REMEMBRANCE DAY SPECIAL
PLUS MASSEY FERGUSON’S NEW 5M RANGE
paid
Arla announces November increase, while Muller and Saputo steady for December Rich and Jen Oglesby on how the farming community helped secure their first holding
● How to plan for the new IHT threshold
● Succession planning tips
● Double cab pickup tax explained WHAT THE BUDGET MEANS FOR YOU
Calves are an expensive commodity nowadays, and to successfully rear healthy calves, prevention of disease is a better financial bet than firefighting clinical outbreaks and attempting expensive treatment. Boosting of gut health and the general immune system, together with avoidance of calf scour and calf pneumonia, is of paramount importance to avoid a negative financial impact.
It is well known that scour is the most common disease problem in the young unweaned calf. Calf scour has many potential causes, ranging from bacterial or viral pathogens to protozoal or simply nutritional problems. Often a combination of these infectious agents, such as e.coli and cryptosporidium are involved in outbreaks on many farms across
the UK and Ireland. Many cases of scour spread rapidly, causing severe dehydration within a few hours of the onset of the disease.
With calves born with no protection against the microorganisms that cause scours, it is vital that they receive initial protection, known as passive immunity, from the correct quantity of high-quality colostrum, and that it is given within the first few critical hours after birth. After this, they will start to develop their own active immunity to protect them.
However, this leaves an immunity gap for calves when passive immunity tails off and acquired active immunity is slowly maturing, thereby leaving a ‘gap’ in their immune systems, typically day 7-14 (see Figure 1).
During this high-risk period, newborn calves are more susceptible to infection from pathogens, such as e.coli, rotavirus, cryptosporidia etc. which biomedical research across various species in recent years has established can damage the tight junctions of the calf’s intestine, leading to a ‘leaky gut’ syndrome. International scientific literature in the last 10 years has demonstrated how probiotics / beneficial bacteria can seal and close the tight junctions of the gut, thereby improving the gut barrier to infection from these various pathogens. This key feature is undoubtedly one of the believed mechanisms underlying the high efficacy of Provita’s licensed probiotic Protect in e.coli calf scour.
Supporting calves’ gut health and immune system further, and similar to Protect, Provita’s Response range provides high levels of energy and egg powder, natural EU sourced colostrum and beneficial bacteria. The energy sources in these products are instant and slow release, kickstarting the newborn’s metabolism and getting it up and sucking quickly.
Provita’s Response range should be used during periods on farm when disease outbreaks traditionally occur. Invariably this will happen between seven and 14 days of age when there is an immunity gap for the calf, when passive immunity from the maternal colostrum weans and the calf slowly starts to build up its own acquired immunity. This ‘immunity gap’ is a high-risk period for infection, so calves need particular attention to push them through this period with no setbacks.
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LAST week’s Budget heralded one of the biggest changes for farming we have seen in generations.
With Rachel Reeves’ announcement that there will be a new Inheritance Tax (IHT) threshold of £1 million, farmers across the country found themselves facing a very different future from the one they had planned.
In the past few days we have witnessed an outpouring of concern over the Budget and have had unprecedented numbers of farmers contacting us worried about the future of their businesses and what will be left for the next generation.
As a publication which has stood shoulder to shoulder with farmers for 180 years, we are committed to taking action and have this week launched a new campaign, ‘Save Britain’s Family Farms’ to make your voices heard.
This endeavour, fuelled by real stories of families passionate about both their heritage and building a sustainable future, will ensure our industry’s presence is felt. What the debate around the Budget has highlighted, alongside the power of a united farming community, is a worrying disconnect between Government and the industry responsible for its food security.
for the families at the heart of home-grown food production and, through powerful video testimonies and features, showcases what family farms deliver for the nation.
Our campaign aims to move the conversation on from IHT to a broader debate about how we value our food systems.
Family farms are responsible for producing much of the food we eat, but the inequity in supply chains means they shoulder most of the risk for little reward. Sadly, as we know all too well, most businesses are not profitable without support.
It will also address the common misconception that assets equal wealth.
Farmers Guardian very much supports the NFU’s call on the Government to raise the threshold on the value of assets in which IHT applies and we will stand alongside the farming community at the NFU’s mass lobby of Parliament in Westminster on November 19.
So join us, pledge your support for the campaign, using #savebritainsfamilyfarms, and head to the campaign page farmersguardian.com/familyfarms for more information.
to the campaign page farmers-
Despite the protestations we have heard this week from both Defra Secretary Steve Reed and Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner, the lack of understanding not only threatens the viability of family businesses, but also the Government’s own ambitions on health and the environment.
Save Britain’s Family Farms gives a platform
FOR weekly podcasts bringing you the latest news, engaging debates and real farmer stories from across the UK, scan the QR code or go to farmersguardian. com/podcasts
Register and you will be able to sign the petition, as well as be kept up-to-date on its progress and any important post-Budget news.
With significant anger across the farming sector over Inheritance Tax changes, Defra Secretary Steve Reed doubled down on the announcements. Jane Thynne reports.
l Farmers told to ‘reach for the details’
DEFRA Secretary Steve Reed has doubled down on the changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR), insisting the new rules are ‘fair and proportionate’.
Speaking to Farmers Guardian, the Minister urged farmers to look behind what he branded ‘misleading headlines’ following last week’s announcement which introduced changes to APR and Inheritance Tax (IHT).
The move comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves, whose husband, Nick Joicey, holds a senior role at Defra, announced that farmers and growers will have to pay 20% IHT on farms worth more than £1 million.
Mr Reed said the Treasury’s fig-
ures, which will see APR applied to holdings worth more than £1 million, were not based on projections, but reflected actual claims made to HMRC.
“The data shows 73% of claimants will be unaffected – they will pay nothing in IHT. This is the data we have.
“I have seen a lot of figures banded about and I do not recognise those figures – they do not relate to the real world,” he said.
He added the changes were ‘only targeting the very wealthiest’.
“This is a Budget that is backing farmers,” he added.
Mr Reed’s comments echo those of Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner who said while the Government completely understood ‘farmers’ anxie-
ties’, the Labour Party’s only aim was to make the tax system ‘fairer’.
Speaking in response to an urgent question tabled by chair of the Efra Committee Alistair Carmichael this week, Mr Zeichner said farmers should ‘reach for the details’ despite Mr Carmichael warning the changes would put an end to family farming.
“We completely understand farmers’ anxieties. But rural communities need a better NHS, they need affordable housing, they need
HIGH-profile farmers from across the industry have backed FG’s Save Britain’s Family Farms campaign.
Ladies in Beef co-founder Jilly Greed, who runs a suckler beef herd in partnership with her husband and son in Devon, said: “FG’s campaign is important because it moves the conversation on from Inheritance Tax and raises awareness about the positive role that farm businesses play in terms of food production and the environment.”
Cumbrian dairy farmer and FG In Your Field columnist James Robinson said: “Our industry absolutely needs this campaign.
“Generations of farming families are feeling scared about what the future holds and now, more than ever, need support to tell their stories.
Duncan Hawley, a sheep farmer in Warwickshire, said he feared for the future of the industry and what would be left for his 10-year-old daughter, should she choose to farm.
Luke Cox, National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs’ YFC Agri Affairs chair, said: “What was announced in the Budget jeopardises the prospects for a much-needed future
generation in agriculture. FG’s campaign will help deliver our message to the Government. Our call for the
Minister to meet and discuss issues facing the next generation is now more urgent than ever.”
public transport, which we can provide if we make the system fairer,” Mr Zeichner said.
Polling conducted this weekend by More in Common has found that the majority of voters and nearly half of all Labour voters think farmers should be exempt from IHT.
Industry fears the changes would have a damaging impact on farmers’ mental health have been realised after it emerged 78-year-old farmer John Charlesworth, from Barnsley, took his own life on the eve of the Budget.
Mr Charlesworth’s son Jonathan told the Daily Telegraph his father had been ‘eaten away’ by fear regarding the impact the new rules would have on the family farm.
The Farm Safety Foundation said: “If you feel concerned or anxious about the impact the recent budget may have on your family farm, please seek professional guidance.
DONALD Trump has declared victory in the US Presidential Election defeating Democrat candidate and current vice-president Kamala Harris. Politicians and industry analysts must now take stock of what it may mean for UK diplomacy and commodity markets. Mr Trump is known for his protectionist approach, which could have an impact on trade with the UK. According to AHDB, US commodity markets slipped back on Wednesday, with the US dollar strengthening following the outcome of the election.
“If you are struggling with your mental health or concerned about someone please reach out to access support.”
MORE than 150,000 people have backed an NFU petition demanding the Government rethink its Budget changes.
The move comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that farmers and growers will have to pay 20% Inheritance Tax on farms worth more than £1 million.
The announcement came despite promises taxes relating to farming would remain unchanged.
As part of its campaign, the NFU has organised an event on November 19 which will see union members lobby MPs within Parliament.
NFU Scotland has launched a double campaign targeting both Westminster (alongside the NFU) and a separate event outside
Scottish Government headquarters, Holyrood, on November 28.
In Northern Ireland, a mass rally is to take place on November 18 at the Eikon Exhibition Centre in Lisburn, with Ulster Farming Union president William Irvine calling for all farmers, landowners and supporters of the agricultural community to ‘stand together’ in a show of unity to overturn family farm tax.
“This is a direct threat to the sustainability of our family farms and the livelihoods of more than 24,000 farming families across Northern Ireland.
“This change impacts not only our farm businesses, but also the generations who will inherit and care for the land.”
NFU HOLDS EMERGENCY TALKS AS ANGER GROWS EMERGENCYtalksbetweentheNFU andDefraleftSecretaryofState SteveReedunder‘noillusion’asto howfuriousfarmerswerefollowing lastweek’sBudgetannouncement, NFUpresidentTomBradshawsaid.
MrBradshawsaidthemeetinghad beenimmediatelyscheduledfollowing theoutpouringofangerand frustrationexpressedafterthe changesunveiledintheBudget.
“Nobodyleftthatroomnotknowing howangrytheindustryis,”Mr Bradshawsaid.
Althoughhewasquicktoinsist peopleshouldonlybegoingto ParliamentonNovember19aspartof theNFUlobbyofMPs,hesaidhecould understandwhyfarmerswerenow consideringdirectaction.
Hesaidtheunion’smainconcern centredondiscrepanciesbetween figuresheldbytheTreasuryandthose recordedbyDefra,withtheNFU urgingDefratorethinkitsposition usingitsowndata.Theunion’s
directorofstrategy,Nickvon Westenholz,saidtheChancellor’s claim,whichstated75%offarms wouldbeunaffected,wasbasedon historicAPRclaimswhichshow73% ofthoseclaimswereforunder£1m.
“Therearereasonswhywethink thatisthewrongevidencebasetouse –someofthoseclaimswouldhave BusinessPropertyRelief,”hesaid.
“TheTreasuryfiguresonlyrelateto claims,meaningmanyofthemwillnot befarms–ifyouhaveahousewitha fieldrentedforgrazing,thenyoucan makeaclaimunderAgricultural PropertyReliefforthatondeath.
“WhatwethinkistheTreasuryhas notbeenabletodoistotakeaproper viewofwhatafarmis.TheDefra figureshows66%haveanetvalueof about£1m.”Hesaidtheywantedthe Government‘attheveryleast’to ‘pauseandtryandgettothebottomof thestructureoftheindustryrather thancrackonwithfiguresthatare frankly,notthatreliable’.
WHILE farming organisations and groups rally to change minds in Government over the Budget, farmers should be looking at the practical steps they can take to mitigate the effects of the changes.
The policy shift means even those with a comprehensive succession plan in place will need to review it. Some in the industry have suggested one benefit of the new rules is that those who have not made plans for the next generation will now be compelled to do so.
Farmers have been urged not to rush into any big decisions and to take advice before making changes in response to the Budget.
Philip Kirkpatrick, director at rural accounting firm Old Mill, said the important thing was ‘not to panic’.
The changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) only take effect for deaths after April 5, 2026, so any inheritance triggered by death
Farmers have been urged not to panic and to take practical steps to plan for their business’ future. Alex Black reports.
before that date will be subject to the existing rules, although Mr Kirkpatrick still advised people to check the reliefs available.
For those whose estates will be subject to large tax bills upon death, Mr Kirkpatrick said borrowing money would put a considerable strain on the business and there would likely be more land coming to market (see p15 for more on this).
He added the most sensible option to mitigate tax bills was to spread assets around the family. The £1 million allowance does not pass automatically to a spouse, so the first thing is to ensure that both spouses are making the most of their allowances.
“You can pass assets onto a spouse without any tax being incurred.”
ever, how the Government has chosen to do this is going to hurt some families – particularly those suffering unexpected deaths,” he said.
One option which was likely to see significant uptake was life insurance to cover the potential cost of IHT bills.
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is another area to be considered.
Lisa Millington, partner at HCR Law, highlighted the changes to CGT meant it was not quite so simple to gift assets.
“When gifting an asset [such as property or shares], it is treated as if you sold it, for tax purposes. So, you may still owe CGT on any increase in the asset’s value, even though you did not get any money from the transfer,” said Ms Millington.
“This tax is often called a ‘dry’ tax charge because there is no cash from the gift to cover the tax bill. Previously, this tax was 20%, but it has now been raised to 24%.”
While Holdover Relief remains untouched, Business Asset Disposal Relief, often used by farmers to pass down their farming business
These changes are going to encourage people to hand on assets much earlier in life, which probably is not a bad thing for the industry
Landowners can also pass assets on free of Inheritance Tax (IHT), provided they survive seven years from the date of the gift. For any gifts made before the day of the Budget there is no cap on the value or tax-free element of the gift. But gifts made from October 30 onwards will count towards the £1m cap – should the landowner die within seven years, the gift falls within that cap, however if they survive more than seven years, the gift should fall outside the scope of IHT.
“These changes are going to encourage people to hand on assets much earlier in life, which probably is not a bad thing for the industry. How-
FARM shops have welcomed the focus on the issue of shoplifting in the Autumn Budget.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised action on shoplifting, saying Labour would ‘scrap the effective immunity for low-value shoplifting introduced by the Conservative Party’ and provide additional funding to crack down on organised gangs and provide more training for police officers and retailers.
Emma Mosey, chair of the Farm Retail Association, said: “After a spate of targeted burglaries at farm shops across the country in 2022, and a recent increase in shoplifting, we are looking forward to seeing the Government’s efforts to reduce crime in rural areas.”
David Harrison, farming specialist at NFU Mutual, also welcomed the pledges.
“This is not just confined to high streets and we have seen farm shops sadly targeted in the past due to their remote locations. While we would always urge owners to take all necessary and appropriate preventative steps to try and deter thieves, the fact the Government has addressed this in the Budget hopefully means this will be taken seriously,” he said.
An NFU Mutual study earlier
this year showed rural retailers on average were suffering losses of more than £40,000 a year as a result of theft, with two-thirds of
Rural retailers on average are suffering losses of more than £40,000 a year as a result of theft, according to an NFU Mutual survey.
to the next generation tax efficiently, will become less generous from April 2025.
“Therefore, it is not just the IHT changes that will make it harder to keep farming in the family,” she said.
Pension funds were also expected to fall within the estate from April 2027 and therefore would be subject to tax on death, pending a consultation.
CLA president Victoria Vyvyan has also emphasised the impact of the changes to Business Property Relief (BPR) on farming businesses which have diversified.
Speaking in a Farmers Guardian webinar on October 31, Ms Vyvyan said: “There have been a lot of farming businesses which have diversified and were expecting to get BPR on that part of their farm business.
“And, they will have borrowed to create this diversification and they will have worked hard despite not being working people, apparently, according to the Prime Minister.”
She added they will now be facing a tax bill, even for a ‘modest’
those surveyed having suffered from crime in the last 12 months.
Mr Harrison added the insurance provider had seen
outlet, adding the need for diversification has been greater for smaller farms.
Many tenant farmers would also be feeling nervous about the implications, according to NFU deputy president David Exwood.
“So to be clear here for tenants of the institutional landlords, this is not going to affect them,” he said, also speaking on the webinar.
“But for many other tenants they will be affected in a number of ways.”
He said some private landlords may look to sell the land rather than try and pass it down the generations, which would result in the tenants losing their farm.
He added while some had suggested the changes may create opportunities for tenants, costs would remain a barrier.
“I mean, I would love to buy my farm, but the reality is my farm is worth a great deal of money and I would not be able to afford to buy it. And I think that would go for many tenants too. So they face losing their farm,” said Mr Exwood.
businesses make ‘huge efforts’ to feel protected from crime, utilising both technology and physical security.
FORMERHealthSecretary
VictoriaAtkinshasbeennamed asthenewShadowDefraSecretary.
Ms Atkins, who is MP for the rural seat of Louth and Horncastle in Lincolnshire, takes up the role following the election of Kemi Badenoch as leader of the Conservative Party.
The MP, who is married to British Sugar managing director Paul Kenward, said she was ‘delighted’ with her new Shadow Cabinet position.
Taking to social media, Ms Atkins said: “Labour’s Budget of broken promises will hurt rural and coastal Britain and has shown that Labour does not understand the pressures we face.
“I look forward to holding them to account on food security, climate change, flooding and the survival of family farms.”
Farmer and Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore will also be joining Ms Badenoch’s team and has been reappointed to the role of Farming and Rural Affairs Minister.
The Budget has put succession planning in the spotlight, but how do you start the conversation? Katie Fallon reports.
SUCCESSION remains a difficult subject for many farm businesses, with communication often a barrier to achieving a successful transition. However, farmers are being encouraged to start broaching these conversations now, before a time of crisis.
Speaking at a recent AHDB event in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, farm family transition expert and coach, Elaine Froese, from Manitoba, Canada, said the industry needed to change the way it thought about succession, as the ‘old way is not working’.
Ms Froese, also known as ‘Canada’s farm whisperer’ said conversations around succession often involve
discussions about finances and death, which are two topics most families tend to avoid. Ms Froese said this avoidance was not only impacting the families themselves, but also the future of agriculture.
She said: “The avoidance of conflict is killing agriculture all over the world, as is procrastination.”
Ms Froese advised farmers that conflict in the context of succession was not always a bad thing, and that conflict resolution was a business risk management strategy and could lead to ‘good arguments’.
She added: “You can have really good arguments, because when you have better, robust conversations, you can have clarity.”
As a result, Ms Froese said farming families needed to start having these conversations on succession now, and advised it was important to remain transparent in the process.
She said: “You have no idea what your family is thinking, needing or wanting, because you have not had these conversations yet. The more you want family harmony, the more you are going to have to open the box and stop keeping secrets.”
PLANNING THE FUTURE CAN BE A POSITIVE AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE LASTweek’sBudgethasbrought successionandthetransitionoffamily assetstotheforefrontofeveryone’s minds,withconsiderablefearof potentialCapitalGainsTax andInheritanceTaxbills.
HeatherWildman,ofSaviour Associates,aspecialistinfamily successionandaNuffieldscholar, urgedfarmerstousethistimetopress onwithwhattheymighthavebeen
puttingoffforsometime.Shesaid: “Myadviceisratherthanfocusingon thetax,focusonfindingoutwhatall ofyourfamilywant–thefarmingand non-farmingmembers–andimportantly, whatdoyouwant?Donotassume.
“Whatisthefinancialpositionofthe business?Howaretheassetsowned? Whatisthebusinessstructure?Dowe enjoyfarming?Wheredowewant tolive?Howdowewanttolive?What
drawingsandincomedoweneed? Isthisviableandsustainable?
“Thenaskhowcanweachieve this?Canweworktogether?Dowe needtosplitup,selluporbringinanew partner?Canwebefinanciallysecure andindependent;whatifweneedcare?”
MsWildmansaidthenextstep wastomakeanappointmentwith theaccountantandsolicitor.
Shesaid:“Sendthemanemailahead ofthemeetingwithyourquestions, considerwhojoinsyouatthismeeting toensurewecantakeonboardthe informationandunderstandtheadvice andoptionsavailabletous.
Shesaidobtainingquality professionallegalandaccounting advicewascritical.
“Opencommunicationiskeyand youhavetobeableunderstandand respectthedifferencesingenerational valueswithinthefamily,”sheadded.
“Iftheaccountantandyour professionaladvisersarenottalking yourlanguageandtheydonotfully understandyourbusinessandyour industrythenleaveoraskifthere isanotherpartnerwhodoes.
What is the financial position of the business?
“Thengohome,think,talk andreview,thenrevisitwithyour professionalteam. Youhavetime, donotrushandmakerashdecisions, pleasetaketimeandtakegood professionaladviceandunderstand alloftheoptions. Formany,thiscan certainlybeapositiveopportunity.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution; each farming business solution is different and unique.”
“There is no right and wrong answer in developing your future plan; the aim is simply to provide the best possible outcome for your family and your farm business and by starting that conversation today you can start to protect your family and your business.
“It is possible to break down barriers, do the right thing for the family and business and have fun at the same time.”
When looking at the younger generation coming through, Ms Froese advised young farmers to harness ‘the power of a letter’ and write a letter to their parents, prompting conversations about the future.
Understanding
She said: “Think about what you need your parents to understand. Do they know what you really want?”
“And when was the last time you showed your parents some appreciation? But that also works both ways.”
Ms Froese said lack of appreciation in farming families was killing family harmony, with pride and stubbornness sidelining farm businesses.
Looking to the older generations, Ms Froese said some family members might struggle with succession planning due to fear of losing their identity or their wealth.
She said: “Ask your parents what a good day on the farm looks like for them going forward and what does stepping back from the farm look like without stepping away?”
She said that, in some cases, the younger generation’s inexperience could also be a reason for the older generations’ reluctance to let go of farm equity. In this case, she advised families to create learning plans for young farmers to develop their skills and prepare for succession.
She said: “The gap between willing-
Elaine Froese advised families to create learning plans for young farmers to develop their skills and prepare for succession.
ness and readiness is growing, and part of the reason is due to personal development. Know what you do not know and figure out what you want in your learning plan. The stuff you do not know, outsource, such as farm accounts.”
She also advised families to consider their farm culture, especially around making mistakes.
She said: “What is the culture on your farm? Is there a culture on the farm that mistakes are okay?
“We are all lifelong learners, but is there a fear of passing the baton to the inexperienced?”
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FOLLOWING an increase in animals being found with ingrown horns, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is urging farmers and transporters to double-check all livestock before they leave the holding, especially if they are breeds with longer or curled horns.
In a statement, the APHA said ingrown horns were ‘extremely painful’ and further industry could be caused in transport.
“All livestock must be ‘fit’ for their intended journey, which includes loading and unloading at the destination. If you are unsure if an animal is fit, then you should seek veterinary advice.”
According to Defra guidance, animals with ingrowing horns or broken/ damaged horns which have the internal tissue exposed are not fit for transport.
JEREMY Clarkson used Bonfire Night to make an announcement in lights that season five of Clarkson’s Farm is officially in production. Mr Clarkson has been hailed for his promotion of UK farming through the programme and the way it has brought the challenges facing British farmers into public discourse.
Announcing the new series on Instagram, Mr Clarkson said bright lights in the sky have been used to make ‘many important announcements’, including the birth of Jesus.
He said: “But tonight, they are being used to make an announcement that is even bigger than that. Season five of Clarkson’s Farm is coming.”
l TFA welcomes ‘shaft of light’ in tough week
By Alex Black
FARMING Minister Daniel Zeichner has confirmed the Government will appoint the first Tenant Farming Commissioner for England as part of its support for a ‘thriving tenant farming sector’.
The Commissioner’s role will be to improve collaboration between tenant farmers, landowners and their advisers, help ensure fairness in the sector, investigate and facilitate solutions to complaints and hold an important leadership and advocacy role for the sector.
It will promote the standards outlined in the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice and will
work alongside Defra and the Farm Tenancy Forum.
The role will also involve working closely with the Farm TenancyForum, providing regular reports, updates, tracking trends and issues in the sector.
The Commissioner will be recruited through an open competition process, with the aim of making an appointment by spring next year.
The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) said the news was a ‘shaft of light in an otherwise dark week’.
TFA chief executive, George Dunn, said the appointment would give the Code of Conduct ‘additional and much needed teeth’.
He added the TFA was hoping the appointee displayed similar characteristics to their Scottish counterpart.
He said: “Bob McIntosh has shown what can be achieved in what has
HIGHLY pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N5 has been confirmed in commercial poultry at a premises near Hornsea in East Yorkshire.
Defra said all poultry on the infected premises will now be humanely culled and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone has been put in place surrounding the premises.
It is the first case confirmed since the declaration of zonal freedom in February 2024.
In line with World Organisation for Animal Health rules, this means Great Britain is no longer free from HPAI. Northern Ireland continues to have self-declared zonal freedom from HPAI.
been a pretty fraught landlord/tenant environment north of the border.
“And with a TFA survey concluding that 30% of tenants felt bullied or harassed by their landlords and 37% by their landlords’ agents, clearly
there is some very important work to do south of the border.”
The CLA said it was crucial the Commissioner was independent from Defra and fair and balanced for landlords, agents and tenants.
LIVESTOCK auctioneer and winner of the Mart’s the Heart Lifetime Achievement Award John Thomson has died peacefully at home on November 1, aged 100.
Mr Thomson, the son of a livestock auctioneer, served in the army during world war II before returning home to work in the family auctioneering businesses, and was instrumental in the development of Annan and Thornhill marts as major sheep sale centres.
He also served as national chair of the Scottish Young Conservatives.
Mr Thomson farmed at Shawhill, Annan, and at Archbank, Moffat, and always took a keen interest in the farming activities of his children and grandchildren, including their Shawhill Shorthorn herd.
He also spent time as president of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland and also wrote eight books on various subjects.
TRIBUTES have been paid to dairy farmer and NFU dairy board member David Brookes, who has died aged 65.
NFU dairy board chair Paul Tompkins said: “David was a larger-thanlife character, whose passion and enthusiasm for farming and the dairy sector in particular was unrivalled. He will be greatly missed.
“I was lucky enough to count David
as a friend after first meeting him nearly 10 years ago when he was quick to offer me guidance and support.
“His wisdom helped steer the dairy sector though some challenging times, including the SOS Dairy campaign.”
He added Mr Brookes was also a ‘family man’ and put emphasis on the importance of ‘multi-generational farming’.
By Alex Black
THE number of announced and unannounced visits will be significantly increased, following the independent review by Crowe into RSPCA Assured farms.
The RSPCA has also pledged to continue to campaign for a ‘significant reduction’ in the number of livestock farmed and products eaten.
The review was commissioned following increased scrutiny of the scheme, with animal activists calling for it to be scrapped and exposes of RSPCA Assured farms.
Queen guitarist Sir Brian May quit as the RSPCA’s vice-president role over the issue in September.
Technological aids
The charity said it would also be exploring the use of more technological aids, including additional CCTV and use of body-worn cameras.
It will develop and apply a grading to non-compliances to prioritise actions by members.
RSPCA Assured has also developed a Target Operating Model (TOM) as part of its improvement programme to modernise the scheme.
This provides a framework for managing the scheme effectively and the
scope of the TOM will be broadened to encompass governance and culture within the scheme.
The report stated that farmer wellbeing was not routinely assessed as a contributing factor affecting animal welfare and non-conformances, with RSPCA Assured stating it would be developing an approach to identify potential concerns and the impact it may have.
The RSPCA said the two independent reviews of the scheme concluded it was making a positive difference to farmed animals’ lives right now.
It said: “We are absolutely committed to implementing the recommendations of this review alongside our ambitious modernisation programme, which is already underway.”
It added it was reassured it had ‘answered the concerns raised’ and it was ‘doing what is right’.
“We will continue to campaign together with our colleagues in the sector for better legal protection, better enforcement of those protections and a significant reduction in the number of animals farmed and animal products eaten.
National Pig Association chief executive Lizzie Wilson said: “Unannounced audits are built into the agreement between producers and RSPCA Assured and, while they can be an inconvenience dependent on what is happening on-farm that day, they are a reminder that standards need to
APPLICATIONS for Wales’ recently announced Sustainable Farming Scheme’s (SFS) preparatory phase options are now open.
A total of £14 million is being made available for the five new schemes which were unveiled in August.
The aim of the ‘phase’ is to encourage farmers to diversify via a number of horticultural options which also provide environmental benefits.
As of this week, applications are now being welcomed for three options: Growing for the Environment; Small Grants – Horticulture Start Up; and the Agricultural Diversification and Horticulture Scheme.
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “This funding is intended to give
reassurance to farmers and growers that support will continue to be available in the lead up to 2026.
“We intend to help, guide and support eligible Welsh farmers and growers as we finalise and move towards the SFS. We will continue to listen to the sector and work in partnership.
“Together, we can create a future where our farmers and growers produce the very best Welsh food to the highest standards, while safeguarding our precious environment to help tackle the climate and nature emergencies.”
Mr Irranca-Davies said he was encouraging all farmers and growers to look at how the scheme funding could help provide stability and resilience to their businesses as they move towards the introduction of the SFS in 2026.
Applications for a further two options will be announced in 2025.
The RSPCA Assured scheme will see more farm visits, the charity has announced.
be maintained at all times and not only when an audit is due, and are important in providing scheme credibility.
“Frequency of unannounced audits, however, should be risk based and pro-
portionate. It is encouraging that non-compliances will be graded to allow producers to prioritise, as not all standards have the same impact on pig welfare,” she added.
I HOPE that this Remembrance Day our politicians will reflect on the debt which is also owed to the 30,248 merchant seamen who lost their lives endeavouring to keep the UK from starving to death in World War II – a death rate which was higher proportionately than in any of the armed forces.
Gillian Herbert, Herefordshire.
BRITAIN’S destructive addiction to super-cheap food has embedded itself across our national consciousness. It no longer manifests itself purely as myopia surrounding the long-term consequences of a decades-long supermarket-led insistence on the delivery of consistently underpriced food. Or through an increasingly casual
READERShadtheirsayonsocial mediainresponsetocommentsfrom NFUpresidentTomBradshawthat theTreasuryhaditsfigures‘wrong’ onAgriculturalPropertyRelief:
■ “Ithinkalotofpeoplehavenot realisedthatthisisactuallyincreasing thecostofproducingfood.Itisacost
approach by members of the public to trespass on, and the resultant damage to, food-producing systems and food-producing land.
Last week’s confusion over the implications for farm survival of proposed Inheritance Tax reform confirms that politicians and policy-makers have swallowed the cheap food myth too.
They no longer understand the long-term implications of even well-run farms having to endure a net margin of only around 1%, and appear ready to approve regulation which
thatwillhavetobepassedontothe endconsumerifBritishagricultureis tobesustainable.SorryLabourvoters, butLabourhasincreasedthecostof Britishfoodsforyou.”
PHILIP WHEELDON
■ “It’sfunnyhowduringCovidfarmers wereclassedascriticalworkersand nowwearejustacashcow.”
will increase the income/profit burden on already hard-pressed national food production capacity instead of reducing it.
Have well-fed British people, including those in Westminster, become so complacent about predictable food supplies that they have forgotten where it comes from and how difficult it is to deliver?
Immediately after World War II, 60% of household income was spent on food eaten at home. Ten years later, it had dropped to 33%. Now, it is less than 12%.
DAVID BARNES
■ “Weallneedtosticktogether inprotestliketheFrench.”
MARGARET GALLACHER
■ “NFUneedstostrikeandtherest ofusneedtojoinyouonyourstrike.”
LUKE McCAFFREY
The current disinterest in food security should be a national scandal. But an understanding of its implications is undermined, because within our predominantly urban society, farming’s image as a rustic activity persists. Would it help if apparently bucolic farms were in future flagged as valuable food production units instead?
Imports are no longer the easy solution. When even more of India’s 1.4 billion people acquire professional-class tastes in food, the pressure on global supplies could reach breaking point.
Will the UK still be able to compete? Will it be able to produce enough food of its own? What can be done to ease the looming national and global food supply emergency?
Robert Forster, Hexham.
IN reference to your ‘National Trust plans to ‘repurpose’ farm’ story (FG, October 18), we want to reassure any tenants or future tenants of the National Trust that our position on farming has not changed.
Robin Pocock, aged 10, being presented with first prize by the Mayor of Calne, Charlie Syms, at the Christmas fat stock show at Calne market for his Shorthorn steer. Sent in by Robin’s daughter, Clare Matthews.
We continue to strive to work with our tenant farmers and graziers to achieve our ambitions around nature-friendly farming for the longterm management of our land.
This criterion is clear in our newer Farm Business Tenancy agreements
the purposes of this policy, we are the data controller of personal data provided to us. We are a UK company specialising in providing information services including news, analysis, data, pricing, insight and market intelligence to agribusiness professionals across the globe. This policy sets out how we do this and applies the use of your personal data that you disclose to us by entering into our competition to win £200 for the Stockjudging Competition or £20 Love2Shop vouchers for the weekly Crossword Competition, referred to throughout this statement as the “Competitions”. How we collect your information: We collect the personal data you have provided to us by filling in the form on our website www.fginsight.com OR printed form when entering the Competitions. If you have entered the Competitions via our site we may also collect some technical information about how you use our site, for example, the type of device you are using, your operating system, IP address, uniform resource locator (URL), clickstream and length of visit. How we use the information you provide: We will use your personal information: • to administer the Competitions, on the basis that the use of your personal data for this purpose will be necessary to enter you into the competitions and, if you are successful, contact you to notify you of your prize; and, • if you are new to Farmers Guardian and where you have agreed to this, to provide you with news and updates from time to time about our services; and, if at any point in the future you do not wish to receive any news and updates from us or from, you can unsubscribe from our marketing list at any time by following the steps below. To unsubscribe from any communications using the link on the email we send you or by emailing us at dataprotection@farmersguardian.com. We will not use your information for any purposes except those listed in this policy without letting you know and getting your permission, if necessary, first. Who do we share your information with? We will not disclose your information to any third parties without your consent, except where: • it is necessary to enable any of our staff, employees, agents, contractors, suppliers or commercial partners to provide a service to us or to perform a function on our behalf; • we have a legal obligation to disclose your information (for example, if a court orders us to); or • there is a sale or purchase of any business assets, or where Farmers Guardian or any of its group companies are being acquired by a third party. Where we use third parties as described above to process your personal information, we will ensure that they have adequate security measures in place to safeguard your personal information. For how long do we keep your personal information? We keep your personal information for 36 months for the purposes for which it was collected or for any period for which we are required to keep personal information to comply with our legal and regulatory requirements, or until you ask us to delete your personal information. Your rights: You have a number of rights in relation to your personal information. These include the right to: • find out how we process your personal information; • request that your personal information is corrected if you believe it is incorrect or inaccurate; • obtain restriction on our, or object to, processing of your personal information; • ask us not to
and we work very closely with those tenants wherever possible in more traditional Agricultural Holdings Act Tenancies to farm in a sustainable/ nature-friendly manner.
We make no secret of the fact that this is our preferred approach to farming, which is critical if we are to meet our ambitious goals for nature and climate, while staying true to our constitutional purpose.
For farming to have a sustainable future, we need to ensure nature and food production go hand in hand.
We firmly believe that the choice is not nature or food, we need both.
We work with 1,450 tenant farmers and graziers and, unfortunately, there are times when our ambitions for the land – guided by our charitable purpose – and the tenant’s ambitions and objectives do end up being different.
In these cases, we may re-let to another tenant or take land back inhand until we decide the best course of action. These cases are few and far between, with fewer than 1.5% of all tenancies taken back in the last 18 months.
Getting the balance right to ensure we are producing enough food while looking after nature is important, as anyone in the farming industry knows. Nature is key for the long-term future of sustainable farming in the UK.
Giles Hunt, Land and estates director, National Trust.
Emily Ashworth Online Editor – emily.ashworth@agriconnect.com
This week sees Farmers Guardian launch a new campaign, Save Britain’s Family Farms, in response to last week’s Autumn Budget announcement which revealed Labour is putting a £1 million cap on Agricultural Property Relief.
Farmers have since come out in droves, worried about what it means for the future of their businesses, but the other conversation hovering over all of this is about the value those at the top put on food.
Germany was threatening our food security, but with the ‘Grow Your Own’ rhetoric and the work of farmers and the Women’s Land Army, that figure was pretty much reversed.
What we need is a robust supply chain, supported by all, from the top to the bottom. Some of the comments on social media from those outside the industry have been hard to read, and if society does not back those who work tirelessly to put food on our plates, there is no chance of change.
‘Farmers
Is there a true understanding of how the countryside really works?
how the countryside really works?
Sunday (November 10), there is
It is said that during World War II we were much closer to starving ourselves into submission than anyone dares to think about – before the war, Britain imported around 70% of its food.
Seemingly not, and as Remembrance Day approaches on Sunday (November 10), there is no better time to focus on what happens when the country forgets about feeding itself.
Growing up: I have always been involved with farming as my dad used to be a dairy farmer and I have grown up on a smallholding since I was young. We have around 40 sheep, lots of chickens, and nine horses and ponies, and I love being outside and caring for all the different animals.
Growing up in Norfolk has meant I have always felt very ‘farmy’. Alongside being home-schooled and working towards my GCSEs, my love of farming has enabled me to work at a local farm directly with the animals as well as my family’s farm shop.
Local produce: I love working at the farm shop, Shadowthorpe
Farm Shop, in Creake Abbey, Norfolk, as it is great to sell local produce to local customers.
We sell local meat, fish, milk and cheese, and it is great to supply Norfolk produce while meeting lots of people in the farming community. The farm I work at is a public farm and it is great to see children who have not grown up on farms experience the animals. We have sheep, pigs, cows and chickens.
The best time of year is during lambing when we do public lamb feeding. That is one of my favourite parts about the farm, bottle feeding newborn lambs.
College: After my GCSEs, I want to go to agricultural college. I am
also going to stay and continue to work on the farm.
This is not just about food security either; this is about national health, which farmers can play a huge part in, providing nutritious food to the country; it is about jobs, and it is about countryside management.
tious food to the country; it is about we could take it further and stand in our story our glorious countryside. Let us learn from history and not repeat it.
As the country stands in solidarity on Sunday, remembering what those during the war did for us, perhaps we could take it further and stand in solidarity with our farmers, who for generations have created the story of our glorious countryside. Let us learn from history and not repeat it.
Hard work is something farming teaches you from a young age.
Everyday I see farmers working really hard and I never see farmers getting the attention they deserve.
I really think that farmers deserve more attention; I think
Poppy Whyman-Naveh, 15, is a student from Norfolk. She lives at home on her family’s smallholding and is studying for her GCSEs while also working at a public farm and her family’s farm shop.
we [farmers] are just expected to produce food for people to eat and get on with it without any real thanks.
People do expect quite a lot, don’t they?
Future: Looking to the future, I would definitely love to live on a dairy farm with some land so I can have some sheep as well. I love talking to my dad about when he used to work with cows, and I am really interested in calf rearing.
MORE INFORMATION
If you would like to be featured, email chris.brayford@agriconnect.com
Edited by Alex Black – 07880 490 486 – alex.black@agriconnect.com
For more business content, go to farmersguardian.com/farm-business-news-hub
By Alex Black and Rachael Brown
ARLA has announced a 2.66ppl rise in its conventional price from November 1, with the UK organic milk price up by 1.78ppl.
This means the UK manufacturing price for conventional milk will increase to 47.65ppl and organic milk to 57.64ppl.
For December, Muller and Saputo held their prices, with Muller at 42.25ppl and Saputo at 43ppl.
First Milk has announced that from December 1 its member milk price will increase by 1.5ppl to 45.35ppl for its manufacturing standard litre, including the member premium. Vice-chair and farmer director Mike Smith acknowledged the ‘strong’ dairy markets and said the business was ‘continuing to deliver healthy returns’.
Result
Outside the UK, the Global Dairy Trade auction was up 4.8% on November 5, the second highest increase this year, which dairy analyst Chris Walkland said was a good result for global sentiment.
He said processors in the UK were
TESCO, Arla and Muller have launched the Future Dairy Partnership in a move the companies said aimed to put sustainability at the heart of the dairy industry.
Announcing the partnership, the companies highlighted uncertainty regarding the future of the dairy industry, which was already leading to a reduced supply of milk.
Tesco, Arla and Muller have pledged to bring together organisations from across the dairy industry to reduce on-farm emissions by 30% by 2030.
All 400 of Tesco’s Sustainable Dairy Group farmers across the UK will be part of the initiative.
paying a premium on global commodity markets, so any lift was a positive.
Looking forward, he expected prices to remain steady in January.
He said: “If UK and GB volumes continue as they are, 3 to 4% higher, that is going to impact on the quarter one milk price.”
He added this could put pressure on for February and March.
“Northern Ireland is seemingly up a lot,” he added, although he highlighted much of this would be headed south of the border with lower volumes in Ireland.
Dairy farmers supplying Muller have expressed frustration about the
PROFITS dropped at H&H Group in the year ending June 30, 2024, but the group has hailed an ‘outstanding’ performance for its core agricultural business.
H&H achieved a record-breaking gross turnover of £250 million. However, it was a more challenging year for the group’s estate agency and print and signage sectors, with the group set to focus on its agricultural business going forward.
The results show an overall oper-
hold from the company for December, with Cheshire farmer and Co-op Muller supplier Richard Yarwood disappointed that Muller seemed to be underperforming compared to Arla and First Milk. He said this was despite being the dominate supplier of liquid milk to the big retailers.
“It may be fixed on price for longer terms; to be fair their price held up better last year,” he said.
“The reality is that retail milk only went up in spring 2022 when Arla announced they were prepared to divert milk to higher-value markets than UK retailers.”
Gloucestershire dairy farmer Rob
The partnership will include onfarm projects, such as the trial and roll-out of methane-reducing feed additives, as well as exploring new levers through a dedicated farmer focus group.
The partnership will also review how to upscale these innovations for adoption across the UK dairy industry.
A sector-wide report will be produced highlighting the ‘pathway to more sustainable dairy’.
A sustainable dairy blueprint will provide farmers with clear guidelines on sustainability targets and ethical practices, while ensuring farmers and processors have the flexibility to select the methods which best suit their operation.
Cullimore, who left Muller in June, said he had lost patience with the processor for ‘not paying a fair price’.
“They have profited off the back of record cream prices and farmers have not seen enough of it,” he added.
ating profit of £1,328,000 for the year, down from £1,880,000 in 2023. Profit before tax, but after increased interest costs and a revaluation adjustment, was £502,000.
There was a ‘substantial loss’ for its H&H Reeds, its marketing business, with H&H in the process of concluding its sale to the management team after deciding it no longer fit with its ‘predominantly rural-focused strategy’.
Chief executive Richard Rankin acknowledged the profit figures
were disappointing after two record years.
“But if you had offered this result five years ago, I would have been very happy,” he said.
Mr Rankin said the success of the livestock side of the business was not down to high prices achieved for stock, but the volume of livestock and the trust of both sellers and buyers in the business.
He added the success was down to
the staff who worked in the marts, who he said were some of the best in the business.
Mr Rankin was also optimistic about next year after a good first quarter of trading, despite the uncertainty across the sector as a whole.
He acknowledged the impact of Budget changes to employers’ expenses, but was confident in the business’ ability to meet that challenge as they had done with previous minimum wage rises.
● Supplies could increase in future
By Alex Black
AGRICULTURAL Property Relief
(APR) has long been one of the attractions of purchasing farmland for investors, with more land also potentially being brought to market as farming families look to sell land to pay off the tax liabilities.
Robert Sullivan, head of farm busi-
ness at GSC Grays, said the impact would probably hinge on two factors.
“The first is whether buyers who previously prized 100% APR will find the low returns on investment unpalatable in the light of the reduced relief and start to exit the sector,” he said.
“The second is whether supply increases as the attraction of retaining land in retirement lessens.
“One significant plus for land values is that there appears to be no
Availability of farmland could be affected by changes to Inheritance Tax in the Budget.
removal of holdover or rollover relief, keeping those purchasers in the market.”
Sam Holt, head of estates and farm agency at Strutt & Parker, said: “The potential to benefit from APR has been one of the many tax advantages of buying UK farmland, so a change in the reliefs on offer will have some impact.
“If farming businesses need to sell land to pay for inheritance tax liabilities, then this will bring more land to the market and, if there are fewer tax
DEFRA has announced a much more rapid phase-out of the de-linked Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments for farmers in England than was previously expected.
Jonathan Armitage, Strutt and Parker head of farming, said: “Most farmers had been expecting a continuation of the existing path to a zero payment by 2028.
“In fact, no farmer will receive more than £7,200 from next year.
“For a farmer who received a payment of £100,000 (about 429 hectares) in 2020, the total payment will
be more than £40,000 less over the period 2025-2027 than anticipated.”
He highlighted this meant there were now ‘significant differences’ between the devolved nations.
Nick Mullins, chartered surveyor and environment adviser for H&H Land and Estates, highlighted the fastest subsidy reductions would apply to those who historically received the largest payment, with those who got more than £100,000 in 2020 receiving no more than £8,000 by 2025.
He said: “In contrast, most farm-
ers, who began with less than £10,000 in payments, will see a gradual reduction in their delinked payments, but will continue to have access to funding through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and other schemes.”
For 2025, the Rural Payments Agency will apply a 76% reduction to the first £30,000 of a payment, while making no payments for any portion of a payment above £30,000.
“This should surely see increases to SFI and stewardship rates, but we cannot predict this,” Mr Mullins added.
Welsh beef farmer is crowned
incentives to buy or own farmland, then demand may ease in some areas. Tax is not the foremost driver of land prices, but it is an important factor.”
Richard Gadd, head of farms agency at Fisher German, said he expected more farms to be considering potential sales of the whole farm, or parts of their holdings, over the next few years.
“The move may well affect farmland values in time if supply does increase dramatically, but to what extent remains to be seen,” he said.
“We expect a softening in demand from a proportion of buyers who are seeking land and agricultural holdings with inheritance tax reliefs in mind or where agricultural property relief is the principal driver.”
Mr Sullivan added: “For the let sector, the supply of let land may increase, with the advantage of farming in hand now much diminished in many cases.
“Whether that translates to excess supply putting downward pressure on rents is a very different question, given how influential farm profitability has become on tendered rents.”
with Philip Cosgrave Agronomist, Yara UK Ltd.
Dylan and Wyn Jones, from Castellior, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, were announced as the winners of the British Grassland Society Grassland Farmer of the Year competition for 2024. The announcement was made at an Awards Dinner jointly hosted by BGS and the East of Scotland Grassland Society at The Park Hotel, Peebles on Wednesday 23 October. The competition and the Awards Evening are kindly sponsored by Yara, Germinal, and Nufarm.
Dylan and his father Wyn, who are members of Anglesey Grassland Society, farm just over 330 ha and finish 1,500 beef steers per year. Mainly Holstein, with some dairy crosses are bought in at 16 – 24 months of age weighing 420 – 480 kg. Around 100 – 150 of the cattle are weighed weekly and are sold when daily live weight gain (DLWG) falls towards 1.0 kg. The
finishing period is 92 – 140 days with an average DLWG of 1.7 kg/day. They are sold at 630 – 680 kg with carcass weights of 310 – 380 kg.
The farm is self-sufficient with barley and peas grown on the farm. These are crimped and fed to cattle along with silage made from red clover, and Westerwolds in a multi-cut system. A typical rotation on the farm is winter barley, spring barley, followed by two-to-three-year leys.
The competition is always hotly contested, and this year was no exception. The judging panel commented that all the farms were at the top their game and were worthy of being in the final three. The runners-up were Philip and David Clarke from Fermanagh Grassland Club and Peter Done from Cheshire Grassland Society. You can read more about these three farms on www.yara.co.uk
According to AF’s latest annual Aginflation Index, in the year ended September 30, the average cost reduction across fuel, fertiliser, crop protection and electricity costs was 2.59%.
By Alex Black
FUEL, fertiliser, crop protection and electricity costs have fallen this year, but farmers have seen
rises in the cost of seed, machinery, labour and contract hire.
According to AF’s latest annual Aginflation Index, in the year ended September 30, the average cost reduction was 2.59%, but this showed only part of the story.
AF chief executive David Horton-Fawkes said: “Although the
MORRISONS has announced its suppliers will receive a 5% discount, alongside other commitments, as it says it stands ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with UK farming.
The retailer said it has committed more than £1.4 billion towards British farming for 2025.
All Morrisons livestock suppliers who provide lamb, beef and pork; egg farmers and fruit and veg growers who supply Morrisons directly; and dairy farmers with a Morrisons contract will be eligible for the discount.
Rami Baitieh, Morrisons’ chief executive, said farmers were ‘some of the unsung heroes of our society’.
He said: “As British farming’s single biggest direct customer and in light of the recent Budget, our £1.4bn investment in UK farming demonstrates our core commitment to longterm relationships through contracts, cashflow schemes and practical industry support.”
He highlighted the ‘For Farmers’
range had raised more than £25 million to date, with additional products to be considered for the range in the coming months.
Uniquely, Morrisons’ manufacturing business, Myton Food Group, has provided cashflow support for cattle farmers for years – currently £11m worth of cattle are funded by the company, helping farmers manage their budgets and grow their businesses.
It highlighted it had also invested in the Royal Countryside Fund’s Farm Resilience Programme.
Earlier this year, Morrisons announced a Farmers’ Council which will meet with Morrisons’ chief executive and board twice yearly to discuss Morrisons’ role in working with British farmers to deliver long-term and sustainable farming partnerships.
The next meeting will take place in December, ahead of the busy Christmas period.
headline fall in aginflation over the last year is encouraging, the devil is in the detail. Our members are running their businesses on wafer thin margins and there is a big impact in small differences.”
He added it was also good to see retail prices beginning to reflect costs of production.
For cereals and oilseed rape, costs of growing were down 2.16%, while the retail price index (RPI) for bread and margarine increased by almost 4%.
Costs to produce potatoes increased by 1.5% compared to 2022/23, but the RPI for potatoes increased by 19.25%, driven by lower volumes in store from a difficult 2023 harvest.
Sugar beet production costs have increased slightly in the year to September 2024 by 0.35%, and the price of granulated sugar in the shops has increased again, but only by 1.74%.
The total area of UK sugar beet
in the ground this year is the highest for over three years, at just over 100,000 hectares, perhaps driven by optimism about year-on-year margin improvements for this crop.
The cost of dairy farming has been boosted by the drop in energy costs from record highs, as well as a 5% fall in feed and medicine costs, to contribute to overall deflation in inputs measured at 3.53%. However, milk prices paid by consumers have not increased.
Beef and lamb production costs were down 2.36%, while the retail price of minced beef and lamb increased by nearly 5% over the same period.
The gap between farm input costs and retail prices continues to narrow. According to AF, the RPI is lying almost parallel with – but still significantly below – increased farm input costs.
ESTIMATED costs of pig production have dropped by 5p/kg in quarter three, according to AHDB.
The full economic cost of production for Q3 2024 was estimated at 190p/kg deadweight, with margins per slaughter pig estimated at £19.40 per head and 21.90p/kg deadweight.
Feed costs have fallen in this quarter and now make up an estimated 61% of total costs, which is a fall of around 5p/kg deadweight since Q2 2024. The reduction in
feed costs has made up the majority of the fall in cost of production.
Energy and fuel prices have also been easing, as have building and finance costs.
There has been a slight rise in other variable costs which include breeding and veterinary costs and maintenance costs.
Pig prices have remained consistent with the first half of 2024 with the All Pig Price at around 212p/kg in Q3 of 2024.
By Jane Thynne
FARMERS in Valencia are facing a difficult future after thousands of acres of crops have been washed away in the recent floods.
More than 215 people are thought to have lost their lives after Storm Dana tore through the eastern province bringing a year’s worth of rain in just eight hours.
As well as the devastating loss of life, thousands of hectares of produce have been destroyed, leaving farmers facing a bleak outlook. Valencia and the surrounding regions of Almeria and Andalusia grow most of Spain’s fresh produce, including more than 60% of the country’s citrus fruits, along with rice and other cereals.
Valencian Agricultural Producers’ Association AVA-ASAJA said it expected ‘significant damage’ as fields of citrus, persimmons, vegetables, vines and other crops have been lost. However, the extent of the damage remained uncertain as farmers have not yet been able to access their fields.
According to AVA-ASAJA, the year-long drought – one of the worst in the country’s history – had left farmland so dry it could not absorb excess water leaving many citrus, persimmon and vegetable farms flooded.
The organisation has appealed for the Government to act quickly.
A statement said: “ASAJA requests the Ministry of Agriculture, as soon as access to the farms is possible, speed up appraisals of the affected crops and compensate as soon as possible. At the same time, it will be necessary to arbitrate direct aid, as well as fiscal measures, aimed at alleviating the losses.”
This week, the Minister of Agricul-
ture, Fisheries and Food Luis Planas met Valencia’s regional agriculture minister Miguel Barrachina to analyse the effects of the flood on the agricultural sector and promised farmers they had the ministry’s ‘full support’.
Mr Planas pledged his ‘solidarity and support’ for all those affected, particularly the relatives of those who died in the floods and sought to reassure rural communities that the Government ‘is on the side of the Valencian Community’.
A statement from the ministry said: “The ministry is waiting to have a first estimate of the damage caused by the flood on agricultural farms. The objective is to recover normality in agricultural and livestock production as soon as possible.”
An urgent meeting of Spain’s climate change agency has been called to examine the situation caused by Storm Dana across the regions of Valencia, Andalusia, Catalonia and Castilla-La Mancha.
THE first case of H5N1 bird flu has been found in a pig in the US, in a backyard farm in Oregon.
Officials have emphasised that the risk to the country’s pork supply and public health remained minimal, but it raised concerns among experts about the potential of pigs to host infections
which could be more transmissible to humans.
The farm remains under quarantine with additional testing on two pigs ongoing and other farm animals under close surveillance.
The farm set up with pigs and poultry sharing resources had likely facilitated the transmission of H5N1.
With consumers looking for options to buy directly from farmers, Hollie Blockley and George Sturla give their tips on getting started. Farmers Guardian reports.
Meat boxes sold directly to the public can provide the satisfaction of selling direct to consumers and engaging with the public enjoying the fresh produce.
That was the message from Hollie Blockley and George Sturla, founders
of meat box business Beeches Meats based in Flint, North Wales.
Ms Blockley said the business can be rewarding ‘both financially and personally’, but there were a number of factors to consider including a large amount of hidden administration time.
She offered five tips for others interested in diversifying in this way.
1
Find a reliable abattoir and butcher
As many small abattoirs and butchers have faced challenging economic headwinds, farmers may need to look further afield.
Farmers were advised to speak to some similar businesses to compare the services offered, such as vacuum packing and costs.
Ms Blockley added: “You will then need to build a good relationship with them as you are going to be relying on them significantly for your meat box business.”
2 Consider the seasonality
While Christmas and Easter are the busiest times of year, customers expect boxes to be available regularly throughout the year.
“After trying our meat, some customers say they would never go back to buying meat any other way. While this is a huge compliment, it adds a pressure to make sure that you can deliver this,” she said.
“Meat box businesses need to take a whole year planning approach.
“Offering frozen produce can help solve this problem, but could impact cashflow due to storing product for longer, as well as farmers needing to consider food hygiene standards.”
3 Take payments in advance or ask for a deposit
Customers may order a box, but when the delivery date arrives they may change their mind if they have lost interest or do not have room in the freezer.
“This can be very frustrating as you are then ‘stuck’ with meat which has a short shelf life and have to quickly find a new customer.
“We ask for the full amount or a £20 deposit from customers which avoids this issue,” Ms Blockley said.
4 Use social media
Many farms offer meat boxes, so the offering must stand out.
Rather than simply selling meat, businesses should be selling customers the story of buying direct from the farm, with full traceability.
This could include highlighting low food miles, grass-fed production or other unique selling points.
“When posting photos on social media, you need to find the right balance between showing the customer where their food comes from, while not ‘putting them off’,” she added.
“Customers still like some element of mystery when it comes to the facts of where their food comes from.
“For example, be careful of posting cute newborn lamb photos while advertising lamb boxes.”
5 Consider quality
Do not sell meat if it is not of the quality expected.
“For example, sometimes lambs can come back appearing too lean and it is not the quality that you would expect yourself,” Ms Blockley said.
“It is best to put this away in your own personal freezer rather than sell it to a customer.”
If a customer has a bad experience, it can put them off from trusting the business again, despite previous positive experiences, she added.
Edited by Angela Calvert – 07768 796 492 – angela.calvert@agriconnect.com
For more features, go to farmersguardian.com/farm-life
Rich and Jen Oglesby realised a long-held ambition when they secured their first farm on a contract farming agreement in 2023. Wendy Short finds out more.
The Oglesbys’ overriding aim is to operate a simple, low-input system at Colt Park Farm, and part of the plan is a switch to the use of wool-shedding rams for their 1,730-ewe flock. They also sell store cattle from the spring-calving suckler herd, as well as finishing the calves from 100 red deer hinds on contract.
The ring-fenced farm near Rothbury, Northumberland, covers 580 hectares (1,450 acres). It presents a stark contrast to their previous farming business, which started with a few dozen sheep on mainly rented land parcels. They moved their 850 ewes to the farm to replace the existing flock, as well as taking over the cattle and deer herds on-site.
The ewes are divided into ‘A’ and
■ Socialmediaprofile:R.andJ.
OglesbyFarming
■ 580hectares(1,450acres)
■ 1,730ewes
■ 460ewelambs
■ 100Aberdeen-Angussucklercows
■ 100reddeerhinds
■ Equalthirds:ploughableland,
‘B’ flocks, says Rich, a former National Sheep Association Next Generation ambassador.
He says: “We have always been focused on the Lleyn, but since autumn 2023, the ‘A’ ewe group has been put to the wool-shedding UltiMate composite, developed by Graham Lofthouse of Galashiels.
permanentpasture,roughgrazing
■ Contractorsareemployedfor mostoperations
■ ThefarmisintheCountryside StewardshipandSustainable FarmingIncentiveschemes,with only60ha(148acres)notcovered byanagreement
“The goal is to produce a whitefaced, maternal breeding ewe which will lamb outside without intervention, and the 2024 ewe lambs have grown on well. We have also bought an additional 600 EasyCare ewes to make up the numbers.
“The wool-shedding trait fits in with our policy of minimising labour input.
It is not only shearing that can be avoided, but also crutching and tail docking, as well as the reduced risk of fly strike. Breeding for wool-shedding is a long-term project, and it could take five to 10 years before it is fully successful.”
Meanwhile, the ‘B’ flock of Lleyns and cross-breds goes to the New Zealand Suftex. Their progeny, along with the white-faced ram lambs, is marketed as stores or finished as prime lamb.
“In order to maintain the fertility of replacement females, they are run with the maternal rams for 18 days and then go to the Suftex,” says Rich.
“Breeding females are only drawn from animals which become pregnant
in the first cycle. The routine makes it easy for us to select white-headed lambs for retention and put speckledfaced lambs into the store/finishing group.”
This autumn, 800 ewes have been put to the EasyCare composite to continue with the ‘hands-off’ sheep management practice. In addition, 300 ewe lambs are mated with a Shetland ram and Rich describes the breed as ‘easy-lambing, with good growth rates’.
Ewes and lambs are set-stocked pre-lambing for the first eight weeks and then moved on to a rotational grazing system. Following the selection of replacements, the lamb group is split roughly 50:50 into stores, which are sold privately, and finished lambs for deadweight marketing.
The free-draining land permits the out-wintering of the 100 Aberdeen-Angus suckler cows on a combination of deferred and bale grazing, and the cows are only brought into the housing a few days before calving in mid-March. After turnout, they follow the sheep on the rotational grazing pattern, which uses 3-4ha (eight to 10-acre) fields.
“The suckler cows are run very differently from the previous management system, which operated winter housing and set stocking,” says Rich.
“Store calf weights averaged 328kg in 2023, and the youngstock are housed for a brief period for containment during the separation process at weaning in November, before being sold privately.”
Progeny from the June-calving red deer hinds is finished off on grass and sold on a contract with Dovecote Park.
“The three stags run with the hinds for six weeks and the calves leave the farm at 18 months,” says Rich.
“The price of venison has not been favourable in recent times, and although we enjoy working with the deer, the profitability of the enterprise is under review. Any future decisions will be taken in consultation with our contract farming partners.”
The unit is run on a rolling five-year contract farming agreement with the owners, Michael and Samantha Orde. Rich and Jen provide machinery and labour, including paying the employee’s wages. They have retained ownership of the sheep, while the cattle and deer continue to belong to the property owners. Their income is calculated as a percentage of the annual business profit.
“A long-term approach is essential when running a farm,” says Rich.
“We cannot make future decisions on the basis that the arrangement could finish after five years. However,
I would advise anyone who wants to take on a farm to network as much as possible. It helped us immensely
RICH OGLESBY
our business partners are very supportive, and we have regular meetings. Major changes would only be made after consultation, and they have been enthusiastic about the developments, including the planting of 6,000 metres of new hedges and an overhaul of the grazing plan.”
Achieving a satisfactory work/life balance is important to the pair.
“The scale of the business has allowed us to take on a full-time shepherd, who lives in the cottage on-site,” says Rich.
“There is a weekend rota, and we can go on holiday together knowing that the livestock are in safe hands.’’
Rich and Jen are enthusiastic about sharing their farming lives with the public and with other producers. They regularly post updates on social media and hosted three farm walks in 2024.
Jen has recently started ‘Farmer Time,’ which involves regular Zoom meetings with a primary school class to teach children about food provenance and sustainable production.
Jen has continued with her full-time job since the move. She is employed as a farm trader and small seeds manager, specialising in grass and cover crop mix sales. Rich has no farming background, although he grew up in the countryside.
His interest was fuelled by being allowed to keep four sheep on his grandfather’s 0.4ha (one-acre) property while at school. His parents subsequently acquired a 2.4ha (sixacre) holding, which became a base for expanding the business.
“I have known that I wanted to farm ever since I can remember, and I obtained a degree in agricultural management,” he says.
“At 18, Jen went to New Zealand to work on a sheep farm to further her knowledge of grassland management, also gaining some experience with a deer herd.”
Prior to moving to Colt Park, Rich
and Jen had built up flock numbers and were also finishing 120 store cattle annually, with land rented on various rental arrangements and spread across 22 individual holdings near their home town of Market Weighton, East Yorkshire. They got together in 2020 and married in spring 2022.
The couple have an ongoing plan to expand their acreage and they are currently in negotiations to take on a local 121ha (300-acre) arable unit.
Rich says: “The owners are interested in some of the arable land being converted to sheep grazing with herbal leys and we are hopeful that we will be able to take it on.
“Having a lowland finishing farm would be a fantastic addition to Colt Park. It would enable us to finish a greater number of lambs over a shorter period and possibly finish our home-bred steers.
“I would advise anyone who wants to take on a farm to network as much as possible. It has helped us immensely and it was through my Henry Plumb Foundation scholarship that we met Northumberland farmers Duncan and Angus Nelless, who have inspired us and influenced our farming practices.
“Colt Park’s owners had asked the brothers whether they knew anyone who might be interested in taking on the unit, and the rest is history.”
The ewes on-farm are divided into an ‘A’ flock (pictured) and ‘B’ flock, with the ‘A’ ewes put to the wool-shedding UltiMate composite.
wool-shedding trait
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Edited by Alice Dyer – 07966 445 458 – alice.dyer@agriconnect.com
For more arable content, go to farmersguardian.com/arable-news-hub
Keeping pace with weed populations was a key theme at this year’s British Crop Production Council Weeds Review conference. Alice Dyer reports.
INTEGRATED weed management (IWM) has been in focus now for many years, but Dr Jon Storkey, weed ecologist at Rothamsted Research, said a ‘next-level’ approach was now needed to tackle the growing problem of herbicide resistance.
Speaking at the 61st annual British Crop Production Council Weeds Review in Cambridge, he said: “We are now looking beyond integrated pest management to see if there is something more we should be doing.
“We need to think about a more holistic, landscape-wide approach which considers soil health and other parts of the whole system as well.”
This included a move away from ‘controlling weeds’ to ‘regulating weed communities’, he said.
“One of the ideas behind that is a more diverse and even weed community will be less competitive in a crop,” he said.
“I do not subscribe to a zero-tolerance approach [to weeds].
“If management around the crop varies, you will have a more functionally diverse weed community which will be less adaptive to compete with that crop.”
An analysis from Rothamsted’s long-running Broadbalk experiment, which looked at contrasting weed communities from different fertiliser applications, found plots with fewer weed species and lower weed diversity suffered more from competition.
This was because they tended to be dominated by more competitive weed species and therefore yield was impacted more.
Dr Storkey said: “Under current systems, we reach for a herbicide bottle first, then we use IWM and
integrate that, and then think of ecology last.”
The idea of landscape-scale crop management is well illustrated in the four-year ASSIST project, a large-scale field experiment across three fields on 14 commercial farms, which focuses on ecosystem services and how they can help to regulate pest, weed and disease pressure.
In the study, ecosystems in fields were enhanced by introducing habitats including field margins and in-field strips to increase the permeability of beneficial insects to crops.
The project measured all aspects of the field ecosystem, including weed populations, pests, predation and pollination.
A full report from the ASSIST project findings was still being collated, but preliminary results showed positive results.
Dr Storkey said: “It takes several years for habitats to establish, mature and deliver benefits, but we are seeing that being reflected in yields.”
From a weed perspective, the interaction between the landscape effects on populations was very relevant, and margins at the edges of fields behaved well as a barrier to preventing weed ingress, he said.
“How we manage the field edge affects inside the field. The margin species do not become a problem in the field, but they act as a buffer against weeds coming in from the edge.
“From an agri-environmental perspective, where we sow a nice barrier margin with ox-eye daisy and knapweed, it tends to persist because it does not get degraded
Herbicide-focused system Integrated control system
Reactivetoemergingproblematicweeds Preventsanyweedspeciesbecomingdominant Implementedwithinsinglecroppingseason Implementedacrosswholecroppingsystem Focusedonindividualweedspecies Aimstomanagewholeweedcommunity Dependentonherbicidesasmaincontroltool Usesherbicidesasoneoptioninanintegratedsystem Understandbiologyoftargetspeciesandoptimisecontrolof Understandimpactofcontrastingmanagementsystemson individualspecies compositionandimpactofweedcommunity Measure of success: Reducedabundanceoreradicationof Measure of success: Increasedfunctionaldiversityofweed targetspecies flora,reducedimpactofweedsinanysinglegrowingseason
Source: Dr Jon Storkey, Advances in understanding weed community growth and dynamics
by ingress of bromes, brambles and nettles from the edge,” Dr Storkey said.
WITHherbicidesthemost-used formofweedcontrol,researchers arewarningofresistancenowbeing seeninawiderrangeofactives.
Tenyearsago,theBlack-grass ResistanceInitiative(BGRI)took black-grassseedsamplesfrom 180fieldsacross60different farmsforresistancetesting.
Itfound77%resistantto mesosulfuron+iodosulfuron, 90%resistanttofenoxaprop,60% resistanttocycloxydim,and79% ofthe132populationswereresistant toallthreeherbicides.
In2014and2018,thesame fieldswerescreenedforflufenacet andglyphosateresistance.
RothamstedweedecologistLaura Crooksaid:“Wecanveryclearly seeashiftinsensitivitytoflufenacet atfieldrate,withinjustfouryears.
“Forglyphosate,there wasnoevidenceofglyphosate resistancecurrently.However,we knowfromglasshouseexperiments, populationsvaryinsensitivity andrepeatedglyphosateusedoes selectforblack-grasspopulations whicharetoughertocontrol withglyphosate.”
From exclusive dinners to yoga in the vineyard – one Hertfordshire farm has ambitious plans as the UK wine industry flourishes. Farmers Guardian reports.
The vines arrived and the rest is history.
Those are the words of Hannah Buisman – one of many farmers across the UK to take the step into the wine industry by diversifying their farming business to create a vineyard.
Lockley Farm, a traditional arable family farm in Hertfordshire which focused on wheat, barley, oats and beans, has been in the family for 35 years, with Hannah being the second generation.
Her parents and partner are also heavily involved in the venture.
Lockley Farm has always been a place of ambition and the idea of planting a vineyard was a long-held dream that became a reality in 2022, thanks to a combination of favourable climate changes and Hannah’s return to the farm during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We knew we wanted to be growers, but we wanted to make our prices rather than take them,” said Hannah.
“This was a way to have a crop where we could set the price and something we were genuinely interested in, as opposed to other diversifications such as a solar park for example.”
After approaching a number of different consultants who did all the analysis and ‘checked out the farm,’ the family decided it was time to give their plans the green light.
The Buisman family planted their vines in 2022 with a mix of pinot noir, pinot meunier, Chardonnay and pinot noir precose grapes.
“We decided fairly quickly that we wanted to go ahead so after the wheat came off in 2021, we started the soil prep for the vineyard. After that it was nine months of further prep time.”
The first vines were planted on the six-hectare plot in May 2022, and Lokkelebery Vineyard was born.
Producing mainly still rose wines alongside English sparkling, the Buisman family opted for pinot noir, pinot meunier, Chardonnay and pinot noir precose grape varieties.
After a labour-intensive period of nurturing the vines, they managed to produce fruit in just their second year.
Hannah says: “I think because we have got so much else on, you do not really think about it.
“It feels like it has gone so quickly and suddenly we have wine on the way.
“We are listening to the environment. If it says we can produce a sparkling but not a still wine, then so be it. We are not going to force it.”
For Hannah and Lockley Farm, the future looks bright and full of ideas.
Already offering tours of the vineyard, they want it to become a hub for fine wine, food, the arts and wellness.
She said: “We want to explore those
DIVERSIFICATIONintovineyardshas proventobeapopularrouteformany, andthelargestEnglishvineyards increasedtheirrevenuesby15%last year,accordingtoNFUMutual.
It is an industry that has seen mass growth over recent years, with the sector’s output rising by 77% last year to 161,960hl, which is the equivalent to 21.6 million bottles.
DavidHarrison,viticulture specialistatNFUMutual,expects continuedgrowthandknowsthe importanceofthatupwardtrajectory.
“Vineyardsandwineriesarea
areas. From yoga in the vineyard to developing a wine club.
“We would like to develop a wine club where members would have access to exclusive dinners with a chef and sit in the vineyard, creating memorable experiences connected with local food producers.
“We definitely have big plans for the vineyard, but it will always remain very much focused on that ‘supporting local farmers’ mission.
“It is not an easy industry. I think people think it is a quick, big earner –but it is a heavy investment and you need a lot of time.
“You have got to be passionate about it and love what you are doing.”
growingandimportantbusiness withintheUK,”saysDavid.
“The latest figures from WineGB show there was an increase of 74% in the number of vineyards and wineries in the UK over the last five years – with just shy of 4,000 hectares under vine in Britain.
“Thisisstillincreasingasthe popularityofwinetourismgrows.
“Weexpectwinetourismto experiencewidespreadgrowthas peoplefrombothBritainandabroad continuetovisitourvineyardsforthat luxuryandinformativeexperience.”
● Call comes as cropping area falls 37%
By Jane Thynne
A DRAMATIC fall in the bean cropping area has been blamed on multiple factors including a challenging growing season and changes to Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) options.
According to Defra’s latest agricultural land use statistics, the total cropping area for field beans fell from 208,154 hectares to 131,718ha – a reduction of 37% for 2024.
The Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) says many factors have contributed to the reported fall, including last autumn’s wet weather, which stifled drilling for many, and fieldwork challenges experienced during spring 2024, which it says led to some abandoning plans to establish beans altogether.
The group also states that SFI options have displaced break crops in the rotation.
PGRO chief executive Roger Vickers says: “After a difficult year and harvest, it is no surprise many farmers have turned to the SFI – farmers need to do what is best for their business and we agree that they should be paid for providing positive environmental outcomes.”
However, the organisation questioned the figures supplied by Defra, suggesting the size of the sample belies the true picture.
He says: “The fall in area is unlikely to be as significant as is being reported – because pulses are such a small sample size, Defra acknowledges that accuracy is extremely difficult.
“However, we remain worried that farmers might overlook the important role pulses can play on their farms and would urge them to make sure they are fully aware of the impact some SFI options can have on their future rotation.”
Mixed Shropshire-based farmer
Rory Lay says his spring beans have provided one of the few ‘highlights’ of the past season.
He says: “We have used beans for some years as they stretch out the rotation. They are also a good source of home-grown protein in our cattle diet.”
Mr Lay says in contrast to Defra’s findings, he increased the cropping area this year from a previous average of between 7-12ha to more than 40ha following the failure of ‘field after field’ of oilseed rape.
A drop in cropping area has been blamed on the challenging growing season and a difficult harvest, but growing beans could have multiple benefits.
“Anywhere the OSR failed we put in spring beans,” he says.
“We had some home saved seed which we cleaned and drilled and in the end it came up very well.
“It podded amazingly and although harvest was tricky – we basically had one day to get the crop
out. We achieved 7.3 tonnes/ha, which was the best ever for us.”
Mr Lay says for his farm business the benefits of beans have been plentiful.
“It works for us having a homegrown protein source and soil-wise it has been great. Growing spring beans means I put a cover crop in beforehand, which means the soil benefits from a multi-species cover crop.”
Earlier this year, PGRO outlined its concerns that well-intentioned SFI agreements could negatively impact future pulse production opportunities.
The organisation said as legumes were being included in some SFI options, it could mean they are left in the ground for a number of years – or are very frequently present – increasing the likelihood of soil-borne diseases in future pulse crops.
The body warns the potential green bridging effect and risk
to future pulse cropping as a result is significant, as disease and pest levels build in the soil, and may seriously impact the viability of pulse crops in the future.
“A normal, sensible rotation would not encourage pulses closer than one crop in five, and yet in an SFI scenario soils might easily have almost continuous legumes present,” adds Mr Vickers.
Mr Lay says he is considering looking at SFI options although in the past, they have appeared too restrictive.
He says: “For us, it is all about management. The beans are direct drilled and usually the wheat crop which follows is the best of the year.
“The stems rot down leaving nice aeration and water channels which all benefits the soil.
“Alongside this is the nitrogen legacy which is good for the next crop.”
Edited by Angela Calvert – 07768 796 492 –
For more sales content, go to farmersguardian.com/shows-sales
l 94 head sold to an overall average of £802
TOM Boden and family’s Sportsmans flock, Stockport, claimed the championship and top price at Skipton’s show and sale of Suffolk females.
The sale topper, at 4,000gns, was a shearling ewe by breed record holder, 200,000gns Salopian Solid Gold out of a Howgillfoot dam. Scanned carrying twins to the Irish-bred Annakisha Champ, it sold to the judge Stephen Cobbald, Suffolk.
Other similarly bred in-lamb gimmer shearlings from the same home made 1,200gns and 1,400gns.
Reserve champion was the first prize ewe from John Gibb’s Cairnton flock, Fraserburgh.
The December 2019-born twin by Creagisley Cracker, out of a homebred dam by Cairness Sir William and scanned in-lamb to Strathbogie Showman, sold for 750gns to the Roberts and Edwards partnership, Oswestry.
The third prize shearling ewe by Bridgeview Belvenie, carrying a single to Strathbogie Showman, from Mr Gibb, made 1,000gns to David and Josh Isherwood, South Craven.
The winning ewe lamb, a Kexbeck Kick-Start daughter from Myfyr Evans’ Rhaeadr flock, Denbigh, made 1,100gns to Andrew Cross, Preston. Stephen Bolland, Wharfe flock,
Bolton Abbey, sold a brace of shearlings at 1,600gns, both out of Solwaybank Cracker-sired dams and both carrying twins to Kings Superior.
First was the second prize shearling by Bridgeview Maximus, claimed by Iain Fitzsimon, Shawhead, Dumfries, with the second by Frongoy Fire Power going to Aiden Mitchell, Penrith.
In-lamb ewes
In-lamb ewes topped at 1,800gns for Steve Buckley’s Sitlow flock, Buxton, with a Haddo High Voltage daughter, scanned with twins to Jalex X Factor, which joined Robert Earnshaw, Harrogate.
Another ewe from the same home, this time carrying triplets to X Factor, made 1,100gns, with a shearling gimmer from the same home also making 1,100gns.
AVERAGES
Overall 94 head, £802; shearling ewes, £948; ewe lambs, £747; ewes, £663. Auctioneers: CCM.
THE dispersal of the Speed family’s Forestgate herd of Holsteins, on-farm near Chester, saw one of the fastest trades for milking cattle this autumn, with 23 animals selling for more than £3,000.
Two animals made the top price of 3,250gns. The first was the fresh fourth calver, Forestgate Lamont Kate, by former stock bull Woodmarsh Lamont, and giving 60kg daily. The buyer was Alkmonton Farms, Ashbourne, which bought 16 head.
At the same money was the second calver, Forestgate Amos Blackie, by an Aintree bull, and one of two dozen animals bought by B.F. Farms, which is establishing a new dairy unit at Longtown, on the Scottish border.
The freshly calved heifers saw G.R. Jones, Denbigh, giving
3,150gns for a daughter of Denovo Chalet, for his Glogor herd, with two other Chalet daughters making 3,050gns each.
In-calf heifers
In-calf heifers sold to 1,800gns twice for daughters of Denovo Afton, both bought by John Allwood, Huntington, Chester.
The 18-month-old AberdeenAngus stock bull, Morpheus Knuckles, made 2,900gns to Charlie Mann, Warwick.
AVERAGES
165 cows and calved heifers, £2,332.08; 12 in-calf heifers, £1,662.50; 40 recently served and empty heifers, £1,051.05; 29 calves, £415.66; 246 head, £1,865.20. Auctioneers: Norton and Brooksbank.
AT the Gregg Day sale of breeding sheep at Hawes, the Swaledale championship went to the first prize shearling ram by a Neil Richardson ram from R. Hutchinson and Son, Valley Farm, Bowes. It went on to sell for £1,200.
The sale topped at £2,000 for a Swaledale shearling from R.T. Tennant, Kilnsey. Swaledale aged rams sold to £400 for J.H. Capstick, Ravenstonedale.
Bluefaced Leicester rams topped at £1,200 for a shearling from Rachel Bland, Gaisgill, with ram lambs from the same home to £900.
Continental rams sold to £1,050 for F. and M.P. Allinson and Son, Co Durham, with a Texel cross Beltex shearling.
Beltex tup shearlings sold to £700 and £650 for A. Ryder, Carlisle, and Suffolk tups topped at £670 for L. Bosomworth,
Northallerton, who also sold Suffolk gimmer lambs to £260. The consignment of Texdale gimmer shearlings from J.G. Brunton, Marske, sold to £215. Strong correct Swaledale ewes were in demand, topping at £160 for J. Alderson, Low Row. Swaledale gimmer shearlings from J.R. and J.F. Worthington, Ramsbottom, sold to £150. Mule gimmer lambs peaked at £165 for J.C. Fawcett, Hawes, and Swaledale gimmer lambs topped at £98 for T.M. Barrass and Son, Walden.
AVERAGES
Swaledale rams, £273.47; Bluefaced Leicester rams, £713; Swaledale gimmer lambs, £73.30; ewes, £104.99; gimmer shearlings, £163.42; Mule gimmer lambs, £98.56. Auctioneers: Hawes Farmers Auction Mart.
● Limousin cross steers top at £1,310
THE two-day Farmers Guardiansupported Exmoor Suckled Calf Rearers Association sale at Cutcombe topped at £1,310 with prices up £40/head on the year on average.
The sale toppers were the winning pen of steers, 365kg seven-month-old Limousin crosses from Goosemoor Farming, Wheddon Cross, which sold to R. Griffiths, Powys.
Others at the same age from the same vendors sold at £1,250, £1,200 and £1,170.
The second prize winning steers were 360kg Charolais crosses consigned by C.N. Williams, Withypool, which sold for £1,055 to J. Biggs, Monmouthshire.
J.T. and A.J. Andrews, Brompton Regis, had the third prize pen of steers, 355kg Charolais crosses
which made £1,115 to L. Maddock, Wiveliscombe.
The same vendors also topped the Aberdeen-Angus section at £1,290 with seven-month-old 420kg steers. Charolais steers peaked at £1,145 for 375kg eight-month-old entries
from M.R. Scott and Son, Brendon Hill.
Six-month-old 355kg British Blue steers from D. Stevens and Sons (Luckyard), Wheddon Cross, topped the section at £1,040.
On the second day, heifers sold
to £1,210 for seven-month-old 380kg British Blues from Messrs Stevens.
Top price Limousin cross heifers at £1,160 were seven-month-old 380kg entries from Goosemoor Farming, which also had the winning pen of heifers, 330kg seven-month-old Limousin crosses which were knocked down for £1,105 to Messrs Vincent and Son, Horsington.
The second prize winning heifers were 285kg Limousin cross British Blues consigned by K. Nicholas, Bratton Fleming, which sold to Felton Court, Hereford.
F.E. Reed, North Molton, paid £920 for the third prize winning heifers, 330kg Charolais crosses from Messrs Williams, who also topped the section at £1,065 with 365kg seven-month-old heifers.
646 steers, £915 (308p/kg); 600 heifers, £757 (277p/kg).
Auctioneers: Exmoor Farmers.
● Store steers averaged £1,560.57
CHAMPION and reserve at Barnard Castle’s show and sale of 235 suckled calves went to N.G. Beveridge, Tow Law, but it was their reserve champion, a Limousin heifer, which sold for the day’s top price of £3,550 to Mellin and Cropper, Long Preston.
Judge Ian Swales, Goole, awarded the championship to their winning British Blue heifer, which went on to sell for £2,500 to Messrs Marsh, Dover.
The winning Limousin steer, from J.N. Swinbank, Darlington, sold for £1,950, and the first prize British Blue steer, from K.O. Stones, Marrick, made £1,715.
Store cattle topped at £2,015 for a
THE Western Holstein Clubsupported dairy sale at Market Drayton topped at £3,200 for a commercial heifer from R.W. and E.E. Edwards and Sons, Whitchurch.
Champion pedigree heifer was Rowmar Mingus Eve 1078 from A.A. Winstanley and Partners, Audlem, which sold for £3,000, with others from the same home at £3,080, £3,000 and £2,680, to average £2,727 for six heifers.
Lachstone Farms, Northwich, sold heifers at £3,120, £2,750 and £2,500, to average £2,634 for five.
The second prize winning pedigree heifer, Heathleigh Pepper Sovereign, from L. Horton and Sons, Northwich, made £2,850.
Cows sold to £2,580 for the second prize pedigree cow, the third calver, Clayden Atrium Hazel 2, from Clayden Farm Partnership, Crewe.
In-calf heifers topped at £1,820 and yearling heifers at £780, with beef breeding bulls to £2,200.
AVERAGES
40 fresh heifers (all in), £2,272. Auctioneers: Gwilym Richards with Market Drayton Market.
Limousin steer consigned by G.H. Bain, Bowes. Heifers sold to £2,000 for a Limousin from D. and P.H. Brown, Aldborough St John.
In the breeding cattle section, the winning heifer and calf from I.M. Maughan, Hamsterley, sold for £3,800.
The second and third prize winners, both from D.W. and D.M. Elliot, Penrith, made £3,350 and £3,100, respectively. The winning cow and calf from G.T. and E. Atkinson, Winston, sold for £2,450.
Suckler steers, £1,465.87; suckler heifers, £1,378.85; store cattle: steers, £1,560.57; heifers, £1,470.21.
Auctioneers: Barnard Castle and Teesdale Farmers Auction Mart Co.
A SEVEN-month-old black Limousin heifer won the championship under judge and Pendle Young Farmers’ Club member Freddie Shorrock, before creating a new record for Gisburn’s autumn suckled calf sales, topping the 156 head at £2,550.
Home-bred by D.M. and R.E. Capstick, Swinden Moor, the calf was keenly bid by many potential entrants in the market’s young handlers overwintering competition, before selling to Rebecca Mountain, Leeds.
Reserve champion was the first prize steer calf, a white, eight-monthold British Blue from B. Howarth, Turton, which made £1,180 to Isabella Brown, Halton Gill.
The first prize bull from A.T. Rogerson, Chipping, was a six-month-old British Blue cross, which made £1,290 to Marshall Farming, Doncaster.
Top price for bulls was £1,490 for a British Blue cross from H.J. and M.
Hey, Hebden Bridge, also selling to Marshall Farming, which also paid £1,370 for another British Blue bull from the same home.
A £1,520 bid came for an 11-monthold Limousin cross heifer from Susan Field, Burnley, while A.L.Thompson, Foulridge, sold an 11-month-old Bazadaise heifer at £1,460 and a May-born Parthenaise heifer at £1,340.
Also at £1,340 was a Limousin cross bull from D. Nutter, Higham. Auctioneers: Gisburn Auction Mart.
THERE was entry of more than 800 store cattle at the final show and sale of the season at Hexham, most of which were native breeds.
Judge Ian Carlile, Dumfries, awarded the championship to an Aberdeen-Angus steer from the Tomlinson family, Sunniside. It went on to sell for the top price of £2,260 to Declan Foley, Capheaton.
Messrs Tomlinson also took £2,080 for their third prize steer and the same price was achieved for a 15-monthold Aberdeen-Angus steer from John and Daniel Whiteford, Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Heifers peaked at £1,860 for Messrs
Watmore, Holystone Estate, again with an Angus, and Messrs Tomlinson sold heifers to £1,800.
Messrs Jordan, Tughall Grange, sold Aberdeen-Angus steers to £1,980, Herefords to £1,840 and Simmentals to £1,800.
Their females peaked at £1,780 for a Black Baldy Hereford cross, with Angus heifers to £1,680 and Simmentals to £1,630. Their 49 steers and 20 heifers averaged £1,742.
Beef Shorthorns topped at £1,560 for a steer from Ian Smith, West Bolton. Luing steers from Messrs Armstrong and Hunter, Carrick, sold to £1,740, with their 33 head averaging £1,683.
David Milburn, on behalf of Lord Max Percy, sold a pair of pure-bred heifers, bred on the Rothbury Estate, at £1,370/head.
South Devons topped at £1,480 for John Moore, Wingates Wholme, while Belted Galloways sold to £1,440 for Joseph Anderson, Fairnley, and Blue Greys peaked at £1,260 for Philip and Fiona Scott, Westburnhope.
Jim, Helen and Julia Gledson, Buteland, sold 15-month-old Angus steers to £1,620. Heifers in this bracket sold to £1,540 for Alf and Kevin Robson, Middle White Hill, whose 17 females averaged £1,294. Auctioneers: Hexham and Northern Marts.
l First prize haltered steer sells for £2,000
THE Farmers Guardian-supported show and sale of store cattle at Middleton in Teesdale included the inaugural Young Farmers Calf Summering competition.
There were 147 head forward including 17 Young Farmer entries which attracted a full ringside of buyers, resulting in cattle being £100-200/head more on the year.
The show was judged by Andrew Smith, Carnforth, who awarded the championship to Seth Pattinson, Brampton, with his first prize haltered steer which he went on to buy for £2,000. This steer also won the prize for the greatest margin.
Reserve went to Harry Askwith, Crook, with his first prize British Blue heifer, which sold for £1,580.
Lexi Pattinson, Brampton, sold
To find out where we will be next, go to farmersguardian.com/mth-roadshow
her pedigree Limousin heifer for £1,840 to Nicola and Nigel Foster, Birch Bush.
Outwith the Young Farmers show, Mr Smith awarded the championship to the first prize over 12-month-old steer from J.C. and J. White, Lunedale, which sold for £1,720.
Their third prize winner from the same class sold for £1,880.
Messrs White had the day’s leading average, selling seven to £1,540.
Reserve champion also went to Messrs White, this time with the first prize under-12-month-old steer which sold for £1,760.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Market Results Dairies
Store Sheep Sales
Store Lambs & Breeding Sheep
THIS SATURDAY 9TH NOVEMBER
SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER 2024 – Entries Invited
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
Wednesday 13th
November
Sale of FEEDING BULLS, PRIME CATTLE, BEEF FEEDING COWS, STORE & BREEDING CATTLE
Inc Special Show of WEANED BEEF BRED BULLS & HEIFERS (Under 12 months) (Entries close Wednesday 13th November)
Wednesday 27th November
Sale of STORE LAMBS & FEEDING EWES (entries close Monday 18th November) Dairy Cattle
Monday 11th November FORTNIGHTLY SHOW & SALE OF 10-15 DAIRY CATTLE Sale 12noon
Monday 25th November XMAS SHOW & SALE OF DAIRY CATTLE
Classes for Pedigree & Commercial In-Calf, In-Milk & Maiden Heifers
Entries & Enquiries to Sarah 07710 795585
Wednesday 27th November
ONLINE TIMED AUCTION OF SHEEPDOGS
(Entries Close Friday 8th November)
Saturday 14th December
STIRKS, WEANED/SUCKLED CALVES, BREEDING & CULL GOATS, STORE & BREEDING SHEEP
Inc XMAS SHOW FOR BEST BULL, BEST STEER, BEST HEIFER
(Entries close Monday 2nd December)
Agricultural Themed BORDER FINE ARTS & BESWICK PIECES & New Sale of
AGRICULTURAL THEMED VINTAGE TOYS & COLLECTABLES
(Entries close Friday 15th November)
PEDIGREE SHEEP
Annual Winter Show & Sale of
PEDIGREE BELTEX FEMALES
PEDIGREE TEXEL FEMALES
PEDIGREE BLUE TEXEL FEMALES
PEDIGREE BADGER FACE TEXEL FEMALES
(Entries close Friday 15th November) & WINTER SHOW STARS
Annual Winter Collective Sale of 150 Ewes
inc Cons from F Joel & J Edmondson & J Wood
(Entries to Ted Ogden 07855 958211)
CRAVEN FEATHER AUCTIONS
Christmas Show & Sale of POULTRY, WATERFOWL, HATCHING EGGS & EQUIPMENT
Sunday 1st December
CRAVEN CHRISTMAS SHOW
Primestock, Carcass, Cookery & Children’s Sections, Produce & Charity Auction
Schedule Available Online
(Entries close Friday 29th November)
XMAS Show Dates
Monday 25th November
Christmas Show of CALVES
Entries & Enquiries to Kyle
Monday 2nd December
Christmas Show of CAST CATTLE & CAST EWES
Wednesday 4th December
Christmas Show of STORE CATTLE
Tel: 01228 406200
600 STORE CATTLE
Wednesday 13th October -10.00am
YOUNG CALVES – 10.00am
WEANERS & YOUNG BULLS – 12.00noon including Second sale of spring born and hill bred 200 SUCKLED CALVES – 10.30am
Premier show and sale of 121 ZWARTBLES INLAMB FEMALES
Friday 15th November
Show 9.00am Sale 11.00am 9 ewes, 43 shearling gimmers, 69 ewe lambs
‘THREE NATIONS SHOW & SALE’ 88 SUFFOLK IN-LAMB FEMALES
Friday 22nd November
Show: 3.00pm Sale: 5.00pm
Comprising 69 shearling gimmers, 19 empty ewe lambs from some of the top flocks in the breed
HI-HEALTH SIMMENTAL / SIM x CATTLE SALE
Friday 2nd December
Entries close Monday 11th November
PEDIGREE INLAMB SHEEP SALES
Badgerface Texel, Blue Texel & Dutch Spotted
Friday 6th December
Entries close Friday 8th November
PEDIGREE INLAMB BELTEX SHEEP
Friday 13th December
Entries close Friday 8th November
PEDIGREE INLAMB KERRY HILL SHEEP
Friday 13th December
Entries close direct with Society
“Red Ladies” Show and Sale of PEDIGREE LIMOUSIN FEMALES
Friday 13th December
Entries close Friday 8th November
PEDIGREE LIMOUSIN BULL & HEIFER CALVES
Friday 13th December
Entries close Friday 8th November
CATTERY & SMALL HOLDING EQUIPMENT
On behalf of Andrew Brown, Darlington
Bidding starts 10.30am Fri 15th Nov
finishing from 10.30am Tues 19th Nov
Full details and bidding available via our website.
GENETIC SELECTION SALE OF CATTLE & SHEEP SEMEN & EMBRYOS
Bidding starts Wednesday 11th December
finishing from Thursday 12th December
Entries close Wednesday 20th November
CANNON HALL CHRISTMAS CRACKERS
Saturday 9th November – 3.00pm
Production sale of Pedigree Dutch Spotted and Valais Blacknose sheep
On behalf of Canon Hall Farms Ltd. Cawthorne, Barnsley S75 4AT
Full details and bidding available via MartEye
BIG BANG EXPORT SALE OF DUTCH SPOTTED, BADGER FACE TEXEL & SUFFOLK FEMALE SHEEP
Saturday 16th November – 12.00 noon AT BALMORAL PARK, HALFTOWN ROAD, LISBURN, N.IRELAND
presenting 166 in-lamb females & empty ewe lambs comprising 43 Dutch Spotted 12 shearling gimmers, 4 ewes, 25 ewe lambs, 2 recips carrying embryos, 7 Badger Face Texel 7 ewe lambs 116 Suffolk 75 shearling gimmers, 18 ewes & 23 ewe lambs
Online bidding available via MartEye
VEHICLES & WORKSHOP TOOLS
Friday 22nd November at Glendinning Groundworks, Walkerburn
Live Auction Sale with Online Bidding via Marteye
To include Doosan excavators C/W buckets, DAF tractor unit, tractors, trailers, workshop machinery and equipment
Full details available on MartEye or contact Ian Dick 01835 822214
PLEASE SCAN TO VIEW OUR ONLINE CATALOGUES
AUCTION MART
015242
www.benthamauction.co.uk
Tuesday 12th November at 10.30am
29 RAMS & 200 EWES & GIMMER LAMBS
Followed by 7183 STORE LAMBS
Wednesday 13th November 11am 100-150 Rearing Calves
2.30pm 2500 Cast Ewes and 3000 Prime Lambs
7.30pm TWO AUCTION MART SHARES
Tuesday 19th November
2ND SPECIAL SALE OF SUCKLED CALVES STIRKS, YOUNG STORES & FEEDING BULLS
Entries for catalogue close Friday 8th November
Wednesday 20th Novemebr
Christmas Show & Sale of Dairy Cattle Pedigree & Non-pedigree classes- £285 cash prizes
Saturday 23rd November at 10.30am (Moved to Bentham Auction for convenience)
DISPERSAL SALE OF FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT
On Behalf of F & ML Lee & Son, Oak Head Bank Izuzu D-Max Pickup, 2017, 11month MOT, 68,000miles 5 Tractors Viz. MF5711 Dyna 4 4wd Tractor, 2021 – 557hrs MF390 4wd Tractor, Shuttle Box, L reg (1994) – 5311hrs c/w Chilton Loader, MF135 2wd Tractor (1972), JCB 4tonne Digger (2006) c/w 3 Buckets, Mustang 2044 Skid-Steer, 2016, 836hrs Quad Bike Honda TRX420 FE1 (2300hrs/17,000km) Farm Machinery Viz. Graham Edwards GP84D Twin Axle Calf/Sheep Trailer, Ifor Williams 12ft Twin Axle Trailer c/w Sheep Decks, 2x Sheep & 1x Cattle Dividing Gates., Fleming MS700 Muck Spreader (2022), Claas Mower Conditioner 9ft (2019), Vicon Fanex 523 Tedder, Claas Liner 390s Rake, MF15 Conventional Baler, PZ300 Haybob, MF40 Disc Mower, Abbey 1100gal Slurry Tanker, 9ft Field Roller, Mobile Milk Bulk Tank, Ritchie Yard Scraper, Vicon/MF Single Spinner Fert Spreader, TFM ATV Trailer, Single Axle Tipping Trailer, Chain Harrows, TF Tipping Trailer c/w Silage Sides, Browns Woodworker PTO Saw Bench, 3point linkage Rear Bale Spike, Transport Box, British Lely Bale Chopper, Hardi 300l Sprayer, Parameter Post Knocker, Colman Electric Elevator, Slewtic Loader Bucket, Muck Fork on Chilton Brackets, Belle Electric Cement Mixer, Petrol Generator Livestock Equipment & Sundries Viz. Cattle Crush, IAE Lamb Scales, Metal Lamb Adopter, Lista Nova Clipping Machine c/w Hand Piece, Alley Ladders, Qty Cattle Feed Troughs, Qty Bale Ring Feeders, Qty Sheep Hay Racks,Qty Hanging Sheep Troughs, 2x Solway Recycling Bins, Qty Railway Sleepers & Timber, Electric Fence Energisers, Qty Fence Posts, Strainers & Wire, Qty Drain & Service Pipe, 150approx 6inch Clay Tiles, Qty Stone Flags, Wilson Saw Bench, Wood Plaining Machine, Keruing Timber for Trailer Flooring, Qty 2024 Big Bale Silage Photos & Schedule Online
Further Entries Invited by Permission
Wednesday 13th November
8am- Cast Ewes & Rams followed at 10.30am with Prime Lambs (Ballot 10.30am) All Prime Lambs need to be belly clipped as of the 13th November Friday 15th November
Small Tools 9.00am - Large Machinery 9.30am
Collective Sale of over 1500 lots of Tractors, Plant, Implements, Livestock Equipment & Small Tools Tractors and Vehicles - JD 6620 Premium (52 reg./4250hrs); JD 6400 40K (N reg.); JD 6430 & 653 Loader; JD 6200 & loader; JD 6150M (14 reg.); JD 5720 & 551 loader; JD 3040; JD 2650 & loader; JD 4520 Compact; MF 8130 4WD tractor; MF 5460 & MF loader; MF 4345 & Loader; MF 3095 4WD (M reg.); MF 390, 2WD & loader; MF 250 (B reg); MF 250; Massey Fergusson 135 multipower (1967); MF 35 & side mounted hedge cutter; Valtra 7182 (2011reg./13500hrs); Avenger 26 Tractor; McCormick T100 Max loader; NH TS100; Ford 7840 SLE (M reg.); Ford 4630; Ford 4610; Deutz Fahr 87 Agroplus & Quicke loader (2007); Deutz Fahr Agro Kidd 40 4WD, 40hp (1139hrs); Deutz 85 & Loader; Landini 6-175 (64 reg.); Landini Power Farm 95 & Loader; Landini Legend 135 tractor (55 plate); Case 100A & MX loader; Case 4210 & Quicke loader; Renault Cetes 345X; Claas Arion 630C (2012); Hurliman XT910 (51reg./11620); International loader tractor; David Brown 990 imp (1961); David Brown 880 imp (1964); David Brown 780; David Brown 770 sel (1965); David Brown sato (1965); David Brown 990; Nuffield 1060 (1966); Nuffield 1042 (1966); Fordson Dexter; Fordon Major; Branson 25hp compact mower tractor; MF 290 2WD, 463 Skidsteer; Izuzu D-Max pickup (2015/60589); Fordson Ranger Wildtrack pickup, double cab, Ifor Williams canopy, diesel, 80,501miles (08 reg); Can Am Outlander 450 (2019); 2 X Kubota RTV 900 4WD buggy (2006); Polaris 400 Sportsman quad (2009); Yamaha Kodiak 700 (2017); Honda TRX 500 FM6 (2019); Honda TRX 420 FA6 (2019); Honda TRX 420 FM1 (2021); Honda TRX 420 FM2, road reg. (2017); Honda TRX 350, manual (2004); Suzuki King Quad 400, manual (2016); CF MOTO quad bike; Renault Cleo (2004/100,000mls) Plant - Sphere CR60 concrete crusher (2019); Doosan DX140 LC; Kind Tandem Low Loader; Merlo P34.7 Farmer Loadall; Manitou 735-120 LSU Elite (65 reg./5900hrs); Manitou 732; JCB 526-56 Agri (2010/7830hrs)JCB telescopic & pallet forks (57 reg.); Fermec 760 Digger; Sambron J24S (1980); JCB 3Cx Project 8; JCB 803 plus digger & 3 buckets; JCB 8014 mini digger; NH LB95B Backhoe digger; NH LD110-B Backhoe digger; JCB 2CX (K Reg); JCB 2CX Extradig; Brian James plant trailer; Tri-Axle Car transporter Tilt bed; Paramiter 3pl post driver; Paramiter Harrows; Timerjack 230 forwarder; He-Va 300 front press (2021); NC Link ‘A’ Sweep 2300 (2023); Ifor Williams CT166 Tilt Bed Trailer; Agriquip 8t excavator trailer; Hudson 24ft Box Trailer; 16T Agri stock; Hall snow plough; Cherry bucket to fit JCB; Man basket; 5ft Timber-grab Skidsteer brackets; Landing Forklift; Forklift; JCB bucket; JCB ditching bucket; 2 X excavator bucket; Drainage pipes Implements - Zaga Haybob; Hi-Spec 2300 slurry tanker; Hi-Spec slurry tanker; NC slurry tanker; Major 2050LGP tanker; Major 2000 tanker; Stroth Slurry Pump; Criman Slurry Pump; Roland V2-110 rear discharge muck spreader; ECE 1000 rear discharge muck spreader with slurry door; Pichon M1350 muck spreader (2018); Pichon M1350 rear discharge muck spreader (2016); Belmac Rotor Spreader; Richard Western SDS16 muck spreader (2009 reg); Hi-Spec 800 rotor spreader; Fraser 700 rotor spreader; Belmac roto spreader; Claas Quadrant 2200 Square baler; Claas Rollant 355 baler, 12798 bale count; NH 648 round baler (1999/32000bales); Tanco Autowrap 580A, 9733 count; Kidd 61L Feeder Wagon; Foster D750 Feeder; Foster D600 Feeder; Lucas Castor 60R feeder/bedder; Teagle 8100 bedder; 2 X Teagle 4040 straw chopper; Kuhn 3560 bedder; Kuhn Straw Blower; Kuhn Straw Blower and feeder; Straw Chopper; Lucas G Raptor straw chopper, with electric controls (2006); Kuhn Primor 2060M straw chopper (2008); Lucas Raptor straw chopper; Kverneland straw chopper; small square bale chopper; Ag dispenser; Shelbourne Reynolds sawdust dispenser; Kverneland 3f plough; Ransomes TS54 Robin Plough; Ransomes plough discs; Evers 3leg sub soiler; Fleming 10ft ballast roller; Kuhn 3m power harrow & combi. Drill (2008); Kuhn HR 3004 power harrow; Kuhn HR4004D power harrow & packer roller (2012); Krone 6 rotor tedder; Parmiter 10ft discs; Parmiter 8ft discs; Amazone Centaur 3001 cultivator; 2 X Howard rotavator; Opico sward slitter 10m; Teagle XT48 fert. Spreader (1998); KRM fert spreader; 2 X Vicon spreader; Sulky Burel fert drill (2007); ZTR 6ft 2 drum 165 mowers; JD 2653 mower; Vicon Extra 232 plain disc mower; Kverneland 4332 mower conditioner (2012); Kverneland 3232 mower conditioner (2018); McConnel SR460 topper (2016); Slewtic pasture topper; Hardi 1000ltr crop sprayer; Allman Sprayer; Bomford Micro Klippa hedge cutter; McConnel PA24 hedge cutter; Fraser Grain Trailer; MF 700 twin axel grain trailer; Bailey 14t trailer, hyd door; Kay 8T twin axel trailer; Richie yard scraper (2020); Foster yard scraper; Tanker dribble bar; Quicke Q51 loader; Twose Buckrake (Blue); Skidsteer bucket; Slewtic loader bucket; Meyer 5ft tip toe bucket; Agriquip bucket (2016); MX BD2400 Chilton feeder auger bucket (1999); McHale R5 bale grab; Albutt bale grab; Strimech 2018 muck grab; Slewtic Bobcat muck grab; 2 X Muck fork; Alo 140 Skidsteer bucket (new); Skidsteer 4’6’ bucket; Skidsteer pallet forks; Slewtic bale spike; Easy fencer; 2 x Parmiter post knocker; Protec P10 post knocker Livestock Equipment - 40 lengths of H Iron steel girders, compete steel framed shed; Hudson tri-axel float trailer with decks; 14ft Ifor Williams tri-axel trailer (2018); 12ft Ifor Williams cattle trailer (2010); 12ft Ifor Williams tri-axel trailer with decks (2018); 12ft Ifor Williams tri-axel trailer with decks (2016); Qty of Ifor William trailers, horse boxes, livestock, flatbeds; Ifor Williams tri-axel trailer (2014); 2 X Ifor Williams triaxel trailer with decks; 10ft Ifor Williams cattle trailer (2010); 10ft Ifor Williams cattle trailer with decks; 14ft Graham Edwards cattle trailer; 12ft Graham Edwards trailer with decks; 12ft trailer with decks; 8ft Bateson Cattle trailer; 7ft Iveson single axel trailer; Quad bike trailer (New); 2 X 1000ltr water bowser with self-fill trough; Cattle Feed Trailer; Silage feed trailer; Grain auger 15ft; Qty of free-standing feed barriers; Qty of 3m walk-through troughs; Feed Trough; 3 X Lamp Creeps; Ritchie cattle crush; Complete set of pens to hold 100 ewes; 10 X 10ft heavy duty 7 rail hurdles; 1 X 8ft heavy duty 7 rail gate
Misc Items - 2000ltr water tank; ride on lawn mower; 2 X bags of dumpy wood; Timber grab Skidsteer brackets 5ft; Log bundler banding machine; Saw Bench; Cement mixer Quantity of Small Tools
Viewing available on Thursday 14th November Pictures can be viewed on our website or our Facebook page. Monday 18th November
Sale of Store Cattle and Feeding Bulls of all classes, also our Latter Sale of Suckled Calves and Beef Breeding Cattle - Entries close noon Monday 11th November Monday 18th November
Sale of Store Lambs of all classes - Entries close noon Monday 11th November
Livestock Markets
Livestock Markets
▪ Bridgnorth, Carmarthen & Newcastle Emlyn
▪ Bridgnorth, Carmarthen & Newcastle Emlyn
▪ Private & deadweight sales
▪ Private & deadweight sales
▪ Primestock & store markets
▪ Primestock & store markets
Bridgnorth:
Bridgnorth:
Weekly primestock sales and fortnightly store sales
Carmarthen:
Weekly primestock sales and fortnightly store sales
Carmarthen:
Weekly dairy, calves & weanlings sales; weekly barren cows, store cattle and all classes of sheep; monthly weaned calves, suckler cows and breeding bulls; monthly orange TB restricted cattle sale; monthly Holstein South Wales show & sale
Newcastle Emlyn:
Weekly dairy, calves & weanlings sales; weekly barren cows, store cattle and all classes of sheep; monthly weaned calves, suckler cows and breeding bulls; monthly orange TB restricted cattle sale; monthly Holstein South Wales show & sale
Weekly calves, weanlings, cull cows & sheep; fortnightly store cattle sales
Newcastle Emlyn:
Rural Professionals
Weekly calves, weanlings, cull cows & sheep; fortnightly store cattle sales
▪ Specialising in property sales, lettings & management; dispute resolution & planning; environment al schemes & grants; valuations
Rural Professionals
Auctioneers & Valuers
▪ Specialising in property sales, lettings & management; dispute resolution & planning; environment al schemes & grants; valuations
▪ Growing crops & fodder; rural land & property, farm dispersal; machinery sales; annual valuations
Auctioneers & Valuers
All dates for markets are on the Nock Deighton Agricultural website
▪ Growing crops & fodder; rural land & property, farm dispersal; machinery sales; annual valuations
Bridgnorth Market Contacts: Martin Clack 07977 0675198, Ollie Clack 07891 343673 or Mark Burgoyne 07831 192603
Welsh Mart Contacts: Llŷr Jones 07812 934964 or Paul Taylor
All dates for markets are on the Nock Deighton Agricultural web
07815 509504. Bidding available on “Marteye” in Welsh marts nockdeightonagricultural.co.uk
LIVESTOCK CENTRE, NANT Y CI, CARMARTHEN, SA33 5DR 01 267 493200
Bridgnorth Market Contacts: Martin Clack 07977 0675198, Ollie Clack 07891 343673 or Mark Burgoyne 07831 192603 Welsh Mart Contacts: Llŷr Jones 07812 934964 or Paul Taylor 07815 509504. Bidding available on “Marteye” in
Suckled Calves, to include Second Bellingham Sale of Spring Born Calves
NORTH WEST AUCTIONS LIVESTOCK AUCTIONEERS & VALUERS
NORTH WEST AUCTIONS LIVESTOCK AUCTIONEERS & VALUERS
www.nwauctions.co.uk info@nwauctions.co.uk
Monday 11th November 10am PRIME LAMBS & CAST SHEEP
Monday 11th November 10am PRIME LAMBS & CAST SHEEP
Friday 15th November
10:15am 100 REARING CALVES & WEANLINGS 10:15am 150 CAST / OTM CATTLE 11:15am 300 STORE CATTLE
Tuesday 12th November
LANCASTER AUCTION MART Tel: 01524 63308 J36 RURAL AUCTION CENTRE Tel: 015395 66200
Friday 15th November 10:15am 100 REARING CALVES & WEANLINGS 10:15am 150 CAST / OTM CATTLE 11:15am 300 STORE CATTLE
10.30am ALL CLASSES OF PIGS 1pm PRIME LAMBS & CAST SHEEP
LANCASTER AUCTION MART Tel: 01524 63308 J36 RURAL AUCTION CENTRE Tel: 015395 66200
Tuesday 12th November
Thursday 14th November 10am 150 REARING CALVES & WEANLINGS 10:30am 100 CAST/OTM CATTLE 11:15am 300 STIRKS & STORE CATTLE NORTH WEST SUFFOLK BREEDERS CLUB SHOW & SALE OF PEDIGREE INDIVIDUAL IN-LAMB SHEEP & EMPTY GIMMER LAMBS Also,
10.30am ALL CLASSES OF PIGS 1pm PRIME LAMBS & CAST SHEEP
Thursday 14th November 10am 150 REARING CALVES & WEANLINGS 10:30am 100 CAST/OTM CATTLE 11:15am 300 STIRKS & STORE CATTLE
NORTH WEST SUFFOLK BREEDERS CLUB SHOW & SALE OF PEDIGREE INDIVIDUAL IN-LAMB
Thursday 21st November 10:30am Fortnightly Sale of 6000 STORE LAMBS
We take a farmercentric approach to media. Our job is to help farmers run their farms more efficiently and make better purchasing decisions
Claughton On Brock, Preston PR3 0PH
01995 640280 www.garstangmart.co.uk
Auctioneer: Tom Greenow 07572 249983
Tuesday 12th November, 2024
9.00 a.m 1000 Prime Lambs & Cast Sheep
10.30 a.m. Sale of 100 Store Cattle
11.30 a.m. 60/80 Rearing Calves, Weanlings & Stirks
Wednesday 13th November, 2024
10.30 a.m. Weekly Sale of Cast Cows & OTM Cattle
Followed by TB Exempt Cattle
Tuesday 19th November, 2024
Monthly Evening Sale of Store Lambs Entries for Catalogue close Thursday 14th November
Wednesday 27th November, 2024
Monthly Show & Sale of Dairy Cattle Entries Close 10.00 a.m. Thursday 21st November
Tuesday 3rd December, 2024
Christmas Show & Sale of Prime Lambs & Prime Cattle
Wednesday 4th December, 2024
Christmas Show & Sale of OTM Cattle
Tuesday 10th December, 2024
Christmas Show of Store Cattle & Calves
Wednesday 18th December, 2024
Christmas Show & Sale of Dairy Cattle
See Website For Full Show Schedule www.garstangmart.co.uk
Including: Combine Harvester: Case Axial Flow 1680 with 1030 20ft header (94); Crawlers: Track Marshall 56, Track Marshall 135, Track Marshall 155; Tractors: Landini Legend Top 130 (01), Ford 7810 Gen III (91), David Brown 1390 (82); Materials Handler & Attachments: Climax Industrial masted forklift, Grain bucket to suit industrial forklift, GP Bucket Sanderson brackets; Sprayer: SAM Sprayers 24m self-propelled sprayer (80); Trailers: AS Marston F10 10t grain (81), Pettit 7t dropside (76), Marston 6.5t dropside (75), Low loader twin axle, Reekie RDT low loader single axle; Implements: Greenland Haybob, John Wilder straw chopper, Kongskilde Triple K 14ft, Kverneland 160 VD85 3f rev. plough, Bomford twin leg subsoiler, trailed mole plough, David Brown 3f conventional plough, Dowdeswell DP1 6f rev. plough, Cousins V Form 7 leg, Simba X-Press with ST Bar (06), RECO-Maschio 4m power harrow, KRM Maxi-drill 4m, Triton 3m fixed tine drill with Weaving tank (20), Cousins Sidewinder 9.4m Cambridge rolls, Sulky DPX24 fertiliser spreader (07); Misc Equipment & Spares: Trimble EZ Guide guidance system, 24ft container, various vintage tools and equipment etc. On Instructions from J Bettles & Sons At Lambcourt Farm, Station Road, Tempsford, Sandy SG19 2AZ On Saturday 23rd November 2024 at 10am Viewing from 10am until 4pm on Friday 22nd November 2024
• The Charolais Society will give €250 back to the purchasers of the first 20 bulls to sell for over €4,500 in the ring at this sale.
• Free Transport available to the UK Mainland following the quarantine period after the sale.
• Online bidding available through Mart Bids.ie
• €100 paid towards transport costs to Northern Ireland or free transport can be arranged Catalogues available at www.charolais.ie
Rachel Capstick 07713075659 Jack Pickup 07710708326 Eleanor O’Neill 07706347505
9:30am Weekly CAST SHEEP & PRIME LAMBS
10:30am 6 GOATS, 275 BREEDING SHEARLINGS & EWES, 185 GIMMER LAMBS followed by 29 BREEDING RAMS
12noon 2130 STORE LAMBS
Thursday 14th November
10:30am REARING CALVES
10:30am PRIME CATTLE followed by CULL CATTLE
11:00am WEEKLY DAIRY
12:30am STIRKS – Entries to the office by Tues 12th, 12noon
Saturday 16th November
9:30am WEEKLY CAST SHEEP & PRIME LAMBS
10:30am BREEDING & STORE CATTLE
Entries to the office by Tues 12th Nov, 12noon
Thursday 21st November
10:30am REARING CALVES
10:30am PRIME CATTLE followed by CULL CATTLE
11:00am SEMEX UK & WE JAMESON FEEDS
SHOW & SALE OF DAIRY – Entries to Eleanor Saturday 23rd November
9:30am WEEKLY CAST SHEEP & PRIME LAMBS
10:30am BREEDING SHEEP, 12:30pm STORE LAMBS INC CHRISTMAS SHOW
Entries to the office by Tues 19th, 12noon CHRISTMAS SALES CALENDAR ONLINE NOW! Last chance 24-25
GENUINE WHOLE HERD
on behalf of PW & ME Jones and Son of Castle Barn Farm, Upper Dowdeswell, Nr Cheltenham
110 CATTLE viz: 81 In Calf Cows (Herd ages); 14 Store Cows; 15 Weanlings
Hereford X & Aberdeen X Cows in calf to Limousin Bull from Welcheston Court
Limousin in calf Cows from GH & JM Samuel SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER 2024 at 11.30 am
Moved to Ross Market for Convenience of Sale
01989
Monday 11th November
Special Backend Show and Sale of 400 suckled calves and store cattle Show at 10am Sale to Commence at 11am
Wednesday 4th December
Christmas Primestock Show and Christmas fayre 3pm-7pm
Clean Cattle show at 4pm Prime Lamb show at 5pm
Thursday 5th December
Christmas Primestock Sale
EVERY MONDAY Cast Cattle/OTM, Store & Breeding Stock
EVERY THURSDAY
All Classes of Prime Cattle & Sheep
SATURDAY 9TH NOVEMBER
Breeding & Store Cattle of all classes inc
10 Cont X Forward Stores, 18mth, H Garside & son
2 Lim bulls,10mo,L & L Thompson
8 Lim bulls,9mo,T Thomas & Son
8 Longhornx bulls/hfrs,9mo,W Bedford
Ped Saler Stock Bull, 3.5yrs, C Ellwood & Son
01757 703347
RICHARD HAIGH: 07768 594535
www.selbymart.co.uk
Competitions
Stands,
Sausage
Scott Ferrie Auctioneer/Director 07557 260653
Chapman Auctioneer 07887 653442 Megan Dowson Trainee Auctioneer 07471 823606
Daniel Lynn Auctioneer 07887 653442
Paul Gentry Auctioneer/Director 07940 330907
Stephen Dodsworth Fieldsperson 07946 514154
Gilhespy Fieldsperson 07867 974688
Gilhespy Fieldsperson 07867 974688 Stephen Dodsworth Fieldsperson 07946 514154 Scott Ferrie Auctioneer 07557 260653 John Wharton Auctioneer 07912 946549 Mark Dent Chairman 07711 198641
Tuesday 12th November
Monthly machinery sale. Entries to date include Hitatchi EX30, David Brown 880, 20 flat and other Trailers, 45 Lawn Mowers 800 plus inside lots inc workshop tools etc. Starting 16th November Specimin and other Christmas trees. Sold every Wednesday 10am until mid December. Wednesday 18th December
Christmas prize poultry sale Every MondayProduce at Goostrey 12 lots last week. Horticulture Usual Wednesday and Thursday Sales Furniture
Machinery & Sundries
FGBuyandSell.com
2024
FARM, TUNSTEAD, BUXTON, SK17 8TD - TO COMMENCE 11AM
To Inc:- TELEHANDLERS - 2009 JCB 526-56 Agri-Telehandler, 1995 JCB 526-55 Agri Special Telehandler, Mustang 2040 Skid Steer MOTOR VEHICLES & QUADBIKE - Mitsubishi Animal L200 Pickup, 2020 Honda, TRX 520 Quadbike
TRAILERS - Portable Scotpen Sheep Race c/w 24 Hurdles, Graham Edward 12x6 Flatbed Trailer, Ifor Williams Decked 12ft Trailer
IMPLEMENTS - 7ft Loadall Bucket-2013 Agrimaster 270 Flail Mower, BOM Auger Bucket, New Twin Ram Muck Grab, Krone 7ft Rotavator
LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT - 150 Galvanised Sheep Hurdles, Qty Electric Fencing Stakes ENQUIRIES TO 07375 105985 OR AUCTIONS@GRAHAMWATKINS.CO.UK
Full time, permanent - £29,000-£35,000
Acton Scott Heritage Farm, in South Shropshire, is offering a unique opportunity for a Farm Manager to play a leading role in the relaunch and operation of the farm.
The successful applicant will be at the forefront of the new charity, assisting it with its ambitious mission of demonstrating a working farm through time and raising awareness of the value of historic farming techniques and what they might offer for future generations.
The successful Farm Manager will be an experienced livestock and arable farmer with an interest in sharing their passion for historic and rare breeds.
Application deadline is 20 November, 2024. For full details please contact: director@ashf.org.uk
Chief Executive Officer
Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) stands at the forefront of the Welsh red meat industry, championing its development, promotion, and marketing with a clear vision: To create a profitable, efficient, sustainable, innovative and competitive industry, which is resilient to political and environmental change and benefits the people of Wales. It has a statutory remit and delivers the Red Meat Industry (Wales) Measure 2010.
As HCC embark on a new chapter, they’re looking for an exceptional Chief Executive Officer to lead them into their next phase of development within a dynamic and evolving industry.
As the new CEO, you will take ownership of delivering the final stages of HCC’s Vision 25 strategy before crafting a new vision for HCC; one that not only drives sustainable growth but also positions the organisation as a role model of excellence within the sector from 2026 and beyond. You will inspire a team who live and breathe this sector to follow that vision. Through visionary leadership, you will role model a direct focus on sustainability, you will influence and guide the team to deliver strategic opportunities to optimise develop, secure and enhance existing and new international markets by working closely with government agencies and processors. You will nurture a positive, future-focused culture that encourages continuous development and innovation, creating a workplace where employees and stakeholders alike feel valued and empowered.
Location: Aberystwyth, Ceredigion (Sir Ceredigion)
Closing date: 25 Nov 2024
Sector: Food & Produce, Livestock, Sales & Marketing, Trading and Purchasing
Contract Type: Permanent
Role: Director
For more information on any of these vacancies or to see all our current roles, please go to: JobsInAgriculture.com
The Voluntary Initiative (VI) seeks a new independent Chair to promote the responsible use of plant protection products (PPPs) through an Integrated Pest Management (IPM)-based approach.
The successful applicant will have an excellent understanding of agriculture in the UK and a desire to contribute to continued sustainable food and feed production. They will also be aware of the issues surrounding PPPs and the potential impacts of their use on the wider environment.
The role, which is Government supported, requires approx. 3 days per month with some flexibility needed, and will be paid at an agreed rate.
For more information, or to apply please go to: JobsInAgriculture.com
As the Senior Herdsperson, you’ll take on day-to-day responsibility for managing the health, welfare, and productivity of our herd of Montbeliarde cows. You’ll work closely with the business owner and farm staff, ensuring high standards of animal welfare, and leading on day-to-day herd management including fertility management and foot health.
• Manage and take responsibility for herd health and welfare, including milking and focusing on fertility and foot health.
• Maintain accurate records of health, feeding, and production.
• Collaborate with the team, sharing a passion for sustainable organic farming.
• Implement herd health protocols, including vaccination and treatments.
• Safely operate farm equipment for tasks like feeding and occasional arable work.
• A positive, can-do attitude with a passion for farming, cows, and the environment.
• Dairy herd management experience.
• A team player with great communication skills and innovative thinking.
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including early mornings and weekends.
• Physically fit and capable of performing manual tasks.
• Ability to operate both Heat Time & Uniform Agri dairy management software.
• Required qualifications: Ideally with a minimum of HND level qualifications in agriculture, dairy production and organic principles.
• Some experience with dairy, beef and sheep production.
Are you ready for a new challenge and the next step on the farming ladder? If you’re passionate about organic farming, animal welfare, and sustainable agriculture, we’d love to hear from you!
Passed away peacefully on 29th October 2024. Philip aged 83 years of Betchton. Beloved husband of Barbara, much loved dad to Edward and wife Lucy, and dearly loved grandad to William. Family flowers only. Donations if desired to Prostate Cancer UK. Funeral service to be held at Christ Church, Wheelock on Wednesday 13th November 2024 at 12 noon, followed by interment in the churchyard. All enquiries to Williams & Lowe Funeral Directors, Field House, 40 Congleton Road, Sandbach CW11 1HJ Tel 01270 750852
J.P WHITTER (WATER WELL ENGINEERS) LTD
• BOREHOLE DRILLING FOR DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL PURPOSES
• WORK CARRIED OUT TO A VERY HIGH STANDARD
• WATER SYSTEMS INSTALLED
• BOREHOLE PUMPING INSTALLATIONS
• 24HR BREAKDOWN SERVICE
• FREE QUOTATIONS AND SITE VISITS THE POTTERIES GARAGE
SMALLBROOK LANE, LEIGH, WIGAN, LANCS, WN7 5PZ. TEL: 01942 871900. FAX: 01942 896843. Out of office: 01942 893660 Visit our Website www.waterwellengineers.co.uk Email: sally@waterwellengineers.co.uk •
Lady 65 from South Derbyshire Would like to meet farmer or country gent for companionship maybe more.
Enquries to: PO Box 1049 Farmers Guardian Unit 4 Caxton Road Preston, Lancashire PR2 9NZ
Quickthorn
COLLECTORS OF DEAD ANIMALS THROUGHOUT LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE Competitive prices PLEASE CALL: 01704 893161 or 07768 051800 (24 hrs) Martland’s the name, knackering’s the game Established over 100 years
BRIDGE Lancs, Cumbria, Cheshire. Yorkshire. WILLIAM TAYLOR & SON (PS) LTD
OR TELEPHONE STEPHEN:
626 951
CHRISTIAN COURTSHIP Are you losing hope of ever finding a soul mate? Let ‘Friends1st’ change that for you – we have for so many other farmers across the UK. Let us introduce you to someone really special. Date with confidence! Kevin says: “Friends1st is such a credit to everyone. You can talk to anyone at any time. There’s just no comparison to your organisation. It’s like being a member of an exclusive club.” Call 0121 405 0941today for a personal confidential chat or visit www. friends1st.co.uk/christian-farmers-dating
IAN SMITH Livestock Scanning Services. Across the North -Tel: 01200 445750 or 07976 539197 (T)
CONCRETE GROOVING Neil O’Donnell -Tel: 01900 817009 or 07759 194600 Nationwide (T)
ALWYN MANZINI Sheep Scanning services, covering all areas. Tel: 07813 693316 (T)
PURECLAD Hygienic
Class 1 Fire Rated PVC wall linings and ceiling systems. Milking parlours, dairies, food prep areas. All trims, colours, different thicknesses available. Fitting service. Trade enq welcome. Tel: 01282 779472 or 07710 934133.
BUILDERS plate coolers refurbished bulk milk tanks,
• GRANT FUNDED
• ESTIMATED PAYBACK OFTEN WITHIN 12 MONTHS
• 60% – 70% REDUCTION TO WATER HEATER RUNNING TIMES
• IMPROVEMENT TO THE COOLING UNITS PERFORMANCE
• HOT WATER AVAILABLE ALL DAY
• DOMESTIC OR OFFICE HEATING
• ALMOST ZERO MAINTENANCE
• HUGE REDUCTION IN YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT POWERED BY YOUR MOO POWER
details please
Complete with Honda engine and Electric motor. This unit is ready for work
For filling bottles 500 ml, one litre and two Litres. Nine valves, three heads, cap elevator, inkjet printer, label applicator.
Includes conveyers and dolly table. Open to Offers
Calf Hutches. Complete with fencing. A large selection of all animal and calf feeding equipment and all other associated products also available. Massive saving on list price Livestock Supplies Ltd. Ashley: 07831 887531 Office: 01829 260328 www.livestocksupplies.co.uk
(Pedigree Blue Faced Leicester ram crossed with a Pedigree Suffolk ewe) Resulting in Outstanding Hybrid Vigour, Growth & Performance Suffolk Ram Lambs & Shearlings
- MVD Accredited
- Heptivac P Vaccinated
- Red Tractor Assured - Insured for 4 months
Seafield Pedigrees – 07715 764 351
Beltex X Texel X Charollais Shearling Rams
Excellent conformation, tight skins, ready for work. Heptavac P. Naturally Reared, no corn
Contact Mr Brocklehurst on 07764 196462 or 01260 223338
Tel:07977 270311 Somerset (P) TEXEL SHEARLING TUPS
Excellent conformation. Extremely well-muscled. All home bred. Tel: 01298 872500 or Mobile: 07570 272376 Derbys (P)
Suffolk Ram Lambs for sale. MV accredited, Heptavac P System, well grown, excellent confirmation.
T Robinson Crusow Flock North East Lincs Tel: 01469 560235 - 07836 502088 (p)
We know farming. Farmers Guardian brands are embedded in the agricultural community and have a position of authority and trust
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
Please feel free to contact Richard – 07816 173689 John – 07885 739120
3 Well bred, Halter trained Bulls 18 months - 2 years. Vaccinated for BVD + IBR, TB 4 Area John Procter, Waterbeck.
Tel: 01461 600257 or 07729 405369 Lockerbie (P)
Have a great selection of 2023 born 12-16 month old pedigree bulls for sale. SAC Hi-Health Member Tested free of Johnes, BVD, IBR, Lepto, TB 4 Semen Tested, Performance recorded Nationwide Delivery Available Kurt – 07715 448366 Richard - 07816 173689 Lancs (P)
HERD Holstein Freisian Bulls For
Black & White and some Red & White
Plenty to choose from - first come first served!
Tel: Ray Brown 01477 532220 or 07885 652718 Cheshire (T)
Available in suitable batches delivered to most parts of the country Continental Bull and Heifer calves 3-5 weeks old available now. Quality store cattle sourced directly from Welsh/Shropshire Borders Farms, delivered to your farm. Delivery Nationwide. Livestock Supplies Ltd www.livestocksupplies.co.uk
paul@lowergroveherefords.com
Ready to work, delivered direct to your farm, very quiet, easy calving. Also females available. Health monitored, closed herd, full pedigree with each animal, Red tractor. Semen Available.
Tel: 077157 64351
Quality, home-bred Limousin cross British Blue young cows and heifers, with Lim x and BB x calves at foot. Also two excellent Lim x British Blue bulls. Eager for work, all quiet, TB tested and ready to go. ALWAYS NEGATIVE FOR TB Wilf Lomas - 01606 832142 or 07769704628
Easy Calving, Good temperament. Johnes & BVD accredited, lepto vaccinated. Ready for work, Herd never had TB. Also pedigree bulling heifers available Tel: 01948 770408 Mob: 07714 089001 Malpas, Cheshire
17-22 months. Some Semen tested. TB4 area. Younger bulls also available
Whey Milk Powder Crude proteins: 26% Crude fat: 16% Crude fiber: 0.05%
Whey Milk Powder
fat: 18%
fiber: 0.15% Whey Milk Powder (High in
More information: Ashley J Latham • Livestock Supplies Ltd Office: 01829 260 328 • Ashley: 07831 887 531 • Will: 07769 974 476 • Email: ashley@livestocksupplies.co.uk BEESTON GATE FARM, BEESTON, NR. TARPORLEY, CHESHIRE CW6 9NN www.livestocksupplies.co.uk Skim Milk Replacer
More information: Ashley J Latham • Livestock Supplies Ltd Office: 01829 260 328 • Ashley: 07831 887 531 • Will: 07769 974 476 • Email: ashley@livestocksupplies.co.uk
BEESTON GATE FARM, BEESTON, NR. TARPORLEY, CHESHIRE CW6 9NN www.livestocksupplies.co.uk
Hay & Straw for Sale in all types of Bales. Good quality. Reasonable prices.
TEL: (01625) 531629 OR (01625)
Inc. Rolled Barley, Maize Gluten, Hi Pro Soya, Malt Pellets, Sugarbeet Pellets, Oatfeed Pellets & Syrup Suitable for Cattle and Sheep
Premium Starter 18% Bulk £245 ex - Bags £255 ex Premium Grower 16% Bulk £230
One Tonne Bag Collections
We take a farmercentric approach to media. Our job is to help farmers run their farms more efficiently and make better purchasing decisions
Available Now! We also offer our customers a wide range of Holiday Homes and Cabins
for more details. Mobile 07733 390801 for information and
advice or to discuss your requirements.
includingmortgagesandshorttermloans.
There has been considerable commentary on last week’s Budget announcement regarding Inheritance Tax (IHT). Social media is alive with advice and suggestions, much of which is ill-informed or incorrect. A balance needs to be struck between the natural human reaction of making knee-jerk changes and burying your head in the sand.
Good succession planning has always taken careful thought and, at times, difficult conversations. Last week’s announcement does not change this, but should move conversations around succession planning up the priority list.
With a consultation next year and the changes being brought in from April 2026, there is time to look carefully at all the options. The Government may yet alter the details, but that is not to say people cannot and should not start to make plans now. Every situation is different and a tailored solution will be needed for all.
Passing assets on to the next generation should be balanced with other changes, such as the risk of divorce. Other considerations include trusts, often used in IHT planning, which often incur a 10-year charge and so thought needs to be given as to how this would be funded.
Alongside these are other factors, such as: should life insurance be considered, is there a risk of a double taxation event and what will happen with lifetime gifts and the seven-year rule? The focus needs to be on what is right for the business and individuals within that business.
One area which seems to be being ignored by large parts of the media, is the way the changes affect the whole business. To date there has been a focus on the land element, as the most expensive asset, but the changes proposed affect your working capital, growing crops, livestock and machinery.
Many contractors and tenant farmers will have more than £1 million of assets given the value of modern machinery, crops in store and livestock. This will vary through the year, and it may be an easy place to start to give the next generation more control. Equally, the structure of debt is going to be important moving forward, with the banks moving away from lending solely to the older generation.
The agriculture sector is unique in many good and bad ways, but succession planning should now be of the highest priority. This is something which affects all businesses. With a lot of concerned people out there, speak to those you can trust, whether it be a family member, friend or adviser.
Everyone will have a view, with some better informed than others, but hearing those views is important. Often, a combined approach, with advice from your accountant, solicitor and land agent will achieve the best outcome as it enables all angles of the business to be considered.
Making time to make decisions, even if the decision is to make no change, is absolutely vital for good business management.
Andrew Jenkinson is a partner in the rural team at Robinson and Hall. Call 01234 362 905, or email abrj@robinsonandhall. co.uk
Farmers Guardian, Fginsight.com and fgbuyandsell.com (hereinafter referred to as ‘Farmers Guardian) may contain advertisements, links to other Internet websites or online and mobile services provided by independent third parties, including websites and telephone contacts of our advertisers and sponsors (what we call “Third Party Sites”), either directly or indirectly. It is your decision whether you purchase or use any third party products or services made available on or via Third Party Sites and you should read below carefully. Our Privacy Policy does not apply to Third Party Sites. In no circumstances do we accept responsibility for your use of Third Party Sites or in respect of any Third Party products. By Third Party Sites we mean websites, online or mobile services provided by third parties, including websites of advertisers and sponsors that may appear in Farmers Guardian. By Third Party Products we mean products or services provided by third parties.
Farmers Guardian contains advertising and sponsorship. Advertisers and sponsors are responsible for ensuring that material submitted for inclusion on Farmers Guardian complies with international and national law. Farmers Guardian (nor its websites) is not responsible for any error or inaccuracy in advertising or sponsorship material.
Any agreements, transactions or other arrangements made between you and any third party named in, on (or linked to from) in Farmers Guardian and its websites are at your own responsibility and entered into at your own risk.
Farmers Guardian promises to develop and operate with reasonable skill and care and will use reasonable efforts to promptly remedy any faults of which it is aware.
Farmers Guardian does not provide any other promises or warranties about its products and services. Farmers Guardian is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. This means that Farmers Guardian does not make any promises in respect of Farmers Guardian or the services and functions available on or through Farmers Guardian, Fginsight.com and fgbuyandsell.com or of the quality, completeness or accuracy of the information published on or linked to from Farmers Guardian, Fginsight.com and fgbuyandsell.com other than as expressly stated above.
The above disclaimers apply equally to your use of Farmers Guardian, Fginsight.com and fgbuyandsell.com without limiting the above; Farmers Guardian and its websites are not liable for matters beyond its reasonable control. Farmers Guardian does not control third party communications networks (including your internet service provider), the internet, acts of god or the acts of third parties.
Farmers Guardian liability will not be limited in the case of death or personal injury directly caused by Farmers Guardian negligence in those countries where it is unlawful for Farmers Guardian to seek to exclude such liability.
Any individual, who is in doubt about entering into a loan agreement, should seek professional advice or consult an authorised person who can assist in relation to entering into a credit agreement. Before acting on any information you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to these matters, any relevant offer document and in particular, you should seek independent financial advice.
All loans, loan participations and financial products or instrument transactions involve risks, which include (among others) the risk of adverse or unanticipated market, financial or political developments and, in international transactions, currency risk. Lending against non-traditional physical collateral exposes investors to specific risks such as the potential for fraud, theft, damage and illiquidity.
www.arcadianestates.co.uk
Sites of 1- 1000 acres required for residential development.
If you think that your land has potential for development, or you have been approached by a developer, then you will need expert advice that is not available at traditional sources.
Michael Rutherford is a specialist agent acting and negotiating for landowners. Contact me for a confidential and expert consultation at no cost. All areas of the UK covered.
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• 50mm and 60mm diameter steel hoops for strength and
Tub Grinders
- Exclusive UK Distributor of Haybuster & Rotogrind Grinders.
- Range of models from 5t - 25t / hour output.
- New, used & refurbished machines available.
- Ideal for straw, hay, green waste, roots, biogas feeds etc.
Root Choppers & Cleaners
- Loader, 3 point linkage, free standing PTO and electric drive available
- UK Distributor of VDW range of choppers, cleaners & feed dispensing equipment
- Output from 10t/hour to over 120t/hour available
Diet Feeders
- Largest stock of mixers in the UKover 50 machines in current stock
- Refurbished, used & nearly new units available
- New Mini Mixer available
- Diet feeder parts available- Blades, Conveyor belts, gearboxes, weigh cells.
- All feeders undergo 30 point service
- Finance available subject to terms
- Nationwide delivery available
Current Used Stock:
Trioliet 8, 12, 14, 20
Strautmann 14, 20
BvL 15, 17, 20, 24
JF Kongskilde 12,14, 22
Kverneland / Siloking 14, 16,18,22
Keenan 10, 14, 16, 20, 24
Shelbourne 11, 22, CB150 bedder
Hi Spec 14 x 2, 16
Redrock 20
Seko Samaurai 14
Rotogrind x 4
Teagle C12 grinder
Farmhand 880
Profi freestanding root chopper x 3
VDW root bucket RS1800
Used Diet Feeders always wanted
Breaking for parts -Trioliet 28, Shelbourne 11, 13, 19,
Abbey 1500, Strautmann 1250, Siloking 22,
Please visit www.enegis.co.uk for more photos or call 01789 205132 or 07721 442979
We are currently aware of a number of fraudulent advertisers attempting to sell items within the classified section. Whilst we endeavour to protect our readers and pull these adverts before going to press, sometimes they may unfortunately appear in print.
Please be mindful before entering into any deals you PROCEED WITH CAUTION with the seller and do not part
2023 JCB TM420S, Contractor Pack, 580 hours, VF620 Tyres, JCB Warranty
£108,500 +VAT
2023 John Deere 6R
155, AutoPowr 50kph, Front Linkage + PTO, AutoTrac Ready, 1011 hours. Subsidised Finance and Warranty!
£POA
2022 New Holland T7.270, 1421 hours, Auto Command 50kph, Blue Power, F/Links + PTO,RTK Guidance £POA
2019 John Deere 8370RT, 5090 hours, AutoPowr 40kph,Cab Suspension, 30’’ Tracks + Wide Wheel Drive, Front Linkage £130,000 +VAT
Bateman RB35, Self Propelled Sprayer, 3052 hours
2023 JCB Fastrac 4220 ICON, ProLine Spec, 4 SCV’s, Front Linkage + PTO,Guidance Ready, 753 hours £POA
2021 John Deere 6175R, 5398 hours.
AutoPowr 50kph
£79,500 +VAT
2023 John Deere 6120R, AutoQuad 40kph, Loader Ready, Air Brakes, 500 hours, Subsidised Finance and Warranty available! £POA
2021 John Deere 6140M, 1004 hours, AutoQuad 40kph, Loader Preparation
£76,500 +VAT
2013 John Deere 6330 + Loader, *3608 hours* PowerQuad 40kph, AirCon,Quicke Loader, £45,000 +VAT
2022 John Deere 6R 140, 1780 hours, AutoQuad 50kph, Full Suspension
£88,750 +VAT
2023 Kramer KT457, Hydrostatic Gearbox, Kramer Headstock with Pallet Forks, Bibload tyres, Ex Hire Low Hours! Subsidised Finance and Warranty Available! £POA
HEATED SEAT, AIR CON, 480/70R28 X 520/85R38
£47,500
2011 AMAZONE 1501 21 METRE MOUNTED SPRAYER, 1500 LITRE, TRIPPLE NOZZLE BODIES, AMASET+ CONTROL BOX
2021 IGLAND 85H PTO FORESTRY WINCH, 8.5T CAPACITY, AUTO SAFETY BRAKE, REMOTE CONTROL, 120M CABLE, SUITED FOR 90-140BHP TRACTORS
£9,500
£13,500 ALBUTT SILAGE GRAB
£1,950
2007 WARWICK 7 TON TIPPING TRAILER
HYDRAULIC BACK DOOR, GRAIN CHUTE, HYDRAULIC BRAKES, VERY NICE CONDITION
£5,950
2018 BAILEY 15 TON ROOT TRAILER
AIR BRAKES, SPRUNG DRAWBAR, HYD TIPPING, HYD BACK DOOR, GRAIN CHUTE, EASY SHEET, 10 STUD COMMERCIAL AXLES, BRAND NEW 445/65R22.5 TYRES
£16,950
2023 JOHN DEERE 6175M 740 HOURS! 40K AUTOQUAD, AIR BRAKES, FRONT & CAB SUSPENSION, 4 X MANUAL SPOOLS, HEATED SEAT, AIRCON. C/W FRONT LINKAGE
£POA
**REDUCED** 2015 KRAMER 8085 ONLY 2909 HOURS! 2150KG LIFTING CAPACITY. C/W SET OF TINES
£29,950
We’re here to stay - Committed to you in 2024 and beyond.
While 2024 has brought significant challenges to dealerships everywhere, we want to assure you: We’re not going anywhere.
Located in Nateby, Lancashire, we remain fully operational and ready to support you. Whether it’s warranty work, parts supply, or emergency repairs, our dedicated team is just a phone call away. We’re committed to keeping your machinery running smoothly and covering a wide service area to meet all your needs. Count
BAILEY 15T GRAIN TRAILER.
Sprung draw bar. Hyd door. Grain chute. Arched front window. Sprung commercial axles. On 560/60- 22.5 wheels. Ym 2011.
POA
NUGENT 14’ TRI AXLE CATTLE TRAILER.
1 cow partition.
Front vent . Good order.
............................ Price: POA
HARRY WEST 1300 DUAL SPREADER.
Shot blasted and painted . Checked over ready to go.!!
Price: £10750
MARSHALL ST 1800 G SLURRY TANK. Ym 2013 . On 550/60- 22.5 wheels. Good order.
Price: £5950
HISPEC V16 DIET FEEDER. 1 side door. C/w flap. 2 speed box. Fitted with brand new auger and blades. 1 farmer from new.
Price: POA
MASCHIO DS 250 POWER HARROW. C/w crumbler roller. Only been on a small farm!!!
AS ACE 14T GRAIN TRAILER.
Sprung draw bar. Super singles. Grain chute. Ym 2005. Only ever done grain. Nice trailer!!!! .......................... Price: £7400
BUNNING LOWLANDER
mk 4 120 HBD sprung draw bar. Weigh cells . Mudguards. Ym 2015. On alliance 650 wheels. Wide angle pto. Nice spreader!!!! Price: £40000
FLEMING MS 700 6.5 CUBE SPREADER. On 16/70-20 tractor tread tyres. Very nice spreader !!
Price: £4500
NC 3000G SLURRY TANK. Auto filler. Sight tube. Sprung draw bar. Rear steering axle. On 560 /60-22.5 wheels. Air brakes. Top fill hatch.
Price: £13750
BAILEY 12T GRAIN TRAILER.
Hyd door. Sprung 10 stud axles. On 560- 45 / 22.5 wheels. Ym 2012. Grain chute. ..........................
£7400 KANE 10T DROP SIDE TRAILER.
BUNNING 90 REAR DISCHARGE SPREADER.
Slurry door. Wide angle pto. Ym 2011. Very good order!!!
Price: £16000
HISPEC 3000G TANK. Sprung draw bar. On 750 Trelleborg tyres. Ym 2015. 2 fill points. 1 farmer from new. nice tank.
Price: £14000
MCHALE C460 STRAW BLOWER. Electric controls. Ym 2019. Nice machine!!
Price: £11700
RS TUB MIXER. 21 cube. 2 speed box. 2 doors. Price: £10750 HARDI COMMANDER 3200 TRAILED SPRAYER. 24m boom.1 farm from new. C/w row crop wheels. Very good condition.!!!Price: POA
Price: £3000 SHELBOURNE CUBICLE BEDDER 150. C/w jcb qfit brackets. Good order.
Price: £2750
20’ LAGOON MIXER. Ym 2022. Very good order.
ECE LFM 1200. Wide angle pto. New slurry door. 580 tyres. Ym 2007.
Price: £9950
HISPEC 1600G SLURRY TANK. On 750 alliance wheels. Sprung draw bar. Ym 2015. Very good order!!
Price: £11200
SPREAD A BALE MAXI. ym 2012.
Price: £7850
KUHN EL 282 - 300 3M ROTORVATOR. Ym 2009. C/w packer roller. Some machine!! Price: £7500
Price: £2500 WAM ROOT CHOPPER. Tractor driven will chop any roots.
Price: £2100
HARRY WEST 1600 DUAL SPREADER. on 23.1 wheels. C/w splash guards. Very good order.
Price: £17000
NC 1850 . SLURRY TANK. Ym 2010. On 560/60-22.5 wheels. Mec 9000l pump. Sprung draw bar. Fully opening rear door . For easy clean out !!!
Price: £5500
AGRIMASTER GOLDEN R550-650 CW. Joystick controls. Telescopic . 1.5m head. Ym 2019. Tidy.
Price: POA
MASCHIO DMR 3000 POWER HARROW. C/w packer roller. Very good tines. Price: £4950
HOWARD HR 30 7’ ROTORVATOR. Twin rear steel wheels. Tidy order.
Price: £2850
Edited by Toby Whatley – 07583 054 831 – toby.whatley@agriconnect.com
Replacing the 5700M series, Massey Ferguson’s 5M range has been launched with new levels of technology and more factory-fit options. Toby Whatley reports.
COVERING a power range of 95145hp, Massey Ferguson’s new 5M series has been introduced to replace its existing entry-level 5700M tractor range.
Assembled at the manufacturer’s plant in Beauvais, France, all six models are fitted with an Agco Power 4.4-litre four-cylinder engine with the firm’s Dyna-4 transmission.
The established Dyna-4 transmission provides clutch-free control of 16 forward and 16 reverse speeds with a 40km/h top speed.
An optional AutoDrive feature is provided for all models and allows automatic shifting and Brake-to-Neutral, which automatically disengages drive when the pedal is pressed.
Externally, the range has been updated with new styling, which MF highlights brings the range inline with its wider tractor offering.
New LED lighting packages are included in the visual changes, alongside a redesign of the exhaust system, which MF says has been moved under the cab to provide greater visibility from the 1.3-metrewide cab with flat floor.
Cab suspension can also now be added as an option on all models.
Two hydraulic pump options are available with outputs of either 58 litres per minute in the standard guise or 100 litres/minute with the larger option.
The 5M range covers a power band of
Several factory-fitted loaders are offered with the option of mechanical or electronic loader control, and a wider visibility Visio Roof.
Reflecting an increasing trend from other tractor manufacturers, MF has introduced additional precision farming technology options drawn down from its larger models. MF claims this
has been achieved with a new electrical architecture which now provides users with the option of IsoBus connectivity through the manufacturer’s Fieldstar 5 terminal. This system supports MF Guide guidance, in addition to section and rate control.
The guidance service is provided by Trimble at a range of accuracies
which reflects the recent purchase of Trimble’s agricultural business by Agco in late 2023.
MF says the introduction of guidance integration on this range of tractors has been added to benefit vegetable and salad growers – currently a significant user of the existing 5700M range.
For farms with existing GPS systems, the 5M can be supplied with receivers from other suppliers. Buyers of multiple units can order machines with integrated telemetry and realtime data transfer.
The new range of tractors will make its UK debut at LAMMA 2025, held at the NEC, Birmingham, on January 15-16, 2025.
Coinciding with the brand’s 50-year anniversary in Europe, Kubota has announced changes to its range with the introduction of the M7004 series. Toby Whatley reports.
HELD in Barcelona as part of the manufacturer’s 50 years in Europe celebrations, the M7004 series has been introduced a decade after the brand originally presented its largest and highest power tractor offering.
Covering three models from 130175hp, the range retains the same 6.1-litre, four-cylinder engine currently fitted in the previous generation and will continued to be provided with two transmission options of either a powershift or in-house developed CVT.
The Kubota Variable Transmission (KVT) has been updated with further settings for customising the transmission sensitivity, which Kubota says improves fuel efficiency.
According to the manufacturer, key updates for the M7004 have been centred around operator convenience with a newly-repositioned cooling pack at the front of the engine to create improved access to service components, and a repositioned fuel and AdBlue tank alongside the designed cab steps that claim to improve access and egress from the tractor.
In-cab changes include a new automatic assisted parking brake integrated within the tractor shuttle and changes to the K-Monitor precision farming terminal, which operates with a new quad-core processor that Kubota says provides expanded functionality and faster processing speeds.
The M7004 will be supplied with extended warranty up to five years/ 5,000 hours, and can be integrated with Kubota Connect – the brand’s tractor telematics system which allows users remote access to view the tractor location and key operating functions.
To highlight the brand’s anniversary, 50 machines will be offered in a black and orange livery for the European market. All M7 models are produced at the manufacturer’s Dunkirk factory in northern France.
Double-cab pickup trucks are firm rural favourites, but an HMRC tax rules change is set to remove their commercial vehicle status. James Huyton reports.
Following a taxation shake-up from the Budget, double-cab pickups are set to be redefined as cars, bringing an end to a tax loophole largely exploited by many non-agricultural businesses and, in turn, closing the door on a once grey area for farm businesses using them as work vehicles.
Historically, HMRC’s interpretation of law defined any vehicle with a one-tonne payload or above under VAT rulings as a commercial vehicle
From April 1, HMRC has announced this will change, and
double-cab and king-cab vehicles purchased from this date will be defined as cars.
This could have serious implications for farm businesses that have traditionally purchased a double cab pickup for tax relief against a business’ trading profits, alongside its farm-focused practicalities.
A grace period will allow any company buying a double-cab or king-cab in the interim to access the same benefit-in-kind tax rules that currently apply.
Vehicles must be ordered before April 1, 2025, to retain the commer-
cial entitlement, but in order to qualify for plant and machinery capital allowances, the unit must be delivered before October 1, 2025.
All employees, or owners including company directors, provided with existing double-cab pickups will be subject to benefit-in-kind changes from April 6, 2029, regardless of whether the vehicles are bought or sold.
Equally, prospective buyers should take note of existing legislation that states that the addition of a hard top cover is accountable in payload calculations.
For example, a pickup could
have a payload of 1,010kg, making it tax relief eligible under current rules, but the addition of a 45kg hard top would reduce the vehicle payload to 965kg making any such benefits void.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, says: “Future demand for pick-ups is now at serious risk, with the Budget heaping additional costs on many individuals, companies and sole traders for whom these vehicles are an essential workhorse.
“We urge the Government to reconsider this move, to support businesses in vital industries such as
Changes
farming, construction and other trades, recognising that this move will also undermine growth, manufacturing attractiveness and our efforts to decarbonise road transport.”
“The move risks stalling the overall market and its decarbonisation, as businesses will be likely to hold on to older vehicles for longer.
“With the new rules due in April, there is insufficient time for the industry to adapt to such a major policy change and the sector believes that it would remain fairer and simpler to use a vehicle’s type approval as the basis for all tax purposes.”
The classification change of a double-cab pickup capable of seating four passengers or more, raises questions about users of other commercial vehicles with a second row of seats. This would include vans or a Land Rover Discovery Commercial with retrofitted rear seats.
Two-door pickup variants with a single row of seats will remain commercial vehicles going forward and will retain all associated business taxable benefits.
The versatility, towing capacity and payload capacity of pickup trucks have long made them a go-to choice for many farmers.
The change in interpretation may have a significant impact on the buying habits of many businesses looking to change their vehicles after April 1.
a spike in market sales with businesses looking to make the most of current tax rules.
Ben Allman, partner at Worcestershire-based accountancy firm Ballards, says: “While the benefitin-kind implications are significant, the greater impact on farming businesses will be the removal of the preferential capital allowance treatment on dual-cab pickups.
“Businesses will no longer be able to fully expense the purchase of such vehicles after April 1, or April 6 for unincorporated businesses.
“It is only the VAT treatment which remains in the taxpayer’s favour.
“Commercial vehicles can attract full tax relief against trading profits in the year of acquisition,
It is thought it could bring about Ben Allman
whereas most (non-electric) cars only get a writing down allowance of 6% or 18% on a reducing balance basis.”
The published guidance from HMRC defining what falls into a double-cab pickup classification says: “A front passenger cab that contains a second row of seats and is capable of seating about four passengers, plus the driver, four doors capable of being opened independently.
“Whether the rear doors are hinged at the front or the rear (two-door versions are normally accepted to be vans) and an uncovered pickup area behind the passenger cab.”
Plant and machinery purchases currently attract favourable tax reliefs.
Mr Allman advises that the current annual investment allowance gives the first £1 million spent on qualifying plant and machinery as a full write-off against taxable profits.
The tax relief, however, only becomes available on the date that the contract to purchase the equipment becomes unconditional, which is typically on the delivery of goods.
Having an invoice for a vehicle which has not been delivered by the year end would not be enough to ensure the tax relief falls within that year.
However, there are transitional arrangements which have been put in place for situations in which con-
Businesses will no longer be able to fully expense the purchase of such vehicles after April 1, or April 6 for unincorporated businesses
tracts are entered into before April 1 but the expenditure is incurred before October 1.
In such cases, HMRC will permit the commercial vehicle treatment. He adds: “It is always worth checking with a tax accountant whether any intended purchase will qualify as a commercial vehicle to ensure that the purchase qualifies for as much tax relief as possible, particularly in light of the recent taxation changes.”
With slurry transportation and application an integral part of many dairy systems, James Huyton visits Joskin’s Belgian production facilities to see how its range of tankers are made.
Farmers are no strangers to innovation and, as in many industries, it often takes someone working close to the root of a problem to find a solution. A little ingenuity and know-how can bring about some clever new technology.
This has become a formula for success at Joskin, a brand familiar to many with its roots firmly in the slurry and trailer manufacturing industry.
Like many global manufacturers, the family firm started with humble roots.
Victor Joskin, a farmer’s son, founded the company back in 1968, when he set up his own agricultural contracting business.
Didier Joskin, production director said: “The business has developed significantly over the years. We have grown with the market, with Joskin now exporting to more than 60 countries around the world.
“Even when we were agricultural contractors we always stocked
plenty of parts to keep everything working, and from that we built a good reputation with local farmers and began to supply parts and repair machines.
“This grew into an importing business and, later in 1984, we began manufacturing slurry tankers.”
The move into tanker manufacturing turned out to be a well orchestrated one. Located close to the Dutch border, the Belgian manufacturer was well placed to export tankers into the dairy-intense Dutch market.
Laws around slurry injection may only just be coming into place in the UK, but more than 35 years ago the Dutch authorities banned splash plate applications of slurry.
Anticipating the change to injection systems and understanding the issues around pumping inhomogeneous slurry, Mr Joskin developed and patented the company’s first macerator in 1990, paving the way for the company’s growth across much of Europe.
Today Joskin employs more than 900 people across five sites with plans to develop a sixth site in Luxembourg.
Joskin offers more than 900 options across its tanker range and 120 different tyre options in addition.
Although not all models in the Joskin range are fully customisable, the Advantage series, for instance, as the name suggests, takes advantage of Joskin’s buying power, producing a run of identical tankers. This in turn creates efficiencies of scale within the factory and more competitive pricing, claims the manufacturer.
A company built on the ethos of co-operation and communication, founded in the early years as an agricultural contracting business, Joskin continues to manufacture many of its components in-house including all its hydraulic rams, apart from trailer tipper rams which are still outsourced.
To ensure quality and retain a handle on costs, Joskin continues to invest in production each year. This continual investment allowed the company to purchase a 3D scanner and printer. The manufacturer claims this will give greater flexibility to design and
print prototype parts for production.
Joskin’s Soumagne production site alone holds 2,400 tonnes of sheet steel at any one time.
Where possible, the manufacturer has made production efficiencies in recent years, including the introduction of two robotic welders solely in charge of welding trailer bodies.
A production process that previously took three days of manual welding can now be completed in seven hours with one robot.
But, as the manufacturer highlights, the investment and time to program each machine is considerable, with a single body design taking one week to program into the robotic welder.
Over the years, Joskin has developed its manufacturing sites adding a 1,000t press to the Soumagne line and, more recently, two fully automated positive and negative folding presses, claimed to be one of a kind. Joskin tankers are well known for their galvanised finish, which the manufacturer claims aids machine longevity.
Each tank is dipped in a purpose-built 8,000sq.m galvanising tank at the firm’s Polish site.
Tanks are fabricated at the Spawtech production facility in Belgium, with 4-6mm, 420 steel rolled into the cylinder shape and tack welded.
Baffles are then positioned every
Joskin developed a new modular design for its Volumetra tanker range, winning machine of the year at SIMA in 2017. The design allowed the manufacturer to offer a greater range and size of rear implements, with the fitment of a rear linkage mounted to the chassis itself.
Hot-dip galvanising at 450degC is a complex process. The steel is first coated with three layers consisting of a mixture of steel and zinc, followed by an outer layer of pure zinc. The first three layers are anchored in the steel.
The outer galvanisation coat is
and
less hard and therefore absorbs the shocks. Painted components are shot-blasted and electrically charged for better adhesion when spraying with an initial layer of epoxy primer and final layer coat.
Painted components such as axles and pumps are then fitted to the galvanised body.
Joskin has a range of control units to suit the needs of the customer and higher-specification units are offered with fully IsoBus-controlled units. Prospective buyers can also choose from six vacuum, load pump and centrifugal pump variants.
Edited by Katie Jones – 07786 856 439 – katie.jones@agriconnect.com
A Breconshire farm is in its first year of growing lucerne and is utilising the crop to support its sheep system, primarily finishing lambs. Ellie Layton reports.
Newton Farm sits on the outskirts of Brecon and is home to Richard and Helen Roderick, who farm with their son, Tudor.
They manage 263 hectares (650 acres), 80ha (200 acres) of which are rented in the locality to support their 1,200 Romney flock, which they have transitioned to following a move from Aberfield ewes.
The family also runs a Stabiliser cattle herd, producing bulls and breeding females to sell.
The family is extremely open to change. Both Richard and Tudor have spent time in the southern hemisphere and are willing to investigate systems and strategies to benefit their own farm, which they have done with the sheep flock.
At a farm walk organised by Farming Connect, the Roderick family shared their experience with growing lucerne so far.
Aim
They chose lucerne with the aim of decreasing finishing times and utilising drought-prone fields, and are in the first year of growing it.
Although it is not a commonly grown crop in the UK, it is the most widely grown forage in the world.
After concerns following the drought which affected the farm in the summer of 2022 and 2023, the Rodericks are aiming to make their business more resilient to drier grazing seasons, which led them to apply for Farming Connect’s Try-Out Fund to support their investigation into the crop.
Tudor Roderick said: “Lucerne is
known to be sensitive and, if establishment is not right, the crop, which has the potential to have a lifetime of five years, can be dramatically disadvantaged.
“We have been fortunate enough to have been guided by independent grass and forage seed specialist, Francis Dunne, who is based locally and understands the challenges we face as a farm in a high rainfall area, aspiring to grow a crop which is vulnerable to high rainfall.”
Mr Dunne explained that the crop has the potential to be fruitful, with the leaf providing 12MJ/kg of dry matter of metabolisable energy (ME) and 24% protein, which is higher than what most other forages can offer in mid-season.
The plant stem only has an ME of 8MJ/kg of DM, so sheep tend to strip the leaves and leave the lower part of the stem, particularly in the longer grazing breaks.
Typically, the crop is ensiled in the UK, however, the trial is exploring grazing opportunities.
Mr Roderick said: “The crop is already successfully utilised by some sheep farmers in the south east of England and New Zealand, but less so in Wales.
“The trial not only has the potential to benefit our farm, but also we hope the results will help others in the region too.”
Lucerne was planted over two fields totalling 9.7ha (24 acres ) and incorporating Timothy into the ley.
Mr Dunne said: “This is to reduce the risk of poaching and the ingress of weed species. Because lucerne is slow
to establish, companion grass must not outcompete the crop. Species sometimes used include Timothy, meadow fescue and cocksfoot. Timothy is easier to manage.
“Some farmers have also included small leaved species of white clover. This also adds to sward density and has the ability to colonise the bare areas as the lucerne thins in the latter years.”
Two varieties of lucerne were chosen, one in each field.
The first was Luzelle, bred specifically for grazing with more prostrate habit and high feed quality.
The other, Artemis, is a cutting variety with a combination of very high yield and persistence.
Both were inoculated with lucerne-specific rhizobium bacteria because they do not appear naturally in these soils.
Mr Dunne recommends that fields with the potential for lucerne should have a pH of six and above, so lime was applied at a rate of 5 tonnes per hectare (2t/acre) before sowing, and a thorough inspection of weeds was carried out.
He said: “Established docks were found by the Rodericks. Because the UK has no licensed herbicides for the control of weeds in lucerne, sowing was delayed, allowing enough leaf area on the docks to be effectively killed before planting in mid-May.
“Further delays were seen after a Curlew nest established in the second field, so this was sown in early June.”
To optimise DM yield in the sowing season, the Rodericks decided to undersow the lucerne with a cover of 100kg/ha (40kg/acre) spring barley.
The barley seed was drilled at 2530mm depth before sowing the lucerne, as it needs to be shallow drilled or broadcast at 10-15 mm, then Cambridge rolled to consolidate.
“Once established, we have found the crop easy to manage,” said Mr Roderick.
In mid-August, the green 50% lucerne, 50% barley crop was silaged and, at the time of baling, an inoculation was applied to optimise fermentation, with eight bales to the acre cut.
In early October, 53 days after
■ Early-season growth is driven by root reserves – shorter rotations also work
■ Build up root reserves through a longer rotation from July to drive next spring’s growth
■ Manage the crop by grazing or mowing intervals
cutting, 400 lambs averaging 37kg were introduced to the crop to start the grazing rotation. Fields have been split in two with electric fencing to avoid overgrazing and poaching.
Fields will be further subdivided for rotational grazing in 2025.
Mr Roderick said: “Lambs will be weighed regularly to monitor daily liveweight gain on the crop and anything over 40kg will be put to the ram.
“Lamb health and worm burdens will also be monitored with support from our vet practice.
“Its yield will be monitored and lambs weighed at key points during the trial, with their weights compared to lambs grazing grass and clover leys, to establish if it can deliver positive financial benefits for the business compared to those feeds.
“Only the initial weight measurements have been taken so far, as the lambs have not been on the crop consistently yet.”
In the future, Mr Roderick hopes that the trial will allow them to develop the use of lucerne to graze ewes and lambs post lambing, as well as finishing lambs later.
Lucerne leaves can provide 12ME and 24% protein, higher than most other forages in mid-season.
■ Salt blocks should be offered alongside the crop as lucerne is low in sodium
■ Provide run-back grazing or roughage to reduce the risk of red gut
■ Black spot disease in the lucerne can reduce ewe fertility, so graze with care prior to tupping
■ Vaccination against clostridial diseases is recommended
■ Shoots develop from a raised crown at the top of the tap root; overgrazing will damage the crown and mowing below 10cm will affect the longevity of the crop
Reference: 1. APHA 2012-2019 Neonatal, Prewean, Postwean calf groups. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/veterinary-investigation-diagnosis-analysisvida-report-2012 Bovilis Cryptium® contains inactivated Cryptosporidium parvum Gp40. POM-V. Bovilis® Rotavec® Corona
CN7985,
O101:K99:F41.
While forage can be expected to be the major source of nutrients for ewes in the next few months, farmers are being advised that forage quality this autumn – whether grazed or ensiled – could impact performance. Farmers Guardian reports.
● Energy deficit should be biggest concern
WHEN ewes are on better quality forage, they will achieve higher intakes and, in most cases, meet their requirements from forage alone, according to Nacia Bonnick, of Trouw Nutrition GB.
She says: “But this winter, farmers are faced with feeding poorer quality forages, meaning careful supplementation may be required.
“Failing to supply sufficient energy in particular will impact lamb birth weight, which is directly correlated to lamb survivability, risking reducing the total lamb crop.
“As 70% of foetal growth happens in the final six weeks of gestation, this is the critical period for defining what kind of lambing season you are going to have.”
She says it is a common misconception that feeding additional energy in late gestation can increase the incidence of dystocia and big lambs. However, energy deficit should be the biggest concern, as this can result in lambs with lower birth weights, weak lambs, more lambs prone to hypothermia and reduced survivability.
Ms Bonnick stresses the importance of monitoring grazing quality, because while there may be plenty of grazing available, its feed value could be reduced if there is too much older, more fibrous and less digestible material. In most years, winter grass will be about 11.5MJ/kg dry matter (DM), but this will be influenced by the growing season and sward composition.
Data from the Trouw Grasswatch
service shows that quality declines throughout the autumn and winter at the same time the ewes’ requirements for energy increase and DM intakes are reduced.
Ms Bonnick says: “Assuming average-quality winter grazing, it can be expected that a 70kg twin-bearing ewe will be able to meet her requirements from grazing alone until the final week of gestation, when dry matter intake drops slightly. At this point, she will need about 175g of a 12ME pre-lambing concentrate per day to meet the demands for maintenance, lamb growth and preparation for lactation.”
For farmers basing late-pregnancy ewe diets on silage, Ms Bonnick says data from big bales analysed at Trouw Nutrition’s laboratory shows a considerable variation in feed values this
SOURCE: TNGB
year, reflecting the difficult grass growing season.
This year’s average shows lower DM content and reduced energy levels, both of which will impact performance. Intakes are largely driven by DM in late pregnancy and wetter forages can limit intakes, meaning careful assessment of the energy density of the diet is needed.
For the 70kg twin-bearing ewe, the average big bale silage would also support energy requirements up to one week pre-lambing, at which point the ewe would need to be more heavily supplemented with 350g/day of a 12ME concentrate versus those at grass. However, because this year’s average is 2% lower DM, ewes will require an extra 200g silage freshweight per day to meet requirements.
If silage is poorer than average, supplementation will be required sooner.
Ms Bonnick says: “We have seen a large number of samples with energy contents as low as 9MJ/kg DM. If silage of this quality was being fed, ewes would require supplementation for the last five weeks before lambing, adding about £2 per ewe to feed costs.
Although this is a feed cost that can
Data from the Trouw Grasswatch service shows that grass quality declines throughout autumn and winter at the same time ewes’ energy needs increase.
impact the bottom line, it is important to balance this with the cost offset from having ewes in an energy deficit.
“Regularly analysing silage this winter will be crucial to ensure that diets are formulated to meet ewes’ energy requirements and avoid the risks of low lamb birth weight, reduced survivability and low colostrum quality.”
Even if forages are of sufficient quality and quantity to meet ewes’ requirements for energy, Ms Bonnick says that ewes will require supplementation with minerals. She says that grass is a poor source of many of the essential trace minerals, including zinc, iodine and selenium.
“Deficiency can put ewes at risk of [poor] lamb viability, vigour and growth rates. Vitamin and minerals must be supplied daily as available body reserves are limited, so consider using free-access minerals, blocks or buckets. Attention should be given when looking at the sources of mineral supplementation to ensure that they are available to the ewe,” says Ms Bonnick.
“By paying close attention to forages this winter, it should still be possible to achieve a good lambing percentage and a healthy lamb crop while maximising the contribution from forage and controlling feed costs.”
DYLAN and Wyn Jones, of Castellior, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, were announced as winners of the British Grassland Society (BGS) Grassland Farmer of the Year competition for 2024.
The Jones, who are members of Anglesey Grassland Society, farm just over 330 hectares (815 acres) and finish 1,500 beef steers per year. Cattle, mostly Holsteins, are bought in locally at 16-24 months of age weighing 420-480kg.
About 100-150 of the cattle are weighed weekly and are sold when daily liveweight gain (DLWG) falls towards 1kg. The finishing period is 92140 days, with an average DLWG of 1.7kg/day. They are sold at 630-680kg with carcase weights of 310-380kg.
The grazing platform is about 120ha (296 acres). Cattle graze from March
25 until the end of October at a stocking rate of 1.4-1.7 animals/acre. The farm is self-sufficient, with barley and peas both grown. These are crimped and fed to the beef cattle along with silages made from high-protein grasses, red clover and Westerwolds ryegrass on a multi-cut system.
A typical rotation on the farm is winter barley, spring barley, then two- to three-year leys. Fertiliser use has been reduced through using legumes and foliar nitrogen is used on grassland. Between 500-600 ewe lambs are bought in September-October. They are used as a grazing tool to clear surplus growth and encourage tillering. They are then sold the following July-August for breeding.
The runners-up were Philip and David Clarke, of Fermanagh Grassland Club, and Peter Done, of Cheshire Grassland Society.
A respected pedigree livery expert known for his dedication in preparing cattle for the showring, Mr Rettie was presented the award by Harrison and Hetherington’s managing director, Scott Donaldson (right).
The fourth recipient of this award, Mr Rettie has been associated with some of the UK’s most respected cattle breeders and leading bloodlines throughout his career.
On receiving the award, Mr Rettie said: “David Thomlinson was a mentor and an inspiration to me and this is a very great honour to receive his award for doing something that I love.” ■ For more from Agri Expo, see pages 70-71.
Beef
(Limousin cross); res. fem., G. Small and B. Wilkinson, Black Velvet (Limousin cross).
Baby beef (C. Robertson, Perthshire) Sup., T.
Crowds returned ringside as the steer champion led the beef judging at the 17th Borderway Agri Expo, held at Harrison and Hetherington’s Borderway Mart, Carlisle. Katie Fallon reports.
l Beltex lambs clinch sheep inter-breed
THIS year’s supreme beef title at Borderway Agri Expo went to the steer champion, Baby Rambo, from Paul Tippets and Christine Williams’ Wilodge herd, Shropshire. An artificial insemination son of the record-breaking 180,000gns Graiggoch Rambo, the champion crossed the weighbridge at 572kg.
Out of a British Blue cross Limousin cow which was overall champion at the Welsh Winter Fair in 2021, it was the first time out for the home-bred steer which is heading to LiveScot and the Welsh Winter Fair next.
Judge William Smith, Co Meath, said his champion had ‘exceptional width through his top’ and was an ‘absolutely essential beef animal’.
Standing reserve was the heifer champion, Calypso, a home-bred British Blue cross heifer from Taylor Holloway, Ayrshire. Weighing in at 688kg, the heifer placed first in its class at last year’s Stars of the Future show and placed third at Agri Expo last year. It was an emotional win for Mr Holloway, marking his best result to date.
Reserve steer champion went to William Robertson, Tomintoul, with Brewdog, a Limousin cross steer weighing in at 648kg. One of
the first sons by the stock bull Beachmount Pachman, the steer placed reserve baby beef champion at last year’s Agri Expo and reserve commercial champion and male champion at this year’s Royal Highland Show.
Reserve heifer champion was from Beth Wilkinson and Gareth Small, Leyburn, with a Limousin cross heifer named Black Velvet. Overall champion at Darlington’s inaugural North East Live event in October, the heifer weighed in at 706kg and was purchased from D. Alderson, East Cowton, last autumn. The Huntershall Odyssey daughter heads to LiveScot next. Claiming this year’s baby beef championship was Bella, a February-born Limousin cross heifer from Tecwyn Jones, Holyhead. By the 14,000gns Seisog Rio, the heifer was reserve baby beef champion at North East Live last month and crossed the weighbridge at 378kg.
Reserve baby beef was the British Blue cross heifer, Stardust, another from Gareth Small and Beth Wilkinson. Purchased privately from Ben Cowton, Bishop Auckland, it was the first time out for the February-born heifer which weighed in at 331kg.
Jones, Bella (Limousin cross); res., G. Small and B. Wilkinson, Stardust (British Blue cross).
Sheep
Overall (S. Wilson, Wigton) Sup. and continental, E. and I. Hall and Son (Beltex); res., and res. continental, J. Whiteford (Texel).
Hill-bred (S. Wilson) Sup., M.M. Stewart (North Country Cheviot); res., L. Bell-Percy (North Country Cheviot).
Lambs by a hill-bred ewe (S. Wilson) Sup, D. Crew (Welsh Blackface cross); res., Firm of Shawhead Farm (Blackface/Beltex).
Continental
In the sheep section, it was the Hall family, Inglewood Edge, Carlisle, who took the overall and continental championship with a pair of Beltex lambs. Out of home-bred Beltex cross ewes and by a Beltex tup, the April-born lambs placed first in their class at North East Live and weighed 54kg each.
Standing reserve were the reserve continental champions, a pair of home-bred Texel ewe lambs
from Jack Whiteford, Carlisle. Crossing the weighbridge at 57kg and 59kg, it was the first time out for the pair, with Mr Whiteford claiming the supreme sheep title at last year’s Agri Expo.
In the Mule classes, it was James Robinson, Carnforth, who snatched the single Mule gimmer lamb and pair of Mule gimmer lambs championships, for the fifth
consecutive year. The single gimmer lamb champion was purchased from Andrew Brown, of Asby Hall, Kirkby Stephen, in September.
Champion pair of lambs included a Mule gimmer lamb by R2 Bleagill purchased from Neil Marsden, Cockermouth, with the other lamb by P13 Gragareth, purchased from David Lawson, Ingleton.
Supreme sheep and continental champions, a pair of Beltex lambs, from the Hall family, Inglewood Edge, Carlisle.
From a distance, Chianina cattle look like any normal breed, but up close it is easy to see why they are known as the biggest cattle in the world. Chris McCullough finds out more.
Originating in Italy more than 2,200 years ago, Chianina cattle, known as ‘the white giant,’ were first bred to be strong draught cattle, using their immense frame and power to plough the land. They are also regarded as the most aggressive cattle in the world.
Fast-forward a few centuries and Chianina cattle are now favoured for their quality meat production, with fast growth rates of more than 2kg per day.
Typically, Chianina bulls can stand up to two metres tall and weigh in at more than 1,600kg. The breed has a 60-65% kill-out rate, reaching the optimum carcase weight of 650kg in 16-18 months. Calves are normally born weighing 50kg.
Although not so plentiful in overall cattle numbers, there are many dedicated breeders in Italy that produce Chianina cattle and achieve top prices.
Brothers Daniele and Dario Mecarelli run the Agricola Collivecchi farm, which extends to 440 hectares (1,087 acres) near the town of Morre in Italy’s Umbria region.
The farm is broken down into 270ha of woods, 10ha olive trees, 10ha truffle cultivation, 5ha orchard, and the remaining 145ha are designated for growing crops and grass for their Chianina herd.
As the Umbria region is popular for tourism, the brothers also run a guest
house and restaurant on-farm, which accounts for 50% of their income.
There are currently 70 cattle in the herd, including 31 cows, 12 heifers, 24 head of stock for fattening, two young heifers and one bull.
Daniele says: “Some of our land is quite rocky and hilly with poor soil, so
it is best utilised for free-range pasture grazing for the cows.
“We have been breeding the Chianina cattle for a long time and produce meat to sell privately and through the local rural association.
“Chianina cattle are excellent foragers, have good heat and sun tolerance, and have better resistance to disease and insects than other domes-
tic breeds. They really are the giants of the cattle world, with males reaching 2m tall and females 1.6m. Males can weigh up to 1.8 tonnes and the females 1.14t.
“For us, the main advantages of the breed are the growth rates and the meat quality. The Chianina cattle are good mothers, but they can be quite aggressive.
“One other negative, though, is that the females are three years old before they produce their first calf.”
The meat has high fat marbling, is very nutritious, juicy and PDO-protected. Each of the 18 main cuts are branded with the 5R symbol of the Consorzio Produttori Carne Bovina Pregiata delle Razze Italiane (Consortium of Producers of Quality Beef from Italian Breeds).
“The meat is hung for at least 15 days,” says Daniele. “We receive about €6.2/kg for the males and €7.1/kg for the females.
“Prices were higher around two years ago, and right now we are selling more meat direct to consumers via the consortium, effectively cutting out more of the middle men to leave more profit for us as the primary producers.”
All the cows are vaccinated around three months before calving, and when born, the young animals stay with their mothers for up to six months before weaning.
Daniele keeps most of the cattle outdoors all year round, but feeds hay as a supplement fodder when needed.
Daniele then continues to feed the beef cattle to their finishing age of 17 months old with an ad-lib ration, mostly grown locally on his own farm or a neighbour’s.
The ration consists of 40% corn, 20% barley, 20% triticale, 5% soyabeans, and the rest minerals and other ingredients.
Daniele receives €150 (£126) per hectare as a subsidy from the European Union, which helps his farming costs that are inflated due to the nature of his land.
“The subsidy helps us maintain the land and the forests,” he says.
1.8 tonnes
Maximum weight that male Chianina cattle can reach.
Chianina cattle are excellent foragers, have good heat and sun tolerance, [and] resistance to disease and insects
DANIELE MECARELLI
“Costs have risen here like everywhere else, particularly with feed. Our farm is sited 580m above sea level in somewhat of a microclimate, usually with low rainfall and [it is] well sheltered from winds.
“Normally, we are self-sufficient in our hay production, but recent droughts meant there was very little growth and we had to buy in fodder.”
There is no threat of bluetongue in Daniele’s region, but he does vaccin-
ate his cattle for parasites and other diseases.
When it comes to breeding, Daniele and his brother are very much mindful of the aggressive nature of the Chianina cattle and are trying to produce calmer stock.
Daniele says: “First, we choose the best replacement heifers we
have to breed from and then we carefully select a bull based on its aggressive scale.
“We use bulls rather than artificial insemination, so we have to ensure they are quiet with a gentle temperament. There is a certified book
of genetics that we can refer to in order to examine the bloodlines.
“Normally, a bull can cost anything from €4,000-€8,000, so we need to choose carefully.
The Chianina breed also has good longevity, and we have culled breeding cows of up to 18 years old,” he says.
It was an out-of-time calving pattern and unreliable bulls which made the Jones family, based near Llandysul, Newcastle Emlyn, consider switching from natural service to artificial insemination (AI) for their mixed continental 130-head suckler herd, with more than 50% of the herd now on the system.
Pengallt farm is a 121-hectare (300-acre) unit run by husband and wife team, Bleddyn and Hadi Jones, alongside Bleddyn’s parents, Derrick and Yvonne.
Alongside the farm, the family runs a contracting business carrying out farm and environmental work, so Bleddyn emphasises that their beef system must fit around their off-farm commitments.
He says: “Both farming and contracting, we need to get maximum efficiency from our suckler herd. You only get one calf a year, so we want to produce the best that we can, year on year.”
After a few unsuccessful bulls and 28 barren cows found at scanning in 2021, the family had a serious talk with their vet about steps they could take to get their calving pattern back on track.
“We produce high-quality, stylish store cattle that are sold in Brecon and Knighton markets at 18 to 20 months old up to 580kg, and we did not want any change in system to compromise what we produce,” he says.
“We have a close relationship with Richard Cumming and Rose Charnley, our vets at The Cattle Vets, who went through different synchronising programmes and, as a team, we worked with our local Cogent genetic consultant, Sian Jones, to create a successful timed
A Ceredigion beef farm has collaborated with advisers to tighten its calving block while still producing high-quality store cattle using artificial insemination. Ellie Layton reports.
breeding system that involves all of the heifers and 60 cows.”
One of the biggest attractions of going with this system for the Jones family was the large selection of high-quality bulls, with bloodlines that are available at bull sales without having to stand a large investment on one animal.
At the time, the herd had quite a few older cows, so the culling policy was stepped up and 50 heifers retained to start the AI process. The type of cows they run sold well in the cull market at around £2,000 per head.
Grouping one large bunch for their system has helped them to bring their regular calving period forward from mid-spring to January and February, when the contracting business is quieter.
“We went through the heifers and matched the best genetics for
what we wanted to produce, focusing on easy calving as we wanted to keep away from calving complications which could affect the cow later in her breeding life,” Bleddyn says.
With Sian’s advice, the heifers are put to easy calving genetics, including Pabo Peredur and Claragh Neymar.
Being a closed herd, all the heifers are home-bred and of a similar type and age, which has proved useful when preparing and synchronising them prior to AI.
“I cannot stress how vital the preparation is before serving the animals,” says Bleddyn.
“You have to prepare the animal, or it is a complete waste of time.”
This attention to detail enabled them to see a service rate of 88% the first time they used the system with heifers, which were served at 22 months ready to calf down at 30 months.
NEW research aims to tackle the beef industry’s environmental, social and economic challenges using artificial intelligence (AI).
The £1.2 million UK Research and Innovation-funded BeefTwin project hopes to improve feed efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, enhance animal welfare and increase profitability for farmers.
Led by Prof Xiao Ma, director of the Centre for Business and Industry Transformation at Nottingham Business School, part of Nottingham Trent University, the research will combine expertise in biosciences, environmental sciences, manage-
ment sciences, computer sciences and animal sciences.
Experts from the University of Nottingham, Royal Holloway University, the University of Sheffield and the University of Lincoln will work across disciplines to leverage AI and data-driven technologies to address challenges facing the UK beef industry.
BeefTwin will develop an AI-powered ‘DigitalTwin’ for each cow in the herd, creating a virtual representation of the farming system, which involves the use of real-time data, simulation, machine learning and real-time tracking of emissions.
The results will contribute to the
development of new farming practices, where operations are simulated and optimised to improve resource efficiency and profitability for farmers.
This should lead to reduced GHG emissions from the farm, improved feed conversion efficiency, increased beef farming productivity, enhanced animal welfare and reduced calf mortality rates.
Prof Xiao Ma says: “By fostering collaboration and innovation, BeefTwin aims to create a more environmentally friendly, economically viable and socially responsible future for beef farming.”
To prepare, they focused on diet. Prior to serving, sugar beet and rolled barley are fed for two months to get the group into a condition score of three.
Once heat is detected from their timed programme – which stands at five days for heifers and seven for cows – they are served onfarm, with three family members qualified to AI, which can be done in a timely manner as they have bought a flask for the farm. Following this, the group is scanned at 35 days following service.
Any animals that are not in-calf are reserved a maximum of twice before running with the sweeper bull and ultimately being culled if failing pregnancy.
Historically, chalk was used the week following service but now they run a Limousin and Charolais bull for a sweeper through the
The BeefTwin project will develop an AI-powered ‘DigitalTwin’ for each cow.
bunch while the cows are still on natural service.
“With such a small window to catch on heat, it is labour intensive, but we are lucky to have people available to pay close attention, including Hadi, who is the driving force,” says Bleddyn.
The family uses scratch cards to observe heat, although Hadi is keen to physically watch the cows for optimum service.
“We have found the system slightly trickier with older cows, but 60 of these are now on the system, and they go to slightly more extreme bulls, with Irish Charolais genetics recently being favoured alongside Limousin,” adds Bleddyn.
Pre- and post-calving, a diet of chopped straw and silage is fed to keep cows at optimum condition for calving and getting back in-calf without becoming too fat. They are then transitioned onto the pre-serving diet and the process is repeated.
The aim is to get the cows back in-calf before they are turned out at the end of April, weather permitting.
Bleddyn says: “This is a squeeze and it takes a lot of effort but it is proving doable. Calving earlier has also meant that when the cows are turned out with calves at foot, the calves are doing much better on grass.
“We have found this transition really beneficial and are keen to keep using AI and potentially be completely on the system in the near future.
“This has been a big journey for us, and we are extremely grateful
to both our vets and the support Sian Jones has provided us to improve our beef system. We have worked as a team and are continuing to do so.”
Adapting to a breeding new system can be tricky, but Sian believes that with attention to detail, it should not be daunting.
She says: “With both AI and timed breeding, planning is key. The best results come from talking through the system with a genetic consultant who can get to know the herd and give support throughout the process, long before the cows are served.
“It is planning ahead that gets results through accurate timings, and that is exactly what the Jones family are achieving.”
you can give a single shot booster vaccination of Rispoval 2 following Rispoval IntraNasal RS+Pi3 to give protection for up
An effective health plan is important for maintaining the health, welfare and productivity of a sustainable beef herd. Farmers Guardian finds out more.
There are a range of health planning tools available for farmers, including web apps or the more basic wall charts, but it is important to choose a method that works for each individual farm.
Dr Foteini Manolaraki, SRUC animal health planning manager, says: “A health plan that is easy to use will encourage participation from everyone involved in the care and management of the stock.
“Templates, guidelines and best practices are available for tailored health plans from bodies such as AHDB and Cattle Health Certification Standards, and SRUC.
“Veterinary practices and agricultural consultants also provide bespoke services, including farm visits, health reviews and personalised advice to enhance health management strategies.”
According to Defra, in England in 2023, 73% of farms had a health plan, of which 61% were written or recorded while 12% were unrecorded.
Of those with a health plan, 85% completed them with the help of a vet or adviser, a collaboration that has increased over the past decade.
The proportion of livestock farms engaging in animal health and welfare training has risen from 50% in 2011 to 69% in 2023.
Routine training has also increased, from 22% in 2019 to 30% in 2023.
However, these figures also show that 27% of livestock farms still do not use any form of health planning, a figure that has remained static in recent years.
Health
planning ensures a farm is prioritising disease prevention over cure.
Sitting down as a team and agreeing health targets means that everyone understands their role
Dr Manolaraki says: “It is important a proactive health plan connects the whole farm team including farm staff, vets, nutritionists and consultants.
“Sitting down as a team and agreeing health targets means that everyone understands their role in achieving those targets.
“Overarching considerations might include reproductive performance improvements, nutritional management, cow condition scoring, calf growth rates and so on.
“Husbandry tasks such as colostrum management, bull fertility examination, castration, disbudding and dehorning can also be agreed and communicated to the whole team.
“It is important that everyone is updated quickly on changes to any health and management protocols as they arise.”
A complete and dynamic health planning process can also help the farm stay compliant with farm assurance requirements such as Red Tractor and Quality Meat Scotland, while saving time for both vets and farmers.
There is also a drive to incentivise livestock health and welfare in the form of an Annual Health and Welfare Review as part of the Health and Wel-
fare Pathway in England or Preparing for Sustainable Farming/Whole Farm Plan in Scotland, for example.
Dr Manolaraki says: “Health planning ensures that management practices prioritise disease prevention over cure. Important tasks such as vaccinations or parasite control should be scheduled.
“Protocols can be put in place for good farm hygiene practices and isolation procedures for sick or [newly introduced] animals.
“Another important consideration is antimicrobial stewardship and regular disease monitoring and health scheme membership.
“Benchmarking and keeping health records and tracking performance means more money on farm and less waste from needless treatments and production costs.”
SRUC offers a free forecasting tool as part of the HerdPlan web app which is available to everyone.
This tool can help farmers to forecast the value of their breeding flock, plus mortality, fertility and growth rates, which all play a part in the value of a breeding herd.
The tool produces three forecasts: a hypothetical pessimistic ‘worst case’, a hypothetical optimistic ‘best case’ and a custom scenario for which the farm-
er can change the parameters for the herd to allow a better understanding of business opportunities and risks associated with livestock health.
The tool displays the potential financial gain from improved health, the financial risk of poor health outcomes, and the difference between the two.
By using farm-specific parameters of performance and real market prices, the tool also facilitates informed decision-making on improving health interventions and health planning activities.
Dr Manolaraki says: “There are various forms of health planning processes to suit each farm, but fundamentally, it is about working dynamically as a team alongside the vet, setting achievable targets, implementing preventative measures, conducting regular health monitoring and using data effectively to support the health and productivity of the herd.
“Continuous improvement and adaptation based on an understanding of the health risks is key to achieving long-term success in the herd.”
November 9. RADNOR, Nantmel, Radnor, LD1 6EL, beginners, novice and nursery classes, 10am start, contact Sophia Pugh, tel: 07983 625 009. CEREDIGION, Nursery four, Blaencwm, Capel Dewi, SA44 4RG, 9am start, contact Evan Davies, tel: 07974 329 855. GLOUCESTER AND GWENT, Nursery six, Hill Top Farm, Manmoel Road, contact Nataly Matthews, tel: 07588 236 582. November 10. GLAMORGAN, Nursery six, David Howells, Treguff, Cowbridge, CF71 7LT. GLOUCESTER AND GWENT, Nursery seven, CF14 OHY, contact Rob Lewis, tel: 07818 037 740. November 16. CEREDIGION, Nursery five, Coedperthu, Beulah, N.C.E. 9am start, contact Aled Evans, tel: 01239 851 014. GLOUCESTER AND GWENT, Nursery eight, GL20 6EU, contact Anne and Dave Cooper, tel: 07813 027 090. November 17. GLAMORGAN, Nursery seven, Glyn Evans.
November 23. RADNOR, Elan Valley, LD1 6NY, beginners, novice and nursery classes, 10am start. CEREDIGION, Nursery seven, Gilfachyfran, Abermeurig, SA48 8PH, 9am start, contact Carol Hope, tel: 01570 470 458. GLOUCESTER AND GWENT, Nursery nine, Bumsberrow Heath,
For winning results
CEREDIGION
NURSERY TWO (Judge, J. George)
National, 1, D. Jenkins, Aran Meg, 10; 2, D. Jenkins, Tyddyn Du Cass, 10.5; 3, D. Rees, Garn Gron Floss, 14.5; 4, I. Evans, Mwnt Max, 16.5; 5, D. Rees, Garn Gron Tess 21.5; 6, E. Morgan, Mari, 23. Young handler national, 1, S. Davies, Fly, 27. South Wales style, 1, D. Rees, Garn Gron Floss, 5; 2, D. Jenkins, Aran Meg, 7.5; 3, O. Lewis, High Hills Sally, 8; 4, I. Evans, Mwnt Max, 9.5; 5, D. Rees, Garn Gron Tess, 11; 6, E. Morgan, Mari, 15. Young handler South Wales, 1, S. Davies, Fly, 18; 2, Y. Siencyn, Sam, 22; 3, S. Davies, Aeron Moss, 30. New handler/novice, 1, S. Evans, Roy, 6.5; 2, J.H. Jones, Jim, 12; 3, I. Griffiths, Jan, 15; 4, A. Jones, Talley Kate, 32. CEREDIGION NURSERY THREE (I. Gruffydd) National, 1, D. Jenkins, Tyddyn Du Cass, 8; 2, I. Evans, Mwnt Max, 13; 3, D. Jenkins, Aran Fly, 14; 4, D. Jenkins, Aran Meg, 14; 5, I. Glaunt, Jan, 22; 6, J. Neville, Storm, 23. Young handler, 1, A. Davies, Dan, 13; 2, A. Davies, Celt, 14; 3, S. Davies, Moss, 22. South Wales, 1, D. Rees, Garn Gron Floss, 9; 2, D. Rees, Garn Gron Tess, 20; 3, E. Morgan, Mari, 20; 4, D. Jenkins, Aran Meg, 22; 5, S. Davies, Fly, 24; 6, O. Lewis, High Hills Sally, 33. Young handler, 1, S. Davies, Fly, 24; New handler/novice, 1, S. Evans, Roy, 10; 2, A. Jones, Talley Kate, 37; 3. I. Glaunt, Mac, 39. BRECON NURSERY TWO (N. Price) Nursery, 1, K.
Ledbury HR8 1PB, contact Angie Blackmore, tel: 07855 843 226. November 24. RHOS YR HAFOD, Llanarthne, SA32 8LG. GLAMORGAN, Nursery eight, David Howells, Treguff, Cowbridge, CF71 7LT.
November 30. GLOUCESTER AND GWENT, Nursery 10, Mynyddislwyn, NP12 2BU, contact Jamie Garland, tel: 07725 995 270. CEREDIGION, Nursery eight, Tynwern, Llanrhystod, SY23 5BD, 9am start, contact Emyr Lloyd, tel: 01974 272 282. December 1. GLAMORGAN, Nursery nine, Mike Edwards, Maes Eglwys Farm, Pantlasau, Swansea, SA6 6NR.
November 9 YORKSHIRE, A. Throup, Sycamore Farm, Silsden, BD20 0ND, 9.30am start, Pennine rules apply, contact Carol Mellin, tel: 07891 871 298. HOLME, C. Kempson, Mitchell House Reservoir, Haslingden, BB5 2DL, 9:30am start, catering on field, Pennine rules apply, contact Shirley, tel: 07890 545 437.
November 10. RYEDALE, Bob Harland and Jackie Goulder, The Barn Kirbymisperton, what3Words: employer.powering.synthetic., contact J. Goulder, tel: 07796 158 467. NSDA, Half Penny House, DL8
Evans, Kemi Cap, 14; 2, Misena Oaksheepdogs, Oak Bill, 16; 3, D. Evans, Mist, 20; 4, K. Evans, Valley View Dan, 21; 5, D. Evans, Tilly, 21; 6, T. Thewissen, Oak Ben, 25. Novice, 1, Jones, Erwood Spot, 20; 2, W. Jones, Moss, 28; 3, W. Jones, Maid, 35; 4, R. Jones, Scott, 37. GLAMORGAN NURSERY FIVE (L. Williams) Nursery, 1, R. Ellis, Dewi Ken, 10; 2, D. Howells, Mick, 16; 3, R. Ellis, Avon Rob, 20 OLF; 4, M. Edwards, Bronallt Nip, 20; 5, D. Millichap, Rose, 22T; 6, C. Millichap, Efail Ping, 25. Novice, 1, R. Ellis, Dewi Ken, 16 OLF; 2, D. Millichap, Rose, 16; 3, D. Millichap, Efail Chase, 17 OLF; 4, D. Howells, Mick, 17; 5, M. Edwards, Luke, 20T; 6, Howells, Cai, 24.
GLOUCESTER AND GWENT NURSERY FIVE (R. Games) Nursery, 1, B. Rees, Tess, 24; 2, B. Lester, Tysswg Lass, 29; 3, N. Matthews, Hilltop Lexi, 30; 4, R. Foote, Hilltop Bill, 35; 5, B. Watts, Sky, 39; 6, S. Currie, Tom, 40. Novice, 1, B. Rees, Gelli Cloe, 31; 2, B. Watts, Sky, 32; 3, N. Matthews, Hilltop Lexi, 33; 4, M. Jones, Clint, 34; 5, J. Price, Fig, 36; 6, B. Lester, Tysswg Lass, 37. Young handler, M. Rees. PEMBROKESHIRE NURSERY FIVE (K. Griffith) Nursery, 1, S. Harden, Kennox Pip, 25T; 2, L. Harries, Mo, 34 OLF T; 3, L. Harries, Preseli Boss, 34; 4, C. Browning, Cloud, 35T; 5, S. Harden, Foxridge Bet, 37; 6, B. Laemmle, Gin, 42T. Puppy, 1, S. Harden, Kennox Pip, 25T; 2, L. Harries, Mo, 34 OLF T; 3, L. Harries, Preseli Boss, 34; 4, C. Browning, Cloud, 35T; 5, B. Laemmle, Gin, 42T; 6, E. Harries, Preseli Nan, 44T RADNOR NURSERY FOUR (R. Games) Nursery, 1, A. Price, Erwood Queen, 19; 2, I. Rees, Pentre Jet, 20; 3, S. Lewis, Llyn y Ferlen Chance, 25; 4, B. Pugh, Bud, 30; 5, J. Jones, Brondrefawr Skye, 34; 6, I. Rees, Roo, 37. Novice, 1, B. Lewis, Brondrefawr Fly, 41; 2, J.
5JN, 9:30am start, last booking in 1pm, only one dog after 12pm, Northern Sheepdog Association rules apply, contact Rod Green, tel: 07432 782 269.
November 16. RYEDALE, The Menagerie, Skipwith Road, Escrick, York, YO19 6EH, what3Words: crispier.childcare.dabbling., contact J. Atkinson, tel: 07850 710 837. FYLDE, Rooten Brook Farm, Quernmore, LA2 9EJ, 9:30am start, usual Pennine interclub rules apply.
November 17. RYEDALE, The Menagerie, Skipwith Road, Escrick, York, YO19 6EH, what3Words: crispier.childcare.dabbling., contact J. Atkinson, tel: 07850 710 837. NSDA, Downholme, Richmond, Leyburn, DL8 5HF, 9:30am start, last booking in 1pm, only one dog after 12pm, contact Rod Green, tel: 07432 782 269. SHROPSHIRE/ HEREFORDSHIRE, Tilsop Farm Nash, Ludlow, SY8 3AX, 9:30am start, £2.50 per run nursery/novice and beginners, contact: 07394 467 958. MID SHIRES, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 6EU, 8:30am start, open trial, contact Gill, tel: 07950 738 732, or email gillburbidge2014@gmail.com.
November 23. HOLME, S. Duckworth, Cloughead, Grane Road, Haslingden, BB4 4AT, 9:30am start, cafe and toilets on-site, Pennine rules apply, contact Shirley, tel: 07890 545 437. November 24.NSDA, Valley Farm, Bowes, DL12
Davies, Tess, 48; 3, D. Bayliss, Rock, 70. Beginner, L. Bowen, Gwen.
HOLME, Bacup, 1, P. Simpson, Roy, 81; 2, C. Kempson, Glen, 72; 3, V. Ibbotson, Moss, 71; 4, J Ashworth, Lass, 70; 5, D. Wood, Cap, 69; 6, J. Wood, Ruby, 66. FYLDE, Over Kellet (S. Jenkins) 1, B. Halliwell, Brock, 79/90; 2, T. Birkett, Spot, 78; 3, T. Birkett, Jim, 77; 4, T. Longton, Gyp, 75 OLF; 5, T. Huddleston, Betty, 75; 6, T. Rome, Ted, 74. RYEDALE, Carlton (T. Fielding) Nursery, 1, S. Aconley, Hilston Rob, 72; 2, S. Walton, Brackenholme Dolly, 70; 3, M. Watson, Sugarhill Amber, 68; 4, D. Bristow, Greenhow Tess, 66; 5, C. Mellin, Mac, 64; 6, R. Cole, Pip, 62 OLF. Novice, 1, K. Acres, Malta Bess ‘Tess’; 2, J. Atkinson, Sandy; 3, T. Bennett, Strike. New handler, 1, L. Bray, Scalpsie Maid; 2, S. Beaton, Jim, 3, P. Misslebrook, Ice. SHROPSHIRE/HEREFORDSHIRE, Craven Arms (M. Bufton) Novice, 1, P. Thomas, Skye; 2, M. Hooper, Gyp; 3, P. Thomas, Newbold Zak; 4, P. Thomas, Lawley Molly; 5, I. Davies, Peg; 6, S. Williams, Gwen. Nursery, 1, M. Hooper, Ty’r Banc Jet; 2, K. Evans, Ace; 3, G. Morgan, Roy. NORTH WESTMORLAND, Portinscale (P. Walton) Nursery, 1, R. Harrison, Nidge, 80; 2, N. Westgarth, Meg, 79; 3, H. Svobodova, Ebby, 73; 4, T. Longton, Gyp, 67; 5, T. Rome, Chip, 65; 6, S. Duckworth, Sweep, 62. Novice, 1, J. Relph, Ben, 71; 2, M. Metcalfe, Gem, 70; 3, G. Miller, Gin, 67; 4, P. Ellis, Tip, 66. New handler, 1, R. William, Rebel; 2, Z. Edwards, Queen.
9RH, Northern Sheepdog Association rules apply. 9:30am start, last booking in 1pm, only one dog after 12, contact Rob Hutch, tel: 07849 238 567. MID SHIRES, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 1LB, 8:30am start, open trial, contact Gill, tel: 07950 738 732, or email gillburbidge2014@gmail.com.
November 30. NSDA, Quebec, Durham, DH7 9RS, Northern Sheepdog Association rules apply, 9:30am start, last booking in 1pm, only one dog after 12, contact Frank Whitfield, tel: 07714 590 249. FYLDE, Hollins Head Farm, Quernmore, LA2 9NA, 9:30am start, usual Pennine interclub rules apply, contact Mr Longton, tel: 07736 278 398. PENNINE, P. Simpson, Woodmanwray Farm, Dacre, HG3 4AR, Pennine rules apply, any competitor running more than one dog must have one booked in before 12pm and take the next available run, contact Carol Mellin, tel: 07891 871 298.
December 1. RYEDALE, Stuart Walton, Sandhoe Farm, Carlton, Goole, DN14 9RS, what3Words: started.wildfires.outsize., contact S. Walton, tel: 07789 740 122.
December 7. FLYDE, R. Dean, Old Trees Farm, Chipping, PR3 2NF. TRAWDEN, E. Thornally and E. Street, Hull House, Hellifield, BD23 4JP. RYEDALE, Trevor Fields, Manor Farm, Boynton, YO16 4XJ, contact T. Fields, tel: 07980 010 757.
WINDERMERE, Bottoms Lane, Silverdale, Carnforth (S. Lopizzo) Nursery, 1, J. Burrow (Silverdale) Maddie, 80 of 90; 2, J. Harrison (Keasden) Tweed, 78; 3, T. Birkett (Carnforth) Spot 7 OLF; 4, T. Huddleston (Caton) Betty, 76; 5, K. Nicholas (Waberthwaite) Zen, 75 OLF; 6, T. Rome, Chip, 75. Novice, 1, N. Bennett (Silverdale) Meg, 82 of 100; 2, E. Hill (Holmrook) Pentre Roxy, 79; 3, D. Purdham (Holmrook) Tilly, 69. New Handler, 1, M. Miradoli (Lancaster) Tay.
WEST COUNTRY, Veryan (D. Heard) Maltese cross, 1, A. Hendy, Spot, 63; 2, W. Carter, Mirk, 60; 3, D. Cole, Mac, 58; 4, F. Carthew, Bess, 56 OLF; 5, S. Mills, Kismet Apache, 56; 6, S. Greenaway, Jade, 55. New handler, 1, D. Lobb, Jock, 58; 2, K. Cobain, Lace, 52; 3, T. Eden; 4, A. Prichard, Tim. Driving (W. Carter) 1, P. Davis-Russell, Esme, 91; 2, D .Cole, Juno, 90; 3, L. Lock, Rae, 87; 4, A. Hendy, Bryn, 85; 5, R. Greep, Doug, 83; 6, J. Nicholls, Meg, 82. SURREY, SouthChailey(R.Lutman)Nursery,1,P. Griffiths,Duchy,88;2,M.Banham,Ben,87OLF;3,J. Watson,Jake,87;4,J.Watson,Mick,86;5,R.Hawke, Macey,72.Novice,1,J.Watson,Mack,82;2,W.Cole, Moss,77;3,E.Anstey,CastlewoodBen,76;4,J.Watson, Max,72;5,F.Rolton,Finn,69;6,E.Anstey,Joy,65
KIPPEN (I. Landsborough) 1, A. Carnegie, Suus, 84; 2, E. Gray, Banjo, 80; 3, A. McKenzie, Jess, 79; 4, A. Kent, Lucy, 77; 5, S. McCulloch, Sam, 76; 6, H. Mitchell, Dan, 75. Double lift final, 1, H. Mitchell, Dan; 2, A. Carnegie, Suus; 3, E. Gray, Banjo; 4, A. McKenzie, Jess; 5, A. Kent, Lucy; 6, S. McCulloch, Sam.
Figures show livestock numbers first, then average price per head.
Source: LAA/MartEye
4/450.0 -/- -/- 5/36.0 11/326.8 9/287.8 6/188.3 4/150.0
Source: IAAS/ScotEID
PRICESincreasedacrossthecattle andsheepringsatEnglishandWelsh auctionmartsthisweek.
Lambpriceswereup12.1p/kgat marts,tradingat286p/kg.
Inthecattlerings,youngbull pricesjumped7.6p/kgafterlast week’sfallsto281.9p/kg,withsteers up3.1p/kgandheifersreaching 295.8p/kg,ariseof1.6p/kg.Dairysiredcullcowsalsosawalarge increaseof10.3p/kgto149.9p/kg.
Pigpricesweremoremixed, withporkersandcuttersup,but baconersdropping.
As Farmers Guardian wentto pressonWednesday(November6) UKLIFFEwheatpricesforMay 2025weretradingat£192.95/tonne, down£1.10/tontheweek.
Source: LAA/MartEye
Primestock throughput, price and price change (p/kg). Week ending November 5, 2024.
N/SdeadweightpricesfortheweekendingNovember2,2024. Source: AHDB
DeadweightsheeppricesarecollectedfromasampleofGBabattoirs.
*Pigpricesarew/eOctober26,2024. Source: AHDB
SOURCE: LAA/MartEye
SOURCE: LAA/MartEye
SOURCE: LAA/MartEye
SOURCE: LAA/MartEye
SOURCE:
*FortradingDelinkagerefamounts;19pper£1 ofDelinkagereferenceamount.**Estimates. ENGLISH DELINKAGE REF DATA: averageof 2020/21/22claims.Seller’s2023claimnotneeded. Estimatedreturn£1.20/£1refamountwithbuyer’s delinkpaymentlessthan£30,000post-transfer. SubjecttoDelinkagevalues2025-27.
BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN: English:Defra estimates£20,000-£200,000/unitexcluding VATandassociatedfees,subjecttolotsize.Last tenderOctober21,2024,nextDecember2,2024. 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
2.
3.
1.Thiscontractwillreceivea1.33pplguaranteedminimumpayment.2.Thiscontractwillreceivea0.50pplmemberpremiumpayment.2.Thiscontract willreceivea1.95pplTescocheesegrouppayment.3.Thiscontractwillreceivea1.00ppldirectpremiumpayment.4.Thiscontractwillreceivea0.54ppl avesustainabilitypayment.5.Thiscontractwillreceivea0.25pplactual13thpayment.Retailerpricesupplementsareincludedwhereapplicable. Supplementslistedareinadditiontolistedmilkprices.Milkpricesshownarethemonthlyandannualaveragepricethatwouldbepaidonacontract for12monthsgoingforwardifthepresentpricescheduleremainedthesame.Priceslistedaboveexcludecapitalretentions,administrationcharges, groupsubsandVATbutincludelevyandseasonalityadjustments.MilkcontractsareprovidedtoAHDBonavoluntarybasis.Allpricesshownare calculatedusingtheAHDBStandardLitre.ThisreflectstheaverageGBfarmandfromApril2024isbasedon1.5mlitres/year,4.20%butterfat,3.38% protein,160ksomaticcellcountand27kbactoscan.TherehasalsobeenaslightadjustmenttotheAHDBlevy,whichcameintoforceinApril2024.To calculatepricesspecifictoyourownmilkvisittheAHDBMilkPriceCalculator.PleasenotethatforBarbersthereisaguaranteethatshouldtheActual MilkPriceEquivalent(AMPE)-2pplmoveaheadoftheBarbers’priceJultoDec2024,Barberswillpaythisontheextralitresabovethebasevolume.
Having seen the industry move through a century of change, farmer and Royal Air Force veteran Aneurin Owen looks back on his life in this Remembrance Day Special. Emily Ashworth meets him to find out more.
ooking back on the industry throughout the last 50 years is enough to showcase the level of change farming – and the world –has gone through. But to be able to look back on the last century is nothing short of remarkable.
On November 30, Aneurin Owen, farmer and World War II hero, will celebrate his 100th birthday. After growing up on a farm, completing a stint in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and then returning to the industry, he has an impressive memory.
Born near Dolgellau, Wales, his family moved to Husbands Bosworth in 1934 because land was available for better rates – he recalls it being £1 per acre (£2.50 per hectare) to rent, and that included the outbuildings and a house.
His father was approached by the head gardener at Bosworth Hall, who asked if he wanted to take on the tenancy at Holloway Farm. The farm also had two fields attached to it, and to this day, those fields are used for sheepdog trials, which Aneurin is very fond of attending.
Farming before, during and after the war looked very different, however.
“It was hard and difficult before the war, there were a lot of smallholdings,” he says.
“Nearly every farm had a cow or two to make butter; this was probably one of the main incomes.
“My mother sold it every week to help with the household bills.
“We all kept pigs too, for our main meat. You could keep it during the colder months; I used to look forward to nice fresh pork and sides of bacon hanging up in the pantry.”
Circumstances changed when Aneurin’s father passed away. War then broke out and he decided to join the RAF to do his part for the war effort, leaving his mother to run the
farm along with his three sisters and Italian prisoners of war (POWs).
Farming was a reserved occupation during the war, so farmers did not have to sign up. But when Aneurin turned 18, he headed off to be a radio controller.
Passing the RAF training was no mean feat either – all members had to complete parachute training, and if they failed, they were out.
One of Aneurin’s fondest memories was dropping food parcels over Holland, for which they practiced over an RAF base.
He says: “Nobody knew how to drop food from an aircraft. It was flour mostly, and sugar, and a few tinned items. We dropped it from too high the first time – from about 200 feet –and the netting broke and the parcel scattered spam everywhere.
“On VE Day, there is a picture of our Lancaster Bomber going over St Paul’s Cathedral – that was our last
drop. Then [it was] back to base and we went to the bar and drank all the beer.”
Another defining moment took place in April 1945, when Aneurin’s crew was commissioned to sink a submarine in Germany.
After completing the reconnaissance flight and identifying the target, additional ships arrived in the port overnight, so when the bombs were released the next day, they missed the submarine but damaged multiple other targets by accident instead: the Admiral Scheer, a famous German battleship cruiser; the battlecruiser Emden; a minesweeper; and a torpedo boat. This was a huge success for the RAF and a key turning point in World War II.
Aneurin enjoyed his time in the RAF, staying on as a reserve for 12 years, but with the Italian POWs leaving the farm at home, he had to go back.
But he made his mark on the farm too, turning his attention to sheep and breeding Mule cross Mashams to achieve a better lambing percentage
It was hard and difficult before the war, there were a lot of smallholdings. Nearly every farm had a cow or two to make butter
and better wool, he says. He was then one of the first in the area to install electric fences and use a polytunnel for indoor lambing.
Aneurin also recalls wool graders from Bradford visiting the farm to buy the wool.
He says: “They would grade it and weigh it, and I would get a cheque for it on the same day. [Wool was] a Government-supported product.”
Shearing time is another fond memory, and one which was ‘an affair, and all the neighbours helped each other’, he says.
“There would be two people cutting the wool, one cutting inside the belly and legs and round the neck, then you would tie the legs up and pass it onto the shearer – if the shearer was not ready, he would just leave it there tied up,” he says.
Aneurin has always had an interest in dogs too, spanning right back to 1936 when he was 13 years old, selling programmes at Husbands Bosworth and Theddingworth trials.
and his beloved horse,
The treasurer gave him 13 programmes to sell at sixpence each but, he says, he would sell 12 and keep one for himself.
War put a stop to the trials, but they started back up in 1946 and formed a new committee, with Aneurin becoming treasurer at one point.
It was the start of something for the
community, with over 1,000 spectators attending and around 60-70 dog handlers taking part. Aneurin later became timekeeper and a judge at the trials, and he ponders about whether he could have taken part himself.
Over the years, he has also given back to the community – he was a founding member of the Harborough
and District Farmers Club, and worked for the Agricultural Training Board as an instructor after his retirement, covering sheep and grassland.
Now, at nearly 100 years old, farming is back in his family as Aneurin’s grandson is farming sheep. It is on a much larger scale, but Aneurin is proud to see it continue.
He says: “It is a different market altogether – technology comes into it a lot. Yes, it is nice to think that farming is going on – sheep in particular, because that is what I made my living from. I was quite happy with farming.”
Every week we follow the ups and downs of farmers around the UK
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.
The Labour Budget has been announced. Employers’ National Insurance is going up (as they are not working people) and Inheritance Tax Relief is seeing major changes.
The next morning, I saw Farmers Guardian had posted helpline numbers on its social media to help farmers feeling worried or stressed. It really made me take notice.
Will there be other sectors in this country having to deal with the same problems after a Budget?
Family farms are special, individual, the foundation of British farming, and something that should be cherished and protected.
As the third generation working and living here, with my children being the fourth, I would say that. My grandparents bought the farm in 1968 and Trengilly hasn’t been owned by one family for as long.
I don’t take inheritance for granted and I realise I am only in this position because of the hard work of previous generations.
I feel a huge amount of responsibility, to my parents who have built
‘I am only in this position because of the hard work of previous generations’
a viable business to pass on and to my children, to give them the opportunities that I had. But these changes will throw this up in the air.
I have been known to complain about the weather on this page, but we are in a dry, mild spell.
This has pushed housing down the road for a week or two. The cows are still happy, grass has been growing, and milk is increasing without the extra costs of winter starting.
The start of October was more unsettled, which made completing the silage and reseeding some fields a challenging exercise. The weather
caught us out with some of the grass, and it got a good soaking before baling.
It will be interesting to see what they feed like, as they looked like good bales, given the amount of rain that fell on them.
We have finished selling cattle for the year. Two lorries went to Hallworthy Market with Holstein Friesian steers that achieved really good prices, and a load of cull cows just went, with a total price higher than we had budgeted.
Since the children have been going to school, we find it hard to find many days in the autumn when we are all feeling well at the same time.
If, like me, you read FG at the kitchen table, I must give a warning that what follows are scenes of a sickness nature.
A stomach bug went through the household and hit me just before I got up for morning milking.
I threw up as I got out the door –and started milking.
At this point we had 60 calves on milk to be fed and every trip I took to the calf house, just turned my stomach. One pen had to witness me being sick right next to them and I had to have a little lie down afterwards.
I can confirm that their lying area was clean and dry.
Scottish Borders Kate Rowell
Lancashire Amy Wilkinson
‘We
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.
If you haven’t got your British strawberries and raspberries by now you’re probably too late.
Bar the odd few producers with glasshouses, it is another season done and dusted.
And if you wondered how much
planning goes into it all, we’re already taking orders for plants to be delivered to the grower in 2026. So the fruit you eat in two years’ time is being planned and ordered now.
While another season has flown by, the year is not over in the propagation nursery – we’re only half way.
In August I wrote about how we’d planted more than three million strawberry ‘tips’ out in the tray fields, and about the maintenance we carry out on them during the growing period.
Everything has now had at least three rounds of runner cutting and/or de-blooming and the team have done a really good job. I’m really happy with how the plants have turned out.
Now that the day length is shorter and the temperatures have dropped, everything is slowed up and attention turns to plant packing. This is where we take the plants out of the trays, back to the farm to be graded and packed into boxes for a period in cold
store just below freezing. There they stay until planting for the fruit crop out in the polytunnels.
While everyone else is enjoying the relatively warm weather, I however, am not. We need cold weather to transition the plants from growing into dormancy, and until this happens I cannot pack anything.
We’ve got all the acronyms in horticulture – growing degree hour (GDH) I think I’ve mentioned, and now come chill units (CU), the number of hours below 7degC. We target 300 chill hours before we pack, so we know the plant is ‘prepared’ for cold weather (or stores in our case).
Currently we have 65, and that’s intermittent, which doesn’t really help
us at all. Ideally a good few days below 7degC starts the change, then a week or two really makes a difference.
A whole week gives us 160 CU, but my forecast barely drops below 7degC at night for as long as I scroll ahead. The mid-November start is looking optimistic, as is the target to pack all of them before Christmas.
I’d also forgotten how when you get to this time of year absolutely nothing dries out – not helped by the constant rain we had – which is now heavy cloud cover with misty starts and high humidity.
Picking windows to get the botryticide sprays on has been challenging, but with flexibility we’re keeping on top of it all.
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1 Root of vehicle decay (6)
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12 Unattractive ugly hints sorted out (9)
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26 Disguised gin tonic, stirred up with hint of olive (9)
27 Clamour, injury to tissue turning up after top removed (5)
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29 Having a particular subject, the inland ocean (6)
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Answers to crossword 1268: Across: 7 Covers, 8 Doubling, 9 Reinvented, 10 Evil, 11 Taxi, 12 Percentage, 13 Description, 18 Broad beans, 21 Each, 22 Stop, 23 Animal food, 24 Lima bean, 25 Storey.
Down: 1 Foreman, 2 Meantime, 3 Asleep, 4 Muddiest, 5 Oldest, 6 Endings, 8 Determination, 14 Cabbages, 15 Overflow, 16 Protein, 17 Scooter, 19 Appeal, 20 Sparse.
‘I am already seeing
One thing which characterises farmers is long memories. Words spoken and deeds done live forever in the minds of individuals and are passed down through generations of farming families.
Less than two years ago, Sir Keir Starmer, when Leader of the Opposition, told farmers he understood the challenges of our farm businesses and that Government policy could present an ‘existential threat’. He also vowed to ‘quickly implement a fair deal for tenant farmers, building on the work of The Rock Review’.
Less than a year ago, current Defra Secretary Steve Reed told farmers the Labour Party had absolutely no intention of changing Inheritance Tax (IHT) reliefs for farmland.
In The Rock Review of the tenanted sector of agriculture, we took a huge amount of evidence on the taxation framework within which farming sits. What was clear was that the operation of Agricultural Property Relief (APR), alongside Business Property Relief (BPR), was doing a good job in allowing owner-occupied family farm businesses to pass down their farming business assets to next generations and ensure successive generations
were able to continue to manage both viable businesses alongside delivering food security and environmental benefits.
In fact, owner-occupiers could have managed reasonably well with just BPR, although there would have been some tax to pay in respect of the inheritance of farmhouses. It is clear in my mind that Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves should have left BPR in place.
However, The Rock Review concluded that sensible reforms were needed to be made to APR for land not farmed in-hand, but operated by hardworking tenant farmers.
While landlords do not have access to BPR in respect of their let land, they have been able to secure succession of those assets free of tax by accessing APR.
Despite this generous tax treatment, what we found was that those private estates were not being equally generous in the terms that they offered to tenants to farm that land.
The average length of term on new Farm Business Tenancies (FBTs) has remained stubbornly short at around the three-and-a-half-year mark, and
well over 80% of all new farm lets are for just five years or less.
While the Tenant Farmers Association has long advocated that APR should only be available on land let for 10 years or more, my review concluded we should set the bar at eight years. A conclusion strongly supported by the Labour Party when in Opposition.
So, where do we go from here?
Sensibly, the new Labour Government should reconsider its decision to remove BPR from properly in-hand farming businesses. Whether the Government will be prepared to roll back on its position remains to be seen.
But I do think we have more chance in finessing the removal of APR in respect of let land. I do not think for one moment Ms Reeves appreciated the devastating impact her measures would have on hardworking tenant farmers.
I am already seeing evidence of wealth advisers telling large estates to take back rented land and to look at other options of hiding that value from IHT. That will spell the end of many tenanted farm businesses long before the tax charge is intended to take effect in April 2026.
I am hopeful that newly elected Labour MPs in rural constituencies
Baroness Kate Rock is hopeful that newly elected Labour MPs in rural constituencies are already talking sensibly about finding a way forward to protect farms from ‘oblivion’.
are already talking sensibly about finding a way forward to protect our farms from oblivion.
My Rock Review already provides the Government with a ready-made solution to simply add land let on longterm agreements to the zero-rated element of IHT relief. That would be the sensible thing to do. Whether sense will prevail needs to be seen immediately if we are to avoid the carnage that farmers will not forget when they find themselves in the ballot box again.
