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History of Herdwicks entwined with that of Lake District farm. See p17-19.
Grit and determination are and forever will be at
THIS special issue of Farmers Guardian not only reflects on a challenging 2024, but the period of transformational change seen across agriculture as we continue our brand’s 180-year anniversary celebrations.
From the adaption and pace of change in technology, changing consumer preferences and evolving environmental concerns, to political events which have shaped the industry and its workforce, farming has undergone a remarkable transformation.
And it can still evolve and change for the better, but only with the right mechanisms in place.
As our new In Your Field writer Roger Nicholson writes in his superb debut column, overcoming adversity – the day-to-day challenges farming deals out – is inherent in the farming community and is why pride and passion exudes from every pore.
farming’s core
to the limits both physically and financially, like so many small- and medium-sized businesses across the land.
That is why FG will continue to fight for change at the top level of Government, to amend damaging policies and ensure family farms can continue to thrive.
As we look to the future, it is clear that the next 180 years of farming will be shaped by even greater challenges and opportunities.
By building on the lessons of the past, embracing innovation and fostering strong communities, farmers can continue to provide food security, environmental stewardship and economic prosperity for generations to come.
We will continue celebrate our 180-year milestone until the summer, so look out for special events and offers coming soon.
LISTEN TO THE FG PODCAST
The grit and determination Roger and his family have demonstrated to get to where they are today is a powerful sentiment and it is a story which is not unusual.
For hundreds of years and multiple generations, farming families have had to fight for their existence, many pushing themselves
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
all our readers a happy, healthy and prosperous
From the whole team at FG, we wish all our readers a happy, healthy and prosperous 2025. As ever, we thank you for your support. Happy New Year. special events and offers
A
Make helmet wearing part of daily routine
● Farmers urged to take safety seriously
By Chris Brayford
FARMERS have been urged to make wearing a helmet part of their daily routine, with a farmer injured after coming off an allterrain vehicle (ATV), warning the industry to take quad bike safety seriously.
The ‘Use Your Head – Use Your Helmet’ campaign was launched earlier this month by RSABI and the Farm Safety Foundation to provide a timely warning about the dangers of not wearing a helmet while on a quad bike or ATV.
Callum Lindsay, a hill farmer on the Isle of Arran, sustained injuries to his neck, back and head in October 2023 when he had not been wearing a helmet on an ATV.
Mr Lindsay had been using a quad bike to move sheep from an area of the farm which had experienced flooding, but due to the terrain he was catapulted from the vehicle,which hit a stone concealed by bracken on a track he used regularly.
Biggest worry
“My head felt like it was going to explode but my biggest worry was ‘how is the work going to get done? Who is going to do it? Will I still be able to farm?’” he added.
Mr Lindsay managed to get back on the bike to ride to an area with signal where he called his wife, Zara, before he was transferred via an air ambulance to hospital.
For a while, the sheep farmer
I do not go on a bike without a helmet now. It only takes seconds to put it on
CALLUM LINDSAY
said he was unable to move. Having now made a recovery, Mr Lindsay is fully committed to the importance of wearing a helmet and is
encouraging others to use his story to take quad bike safety seriously.
“I do not go on a bike without a helmet now,” he added.
“It only takes seconds to put it on and it is something everybody should be doing.”
Habit
Carol McLaren, chief executive of RSABI, said she hoped the campaign, which runs until July, can encourage a habit of reaching for a helmet before every trip.
She said there had been too many ‘terrible and often tragic’ accidents and the campaign was looking to drive home the message ahead of the busy lambing and spring work periods when tiredness and difficult weather can often lead to ‘judgement errors’.
‘It
says Christine Bish
SAVE British Farming has called on children to write a letter to Sir Keir Starmer about their wishes for British farming in the New Year.
The group said it wanted the Prime Minister and his Government to hear personal stories from children about what the ‘disastrous Budget’ means for farms across the country.
Letters will be handed in to Number 10 Downing Street on January 2 at 12.30am, with the group urging families to join them on Whitehall at 11.30am.
Callum Lindsay sustained injuries to his neck, back and head when he had not been wearing a helmet on an ATV.
Children called on to write letters to Prime Minister
Simon Broad, Kent farmer and father, said: “After taking part in the recent tractor protests, I wanted to come up with a way of involving the children as my son is very passionate about the cause.
Fighting
“But as he is only aged 10, he obviously could not join me on the tractor and we are fighting for their future in the industry as much as, if not more than, our own.”
I wanted to come up with a way of involving the children
Farmers display banners around country
BANNERS have been displayed in prominent locations around the country, as the four UK farming unions look to keep the worries over the family farm tax in the public eye over the festive period.
It comes following the NFU-led Big Banner Day on December 19 with banners being unveiled on farms across the UK, including Anthony Ollerton’s family farm tax banner which he installed on the side of the M6 motorway in Standish Michael Oakes, beef farmer in the West Midlands and former NFU
dairy chair, said: “While there are not 40,000 people today in London, we are not going to go away. It is about keeping the momentum up.”
He added the signs were in prominent locations, such as his alongside the M5, and people would see them when they were driving home for Christmas.
“Car horns were beeping already as we put the banners up,” he said, adding it was a way of keeping the campaign in the public eye which ‘will not spoil everybody’s Christmas’.
Deadline nearing for Scottish Suckler Beef Support scheme
ELIGIBLE farmers and crofters have been reminded to apply to the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) before the deadline of December 31.
SSBSS support totalling £40 million is available for calves providing they are at least 75% beef-bred, born on a Scottish holding and kept there for 30 days.
Also on December 19, almost 200 farmers set out on a tractor rally at Thainstone Agricultural Centre.
Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross spoke at the rally and said the ‘emphatic message’ was that farmers would not stop.
“Keir Starmer thinks farmers will eventually forgive and forget, but that could not be any further from the truth. Farmers, their communities, and rural politicians like myself are in this for the long haul and we will continue to fight against this unfair tax regime,” Ms Cross added.
The scheme rate per animal will be determined by the total number of eligible animals claimed.
Budget
The scheme budget of £40m is split, with £34m for calves born on the mainland and £6m for calves born on the islands.
Last year, NFU Scotland said payment rates were £105.10 for mainland calves and £151.24 for island calves.
NFUS livestock policy manager Lisa Hislop said the scheme’s importance to Scotland’s red meat sector ‘cannot be underestimated’. The Scottish Government has confirmed the scheme will feature in future support arrangements until at least 2028.
Eligibility
Ms Hislop said: “From 2025, a 410day calving interval condition will be introduced to the eligibility criteria. Farmers and crofters will not be required to calculate calving intervals for claims as this will be automatically calculated using birth registration details on ScotEID for the claimed calf and the cow’s previous calf. Heifers will be exempt for calving interval conditions.”
One of the banners on display on the side of the M6 motorway in Standish. Inset: Harriet Cross speaking at the tractor rally at Thainstone Agricultural centre.
● Council agrees to pressure Government
By Chris Brayford
DUMFRIES and Galloway Council has agreed to push the Scottish Government for a referendum over proposals for a National Park in the region.
Following a demonstration held outside Dumfries and Galloway Council’s offices on December 12, 24 councillors voted in favour of pursuing action, with 13 who opposed, which would place pressure on the Scottish Government to hold a local referendum.
NatureScot has been placed in charge of a consultation period on the National Park, which started on November 7.
However, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, rejected the idea of a local referendum when appearing before Holyrood’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee last month. She added that the current consultation period, which ends on February 14, would provide residents with an opportunity.
Dee and Glenkens councillor Dougie Campbell said it was right for
Push for referendum on Galloway National Park
residents to have a say on the issue, adding the referendum should be held following the conclusion of the consultation phase.
No Galloway National Park campaign co-founder Liz Hitchsmann said a referendum was the ‘only way’ to give everyone in the area a ‘fair say’.
In contrast, Rob Lucas, chair of the Galloway National Park Association, said a referendum would be ‘bad’, adding referendums were not the ‘best way’ to tackle complex issues.
NFU Scotland vice-president Alasdair Macnab said the organisation,
which claimed 93% of its members had voted against the creation of a National Park, would continue to oppose the plans after taking evidence from farmers in other National Parks in Cairngorms and Loch Lomond, that showed they had ‘failed to make a positive contribution to farming and crofting’.
Listen
Jamie Blackett, a sixth-generation beef farmer from Galloway, said the ball was firmly in Ms Gougeon’s court and she should listen to residents.
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NFU Scotland said 93% of its members voted against the creation of the National Park.
“The Rural Affairs Secretary can surely no longer deny local democracy in Galloway,” he added.
“She must allow us to have a say whether we have a National Park or not.”
Ms Gougeon said Scottish Government ‘recognised’ there were differing views on the issue, but added it was ‘imperative’ all those with an interest had a say before the consultation closed in February.
TO HAVE YOUR SAY Visit nature.scot
As Farmers Guardian continues to reflect on 180 years of technological advancements in agriculture, Phil Bicknell, of the UK Agri-Tech Centre considers what the future might hold.
Technology can
industry today
Agri-tech is ‘so much bigger than just robots’ and is about interaction with different farming systems and bringing about legislative change and bioengineering.
That was the message from Phil Bicknell, chief executive of the UK Agri-Tech Centre, as he considered what the future might look like for farming and technology.
“Today, farming does not just depend on technology, it is also about the adoption of sustainable methods to meet a mass of future industry challenges,” he said.
Insights
riers and costs are involved and how challenges can be overcome.”
He added this would help gauge what the near future would be like and the challenges to be mindful of.
He highlighted Farmers Guardian’s 180th anniversary this year as 180 years of ‘sharing insights about agriculture and technology’.
“How different things were back then, according to the history books. It is hard to imagine the next 180 years from now and what farming and technology will look like,” he said.
“It has been a turbulent period for the farming industry, with the recent harvest being at the mercy of flooding and the subsequent lower yield for many areas, not to mention labour shortages and some changes in the political field,” he added.
However, on-farm trials and research and development continue to be a beacon of hope for many start-up businesses and farmers who want to use artificial intelligence and robotics or have great ideas about new technology that can help the industry, and often just need help getting funding or resources to get started.
Innovations
“I, for one, certainly know that the agricultural industry will always be one of the most important, providing the nation with the means to eat, re-energise and be healthy.
“And what about the technology of the future? What I can tell you is that we are keen to understand at an earlier stage what works on-farm and what skills and knowledge, bar-
He said: “The innovations that come from such trials can have a hugely positive impact on the industry, the environment and consumers, making the future look a little brighter.”
He highlighted work on the Precision Pollination project which involved the use of drones to improve yield, fruit quality and forecasting in UK strawberry production by aiding pollination in food crops using changes in airflow.
“And look at the R-Leaf project, which aims to create a foliar photocatalyst and endophyte prototype that can help cereal and oilseed crops fix their own nitrogen.
“Not only will this improve growers’ profit margins, but it also reduces air pollution,” he said.
“I am proud of the progress our industry has made, and the evolution of technology has enabled us to create more opportunities in the agricultural space, including horticulture.
“We have the advantage of working with technology that can not only benefit the industry today, but can also shed light on the challenges the industry may face in the future and the solutions that can be adopted to protect it.”
Robots are likely to be just one aspect of farming in the future, says Phil Bicknell.
Phil Bicknell
As Scotland’s first ever Tenant Farming Commissioner steps down at the end of his term, Rachael Brown spoke with Dr Bob McIntosh on the future of the tenanted sector.
● Future of Scottish agriculture ‘positive’
INCENTIVISING landlords to let out land and farms, and increasing the number of tenancies will be the biggest challenge for Scotland’s next Tenant Farming Commissioner.
That was the message from Dr Bob McIntosh as he stepped down at the end of his eight-year term.
Dr McIntosh warned that tenanted land was continuing to ‘decline’ in Scotland, with landlords choosing to opt for contract farming or in-hand farming instead.
“I think sometimes our politicians lean in favour of improving the rights of tenants, which in many cases is legitimate, but they need to remember every time they do that they may well be turning landlords off making tenancies available,” he said.
“So getting that balance is not always easy.
“Lots of people would like a tenancy, but the ratio of people looking for tenancies to what is available is huge.”
Tax implications
Dr McIntosh said tax was a ‘huge driver of behaviour’ and can influence whether landlords let out land.
He referred to the tenanted sector in Ireland, where he said there was higher income tax relief for longer leases.
“Would that be a useful thing to do here? I think it would make a difference absolutely; whether HMRC could be persuaded to move in that direction is another matter perhaps,” he said.
Dr McIntosh said being neutral and ‘not a landlords’ man and not a tenants’ man’ has been key in achieving ‘fair and reasonable outcomes’.
Incentivise landlords to increase tenancies
The number of people looking for tenancies far outweighs the number of tenancies available.
When probed what surprised him when he first started, he said it was the ‘adversarial’ relationships between landlords and tenants, which he believes has since been improved.
He said he was also surprised by the number of tenants that had never met their landlords in person.
“Lots of rent reviews are conducted very amicably sitting round the table having a discussion on how things are and arriving at a figure that suits both parties. But too many just do not manage to do it that way.”
In total, Scotland now has nine codes of practice and several guides outlining legislative processes, compared to England’s single code of practice.
He criticised the code of practice in England for its ‘lack of detail’, questioning whether it was going to be enough to give the new Tenant Farming Commissioner in England ‘enough traction’ to make a real difference.
“The advantage of having a number of codes of practice when it comes to things like rent review is we [in Scotland] can go into fair a amount of detail about how [it] can be conducted.”
Dr McIntosh confirmed there had been discussions in Scotland around imposing financial penalties, where there was breach of the code. At the moment the code only allows the commissioner to ‘name and shame’.
He said he had ‘mixed views’, and the sector should try and continue without it.
interest is not always easy,” he said. The other ‘constant problem’, he said, is that too often agreements made in the past were verbal and nothing was recorded.
He said, often it was a handshake and the new party ‘does not feel bound to honour those agreements’.
* DIVORCE & SEPARATION
When it comes to repeated issues raised in the sector, he highlighted rent reviews, compensation and repairs as some of the perennial ones.
He also said the issue of deer damage on tenant farms was growing in Scotland, with herds of red deer damaging silage fields and cereal crops.
“To reconcile the landlord’s sporting interest and the tenants’ farming
When asked where he saw the future of Scottish agriculture, he said it was ‘positive’, but that the sector needed to get its ‘mind round the fact’ that it must deliver on the ‘twin challenges of biodiversity and climate change’, adding it was ‘foolish to try and resist that’.
He said the Government must ensure farmers are given sufficient incentives to deliver on those challenges, while also being able to ‘farm profitably and sensibly’.
When he first took on the role, Dr McIntosh developed codes of practice.
Dr Bob McIntosh
A headage-based system which would align with international standards has been called for.
Rethink of inspection charging system urged
● Fees risk viability of small abattoirs
By Jane Thynne
A MEAT industry group has called for a rethink on a future inspection charging regime, branding the current system as ‘misguided’.
The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has condemned comments by Food Standards Agency (FSA) chair Prof Susan Jebb in which she described the present structure as a ‘subsidy’ for producers and has called instead for a headage-based system which would align with international standards.
Prof Jebb delivered her comment following the FSA’s annual board meeting where it was announced the present charges – which reflect the size of the meat processing operation – will continue for a further 12 months, during which an in-depth pricing review will be conducted.
‘Inaccurate’
But Dr Jason Aldiss, head of external affairs at AIMS, said describing the discount as a ‘subsidy’ to the meat industry was both ‘inaccurate and detrimental’ and revealed a ‘lack of awareness of industry economics’.
“While these charges may represent a small fraction of total turnover,
they have a substantial impact on net margins, particularly for small- and medium-sized enterprises,” he added.
“The financial burden imposed by these fees threatens the viability of numerous businesses, undermining the broader agricultural economy.”
AIMS has now called for the adoption of an internationally recognised headage-based charging system, ensuring a fairer and more transparent method of cost assessment which it said would reflect the actual scale of operations, ‘thereby promoting competitiveness and sustainability within the industry’.
Dr James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the FSA, said: “Our regulation of the meat sector helps keep standards high and protects consumers. These official controls are also vital to exports and provide good value for money for the taxpayer.
“We are currently working on the charges for 2025/2026 and we will be engaging with industry in the new year. We will also be looking to refresh the objectives of the discounts and what approach would be best to meet these within the current charging framework.
“The charges for next year are set to rise as a result of inflation, and the costs of recruiting and retaining vets have also increased at a time when there is a global shortage in the profession,” he added.
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see the wonders of the world from an agricultural perspective, while travelling with likeminded people. Connecting you with farmers all over the world, each tour is created with exactly the right mix of agriculture, sightseeing and recreation for a one of a kind travel experience.
Budget blows and weather woes – Jane Thynne looks back on
a challenging 2024.
2024: Year in review
After suffering a turbulent 2023 plagued by storms, soaring energy costs and animal health
THE month kicked off with the annual Rural Crime Survey, which said farmers had suffered £50 million in losses as incidents rose in 2023.
In England, the harvest got underway amid a very temporary dry spell, as roles at Defra were
The NFU’s Annual Farm Confidence Survey revealed feelings were at their lowest since records began in 2010.
A case of BSE was reported on an Ayrshire farm, while sheep farmers began to receive funding thanks to the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme.
SEPTEMBER
RURAL residents and farmers urged First Minister John Swinney not to force through plans to create Dumfries and Galloway National Park, warning ‘urban do-gooders’ were just seeking to impose their views on the countryside.
Land manager and Orkney and Shetland Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael was named as
revealed, while the latest Dairy Industry Survey revealed the sector had lost another 440 farms in the past 12 months.
Farmers Guardian’s 24 Hours in Farming event got took place, showcasing a round-the-clock celebration of UK farming.
August ended with more farm income worries as wet weather threatened yet another harvest and anger mounted across the industry, as the BBC aired a documentary by Queen guitarist Sir Brian May, which saw the rock star calling for an end to the ‘ineffective badger cull’.
Farmers vented their fury at claims a lack of farm cleanliness was one of the reasons cows were succumbing to bovine TB.
MORE protests took place as 650 tractors descended on Westminster to mark the ‘death of UK farming’.
In Scotland, more than 1,000 farmers gathered ahead of the Holyrood Budget, which brought a promise from Ministers to restore the £50 million missing agriculture funding.
Outrage
Elsewhere, Arla sparked outrage as it was revealed it was trialling Bovaer – a methane-suppressing cattle feed – on 30 farms across the UK.
The year ended as it had begun, with pleas for action to protect farmers facing severe financial cuts owing to reductions in suckler scheme breeding funds.
chair of the new Efra Select Committee.
Following a spate of accidents relating to ATVs, farm groups urged action to up safety measures. There were warnings the landscape of Scotland would be ‘drastically changed’ if livestock numbers were allowed to keep falling.
Alan Brown, president of the Scottish
Meat Wholesalers’ Association, said preserving the sector was key to economic and food security. Party Conference season got into full swing, with the Liberal Democrats promising to be the party of farmers and the Conservatives sought to unpack their electoral collapse and the race for leader heated up.
SPARE a thought, Mr Starmer, and your friend, Ms Reeves, about your Christmas Day food.
Think about the farmers of this land who have not only provided you with turkey, potatoes, vegetables, butter, milk, cream and your whisky, who will still be getting up early to work that day, providing you and all the country with three meals a day, every day.
Your badly thought-out Inheritance Tax will be the final nail in the coffin of the family farm.
You are stripping away any chance future generations have of continuing the family business by forcing them to sell their most valued asset, while undermining food security for our nation.
This is following on from legislation on environment, re-wilding, conservation and carbon reduction, all heaping extra costs on the farmer, while they are still expected to produce cheap food.
There is no point in giving away millions of pounds to support farmers overseas at the expense of the ones that feed you at home.
With our ever-increasing population, this ill-thought-
out plan is the first step along the road to famine. Think again.
Name and address supplied.
How times have changed
BEING one of the older generation (or ‘war babies’, as we were classed), you would hardly see any cars on the road other than travellers.
Food was on ration. As I understand, we were allowed to kill one pig a year, our main food being wild rabbits and a house cow supplying milk and butter, also, a good
garden, preserves of wild fruit and a joint of meat at the weekend which would go a long way. Water would be carried from a well. No facilities, no bathroom. We would all have a bath on a Sunday night, youngest first. It was 1960 before we had running water in the house, to be followed by electricity five years later.
All our equipment was horsedrawn, 99% of the land was owned by the upper class. Rent would be £25 to £30 per year, everything was done the hard way.
Rates were paid once a year. My father would take the cheque to Brecon, travelling by bus. The amount was £12, farmers were allowed special entitlements.
Ron Northwood, who drove this lorry for Harry Squire and called in to the White Hart, Maulden, Bedfordshire, in March 1955. While he was inside, a tree blew down onto the lorry, but luckily did little damage to the vehicle. Sent in by Ron’s son, John Northwood.
If you have a classic picture you would like to share, please email it to marcello.garbagnoli@agriconnect.com
In those days, it was ‘good farmers, good neighbours’. All or most helped each other out. We all had to walk to church and my mother would have our dinner ready on our return.
As the children grew up, the landlord would offer more land. Times have changed, in those days ‘ends would meet’ – hopefully no loss just keep your heads above water.
Everyone talks in millions today. Very few want to dirty their hands. We have gone from one extreme to another. Today there are very few tenants. Money was affordable until the turn of the century, banks would throw money at anyone.
What a change in fortune. People who bought land in the 1970s and 1980s were laughing. The 1987 crash, that hurt, but things recovered.
What puzzles me today is the base rate for Capital Gains Tax. It was 1982 inflation followed to the high values of land today. To me, it has gone from one extreme to another. Land values have gone off the scale. To cap it all, we now have a Labour Government that is in power with a
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large majority, promising the world: ‘we will settle strikes’. I support the health sector, they are the salt of the earth, they keep us alive. Their pay, especially the junior staff at hospitals, is below the poverty line.
You then get the railway workers who have held us to ransom, whom I class as the laziest bunch of people I have ever met.
The Labour Government threw money at them, 14% I understand. and they are laughing all the way to the bank.
Going back to the farming protest in London, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor need to resign. It would not harm them to volunteer to give up their time, such as a week lambing or milking cows. I bet they would have their eyes opened.
Farming is a way of life, hopefully never to be lost.
I look up to all who visited London, such as the NFU president, Tom Bradshaw. It is good news the Government have started to listen.
In my opinion as an old man, I congratulate our leaders for the pressure they have put the Labour Party under. I have no doubt we will make them open their eyes and change that rule regarding Inheritance Tax. Without farmers, the country would not survive.
Normally, this time of year is one of new promises, hope and reflection.
It is, however, going to be a difficult year to look back on and digest, especially the last few months. And it is even more difficult to look forward because, quite frankly, we just do not know what lies ahead.
The real impact of the Budget is yet to be known. We will have to wait for spring to truly find out what is in store for farming, but there is one motto I think we should live by for the next few months, and that is: ‘focus on what you can control’.
So, what do we know? We know we can look at our succession plans. If anything, the Budget has given businesses the impetus to drill down into those details.
We must also keep rallying our MPs – make your voices heard where it counts and tell them the true implications of what this Budget could mean for your business and your family.
And lastly, remember our value. It feels like society is divided and against us, and it may take a while to bring those who make uneducated and presumptuous comments on board, but this is our
chance to really showcase the role farming plays in society.
This industry is only as good as its people, and after attending the protests and listening to the stories of multi-generational families, it is clear that those who make up the very fabric of farming are strong, resilient and, most of all, passionate.
If you make any promises this New Year, make sure it is centred around the above.
Challenging times may lay ahead, but you are not alone in these, and the team at Farmers Guardian promises to stand by you in 2025.
If you would like to be featured, email chris.brayford@agriconnect.com
Amelia Greenway
Exeter, Devon
Amelia Greenway, 24, is a first-generation organic tenant farmer.
Amelia Greenway
Edited by Alex Black – 07880 490 486 – alex.black@agriconnect.com
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As 2024 draws to an end, Cedric Porter looks at commodity markets across the sectors.
● The past year’s production analysed
AGRICULTURAL output was under pressure in 2024, while prices struggled to cover the cost of production. That looks set to continue into 2025. A small wheat crop, challenging weather and continued pest pressure on oilseed rape were the stories of the year in the cereals and oilseeds sectors.
ANOTHER small oilseed rape crop is on the cards in 2025. The AHDB Early Bird Survey put 2025 plantings at 267,000 hectares, down 17% on 2023, which would be the smallest area since 1983 and only 35% of the 2012 area. Attacks by stem flea beetles could reduce that area further as growers plough the crop and plant spring alternatives. Weather conditions put the field bean area under pressure in 2024. Defra estimated a 37% drop in the field bean area in 2024 to 131,720ha, which was partly compensated for by a 46% increase in the pea area to 87,860ha.
The key question is whether or not the remaining producers can or will increase output to maintain the national milk supply
MIKE HOUGHTON
Elsewhere, the UK potato area was about 100,000ha, but the crop was likely to be the smallest on record at only 4.5 million tonnes.
The English area of horticultural crops was the smallest on record, according to Defra – down 3.2% to 112,830ha, just 54% of what it was in 1983.
Sugar beet
There was a 3.6% increase in the English sugar beet area to above 100,000ha for the first time since 2020, and the English maize area was at an all-time high of 236,730ha, including a 21% increase in the area
used for anaerobic digestion to 37% of the maize total.
Most crop prices are made on the global market, so the lack of British-grown products has had little impact in itself.
Even a small European grain and oilseed crop did little to support prices. After a year of disappointing prices, the prospect of a smaller Russian crop and export taxes is supporting wheat prices.
Strong demand for US corn is helping barley prices. Global pressure on the supply of oilseeds has seen their price rise over the year.
Consultants Andersons expected the number of GB dairy producers to be at about 5,500 within two years.
Partner Mike Houghton said: “The key question is whether or not the remaining producers can or will
increase output to maintain the national milk supply to between 14.8bn and 15.2bn litres.”
Although, he added the price prospects for those remaining in production was positive.
Continues
BEEF AND LAMB VALUES REMAIN ELEVATED BEEF
n HIGHERpriceshaveprompted producerstoslaughtermorecattle, whichwillimpactsupplyinthecoming years.IntheyeartoOctober,3.2% moreprimecattlewereslaughtered thantheyearbefore,withthetotal cattlekilledup2.1%to2.859million head,accordingtoDefra.
Andersons consultant Charlotte Dun said: “Buoyant prices are not enough to offset recent agri-inflation and rising overheads; resilient profitability is driven by controlled margins and good technical performance of stock.”
LAMB
n SHEEP and lamb prices were at record levels for the time of year throughout 2024. They reached a peak of almost 900p/kg in May, according to AHDB, and ended the year at almost 700p/kg, 18% above the December 2023 price.
The total number of lamb and sheep slaughtered in the year was 7% lower than the year before at 13.05m head.
The last time the national UK slaughter numbers were that small was during the dark days of the 2001
foot-and-mouth outbreak and current numbers are one-third smaller than the early 1990s peak.
Production of sheepmeat was at an all-time low of 269,800t, a drop of 6.2% on the year before, according to Defra.
Edited by Angela Calvert – 07768 796 492 – angela.calvert@agriconnect.com
Celebrating 180 years of Farmers Guardian
Sam Rawling has ‘no idea’ how many generations of his family have farmed at Hollins, and research by a local historian indicates that their occupation of the hill unit dates back even further than official records suggest.
The Herdwick breed is inextricably entwined with the Rawling family history, although other breeds are kept at lower altitudes on their 400-hectare (989-acre) holding, which rises to 732 metres (2,400 feet) above sea level.
They run a traditional stratified sheep system and produce store calves from the 70-cow suckler herd.
Farming in partnership with his parents, William and Louise, Sam runs a breeding flock of just over 1,000 pure-bred Herdwicks, with 300 draft ewes put to the Texel each year and 500 Lleyn and Aberfield ewes are grazed on the in-bye land.
Additional income
Sam says: “We have had to accept that we can only produce store sheep and cattle, as the additional income would not justify the extra feed and labour inputs required for finishing on this type of farm.
“The only exception is a batch of 100 early-born Texel cross lambs. We also sell some two-shear Herdwick tups and three-shear draft ewes at Mitchells Auctions in Cockermouth, which takes all the livestock.
“The Rawlings kept Herdwicks long before the Herdwick Sheep Breeders’ Association was formed
Records show Herdwick sheep belonging to the Rawling family roamed the Lake District fells in 1872 and the family has occupied the land in Ennerdale since at least 1620. Wendy Short reports.
History of Herdwicks entwined with that of Lake District farm
The landscape millions of tourists enjoy was largely created by grazing sheep
SAM RAWLING
in the first world war. Several family members attended its inaugural meeting and others have been involved ever since. My grandfather was chair and my father holds the same post.”
The Lleyn and Texel ewes go to the Lleyn, Aberfield or Texel tup, producing a ‘lambs weaned’ figure of 140%, with 125% for the draft flock and 94% for the Herdwicks.
Sam says: “Everything is lambed outdoors in an intense, six-week period from April 10 to May 22.
“It focuses the workload and is mainly due to the labour shortage. Dad is 71 years old and he puts in full shifts alongside me with great energy and enthusiasm.
Replacements
“The flocks are closed and about 600 females are retained each year as replacements. We operate a stringent selection policy, especially for the Herdwicks.
“Over the years, the breeding lines of ewes which could not cope with the harsh conditions on the fells have simply died out. The result is a 5% intervention rate at
PICTURES: MARCELLO GARBAGNOLI
The Rawlings kept Herdwicks long before the Herdwick Sheep Breeders’ Association was formed in the first world war.
Farm Profile Cumbria
lambing time, and any ewe which requires handling is marked to be covered by the Texel.”
To further add to the seasonal workload, the suckler cow calving period overlaps with lambing time, running for seven weeks in May and June.
The herd consists of Aberdeen-Angus and Stabiliser cattle, which have been cross-bred for a decade to arrive at what Sam describes as a hardy, polled black female weighing roughly 600kg.
He says: “The cows graze on a rotational system using electric fencing on the better land in summer. Once they are turned out with their calves, they are not handled again until autumn.
Rented grazing
“Cattle are usually brought into the cubicles in mid-November, but this year some rented grazing on lighter land was lost and they had to be housed in early October.
The Rawling family also runs a herd of Aberdeen-Angus and Stabiliser cattle, which have been cross-bred for a decade.
Store calves are weaned at 200 days, when they are split into steer and heifer groups and taken to eight months
SAM RAWLING
“The store calves are weaned at 200 days, when they are split into steer and heifer groups and taken to eight months, weighing about 300kg.
“They have access to a strawbedded creep area and receive a
small quantity of concentrate feed and silage, which is combined in a mixer wagon to make sure each calf gets its fair share of hard feed.”
Some of the wool clip is sold to make Lake District Tweed products.
Sam says: “The premium helps towards paying the shearing contractors, but it does not cover the total cost. Herdwick fleece is
A total of 300 draft ewes are put to the Texel each year and 500 Lleyn and Aberfield ewes are grazed on the in-bye land.
the primary product, although the company also takes some of our white wool, which is included in the mix to help with holding the dye.”
He predicts that the business could lose as much as £20,000 in
Cumbria Farm Profile
2025 support payments due to Basic Payment Scheme reductions.
He says: “There is an extension to our Higher Level Stewardship scheme until 2027 and then after that date the future is uncertain and we are currently looking at options.
“Depending on future arrangements and final decisions, it could be more profitable to move away from the Lleyn and keep native, regional breeds. However, it would take a significant incentive for us to move away from the Lleyn, because the breed has a lot of positive qualities.”
Farm facts
■ Total farmed area includes 40 hectares (100 acres) of rented grazing
■ Soil is mainly a heavy clay, with a wide soil depth range and some areas of gravel formed by glacial deposits
■ Cattle buildings sit at 83 metres (600 feet) above sea level
■ 40ha (100 acres) of silage is cut annually
■ Fell sheep have to be walked five miles to reach the main steading
■ Contractors carry out most of the tractor work and the farm has an employee who works two days a week, with self-employed shepherds used for gathering
■ The meaning of the name Herdwick is ‘an area of land grazed by sheep’
the dominance of Sitka spruce plantations and the effect of sheep grazing.
He says: “I have no real objection to the concept of rewilding, although I would point out that the landscape millions of tourists enjoy was largely created by grazing sheep.
Sam has some strong views on the Wild Ennerdale project, which aims to improve biodiversity by reducing
“However, the project has led to the removal of some of the hefted flocks from the fells. Numbers also declined during the foot-and-mouth outbreak and they have never fully recovered.
The stocking rate limit for our own flock is 0.05 sheep/ hectare and that is workable, but only if other the flocks remain at a similar density
■ Wild Ennerdale is a partnership between several organisations, including Forestry England, The National Trust, United Utilities and Natural England
Despite the area being popular with tourists, the only diversification project has been to convert a shipping container into ‘Starling View’, a glamping unit which sleeps two.
“The hefting system is breaking down. It relies on pressure from adjacent flocks and, without that pressure, sheep are spreading further across the fells, making it much more difficult when it comes to the gather.
“In theory, there is a risk that our sheep could travel many miles in numerous directions because there are no fences or other barriers to stop them. The problem is compounded because the forestry authority is taking down fences which were previously used for the Sitka plantations.
There are no plans to expand the enterprise, as the priority is to focus on the livestock. Apart from two six-month spells working in New Zealand and a brief period gaining experience on a Scottish livestock unit, Sam has worked at home since leaving school.
The survival instinct of the Herdwick and its ability to thrive in a challenging environment mirrors the family’s attitude to farming, says Sam, who has a seven-year-old daughter, Juniper, and a five-yearold son, Stanley.
Sam says: “Both the sheep and the family have probably held on through sheer stubbornness. Like us, the Herdwicks have adapted to the hard hills over a long period of time.
“The stocking rate limit for our own flock is 0.05 sheep/ha and that is workable, but only if the other flocks remain at a similar density. There is a general lack of understanding of the bigger picture by the various decision-makers, in my opinion.
Policy change
“If the hefting system disappeared altogether from the Ennerdale fells, it would be extremely difficult to re-establish in the event of a policy change in the future.”
“Being the umpteenth generation at Hollins comes with positive and negative elements. On the one hand, I am proud of the family’s long history, but on the other I feel the weight of responsibility for having to maintain the business for future generations.
“I never fail to be impressed by the new entrants to farming, who have fought against the odds to find a way into the industry.
“I am honestly not sure whether I would have had the same drive without my inheritance, although I enjoy my work and I am committed to continuing the history of the Rawling family at Hollins.”
Arable
Edited by Alice Dyer – 07966 445 458 – alice.dyer@agriconnect.com
For more arable content, go to farmersguardian.com/arable-news-hub
● ‘Priming’ technology a key area of focus
FIGURES show that investment in agricultural technology is increasing as innovative companies search for solutions to the challenges farmers are facing. A report from the World Intellectual Property Organisation, published in September 2024, showed that investment in agrifood technologies rose from $3 billion (£2.4bn) in 2012 to $30bn (£23.5bn) in 2022.
In the last two decades, about 3.5 million agrifood inventions have been patented, which can be divided into agritech (60%) and foodtech (40%) – the former of which has been largely dominated by pest control, crop adaptation and genetics, and Internet of Things-based inventions.
The development of gene-edited crops is a key area of focus since the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act passed into law in March 2023, but another area of interest for improving crop resilience is ‘priming’ technology, which involves pre-conditioning plant tissues with bioactive compounds to activate their natural defence systems.
Dr Chris Froud, patent attorney at intellectual property firm Withers & Rogers, says: “Irish biotech company BioAtlantis has developed a suite of sustainable compounds that can be applied to crops at various stages during their growth cycle or when soil conditions are suboptimal.
“These include a compound for improving root and shoot formation, and another for boosting plant growth during a drought or where there is high salinity soil.”
Another important area of focus for innovators is the development of sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) models capable of predicting weather patterns and crop outcomes, he adds.
Artificial intelligence and robotics are widely used in farming for everything from localised weather forecasting to crop harvesting, but what role could they play next? Farmers Guardian reports.
An area of focus is the development of AI models capable of predicting weather patterns and crop outcomes.
Technology insights: What will be next for arable farming?
US company ClimateAi has developed an advanced climate resilience platform, trained using data from multiple sources to provide bespoke, high-resolution weather predictions in a matter of seconds.
“The model is able to predict
Robocrop is one of several inventions that has sparked interest in the use of dexterous robots
DR CHRIS FROUD
changes in the weather for the next hour or look six months ahead of time, providing guidance for farmers about optimal times for planting and harvesting,” he says.
Food waste
On the ground, advances in robotics are also helping to improve arable efficiency by minimising food waste.
“Globally, about 1.2bn tonnes of food produce is wasted before it leaves the farm, which means a significant amount of water, land and energy is being wasted too.
“Robocrop, an innovative raspberry-picking robot, is one of several inventions that has sparked interest in the use of dexterous robots that can accurately detect when the fruit is ripe for picking,” says Dr Froud.
This advanced robotic technology
is due to be rolled out to farms in the UK, Portugal and Australia in the coming year.
The invention stems from research and development activity undertaken by a partnership between the University of Plymouth and robotics manufacturer Fieldwork Robotics.
Dr Froud says: “This partnership has filed a patent application towards a modular robotic arm that comprises a first joint module made up of a moveable first joint, a first variable stiffness actuator, and a second module that interlocks with the first module.
“The second module consists of either an end effector to allow the robot to interact with the environment or a second joint to allow further movement.”
Elsewhere, robotics are also being used to reduce labour costs
PICTURE: GETTY
BARRIERS TO DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION HIGHLIGHTED FARMERS across the UK are extensively using digital technology to help them run their businesses and to plan how they will run their businesses in the future, according to research carried out by Hutchinsons.
A survey covered 200 growers with farms that were over 100 hectares and either arable only or mixed arable and livestock. It asked whether respondents were early adopters, more results-focused or just cautious.
Presenting the findings at Hutchinsons’ Connected Farming Technology Conference in Peterborough, head of marketing Nick Rainsley said: “The research lends weight to the role digital technology is going to play in the future of UK farming.
“Half of the farms researched said digital technology was going to be of increasing importance in farming and this rose to nearly twothirds among the largest farms.
“A large majority see data-driven
Survey key findings
■ UK farmers are confident in the use of digital tech
■ Adoption is now embedded in UK agriculture
■ Saving costs is the biggest driver
■ Half can see digital tech improving compliance and audit
■ Two-thirds see data-driven decision-making as important
■ More opportunities are needed for better training, awareness and support
Source: Hutchinsons
through weed removal. US company Carbon Robotics has developed a robot known as LaserWeeder that uses computer vision and AI deep learning models to identify weeds in real time.
The self-training robot can detect the difference between specific crops and weeds, killing the latter with an onboard laser.
Data on the robot’s performance can be tracked remotely via an app.
Replacing labour
Dr Froud says: “While LaserWeeder has been developed for use in fields of crops, robots could potentially replace human labour in other settings.
“For instance, they could be used in areas where space [or] health and safety constraints make human labour less viable.”
decision-making as important in the future. Nearly two thirds ranked it six or more out of 10, with 10 being the highest importance.
“With an increasing array of tools and solutions being used, particularly weather-related apps and even generic tools such as What3Words, it was unsurprising the research suggested a whopping 72% of farmers believed climate change and weather considerations were the biggest challenges facing farming.”
Saving costs
However, almost half or more of the farmers surveyed cited additional challenges of high input costs, end market prices and overall farm profitability. This was reflected in the principal reasons they gave for using digital tools: savings on costs, improving yields and being more efficient.
“While these technologies have been around for a while, we should not be surprised that their adoption is increasingly popular when the environment and also cost drivers are taken into consideration.”
Software integration
When asked about potential barriers to adoption, the clear issues were cost and return on investment, and it was pointed out that for the larger farms, integration between different software was also a notable barrier to usage.
“Across the whole survey, more than a quarter cited solution
About 20% [of farmers surveyed] said lack of time, insufficient training or lack of technical support were barriers
NICK RAINSLEY
integration as being important in the future. In fact, it was the number one requirement,” said Mr Rainsley. Inanencouragingsign,MrRainsley pointedoutthat77%ofrespondents ratedthemselvesasfiveoraboveout of10whenitcametotheirconfidence inusingdigitaltech.
“The pandemic possibly accelerated people’s confidence –for such a large percentage to feel reasonably comfortable with the technology is very positive,” he said.
“However, we should be mindful that nearly a third felt they were insufficiently aware of what was available, and about 20% said lack of time, insufficient training or lack of technical support were barriers.”
Half of the farms surveyed in Hutchinsons’ research said digital technology was going to be of increasing importance in farming.
PICTURE: GETTY
The integration of agroforestry has been a steep learning curve for organic farmer Andy now hoping to help other growers master this agroecological approach to crop production.
Agroforestry, the integration of trees in farming systems, is not a new concept by any means. But despite this, there is little information out there on how it can work in everyday horticultural crop production.
In a bid to change this, organic farmer Andy Dibben has produced a book with Ben Raskin, head of agroforestry at the Soil Association, to be used as a blueprint for more farmers considering a change of system.
This all stemmed from Mr Dibben’s own experiences of integrating trees into fruit and vegetable production at Abbey Home Farm, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
The farm has been organic for well over 30 years, and includes two hectares of fruit and veg under agroforestry, 300ha of cereals, as well as dairy, beef, sheep, pigs and poultry, with everything sold into the enterprise’s popular farm shop and cafe.
Situated in an affluent part of Cotswolds, the farm shop has become a weekly shop destination, with its biggest competitor being the Waitrose in Cirencester.
This is why Mr Dibben recognises the importance of being able to offer such a wide range of produce, and grows more than 90 different kinds of fruit and vegetables on-site. Such wide variety also creates resilience, he says.
“Our weather patterns are so
Andy Dibben and Ben Raskin’s book Silvohorticulture: A grower’s guide to integrating trees into crops is out in January and is available for pre-order now at all good book stores.
different each year; if we can get 70 crops to perform above commercial level, then we do well, and that is a different 70 every single year,” he adds.
When the agroforestry first went in, Mr Dibben’s initial hopes were to increase crop yields on-farm, but now he just hopes they can help to retain them among such challenging growing seasons.
A mixture of trees, including 13 different varieties of apples, are planted in 30- and 100-metre lines
PUTTING TRUST IN BENEFICIALS FOR PEST CONTROL
AS an organic farm, integrated pest management is particularly important.
Organic farmer Andy Dibben says: “Trees are a fantastic habitat for many beneficial insects. In one nest of blue tits, there are normally about 10 chicks. One chick before it fledges will eat 100 caterpillars a day.
“So in a field like our veg plots, even if you have 10 nests, that is 10,000 caterpillars they need to eat a day,” he says.
“The pest always turns up first. So when aphids start eating Brussels sprouts, the plant releases stress signals – hoverflies, lacewings or parasitic wasps smell that and zoom in,” he says.
“We get cabbage white butterflies every year on sprouts. In about July time you see a bit of damage, then
that are 16m, 32m and 50m apart.
“Our aim is to have apples available in the farm shop from August through to February, so we chose varieties that would crop right through and store well,” says Mr Dibben.
Reducing waste
Any apples graded out due to imperfections go into the cafe meals, which Mr Dibben says plays a big part in reducing waste.
Other trees in the agroforestry plot
pretty soon after that you see parasitic wasps which lay their eggs inside the caterpillars and kill them.
“First you notice the pest, then you see evidence of the predators and it sorts itself out.
“In sweetcorn crops, the aphid comes at the end of the season once it has all been picked. It will be covered in black aphid, but also bustling with ladybirds and larvae. We see it as a last breeding cycle before winter comes.”
Mr Dibben thinks this important food source triples the ladybird population ahead of winter hibernation.
“You have got to take a long-term
include pear, plum, greengage and cooking apple, as well as hazel and alder. These are coppiced and woodchipped to create propagation compost for the veg plots.
Mr Dibben says: “Reducing inputs is a big part of integrating agroforestry – this can be applied to whatever your biggest inputs are, so for us it is compost.”
Fertility in the veg plots also comes from the rotation, which starts with a two-year fertility-building cover crop
view. We do not try and manage individual species for pest control. We just create and provide a really complex, diverse habitat so all beneficials – birds, bats and insects – can find their way out there,” he says.
The hazel, alder and willow trees also produce catkins during the first three months of the year, which offer an important winter and nighttime pollen source, while during the summer, having such diverse cover crops and wildflower mixes means there is always one flowering somewhere, says Mr Dibben.
Andy Dibben
More information
Wildflowers are planted beneath the trees
Dibben, and he is Alice Dyer reports.
finds ence
What you do in an agroforestry system is totally unique depending on what your objectives are, routes to market and location
ANDY DIBBEN
mixture of six clovers, chicory, wildflowers, cocksfoot, yarrow, plantain and phacelia.
“Wherever there is a crop, there is green manure. Even sprouts are undersown with clover and trefoil, so at Christmas when we are harvesting sprouts in the rain it does not destroy the soil structure,” says Mr Dibben.
The two-year fertility-building mix is then followed by brassicas such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage or kale in year three; then alliums, such as onions or leeks, in year four; and sweetcorn, beetroot and winter squash in year five, before going back into fertility building.
Windbreaks
The farm initially explored agroforestry on this plot, which had been in veg production for 17 years prior, to provide windbreaks.
Mr Dibben says: “We are already noticing a real drop in wind speeds in cropping areas. That can keep soil where you want it, but also massively increases yields because plants are not putting effort into standing upright.
“Every site is so different, and what you do in an agroforestry system is totally unique depending on what your objectives are, routes to market and location.
“If you are on the south coast, you could be growing peaches and things like that, but if you are up North, you are not going to be able to do that.”
However, agroforestry does not come without its challenges.
Mr Dibben says: “Trees can cause a lot of problems. Roots can go out into the cropping area, so you have to manage them so they are not competing with the crop roots.”
Mr Dibben manages this by pruning roots with a shallow plough down to 15cm. However, on large-scale arable fields, he says this is less likely to be a problem.
He says: “In veg systems, it is also important to keep tree height low so as not to create too much shade –about 3-4m – so do not pick root stock that is overly vigorous.”
There are other differences for arable integration, with trees more likely to be planted in alleys of 50m apart.
“When you design your system, the gap between tree lines has to match farming behaviour – things like your power harrow. Fifty metres apart is probably the maximum because you want the wind protection, and the effective range for predatory insects is 50m from their habitat,” says Mr Dibben.
The same agroecological principles applied outdoors are used for the glasshouse.
A mixture of trees, including 13 different varieties of apples, are planted at Abbey Home Farm in 30- and 100-metre lines.
Edited by Angela Calvert – 07768
Wiltor sale tops at 48,000gns
l 60 cows and calves average £4,670.75
THE sale of the entire autumn calving portion of the Wiltor herd, on behalf of David and Claire Jones and their son, Matthew, on-farm near Magor, Monmouthshire, attracted a big crowd with many more bidding online.
Leading the trade at 48,000gns was the show cow, Corringham Lambda S Gremlin EX93, which was inter-breed champion at the Welsh
Dairy Show, first prize winner at the Royal Welsh and AgriScot and second at UK Dairy Day.
Top class
The buyer was Adrian Salter Chalker, Berkshire, who sold his Hintonhurst herd a few years ago, but wanted to invest in a top class animal. Gremlin will still be housed at Wiltor and will be shown next season.
Its seven-month-old heifer calf by Walnutlawn Sidekick made 11,000gns to the Baltier Farming Co, Newton Stewart.
Carlisle sees Beltex realise 2,500gns
THE sale of in-lamb Beltex females at Carlisle topped at 2,500gns for Lurg Just Can’t Wait To Be Queen, a shearling gimmer by Mid Shawtonhill Gypsy King out of Ardstewart Dodo from Alan Miller, Inverurie. The buyer was Messrs Hill, Shepton Mallet.
Next, at 1,800gns, was Carse Jojo, a shearling gimmer by Matt’s Freddie, in-lamb to Highfield Henry, consigned by William McMillan, Port William, which was knocked down to Messrs Morrison, Girvan.
Making 1,500gns was Matt’s Jitterbug, a shearling gimmer by Muirton High and Mighty from Matt Burleigh,
Enniskillen. It sold, in-lamb with twins to Buckles Fizzy Pop, to Glenturk Farming, Newton Stewart. The flock ewes, 2020-born Brilley Flirty N Dirty by Swffryd Exclusive and the first prize ewe, 2022-born Billey Hunny by Ardstewart Fred Flintstone, from Richard Jerman, Whitney-OnWye, both in-lamb to Edendiack Hitman, sold to Messrs Hill and Messrs Harrison, Lockerbie, respectively.
Also selling for 1,300gns was Ainstable Janette, a Kingledores Engleburt daughter, in-lamb to Ardstewart Hamish from Brian Hall, Ainstable, which sold to D.G. Farm-
Strong trade at Sedgemoor
THE dispersal of the commercial dairy herd on behalf of Eric and Lucy Parker, Minehead, at Sedgemoor saw the trade of the year, according to the auctioneers, with 66 of the 102 milkers selling for more than £2,000, with 26 selling for more than £2,500.
Second calvers
Top price was £2,677.50 twice for two second calvers, which had calved in October and November, and both by Mr Farnear Helix Twitch.
August and September second lactation cows sold for £2,625, third lactation September calvers to £2,467.50 three times, October calvers to £2,415 twice and September calvers to £2,100, with a
dry cow due to her fifth calf also selling for £2,467.50.
Calved heifers topped at £2,625 four times.
Last year’s autumn-born calves sold to £1,050 twice for daughters of Marcello and Nortonhill Sumeriam and this year’s heifer calves following their dams topped at £483 for a Stgen Miami Ikon ET daughter.
AVERAGES
102 mainly autumn-calved cows and heifers, including A lots, £2,254; 71 mainly autumn-calved cows, £2,072; 31 calved heifers, £2,407; 49 yearling heifers, £819; 21 heifer calves, £392.50; 173 head overall, £1,561. Auctioneers: Greenslade Taylor Hunt.
Peter Waring, of the Winton herd, East Yorkshire, paid 7,200gns for Wiltor Haniko Apple 2, a second calver which is a descendant of KHW Regiment Apple-Red.
The Yates family, Logan herd, Castle Douglas, paid 7,200gns to secure their share of the Stantons Chief calf out of Dulais Silver Lustre, this year’s Royal Welsh inter-breed champion. They also gave 7,000gns for the calved heifer, Wiltor Lambda Shakira, a granddaughter of World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter Fair champion, Erbacres Snapple Shakira.
Third calver, Wiltor Jordy Rosie Red, the All Britain Red and White Cow in 2023, was bought by Robbie Scott, Ayrshire, for 6,500gns, and the Welsh Dairy Show heifer champion, Wiltor Chief Cheers, made 6,000gns to Blaise Tomlinson, Leicestershire.
AVERAGES
60 cows and calved heifers, £4,670.75; 11 served heifers, £3,302.73; 8 maiden heifers, £3,871.88; 26 heifer calves, £3,123.75; 3 bull calves, £1,190; 108 head, £4,003.13.
Auctioneers: Norton and Brooksbank.
ing, Lockerbie, and Matt’s Jigglypuff by Murrays Expert and in-lamb to Buckles Fizzy Pop from Messrs Burleigh, which went to Messrs Small, Leyburn.
Top price, Lurg Just Can’t Wait To Be Queen, from Alan Miller, Inverurie, which sold for 2,500gns to Messrs Hill, Shepton Mallet.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Suffolk gimmer leads Highland Ladies
THE Highland Ladies sale at Dingwall topped at 3,000gns for a Suffolk gimmer carrying a single to Cairness
Five Star from Jimmy Douglas, Cairness, which was bought over the telephone by G. Trope and L.E. Needham, Shaggart.
The pre-sale show championship went to Messrs Innes, Dunscroft, with
a Texel shearling gimmer by Auldhouseburn Fancy Pants from their Strathbogie flock. It sold for 2,600gns to David Moir, Cairness flock. Reserve champion was a Beltex gimmer by Vickys Gladiator from Messrs Miller, Lurg, which made 1,600gns to Kevin Crawford, Alford. Auctioneers: Dingwall and Highland Marts.
Charity lamb sale raises £4,000
ADDINGHAM and District Sheep Breeders Association’s 18th annual charity show and sale of farmer-donated lambs at Skipton raised £4,000 in aid of Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, Oxenhope, boosting the total raised since the event’s inception close to £70,000.
In total, 25 lambs, predominantly North of England Mule wethers, were donated by farmers, with co-judges George Beckwith, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, and Peter Fox, Withgill, choosing
as champion a Mule wether from Roy Nelson, who trades as C. Nelson and Sons, Bordley. The victor is, by tradition, sold and returned to the ring several times. It was first knocked down to Craven Cattle Marts for £400, then subsequently to Skipton and Clitheroe NFU, followed by Gargrave’s Simon Spensley, finally going home to Menwith Hill with Kevin Marshall, netting £800 in total.
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NEW YEAR DEADLINE
NATIONAL CLASSIFIEDS
WEEKLY SALES
PRIME SHEEP
Every Thursday at Thrapston
STORE & BREEDING SHEEP & CATTLE, CALVES, PIGS & GOATS
Every Saturday at Thrapston
Thrapston Livestock Market
Saturday 4th January
Smallholders Sale
To include: Poultry, Goats, Pigs & Sundries
All Poultry must be pre-booked prior to the Sale. No late entries will be accepted.
Saturday 11th January
500 Lots of Pet Food & Sundries
Thrapston Collective Machinery Sale
Friday 31st January
Thrapston Collective Machinery Sale
Entries close Tuesday 21st January
To include: Tractors, Vehicles, Trailers, Machinery, Miscellaneous, Online Bidding will be available for the Vehicles & Machinery
SALE OF PRIME LAMBS - Sale 12.30pm
Entries & Enquiries to Kyle PRIME, CAST & FEEDING CATTLE
Sale 11.30am (TB exempt section
For further information contact:
Alastair Brown: 07885 804450
Jake Wagstaff: 07487 526803 01832 732241 or visit the website for weekly listings of sale entries
FARMSTOCK AUCTIONEERS, BROKERS & VALUERS
BORDERWAY MART, CARLISLE
Tel: 01228 406200
SALE ARRANGEMENTS
Monday 30th December
Sale of PRIME & CAST SHEEP - 9.30am
Tuesday 31st December – Wednesday 1st January NO SALESMART and OFFICES CLOSED
Sale of the entire female portion of the CARRY HOUSE flock of 127
BLUEFACED LEICESTERS
On behalf of Messrs RD Archer & Son, Carry House, Wark
Saturday 28th December - 12.00noon
Major Reduction Sale of the DUHONW flock of 235 PEDIGREE FEMALES
Saturday 28th December – 10.30am
On behalf of Messes JE & SJL James, Neuadd-Blaendohow, Powys
Comprising 154 Texels, 48 Badger Face Texels and 33 Bluefaced Leicesters
BORDERWAY MONTHLY DAIRY DAY
Thursday 2nd January - 11.00am
“BORDER BEAUTIES” 39 BORDER LEICESTER
INLAMB FEMALES
1 ewe, 17 gimmers, 21 hoggs
Saturday 4th January
Show 9.00am Sale 11.00am
BLUEFACED LEICESTER
INLAMB FEMALES
“CLASSY LASSIES” 43 CROSSING TYPE
Saturday 4th January approx. 11.30am
9 ewes, 22 gimmers, 18 ewe hoggs
BLUEFACED LEICESTER
INLAMB FEMALES
“BLUE BELLES” 122 TRADITIONAL TYPE
Saturday 4th January
Show 9.30am Sale 11.30am
23 ewes, 83 gimmers, 16 ewe hoggs
Special January show and sale of STORE CATTLE
Wednesday 15th January
Entries close Thursday 9th January
Show and sale of PEDIGREE HOLSTEIN CATTLE
On behalf of Border & Lakeland Holstein Club
Thursday 16th January
Entries close Thursday 2nd January
PEDIGREE BRITISH BLUE CATTLE
Wednesday 29th January
Entries close Thursday 2nd January
KIRKBY STEPHEN MART
Tel: 01768 371385
New Year show and sale of STORE CATTLE
Monday 6th January
Entries close 10am Monday 30th December
ON LINE SALES
Duhonw Online Sale of BLUEFACED LEICESTER -
6 ewe lambs and 8 implanted pregnancies
Sale starts 27th December –7pm – finishing from 7pm Saturday 28th December
Please visit handh.marteye.ie to register
JALEX LIVESTOCK
“Herd for the Holidays Sale”
Timed online sale of 65 INCALF HEIFERS
Bidding starts 1pm Thursday 26th December
finishing from 7pm Monday 30th December
Viewing date Saturday 28th December
MIDDLETON TEESDALE MART
Tel: 01768 371385
STORE CATTLE
Tuesday 14th January
Entries close 10am Monday 6th January
Show & Sale of Pedigree Texel Females On behalf of North West Texel Breeders Club
Featuring the Beautry Flock Dispersal Show & Sale of Pedigree Beltex Females On behalf of Beltex Sheep Society Society Sales of Pedigree Females also for Dutch Spotted & Badger Face Texels
Thursday 9th January ‘NEW YEAR SHOW’ 10am REARING CALVES & WEANLINGS 10:30am CAST/OTM CATTLE 11:15am STORE CATTLE Catalogue Entries Close Thursday 2nd January
Saturday 25th January ‘DIAMOND DELIGHTS’ Rough Fell Females on behalf of the RFSBA Swaledale & Bluefaced Leicester Females Also this day Multi-Breed Sale of Individual In-Lamb Breeding & Commercial In-Lamb Sheep Entries Close Friday 3rd January
Monday 27th January
Milking Herd Reduction of 50/60 Cow & Heifers (due to change in farming policy) on behalf of MH&SJ Morris, Wraysholme Tower
Wyresdale.
Stockjudging Competition
To be in with your chance of winning up to £200, test out your judging skills by entering our annual beef stockjudging competition.
Test your stockjudging skills and win up to £200
This year’s beef stockjudging competition is now open for entries. Our annual competition is once again sponsored by Show Time, supplier of specialist livestock products for cattle, sheep, horses and other animals, covering the UK and Europe.
How to take part
Take part by pitting your judging skills against those of our professional judge to be in with the chance of winning one of three cash prizes.
The first correct entry to be drawn at random will receive our top prize
of £200, while two runners-up will each win £50. To be in with a chance of winning, you need to rank the four animals pictured (one being the animal you rate most highly), in the same order as our judge.
Complete the entry form opposite and return it to: Showtime Stockjudging Competition, Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Caxton Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9NZ, by January 31, 2025.
ENTER ONLINE
Alternatively, you can enter the competition online at farmersguardian.com/showtimestockjudging
ANIMAL X ANIMAL Y
Title: First name: Surname: Address: Postcode: Year
FGBuyandSell.com
At Ashworth House, 245 St Neot’s Road, Hardwick, Cambridgeshire. CB23 7QL
A Sale of 700+ Lots Briefly to include: 2010 CATERPILLAR TH407 Telehandler, 1996 CATERPILLAR TH62 Telehandler, CATERPILLAR V40B Diesel Powered Forklift Truck, 2001 MASSEY FERGUSON 30 Combine, 1998 MASSEY FERGUSON 40 Rotary Combine,
3 x Tractors, RICHARD WESTERN 12 Ton Twin Axle Dump Trailer, Twin Axle Mobile Exhibition Trailer 18’ x 7.5’ x 8’ high 3 x NEW HONDA TRX 520 FA6 Quad Bikes Quantity of Farm Machinery Dealership Shop Items, New & Used Garden Equipment, 2 x HUSQVARNA Pivot Steer Ride-on-Lawnmowers, A Range of Lawnmowers, Bush Cutters & Hedge Cutters, Office Equipment, Miscellaneous & Workshop Tools.
On behalf of Mark Weatherhead, Due to Retirement Friday 10th January at 10.30am
Catalogues will be available on our website or by request on 01832 732241 Auctioneer in Charge: Alastair Brown 07885 804450
By Instruction of Messrs V.E. Kirk & Sons 61st ANNUAL PRODUCE SALE THURSDAY 9th JANUARY
Commencing at 1pm at SPRING GRANGE FARM, BARKBY ROAD, BEEBY, LEICESTER, LE7 3BQ
• Head Herdsperson/Manager, Worcestershire, 350 cows • Herd Manager, South Leicestershire, 400 cows Relief Herdspersons Nationwide
Everglades Nurseries Ltd
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Take a look on our website, call 07932 537183, or email contact@country-link.co.uk for more information and to find out what is happening in your area.
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J.P WHITTER (WATER WELL ENGINEERS) LTD
• BOREHOLE DRILLING FOR DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL PURPOSES
Used for the humane destruction of animals, no firearms permit is required to use one and at only £320.00 (inc VAT & p&p) this has to be the best value Captive Bolt Stunner on the Market!
The Bolt gun come with a box of 50 blanks a carry case and postage
ORDER YOURS NOW! For further enquiries and for telephone orders please contact Calton Moor Farm 01538 308697 You can pay by Cheque made payable to M Dickinson, Bank card over the telephone, or BACS, please ring for bank details. BRNO Guns UK Calton Moor Farm, Swinscoe, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 2BU. TRADE ENQUIRIES WELCOME
Secretary: Sarah Fleetwood 07808 781507 sfleetwood10@gmail.com www.dalesbredsheep.co.uk
British Pig Association is the breed society for 14 pig breeds including 10 native breeds on the UK breeds at risk register To buy the best visit the website for details of sales PO Box 1542 Cambridge CB1 0JS www.britishpigs.org
From Val Lawson Oak Bank, Bentham, Lancaster. LA2 7DW Tel/Fax: 015242 61606 email: vallawson@tinyworld.co.uk Amanda Burgess 07889 802276 www.masham-sheep.co.uk
NEW & REFURBISHED BULK MILK TANKS FOR SALE
New Roka Silos and Tanks available from 500 Ltrs to
50,000 Ltrs!
20,000 Ltr Roka Silo
16,000 Ltr Delaval
16,000 Ltr Mueller
14,000 Ltr Fabdec
12,000 Ltr Roka DX
• Daily collections of all classes of cattle direct to our own local UK abattoir - No middle man involved.
• On-farm emergency slaughter catered for, supported with a valid veterinary certificate.
• Same day response guaranteed by fully licensed slaughter men.
10,000 Ltr Fabdec
9,000 Ltr Japy / GEA
8,000 Ltr Roka Silo
7,500 Ltr Surge
7,100 Ltr Delaval
6,750 Ltr Delaval (holds 7,000 Ltrs)
6,000 Ltr Mueller
6,000 Ltr Fabdec
5,000 Ltr Packo
12,000 Ltr Fullwood Packo Instant Cooling
5,000 Ltr Mueller Model “O”,
5,000 Ltr Roka
4,250 Ltr Japy / GEA
• All weekends and bank holidays covered.
• Out of hours, round the clock service, promised at no extra cost to all our customers.
• Private cutting service available with our in-house skilled butchers.
• Highly competitive cutting prices.
• Payment 30 days from collection with detailed BACS remittance, including weight, grade and PPK.
• Out of hours emergency number - Mobile: 07860 636605
2 x Refurbished 1T Ice Builder suitable for 10/12,000 Ltrs every other day Refurbished 1.2T Ice Builder suitable for 14/15,000 Ltrs every other day
CUSTOM BUILT HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEMS, TAILORED TO YOUR REQUIREMENTS
Daily collections of all types of fallen stock throughout the North of England.
Tel: 01524 261144 or 01524 263022 or 01274 833196
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
Smaller bulk tanks available, emergency open & enclosed, loan tanks available to rent, main dealer for new Ro-ka milk cooling systems.
For further details please call S.W Refrigeration specialising in “On Farm cooling Equipment” 01392 210344 or Paul on 07974 140949
IAN SMITH Livestock Scanning Services. Across the North -Tel: 01200 445750 or 07976 539197 (T)
ALWYN MANZINI
Sheep Scanning services, covering all areas. Tel: 07813 693316 (T)
SHEEP SCANNING Rowan Pickles, Tel: 07901 907487 Northern England
CONCRETE GROOV-
ING Neil O’Donnell -Tel: 01900 817009 or 07759 194600 Nationwide (T)
BIDLEA HERD Holstein Freisian Bulls For Sale
Black & White and some Red & White
Plenty to choose from - first come first served!
Tel: Ray Brown 01477 532220 or 07885 652718 Cheshire (T)
NEW Premium Products
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Premium Starter 18% Bags 750KG £240 delivered
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Bespoke Rations available to your requirements
One Tonne Bags Delivered UK & Wales
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Optimise forage use by closing the sugar gap caused by low sugar, low energy silages!
Although every advertisement is carefully checked,occasionally mistakes do occur.We therefore ask advertisers to assist by checking their advertisements carefully and advise us immediately should an error occur. We regret that we cannot accept responsibility for more than ONE INCORRECT insertion and that no re-publication will be granted in the case of typographical or minor changes which do not affect the value of the advertisement. While every endeavour will be made to meet the wishes of the advertisers, the publisher does not guarantee insertion of any particular advert.
• Three bedroom detached rural dwelling
•
•
•
• Subject to Agricultural/Forestry Occupancy Condition
•
TheNaturalWayToBuild
•
•
• Suitable for agricultural, forestry or rural enterprise workers
•
•
• For sale by private treaty • Guide price £260,000
Contact me for a confidential and expert consultation at no cost. All areas of the UK covered.
Finance: Terms & Conditions
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.
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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.
– 07583 054 831 – toby.whatley@agriconnect.com For more machinery content, go to farmersguardian.com/machinery-news-hub
Wagner pioneered the pivot-steer tractor in the 1950s. Although only sold in North America, its design would change farming globally. Simon Henley reports.
Most people have seen an articulated Case IH Quadtrac or even an old Ford FW60 working in a field, but you could probably count on one hand the number who have seen a Wagner TR-9 at work in the UK.
Wagner was the first company to mass produce four-wheel drive tractors for the agricultural industry. It was also the company which pioneered the development of the centre-pivot concept, which has since become a prerequisite for most high-horsepower tractor designs.
The concept for the development of the Wagner tractor was originally
Wagner tractors: Pivot steer pioneers
pioneered by the Wagner brothers in the late 1940s.
The Wagners (Eddie, Bill, Gus, Harold, Walter, Irvin and Elmer) established a reputation for innovative ideas back in 1922, when the family moved to Portland in Oregon and produced world’s first mobile concrete mixer, the Mixermobile.
During the late 1930s, the Wagner company had diversified into producing three-wheel loading shovels. By 1946 it had developed the huge tri-axle Scraperdozer, the first of several very large construction machines, which paved the way for the design of a new 4WD agricultural tractor.
In 1947, Wagner began a tractor development programme using a single chassis with a semi-rigid frame. However, it was soon appar-
ent this design had several inherent limitations which affected its performance.
The following year, Elmer Wagner started work on the principle of combining two tractor chassis using a centrally located pivot steer system. The outcome of this was what became known as the Wagner Pow-R-Flex coupling.
The centre-hinged pivot assembly offered permanent four-wheel drive, with true four-wheel (hydraulically-powered) steering, through a simple coupling which allowed oscillation of both the tractors axles. It was in short, a revolutionary concept.
With this design patented, the family proceeded to develop the coupling for use in loading shovels. Its first wheeled machine debuted in 1950. Simultaneously, Elmer
This 1955 TR-9 was originally supplied with a Buda 6DT 468 engine, but it was replaced by a Cummins unit. By 1957, all models featured Cummins engines.
Wagner continued to develop a completely new agricultural tractor, utilising the centre-hinged pivot.
In 1954, the family established Wagner Tractors Inc. Brothers Elmer, Walter and Irvin Wagner headed the company, which introduced a new business partner from California, Mr J. Burke Long. He was the man who would become responsible for sales and promotion.
The first full production series of Wagner tractors arrived in 1955. The new TR (agricultural) and TRS (industrial) models, also known as the Tractormobiles, included the TR-6 (105hp), TR-9 (120hp) and the TR-14 (152hp). The range would later be extended to include the giant TR-24, rated at 300hp. The first Wagner tractors were
Classic Tractors Machinery
beset by a number of teething troubles. One of the biggest issues involved the Timken truck axles used in early production models. The front axle was inverted (reversed) and often failed under high torque loads.
These were quickly superceded by Clark Industrial axles, which had reverse cut gears to handle the load. An equally important feature of the Clark axles was their 3:1 reduction hubs, which reduced torque-loading on the differential gears.
Another issue was the engines. The first models used a mixture of Waukesha and Buda diesel engines.
Unfortunately, a number of ongoing problems with these units forced Wagner to specify Cummins engines across the range. Tractors which had already been sold with Waukesha or Buda engines were
This US Patent Office drawing was submitted by Elmer Wagner in September 1953 to patent his centrehinged pivot (inset). Patent number 170956 was approved on November 24, 1953.
subsequently recalled and re-fitted at the factory with four-stroke Cummins units.
At the time of their launch, Wagners were comparatively expensive. The entry-level TR-6 cost $15,000 (£5,400) in 1955, which is around $176,000 (£139,000) in 2024 figures. That is a chunk of change for a 105hp tractor, even by today’s standards.
The mid-range TR-9 model was a popular choice for Wagner customers. Colossally over-engineered, it was powered by a Cummins 495
cubic inch (8.1-litre), four-cylinder diesel, mated to a Fuller five-speed/ two-range transmission, with a Wagner-designed Hy-Vo multi-link chain-driven transfer case directing power to the axles.
The Cummins engine was a slow-revving unit, which featured a new type of fuel system. Introduced by Cummins in 1954, the PT (Pressure and Time) self-priming fuel system featured a lightweight injector pump, which used 233 fewer components than the Cummins conventional disc-type pump.
Operating at a maximum of just 170 psi (11.7 bar), it delivered fuel to the injectors using a ‘common rail’. Sound familiar?
Rated at 120hp, with an official Nebraska drawbar rating of 90.5hp, the TR-9 boasted a wheelbase of 2.74m and tipped the scales at a stout 6,926kg.
This equates to 57.7kg per horsepower, which by modern standards suggests this tractor was considerably underpowered. Yet in terms of performance, the Wagner was more impressive than its stats might have suggested.
The first TR-9 Tractormobiles featured heavy cast grills and orange paintwork. From 1958, Wagner adopted a yellow colour scheme.
In a head-to-head comparison conducted by John Deere in 1956, a Wagner TR-9 was pitched against a modified Case LA tractor.
Using 24-ft chisel ploughs on level ground there was nothing between them. However, on a slope, the performance of the Wagner with its oscillating pivot and fourwheel drive, enabled the TR-9 to easily outperform the Case.
This inspired Deere to build its own 4WD model. In fact the influence of the TR-9 can clearly be seen in the design of the overpriced and short-lived John Deere 8010, which arrived three years later. Wagner was not happy with the 8010 tractor, raising concerns regarding patent infringement and product mimicry.
So what happened to Wagner? In 1961, Wagner’s tractor division was bought by FWD, a fire truck manufacturing corporation from Wisconsin.
The company was re-named FWD Wagner and shortly after
Machinery Classic Tractors
The Cummins 495 CID (8.1-litre) four-cylinder engine was equipped with a PT (pressure and time) injection system, similar in many ways to today’s common rail type fuel systems.
taking control, a new WA (Wagner Agricultural) series of tractors was introduced.
By the mid-1960s, FWD Wagner contracted out the production of its WA-4, 14 and 17 tractors to the Minnesota construction equipment manufacturer, Raygo Corporation. In 1967, Raygo purchased the production rights to several of Wagner’s tractors.
The deal with Raygo once again attracted the attention of John Deere.
By now, companies such as Versatile and Steiger had already established themselves as competition to Wagner.
John Deere was developing a new model, but needed a stop-gap product to be seen as a contender in the big tractor market.
On New Year’s Eve 1968, FWD Wagner struck a deal with John Deere to supply (up to) 100 of its recently face-lifted WA-14 (225hp) and WA-17 (280hp) tractors. The
Wagner used strips of oak timber between the cab and chassis to reduce vibrations and noise
agreement entitled John Deere to paint, market and sell the tractors as John Deere WA models in its own dealerships.
Cancelled
John Deere dealers would sell just 51 WA tractors. In 1970, pending the launch its new 7020 articulated model, John Deere cancelled the contract.
The FWD agreement with Deere had knowingly included a non-compete, which prevented the produc-
tion of any Wagner 4WD articulated tractor for five years.
Why FWD Wagner willingly entered this agreement remains a mystery.
Perhaps it had seen the upcoming competition as too much of a threat for the future?
Whatever the reason, following John Deere’s withdrawal, with no tractors to supply its dealers, FWD Wagner liquidated its tractor division, terminating a legacy which had survived just 15 years.
This FWD Wagner WA-4 was introduced in 1961 with a three-cylinder, two-stroke Detroit Diesel. In 1962 it was upgraded with a four-cylinder GM 4-53 two-stroke unit producing 120hp.
The new 875M Gator claims to provide a 13% increase in cargo capacity. Inset: The redesigned cargo deck includes five divider slots for timber sections.
Deere launches latest Gator with improved cargo space
● Rear tailgate includes more practical features
DESIGNED to offer improvements in cargo capacity, operator comfort and functionally, John Deere’s new diesel 875M Gator claims to provide a 13% increase in cargo capacity compared to the existing 865M.
Power is supplied from a 22.8hp diesel with belt-driven continuously variable transmission, with the new model including changes to the rear suspension and shock absorbers and a relocation of the air intake to a 300mm higher position, which Deere says provides an improvement in air cleanliness and reduces the risk of water ingress.
The major changes to the machine are within the cargo deck, which now features divider slots to allow users to position timber sections in five different locations, plus additional tie-down pockets and D-rings. The overall width of the bed has also been increased and has a total load capacity of 454kg.
The rear tailgate includes more practical features with a flat work
surface, metric and imperial measurements and v-groove for cutting water pipes.
Within the cargo area, a 12-volt socket has been added to provide auxiliary power for lighting or charging of some power tools.
The Gator 875M will be available to dealers from spring 2025. Prices have yet to be announced.
Topcon reveals TMR smart feeding system
TOPCON Agriculture has launched a smart feeding system which claims to provide easier total mixed ration (TMR) management for dairy and beef producers.
This provides a detailed, real-time understanding of the daily feeding regime, including ingredient tracking, distribution and dry matter weights.
Supplied through Cambridgeshire-based LH Agro, the Topcon TMR Flex Pro system provides feed metrics and is compatible with all mixer wagons fitted with load cells. The system comprises a DigiStar FD1 tablet, a Topcon CL-55 Cloud Connectivity Device and a subscription to Topcon’s TAP FEED Pro/Feedlot cloud-based platform.
Commenting on the introduction, Richard Reed, managing director of LH Agro, said: “The new system gives everyone involved in the feeding of beef cattle and dairy
cows easy access to all the necessary information required to make data-driven decisions, which will improve the performance of the cattle under their supervision.”
The TMR Flex Pro system is claimed to be compatible with all existing Digi-Star scale systems or load cells on any brand of mixer wagon. Topcon says the self-explanatory
interface will make it easy for new users to operate, and allows multiple users to access the various data fields during the loading and unloading of the mixer wagon.
Machinery
Specialist harvesters for niche crops present tyre challenges when working in the field and on the road. Farmers Guardian reports.
Having chosen to run four Oxbo GP 1189 pea harvesters, Anglia Growers’ general manager Andy Beach explains how tyre technology has improved reliability and why the business runs the machines on tyres rather than tracks.
He says: “The GP 1189 has come with a Ploeger badge and was originally PMC, but today it is Oxbo.
“The basics have not changed much though, and it is an excellent machine for harvesting a pea crop.
“It is operating with a Stage V 420hp Scania engine – a change to the previous machines which used a Deutz unit. It has six independent hydrostatically driven wheels with self-levelling suspension and four-wheel steering.”
The option of tracks was not considered viable because the fleet covers 2,000 hectares split over 65 farms, from Ipswich in south east Suffolk, to Stalham in north Norfolk, and from the east coast to as far inland as Hingham in mid-Norfolk, which requires a significant amount of road travel.
Mr Beach says: “Tracks also make the overall turning circle greater and that makes it hard to access some of the fields we need to, because some lanes are so narrow. Additionally, while very good in a straight line, headland scrubbing does occur.”
He suggests the harvesters rarely have engine problems because the HGV-sourced engine is always working well within its comfort zone.
However, the tyres are under constant strain, which far exceeds that
Specific tyre requirements for specialist harvesting
which would normally be experienced if the tyres were fitted to a tractor.
He says: “For example, if we meet a bus on the road, the harvester usually has to mount a bank. The self-levelling suspension handles it well, but also puts far greater strain on the tyres to manage the load over that wheel.”
Mr Beach approached local tyre dealer Treadfirst for help with a tyre better suited to the challenge.
Economies
He says: “The harvesters do 800900 hours per year and about 10% of that is on the road. We keep them for seven or eight seasons before selling them on. The right tyres should not need replacing, but we have had
multiple issues where repair is not economical.”
Two harvesters have been fitted with the new generation of Continental TractorMaster tyres which feature the firm’s N.flex tread reinforcement.
A nylon layer sits beneath the tread layer to help the tyre absorb impact and resist flat spots forming when the tyre is run hot and then subsequently cools overnight.
Mr Beach says: “Choosing Continental tyres has solved some of the problems we have been having, and we have the backup of a premium manufacturer.
“The tyres get very hot during road work, yet the machines can be parked for days following heavy use and flat The
spots can be a problem. However, this is less apparent with these tyres.”
In 2023, Continental agricultural tyre specialist Tom Godwin visited Mr Beach to offer support and tyre advice. Mr Godwin suggests that the harvesters put unique demands on the tyres which are not comparable to tractors.
Suspension
Mr Godwin says: “Because of the self-levelling suspension, it is hard for the operator to know if the tyre has been punctured because the suspension will continue to compensate.
“The defined lug design of the tyre suits the field work of the pea har-
vesters and on the road the sidewall has the flexibility to manage the impacts of the banks.”
In the near future, Mr Godwin is aiming to put a wireless pressure monitoring system onto the machine. The technology uses a sensor in the tyre connected to the operator’s phone or tablet using Bluetooth.
It provides heat and pressure changes to help the operator manage the efficiency of the tyres.
Mr Godwin says: “The harvesters could also benefit from a retrofitted central tyre inflation system [CTIS].”
Mr Beach has used CTIS, but not since 2006 when the technol-
ogy was less efficient than the systems today.
He says: “We often do not have much time between fields because the factory gives us windows in which we have to deliver the peas in so the crop is frozen within the required schedule.
“Once harvested, there is a finite time to get the peas to the factory.”
Fuel consumption
Like all field machinery, the harvesters need good grip to reduce fuel consumption and the impact of the machines’ weight on the soil.
Mr Beach says: “The hydraulics are load-sensing, so will demand more hydraulic power if grip is lost due to soil conditions, gradients or wet weather.
“The harvesters will stall if we consistently lose grip, so tyres are essential to helping to maintain a consistent forward speed.”
In a relatively heavy crop, the harvesters are expected to run at 2km/h and will rarely exceed 4km/h. However, in wet weather or high yields, the forward speed drops to just 1km/h.
By contrast, at the headland or when on the road, the harvesters can reach a field speed of up to 12km/h and a road speed of 25km/h.
Mr Beach says: “We run at 2.3 bar, which is in line with manufacturer guidelines, and we keep pressures consistent regardless of road or field work.”
However, Mr Godwin suggests that varying the pressure for load and application would be beneficial.
He says: “When the machines are empty and travelling on the road at 25km/h, the tyres are working very differently to in the field.
“The weight of the crop and challenging ground conditions can cause soil compaction if pressures are too high. This is where pressure-sensing technology and CTIS would offer significant benefits.”
Mr Godwin suggests a combination of CTIS and remote sensing would give the pea harvester operators the ability to optimise power transfer and improve the overall efficiency of the machines.
He says: “The data from the inbuilt sensors coupled with CTIS would enable operators to significantly reduce tyre pressure, for more grip in the field, and run at higher pressures
on the road when the machines are empty.”
The pea harvesters weigh 27 tonnes, so the impact of this weight on the soil is an important factor for soil health.
Communication
Mr Beach says: “We always communicate with our farmers and choose the best time to harvest, within the confines of the crop.
“However, we harvest 10,250t of peas a year and there is a schedule to keep in order to minimise waste.
“This is why the new tyre technology is helping so far and could help more in the future.”
Mr Beach suggests that peas are a popular break crop in the South East, but that most farms will only plant peas on a seven- to eight-year rotation to prevent the land becoming what he describes as ‘pea sick’.
He says: “Peas usually follow wheat, and a healthy crop can leave the soil with up to 40kg more nitrogen per hectare for a first wheat that usually follows the crop.”
Through many years of harvesting peas, Mr Beach says that the team can spot areas where soil compaction has impacted on the crop.
He says: “Peas are sensitive to compaction, so if you do not know whether you have compaction in a field or fields, peas will show it. We see areas which do not perform, and it is evident that compaction is the issue. This is why we have invested in tyre technology and will continue to do so.
“We want to secure this season’s harvest while also maintaining soil health for our farmers and their crops in the future.”
Once harvested, there is a finite time to get the peas to the factory, says Andy Beach.
Andy Beach of Anglia Pea Growers.
Two harvesters have been fitted with the new generation of Continental TractorMaster tyres.
Machinery
● Enhanced 435S launched for 2025
By James Huyton
THE 435S has been a firm favourite of farmers, contractors and anaerobic digestion plant operators for a number of years, but with competing manufacturers closing in on this clamp climber, JCB has returned with an enhanced version for 2025.
The former 252hp variant will now have an extra 30hp, boosting the output from the 6.7-litre Cummins power plant by a claimed 12% to 282hp. In turn, this increase has improved the machine’s power-toweight ratio from 17hp/tonne to 19hp/t.
JCB claims to have made a number of engine and driveline improvements, helping the latest 435S to deliver and maintain torque across the rpm range. This includes holding
JCB’s self-proclaimed ‘king of the clamp’
the machine’s maximum torque output of 1,200Nm from 1,600rpm right down to 1,100rpm as an increasing load pulls the engine revs down.
Driveline
Significant changes to the driveline include a new torque converter, providing 25% more torque at the wheels, says JCB. Alterations to the transmission software also allow the operator to programme more flexibility in the timings of torque lock-up, which is a full-time feature in gears five and six to help
boost power efficiency on road work.
With more power and potential output, JCB has also uprated the machine’s axles. The previous model had three epicyclic gears in each hub, but the latest variant holds four and is capable of handling 34% more torque, says JCB.
A number of cowling options are also available for the air pre-cleaner, which aim to combat dust intake in different working conditions. A mushroom-style cyclone pre-filter now comes as standard to improve particle cleaning before the turbocharger.
The latest JCB 435S is offered with more power and torque from the 6.7-litre Cummins engine.
Prospective buyers will be able to optionally specify a factory-installed weighing system, IntelliWeigh. This is operated through a seven-inch touchscreen terminal, with printout functionality for loads handled.
The option of joystick steering is also available on the machine, designed to offer more efficient loading cycles, with the steering joystick mounted on the left-hand armrest for fingertip directional control. With this system, the steering wheel is retained for road work or applications where lever steering is unsuitable.
The new composite honeycomb rear grill is said to improve air intake, and an LED light pack now comes as standard.
Fender-mounted mirrors can be optionally specified to aid working against clamp walls.
A mesh cover can be added to the cyclone pre-filter to reduce chaff intake in dusty environments.
Livestock
Edited by Katie Jones –
Methane-reducing feed additives could lower methane production by 30% and are a ‘useful tool in the toolbox’, said Prof Tom McNeilly.
l Genetic selection another tool for sector
IN a press briefing organised by Moredun, the research institute’s scientific director and chief executive, Prof Tom McNeilly, addressed the recent fallout surrounding the methane-reducing feed additive Bovaer, and why animal health remains an important part of the solution in reducing the livestock industry’s methane emissions.
As an institute, Prof McNeilly said Moredun was well aware of the contribution ruminants play in methane emissions and the pressures the industry is facing. However, he said there was ‘no silver bullet’ to reduce these emissions, but a number of tools that could be used.
With literature showing methane-reducing feed additives could
Moredun Research Institute has identified animal health as a key area of focus which could help the industry in reducing methane production from ruminant livestock. Katie Fallon reports.
Animal health vital tool for reducing methane emissions
lower methane production by 30%, Prof McNeilly said they were a ‘useful tool in the toolbox’, but consum-
er backlash had been ‘noisy’ across the internet and social media.
He said: “Consumers are quite
NEXT GENERATION OF VACCINES FOR OVINE ENZOOTIC ABORTION
The work is currently funded by the Scottish Government, through the Strategic Research Programme and by Innovate UK, as part of the large Horizon Europe-funded REPRODIVAC project.
The second approach uses synthetic versions of proteins on the surface of the bacteria, either produced as individual proteins or in a vaccine delivery system developed at Moredun from previous Scottish Government funding.
Assessment of both synthetic vaccines is planned for the coming year in appropriate disease models in collaboration with Moredun’s REPRODIVAC partners in Murcia, Spain.
suspicious when something is mandated, but it is probably one of the most tested feed additives that there has ever been. In terms of the safety of the milk, I do not think there is any evidence to say the milk is less safe.”
Associated cost
He added: “[Feed additives] do need to be fed very regularly and there is a cost associated with them, but there is no suggestion from the scientific literature that they are dangerous to humans. They biodegrade very rapidly in the rumen, hence you have to feed them twice a day.”
Other tools which Prof McNeilly believed could help to reduce methane include the genetic selection of animals to produce less methane, and the manipulation of animal feed, however, animal health remains centre stage.
Prof McNeilly said: “Where Moredun comes in is that improved
Livestock
animal health is really critical. If you have ruminants that are producing methane with no productivity, such as neonatal losses and reproductive failure; they are huge issues in terms of methane emissions with no production.
“We are very much of the opinion that animal health should not be forgotten in this search for the silver bullet.”
Prof McNeilly added success in reducing methane would be achieved through a combination of feed additives in some systems, genetics, feed manipulation and animal health solutions, particularly focusing on those big losses such as neonatal mortalities, lack of finishing and reproductive performance.
And while reducing livestock numbers could be considered a ‘simple’ way to reduce methane emissions, Prof McNeilly said this would ignore the need for food security.
“When we have such turbulent political times, we would argue that having a strong livestock industry within the UK is really important.
“The other point to make, which came out in the recent House of
Lords report on methane emissions, is that if we decide to produce less meat in the UK, we are likely to offshore the problem to import meat from systems that are more environmentally damaging and have fewer welfare standards.”
Greater understanding
While Prof McNeilly acknowledged farming systems needed to adapt to address biodiversity loss and methane reduction, he said a greater understanding of extensive livestock systems and regenerative farming, and their impacts on animal health, was required.
He said: “Regenerative and extensive farming systems will play a key role as grazing ruminants can increase biodiversity and soil health, but we are concerned that some of these farming systems have not been tested fully in terms of the unintended consequences – are some of these systems good for animal health such as reducing parasite burdens or are some worse?”
In response to this, Moredun has set up an industry working group on Environmentally Sustainable
We are very much of the opinion that animal health should not be forgotten in this search for the silver bullet
PROF TOM MCNEILLY
Livestock Farming (ELF), tasked with evaluating different farming systems to ensure they achieve their environmental targets without any unintended negative consequences on livestock health and welfare.
Dr Phillip Skuce, principal scientist at Moredun, said the working group currently comprised representatives from Pasture for Life and the Nature Friendly Farming Network, conventional farmers, re-
EXPLORING JOHNE’S DISEASE TRANSMISSION FROM THE ENVIRONMENT TO SHEEP
AN inflammatory gut disease affecting the small intestine of ruminant livestock species, Johne’s disease, is caused by the bacterium, Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) which can spread between individual animals in a variety of different ways.
Speaking at the press briefing, PhD student Charlotte Winspear said while the main route of transmission for MAP was faecal-oral, through the consumption of infected faeces, a lesser-known transmission route is via the environment.
study will
She added: “It is prevalent in soil and water and has been shown to lay dormant within soil samples for over three years.”
On-farm prevalence
In response to this, Ms Winspear’s PhD project is focused on gaining a greater understanding of MAP’s on-farm prevalence within the environment, and how that translates to cases seen in sheep.
She said: “We will also assess the gut microbiome composition of individual sheep across several
different farming systems to see how MAP infection impacts the natural gut biota.”
When asked what farmers can currently do to combat the prevalence of MAP within the farm environment, Ms Winspear said: “It is about testing – get your soil tested to see if there is MAP in there – as well as farm management programmes looking at how your waste is disposed of, and making sure it is not going into water sources is really important.”
searchers at SRUC and the James Hutton Institute, as well as key stakeholders including vets and farm advisers, NatureScot and the Scottish Government.
Dr Skuce said the aim of the ELF group was to discuss and agree where future research should be focused and to identify gaps in knowledge that appropriate research and knowledge exchange could address.
It is about testing – get your soil tested to see if there is MAP in there
CHARLOTTE WINSPEAR
A
look at the presence of MAP, which is a cause of Johne’s disease, in the environment.
A new history book which looks at the origins of Aberdeen-Angus cattle has discovered that the breed’s roots may have been founded much further back in time than originally thought. Farmers Guardian finds out more.
New book unveils history of the Aberdeen-Angus breed
Written by British cattle historian, author and podcaster, Andy Frazier, and American authors, Dr Robert Hough and Tom Burke, The History of the Aberdeen-Angus in the US, UK and Worldwide looks at the development of the AberdeenAngus breed, alongside the evolution of the global cattle industry.
Emanating from the Scottish counties of Aberdeen and Angus, the breed was widely thought to have originated following the formation of the Aberdeen-Angus herdbook in 1862, through contributions from Scottish pioneers Hugh Watson and William McCombie’s work in creating and improving a uniform AberdeenAngus cattle type.
However, new research suggests the breed’s roots might have appeared much further back in time and can be pre-dated by nearly a century.
According to William Youatt’s book, Cattle; their breeds, management and diseases, which was published in 1834, cattle were traded from northern Scotland to England as far back as the 14th century.
Mr Frazier says it is likely that some of these cattle would have included the Buchan Hummlies and Angus Doddie, the two breeds that were responsible for spreading the polled gene.
The book also reveals the origin of the polled gene within the Aberdeen-Angus breed can be evidenced back to 1523. Pioneer William
McCombie who is recognised as being instrumental in the development of the Aberdeen-Angus breed was known to use Lowland Buchan Hummlies, Aberdeen horned cattle and Angus Doddies to build his herd, with his family being in the cattle business since the early 1600s.
Improved
Dr Hough says: “Hugh Watson on the other hand would have had the pull of his grandfather’s Angus Doddies, who had been a tenant farmer in the 1750s, a herd that would have already been improved to some degree.”
Mr Watson, also instrumental in the
development of the Aberdeen-Angus, was known to cross Angus Doddies with Galloway cattle in the early years.
Mr Frazier says it is, therefore, evident that the breed existed in all but name for at least a century prior to this, being a regular cross of the Aberdeen Horned, with Lowland Buchan Hummlies and Angus Doddies, although not all of them would have been black or polled.
Ermitre of Haymount, bred by J. and W. Arnott, Haymount, Roxburghshire, Scotland, which went on to win the Chicago exhibition in 1960.
Mr Frazier says: “Mr Watson and Mr McCombie then concentrated on those two traits from the early 1800s to design the Aberdeen-Angus as we know it, ensuring they bred from animals with excellent meat qualities, using methods previously laid out by Robert Bakewell.”
New research also highlights nine strains of cattle from north east Scotland including Banffshire, Aberdeenshire, Kincardineshire and Forfarshire which could have contributed genetics to the breed, as well as the Angus Doddies and Buchan Hummlies, and three outside strains of cattle including the Shorthorn, Galloway and Fife.
Looking at the development of the breed’s herd book, Dr Hough says Edward Ravenscroft, previous editor of the Scottish Farmer, started to collect records for a herdbook in 1841.
However, the records were lost when part of the Highland Agricul-
ture Society’s offices burned down in 1851.
Seven years later, a polled herdbook was published, including Galloways and polled Aberdeen and Angus.
Dr Hough says: “In 1879, the Galloway breed formed a society and bought their portion of the herdbook.
Young Aberdeen-Angus bulls arriving at Perth market in the 1950s.
and glens of Scotland and the stockyards of America.
“At the Perth Highland Show that year, the Polled Cattle Society was formed for Aberdeen and Angus cattle and soon changed to the Aberdeen-Angus Society.
“President Charles Gordon Marquess of Huntly, and vice-presidents Sir George MacPhearson-Grant and William McCombie bought their portion of the copyright of the herdbook. At that point, the Aberdeen-Angus was a true breed in every sense.”
As the breed evolved through the turn of the twentieth century, the demands of the new world shaped the breed’s condition, from animals over one tonne in weight to the shortlegged belt-buckle type cattle demanded by the Americas in the 1950s and 1960s.
Legendary
Delving into the breed’s founding fathers, with snippets on royalty and presidents, the book includes information about Aberdeen-Angus prize winners at shows including The Royal Smithfield Show, as well as the colonisation of USA, the foundation of the railroads and the great Chicago stockyards.
The History of the Aberdeen-Angus in the US, UK and Worldwide is available to purchase online with a percentage of the proceeds from UK sales being donated to the Aberdeen-Angus Youth Development Programme.
MORE INFORMATION Find out more at angushistorybook.com
Stories of the legendary Perth bull sales indicate that prices continued to soar until the meteoric rise of the breed came to an abrupt halt when UK exports were curtailed by an outbreak of foot-and-mouth in Britain in 1966.
From then on, the imports of larger, leaner continental cattle from Europe meant the path of the AberdeenAngus breed was an uphill struggle, with larger framed genetics being sought from the Americas to compete with other breeds.
However, over the next 40 years, through selective breeding and data recording the Aberdeen-Angus breed once again found its niche in the hills
l Preventative Care – Helps strengthen lambs’ resistance to disease factors. l Gut Health Support –Contains Vetoxan® Bio-probiotic to help promote gut function and combat harmful bacteria. l Efficient Colostrum Utilisation – Enhances nutrient absorption from Colostrum for peace of mind.
l Vital Start – Supports the early nutritional needs of lambs. l Immune Support – Contains nutrients to aid the establishment of early immunity. l Digestive Health – Includes prebiotics to assist in early digestive development. l Energy Source – Provides an easily absorbed energy source. l Reassurance – Designed to complement natural colostrum.
Lindertis Evulse, sold at Perth for a record 60,000gns in 1963 to Black Watch Farms, USA, pictured with herd manager John Rugg, auctioneer Eddie Hutchenson and stockman Charlie Gorn.
William McCombie
Denmark has become almost synonymous with bacon, but freerange pig farms are still something of a novelty in the country. Jane Carley visits a producer who is making the system work.
Rarity of rearing pigs outdoors in Denmark does not deter couple
At Greensgaard, close to Give in the Velje region of Denmark, Lene Conradsen and Peter Bruun rear 1,100 free-range sows, producing some 30,000 fattening pigs per year. Farrowing takes place outside, while the pigs are finished in barns with additional space and access to an outdoor area.
The couple began their enterprise in 2015 when Ms Conradsen saw an opportunity for a better way of keeping pigs and an improved return.
Mr Bruun says: “There are only one or two other outdoor pig farms of this size in Denmark.”
The pigs are sold to distributor Tamaco which handles the logistics from the farm to the supermarket chain Rema 1000, meeting welfare requirements stipulated by Animal Protection Denmark and achieving the ‘three hearts’ certification.
Traceability
They are sent to a small private slaughterhouse in Videbæk on Zealand, which dedicates a day for slaughtering just the free-range animals for traceability. From there, the meat is processed at different locations and ends up in the store’s own-brand packaging
facts
n Chopped straw is used indoors and outdoors; round bales kept in the fields are dispensed as needed
n Each year, the business uses 3,500 bales of mainly wheat straw from 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) of crops, contract baled and stored on-site
n A silage cut is taken in October from land going into pigs the following year to help maintain grass quality
but with a picture of the couple and their stock on the label.
Greensgard spans 450 hectares (1,111 acres), of which 92ha (227 acres) is used each year for the pigs. At the end of the year they are moved onto fresh ground and the land ploughed, seeded and combined.
Mr Bruun says: “The remaining and rotated land is rented for cereals, and we have an agreement to spread muck onto it. The tenants have their own indoor pig business which uses the cereals.”
In 2022, the enterprise was shut down by disease and the couple decided to start afresh with different pig genetics, swapping from DanBred to Topigs Norsvin TN70 sows and using Duroc DanBred boars.
“This is an old fashioned, more stable breed,” says Ms Conradsen.
“They have fewer piglets but they are bigger and stronger when they are born. You do not get such a high meat percentage and they make 9294kg slaughter weight and begin to set fat, whereas the Danish preference is for leaner meat. But we had
from 7am to 3pm to feed all the pigs,” says Ms Conradsen.
Returns, the couple says, are similar to keeping indoor pigs: their costs are greater but the meat attracts higher prices.
“The average price had been 10 DKK per kg for the last 10 years, and then we needed a fixed supplement to ensure stable finances,” says Mr Bruun. The supplement is also independent of the pig price, so they are currently benefiting from a high price.
Labour costs
We are constantly looking to improve welfare – we do not cut tails or teeth and we are aiming to stop castration in time
LENE CONRADSEN
discovered from experience that the Danish breed was more suited to indoor production.”
Feed is measured into field troughs according to their feeding/growth curve and on the outside temperature – for the sows it is 4.5kg/day, with additional feed when nursing piglets.
“We feed once a day and it takes
Mr Bruun says: “Our labour costs are double; we started with three staff and now have 20. We spend less on housing but more on machinery – we have five tractors which clock up 1,000 hours/year each so need regular replacement, and four utility vehicles, plus implements for moving arks and spreading straw.”
When moving the pigs to fresh pasture – which takes two months in total – there are 31 miles of fencing to relocate.
Barns for finishing are kept at outdoor temperatures and they have ad lib water.
The barns allow twice the space per pig of an indoor system, and in addition to the outdoor access, natural behaviour is encouraged by feeding silage which allows the pigs to root. The use of showers prevents overheating in hot conditions.
Production averages 30 pigs/sow per year compared to 40 pigs/sow in an indoor system.
Sows can produce up to 16 piglets, which are weaned at 35 days when they have achieved 11-12kg mean weight. They are fed for twoand-a-half weeks before weaning; for finishing indoors over a fiveweek period feeding is according to
Farm
Lene Conradsen and Peter Bruun
size and age: 1.75 feed units/kg growth up to 35kg and 2.75 feed units/kg from 35-120kg.
“They eat more than indoor pigs because they have room to move,” says Ms Conradsen.
She adds that improved pig health is already showing benefits.
“Sows have up to five litters be-
fore slaughter – they are very strong, robust animals. We lose 4% of sows a year, with 4.5% mortality of younger pigs.
“We are constantly looking to improve welfare – we do not cut tails or teeth and we are aiming to stop castration in time.”
Ms Conradsen says Danish con-
eight countries, focusing on good working conditions, a 37-hour week, investment in training and even staff gym classes.
Climate change could mean a rethink on some of the land use in the future. This region of Denmark saw record rainfall in 2023-2024 and ground water is 1.5 metres (five feet) higher than 10 years ago on some parts of the farm. Reduced yields are already being seen on the lower lying areas.
“Long, wet periods are hard on the staff and you need to be tough in winter – ice has to be broken on 200 troughs,” says Ms Conradsen.
Fulfilling
The couple clearly finds it a fulfilling enterprise, but of their five children, only one son has any interest in farming.
sumers are motivated by the high welfare standards that they meet, and that the farm strives to engage with them, using social media and hosting visitors once a month. They also give talks in the stores several times a year.
They report no issues recruiting their labour force, who come from
“We will have to think about what happens next,” adds Ms Conradsen.
“It is hard for the next generation to get into farming; you could not start out with 200 pigs now. And the Danes do not really see Denmark as a farming country, they are quick to blame the industry for pollution rather than appreciating its contribution to food production.”
Sows can produce up to 16 piglets, which are weaned at 35 days when they have achieved 11-12kg mean weight.
Market Prices Primestock
ENGLAND
Source: LAA/MartEye
YOUNG BULLS
Market Prices Store Cattle
SCOTLAND Latest data available.
ENGLAND
Latest data available.
Figures show livestock numbers first, then average price per head.
The Budget has highlighted just how removed we have become from food and those who produce it. Emily Ashworth looks at how consumers have changed their shopping habits over the years – and how farmers always help the country through a crisis.
The changing attitude to food
It is hard to imagine a world without supermarkets, high street stores and mini markets on every corner.
Access to food has never been easier, but the connection to food seems to have been lost over time. Over the last few months since the Government announced the family farm tax, farmers have come out in their droves to try and showcase just what they deliver for society – and why they need public support.
Turn the clock back to the 1940s, and the nation’s food supply was hanging in the balance. With a drive to become practically self-sufficient by 1945, the Dig For Victory campaign urged people to have their own vegetable gardens and not to waste food.
Fast-forward to 2024, and the nation’s estimated food waste is about 9.5 million tonnes per year according to Waste Managed.
people did not have a fridge or freezer, so buying food was often done on a daily basis to ensure freshness. But life has changed dramatically over the last century.
Time constraints rule over many shoppers’ decisions when buying food, especially as more members of the household are out working, and it is convenient to do the weekly shop online when it can arrive on your doorstep with just the click of a button.
Pre-1970s, shopping was a more communal affair, with people using butchers, bakers and markets. Many
Pre-1970s, shopping was a more communal affair, with people using butchers, bakers and markets.
But has the ease of purchasing food made us forget how it is produced?
Protest
Over the last few months, the world has seen UK farmers come together in protest after the Government announced its changes to Inheritance Tax, which has the potential to cause many family farms to disappear.
farmers – we can just import. But do people realise that without self-sufficiency, we are not that many days away from a food security blunder?
It will be interesting to see if, in response to the Budget, people come out in support of farmers and buy more British produce.
There has been a huge amount of support from the public, but equally, a lot of comments showcase just how misunderstood the countryside is. Some have said we do not need
The industry has seen this sort of crisis reaction before – particularly in Covid-19. During the pandemic, the use of farm shops rose considerably, and an NFU Mutual survey reported that for Christmas 2020 – the peak of the pandemic – 40% of consumers were going to choose to shop at farm shops or locally. They are becoming popular with Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) too, who are interested in sustainability and having an authentic farm shop experience.
Authentic
Emma Mosey, chair of the Farm Retail Association, says: “Younger people are very interested in an authentic story –and farm shops and markets have one of the best. Telling our story and in the right places, for example on Instagram and TikTok, can be really beneficial.”
Customers of this age group are also happy to share what they have discovered, and user-generated content is again something farmers and producers should be aware of.
One must hope that as time moves on, food is prioritised within health, environment, transport and education
JENNY JEFFERIES
farmer in Cumbria, believes we have a chance to inspire shoppers’ habits, but that we need to get to the youngsters.
“I think buying habits have the potential to change, but education in schools needs to be [in place] to show how food is produced and how to cook simple meals. For example – how many meals you can make with a bag of spuds or a tray of mince, all which are healthier than microwave meals and cheaper for a family.
Matt Thrimby, a beef and sheep
According to Profile Tree, there has been a 400% growth in farmers’ markets since 1994.
“People are too many generations away from the plough now and we
PICTURES: GETTY
need to get the plough back into the classroom,” he says.
The appetite for British seems to be there though. In the Morrisons annual corporate responsibility survey, which is sent to 3,500 customers, selling affordable food was ranked first, supporting British farmers ranked third, and selling British products came fifth out of 35 various factors.
‘Britishness’
In 2022, Morrisons carried out research which asked customers’ thoughts on ‘Britishness’. When asked their views on whether they would still shop at a supermarket if it was not committed to selling 100% British meat, 54% of customers said they would, but would look to buy their meat elsewhere.
The wellness space could also be a huge opportunity for British farmers, because choosing to buy British has more implications than what ends up on the nation’s plate; it is a ripple effect that goes towards tackling
climate change and healing the nation’s health.
Artisan produce and farmers’ markets have grown significantly, and according to digital marketing agency Profile Tree, there has been a 400% growth in farmers’ markets since 1994, with the UK boasting over 2,000 markets of varying sizes.
Social media has also been rife with reactions to the new methane-reducing animal feed additive Bovaer lately, with an army of consumers taking to various platforms to say they are concerned about what they are consuming. It does not take much to spark a revolution, regardless of the facts, science and research.
What it has done is ignite a foodfuelled conversation.
Jenny Jefferies, Cambridgeshire arable farmer and award-winning author of the For The Love of the Land cookbooks, is keen to promote how farming connects us all. Her books collate recipes from farmers up and
down the country, inspiring readers to talk to producers.
She says: “The disconnection between our farmers, fishermen, consumers and food provenance is palpable. There is an obesity epidemic; people are dying from hunger; there is so much food waste; the food supply chain is abused by the corporate fat cats.
Hope
“However, the countryside and my farming family will always offer me a comfortable solace and a source of hope. For one cannot farm or live without hope: hope for harvest, hope for a good yield, hope for good weather, hope for resolution and hope for a better future.
“Our countryside is a patchwork of fields, and our lives are also a patchwork of people, provenance and promises. One must hope that as time moves on, food is prioritised within health, environment, transport and
education, and ultimately that our politicians are bold enough to make strong, positive and significant change for the better.”
The future will look different again, and there is a growing ‘holistic’ movement on social media. Mintel reported that 75% of 16- to 34-year-olds find media content, such as social media and articles which promote healthy eating to be aspirational.
AHDB’s new report showcases that Gen Z are most influenced by TikTok, and that health is a priority when making food choices. Protein is also a priority for Gen Z, and they are much less likely to be concerned about the salt, sugar and fat content.
Charlotte Forkes-Rees, retail and consumer insight analyst at AHDB, says: “This research shows that when it comes to influencing Gen Z food decisions, it is important to highlight any health claims relating to naturally occurring protein, vitamin and mineral contents.”
Time constraints rule over many shoppers’ decisions, especially as more members of the household are out working.
An NFU Mutual survey reported that for Christmas 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, 40% of consumers were going to shop at farm shops or locally.
In Your Field
Every week we follow the ups and downs of farmers around the UK
ROGER NICHOLSON
South Yorkshire
Roger Nicholson farms with his family at the heavily diversified Cannon Hall Farm, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, which has sparked various Channel 5 series including Springtime on the Farm. Roger, 81, farms with his sons Dave and Robert and says he has no plans to retire just yet.
My mother used to say:
‘Them that lives longest sees t’most’. So far, I’ve been lucky enough to make it to 81 and I’ve seen quite lot.
Having experienced rationing after the war, I never expected to be in a position again where food security wasn’t taken seriously by our Government.
After a decade when agriculture was neglected in the 1930s, when more and more food was imported, farmers were asked to step up production to feed a nation suddenly isolated by Germany’s U-boats.
Now in an unstable world, suffering from the privations of war and climate change, we need to learn from history. We need to protect our ability to produce food at all costs, and we can’t be sure that the countries we import food from now won’t fall victim to war, drought, wild fires or flooding.
Before coming to Cannon Hall our family farmed for hundreds of years in the nearby Worsbrough Dale.
During the war years and up until 1958, the local authority compulsorily purchased all but a few acres of our land at the agricultural rate of £60 an acre. They built council houses and a
‘It pains me to think we might lose another farm through politics’
NEW WRITER
school on the farmland. This forced us to move to Cannon Hall Farm, but it took all the money my father had.
I was just 16 years old when he died a year later.
I can’t help but feel that the stress of losing his farm and the move, must have contributed to his early death.
I left school to take over the farm business and struggled to make a living farming on 126 acres (51 hectares) for the next 30 years. Most years we lost money.
The bank told me to sell up, that I’d never been able to support my family.
But I refused to give in, changed banks and sold our farmhouse and two barns for conversion to fund opening
the farm to the public. Our family has lost one farm through politics, and it pains me to think that we might lose another.
My wife Cynthia said: ‘I feel like we’ve done it all for nothing. By the time Arthur and Nelly (our great grandchildren) are old enough to get involved, there might be nothing left’.
Throughout our 59-year marriage, our sole mission has been to pass on the farm to the next generation, with the hope that they will pass it on to their children too.
We are proud of the way we turned things around. We diversified through necessity and have created 250 jobs on a farm of less than 200 acres.
Now it seems we may be punished for our success in bringing our farm back from the brink.
It must be more useful to the economy for family businesses to invest and continue to create jobs, than pay Inheritance Tax when each generation passes on. Most farmers simply don’t make enough to be able to afford it. Even for those who can, it’s a huge disincentive to continue farming.
How can farmers continue to invest, when a huge bill lands on the doormat with each passing generation?
It’s a tough life, the hours are long, the work is demanding and weather conditions can be harsh, but as long as we can pass the farm on, it all seems worth it.
No generational farmer wants to be the one that gives up, and if I can keep that dream alive, that’s enough for me. If the aim is to target investors buying up land to avoid Inheritance Tax, it must surely be possible to identify them and differentiate them from genuine farmers.
All farmers need to be in this battle together, fighting to get our message across and protect our food security. Once family farms have disappeared, our politicians won’t be able to bring them back.
They’ll be swallowed up by big businesses planning solar panel and tree planting schemes on prime farmland that could be used to feed the nation.
I really do have hope, and respectfully ask that the Government looks again at the parts of the Budget that may lead to the end of the family farm.
NEXT WEEK
Cumbria James Robinson
Yorkshire Helen Stanier
‘Supermarkets are convenience stores’
EMMA ROBINSON
Monmouthshire
Emma and her family farm in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, milking 100 pedigree Holsteins and selling raw milk from the farmgate. They also run 300 North Country Mules. Emma is Monmouthshire NFU chair and volunteers with the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution.
We managed to survive the storms with no power cuts or major damage, so we were lucky.
Avril, Phoebe and I took Hattie to see Father Christmas at the local Christmas Fair. She was very excited at the grotto entrance, but then was a little shy when she met the big man. The farming and rural community packed out the village hall. We enjoyed
the festive refreshments and finished off those last-minute purchases.
Christmas for us is a quiet affair, the family is spread all over the country and in Australia, so once the milking and feeding is done after breakfast, we go up to Harvey, Avril and Hattie’s house to exchange gifts. This makes succession all worthwhile.
As we come to the end of another year, I like to look back at all the good things that we have done.
We built an independent living space for our special needs daughter Phoebe. We got planning permission and started in June, with Phoebe very keen to demolish the garden shed which was the footprint for the build.
Phoebe, with the help of her dad and brother, cleared all the rubble ready for the concrete base to go down. She made all the decisions from the interiors to the finishes.
The farming business enables Phoebe to have a paid job. She is a great stockperson, unable to drive machinery, but a whiz in the milking parlour.
Crossword 1277
We are very fortunate to have two carers who enable her to access the community and support her on her independent journey, with her own little house being a further step towards independence.
We had our NFU AGM before Christmas. I will be continuing as chair for another year. We are at such a critical time in our industry with Inheritance Tax relief and still more work to do on the Sustainable Farming Scheme. The scheme rule for 10% tree cover has been removed and replaced with a universal action of tree planting and a hedgerow creation opportunity plan and progress by 2030.
The Bovaer methane additive exploded on social media and we had many messages from, not just our cus-
tomers, but consumers asking if we feed this to our cows.
Many wanted to know where they could buy our raw milk from. The answer is that our regulations only allow us to sell from the site of production.
I published a statement on our Facebook page explaining how we feed our cows and that we don’t use this additive.
I signposted consumers to our processor Cotteswold Dairy for pasteurised milk as this can be purchased from small shops and outlets locally. It is good the consumer is waking up to the traceability of food, but people have to realise supermarkets are convenience stores.
I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year.
Forthright opinions from throughout the world of agriculture
‘It is vital that farming people value themselves’
In a recent survey commissioned by the NFU into valued professions, farming comes second only to nursing. About 2,000 adults were questioned and the results were presented to peers and MPs in the House of Lords by NFU president Tom Bradshaw.
The findings show that 74% of respondents value farmers and growers.
They recognise those working in the sector work hard in all weathers to feed the nation. Even more, 91% feel that farming is important to the UK economy.
In spite of this, and in light of the recent Budget announcements, how much does the Government really value farmers and growers?
The Chancellor of the Exchequer professed to have produced a ‘Budget for strivers’. This would appear, by inference, to indicate not a lot.
By the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions, a direct tax on all employers, Rachel
Reeves seems to be labelling anyone who is employed as a ‘striver’ and those who employ them, in any sector, are not.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a ‘striver’ as someone who works very hard. According to the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, Bridget Phillipson, the term defines a working person as someone who has employers’ National Insurance contributions shown on their payslip.
Contradiction
Farmers do not receive a payslip, but they do work very hard. There seems to be something of a contradiction here.
The average working week for a farmer is 65 hours, almost twice the standard 39-hour week for employees, or ‘working people’ as Labour calls them. This can increase to more than 100 hours, especially if livestock is involved.
In addition, those hours are
FG Farm Dog of the Month
CHRISTINE BISH
Member
spread over 365 days, unless extra help can be brought in to give farmers any respite.
The increase in the employers’ National Insurance contributions and the impending increase in the National Living Wage will make farmers think twice about employing extra help or even paying for overtime hours for an existing employee.
The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution’s Big Farming Survey, published in 2021, provides strong evidence that leisure time away from work is an essential buffer from work-related stress.
It suggested that taking time away from the farm improves mental well-being and reduces anxiety.
Although almost half of respondents said they usually leave the farm for leisure purposes at least once a week, almost one-third hardly ever, or never, leave the farm.
Valued profession
This shows that although farming is a valued profession, some farmers have difficulty either finding the time, or acknowledging the fact that they need to find the time, to value themselves and their own mental health.
There are also clear indications isolation has a significant impact on mental health. The Covid-19 lockdowns revealed how important social interaction is for all ages.
For farming, the isolation and lack of opportunity for face-to-face contact away from the farm was not peculiar to the lockdowns. It has been the accepted way for many years, particularly with increased mechanisation and the resulting reduction in the workforce.
At a recent Farm Women’s Club weekend, to which husbands and partners are invited, my husband
tried to persuade a farmer’s wife, a regular attender, to bring her husband along to the next gathering. Her reply was that ‘he won’t leave the farm, he’ll probably be drilling’. This is sadly not an unusual response.
Farming men and women must recognise the need to take advantage of those opportunities which are available to join in with their local communities and their peers.
Young Farmers’ Clubs are, of course, an outlet for the young; discussion groups still exist and flourish in some areas; community, voluntary and women’s farming groups also provide much-needed support and respite.
The public may well value farming, yet in the light of the recent Budget it is certainly questionable whether the Government does.
But what is vital is that farmers must value themselves, find a diversion from their day in, day out ‘striving’ to make a living and take some time out for themselves.
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