Farmers Guardian 12th April 2024

POCKET ROCKET

COMPACT HANDLER FROM KUBOTA – P62

Top tips for managing your spring turnout PAGE 70 Farmland availability increases as values rise

Outstanding store cattle trade at Louth

27

FUND INJUSTICE

● Defra pledges flooding support

By Rachael Brown

FARMERS left with fields under several inches of water have told of their anger and frustration after finding they are ineligible for help from Defra’s long-awaited Farming Recovery Fund.

Three months after the scheme was initially mooted following the devastation wrought by Storm Henk between January 2-12, Defra announced this week it would open the fund, with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) contacting eligible farmers who suffered ‘uninsurable damage’.

These farmers will receive £130 per hectare based on the satellite images provided by the Environment Agency (EA). The RPA has stated how many hectares of farmland can be compensated, with the minimum grant being £500 and the maximum £25,000.

The fund is currently only made available to certain parts of the country including Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, West Northamptonshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire. Only farmland ‘within 150 metres of the midpoint’ of one of

● Affected farmers ineligible for help

the rivers listed by the RPA, where there had been notably ‘high river level gauge’, will be considered.

Lincolnshire farmer Henry Ward, who was left with more than 810ha of land submerged, has attracted national attention as one of the ‘worst effected farms’ in the country after the storm.

When Farmers Guardian went to press, he was not eligible for the maximum amount of funding.

Chair of the Environment Agency,

Alan Lovell, and Water Minister, Robbie Moore, visited the farm at Shortferry to witness the extensive flood damage after the Barlings Eau river burst its banks.

Mr Ward said: “Barlings Eau is not included in the RPA’s list, even though it is a tributary to the River Witham which is on the list.”

When he contacted the RPA he was told he was not eligible and his single business identifier ‘was not on the list’, but has since received an email con-

The long-awaited Farming Recovery Fund is only made available to certain parts of the country.

firming he could claim, but only on five fields, a total of 24ha, and would receive £3,700, which he said was an ‘insult’ and a ‘drop in the ocean’.

He added: “I am going to be well over £100,000 down this year. The £25,000 would have taken the sting out of the tail a bit.”

Mr Ward pointed out that one of the fields eligible for funding was not even

With bad practice in the tenanted sector currently in focus, Rachael Brown takes a look at the new code of practice and the impact it could have.

New tenant code of practice ‘not enough’

rDefra pressed to appoint commissioner

INDUSTRY leaders have welcomed the publication of Defra’s new code of practice for the agricultural landlord and tenanted sector, with the focus on tackling bad behaviour and promoting better ‘collaboration, clarity and communication’.

But the industry’s eyes now turn to whether Defra will commit to the appointment of a Tenant Farming Commissioner, with calls from both the NFU, Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) and farmers themselves, for a commissioner to govern and call out breaches of the code.

TFA chief executive George Dunn told Farmers Guardian that after having been somewhat ‘lukewarm’ to the proposal previously, with fears of contradicting Conservative views on regulation, it was understood the team at Defra was ‘showing greater interest and understanding’ of the need for a commissioner.

Positive

Mr Dunn said: “To my mind the Government would not have selected the next Farm to Fork summit to make an announcement if it was not going to be a positive one.”

NFU deputy president David Exwood, who sits alongside Mr Dunn on the Farm Tenancy Forum, said: “If Defra was minded to introduce a commissioner, to be effective, the role would need statutory powers and Defra’s position is still not clear on this vital point.”

But Jeremy Moody, secretary and

adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, said a commissioner was an ‘undefined idea’ which was ‘still looking for real purpose’.

“Most of the suggestions would need careful thought about how they would interact with existing arrangements, including the new Farm Tenancy Forum, arbitration law and the work of professional bodies,” he said, adding ‘no good case has been made’ for it.

“What would be really meant by ‘overseeing the code’, especially with the bodies that already have an interest in that now it is published? If the post were given stronger powers, they would be subject to the law, Judicial Review or appeal.”

Defra Secretary Steve Barclay has shown signs of ‘listening’ to tenants’ concerns, with an acknowledgement that, in some cases, landlords were taking farms back in-hand to exploit more financially incentivised Sustainable Farming Incentive options.

George Dunn

If 70 per cent of tenants indicate they do not have regular meetings with landlords, how can you have collaboration?

GEORGE DUNN

Mr Barclay said he was ‘pleased’ to see the launch of the code, which he said would ‘promote positive relationships between tenants and landlords’.

The new code of practice was pinned on three values: ‘collaboration, clarity and communication’ and has received wide cross sectoral support, with the hope professional advisers, landlords and land agents will promote the application of the code.

Head of rural at Knight Frank, Andrew Shirley, said although some will ‘raise an eyebrow at the new code of

conduct’ and the need for more regulation, ‘too often the landlord-tenant relationship had become ‘adversarial and transactional rather than a genuine partnership’.

The code was being introduced at a time when the working relationship between tenant and landlord has been brought into strong focus for the wrong reasons, with warnings in recent weeks from Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron of a ‘Lakeland clearance’ happening in Cumbria.

Mr Farron said the code of practice was ‘long overdue’ but added: “It will not be enough to stop the appalling scenes of landlords using the Government’s new environment schemes, despite them being welcome initiatives, to threaten tenant farmers with eviction.”

Last week, more than 60 tenant farmers gathered at Penrith auction mart to share their ‘worries’, with many tenants in the room facing notices to quit.

Other issues raised were around the lack of communication and partnership with the Landscape Recovery scheme and land agents taking a ‘harder line’ on succession proposals.

“There is clearly an issue that

estates are having around inheritance tax planning. They are worried about the value of their residential components and the likely tax implications, with some estates looking for partnership agreements with tenants,” Mr Dunn said.

When it comes to Landscape Recovery, he said tenants shared at the meeting how they were not being told what was involved, and what benefits they will get from doing the work.

“If 70 per cent of tenants indicate [from a recent TFA survey] they do not have regular meetings with landlords, how can you have collaboration?” he said.

Evidence

“Dialogue is not happening and Defra has eyes on projects such as Landscape Recovery, to get real evidence on how tenants are being involved,” Mr Dunn said.

He added it was time for a ‘reset’ and the TFA and its members ‘want dialogue to move positively forward’ with estates. But he warned if they were not prepared to have dialogue, questions will be brought to Government on ‘whether this is just a tax avoidance scheme’.

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS

AS the wet weather continues to cause a raft of problems for farmers up and down the country this week, a ewe and her lamb at a farm in Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales take shelter from the rain.

WEATHER WOES

Managing spring grass in a challenging year for farmers. See p70.

Jim Campbell, a tenant farmer from Cumbria and a council representative for the Farmer Network, said he had lost his Farm Business Tenancy (FBT) four years ago.

He was given an ultimatum by a previous landlord and land agent, that if he did not agree to take sheep off the fell in the winter, then his FBT would not be renewed and the sheep would be taken off the fell that way.

“It was a really aggressive standpoint. Six months later my tenancy was terminated,” said Mr Campbell.

He said while he understood the need to communicate with landlords and ‘not burn bridges’, tenants need a landlord ‘willing to negotiate’ in the first place.

“In Cumbria, many have their own agenda and there is no negotiation. It is either their way or the highway.”

Mr Campbell praised the collaborative approach of his existing landlord and said while not all landlords are the same, he questioned how some can get away with the ‘lack of respect and disregard’ to tenant farmers. He added that many were terrified to speak out due to fear of repercussions.

PICTURE: MARCELLO GARBAGNOLI

THE HEART OF AGRICULTURE

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

Editor

Olivia Midgley, 07787 240 750 olivia.midgley@agriconnect.com

Head of News and Business

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

Chief Reporter

Rachael Brown, 07974 039 778 rachael.brown@agriconnect.com

News and Business Reporters

Jane Thynne

jane.thynne@agriconnect.com

Chris Brayford, 07773 110 733 chris.brayford@agriconnect.com

Business Reporter

Cedric Porter

cedric.porter@agriconnect.com

Arable Technical Specialist

Ash Ellwood, 07786 190 188 ashleigh.ellwood@agriconnect.com

Head of Machinery and Farm Technology

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

Machinery Reporter

James Huyton, 07787 242 185 james.huyton@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

Livestock Specialists

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

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

rGovernment responds to review

By Rachael Brown

DEFRA has confirmed that a Land Use Management Group (LUMG) to support the ‘long-term governance of Dartmoor’ will be set up later this year and will run for two years.

It is part of the Government’s response, published this week, to the Independent Review of Protected Site Management on Dartmoor.

The chair of the review, David Fursdon, said while he was ‘pleased’ to see the Government supporting many of the review’s recommendations, now was the time for those responsible for the future of Dartmoor to ‘come together in an open and transparent way to discuss the practical steps necessary to restore and enhance this special place’.

Chance

He said: “This will require careful management, properly funded. This is their chance. They may not get another.”

In its response, Defra has set out a number of priorities to ‘ensure farmers on Dartmoor are supported to produce food sustainably and run viable businesses, while protecting important habitats and species across the area’.

Defra Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Our response sets out how we will ensure that farmers remain central to ensuring that we have healthy and varied habitats on Dartmoor which work in harmony with food production.”

Dartmoor management group backed

A key recommendation in the review was the creation of a LUMG to develop ‘a multifunctional land use framework and long-term plan for Dartmoor’.

Defra said it would appoint an ‘independent chair’, who will be provided by the Dartmoor National Park Authority and funded by Defra in the day-to-day running of the group.

It also said there was an ‘urgent need to reset’ in ways of working from all parties so the commons receive advice to benefit from new opportunities under the Environmental Land Management schemes and that any monitoring and evaluation

on Sites of Specific Scientific Interest must be ‘more transparent’.

Marian Spain, chief executive of Natural England (NE), said since the review’s publication, NE has taken steps to ‘rebuild trust with farmers’ and it advised Defra to make sure commoners were ‘given the right support’ to run their farms and work with nature.

“We look forward to working with the LUMG to pull together a plan for the peat restoration, tree planting and sustainable grazing needed to restore nature, for everybody who cares about Dartmoor,” she added.

Farmers kept bTB reactors on-farm

TWO Welsh farmers have been fined for ‘deliberately’ swapping cattle eartags to keep bovine TB reactors on-farm.

Pembrokeshire County Council said three men had been sentenced, at Swansea Crown Court on March 4, for offences committed under legislation which underpins cattle management, disease control and traceability.

The court heard how Edward, Charles and Henry Hartt, of Messrs

From page 1

badly affected, as it was grassland and ‘the grass had not been killed off’.

“There is no communication. All I have been told is that the EA has provided satellite imagery of where is affected.”

Martin Williams, who farms 600ha

EW Hartt and Sons at Longford Farm, had pleaded guilty to eight counts of using eartags on animals which had already been used on another animal and four offences of furnishing misleading information in execution of the ear tag regulations.

Officers had found evidence that the same ear tag had been displayed on two different animals.

One cow which had supposedly been removed after reacting to bTB

of arable crops near the River Wye at Fownhope, Herefordshire, was not yet eligible and said the scheme was ‘ill-informed on its geographical requirements’.

He said crop insurance-style funding was required, especially when the ‘Sustainable Farming Incentive

tests was later found to have been retained and had since given birth on the farm.

Judge Christopher Vosper KC imposed a confiscation order of £217,906.25 in total, payable within three months, as well as ordering the defendants to pay £94,569.64 to cover costs. Each defendant had been fined a total of £24,000 at Swansea Crown Court – £2,000 for each count of the indictment.

does not go above income forgone.’ NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos said ‘a crisis is building’, adding the fund was a ‘good start’ but the impact goes ‘far beyond the impact of Storm Henk’. Defra said the eligibility for the fund will remain under review.

Dartmoor is to get a Land Use Management Group to oversee its governance.

Dairy farmer fined over pollution

A SOMERSET farmer has been fined and ordered to pay costs totalling nearly £5,000 after silage effluent polluted the Fivehead River.

Dairy farmer Daniel Macey, of Underhill Farm, Staple Fitzpaine, near Taunton, admitted allowing pollution to enter the river.

Taunton Magistrates heard that officers from the Environment Agency (EA) went to the Fivehead River in June 2022. Monitoring equipment showed dissolved oxygen levels of below 12 per cent. An unpolluted watercourse would be expected to have oxygen levels above 70 per cent.

Mr Macey told agency officers he had an issue with a silage clamp about four days earlier. The clamp

had been overfilled with grass and silage effluent and had bypassed the front drainage and discharged into a piped ditch and then down to the Fivehead River. Mr Macey said the reception tank for the silage clamp had been emptied a number of times to prevent further effluent reaching the river.

Cause

The EA said Mr Macey later went on to state that a number of ‘other agencies’, that he would not identify, were the cause of any sewage discharge into the watercourse.

Mr Macey was fined £228. Magistrates also ordered him to pay costs of £4,502.21 and a victim surcharge of £90.

MPs lobby for Natural England to lose SSSI powers

rFormer Defra Secretary backs call

By Chris Brayford

MORE than a dozen Conservative MPs, including a former Defra Secretary, have written a letter to Defra Secretary Steve Barclay urging him to transfer powers of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) away from Natural England.

The piece of legislation had been introduced by St Ives MP Derek Thomas on March 13 in a Private Members’ Bill in Parliament, which has gained support from former

Defra Secretary Therese Coffey, Efra chair Sir Robert Goodwill, Philip Dunne MP and Greg Smith MP. It proposes to amend the designation of SSSIs under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 by transferring powers from Natural England to the Defra Secretary.

No reason

Details inside the letter suggest there is ‘no reason for the notification of SSSIs to be outsourced to an unelected and unaccountable body like Natural England’.

The Bill also says a belief that transferring powers of SSSIs to the Defra Secretary would not ‘cause

any protections to be lost’ but it would allow Defra to consider other matters outside of Natural England’s ‘competence’.

The letter had strongly hinted to the outdated designation of SSSIs in the Bill created more than 40 years ago.

It said: “When the current system of notification was created in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it may have been necessary to have an independent body to safeguard the natural environment.

“After the Environment Act 2021, conserving and restoring nature is part of Government decision-making.”

However, Richard Foord, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and

Honiton, disagreed with the decision to give powers of SSSI designation to the Defra Secretary.

He said: “Putting the Secretary of State for sewage in charge of SSSIs would be like putting the fox in charge of the hen harrier.”

Balance

Richard Benwell, chief executive of the Wildlife and Countryside Link, said the country ‘cannot afford to swap balanced scientific processes to designate SSSIs with political choice’.

Defra confirmed it had received the letter and would respond in ‘due course’.

Daniel Macey, a dairy farmer in Staple Fitzpaine, has admitted allowing pollution to enter the Fivehead River.

With new post-Brexit import charges set to come in force later this month, Chris Brayford takes a look at the impact they could have on the food sector.

Businesses face added strain due to new import charges

of up to £145 on EU farm products

POST-Brexit import charges have been described as a ‘hammer blow’ to the food supply sector, leaving trade union officials worried by the potential for food shortages and price increases.

Defra has confirmed details of fees of up to £145 which will be applied to imports of animal products and plants entering the UK from Europe alongside consignments leaving the UK.

The Government agency said the common user charge rates, coming into force on April 30, will apply to imports of farmer produce including sausages, cheese and yoghurts coming into the UK through the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel at Folkestone.

Seized

The National Pig Association had called for tougher rules on meat imports after 57 tonnes of illegally imported pigmeat had been seized at the Port of Dover since September 2022, with 5.5t seized on the weekend alone prior to Christmas 2023.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw has called for further clarity on how the charges could affect farmers, while commenting on the short timeframe businesses had got to make changes.

He said: “We are still working with the Government to make sure import rFees

New import charges will apply to farmer produce imported via ports such as Dover from April 30.

controls are carried out at an appropriate place within the supply chain, in a way that recognises the needs and nuances of different sectors.”

Liz Webster, founder of Save British Farming, criticised the timing after farmers had felt ‘undercut’ by imports from post-Brexit agreements over the past three years.

Warning Brexit labelling laws will cost industry millions

A SCOTTISH dairy boss has urged the Government to rethink its ‘not for EU’ labelling scheme set to be introduced in October.

The regulation aims to reduce time spent examining goods travelling to Northern Ireland and would require the words ‘not for EU’ to be printed on all products that are not to be shipped to the continent.

Robert Graham, managing director of Graham’s Family Diary, said it will cost UK food and drink firms hundreds of thousands of pounds and mean they had to have different packaging between UK and export lines, adding costs.

He said the proposed transition would cost Graham’s Family Diary £300,000, even before considering the cost of labour, complexity, and additional running costs.

According to Dairy UK, the financial cost per business of changing labelling alone has been quoted as being up to £500,000, and up to £2 million per business when factoring in all other costs.

Mr Graham said the new requirements would add ‘unjustified complexity while there was already an overwhelming feeling across the industry that it would make no difference to export trade to Northern Ireland’.

“Had these import checks been implemented at the same time as British exports after Brexit, the Government would soon have realised the need to support British food production.

“These new checks will impact food variety, increase inflation and make food shortages more likely,” she said, adding the result was likely to stop small- and medium-sized exporters sending food to Britain while ‘large and illegal exporters’ would continue.

Phil Pluck, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, said a lack of preparation time could alter commercial arrangements between UK businesses and its EU customers – potentially leading to higher food prices and business costs.

William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said the Government had ‘failed’ to listen to industry concerns with the rate described as a ‘hammer blow’ for small- and medium-sized importers.

He said: “The level of import charges shows scant regard to the interests of both businesses and consumers. It is extremely disappointing.”

The Labour Party said British shoppers and businesses were ‘rightly worried about prices being driven up again’ and that it had warned about

These new checks will impact food variety, increase inflation and make food shortages more likely LIZ WEBSTER

the ‘potential for chaos’ from new border checks.

Defra said the import charge rates would help to ‘recover the costs’ of operating its border facilities at Dover and Folkestone while protecting the food supply chain, farmers and the environment against costly disease outbreaks entering the UK.

The Government agency also said it would review and update rates annually, while confirming it would develop the common user charge rates for live animals separately.

It said these will be published before they are implemented.

rBarriers to developing rural businesses

By Rachael Brown

INVESTMENT in full coverage of mobile phone and data is essential to ensure rural communities and farm businesses are not left behind.

Farmers have raised concerns as 3G networks are turned off and ahead of landlines being switched off in 2025, with phones instead using the internet to make calls.

Land agent and Liberal Democrat candidate for Penrith and Solway in Cumbria, Dr Julia Aglionby, said there was limited 4G, let alone 5G, across her area. This meant farmers faced barriers to developing their businesses, whether it is contacting the bank, the Rural Pay-

‘getting worse’

ments Agency or apps to record livestock and environmental data.

She said: “This is not rocket science – plot the gaps and invest in masts and satellites to plug the gaps.

“As landlines are being switched off in 2025, it is urgent that mobile connectivity becomes a basic requirement, as with electricity.”

Cumbrian agronomist Jim Clark said he found it tricky to make phone calls, let alone use cloud-based technology, adding ‘it is worse than ever

now, many areas just have no signal’.

Tenant dairy farmer Liz Haines, Staffordshire, said it was a ‘massive issue’ where she lived outside Stafford, adding it was ‘stressful when you try to speak to vets and manage staff, not to mention the safety aspect’.

North Yorkshire arable farmer Andrew Wilson added: “We can put people on the moon, but reliable mobile signal in rural areas is clearly too big of an ask, all while bills keep rising.”

Dr Julia Aglionby says investment needs to be made into masts and satellites to plug connectivity gaps.

PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES

rFast-paced seminar programme planned

BOOSTING mental resilience, tackling awkward conversations with the older generation and how to benefit from the range of grants on offer for farming businesses will be hot topics up for discussion at a Young Farmers conference being held in Blackpool next month.

Farmers Guardian’s ‘FG Live’ events platform is pleased to announce it will deliver the new conference during the Young Farmers’ annual ‘DIY AGM’, which has grown in popularity in recent years and last year attracted 7,500 young people.

FG Live will host a fast-paced seminar programme, with topics also including how to achieve the right balance with the Sustainable Farming Incentive, a vet’s view of careers in agriculture and how to use social media to your advantage.

Farmers Guardian is proud to partner with the DIY AGM to produce a first-of-its-kind conference for Young Farmers. Here is a sneak peek at what attendees can expect.

FG Live hosts Young Farmers conference

The rise of the ‘agfluencer’ in recent years has supercharged how the industry promotes itself, but how can we be sure to get the public and fellow industry professionals on board?

Tom Pemberton, Charlotte Ashley, Olly Harrison and Rebecca Wilson, who have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers across different platforms, will give their insights.

The agenda will also be taking a closer look at how to solve the generational conundrum of whether the days of working 60 hours a week be cast into history, or if this is still essential for managing our farms effectively.

The evolving topic of how we can modernise our thinking around people management and remain profitable will also feature in the day’s content and Paul Harris, chief executive and founder of REAL Success, will outline his thoughts on why the current generation and next generation in farming need a revolution in thinking.

Georgina Lamb, senior partnerships manager at The Farming Community Network, who has joined forces with FG Live to organise the event, said: “The panel sessions will provide valuable and insightful opinions and experience on a range of topics relevant to Young Farmers.

“There is something for everyone and I have no doubt conference attendees will feel better prepared and inspired on their journey in agriculture.”

FG editor Olivia Midgley said: “FG has been a long standing supporter of Young Farmers and we traditionally attended the event when it was held by

the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs [NFYFC]. When the AGM was cancelled in 2018 it left a huge void and we are delighted to be working with Yorkshire member John Houseman who has made this ‘DIY’ event the success it is today.

“We hope our conference programme will leave members returning to their communities feeling informed and inspired.”

MORE INFORMATION

Taking place at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, on May 4. For the full agenda and to register for your free place, visit farmersguardian.com/fglive-agm24

DIY AGM HOW IT ALL BEGAN

FOUNDERoftheDIYAGM,John Houseman,hassaidhewantsto putthe‘M’backintoAGMasheteams upwith Farmers Guardian forthe 2024event.TheYorkshireYoung Farmers’Club(YFC)membersaid hebeganorganisingthefirstevent in2019afterreadingaboutNFYFC’s decisiontocancelitsAGMonthe FG website.

Hesaid:“Iwassatinthetractor andIwasnotveryhappyaboutit. IsetupaneventpageonFacebook and,withinacoupleofhours, thousandsofpeopleregisteredtheir interest.Wegaugedtheinterestofus

doingitourselvesand2019wasthe firstoneanditsnowballedfromthere.

“Themainaimoftheeventisto keepanannualeventgoingwhich hasYoungFarmersfromalloverthe countrywhocancomeandenjoya weekendtogether.Enjoyabitoftime off,meetnewpeople,havegoodfun.”

Since2019,theeventhasraised almost£20,000frompoloshirtand ticketsalesfornationalcharities andthoselocaltoBlackpool.

MrHousemanadded:“Wehave somethought-provokingsessionsinthe conferenceforYoungFarmerstoenjoy, similartothetraditionalAGMstructure.”

Left to right: Charlotte Ashley; Olly Harrison; Paul Harris; Amy Hughes; Georgina Lamb; Tom Pemberton; Benjamin Stubbs; Heather Whalley; Claire Whittle; Tom York.

Farm faced decade of flooding after waste dump

rJail sentences for men operating illegal site

By Jane Thynne

TWO men have been jailed following the large-scale illegal dumping of waste at Bonnie Braes Farm in Staffordshire. Raymond Bowden was sentenced to 30 months immediate custody for operating an illegal waste site, while Joe Frizell, director of TW Frizell (Haulage and Plant Hire), was ordered to serve two years following the

Environment Agency (EA) prosecution. A further three people were also convicted at Shrewsbury Crown Court in relation to the offences which took place between March 2014 and June 30, 2015.

At least 100,000 tonnes of waste was illegally brought onto the site during that time, raising the level of the land by six to seven metres in height.

Anna and Paul Johnson, who own neighbouring property Corriecravie, had consistently called for the EA to take action.

Speaking to Farmers Guardian in

2021, Ms Johnson said their fields had flooded every winter since illegal tipping began at the Bonnie Braes site, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Resolution

While she welcomed last week’s verdict, she said it had failed to ‘bring any resolution’ for herself or her husband who have farmed the Stoke-on-Trent land for more than 40 years.

She added: “The worst part has been not being able to farm. We used to have around 200 pedigree Texels and now we are down to around 28 ewes. We have not been able to access the yard or move the sheep easily.

“Sometimes, we can not get the tractor out as it is just so wet.

“So yes, we are very pleased with the sentencing but we now hope for a resolution to the problem on-farm.”

Ms Johnson said they were awaiting the result of a land drainage tribunal.

Following sentencing, a spokesperson for the EA said: “We are glad to see the outcome of these prosecutions and will continue to work tirelessly to tackle environmental crime.”

In addition to these offences, Mr Frizell was also sentenced alongside RJC Regeneration and Mark Oulton for dumping waste without an environmental permit at Elms Farm, in Betley, Crewe.

He was sentenced to two months in jail, to run concurrently with his other term. RJC Regeneration was fined £8,000 and a victim surcharge.

Anna Johnson said their fields had flooded every winter since illegal tipping began at the Bonnie Braes site.

LEADER

And finally... We’re delighted to announce we will be hosting a special conference for Young Farmers, due to take place in Blackpool on May 4. See page 8 for full details.

AFTER what has been the wettest 18 months on record, farmers across all sectors are feeling the strain.

Of course, the industry is resilient and is holding strong with everyone in the same boat.

But, as NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos said this week, ‘a crisis’ is well and truly building for many.

And so when Defra announced the Farming Recovery Fund, you would have thought it would have been positively received.

Its frosty reception was not helped by the fact that farmers had been forced to wait for three months, with the fund being announced in January, and in between that time we have endured three months of relentless rain.

Although the principle of compensating farmers for flood damage to farmland is welcome, as always with Government schemes, the devil is in the detail.

Farmers’ frustration lies mainly around the fund’s ‘prescribed nature’ and the Rural Payments Agency ‘dictating’ what farmland is eligible, based on satellite imagery provided by the Environment Agency.

Given previous issues raised with satellite im-

Farming Recovery Fund seen as a drop in the ocean

agery in agri-environment schemes, it has not filled farmers with much confidence.

Henry Ward, who retains the unwanted title of ‘Britain’s worst flooded farmer’, said he was expecting to receive the full £25,000, but has been told he may only be eligible for just over £3,000.

When you look at the shocking drone images of his farm, which can only be described as a farmhouse on its own mini island, with thousands of acres of farmland under water, you see why he is angry.

So, what has gone wrong? With more than £100,000 in losses this year alone, Mr Ward and others will need answers.

Financial support needs to get to farmers and fast. It seems this fund is stuck in time and has not caught up with reality. And consumers will suffer as a result.

If there was ever a time for this Government to properly get its head around the importance of domestic food security, it is now.

Dare I say it, the forecast is looking marginally better next week. Here’s to some drier, sunnier days.

YOUNG FARMER FOCUS

‘My grandfather has passed the baton to me’

Family farm: Ileftschoolat16towork full-timeonthefamilyfarm.

ThemajorityofNewtonStruthers Farmisarable,growingspringmalting barleyforwhiskyproduction,aswell asgrasslandforgrazingthelivestock enterprise’s30pedigreeAberdeenAngusand10Limousinfemales,10pure BlueTexelsandaflockof160cross commercialewes.

Wealsorunanagricultural contractingbusiness.

Butmyprincipalresponsibilityis tolookafterthepedigreeAberdeenAngusherdestablishedbymy grandfather,withtheoverallaimof producingqualitybulls.

Ihavealwayshadakeeninterestin ourAberdeen-Angusherdandfirst startedshowingwhenIwasnine.

Althoughmygrandfatherisstill involved,hehaslargelypassedthe batontome.

Breeding: Myaimistobuildthe herdsize,adaptourgenetics,and getthebestperformanceoutof theherd.

Ihaveakeeninterestinlookingat differentbloodlinesandhavejust completedmyartificialinsemination ticketwhichwillgivememoreflexibility forsirechoices.

Wekeepallourownreplacements. Bullsarecurrentlysoldprivatelyofffarmandwearegratefulandfortunate tohavelocalrepeatcustomers.

Whenlookingforbulls,theseare mainlypurchasedoff-farmfromtrusted breeders.Itneedstobegoodonitslegs, truetothebreedcharacter,withagood head,longandcleanwithagoodtop.

Whenyougointoafield,Iliketoseethe bullstandingabovethecows.

OurlastbullpurchasedwasIdviesEd,fromtheFraserfamily’sIdvies Aberdeen-AngusherdnearForfar.

Graeme Rhind

Award: WinningtheYouthDevelopment Programme’sseniorsectionwasa majorpersonalmilestone,winninga travelbursarytostudyAberdeen-Angus anywhereintheworld.Iamhopingto visiteithertheUSorCanada.

Success: Lastyearalsobrought remarkablesuccessontheshow circuit,showingthefamily’shome-bred Aberdeen-Angusyearlingheifer, Newton-StruthersEspresso. Shewasjudgedbreedchampionnine timesacrossScotland,inter-breed

Graeme Rhind

Kinloss, Moray Graeme Rhind, 22, is an Aberdeen-Angus breeder in Kinloss.

championtwiceandreserveinterbreedchampiontwice,including scoopingbreedandinter-breed championattheBlackIsleShow. Shealsosecuredreserveatthe NorthEastofScotlandAberdeen-Angus BlackBeautyBonanza,Thainstone.

Challenges: Breedingcattlealways bringschallenges,fromthemoment theyhittheground,throughtothe endproduct.ButIampassionate aboutthebreedandthedevelopment ofourherd.

Hopefully,IcankeepdoingwhatIam doingtoincreasethenumberofcows andcontinuetoimproveourgenetics. Iwillkeeplearningfrommymistakes andlearningfromotherpeople.

MORE INFORMATION

If you would like to be featured, email chris.brayford@agriconnect.com

Health journey

YOUR piece on heart health (Farmers Guardian, March 15) rang a few bells with me. I suppose I was a classic example of a farmer who got involved in work but also committees, farming and non-farming and all the socialising which went with it.

Fortunately, given my lifestyle, my family made sure I was getting regular health checks. The first warning was when my GP told me my liver had started to grumble, which I am afraid I largely ignored.

When I started to get more breathless my family made sure I started getting various procedures done at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

An echocardiogram showed my cardio output had gone down to about 25 per cent. With a degree of urgency I had a cardiac defibrillator surgically implanted. That sort of thing gives you a reality check, prompting me to retire and cut back on committees and socialising.

My oldest daughter had always been keen to take on the farm and we had for some time been taking steps to make that possible to make sure I kept out of the next generation’s way. To stay active, I found Rotary and Men’s Shed worthwhile.

Two years or so after the first I had another echocardiogram, which showed my cardio function had risen to almost 60 per cent.

The consultant wrote to my GP with the data and added my cardio improvement was remarkable but not unique. It does appear cardio function can be transformed with lifestyle changes and the correct medication.

It has been quite a journey and as well as support from family and the NHS in various areas, the agricultural charities have in various ways and times been approachable and

professional. As with everything in life, good communication is key.

John Maxwell, Via email.

Ecosystem myth

I WOULD like to know on which UKwide, published, peer-reviewed research Ben Goldsmith bases his comment: “We are utterly deprived of functional, vibrant ecosystems in Great Britain.” (Rewilding project sparks industry fears, FG, April 5).

If there is not such a study, why does Mr Goldsmith receive £15,000 per annum as a non-executive director of Defra for making baseless comments?

He also said: “The idea that this project has any bearing on our food security is nonsense.”

I would suggest that a lot of food could be grown on 1,133 hectares of Wiltshire farmland.

Gillian Herbert, Linley Green, Herefordshire.

National Parks

HAVING started the discussion on National Parks (Farming Matters, FG, March 3), I am glad to be able to respond to your letters correspondent Neil Heseltine following the clear letters of support for my thinking from both Hamish Waugh and Suzanne Greenhill.

As chair of the English National Parks, Mr Heseltine likes to bat for both sides by praising his neighbours the hill farmers on the one hand and praising National Parks on the other.

I would put it to him that hill farmers developed the natural beauty of the hills by careful husbandry of the areas under their control, making a living from livestock of most varieties.

National Park authorities survive on the largesse of the Government in whatever form it appears, while making a sales pitch of the work of generations of farmers.

Earlier this week, I listened to a spokesperson from National Parks speaking on a breakfast programme saying how beneficial the National

Parks structure is to ensuring the footpaths criss-crossing our uplands remain open, allowing the general public the tangible benefit of walking in the good fresh air and enjoying all the conferred benefits.

The spokesperson was making the case that National Parks want to persuade Defra to provide more money to ensure they survive.

Allowing the thought to run across my mind that this is the same Defra which constantly finds ways of making it ever more difficult for hill and upland farmers to survive.

The logic fails me, as the areas concerned are the workplaces of our farmers; the livestock they rear help to provide natural quality food for our ever growing population; and yet the Government makes it harder for farmers to survive, while at the same time being lobbied by National Parks to make access more comfortable.

John Thorley, Chair of Association of Independent Meat Suppliers and The Henry Plumb Foundation.

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Please read this policy carefully and if you have any questions, concerns or comments about this policy or, specifically, how we might use your personal information, please contact us by email at dataprotection@farmersguardian.com. If you have a classic picture you would like to share, please email it to marcello.garbagnoli@agriconnect.com ■ IF you would like to send us a letter for consideration, please note that our email address has now changed to fgeditorial@agriconnect.com Contact us

From left: Standing Alfred Dobson, kneeling David Dobson, Ken Drick, Geoff Murrey, Tom Taylor and an unknown villager bottom left, with Czechoslovakian World War II prisoners of war with white hats on, baling hay with a Ruston baler at Yew Tree Farm, Bickerton, near Chester. Sent in by Brian Dobson.

Edited by Alex Black – 01772

Wheat market holds amid concern for future harvest

rTrading in milling wheat reaching premium

By Jane Thynne

UK WHEAT volumes may be smaller, but the market is not yet facing a disaster, analysts have revealed.

Rupert Somerscales, founder of Agri-Analytics, said the poor conditions farmers have experienced both pre- and post-Christmas, have already had an impact on the market structure, with trading in milling wheat reaching a premium, according to the Matif futures benchmark.

Mr Somerscales said: “The market has spoken and it is saying we are going to have a small crop – even a very small crop potentially – but it is not yet a disaster.

“In terms of wheat volume the UK will produce, that is still in question.

“Yes, there are pockets of disaster around the country where farmers have simply not been able to get out on the fields, but there are also many farmers who managed to get their crops drilled early in the autumn,

Tesco records bumper profits

TESCO has said price pressures on grocers have eased, as it reported pretax profits of £2.3 billion in the year to February 24, with sales reaching £68.2bn.

The retail giant said grocery price inflation had ‘lessened substantially’, but acknowledged things were still difficult for many customers.

More than 4,000 products were cheaper at end of the period than at the start, with an average price cut of around 12 per cent, the firm said.

Tesco is the UK’s biggest supermarket chain with more than 330,000 employees and a 27.3 per cent share of the grocery market.

and are farming on well-drained soil who have fared a lot better.”

Mr Somerscales said the future picture represented a ‘mixed bag’, with a lot resting on spring and summer conditions.

“So far we have had some very heavy rains. But we have also had some decent temperatures and in many places the crops are getting going,” he added.

Olivia Bonser, senior analyst in the cereals and oilseed team at AHDB, said figures for harvest 2024 were looking uncertain, with its Early Bird Spring Survey results now being viewed as ‘optimistic’.

She said: “Our survey predicted a 15 per cent year-on-year fall to 1.463 million hectares, while spring barley planting prediction was a 29 per cent increase and barley a 26 per cent rise.

“These figures are all looking rather optimistic following the past few weeks.”

Struggling

Mike Verdin, senior markets consultant at CRM AgriCommodities, said while markets were not currently looking at a ‘void’, the prospect of a weak harvest would be cause for concern, adding a lot would rest on what was happening across the globe.

He said: “Much of Europe is also struggling. So the markets are keen for farmers not to sell too early.”

If we are being honest, Russia is very much in the driving seat

RUPERT SOMERSCALES

Mr Somerscales said all eyes would once again be on Russia, which would be the determining factor in the world benchmark wheat price.

“Currently we are expecting a crop in excess of 19 million tonnes, which would produce an exportable value of around 50mt,” he said.

“Basically, Russia will dominate Europe, North Africa and across to the Middle East from late July all the way through to possibly March 2025.

“We are expecting a bit of a rinse and repeat. As the year unfolds, we are expecting Russia to dominate.

“French wheat will have to try to compete, but if we are being honest, Russia is very much in the driving seat,” he added.

Scottish auction mart ‘success story’

AUCTION marts were continuing to be a ‘success story’ in Scotland, with strong 2023 financial figures boosted by ‘unprecedented trade’ so far this year.

The latest figures from the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS) revealed turnover at livestock markets in Scotland had increased throughput and prices across every class in the 2023 financial year

with a total turnover of £664.5 million. IAAS president Alan Hutcheon said the figures represented a success story of auction marts.

He added: “It shows auction marts are one of the main players in the Scottish livestock sector and just how much livestock we handle, as well as the marts’ contribution to the wider economy.

“The strength is in the nature of the

live ring which allows for open market price discovery and for stock of all specifications to gain the best price that day.”

Auctioneer Archie Hamilton said: “Auction market trade was strong last year and has enjoyed a fantastic start this year, with sheep prices at an astronomical figure.

“I have never seen anything like it during my time.”

UK wheat volumes are expected to be smaller this year.

Contracting costs increase

rMachinery, labour and insurance surge

By Alex Black

THERE was a general upwards trend in contracting prices for 2024, with some areas seeing substantial increases while others stayed relatively static, according to the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) contracting prices survey.

Fuel prices have fallen from £1/litre in last year’s survey, to £0.85/ litre this year, however machinery, labour and insurance costs have all increased significantly, offsetting any reduction.

This year the drilling category has increased by 3.46 per cent, which is in line with the 3.5 per cent increase seen in 2023. On harvesting, combining cereals costs had increased by £1.73/ hectare on 2023, to £116.36/ha. Potato harvesting saw an increase from £700/ha to £800.35/ha.

Livestock services were also up, with shearing a ewe increasing from £1.65/head to £1.81/head, while

Combining cereals costs increased by £1.73/hectare on 2023, to £116.36/ha, according to a recent contracting prices survey.

prices for rams increased by 40p to £3.70/head.

Matt Redman, NAAC chair, said: “This is already a difficult and frustrating year for the whole industry, with high rainfalls and sodden ground frustrating efforts to get crops in the ground.

New terms to boost hemp production

A RAFT of changes to industrial hemp licensing have been announced by the Government to help support regulated farmers and encourage investment in the industry.

Licence holders will be able to grow hemp anywhere on a licensed farm and the maximum period for a licence will be extended from three to six years.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “Industrial hemp has huge potential across the UK to unlock

new revenue streams, expand our bioeconomy without permanently removing land from food production, and bring wider environmental benefits.

“The licensing changes announced recognise industrial hemp as a field-grown agricultural crop and will enable more farmers to add hemp to their crop rotations, sequester carbon, and sell their harvest to the textile and construction industries.”

“However, all contractors must continue to review their price structures and keep steadfast on payment terms to ensure that businesses are able to continue to supply farmers with reliable, professional contracting services.”

NAAC encouraged members to calculate their individual costs using the association’s costing tool to ensure that quotes are accurate and sustainable.

Carefully calculated

As machinery expenditure continued to climb, it said it was vital prices were carefully calculated to ensure businesses could keep pace with depreciation and replacement costs.

Jill Hewitt, NAAC chief executive, said: “The survey has highlighted again how individual charges vary widely across the UK, with businesses reaching different conclusions on

Down on the Farm

All contractors must continue to review their price structures and keep steadfast on payment terms

MATT REDMAN

rates needed to offer a professional service.

“However, the NAAC holds firm that contractors generally take significant financial risk, and their prices need to reflect costs, allowing contractors to remain profitable and sustainable, supporting their customer base,” she added.

with Philip Cosgrave Agronomist, Yara UK Ltd.

Purchase quality compound fertiliser - it pays every time!

At this stage, we hope most 1st cut fertiliser applications are completed, but are you confident that your target fertiliser rate was evenly applied?

Yara has demonstrated how, over 24 metres, the physical quality of a fertiliser influences the yield and quality of a grass crop.

Yara has looked at this effect by comparing YaraMila Extra Grass (27-55+6%S) with a blended 27-5-5+S. The target rate for both products was 500kg/ha and the spreader settings were changed for each product on testing. The YaraMila product achieved the target rate across the whole bout width; however, the application rate for the blended product varied between 400 to 648kg/ha.

We then analysed separately each of the 23 trays from the blended product,

to determine the actual NPK+S content. Because the YaraMila product is a compound, we know that the product in each tray contained 27% N, 5% P, 5% K and 6% S. The blended product had a variation in N across the bout width of between 91kg and 160kg, for P the variation was 10 to 19kg and for the K it was 34 – 59kg/ha. The target was 135kg, 25kg and 25kg for N, P and K respectively.

Accounting only for unevenness of the N, in this blend, compared to the YaraMila Extra Grass, there was a yield loss of nearly 400kg/ha of grass dry matter. That’s a loss of nearly 1.5 tonnes of silage, worth around £60 per ha. Don’t take the chance, use a quality compound fertiliser, go to: yara.co.uk/crop-nutrition/grassland

PICTURE: TIM SCRIVENER

Farmland availability increases as values rise

rLandowners looking to retire or reduce debt

By Alex Black

THE volume of farmland available in England has started to increase, with vendors being a combination of landowners seeking to cash-in on record high values, retire or reduce levels of debt, according to Strutt and Parker.

The property consultancy said 7,398 acres had been publicly mar-

keted in the first three months of 2024, which is 6 per cent more than the equivalent period in 2023 and above the five-year average.

Matthew Sudlow, head of estates and farm agency for Strutt and Parker, said it had expected supply to increase in 2024.

“However, the number of farms put up for sale publicly is actually lower than at the same point last year, highlighting that the increase in acreage available is largely down to the launch of a handful of sizeable farms and estates,” he said.

However, he added there was no one reason behind the supply increase.

“It is often said that it is the three Ds – death, divorce and debt –which drive the land market and we are seeing that the need to reduce debt, as interest rates have risen, is a factor in some instances.

“However, we are probably seeing more examples where farmers are choosing to retire because they have no successor or where vendors are motivated by ‘profit-taking’ after a period of sustained growth in values.”

Normality

We are probably seeing more examples where farmers are choosing to retire because they have no successor MATTHEW SUDLOW

The largest technical beef event in the UK celebrating the British Beef Industry! FREE ADMISSION FOR 2024

He said this could be the market returning to some normality after the pandemic or a wider trend.

Strutt and Parker’s Farmland Database showed farmland values reached record levels in 2023.

Almost 75 per cent of the farms marketed in 2023 had now sold or were under offer, which was typical

for the past five years although lower than in 2021 and 2022. Mixed, arable and residential farms were more likely to have sold than lowland grazing, hill grazing and dairy farms, with 70 per cent of arable land sold for £10,000/acre or more in 2023 and more than a quarter sold for £12,000/acre or more.

Meat remains mealtime staple

MEAT has risen in popularity within both lunch and evening meals despite the continued pressure of rising food prices during the last year, according to AHDB.

The Kantar Usage panel said 53.1 per cent of mealtimes featured meat, fish and poultry and 27.8 per cent of lunch and evening meal occasions featured red meat, up from 27.6 per cent a year ago.

More consumers were choosing to include meat in their lunches compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, such as cooked meats, pies and sandwiches.

The cost of living crisis also pushed more consumers towards alternative meat cuts to save money, and trends

showed people were making more versatile, nutrient-rich Italian and Indian dishes featuring meat.

Growth

AHDB retail and consumer insight manager Vanessa Adamson said: “There is a real opportunity for red meat growth within in-home and family dining if we continue to highlight meaty meals that are easy to prepare and part of a healthy balanced diet.

“Campaigns like AHDB’s ‘Let’s Eat Balanced’ can help promote consumer awareness and foster long-term positive attitudes towards naturally-produced British red meat and dairy.”

In the first three months of 2024, 7,398 acres have been publicly marketed, according to Strutt and Parker.

Global sheepmeat trade being dominated by Australia

rRecord high mutton and lamb production

By Alex Black

AUSTRALIAN sheepmeat made up more than half of the global trade in the product in 2023, with lamb and mutton production reaching record highs.

New Zealand’s exports to China have been affected by the increase in Australian supply, with it remaining the second-largest lamb and mutton exporting country.

Chinese imports increased by 24 per cent in 2023.

While New Zealand exports rose by 10 per cent and it still accounted for 50 per cent of Chinese imports, nearly all of the increase came from Australia, which exported 197,448 tonnes to the country. Australia’s market share lifted to 46 per cent, the highest figure on record.

Tim Jackson, global supply analyst at MLA, said: “While New Zealand’s exports to China face pressure from increases in Australian supply, supply chain constraints have made it difficult for New Zealand’s ability to expand market share in other regions.

“This rebound in chilled lamb exports after Covid-19-related supply chain disruptions has enabled Australian exporters to meet the demands in markets preferring chilled lamb, such as many in the MENA region.

“In contrast, New Zealand’s exports of chilled lamb have been declining for several years, persisting through 2023, despite an overall increase in exports.”

Preference

“For example, Australian lamb exports to the Middle East and North Africa [MENA] lifted by 51 per cent in 2023, totalling 58,516 tonnes, with chilled exports constituting 68 per cent of that total.

Italian farmers asked to ‘adopt’ wild goats

THE local mayor of a remote Italian island overrun with wild goats has offered the opportunity to ‘adopt’ a goat, with a census estimating their population to be six times the human population.

Alicudi Mayor Riccardo Gullo has opened applications to ‘adopt a goat’ until April 10, with goats causing damage in residential areas due to population growth.

Mr Gullo said people have already been enquiring about taking the goats.

“[There is] a farmer on Vulcano island who would like to take several goats as, among other things, he produces a ricotta cheese which is much appreciated,” Mr Gullo told The Guardian

He added this had prevented the country from ‘tapping into markets’ with a strong preference for chilled products.

Australian goatmeat exports reached their second highest volume on record for a calendar year since 2014, with 33,891t exported in 2023,

US egg producer halts production due to avian flu

THE largest producer of fresh eggs in the United States temporarily halted production at a Texas plant after avian flu was found in chickens.

Officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan.

Mississippi-based Cal-Maine Foods said in a statement that about 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets were destroyed after the disease was found at the facility in Parmer County, Texas.

up from 21,831t in 2022. However, the value of exports was down due to a significant decline in goatmeat prices.

Australia’s top three goatmeat

export markets for volume in 2023 were the United States, China and South Korea, with China overtaking South Korea despite it also increasing the volume of imports.

Australian sheep farmers saw their share of the market rise in 2023.

SECTION HERE SECOND BROW FARM PROFILE

Edited by Angela Calvert – 07768 796 492 – angela.calvert@agriconnect.com

Angus-based farmers Neil and Jillian McEwan researched various livestock possibilities before deciding that goats were the best option. Lynsey Clark reports.

Cashmere goats are valuable addition to Scottish farm

The McEwans spent three years establishing their herd of 300 breeding does at Lunan Bay Farm.

By celebrating and maximising the unique qualities goats have to offer, Neil and Jillian McEwan are developing an innovative business under the Lunan Bay Farm name.

The couple first introduced goats to marginal land they purchased at Lunan Bay, on the east coast of Scotland, eight years ago.

Around the same time, Neil took over the running of his family’s nearby 243-hectare (600-acre) arable farm, Myreside, and, by renting some land from there for their own business, they were able to increase the area that they had available for livestock.

Jillian had previously run an

online food business and knew there was a growing market for goatmeat in the UK.

She says: “We wanted a regenerative system, to improve soil health and create wildlife habitats on the farm, so we needed livestock that could bring these benefits and which we could manage ourselves.

“After doing a lot of research, we felt there was a real opportunity for goatmeat – it is the most widely eaten meat in the world – and there is a huge demand for it in the UK.

“I had a large network of chefs and foodie customers I knew would be keen to source locally produced goatmeat from our farm.”

The McEwans sought advice

from world-renowned goat experts Geoff and Celia Burnett-Smith, who hail from Australia, but happened to be living in Scotland at the time.

Jillian says their insight proved invaluable and they helped them introduce South African Boer goat genetics into the herd, by importing embryos from Australia.

Herd

Jillian says: “It took us three years of embryo transfers and artificial insemination programs to establish a commercial herd of 300 breeding does within the high health herd. “We then sold our meat direct to customers and restaurants for four years. There is a thriving customer

base for pasture-fed goatmeat, but the logistics in Scotland made it really difficult, as there is a lack of local abattoirs.

“The infrastructure just is not there for it, which is really frustrating. We have used three different abattoirs, which have either closed or stopped processing small ruminants.

“The latest one is a six-hour round trip for us.

“Every time we are forced to move abattoirs, we also have the added challenge of finding another butcher.”

During this time, the McEwans discovered that the original goat herd they had started with actually descended from a Scottish

soil fertility, captures carbon and encourages biodiversity.

We run our goats on a rotational grazing system on herbal leys, which supports their gut health, soil fertility, captures carbon and encourages biodiversity

JILLIAN McEWAN

cashmere herd. Further research unveiled details of a Scottish Government-funded research project which introduced cashmere goats to hill farms in Scotland for commercial cashmere production and took place over 10 years from the late 1980s.

Jillian says: “At one point, more than 100 farms had cashmere herds, totalling 5,000 goats, and they consolidated the cashmere fibre, which was graded, then processed at the acclaimed mill, Johnstons of Elgin.

“As part of the project, The Macaulay Institute [now the James Hutton Institute] ran breeding and fibre-testing programmes, to support the co-operative.

“Sadly, after 15 years, the project did not reach its planned outcomes for a number of reasons.

“However, the commercial landscape has changed dramatically since then and there is now an enormous demand for cashmere, especially grown in a system which works in harmony with nature.

“We run our goats on a rotational grazing system on herbal leys, which supports their gut health,

“Goats are ‘browsers’ rather than grazers meaning they have a very diverse diet and will preferentially seek out docks, nettles, gorse, brambles and other invasive species, allowing grasses and clover to flourish. They are perfect for mixed species grazing with cattle and sheep.

The McEwans looked into whether it could be commercially viable to produce cashmere on a system like that, allowing them to end up with a UK-grown, sustainable product, made in an environmentally friendly way.

They began by fibre-testing the goats which revealed that the quality was a very good commercial grade of 15 microns, giving them the confidence to proceed with the idea.

They concluded that their numbers would need to increase to 1,000 goats, as each goat only produces around 150g of cashmere fibres each year.

Projects

While working towards that goal, they have devised several goatrelated projects on the farm, which began with ‘Goats in Coats’.

Jillian says: “We launched our first batch of Scottish cashmere yarn from our goats in 2022, which was a huge achievement for us, so we wanted to make a big deal of it.

“My mum is a keen knitter and had designed a sweater pattern which we had used on some of our smaller newborns over the years, so we launched a competition on social media, asking any local knitters to use the pattern to knit a coat for our kids which were due in spring 2023.

“We thought we might get up to 50 entries.”

In fact, they received more than 500 entries, from all over the country and from entrants young and old. As a result, they invited

Neil McEwan has set up a rotational grazing system for the herd.

Dennis sporting one of the knitted coats as part of the McEwans’ Goats in Coats project to raise awareness of cashmere.

The cashmere goats feed on herbal leys.

FARM PROFILE ANGUS

knitters to the farm for a day to see the goats in their coats.

Jillian says: “That day proved really successful; a lot of the knitters came and they loved being on the farm and seeing the goats up close. They insisted that the experience should be enjoyed by the wider public, so responding to the feedback, we organised a ‘Goats in Coats tour’ over three days during Easter 2023.

“Our tickets sold out within minutes, and we had more than 1,000 visitors in total coming from as far away as London.”

Farm facts

■ The arable business at Myreside comprises wheat, malting barley and oilseed rape, along with producing grass for hay

■ Goats are part of the McEwans’ strategy to improve soil health, along with reduced tillage, reduced chemical input and the use of local fibre digest

■ The farm has planted more than 4,000 hedgerows and 500 trees, in collaboration with the Woodland Trust

■ It is part of the RSPB Corn Bunting Land Management Project to provide food sources and stable habitats for Britain’s most vulnerable bird species

■ Lunan Bay Farm accommodates the local bird club by providing a hide on-site

Neil’s family run a logistics business from Myreside, and so, it is well designed to accommodate large numbers of visitors, as well as being handily located just off a main road.

With the huge success of last spring’s tours, they repeated the format this spring. They proved just as popular, with more than 2,500 people visiting over two weekends.

The team has more tours planned this summer, including a ‘Cashmere Farm to Fibre tour’ in May and June, showing the cashmere process from harvesting the raw cashmere (by hand brushing the goats), to spinning and processing into yarn.

A large part of Lunan Bay’s success with the public is due to Jillian’s regular social media updates, which have a large following.

Communicate

She says: “Through social media, we can communicate directly with people and it helps bridge the gap between farmer and consumer.

“Agritourism is a growing sector here in Scotland, which allows us to better connect with our community and provides us with an additional income stream.

“We are spreading the word about sustainable textiles and fibres, but also showing the public that agriculture is an interesting multi-faceted career. No two days are the same.”

Developing the education side of the business, Jillian and Neil also collaborate with local schools,

to show the children what is involved in caring for animals and motivate them to think about where their clothing comes from and what it is made from.

The ‘Goat Getters’ is a project where local schools and colleges have a purpose-built area for the goats to live during term time.

They can then be used for teaching rural skills, as well as lessons on biology and genetics and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics classes.

Children with additional needs also get a huge benefit from the therapeutic side of the goats.

“It was a lot of work to get the Goat Getters project off the ground, but it has been really successful so far. We are still responsible for the goats and check on them daily, but the pupils get a far more immersive study experience through

having them on-site,” says Jillian. On the farm, the development of the cashmere business remains a priority and the focus is on building the cashmere goat numbers, while they have also retained a pedigree Boer goat herd.

The McEwans have teamed up with a major brand in the textile world, which is funding a project to look at the benefits that goats can have on the environment if managed in a regenerative way.

Jillian says: “The sustainable textile industry is more important now than ever and this provides us as farmers with great opportunities.

“It is vital to work with people who can offer expertise, which is what we are trying to do – good processors are a must, so that your product, be it cashmere or wool, is the best version that it can be.”

Jillian McEwan, pictured with a cashmere hat, has used social media and her contacts in the food industry to grow the business.

One of the cashmere bucks being used on-farm.

Edited by Ash Ellwood – 07786

rUpdates from Essex and Oxfordshire farmers

By Ashleigh Ellwood

ESSEX -based farmer Michael Scantlebury is in a rare position that all his spring crops are currently in the ground, apart from borage which is only planned for late April.

He says: “Considering we have been snatching opportunity at drilling it has not gone in too badly.”

Within the last two weeks Mr Scantlebury has managed to drill 25 hectares of WPB Isabel spring oats, 20ha of Laureate spring barley and just under 50ha of spring oats on land varying from hanslope soils to ragdale series clay soil types.

The spring barley has been suffering from slug damage, therefore he has applied 7kg/ha of ferric phosphate to the crop. However, neither the beans or oats have evidence of slugs so far.

No issues

“Interestingly, where the oats are, there was no cover crop, no oilseed rape in the rotation and no slug issues seen this year,” he says.

Mr Scantlebury adds he is still learning about no-tillage-style spring cropping, and part of this is adjusting his seed rates.

Varied spring drilling progress

Challenging heavy conditions on James Alexander’s farm while drilling spring barley variety Laureate.

He says: “Spring crops are a struggle, so comparatively the spring and oat seed rates are heavy. We drilled the barley at 230kg/ha and the oats at 170kg/ha.”

The farm benefits from two weather stations to monitor rainfall.

“One [weather station] is 10 miles further east than the other. Interestingly, [the more eastern] one has recorded a lot more rain.”

Between October 1 and the end of February, the eastern weather station had recorded 500ml of rain

Yellow rust ‘lurking’ in winter wheat

LATE -drilled fields, susceptible varieties and the mild winter means yellow rust is lurking in many winter wheat crops, says Syngenta cereal disease expert Joe Bagshaw. He adds: “Yellow rust tends to be more of a problem in later-drilled winter wheat. But several key varieties that are suited to later drilling also have low yellow rust resistance ratings.

“On top of that, winter temperatures simply have not been cold enough to kill off the lower leaves where yellow rust is lurking.

“This means we now have a bank of infection in the base of many wheat crops. This will need controlling before it spreads up to the top three leaves, because these leaves contribute about three-quarters of final yield.”

Mr Bagshaw says it will be vital to do the best possible job of safe-

guarding remaining yield potential, but to do so cost-effectively.

“Understandably, growers will be looking for cost-effective fungicides in the early part of the season. But it is important to ensure these fungicides also provide proven yellow rust activity.

Response curves

“Consult the fungicide dose response curves on the AHDB website, which show results on the reductions in yellow rust and yields achieved with different fungicides.”

In addition, Mr Bagshaw says tank-mixing a multi-site fungicide with an SDHI is always an important consideration for resistance management in septoria situations, to help protect the activity of SDHIs for the future.

He adds: “An SDHI which offers good value for money makes it an

easier decision to include a multisite in the tank mixture and to apply that SDHI at a suitably robust dose for better disease control.”

Winter temperatures simply have not been cold enough to kill off the lower leaves where yellow rust is lurking

JOE BAGSHAW

compared with 400ml of rain at the more westerly location, showing the local variation in rainfall the area has been experiencing.

Farming in Enstone, Oxfordshire, James Alexander was busy drilling roughly 80ha of Laureate spring barley last weekend (April 6-7) alongside beans which he has been trying to plant all winter.

He says: “We have managed to direct drill some beans that were meant to be drilled in October and we also have some Merlin spring oats still to drill, but they are at the wetter end of the farm.”

Variety

The beans drilled are winter variety Tundra.

“People say beans do not really have a spring or winter now and as we could not get hold of any spring bean seed, we just put in what we had,” says Mr Alexander.

Although the beans were direct drilled, he is running a set of spring tines in front of the drill with spring barley to try to dry out the soil.

Mr Alexander describes the soil type as ‘sticky’ Cotswold brash soil as there is not as much stone.

“We have some heavy and wet bits of land here. The seed is now in the soil, but we will have to wait and see what happens.”

Last season brought devastating barley yellow dwarf virus impacts for one Exeter-based farming family, prompting them to look seriously into trial work around viable genetic defence options. Farmers Guardian reports.

Last season proved a barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) eye-opener for Phil Lockyer and his partner Kate, who farm at Lower Eggbeer, Cheriton Bishop, on the northern edge of Dartmoor National Park.

ARABLE Genetics provide viable defences

They completed diligent field walks every two days until the December cold snap, but found no aphids in the winter wheat and barley on their generally heavy, fairly steep and well-manured ground.

In the interest of the environment, they decided not to use an autumn insecticide. This is a decision they came to regret, as half of the wheat crop and 20 per cent of the winter barley developed significant BYDV infections.

Mr Lockyer says: “BYDV really had not been a problem here until last year. We have tended to see small patches of BYDV infection on and off, but nothing alarming. We have always been keen to avoid spraying wherever we can.

“With mid-October being the cutoff for reliable winter cereals drilling on our ground, we start sowing barley in the last week of September and move on to the wheat in the second week in October.

“We accept this means our crops are at a higher BYDV, septoria and lodging risk than many, but the risk of not getting crops in is even greater.”

To counter the virus threat, Mr Lockyer employs the Agrii BYDV Alert app to give an estimate of aphid development risk from local day degree monitoring, and also walks all their crops throughout the main danger period. He had insecticide ready in the chemical store for rapid application if it was needed last winter, but left it there because there were no first-generation aphids visible or a threshold level.

“We started to become aware of BYDV in early February 2023, but still could not find a significant numbers of aphids,” he says.

“They only really became apparent in April, by which time it was too late to do much about them – and the very last thing we want to do is use an insecticide at this stage of the season.

“Substantial areas of the varieties

Graham and KWS Dawsum wheat and KWS Tardis barley that we grow really suffered, taking the sort of yield hit we can ill-afford with margins as tight as they are just now.

“We are pretty hot on the field-walking, so I do not think we missed any aphids early on, which means they must have come in later, as it went down to -9degC in December and stayed cold for a good 10 days. That is why a reliable genetic solution is such an exciting prospect,” he adds.

Trials

As part of Agrii’s regional network of farm trials, last season’s wheat and barley plots at Lower Eggbeer highlighted the increasingly viable genetic BYDV defences that are now becoming available to UK growers, as well as how devastating the virus can be.

Agrii seed technical manager David Leaper says: “We know BYDV can halve wheat and barley yields.

“RGT Grouse stood out as lush, green and uniform in our plots, while the other 23 wheat varieties all showed classic BYDV symptoms, with the more vigorous and growthy ones among them being severely infected.

“Our trials have also highlighted RGT Grouse’s poor yellow rust, brown rust and septoria resistance ratings, as well as its relatively weak straw.

“However, its combination of BYDV and orange wheat blossom midge resistance is appealing to some growers, especially those with less accessible land away from the main farm and/or wishing to avoid insecticide spraying – for which there is a Sustainable Farming Incentive payment.

“While Gensurus wheats may have

This drone picture taken in early July 2023 clearly shows different infection levels across independent variety plots.

While Gensurus wheats may have some way to go, it is important we do not underestimate the value of what RGT Grouse offers

DAVID LEAPER

some way to go, it is important we do not underestimate the value of what RGT Grouse offers.”

Mr Leaper says that in ‘high-risk situations’ the first priority has to be ‘a decent genetic defence’. He adds: “It will be very interesting to see how the variety performs overall in our wider national trialling going forward, as well as where BYDV has been problematic.”

More resilient wheats such as SY Insitor appear to be coping better with the virus than many at Lower Eggbeer, providing a useful steer on the

current BYDV management front, according to Mr Leaper.

For barley, it is a different story, with KWS Feeris showing the value of BYDV tolerance alongside a much more complete agronomic package. The only winter barley on the current Recommended List with this trait, its treated and untreated yields at 103 per cent of the controls are well up with mainstream two-rows.

Apart from mildew, the variety has a desirable disease resistance profile, including good standing power and a shorter straw length when compared with hybrid varieties.

“It may be a six-row [variety], but KWS Feeris also has a specific weight to rival many two-rows and screenings that are a match for KWS Tardis,” says Mr Leaper.

“We have seen some late season BYDV infection in our plots, but far less than in the other 13 varieties alongside it. With barley especially exposed to the virus by virtue of its earlier sowing and generally greater susceptibility, the variety looks like it is a good choice for those with BYDV worries.

“What is crystal clear in all our trial work is the great progress breeders are making in combating what can be such a devastating drain on cereal productivity,” he adds.

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Barley BYDV infection levels were monitored between LG Caravell (left) and KWS Feeris (right).

Agrii trials at Lower Eggbeer Farm comparing wheat varieties RGT Grouse (left) with Champion (right) for BYDV infection levels.

ARABLE

Maize could be an attractive option this spring where growers have suitable sites and a market for the crop. Farmers Guardian gets some top tips on how to get crops off to the best start.

How to get maize off to a good start

Good nutrition, soil structure and a low weed burden are essential for good maize yields.

Growers are urged to assess these three prerequisites now and take appropriate action to rectify any concerns if crops are to get the best possible start this spring.

That is the view of Maize Growers Association technical lead Jon Myhill, who says the first task on the list is to get a soil nutrient and pH analysis done before planting.

“Then you can work out how much fertiliser your crop will require this year, taking into account any manures, slurry or digestate that you may be applying,” says Mr Myhill.

Maize is a lazy rooter and will not tolerate compaction, so his next

recommendation is to go out with a spade, do some digging and look for any sign of structural issues.

Compaction

If compaction is present, measure its depth so that cultivations can be set up to tackle it.

Lastly, weed control is a crucial element in maize establishment, adds Mr Myhill, with losses of up to 50 per cent not uncommon if weeds are allowed to get ahead of the crop.

Problem weeds, such as fat hen, can out-compete maize seedlings very quickly, while cranesbill is an increasing problem in maize grown in arable rotations.

Ploughing will provide a reset, but

Continues over the page.

Good nutrition, soil structure and a low weed burden are essential for good maize yields.

BE AWARE OF LABEL CHANGES

FAT hen, black nightshade and common orache are among the main weed threats to maize, but these and a range of other weeds can be controlled with Diva (pyridate), says Certis Belchim technical manager James Cheesman.

In Certis Belchim trials, a combination of Fornet 6 0D + mesotrione + Diva has also given good control of cranesbill, which is an increasing threat in maize grown in arable rotations.

Mr Cheesman says: “It is a moderately susceptible weed, so has to be sprayed at a very early stage and in sequence with dimethenamid-P + pendimethalin.”

He explains that a typical approach to weed control in maize comprises a preemergence application of pendimethalin followed by a Fornet 6 OD + mesotrione +/Diva mix, applied post-emergence.

While mesotrione provides control of fat hen and black nightshade, there has been a reduction in the label rate for some products.

Losing efficacy

“A lot of labels are down to 0.75 litres/hectare, which is fine, but given the fact that it has been 20 years since mesotrione came out, the general consensus is that it is losing a bit of efficacy,” says Mr Cheesman.

Adding Diva to the mix will give quick control of emerged broad-leaved weeds, from the cotyledon stage to 4 expanded

true leaves of the weed, until the residual starts to work.

“That is quite important because when the weather turns against us, when it gets hot and dry, weeds generally shut down against any herbicide,” says Mr Cheesman.

There is also an option to apply a split dose of Diva where no pre-emergence spray has been applied, he adds, with the first split applied from 2-leaf of the crop, provided the crop is in good condition.

“It is an option. Reducing early weed pressure helps the crop retain moisture and nutrition, and you could come back in at 4-6 leaves with a top-up of nicosulfuron for grassweeds, mesotrione for residual activity and you could add in some more Diva if you have emerged weeds,” says Mr Cheesman.

James Cheesman

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if maize is to be established using min-till or strip-till, it is important to consider what is growing in the field and factor in a pre-planting application of glyphosate to clear.

He recommends use of a pre-emergence herbicide, even in dry conditions, as the most important objective of weed control is keeping crops weed-free until the 4-6 leaf stage.

“It sensitises weeds and allows for the post-em to be a little bit more planned. And if there is a delay to the post-em application, weeds will not be running away.”

A post-emergence spray can then be used to lay down residual

actives to pick up any late-germinating weeds.

“With the catchy springs we seem to be getting, potentially we may not be able to travel with the sprayer until after the 4-6 leaf stage of the crop. We have to be mindful of how we are going to deal with weeds if we miss that window. I would try to use a pre-emergence, even if it just three litres per hectare of pendimethalin, to reduce that risk.”

Herbicide programmes are typically based around pendimethalin pre-emergence and nicosulfuron and mesotrione post-emergence, says Mr Myhill.

er whose 12-month rainfall rolling average to March 1 was 1,193mm, up from a long-term average of 813mm.

Plough and power harrow remains the favoured approach to maize establishment among his clients, although interest is growing in strip tillage establishment, which is delivering cost savings with very little yield penalty, he says.

His first tip for good crop establishment is to ensure there is no soil compaction; his second is not to rush seedbed preparation and make sure there is plenty of tilth.

“Then there are other actives, such as pyridate, that we can mix with them, depending on the weed spectrum, to create a robust strategy that is still crop safe,” he adds.

Cultivations

Hampshire-based independent agronomist and Association of Independent Crop Consultants member Richard Cromie is currently reflecting on the prospects for maize establishment following above average rainfall figures for the season.

Advising growers across Hampshire, Wiltshire and West Sussex, Mr Cromie cites an example of one grow-

“You want to be able to bury the toe cap of your boot in a really nice tilth before you go drilling,” he says.

The tillage system employed to some extent drives weed control, he adds.

The risk posed by a spell of dry weather after planting needs to be factored in if a solely post-emergence approach is being considered, he says. In hot, dry conditions weeds will ‘wax up’ to prevent water loss, and they are harder to kill, adds Mr Cromie.

His pre-emergence herbicide choices include pendimethalin as a standard, and on dirty fields, S-metolachlor, followed post-emergence with Fornet 6 OD (nicosulfuron) and mesotrione.

You want to be able to bury the toe cap of your boot in a really nice tilth before you go drilling

RICHARD CROMIE

Where there are larger weeds to control Diva (pyridate) will be added to a nicosulfuron + mesotrione mix.

“I add Diva if weeds are getting on the big side, if the weather has caught us out, for example, and the place I definitely use Diva is where I have got cranesbill issues,” says Mr Cromie.

Jon Myhill

Edited by Angela Calvert

South Devons peak at 10,000gns at Exeter

rThree bulls realise 7,000gns apiece

AVERAGES were up at the show and sale of South Devon cattle at Exeter, where trade peaked at 10,000gns.

The sale topper was the heterozygous polled (HP) bull, Tregondale Invincible 6, by Polkinghorne Indianna 2 (PP) from Mervyn and Richard Rowe, Menheniot, Cornwall. The buyer was R.G. Elliott and Son, Willoughby, Warwickshire.

Three bulls sold for 7,000gns apiece, with two from Peter and Ashley Rowe, Menheniot, which also won the best pair of males award. They were the pre-sale show champion, March 2022-born Trewint Captain by Trewint Carlos, which sold to B. Kingham, Aldbourne, Wiltshire, and Trewint Simpson which was knocked down to Dunstall Estate, Burton upon Trent. Bull

The other bull at 7,000gns was Colcharton Clyde 7 (HP) from Colcharton Farm Partners, Tavistock, which went to the Tully Partnership, Brixham.

Next, at 6,200gns, was Knowlhill Patrick from A.E.J. and F.J. Claridge,

Tregondale Invincible 6, from Mervyn and Richard Rowe, Cornwall, which sold for 10,000gns to R.G. Elliott and Son, Warwickshire.

Middle Claydon, Buckinghamshire, which sold to R.J.M. Osborne and Sons, North Bovey.

Mervyn and Richard Rowe’s Tregondale Invincible 8 (HP) headed to Haversham, Buckinghamshire, for Andrew and Rachel Paton’s Swansway herd at 6,000gns.

The reserve male champion and best polled bull, Broompark Elsworth Lad (HP) from John Throssell and James Warwick, Holdsworthy, sold for 5,800gns to T. Bastard, Launceston.

A consignment of three Waddeton bulling heifers from the Tully Partnership sold, firstly for 2,700gns to A.V. and N. Lee, Crediton, and then two each for 2,500gns to the Benacre Estate, Beccles, Suffolk, which also bought a third heifer from G.W.J. and L.F. Pluess Bude, for 2,500gns.

AVERAGES

23 bulls, £5,131 (+£476 on 2023); 4 heifers, £2,678 (+£661). Auctioneers: Kivells.

Carlisle dairy cattle sale tops £2,650 twice

THE entry of 250-head of dairy cattle at Carlisle saw heifers sell to £2,650 twice for the Bryson family, Lesmahagow. Firstly, with Carnduff Targaryen Rosebud giving 38kg and bred from a EX92 pointed dam which sold to Messrs Robinson, Brampton, and also for Carnduff Charming Lass giving 40kg, which went to Willes Farms, Bideford.

Another heifer from the same home, Carnduff Charming Girl, sold for £2,600 also to Messrs Robinson.

The Fleming family, KirkpatrickFleming, sold four heifers to average almost £2,300, with Hillhead Episode Jill giving 40kg with a PLI of

£536 making £2,550 to Willes Farms.

A consignment of British Friesian cows and heifers from R.P. Shank’s Queenscairn herd, Kelso, topped at £1,950 for second calver, Queenscairn Jingle Rosette giving 44kg.

Cumrew Farming Partners, Dumfries, sold 73 Irish Friesian crossbred dry cows mainly due in May to the Aberdeen-Angus topping at £1,320.

In-calf heifers topped at £1,580 for Eastbank Zasberilla Cora due in June to Warnelview Bestow from Tom Steveson, Blackburn.

The Holstein bull Annandale Can-

terbury by Vogue Solarpower out of Annandale BG Cameron from W. and J. Amour, Moffat, sold for £3,200 to Messrs Fox, Longtown.

AVERAGES

116 Holstein heifers in-milk, £1,918.13; 5 Holstein cows in-milk, £1,466; 12 British Friesian cows/heifers in-milk, £1,620.83; 1 Jersey cow in-milk, £950; 7 faulted cows/ three-quartered cows, £945.71; 1 Holstein bull, £3,200; 73 Irish Friesian cross-bred dry cows, £844.93; 15 Holstein in-calf/ short-bred heifers, £1,046.66; 13 Holstein Friesian bulling heifers, £764.61; 3 Jersey bulling heifers, £470.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

Woodgrove dispersal to 2,200gns high

THE dispersal sale of the Woodgrove herd of Holstein Friesians for David and Christine Elliott, Wellesbourne, Warwick, at Market Drayton topped at 2,200gns twice.

Longevity was a major feature of the sale, with a number of the milkers forward having had five calves or more. Fifth calvers sold to 1,700gns and seventh calvers to 1,500gns.

In-calf heifers due in May and June sold to 1,750gns and 1,700gns four times. Bulling heifers sold to 1,050gns and heifer calves to 480gns.

AVERAGES

61 milking cows and heifers, £1,461; 11 faulted cows, £923; 24 in-calf heifers, £1,590; 18 bulling heifers, £966; 16 heifer calves, £412.

Auctioneers: Gwilym Richards and Co with Barbers.

New hogg record set at Skipton

A NEW hogg centre record of £6.25/ kg (£250/head) was set at Skipton for a single 40kg Beltex from Peter Longdin, Doncaster.

The 2,331 hoggs averaged £172.95 or 389.3p/kg, with 40 pens making £200/head or more.

The 65 spring lambs averaged £198.53 or 446.2p/kg (SQQ 449.0p/kg).

Charles and Valerie Marwood and son, Stephen, Foulrice Charollais, York, had the top price per head of £232 for 49kg lambs going to Knavesmire Butchers, York.

The leading per kilo price of 518p (£228) went to a 44kg Texel from Chris Craven, York.

Auctioneers: CCM.

Leyburn dairies

AT Leyburn’s dairy show and sale, the judges, David and John Smith, Keighley, chose pedigree Holstein heifers from John Thompson and family, Bishop Auckland, as champion and reserve, with both selling for £2,300 each.

Middleton in Teesdale sees steers average £1,184.50

THE sale of store cattle, mostly aged six to 10 months old, at Middleton in Teesdale saw steers average £1,184.50. Top price was £1,370/head for a pair of Limousin steers from Robert Hooper,

Brockersgill, who also topped the heifers at £1,370/head with a pair of Limousin heifers. Heifers averaged £985.50.

Malcolm Bainbridge, Forest in Teesdale, sold a pedigree Limousin

steer for £1,310. Peter Walton, Swarthymere, topped at £1,280 for an eight-month-old Limousin steer, with his run of five averaging £1,184.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

Judith Carlisle was there to present the Billy Atkinson Memorial Trophy on behalf of the family. Richard and Avril Mcgregor, Bishopdale, claimed third place, also with a calved heifer which made £1,900. Holstein in-milk heifers averaged £1,856.

Auctioneers: Leyburn Auction Mart.

Hexham stores sell to £2,170

THE entry of more than 400 store cattle and suckled calves at Hexham topped at £2,170 for British Blonde cross steers from P. and P.M. Walker, Tow Law, which peaked at £2,170 and averaged £2,052.50.

Ian Thornton, Knaresborough, sold Aberdeen-Angus cross steers to £2,000 and Charolais cross steers to £1,960. Limousin cross heifers from the Moralee family, Hard Riding, sold to £1,950, with another at £1,800.

J.H.C. Campbell and Sons, Thrunton, sold pure Aberdeen-Angus heifers to £1,780. Yearling Angus-bred cattle from F. Hall and Sons, East Butsfield, topped at £1,600 for steers.

Weaned calves were in demand, with nine-month-old Limousin cross steers from J.D. Walton and Sons, Burnbank, selling to £1,410.

At the same price was a pen of seven Aberdeen-Angus cross steers from C.A. and J. Watmore, Holystone Estate. A small entry of young bulls saw Limousin crosses from A.R. White, Low Staples, sell to £1,390.

Auctioneers: Hexham and Northern Marts.

Dorset rams top at 1,400gns

THE sale of Dorsets on behalf of the Centurion Breeders Group at Exeter topped at 1,400gns twice. Firstly, for the champion, a shearling ram from Fooks Bros’ Poorton flock, Bridport, which sold to Arthur Jones, Salisbury.

The other was a shearling ram from Jim and Joe Dufosee’s Blackhill flock, Warminster, which was knocked down to John Rendle, Tiverton.

Ram lambs from Hydes Farming, Essex, sold at 950gns, 850gns, 800gns and 500gns twice.

Richard and David Rossiter, Kingsbridge, sold ram lambs to 800gns.

Females peaked at 500gns for the champion, a ewe lamb from Hydes Farming, with others from the same home at 400gns and 350gns.

Auctioneers: Kivells.

Gisburn dairy sale peaks at £2,650

rLeading average of the day was £2,507

PEDIGREE newly-calved heifers led the way in Gisburn’s dairy sale peaking at £2,650.

Sale topper from R.B. and M.J. Webster, Stocksbridge, was a 31kg daughter of Solarpower carrying the Clywedog prefix, with dam and grandam classified EX and Superior Production (SP) status.

Another of the Webster quartet made £2,450, this one by Rubicon and under the Whitster prefix, while at £2,380 was another Solarpower from the same vendors, also Clywedog-registered.

The leading average of the day at £2,507 was achieved by H. and V.E.

Junior farmers at Leyburn

THE annual junior cattle overwintering show and sale at Leyburn, judged by Giles Broadwith, Thornton Watlass, saw Oscar Boynton, Galpay, Ripon, take the championship with his Limousin steer which sold for £1,640. Oscar also received the prize for having achieved the best gross margin of £580.

In reserve was Luke Bell-Percy, Masham, with a British Blonde heifer bought as a rearing calf which sold for £710. This heifer also attained the highest daily liveweight gain of 1.69kg/day.

Auctioneers: Leyburn Auction Mart.

Jolly, Great Eccleston. The dearest of their six Fieldside heifers at £2,620 was a 36kg Altaamulet from the Rolie family, out of a 14,521kg dam.

Close behind at £2,600 apiece and giving 35kg were an Altamaui daughter and an Altagopro from their Electric Baby family.

Messrs Jolly also sold another Altamaui daughter at £2,480.

Selling

Selling at £2,550 was R.A. Metcalfe, Gargrave, with a Delta Podcast carrying the Luptonhall prefix, while at £2,520, Fordswood herd owners J., J.M. and H.J. Walmsley, Pilling, sold their home-bred Attico Red daughter.

Dearest was Bervie Basic Nancy 105 and the other, the home-bred Carldanton Apps Mist which had given 14,257kg as a heifer.

In-calf heifers peaked at £1,820 for a pedigree heifer carrying to the Angus from D.W. and M.N. Ishmael, Orrell, while S.T. Pye, Great Eccleston, sold three organic Friesians to £1,380.

AVERAGES

Pedigree newly-calved heifers, £2,247; pedigree newly-calved cows, £2,079; non-registered newly-calved heifers, £1,675; pedigree in-calf heifers, £1,255.

Auctioneers: Gisburn Auction Marts.

The pedigree cow trade saw two from Anthony Grimshaw, Bolton, selling at £2,400 and £2,300, both SP second-calvers giving 50kg.

Oscar Boynton, Galpay, Ripon, with his champion Limousin steer, which sold for £1,640, pictured with sponsor Mary Stones, of W.E. Jameson and Co, Masham, and judge Giles Broadwith.

rOverall champion sells for £1,800

THERE was an outstanding entry and trade at the Farmers Guardiansupported spring store cattle show and sale at Louth.

A ring full of buyers travelled from across the counties in search of the high-quality farming cattle the market had to offer.

The show was judged by Charlie Asher, Derbyshire, who found his overall champion in a 12-month-old Limousin cross steer from R.L. Richie and Son, Skegness, who also took the reserve championship with a pen of three 12-month-old Limousin-sired steers.

Champion steer

Kicking off the sale, the champion steer from Messrs Richie sold for £1,800 to the judge and the reserve champion pen sold for £1,320/ head, also to the judge. The Richies’ run of all Limousin-sired yearling cattle averaged £1,418.18. Shaw Bros, Binbrook, sold a run

Outstanding store cattle trade at Louth

To find out where we will be next, go to farmersguardian.com/mth-roadshow of Limousin steers topping at £1,610 to average £1,510.71.

A run of farming cattle from R.G. Taylor and Sons, Hogsthorpe, topped at £1,350 for a pair of British Blue cross heifers.

M.F. Strawson, Aylesby, sold Limousin- and Aberdeen-Angussired cattle to £1,600, with their run of 26 averaging £1,248.08.

Regular supporters of the store ring, Pennel Bros, Louth, sold a con-

signment of 10- to 12-month-old British Blue- and Limousin-sired cattle to £1,380 to average £1,191.25.

British Blue-sired heifers from

AVERAGES

Heifers,

The spring show and sale at Louth attracted a strong entry of store cattle.

Beever Agriculture, Woodhall Spa, topped at £1,450.

£1,064.36; steers, £1,176.64. Auctioneers: Louth Market.

Aberdeen-Angus heifers in the ring.

PICTURES: TIM SCRIVENER

A ring full of buyers travelled from across the counties to attend Louth.

Edward Middleton

Market Results

79 Dairies to £2080, Cull Cows 199p/kg - £1706.25, Pigs -205p/kg - £174.25, Calves BB Bull to £385, Lambs 430p/kg - £189.39, Ewes £161

THIS SATURDAY 13TH APRIL - Sale of Pigs & Goats and Ewes with Lambs at foot

Pedigree Sale

60 HOLSTEINS & AYRSHIRES

Fully Catalogued Sale from some of the Leading Herds in the Midlands and Surrounding Counties. A TREMENDOUS ENTRY already received from: Braemarhouse (3), Brundcliffe (4), Critstone (4), Cubley (6), Dovetrent (6), Havendale (4), Meldamar (4), Millhurst (3), Shieldhouse (5), Incl a Pedigree British Friesian Stock Bull (24mths)

TUESDAY 16TH APRIL 2024

11AM

For Further Details & Catalogues Contact (01889) 562811 Ref: MEE

Store Cattle Sales

720 STORE CATTLE

THIS SATURDAY 13TH APRIL 2024

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

NORTH WEST AUCTIONS

LIVESTOCK AUCTIONEERS � VALUERS

www.nwauctions.co.uk info@nwauctions.co.uk

LANCASTER AUCTION MART

Tel: 01524 63308

Monday 15th April

10.30am SPRING LAMBS, PRIME HOGGS & CAST SHEEP

Followed By SHEEP WITH LAMBS AT FOOT

To inc Show of Ewes & Shearlings with Lambs

Friday 19th April

10.15am 150 REARING CALVES & WEANLINGS

10.15am 150 CAST / OTM CATTLE

11am DAIRY CATTLE 11.15am 300 STORE CATTLE

Monday 6th May Show & Sale of Hoggs with Lambs at Foot

J36 RURAL AUCTION CENTRE

Tel: 015395 66200

Tuesday 16th April

11am SHEEP WITH LAMBS AT FOOT

To inc Show of Ewes & Shearlings with Lambs 1pm SPRING LAMBS, PRIME HOGGS & CAST SHEEP

WEDNESDAY 17th APRIL

SPRING BREEDING BULL SALE 2pm

25 Pedigree Bulls to Include Angus, Charolais, Limousin, Simmental & Shorthorn

WEDNESDAY 24th APRIL

FOLLOWING SALE OF CALVES APPROX 12 NOON

ANNUAL STIRK FAIR - SHOW & SALE

Over 500 already booked 600-700 expected Entries to date comprising of:

200 British Blue x Steers & Heifers 5-8mo

50 Hereford x Steers & Heifers 5-8mo

200 Angus x Steers & Heifers 5-8mo

50 Continental x Steers & Heifers 4-6mo

Thursday 18th April

10am 150 REARING CALVES & WEANLINGS

10.30am 100 CAST / OTM CATTLE

11.15am 300 BEEF BREEDING, STIRKS & STORE CATTLE

Wednesday 8th May

Annual Show & Sale of Hoggs with Lambs at Foot PEDIGREE SHEEP DAY

Sale for Pedigree Ewes with Lambs & Gimmer Hoggs

Thursday 16th May PEDIGREE BEEF DAY

Sale for all Breeds & Classes of Pedigree Bulls & Females Entries Close Friday 12th April

Saturday 27th April 1pm

Farm Dispersal on behalf of R&EA Gardner, Kendal

To Include: MF 6480, MF 5455 c/w loader, MF 390T, MF 135 & a range of well maintained grassland machinery & livestock equipment.

Please see Website for full list of details.

HAWES, NORTH YORKSHIRE, DL8 3NP

Tuesday 16th April

1000 Prime Hoggs at 10am

300 Cast Ewes & Rams

Opening Sale of Ewes with Lambs at Foot at 11.30am

Tuesday 30th April

Spring Show & Sale of Calves for the Bill Thompson Trophy

300 Ewes with Lambs at Foot inc. consignment

100 Ewes with Lambs at foot from S & A Bland, Gaisgill due to the end of tenancy on rented farm to include 15 Pure Texels, 35 Mules with Cont x Lambs & 50 Swales with Mule Lambs. Gimmer Hoggs (All Breeds Please Enter)

Telephone: 01969 667207, 015396 20895, 07974 126397. 07711 469280

Tuesday 16th April 12.30pm

Prime Hoggs & Cull Ewes

Thursday 18th April 12.30pm

Sale of young Bulls, Store Heifers & Steers.

Rearing calves 12 noon

Intake of items from Tues 9th – Thurs 18th April ONLINE MACHINERY SALE

Thurs 25th - Sat 27th April

FARM SALE OF MODERN FARM MACHINERY, POULTRY PROCESSING EQUIPMENT AND USUAL MISCELLANEOUS SUNDRIES

Saturday 20th April 10.30am

On Behalf of Johnson & Swarbrick Goosnargh Ltd

Swainson House Farm Goosnargh Lane Goosnargh Preston PR3 2JU JCB 527.58 Agri Reg WK63 VTO, 7500 Hours, Ford 5610 Series 3 1550 Hours, Bobcat 5100, Ford 7810, Grain 8 Ton Feed Bin (Split) c/w Auger, Mixer & Weigher, Full Wet Chicken Processing Line 500 Birds per hour, Poultry Processing Equipment, 2 x 40ft Freezer Containers, 20ft Fridge Container, Large Hopper, Hopper Bins, Mesh Sided Trailer x 2, 8 Ton Twin Axle Tipping Trailer, Blue Bale Trailer, Vacuum Tanker, Cushman Turf Truckstar, Towable Toilets/Office, 20ft Wagon Body, MG Project, Kestrel Caravan, Qty Game Feeders, JCB Loadall Buckets, Avery Scale, Futton Steam Boiler 1000IB pressure, Qty of Steel,Diesel Tank,Plastic Water Tank, 2 Deck Vibrating Industrial Sieves, Qty Kingspan, Shaker, Incinerator, Qty Super Singles, Vintage Boat, Bird Watch Tower, Qty of Poultry Crates, Qty of Stainless Steel, Qty of Concrete Railway Sleeves, Qty of Large Feed Bins, Snap on Welder, Broom Bucket, Quantity Game Rearing Heat Elements, Qty of Water Fittings, Qty of Plastic Tray , Mexican Pig Trough Plus the usual Selection of small tools Catering in attendance

VIEW FROM THE ROSTRUM

How to reach true market value

Chris Dodds highlights live ring demand

Liveweight prices continue to drive national trends and set records, with all categories meeting exceptional demand.

Livestock keepers who use a livestock market to sell their animals are more than aware of the additional value, competition, open and transparent marketing benefits the live auction system brings with it.

There is no doubt that the primary driver for varying livestock values is supply and demand.

But if it was not for the live auction ring bringing competition into the market place, we would not be receiving the strong trade we are experiencing today.

Latest throughput figures released by the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (LAA) show the popularity of the live auction system continues to grow, with more numbers in most sale categories being sold in 2023 compared to 2022, even at a time when we are experiencing reduced numbers in the national breeding herds and flocks.

Store and breeding cattle, dairy cattle, calves, prime sheep and cull ewes all saw increased numbers sold through the live ring, with prime cattle and cull cows remaining largely similar to 2022.

Prime and cull sheep sale prices continue to reach new heights in 2024, with many markets reporting new season lambs averaging in excess of 440p/kg SQQ; old season lambs in excess of 405p/kg SQQ; and cull ewes averaging in excess of £140/ head.

The live market SQQ is based on liveweight, whereas the deadweight prices reported are based on carcase weight and conformation.

Based on the old MLC killing-out equivalents, these live ring prices are the equivalent to 880p/kg for new season lambs and 861p/kg for old season lambs.

Prime and cull cattle also continue to drive trends, with markets reporting averages in excess of 309p/kg for heifers, 300p/kg for steers and 277p/ kg for young bulls.

As with sheep prices through the live ring, there are no deductions

after the fall of the hammer for age, weight, number of moves or carcase conformation.

This makes these prices equivalent to 542p/kg deadweight for heifers, 526p/kg for steers and 494p/kg for young bulls.

We must remember that a large proportion of young bulls sold through the live ring, and included in the market average prices, are too old and too heavy for many of the large retailers and had they been presented for slaughter through one of their supplying abattoirs they would have seen considerable deductions for being ‘out of spec’.

Demand

Cull cows continue to see increased demand, resulting in many dairy farmers forced to sell direct by their milk buyers missing out on the valuable marketing platform that the live ring provides and the prices that it creates.

The very strong slaughter market is also reflected in the store markets, with store cattle and the tail end of store old season lambs seeing unprecedented demand and prices.

When national trends are being set through the live ring, as they have been for much of the past three years, I wonder why some producers look straight past the live ring option and do not use the system for what it is.

Surely it is important that everyone knows and understands what their

stock is worth and what the different marketing platforms offer?

In January, the LAA launched its new Livestock Market Prices platform, the only place where livestock keepers can keep up-to-date with English and Welsh market prices –not only prime stock prices, but also store and breeding prices.

The daily package is offered free of charge to market customers (sellers and buyers) who regularly use one of the LAA member markets in England and Wales.

The platform can be accessed via laa.co.uk or marketprices.laa.co.uk.

Since its release, we have received many positive and complimentary comments about the system.

Of course, it is new and we must remember that change comes with criticism from some corners.

It is different for many reasons, but importantly it will now allow us to adapt and change as the industry does the same.

Since the launch we have listened to our customers and made some significant changes. We will continue to make changes, as our customers request us to do so and as we develop new and exciting reporting categories.

I hope you benefit from the service.

Chris Dodds is the executive secretary of the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association. Call 01697 475 433, or email chris.dodds@laa.co.uk

Chris Dodds

FARMSTOCK AUCTIONEERS, BROKERS & VALUERS

BORDERWAY MART, CARLISLE

Tel: 01228 406200

500 STORE CATTLE

Wednesday 17th April – 10.00am

BEEF BREEDING CATTLE – 11.30am

WEANERS & YOUNG BULLS – 12.00noon

YOUNG CALVES – 10.00am

PEDIGREE DAIRY DAY

200 DAIRY CATTLE SELLING

Wednesday 17th April

Show 10am Sale 11.00am

34 COWS - 141 HEIFERS IN MILK – 4 IN CALF HEIFERS – 21 YEARLING HEIFERS No.1 source for quality milkers in the UK

QUALITY MILKERS

Quality milkers producing oceans of milk sell in this sale all bred from herds with excellent health status. Prefixes include: Absolute, Bankview, Bees, Bridgedale, Brownfield, Ceeingred, Chapelhouse, Clifton, Colvend, Coppside, Crookdyke, Crowdundle, Denmire, Drointon, Drumtall, Ernespie, Errolston, Espland, Feizor, Hay, Heathersgill, Holehouse, Ingleview, Kepculloch, Kingcaird, Lillyhall, Lomond, Newtonmoss, Northhill, Overclyde, Pettril, Ploughlands, Potstown, Stowbeck, Urchany, Woodcatt, Wolfa, Woodclose, Wormanby

BREEDERS CHOICE Several top end animals sell including LILLYHALL SUPRA RED VG85 2YR a great granddaughter of Blondin Redman Seisme EX97 plus heifers from the ADEEN, ROXY, FLO, BARB, SABRINA, ATLEE, ROLLS, PROMIS families.

LARGE GROUPS include 12 from ESPLAND 8 from HOLEHOUSE 6 from DENMIRE 5 from PLOUGHLANDS & 5 from ERROLSTON

DISPERSAL SALE

This is the first sale to disperse the URCHANY herd on behalf of JA Innes, Meikle Urchnay Farm, Nairn. This sale comprises all the most recently calved cows and heifers which includes 24 cows in milk and 38 heifers in milk; this impressive sale group is averaging 40.4kgs with several cows giving over 50kgs. The herd is currently averaging 9876kg 4.35% 3.23% on two times milking, the winter ration is grass silage, 5kgs of dairy blend, 3.5kgs of home grown barley mixed with brewers grains and molasses. Wide rumped and wide chested cows make up this high yielding herd and the udder quality across the herd is to a high standard. This has been achieved via the use of Optimate mating programme. Health Status

The URCHANY herd is in the SRUC Premium Cattle Health Scheme and is accredited free of BVD & IBR and is Johnes Level 1. The herd is situated in a four year TB testing area and there has never been a case of TB within the herd.

SPRING SELECT SALE

We are pleased to present the SPRING SELECT SALE on behalf of the WOLFA , WOODCATT and DROINTON Holstein herds. This outstanding group of heifers has been carefully selected with your aspirations and ambitions at the forefront of the selection process. The breeding power

on offer is both phenomenal and exciting and whether you are in the market for a National Show calf, County Show Calf, Elite cow family or a Foundation herd builder this sale has something for every preference and every budget. (Please follow our Facebook page and the Wolfa, Woodcatt & Drointon Facebook pages for videos of each consignment) FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK TO

May Fair Society sale of PEDIGREE EWES with LAMBS

Friday 24th May

Blue Texel Spring Spectacular, Badger Face Texel, Dutch Spotted and Beltex Belles

Entries close Friday 19th April

ONLINE SALE

GENETIC SELECTION SALE of CATTLE semen and embryos

Bidding starts 12 noon Wednesday 15th finishing from 12noon Thursday 16th May

Entries close Wednesday 24th April

KIRKBY STEPHEN MART

Tel: 01768 371385

Special show and sale of STORE BULLOCKS & STORE HEIFERS

Monday 29th April

Entries close 10am Monday 22nd April

MIDDLETON MART

Tel: 01833 640281

Special prize show and sale of STORE & BREEDING CATTLE also MACHINERY

Tuesday 7th May

Entries close Monday 29th April

ON SITE & ONLINE

ON FARM SALE & ONLINE sale of TRACTORS, MACHINERY & LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT

Friday 19th April – 10.30am

At Gretnahouse Farm, Gretna DG16 5HF

Sale includes 68 Reg Manitou, 21 Reg, McCormick X4.60 4wd tractor, 16 Reg McCormick X4.60 4wd tractor; 2021/2022 Abbey VF1050 single auger tub mixer, Lucas Castor +30R straw chopper, JF walking floor muck spreader 12ft Graham Edwards Teagle XT48 fertiliser spreader, Honda Quad Bike, Kabota RTV X1110, 20ft Joskin scariflex grass harrows, Abbey 9ft trailed topper, Porta quip silage trailer, Bale spikes, Full list available on website – Input lots invited

Auction Mart

Claughton On Brock, Preston PR3 0PH

01995 640280 www.garstangmart.co.uk

Auctioneer: Ian Atkinson 07944 237516

Tuesday 16th April 2024

9.00 a.m Prime Hoggs & Cast Sheep

10.30am Sale of 45 Sheep with Lambs at Foot

10.30 a.m. Sale of 100 Store Cattle

11.30 a.m. 60/80 Rearing Calves, Weanlings & Stirks

Incl. 15 AA & Here Weanlings from R & A Jolleys

Wednesday 17th April, 2024

10.30 a.m. Weekly Sale of Cast Cows & OTM Cattle

12 noon Monthly Show & Sale of Dairy Cattle

Tuesday 23rd April, 2024

Dugdale Nutrition Spring Calf Show & Sale

Wednesday 24th April, 2024 at 11.30am

Dispersal of 169 Pedigree Holstein Friesian Youngstock from R & A Jolleys, Robanne Herd

Consisting of 59 In Calf & Served Heifers, 30 Bulling Heifers & 80 Maiden Heifers

Saturday 4th May, 2024 at 10.30am

On Farm Dispersal Sale of Machinery & Implements on Behalf of R & A Jolleys, Cabus

Saturday 1st June 2024

Early Summer Sale of Machinery & Implements

Collective machinery sale on behalf of Mr A Baughan & others.

Oak Farm, Upper Boddington, Nr Daventry, Northamptonshire, NN11 6DW.

ENTRIES ARE INVITED IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

Tractors, telehandlers, diggers, trailers, vehicles, arable, grassland and livestock machinery. Together with: Excavators, dump trucks, mini diggers, telehandler and loader attachments, bowsers, generators & agricultural requisites.

Plus: Livestock equipment, workshop equipment, agricultural equipment and rural bygones.

For an entry form or more information please contact Gilly on 07921 511852.

To be sold by auction on Saturday 27th April 2024 at 10.30am.

Catalogues & Information Tel: 01788 564749 7 – 11 Albert Street, Rugby, CV21 2RX

www.howkinsandharrison.co.uk/auctions

SSEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE

Thursday 18th April 2024 at 10.45am with the Heifer Calves The Spring Fever Collective Dairy Sale of 314 DAIRY CATTLE

✰ 50 FRESHLY CALVED COWS & HEIFERS from Beaconhill, Beneknowle, RG Bowditch Ltd, Davlea, Dinnaton (Dispersal), Holmead, Kenham, Lilylane, Keevil, Kingspool, Moorshard, Newmead, Peacehay & Wiltor

✰ 2 HOLSTEIN BULLS from Dinnaton (Dispersal)

✰ 103 INCALF HEIFERS from Courtside, Dinnaton (Dispersal) & Heaselands Estate

✰ 125 BULLING & YEARLING HEIFERS from ME Agri, FAW Baker Kingston Farms Ltd & Dinnaton (Dispersal)

✰ 34 HEIFER CALVES from Beaconhill (A Lots), GJ Dalton & Dinnaton (Dispersal)

To Include

The FINAL Dispersal Sale of the Classified “Dinnaton” Herd being 80 incalf Heifers, 2 Holstein Bulls, 13 Bulling Heifers, 68 Yearling & Younger Heifers & 25 Heifer Calves for DC Dennis & Son Ltd.

** Live bidding on MartEye, please register in advance at gth.marteye.ie **

SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE

Saturday 20th April 2024 at 11.00am

150 DAIRY CATTLE

To include The Dispersal Sale of the NMR Herd being

90 DAIRY CATTLE

Comp: 75 Dairy Cows & Heifers Inmilk &/or Incalf & 15 Maiden Heifers

✰ NMR HERD AV: 8810KGS. 4.23%BF 3.20%P

✰ HERRINGBONE Parlour; CUBICLE Housed

✰ DECEMBER - JULY CALVING

✰ CLOSED HERD

For Wilverley Farms

(Removed from Wilverley Farm, Lyndhurst, Hampshire convenience of sale)

In conjunction with the Weekly Dairy Market of approx. 60 Dairy Cattle. Joint Auctioneers Gwilym Richards & Co.

** Live bidding on MartEye, please register in advance at gth.marteye.ie **

WEDNESDAY 17 APRIL – 11AM

HOLSWORTHY MARKET, HOLSWORTHY, DEVON. EX22 7FA Spring Challenge Show & Sale of 100 Dairy Cattle

Entries include a quality entry of 50 freshly calved cows and heifers INCLUDING ‘Laram Sidekick Hannie VG86 3yr’ a 2nd calving cow with 12 generations of EX/VG and a descendant from the renowned and world famous ‘Siemers’ herd. Dellia, Halo & Hanker – all Global Cow of the Year and Laram Holsteins first offering from this family line. VG86 Sidekick x VG85 Bloomfield x EX91 4E SP LP70 7* Powerball x VG85 Tango x EX94 Hanker x VG88 Halo x 6 gens VG/EX to Dellia! A rare opportunity to buy from the same family as ‘Riverdane KD Hannah’ which sold in 2023.

SALE ALSO TO INCLUDE a consignment of 30 Youngstock born Oct 23 –Jan 24 from the ped ‘Willsbro’ herd. Inc Heifers from the renowned ‘Aderyn, Adina, Aneeda, Amber, Ashlyn Dolly, Lila Z, Pammy, Rozelle, Roxy & Sara’ families.

ONLINE BIDDING AVAILABLE FOR ALL SALES VIA

Full details & Catalogue www.kivells.com

For further information, please contact: Mark Bromell 07966 430001 Mark Davis 07773 371774, Robert Speck 07909 538520 or Olly Murrain 07467 437288

Monday 15th April

SALE OF REARING CALVES Sale 10.30am

PRIME, CAST & FEEDING CATTLE

Sale 11.30am (TB exempt section available)

SALE OF SPRING LAMBS Sale 12.30pm followed by SALE OF PRIME HOGGS & CAST EWES

Sheep Scanning available onsite 12noon – 1pm

Sale of EWES WITH LAMBS at FOOT Sale 11.00am

Followed by INLAMB EWES & STORE SHEEP (Entries to the office by Friday for Online Catalogue) Dairy Cattle

MONDAY 15TH APRIL

FORTNIGHTLY DAIRY SALE OF IN MILK COWS & HEIFERS & SPRING COLOURED BREEDS SALE

Spring Coloured breeds sale of 46 Jerseys – pedigree and non registered to include 15 in milk cows and heifers, 11 in calf heifers and 20 youngstock

Includes something for everyone from fresh milk, show winners, exciting cow families With animals from leading herds such as Beckside Jerseys, Clanel, Greyleys, Knayton, Regatta and others.

Catalogue online and by request

Regular sale to inc 12-15 In milk Cows/Hfrs

MONDAY 29TH APRIL

FORTNIGHTLY DAIRY SALE OF IN MILK COWS & HEIFERS

Regular dairy sale to include x 12 in calf heifers from I & R Hall, Kilnsey due June- August

For more details on either sale contact Sarah Liddle on 07710 795585

Wednesday 24th April

Sale of 500 FEEDING BULLS, PRIME CATTLE, BEEF FEEDING COWS, STORE & BREEDING CATTLE

(Entries close Wednesday 17th April)

BLUE WEDNESDAY

Show & Sale of 41 PEDIGREE BRITISH BLUE BULLS & FEMALES

21 Bulls & 20 Females – Sale 11.00am

Catalogues available online & NATIVE CATTLE

Special Sale of 14 NATIVE BULLS & FEMALES

Inc Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, Beef Shorthorn & Lincoln Red

Saturday 27th April

Grass Day Show & Sale of 350 Stirks, Weaned / Suckled Calves, Breeding & Cull Goats, Store & Breeding Sheep (entries close Monday 22nd April)

Monday 6th May

Annual Show of HOGGS with LAMBS at Foot

Prize Show & Sale of GELD GIMMER HOGGS

All Classes of SHEEP with LAMBS at Foot (entries close Monday 29th April)

Saturday 11th May

SKIPTON MACHINERY SALE

Grassland Equipment, Machinery Lines.

Reclamation & Salvage, Stone, Timber etc

Delivery Date – Thursday 9th May

BFA Beswick + China (ent close Fri 19th April)

Friday 17th May

Spring Sale of WORKING SHEEP DOGS – LIVE FIELD SALE (entries close Wednesday 1st May)

Pedigree Cattle Sale

Wednesday 8th May –CRAVEN LIMOUSIN DAY

Annual SHOW & SALE OF PEDIGREE LIMOUSIN BULLS & FEMALES

Inc Tuesday 7th May - NORTHERN LIMOUSIN EXTRAVANGANZA

(Entries close Monday 29th April)

Wednesday 22nd May –LINGFIELDS BEEF CATTLE FAIR

MULTI BREED SALE OF PEDIGREE BEEF BREEDING CATTLE

(Entries close Monday 6th May)

Saturday 25th May - PEDIGREE BELTED

GALLOWAY CATTLE (Entries to the society)

Saturday 1st June

AIREDALE ANGUS ON FARM SALE

Draft Sale of 80 head of Cows with Calves or In Calf, Young Bulls & Embryo’s

For D & J Isherwood

Claiming Dates

ON FARM SALES – CRAVEN AREA

SATURDAY 4TH MAY

On Farm Dispersal of Machinery & Implements at Owlet Hall Farm, Austwick for JR & DL Ogden

TUESDAY 21st MAY – NORTH CRAVEN

THURSDAY 6th JUNE - SILSDEN

SATURDAY 28th SEPTEMBER - SKIPTON

015242

Tuesday 16th April at 10.30am

40-50 Feeding & Cast Cows & OTM Cattle 700 FARMERS STIRKS & YOUNG STORES

Wednesday 17th April

11.30am 150-200 SHEEP WITH LAMBS AT FOOT inc. Annual Show & Sale of Shearlings with Lambs at Foot 2.30pm 1500 Cast Ewes followed by Spring Lambs & 3000-4000 Prime Hoggs

Wednesday 1st May

SPRING SPECTACULAR

Individual Elite Breeding Females with Lambs at Foot

Saturday 4th May

Great Annual Show & Sale of Hoggs with Lambs at Foot & Geld Gimmer Hoggs

Tuesday 7th May

Store Cattle, Feeding & Cast Cows

1ST SPRING SALE OF COWS & HEIFERS WITH CALVES, IN CALF CATTLE, BULLING HEIFERS & BREEDING BULLS

BARNARD CASTLE AUCTION MART

TUESDAY 16th APRIL

25-30 OTM Cattle

90 Feeding Bulls & 180 Store Cattle Sale at 10am

PATELEY BRIDGE AUCTION MART

TOMORROW SATURDAY 13th APRIL

Sale of 30 OTM, Prime & Cattle

150 Store Cattle Sale at 11am

BROUGHTON AUCTION MART

SATURDAY 20TH APRIL

Sale of 10 OTM Cattle

‘April Fair’ Prize Show & Sale of 40 Feeding Bulls & 390 Store Cattle Sale at 11am

SATURDAY 4TH MAY

ON FARM SALE – BARNARD CASTLE AREA

Sale of Implements & Machinery at Birk Hall Farm, Brignall, Barnard Castle Sale at 11am

Provisional list on website under catalogues & photos on FB

www.barnardcastleauctionmart.co.uk

Libby Bell Auctioneer on 07818 435728 Richard Turner & Son

Tom Greenow - Market Manager 01200445376

Rachel Capstick 07713075659

Jack Pickup 07710708326

Eleanor O’Neill 07706347505

Matthew Middleton 07860659803

Saturday 13 April

9.30am WEEKLY CAST SHEEP followed by PRIME LAMBS & PRIME HOGGS Please call Matthew Middleton

10.30am 1 GOAT OUTFIT, 289 OUTFITS SHEEP & LAMBS, 30 STORE HOGGS catalogue now online. Enquiries to Rachel

Thursday 18 April

10.30am PRIME BEEF followed by CULL CATTLE

10.30am REARING CALVES

11.00am SEMEX UK & WE JAMESON FEEDS SHOW & SALE OF DAIRY including ‘Stepping into Spring’ Youngstock sale entries to Eleanor please

Saturday 20 April

9.30am WEEKLY CAST SHEEP & PRIME HOGGS

10.00am BREEDING & STORE CATTLE SALE

10.30am SHEEP WITH LAMBS & IN LAMB SHEEP

Thursday 25 April

10.30am PRIME BEEF followed by CULL CATTLE

10.30am REARING CALVES

11.00am WEEKLY DAIRY

12.30pm STIRKS entries by Tuesday 23rd 12noon

Saturday 27 April

9.30am WEEKLY CAST SHEEP & PRIME HOGGS

10.30am SHEEP WITH LAMBS & IN LAMB SHEEP

Entries please for the catalogue by Tuesday 23rd 12noon

Tuesday 7 May

MONTHLY MACHINERY SALE 10am Entries to the office for advertising please

www.gisburnauctions.com | 01200 445376

...Yorkshire’s Friendly Mart

SATURDAY 13TH APRIL

150 Breeding & Store Cattle of all classes inc

30 Limx Chx Strs, 9/12mth, D Swinglehurst

Contact Office for Details

MART OFFICE: 01757 703347

RICHARD

SATURDAY 20TH APRIL 2024 at 10.30AM PROMPT

To include: Fiat Agri ATR Laverda 3650 Combine 12ft Header 1988, McCormick MC115 4WD Tractor, frt links and pto, 40kph, 3 spools, 3,400Hrs 2012, McCormick CX80 4WD Tractor with Trima 260 Pro Loader 2002, Manitou Hvy Duty Fork Lift, Mecmar 12t Electric Grain Dryer 2015 as new, Rau Vicon Deltra 34 2,800l Trailed Sprayer, Excellent Range of Arable Equipment

EXETER SHOW & SALE

19 APRIL 2024

SHOW: 10.00 | SALE: 12.30

26 APRIL 2024

SHOW: 16.00 | SALE: 19.00

WELSHPOOL SHOW & SALE

27 APRIL 2024

SHOW: 09.00 | SALE: approx. 11.30

We specialise working in partnership with Livestock Societies providing a bespoke support service.

SUPPORT – we can support recognised Livestock Societies with their day to day administrative work and support.

SUPPORT – we can support recognised Livestock Societies with their day to day administrative work and support.

DELIVER – we can deliver and assist with your requirements as we o er over 150 years combined experience in the livestock and agricultural industry.

DELIVER – we can deliver and assist with your requirements as we o er over 150 years combined experience in the livestock and agricultural industry.

MANAGE – we can manage everything from administrative support, registrations, annual publications, catalogue work, promotions, equine passports, meeting and event support.

MANAGE – we can manage everything from administrative support, registrations, annual publications, catalogue work, promotions, equine passports, meeting and event support.

www.pedigreelivestockservices co.uk We specialise working in partnership with Livestock Societies providing a bespoke support service.

Brand new website

Visit jobs.farmersguardian.com for the latest job vacancies in agriculture

AUCTIONEER WANTED

We are looking for an auctioneer to join our McCartneys livestock team. The successful candidate would assist with all aspects of the markets including procurement of stock, weekly auction sales of prime/store stock and on-farm dispersal sales. Experience is preferred but not essential as full training will be given. The successful candidate must have the following:

• Positive attitude and hard work ethic

Follow us on

• Confident communication skills

• Ambition to progress

• Agricultural knowledge and experience

Regulated by RICS 015

Positions available across the whole McCartneys region.

Competitive package and full training will be provided as well as enrolment onto the Livestock Auctioneers Association course at Harper Adams University.

PLEASE CONTACT JAMES AMPHLETT - 07972 653077 OR EMAIL JAMES.AMPHLETT@MCCARTNEYS.CO.UK

MCCARTNEYS LLP, WORCESTER LIVESTOCK MARKET, THE HEATH MEADOW, NUNNERY WAY, WORCESTER, WR4 0SQ

PRINCIPLE FARM AND ESTATE WORKER

mccartneys.co.uk

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and conscientious operator to join our small team in North Hampshire. The estate covers around 550ha, of which around 360ha is cropped. We have just started a Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship agreement and also have forestry operations and a shoot. We are looking for someone who can carry out all the major arable operations. In addition, they will be a key member of the wider estate team, assisting with machinery maintenance and work in the woodland.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL HAVE:

A high level of attention to detail.

An ability to work autonomously

· A strong awareness of health and safety.

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.

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 influence 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 specific 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 effective 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 specific 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

· PA1 and PA2. Telehandler, Chainsaw and PA4s are also desirable, but training will be given. The ability to keep complete, accurate, records. In return, we offer a competitive remuneration package with accommodation, opportunities for further training and continuing professional development. The role is available from June 2024.

World Wide Sires UK are looking for experienced and highly motivated Genetic Consultants to work within their successful Northern Sales Team.

PLEASE APPLY BY EMAIL SENDING A CV AND COVERING LETTER TO DAVID ULLYOTT AT JOBS@ROUNDWOOD.CO.UK OR CALL 07534 847385 FOR FURTHER DETAILS

World Wide Sires UK are looking for experienced and highly motivated Genetic Consultants to work within their successful Northern Sales Team.

World Wide Sires UK are looking for experienced and highly motivated Genetic Consultants to work within their successful Northern Sales Team.

We offer an excellent package including:

• A competitive basic salary

• 25 days holiday increasing to 27 after two years

• An extra day off on your birthday

• Free life assurance

• Contributory pension scheme

Desirable candidates will be capable of working both individually and as a team. The ability to solve problems, think quickly, and effectively communicate with others is crucial.

World Wide Sires UK are looking for experienced and highly motivated Genetic Consultants to work within their successful Northern Sales Team.

Desirable candidates will be capable of working both individually and as a team. The ability to solve problems, think quickly, and effectively communicate with others is crucial.

• Employee assistance programme

Complete job description available with Farmers Guardian.

Desirable candidates will be capable of working both individually and as a team. The ability to solve problems, think quickly, and effectively communicate with others is crucial. Complete job description available with Farmers Guardian.

Complete job description available with Farmers Guardian.

Desirable candidates will be capable of working both individually and as a team. The ability to solve problems, think quickly, and effectively communicate with others is crucial. Complete job description available with Farmers Guardian.

For further information about this role or to apply please email

For further information about this role or to apply please email

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 differences 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.

Northern Sales & Business Development Manager, Richard Graham at rgraham@wwsires.co.uk

For further information about this role or to apply please email Northern Sales & Business Development Manager, Richard Graham at rgraham@wwsires.co.uk

For further information about this role or to apply please email Northern Sales & Business Development Manager, Richard Graham at rgraham@wwsires.co.uk

Northern Sales & Business Development Manager, Richard Graham at rgraham@wwsires.co.uk

To apply for this role, please email amber.tabiner@agriconnect.com

COMPANION FINDER

Are you seeking love and companionship?

‘Friends1st’ is the UK’s largest and most successful off-line friendship and introduction membership organisation that has introduced masses of Christians to their partners. We understand the joys and challenges of farm life. Let us sow the seeds of romance for you. Call us on 0121 405 0941 to find out how we can do the same for you wherever you live in the UK or Ireland. www.friends1st. co.uk/christian-farmers-dating

Farmers Guardian

the best environment for your brand message

Smaller

Most items new 2022 Processing

3,000 litre/hr Unison HTST Pasteuriser

Matching Seital self Cleaning Separator

APV Two Stage Homogeniser

Package Chilled Water Plant

Packing

2,000 litre /hr Poly bottle filling system

De-Bagging table, Filler, Capper, Labeller

Coding/Packing. Will Also Handle Glass bottles

Dawson 12/4 Poly bottle filling line, De-bagging

Filling, Capping, labelling, date coding, rotary Packing table

Also

Stainless Steel in Crate Glass Bottle Washer (Travis)

Plevnik Butter Maker PJ50 (50litre cream)

Pergal Bag-in-Box Filler, Glass Hand Filler Top5

Viewing April 16th 17th and 23rd by appointment

Call Charles Wait 07788 233608 for full details

Portable Milking Machine

Complete with Honda engine and Electric motor. This unit is

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

PEDIGREE LIMOUSIN BULLS

NO DE-HORNING REQUIRED ALL CALVES WILL BE BORN WITHOUT HORNS THE TREDON HERD - (Limousins)

HOMOZYGOUS POLLED CHOICE OF 6 RED OR BLACK

• Good conformation & muscling • Exceptional temperament.

Wrinklewood Pedigree Charolais

Telephone: 07849 153733 or 01223 426412

• High health status. TB4. • Ready For Work • Semen tested Prices start from £3,000 Also available a selection of cows and heifers for sale.

DAIRY CATTLE FOR SALE

A weekly selection of freshly calved & in-calf dairy cattle sourced from the UK. All guaranteed and delivered anywhere in the UK Finance can be arranged.

Livestock Supplies Ltd

Ashley: 07831 887531, Office: 01829 260328, Will: 07769 974476 www.livestocksupplies.co.uk

Telephone: 01978 780368 or 07986

Barbern Pedigree

Polled Hereford Bulls

From 17 months old

Good confirmation & quiet

TB 4 Area | BVD & Johnes Accredited free

PEDIGREE LIMOUSINS BULLS FOR SALE

Telephone Bernard: 07714 254564 Lancashire (P) Ampertaine &

Also females available. Health monitored, closed herd, full pedigree with each animal, Red tractor. Semen Available.

PEDIGREE ABERDEEN ANGUS & HEREFORD BULLS

Bulls for sale

Individually Health Tested

TB Tested

Ready to work

Delivery can be arranged

Tel: 01538 300331 or 07968 622950 Staffordshire (P)

Bulls for sale, 17-22 months old. Excellent breeding, temperament & conformation. From easy calving strain. Herd health checked for IBR, BVD & Johne’s. TB4. Also, Bulling Heifers & Yearling Heifers for sale. Tel: 01132 672921 or 07952 228632 West Yorkshire (P)

Biscon Meal (Approx. 12% Protein /14 ME)

£185 ex store

Cereal Mixture (Approx. 14% Protein /13 ME)

Cereal Blend (Approx. 16% Protein /13 ME)

£205 ex store

£225 ex store

Mixed Pellets (Approx. 18% Protein /13 ME)

£245 ex store

NEW STORE IN CUMBRIA

One Tonne Bag Collections

Mixed Pellets (Approx. 18% Protein/13 ME)

Biscon Meal (Approx. 12% Protein/14 ME)

£275 ex store

£225 ex store

Infrastructure projects: What to expect

As the nation strives towards greener energy, it is clear that no matter where you are in the country, it is likely that some form of infrastructure project will affect you at some time in the future.

Often first contact is from a land referencing agent who is looking to find out who owns and farms the land.

There is then usually a substantial amount of surveys required over a two-year period. These can involve anything from bats to water voles, as well as landscape surveys and tree surveys. Often known as non-intrusive surveys, depending upon what powers exist, these may or may not be done under notice or licence.

If under licence, you should expect a payment. If being done under notice, it is much harder to negotiate a payment as most operators will rely on the powers that were conveyed to them many years ago in Acts of Parliament.

Following non-intrusive surveys there will be ground investigation works involving surveys such as cone penetration, boreholes and installation of ground water monitoring equipment. All of which cause damage to the land. No matter which form of operator you have, you should be compensated for any damage or loss caused to your land and put back in the same position in so far as money can, as if the scheme had not taken place.

However, while years ago negotiating compensation was often straightforward, these days evidence is key.

A fully itemised claim is required, detailing what those losses are and how they were calculated. You should not be surprised if your agent asks for evidence of yields or crop values.

Discussions over heads of terms may follow. It is vital you have clarity on how the land is to be dealt with such as drainage, how soil is to be treated, how soil bunds are to be managed to prevent weed growth, and access routes, etc.

With this in mind, here are some best practice steps to follow:

■ Communication: Communication between all is essential. Nothing beats having a meeting on-site, where the issues can be fully under-

stood and dealt with. Following meetings, it is essential that detailed records confirm what is agreed.

■ Records of condition: These should be done prior to entry being taken and should include photographs, plans showing the direction of the photographs, drone footage along the working area and also details of the soil nutrient status, the depths of the different soil horizons, the soil organic matter and worm activity.

■ Land drainage: If you have land drainage plans these should be made available. In all schemes an independent drainage expert should be engaged.

Compensation

Expect to receive compensation for the following areas:

■ Easement/recognition payment/ lease fee: A payment for a right to put the infrastructure in the ground.

■ Crop loss and disturbance: This is both current crops and future.

■ Disturbance: Examples include cattle escaping, drainage issues, or silage crops being affected by dust blowing from the trace.

■ Professional fees: Whether solicitor, accountant or agent – if they are reasonably incurred in connection with the scheme, you should be entitled to payment.

What you should do if you are affected by a project of this nature:

■ Appoint an experienced agent.

■ Keep detailed records of your time, issues and evidence – use your smartphone. Photographs do not lie. If you wish to learn more about any of the above the Rostons team would be delighted to hear from you.

Tony Rimmer is a director at Rostons. Call 01829 773 000, or email tonyrimmer@rostons.co.uk

Tony Rimmer

Agricultural Land off Mill Lane / Marsh Hollow, Shirley, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 3AW Call

Local knowledge, Oxon, Berks, Hants, Bucks, Beds, Wilts County Council Specialists

We specialise in finding the best solution for your land to maximise its potential.

Acres / 8.60 Hectares of Grass Land

Guide Price: Offers in the Region of £14,000 Per Acre

An opportunity to purchase a useful block of Agricultural Land extending to some 45.76 Acres / 18.53 Hectares or thereabouts.

Available as a whole or in 2 Separate Lots

For further information please contact Filer Williamson

E: property@filerwilliamson.co.uk

T: 01283 734043

W: filerwilliamson.co.uk

Talk with Adam Goddard 07493 170307 adam@fitzcountland.co.uk

Over 20 years working for our customer partners

All initial conversations free, without obligation, in complete confidence and with the up most sensitivity.

01392 823935 Our brands reach deeply into all the major agricultural sectors - arable, dairy, livestock, agricultural machinery, finance and equipment

Takeuchi Machine, in the North West, Leeds and West Yorkshire.

Paul Chadwick - Depot Manager 07785627646

07785627646

Web: www.djmachinery.co.uk

Email - paul.chadwick@djmachinery.co.uk

JOHN DEERE 6155R

2019, 5400 Hours, AQ, 50kph, F/Links, 650/540 Tyres £72,000 + VAT

JOHN DEERE 6250R 2022, 2819 Hours, Command Pro, 50kph, Air, Air Ready, F/L PTO £147,500 + VAT

FENDT 516

2022, 1368 Hours, PowerPlus, F/Links, 50kph, Air Brakes, 710/600 Tyres £127,500 + VAT

FENDT 718

2022, 1072 Hours, 50kph, F/L PTO, 4 Spools, Guidance £148,500 + VAT

JOHN DEERE 8500

2020, 875/1401 Hours, Prodrive, 40 Knife, 40k, KP Ready, Spout Camera £170,000 + VAT

JOHN DEERE R952I 2020, Trailed Sprayer, 32m, Steering Axles £77,000 + VAT

TOYOTA

BAILEY FUEL BOWSER 2000l tank. C/w 12v pump. 220l tank for add blue. Ym 2015. Tidy order.

KTWO 16T ROADEO CURVE GRAIN TRAILER. Sprung draw bar. Hyd door. Grain chute. On Sprung commercial axles. Air/ hyd brakes. 560/60 22.5 wheels. Ym 2021. Very little work done.

JOHN

PRICE: £14,950

BAILEY TB 16 GRAIN/ TRAILER hyd door sprung draw bar. 5’deep sides. Air/hyd brakes. Sprung commercial axles. On Nokian 650/55 R 26.5. Mudguards. Arched front window. Ym 2017. Proper trailer.

PRICE: £19,000

BUNNING LOWLANDER MK 4 120 HBD sprung draw bar. Weigh cells. Mudguards. Ym 2015. On alliance 650 wheels. Wide angle pto. Nice spreader!!!!

PRICE: £40,000

KRONE EASY

PRICE: £6,000

BAILEY TB 9. GRAIN TRAILER. Hyd door. 435 low profile wheels on 8 stud axles. Ym 2022. Very good order!!

PRICE: £11,000

MCHALE PROGLIDE R3100 MOUNTED MOWER conditioner. Ym 2017.

PRICE: £8,750

PRICE: £17,950

GRAHAM EDWARDS 20’ TRACTOR tow cattle trailer. 1 farmer from new.

PRICE: £9,000

MCHALE F3100 front mounted mower conditioner. Ym 2020. Tidy machine!!

PRICE: £8,500

PRICE: £11,750

BALE TRAILER 22’ long. On Sprung axles. 12.5 wheels.

PRICE:

KRONE EASY CUT R 280 CV mounted mower conditioner c/w spreader hood. Ym 2015. Better pictures to follow. PRICE: £7,500

BAILEY TB 16 GRAIN / SILAGE TRAILER. 5’ sides. Hyd door. Sprung draw bar. Sprung commercial axles. Air/hyd brakes. On 620/60 R26.5 Nokian Country King wheels. Grain chute. Mudguards. High level lights.

PRICE: £17,000

USEFUL OUT FIT!!!

PRICE: £11,500

KUHN FC 280 front mounted mower conditioner. Ym 2016. Very good order credit to previous owner!!!

PRICE: £7,850

KRONE

HILUX SINGLE CAB. Ym 2014. Only done 52640 miles. Load liner. Tow bar. 1 owner from new.

DEERE GATOR ym 2016. Road registered. C/w canopy. 3320hrs tidy order.

£3,500

MARSHALL 21’ BALE TRAILER on 12.5 wheels. rocking beam axles.Ym 2015. C/w Marshall 21’ aluminium live stock container. (No decks) 1 cattle partition. Ym 2015. VERY

Hardwick Agricultural Engineers Ltd

Main Road, Brompton-By-Sawdon, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO13 9DP

Tel: +44 (0)1723 859785 / 859698

Sales: Eric - 07836 630558

Cameron - 07946 335030

Thomas - 07538 390091

www.hardwickagricultural.co.uk

New Deutz Fahr 6230 RC 6-cylinder, 230hp, 50kph, RC shift 54/27, 4 spools, GPS compatible, front links with spool

New Deutz Fahr 6150.4C 4-cylinder, 150hp, 50kph, RV shift 20/18, Stop/Go feature, front linkage, 4 spools Used Deutz Fahr m420

New Kubota M7-153 Premium 4-cylinder, 150hp (170 boosted), 50kph, 30/15 powershift

New Kubota M6-131 Utility 4-cylinder, 130hp, 40kph, 36/36 powershift

Used Kubota MGX95 4 cyl-104hp, 1950kg loader lift, bi-speed turning, year 2017, 6320 hours

Used McCormick MTX140 6-cylinder, 140hp,32 speed + creep, Year 2002, 4300 hours

Used Case MX135 6-cylinder, 135hp, 40kph year 2001, 8320 hours

New Merlo 42.7 – 136 CS ASCS system including material weigher, boom suspension, pick up hitch reverse fan

Used Merlo 42.7 – 145 CS ASCS system including material weigher, New Vredestein tyres ,year 2021, 2630 hours

Used Merlo 35.7 – 115 Boom suspension, 40k-2 speed hydrostatic drive, reverse fan, pick up hitch, year 2019, 2800 hours

New Shelbourne 7060T T flails, digital proportional joystick, GP1200 head, 70hp rotor motor, 6m telescopic boom

New Kuhn 242 TBE Offset verge flail mower, 2.4m working width, break back, 26 hammer knives, rear roller.

New Kuhn 153 Varimaster Vari width, hydraulic auto reset, hydraulic front furrow, rear furrow disc.

New Kuhn L6000 Optimer 510mm notched discs, hydraulic depth adjustment, + L300& L400

New Kuhn 500R Prolander 5m working width, 4 tine rows, 33 S-Tines, crumbler roller

New Kuhn Espro 4m disc drill 26-disc coulter (15cm spacing), 3,500L hopper, electric metering, 32 work discs, vista flow

New Kuhn Venta 4030 Electric metering, hydraulic fan, 35cm coulter spacing, double disc coulter. quick fit tines

New Kuhn FC3115 D 3.1m working width, fast fit blades, vertical fold GMD 280/310 – FF244/284/314 in stock

New Kuhn GF6502 Tedder Digidrive system, pivoting headstock, mech centralising GF502, 7802, 8703 IN STOCK

New Kuhn GA7501+ Rake 6.7m-7.5m working width, 1.3m- 1.9m swath width, 11 tines per rotor, 3D bogie axle -GA4312, GA3201

New Kuhn VB 7160 4 belts, weigher, I-dense system, 0.80m-1.85m diameter bales, 2.3m pick up reel with 14 knifes

New Kuhn RW1610C Two pre stretch film rollers, RF- Remote control, auto stop

brakes, ULTIMA SPEC New MX C30 LWC attachments, bucket & grabs In stock and ready for immediate delivery

New Dal-Bo 630 & 830 MINIMAX 55cm snowflake rings, both Cambridge and breaker ring

New MX Front weight block Choice of 900kg, 1200kg, 1500kg Bumper kit available

Amazone 3200 ZA-V Manual rate adjustment, castor wheels, hydraulic shut off, year 2020

Used Amazone ZA-M Profis 3001 Year 2014, 3100L, Soft ballistic system, weigher, border deflector

Used Kuhn Axis 20.2D S4 discs 18m-28m, manual rate adjustment, tungsten veins, year 2017

New Kuhn Axis 40.2 M-EMC VS8 Varispread 8 section control, weigher, fast fit discs, S4 or S6 discs, Quantron box/ISOBUS

New Kuhn Axis 30.2 D Manual rate adjustment, mudguards, drop point adjustment, S4 or S6 discs, hydraulic open/close

MACHINERY

Edited

by Toby Whatley

– 07583 054 831 – toby.whatley@agriconnect.com

Recent years have seen a number of manufacturers launch compact handlers with ambition to offer more functionality than the traditionally favoured compact pivot steer. James Huyton takes a look at the latest offering from Kubota.

The KTH currently may be the brand’s only foray into the telescopic handler market, but Kubota has grown a reputation for compact equipment, not least with its compact excavators and tractors.

The KTH is not a ground up machine from Kubota, but is instead a joint venture with Dutch

TRANSMISSION

THE machine is fitted with a BoschRexroth 81 litres/minute hydrostatic drive system which provides two travel speeds of 0-7kph in low and 0-25kph in high. A button on the joystick provides the selection between the two.

With low selected, inching into attachment and locating pallets was simple and controlled.

Small but mighty Kubota KTH4815-2

manufacturer Tobroco-Giant.

The firm predominately produces compact wheeled loaders, versions of which form several of Kubota’s range in this product group.

Kubota highlights that the KTH Series Two machines share many of the characteristics with the Giant badged machines. However, warranty is not one of them, with

Operating a permanent four-wheel drive system combined with the hydrostatic drive train, appears to provide a surprising amount of pushing power. The KTH was nippy and responsive in a yard environment, but moving over bumpy terrain did pose questions on operator comfort and how achievable the top speed of 25kph would be without less-than-perfect ground conditions.

the Kubota units covered by a twoyear or 2,000-hour care plan.

Sitting at the top of specification range, the test machine sports the deluxe cabin option, with an RRP of £65,623.

Canopy options are also available, but the machine’s attractive proportions for working in the poultry sector, mean many prospective buyers are likely to

require an enclosed cab and a dust free environment.

Small and compact, with a height and width below two metres, the Kubota KTH is never going to break any records with lift height and capacity, but with a maximum lift height of just under 4.8m and a 1.42-tonne lift capacity allow the machine to perform work in areas many handlers cannot access.

The 2.7-metre turning radius makes it manoeuvrable in tight spaces.

The Kubota KTH4815-2 boasts a 4,815mm lift height and 1,420kg lift capacity.

CABIN AND CONTROLS

THE KTH will be offered in four cabin formats which include a lightweight or standard canopy, standard cabin and finally a deluxe cabin option as tested.

As Kubota’s first machine in the UK, the pre-production unit lacked features expected on the retail version, including an air suspended seat and air-conditioning.

However, this did not take away from the spacious feel and well laid-out format for such a compact machine.

Along with the standard boom control functions, the operator joystick also provided directional control.

Mounted directly to the hydraulic valve block made the joystick movement feel a little heavy, particularly in a market where electronic servo joysticks are increasingly provided on telehandlers.

Nevertheless, it offered all the necessary control and functionality of a handler of this size.

The steering column also hosted several well-positioned rocker switches for locking pins and an overload switch operation.

The KTH offered good all-round

ENGINE AND SERVICEABILITY

ONEofthemainreasonsforKubota’s collaborationwithTobroco-Giant istheexistinguseofthebrand’s enginesacrosstheDutch manufacturer’srange.

TheKTHisnodifferent,packinga 50hpKubotaStage-Vthree-cylinder engineunderthebonnet.

Theenginebayiswellorganised, providingclearaccesstoserviceable parts.TheKTHalsoincorporatesa bonnet-mountedairinductionbowl fordustcollection.

Optionalspecificationofareverse fantokeepairintakepointsclear canalsobespecifiedonthedeluxe cabinvariant.

Accessible

Thedesignteamhasalsohelpfully madethebatterypointaccessible formaintenanceandcharging,with terminalextensionsprovidingquick andaccessiblepointsforconnection.

Historicallywiththefirst generationKTH,theenginewould berequiredtooperateat1,600rpm andabovetoperformanexhaust gasDPFregeneration.

Duetothesizeandnatureofthe machine’soperatingenvironment, theparametersfortheDPFwere regularlynotmet,potentially leadingtoDPFblockages.

visibility, with forward cabin positioning allowing an uncompromised view to the headstock when coupling attachments. Incorporating

a singular, curved windscreen with tinted glass to the top of the cabin, it also provided an uncompromised view of the headstock to maximum working height.

The cabin felt spacious for a compact handler, with functional wellformatted controls.

Specification

■ Lift height: 4,815mm

■ Lift capacity: 1,420kg

■ Weight: 2,950kg (3,120kg option)

■ Engine: Kubota D1803 Stage V

■ Horsepower: 50

■ Transmision: Hydrostatic

■ Top speed: 25kph

■ Height: 1,970mm

■ Width: 1,600mm

■ Price as tested: £65,623

Toaddressthis,Kubotahasmade adjustmentsonthesecondseries machineswhichallowsalowerengine rpmforDPFre-generation.Additionally, improvementsontheDPFlifetime

serviceabilitynowallowforaclaimed 6,000-hourfilterchangecompared totheformer3,000-hourinterval.

Themanufacturerhasalsomade effortstopositionremotegreasing

pointsinbanksforoperatorease. Anexampleofthisisthemain boomwhereclearaccesstothe greasingpointsispossibleatthe rearofthemachine.

Continues over the page.

The Kubota offered good serviceable access around the 50hp power plant.

MACHINERY

LIFT AND HANDLING

UNLIKE some other manufacturers, Kubota defines the vehicle’s turning circle from the outer tyres’ radius rather than the inner.

This gives the KTH a claimed turning radius of 2.7 metres and, when combined with its compact stature, this makes the unit very manoeuvrable in tight spaces.

Three steering modes are also selectable offering twoand four-wheel steer, alongside crab steering functionality.

Capacity

The first-drive opportunity included the loading of beet pulp from a silage clamp into a trailer, which allowed a surprising insight into the Kubota’s pushing capacity and stability when loading.

The bucket of choice did reflect the machine’s size and

lift capacity, but even so, the machine felt competent and planted in operation.

Pushed to its load limits, the overload locked out the boom, but depressing the overload switch on the dash provided eight seconds of full boom functionality which allowed the return of the boom to a safe working position.

The test machine had a standard operating weight of 2,950kg, but optional fitment of an additional counterweight to the rear of the machine, will increase the capacity and overall machine weight to 3,120kg.

Being shod on the manufacturer’s widest tyre option of 31/15.5 R15 gave the machine a fixed feel when operating at height. Visibility throughout the boom lifting angle was clear and rarely compromised.

CARRIAGE AND ATTACHMENTS

THE test unit was equipped with a bucket and pallet forks. The KTH is fitted with a Euro headstock as standard, which allows a full range of tractor-loader compatible attachments to be used, helpful for farms operating a mixed fleet of handling machines.

Kubota’s demonstration machine was also equipped with two additional hydraulic services at the headstock, which would allow the operation of grabs and motorised attachments.

Notably the return pipe for the headstock services did appear a little exposed, with its mounting position on the top of

the boom and provided with slack to allow for boom extension.

The manufacturer says further headstock options will be available in the future, but currently the hydraulic locking Euro system offers a wide spectrum of attachment choices.

When changing attachments, the locking pin was released by depressing and holding the rocker switch on the dashboard, and simultaneously moving the third service switch on the joystick.

Once coupled, the locking pin returned to position with the movement of the third service toggle.

FG verdict

PROSPECTIVE buyers looking to replace a skid steer or compact pivot steer would be sensible to consider the Kubota KTH. Its design, reach and cabin offers operators several refinements over a skid steer and some compact loaders.

The optional air-conditioned and enclosed cabin provides protection when working in a dusty environment, making a machine of this size a real contender for the pig and poultry sector.

The use of a permanent four wheel-drive system combined with a hydrostatic transmission offered a surprising amount of pushing power from a small machine.

Although, at times the demands

of multiple functions did seem to request more than the hydraulic pump could offer, slowing the reaction of certain functions.

Although the machine is built by Tobroco-Giant, Kubota has made considerable effort with its warranty and dealer support to ensure the product meets user expectations of the wider brand.

By adopting the Euro headstock, it offers real potential for users wishing to interchange attachments from existing machines. The telescopic forward reach could allow the unit to provide handling capabilities currently missing from its skid steer or compact loader stablemates.

Permanent four-wheel drive and a hydrostatic transmission gave the KTH a surprising amount of pushing power.

Fitted with a hydraulic locking Euro headstock, the kit allows crossover with multiple loader attachments.

There is often a perception when entering that you have to be the biggest and the best, but we aim to showcase innovation, dedication and adaptability, no matter the size and scale of the business.

Don’t miss your chance to enter, visit: britishfarmingawards.co.uk

With many manufacturers focusing on wider, direct and precision drills, there remains a consistent market for mechanical combination drills to work in a variety of conditions. Toby Whatley looks at two new models from Pottinger and Amazone.

Mechanical combination drill market sees two new entries

rBoth offer universal

mounting system

PRESENTED as an entry-level drill combination, the Cataya Special EcoLine from German manufacturer Amazone has been launched as a replacement for the AD 3000 Super mechanical combination drill.

The three-metre wide EcoLine is offered in a predetermined specification which includes a 650-litre seed hopper and 24 disc coulters at 125mm centres. Seed metering is fully mechanical from a large diameter ground drive system, with in-cab control provided through the manufacturers AmaLog+ controller.

Calibration of the Precis metering system is achieved through a centralised gear and drive setup positioned on the left hand of the unit. Amazone says that the metering shutter slides are provided with two locking positions which facilitates a claimed quick changeover from different seed sizes.

The drilling assembly is supplied with Amazone’s quick release mounting system, which it says allows it to be moved between its power harrow, disc cultivator and

rotary cultivators without the need for tools.

Also launched as a more durable alternative to air-driven drills, Aus-

trian manufacturer Pottinger has made changes to its Vitasem mechanical drill range. Provided in working widths of 2.5-4m, the

range includes hoppers which are claimed to be 25 per cent larger than the previous models.

The mechanical metering system can be land-wheel or electrically-driven, with claimed changes made to improve the calibration process and uniformity of seed delivery across the working width. Additional work lighting options have been added to improve operator visibility across the machine and within the seed hoppers.

Universal mounting

Similar to the Amazone unit, the Vitasem can be supplied with a universal mounting system to allow the seeding assembly to be mounted on different cultivation implements, depending on the soil conditions and crop type.

For users looking to establish companion cropping or a more diverse cover cropping mix, the Vitasem can be supplied with an additional hopper and metering system, which is mounted behind the main tank. A range of press wheels and levelling tines can be fitted depending on the field requirements.

The new Cataya Special EcoLine is a replacement to Amazone’s AD 3000 Super.

Pottinger has made changes to its Vitasem mechanical drill range.

LIVESTOCK

Edited by Katie Jones – 07786 856 439

Texel society introduces genomic evaluations

rService to support breeders with selection

By Ellie Layton

THE Texel Sheep Society has introduced routine genomic evaluations to better support breeders and increase genetic gain in the breed.

The adoption of genomic evaluations will be made through texelplus, the society’s genetic improvement service. Genomics and genomic technologies have been central to the society’s recent research and development projects. It is hoped these evaluations will predict future performance more accurately than using simple genetic pedigree information, as more detail on the genetic makeup of individual animals is available. This, in turn, will allow breeders to optimise the profitability of their flocks by informing animal selection and supporting breeding decisions.

The society’s chief executive John Yates says the Texel Society has,

throughout its history, embraced new technologies.

He says: “The adoption of genomic evaluations through texelplus is another logical step in the society’s and breed’s development.

“The knowledge and experience gained from this work over the last decade means the society is wellplaced to use the technology for the benefit of all members, adding value to the breed once again.”

Benefits

Mr Yates adds there are significant benefits for individual animals and also benefits at a breed-level from genomic evaluations.

“Using the process chosen by the society, all animals benefit from the genomic evaluation whether they have been genotyped or not, though those that have been genotyped will benefit more.”

Mr Yates also says the improved accuracies for genotyped animals have knock-on effects, for example by enhancing their parents’, progeny, and siblings’ values, irrespec-

IN THE FIELD PAUL PHILIPS, HEREFORDSHIRE

FIRSTgenerationfarmerPaulPhillips runstheKimboltonflockofpedigree TexelsinNorthHerefordshire.

Hisflockwasestablishedin 2008andhasgrownto50breeding ewes,whichhekeepsyoungtotake advantageofgeneticgain.

Hesellsabout40rams annuallytofarmersacrosstheUK, predominantlyfromhomeanda selectionthroughthesalering.

MrPhillipssays:“BeforeI startedtheflock,mybackground wasinbusiness.Inowapply thesebusinessskillstobreeding progressivegeneticsthatwill improvethequalityoftheflock, feedefficiencyandthebottomline.

“Whenlookingatthebigger pictureoftheUKsheepindustry, Ibelieveweareonthebackfoot comparedtootherlivestocksectors, allofwhicharereapingthebenefits ofgenomics.”

Useful tool

Althoughhesaysgoodstockmanship shouldalwaysbeatthefore,Mr Phillipsaddshebelievesgenomics isalsoausefultool.

WithanAHDBstudyshowing thatoneineverythreeramssold intheUKisaTexelandjustunder20 percentofthenationalflockincluding Texelgenetics,MrPhillipssaysthe society’sdecisiontobringinthis newschemewillhaveabigimpact ontheindustry.

Headds:“Ibelieveusinggenomic testingontheflockhasmanybreeder benefits.Wewillhaveabetteridea ofwhatthegeneticsarecapableof

tive of those animals being performance recorded. In addition to providing more accurate breeding value estimates and

andthedatawillgivevalidityto thebreedingprocessandpedigree.

“Notonlywillthishelptostrengthen currentgenomicaccuracy,butIhope itwillalsogivemeanalternatehealth andwelfaretraitscanberecorded suchasmastitis,footrotand industry-relevanttraitsincluding dataaroundemissions.”

MrPhillipssaysthetestcosts£30.

“Thisisaninvestmentforeach animal,particularlywhencompared totheprofitmarginincattlewhich carryoutthesametest,butitwill addvaluetobreedingstock.

“Thetestitselfisveryeasytocarry out.Itcomeswithapotswaband holdingthesheep’shead,youswab theinsideofthenostril,returnittothe pot,labelwiththeanimal’sdetailsand senditoff.Itisnon-invasiveforthe sheepandsimpletouse.”

index values, genomic evaluations can confirm an animal’s parentage where genomic information for the progeny and at least one parent is available.

It is hoped routine genomic evaluations will allow Texel breeders to optimise the profitability of their flocks.

Genomic testing is carried out by swabbing the inside of the sheep’s nostril.

Chair of Ruminant Health and Welfare, Gwyn Jones, talks to Katie Fallon about the future of the livestock industry and the organisation’s ongoing priorities.

Gwyn Jones offers ruminant health and welfare outlook

Following a raft of industry positions including national dairy board chair, vice-president of the NFU and chair of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA), former dairy farmer, Gwyn Jones, was appointed chair of Ruminant Health and Welfare in October 2023.

He shares his views on the future of the livestock industry, the challenges and opportunities the ruminant sector faces and the role which Ruminant Health and Welfare will play in supporting the industry.

QWhat does the future of the UK’s ruminant sector look like in terms of health and welfare?

AThe ruminant sector is not short of challenges, says Mr Jones, with the threat of the Bluetongue serotype BTV-3 hanging over the industry since autumn last year and the challenge of vaccine supply make it a worrying time for livestock farmers.

However, he explains that with a general shortage of vaccines across all species, not just ruminants, it is a large and long-term problem.

He adds: “It is a global issue and there are some big decisions which need to be taken to try and put that right.

“We at Ruminant Health and Welfare are concerned, we have held many meetings on the subject and we are keen to work with anyone to bring about a solution.”

Mr Jones says biosecurity re -

mains one of the biggest challenges facing the ruminant sector, with the pig and poultry industry much further forward in terms of understanding and application of biosecurity measures.

He says: “In the ruminant sector

Farmers are under so much pressure, I think good animal health and welfare is probably just as important to the environment as planting trees

GWYN JONES

we are only just getting started, but I think there is a great opportunity this year because we have four governments now who are really keen on health and welfare and getting biosecurity right.”

Q

What role will Ruminant Health and Welfare play in supporting the ruminant sector going forward?

A Ultimately, the role of Ruminant Health and Welfare is to bring the industry together, to achieve a common understanding and acceptance of both the common and different drivers which the industry faces, says Mr Jones.

“The challenge is how do we make sure we are not back here in three years’ time saying the same things, which is what has happened historically.

“How can we make a difference and how do we come up with a strategy or a plan that will make an improvement?”

Mr Jones says due to Government programmes and industry starting to work more collaboratively, there is now an opportunity to make significant progress in terms of animal health and welfare, which can be linked to environmental improvements.

“Farmers are under so much pressure and, from a personal point of view, I think good animal health and welfare is probably just as important to the environment as planting trees.

“However, there are also big differences which can be made to the welfare of animals on-farm, profitability and ease of trading by improving animal health and welfare and therefore improving sustainability and the farmer’s bottom line.”

Q

In the short-term, what needs to be achieved in the industry to improve animal health and welfare?

Ruminant Health and Welfare aims to help Government programmes and industry work closer together.

Protect valuable new season lambs

WITH many flocks struggling with the impact of the Schmallenberg virus and lamb prices continuing to trend 40 per cent up on last year, sheep producers are being encouraged to protect valuable young lambs from preventable disease threats this spring and early summer.

MSD Animal Health livestock veterinary adviser Dr Kat Baxter-Smith says: “It is important to remember that lambs are born with no antibodies to give them protection to ubiquitous disease threats and therefore rely in early life on passive transfer of immunity from the ewe in her colostrum – but this must take place within the first few hours of life.

“This passive immunity then starts to wear off after three weeks, leaving many lambs vulnerable to a variety of infections.”

Unnecessary losses from clostridial diseases, such as pulpy kidney or from pasteurellosis, are a particular cause for concern with young lambs during spring and early summer. According to data from

AMr Jones says genetics in the dairy beef sector in conjunction with optimal calf rearing is a current area of focus.

“I think the overall message is that using good genetics on both beef crosses and replacements is important, along with rearing that calf properly.

“When you improve the breeding and welfare of the calf, you improve the value of that animal, as it is a better offer to the beef industry.

“This is just one of the things we have been working on, but if you use good genetics and do the job well, there is plenty of evidence to show it pays in every way, including healthier animals, a better financial return and fewer health and welfare issues in general,” he adds.

Q What progress has been made on the UK’s BVD eradication programme?

AThe eradication of BVD within the UK by 2031 is a Ruminant Health and Welfare target adopted by the industry, says Mr Jones. He adds England has made the least progress in comparison to Scotland and Northern Ireland, which are nearly there with very small numbers of positive infections, and Wales now on its way.

“We are about to a launch a BVD eradication scheme in England, which puts all four countries on this BVD eradication trail and we will

Farm Post Mortems, there is often a large peak of pulpy kidney in spring, when lambs aged between two and eight weeks are affected.

On further investigation, in almost all the cases, neither the dams nor their offspring have been protected by vaccination.

Dr Baxter-Smith says that it is im-

try and learn everything we can from what has worked well and what has not elsewhere.

“England needs to catch up because we have got a massive challenge to get this done by 2031, but we will get there if farmers participate in the scheme.”

Mr Jones says the scheme’s first phase in England will be voluntary while legislation is being sought, however, he encourages farmers to enter the scheme now while there is money available for testing.

“Make use of this money and use it to pay for testing and PI hunts, or if you are BVD-free, pay for biosecurity and monitoring costs; a reward for what you have done already.”

QIs Ruminant Health and Welfare focusing on any other diseases currently?

AMr Jones says: “We have been looking at syndromes, especially on the sheep side and exploring more unexplained abortions in livestock.

“But I am conscious we do not want to ask farmers to do everything at once.

“We will continue to highlight the priority existing and emerging issues which we think need attention and facilitate bringing the industry together to then promote the right information and direction for the sector on these key focuses.”

She adds that coccidiosis is another key disease in lambs that is often triggered by stressful events.

This is because any maternally-derived immunity to this particular infection is known to wane at four to six weeks of age.

“After this, young lambs become particularly susceptible to the eimeria parasite oocysts, which, once consumed from the environment, hatch and then invade the intestinal wall.

Slow

“This can then cause diarrhoea, weight loss and slow growth rates,” she says.

possible to control the multiple and varied stress-related ‘trigger’ factors, such as a sudden change in the weather, alteration in diet or parasite infection, for clostridial diseases and other common infections, such as pasteurellosis, so vaccination of young lambs from three weeks of age is strongly advised.

“Oocysts are ingested when lambs lick contaminated objects or ingest feed or water contaminated with faeces.

“If coccidiosis has been diagnosed, ask your animal health product supplier about the strategic use of a single oral drench alongside sound hygiene practices, which will allow some immunity to develop in your lambs without loss of performance or disease.”

With lamb prices high, farmers are advised to protect their health.

Now is the time to make key decisions around grazing and silage management in order to mitigate the adverse effects of a late turnout and delayed nutrient applications. Farmers Guardian reports.

Managing spring grass in a challenging year for farmers

With February having been the warmest on record across England and Wales and most regions facing prolonged rain, many farmers have been unable to graze cows or apply sufficient slurry and fertiliser. At the same time, forage stocks are dwindling and grass covers are climbing.

Graham Ragg, senior agronomist for Mole Valley Farmers’ grassland and forage agronomy team, says the situation is ‘getting serious’.

He says he has seen grass covers of upwards of 30cm, when fields should ideally be grazed at about 10cm. He stresses that failure to manage these swards could have big implications later in the season.

“If high grass covers are not managed now, there is a risk they will ‘get away’ from cows, leading to stemmy, low quality leys and high wastage. This will ultimately reduce forage quality, regrowth and milk yields,” he says. To help safeguard grass quality

A wet spring so far has brought numerous problems for livestock farmers.

and performance, Mr Ragg suggests the following considerations.

1 2

CUT MORE ACRES FOR FIRST CUT SILAGE

MR Ragg says farmers should consider whether it is possible to take the first cut one or two weeks earlier than normal and increase the area harvested.

He says by cutting earlier, the sward will be greener at the bottom and quicker to regrow.

He says: “Cutting a higher acreage will enable cows to be focused on a smaller grazing area at turnout, allowing more effective management of higher covers.

“Itwillalsomaximisetheyieldofthe

best quality silage cut and replenish forage stores. With potential for soil contamination high and sugars likely to be low, ensuring a good fermentation is critical. Using a quality silage additive will help optimise forage quality.”

Mr Ragg also recommends applying fertiliser immediately post-harvest.

He says: “You will see a 2 per cent yield drop on second cut for every day you delay applying fertiliser after first cut.”

3 4 5

THINK ABOUT FERTILISER TIMINGS

EXCESS nitrogen in grass will result in poor silage fermentation, so it is important not to apply fertiliser too close to cutting, he says.

Mr Ragg advises choosing a target cutting date and working backwards to when fertiliser can be applied, allowing for uptake of 2.5kg of nitrogen per hectare

per day [two units of nitrogen per day].

He says: “Generally, if first cut is taken in May-June, you can afford to apply fertiliser at the normal time.

“If you are aiming to cut at the end of April, it may be necessary to reduce application rates, based on calculations.”

DO NOT REDUCE FERTILISER USE FROM THE END OF APRIL TO JUNE

CONSIDER ‘ON-OFF’ GRAZING

TO make the most of spring grass, but to avoid damaging wet ground, Mr Ragg advises ‘on-off’ grazing on the driest paddocks and turning cows out for just a few hours at a time.

He says: “According to Teagasc, cows can achieve 90 per cent of their daily grass intake in the two to three hours after each milking, compared to cows out full-time.”

GRASS responds twice as well to fertiliser applied in April and May compared to July and August, so if conditions allow, Mr Ragg says it pays to apply during this period.

“As forage stocks are depleted on many farms, it also makes sense to replenish pits and build reserves,” he says.

THINK ABOUT SLURRY TIMINGS

MR Ragg advises avoiding applying slurry if planning on taking first cut within six to eight weeks, as this will increase the risk of leaf contamination. He says: “This could lead to poor fermentation in the clamp and potentially be detrimental to livestock health. All applications should be carried out according to a nutrient management plan and to crop requirements.”

LIVESTOCK

Investing in best-practice manure handling and storage techniques is key to ensuring regulatory compliance with the Farming Rules for Water, helping to minimise the risk of diffuse pollution and protect the environment.

On-farm investments can also help maximise the benefits of using manure as a valuable nutrient and organic matter source, says Sneska Lee, agricultural adviser at Severn Trent.

The water company’s team of advisers work closely with farmers across the Midlands, helping them access Severn Trent Environmental Protection Scheme (STEPS) funding for farm projects that protect water quality.

Learnings

While not everyone is eligible for Severn Trent funding, Ms Lee explains the learnings from the scheme apply across the country and there are other grants on offer.

“Upgrading slurry storage and handling infrastructure helps dairy farmers make better use of organic nutrients to meet soil and crop needs, as opposed to bought-in fertilisers,” she says.

Improving on-farm capacity to store muck safely also enables farmers to spread at the optimum time, within legal restrictions, for maximum effectiveness.

Ms Lee says: “When manure is spread at inappropriate times, the risk of pathogens and nutrients polluting the air and water increases, as well as damage to soil structure.

1

Funding is available to help producers make the best use of slurry and manure supplies in a safe, environmentally friendly manner. Farmers Guardian reports.

Manure

storage improvements can benefit the environment and farmers’ businesses, says Sneska Lee.

Improvements to manure management

Nutrient loss occurs via a number of pathways, as a result of ammonia volatilising from stored or applied

manure, releasing emissions into the air.

“Nitrate leaching is also a

CLEAN AND DIRTY WATER SEPARATION

3

AS part of the STEPS scheme, Ms Lee has recently worked with a dairy farmer in her catchment area to access funding for a slurry separator, that divides solid and liquid components.

She says: “This helped significantly reduce water pollution from nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.

2

“The liquid part could then be stored and applied to fields, while the solid part was sold as a feed stock to a local anaerobic digestor plant.”

concern, when water carries nitrate through the soil profile –potentially leaching into groundwater or running into watercourses.”

MANURE STORAGE

MS Lee explains making upgrades to existing manure storage facilities is often a relatively simple solution to help minimise the risk of nutrient runoff entering watercourses.

From experience supporting farmers to invest in STEPS-funded projects, Ms Lee shares her top four areas in which slurry and manure management can be improved for environmental and economic benefit.

Funding options

PRECISION FARM EQUIPMENT

MS Lee has also helped farmers invest in precision farming equipment.

She explains the value of including variable rate spreaders, injectors and GPS equipment for slurry management.

“If slurry and manure application is not managed correctly, you risk not maximising its entire nutrient value for your crops, and posing a significant risk of leaching before the soil and crop have been able to utilise it,” she says.

“To address these challenges, several of my farmers have adopted variable rate application.

“This technology adjusts the amount of manure or slurry being applied in real-time, based on crop needs, then can be programmed to automatically reduce or stop applications near watercourses.”

This reduces the risk of overapplying nutrients by only administering what is needed, therefore helping protect water quality locally.

“Keeping manure on improved surface, such as concrete, and preventing rain from falling on muck heaps can reduce the pressure on dirty water run-off and slurry storage, ready for spreading to commence when conditions are suitable,” she says.

“By keeping muck protected, farms can also retain valuable nutrients which could otherwise be lost through leaching and volatilisation.”

She reminds producers that slurry storage areas must be at least 10 metres away from a surface water body, or land drains, or in case of borehole, well or a spring, 50 metres away.

MS Lee recommends contacting a local Severn Trent agricultural adviser to discuss appropriate funding options for a farm.

“Your local adviser will explain options you are eligible for, how to apply and management advice once investments are in place. At every stage, farmers have face-to-face support,” she says. For farmers outside of Severn Trent catchment areas, the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund also offers grant funding for slurry collection and storage items. The application deadline is April 17, 2024.

Harvested rainwater, with its neutral ph, is better for pesticide spray mixes.

Check ‘made for SFI’ seed mixtures carefully

GROWERS who signed up for herbal leys as one of the 23 options from the 2023 Sustainable Farming Initiative programme should seek advice on the suitability of mixtures being sold as ‘SAM3 compatible’, says Janet Montgomery of Barenbrug.

She says that while Defra has issued guidelines as to what will properly constitute a ‘herbal ley’ under the scheme, those guidelines are not yet mandatory.

RAINWATER HARVESTING

THE wet weather had been a huge issue for farmers recently, but by reducing the amount of rainwater entering slurry stores, running across yards, or entering a dirty water tank, a rainwater harvesting system can help reduce potential pollution says Ms Lee.

She says: “Rainwater is collected from shed roofs, then

filtered and fed into a storage tank. This provides a water source for livestock, or for washing down yards and machinery.”

Rainwater is also better for using in the spray tank as it typically has a neutral pH, meaning pesticides mix better than with mains water, without the need of adjuvants.

GRASS GROWTH ACROSS THE UK

Scotland

13.7kgdrymatterperhectareperday (5.5kgDM/acre/day) 29.7 5.2 39.0

The North

34.5kgDM/ha/day (14kgDM/acre/day) 30.6 7.1 29.9

Wales

23kgDM/ha/day (9.3kgDM/acre/day) 28.9 7.8 36.7

The South

28.6kgDM/ha/day (11.6kgDM/acre/day) 34.0 8.4 32.0

Grass growth Soil moisture (cb) Soil temperature (degC) Rainfall (mm per week)

DAILY GROWTH FORECASTS

Region Seven-day forecast

NorthEngland

95.9kgDM/ha(38.8kgDM/acre)

SouthEngland 87.4kgDM/ha(35.4kgDM/acre)

Scotland 59.4kgDM/ha(24kgDM/acre)

Wales 79.3kgDM/ha(32.1kgDM/acre)

GRASS QUALITY

14-day forecast

55.2kgDM/ha(22.3kgDM/acre)

52kgDM/ha(21kgDM/acre)

57kgDM/ha(23.1kgDM/acre)

50.4kgDM/ha(20.4kgDM/acre)

She says: “A seed mixture that has been constituted only to tick boxes against the SAM3 guidelines is perhaps not the best approach. While it may serve to meet the bare minimum required by the guidelines, it risks doing little or nothing to achieve the full intention of a herbal ley, environmentally or agronomically.”

She reminds farmers that the best herbal leys deliver improvements in soil health, structure and fertility, and increased biodiversity, while remaining agronomically productive.

“Yet some mixtures labelled ‘SAM3’ might be little more than a standard

mix with a ‘top-up’ of legumes and herbs,’ she says.

“It is a bit like buying an unknown brand of cola: while the label shows all the same ingredients as the top brand, there is always a difference in taste. It is all about know-how – knowing how to blend to get the best results.”

Similarly, a below-par seed blend is likely to result not just in a poor herbal ley, but also unsatisfactory agronomic performance to boot, she says.

GROWTH RATES

MANAGEMENT NOTES

■ Grassgrowthisimproving,butwill varydependingonlocalconditions, hencetheneedtomonitorgrowth acrossindividualplatforms.

■ Grassqualityfiguresaretypical forthisstageoftheseason.

■ Predictedgrowthsaresetto increasesubstantially,especially forEnglandandWales.

■ Regularpaddockinspectionsare

requiredtoassessgroundconditions andprioritisefieldsforgrazing.

■ Wherepossibleusemultiple entry/exitstopaddocks,lanes,on-off grazingandbackfencingtoutilise grassandminimisedamage.

■ Sheepfarmswilllikelysetstock withsheep/lambgroupsondrier fieldsatpresent,beforearotation beginsinearnest.

GrassCheckGB is a collaboration between The UK Agri-Tech Centre, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Rothamsted Research, AHDB, Hybu Cig Cymru, Germinal, Handley Enterprises, Sciantec Analytical, Yara, Pilgrim’s UK and Quality Meat Scotland. Regular updates will appear in Farmers Guardian.

Note: Graph represents last year’s data until more data is available.

Janet Montgomery

Craig Bentley and Rachel Mudd from North Yorkshire are looking ahead to this month’s National Beef Association’s (NBA) Beef Expo event in Kendal with a new show team. Katie Fallon reports.

Mudd and Bentley show team looking forward to Beef Expo

Third generation farmer Craig Bentley, together with his partner Rachel Mudd and their children Matthew, 16, and Isla, 10, farm a total of 130 hectares (320 acres) of grassland between their dairy farm and sheep enterprises in North Yorkshire.

The family milk a herd of 150 Holstein and Fleckvieh cows through three Lely robots at their 65 hectare (160 acre) dairy farm in Kepwick, alongside a flock of 400 continental ewes at their 65ha (160) acre hill farm in Bilsdale, on the North York Moors.

Along with running the family farm, Craig and Rachel have always shared a passion for showing commercial cattle and have been regulars on the show circuit for several years, winning many a rosette.

Craig says he first started showing cattle in 1992 with three

Limousin cross-bred cattle called Campese, Clyde and Gismo.

It was with these three cattle, along with the help of Diane Whiteley and Jim Courts, Scawton, that Craig began his career in the showring.

He says: “I started with Di and Jim and they really taught me how to show cattle. We won a lot of shows with those three beasts.”

Circuit

After a few solo years on the show circuit, Craig says he and Rachel began their show team in the late 90s, after meeting at the Great Yorkshire Show a couple of years previously.

“We were always rivals in the show ring as Rachel had shown with her family for several years before we got together,” says Craig.

Rachel says: “I started showing in 1993 as my father was a butcher and I used to show the prime cattle

that he would buy for the shop.”

After joining forces, Rachel says the couple have shown together ever since, under the Mudd and Bentley name, attending both local shows and larger industry events.

Now a family affair, Craig says both Matthew and Isla are a key part of the show team, having been born and bred showing cattle.

Rachel says: “The kids have been around the show ring since they were born and have always helped and been involved with the cattle.”

Craig adds: “Matthew has shown a big interest in clipping and dressing cattle this last year after some guidance from fellow exhibitors, Jennifer Hyslop and Gareth Small, while Isla is already very competent around cattle.”

Also, a good hand on the halter, Matthew was awarded champion young handler at last year’s Great Yorkshire Show, champion young handler and champion young

farmer at Nidderdale Show in 2022 and champion young farmer at last year’s Nidderdale Show as well.

While the family hope to breed their own show cattle in the future, they currently buy around four cattle each year from a selection of

Beef Expo

■ When: Saturday, April 27

■ Where: North West Auctions J36, Crooklands, Kendal, LA7 7FP

■ Admission: Free

■ Beef Expo will host the National Commercial Cattle Show and The South Devon Cattle Society Performance championships, as well as seminars on the future of the beef industry

The five-strong 2024 show team from Craig Bentley and Rachel Mudd.

PICTURES: ADRIAN LEGGE

Farm facts

■ 130 hectares (320 acres) of grassland

■ Milking 150 Holstein and Fleckvieh cows

■ Cows are housed all year round and milked through three Lely robots

■ Business lambs 400 continental ewes with all lambs sold liveweight through Thirsk auction market

■ Currently buys around four commercial cattle per year at eight to 12 months of age

■ Family attends up to 23 shows per year, including Beef Expo, Agri Expo and the Great Yorkshire Show

show potential sales at Carlisle, Pateley Bridge and Barnard Castle auction markets.

Craig says: “We buy them between eight and 12 months of age and sell them at the end of the show season, sometimes at the English Winter Fair or Thirsk Auction market Christmas primestock show.”

With help from friend and stockman, James Dennis from Silton, who has shown with the family for several years, the Mudd and Bentley team will attend up to 23 shows each year.

“Showing is a huge part of our lives. As exhibitors we are all one big Yorkshire family and help each other when needed, but in the show ring we are rivals,” says Rachel.

Looking back at some of their accolades over the years, the family have previously won the steer championship at the English Winter Fair in 2013, steer champion at Agri Expo, the Great Yorkshire Show and the British Limousin Commercial Cattle Show in 2016

and reserve steer champion at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2017.

More recently the family were reserve commercial champions at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2021, with a Limousin cross steer which they bought from Carlisle earlier that year from Andrew Harrison, Cumbria.

Successful

Rachel says: “We also had a really successful year last year, with a Limousin cross heifer called Tilly, which was bred by John McAllister, Bonnybridge, and bought from Brian Harper, Falkirk.”

Craig adds: “We won all of the local shows with her, and she was

also placed first in her class at the EnglishWinter Fair.”

As well as attending several local shows, the family exhibits at the Great Yorkshire Show, Agri Expo and the English Winter Fair every year, and has also shown at the NBA’s Beef Expo event since 2007.

This year the family has a team of five cattle heading onto the show circuit, all of which will be on the halter at the Beef Expo event later this month.

Rachel says the team includes a Limousin cross steer and a alloway steer which the family bought at Carlisle last year from Malcolm Telfer and Helen Claxton, Northumberland.

The family also bought a Limousin cross heifer earlier this year, again from Mr Telfer and Ms Claxton, as well as a Charolais heifer from the Stott family, Longtown.

Also included in the show team is a British Blue cross steer, which was bought from the Ewbank family, Middlesmoor, at Pateley Bridge Auction Market’s show potential sale earlier this year, where it was steer champion.

Looking ahead to Beef Expo, Craig says the whole family will be involved on the day, with he and Rachel both committee members at the event.

Rachel says: “We have helped Julie Sedgewick, NBA national commercial cattle show co-ordinator, on the committee for a few years now. Craig started on the committee in 2015 and I have got more involved in recent years.”

Expo

While the rest of the family will be dressing and showing the cattle at the event, Craig says he and Rachel will be involved in the setting up and organising of classes, weighing cattle, stewarding and gathering competition results.

“We will go ahead and help set up the show, while James, Matthew and Isla will dress and show the cattle on the day,” says Craig.

Not only is the family looking forward to this year’s Beef Expo event, but also the show season ahead and seeing how their new show team performs on the circuit.

Craig says: “I have always loved showing cattle, we love the social side of it and the good craic. It is a part of our lives.”

Left to right: Isla and Craig Bentley, Rachel Mudd and Matthew Bentley are preparing for the NBA Beef Expo.

The family runs its sheep operation at a 65-hectare (160-acre) hill farm in Bilsdale, in the North York Moors.

Figures show livestock numbers first, then average price per head.

Source: LAA/MartEye

Source: IAAS/ScotEID

MARKET COMMENT

SHEEP prices were up at marts across England and Wales this week, but declines were seen in the cattle rings.

Lamb prices rose by 13.5p/kg to 396.80p/kg.

But for cattle, young bulls dropped 9p/kg to 264.8p/kg, steers were down 3p/kg at 274.10p/kg while heifers were trading at 278.40p/kg, down 2.2p/kg.

Bucking the trend, cull cows saw an increase. Beef sired cull cows were up 10p/kg at 190.90p/kg, while dairy sired were up 4.3p/kg at 158p/kg.

As Farmers Guardian went to press on Wednesday (April 10), UK LIFFE wheat prices were trading at £170.25/tonne, up £0.25/t on the week.

Source: LAA/MartEye

LIVESTOCK AVERAGES

Primestock throughput, price and price change (p/kg).

Week ending April 7, 2024.

MARKET PRICES

DEADWEIGHT CATTLE

STORE SHEEP ENGLAND

DEADWEIGHT SHEEP

O/SdeadweightpricesfortheweekendingApril6,2024.

(4228) 819.5 (1089) 806.6 (118) 760.2 (5)

P 683.8 (105) 690.2 (16) 690.0 (1) 695.0 (2)

E 853.0 (47) 853.2 (140) 862.5 (17) 842.6 (7)

DeadweightsheeppricesarecollectedfromasampleofGBabattoirs.Thesampleaccountsforabout one-thirdofdeadweightsales;pricesquotedp/kgareaveragesforallqualities12-21.5kg.

DEADWEIGHT PIGS

WALES SCOTLAND

Mon, hay, square bale to £152/tonne; haylage, round bale to £128/t, square bale to £112/t; barley straw, square bale to £155/t, round bale to £164/t; wheat straw, square bale to £142/t, round bale to £144/t.

LIVESTOCK AVERAGES

CULL COWS (ENGLAND/WALES)

MARKET PRICES

UK DELIVERED PRICES – SUMMARY

UK DELIVERED OILSEED RAPE PRICES

FUTURES MARKETS (WHEAT)

2020/21/22claims.Seller’s2023claimnotneeded. Estimatedreturn£1.20/£1refamountwithbuyer’s delinkpaymentlessthan£30,000post-transfer. SubjecttoDelinkagevalues2025-27.

BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN: English:Defra estimates£25,000-£200,000/unitexcluding VATandassociatedfees,subjecttolotsize. LasttenderMarch8,2024,nextApril19,2024.

NUTRIENT NEUTRALITY: Long-termsales alltypesagricmanexcludingspecialisthabitat creation.Nitrates£3,000-£4,000/unit(£18,000£206,000/ha);phosphates£50,000-£65,000/ unit(£2,000-£169,000/ha). CARBON: Woodland Carbon>£35/WCU>£25/PIU.May2023WCG reverseauctionaverage£19.76. WATER: English abstractionlicenceslessthan£3-£15/cu.m.

Source: Townsend Chartered Surveyors

CORN RETURNS EX-FARM PRICES

UK DELIVERED WHEAT PRICES

Wednesday, April 10, 2024.

NATIONAL STRAIGHTS PRICES

Key: All prices in pounds sterling. Currency, £/$1.264; £/€1.171 Guide prices indicated include delivery charge of £6/tonne. ✸ = After safe arrival;

MILK PRICE LEAGUE TABLE

January 2024

Source: AHDB

DAIRY CATTLE PRICES

HAY AND STRAW: REGIONS

1.Thiscontractwillreceivea1.33pplguaranteedminimumpayment.

2.Thiscontractwillreceivea0.50pplmemberpremiumpayment.

2.Thiscontractwillreceivea1.54pplTescocheesegrouppayment.

3.Thiscontractwillreceivea1.00ppldirectpremiumpayment.

4.Thiscontractwillreceivea0.40pplactual13thpayment.

5.FormerlyGlanbia-Llangefn.

Retailerpricesupplementsareincludedwhereapplicable.Supplementslistedareinadditiontolistedmilkprices.

UK MONTHLY MILK PRODUCTION

UK milk deliveries in December 2023 were down 0.2 per cent on the year at 1,226 million litres. Cumulatively, this was 0.4 per cent down on the year to date.

December 2023 GB milk deliveries were down 0.4 per cent for the same period at 1,021m litres. GB milk deliveries for the year to date were 0.5 per cent down.

In print, in pocket, informed, in profit.

NEXT GENERATION

Does your little one love farming? Our Next Generation series has got them covered.

For little lambs

Spring is finally here, and you’ve probably eaten all your Easter eggs by now. But there

is so much still to do this season – especially because it is lambing time on-farm.

Colour me in!

On-farm

Ivy Carmichael, three, and William Thompson, 12, from Northumberland.

Ivysays:“Ilove thelambs–they aresocuteand cuddly.”

Bobby Groom, four, from Bedfordshire/ Buckinghamshire border.

“I love feeding the sheep and working on the farm with my auntie Karen. But I do love to see all the machines on my uncle Will’s farm.”

Jake Chadwick, seven, Stoke-on-Trent.

“I love all animals, especially my sheep. Farming is the best and I want to farm forever.”

Get in touch

If you want to tell us what you’ve been getting up to this spring, email emily.ashworth@agriconnect.com

NEXT GENERATION

Get cooking

Milly Fyfe is a farmer and mum of two, and runs No Fuss Meals For Busy Parents. She says: “While we are busy in the lambing shed, it is always good to find other fun activities to do with the children. Why not have a go at making this delicious no-bake chocolate cheesecake recipe?”

Giveaway

Ingredients

For the base

• 1 packet chocolate chip cookies

• 100g butter

For the filling

Method

1. Place the chocolate chip cookies in a bowl and crush into a fine crumb. Melt the butter and add to the mixture until it is coated all over.

We have five copies of Adam Henson’s latest children’s book, CuriousQuestions FromAdam’sFarm,to give away. To enter, go to farmersguardian.com/ adamhenson

2. Place the mixture firmly in a loosebottom, spring-form eight-inch tin and put in the fridge to chill.

3. To make the filling, combine the icing sugar, mascarpone, cocoa powder and vanilla essence in a

• 300ml double cream

• 1 tspn vanilla extract

• 100g cocoa powder

• 100g icing sugar

To decorate

• Colourful sprinkles

• 250g tub of mascarpone cheese

• Mini chocolate eggs

bowl with a handheld mixer.

4. In another bowl, whip the double cream with the mixer until thick with peaks. Combine both bowls and gently fold.

5. Place the filling on top of the biscuit base in the tin.

6. Decorate with sprinkles and chocolate mini eggs.

7. Allow to chill and set in the fridge for about two hours.

Get growing

Are you a mini gardener? Each month we will let you know what fruit and veggies are best to plant! This month you should plant:

Carrots Lettuce Tomatoes (indoors)

Learn about lambing

with sheep farmer Bizza Walters

• Most sheep have two lambs, but some can have as many as six

• Lambs will drink milk for about 14 weeks before being weaned from their mums

• Once born, lambs can stand up in as little as five minutes

• Sheep are pregnant for five months

• Ewes recognise their lambs by smell and sound

IN YOUR FIELD

Every week we follow the ups and downs of farmers around the UK

DAN HAWES

Kent

Dan Hawes grew up on an arable farm in Suffolk and now produces strawberry and raspberry plants for the UK fruit market with Blaise Plants, sister company to Hugh Lowe Farms, Kent. The business grows outside, under tunnels and in glasshouses and produces more than four million plants a year.

The arable side includes environmental schemes, with a mix of wheat, oilseed rape, beans and barley crops.

When I was offered the chance to write a column for Farmers Guardian , I thought ‘great, a chance to show what goes on in the world of soft fruit to those who might not know’, but more importantly, it is the opportunity to open up the horticultural industry to those who are deciding what to do with their interest in agriculture.

There is a lot of opportunity out there, in fruit but also in vegetables.

But now I am sitting here not quite sure what to write, so I thought I should introduce myself a little.

Originally a Suffolk boy, my grandparents and now uncle had 40.4 hectares (100 acres) of predominantly arable land. I worked on other local farms as soon as I was old enough, went to college and then to university with the ambition to be an arable manager one day.

And then over a fairly short period at university, my interests peaked in agronomy and fresh produce, leading me to Kent where I am today.

‘Keep an eye out for early fruit in the shops from the end of the month’

I spent a few years working at soft fruit growers Hugh Lowe Farms as a graduate, tractor driving and other roles, then progressed to Blaise Plants.

This is a revived soft fruit propagation business now supplying a number of customers with strawberry, raspberry and blackberry plants, which go on to produce fruit for the UK market. In short, it is my job to make sure the day-to-day operation takes place.

I am also the customer-facing part of the business, so if you ever need some strawberry plants, get in touch and it will be me you speak to.

We have a great, small team, so I certainly cannot take all the credit.

We generally kick off properly at the end of June with the bulk of our planting, and grade/pack all our plants December into January.

We are currently in a quieter spell, with fields cleared, trays being

I make sure the fields are ready and we have the correct plants and numbers, pots, substrate (it is all grown out of the soil and I will come to that at a later date), labour schedule, cold storage where needed, and that everything grows as it should (no pressure).

Kick is set to change our weather pattern

I HAVE been watching the sea temperatures in the Pacific Ocean fall over the past few weeks as we head from an El Nino (warm phase) to a La Nina (cool phase).

This has combined with the northern hemispheric end-of-winter and a weakening of the west to east wind flow at high levels around the North Pole (totally normal in winter) to, I believe, bring about a weather ‘kick’ to change the weather pattern we have been stuck in for the past few months.

That change cannot come soon enough. It does seem to be happening as the jet stream shifts

further north. This then allows a more normal weather pattern to exist across the UK which means less rain (not completely dry) for most and some warmer temperatures.

This is part of the usual weather pattern, but the change in Pacific Ocean temperatures will have an impact as we head into summer.

When using El Nino/La Nina (when combined known as El Nino South Oscillation or ENSO), we can look back at previous years and see how hemispheric weather patterns compare to this year.

The most similar eight ENSO

patterns to have occurred since 1950 were 1958, 1966, 1983, 1992, 1998, 2010 and 2016.

The broader picture for all of these years as far as pressure is concerned is a tendency for higher than average pressure west of the UK, lower pressure to the east and an overall cooler north to northerly wind.

If you have them, take a look back at the weather patterns on your farms for these years. How did the summers compare?

I will be using these years in our summer forecast, due to be updated soon at weatherweb.net

cleaned, mother plants in and growing and, by the time you read this, blackberries will be planted. Most of the strawberry plants we produced last year are planted by growers, so keep an eye out for early fruit in the shops and supermarkets from the end of the month. The rest will come out of cold store shortly with the aim to maintain production later in the year.

Raspberries and blackberries are also growing and soaking up what little sunshine we have had, flowers are forming, so fruit production is expected in the coming weeks/months.

Farmers Weather by Dr Simon Keeling

NEXT WEEK

Scottish Borders Kate Rowell Lancashire Amy Wilkinson

‘The new bull obviously has settled in very well’

ALAN CARTER

Cornwall

Alan Carter farms in partnership with his parents, Paul and Christine, on a 162 hectare (400-acre), 400-cow dairy unit at Constantine, Cornwall, with 130 milking cows, supplying Saputo.

Alan, also a Parish Councillor, and his wife Sarah, have two children, Ross and Dana.

Ido not want to talk about the weather anymore. I have had enough of it; although that is all that there is to talk about now. It is pushing everyone to the limit and there seems to be no end in sight to the continual rain. If there was a physical form of this weather, I would punch it in the face.

Spring is running very late, and it feels as if it may not bother to turn up at all. The consequences of this

will be felt for at least the next 12 months, yet again more strains on farm businesses.

We TB tested the milking cows and 70 young calves during the week before Easter. The other 200 will be tested shortly.

We had five reactors in the cows, and they were all animals that would not be calved again.

So, given how many good cows in their prime we have lost to TB, it was a pleasant change to not have to be sending cows with a strong future ahead of them up the road.

Hopefully the second half of the test will go smoothly.

In between TB testing the cows, we scanned all of the in-calf heifers.

We booked it in so that we were ready to turn them out as soon as the testing was finished. There definitely is not a rush now for that, but the results were very pleasing.

their first cycle, with the other two on the second.

The new bull, Goonhilly Devoran, obviously settled in very well and got down to business quickly.

The Jerseys had been kept separate all winter, and when we spotted them bulling, we brought them into the Jersey bull for 24 hours.

This worked as well, and all were in calf to the dates that we expected.

I now commute to work, which I have never done before.

We had to move out as the walls were being knocked through to join the two buildings together. None of the rooms are habitable while this is happening.

For the first week we stayed at the bungalow that my grandparents built at the edge of the farm. But this was booked for visitors from Easter, so for the rest of the time we have moved to the holiday let at Sarah’s mum’s farm.

We scanned 32 Holstein Friesians and five Jerseys. All but two of the Holstein Friesians were caught on NAME

Since last summer, an extension has been built on the side of our cottage. This is to give us some extra living space and another bedroom, as Ross and Dana are sharing.

This is 20 minutes away and a very scenic drive around the Helford. But every evening that I have made the journey, it has been grey and damp. I cannot help it – I am still talking about the weather.

Sendinyourcorrectentriestobeinwithachanceofwinning£20worthof Love2shopvoucherseverymonth.Sendto:CrosswordNo.1240,Farmers Guardian,Unit4,FulwoodBusinessPark,CaxtonRoad,Fulwood,Preston,PR29NZ.

ACROSS

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12

DOWN

FARMING MATTERS

Forthright opinions from throughout the world of agriculture

‘Buffer strips are not ‘wasted’ or ‘lost’ farmland’

Last year we fenced off a stream gully which runs through the middle of the farm.

For as long as I can remember, the banks of the stream had been eroded to bare soil by livestock clambering down to drink.

Now this area has thick tussocks of grass, with primroses starting to peek through and even the odd tiny oak sapling taking root.

It is alive with birds and creates a corridor for wildlife to move between our small woodland and adjacent hedgerows.

Though it sounds idyllic, it is nevertheless tempting to see areas like this as being ‘wasted’ or ‘lost’

from a farm. I have heard this many times from other farmers (and family members) when discussing buffer strips, hedgerows or field corners as part of stewardship applications.

But these areas are doing more for our wallets, our business resilience and our farm’s ecosystem, than we realise.

Income from schemes is consistent and has increased over the past few years to the point that our riparian corridor pays more per acre than I could possibly hope to make from farming it.

As the Basic Payment Scheme declines, stewardship can generate welcome additional income from

areas of the farm that are traditionally unproductive.

Carefully thought-out corridors or field corners can also help, rather than hinder, your main farm enterprises. Keeping livestock out of a steep gully also means there is one fewer place to look when you are missing a lamb.

In an arable context, squaring off fields using flower-rich margins or bird food plots, can increase efficiency by saving on labour, fuel and machinery costs, while generating an income from awkward low yielding corners or headlands.

Integrated

Not all habitats need to be fenced off and forgotten about.

Increasingly, stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) are offering support for a more integrated approach.

For example, creating areas of wood pasture on farm can deliver shelter and shade for livestock, and nutritional benefits from browsing, as well as sequestering carbon, improving water infiltration and storage, reducing erosion and creating feed and cover for wildlife.

SFI actions, such as winter bird

food and herbal leys, can also be used in arable rotations to replace lowyielding break crops and improve soil condition.

Creating new habitats or protecting existing areas can also deliver more subtle benefits, by increasing diversity in the farmed landscape.

Even small pockets of habitat act as reservoirs for biodiversity.

As well as iconic and eye catching species such as barn owls, grey partridge or songbirds, messier wilder corners of your farm will also be a haven for the unseen millions of soil microorganisms, pollinators and other beneficial insects, which prop up our farm businesses as well as the wider ecosystem.

And if nothing else, when winter seems to have been a never ending marathon of mud, rain and grey days, seeing a primrose flower on the bank of a stream can be a much needed reminder that spring will be with us soon.

Buffer strips, hedgerows and flower-rich margins can increase farm efficiency and generate additional income, says Holly Story. HOLLY STORY

Head of environment and sustainability at GSC Grays