baler, haybobs, topper. Silage, bale & muck trailers, Malgar slurry tanker, topper. Various root & arable equipment including Ra onal Karup Beet Harvester, Rabewerk power harrow, Ferguson potato ridger c/w Ferguson seed box. Sheep & Ca le feeders, ca le trailers, ca le crush’s Sundry Farming E ects

Enquiries contact John Wilson or George Pullin Tel: 01782-522117

Email: george.pullin@whi akerandbiggs.co.uk

Catalogue available at www.whi akerandbiggs.co.uk

Penrith Auction Mart 01768 864700

Wednesday 16th November

8am- Cast Ewes and Rams followed at 10am with Prime Lambs (Lamb Ballot 10am). Belly Clipping available

Friday 18th November

Sale of Machinery & Equipment, Within the Auction Mart Premises

Collective Sale of over 1500 lots of Tractors, Plant, Implements, Livestock Equipment & Small Tools

Small Tools 9.00am I Machinery 10.00am

Present entries include: Tractors and Vehicles – Manutou MB25P; Merlo

P 28-7 EVT; Mattro TR 200; NH T6080 (2010); NH TM 130 (2004/6,650 hours); NH 50 TT classic tractor 4WD (reg. 2021); NH TC27D 4WD compact tractor (reg. 2004); NH T7210 (2012/6486hrs); NH LM630; Ford 7740 with Trima 1192 loader (K reg); Ford 7610 with loader (E Reg/4814hrs); Ford 7610 (reg. 1990/9700hrs); Fiat 110-90 NH 4WD tractor; MF 7624 (2013); MF 7620 DVT (2012); MF 5440 (12 plate); MF 4455 (2005); MF 4255 with loader; MF 2640 (1983); MF 675 with loader; MF 365; MF 240 multipower (1979); MF 565 with loader; MF 2640; International 574; International B275 (1960); Case 4230 with Quicke 450 loader; Case 885 2WD (1990); JD 6330; JD 5720 (54 plate/ 7500hrs); JD 3036E tractor; JD 2140 SG2 (1985); JD 3130; JD 6220 4WD tractor with JD 551 joystick control loader (reg. 2005); Branson F47HN scraper tractor (2020/630hrs); Grey Fergie (1949); Case SV280 skidsteer (2015); Nissan Navara N Guard pick up, auto (reg. 2021); Toyota Hilux HL2-D-4D pick up, manual (reg. 2014); Agrocat; Diesel Kawasaki Mule; Big Red quad; 520 Quadzilla quad; Honda 500 (2014). Plant – Volvo FL6 turbo 14t lorry with alloy ramps & Hi-ab (1991); JCB 53170 construction spec (2018/2500 hours), JCB 323 HST compact tractor; Kubota KX251 digger (2005); Honex HO8B micro digger c/w 3 buckets; Kubota mini digger; Hitachi EX50 excavator; Hyster 4000kg fork lift; Brian James car transporter; Indespension plant trailer, shop soiled (2022); hydraulic galvanised tipping trailer; Graham Edwards tri-axel flat trailer; 3t flat trailer; JCB Beaver power pack.

Implements – Keenan 140 Klassik feeder (2001); BVL tub mixer/diet feeder; Kverneland diet feeder; 2 X; HI-Spec Feeder Elevator; Gehl 125 Mixmills; Taarup straw bedder; 2 X Taarup 865 straw choppers; Tegal 8080 bedder (2007); Kuhn 3570m trailed straw bedder; Kuhn Primor straw chopper/ bedder; Kuhn Primor straw chopper; Uni ball straw chopper; Teagle straw chopper; Hispec 3000g tanker with auto fill arm (2017); Primex 1700 slurry tanker (2005); Marshall 1300 slurry tanker; Abbey 1300g tanker; Abbey 1100g tanker; Storth slurry stirrer pump; Hi Spec 800 muck spreader (2014); Hi Spec 800 muck spreader; Fraser 12.5 muck spreader; MF 124 baler; Krone KS 6.2-6.8 rake; Class liner 880 twin rota rake; Marshall 8T silage trailer; Marshall QM11 silage trailer; Marshall tipping trailer; Fraser trailer; 4t red trailer; Ken Wootten grain trailer 18ft; NC 14T grain trailer; Easterby 6T single axel tipping trailer (2001); Bailey twin axel tipping trailer; tractor trailer twin axle 27ft; Sulky fert drill (2007); Amazone 1500 Fert spreader; Kuhn Axis 30.1 fert spreader (2012); Vicon fert drill; Transpread 830; Kverneland Tarup 3632 front mower 2.8mtr; Vicon 3m front mower conditioner (2019); Vicon 3m front mower conditioner (2018); Vicon 8ft mower conditioner (2008); Kuhn FC 300 G trailed mower conditioner; Brevigileri 2.8m Flail mower; Claas Disco 2700C contour rear mower; BrevSpearhead RHD280 flail topper (2018); Talex 2.8mtr flail topper (as new); 2.8m flail topper (2010); 6ft in line topper; Bomford B577 hedge cutter (2004); McConnel 9058 hedger cutter; Spearhead Orbital 600 hedge cutter; Spearhead hedge cutter; Kverneland 4f plough; Fleming 9F splitter; Greys 10ft ballast roller; McConnel shakaerator; Howard rotavator; Kuhn 3003 power harrows; Amazone KE303 power harrows (2006); Heva front press (2004); Claas Volto 4 rota tedder (20103); Kuhn GF5801 6 rota tedder; grass harrows; Twose 4’6’’ shear grab; Wylie 6ft shear grab; Slewill silage cutter; Quicke bucket grab; Slewtic 7’6” muck grab; 7ft bucket with Manitou brackets; 4-in-1 bucket with Euro brackets; pallet forks; Slewtic bucker brush; AG sawdust spreader; sawdust dispenser; Farm King crusher; Cotswold parlour flush. Livestock Equipment – Bateson livestock trailer with sheep decks & cattle gate; MCM 24ft livestock trailer with folding decks (2012); 14ft Ifor Williams cattle trailer with sheep decks (2011); Ifor Williams 12ft livestock trailer (2016); Ifor Williams TA5G 10ft cattle trailer; Ifor Williams 10ft trailer; Ifor Williams 8ftX5ft double axel sheep trailer with decks; Ifor Williams 7ft cattle/horse trailer (2002); Ifor Williams trailer P6e, c/w bulldog trailer lock; Graham Edwards 12ft cattle trailer; Graham Edwards 12ft livestock trailer with sheep decks & dividing gates; Graham Edwards cattle trailer & decks 14ft (2005); Graham Edwards 10ft cattle trailer (2021); Ifor Williams trailer; Hudson 14ft tri-axle trailer, c/w dividing door; large sheep/cattle snacker with counter; 3in1 lamb hopper; Holm & Laue calf machine, comes with 2 stalls & 40 collars; ATV trailer; Prattley mobile sheep pens.

Quantity of Small Tools

All items are sold under farm sale conditions, i.e. strictly as seen with no guarantee All items plus VAT, unless stated otherwise. Caterer in attendance. Entries taken until the time of sale. Pictures can be viewed on our website or our Facebook page.

Viewing available on Thursday 17th November

Monday 21st November

Sale of Store Cattle and Feeding Bulls of all classes and Breeding Cattle & Second Latter Sale of Suckled Calves entries close noon

Monday 14th November

Wednesday 23rd November

Sale of Store Lambs of all classes entries close noon 16th November

www.penrithauction.com

Andrew Maughan 07717 611952 Paul Gardner 07552 589141

BISHOPS CASTLE AUCTION

SHREWSBURY AUCTION CENTRE

BLUE GENES

THURSDAY 17TH NOVEMBER 2022

SATURDAY 6TH

MARCH 2021

SPECIAL SALE OF SUCKLED CALVES & WEANLINGS

T:

SHOW & SALE OF 29

01588 638639

PEDIGREE BRITISH BLUE BULLS AND HEFIERS, inc EMBRYO PACKAGES from leading herds inc Barleyclose, Delhorn, Graymar, Littlewood, Newpole, Old Stackyard, St Clements, Stoneleigh, Trencrom, Ty Isaf, Ruthall. Also 3 PEDIGREE LIMOUSIN BULLS from Dinmore & Twemlows Herds AT

01588 638755 bishopscastle@hallsgb.com hallsgb.com/auctions

BISHOPS CASTLE AUCTION

Thursday 4th MARCH 2021

Manning Fruit Farm, 130 Station Road, Willingham, Cambridgeshire CB24 5HG Of Tractors, Materials Handlers, Vehicles, Trailers, Implements, Tractor Spares & Workshop Equipment

A Prize Sale of Store Cattle for the Andrew Edwards Cup. SPONSORED BY FARMERS GAURDIAN. Sale commences 10.30am

01743 462620 (Shrewsbury) market@hallsgb.com hallsgb.com/auctions

01588 638639 (Bishops Castle)

On Thursday 1st December 2022 at 10:30am

Including: Tractors: Valtra G135 4wd tractor with Valtra G5S front loader (21), Massey Ferguson 168 Multi-Power (75), Massey Ferguson 135 Multi-Power (75), Massey Ferguson 1080 (70), Massey Ferguson 74C 14” tracked crawler, Massey Harris Pony (58), Fendt 260V vineyard, David Brown 885 narrow, Eicher GS202 vineyard; Materials Handlers: Kramer KT276 materials handler with X-Form FP -12-50 hydraulic pallet tines (21), JCB Loadall 526 Farm Special (98), Kubota U17-3a mini-digger (19), Caterpillar F30 1.5t forklift; Vehicles: Ford Ranger Limited 4wd pick-up (18), Ford Transit Courier van (16); UTV: John Deere XUV865M Gator (21); Trailers: Bailey Lowloader2 dropdeck trailer (21), Fleming TR1 1.8t drop side (16), 7No Ifor Williams GH94BT 2.7t twin axle beaver tail plant trailers (19, 20, 21); Implements: Homberg Delta M135 drain jetter (19), Pro Seed Overseeder 1.5m, Amazone D8/20 plot drill, Ransomes TSR102 2f rev plough, McConnel Swingtrim, Votex 12ft topper, Grays 8ft flat roll, CompAir Demag CS40DS- 2 3cyl diesel compressor, Offmar pruning compressor; Miscellaneous Equipment & Tractor Spares: Perkins AD3.152 3cyl diesel engine (new), 21 fruit box pallets, MF & David Brown safety frames, misc. wafer weights, large quantity of vintage MF spares etc.

FOR A DETAILED LOT LIST & CATALOGUE VISIT BROWN-CO.COM

Viewing: Wednesday 30th November 2022 10am - 4pm St Neots Office: 01480 213811 george.watchorn@brown-co.com | 07919 015675 jon.clampin@brown-co.com | 07717 512498

ASHLEY WALLER AUCTIONEERS

CHRISTMAS TREES EVERY

WEDNESDAY ALSO SELLING MACHINERY, PRODUCE, HORTICULTURE & FURNITURE

6 SALES MOST WEEKS.

info@ashleywaller.co.uk www.ashleywaller.co.uk

The

North West Midlands and North Wales

Forthcoming Sales

Irish Charolais Cattle Society

THE SALES OF THE YEAR

ELITE HEIFER SHOW & SALE – TULLAMORE MART –SATURDAY THE 12th NOVEMBER 2022

CHRISTMAS CRACKER BULL SHOW & SALE – ELPHIN MART –SATURDAY THE 3rd DECEMBER 2022

• All animals are export tested

• All animals are Genotyped, Myostatin tested & Pre-sale inspected

• All bulls are fertility tested

• All animals sold in Euros

• Online bidding available

• Free transport available to the UK mainland

• Free transport available to Northern Ireland

Catalogues available at www.charolais.ie

Irish Charolais Cattle Society, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12.

Telephone: 0035314198050

E-mail: info@charolais.ie Website: www.charolais.ie

Follow us on Facebook: Irish Charolais Cattle Society and on Twitter: @irishcharolais

26TH NOVEMBER (SATURDAY)

MELTON MOWBRAY

‘WINTER WARMERS’ SALE

AUCTIONEERS: Melton Mowbray Market, Scalford Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 1JY

T: 01664 562971

E: sales@meltonmowbraymarket.co.uk www.meltonmowbraymarket.co.uk

16TH DECEMBER (FRIDAY) DUNGANNON

‘CHRISTMAS CRACKERS’

AUCTIONEERS: Dungannon Farmers Market, 90 Granville Road, Dungannon Northern Ireland BT70 1NJ

T: (028) 87 722727

E: trevor.wylie@btconnect.com www.dfm-ni.co.uk

3RD DECEMBER (SATURDAY) WORCESTER

‘SEASONS GREETINGS’ SALE

AUCTIONEERS: Mccartney’s, The Heath Meadow, Nunnery Way, Worcester WR4 0SQ

T: 01905 769770

E: worcester@mccartneys.co.uk www.mccartneys.co.uk

17TH DECEMBER (SATURDAY) SKIPTON STORMERS

AUCTIONEERS: Skipton Auction Mart

Gargrave Rd, Skipton BD23 1UD

T: 01756 792375

E: admin@ccmauctions.com

www.ccmauctions.com

HOME FARM, GREAT WILBRAHAM, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, CB21 5JW

TRACTORS, IMPLEMENTS

To include: Tractors: 2016 Massey Ferguson 7726 Dyna VT, 2012 Massey Ferguson 7499, 1978 Ford 6710 2wd, 1994 Ford 7840 SLE 4wd, 1996 Massey Ferguson 6150, 2008 Fendt 936 Profi, 2003 John Deere 8420 Machinery: 2019 Farmet

Kompaktomat K600 cultivator, 2015 Lemken Diamant II 7f plough, 2011 HE-VA

Combi-Lift 5-leg subsoiler, 2007 Simba Horsch Pronto DC 6m drill, Cousins

Sidewinder 12m rolls, Chafer Guardian 4000 24m trailed sprayer, Spraycare

Supertrac 2600L 24m sprayer, 2007 KRM M2W fertiliser spreader, Jones

Sovereign tandem axle tipping trailer, 2016 Teagle topper, 2006 Major 9ft topper, Marshall BC25 flatbed trailer, 8tonne grain trailer, 2003 Vaderstad RDA

6m drill, 2009 DALBO Cultimax 8m, 2011 Kongskilde WingJet fert. spreader Also: trailed rolls, grain pushers, furrow press, cultivators, power harrows, etc

WEDNESDAY 23RD NOVEMBER 2022 AT 10.00AM

Catalogues available from the auctioneers two weeks prior

8TH DECEMBER (THURSDAY) CARLISLE

‘FESTIVE FIREWORKS’ SALE

AUCTIONEERS:

Harrison & Hetherington, Borderway Mart, Rosehill, Carlisle CA1 2RS

T: 01756 792375

E: admin@ccmauctions.com

www.ccmauctions.com

7TH JANUARY (SATURDAY) KENDAL

AUCTIONEERS: North West Auctions, J36 Rural Auction Centre, Crooklands, Milnthorpe, Cumbria LA7 7FP

T: 01539 566200

E: info@nwauctions.co.uk

www.nwauctions.co.uk

14TH JANUARY (SATURDAY) ST ASAPH INLAMB SALE

AUCTIONEERS:

Jones Peckover Livestock Auction, The Roe, St Asaph, Denbighshire LL17 0LT

T: 01745 583260 T: 01745 812127

M: 07771 667332 (Matthew Holmberg)

E: mholmberg@jonespeckover.co.uk

www.jonespeckover.co.uk

VICARAGE FARM, SWAFFHAM PRIOR, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, CB25 0LA

AUCTION SALE OF AGRICULTURAL TRACTORS, POTATO GROWING EQUIPMENT, IMPLEMENTS AND MACHINERY

To include: Tractors: 2019 John Deere 6195R (2,328hrs), 2018 John Deere 6195R (3,699hrs), 2011 John Deere 6830 (4,848hrs), 2011 John Deere 6630 (8,715hrs), John Deere 6830 (7,744hrs). Machinery: 2013 Standen T2 harvester, 2020 Standen SP300 planter, 2019 Team Arian 1800 24m sprayer, 2019 Baselier 8LKB610 topper, 2014 Standen Topper, 2019 Perrot TR45 irrigator (2), 2009 Kverneland LD85 5furrow plough, 2005/4 Underhaug UN4217-5 soil seperators, 2008 Easterby 14tonne trailer, ECE 14tonne trailers (3), Vaderstad Rapid A400S drill, Downs Husky grader. Also: grading equipment inc’ box fillers, conveyors, cultivators, trailers, irrigation pipes, webs, spares, workshop tools, wheels and tyres

TUESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER 2022 AT 10.00AM

Catalogues available from the auctioneers two weeks prior

ACCESS A GLOBAL AUDIENCE LIKE NO OTHER, CONSIGN TODAY!

+44 7436 035 479

+44 7738 457 496

Telephone: 01824 705000

CHRISTMAS PRIMESTOCK SHOW & SALES

TOTAL PRIZE MONEY £2,000

Monday Evening 5th December 2022

Farmers Guardian the No.1 place for all auction sales

New Holland T7.185

(400 Hours)

JCB 535-95 - choice

Kobelco SK85 MSR-3E

Polaris Ranger 1000

Toyota Hilux Invincible X

Kioti RX7620 - choice

Land Rover Discovery 2.0

Looking for a rewarding challenge?

JobsInAgriculture

Play a key part in helping agricultural and rural communities thrive

We, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) are looking for enthusiastic people with strong agricultural backgrounds to join us. Committed to protecting the environment for future generations we deliver over £2 billion in payments towards land management initiatives each year.

As an Operational Delivery Field Officer, you’ll work to create a better world for everyone to live in. From sustainable land use to improved biodiversity. You’ll visit and support farmers, assess validity and compliance, and measure and check landscape features. With excellent development opportunities and flexible hours, you’ll work early mornings or late nights to meet the diverse needs of our clients.

Up to the challenge? Join us [https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/]

TRAINEE

ASSISTANT FARM MANAGER

SALARY: COMPETITIVE SALARY

APPRENTICESHIP / TRAINEE / GRADUATE, FARM WORK, MANAGEMENT LOCATION: WEST NORFOLK

Peddar Farming is a private agri-business based in West Norfolk, providing farm management and contract farming services over 3000ha, including both conventional & regenerative farming systems.

We are now seeking a highly motivated and energetic individual to work closely with the farms’ Manager in the: development of farm strategy, cropping, budgeting, implementation of CSS/ELMS as well as the execution of day to day operations. This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and energetic individual to develop the full range of farm management skills and experience.

The candidate will require the following:

• A passion for Farming and farm management

• A degree in agriculture is desirable.

• Self-motivated, with a flexible approach to work.

Perform to a high standard of operation and have an eye for detail.

• Ability to balance day to day operations with profit drivers and long-term strategy.

• Experience in arable Farming & large machinery operation

• Be able to demonstrate an understanding of precision technology.

• Environmental and conservation knowledge and to be able to manage the changing

• challenges and opportunities in this area

• IT skills and a working knowledge of farm and mapping software would be advantageous • Training will be offered to the right candidate. PA1/2, BASIS, FACTS are preferable.

What we offer:

• Excellent working conditions

• Competitive salary and package.

Accommodation near Dersingham

• Training and development

For more information or to apply, head to JobsInAgriculture.com

STOCKPERSON

SALARY: EXCELLENT SALARY WITH 3 BEDROOM HOUSE PROVIDED LOCATION: ROYSTON, HERTS

Rand Brothers have a position for a stockperson to assist in the running of our Aberdeen Angus suckler herd and Romney sheep flock.

The farm has fantastic facilities, during the winter cattle are housed in modern, purpose built sheds, with excellent handling systems

• You will be required to take on all daily duties of the livestock enterprise which totals 75 calving cows, 200 stores and 150 ewes

• Candidate needs to be motivated, enthusiastic, organised and have the ability to both work independently and as part of a team

• Calving and lambing experience is preferred

• During busy periods you will be required to work in other areas of the business, operating a telehandler and tractor driving

A three bedroom house and generous remuneration package will be available for the right candidate

For more information or to apply, head to JobsInAgriculture.com

JobsInAgriculture

Sales Specialist

Are you a recent graduate or graduating in 2023? Looking for a career in a leading agricultural supply business?

With a turnover in excess of £500 million, and more than 900 valued employees Nationally, Wynnstay (Agricultural Supplies) Ltd, established more than 100 years ago, continues to THRIVE with an innovative and dynamic work force who love the business and the part they play in its continuing progress and development, living and breathing its core values concept: Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value creation, Environmental Sustainability

These exciting opportunities will suit creative, ambitious individuals, who will be carefully selected for one of our prestigious Graduate positions, with the end result on successful completion of the programme, being a permanent role with Wynnstay.

• As a Wynnstay graduate, over a 2 year period, you will develop and refine your skills through a series of 4 independent 6 month modules, giving you the opportunity to explore the business as a whole, and allowing you the chanc to develop a greater commercial understanding and assess where your drive and passion lies.

• You will work alongside some of our most experienced and knowledgeable technical specialists who will guide you on your career journey providing you with first rate insights into their area of specialism, supported by their driven, and dedicated teams, who will take pleasure in welcoming you into the fold and helping you along the way, coaching, mentoring, developing and building on your current knowledge base.

• Notably, the final six months of the programme will be more focused on the graduate’s preferred area of specialism and interest, providing a more structured approach to ensuring that our graduate has the best experience aimed at their future career within the business.

What are we looking for in a successful candidate?

• A degree within an agricultural related field

• Commercial awareness

• Adaptability to flex and develop with the business needs

• Initiative to ask questions and be proactive

• Confidence in your ability to utilise and transfer the skills you have acquired

• Strong decision-making skills and creative problem solving

• Ability to work under pressure and good time management skills

• Emotional Intelligence

The successful candidate can expect:

• A Competitive Salary as part of professional development graduate scheme

• A designated mentor

• A full training and development plan attached to each 6 month module

• An open and flexible attitude that allows our graduates the freedom to consider their preferences throughout the programme

• A fun and forward-thinking working environment

• Profit related annual bonus

• Employee discount at Wynnstay Depots

• 31 days annual leave inclusive of bank holidays

For the right candidate a trainee position would be considered, and supported with a training and development programme. For more information or to apply, head to JobsInAgriculture.com

Business Development

Manager

Agriconnect is a business unit within the Arc network, a global events, data, and media platform. Arc is a fast-growing global events, data, and media platform with a varied portfolio content led portals, magazines, and events. Agriconnect’s mission is to empower, inspire, and connect people and business in agriculture by creating trusted content and connections that help the industry thrive.

Since 1844, the brands of Agriconnect have been the trusted source of information for farmers and with brands like Farmers Guardian, events, like LAMMA and Farm Business Innovation, and digital platforms, like FG Insights, Agriconnect continues to bring together the British farming community.

THE ROLE:

• We are now looking for a motivated and driven salesperson to join our Sales team.

• The main function of the role is to develop business through growth in revenue, yield, and to increase customer numbers. You will be required to identify new opportunities and in uence companies’ media buying habits within the agricultural sector. Due to the ever-changing nature of the industry, this person will have the ability to spot new avenues and exploit market trends.

• Hours: 35 hours per week – Mon – Fri

• Location: Preston – temporary hybrid remote

• Salary: Competitive, dependant on experience.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Own, support and fully develop speci c market sectors

• Conduct sales presentations by telephone, email or face to face to existing and prospective clients in order to develop existing business and generate new business wherever possible.

• Advise existing and new customers on the most e ective solution to meet client needs within the Agriconnect portfolio.

• Continually seek and develop new sales & opportunities.

• Ability to accurately forecast future sales

• Keep abreast of all current trends, activities and relevant news within agriculture and speci c sector

• An interest in agriculture

• Highly motivated & driven, with an ability to meet ambitious performance goals

• Be enthusiastic and motivated to continually explore new opportunities, whilst possessing a natural inquisitive nature

• Excellent communication written and interpersonal skills

We o er an excellent package including:

• A competitive basic salary

• 25 days holiday increasing to 27 after two years

• An extra day o on your birthday

• Free life assurance

• Contributory pension scheme

• Employee assistance programme

Arc has ambitious plans for growth, and this is an opportunity to be part of our continuing success story whilst enjoying a fabulous work/ life balance.

We strive to create a culture that is open and respectful, where di erences are valued and celebrated. We want everyone to be able to reach their full potential, so we are committed to cultivating a company that promotes inclusion and belonging.

To apply for this role, please email amber.tabiner@agriconnect.com

Wynnstay Graduate Programme 2023 Apprenticeship / Trainee / Graduate

SAVE YOUR ROAD

Hot Sprayed Bitumen and Chippings

SURFACE DRESSING TO HIGHWAY SPECIFICATION

Only Top Grade Bitumen and Top Quality Hardstone Aggregate

Apply this treatment to your road and prevent potholes, further deterioration and provide an excellent new road surface for many years to come.

FREE SURVEY AND QUOTATION - NATIONWIDE

Ask about our low cost locked in chipping technology to prevent loose chippings.

CALL WILLIAM DAW 07850 784161 | EVENINGS 01524 419601

OFFICE 01772842094

ASPHALT PAVING SERVICES LTD

WASTE TYRES and other waste

removed from farms

• 25 years experience • Registered waste carrier

• All farm tyres & tyre bale removed in bulk

• Competitive prices

For free quote call Chris Ingram on 07860 670 201 or email chris@intowaste.co.uk

www.intowaste.co.uk

J.P WHITTER (WATER WELL ENGINEERS) LTD

• BOREHOLE DRILLING FOR DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL PURPOSES

• WORK CARRIED OUT TO A VERY HIGH STANDARD

• WATER SYSTEMS INSTALLED

• BOREHOLE PUMPING INSTALLATIONS

• 24HR BREAKDOWN SERVICE

• FREE QUOTATIONS AND SITE VISITS

THE POTTERIES GARAGE

SMALLBROOK LANE, LEIGH, WIGAN, LANCS, WN7 5PZ.

TEL: 01942 871900.

FAX: 01942 896843.

Out of office: 01942 893660

Visit our Website www.waterwellengineers.co.uk

Email: sally@waterwellengineers.co.uk

Trees & Shrubs

Everglades Nurseries Ltd

THE QUICKTHORN NURSERY

Personal

EMPTY HEART

Are you losing hope of ever finding a soul mate? Let Friends1st change that for you – we have for so many other farmers across the UK. Let us introduce you to someone really special. Date with confidence!

Kevin says: “Friends1st is such a credit to everyone. You can talk to anyone at any time. There’s just no comparison to your organisation. It’s like being a member of an exclusive club.” Call 0121 405 0941 today.

Fertilisers

FARMYARD MANURE

15 a tonne ex farm. Tel: 07977 272941 Herefordshire (P)

Cookers & Heaters

Rabbit Guards 0.26p Canes 0.14p Trees, Specimen Plants, Hedging, All Sizes Available. A standard delivery charge may be added. Quotes given for Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Ring for native tree whips availability and prices. All Prices Exclude VAT. Prices are subject to change.

269 Southport Road, Ulnes Walton Leyland Lancs PR26 8LQ

www.evergladesnurseries.com sales@evergladesnurseries.co.uk

Tel: 01257 450533

Milking Equipment

Orders for Insertion of advertisements in Farmers Guardian are accepted subject to the following conditions:

1. Advertisement copy shall be legal, decent, honest and truthful, and shall comply with the British Code of Advertising Practise and all other codes under the general supervision of the Advertising Standards Authority: and shall comply with the requirements of current legislation.

2. While every endeavour will be made to meet the wishes of advertisers, the publisher does not guarantee insertion of any particular advertisement.

3. In the event of any error, misprint or omission in the printing of an advertisement or part of an advertisement the publisher will either reinsert the advertisement or relevant part of the advertisement as the case may be, or make a reasonable adjustment to the cost. No reinsertion, or adjustment will be made where the error, misprint or omission does not materially detract from the advertisement. In no circumstances shall the total liability of the publisher for any error, misprint or omission exceed

a) The amount of a full refund of any price paid to the publisher for the advertisement in connection with which liability arose. OR

b) The cost of a further corrective advertisement of a type and standard reasonably comparable to that in connection with which liability arose.

4. The publisher reserves the right to withdraw, amend or alter any advertisement it considers necessary.

5. Cancellations or advertisements are accepted providing they comply with the cancellation deadlines which are published at regular intervals.

6. Advertisement orders are issued by an advertising agency as a principal and must be on the agencies official form (when copy insutructions not constituting an official order are issued they must be clearly marked at the head “Copy Instructions – not an order”.

7. Advertising Agency commission will only be granted to those Agencies who are currently recognised by the Newspaper Society at the time of placing an advertisement order and copy. The rate of commission is determined by the publisher.

8. When credit is allowed payment is due within 7 days. Monthly accounts are due in full each month. “We reserve the right to charge additional costs and interest for non payment within our credit terms”.

9. Only standard abbreviations are permitted by the publisher. List available on request.

10. Classified display advertisements must be at least 3cms in depth for every column wide, and the minimum size of any advertisement is 2 lines.

11. Every endeavour will be made in order to forward replies to box numbers to the advertisers, as soon as possible after receipt by the publisher, but the publisher accepts no liability in respect of any loss, or damage alleged to have arisen through delay in forwarding or omitting to forward such replies, however caused. Circulars and the like should not be distributed through publisher’s box number facility.

12. The placing of an order for the insertion of an advertisement, is an acceptance of these conditions and any other conditions stated on any type of order form by an agency or advertisers are not applicable if they conflict with any of the above.

Milking Equipment

Portable Milking Machine

Complete with Honda engine and Electric motor. This unit is ready for work and can be delivered anywhere in the UK.

Livestock Supplies LTD

Ashley: 07831 887531, Office: 01829 260328,

01260 226261 (T)

We take a farmercentric approach to media. Our job is to help farmers run their farms more e ciently and make better purchasing decisions

Complete new/used cooling solution

NEW / USED TANKS FROM 50-50,000 LITRES, HORIZONTAL OR SILO

Complete solutions from milk storage tanks, to ice builders, plate coolers, condensing units, heat recovery systems, glycol systems, tank wash systems. We also buy used tanks & part exchange.

Quality used milk tanks available along with refurbished ice builders & condensing units.

We also supply quality batch & the latest flow pasteurisers. This allows you to add more value to your milk in the way of vending or creating your own branded cream & milk.

KRISTAL D&D LIMITED ESTABLISHED 1978

ADDRESS

3 Porthouse Industrial Estate Bromyard, HR7 4NS

CONTACT

Tel: 01885 483576 | Email: info@kristaldd.co.uk

WEBSITE www.kristaldd.co.uk

TRIED

TESTED

♦ WE OFFER AN EVER INCREASING RANGE OF CLIPPERS MADE BY THE LEADING CLIPPER MANUFACTURERS ♦

South West Refrigeration Ltd The UK’s No.1 Milk Cooling Specialist NEW AND REFURBISHED MILK TANKS The only UK company that solely specialises in On Farm Cooling Equipment & Heat Recovery Systems Nationwide. For further details please call S. W Refrigeration 01392 210344 or Paul on 07974 140949

MORTONS DAIRIES

Merseyside.

Due to continued expansion we are looking for milk producers in Lancashire.

For more information

Please contact Norman on: 07775 713974 or 0151 5261046

Lancs, Cumbria, Cheshire. Yorkshire.

01772 626 951

HAUPTNER 3000 HAUPTNER CORDLESS CLIPPER

Phone: 01759 368588 Mobile: 07802 220183 Email: sales@showtime-supplies.co.uk

Our ice builders & plate coolers are built in our factory along with our condensing unit & heat recovery systems

The Captive Bolt Stunner that’s also humane on your pocket!

ORDER YOURS NOW!

For further enquiries and for telephone orders

Pigs & Poultry

Used for the humane destruction of animals, no firearms permit is required to use one and at only £320.00 (inc VAT & p&p) this has to be the best value Captive Bolt Stunner on the Market!

The Bolt gun come with a box of 50 blanks a carry case and postage

BRAND NEW & UNUSED Fibreglass

CALF -O-TEL

Calf Hutches. Complete with fencing. A large selection of all animal and calf feeding equipment and all other associated products also available. Massive saving on list price Livestock Supplies Ltd.

Ashley: 07831 887531 Office: 01829 260328

www.livestocksupplies.co.uk

DAIRY

FOR

974476

www.livestocksupplies.co.uk

PURE

LARGE WHITE BOARS

9 Month Old Guaranteed to work Can Deliver £180

DW Williams 01352 713644 or 07881 857943 Clwyd (P)

507333

Tel: 07791 772621

Hatching Eggs, Day old Chicks More Stocking Agents required Nationwide For our Point of lay Pullets

Beltex X Texel X Charollais

Shearling Rams

&

Shearling

Excellent

Excellent conformation, tight skins, ready for work. Heptavac P

Contact Mr Brocklehurst on 07764 196462 or 01260 223338

Nr Congleton

TEXEL SHEARLING TUPS

Excellent conformation. Extremely well-muscled. All home bred.

Tel: 01298 872500 or Mobile: 07747 013041 Derbys (P) www.whiteleyheyflock.co.uk Whiteley Hey Flock - Paul Slater

40

Suffolk

BIDLEA HERD

Holstein Freisian Bulls For Sale Black & White and some Red & White Plenty to choose from - first come first served!

Tel: Ray Brown 01477 532220 or 07885 652718 Cheshire (T)

DENMIRE

Selection of working age Bulls for Sale from High Yielding Dams

Andrew: 01229 869428 or 07791 290170

Visit our Facebook Page on Denmire Holsteins

PEDIGREE SUFFOLK rams .Well grown with tight skins. Excellent shape and style. Tel: 01625 424284 Cheshire (P)

Bearded Collie Puppies

Born 14.8.22 Farm bred from Working Parents Vet checked, micro-chipped, had first injection Tel: 01228 577467

Carlise Area (P)

Collie Puppies Available

6 very smart medium length coat collie puppies. Mother works sheep and cattle on our farm, a quality bitch that was easy to train. The farther is Ben Smith’s, Roy. He’s a quality work and trial dog. Multiple nursery trial winner, has qualified for this years world trials. Used daily on 1000 ewes.

Contact Will Clarke - 07789887131

Choice of over 40 Top Quality Beltex X Texel, Beltex X Charollais

Texel

Rams

skins, shape, style and Power One of the largest selection of continental rams in the UK to choose from.

Please contact Paul Slater on 07522 110683

To be in with your chance of winning up to £200, test out your judging skills by entering our annual beef stockjudging competition.

Test your stockjudging skills and win up to £200

This year’s beef stockjudging competition is now open for entries. Our annual competition is once again sponsored by Show Time, supplier of specialist livestock products for cattle, sheep, horses and other animals, covering the UK and Europe.

How to take part

Take part by pitting your judging skills against those of our professional judge to be in with the chance of winning one of three cash prizes.

The first correct entry to be drawn at random will receive our top prize

of £200, while two runners-up will each win £50. To be in with a chance of winning, you need to rank the four animals pictured (one being the animal you rate most highly), in the same order as our judge.

Complete the entry form opposite and return it to: Beef Stockjudging Competition, Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Caxton Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9NZ, by January 20, 2023.

ENTER ONLINE

Alternatively, you can enter the competition online at FGinsight.com/beefstockjudgingskills

Could your stockjudging skills win you one of three cash prizes?

ANIMAL X ANIMAL Y

Section A

Title: First name:

Address:

Postcode:

Mobile/telephone number:

Surname:

Year of birth:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, enter your email address to receive our electronic newsletters:

Email address:

I think the judge will select: First Second Third Fourth

Select which newsletters you would like to receive: Buy and Sell e-newsletter Jobs in Agriculture e-newsletter Auction Finder e-newsletter

Section B

Are you the main decision maker on farm?

Primary occupation (tick one box only): Secondary occupation: (tick one box only):

Privacy Statement: Data protection – your personal data will be collected and processed in accordance with our Privacy Statement which can be viewed (see p11). From time to time, Agriconnect would like to use the personal data you have provided in this form to contact you via email, post, phone and text about Agriconnect goods and services that we think will be of interest to you. If you would like to receive this communication, please confirm this by ticking this box. Your personal data will not be shared with third parties. If you have any queries or concerns about how we hold your data, please write to the Data Protection Co-ordinator, Agriconnect, Unit 4, Caxton Road, Preston, PR2 9NZ, or email dataprotection@farmersguardian.com.

Please return by January 20, 2023, to:

Further

(P)

FRESH

Available in suitable batches delivered to most parts of the country

RT CATTLE DEALERS

WANTED.

Ashley: 07831 887531 Office: 01829 260328

FOR SALE FROM LEESEMANOR BEEF

SEAFIELD PEDIGREE ABERDEEN ANGUS BULLS

Ready to work, delivered direct to your farm, very quiet, easy calving. Also females available. Health monitored, closed herd, full pedigree with each animal, Red tractor. Semen Available.

Tel: 077157 64351

Farm assured quality cattle & sheep feeds available for Nationwide Delivery

Dry cereal rations suitable for all breeding and fattening stock at very competitive prices

Available in bulk or 1 tonne bags delivered or collected

Quality, home-bred Limousin cross British Blue young cows and heifers, with Lim x and BB x calves at foot. Also two excellent Lim x British Blue bulls. Eager for work, all quiet, TB tested and ready to go.

ALWAYS NEGATIVE FOR TB

Wilf Lomas - 01606 832142 or 07769704628

Pedigree Registered Herefords For Sale

Contact: Paul on 07730095062 or paul@lowergroveherefords.com TOP

Last 2 young bulls available - 15 months old

Also 4 in-calf cows - 30-32 months old - PD’d due April TB 4 area

Call: 07831 726540

Preston, Lancashire (P)

New Summer Prices

Biscon Meal (13% approx.) £265 ex store P/T

Cereal Mixture (14% approx.) £275 ex store P/T

• Cereal Mixture (approx. 14% protein/12.5 ME) from £150 per tonne ex store

Biscon Meal (13% approx ) £250 ex store P/T

• Cereal Blend (approx. 16% protein/13.2 ME) from £165 per tonne ex store

Cereal Mixture (14% approx ) £260 ex store P/T

Cereal Blend (16% approx.) £285 ex store P/T

Cereal Blend (16% approx.) £270 ex store P/T

• Mixed Pellets (approx. 18% protein/14 ME) from £185 per tonne ex store

CALL NOW: 01949 844700

Mixed Pellets (18% approx.) £295 ex store P/T

Mixed Pellets (18% approx ) £275 ex store P/T

• Cereal Mixture £200 delivered

www.midlandfeeds.co.uk

CALL NOW: 01949 844700 www.midlandfeeds.co.uk

• Cereal Blend £215 delivered

Manufacturers of: Box Profile & Corrugated Roof & Wall Cladding · VentAir, Perforated & Anti-Con Sheets · Curved Sheets ·Purlins and Sections ·

Manufacturers of: Box Profile & Corrugated & Wall Cladding · VentAir, Perforated & Anti-Con Sheets · Curved Sheets ·Purlins and Sections ·

Manufacturers of: Box Profile & Corrugated Roof & Wall Cladding · VentAir, Perforated & Anti-Con Sheets · Curved Sheets ·Purlins and Sections · Folded Galvanised Guttering

Fibre Cement and GRP

Rooflights

Rooflights

Rooflights

Folded Galvanised Guttering

Folded Galvanised Guttering

01568 61 00 00panelsandprofiles.co.uk

01568 61 00 00panelsandprofiles.co.uk

01568 61 00 00panelsandprofiles.co.uk

Market leader in Steel Building Components

Market leader in Steel Building Components

Market leader in Steel Building Components

Purlins & Sections Gutters Cladding

Composite Panels

ROLLER

acre dairy/stock rearing farm in a renowned milk producing area of Lancashire.

Spacious 4 bedroom family farmhouse with flat. Modern farm workers bungalow with flat. Extensive livestock buildings to house 800 plus cattle, 5,500 tonne capacity silage clamp, 354 acres of free draining grade 2 grass/arable land plus 337acres of salt marsh.

PROPERTY LANDSCAPE Interest rates and the property market

Knowledge of the local area is essential

Last week saw the largest increase in the bank base rate for a number of years with the Bank of England increasing it by 0.75 per cent. What does this mean for our industry?

bungalow, buildings & 354 acres

- 337 acres of grazeable saltmarsh

As anyone will know with borrowings, the recent events at Westminster caused turmoil in the money markets and the cost of borrowing increased substantially.

There are signs that the market is calming, but the facts remain that borrowing costs are far higher than we have seen for almost a decade.

Those of us with longer memories will remember when we were seeing interest rates at 18-19 per cent and look at the comments being made with interest rates at 7-8 per cent as difficult to reconcile.

I am hearing that the better dairy farmers are making between £1,000-£1,500 per cow profit. This can lead to eye watering profits for those large operators who are running a very efficient system.

TENDERS CLOSE 15TH NOVEMBER 2022 2PM

Please post or deliver your tender to our office (address found below) in an envelope marked Gastack Allotment Tender

Approx. 108.67 acres (43.98ha)

Of Allotment Land at Deepdale Near Dent, Sedbergh

www.rturner.co.uk

(subj. to conditions & unless sold previously)

Contact: Crooklands Office Tel: 015395 66800

We have very high commodity prices across all sectors and it is anticipated by experts in the industry that this is likely to last. We are seeing little or no growth in the major economies and we are clearly in a recessionary environment.

The 8-12 per cent inflation which we are seeing will not go away and it is probably inflation that is causing the Government and the money markets to consider matters more than energy and food costs.

We will probably see core inflation remain more than 6 per cent, but until such time as the labour market loosens, it is unlikely to slow.

The wider consumer is not reacting as perhaps many thought, with probably a third of consumers not changing their habits at all because they are in the category of having more money post the Covid-19 pandemic, with the average household often having more than £10,000 more of savings.

So how does this wider economic world affect what is happening down on the farm?

Land and rural property is still selling extremely well. They are certainly not making any more land and the best farming businesses in most sectors have been making substantial profits over the last 12 months.

At Rostons, we have not seen a slow down in the village and country residential market, although there is more caution and certainly fewer viewings than we were experiencing six to 12 months ago.

There are still a good number of cash buyers out there for the properties in the £500,000-£1.2 million bracket.

Both bare land and farms are still creating interest, this is a combination of those expanding businesses and those with roll over money.

Location

As ever, location is key. Across Cheshire, our core area, there can be a difference of £12,355 per hectare (£5,000 per acre), dependant on the location of the land.

It is for this reason that knowledge of the local market is essential.

If you are instructing a valuer to value your property, wherever in the UK, you should consider those who are operating at the coal face in your local market to be best placed to value your specific property.

If averages are used across the county, you may be disappointed.

Tony Rimmer is a director at Rostons. Call 01829 773 000, or email tonyrimmer@rostons.co.uk

Tony Rimmer

Viewing strictly by appointment with selling agents. Enquiries to Tony Rimmer or Andrew Wallace

7 acres and approached by a sweeping driveway and fronted by well tended mature gardens

house comprises two large reception rooms, fitted kitchen, rear porch and ground floor shower room. The four bedrooms are arranged over the 1st and 2nd floors along with the family bathroom

DO YOU HAVE LAND?

Sites of 1- 1000 acres required for residential development.

If you think that your land has potential for development, or you have been approached by a developer, then you will need expert advice that is not available at traditional sources.

Michael Rutherford is a specialist agent acting and negotiating for landowners. Contact me for a confidential and expert consultation at no cost.

All areas of the UK covered.

RATE INTEREST ON YOUR FARM MORTGAGE, LOAN OR OVERDRAFT?

SECURED AND UNSECURED LOAN FACILITIES AVAILABLE FOR ANY BUSINESS PURPOSE INCLUDING LIVESTOCK FINANCE

(As a mortgage is secured against your home, it may be repossessed if you do not keep up the mortgage repayments)

CONTACT HAYDN JONES 01492 580202 / 07768 025440

Pennant Finance is an Appointed Representative of Watts Commercial Finance Ltd which is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

Any age, any mileage, any condition. Same day payment. Tel: 077790 11061 Lancashire

QUALITY SHEEP HOUSING, BUILT TO LAST

At Premier Polytunnels we know lambing season is the most important time of a sheep farmer’s year, not to mention the ewe’s, so it is no surprise that having quality lambing facilities is at the top of the farmer’s list.

Key benefits of our sheep housing:

• More than 30 years of experience

• Improves animal welfare

• Reduces stress in the flock

• Pregnant ewes and housed sheep are cheaper to feed

• Supplied as a complete unit ready for assembly

• We offer a full range of sizes from 16ft to 30ft wide, and lengths from 30ft to 90ft

• 50mm and 60mm diameter steel hoops for strength and rigidity

Winter Feeding & Housing

Tub Grinders

- Exclusive UK Distributor of Haybuster & Rotogrind Grinders.

- Range of models from 5t - 25t / hour output.

- New, used & refurbished machines available.

- Ideal for straw, hay, green waste, roots, biogas feeds etc.

Root Choppers & Cleaners

- Loader, 3 point linkage, free standing PTO and electric drive available

- UK Distributor of VDW range of choppers, cleaners & feed dispensing equipment

- Output from 10t/hour to over 120t/hour available

Diet Feeders

- Largest stock of mixers in the UK - over 50 ma chines in current stock

- Refurbished, used & nearly new units available

- New Mini Mixer available

- Diet feeder parts available- Blades, Conveyor belts, gearboxes, weigh cells.

- All feeders undergo 30 point service

Finance available subject to terms

Na onwide delivery available

Current Used Stock:

- Trioliet: 18, 20, 28 m

- BvL: 10, 20, 24m

Shelbourne Reynolds: 13, 16, 25m

- Hi Spec: 12 and 20m

- VdW RS2400 Root chopper bucket

Trioliet 16

- Sieplo Mixer bucket fi ed with defacer

*HIRE*HIRE*HIRE*

Hot and Cold water PTO pressure washers. Great for Pig and Poultry sheds. Available for hire nationwide. Electric

Parts & Tyres

Established 90 years

Sole UK Distributor for Goodyear Vintage Tyres

Agricultural, Plant and Industrial Tyres • Next day Nationwide Delivery Guaranteed

The British Rubber Co now offers a wide range of agricultural trailer wheels and tyres

We offer full assemblies or separate units as tyres wheels alone

New and part worn tyres are available, depending on your needs and budget

AGRICULTURAL TRAILER WHEEL CONVERSATIONS

(Subject to trailer directions and clearance)

215/75R17.5 (twin fitment)

235/75R17.5 (twin fitment)

245/70R17.5 (twin fitment)

245/70R19.5 (twin fitment)

Possible conversion - 435/50R19.5 or 445/45R19.5 On. 6, 8 and 10 stud wheels

11.5/80-15.3 12.5/80-15.3

possible conversions - 435/50R19.5 or 445/45R19.5 and 285/70R19.5 On 6 stud wheels

Available in 560 60 22.5 & 560 45 22.5. Other sizes and options are available.

COMMERCIAL - AGRICULTURAL CONVERSATIONS

385/65R22.5

possible conversions - 550/45R22.5 and 560/45R22.5 on 6, 8 and 10 stud

445/65R22.5

possible conversions - 550/60R22.5 and 560/60R22.5 on 6, 8 and 10 stud

Many other possible conversions - please call the office on 01274 585427 email: sales@britishrubberco.uk

www.britishrubberco.couk

facebook.com/flailsdirectltd 01427 718561

flailsdirect.co.uk

sales@flailsdirect.co.uk

FLAIL BLADES & HAMMERS, TO SUIT MOST MAKES OF MACHINERY MANY AVAILABLE FROM STOCK FOR NEXT DAY DELIVERY

Replacement and wearing parts from all major agricultural parts suppliers, giving you the choice between genuine and non-genuine replacements.

Lugged, ring and solid wheel rims, new and used available. Sold as complete units with tyres or as individual dishes and rims.

MARSH LANE, LAUGHTERTON LINCOLN, LN1 2JX

Blades available from stock to suit various feeder wagons

TEDDERS

GREAT SAVINGS

ALL AVAILABLE NOW!!!

AUTUMN IS HERE FOR US ALL TO SEE, SO GET AROUND EASIER ON A SUZUKI ATV NEW TRACTORS & MACHINERY

Kubota M6-131U, 133HP, Very Manoeuvrable

Kubota M5112 (115 hp) handy stockman tractor

Kubota RTV X1110 c/w heated cab, book a demo

Vicon mowers and mower conditioners in stock

Vicon Fanex 524, four rotor tedder, in stock

Browns Post Drivers, log chop and splitters in stock

Portek 52cc, petrol engined, Post Driver, in stock

Fleming MS 700 & MS 1000 Muck Spreaders, Major galvanised slurry tankers, strong by design Browns mole ploughs, in stock, c/w pipe layer tube

British made Chain Harrows, Various sizes

Pallet forks c/w Euro brackets, 2 Tonne rated Husqvarna chainsaws large range in stock

Quality TFM galvanised ATV trailers, in stock

Full range of new Suzuki ATV’s in stock now NEW VICON GRASSLAND MACHINERY OUT OF SEASON DEALS ON NOW! USED MACHINERY

2019 Kubota M5111 c/w loader, very low hours, due in 1996 Case IH 4230 LP c/w MX Loader, due in SOLD

2019, Bobcat S70, 3ft wide, C/W bucket, excellent Marshall MS75 muck spreader, checked over, SOLD

Kuhn Primor 3570 trailed Bedder / Feeder, due in Twose 5ft Shear grab, JCB bks, good working order

Slewtic 8ft fully offset pasture topper, due in Vicon Fanex 523, 4 rotor tedder, done very little Kuhn GMD 44 disc mower, very tidy, due in Blue Top, ATV sheep snacker, ( drops in heaps ) See website for more machinery + S/hand quads

Andrew Woof 07771 360316

David Dent 07889 288902 or 01768 352251

Appleby, Cumbria | 01768 351240

www.pigney.co.uk

NEW & second hand agricultural wheels and tyres for tractors, trailers etc. axles, rims, centres, dual wheels, rowcrops & floatationTel: Trevor Wrench on 01925 730274 Mobile: 07976 715896 (T)

QUICKFENCER

Manual and hydraulic clamping available. Hydraulic, nothing to lift off www.quickfencer.com Tel 07966 285240 Lancs

8 speed, rare tractor

MF 355 2WD, 8 speed, 3750 hrs. v tidy

V INT 484L, p/s, new tyres, nice tractor

C CASE IH 885XL FWD, C/W Power loader ......................................£12,750

18 MANITOU MLT 741 V elite, tidy .....................................................£45,750

66 MANITOU MLT 735 Elite, Full spec, low hrs, excellent truck

19 Broughan 20, 16t silage trailers, full spec, choice of 6

Marston 6t grain/ muck trailer, excellent cond, choice of 2

Fraser 4t trailer, c/w grain ext sides, excellent cond..........................£3175

16 Abbey 2500 gal vac tanker, c/w 7m trailing shoe, tidy .................

16 Marshall 90 manure spreader, v tidy

NEW Moulton HD galv yard scrapers

17 Bunning 105 rear discharge spreader c/w slurry door

Full or Part umbilical slurry system, C/W doda pump .......................

IFOR Williams DP120, 12f 3 axel cattle trailer, tidy .............................£4250

18 JCB 6f shear grab, hard ox tines, pin & cone or Manitou

CLOSING DOWN 21 DECEMBER 2022 –SALE 20% OFF ALL STOCK SALE OF TRACTOR & MACHINERY PARTS & ACCESSORIES 20% off all stock

While stocks lasts

When they’re Gone they’re Gone!!

Tractor Parts for: New Holland, Ford, Case and Fiat Tractors

Office: 01925 730 075

Andrew:

5095 G INC LOADER £54000 5115 INC LOADER £58000

*Finance for business purposes only. Subject to acceptance and a ordability checks. Applicant must be 18+. UK only. Promo on valid un l 31.10.2022. Available on new equipment only. Based on maximum balance to finance of 50% of RRP. The finance product o ered under this promo on is Hire Purchase. 1st payment, full VAT and a doc fee of €100 are all due on signing. An op on-to-purchase fee of €100 (+ VAT) will be collected with the final payment. You will own the equipment when all payments have been made. Alterna ve finance op ons are available. T&Cs apply. Annual admin fee of €40 (+VAT). Images are for illustra ve purposes only. Finance provided by BNP Paribas Leasing Solu ons Limited, Northern Cross, Basing View, Basingstoke RG21 4HL. Registered in England No. 901225. As funder we may pay a commission, fee or other remunera on to credit brokers who introduce business to us, please contact them if you require more informa on.

Ktwo Duo 1000 MK11 10 ton Rear Discharge Spreder c.w Slurry Door + Extension.......£12,500 Kuhn Vari-master 152, 5 Furrow Reversable Plough. c.w Hyd Auto Reset & Depth Wheel. Very Tidy. ...........£7,000

dividing gates. ...... £15,500.00

Jpm 14 ton Mul Purpose Dump Trailer, Internal dimensions 14’ x 7’10’’ Transport Up TO 8 ton Digger............£12,000.00 Alloy Ramps.....£1000.00

Tandem

Ktwo Duo 1000 MK11 10 ton Rear Discharge Spreder c.w Slurry Door + Extension.............£12,500

Kuhn Vari-master 152, 5 Furrow Reversable Plough. c.w Hyd Auto Reset & Depth Wheel. Very Tidy. ..............£7,000

McKee 8 ton Dump Trailers £6000.00 on wide wheels. ..................... £6600.00

NEW Lagan Livestock Trailers with sheep decks, Hydraulic deck system, Demountable body, Slurry TankDivision Gates

NEW Portequip Road Legal Sheep Dippers £22,000

Jpm 14 Ton Dump Trailer £11,500.00

Wessex BF-BFX-180 Self Loading Le and Right big Bale unroller ................... £4500.00

RMH Mixell 14 Tub Mixer. c.w Cross Conveyer, Le Hand Elevator & Steer Axle...................£6750.00

Bomford Falcon Evo 5.5 Hedge Cu er on 3 Point, Electric Control.

Jpm 19 Ton 22

Axlle Plant Trailer.

2019 2650 hours AQ TLS Cab sus

Please call our used sales team on 01704 468009

JD6155R” brackets and Joys ck and panel for the cab £8850

Bergmann TSW5210 ISO Bus Spreader, Weigher, Fully loaded

Thwaite 1ton Dumper Fully recondi oned

Follow and like us on Facebook

Trailer c/w Hay racks Front and Rear POA

Bailey Fuel Bowser 2000ltr, AdBlue Tank, Retractable Reel, Electric Pump, Fully Road Legal POA

New Holland TL90 Year 2003 1920Hours 540/440 Wheels, AC,AS, Dual Power, Beau ful Condi on £25995 ono

New Holland T6.145, Year 2018, 1250hrs, DC 50kph, Air Brakes, Full Suspension POA

Trif fit 12Ton Silage Trailer hydraulic rear door and flota on wheels £7850

JPM Low loader Tandem axle, hydraulic ramps & brakes, Solid wooden floor £7250

NEW Bailey CD17 Dump trailer, Full Commercial axles,560/60R22.5 Wheels POA

Avavnt 528 Year 2020 130hrs FOR SALE or HIRE

Agri Buggy, Year 1989, Rear Hydraulic services, Rear PTO, Ideal for Salt Spreader, Sprayer, Log Spli er £3000 ono

NEW Teagle Toppers 6 and 9 in stock!!

MF5440 Year 2013 Dyan4 Front linkage Hours 2237, Air condi on £33500

JD6330 Year 2011 3450hrs TLS axle and Cab Suspension £41500

JD6130R Year 2020 Hours 2250 AQ50kph 600/540Tyres £68750

Lastec Trailed Mowers ideal for large garden or paddocks (Ex golf course) £1250

JD6155R Year 2021 Hours 1475 AP50kph, Front linkage Front pto, fine example POA

NEW Teagle Straw 8100/8550 Choppers in stock POA

JD663R loader “fit

£4750

NEW Bailey 10T Bale

NEW Bailey CD10 Dump Trailer hydraulic brakes LED lights POA

JPM Dump trailer 16Ton Air Brakes £11850 ono

John Deere 6155M

CASEIH PUMA 165 Powershift 50kph exhaust brake, trailer air brakes, front weight, 2020.

CASEIH OPTUM 300 CVX 50kph. Full Accuguide, 2019, front linkage, 800/70 x 38 tyres.

CASEIH PUMA 200 CVX Powershift 50kph in gloss black, 3200 hours, front linkage.

CASEIH QUADTRAC 620, 2014, 5245 hours, full Guidance, linkage & pto. lovely condition.

CASEIH PUMA 200 CVX 50kph. Front linkage, full Accuguide, 2021, 1510 hours, balance of CaseIh 3 year / 3000 hour warranty.

CASEIH PUMA 150 Full Powershift 50kph. 2017, 2914 hours, 650/65 x 38 tyres, trailer air brakes, exhaust brake.

CASEIH AXIAL FLOW 2388 XCLUSIVE, 24’ header + trolley, 1790 cutting hours, Pro600 screen, yield meter. Excellent condition.

NEW WEIDEMANN T4512 compact telescopic forklift, latest model, Euro headstock, 3rd service. ready for work.

NEW SPEARHEAD MULTICUT PROLINE 460 Batwing, 6 blades per rotor, hydragas suspension.

DEMO 2022 KRONE BIG PACK 1270 MULTIBALE SYSTEM, double knotter, axle steering, ISOBUS compatible.

ISUZU DMAX Eiger Double cab Automatic, 2020, 59987 miles. £18,995 + vat.

ISUZU DMAX FURY 2.5TD Double cab 4x4. 2015, 39859 miles. £14,995 + vat.

FORD RANGER Wildtrak double cab Automatic, 2021, 24446 miles. £29,995 + vat.

TOYOTA HILUX Invincible X double cab 2.8 Automatic, 2022, 527 miles. £40,995 + vat.

MACHINERY

Edited by Toby Whatley – 07583 054

Safely updating handling systems

Cattle handling needs have changed over the years, with less labour on farms and, in many areas, an ageing population among those caring for the stock.

Working with livestock always involves a risk of injury, which is greater if the animals have not been handled frequently, such as those from hills or moorland, sucklers or newly-calved cows.

Some breeds may be more difficult to handle or can come with additional challenges, such as polled or horned cattle. Certain jobs, such as veterinary work, may also increase the risks.

Anthony Wilkes, of P. and D. Engineering, which offers a wide range of livestock equipment, says: “We frequently see farms wishing to upgrade their system, often because they have gone out of dairying and moved into suckler cows,

or simply because it needs an update to meet the requirements of their business.

“A new unit may require a different approach, or the customer may be looking to handle stock at a number of sites.”

He adds that the system must protect the safety not only of farm staff, but also vets called out to test or treat animals.

A thorough assessment of the

site can help determine what is required.

Mr Wilkes says: “Farms going away from milking may wish to utilise the parlour by making use of the collecting area, filling in the pit and fitting a handling system.

“A modern crush can be fitted to an existing race if it uses standard 19mm drop pins.”

P. and D. Engineering supplies crushes from L.M. Bateman and Ritchie Engineering, but was recently approached by Arrowquip to take on the Canadian manufacturer’s premium range.

Mr Wilkes says: “When purchasing a crush, consider the number and type of cattle to be handled – if you have all ages of stock it needs to be able to adjust for everything from calves to suckler cows.

“ A squeeze function ensures smaller animals can be safely contained. Also consider the temperament and type of animal.”

The building layout is also something to think about, as it will affect whether the crush is operated from the left- or right-hand side, for example, if it is located next to a wall.

Direction of travel through the building for smoothest running is key – some work better if the animals move in an anti-clockwise direction, others vice versa.

Mr Wilkes says: “Also take into account how the crush is operated – the rolling race door on Arrowquip models, for example, slides out 750mm to the side, so you will need to allow space.

“You may also want access from both sides.”

Upgrades

A vet access cage at the rear of the crush is a handy addition, check whether it has to be ordered at the time of purchase or can be added on.

Rubber floors within the crush offer improved welfare and safety. Weighing equipment can be specified from new or added on.

“Check that the crush you choose has suitable brackets and bolts in place if you are likely to want to upgrade it later,” says Mr Wilkes.

The manufacturer also offers the option to retrofit a head scoop, which needs to be specified for a left- or right-hand operation; an overhead bar prevents the animal throwing its head away from the scoop.

“If you are looking to gain grant

Cattle crushes and pens can be easily overlooked when considering how animals are managed, but the latest designs can increase safety and efficiency. Jane Carley finds out more.

When purchasing a crush, consider the number and type of cattle to be handled ANTHONY WILKES

When upgrading the cattle crush, consider the layout of the building and which accessories are needed.

Key crush features

■ A locking front gate and yoke (ideally self-locking) allowing you to hold the animal’s head firmly. Additional head restraint will prevent the animal tossing its head up and injuring people

■ A rump rail, chain or bar to minimise forward and backward movement of the animal

■ Crushes should be secured to the ground or to a vehicle

■ A crush should be positioned to allow you to work safely around it, without the risk of contact with other animals and have good natural or artificial lighting

■ Gates should open smoothly with minimum effort and noise

■ A slip-resistant floor made of sound hardwood bolted into place (nails are not suitable), metal chequerplate, or with a rubber mat over the base is essential

■ For specialised tasks a purpose-designed crush with adequate restraint and enough room to work safely is needed

MORE INFORMATION

For more detail, visit hse.gov.uk/ agriculture/topics/livestock.htm

funding for any improvements, check the exact requirements of the scheme – for example, if you are adding weighing equipment it must be linked to the electronic identification  equipment in order to be eligible,” says Mr Wilkes.

A mobile system can be handy for farms where cattle are at different locations, he adds.

“We have got one customer who used existing hurdles to fit onto the crush which he moved between sites, adding on our penning to give the high sides needed for safety.”

Forcing tubs help move the animals through 180 degrees and into the race, or through a three-quarter circle in a budflow pen.

“Adjustable alleyways also help to move cattle calmly in the right direction, using rope-activated latches and rounded sides to accommodate an in-calf cow,” he says.

Quiet and efficient handling makes for calm livestock and Mr Wilkes adds that poly-coated latches offer quiet opening and closing.

With incomes squeezed, farms have to think long and hard about their budget for a crush, he says.

“Arrowquip offers a 15-year warranty on its top of the range model, with a lifetime warranty on the red rump fingers, friction locks and rubber floor which gives peace of mind.

“Cattle handling equipment can be financed and there are also

grants for upgrading certain items.”

Hydraulic crushes come at a higher cost, but the easier operation may justify this for a larger herd.

“They will be more consistent throughout the working day. The central turret spins through 180 degrees for use from either side, so you really need access from both sides. For the price of a standard hydraulic crush, you can get a manual crush plus accessories and handling equipment, so it depends on what you have to spend.”

Finishes

Galvanised finishes are traditional for this type of equipment and remain popular, but Mr Wilkes points out that powder coat paint is used for a wide range of farm machinery and remains durable throughout its lifetime.

“If you can make handling simpler and safer, the chances are that you will do it more often and the cattle become calmer and the whole exercise is more productive,” Mr Wilkes says.

Robert Bevan rears 140 commercial sucklers to finishing near Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, and invested in an Arrowquip crush, supplied by P. and D. Engineering, for one of his two yards.

He says: “We were looking to upgrade our crush and add it to an existing handling system and, after a demo, chose a static crush with

GRANT FUNDING

GRANTS are available for mobile and fixed cattle handling systems under the Farm Equipment and Technology Fund in England and the Small Grant - Efficiency scheme in Wales.

The grant schemes specify the equipment that is eligible in detail, including the design of the crush and the size and layout of the corral system, but also include add-ons

Tru Test weighing. The layout of the yard dictated a right-hand opening and we wanted extras, such as the vet access cage, as much for ‘future proofing’ as anything.”

Mr Bevan comments that while his operation usually involves two or three people, two can comfortably move the cattle and operate the crush.

“We have got one or two that are a bit wild, but right from the first demo we have been impressed with how smoothly they are restrained and how easy it is to adjust the squeeze and head yoke to different sizes of animal. It is also very quiet which helps keep them calm.”

He admits that he was sceptical about the powder coat finish, preferring galvanised materials, but says it has stood up well in three years of use.

“Our vet is very happy too with the ease of access for TB testing,” he says.

and options that may be used to upgrade an existing system, such as foot trimming or weighing equipment.

MORE INFORMATION

England: gov.uk/guidance/farminginvestment-fund

Wales: gov.wales/small-grantefficiency-list-eligible-capital-items-html

Easy access for vets to carry out TB testing can make operation easier.

Poly-coated bolts make less noise on opening and closing.

LAMMA SHOW RETURNS TO JANUARY DATES

10-11 January 2023 at the NEC, Birmingham

The UK’s leading farm machinery show, LAMMA connects farmers from all sectors with companies who provide cutting-edge machinery, technology and equipment for the farming industry.

See machinery launches, UK debuts, global brands and small manufacturers, all together under one roof.

Bring your team to the UK’s largest farm machinery showroom, network and do business.

3 700 exhibitors

3 The Future Farming Trail

3 CPD points

3 Farm Safety Zone

3 LAMMA Torques speaker zone

3 NAAC Contractors Lounge

3 Innovation Awards

3 Young Engineer Award

WITH diversification on many farmers’ minds (see more on page 15) , Farm Business Innovation showcased some interesting technologies which piqued the interest of attendees.

With major strides being made in electric battery technology, that was given real emphasis by some exhibitors, while others focused on how farmers could connect directly with consumers.

ZERO-TURN MOWERS

THE line up of Bobcat zeroturn mowers featured new technologies, including an air-gap baffle system, which accelerates airflow for efficiency through the cutting deck.

This system eliminates negative-pressure pockets and lifts grass up to the cutting blade for precision cutting, the manufacturer claimed.

Available in a range of standon and ride-on options, whether the operator is mowing tight spaces or manoeuvring around trees, Bobcat claims to have a suitable machine within its range.

Markets

The addition of mowers in 2020 allowed Bobcat to expand upon its presence in the landscape industry and capture additional opportunities in the turf and lawn care markets.

Diversification kit showcased at FBI22

DAIRY VENDING MACHINES

DAIRY farmers were increasingly keen to explore direct-to-consumer vending options since the pandemic and there was growing support among milk buyers for the concept as well.

That was the view of Daisy Vending’s Malcolm Doble, who was showcasing the company’s milk and ice cream vending technology at the event.

The firm’s DV 200 machine can hold two, 100-litre tanks, giving the option of six milkshake flavours and two milk types.The larger DV 400

can vend 400 litres of milk and milkshakes.

Based in Bridgewater, Somerset, the firm originally started in the dairy parlour market, but has since moved into the vending market and was seeing growing interest from farmers keen to connect with the public.

Payment options

With 10- or 20-inch touch-screen panels on the units, card and cash payments are both available on the machines.

Prices start around £20,000.

UNATTENDED RETAIL SOLUTIONS

JSR Services can customise vending machines to match individual business requirements. Being fully automated, such machines have proved popular with farm shops and various diversification projects, such as caravan parks, which have started selling fresh produce to customers.

The modular set-up allows businesses to start with a few compartments and expand at a later date by connecting new modules.

LOW-PROFILE ELECTRICAL MOWER

ORIGINALLY built for mowing under solar panels, the Raymo provides a flexible electric mowing system.

The system is operated through a radio remote control and claims a low machine weight and improved operator safety though reduced noise and dust exposure.

The Powerswap system enables the operator to change between a fully electric and a plug-in hybrid petrol engine/electric drive option,

GEOTHERMAL USAGE IN AGRICULTURE

GEOTHERMAL technology business

CeraPhi Energy claimed its products would, longer term, help decarbonise the agricultural sector by utilising heat extracted from the ground

to provide a sustainable energy source for heating, cooling and power.

The main projects were currently within greenhouse cooling and heating. However, the company was

extending the available operating time. Combined with zero-turn steering and a low centre of gravity, four-wheel drive allows the mower to operate on very steep slopes and the machine’s 510mm height can be beneficial when landscaping, controlling vegetation or maintaining energy parks.

Raymo mowers feature three interchangeable mower decks.

The machine includes a touchscreen display, intended to make each sale quick and simple. When the client enters their desired box number, a price and photo of the chosen item will appear and the product will be added to the shopping basket before payment.

After payment, the selected boxes will automatically open allowing a quick, self-service option for any product.

looking to branch further into agriculture to include livestock housing, drying facilities and processing plants.

CeraPhi Energy claimed that

investing in geothermal energy could be a ‘lucrative business model’ for UK farmers and landowners, with the ability to lower energy costs, create jobs and additional taxable revenue.

From vending machines to automatic mowers, diversification kit was front and centre at Farm Business Innovation. Ash Burbidge picks out the highlights.

rVending machines receive growing support

PICTURES: TIM SCRIVENER

Edited by Katie Jones – 07786 856 439 – katie.jones@agriconnect.com

In the run up to GB Calf Week, we take a look at calf rearing in practice and how a ‘prevention is better than cure’ policy works for Blade Farming. Angela Calvert reports.

Highlighting best practice for calf rearing

Developing a fully integrated supply chain to deliver consistent quality beef to consumers was the motivation behind the establishment of Blade Farming.

Since its inception in 2001, the business has grown and evolved with the use of technology and data playing an increasingly important role.

Key to its success is having a robust calf rearing programme in place.

Richard Phelps, managing director of Blade Farming, part of the

ABP Group, says: “The goal was to develop an open and transparent supply chain which benefits all parties and is focused on best practice.

Batch system

“We looked at what was happening in the pig and poultry industries and decided operating a batch system of ‘all in all out’ for calves was the way to go.

“This means once a batch of calves has left, the shed can be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and left empty for five days before the next batch arrives.

“By having a high health

GREAT BRITISH CALF WEEK – NOVEMBER 16-23, 2022

GB Calf Week is a celebration of the progress which has been made by the industry since the launch of the GB Dairy Calf Strategy in 2020. This is a cross-industry campaign headed up by AHDB and the NFU, which aims to ensure that all dairy-bred calves are reared with care and for a purpose as part of either the dairy or beef supply chain. While major progress has been made, the strategy identifies where the potential and responsibility exists for further improvement throughout the whole supply chain.

One area of focus is antibiotic usage in calves. In the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture’s (RUMA) Target Task Force report 2020, for the first time, calves reared away from the cow were separated from dairy

and beef sectors and given targets of their own.

The aim is that more accurate measurement of antibiotic usage will help identify, on both an individual farm and a wider industry basis, where more can be done in terms of disease prevention and ensure antibiotics which are needed to treat disease are being used responsibly. It will also help to demonstrate that progress is being made in reducing antibiotic use.

Accurate

Key to the success of this is accurate recording of medicine usage data which is where the Medicine Hub (see p82) comes in.

This is an online tool to enable dairy, beef and sheep farmers to monitor and

Blade Farming calves, of which 90 per cent are Aberdeen-Angus-sired, are sourced from a dedicated pool of dairy farmers.

programme in place, we aim to reduce the disease risk to calves and, therefore, the need for treatment.”

Calf sector targets

TARGETS for the calf sector set out in the RUMA Task Force report 2020:

■ 25 per cent fall in antibiotic usage by 2024 – baseline 2020/21

■ 7.5 fewer treated/100 calves by 2024 – baseline 2020/21

■ Calf mortality falls 1 per cent/year 2024 – baseline 2018

compare medicine use and tackle the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

RUMA is able to demonstrate that where good data is available for a sector, targets are more likely to be met, but where there is little or no data, progress against targets is difficult to demonstrate.

The company now has more than 35 calf rearers across the UK, with places for 25,000 calves, and is still growing. Calves, of which 90 per cent are Aberdeen-Angus-sired, are sourced from a dedicated pool of dairy farmers. They must meet the weight for age specification and go to the rearers at 10-40 days old where they stay for 12 weeks, before moving on to a finisher.

Same diet

The calves remain the property of Blade, which pays for all feed, including milk powder, rearing nuts, and medicines. This means all of the company’s calves are reared on the same diet which helps with the transitional period between rearer and finisher and provides a better data set in terms of benchmarking.

Regular veterinary input and advice, as well support from regional calf rearing managers, is also provided.

Alice Rabjohns, regional calf

MORE INFORMATION

For information about AHDB events celebrating GB Calf Week, visit ahdb.org.uk/gb-calf-week-22

least every six months to discuss current performance. Monitoring and recording data is essential, but what is important is reviewing it, identifying a problem, and dealing with it at the time so it does not escalate.

“Having all the data to hand enables us to look at performance, growth rates, disease and medicine use and review exactly what is happening.

Advice

“But I also give advice on things such as housing and ventilation, all of which contribute to calf health.

“My visits are in addition to the visits from other members of the veterinary team who will carry out routine procedures.”

For a number of years, the company has operated an antimicrobial reduction programme.

manager for the southern region, says: “I aim to see each batch of calves three times while they are on the unit, that is once a month.

“But I am available at all times

for the rearers to contact and discuss any issues.”

Taking a proactive approach to calf health and having strict protocols in the rearing system pays off

as this is the most stressful period of the calf’s life, particularly in the first week on a new unit.

Vet Tim Potter visits each unit at least every six months. He says: “I am on each farm at

MEDICINE HUB

BLADE Farming submits its data to the Medicine Hub.

dRichard Phelps says: “We have got all our own data which is crucial as it helps us make informed decisions on both an individual farm basis and the business as a whole, but it is good to know where we sit in the bigger picture.

“We are keen to supply the Medicine Hub as it is important for the future of the beef industry and other sectors that we are able to demonstrate to processors, retailers and consumers that we are making great strides in

Mr Phelps says: “We take a riskbased proactive approach to health. We invest heavily in vaccines and there are no blanket treatments or prophylactic use of antibiotics, but we use them as little as possible and as much as necessary.

“It is all about making marginal gains which all add up. Ensuring calves remain healthy enables them to perform to their full potential.”

reducing antibiotic and other medicine usage.

Information gaps

“Currently, there are gaps in that information, so the more producers who submit their information the better it will be and the industry will have hard evidence of the progress it has made in this area.

“It is also useful to individual farmers and their vets to have all that data to hand so they can focus on where improvements can be made in their own businesses.”

We have got all our own data which is crucial as it helps us make informed decisions on both an individual farm basis and the business as a whole

RICHARD PHELPS

Calves remain the property of Blade Farming, which pays for all feed, including milk powder, rearing nuts, and medicines.

IN THE FIELD ANNE AND IAN JAMES, BODMIN, CORNWALL

ANNE and Ian James farm 182 hectares (450 acres) near Bodmin, Cornwall, milking their dairy herd through robots, contract rearing British Friesian heifers for a neighbouring farmer and running 25 suckler cows.

The couple have also been rearing calves for Blade for eight years and Mrs James was awarded the Blade Farming Calf Rearer of the Year Award in 2021.

They have two calf rearing sheds which hold 120 calves each, so will have two batches on the go at any one time.

Mrs James says: “We have found the most efficient way is to have the calves on the milk machines all in one shed for the first six weeks. Then once weaned move them into the other shed for the final six weeks.

“The first shed can then be cleaned and rested ready for the next batch. It also means the milk machines are utilised all the time.

“We can also then scrape the passageway in the feed area in the weaned shed which keeps the bedding drier and saves on straw.

“Whereas in the other shed, we need to use plenty of straw which is the only thing we have to provide

ourselves for the calves. We also give them barley straw in feeders.

“We have also put in a feed auger system which saves a huge amount of time.”

Feeding stations

The shed has four milk feeding stations with 30 calves on each. The machines automatically collect data on the calves’ drinking patterns and flag up any problems on the handset, alerting Mrs James.

She says: “Health-wise, we do not usually have any major problems, scour and respiratory issues are the main things, with weather a major factor.

“I have a thermometer in the sheds and we can open the doors if necessary and we have a galebreaker which lets the sun in.

“We have planted trees down one side of the shed to give it protection and use extra bedding in cold weather. Blade also provides jackets for the small calves if needed.”

Calves are weighed on arrival, when they are weaned, and when they leave the unit.

On arrival a BVD tissue test sample is taken and calves receive an intranasal pneumonia vaccine and a mineral injection to boost immunity.

They will then also be vaccinated for ringworm and have two further pneumonia vaccines to protect them while on the unit and in preparation for moving to the finishing unit.

Mrs James says: “Rearing calves for Blade works well for us. It provides income without us having to worry about the cost of feed or milk powder.

“I like the fact it is prescriptive in terms of, for example, vaccines and feed, and I know exactly what the protocols are.

“The first week is critical to ensure all the calves are trained to use the machine but after that, while we monitor the calves carefully, it is not too time consuming or tying.

“If I have any concerns, I can pick up the phone and discuss them with someone.

“I also enjoy the Blade rearer day when all the rearers get together, which is great for networking, comparing notes and discussing any issues.”

While we monitor the calves carefully, it is not too time consuming or tying

ANNE JAMES

The shed has four milk feeding stations with 30 calves on each.

First generation sheep farmer Hugh

Working from the ground up

Driven self-starter Hugh Guinan may only be 26, but over the past 10 years he has built his flock up to 285 breeding ewes after starting with just six Beulah Speckled Face ewes bought as a teenager.

After leaving college, he studied a degree in agriculture with crop management at Harper Adams University, which led to a career with agriculture consultancy ADAS within its arable team.

And Mr Guinan is using this arable knowledge within his ownfarming business to help improve soil health on the rented and owned pasture and arable ground he keeps his sheep on in the Llangorse area of Brecon.

Mr Guinan explains he has teamed up with a local dairy farmer, from whom he rents winter grazing ground and together they are working to improve soil health.

Sheep graze the cover crops after harvesting, which Mr Guinan says is working well as the ewes are

very adaptable. And he is also working with the dairy farmer on the farm’s five-year crop rotation.

Wool from Mr Guinan’s flock is also combined with woodchip from a Glastir scheme and manure and will be spread onto arable land once the product has been fully composted.

Mr Guinan says: “We want to add value to the waste products to produce a valuable compost for the crops.”

Great ewes

Mr Guinan’s flock is a mix of Aberfields, Aberfield cross Lleyns and a handful of his Beulah ewes, which are slowly being phased out.

Mr Guinan says: “The Beulahs are great ewes and they were a good start to the flock.

“However, I did not think they were fulfilling their potential off the range of forage which they were given with the rotation of ground we have access to.

“It was affecting their fertility and I found cases of lameness

were high. Juggling a full-time job alongside the farming meant that ease of management, as well as having sheep which are able to thrive on various pastures, is essential to ensure the system works smoothly.”

Already using an Aberblack as a terminal sire, which is a blend of traditional British and New Zealand genetics, he looked into using

Innovis on the maternal side, to tackle the challenges.

Looking to maintain the scanning percentage at 180 per cent, rearing at 165 per cent and the size of lambs, Mr Guinan was drawn to the Aberfield breed, which he brought into the flock in 2018.

Significant reductions in lameness were seen throughout the flock, which reduced antibiotic usage. And the number of lambs per ewe had also reduced, suiting the outside lambing system better.

However, Mr Guinan says the ewe size was bigger than he was looking to keep, which meant ewes required more attention.

He says: “I felt like I was going in

Farm facts

■ All rams are selected on estimated breeding value traits, paying close attention to ease of lambing, with recent rams being delivered straight to farm to fit in with Mr Guinan’s busy schedule

■ On ground owned by Mr Guinan, clover is used to improve soil health and reduce the need for nitrogen applications

■ Soils are tested in rotation every three years and slurry, manure, sewage sludge and potentially wool in the future, are spread

Guinan is building up a flock of Innovis ewes and working with local farmers to improve soil health, all while juggling his full-time job. Ellie Layton reports.

Hugh Guinan

This year the tups have been put in earlier to bring the start of lambing forward.

the right direction, however, I still wanted to make some changes.”

Still trying to find a more suited ewe for the system, in 2020, he introduced an Aberfield SR as a maternal sire.

The SR combines the genetics of the Aberfield and Lleyn breeds, producing a smaller-framed ewe of 60-65kg, which Mr Guinan says suits his forage-based system better.

Retained

He says: “These ewes have done really well with us. We are on our second crop of SR lambs and this is the first year we will tup the retained ewe lambs.”

One-quarter of the Aberfield and SR ewes are kept pure to breed ewe lambs, which will be retained and the rest of the flock are put to the Aberblack, with the lambs sold commercially.

For the ewe lambs, it has been a financially-driven decision to lamb them next May.

They will be put to the one of the Aberblack rams, which has exceptional ease of lambing figures, while still producing a suitable lamb for their market.

Mr Guinan says: “I do not want to be greedy, but simply utilise the output the ewe lambs can produce.”

Nothing will go to the rams under 38kg to ensure they are capable of

rearing and they have already been shorn to help promote growth.

Focused on getting numbers up before looking to acquire livestock housing, lambing takes place outdoors and usually starts in late March.

However, this year the tups have been put in earlier to bring the start of lambing forward to about March 10.

Mr Guinan says this change was made in order to utilise early grass growth and get lambs away quicker. When it comes to selling lambs in market, Mr Guinan aims for the lambs to go at 40-42kg, but admits that if they are fit and the trade is right, they go to market earlier with the store route working well.

Aberblack cross lambs go at 35kg plus and all currently go live-

HUGH GUINAN

weight through local markets, Talgarth and Hereford.

Mr Guinan says the Aberblack has suited the ewes which are not used for breeding replacements and produce a lamb which is finished on forage at an average of 20 weeks.

The forage diet is primarily grazing based on forage and cover crops. Silage is made in bales during summer and is fed through winter alongside grazing.

Through a Farming Connect scheme, Mr Guinan studied the quality of they silage he was producing and found the best result was to cut it at the three leaf stage.

This gave him the confidence to virtually eliminate concentrates.

“I do not want to say I have no reliance on concentrates, but on a typical year, concentrates are only used in February running up to lambing.

“In a hard winter they may be called for, but strip grazing this summer has provided fresh grass, which has kept them occupied without the need for additional feed,” he says.

Looking to the future, Mr Guinan is looking to expand his flock to 400 ewes and secure buildings for the flock and equipment.

On his own ground, he has looked into the potential of herbal leys.

The Beulahs are great ewes and they were a good start to the flock

The flock is a mix of Aberfield, Aberfield cross Lleyn and Beulah ewes.

PICTURES: RUTH REES

Drive for efficiency proves worthwhile

Having achieved the scale they want with their dairy herd at Chipping, near Preston, Lancashire, father and son Michael and Chris Kenyon are now turning their attention to improving efficiency across the business.

“We are fine-tuning the herd,” says Michael, who has lived at Hesketh End Farm all of his life.

As well as improving the animals, he and Chris are also scrutinising other management details, particularly feed and forage.

Growth of the farm and dairy herd had been a long-term goal for the Kenyons.

Over the past decade, they have taken opportunities to increase their acreage, buying pockets of land as they came up for sale or taking on rental agreements.

Michael says: “This farm was originally five different holdings.”

As they gained more grazing, they were able to increase the size of the pedigree Holstein herd too, buying-in heifers until the purchase of a second site enabled them to start rearing their own.

With its 3.64ha (nine acres) of grass and a selection of buildings, buying Cherry Tree Farm in 2015 was something of a turning point.

Until then, they had operated as a flying herd, selling all of their dairy beef calves to local farmers at three

Hesketh End Farm facts

● 105 hectares (260 acres) owned, plus 36.4ha (90 acres) rented

● 300 in-milk cattle, plus 300 followers

● Heifer rearing at second site

● Zero grazing

● Total mixed ration includes

weeks of age and buying-in Holstein heifers from local sales.

Being able to rear calves themselves meant more control over the quality and health status of incoming stock, says Michael.

It also led them to start using Holstein sexed semen and start rearing all their offspring. Chris took responsibility for the youngstock and now lives on-site at the second farm with his wife Amy.

Livestock

Now with 300 in the milking herd (averaging 10,000 litres with twicea-day milking) and 300 youngsters, they are happy with the numbers and have moved towards ‘breeding better’, says Michael.

Breeding priorities include longevity, as well as yield and milk solids. Older and less efficient cows are being replaced with better performing animals. In the past year they have introduced genomics to identify the best females and only breed from the top 50 per cent. They have used embryo transfer to breed more from the best females.

In 2020, ForFarmers adviser and ruminant specialist Emma Moore came on board to advise the Kenyons on all aspects of their feeding regime.

One change she instigated straight away was the introduction of Levucell to the milking herd’s diet.

Fed as part of the parlour cake, Optima 18 plus Levucell is an 18 per cent crude protein nut. A rumen

MICHAEL KENYON

specific yeast, Levucell helps maintain the correct pH of the rumen, leading to improved efficiency.

Emma says: “It really helps the cow maximise forage digestion, leading to both improved milk yield and rumen health.”

Butterfat

Since introducing it, butterfat has consistently stayed above 4 per cent, she adds. In the two years since Emma started working with the Kenyons, total yield from forage has more than doubled from 14 to 30-35 per cent. Margin over purchased feed has also reached 36ppl, with yields of 34 litres per cow per day through summer.

Investment in new parlour software has contributed to the savings, she says.

not as sensitive, so those animals were being fed more than they needed.”

The Kenyons were already converts to zero grazing, having moved to a fully housed system about eight years ago.

Chris says: “This is such a wet area and the cows can cause real damage to the fields. They were not grazing well either and were eating the same amount of silage whether they were turned out or not. Zero grazing enables us to have a herd this size with greater utilisation of forage.”

They make their own silage and layer different cuts in the clamp.

Michael says: “Cows like consistency and layering helps keep silage more consistent over the season.”

grass and maize silage, wholecrop, blend and Selcoplus

● Parlour cake is Optima 18 plus Levucell (18 per cent protein)

● Average milk yield of 10,000 litres per cow

● Yield averages 4.45 per cent butterfat and 3.64 per cent protein

The DeLaval DelPro software was a significant investment, but allows concentrate feeding to be targeted much more effectively.

Emma says: “It means we can feed to yield and pinpoint what every animal needs much better. Since using it we have been consistently running below the national average for concentrates at about 0.34kg/litre.”

Michael says: “Before, we were over-feeding late lactation animals because our previous system was

As well as grass, the Kenyons produce some wholecrop and buy-in maize on contract.

Other components in the milking herd total mixed ration are a blend to balance protein and energy requirements and Selco Plus, a moist feed which is a useful forage extender and concentrate replacement, says Emma.

With fuel and fertiliser prices pushing up the cost of growing grass, the Kenyons have been thinking more creatively and are currently trialling the use of rotor ground straw in youngstock diets. As well as saving money, Emma

Improving efficiency involves a multi-pronged approach at Hesketh End Farm, with genetics, feeding and forage production all under the spotlight.

Cows like consistency and layering helps keep silage more consistent over the season

says it will also be good for rumen development.

A visit from ForFarmers forage specialist David Wilde earlier this year helped identify other areas for savings too.

This included a Nutrient Management Plan for the farm, which involved extensive soil sampling and slurry analysis.

Michael says: “We found that very beneficial when we went through it. It all links in nicely with being as efficient as possible and how best to use fertiliser and slurry to create high quality silage.”

Chris adds: “We wanted to avoid overspending on fertiliser while also not compromising on quality.”

David’s advice was to use a higher nitrogen fertiliser at a lower rate and to top up with slurry using a dribble bar.

This approach, made possible by knowing exactly what the soil needed

and what the slurry contained, meant they used 50 per cent less purchased nitrogen compared to last year. Going forward, systematic reseeding has been added to the list to improve grass production further.

Chris says: “We had got a bit behind on reseeding, so we are now working our way round ploughing and reseeding everything.”

Performance

Seeing improvement in the performance of the herd is a huge motivator, he says.

“We are always trying to improve.”

However, while improvements are welcome, they are not pushing for further yield, says Michael.

“We would have to put so much more in to get extra litres that it would not be viable or practical. I believe that 10,000 litres is enough and we are very happy with that.”

The farm has 300 in-milk cattle, plus 300 followers.

Left to right: Chris Kenyon, Emma Moore and Michael Kenyon, discussing the youngstock diet.

Left to right: Karen, Michael, Miles and Chris Kenyon.

PICTURES: STEVE PENDRILL

Robert West will be returning to the Royal Welsh Winter Fair hoping to repeat last year’s success with prime lambs. Angela Calvert reports.

Claiming the supreme lamb championship on his debut visit to the Royal Welsh Winter Fair last year is one of the highlights of Robert West’s showing career.

He farms at Collyweston, Northamptonshire, with parents, Andrew and Davina, on a Burghley Estate mixed farm. The farm was originally run by his maternal grandparents, hence its trading name of J.F. Burbidge and Son.

Historically, the sheep element of the farm comprised Mule gimmer lambs, which were bought in the North of England, run round empty and sold on as shearlings.

But as Robert’s interest in sheep grew, the family established a 400ewe flock, which comprises mainly three-quarter Texel ewes which are put to Texel or Beltex rams.

Robert began successfully showing lambs at local Christmas fatstock shows, such as Newark, Uppingham and Melton Mowbray.

After his early local success, he

All set for the Royal Welsh Winter Fair

was encouraged by David Wadland, himself a hugely successful exhibitor of prime lambs, who still offers advice and encouragement, to start showing further afield.

Robert says: “David was really supportive and suggested my lambs were good enough to show at a national level, so we started going to some of the bigger events.”

In 2017 Robert took the overall lamb championship at Agri-Expo and further success followed. Last year was his most successful to date, as well having the overall champions at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair, the same pair of lambs also took the championship

at Agrifest South West at Exeter.

At the English Winter Fair, he took the reserve champion pair of lambs with Beltex wether lambs and the reserve pure-bred title with Texels.

Show lambs

To ensure a plentiful supply of lambs to pick from, now 80-100 ewes are specially aimed at producing show lambs.

Initially, three in-lamb Beltex ewes were bought from Paul Slater, Macclesfield, as a foundation for this portion of the flock.

Four or five rams are usually bought from society sales at Carlisle

each year, some specifically to sire show lambs. Beltex bought this year include Lamington Gandalf and Rennie Geezer

Very few ewe lambs are kept as replacements.

Robert says: “We find it better to sell all the lambs fat and then buy in replacement ewes.

“When buying ewes, we are looking for shearlings with good skins, plenty of shape and a nice head.

“This year we bought from Thame and I also judged the Wigton Whites show and sale at Wigton market and bought the champions from Jack and Tom Peile.”

Ewes

are grazed on forage rape

Left to right: Robert, Davina and Andrew West.

Farm facts

■ 243 hectares (600 acres) of arable growing winter wheat, winter barley and oil seed rape, some land let out for sugar beet

■ 53ha (130 acres) of grassland

■ 400 Texel cross Beltex ewes put to Beltex and Texel rams

■ All lambs finished and sold liveweight

from late November until the end of January when they come inside for lambing in March.

Robert’s girlfriend, Lydia Taylor, takes two weeks off work to help at lambing time and also helps with showing lambs.

Finished lambs are aimed at the top end of the market and since the closure of Newark are now sold mainly through Melton Mowbray and Kirkby Stephen markets.

Robert says: “It is further to travel to Kirkby Stephen, but we can sell them there from 38kg upwards, so we can get them away earlier and still achieve a premium price, topping at £162/head last year.

“We will start selling lambs from about the end of July and any that

ROYAL WELSH WINTER FAIR

AS well as livestock classes, the Royal Winter Fair hosts a huge variety of competitions, including horses, hounds, dressed poultry, butchery, meat hampers, cookery, produce and handicraft, horticulture and floral art.

The event also offers shoppers the perfect opportunity to pick up Christmas gifts from the hundreds of trade stands across the showground.

are left will go to the Christmas show and sale at Kirkby Stephen.”

The sale of show lambs at winter fairs is an added bonus with last year’s Royal Welsh winners selling for £1,250/head and previous Newark fatstock champions making £480/head.

Robert and Andrew will select a batch of about 50 lambs which they think have show potential and they will start to get some special attention.

From mid-September they are brought inside, but will go out in the daytime depending on weather.

The West family mills and mixes its own ration, mainly from homegrown cereals and minerals, with input from a nutritionist.

Robert says they spend a lot of time sorting and selecting lambs, deciding which they are likely to show and often repeatedly changing their minds.

“Different judges are looking for

Visitors will be able to enjoy live music and carol singers performing throughout the showground and even have a chance to meet Father Christmas and his reindeer.

The Royal Welsh Winter Fair will be opening its doors to the public at 8am each morning and trade stands will be open throughout the evening for late night Christmas shopping and the firework display on November 28.

different types and weights of lambs so it helps if you know their preferences,” he says.

Judges

“Butchers will want something different to a pedigree breeder.

“Sometimes we take the same lambs to more than one event, but often we swap and change them around, usually taking eight to 10 to each one.

■ When: November 28–29, 2022. Gates open 8am to late

■ Where: Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3SY

■ Tickets: £20 for adults and £5 for children with discounted tickets for Royal Welsh Agricultural Society members purchased before the 14 November. Entry after 5pm on Monday is £5 for adults and free for children

“Presentation is also very important. Kate Gunn does all the trimming and is a vital part of the team.

“She will trim them just before the first show and will then do a bit more with them as the season progresses.

“We are all looking forward to going back to the Welsh Winter Fair and it would be nice to do well there again.”

To ensure a supply of lambs to pick from, 80-100 ewes are specially aimed at producing show lambs.

Ewes are grazed on forage rape from November until January.

Margins in the beef sector are coming under increasing pressure as input costs, whether they be feed, fertiliser or fuel, continue to rise.

And while there is no one-size-fitsall strategy a beef farmer can adopt to improve margins, a focus on small improvements when it comes to nutrition, health and genetics can pay dividends.

Nutrition

Lientjie Colahan, technical sales support at Lallemand Animal Nutrition, says: “There is no magic

Small changes can improve beef margins

ration that you can feed beef cattle to make them more efficient or to increase margins overnight, but reducing waste is a major goal you can focus on.

“You can also analyse your forage to assess its quality and work with a nutritionist to formulate rations accurately based on the results.”

She says a simple and easy way to ensure cattle are getting the most out of their feed is to remove spoiled silage from rations.

Referring to a study carried out in America in 2000, Mrs Colahan says feeding cattle spoiled silage, even in small amounts, can have a detrimental impact on intake and how the rumen functions.

She says: “The trial took crossbred steers and looked at the effect of feeding them spoiled silage on rumen health, intake and growth.

“It showed the steers which were only receiving good silage had higher digestibility of the forage in their rumen, compared to those that were fed spoiled silage, and as the percentage of spoiled silage in the ration increased, the animals ate less.”

The study also showed that the rumen mat which stimulates the rumen to contract and mix feed together completely disintegrated in cattle fed spoiled silage.

“The trial demonstrates that including spoiled silage in a ration really has a negative effect on

performance because the cattle are eating less and are not digesting their feed as well,” says Mrs Colahan.

She adds that although it is not

Lientjie Colahan

This beef special includes advice on using genomics, as well as improving herd health and profitability.

A focus on small improvements when it comes to nutrition, health and genetics can pay dividends.

Easy ways to boost margins in the beef sector

■ Do not be tempted to feed spoiled silage because this impacts intake and rumen function, meaning a cow will not get the full benefit of any bought-in feeds

■ Consider feeding a live yeast to cattle to maximise forage utilisation. This will help the rumen microbes, which break down fibre, to flourish, releasing more energy from the fibre fraction of the diet

■ Test before treating cattle for

worms. Failure to treat when there is a parasite burden results in poor feed efficiency, but treating without testing can also be a waste of time and money and increases the risk of wormer resistance developing ■ Do not carry passengers – cull any cows which are not doing their job and producing a healthy, live calf for you every year. An empty cow will cost hundreds of pounds a year in feed alone

wasting time and money by treating cattle when it is not necessary.

Mr Colston says: “Farmers need to manage parasites so the cattle get the benefit of the nutrition, and not the parasites; that is something we tend to overlook.”

He recommends adopting the Moredun Research Institute’s mantra of ‘test, do not guess’ and says farmers should generally not be treating any group of cattle for parasites unless they are sure the parasites are there.

Mr Colston adds: “If people were to do that, they would not be wasting the product or their time by treating animals when there is no benefit.”

“Flukicides only kill a certain spectrum of fluke in the liver and while triclabendazole tends to treat them all, it will only kill fluke that has been in the liver for two weeks or longer, so if you are treating cattle it is best to do this at least two weeks after housing.”

Genetics

Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society chief executive Robert Gilchrist says by taking steps to increase the number of live calves born on their farm every year, beef farmers can also improve their margins.

365 days and does not offer you a calf in that period she is going to cost you 5.1 tonnes of dry matter [DM].

“Between an outdoor and indoor diet, you are talking of a cost of between £80 and £85/t of DM based on a diet of home-grown forages and bought-in feeds. So at an average of £82.50/t, that cow is going to cost you £421.58 in feed alone and give you nothing.”

Aside from culling empty cows, Mr Gilchrist says selecting easier-calving bulls can help ensure cows produce a live calf every year.

possible to influence silage quality for the winter ahead, farmers should take steps to remove any visibly spoiled silage from both bales and the clamp as soon as they see it.

Mrs Colahan also recommends feeding a rumen-specific live yeast to maximise the value of forage and make the most of purchased feeds.

“This enhances the rumen’s ability to deal with the stresses of a spoiled forage, while also helping to release significantly more energy from the fibre fraction of the diet, particularly if it is of low digestibility,” she says.

“A live yeast scavenges oxygen in the rumen, which creates a more anaerobic environment; this helps the positive microbes, which digest fibre in the rumen, to flourish.”

She says a rumen-specific live yeast also works to reduce the risk of acidosis from spoiled silage, by significantly reducing the time spent at a low rumen pH.

Parasite control

Beef farmers can also improve their margins by focusing more closely on how they treat worms in their herd, says Elanco Animal Health’s ruminant technical consultant Matt Colston.

He says failing to address worms means feed is being wasted and not properly utilised by the animal, while failing to test before using a wormer can result in farmers

He says this is especially relevant for liver fluke ahead of housing.

A study from the University of Edinburgh found cattle with up to 10 fluke in the liver will take as many as 31 days longer to finish, while those with more than 10 fluke in the liver could take up to 77 days longer to finish.

Mr Colston says: “I would blood test a small batch of cattle at housing and if there is no fluke there, there is no need for treatment, but if it is there you need to use the right active at the right time.

The average beef herd in the UK has a weaning percentage of about 82 per cent, which he likens to an employee only working from Monday morning until their mid-morning break on Friday.

He says: “If that was a member of staff, would you still have them in the yard? The industry often forgives transgressions like this.”

Mr Gilchrist advises culling hard and says removing empty cows from the herd will instantly boost margins.

He says: “If the average cow weighs 700kg and she stands still for

He says: “Select through estimated breeding values and look for good figures for calving ease, birth weight and gestation length.”

Mr Gilchrist also advocates a move to native breeds as a means of boosting margins.

He says: “The easier-fleshing nature of native breeds, like Aberdeen-Angus, means it takes less feed to get these cattle finished and they can be finished on a more forage-based diet.

“It is all about margin over feed because feed accounts for around three-quarters of the total cost of livestock production.”

Farmers need to manage parasites so the cattle get the benefit of the nutrition, and not the parasites

MATT COLSTON

Robert Gilchrist Matt Colston

By taking steps to increase the number of live calves born on their farm every year, beef farmers can also improve their margins.

The weight of weaned calves is fundamental, says vet Joe Henry, of Black Sheep Farm Health, however, the number of farmers who know how many kilos of calves they wean per year, is worryingly low.

Because the calf is a product of the suckler herd, Dr Henry says weaning weights are invaluable and without them there is no measure of the herd’s output or performance.

He says: “If you were to speak to an arable farmer, they would know how many tonnes of corn they had produced, or if you were to speak to a dairy farmer, they would know how many litres of milk they produce.

“But beef farmers have historically not been good at knowing the weight of calves they have weaned.”

Dr Henry advises farmers to focus on kilos of calf produced, rather than pounds per head when selling weaned calves, as the cattle trade can alter at any time.

He says: “Suckler farmers have no control over the cattle trade, however they do have control over the number of kilos they can sell.”

To understand how many kilos or tonnes of beef a farm is producing each year, Dr Henry says to multiply the average weaning weight by the number of weaned calves.

This is a figure which, Dr Henry says, farmers should know and should be considered a key performance indicator (KPI) for benchmarking a herd’s future productivity.

He says: “As input costs are rising, unless farmers are producing more, they are going backwards, which is why measuring the output is important.”

Target weaning weights are dependent on several factors, including the age at which calves are weaned,

Why weighing at weaning should be routine practice

the farm system and breed of cattle.

Generally between 270kg and 330kg is a good target weaning weight, for spring-calving cows weaning in autumn.

Dr Henry says it is most important that figures are compared year on year to understand any improvements in productivity.

“The biggest way to increase the average weight at weaning is to improve fertility, which is why the number of cows calved in the first three weeks of calving, is such an important KPI. The more born at the start of calving the older they are and the heavier they are at weaning.

“If a herd is calving for 16 weeks, the average weaning weight will be poor because some of those calves are going to be three or four months old at weaning.”

He explains the calves born within the first three weeks of calving are the ‘money makers’ and calves born three months after the start of

calving will be 100kg lighter at weaning.

Conscious farmers are busy people, Dr Henry says weighing calves at weaning can be done while carrying out other routine treatments, such as vaccinating, clipping, and worming, by using weigh scales or a weigh tray in the cattle crush.

“It is something we feel so strongly about at the practice that we have bought a weigh tray to hire out to

our farmers, free of charge. It hardly ever gets hired out now, because everyone has seen the benefit of it and gone and bought their own.

“It does not take up a lot more time, as calves are going through the crush anyway at that time of year, but weaning weights are such a key part of a farmer’s business, especially now subsidies are getting reduced.

“Farmers are going to have to make suckler cows pay in their own right.”

Suckler calf weaning weights are an important measure of any suckler herd, to understand herd performance, output and profitability. Katie Fallon talks to vet Joe Henry to find out more.

The biggest way to increase the average weight at weaning is to improve fertility

JOE HENRY

Target weaning weights are dependent on the age at which calves are weaned, the farm system and breed of cattle.

PICTURE: TIM SCRIVENER

Genomics add value to South Devon herd

The South Devon Herd Book Society (SDHBS) was the first UK beef breed organisation to incorporate genomic values into the Breedplan evaluation programme and Olliver Rounsevell has added the system to the pedigree and performance records for his 100-cow Highgate herd at Highgate Farm, Lostwithiel, Cornwall.

The herd has been performance-recorded since the late 1970s.

Mr Rounsevell says: “The genomic service is provided free of charge to all members and the level of improved

Farm facts

■ The business covers 170 hectares (420 acres) in two blocks, five miles apart

■ There are 65ha (160 acres) of arable cropping, 28ha (70 acres) of temporary leys and 72ha (177 acres) of permanent pasture and 5ha (13 acres) of woodland

■ There is also a flock of 100 pedigree Lleyn sheep

■ Olliver and his wife Alison have

accuracy it offers should help to boost herd performance.

“My income partly relies on producing top-quality finished bulls which have high daily liveweight gain potential and meet grading specifications.

“I also sell breeding heifers to private buyers who are looking for a durable female with strong maternal traits and the ability to produce milk from grass.

“They like to see a set of figures and the genomic element will give them greater assurance that their purchase will perform as expected.”

Male calves are left entire and

two children: son, Matthew, 19, and daughter, Grace, 13

■ Most of the soil is a medium loam and is prone to drying out in summer

■ Maize is grown for silage and sold to a neighbouring dairy farm

■ The herd is in the Premium Cattle Health Scheme, managed by SRUC. It is risk level one for Johne’s and BVD-accredited

assessed for their breeding potential at 10 months old. The selected group will be sold at 18-24 months, while the remaining batch will be intensively finished on homegrown cereals and bedded on straw from the arable rotation.

The average deadweight achieved is 405kg, with a very high percentage of U and E grades and an average days-to-slaughter figure of 423 days.

Shows

Little time has been available for showing cattle over the past couple of decades, but a Highgate stock bull won the championship at the Royal Show in 2000.

Mr Rounsevell is a keen member of the SDHBS and is currently chair of the breed improvement committee, as well as a council member.

He has a clear idea of the type of animal that he favours and usually buys new stock bulls privately.

“The ideal South Devon cow will be fit and functional and calve easily, with a good udder and good forage conversion capability,” he says.

“If a smaller female can manage to produce a calf that will grow to

700kg, then it will cost less to feed.

“For that reason, I have set a target cow weight of 820kg and most of the cows are between 830-850kg.

“Bulls must have a combination of breed character, good conformation and the performance figures to back up their appearance.

“I use polled genetics exclusively because it is better on welfare grounds and also makes life easier for me and for the customers who buy my breeding cattle.

“All the bulls are polled and fall within the top 10 per cent of the breed’s beef index, with half of the females polled at present.

“I have three sires with the F94L variant of the myostatin gene, which is associated with low birth weights. I have had a bull with a double copy of the gene and found that its calves had an easy birth and were exceptionally thrifty. I am also using two, zero-myostatin bulls.”

The farm keeps four main stock bulls, plus a young bull. One of the most promising sires is Grove Claudius 150, a homozygous polled animal with a beef index in the top 1 per cent.

It was bought as a yearling from the late Douglas Scott, breeder of the Grove herd in Gloucestershire.

Highgate bulls are mostly offered privately, with about 80 per cent marketed to repeat customers.

Meanwhile, the home-bred Highgate Osiris 5 (polled) was sold to a breeding company for the collection

A South Devon cattle breeder was at the head of the queue when genomic evaluation believes that the increased selection accuracy will improve performance and speed

Grace and Olliver Rounsevell.

The Highgate herd has been performancerecorded since the 1970s.

PICTURES:FARLAP

MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY BITE.

Actisaf® Sc 47 live yeast supports rumen function in cattle by creating a more favourable environment in the rumen. Actisaf® encourages the specific microbes in the rumen known to convert feed more efficiently than other, less efficient populations.

By giving the right rumen microbes a better environment to thrive in, Actisaf® is proven to reduce any setbacks during feed transitions, allowing cattle to move onto finishing diets more quickly and avoid digestive upset like acidosis throughout the finishing period.

Benefits include:

• Improved feed conversion efficiency

• Increased growth rates by up to 9%

• Better carcass classification

• Average net return of £35 per head

Get your cattle to market faster by adding Actisaf® live yeast to your rations today.

was offered for the first time by the breed society this autumn. Olliver Rounsevell up the genetic progress of his herd. Wendy Short finds out more.

of sexed semen for worldwide export. He has since been bought back and has been running with the later-calving cows.

Female South Devons are not calved until they reach three years old, largely because they utilise a steep area of woodland and receive no supplementary feeding.

Mr Rounsevell adds that they would require concentrate inputs if they were to be calved at two years.

A period of high cull cow prices encouraged him to remove some of the older females and while the goal is to keep a younger herd, a small number are still producing a good calf annually at 15 years old.

The cows spend winter in straw-bedded buildings and are fed on a mixture of oat straw and clamp silage until they are close to calving, when the oat straw is replaced with mineral lick buckets.

Feed

Forage stocks are slightly down on the year due to the low rainfall, but the red clover leys performed exceptionally well. They were introduced six years ago and produce a 21.5 per cent protein silage on average.

They are not grazed with cattle due to the risk of bloat. The four cuts are very useful for finishing lambs during winter.

Mr Rounsevell says: “The fresh red clover leys are established with the plough in autumn after winter barley.

“The other method is to direct drill the clover seed into Westerwolds grass leys in spring.

“I have been very impressed with their ability to withstand drought and the financial savings through not having to buy any bagged nitrogen.

“The usual routine has been to clamp first-cut silage and roundbale second and third cuts, but in future I may bale all the silage.

“It will be a bit more expensive,

GENOMIC RECORDING EXPLAINED

DNA data has been captured from the South Devon breed for the past decade.

The recent launch of the genomic testing evaluation, Single Step Breedplan, was made possible because the number of animals entered had allowed the establishment of a ‘baseline population’, says Dr Brad Crook, from Australia’s Agricultural

but it will give me more opportunity to allocate the silage according to quality.

“The cows will get bales from the older pastures and those containing red clover will be reserved for the youngstock.”

The coastal farm has been in the family for 120 years and the

OFFICIAL CATTLE TAGS

OFFICIAL

Business Research Institute, which manages Breedplan.

He says: “When we talk about two full-sibling bulls we can correctly say that as they have the same sire and dam, they will receive 50 per cent of their genetic material from each parent.

However, we cannot correctly state that each receives the same combination of genetic material

Highgate herd was established in 1930.

Mr Rounsevell and his semi-retired father, Ian, are hoping that genomic evaluation will prove to be a valuable step towards maintaining the herd’s profitability into the future.

Mr Rounsevell says: “Genomic Highgate bulls have already been

from each parent. The mix is random unless they are identical twins.

“In conventional genetic evaluation, the assumption is that on average these full-siblings will have 50 per cent of their genes in common, whereas the Single Step system gives information on the actual proportion of genes in common.”

entered into the breed’s database and the next plan is to carry out DNA testing, to find out more information on polling and the myostatin variant.

“The hope is that genomic testing for beef cattle will become as great a success as it has for the dairy herd.”

Bulls must have a combination of breed character and good conformation.

Male calves are assessed for their breeding potential at 10 months old.

A common but often undiscussed problem in the calving pen is swollen navels on newborn calves. Ellie Layton finds out how to correctly identify the

Diagnosing swollen navels

Swollen navels are a common occurrence for newborn calves in dairy and beef herds.

They are a result of one of two causes – navel ill or hernias – and correct diagnosis is key to treatment, says Kate Irving, part of the clinical team at LLM Vets.

Bacterial infections through the navel are much higher when calves are born in a dirty calving environment, causing navel ill.

Ms Irving says: “These infections from the natural environment go up the unprotected navel and cause hot swelling, putting the calf off colour.”

The swelling is hard and hot, causing the calf to be arched in the back due to pain and with a reduced appetite.

Young calves are particularly vulnerable to the disease due to their undeveloped immune system at birth. These infections can be prevented by the intake of three litres of good quality colostrum during the first six hours of life, but preferably within the first two hours.

“So, despite their reduced appetite, it is vital that adequate liquid is consumed to support the calves’ immune system,” says Ms Irving.

The swelling can stay as a localised abscess or spread through the body as joint ill. Reducing the risk of the disease is key before the calf hits the ground.

Ms Irving says: “A dry, clean calving yard is paramount to reducing the chance of infection. Clean bedding and scraping the shed can all help this.

“Good ventilation is also key. An easy way to determine if you have good ventilation is to smell the air.

Recognising navel issues

Navel ill symptoms

■ The navel is typically hot, painful and hard

■ The calf is dull and reluctant to suck

■ Calf stands with hunch back

■ Localised abscess

Hernia symptoms

■ Hot and uncomfortable

■ Swelling

■ Should not always be treated with antibiotics

If it is damp, the moisture often means more problems as it is a multiplying habitat.

“If you are calving outside, ensure the cows are in the driest possible field. Once the calf is born, it is vital to heavily apply an iodinebased disinfectant to the navel, ensuring it is fully covered from the root to the tip.”

Treatment of a penicillin-based antibiotic is recommended, as well as some pain relief to reduce and tackle the infection.

“Navel ill can often be misdiagnosed, sharing many symptoms with a hernia, which causes swelling of the muscle around the navel.

Breeding choices

“Hernias can be caused by a genetic component, so this can be something to consider when making breeding choices.

“But they can also be brought on by navel ill, leading to external trauma, causing the hernia.”

In mild cases, they can swell and resolve on their own, however, Ms Irving says surgical action may need to be taken in more serious cases as it can cause a twist in the gut, go toxic and, in some cases, lead to death.

Ms Iriving says: “It is unlikely that cases of hernias or navel ill are infected before birth, as the environment is closed off before birth, minimising contamination, but it is possible in a small amount of cases.

“An ultrasound scanning of the navel is a true way to identify a hernia correctly.”

There are long-term consequences for calves which have suffered with swollen navels as they can be smaller, depending on the severity, and it can affect

growth, general health and daily liveweight gain.

This year, the dry weather has generally helped reduce the cases of

swollen navels, with the practice having less call outs as the heat has helped dry the navels and keep the environment sterile, says Ms Irving.

Navel ill can often be misdiagnosed, sharing many symptoms with a hernia, which causes swelling around the navel KATE IRVING

Young calves are particularly vulnerable to navel ill.

rHutchinson and Jimbo win at Trawden

England: Elaine Hill

AT Slacksdale’s third and final trial of the season, the nursery class was dominated by James Gilman with litter siblings Bosley Belle and Bosley Jim (J. Gilman’s Bonny, I. Cottrell’s Jim). Over a rising course – with a fetch of about 250 yards, the running was on Beulah ewes. Wayne Allen judged the trial entry of 24 along with the concluding championships.

In the trial, the running was in packets of four sheep and driving was to the right. James had two later runs, going first with Jim and then Belle. Both runs were similar, although Jim perhaps had a sweeter drive. One of his sheep slipped down the side of the chute but he put all four through at the second attempt. Belle was a couple of points behind over the outfield but a clean chute gave her a single point advantage and she took the title with a score of 80.

In the championship James ran Jim first. His packet of five sheep were testing and he had to work hard to keep them from splitting up. He missed the last obstacle of the left-hand drive and had some trouble at the chute before he successfully took the shed which was any two.

John Elkin ran Kemi Bert next. They caught all obstacles but struggled at the chute before being timed out at the shed. James ran Belle last. She caught all three hurdles, once again had a clean chute before completing her trial with the shed and with 84 points she was the clear winner. Both Belle and Jim have two nursery trial wins and Belle now has a championship title to her credit.

After winning the novice trial Gordon Birchenall and Jango (G. Birchenall’s Jill and Jim) went on to win the novice championship. In both

Trials diary ENGLAND

November 12. YORKSHIRE, Nursery, Sycamore Farm, Silsden, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 0ND, 9.30am start, enter on field, those with two dogs to be booked in by 12 noon. HOLME, Nursery, Higher Walls Farm, Lumb, Lancashire, BB4 9NE, 9.30am start, enter on field, those with two dogs to be booked in by noon. HIGH ASH, Nursery, novice and beginner with aggregate, Alton, Stoke on Trent, 9am start, enter on field by 11am. RYEDALE, Nursery, West House Farm, Kildale, 10.30am start, enter on field, more than one dog first to be booked in by noon.

November 13. DEERPLAY, Nursery, Chew Mill, Elker Lane, Whalley, Lancashire, BB7 9HZ, 10am start, enter on field. BUTTERTON MOOR, Nursery, novice and beginner, Butterton, Leek, SK13 7TF, 9am start, enter on field by 11am. MID-SHIRES, Nursery and novice, Eastcote Hall Farm, Solihull, Warwicks, B92 0JJ, open dogs can run between 8.30am and 9.30am, enter on field, weather check Phil, tel: 07990 990 421. NORTH WESTMORLAND, Nursery, novice and new handler, Greystoke, Penrith, CA11 0UR, 9am start, enter on field by 1pm, novice confined to Cumbria. NORTHERN, Nursery, novice and new handler, Wharton, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, CA17 4LQ, 9.30am start, enter on field by 2pm, only one dog after 1pm. NORTHUMBERLAND League, Nursery, Dykehead, NE19 1RD, 10am start, enter on field. COME-BYE AND AWAY, Nursery, Maltese cross followed by driving, Middle East Street Farm, West Pennard, Somerset, BA6 8NN, 9am start, enter on field.

Siblings dominate Slackdale’s final trial

classes Jango hit all obstacles and finished well. He was a late starter but has developed into a capable dog and to date this season he has three novice trial wins and one championship.

Trawden

Running at Trawden Sheep Dog Society’s third nursery of the season held at Keasden, North Yorkshire, was over a downhill course that mainly gathered left handed. However, there was a deep ditch on that side which some dogs crossed and some lost their way. Due to the lie of the land, the dogs that gathered right handed were lost from sight for a short period of time.

Rushes, which were mostly over the middle of the course, made judging the

November 15. WINDERMERE, Nursery, novice and new handler, Otterbank, Skelsmergh, Kendal, LA8 9AP, 9.30am start, enter on field by 2pm.

WALES

November 12. CEREDIGION, Tyndderwen, Llanrhystud, Nursery, South Wales, young handlers, new handler/novice, contact Mr Jarman, tel: 01974 272 300. GLOS/GWENT, hosted by Nataly Mathews, NP12 0RH, Cwm Ebbw Vale, Nursery and novice classes, tel: 07832 386 710.

November 13. PEMBROKESHIRE, Nursery, Bribwll, Llanfrynach, Crymych, SA35 OD7, new trial venue for 2023, 9.30am start, nursery, young handler and Sweepstake Class, contact Mathew Evans. GLAMORGAN, Llangan, Bridgend, CF35 5DP, Nursery. CARMARTHENSHIRE, Rhos yr Hafod, Llanarthne, SA32 8LG, Nursery, novice and puppy combined, in case of wet weather follow directions for parking, 9am start, contact Llinos Jones.

November 20. CARMARTHENSHIRE, Wernbongam, Llanarthne, SA32 8HN, Nursery, novice and puppy combined, in case of wet weather, follow on-site directions for parking, 9am start, contact Llinos Jones. GLAMORGAN, Maesyeglwys, Swansea, SA6 6NR, Nursery. SHROPSHIRE, Higher Hagley Farm, Obley, SY7 0BZ, Novice, nursery, beginner, 10am start, Contact Lorna Owen. NORTH WALES, Rhosgoch, Pentrefolas, Anglesey, LL66 9AA, Nursery final.

line of the cross-drive easier. Worked in threes, the Swaledale ewes stayed together well but they needed handling with care. Brenda Helliwell judged the entry of 42 dogs.

Ricky Hutchinson ran Jimbo (N. Brown’s Flowerscar Jess, P. Mitchell’s Jaff) at number 13. For a whistle towards the end of his left-hand outrun, Jimbo lost two points before he had a clean lift. Once lifted the sheep were a little touchy over the first half of the fetch until they settled. Mainly from that first section the tri-coloured dog lost four points.

Over the first leg of the left-hand drive the sheep tended to pull strongly to the left. For line deviations Jimbo dropped 10 points from his driving, a

English results

SLACKSDALE, Peak Forest, Derbyshire (W. Allen, Butterton) Nursery (24 ran) 1, James Gilman (Bosley) Bosley Belle, 80; 2, James Gilman, Bosley Jim, 79; 3, C. Pickford (Rainow) Rainow Jill, 74; 4, S. Cottrell (Congleton) Cindy, 73; 5, I. Gregory (Peak Forest) Cass, 65 OLF; 6, S. Cottrell, Jaff, 65. Novice, 1, G. Birchenall (Chinley) Jango, 61 of 100. Beginner, 1, B. White (Bradfield) Jan, 69. Nursery Championship (3 ran) 1, James Gilman, Bosley Belle, 84; 2, James Gilman, Bosley Jim, 75; 3, J. Elkin, Kemi Bert, 72. Novice Championship, 1, G. Birchenall, Jango, 77 of 100.

TRAWDEN, Higher Watson House, Clapham (B. Helliwell, Lancaster) Nursery (42 ran) 1, R. Hutchinson (Littledale) Jimbo, 74; 2, P. Mellin (Oakworth) Jess, 72; 3, J. Harrison (Keasden) Peg, 68; 4, R. Taylor (Burnely) Bob, 61 OLF; 5, F. Satterthwaite (Brough) Joe, 61; 6, J. Simpson (Fence) Gem, 61. FYLDE, Myerscough College, Bilsborrow, Preston (D. Carlton, Newton) Nursery (38 ran) 1, F. Cleary (Barnacre) Roy, 83; 2, Tim Longton (Quernmore) Stockabank Niro, 77 OLF; 3, T. Huddleston (Caton) Udale Ghyll, 77; 4, H. Gorst (Calder Vale) Roy, 76; 5, T. Huddleston, Woody, 72; 6, C. Kempson (Cowpe) Gem, 68. RYEDALE, Furze Farm, Hilston Road, Roos, Hull (M. Mason, Driffield) Nursery (15 ran) 1, I. Murdoch (Sutton on Forest) Bear, 74; 2, T. Bell (Selby) Chad, 71; 3, S. Beaton (Nun Appleton) Moss, 70; 4, G. Blyth (Roos) Hilston Sally, 67; 5, I. Murdoch, Dell, 63 OLF; 6, I. Murdoch, Hilston Drax, 63. NORTH WESTMORLAND, Penruddock, Penrith (B. Sendlhofer, Threlkeld) Nursery (59 ran) 1, H. Svobodova (Hallbankgate) Mia, 81; 2, D. Purdham (Holmrook) Matt, 70; 3, P. Ellis (New Hutton) Alex, 67 OLF; 4, V. Graham (Cleator

good number of those points going over that first section. At the pen, the sheep were never easy and often one or another would break.

Ricky and Jimbo had one of only three clean pens all day, Jack Simpson had the other two. Their score of 74 points took the lead and failed to be beaten. Having won previously at Trawden, North Lancs and Northern, this was their fourth nursery title.

Losing an odd point more from their out-bye work and one at the pen, Phillip Mellin and Jess, running at 18, took second placing with 72 points. With the last run, John Harrison and Peg were ahead on completion of their outfield work, but failing to pen put them in third place on 68 points.

Moor) Tweeddale Teal, 67; 5, H. Svobodova, Tristan, 67; 6, W. van Dongen (Carlisle) Delta, 66. Novice, 1, P. Ellis, Scott, 80; 2, G. Miller (Penruddock) Belle, 73; 3, A. Clark (Kirkby Stephen) Flute, 72; 4, L. Threlkeld (Greystoke) Meg, 70. New handler, 1, E. Birkett (Threlkeld) Freddy; 2, J. Broom (Knock) Jess. HIGH HILLS, Alton, Stoke on Trent (R. Saxon, Leek) Nursery (30 ran) 1, G. Bonsall (Slindon) Fred, 82; 2, J. Elkin (Hilderstone) Kemi Bert, 81; 3, James Gilman (Bosley) Bosley Belle, 72; 4, S. Walton (Snaith) Spot, 69; 5, James Gilman, Bosley Jim, 66; 6, K. Dodd (Malpas) Malpas Roy, 65. Novice, 1, S. Walton, Sango Jim, 76; 2, W. Allen (Butterton) Sally, 65; 3, I. Cantrill (Ashbourne) Sweep, 62. Beginner, 1, K. Martin-Shaw (Shirland) High Hills Gin. EAST ANGLIAN, The Heath, Thetford, Saturday (D. Chapman, Docking) Cradle (15 ran) 1, H. Langels, Gin, 54; 2, K. Perry (Dereham) Adelph Bea, 51 OLF; 3, A. Bartram (Colby) Jeep, 51; 4, L. Knocker (Newmarket) Sheila, 49. Novice handler, 1, L. Hogg (Occold) Jazz, 59; 2, L. Hogg, Jake, 58; 3, K. Gurney, Jess, 58; 4, H. Langels, Gin, 54. Sunday (C. Neal, Wormegay) Nursery (23 ran) 1, S. Mynard (Thrapston) Frank, 81 of 90; 2, D. Chapman, Kyle, 76; 3, E. Hawkins (Ipswich) Jock, 66; 4, G. Baldry (Hillington) Non, 58; 5, L. Kasel-Seibert (Euston) Frost, 56; 6, S. Cleary (Spalding) Zetland Jet, 54. Novice, 1, L. KaselSeibert, Rob, 83 of 100; 2, P. Cleary (Spilsby) Sam, 79; 3, P. Cleary, Shep, 68; 4, L. Kasel-Seibert, Jean, 63. NORTHERN, Downholme, Richmond (A. Hunter, Redmire) Nursery (39 ran) 1, M. Watson (Tadcaster) Stamp, 77; 2, J. Brunton (Richmond) Cap, 76; 3, M. Watson, Joe, 74; 4, J. Drinkwater (Bowes) Gyp, 73; 5, F. Satterthwaite (Brough) Joe, 71; 6, C. Taylor (Keasden) Peggy, 68. Novice, 1, T. Simpson (Dacre) Moss, 67; 2, B. Page (Hunsonby) Flynn, 58; 3, B. Page, Dan, 48. NORTH LANCS,

Over Kellet (A. Bradley, Crosthwaite)

James Gilman with Bosley Belle and Bosley Jim.

Top honours for Carmarthenshire in team shield

Wales: Michelle Williams

THE Three Counties Championship Trial saw the West Wales sheepdog community come together for what was an excellent day of trialling.

Held at Alison Sharpe’s Llwynbedw home in Llanpumpsaint, Carmarthenshire, the trial is open to all nursery members of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

The course, set in a five-hectare (14-acre) undulating field, ran uphill to the fetch. The ewe lambs used were run in packets of four and consisted of mainly white Texel Mules. Bought during the autumn sales and out of a few flocks, some packets had an awkward type within them, most dogs coped well however, and on the whole ran consistently.

The quieter they were kept on the drive, the easier they were to shed and pen. Early runs from experienced, farmer handlers Irwel Evans and Mwnt Mac (22) and Gerald Lewis and his dog Tex (20) showed that in the shed and at the pen, these sheep rewarded the knowledge and sheep sense shown by both dog and handler. They responded well to the

direct command of those dogs and the pair lay in first and second place for half of the day.

Some packets of sheep appreciated a laid back approach. Bert Evans and Spot had a quiet, stress free run around the course after an initial sticky lift that saw Spot lose too many points to be in the prizes. Bert, the eldest competitor on the course at 85, finished well with the first clean pen of the day leaving the pair on a respectable score of 25.

Kind handling

Another run that saw the sheep favouring kind handling was Alison Shape and Alfie’s (14), with the lowest fetch score of three. It was a quiet run with few mistakes that saw the pair leading for the next few runs.

The weather, which had thrown a lot at the competitors, kept its worst for Heddwyn Thomas and Jet’s run. Jet ran out well, lifted and fetched the sheep back around the post, losing three. Running uphill, the first drive gate caught a few out as the sheep tried to jig around it. Turning sharply and on to the difficult cross-drive line, Heddwyn kept his cool, caught the gate

and returned to the shedding ring losing just four points – one of the best drives of the day. One down in the shed and a clean pen saw them into the lead on 13 points.

As the runs diminished Heddwyn’s run proved hard to beat, his score of 13 looked untouchable, and indeed it was.

Team mate and Carmarthen captain Nigel Watkins and his homebred bitch, Jazz, also by Tanhill Alex, gave it a good shot. Despite a better outrun and lift – Jazz was one of a few to go right handed, here the field bowed out to the right and allowed for mistakes to be made and a lot of time lost should your dog follow the fence.

But Jazz nailed it, having spotted the sheep she ran out swiftly on a super line. Her lift was good but she fell foul of the tricky fetch, coupled with losing points on her drive, it proved costly and despite a strong finish in the shed and pen on tricky sheep they ended on a score of 15.

A stroppy lamb for Ceredigion captain Owain Lewis proved too much for his dog Bruce with the run ending in disqualification.

It all fell to Pembrokeshire Captain Llion Harries. Running his consistent

home-bred dog, the six-year-old Presili Jock. Up the field, Jock came around the top and into the perfect position to lift them, holding the weight slightly to his left, he lost one on his outrun and one on his lift. He walked them off their spot and down onto the fetch. He had lost three points, the same as Heddwyn. Through the first gate and taking all of Llion’s quiet commands, Jock looked online for the cross-drive.

Across the front of the fetch panels, and through the second drive gate, turn and back to the shedding ring. To win he needed a clean shed and clean pen, which he duly got. Their outrun was better than Jet’s, she lost four to Jock’s one, making Llion and Preseli Jock the 2022 Three Counties Champions.

With Carmarthenshire members Heddwyn Thomas, Alison Sharpe, Meirion Jones and Nigel Watkins all in the top six, the Team Shield went to Carmarthenshire, Dewi Jenkins and a good run from Meg on a score of 14 saw them ahead and in third place individually and contribute heavily to Ceredigion team’s second place, leaving Pembrokeshire in third.

Gallagher takes first and second places at Tigh na Blair

Scotland: Sine Robertson

GOOD work on touchy sheep from Shep and Bruce gave Michael Gallagher first and second places at Tigh na Blair nursery trial. The Blackface gimmers were light and unsettled, running on a flat field.

Hillrunner Shep ran out and lifted cleanly, had a good fetch with just minor wavers and a very good drive, despite a lively return to the

Nursery(60ran)1,ThomasLongton(Quernmore)Tiff, 82;2,TimLongton(Quernmore)StockabankNiro,80; 3,V.Graham,TweeddaleTeal,79;4,F.Cleary,Roy,78

OLF;5,T.Huddleston,UdaleHeath,78;6,R.Hutchinson, Jimbo,74.Novice,1,P.Ellis(NewHutton)Scott,87;2,A. Temple(Holmrook)Kate,81.Newhandler,A.Puddefoot (Kendal)Fern.

NORTHUMBERLAND League,Netherwitton(B.Jordan, Whitfield)Nursery(20ran)1,D.Henderson(Allendale) Moss,86;2,M.Davidson(Alnwick)Glen,82;3,M. Davidson,HendreGwen,79;4,D.Henderson,Lexi,78;5, M.Day(Harbottle)Joe,75;6,P.Bristow(Morpeth)Belle, 59.Novice,1,R.Mitcheson(Belsay)Belle,59.

MID-SHIRES, FramlandsFarm,MeltonMowbray, Leicestershire(B.Powell,ColdAshby)Nursery(22 ran)1,A.Blackmore(Ledbury)RosewoodCharlie,85; 2,S.Danek(Alvechurch)HilltopRita,82;3,R.Curtis (Grantham)Jay,80;4,S.Mynard,Frank,78OLF;5, J.Porter(BroughtonAstley)Jim,78;6,H.Condron (Stratford)Rhui,77.Novice(4ran)1,R.Curtis,Roy,91; 2,P.Johnson(BurtononTrent)Jake,81;3,I.Cantrill, Sweep,74.Open(6ran)1,J.McBride(Grantham)Jake,91.

CORNWALL, Pennare(T.Hopper,Veryan)Maltesecross (15ran)1,J.Watson(Postbridge)Scott,66;2,J.Watson, Floss,63;3,L.Hopper(Veryan)Zac,62;4,S.Mills,Beti, 59.Newhandler,1,N.Fell,Boss,49.Younghandler,1,W. Carter(Davidstow)Rob,60.(L.Lock,Plymouth)Driving (12ran)1,J.Watson,Ed,91;2,J.Watson,Bill,88;3,D. Cole(Ivybridge)Bonnie,75;4,R.Skelley(ShaughPrior) Hay,62;5,W.Carter,Jen,66;6,L.Ireland(Rescassa) Ned,62. WESSEX, ShabdenParkFarm,Chipstead(S.Frost, Horley)Nursery(16ran)1,S.Burton(HeronGhyll)Rick, 78of100;2,G.Eusden(Surrey)Dale,73;3,S.Stone (ChalfontStPeter)Jess,72;4,M.Banham(Chipstead)

chute. A successful shed completed the winning run.

Jacobsdale Bruce ran out for his sheep and lifted them cleanly. His fetch went well with small wavers, and although there was a struggle at the first drive gate before the gimmers went through, the cross-drive was smoother. The chute took a little work, and the sheep were unsettled on the shed, but once complete, it put Bruce into second place.

Brooke,70;5,M.Banham,MadogBedw,67;6,I.Wheeler (IsleofWight)Will,61.Novice,1,I.Wheeler,Adge,80;2, G.Gower(Geddinge)Jade,66;3,G.Gower,Jim,64;4,R. Levy(London)Meg,49.

Welsh results

CEREDIGION, Tynygraig,Talybont(JohnGeorge)Nursery, 1,D.Jenkins,Rob,1.5;2,D.Jenkins,Holly,2;3.D.Jenkins, LlynsarnNon,2.5;4,D.Rees,Jen,4;5,I.Evans,Gwnnws Jet,4.5OLF;5,D.Rees,Gwen,4.5.YoungHandler National,1,S.Davies,Moss,14.5;2,A.Davies,Mac,21.5; Y.Siencyn,Finn,38.SouthWales,1,D.Jenkins,Holly, 3.5;2,E.Morgan,GwnnwsFly,4;4,D.Rees,Jen,5;4,J. Price,Ben,7;5,I.Evans,GwnnwsJet,7.5;6,D.Jenkins, Rob,8OLF.YoungHandlerSouthWales,1,A.Davies, Mac,8;2,Y.Siencyn,Meg,15;3,Y.Siencyn,Finn,19.5;4, A.Davies,Dan,26.5. CEREDIGION (W.P.LloydJones)Nursery,1,D.Jenkins, Holly,7;2,D.Jenkins,Rob,16;3,E.Morgan,Jim,17;4, M.Morgan,Choc,18;5,D.Rees,Jen,21;6,O.Lewis, Mac,28.NationalYoungHandler,1,AndrewDavies,Mac, 22;2,SionDavies,Moss,37OLF;3,YnyrSiencyn,Meg, 37.SouthWales,1,E.Hope,GilfachyfranElsa,11;2,E. Morgan,GwnnwsFly,14;3,D.Jenkins,Holly,16;4,D. Rees,Jen,17;5,I.Evans,GwnnwsJet,21;6,D.Jenkins, Rob,24.SouthWalesYoungHandler,1,A.Davies,Mac, 28;2,A.Davies,Dan,34;3,S.Davies,Moss,37;4,Y. Siencyn,Meg,48.Novicehandler,1,EvanDavies,Sal,23; 2,SionDavies,Moss,37. RADNOR FoyceFarm,Gladestry(LornaOwen)Nursery, 1,A.Price,Tweed,13;2,A.Price,Meg,20T;3,I.Rees, PentreJax,23T;4,B.Pugh,Tip,25;5,A.Prothero,Pentre

A run-off was called to determine the winner at Strathnaver. The North Country Cheviot ewes ran well on a flat field and any one of three top runs were worthy of winning an open trial.

Ian Sutherland’s Cap ran out well and lifted cleanly. His fetch was good, with just a small waver, and his drive was excellent. His effort to reposition his sheep at the cross-drive gate placed him ideally to turn them neatly out of the gate, where other dogs saw their

Roxy,32T;6,G.Powell,Del,33T.Novice,1,P.Tomkins, FynyddKylo,17T;2,A.Prothero,Lass,29T;3,J.Davies, Jim,32T;4.E.Edwards,Don,46T;5.J.Simmons,Lokci, 47T.

BRECON Cwmbryn,Beulah(RoyJones)Nursery,1,M. Dubenova,KemiGin,4;2,I.Jones,ErwoodRay,8;3,D. Evans,CornbegJet,10;4,K.Evans,HendreSam,15;5,C. Slater,WhiteleyTed,17OLF;6,R.Games,Dai,17.Novice, 1,Y.Abrey,Leah,7;2,R.Jones,Ben,19;3,S.Powell, Tess,21;4,B.Howson,Grace,26.Beginners,1,Lewis Bevan,TanhillAlex,18.

GLAMORGAN (FloydFarthing)Nursery,1,D.Millichap, Lyn,5;2,D.Howells,WyverneMay,10;3,R.Ellis,Fly, 11;4,D.Millichap,EfailChase,17;5,L.Howells,Meg,20; 6,C.Millichap,EfailSam,21.Novice,1,R.Ellis,Mist,6; 2,D.Millichap,EfailChase,9OLF;3,R.Ellis,Fly,9;4,D. Howells,WyverneMay,10;5,J.Howells,CydrosBoss, 12;6,C.Millichap,GelliSmudge,13.

GLOS/GWENT, Castlefield,Lisvane(RobLewis)Nursery, 1,J.Garland,RhyswgTweed,31;2,P.Thomas,Beacons Troop,32;3,B.Morgan,EfailEva,39;4,S.Currie,Glen, 40;5,A.Cooper,RhyswgOlia,44;6,M.Jones,Belle,50. Novice,1,P.Thomas,BeaconsTrooper,20;2,S.Currie, Glen,23;3,M.Jones,Clint,29;4,B.Morgan,EfailEva,35; 5,B.Watts,Bel,44;6,B.Morgan,Meg,47.

CARMARTHENSHIRE, CeredigionandPembrokeshire ThreeCountiesChampionshipTrial,Llwynbedw, Llanpumpsaint,Carms(KarinHaker)1,Ll.Harries,Preseli Jock,13OLF;2,H.Thomas,Jet,13;3,D.Jenkins,Meg,14 OLF;4,M.Jones,Nan,14OLF;5,A.Sharpe,Alfie,14;6,N. Watkins,Jazz,15. SHROPSHIRE & HEREFORD Nursery,TilsopFarm, Nursery,1,P.Thomas,NewboldZak;2,K.Evans,Pearl. Novice,1,P.Thomas,BranshawPeg;2,G.Morgan,Ben; 3,A.Hunter-Blair,Skip;4,L.Owen,Fly;5,L.Walters,

packets attempting to bolt for a familiar field gate. A clean pen and a good shed completed the run level on points with Jasmine Grant’s Bob.

Bob (Hielan Robert) ran out and lifted cleanly and had an excellent fetch, although the ewes were drawing to one side. They drew again on the drive away, but Bob realigned them and kept a good line on the second leg, but the turn was wide. A clean pen and shed put the run in contention for a win.

Moss;6,J.Grocott,Moss.Beginner,1,RobertMorris, Tess.

Scottish results

STRATHNAVER (M.C.Shearer,Westfield)Nursery (26ran)1,I.Sutherland(Strathnaver)Cap,95Outbye;2, J.Grant(Dunbeath)Bob(HielanRobert),95;3,J.Grant (Dunbeath)Lad,93;4,M.Sutherland(Halkirk)Missy,90; 5,G.Simpson(Forgue)Luna,89;6,G.Simpson(Forgue) Fleet,81.

TIGHNABLAIR(S.McCrindle,Stranraer)Nursery(25ran) 1,M.Gallagher(Alyth)HillrunnerShep,92;2,M.Gallagher (Alyth)JacobsdaleBruce,81;3,L.Christie(Crieff)Duke, 80;4,A.D.Carnegie(Comrie)Kim,78;5,S.Martin (Cashlie)Cherry,77;6,S.Martin(Cashlie)Kate,71Outbye; Novice,K.Doig(Invergowrie)TemplehallCridhe,52. YELL, SHETLAND (J.Thomason,Fetlar)Nursery (13ran)1,D.Murray(NorthRoe)Meg,92;2,B.Smith (Dunrossness)Tess,90;3,B.Smith(Dunrossness)Jack, 82;4,R.Colclough(Westsandwick)Dot,80;5,Y.Mouat (Yell)Floss,72.

TIGH NA BLAIR (S.McCrindle,Stranraer)Open(51 ran)1,E.Nilsson(Balintore)Jacob,91;2,A.McCulloch (Dalmellington)Sam,90;3,P.Martin(Glenlyon)Daisy,87; 4,E.Nilsson(Balintore)Ivy,86;5,A.Kent(Dunoon)Myllin Jill,85Outbye;6,M.Young(Glenesk)Jess,85.

FETLAR, SHETLAND (J.Thomason,Fetlar)Nursery (13ran)1,R.Farquhar(WestBurrafirth)Ace,77;2,C. Williamson(Ollaberry)Joe,72;3,W.Morrison(WestYell) Trent, 71;4,D.Murray(NorthRoe)Meg,70Outbye;5,B. Smith(Dunrossness)Jack,70.

All prices quoted in p/kg.

Figures show livestock numbers first, then average price per head.

LIVESTOCK AVERAGES MARKET COMMENT

Primestockthroughput,priceandpricechange(p/kg). WeekendingNovember1,2022.

SHEEPpricessawamajorriseatUK auctionmartsthisweek,withmixed resultsinthecattlerings.

Lambpriceswereup18.80p/kgat 243.93p/kg.Cullewepriceswerealso at£73.16/head,up£5.22/head.

Forcattle,therewererisesfor heifersandyoungbulls,butsteerprices wereback1.40p/kgat241.44p/kg.

Heifer prices rose 4.59p/kg to 252.36p/kg, with young bulls reaching 234.73p/kg, a rise of 2.48p/kg, while cull cows were up 1.01p/kg at 150.60p/kg.

Pigpricesplummetedatmarts, down16.02p/kgto135.04p/kg.

As Farmers Guardian wentto pressonWednesday(November9) UKLIFFEwheatpricesforMay2023 weretradingat£272.80/tonne,afall of£6.20/tontheweek.

Source: AHDB/LAA

Source: AHDB/LAA

Source: IAAS/ScotEID

MARKET PRICES

DEADWEIGHT CATTLE

STORE SHEEP ENGLAND WALES SCOTLAND

DEADWEIGHT SHEEP

Deadweight sheep prices are collected from a sample of GB abattoirs. The sample accounts for about one-third of deadweight sales; prices quoted p/kg are averages for all qualities 12-21.5kg.

DEADWEIGHT PIGS

PIGS

WEANER PRICES

Week ending November 5, 2022

Figures drawn from eight GB pig producer marketing groups. Prices quoted in £/head.

*Insufficient

HAY AND STRAW PRICES

November 9, 2022

■ GOOSTREY: Monday, haylage, round bales to £90 per tonne; hay, square bales to £96/t; barley straw, square bales to £80/t; wheat straw, square bales to £78/t.

GB AVERAGES

LIVEWEIGHT STEERS

DEADWEIGHT STEERS

LIVEWEIGHT HEIFERS

DEADWEIGHT HEIFERS

LIVEWEIGHT SQQ LAMBS

DEADWEIGHT SQQ LAMBS

CULL COWS

PIG PRICE INDICATOR

MARKET PRICES

UK DELIVERED PRICES – SUMMARY

UK DELIVERED RAPESEED PRICES

FUTURES MARKETS (WHEAT)

Wednesday, November 9, 2022 (£ per tonne).

CORN RETURNS EX-FARM PRICES

South West

Midlands

Eastern North East

North West

England & Wales

South Scotland

Central Scotland

North Scotland

Scotland

Great Britain

Northern Ireland

United Kingdom

BPS ENTITLEMENTS, BNG, CARBON AND WATER

FIELD PEAS/BEANS

deadlines prices (2022)

Region 1 £165 £162.78

Region 2 £40 £36.67

Region 3 £15 ◆* £15

BPS ENTS Northern Irish Deadline May 3, 2022

Price at Average deadlines prices (2022) 1.0 ■* 1.0 ■*

English, Welsh and Scottish entitlements have Flat Rate values. NI has historic based values. Transfers without land subject to VAT if transferor is VAT registered.

2022 PAYMENT RATES England base rates subject to phasing-out reductions: Non-SDA £233.30; SDA £231.60; Moorland £64.00. 2021 PAYMENT RATES inc. greening/ha: Welsh £116.86 (plus extra redistributive payment on 1st 54ha £91.97). Scottish R1 £222.14; R2 £45.09; R3 £13.68. NI average £250.

CARBON: Woodland Carbon Units £25-£30/WCU £12-£20/PIU. May’s WCG reverse auction average £23.70/WCU.

WATER: Abstraction licences £3-£15/cu.m. BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN: Defra estimate £20,000-£25,000/unit. Subject to VAT (where applicable) and associated fees.

■ Face Value multipliers including historic and greening elements

◆ Plus convergence payment

* Estimated prices Source: Townsend Chartered Surveyors

RED MEAT

Last updated November 9, 2022

CURRENCY WATCH

€1=£0.8797 £1=€1.1367 $1=£0.8771 £1=$1.1400

UK DELIVERED WHEAT PRICES

Thursday, November 3, 2022.

1. FEED WHEAT

NATIONAL STRAIGHTS PRICES

All prices in pounds sterling. Currency, £/$1.1549; £/€1.1618

prices indicated include delivery charge of £6/tonne.

= Second half; ✥ = December; ✧ = January; ✦ =

2. FULL SPEC. BREAD WHEAT

MILK PRICE LEAGUE TABLE

3. FULL SPEC. BISCUIT WHEAT

DAIRY CATTLE PRICES

Last updated November 5, 2022.

Source: AHDB/LAA/IAAS

HAY AND STRAW: REGIONS

Week ending November 13, 2022. Note: Demand for hay and prices are increasing

UK MONTHLY MILK PRODUCTION

UK milk deliveries in August 2022 were down 2.3 per cent on the year at 1,270 million litres. Cumulatively, this was 1.8 per cent down on the year to date.

August GB milk deliveries were down 0.9 per cent for the same period at 994m litres. GB milk deliveries for the year to date were 1.6 per cent down.

FARMING: THE BACKBONE

Great Britain’s fight for food

Still seen as some of the most iconic phrases in modern history are ‘Dig on for victory’ and ‘Grow your own’. And by simply saying them out loud you are immediately transported back to the exact era of origin; back to the depths of World War II, when the country was faced with what was known as the battle from the fields.

Or as the paraphernalia read: “Whatever your frontline job, this is your second line job. Lend a hand on the land.”

It is hard to ignore the parallels of then and now, as we are once again in a time of uncertainty, with food banks, the cost of living crisis and food security issues post-Brexit.

Before the war, 60 per cent of food was imported, but those who took to the land alongside farmers, such as

prisoners of war and land girls, helped to practically reverse that figure by the end of the war, in a stoic U-turn in self-sufficiency.

According to the UK Government’s Food Security Report 2021, about 54 per cent of the food on our plates is produced in this country, including most grains, meat, dairy and eggs.

For fresh vegetables, self-sufficiency sits at about 54 per cent and 16 per cent in fruit – these were actually two things which, although were in short supply, were not rationed during the war.

But many are now harking back to the days of seasonality and encouraging people to buy local in response to trade worries and rising prices.

A huge supporter of this is Patrick Holden, founder of the Sustainable Food Trust.

He says: “During World War II we

had to rely on our home-produced resources, because of the U-boats sinking the north Atlantic convey.

“Our primary production had to come from the natural capital of our own farms.

“Nitrogen fertiliser was around, but was not widely available. We had to align our diets in relation to our staple foods, which came from that farming system.”

Unity

But the wartime spirit also saw rural people come together in other ways too.

Take the war pig clubs for example. Many who lived through the war have said people would keep their own pig to fatten as rationing took hold.

The Government encouraged people to form clubs – some had more than 30 members - where they would

buy and rear pigs. When the time came to slaughter, apparently this was a big occasion for the clubs, and half of the carcases would be given to the Government with the rest given to members as pork or bacon.

Home-grown and the old adage of ‘waste not want not’ was heavily pushed too, both of which are coming back into play in today’s society, especially as food waste hits an all-time high.

One memorable poster from the time said that ‘every available piece of land must be cultivated’, whether in your home or on-farm.

TV historian and author Paul Reed says: “The two big Government initiatives were ‘Dig on for victory’ and ‘Reduce waste’. In a time when food was short, the Government encouraged people to grow their own and make use of everything they had.

As well as the UK’s efforts fighting on the frontline during the second world war, one of the biggest threats to the UK was food security. Emily Ashworth looks at the ways the country came together to tackle a national crisis.

Examples of Government paraphernalia during World War II.

German prisoners of war harvesting sugar beet in Norfolk in 1944.

PICTURES: ALAMY/GETTY IMAGES

Reduced output forced prices up and encouraged hoarding; price controls were put on staple foods

OF BRITAIN

Edited by Emily Ashworth 01772 799 446 emily.ashworth@agriconnect.com

“This led to a lot of books and pamphlets showing people how not to waste a scrap of food and guides to making an allotment in the smallest of gardens.

“We have seen the revival of allotments and growing in small spaces even before now, but I am sure a drive to minimise food waste will be a sad reality of times to come.

“The war showed people that food could be good when produced differently and that diet and nutrition was important. There is no doubt that people were healthier as a consequence.

“We often talk about how the second world war overshadows our lives, but this to me is one of the more positive and helpful aspects of that.”

MORE INFORMATION

Visit FGinsight.com/proudtofarm

Soldiers in Cheshire helping with the harvest in 1939.

A tractor ploughing land beside the Parliament Building on the Stormont Estate, Northern Ireland.

Employees of the Tottenham Borough Cleansing Department built sites to house 100 pigs delivered from farms in Hertfordshire in 1939.

Priority allowances were given to children and expectant mothers when it came to milk and eggs

Meat was the last food to be de-rationed

IN YOUR FIELD

Every week we follow the ups and downs of farmers around the UK

KATE ROWELL

Scottish Borders

Kate Rowell is a fifthgeneration farmer running the 750ha (1,853-acre)

Hundleshope Farm on the Haystoun Estate, Peebles, where the family have been tenants for 150 years. She runs the hill unit with her husband Ed and their four children. She is also a vet and chair of Quality Meat Scotland.

Someone asked me the other day what a typical week in my life was like and my reply was ‘there is really no such thing’. Having gone back through the past couple of weeks though, I thought it might make quite an interesting column, so here goes.

n Saturday: Weighing lambs, chopping logs, moving the cross ewes.

n Sunday: Moving the cross ewes back into the field they were put in the day before after they decided it did not suit them and rebuilding the metres of dyke they knocked down in the process.

n Monday: Representing Quality Meat Scotland  (QMS) at SIAL Paris, one of the biggest food trade shows in the world.

Lots of exporters and potential customers on the stand, with a reception attended by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon.

n Tuesday: Various online meetings and lots of travel.

n Wednesday: Attending a conference about the societal role of meat, where the latest science about nutrition, global food policy and the environmental role of livestock was discussed.

Many big names were there,

including Dr Alice Stanton, Prof Frederic Leroy and Rod Polkinghorne, with the purpose of developing clear, evidence-based responses to the anti-meat lobby.

n Thursday: Meetings with other levy bodies from around the world, including Ireland, Uruguay, Australia and the US, to compare notes and identify areas where we should work together.

Amazing how similar some of the challenges are – who would have thought farmland in Uruguay was rocketing in price because of tree planting, just as it is in Scotland?

n Friday: Going through hill lambs to sort ewe lambs from wethers, picking up dung samples to send off for faecal egg counts and taking back to the hill the Blackface ewe who had decided she should stay

Climate party in the sun

WOULD you excuse a rant from me this week? I hope you do not mind, but this is something I need to get off my chest. You may not agree with what I am about to say, but I do feel that having been a professional meteorologist for the best part of 35 years, I do have something to bring to the party.

The ‘party’ I am referring to is the shindig currently taking part in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt.

Like all the best parties there are arguments about politics and religion, finance and ethics and a good oldfashioned dose of mud-slinging.

But isn’t this supposed to be a

meeting about the earth’s climate; a discussion with the aim of agreeing steps on mitigating against the worst excesses of climate change?

Thousands of delegates (aka tourists) have turned up at the Egyptian resort via various means. Imagine the carbon that has been released by getting there and no, I do not care if these people have ‘greenwashed’ their way out of their guilt by ‘offsetting’.

Have they never heard of Zoom?

There is little doubting the underlying science that states CO2 is a major contributor to climate change and that we humans are pumping excessive amounts of it into the atmosphere.

with the lambs when we weaned them.

n Saturday: Attending a fantastic family wedding in Weardale, Co Durham, where I used to work as a vet and where I met my husband. A great chance to catch up with all the farming friends in the dale who we had not seen for years and compare notes on Scottish/English agricultural policy.

n Sunday: Recovering from the wedding.

n Monday: Sorting cross ewes into groups for tupping, tidying up fat lambs ready for slaughter and taking the same Blackface ewe back out to the hill after she somehow managed to navigate two dykes and a fence to get back into the same field we took her out of on Friday. More dyking.

n Tuesday: Appraisal training for QMS. Not something I have had

much practice in, but really useful.

n Wednesday: Weighing and sorting the suckled calves after weaning. Unfortunately our handling system is not undercover so we ended up soaked and covered in mud.

n Thursday: Chairing a QMS board meeting and then dressing up as a black cat for our Girl Guide Halloween party in the evening.

n Friday: Bringing in one group of cross ewes and taking out the fat lambs, which had jumped in, as well as the Blackface ewe (again), cleaning out gutters full of leaves, getting the VAT return done and going out with some good friends to celebrate a birthday.

The thing I love most about being a vet and a farmer is the variety of work, no two days are ever the same and that is definitely a theme which has continued into my current life.

Computer models have faults and are constantly being refined, but overall we can trust in the science.

There has been enough talking. We have seen 26 previous conferences extract promises which were broken.

The change in climate science came about because a teenage girl highlighted the problem and spoke directly to the population of planet Earth.

I suspect that you have already made changes on your farm that have led to a greener way of working. You probably have more changes planned.

And you do not need to go to a party in the sun to make it happen.

‘No two days are ever the same and there is no time to be bored’

Farmers Weather by Dr Simon Keeling

NEXT WEEK

Monmouthshire Kate Beavan

Cheshire Ian Garnett

‘Social media only shows you the highlights’

AMY WILKINSON

Lancashire

Amy works on her family’s tenanted farm at Halsall, Lancashire. Working mainly with her dad, Amy farms 285ha (704 acres) of arable crops and 550 beef cross cattle which are all reared through to finishing. You can follow her on Instagram @amygingewilkinson

This In Your Field article might feel slightly different from me and might only resonate with younger readers, however, do not worry, I will be back with silly family farming stories next time.

Now, some big things have happened since my last column:

1. I have bought a house all by myself during the current economic climate.

2. There have been three different

Prime Minsters since I got the keys.

3. World Mental Health Day took place on October 10.

So, I thought I might give you an insight on how I am handling or, more truthfully, not handling this massive life change as a 26-year-old living in 2022.

My new bungalow was mainly bought for its location, only 200 yards up the road from the farm and is in need of a lot of work.

The main reason I have managed to call it mine at all is because it was a private sale. In all honesty, as a young person trying to buy in a rural area it feels impossible to achieve.

I have been looking for more than a year, so to finally purchase one is a relief. However, do not even get me started on bills at the current time.

I may have made a slight joke to my grandmother about swapping wallpaper stripping to actual stripping to help pay them. Safe to say the joke was not received well.

Although I know that buying my first house is an incredible achievement for me, with lots of people congratulating me and saying I am ‘smashing life’, I still cannot help, but compare myself, my little house and my achievements to everyone else around me.

Comparing

Maybe it is coming from farming, where you are constantly comparing your field to a neighbour’s or your livestock to the pen next to them at the mart. As the old saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side.

Maybe it is being in my mid-20s where everyone around me is getting married, buying houses, having babies, getting job promotions and generally just moving on with life.

CROSSWORD 1166

I cannot even remember the last 21st birthday party I went to. First birthday parties have now become more my scene.

But mostly I think it is this new world of social media we now live in. The age of the influencer.

When all you see every day is a highlight reel of people’s lives, you may not even know these people in real life, but for some reason you cannot help but compare yourself to them.

But I think that is what you must remember, you are only privy to the highlights, basically the stuff they want other people to see.

Behind every perfect Instagram feed or Facebook post there is a person just muddling through this crazy, stressful world, just like you are, because I certainly am.

vouchers. Send to: Crossword No. 1166, Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Caxton Road, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 9NZ.

ACROSS

1 Surprisingly not be grateful - it’s highly memorable (13)

8 Singular time concernng a minute brook (6)

9 A Big Apple individual; Tom, Dick or Harry (6)

12 Swift runners in Bucharest (5)

13 Extremes of systematic upheaval in melee on rugby field (9)

14 Garbled story about base source of advantage (6)

15 Spring month regularly dearest for people participating in protests (8)

18 Fine stern tests boundlessly awake curiosity (8)

20 Crazy bird (6)

23 Drink list followed by audible complaint (5,4)

25 Fish for evil-tempered ugly dwarf (5)

26 Rascal with one seafood dish (6)

27 Question about US city and a state (6)

28 Newspaper reporter’s right interrupting person cited in divorce case (13)

DOWN

2 Turbulent unrest involving adult temperaments (7)

3 Exaggerate degree of directionchanging concerning young ox (9)

4 Most lame activity on street (6)

5 Support to slow down, we hear; time for a cuppa (3,5)

6 Very deep cavity in baby’s mouth (5)

7 Badly leaking mechanical system of rods or springs (7)

10 People given to speculation; believers accepting operational research (9)

11 Corrupt places where you can store waste water (9)

16 Pay attention to London Police in walled area of ground (9)

17 Endlesly eagerly desiring special pain-killing tablets (8)

19 Leaves to mostly support small firm (7)

21 Grow old; opposition will earn a penalty for it (5,2)

22 Get round holding the French ice cream (6)

24 Part of theorem mentions raised wheat as fodder (5)

NAME

ADDRESS

POSTCODE

Answers to crossword 1164: Across: 1 Nursery rhymes, 8 Stolen, 9 Public, 12 Evict, 13 Marco Polo, 14 Let rip, 15 Penitent, 18 Toboggan, 20 Stoker, 23 Per capita, 25 Run-up, 26 Ferric, 27 Trendy, 28 Once upon a time.

Down: 2 Untwist, 3 Splitting, 4 Rename, 5 Reporter, 6 Yobbo, 7 Episode, 10 Sellotape, 11 Root crops, 16 Interment, 17 Davis Cup, 19 Burgeon, 21 Kingdom, 22 Fatten, 24 Agree.

The first correct entry received by next Friday will receive £20 worth of Love2shop

FARMING MATTERS

Forthright opinions from throughout the world of agriculture

‘Ag IT systems need bringing into the 21st century’

Agricultural software has been around for quite some time now, although you would be forgiven for thinking it was only just getting going.

Whether it is the lack of investment, lack of uptake from users or problems around rural broadband provision, the agri-software space has often been a disappointing offshoot of the IT industry.

While other sectors work with the latest cloud-based, integrated, intuitive systems, the agricultural sector is stuck messing around with data file exports and clunky complicated user interfaces.

While much of that still applies right up to this very moment, change does seem to be slowly coming down the track.

There are a few great examples of intuitive and well-designed software which have been released or re-released in the last few years. It is great to start to see this sort of

technology working harder for farmers and producers.

But there is still one major area, in my view, where many of these agri-IT systems continue to fall short – interoperability.

While that might sound like just an IT buzzword, it means systems should be able to talk to each other, to interoperate.

This is the last milestone, our final hurdle, in making truly user-friendly data systems for agriculture.

How many IT systems do you currently use on-farm? Thinking about the livestock arena alone, you might have to input data related to an individual animal two or three times and that is before we get into EID reader data transfers and weight and growth data.

One of the things interoperability gives us is a reduction in this excessive level of data input.

If I have a sheep registered with a breed society which needs to move via the Livestock Information Service,

which needs compliance information for the Animal and Plant Health Agency and perhaps also an accreditation scheme, which then has accumulated an amount of performance or health data – that is an awful lot of information spread across separate systems with little or no interoperability.

Things are getting better, but it would be wonderful to input unique information just once and have these systems talk to each other to share the relevant data when required.

There is no escaping that these systems are a core part of most farming enterprises and that will only continue, but that does not mean the amount of time it takes to manage them should also increase.

Improvement

One way of driving improvements might be for agri customers to demand more and get more involved with the requirements for these software systems.

This is exactly how it works in other industries, with the ‘requirement gathering’ phase being the keystone of the whole thing.

There is scope in all of this for producers to get together and offer ‘user acceptance testing’ services for agri-software providers.

Equally, UK Research and Innovation allows for a partnership of multiple organisations or businesses to apply for grant funding.

There is nothing preventing groups of innovative producers defining their own set of requirements and bringing an agri-specialist software development company on board for a joint funding application.

I tend to think most software in UK agriculture to date has been developed as a one-shot project, to meet some very basic need – EID for example – then not developed any further.

This is ultimately what needs to change within agri-software business. In many other sectors continuous integration with continuous development is the order of the day.

That certainly is an IT buzz-phrase, but it simply references the idea that it is not a good idea to launch a piece of monolithic software and then leave it to fester for a decade with no further serious development.

Funding onward development for what may be niche software systems is, of course, a challenge, but many of the current providers should be able to afford a pricing model which accounts for continued development.

UK agriculture never stops developing, so why should the IT systems which support it?

ADAM SHORT

Small-scale livestock farmer and director of MA Systems

Agri-IT systems should be able to interoperate, says Adam Short.