Farmers Journal Scotland | July 28th by Farmers Journal Scotland

FARMERS JOURNAL Scotland

GOING GREEN What does Michael Gove mean by a green Brexit and how does it compare to the EU’s plans for CAP? Industry Insight >> 59

29 July 2017 Vol 1 No 9 | £3.10

Feed price surge Prices up 20% ODILE EVANS NEWS CORRESPONDENT oevans@farmersjournal.co.uk

Increasing futures for grain, strong demand for distillery by-products and a weaker pound mean that the price of feed is increasing. Feed merchants are predicting a price increase of up to 20% this year. Farmgate barley prices are up at £115/t to £120/t, approximately £15/t higher than this time last year. At the time of going to print, the London futures (LIFFE) feed wheat price for November 2017 had risen to £145.25/t, while November 2018 futures stood at £148.50/t. According to the latest ﬁgures from the EU crops market observatory, that’s a 25% increase on UK farmgate wheat prices since July 2016. Merchants say that draﬀ is up £10/t, making barley “look cheap” as a feed constituent. Some are putting this down to demand for distillery by-products from anaerobic digestion plants. “We’ve been competing for years on the food-versus-fuel debate and it has

Ä Continues on page 2

Hay making at Pitcoag Farm, near St Madoes in the Carse of Gowrie, Perthshire. \ Craig Stephen

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

2 NEWS

Comment John Sleigh Scott ish editor jsleigh@farmersjournal.co.uk

Outsider gives fresh look at farm risks

oading bulls on to the ﬂoat at home, I was reminded of the dangers in everyday activities on the farm when looked through the lens of someone outside the sector. Anyone who has loaded bulls for the killing house knows they can be spirited going up the ramp. Like cocky teenagers, they don’t know their own strength. On this occasion I had a friend from the oil industry helping out for a morning.

None of the bulls were wild and they were loaded ﬁne. However, my friend could not believe the risks we were taking by being so close to livestock. He said the whole procedure would be shut down and a risk assessment would be conducted if it were his industry. While the oil and gas sector is known for its high level of safety, it did make me think: just because the very nature of handling livestock is dangerous doesn’t mean we should

not look at mitigating risk where possible. The rest of society has moved on with health and safety and farming needs to catch up. The oil and gas sector was not always a bastion of health and safety. When the boom occurred, the big US firms came to town in the rush for black gold, and many saw workers as expendable with high levels of deaths and injuries. It might be laughable comparing the two sectors, which have vastly different levels of profitability, but, boiled down, they had a problem and they dealt with it. This much we definitely share. This biggest risks on farms are the shortage of staff, long hours and too strong a drive to get the job done, making farmers take risks. At peak times, corners are cut that would get you sacked in other jobs, but when you are working alone there are few chances to stop and run a retrospective risk assessment. Nevertheless, we need to think about the near misses, not just the occasions when someone gets hurt. One job title to be added to a farmer’s long list is chief safety officer. If we are to tackle farm safety, we need

to review incidents and look at prevention. If this is forced upon the sector, it will end with additional red tape and box-ticking. However, steps need to be taken: a simple first step would be to talk about any incident with someone else or write the details down. It is too easy to put a close call to the back of your mind, as there are a million other jobs to do. We must do better. The ratio of stock per person has risen significantly over the last generation. This is a trend that will not stop as farmers look to scale up to cover overheads. There are many farmers with 100 cows and no staff. It is vital that farmers keep their mobile phone on if they have reception – and let their family know when they are expected back.

Ä See page 10 for more The ratio of stock per person has risen signiﬁcantly ... there are many farmers with 100 cows and no staﬀ

What about the future of food, Mr Gove? Along with many other farmers, I was left scratching my head as to why Defra Minister Michael Gove failed to give enough detail on food as a key aspect to the future of farm support. Clearly the public want farmers to look after the environment and ensure animals are well cared for. However, we are in danger of undermining our primary concern: feeding the nation. I appreciate that there are concerns about being World Trade Organisation-compliant and having equivalence of standards with the EU to ensure we can trade. However, we cannot be at a competitive disadvantage to our neighbours. Further, if you outsource your food production, you lose control of the standards. It would be dishonest to “re-wild” our hills while buying beef from a country halfway round the world decimating rainforests for their cows. Food production needs better recognition from the public and should not be swept under the carpet by politicians.

FROM PAGE 1

Feed price surge The stability oﬀered by Government incentives, like feed in tariﬀs, mean ADs are here to stay

finally caught up with Scotland,” feed merchant William Davidson said. “The stability offered by Government incentives, like feed in tariffs, mean ADs are here to stay.” Strong domestic demand and lower French crop yields supported grain prices last year. The yield and quality of the 2017 harvest will play a big part over the next few months. “The weather in the US is putting pressure on the wheat and maize belt,” AHDB market intelligence analyst Millie Askew said. “When the weather is like this, markets cling on to it and tend to be quite bullish.” This year’s AHDB Planting and Variety survey for Great Britain found that the wheat area planted has decreased by 3% since 2016 to 1.76m ha, while the spring barley area is estimated to have risen by 9% to 725,000ha.

Inside this week 29.07.2017 Contents

15 Focus FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

News My farming week A farmer writes NFUS Industry insight

4 6 17 59

FOCUS

15 18 76

FOCUS 15

Royal Welsh and Great Yorkshire show highlights Shane Murphy takes us through the highlights of two of the UK’s biggest agricultural shows

Technical )DUP 3URo W 3URJUDPPH Dairylink Beef 3HGLJUHH 'DLU\ $UDEOH %XLOGLQJV 0DFKLQHU\ )RFXV )DUP 6DIHW\ &RXQWU\ /LYLQJ Camera at the mart

29 Pedigree

12 Farm Proﬁt Programme

Marts in Scotland

Investing in the future today at Tomintoul

39 Machinery

MACHINERY 29 July 2017

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017 R1

NEWS 3

Goveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s green vision SARAH ANDERSON NEWS REPORTER sanderson@farmersjournal.ie

Defra Secretary of State Michael Gove laid out his vision for post-Brexit agricultural policy at a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) event in Surrey last week, positing a â&#x20AC;&#x153;green Brexitâ&#x20AC;?. The UK Government has already committed to maintain farm support at the current level of CAP spending until 2022, and Gove said that he wanted to â&#x20AC;&#x153;go on generously supporting farmers for many more years to comeâ&#x20AC;?, highlighting â&#x20AC;&#x153;a reputation for quality which has been built on high animal welfare standards, strong environmental protections and the dedication of farmers and growers to meeting ever more demanding consumer expectationsâ&#x20AC;?, as grounds for funding. Environmental goals However, that support â&#x20AC;&#x153;can only be argued for against other competing public goods if the environmental beneďŹ ts of that spending are clearâ&#x20AC;?, Gove guarded, criticis-

ing the EU for failing to achieve its stated environmental goals in the CAP. NFU Scotland said that Secretary Goveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speech reďŹ&#x201A;ected themes in its own post-Brexit discussion document, chiming with its vision for a managed transition by 2027 to an â&#x20AC;&#x153;action-based support system â&#x20AC;&#x153;where market returns drive proďŹ tability. Proper funding NFUS policy director Jonnie Hall said that the union â&#x20AC;&#x153;would want to see a properly funded policy, supported by science-led decision-making that builds on our animal health and welfare record and is focused on productivity and proďŹ tability gainsâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That means, in the future, there is a justiďŹ able case for Scottish agriculture to receive the same levels of funding as it currently receives, ringfenced and spent in new and more eďŹ&#x20AC;ective ways to improve productivity, efficiency and resilience,â&#x20AC;? he said.

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For more news, video and podcast updates from the Tullamore Farm, see pages 24-25 and visit www.farmersjournal.tv.

Designed & manufactured in Scotland

between one and three more applications. With grass now in its vegetative stage, applying 25-30kg/ha will boost grass growth without needing to worry about it going to seed. You want to have the highest cover of grass on the farm in late August/early September to carry you into winter. Step three: Closing Start with ﬁelds closest to the farmyard, ﬁelds you let lamb ewes or freshly-calved cows into. Start closing these paddocks up from mid to late September. Where regrowth is good, avoid the temptation to re-graze paddocks. Every day grazing in spring is worth two days’ grazing in autumn.

— Declan Marren

To suit the feeds and forages produced in Scotland Norvite, Wardhouse, Insch, Aberdeenshire. AB52 6YD Telephone: 01464 831261 Fax: 01464 831400 www.norvite.com

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday Saturday24 29 22June July 2017

6 VIEWPOINTS

A Farmer Writes Nugget of security in Gove’s green Brexit plan

ix am news on the radio and a day, clip the wool off them, have a the lead item is Michael Gove’s chat and a banter and toddle home. speech covering agricultural While it is long hours with the travelsupport. Instantly my heart ling and involves much blood, sweat sinks: good agricultural news and tears (mostly mine), it earns good money when cashflow is on national news networks tight, and also allows me to is very unusual. SHEEP see other systems and assess Hold on though, listen on New entrant our stock against others. and perhaps there is a nugThe one lot I hate shearing get of security: support at Mark Donald is our own. With Harriet current levels; protection for and wife only available in the evening animal welfare standards; Harriet run a and at weekends, I often end increased awareness of how agriculture works within the 168-acre Forest up filling pens, shearing and doing the wool by myself. environment; restructuring Enterprise On contract, I’ll clip 32 to 42 support and policy to tailor an hour but at home more to this country. These are Scotland 12 to 15. It’s soul destroynot frightening: this is starter farm like ing. The bonus though is change that we can influat Port of handling every ewe myself. I ence and, in many respects, all the feet, all the udwhat we already do, but Mentieth near see ders, all the teeth and, while most importantly it will also Stirling I get all the tough ones, I get allow us to continue to difall the good ones as well so ferentiate our quality prodglass half full! ucts from those around the On my travels one thing I world. We cannot do size. have noticed this year is there is very Therefore, as an industry, we need to little mastitis among flocks and what focus on product quality whether that there is hasn’t been as bad as to cause is taste, welfare or environmental conmany udders to rupture. At home we cern. will only have about 12 cases and only I was able to mull all this over as I one rupture. It’s an awful affliction for was shearing our ewes. I have a small a ewe to suffer so it’s cheered me not to shearing run, just clipping by myself. I see it. normally organise 180 to 250 sheep for

Mark Donald

Ignore the ﬁve-to-eight forecast at your peril ARABLE Gerald Potterton farms tillage and some beef in Co Meath, Ireland

gnore it at your peril – the 7.55am RTÉ Radio One Met Éireann weather forecast is still hugely important. Yes, I know most people have 24-hour access to weather apps but the ﬁve-to-eight forecast – as it is aﬀectionately known – is the sacred cow of weather forecasts and an unearthly silence sweeps across the land while it is on.

School children know to shut up and eat their Weetabix while the Met Éireann forecaster is speaking and wives (or partners) have been castigated for rattling the breakfast cutlery in the dishwasher. The family Jack Russell knows to stop whinging at the door for the few minutes which seems like an eternity. One plaintive whinge during a bad forecast will be enough for a size eight

Weaning is next week’s task. This will be about four weeks earlier than last year. The main driver is to try to get the ewes in better condition for tupping to ease up our scanning. We have some clean ﬁelds available for the

lambs to go on to and rotate around with the ewes following to tidy. Weighing lambs last week to track their progress was pleasing: the vast majority of them have averaged 350420g/head/daily gain. In previous years

Buckler boot to rapidly connect with her rear end and send her into orbit. After all, the day’s activities – or those of the week ahead – will be guided by that forecast. Even the cows know to keep quiet at this time in the parlour or risk a skelp of an ash plant. Isn’t it wearisome to be in an occupation that is so guided by the weather forecast? Sometimes I think that I’d love to work in a bright oﬃce behind a great big desk and be surrounded by blondes and brunettes and not to give two hoots about the forecast. But many other occupations are aﬀected by the weather forecast. However, what makes farming unique is that farmers are not so much

interested in the day ahead but, more importantly, the pattern over the next few days. Dodgy forecast A dodgy forecast at 7.55am may mean a swift call to the contractor to abort the mowing or to get cracking and be promptly in the ﬁeld by 10am. However, at the risk of repetition, I believe most people hear what they want from the forecast. If you did a survey and asked 10 people to listen to the same forecast and to summarise it afterwards, you’d get 10 diﬀerent variants ranging from there’s a good spell coming (totally inaccurate) to unsettled for the next month (wildly inaccurate).

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 24 July 22 June2017 2017

VIEWPOINTS 7

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Little incentive to grow any more grass

Over 7t of grass DM/ ha have been grown on the Blelock farm to date in 2017.

DAIRY Mark Blelock farms in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

H when liveweight gain was not achieved, using the EID information resulted in some stock rams getting their marching orders. It did feel strange culling rams that were still in their prime but continuing this strat-

egy, coupled with a strict replacement policy, should keep the improvement ongoing and, given the improved trade this year, we might have a rosy future, Gove willing.

Out of the 10, a school teacher planning a ﬁeld trip or a UCD-educated ag graduate might make a reasonable stab at an accurate summary. There’s a chance a Ballyhaise College guy might get it right as well but it’s easy for them as it’s always raining, or about to rain, in Cavan.

may not be blown away by the wheat yields. The two-row barley Infinity was our highest yielder at 4.09t/acre followed by the hybrid six-row Quadra. Cassia was below average at 3.5t/acre but with superb quality. Moving some bought-in stores, one lunatic red Limousin – what else – cleared two fences and raced down the road. I managed to turn him with the jeep but he cleared the hedge and disappeared into perfect camouflage in a field of desiccated rape, which is 6ft tall. He’s not been seen since but if you come across him, whether it be in Clonakilty or Letterkenny do give me a call.

Winter barley harvest But there were no such weather concerns for our winter barley harvest. In beautiful harvest weather, the grain moisture plummeted to below 15%. The Claas combine had a lovely christening in clouds of dust and the average yield was 3.7t/acre across the weighbridge. It’s a satisfactory result for us but perhaps suggests that we

Silage quality was better through the winter which meant the cows went to grass at a higher level of production

aving set out at the start of the year to try to make the farm more productive by growing as much grass as possible, the biggest challenge facing me now is what on earth to do with all the grass? I would like to think that all the strong growth is down to some marked improvement in my grassland management, but in reality I think it is more to do with the exceptional grass growing year that it has been so far in 2017. To date this year, we have grown just over 7t of dry matter per hectare (DM/ ha), and this seems to be broadly in line with AFBI ﬁgures relating to grass growth in Co Antrim printed in last week’s Irish Farmers Journal. To help keep on top of what is going on in the paddocks, this year I have bought my own plate meter. Previously, I paid someone to walk the paddocks on a weekly basis. Doing it myself takes a lot more discipline, but it means that I actually see what is really going on, as opposed to just looking at numbers on a graph. When you see the paddocks properly on a weekly basis, instead of just racing past them on the quad, I seem to be more inclined to act. One thing that has occurred to me when walking the paddocks is that we are often told the average farmer in Northern Ireland grows just 7.5t/DM/ Ha/year. We also get told that with good grassland management, the potential is there to grow 14t/DM/ha. While it is right that we should all be encouraged to grow and make use of more grass, the current set of regulations around nitrates (limiting me to 170kg nitrogen per hectare from livestock manure), gives no incentive to do this. If I could up my game and grow this amount of grass, the number of extra stock I would need to carry to eat it all

would leave me in a position where I would either have to apply for a derogation, or I would need to rent about 50 acres to grow cereals just to spread my slurry on. Neither option is very appealing. Yield So far, cows have milked really well this summer. The average yield/day is close to 30 litres at 220 days in milk, up by around 3.5 litres/day on last year. I’m not sure what this increase in milk yield is due to. Perhaps it is a number of things coming together at the same time. Silage quality was better through the winter which meant the cows went to grass at a higher level of production and, secondly, grassland management has improved. This is my third year measuring grass, but I would say that it is only now that I am really getting to grips with it. With a higher-yielding herd, it is difficult to find the balance between production and efficiency. Last year, we replaced our topper with a mower, and this has brought a number of benefits. All paddocks are now either premowed or topped. The mower leaves us with a lower residual cover, it is a lot faster than the topper, and if a paddock needs to be taken out for bales we can mow it ourselves, giving more flexibility and it saves paying the contractor to do it.

Solids For us, milk solids always seem to suﬀer when cows go to grass. Fat and protein levels are currently at best around base levels, and this seems to be a contrast to the grazing herds in the Republic of Ireland who report higher milk solids when cows are out grazing. The only consolation is that the price of a litre of milk of average solids is much higher this year than a litre of milk with high solids was last year.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017 Saturday 28 January

8 FEATURE

Quality livestock at Castle Grant farm John Sleigh met up with Robert MacDonald at his farm by Grantown-on-Spey

He is positive about the future of the breed: “Over the last 30 years, the breed has moved forward and improved quality. We have bigger tups, with tighter skins and better conformation. Many hill farmers are getting more interested in Cheviots because of a high value for the draft ewe, plus the popularity of the Cheviot lamb in the store ring.” The 500-ewe ﬂock is split – with half going back to the Cheviot tup and the rest split evenly between Bluefaced Leicester and Suﬀolk.

hirty years ago Robert moved 150 miles west from Dunvegan on Skye, to Grantown-on-Spey with 52 ewes and a few cattle. Along with his wife, Mags, he now runs 126 cows, 500 ewes and holds the record for sale of a Cheviot tup. On the Castle Grant home farm, all 900 acres of Robert’s rented farm range from 800 to 1,200 feet above sea level, making winters long and summers short. “I farmed with my father and uncle on a 4,500-acre farm on Skye, which had 150 acres of in-bye. Moving to 550 acres at Grantown was a big move. I knew I always wanted to be a farmer and wanted to keep cows and sheep. When we arrived, we came with 52 ewes and some cows from Skye. Since moving, we have grown the business, with 350 acres of seasonal lets being taken over the last 13 years.” The 900 acres are all on the Seaﬁeld estate and would have originally been the home farm for Castle Grant, which recently was the home of former Ranger FC owner Craig Whyte, Robert said. “There have been a number of diﬀerent owners in the castle since we moved in. Any new owners often come to ask if we will graze the 30 acres of gardens around the building. But invariably there is an issue when they discover what comes out the other end of the cattle and sheep onto their lawn.”

GRASS AT 1,000 FEET At Grantown the summers are short and the winters can be long, making managing grass growth a real challenge. “We really don’t get any grass growth until May. In June, we can handle almost twice the stock, but it tails oﬀ quickly after August. We essentially have a 3.5-month growing season. We struggle with diﬀered grazing as the snow will damage the grass, meaning very little is available come spring.”

The team is made up of Robert and his wife, Mags, with part-time help from Hamish Campbell.

There is no one-size-ﬁtsall in farming, you just need to get the most from your farm. Some of the best advice you get is from listening to other farmers. You are born with two ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion

CHEVIOTS Robert has been breeding Cheviots for more than 30 years since farming on Skye. His high-profile sheep flock has achieved the Cheviot tup record of £17,000. Robert sells two shear tups, which are fed before the sale, but get just silage and protein tubs for the first two winters. As Cheviot is a slower-maturing breed, it needs the two seasons to be ready for the ring. “Buyers need to know what they are buying. You need the mouth to have fully developed so buyers can see it is correct,” believes Robert. Selecting ewes to breed is the most important skill when developing a sheep flock. Cheviots have not gone down the EBV route, with all breeding stock selected traditionally. “EBVs are just writing down what stockmen do by eye. When selecting ewes, what I look for firstly is good skin, then conformation and breed type. After that, I look for a good top line, a broad forehead, good nose and cocky alertness,” says Robert. “Fine bones are not so important in the Cheviot. We breed sheep with a de-

Robert MacDonald’s whole crop. Robert grows 30 acres a year as part of his reseeding plan.

R9 is one of Robert’s favorite cows, he says, as she is a good mother, has nice temperament and always leaves a quality calf.

cent amount of bone, they need to be robust, as many are kept on hill farms. They can’t be too soft, the Cheviot is not a soft sheep. You can scan over 180%,

Robert looks for cocky alertness in his ewes.

Robert MacDonald’s Cheviot tups. He holds the record for selling a Cheviot tup at £17,000.

which can give you a weaning of over 150%. Any higher lambing percentage – you’re getting into a lot of triplets, which is an issue.”

KEEPING CATTLE The farm has not always just been for food production, but was also set out to keep birds for shooting. This means that there are lots of blocks of trees, which creates ideal shelter for keeping cattle outside. “We outwinter our cows on pot ale and straw until January, before taking them in. One of the woods was even set up to allow the shoot on Capercaillie back in the day. Locals ask me about the midges with all the trees, but they are nothing compared with Skye midges,” laughs Robert. The breeding stock largely comes out from the west through sales at Dingwall, Lochmaddy and Portree. “I know many of the farms in the west. They provide great outdoor, hardy cattle. I look for a Shorthorn crossed with a Simmental, Limousin or Saler. All good things come out from the west.” The cows are then crossed with a Charolais or a Limousin bull to provide store calves to be sold in the backend. To get calves ready for sale, Robert creepfeeds them and thinks it is one of the most efficient things he does. “Store buyers like to buy cattle which can go straight onto feed. During the summer, we can get conversion rates of between 4-5kg of feed to 1kg liveweight. We use ECU stage-two calf nuts. Starting them off on 1kg a day until October, when they are ad-lib. My main buyers say they never worry about the calves and that they are good to finish. One bit of advice I was given is to always sell what people want; you always get a good crowd round the ringside with Cheviot lambs and Charolais calves,” Robert explains. FENCING Over the last 30 years Robert has put up 14,000m of fencing. He believes “if you don’t keep up your fences, you will pay for it in the long run. I am disappointed with some of the strainers we have, as some are not lasting as long nowadays and need to be replaced after 10 years. I spend around £5,000 a year on fencing to keep on top of the job”. DOG AND STICK FARMER Roberts’s background on farms on Skye has influenced his decision to keep few bits of machinery on the farm.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

NEWS 9 Robert’s most important machine is the Matbro loader. It has to start all through winter, which can get cold in Grantown.

ÁInfo Â Name: Robert and Mags MacDonald. Â Address: Castle Grant Home Farm, Grantown-on-Spey. Â Area: Speyside. Â System: 126 hill-type cows with 500 Cheviot ewes. Â Sells livestock: UA Huntly, Thainstone and Dingwall. Â Contractor: for silage, whole crop, spraying and establishing crops. Â Labour: Robert, Mags and parttime help from Hamish Campbell. Â Strength: Livestock management and breeding.

“Calving and lambing is what I know. I leave the tractor ﬁeld work to the experts. We used to take a week to silage, now it barely takes up a day. I have worked with the same contractor for years. It makes all the diﬀerence having a good working relationship. We make 30 acres of wholecrop, along with 100 acres of silage, split between bales and the pit.”

FAR LEFT: Robert runs hill-type cows, which are outwintered until January.

FARM ADVICE Robert has these words of advice for the next generation of farmers: “There is no one-size-ﬁts-all in farming, you just need to get the most from your farm. Some of the best advice you get is from listening to other farmers. You are born with two ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion.”

LEFT: Robert’s four-year-old Charolais bull Edenhurst, from Allenfauld.

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017 Saturday 28 January

10 NEWS

Figure 1

Stark statistics in farm F safety report

Cause of fatal injury (2012/13â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2016/17) Transport - overturning vehicles or struck by moving vehicle Injured by an animal Fall from a height Struck by an object Contact with machinery Drowned or asphyxiated Trapped by something collapsing 2WKHU LQFOXGLQJ oUH WULS IDOO HWF Contact with electricity

The main cause of accidents in the UK agricultural industry from April 2016 to March this year was transport-related. Odile Evans reports

Farmer focus: NFUS president Andrew McCornick

:LWK FRPELQHV DSSHDULQJ LQ WKH o HOGV q it is the perfect recipe for accidents

The NFUS president warns farmers of the dangers associated with all machinery and the hazards they pose.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a Saturday night. My son had been pushing up the silage for the night for the cows and one of the feed barrier concrete panels, 6m x 0.5m x 100mm, fell into the feed passage among the cows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This meant he came to me to help rectify the situation, as the cows would be standing on it and silage would be getting wasted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tools deemed appropriate were crow bars, pinch bars and two hardy farmer types. That proved ineďŹ&#x20AC;ective and a tractor and loader were brought in. It seemed to be

going well, until there was a shuddering at the loader end. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All I can tell you is that the half-lifted panel was no longer halflifted, myself and the pinch bar had failed to keep up our end of the job and it had fallen again. This time though, my foot was below it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had the front of my foot crushed, sustained fractures on my toe and there was a lot of blood and bruising. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My advice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; take your time and think through the job properly, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try to cut corners.â&#x20AC;?

ive fatalities occurred on Scottish farms in the 12 months from from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017, according to the HSE report released on Monday. From a child just three years old to a farmer in his 70s, the circumstances of these deaths paint a stark picture. The statistics look as though they are improving, as there were eight farm deaths in Scotland in the agricultural industry in 2015/16. But as the NFUS president Andrew McCornick points out, one death is too many. The main cause of accidents in the UK agricultural indus-

38 28 27 18 16 12

6 0

try from April 2016 to March this year was transport-related. In total 30 people died in agricultural workplace accidents in the UK, slightly less than the ďŹ ve-year average of 32. The ďŹ ve main causes of farm deaths in the UK over 2016/17 were; being struck by farm vehicles (30%), trapped by something collapsing (20%), struck by an object (17%), contact with electricity (10%) falling from a height (7%) and injury from an animal (7%). Around half of the workers killed were over 65. In fact the fatal injury rate is four times higher in workers aged over 65, compared to younger age

10 4 Members of Employees Self25 30 public35 40 the employed

groups, when you look at the ďŹ gures from 2012 to 2017. As revealed in last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Farmers Journal Scotland, a third of agricultural holdings are occupied by farmers aged over 65, compared to just a quarter of the total a few years ago. Figures Looking at annual average ďŹ gures over the last ďŹ ve years; machinery consistently leads to more deaths than any other category. Being killed by an animal is the second highest cause of death on farms. Farm safety week ran from 24 to 28 July, with many industry leaders putting extra eďŹ&#x20AC;ort to campaign for more

Farmer focus: Matthew Brown, Strathaven, South Lanarkshire

0DWWKHZ IHOO IW RQ WR FRQFUHWH ZKHQ ZRUNLQJ RQ WKH URRI Dairy farmer Matthew Brown was patching up damage on a roof with his 18-year-old son in January 2015. He was hit by a purlin and fell seven feet onto the concrete below, fracturing two vertebrae and putting him out of action for six months. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I found myself sitting against the wall, with my son watching on. I started to assess what I could and couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t move. I had shooting pain down my back and could move my left side, but could barely move my right arm. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not trying to get up or moving probably saved further damage.â&#x20AC;? He lost the use of two of his

arm muscles and is receiving physiotherapy for his shoulder pain more than two years after the accident. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The impact of an accident on those around you can sometimes be underestimated. My son was there when the accident happened. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unbeknown to me he struggled to sleep afterwards and it hit him hard. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The annoying thing is that I have a speciďŹ c bucket, that has been modified to make working on heights safer, but I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use it on this occasion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since the accident, if Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m working at heights I use a snap safety line and carry out a risk assessment.â&#x20AC;?

Farmer focus: Hamish Campbell, Lanark

$Q DFFLGHQW FDQ KDSSHQ LQ DQ LQVWDQW q VWD\ DZDUH Beef and sheep farmer Hamish Campbell lost part of his middle ďŹ nger on his left hand while handling stock in December 2015. Luckily, the vet was close by to bandage it up before heading to the hospital. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had the vet out PDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ing cows and I was up the front of the crush dosing them at the same time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had a guy down the

back herding them in, but one cow decided she wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to go into the crush so I went over to help. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We almost had the gate shut behind her when she kicked it and it came back, and caught my ďŹ nger on the bar I was holding. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d had my hand two inches to the left or right Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d still have my full ďŹ nger.â&#x20AC;? Campbell adapted to hav-

ing a smaller ďŹ nger relatively quickly, changing how he holds a pen for example. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The only thing I really notice is if I have to clip a sheep by hand, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the same power in my ďŹ ngers when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m arching the shears.â&#x20AC;? His advice is â&#x20AC;&#x153;to try and look at the situation and think ďŹ rst before you do something, an accident can happen at the click of a ďŹ ngerâ&#x20AC;?.

awareness on farm safety. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing remains the riskiest industry sector in the UK,â&#x20AC;? Martin Temple, HSE Chair said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone involved in improving workplace health and safety has a role to play in helping Great Britain work well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I personally have some experience of the challenges and risks farmers face on a day to day basis having grown up on a farm. Farming has changed and with new and different working practices and a transient workforce, all farmers need to constantly revisit and re-consider the risks faced by the people working on their farm,â&#x20AC;? he concluded.

The story behind the numbers Ă&#x201A; A 57-year-old selfemployed farmer was killed when crushed beneath a wall and a steel door. He was demolishing a building when part of it collapsed. Ă&#x201A; A 76-year-old self-employed partner in a farming business was killed by a gate. His son was removing manure and straw from a bull pen when his machine struck the unsecured gate which knocked his father RQ WR WKH EDUQ p RRU +H died from head injuries. Ă&#x201A; A 69-year-old self-employed farmer was killed by a cow. He tried to escape from an enclosure after the cow became agitated. He appears to have tried to climb out over a gate and was crushed as it fell over. Ă&#x201A; A 58-year-old selfemployed forestry contractor was killed when felling a tree. As it fell, it struck another tree that was previously felled and stuck in a leaning position against a standing tree. He was struck by the tree butt as it kicked up, causing fatal internal injuries. Ă&#x201A; A three-year-old child playing in the farmyard was killed when run over by a reversing telehandler driven by his father. His father was distributing chopped silage in the sheds then reversed into the yard over the child, causing head injuries.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

LIVESTOCK 11

Farmer Know-how +RZ WR 'LYLGH VKHHS SDGGRFNV

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Rotational grazing and dividing larger ﬁelds temporarily to smaller paddocks is the best way to manage grass on sheep farms writes Peter Varley

One of the most important aspects to consider when setting up a paddock grazing system is power for the electric fence. An electric fencer works by converting electricity into a high-voltage pulse. This pulse is connected to an insulated wire. If an animal touches the wire, the pulse will run through the animal and into the ground. All electric current wants to get back to source. Therefore, power on the fence wire needs to JHW EDFN WR WKH IHQFHU YLD WKH HDUWK oHOG $ fencer works best when it is well earthed to damp ground via the ground rods.

7R GLYLGH D oHOG WKH PDLQ RSWLRQV IRU VKHHS IDUPHUV DUH HOHFWULF sheep netting; temporary electric fence using plastic or pigtail posts and three strands of polywire with timber posts at either end; or with units such as the Gallagher smart fence. Ger Lynch sells the Gallagher smart fence to sheep farmers interested in VWULS JUD]LQJ ODUJHU oHOGV WR XWLOLVH JUDVV HIoFLHQWO\ DQG UHGXFH waste. He says the fence consists of three-strand polywire and one turbo-wire on a 10-insulated post system. The top wire is 90cm or 35in high and comes complete on a 100m reel system to allow quick erection/removal.

Water supply can be one of the biggest barriers to paddock or strip grazing. Ideally every paddock should have a permanent water supply. Keeping water troughs in the centre of the paddock allows for further splitting up with temporary fencing. Alternatively, many farmers transport water troughs to the different grazing areas by leaving connections available to tap into an over-ground water pipe. The fence can be tied at either side RI WKH WURXJK VHH SLFWXUH GHSHQGLQJ RQ WKH VLGH WKH pRFN DUH grazing without having to make any major changes to the setup.

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You should choose a fencer with a higher output joule rating than you actually require. That way, in future, it will be able to cope better with wet vegetation pressure and have the horsepower to drive voltage larger distances. $ oYH RXWSXW joule fencer would fence between 60 and 70 acres.

t is a well-known fact now that grass is the cheapest available feed for livestock on Irish farms. Unfortunately, it is not being utilised properly to get maximum beneﬁt on a lot of farms. The best way to utilise grass is to set up a rotational grazing system. Many farmers who set stock (where animals graze one area for a long period) say in periods of high growth, grass becomes too strong and is impossible to control unless stocking rates are increased. By dividing up bigger ﬁelds into smaller paddocks or blocks you have far more control of grass growth. When grass growth is very strong some paddocks can be skipped and baled for silage.

3RVLWLYHV RI URWDWLRQDO JUD]LQJ Â Grazing management control. Â Higher grass production. Â Ensures high utilisation. Â Improves grass quality. Â Greater utilisation in wet weather. Â Control of grass budgeting.

1HJDWLYHV ZKHQ URWDWLRQDO V\VWHP LV QRW LQ SODFH Â Lack of control. Â Lower grass production. Â Poor utilisation. Â Lower grass quality. Â Poor access.

WATCH ONLINE Ger says the Gallagher fencing system he uses makes strip grazing sheep easier because all the components are combined in one unit. Once WKH oUVW SRVW LV o[HG DW RQH ERXQGary he starts reversing and puts down a post every 11m or so. If the ground is hilly, the posts can be adjusted to suit the terrain and reduce the chances of sheep getting under the wire. When he reaches the 100m limit, the last post is placed in the

ground and stay wires can be erected to increase the stability of the fence. The reel can then be tightened. As mentioned earlier, farmers also have the option of using electric netting, which comes in 50m lengths and has 14 insulated posts. Some farmers divide paddocks by using pigtail posts with timber posts at both ends and strands of poly wire, DSSUR[LPDWHO\ SRVWV SHU P FDQ be used in this scenario.

watch the video on farmersjournal.tv

6WULS JUD]LQJ Movable electric fence

Water (movable) Once the fence and water supply are up and running, it is down to the farmer to manage the grass. In midsummer, the pre-grazing yield (the amount of grass in a paddock before stock are allowed to graze) should be 1,300kg DM/ha to 1,600kg DM/ha (8-10cm). The paddocks should be grazed out to 4cm if quality allows because this will HQFRXUDJH H[FHOOHQW TXDOLW\ UHJURZWK LQ WKH QH[W URWDWLRQ If the cover of grass is too strong in a paddock this should be cut and baled for silage quickly. The key focus should EH WR RIIHU KLJK TXDOLW\ OHDI\ PDWHULDO WR WKH pRFN DV RIWHQ DV SRVVLEOH ZLWKRXW RIIHULQJ H[FHVVLYH DPRXQWV RI JUDVV

Back fence (movable) Recovery and regrowth Diagram of rotational grazing system for sheep showing recovery and regrowth.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday Saturday24 29 22June July 2017

12 LIVESTOCK

There is two ﬁelds side by side on the home farm; one got lime and is a lovely deep green while the one beside it didn’t get lime and looks a sickly yellow

Investing in the future There’s always a job to do on the farm, even during the ‘quiet’ summer period. Declan Marren reports from the Duﬀus farm in Tomintoul

ndrew Duffus, with his wife Debbie and three sons Sam, Ben and Max, farms just outside Tomintoul in the Cairngorm national park. They run 94 cows split between spring and autumn calving. Cows are mated to Charolais for store cattle, Simmental for breeding replacements and a Limousin for heifers. Young stock are all sold store between 12 and 15 months old. The sheep enterprise consists of 640 ewes in total, 400 of which are the hill flock of Blackface ewes that produce mules for the 240 in-bye flock. The mules are then mated to Texel tups, with some lambs sold fat and the rest store. Andrew Duffus No matter how good a spell of weather has been, we could always do with that little bit more. We had the bulk of the silage in last week, but with just 10 acres or so to go late Wednesday night, the storm that had been sweeping up the country reached us in the early hours of Thursday morning. It was too wet to pick it up on Thursday, but we got back to it again Saturday afternoon. Overall, it went very well. Conditions had been nearly perfect. Over 72 acres of the 82 in total was mowed and picked without a drop of rain. I was really pleased with the crops; they were as good as I have seen here in a lot of years. It should be decent quality too, as the ewes lambed in these parks and they were only shut off for silage in mid-May. I think the lime we spread early in the year has helped. There are two fields side by side on the home farm; one got lime and is a lovely deep green while the one beside it didn’t get lime and looks a sickly yellow. We will need to spread more in the autumn on the ground that hasn’t had any yet. We had already made just short of 300 bales off 30 acres on the outfarm at Glenconglas on 18 June. This was a lot earlier than we would usually make silage on the farm. However, with all the young stock wintered on the outfarm, we’re hoping that better-quality silage will help reduce the amount of barley needed over the winter. Three weeks ago, we weaned all the autumn calves. Other years we might have left them a little longer, but we were starting to get a bit tight for grass. Since that though, grass growth has kicked on again and we’ve a bank of grass built up ahead of us. The cows were put to the hill to dry off

and hopefully lose a little bit of condition as they are really fit this year. There are 47 autumn cows that will start calving from mid-September onwards. It should be a fairly compact calving, as we have been working on tightening the calving spread over the last few years. The majority will calve in nine weeks. Prior to the silage, we had started clipping some ewes. We started with the hoggs; there was 140 of them. It’s a family affair; Max, Sam and I were clipping and dad was rolling and bagging the wool. They were well ready for clipping. The rise was on the fleece. We need to get back to the rest now in the coming days. We usually do around 150 or so a day. The most time-consuming part of the job is rounding them up off the hill. We clipped the 140 in about four hours on the last day. While this is supposed to be the quiet time on the farm, there is still no shortage of work. We spent a few days spreading pot ale on all the silage ground to get the grass growing again. The plan is to wean the lambs on to the after grass

7KH oUVW RI WKH KLOO KHLIHUV WR DUULYH RQ WKH IDUP

once it’s ready for grazing. One of the things that came up in our farm review and farm plan with Declan and Robert was the need to lift output on the farm. We need to spread our costs over more kilos of output sold every year.

To address this, we have decided to create a small hill cow herd. The first five heifers came home a couple of week ago. They are Highland-cross Shorthorn heifers just over a year old. They will be fit for bulling next summer.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 24 July 22 June2017 2017

LIVESTOCK 13

today at Tomintoul

Sam, Max and Andy shearing.

While it will be a couple of years before these ladies start paying their way, they are coming home at decent money and the cost of keeping them will be next to nothing, as they will be on the hill most of the year. They will actually improve the hill for the ewes by breaking up some of the old grass. We’re undecided just yet as to what bull to put with them. Ideally, any heifer calves would come in as replacements for the main herd, giving us a constant supply of mid-sized functional cows. That was something that stood out to me when we weighed all the autumn cows and calves going to grass. There was a difference of 216kg between the lightest and heaviest cow. However, the heavier cows didn’t have the heaviest calves. When we looked at the figures, the bigger cows’ calves were on average 24kg lighter than the smaller cows’ calves. So the heavier cows are eating more to produce less. When you take the cost of the extra feed to keep the heavier cow, plus the loss in potential kilos of their calves, there was a difference of £150/cow between the two groups.

47 Cattle in both spring and autumn herds

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Set a date to pull the bull For spring herds calving from mid-February, bulls will now be with the cows for close to 11 weeks. In order to keep a tight calving spread, bulls should be removed in the next week to 10 days. The same goes for those that are later calving. Count up the number of weeks breeding already completed and mark the date in the calendar to remove the bulls. Even with a 12-week calving spread, there will be 84 days before the first and last born calves. At this age, an average daily gain of 1.3kg/day should be attainable. This equates to a liveweight difference of 109kg between first and last born calves. Valued at £2.35/kg, that’s a difference of £257 between the two. Often the excuse is that there is nowhere to put the bull away from the cows. Plan ahead and get something sorted over the next week. A well-fenced paddock, a field away from cows and heifers on an outfarm or perhaps housing is the best option. If the bull is to be culled, take advantage of the current beef price and get him sold.

The Duffus family at Tomintoul harvesting silage. The Duffus family

Scottish Rural Development Programme

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

14 NEWS

NFU Scotland news

Great day at New Deer Show with vice-president Gary Mitchell joining members to brief Councillors and local politicians on NFU Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Brexit discussion document.

The sun is rising on another harvest year for Scottish growers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this shot from Balgay Farm at Inchture. Send in your harvest pics to media@nfus.org.uk

On a tour of innovative food producers in Ayrshire, Policy Manager Lindsey Macdonald met Alex Paton of We Hae Meat in Girvan from We Hae Meat, farmers and meat processors who have reduced their carbon footprint from 371 tonnes per year to just 39 tonnes.

NFU Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new brollies came in handy for President Andrew McCornick at Caithness Show â&#x20AC;&#x201C; saved him from having to jump on the society bus!

Lynx release more complex than campaigners let on NFU Scotland will robustly represent its membership in rebuďŹ&#x192;ng plans to introduce lynx to the Kielder forest in the Borders. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The past few years have seen a long line of brazen and presumptuous claims about the imminent reintroduction of lynx,â&#x20AC;? NFU Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Andrew Bauer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a far more complex matter than those pressing for the release of lynx would have anyone believe. On the for-

Free advice

NFUS activities

est edge, there will be predation of sheep and no amount of warm words and reassurances will convince any farmer or crofter otherwise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;While this application for reintroduction to Kielder has apparently been lodged with Natural England, it clearly has implications for Scotland. Given the crossborder location of the forest, it would be a major failure on the part of the applicants if Scottish Natural Heritage were

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not included in the application. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Were that to happen, I can categorically reassure our members that the process for securing permission for the trial release of lynx is long and complex and any application will be subject to considerable analysis and debate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have used various meetings with stakeholders, oďŹ&#x192;cials and politicians to express our grave concerns, not only about the implications of the proposed

Outside of a small group of enthusiasts, there is little support for the current proposals

reintroduction for livestock keepers, but also the tenor of the public debate. In our opinion, no local consensus nor political consensus has been secured. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I ďŹ rmly believe that, outside of a small group of enthusiasts, there is little support for the current proposals. NFUS, as a member of the Scottish National Species Reintroduction Forum, will take all necessary steps to ensure their interests are protected.â&#x20AC;?

BES deadline extended

Seeking help

Good news from Brussels

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

FOCUS

Marts in Scotland

FOCUS 15

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

16 FOCUS

On your marts, get stores, go

With store sales just around the corner, we bring you all the details you need to know: from the dates of upcoming sales, to our ﬁnishing guide, writes John Sleigh

e are fast approaching peak store selling season, with the Lairg and Portree sales only a few weeks away. Marts are the focus point for the Scottish livestock industry. With their network of auctioneers and busy market days, it is easy to see why they fill such a unique place. But their role is changing all the time, as they adapt to customer needs. Electronic tags and increased information at sales are just two examples of changes already happening. The auction system is always stuck between buyers and sellers trying to ensure everyone gets a fair price. They are also under pressure from retailers and processors who are trying to reduce the number of times an animal goes through the ring. Many abattoirs have limits on the number of times an animal can go through a mart. While the maximum number of moves at the moment may allow most businesses to remain unaffected, it is possible that retailers could drive the maximum number of moves down. This would have a disastrous effect on our marts and the farmers rearing livestock in our most challenging and vulnerable areas. Secondly, you can see the effect of direct marketing of livestock to abattoirs. Since 2011, the average number of cattle in the prime ring has fallen to under 400/ week for the first half of 2017. This is a dramatic fall from an already small number, when you think we kill around 8,000 clean cattle a week. Cull cows have seen a similar fall, tumbling to around 600/week. Just compare

that with the same period for 2016, it is still a fall of almost 100 cull cows/week through the ring. This shows that farmers are sending more cull cows straight to the abattoir. If this decline continues, the marketplace transparency found in the ring will be mourned. The store market has remained far more buoyant of late, with strong prices being passed down the food chain. Finishers are competing in a transparent open market and setting the price for everyone to see. They may complain about the price of stores, but the majority also accept that upland and hill farmers need all the cash to cover costs. As you can see from the graphs below, the numbers have

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face and Texel. Traditional breeds like Blackface and Cheviot have even grown in numbers through the store ring since 2010. Part of this could be down to farmers opting to sell stores, rather than ﬁnish. The heart of the marts is still their breeding sales, which remain strongly supported. Farmers want to see potential breeding stock from a number of farms to make a fair judgment, plus guaranteeing payment for buyers and sellers is a key attraction. Scotland has a reputation for some of the best breeding sales. You can travel far from Scotland and still hear about quality bull sales, and particularly the impressive Kelso tup sales.

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017 6DWXUGD\ -XO\

FOCUS 17

Marts in Scotland

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Thainstone

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IRISH FARMERS FARMERS JOURNAL JOURNAL Saturday Saturday 29 29 July July 2017 2017

18 FOCUS

Top tips for ямБnishing Declan Marren explains the top 10 guidelines to follow when ямБnishing cattle

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FARMERS JOURNAL IRISH FARMERS JOURNAL 6DWXUGD\ -XO\ Saturday 29 July 2017

cattle

FOCUS 19

Measure performance

A weighing scales is a must for any VXFFHVVIXO oQLVKLQJ HQWHUSULVH ,W LV the only accurate way to measure performance. Liveweight gain will EH WKH oUVW WKLQJ WR VXIIHU LI WKHUH is something wrong with animals. 7KHUHIRUH PRQWKO\ ZHLJKWV ZLOO KHOS identify any problems that may otherwise go unnoticed. If the whole group is not performing as they should then there may be a problem with the diet or housing. If it is an individual animal that has not performed as expected it may be a health issue with that particular beast.

Diet decisions

Often given the more thought and time than all the other factors put together. ,Q UHDOLW\ ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR oQLVKLQJ GLets the simpler the better. Grass silage can make up the bulk in the majority RI oQLVKLQJ V\VWHPV 7KH KLJKHU TXDOity it is, the less concentrate will be UHTXLUHG (QHUJ\ LV WKH NH\ FRPSRQHQW LQ oQLVKLQJ GLHWV GHSHQGLQJ RQ ZKDW LV available to you. Barley or wheat will be the most common source here. Keep an eye on protein levels if animals are IXUWKHU DZD\ IURP oQLVK ZLWK OHYHOV RI DURXQG UHTXLUHG IRU D JURZLQJ GLHW 7KLV FDQ EH GURSSHG EDFN WR q GHSHQGLQJ RQ WKH V\VWHP IRU WKH oQDO q GD\V SUH VODXJKWHU 7KH FKDQJHRYHU RI WKH GLHW IURP completely forage to more concentrate based should be controlled and done over a period of time. Introducing high levels of concentrate feeding too TXLFNO\ FDQ FDXVH D VXGGHQ GURS LQ S+ in the rumen and lead to problems such as laminitis and liver abscesses which can have huge detrimental effects on animal performance. Introduce concentrate feed at no higher than 3kg/head/ day. Build up at a rate of 1kg every third day. Once you are feeding over 5kg, split the feed to twice a day. At very high levels of concentrate feeding, IRUDJH TXDOLW\ EHFRPHV OHVV RI DQ LVVXH DQG LV PRUH RI D oEUH VRXUFH WR FRQWURO passage rate in the animal.

Draft often

Linked to point six, weighing will come into play here. Know your carcass VSHFLoFDWLRQ DQG ZHLJKW OLPLWV 2QFH DQ DQLPDO LV VXIoFLHQWO\ pHVKHG DQG FRPing to the correct weight they should be drafted from the pen. Do not kill on a pen basis. While animals should be penned at the start of the process in as tight a weight group as possible, there will still be some variation between DQLPDOV ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR EHLQJ oW IRU slaughter.

9 Water

It may seem like an obvious point but the importance of clean fresh water in D oQLVKLQJ KRXVH FDQQRW EH RYHUVWDWHG :LWK KLJK FRQFHQWUDWH IHHGLQJ FRPHV higher dry matter diets. Animal intake will be affected if clean water is not DYDLODEOH DW DOO WLPHV +RZ FOHDQ" ,W VKRXOG EH DV FOHDQ DV \RX ZRXOG OLNH D JODVV of water to be for yourself. Drinkers need to be checked and cleaned out daily. Dung and straw are the two main things here to keep out. A well-placed bar around the drinker will stop animals from defecating into the bowl while the straw bedder operator needs to perfect their aim when bedding. Water pressure is another issue. Animals should not be waiting for long periods to get HQRXJK ZDWHU DV WKH\ ZLOO JHW LPSDWLHQW DQG ZDON DZD\ 7KLV LV ZK\ QRVH ERZOV RU QLSSOH GULQNHUV DUH QRW LGHDO LQ WKH oQLVKLQJ XQLW

Review the whole process

When the last load leaves the yard the work is not complete. Sit down and review the whole process. What went right? What went wrong? What type of animal worked well? What can we do better next time? Did they perform as well as we expected? Did ZH KLW FDUFDVV VSHFLoFDWLRQV FRQsistently? Were out kill-out percentages what we expected? Did we use more feed than budgeted for? $VNLQJ WKHVH TXHVWLRQV ZLOO KHOS make decisions in the future. Whether to stick with the current system or identify any tweaks needed.

Auction factor Apprentice auctioneer at Thainstone Rory Livesey speaks to Odile Evans about his views on trade at the moment, changes in Scottish farming and starring in the recent BBC documentary The Mart

ailing from a sheep and cattle farm in the borders, 28-year-old auctioneer Rory Livesey has always been attracted to the buzz around

a sale ring. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always liked working with livestock and wanted to work in a market because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great buzz selling livestock, going out on the farms to see the stock and building up a relationship with the farmers,â&#x20AC;? he told Farmers Journal Scotland. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are many auctioneers a lot younger than me, as I was slightly late starting my auctioneering career, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been based at Thainstone for three years now.â&#x20AC;? His most recent claim to fame was the BBC series The Mart. The documentary followed the auctioneers at Thainstone, including Liveseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s training as an apprentice auctioneer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the series was actually a really good thing for us, raising the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proďŹ le and showing the general public what we do here every day. It was great working with everyone at the BBC and it showed just how important a livestock market is to the whole farming industry.â&#x20AC;? When the Farmers Journal Scotland visited Aberdeen & Northern Marts at Thainstone on 14 July, Livesey had just ďŹ nished up after another busy sale. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fat trade is really good just now, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sitting at just over ÂŁ3.80 deadweight,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fat cattle in the ring, such as good heifers, are making over ÂŁ2.40/kg. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a store cattle sale today, which saw a really strong trade, especially big strong cattle that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too far away from ďŹ nishing.â&#x20AC;? Similarly, the weak pound is helping the lamb trade, but prices are starting to fall.

Customer is king No diďŹ&#x20AC;erent to any other business, keeping the customers happy is a key skill in auctioneering. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our team of auctioneers provides a valued marketing service to ensure that our membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; livestock achieves true value at auction,â&#x20AC;? Livesey said. The talk around a sale ring and the number of stock going through it is often the ďŹ rst indication of changes in farming. Farmers Journal Scotland revealed last week that the number of farmers over the age of 65 years has increased to a third, while the proportion of people under 40 that occupy farm holdings has dropped, a trend that hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t gone unnoticed at marts.

IRISH FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

20 FOCUS

Beaton heart of store sales in Lanark Primrose Beaton speaks to Odile Evans about her plan to make Lanark the premier destination for buyers and sellers, as well as her successful career as a female in a mainly male-dominated industry

uctioneer Primrose Beaton was headhunted to become the head of store cattle with Lawrie and Symington in Lanark this year. Having been in the cattle business for 31 years, she has witnessed many changes in the industry. More signiﬁcantly, Beaton has been instrumental in changing the culture around women in agriculture, which up until now has prevented them from taking on leading roles in the industry. “I don’t see myself as a girl in a man’s world I’m just good at my job,” she said. “Ambition and drive will always shine through no matter what your gender.” With the BBC pay gap between males and females hitting headlines in recent weeks, the importance of having more women in leading public roles cannot be underestimated. “Taking on a girl was a bold move for Lawrie and Symington. But if Carolyn McCall can take on ITV, then I can take on the challenge of becoming the best cattle auctioneer in the country.” Quick results Beaton’s vision is to make Lanark Mart the premier sale ring in the country. Having only taken on her new role there in March, Beaton says she has managed to increase the number of cattle going through the ring already. “We sit in the heart of livestock country, but cattle used to bypass this mart to be sold in other places. But I’ve got huge plans to turn that around. My plan is to build up a strong group of staﬀ behind me that have a good work ethic and are willing to go out and build up relationships with our farmers and customers.” That relationship is an important part of the business. Lawrie and Symington are celebrating 150 years of business this year, but Beaton is very clear that it will adapt and change with agriculture to stay there for the next 150 years. “We do quite a bit of farm-to-farm sales, but when trade is good nothing beats the live ring,” she said. “For a farmer it is all about the stock and knowing its value.” But the question is: are farmers in-

Primrose Beaton.

When I started out in marts, just 17 years of age, a man took me aside one day and told me that I’d never be an auctioneer because I’m a girl.

timidated by having a female auctioneer? “If you present yourself as knowledgeable and confident, then men will treat you no different to anyone else. When I worked for United Auctions my gender held me back, but years of honing my skills has made me more strong-willed.” Beaton gets her love of stock from her upbringing on a dairy farm in Lanarkshire. She started working in marts on a group apprenticeship scheme with United Auctions in 1986. One of four apprentices, she was kept on after the scheme ended. While she had originally intended to go dairy farming, she now lives with her husband and two young children on the farm where she grew up but doesn’t keep any of her own stock. “You can be a jack of all trades and master of none. If you want to be a good auctioneer then you should be doing long hours and there’s no time for farming.” With a husband in auctioneering, who worked for the opposition for a number of years, the day job doesn’t come in to life at home. “We just draw a line under it and don’t discuss work at home. It’s fairly easy to do when you have a three- and a six-yearold anyway.” Trade The fat trade, weaker pound and lower cow numbers are helping to keep store prices up at the moment, Beaton said. “When I started there was a big focus on continental animals, now buyers are looking for native breeds like Aberdeen Angus. They’re finished quicker and require less money for concentrates. Plus the factory limit on weights has come in to play.

Primrose Beaton’s career in numbers

The number of years Primrose Beaton has spent in the auctioneering industry.

1986

The year Beaton began working as an auctioneering apprentice with United Auctions.

The number of apprentices United Auctions trained during Beaton’s term.

Only one of the four apprentice was lucky enough to be hired by United Auctions once the term was over. Fortunately for Primrose Beaton, they chose to hire her.

“Aberdeen Angus has sold itself well and become a success story, it’s a real buyers favourite.” However, the fall in cow numbers, coupled with the possibility of having no farm support payments in the future could see a significant change in the future, according to Beaton. “Farmers are getting older and without a subsidy they’ll be less likely to keep stock. Cow numbers could drop significantly,” she said. “Just recently I drove out of a town in Ayrshire and a hill that was well stocked 20 years ago now has nothing on it and it’s just all overgrown. It looks awful. If the hills are filled with stock again they’d look great. “Each generation is just a custodian of the land. We should pass it on to the next generation better than how we found it. A well-farmed farm is a good farm.” A big part of Beaton’s career in the past year has been her participation in a rural leadership course. Run over six months, the course visited the parliament in Brussels as well as learning business development skills. It was one of those life-changing things that spur you on to achieve more, she says. But determination and a drive to succeed in spite of adversity seem to spur her on more than anything else. “When I started out in the marts, just 17 years of age, a man took me aside one day and told me that I’d never be an auctioneer because I’m a girl. But here I am.” Auctioneer’s pick The inaugral special sale of autumn calves and stores will take place on Tuesday 18 September at 10.30am

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

LIVESTOCK 21

Dairylink Ireland

([SDQVLRQ SODQV DV FRQo GHQFH JURZV Conail Keown speaks to some of the Dairylink farmers about their expansion plans

n many of the Dairylink project farms, herd expansion is an option to increase farm output and ultimately farm profit. There is renewed interest in expansion as stable

milk prices so far this year have built conďŹ dence on these farms. However, strategic planning for such expansion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; large or small â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is critical to fully capitalise on the increased output. I spoke to some of the project farmers on the rationale for expansion on their farms, and what management issues they consider important as they are actively increasing the herd. An increase in herd size automatically

increases pressure on all resources including land, labour and existing facilities. A detailed plan is needed highlighting how the farm will cope with more cows in terms of additional land and forage requirements, more replacement stock and calves on farm, additional slurry storage capacity, and a greater labour requirement. If these areas are not well planned be-

Bill Brown

I have started to dry cows off this month, with 161 cows due to calve from September to January 2018. There is a group of 30 replacement heifers due in September and October, with a further 22 Jersey cross heifers due in February 2018. The Jersey cross heifers were purchased 12 months ago to help improve milk components within the herd. The investment in to the grazing block includes new roadways, water GULQNHUV DQG D VLJQLo FDQW SXVK WR LP prove soil fertility. Coupled with better grazing management, this has resulted in more grass available on the farm. Effectively I can carry more cows on the grazing block, allowing me to capitalise on the investment. Silage stocks are good and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an excellent year for grass, with the grazing platform growing 0.3tDM/ha ahead of last year. Outlying land has also performed better, with new reseeds increasing production. Improved grazing management has also pushed butterfat and protein for the herd with an additional 0.15% protein and the Jersey heifers will increase this further next year. The improved performance from the grass has allowed me to consider more cows. I have earmarked 15 cows which can be sold and culled, cows which are falling RXW RI WKH FDOYLQJ SURo OH From a nitrates viewpoint, I could carry an additional 25/30 cows which would take the total organic nitrogen loading to 230kg/ha. Factoring in the additional cows, my overall stock-

ing rate would be 2.5LU/ha. This will include the 50 zero- to one-year heifers and a further 50 one- to two-year group. We used 356 AI straws during the last breeding season, which works out at 1.8 straws/head. A stock bull was used for late cows. An AI technician is used for all AI breeding in cows and heifers, which works well. Sires used include Mastro, Wizard, Cheesemaker, Lucky whistler, and Stevie. If I can source the additional stock the herd could expand to 195 cows

Kevin McGrade, Dromore, Co Tyrone

Nigel Corbett and family, Banbridge, Co Down

Robin Clements, Trillick, Co Tyrone

Bill Brown, Millisle, Co Down

Charles Clarke, Bailieborough, Co Cavan

IRISH

Supported by

FARMERS JOURNAL farmersjournal.ie

beginning. Over the six-year period, the herd has grown from 80 cows to 165 today. The growth has come from replacement and purchased stock. Building replacement numbers takes WLPH ZLWK WKLV \HDU WKH o UVW ZH KDYH JRW VLJQLo FDQW QXPEHUV RQ WKH JURXQG We have 56 zero- to one-year heifers due to be bred this December and will come into production September 2018. However, there is a shortfall in replacement stock between now and then, with only 24 heifers coming into the herd this autumn only just covering culls. With the facilities I have, the farm could milk 180 cows. Recent stock purchases increase numbers by seven, with another 13 needed. We have reseeded 70 acres this year, which has effectively taken this land out of production for 2.5 months. +RZHYHU , DP FRQo GHQW WKH LP proved production from the reseeds will compensate for the lost grazing during the reseed. Stocking rate is the key limiting factor on this farm, followed by sourcing stock which fall into the autumn calving SURo OH RQ WKH IDUP We have nearly 80% of the new farm now reseeded, with a real push this year to increase soil fertility on both the home farm and the new farm. I am VWDUWLQJ WR VHH WKH EHQHo WV RI WKLV ZRUN with improved production and higherquality grass. The grazing management has improved with the herd now in the seventh rotation on the grazing block. 7KLV LV JLYLQJ PH WKH FRQo GHQFH WR grow the herd.

which would increase milk output by 11%. I would have an increase in variable cost in terms of veterinary and concentrate. However, overhead cost would remain unchanged with the additional cows purchased either through FDVKp RZ RU WKH FRVW VSUHDG RYHU D o YH year period.

Robin Clements

I switched from suckler beef farming into dairy farming six years ago. The original 80 suckler cows changed into black and white dairy stock at the

Weekly grass and milk production statistics from participating farms Week ending 22/7/17 Average farm cover (kgDM/ha) Growth rate (kgDM ha/day) Stocking rate LU/ha Days at grass this week

C Clarke R Clements 713

K McGrade N Corbett 1050

B Brown

D Brady

1096

596

453

707

3.79

3.26

3.4

2.33

100

3.6

Spring

Autumn

Autumn 80% autumn 80% autumn

Spring

15.5

Fat %

4.22

4.46

5.06

Protein %

3.34

3.7

4.1

Milk Solids (kg/cow/day)

1.56

1.60

1.46

1.71

% of herd milking Average concentrate fed (kg/cow/day) Calving system

David Brady, Tierlahood, Stradone, Co Cavan

fore expansion, the beneďŹ t of more cows on any farm can be counterproductive and ultimately lead to lower returns. Dairylink farmers have focused on improving existing herd performance before considering the option of expansion. All the farms are now three years in the project and as you will read below, much of the expansion is from improved performance from the existing mix of resources available on farm.

Milk Yield (l/cow/day)

22.5

21.0

4.01

3.95

3.68

3.35

3.44

3.47

1.60

1.69

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

22 LIVESTOCK Brian Doran’s spring 2017-born calves, from predominantly o UVW DQG VHFRQG FURVV FRZV BOX: Brian Doran’s stock bull by Haltcliffe Dancer is very VWURQJ WHUPLQDOO\

VIDEO ONLINE

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1HZ PHDVXUH IRU suckler success

Ciarán Lenehan spent time with Wicklow farmer Brian Doran, who has established a successful milky cow herd

rian Doran is flying the flag for Wicklow in phase three of the BETTER Farm beef programme. He farms 48 hectares near Carnew, in conjunction with his father, Pat. Brian’s wife, Deirdre, works in nursing and they have two children, Leah and Faye. The farm is split into three free-draining blocks of land. Brian currently operates a suckler-tobeef system, slaughtering bullocks at 24 months of age and heifers slightly younger, at 20 months of age. Forty five cows

Getting the genetic cocktail right on paper is all well and good, but is Brian’s mix of a milky cow and a terminal bull physically delivering on the ground? calved down this year in the springtime and Brian’s plan is to push up to 50 suckler cows during the programme. Though he has the land to carry more, the fact that he mans the suckler side of the business largely on his own, and with the fragmented nature of the farm, Brian feels that 50 is a comfortable number for him. The cows The right raw materials are crucial for any business. Brian is blessed with land that has the potential to carry a long grazing season and an enviable cow herd to boot. There is quite a strong dairy influence in the herd, with the vast majority of Brian’s cows being either first cross or second cross from the dairy herd. At Tullamore Farm’s open day this week, ICBF speakers talked of the importance of looking within the overall replacement when making breeding decisions – “for serious cattle breeders, stars alone shouldn’t be the focus any more”. Brian’s cow herd is a good example of this. At £78 overall, he is just the wrong side of the five-star maternal index threshold. But, within this, his herd is +7.5kg for milk production (national average 4.99kg) and -1.09 days for calving interval (national average -1.14). Brian’s suck-

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ler herd carcase weight index value (which predicts the cow’s genetic influence on progeny weight-for-age) is low, at 7kg (national average 9kg). To balance this out we look to our sire. In recent years, the problem with the national suckler herd has been the heavy terminal influence in its genetic base – commercial cows bred for rosette winning, not calf rearing. This lead to the introduction of the BDGP and the drive towards the replacement index. Beef injection Brian has the complete opposite problem to fix, in that he needs a beef injection coming from his sire to counteract the dairy genetics in his cow. The bull currently working his herd is a classy Limousin, with excellent pedigree. Sired by Haltcliffe Dancer, his dam’s genetics stem from both the infamous Imperial and the Ardlea herd. He holds five stars on the terminal index and is exceptionally strong for both carcase weight (38kg – five stars) and carcase conformation (2.62 – five stars). Visually, the bull has exceptional depth and consistent muscularity from the neck right back to the hind quarter. While weak from a maternal point of view (two star, negative milk, positive calving interval), Brian has these traits in spades in the cow herd. For me, this bull complements things excellently. So as to prevent a dilution effect on these traits, only a small number of the bull’s daughters are being kept, with Brian looking to source first-cross black Limousin replacement heifers from surrounding dairy farms, where possible. Getting the genetic cocktail right on paper is all well and good, but is Brian’s mix of a milky cow and a terminal bull physically delivering on the ground? Is

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he getting calves with visual quality and high pre-weaning growth rates? At the time of writing, Brian’s last calf weight was taken on the first week in June. At this point, his calves were, on average, 103 days of age and had achieved an average daily gain of 1.27kg (range 0.83 to 1.97kg) from birth, to weigh 169kg. As the images of Brian’s calves suggest, the dairy influence in his cow herd is having minimal eﬀect on quality.

Since the commencement of the programme, I have been very impressed with Brian’s attitude and willingness to make the necessary FKDQJHV WR LPSURYH HIo FLHQF\ RQ his farm. Brian, along with his local B&T adviser Eoin Woulfe, have put in a lot of work to get Brian where he is today. With Brian’s good-quality land and his keen eye for stock, it’s only a matter of him driving it on so his farm can reach its maximum potential. - Tommy Cox

:HDQLQJ HIo FLHQF\ One aspect of suckling that we will look to work on in the BETTER Farm beef programme is cow weaning eﬃciency. The overwhelming majority of the feed that a suckler cow eats goes towards her own maintenance, and the energy requirement for maintenance increases in tow with liveweight. In many of the big beef-producing nations around the world, feed is scarce. Farmers in these countries have bred handier cows (575625kg) with lower feed requirements, which still produce weighty calves.

In association with

44%

Weaning efficiency is now an important measure when it comes to culling decisions, with a target of 50% set – that is, a cow should be weaning 50% of her body weight. From an Irish point of view, we need informed discussion on two aspects of this figure before we can apply it across the board. The figure used in the UK and North America is ‘200-day calf weight’, yet we typically wean calves much older (and still struggle to reach the 50% figure as a whole). So where do we draw the line? Also, where do we stick the pin in cow weight – given its dynamic nature – when she has her work clothes on in mid-lactation or has fleshed up at weaning? At 103 days, Brian’s cows weighed 677kg (ranging from 556kg to 876kg). If we assume that his calves remain growing linearly at the same rate – there is no reason why they shouldn’t – to 200 days and take this cow weight, Brian will achieve a weaning efficiency of 44% (295kg) in mid-September.

Spring Suckler/store to steer and heifer beef

48ha £443/ha Free-draining/ clay

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

LIVESTOCK 23

BETTER FARM BEEF CHALLENGE NI

Do your sums for winter fodder stocks Completing a fodder budget now will give you more options for winter feeding

eather conditions have been generally good for making silage this year and it should hopefully lead to increased feed quality when compared with last year. Along with improved animal performance, another advantage of good-quality silage is that it generally takes less of it to meet the nutritional demand of cattle when compared with average or poor-quality silage. There is also less waste or rejected forage, unlike silage that was cut when grass was at a much more mature stage and

Ă Week in review Ă&#x201A; More farms have taken the opportunity to harvest second-cut silage this week. Ă&#x201A; :HDWKHU FRQGLWLRQV KDYH EHHQ LGHDO allowing for a 24- to 48-hour wilt on some farms. Ă&#x201A; %UHHGLQJ DFWLYLW\ LV QRZ o QLVKHG IRU D QXPEHU RI VSULQJ FDOYLQJ KHUGV Ă&#x201A; Grazing days ahead have increased after warm weather last week.

contains mostly stem. While getting sufficient quantity of silage made is important, it should not be done at the expense of quality. Delaying cutting date by one to two weeks in an eďŹ&#x20AC;ort to increase yield will only serve to delay regrowth, possibly leaving you short for grass next month, as grass growth will be falling as day length starts to shorten. Budget Now is a good time to complete a quick silage budget to see how much forage you have in store and how much you will

need this winter. A simple forage calculator can be accessed online at www. farmersjournal.ie/toolbox/fodder.php. The earlier you complete a fodder budget, the more options you have to address a potential shortage. For instance, you still have time to close oďŹ&#x20AC; ground for a small third cut of silage, scan and cull out empty cows before housing, ďŹ nish cattle as bulls instead of steers or sell some cattle as stores rather than housing for finishing. Planning ahead and taking early action is much better than having to buy in fodder next spring.

Farmer Focus: Alastair McNeilly, Muckamore, Co Antrim 6WRFN EXOOV KDYH EHHQ UXQQLQJ ZLWK cows and replacement heifers for seven ZHHNV QRZ $IWHU D EXV\ VWDUW WKHUH KDV EHHQ D QRWLFHDEOH OXOO LQ EXOOLQJ DFWLYLW\ ZKLFK , DP KRSLQJ WR EH D JRRG sign of cows settled in calf. There are 65 cows running in two JURXSV RQH ZLWK D /LPRXVLQ EXOO DQG WKH RWKHU ZLWK DQ $QJXV EXOO %RWK VWRFN EXOOV KDYH EHHQ XVHG EHIRUH DQG EUHHG JRRG TXDOLW\ FDOYHV Along with the cows, I have 26 maiden heifers running with a new $QJXV VWRFN EXOO $OO EDU VL[ RI WKHVH DUH KRPHEUHG They weighed 380kg to 400kg OLYHZHLJKW DW WKH VWDUW RI WKH EUHHGLQJ period. My plan is to scan the heifers in just over one weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time. +HLIHUV ZLOO KDYH EHHQ ZLWK WKH EXOO QLQH ZHHNV E\ WKLV VWDJH VR LW ZLOO EH interesting to see how many heifers are in-calf at this point. There is a group of 15 heifers that were kept separate for grazing with the DLP RI o QLVKLQJ WKLV ZLQWHU , ZHLJKHG WKHP RQ 6DWXUGD\ DQG o YH animals were over 400kg, so they will

%XW , KDYH GHo QLWHO\ QRWLFHG DQ improvement in cow condition and calf performance compared with previous years.

Calf health

A group of 26 replacement heifers have been running with an Angus bull for seven weeks. The bull will be removed after 12 weeks. JHW D FKDQFH WR UXQ ZLWK WKH EXOO RYHU the next month. %XOOV ZLOO EH UHPRYHG IURP FRZV DQG KHLIHUV LQ ODWH $XJXVW ZKLFK ZLOO EH D WRWDO RI ZHHNV RI EUHHGLQJ &RZV ZLOO EH VFDQQHG RQH PRQWK ODWHU ZLWK DQ\ EDUUHQ IHPDOHV ZHDQHG DQG IDWWHQHG

Selenium &RZV ZHUH JLYHQ D PLQHUDO EROXV DW turnout, as I have had issues with seleQLXP GHo FLHQF\ LQ WKH SDVW ,W LV KDUG WR say if it had any affect on cow fertility, as I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really recording when cows were in heat to any real extent.

&DOYHV ZHUH ZRUPHG WKUHH ZHHNV DJR with a pour-on drench. I have also given them a drench for coccidiosis, as again WKLV LV D KHDOWK SUREOHP , KDYH H[SH ULHQFHG EHIRUH DQG WKHUH ZDV WKH RGG calf that gave me reason for concern. I am planning on taking a few dung samples to see if parasite treatments KDYH EHHQ HIIHFWLYH RU ZKHWKHU , QHHG to change my worming strategy. &DOYHV DUH DOVR GXH WR JHW WKHLU o UVW shot of the pneumonia vaccine, along with a clostridial vaccine, in a few weeks, so that they are covered for DQ\ SRVVLEOH KHDOWK EUHDNGRZQ DURXQG ZHDQLQJ WLPH 0DOH FDOYHV ZLOO DOVR EH castrated earlier this year in autumn. It will depend on a few other tasks that KDYH WR EH FRPSOHWHG DV , GR QRW ZDQW to wean and castrate cattle around the same time to avoid unnecessary stress on calves.

Silage budget

WATCH ONLINE watch the video on www.farmersjournal.tv

I cut 34 acres of second-cut silage this week. Grass was cut on Saturday, spread out to wilt on Monday and lifted that evening. Yields were good and it was ensiled RQ WRS RI o UVW FXW 2Q RSHQLQJ WKH SLW , WRRN D IHZ VDPSOHV RI o UVW FXW WR EH analysed. There are still 13 acres of silage to cut in late August on an outfarm WKDW KDV MXVW EHHQ FORVHG XS ,Q DGGL WLRQ WR SLW VLODJH , KDYH EDOHV RI high-quality silage made from surplus grass, with another three acres cut WKLV ZHHN 7KHVH EDOHV ZLOO EH WDUJHWHG WR o QLVKLQJ FDWWOH RQFH KRXVHG

Table 1: Forage budget

Spring calving cows Weanlings In-calf heifers Beef heifers %HHI EXOORFNV Total

Days

65 65 31 10 37

200 200 200 120 120

$ TXLFN VLODJH EXGJHW LV RXWOLQHG LQ 7DEOH IRU WKLV ZLQWHU DQG EDVHG RQ GD\V IURP PLG 2FWREHU WR PLG

Forage feed rate (kg/day) 30 20 25 25 25

Total quantity of forage (tonnes) 390 260 124 30 111 915

$SULO 7KLV JLYHV D ELW RI D EXIIHU LQ case of an early winter or late spring. Feed allowance is reduced to 120 days

IRISH

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FARMERS JOURNAL farmersjournal.ie

IRU o QLVKLQJ FDWWOH I will need approximately 900t to 920t of silage in a worst-case scenarLR %HWZHHQ o UVW DQG VHFRQG FXW SOXV EDOHV , ZRXOG KDYH MXVW RYHU W RI fodder in store. 7KHUH ZLOO EH D IHZ FXOO FRZV WR VHOO DKHDG RI KRXVLQJ ZKLFK ZLOO EH D VDYLQJ $OVR VLODJH TXDOLW\ VKRXOG EH good, allowing me to restrict feeding WR NJ WR NJ GD\ EXLOGLQJ XS WR DG OLE DURXQG WZR PRQWKV SUH FDOYLQJ Most cows go to grass from late March to early April, as do weanlings if ZHDWKHU DOORZV VR , VKRXOG EH o QH WKLV winter.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

24 LIVESTOCK

Beef

Tullamore Farm open day – main questions

Beef editor Adam Woods lists the most frequently asked questions at the technical stands on Tuesday

Project plan and finances Is one man really going to be able to look after 120 cows and 150 ewes? The farm is modelled around one labour unit. However, there will be periods during the year that will require extra labour. Examples of this would be around calving and lambing and we saw this spring that extra help was needed around this time. There is currently €5,000 (£4,450) in the budget for casual labour and this will be spent in spring and also for weekend cover and holiday cover for the farm manager. Having good facilities and fencing is extremely important to minimise labour input and this is why a lot of effort has been put into upgrading these areas on the farm. The farm will contract out as much work as possible, so all silage, fencing, baling, etc is contracted out to free up the farm manager’s time. Silage fertiliser was also spread by a contractor and paddocks were spread by a contactor during busy periods. What beef price has been factored in to the project plans? We have used £3.56/kg as a base figure for our projections. It’s hard to predict beef price but a figure had to be used and £3.56/kg was chosen. If beef price increases or decreases by 10% or £0.36/ kg, it will mean a £12,460 shift in our figures. At £3.56/kg, the farm is just about able to meet its land rental, labour and bank interest commitments.

Why was all the capital expenditure incurred at the beginning of the project? Costs like land rental, labour and bank interest are being incurred from day one of the project so the clock is ticking and it makes sense to get the farm up to its full production potential as soon as possible. This is why we have concentrated on areas such as roadways, water system, drainage and reseeding in year one. Stocking rate will increase next year and it’s important that the farm is able to grow the grass to sustain this. If fencing was not completed at the beginning of the project, it would mean that a lot of extra labour would be required moving stock and it would rule out things like AI usage.

Grassland management What type of reseeding was carried out? What varieties were used and what sprays did it get? We have used two diﬀerent ways of reseeding so far – the conventional plough, power-harrow and one-pass and a mintill machine to reseed. We have been

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and IFA president Joe Healy address attendants at the Irish Farmers Journal Tullamore Farm open day. \ Philip Doyle

happy with both. The min-till machine was used on nine acres on 20 April and suffered with the very dry conditions but has turned out well. All reseeds were sprayed off with glyphosate prior to reseeding and got a post-emergence spray after reseeding. Legumex DB was used to protect the clover in the swards. Is the stocking rate too high at 2.7 LU/ha? Stocking rate is relevant to the amount of grass that you can grow and we aim to grow 14t of grass on this farm when it is fully up to its production potential. Yes, the stocking rate is high but the fact that the bulls are not grazed for the second grazing season means that the grassland stocking rate won’t be as high as this. The farm needs to run this stocking rate to cover its costs including land rental, labour and interest charges. If we find that after five years the stocking rate is too high, we will make changes to the system and explain to farmers why it didn’t work or why it did work. Why was kale sown? Kale was sown on 10 June this year on 10 acres of land on the out-farm in Cloonagh. This will hopefully be able to winter 40 April-calving cows which will graze the kale from 1 November until 1 March. Maris Kestrel was sown at the rate of 2.5kg/acre and it received four bags of 10:10:20/acre at sowing time and three bags of CAN/acre on 10 July. Bales of silage have been placed in the field as a

It makes sense to get the farm up to its full production potential as soon as possible

WATCH ONLINE watch the video on www.farmersjournal.tv

ﬁbre source when feeding. An electric fence will be used during grazing of the kale and will be moved on a daily basis.

Breeding and genetics Why is the farm choosing to purchase replacements? The chosen farm system is to produce under-16-month bulls and replacement heifers for sale at 15 months of age on an annual basis. Choosing a Limousin X Friesian cow gives a great foundation to breed replacements from and guarantees milk, a key profit trait in suckler cows. When bred with high-replacement-index bulls, these cows will produce an excellent Simmental or Limousin breeding heifer. Selling the heifers at 15 months as breeding heifers rather than selling them at 20 months as finished animals means that more cows can be carried on the farm and in turn output and sales can be higher. Teagasc research has also demonstrated that this type of cow is the most profitable in a suckler-finish system. Why did you choose AI and how was it managed? There were 125 breeding animals on the farm this spring and that was too many for three young bulls to serve in a short breeding season. We artificially inseminated cows and heifers for three weeks

to take the pressure oﬀ the bulls. We had a number of issues with bulls going lame and getting hurt during the breeding season and we have talked about having a backup bull for next year’s breeding season if working stock bulls get injured. AI did require extra labour but the fencing and facilities helped and there are 51 cows in calf to AI bulls for spring 2018. How did you pick the bulls used? We tried to source highly reliable highreplacement-index bulls in AI that were over €100 on the terminal index and over €150 on the replacement index. Calving diﬃculty was set at a maximum of 7.5%. The index was used as a tool in selecting stock bulls and bulls were all assessed for good feet, legs, conformation, etc.

Sheep system Why did you go for a Mule-type ewe? If it was a question of going for very high output, we would have chosen a Belclare or Llyen-type ewe, but we are trying to get the best balance between output and labour requirements. This type of ewe will hopefully give us medium to high proliﬁcacy while reducing labour inputs around lambing time and will also give us the option of outdoor lambing in future years. For the moment we will operate an all-in, all-out policy, slaughtering all lambs and purchasing replacements each year.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

LIVESTOCK 25

Sheep

Welcome injection of youth and optimism Tullow man Dylan Leybourne has established a Cheviot ewe ﬂock, focusing on the high-value replacement market. Darren Carty reports

ttracting a steady flow of new entrants into sheep farming has been a challenge in rec e n t y e a r s . T h a n k f u l l y, schemes such as the Young Farmer Scheme and National Reserve are helping to slowly change this trend and attract young interest into sheep and beef enterprises, while the Sheep Welfare Scheme has also been a welcome support mechanism. Dylan Leybourne hails from Tullow, Co Carlow, and is currently putting ﬁnal preparations in place to have ewe lambs ready for the Tullow Sheep Breeders Association ﬁrst sale on 9 August. This will be his second lamb crop to

sell, having established a 230-Cheviot ewe ﬂock in 2016. Dylan’s drive to establish his own ewe ﬂock has stemmed from two main areas. He has always played an active role in the family farm where his father David runs mixed sheep and suckler enterprises. The other big driver that has helped to generate interest is being involved in the Tullow sheep sales from a young age. “From as young as I can remember, I have been attending Tullow sheep sales. Helping out Christy and John O’Toole ahead of the big sheep sales really got me interested and is part of the reason why I have gone down a similar breeding route that they op-

erated. Christy is a great judge of Cheviot ewes and I have learned a lot over the years on ewe and ram selection.” Farming system Working full-time off-farm since graduating with a degree in agricultural science from UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science in 2015 is also another reason why Dylan says he has selected Cheviot ewes. “Lambing is the busiest time of the year and Cheviot ewes also seemed the best ﬁt as if weather is suitable they can lamb away outdoors which is a major help in reducing the workload. Cheviots generally prefer to be outdoors and if I can get away without putting

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Dylan Leybourne, Tullow Hill, Tullow, at the Tullow Sheep Beeders annual pairs night at Tullow Mart, Co Carlow. \ Patrick Browne

them in at all it has huge advantages. “I have been lucky enough to get access to short-term grazing and beet tops over the winter and this is the route that has been used to carry ewes over the winter. The stocking rate is also high with 215 ewes and their lambs grazing on 45 acres this year (18ha) so giving this ground a good rest over the winter is important in getting ewes and lambs to grass without the need for heavy feeding after lambing”. The system operated on the farm is purchasing mature Cheviot ewes from a number of hill farms. The switch to lowland grazing allows these ewes to produce an extra couple of crops of lambs while also taking some hassle out of the equation by lambing experienced sheep. The majority of ewes lamb from the ﬁrst week of March, with teaser rams used to tighten the lambing spread. Breeding is generally delayed for a small portion of ewes that require a longer period to regain condition after coming off hill grazing, with these ewes suiting outdoor lambing better as days get longer towards the end of March. Progeny from these later-lambing ewes are run over the winter and satisfy demand from early lamb producers looking to source small numbers of hoggets early in the year. “The peak of lambing is usually around St Patrick’s Day. Weather has a huge role to play and if every year was like this year, it would be much more straightforward to run. The Cheviot ewes are easy enough deal with and the switch to lowland grazing gives them a good boost, with the ﬂock scanning 1.85 lambs and

1.9 lambs in the last two years. “If you can get a good long ewe with a good tight coat of wool and good bone then you have a great start to breed them with a good tight-wool Suﬀolk ram”. Sales pattern The main bulk of the female lamb crop is divided for sale in two lots of 60 ewe lambs for each of the Tullow breeding sales. Dylan says preparations in the ﬁnal few weeks before the sale come down to having sheep looking their best but not overdone as buyers prefer sheep that will continue to do a good thrive and have the potential to be put to the ram as ewe lambs. “The sales ring doesn’t give anywhere for any faults to hide. One of the most important things is to keep sheep thriving and continue to be mindful of any health risks such as lameness or flystrike. After that, it’s matching up the sheep on size and type and what you think will sell best on the day.” Male progeny are all fin-

ished, with the majority traded to a local butcher. “Dad has developed a good relationship with a local butcher. He provides lambs in the year and thankfully I pick up when he has his lambs sold and provide lambs in the second half of the year. The Cheviot-cross lamb can be a bit harder ﬂesh so we usually let him up to 46kg to 50kg liveweight before drafting, which helps with fat cover.”

Support mechanism As well as providing a good sales outlet, Dylan says the Tullow Sheep Breeders Association and other such groups in the area are vital in providing a good support network but also a social setting to meet with other farmers. “As a young farmer starting out, it’s sometimes hard to ﬁnd the information you need to get up and running. Having more farmers who have possibly faced the same challenges helps, while groups are hugely rewarding in bringing a social aspect to farming.”

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FARMERS JOURNAL Scotland

8 July 2017 Vol 1 No 6 | £3.10

11 Livestock

Scottish ﬂock with NZ genetics Brogan Farm has embraced New Zealand genetics and rotational grazing as they move towards an outdoor ODPELQJ p RFN

Quality farms ﬂood the market

20% rise in farms for sale from Caithness to Kelso ODILE EVANS

NEWS CORRESPONDENT RHYDQV#IDUPHUVMRXUQDO FR XN

Approximately 20% more good-quality farms have become available this year and are commanding prices of up to £15,000/acre. Issues such as succession and farm incomes are driving the sale of farms in excess of 600 acres. “It’s the lag of 2014/2015 farm accounts that has brought these farms to the markets,” said Ian Hope, agricultural property specialist from Galbraith Group. “I’m not convinced Brexit is a factor, as there is not enough information available yet for it to inﬂuence sale of land.” Hope is convinced this is part of a cycle. Until recently, 200ac to 400ac parcels were sold when they became unsustainable, and now this is hitting larger farms. Typically they are being sold in lots and bought by neighbouring farms. Such is the demand for land that prices are staying buoyant, hitting £15,000/ac in Angus, £13,500/ac in Perthshire and £11,000/ac in Fife.

Ä Continued on page 2

Cattle enjoying the warm weather

Seed potato exports

F t

t d

just outside Elie in Fife with the

Bass Rock and Firth of Forth to

the rear. \ Craig Stephen

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PEDIGREE

LIVESTOCK

Popes Princess Cleo, supreme breed champion at the Royal Welsh and Great Yorkshire.

Royal Welsh and Great Yorkshire highlights Shane Murphy takes us through the highlights of two of the UK’s biggest agricultural shows

he last month has been the biggest of the year with regard to agricultural shows. The end of June saw the Royal Highland Show take centre stage in Edinburgh, while in the last two weeks the Great Yorkshire and Royal Welsh have come and gone.

A number of exhibitors throughout the UK look at these as the big three and strive to make an appearance at all. While this may mean a 1,000 mile round trip for some, the prestige and marketability of one’s animals after a successful stint could well outweigh the initial outlay.

No animal achieved three overall breed championships across the shows this year. However, one came close. Two out of three In fact, Simmental cow Popes Princess Cleo claimed two of the three supreme beef titles, just missing out at the

Highland Show last month. Princess Cleo won the ﬁrst interbreed at Yorkshire earlier in the month before being tapped out by judge Mr G Riby earlier this week as supreme beef champion at the Royal Welsh. More inside >> 28-29

28 PEDIGREE

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

Foxhillfarm Mamamia, junior champion great Yorkshire and junior female champion the Royal Welsh.

Solway View illusion, Belgian Blue champion at the Great Yorkshire Show.

Lady Gaga, Commercial champion at the Royal Welsh Show.

Willsbro Goldwyn Kitty, Holstein champion at the Royal Welsh Show.

Tregibby Panama Tequila, Jersey champion Royal Welsh Show.

Westhide Zoe, reserve supreme beef champion at the Royal Welsh Show.

PEDIGREE 29

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

Cleo clinches double interbreed CONTINUED FROM Page 27

red and exhibited by the Preston -based Woods family, Princess Cleo went one better on last year’s Welsh show, having secured the reserve interbreed title in 2016. Sired by former Stirling senior champion Banwy Wonderboy, the six-year-old was shown alongside her young heifer calf. While Princess Cleo may be performing in the show ring, she’s also doing it in production with her ﬁrst bull calf sold at Stirling last year for 10,000gns. This marked a highly successful run for the family who also secured the reserve breed championship at the Royal Welsh with the young heifer Popes Rhona and reserve breed championship at the Great Yorkshire with Popes Fearless. Reserve interbreed honours at the Royal Welsh went to the Shorthorn breed champion Westhide Zoe. This six-yearold cow from Mary Cormack and Richard Bartle is well used to the Llanelwedd showgrounds having also secured the Shorthorn breed championship at the show last year. Sired by Chapelton Waverley, she is out of Grafton Zoe and was shown alongside her eightweek-old bull calf. Foxhill success The Alford family was out in force across the three shows, securing a good return across all categories. The January 2016-born Foxhillfarm Mammamia needs no introduction, having secured the supreme beef championship at last month’s Highland Show. Adding to this success, she went on to be awarded the junior interbreed titles at both the Yorkshire and Welsh. Sired by the homebred Foxhillfarm Irishlad, she is out of world record Limousin priced female Glenrock Illusion. Further success came from her pen mate Foxhillfarm Lord of the Ring, who was awarded the overall Limousin and reserve supreme interbreed championship at Yorkshire along with the reserve male championship at the Welsh. This one is owned in partnership with the Swarlesmoor herd and is the mating cross of Guards Boomer and the proliﬁc brood cow Bankdale Alice. The Alfords’ success didn’t stop in the Limousin ring. The family also claimed top spot in the commercial ring at this year’s Royal Welsh. Their Belgian Blue-sired heifer Lady Gaga went on to secure the senior female, overall female

Irish-bred Pinnacle Hero, Belgian Blue champion at the Royal Welsh Show.

and overall commercial championship under judge Elfed Williams. Lady Gaga is out of a former Smithfield reserve champion and was purchased privately earlier this year. Reserve honours in the commercial ring at the Royal Welsh was secured by Mr D Thomas with his senior steer Black Magic. This Limousin cross Blue-sired calf was also purchased privately and has previously placed champion and reserve at local shows. Belgian Blue Securing top position in the Belgian Blue at this year’s Royal Welsh show was Pinnacle Hero from Mr and Mrs Morgan. Originally bred by the late Kevin Banville, Wexford, he is sired by D’Ochain and out of Rosemount Faith and was purchased at the dispersal sale of the Pinnacle herd back in 2014. Since his purchase, Hero has gone on to breed bulls to 5,500gns in Carlisle for his new owners. Reserve honours in the Blue ring went to Solway View Ke-

sha from Mr Kevin Watret. Sired by homebred Solway View Firecracker, Kesha is a full brother to the 2015 Royal Highland Blue champion Solway View Jackpot. The reserve female champion to Kesha was also from Mr Watrets pen in the form of Solway View Illusion. This heifer has hit all the headlines over the past month, standing top of the line in the breed championship at both the Highland and the Great Yorkshire. Sired by Solway View Dynamite, this stylish threeyear-old was shown alongside her naturally born pedigree heifer calf at foot. Boden & Davies Ltd were to the fore in the Charolais ring with their two-year-old Sportsmans Ladyship. This stylish homebred heifer is no stranger to the show ring, having secured the overall breed champion at the Royal Welsh also last year. Sired by Barnford Ferny, a former Royal Welsh interbreed champion, who was purchased for 70,000gns, she is out of homebred Sports-

man Duchess. This topped a great show for the outfit who also secured the top male spot with the 28,000gns Goldies Jerry and the interbreed pairs when the two came together. Making it to the final four forward in the interbreed finals was the Salers champion Indiana Poll. This four-yearold cow from Matthew Jones originally came from France, where she had previously claimed the Paris show interbreed championship as a twoyear-old. Sired by English-bred bull Cumbria Joker Poll, Indiana Poll along with her father are both from polled (hornless) Salers genetics which is increasing across the breed as a whole year on year. Royal Welsh dairy champions Out on top of the Holstein line was Braedale Goldwyn daughter Willsbro Goldwyn Kitty from Mr A H Wilson & son. This six-calver was purchased as a yearling and since then has secured the Holstein

championship twice at the Welsh, the last before this week being back in 2013. Currently classifying EX96, Goldwyn Kitty calved back in May and is currently giving 680 litres. The eight-year-old has produced over 80,000kg in her lifetime. Securing the reserve spot under judge Gwilym Richards was Mr Bryn Davies with Moorshard Windbrook Alicia. Sired by Gillette Windbrook, this third-calver gave over 11,000kg in her last lactation. Born January 2013, this one is classiﬁed VG88. Tregibby Panama Tequila secured the championship in the Jersey ring. This three-yearold bred and exhibited by Mr Wilson is no stranger to success in the show ring, having secured champion at the show as a heifer in 2016, champion at Agri-Scot last winter before securing the homebred interbreed title the same day. Panama Tequila is currently giving 25 litres a day having calved nearly 300 days. Classiﬁed EX90 as a second-calver,

she gave 7,700kg in her ﬁrst lactation of 5.85% fat and 3.6% protein. Close on her heels was this year’s Highland Show breed champion Bluegrass Vindication Harp from the Fleming family. This stylish four-yearold is currently giving 40 litres a day oﬀ the back of a 6,600kg lactation. Sired by Bluegrass Festival of Fireworks, she is out of Bluegrass Jetsons Blusher. A large entry of Brown Swiss at this year’s Royal Welsh saw Quarry Zeus Orange out in front. Bred and exhibited by a Mr Williams, this now 10-year-old is currently giving a massive 61 litres after a lactation of nearly 13,000kg in 2016. Sired by Red Brae Prelude Zeus, Zeus Orange stands as only the third Brown Swiss animal in all the UK to classify EX96. This one is no stranger to the showgrounds in south Wales having also secured the overall breed championship back in 2013.

30 PEDIGREE

FARMERS JOURNAL 6DWXUGD\ -XO\

Irish pedigree calf boom Breeder numbers and births, difference 2006 v 2016 ?oJXUHV FRXUWHV\ RI WKH ,ULVK &DWWOH %UHHGLQJ )HGHUDWLRQ XQOHVV RWKHUZLVH JLYHQ E\ WKH EUHHG VRFLHW\

Births

Breeders

The Aubrac breed grew by the largest percentage compared with 2006 levels ? $OoH

3000

600

480

6KDZ

360

1800

240

120

600

-600

-120 Angus numbers have increased the most with almost 3,000 more calves born each year compared with 10 years ago

-1800

Charolais registrations took the biggest hit, registering over 1,400 less calves a year ? $OoH 6KDZ

The Simmental breed stayed the most stable, with just 38 less calves registered in 2016 compared to 2006 ? $OoH 6KDZ

? $OoH 6KDZ

-240

-360

-480

-3000

Angus

Shane Murphy looks at how breed and breeder numbers have changed over the past 10 years, and how it might aﬀect breeders

Hereford

Shorthorn

Aubrac

s of the end of 2016, Angus has overtaken the Limousin breed on pedigree registrations. This comes after a massive surge in both breeder numbers and birth registrations throughout the last ﬁve years. Registrations for the Angus breed have increased by a massive 45% on 2011 levels to now settle at 9,296 pedigree registrations in 2016. The Hereford breed too saw a similar percentage increase, but on a 2011 base number of just under half of the Angus. There are a number of key reasons for such a rise in pedigree registrations of traditional breeds in recent years: Â Abolition of milk quota in 2015 has led to a noticeable increase in dairy cow numbers, which in turn has led to an increased demand for easiercalving, shorter-gestation bulls. Â Reputation of the two breeds’ carcase qualities for marbling and taste has also grown massively in recent years. Premium prices for in-spec cattle at factories not only mean dairy producers are getting paid for the calf on the ground but it has also meant the Angus and Hereford breeds have inﬁltrated a percentage of the suckler

Salers

Parthenaise

Simmental

market. Â Export markets all around the EU for breeds such as the Angus and Hereford have flourished over the past number of years. Where once breeders may not have been registering lesserquality female stock, they now secure a premium price with exporters. The introduction of the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) as a way to restore replacement traits in the national herd has led to breeds which have more of a focus on replacement traits benefiting, while other breeds known for terminal traits have witnessed decreased registrations. While this all looks positive for the traditional breeds, one has to wonder are they growing too fast for the demand that’s out there? The majority of 2016 calves will be sold in 2017 but with over 4,000 extra Angus and Hereford calf births compared with five years ago, is there a market for them? While particularly prudent for the traditional breeds, the increase is probably better looked at as a whole of the pedigree sector. In the space of 10 years, pedigree registrations across all beef breeds have increased by nearly 4,500. While there were more dairy cows to put in-calf over the last few

Piedmontese Blonde D'Aquitaine Belgian Blue

45% -20%

increase in registrations of Angus cattle between 2006 and 2016.

registrations of Belgian Blues fell over the same period.

Limousin

Charolais

-600

years, this was nearly fully overwritten by the decrease in the national suckler herd. Too many bulls So where is the extra market for over 2,000 more bulls in the country? Answer – there isn’t any place for them. Ireland is simply too densely populated with pedigree bulls. Taking it as a 50% average across breeds of males to females, 2016 produced close to 19,000 potential pedigree beef stock bulls. Looking at 2016 as a whole, fewer than 50,000 beef bulls sired one or more progeny. As buying a bull is looked at by farmers as an investment, they expect to get a minimum of three or four years out of any one bull. The numbers just don’t add up. Having an oversupply of young bulls for sale each year can only lead to one thing and that’s reduced sale price. While some pedigree farms throughout the country are run as a hobby, others rely on the income from bull sales in spring to return a proﬁt at the year end. Adding to this, increasing numbers and reduced prices will generally lead to a drop in quality in years to come.

PEDIGREE 31

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

Births Angus Aubrac Belgian Blue Blonde D'Aquitaine Charolais Hereford Limousin Salers Shorthorn Simmental Parthenaise Piedmontese Total IHFA

2006

2011

6373 384 352 353 9699 3113 8321 634 1130 2504 235 54 33152

6629 488 855 433 9263 3124 8483 736 1104 2142 285 197 33739

54331

86009

Diff 2006 2016 to 2016 9296 600 283 277 8287 4568 9227 920 1206 2466 335 117 37582 77136

2923 216 -69 -76 -1412 1455 906 286 76 -38 100 63 4430 22805

% difference 45.87 56.25 -19.60 -21.53 -14.56 46.74 10.89 45.11 6.73 -1.52 42.55 116.67 13.36

% of national pedigree herd 24.74 1.60 0.75 0.74 22.05 12.15 24.55 2.45 3.21 6.56 0.89 0.31

10000

Angus Limousin 8000

Charolais Hereford Simmental

6000

Shorthorn Salers Aubrac

4000

41.97

Parthenaise

Difference 2016 avg no. 2006 to 2016 births per 2016 2016 births breeder

Breeders

2006

2011

Angus Aubrac Belgian Blue Blonde D'Aquitaine Charolais Hereford Limousin Salers Shorthorn Simmental Parthenaise Piedmontese Total

1508 55 108 72 2181 469 1633 110 296 510 31 27 7000

1640 96 192 66 2076 454 1569 114 238 468 44 35 6992

1895 102 19 39 1582 685 1540 114 218 500 32 14 6740

387 9296 47 600 -89 283 -33 277 -599 8287 216 4568 -93 9227 4 920 78 1206 -10 2466 1 335 -13 117 -260

4.9 5.88 14.89 7.1 5.24 6.67 5.99 8.07 5.53 4.93 10.47 8.36 5.57

IHFA

2988

3644

3680

-692 77136

20.96

Belgian Blue Blonde D'Aquitaine

2000

Piedmontese

2006

2011

Angus has now overtaken the Limousin to secure the top position on pedigree birth registrations per year in Ireland bers, if it deters registrations of lowerquality animals into the herd book, it may need to be done. With lower-quality cattle not registered, it sets a higher base standard

2016

To be assured quality across breeds remains high when this happens, societies need to take action. While increasing calf registration costs may be looked upon unfavourably by members, if it deters registrations of lower-quality animals into the herd book, it may need to be done.

and in turn a better standard price. Acquiring new markets is essential with the growth of any breed. While a number of outside producer groups have ﬁlled this market for a number of breeds, there can still be a lot done. Premiums are available for a number of cattle breeds which are proven 50% of that chosen breed, but what’s to say there isn’t another market to be obtained for stock that’s proven 100% of one breed. Both pedigree breeders and societies need to look into potential additional premiums that can be obtained for 100% purebred beef, as this encourages lower-quality stock to be killed.

To be assured quality across breeds remains high when this happens, societies need to take action. While increasing calf registration costs may be looked upon unfavourably by mem-

Calf numbers

United Kingdom Across the UK and the continent, the vast majority of pedigree stock is sold commercially for beef, with only the cream of the crop going on to breed. This has led to an incredibly high standard of cattle at sales which in turn achieve a high average price. Ireland is one of the only countries in the world that sees a pedigree cert as a right to a premium price. Premium prices deserve only be paid for premium cattle.

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

32 LIVESTOCK

Livestock

(01) 419 9530 livestock@farmersjournal.ie @FJdairy @FJbeef @FJsheep

LIC farm walk looks at breeding for the future E There was a strong focus on breeding and fertility at the LIC monitor farm walk on Joe Kirwan’s farm in Tipperary. Aidan Brennan reports

xpanding for the right reasons was the theme of the recent LIC monitor farm walk in Tipperary. The expansion story itself is straightforward; a 104-acre farm across the road from the Kirwan’s 66 acres came up for lease in 2015 and cow numbers increased from 70 to 195 over the past two years. But the big message from this farm walk was that it’s not just about the cow numbers. There is a human story behind expansion. Joe was 52 years of age when he took on the lease. With eight children to be reared and brought through college, Joe worked off-farm for the past 11 years as the manager of Eurogene AI in Cahir. The other big change that has taken place on the Kirwan farm is the change in cow type. Ten years ago, Joe and Kathleen had one of the highest-yielding herds in Tipperary with large Holstein Friesian cows milking close to 9,000 litres per year. Joe is a passionate stockman and takes great pride in his cows. Change happened six years ago, before there was ever talk of expansion. “I did the very thing I was telling farmers not to do, and that’s dabble using Kiwi Cross bulls. When those first few heifers came in milking I was kicking myself for not using the full cross and not doing more of it,” Joe said. The first decision to go crossbreeding was driven by the desire to have a more easy care cow and increase the milk price by rapidly improving fat and protein percentages. “Everything looked rosy on the outside. We were producing lots of milk and you’d say that you couldn’t but be making money, but by the time everyone was paid there was nothing left for Joe,” Joe said. In 2015, he got the opportunity to rent 104 acres across the road from the farm. It was always his dream to milk more cows but access to land and milk quota held him back. But with land and quota no longer an issue, he leased the farm and set about developing a 200-cow farm with Kathleen. The goal is to milk 220 cows in a husband-and-wife team. The milking platform is now 63ha, with a further 10ha of land for silage. Heifers are contract-reared

after two weeks of age. “The first year we got the extra land we arsed around, cutting and selling extra silage and didn’t really increase cow numbers. We had no extra money by the end of the year and would have been better off if we didn’t take on the land. The second year was much better. We bought cows to bring us up to 130 and things went well but lifestyle suffered dramatically. I was still working off-farm and we were both wrecked from work,” Joe said. This year, cow numbers are up to 195 and Joe has given up working with Eurogene so both himself and Kathleen are on the farm full-time as the farm now has scale. “We have eight children so I needed to go working. The advice I would have for anybody is not to stay at home on a non-viable farm. You must make the farm a viable unit, either for a family member to come on board or to take a step back and employ a farm manager,” Joe said. Performance The herd is young, with one-third of the cows’ at first lactation and one-third second lactation. Around 66% of the herd is crossbred, but 50% are Jersey crossbred. Some of the purchased cows were Norwegian Red and other crossbreeds that were purchased in. The target this year is to produce 408kg of milk solids per cow. Last year, the herd produced 421kg of milk solids per cow, but the herd is younger this year having increased from 130 to 195 cows. Meal feeding last year was 630kg/cow. LIC consultant Bess Jowsey, who is based in Scotland but visits Joe’s farm once a month, says the main challenge on the farm is fertility. Seventy-two per cent of the cows calved in six weeks this year and the three-week submission rate was 76%, while the targets are 90% in both cases. Bess says that achieving the six-week calving rate of 90% will be central to the farm returning more profit. The target is to produce milk for 16p/l (profit monitor costs). The spread-out calving pattern is a direct result of a spread of breeding season. Pulling the bulls out early is some-

ÁIn short Â Joe and Kathleen Kirwan took on a new lease in 2015 and increased herd size from 70 to 200 cows. Â Improvements need to be made in herd fertility to get six week calving rate from 72% to 90%. Â The target this year is to produce 408kg of milk solids per cow. Â LIC speakers were promoting the use of KiwiCross sires.

thing Joe has been struggling with as he is trying to increase cow numbers. Leaving the bulls in for longer will achieve this, but the calving pattern goes wrong. Joe took out the bulls last weekend. “There were still cows calving here last May. I remember having cows up the crush for AI and still having some of the old cows in the calving shed waiting to calve. At the same time there were little Jersey crossbreds out the ﬁeld producing 2kg of milk solids a day since 1 February. It hammered it home to me about the importance of compact calving,” Joe said. The stocking rate on the milking platform is 3.1 cows/ha this year. With 220 cows next year, the stocking rate will increase to 3.5 cows/ha. The back calculation showed that grass eaten last year was 13.3t/ha. The target is to utilise 14.3tDM/ha. Joe is measuring grass once a week now.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

LIVESTOCK 33

Malcom Ellis, LIC; Bess Jowsey, LIC and Joe Kirwan, host farmer.

The 14-unit double-up milking parlour on Joe’s farm.

Breeding LIC manager for New Zealand Malcolm Ellis spoke about changes in the world market and how the demand for dairy products is changing, particularly fats. Malcolm used to run the breeding programme for LIC. He said that 15 years ago, the dairy industry in New Zealand predicted that fat would be only worth 6.7% of what protein is worth today. He said that looking at the last GDT auction, butter was actually worth 181% of the value of protein. While he says he thinks the current spike in butter won’t be sustained long-term, he does think that the payment diﬀerential for butter will be changed to reﬂect its current demand in the marketplace, predicting that butter and fat will be paid on a 1:1 basis. “This has consequences for our breeding strategy. Too often, we as farmers live in the here and now and fail to look far enough ahead. With fat increasing in

Jersey crossbred cows on Joe Kirwan’s farm in Co Tipperary.

value, the relative EBI or BW of Jersey crossbred cows is going to increase,” Malcolm said. He said that at the moment farmers are being underpaid for fat by milk processors as payment systems lag behind the market. Breeding policies reﬂect payment systems. His argument was that farmers should pre-empt changes in payment systems and start to focus on increasing fat percentage as much as protein percentage. Joe’s breeding policy has been to use purebred Jersey sires on his Holstein Friesian cows and then use Kiwi Cross bulls on these animals. A good share of his stock is sired by the crossbred bull PSQ. This breeding policy was supported by Malcolm Ellis. He said that those on more challenging land or that have higher fixed costs should consider using a Kiwi Cross as the ﬁrst cross as output will be higher from these 25% Jersey animals.

Comment The LIC speakers on the day were OHVV HQWKXVLDVWLF DERXW WKH EHQHoWV of hybrid vigour than we heard about at the Moorepark Open Day. Using Kiwi Cross bulls reduces the hybrid vigour effect. The argument from LIC is that the ideal cow is a 50:50 Jersey:Holstein Friesian cross and using Kiwi Cross sires will maintain this. The question I have is are we breeding cows or are we breeding a herd? The science tells us that crossbreeding with pure breeds maximises hybrid vigour. Using crossbreeds reduces this and effectively creates a new breed so why bother? While the Kiwi Cross sires do produce lovely animals, long term I think

sticking with purebred sires is a better option. This means criss-crossing using a high EBI Holstein Friesian on a 50:50 Jersey cross and then using a high EBI Jersey sire on the 75% Holstein Friesian cow which will give a cow that is 63% Jersey. Continuing to cross breed like this will deliver animals that are roughly 60:40 in favour of one or other breed. Over time, 50% of the AI straws used will be Jersey and 50% will be Holstein Friesian, so the same percentage of each breed will be used as in Kiwi Cross, but there will be an added gain from hybrid vigour. It should be up to the AI industry to provide the best sires within each breed.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

34 LIVESTOCK

Grass+

Dairy

Growth rates good in sun and rain AIDAN BRENNAN DAIRY SPECIALIST abrennan@farmersjournal.ie

verage grass growth from our Grass+ farms this week is 67kg/day. Blistering heat and sun earlier in the week was replaced with widespread rain on Wednesday morning. More rain is forecast over the next couple of days so this should boost grass growth on land that is suffering from drought. Curtins Farm in Moorepark is only barely growing enough to reach demand, even with 4kg of meal in the diet.

That said, some farms in the southwest of the country have had enough rain, with over 50mm in parts last weekend that caused plenty of headaches for farmers on heavy land. You can only manage the situation in front of you as best you can. If there is damage being done, go back to using the 12-hour strip fence and move the cows to a fresh break after every milking. The lowest growth rate on the map is 44kg/day on a farm in Wexford. If demand is much higher then average, farm cover will reduce quickly. Tolerance for a low average farm cover at this time of year depends on the outlook for

ÁIn short Â Average grass growth is 67kg per day. Most of the country got rain on Wednesday so this should boost growth rates. Â Some farms were suffering from drought and other farms are suffering from too much rain. Â Set average farm cover at around 180kg per cow and keep pre-grazing yield below 1,600kg.

growth. Letting average farm cover drop below 140 or 150kg/ cow is OK if you know there is rain on the way and growth will exceed demand. The normal recommendation is to be at around 180kg/ cow at this time of year. It is too early to be building up covers just yet. Some farms are at a cover per cow in excess of 200kg and this is too much as it means pre-grazing yield will be too high. Target pre-grazing yield should be between 1,300kg and 1,500kg/ha. Higher than this and protein will be aﬀected. Some paddocks of after-grass can be grazed at a higher cover but it’s still not desirable.

Growth rates around the country (kg DM/ha/day) Beef farms Dairy farms

74 60

83 Shane Leane

Donal Patton

Mark Blelock

Tom Lyng

Teagasc Curtins Farm

Teagasc Ballyhaise

Crumlin, Co Antrim

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.12 Growth rate (kg/day) 45 Average farm cover (kg/cow) 161 Yield (l/cow/day) 19.8 Fat % 4.74 Protein % 3.77 Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.73 Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.59 Growth rate (kg/day) 68 Average farm cover (kg/cow) 167 Yield (l/cow/day) 17.7 Fat % 4.66 Protein % 3.64 Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.51 Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.83 Growth rate (kg/day) 74 Average farm cover (kg/cow) 241 Yield (l/cow/day) 29 Fat % 3.8 Protein % 3.15 Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.08 Supplement (kg/cow/day)5.7m 2.7s

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.12 Growth rate (kg/day) 64 Average farm cover (kg/cow) 179 Yield (l/cow/day) 19.1 Fat % 4.44 Protein % 3.91 Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.60 Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0

Growth rate is still poor but it is improving. We got around 11mm of rain on Tuesday night but we needed every bit of it and will need more too. Pre-grazing yields are about 1,000kg but should hold steady at this as demand is 40kg and I think growth will improve now after the rain. We are still feeding 4kg of meal per day and will keep it in until the weekend anyway. :H KDYH VRPH o HOGV RXW IRU reseeding and the plan is to sow these next week.

Grass growth dropped a bit this week but we are still in a good position with growth at 68kg/day. We got a good bit of rain over the last few days which was welcome and should keep growth going for another while. We have an even wedge, with pre-grazing yield around 1,500kg. Milk production is holding steady, with somatic cell count at 98,000.

It’s been a tremendous year for grass and it’s some struggle to keep on top of it, but it’s a good struggle. We have a high-yielding herd so we manage them a bit different to other grass farmers. At the moment the cows are 225 days in milk and we are drying off autumn calvers every week. We keep the high yielders in at night but everything goes out by day. Keeping the solids up is a bit of a struggle with the type of cow we have. We are grazing covers of around 1,500kg, and we are spreading one bag/acre of 25% nitrogen with sulphur and selenium after grazing.

Grass cover is 179kg/cow (after some paddocks were skipped for bales) and the growth rate is back a little to 64kg probably because we were a week later with fertiliser than normal. Second-cut silage and surplus paddocks will be cut before the weekend, depending on the weather. Grass quality ahead of the cows is good, with plenty of clover too. We will be starting to build grass in the next few weeks for October and November. Up to 17 July the farm has grown 8.5t DM/ha, which is a slight increase on the same period last year.

*UHHQo HOG .LONHQQ\

Phone: 01224 426001 (Aberdeen) or 0141 301 1044 (Glasgow) GRAZING GUIDE 2 This guide aims to help farmers ensure that they are exploiting the full potential of grazed grass on their farm, irrespective of production system or land type. Our expert team cover topics such as the role of clover, farm infrastructure, reseeding and soil nutrients in improving grass growth and utilisation.

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

LIVESTOCK 35

Grass+

Beef

Growth weakens but still exceeds demand CIARĂ N LENEHAN

rass growth was back to 53kg DM/ ha/day on our measuring beef farms this week. This represents a 17% drop on last week. However, as always, there is big variation within the data. Some farms are up in the 90s while some of our farmers struggled to hit 20kg DM/ha/ day this week. There may be a number of reasons for this. A lot of our

measuring farms took silage before last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wet spell and this ground will have been slow to come back. Many have also taken the foot oďŹ&#x20AC; the gas temporarily in terms of fertiliser. Some farmers on dry ground in the east, particularly areas like Wicklow, got very little of the rain that came last week and the lack of moisture has slowed things down. In truth, a grass growth ďŹ gure of 53kg DM/ha/day is still leading to a surplus on the majority of beef farms â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ie daily production of grass is exceeding demand.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my demand? As I highlighted a number of weeks ago, in grass terms the year is starting now. If one of your resolutions for 2018 is to drive on grassland on your farm, you must be proactive soon. July and August are important months in the grassland calendar, during which we try and build a supply of grass thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll carry us into the back end and allow us to have a bank ready for early next spring. Calculating your daily grass demand is the first step to managing your grass. Allow

Joe Healy

John McSweeney

Harry Lalor Co Laois

Derrypatrick Herd

System suckler to bull beef Soil type heavy clay Avg farm cover (kg DM/ha) 934 Grass demand (kg DM/ha/day) 32 Growth (kg DM/ha/day) 69 Grass is in good supply on the farm. Growth rates have remained strong in recent weeks and with silage ground coming back on the grazing platform, this should allow me to take out a few more surplus bales before I start building covers for the autumn. AI is currently taking place on farm and thankfully it is going very well. To date, I have around 80 cows served and will continue with AI for another while yet before the Limousin stock bull is let out WR o QLVK RII $OO FDOYHV JRW WKHLU o UVW ZRUP GRVH ODVW week and they also received WKHLU o UVW VKRW RI 7ULERYD[ 10 to protect them against clostridial disease. They will get their booster shot in four weeksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time. I slaughtered WKH o UVW RI P\ 8 PRQWK bulls last week. These were RQ DG OLE PHDO IRU WKH ODVW 100 days I was very pleased ZLWK WKHLU NLOO RXW DQG WKH\ all reached the required fat cover. Earlier this week, , GLYLGHG D DFUH VLODJH o HOG WR DOORZ PH WR EHWWHU manage the grass during the shoulders of the year when it is been grazed.

System suckler/calf to bull beef Soil type relatively dry Avg farm cover (kg DM/ha) 1,227 Grass demand (kg DM/ha/day) 46 Growth (kg DM/ha/day) 63 I am planning to take out my VHFRQG FXW VLODJH LQ WKH QH[W ZHHN RU WZR ZHDWKHU SHU mitting. I take all my silage as bales and aim for quality always. I plan to spread one bag SHU DFUH RI ZLWK sulphur on all ground once VLODJH LV WDNHQ RII 'DLU\ bred calves are eating 1kg of ration per day at grass. I KDYH FDOYHV DW JUDVV WKLV year and will sell some in the autumn as weanlings, with WKH UHVW WDNHQ RQ WR o QLVK , ZHLJKHG DOO VWRFN UHFHQW O\ 0\ FRZV DYHUDJHG NJ ZLWK WKH OLJKWHVW o UVW FDOYHUV averaging 480kg. My calves DUH ZHLJKLQJ NJ DW the moment. , ZLOO FDOFXODWH P\ FRZ HI o FLHQF\ SHUFHQWDJH RI FRZ weight weaned) once I get my calf weight at weaning. Dosing was carried out on all calves for worms recently. I will dose again if required in early autumn. My store cattle are to continue at grass until late autumn when I will introduce UDWLRQ ZLWK D YLHZ RI o QLVK ing before Christmas.

System suckler/calf to beef Soil type mostly dry Avg farm cover (kg DM/ha) 1,290 Grass demand (kg DM/ha/day): 61 Growth (kg DM/ha/day): 48 2QH RU WZR YHU\ VWURQJ SDG docks are bringing up my average farm cover but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve VRPH UHDOO\ QLFH DIWHU JUDVV FRPLQJ EDFN LQWR WKH URWD tion for my heifers and bulls ZKLFK , KRSH WR o QLVK ODWHU LQ the year. I weighed the heifers earlier this week and I was a bit disappointed considering they only achieved 0.9kg/ head/day since early April. I hope to really push these on now by letting them into nice covers and not forcing them to clean it out like I have all season. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll weigh the bulls ODWHU LQ WKH ZHHN DQG KRSH fully theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be over 475kg as I usually put them to the VKHG LQ PLG $XJXVW ZLWK D view to having them gone before Christmas. 7KH GDLU\ FURVV FDOYHV gave me a pleasant surprise ZHLJKLQJ LQ DW NJ RQ DYHU age. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve decided to continue feeding 1kg of meal as I want to keep them for breeding, bringing more milk into the KHUG , IHHO LW OO EH D FKDO lenge to calve them down at 24 months.

System suckler to beef Soil type variable Average farm cover (kg DM/ha)613 Grass demand (kg DM/ha/day) 55 Growth (kg DM/ha/day) 55 6HFRQG FXW VLODJH ZDV KDUYHVWHG RQ -XO\ LQ H[ cellent weather conditions, IROORZLQJ D VHYHQ ZHHN growing period, and should provide suitable forage for suckler cows over the indoor winter period. The decision was made to harvest during good weather rather than wait an H[WUD ZHHN WR HQKDQFH \LHOG Despite this, we achieved D \LHOG RI W'0 KD IROORZ ing the application of slurry JDOORQV DFUH DQG &$1 WKUHH EDJV DFUH DIWHU WKH o UVW FXW ZDV KDUYHVWHG *UDVV JURZWK H[FHHGHG RXU H[SHFWDWLRQ IROORZLQJ WKH KDUYHVW RI RXU VHFRQG cut silage and required us to remove additional surplus grass this week. Ensuring SUH JUD]LQJ FRYHUV VWD\ RQ WDUJHW NJ '0 ha) requires surplus grass to be removed and this has SRVLWLYH EHQHo WV RQ JUDVV production, quality of grazed JUDVV DQG DQLPDO SHUIRU mance. :H DUH FXUUHQWO\ LQFRU porating clover into half of the farm in preparation for a clover trial.

BEEF SPECIALIST clenehan@farmersjournal.ie

94 79

70 611

102

52 Co Meath

95 42

900

71 48 61

38 52

10-year average grass growth kg DM/ha/day

100

2017

80 2016

60 40

10-year average

20 0

Days ahead Divide this into your average farm cover (kg DM/ha) to work out a days ahead ďŹ gure. At this point of the year, you should be aiming to have around 16 daysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worth of grass on the farm at this point, rising to 30 in mid-September.

18kg of daily grass demand per livestock unit (suckler cow and calf = 1.1 LU, weanling = 0.6 LU, yearling = 0.7 LU, twoyear-old or greater = 1 LU) and divide your total demand by the number of hectares the group is running to get a daily demand per hectare.

IRISH

In association with

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farmersjournal.ie

A TEAGASC/IRISH FARMERS JOURNAL INITIATIVE

John Heslin

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

36 ARABLE

Arable Herbicide resistance in Irish grass weeds Research is confirming the presence of resistance to four different groups of chemistry in many major grass weeds in Irish fields

ith the harvest almost upon us, many growers are finding strange grass weeds emerging from their previously clean crops. It is very important that these (1) be identified prior to harvest and (2) be classified as to their state of resistance for future control. Most serious tillage farmers will be acutely aware of the growing problem of grass weeds and their implication and cost for crop production. Fewer will be aware of the consequences of even lower numbers for producers of certified seed. The Irish seed industry has set itself higher standards for grass weed seed contamination and this is effectively zero-tolerance for the crop in the field and the seed in the bag. The seed trade (ISTA) has opted for zero-tolerance for a number of grass weeds such as wild oats, sterile brome and black grass and commercial growers have also become acutely aware of the importance of this. Imported seed, especially from Britain, always poses a risk of contamination but imported grain to be planted as seed will represent an even higher risk. Irish growers are now realising this fact, but it seems to be a bit too late in some instances as infestation is already present. When any of these grasses get into fields destined for seed production, the consequences can be complete loss of the crop for certification. This has implication for the seed producer but also for the seed customer as this seed will not be available. So it is hardly surprising that the seed trade (ISTA) has been actively involved in part-funding a Teagasc research project to assess the current state of resistance or susceptibility to different herbicide families in a range of serious grass weeds. Early findings from this work was presented at the Teagasc Tillage Conference last spring. An interim report was published in Teagasc’s recent T-Research magazine (Volume 12: Number 2). The presence of resistance to herbicides will either alter the control strategy that must be used while increasing its cost or it could make control either difficult or impossible using herbicides. This could be critical for certified seed production. The main face of the project is PhD student Ronan Byrne. However, other Teagasc people are also involved including John Spink, Susanne Barth and Tim O’Donovan, now with Seedtech. The report authors define herbicide resistance as “the evolved ability of a plant to survive a dose of herbicide that would normally be lethal to it”. Given the increasing reports of the presence of resistance in our grass weeds, it is hardly surprising that there is research to help understanding the nature of this resistance. Sample collection Grass weed samples were taken initially from fields where weed control proved

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difficult in 2016. The specific grass weeds being examined were wild oats, blackgrass, lesser canary grass and various species of brome. In that year, 77 different populations of grass weeds were tested for their susceptibility to four different commonly used herbicide actives. The total population was made up of wild oats (31), brome (22), blackgrass (16) and lesser canary grass (8). The different weed populations were then tested for their susceptibility, or otherwise, to pinoxaden (Axial), cycloxydim (Stratos Ultra), propaquizafop (Falcon) and meso/iodosulfuron (Pacifica), representing the ACCase- and ALS-inhibiting herbicides. The active efficacy or level of resistance was measured as the difference between the biomass of plants sprayed with the various herbicides and that of unsprayed controls. A resistance score was calculated by dividing the weight of the biomass of the sprayed plant by that of the unsprayed control. This provided a resistance score for each population to each active ingredient tested. This survey is being continued in 2017 and 2018. Resistance found While it is too early to make absolute statements about the level or incidence of resistance, the findings of this research to date indicate that ‘dim’, ‘den’, ‘fop’ and sulfonylurea resistance seem to be present in wild oats. Similar findings were

ÁKey points Â Research funded by the Irish Seed Trade Association is helping to identify both the origin of some of our grass weed populations and their susceptibility or resistance to four common herbicide families. Â Wild oat and blackgrass populations now contain resistant types that are unlikely to be controlled by the four major herbicide families. Â Cultural control must form part of the control effort for all weeds, grass and broad-leaved.

achieved for blackgrass. Tests on the populations of brome grasses indicated no signs of resistance to ACCase inhibitors, but resistance is suspected to ALS inhibitors (sulfonylureas). A summary of these results is shown in Table 1. Implications While not all samples showed resistance, the results add complexity for the tillage sector. The authors indicate that, while resistance occured initially as a mutation, its spread is most likely through the spread of resistant seeds. This means that the potential for the spread of resistance is signiﬁcant. It also points to the need for much greater bi-

osecurity between fields and farms to help prevent this spread and it may cause input costs to rise and result in reduced profit margins for growers. The next steps While resistance is present, the researchers now aim to test the rate responsiveness of the different actives on the different populations. There are also plans to attempt to check the origin of recent blackgrass outbreaks in this country but it may be much more difficult to confirm the exact source of infestation. However, it may be possible to age the mutation levels in resistant Irish populations and thus indicate the possible period of introduction. It would also be good to know if fields with blackgrass present are entirely made up of resistant types or if populations contain a mixture of susceptible types and types with resistance to different active families. However, even if there were susceptible types present, resistant types would quickly predominate. Farm level response to infestation with any of these grasses must be definite and instant. These weeds must not be tolerated in our fields because control cost is only eating into margins and we know that many of these grasses will overcome the efficacy of herbicides over time to leave us with an even bigger problem if we allow them to proliferate in the meantime. So zero-tolerance is the only sustainable option.

Table 1: Overview of the presence of resistance to available herbicide groups in tested weed grass species Species

Resistance to cycloxydim?

Resistance to propaquizafop?

Resistance to pinoxaden?

Resistance to meso/ iodosulfuron?

Wildoats

Suspected

Blackgrass

Brome

N/A

Suspected

Lesser canary grass

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

ARABLE 37

Andy Doyle (01) 4199531 adoyle@farmersjournal.ie

Disappointment from Irish winter barley harvest Expectations were high for winter barley crops but average yields will be lower than expected and there have been some very poor yields. Andy Doyle reports

feeling of emptiness might best describe some growers’ experiences of winter barley in 2017 as many highly promising crops failed to deliver on their expected yield. Emptiness in the trailers was, in many cases, accompanied by a level of emptiness in the grains and this has been added to by the recent weakness in prices. But before anyone judges this on winter barley alone, we must wait to see how other crops perform. We will hope for better, but only time will tell. History tells me that winter barley has been among the less-suited crops to prolonged hot spells, especially during grain fill. The growing periods of all crops are driven by accumulated temperature, so untypical spells of hot temperatures accelerate crops’ development and this can result in earlier harvest if these temperatures continue. Many growers expressed alarm at the speed of maturity of the winter barley crop and since then the same might be said for all other crops also. But the consequences may not be the same. My experiences of past years and past genetics was that crops like wheat and spring barley generally thrive in hot conditions. It might best be described as these crops having an in-built turbocharger for growth so that when the heat does come to accelerate ripening they can grow more during the hot periods to give an added yield benefit during such years. But this depends on the crops being healthy and the soil and its fertility being able to feed these growth levels. Cause of variability Winter barley has been a different animal and it was always a wonder to me if modern genetics, with many recent high yields, have been able to turbo-charge its growth. Now that we have seen such a year, it is obvious that there have been many disappointments. But the question we must all ask is “Are these a result of the variety or the field”? This is important because as far as I am aware, so far there does not seem to be a variety failure. Old seems as good as new and six-rows and hybrids have also suffered variability, but perhaps less so. And many growers have had both good and disappointing yields from the same variety, husbandry and weather. If one had access to hundreds of field records, it is possible that one could attempt to unravel some of what happened in 2017. But speaking to researchers, some of the trial sites did suffer a considerable loss of fertile tillers during the dryness

Could some of the yield variability in winter barley crops be explained by the density of stems in the stubble?

Winter barley has been a diﬀerent animal and it was always a wonder to me if modern genetics, with many recent high yields, have been able to turbocharge its growth.

pinch in April and early May. This was as much as 20% in some instances. One of the consultants told me this week that he counted 1,100 tillers per square metre last March and, following disappointing crop performance, he went back to count the stubble. In some instances, his stubble counts were down below 600 stems (ears)/m2 in two-row varieties. This fall-off, or not, in tiller numbers might also go some of the way to explaining variable straw fields in 2017. Some fields had good straw yield while others were back by up to 20%. Is this tiller number only or is lighter straw a feature of the high levels of brackling evident? So it would seem that growth pressure was quite real in the April/May period, at least in some crop situations. But there were still very many two-row crops with over 1,000 ears per square metre and six-row crops with over 600 ears per square metre and some of these still yielded both well and poorly. Unravelling the riddle One of the great challenges is to unravel the riddle of specific weight levels. I have heard of 4t crops of Cassia with specific weights of 64KPH and 3.5t/ac crops with 68-70KPH. There were even some six-row crops up to 67KPH. Generally high yields are reflected by high levels of grain fill,

with good specific weights as a consequence. But when the high-yielding crop has a relatively low specific weight, one ends up with more questions than answers. Could we have seen a year where low ear counts allowed some crops to fill to their potential or where very high ear counts restricted grain fill in all ears to produce lower-than-normal specific weight? One really needs thousand grain weights to draw any such conclusion and these will probably only come through research results in time. There were some known problem crops where yield was hit. In general, foliar diseases were not a big factor but some crops possibly suffered from BYDV, while others appeared to suffer take-all. I am

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always a bit uncomfortable about apportioning total blame to these alone. Take-all will nearly always be worse in low fertility or where soil structure is poor. It is also an almost inevitable consequence of BYDV infection.

Is soil health an issue? While this is certainly not a definitive comment, I must ask if soil structure and general soil health is a factor in the way field yields have panned out this harvest. There is no doubt that you could be lucky or unlucky with a shower and it could make or break a crop in a year like this one, but did fields that had been minded better suffer less and perform better in 2017? Fields that had adequate fertility and kind, well-structured soil should be less affected by pinches of dryness. Was this the case in 2017? In soft, slower-growth years, this might not be an issue but when the pace of growth is accelerated by higher temperatures, then all kinds of pressure points cut in as the daily demand for nutrients and water is increased considerably. If this is a factor it points again to the need to look after soil, both in terms of its structure and its fertility. Application of organic matters help both structure and moisture retention over time.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

38 ARABLE

In the ﬁelds

/RRNLQJ JRRG LQ WKH oHOGV RI 'RQHJDO While memories of the problem of harvest 2016 are still quite fresh in Donegal, Stephen Robb reports on scope for optimism for 2017 as harvest begins there

inter barley harvesting in mid-July might be the norm for most of the country but it is unusual in Donegal. Still, in the year that’s in it, the majority of cereal growers in that county were out in winter barley fields early last week, even if only to get that first headland cut and blow the dust out of the combine. Those fine spells of weather are not to be ignored in this part of the country, where it must always be a case of make hay when the sun shines there. That recent heat accelerated ripening and much of the remaining is now fit for harvesting. I recently walked a range of crops grown in the Laggan Valley, an area synonymous with tillage farming in Donegal. Speaking with growers an air of optimism was evident when they considered the potential of this year’s crops. Indeed, of the 6,000 or so hectares of cereals and brassicas grown in the northwest (predominantly concentrated in the east of the county), it is hard to recall a year when crops looked so promising. It will not be a surprise to readers to hear that growers here and along the western seaboard experienced what can only be described as the harvest from hell in 2016. The expectation was that signs of compaction would be evident in most tillage fields this year following the damage caused by the poor ground conditions last year. This, for the most part, is not the case and we undoubtedly have the dry winter and spring to thank for that. To date the total annual rainfall for this area is 418mm, which compares with 620mm for the same period last year. Growing crops at this latitude poses many challenges. Later seasons, shorter working windows throughout the day and the constant threat of catching lows off the Atlantic all make for a tricky growing climate. But every so often the balance tips in our favour, which was the case this year. The phenomenon of rust and localised drought that was so prominent in areas further south failed to spread to the fields of the northwest. Furthermore, the good spring allowed crop management operations to be carried out on time and in full, which makes a welcome change from the chaotic scenes last spring. The NW problems Before getting into individual crops, it is worth mentioning the key pests, diseases and weeds here during 2017. Donegal, famed for its low aphid numbers due to its windy conditions, has not escaped the rise in aphid populations seen this year and, as a result, barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is present to some degree in virtually every field. As well as this, Donegal has failed to elude the acceleration in grass weed infestations, particularly sterile, great, soft and meadow bromes. Patches of wild

Spring rape crops were coming towards the end RI pRZHULQJ ZKHQ I visited.

oats continue to appear sporadically throughout fields and annual meadowgrass is also particularly prevalent. Finally, mildew has been present in a number of crops throughout the season and it was particularly bad on susceptible varieties. I estimate that over 50% of winter barley crops are now harvested but green grains on headlands and tramlines are causing issues in the sample. Yields appear to be very variable this year ranging from between 3 and 4t/ac which, given the favourable season, has baffled many growers. As a whole, crops appear to be bushelling well but large variations can be seen between varieties. Moistures are generally low and there appears to be excellent straw yields. Many fields which had a bad weed problem were burned off a few weeks ago. Lodging is a big issue here this year, with some varieties suffering badly. Some brackling is evident already also and this can be expected to increase once crops are fully ripe. Crows and pigeons continue to attack crops in a number of areas and control is proving difficult.

A parasitised aphid carcase on a leaf.

Spring barley Spring barley accounts for over 60% of the crop area in the county. All field operations have been completed with the exception of a small number of latesown crops. Crops appear very clean, with early infections of rhyncho and mildew long since cleared up. As mentioned previously, BYDV was a prominent disease this year but the yield penalty is expected to be minimal. Crops have been very lush throughout the season and are quite soft as a result. Lodging has already occurred on overlaps and under trees and there is a real fear that lodging may increase as the season progresses. While this spring was generally favourable, germination and early growth were slow. As a result, earlier sown crops which were drilled in cloddy seedbeds have lower tiller numbers and smaller heads and this is noticeable in a number of ﬁelds. Wheat is relatively clean Winter wheat is in the early stages of ripening, with many of the leaves beginning to turn. It has been a favourable year for the control of septoria, with growers having achieved good control of the early spring infections. However, low levels of septoria can still be seen in some crops, as well the early onset of head blight. Aphid numbers are very low, with a number of aphid mummies (carcases of parasitised aphids) present in the canopy, indicating the presence of aphid predators. There is a small area of spring wheat sown here this year. These crops have been badly hit with mildew and control of this continues to be a challenge.

Oats Both winter and spring oats show great potential this year, with all crops standing well. Winter crops have been particularly badly hit with mildew, with traces of the disease evident throughout the growing season. Growers have also stated that their crops appear slow to ripen. BYDV is evident in a number of spring crops. This is characterised by red-tinged leaves, which are visible throughout the field. Oilseeds Winter rape growers have benefited from the unusually long flowering period and, as a result, there are high numbers of pods present. Most growers have desiccated their winter rape crops by now and most have included a pod sticker in that spray. If the weather plays ball, then growers can expect a strong yield from the crop. Spring rape is entering the latter stages of flowering, with pods in the lower canopy beginning to develop. Bee activity is still high and there are little signs of pests or disease. Pod numbers appear somewhat lower than growers would have hoped for but spring rape tends to be one of the last crops sown in the county. Harvest mercy Growers have closed the gates on most crops at this stage and we once again find ourselves at the mercy of the weather. If harvest weather remains in our favour then we can look forward to reasonable yields and quality, which would be very welcome. However, the wounds from harvest 2016 still sting and growers never dare to count their chickens before they come home to roost.

MACHINERY 29 July 2017

Living on the edge Nine-page special on hedge-cutting

40 MACHINERY

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

UNDER THE HOOD

From Krones and hedge cutters to Deere icons

n this week’s machinery pages, we take a second look at the Major Cyclone flail mower. We get an owner-operator’s perspective on how it performs in tough conditions. We also see how it fits in nicely as part of a contractor’s hedge-cutting fleet. For more details on hedge cutters, take a look at our nine-page special. Alistair Chambers reviews the Krone Michael Swadro 1400 Plus four-rotor rake and its Collins impressive performance in front of a hungry New Holland forage harvester. With the huge appetite of modern forage harvesters, rakes now have to have the throughput to keep ahead of the largest machines. Simon Henley takes a look at a the John Deere 7810, an icon that is still is in high demand and only appreciating in value on the secondhand market. This is a tractor that sold worldwide into many different markets, with many examples sold in Ireland still more than earning their keep on various farms and as part of contractor fleets. Lastly, as this is my first column as machinery editor, any suggestions or contributions are always welcome to the email address below. mcollins@farmersjournal.ie

John Deere and Väderstad have agreed to provide combination air seeders as well as high-speed disc seeding and arable implements to the Russian and Ukrainian markets under the Väderstad brand.

Deere cuts deal with Väderstad Deere and Co announced this week it has signed an agreement with Väderstad to sell its products through the John Deere dealer network in Russia and Ukraine. John Deere already provides locally produced broad acre air seeding equipment. Both parties have agreed to provide combination air seeders as well as highspeed disc seeding and arable implements. All products will be sold under the Väderstad brand throughout the region. The aim of the partnership is to

give Väderstad more access to two huge markets – Russia and Ukraine. On the after-sales side, both companies have agreed to cooperate on marketing, service, training and, most important of all, ﬁnance. Further to this, both companies will start a technology collaboration so Väderstad equipment will communicate with John Deere tractors and MyJohnDeere. com. Aaron Wetzel, vice president of the John Deere crop care platform, said this

will follow an increasing trend towards precision seeding and arable applications. From the outside it would seem Väderstad has made a strategic partnership with a major manufacturer in order to grow its business with key technology that John Deere needs. On the other hand, John Deere can provide customers with another range of products, further strengthening the range it can oﬀer.

Amazone goes trailed with its XTender Amazone’s trailed XTend system is aimed at farmers who want to apply seed and/ or fertiliser using tractors that may not be necessarily fitted with three-point linkage. The 4,200 litre hopper which can be split 50:50 is mounted on a single axle towed behind the tractor. The hopper is connected to the following cultivator by means of a CAT 3 or 4N lower link

cross shaft. It can be used in conjunction with implements from other manufacturers which broadens its appeal. Two electrically driven metering units can apply either seed or fertiliser in rates varying from 2 to 400 kg/ha. The hydraulically operated fans take care of getting the seed or fertiliser from the hopper to the cultivator.

The Amazone trailed XTend system.

MACHINERY 41

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

FTMTA NEWS

Be a part of a stronger farm machinery industry â&#x20AC;&#x201C; join the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association â&#x20AC;&#x201C; contact FTMTA at 045 409309 or membership @ftmta.ie for details.

FTMTA welcomes new members The July meeting of the FTMTA executive council was pleased to admit a further three ďŹ rms to membership of the association. Murphy Agri Machinery Ltd, trading as Murphys of Headford, of Horsevalley, Headford, Co Galway, is a well-known main dealer for Deutz-Fahr and a number of other machinery ranges including Tanco, MX and Sip among others. The Murphy family are heavily involved in the business with father John, son Trevor, and nephew/cousin Cathal. The business can be contacted at 093-36095 and the website can be found at www.murphy agrimachinery.ie . Pat Timmins Tractors of Killinure House, Tullow, is a long-established business primarily involved in the import and sale of secondhand New Holland and Ford tractors for over 40 years. The business is led by father Pat and son Karl and can be contacted on 059-915 6125, while the website can be found at www.timmins -tractors.ie . Kehoe Brothers Machinery Ltd is a wellestablished dealership based in Ballydaniel, Camolin, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, with a branch in Tullow Industrial Estate, Bunclody Road, Tullow, Co Carlow. The business, led by brothers Denis, Laurence and Joseph, was founded in 1984 and is a main dealer for Manitou, Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Abbey, Krone, Amazone and Quicke. The Camolin head oďŹ&#x192;ce can be contacted on 053-938 3255 and the website is at www.kehoebros.ie .

FARMERS JOURNAL Scotland

These three firms are the latest in a signiďŹ cant number of new members recruited by the association in recent months. The growing membership of FTMTA will greatly assist the association in delivering on its mission of promoting the highest standards of professionalism in the farm machinery industry in a manner that delivers a viable machinery industry into the future for the beneďŹ t of trade and customer alike.

Lemken sprayer demo day FTMTA members Suir Sprayers and Lemken will hold a sprayer demo day at Ballygunner, Co Waterford, on Tuesday, 1 August. The event will take place from 10am to 2pm and will feature a selection of both mounted and trailed sprayers on display.

FTMTA welcomes revised arable TAMS specs The FTMTA has welcomed the publication at the end of June of the much awaited revisions to the arable machinery speciďŹ cations in relation to eligible investments under the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme within TAMS II. The revised speciďŹ cations appear to have addressed many of the questions raised by the trade and customers alike with respect to the previously issued versions. Hopefully, the clariďŹ cation provided by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will now allow this muchneeded scheme to function as originally envisaged and hoped for.

FTMTA members Suir Sprayers and Lemken will hold a sprayer demo day at Ballygunner, Co Waterford, on Tuesday, 1 August.

FTMTA executive council nominations The 2017 annual general meeting of the Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association will take place at 12pm on Thursday 7 September at the FTMTA offices near Naas. Nomination forms in relation to vacancies on the FTMTA executive council to be ďŹ lled at the AGM have been issued

to member ďŹ rms by email in recent days. Any member wishing to nominate a member to serve on the FTMTA executive council should complete the form and return to the association no later than 5pm on Tuesday 8 August. Full details in connection with the AGM, including the agenda and associated material, will be issued by email only to member ďŹ rms in due course following close of nominations.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the bedrock of a thriving rural economyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Alison Milne of the National Council of Rural Advisers >> 5

REVEALED INSIDE

Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite tractor

22 July 2017 Vol 1 No 8 | ÂŁ3.10

Lowest beef kill on record Tighter supply driving price

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Prices remain buoyant with the weekly kill down to the level normally associated with a bank holiday week. The beef kill in June this year was the lowest on record since 1999. The average weekly kill last month was 7,300 head, 200 less than a typical June week. Over the last six weeks, there have been 8% fewer animals in abattoirs. Tight supply has pushed prices 8-11% higher. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The increase in store prices is welcome, but while it is ďŹ ne in the short term, we would prefer to see a consistency in numbers,â&#x20AC;? chair of the Scottish Beef Association Neil McCorkindale said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We continue to be alarmed by the drop in suckler cow numbers.â&#x20AC;? Supplies are further tightened by a 0.5% drop in carcase weights. Lighter steers are taking 7.5kg of beef oďŹ&#x20AC; every carcase. Advice from abattoirs last year to castrate bulls seems to have been taken up by farmers. The young bull kill has dropped by a ďŹ fth.

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CALL TODAY TO SUBSCRIBE back almost Kelso. It is the earliest harvest they have on record, which goes Neil Stewart harvesting winter barely at Grahamslaw farm near said Neil. \ Hector Innes 30 years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nice and thick crop which wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t treated with glyphosate,â&#x20AC;? Farmers Journal

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or go to www.farmersjournal.co.uk/subs The slaughter records give valuable information for breeding decisions. Some sheep are plain looking, but they kill out well Farmer focus >> 26

BSE negligible risk status recommended for Scotland JOHN SLEIGH SCOTTISH EDITOR jsleigh@farmersjournal.co.uk

The Scottish Government have announced that they are a step closer to BSE negligible status. This comes after the World Organisation for Animal Healthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (OIE) scientiďŹ c commission recommended that Scotland be recognised as an area of the UK having Negligible Risk status. This recommendation will need to be passed by the OIE General Assembly of Delegates at its meeting in late May 2017. Before the May meeting any other country has the ability to ask for the papers and pose questions which has the potential to delay the process. Along will Northern Ireland, Scotland hopes to become the ďŹ rst region of a member state awarded BSE negligible risk. Scotland has been BSE-free since 2009, and has had no cases of BSE in animals born since 2005. The status could be worth millions of pounds to the beef sector as more parts of the animal could be used and more export markets could be opened up.

Aberdeen 01 224 426 001

42 MACHINERY

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

The Krone Quadro 1400 Plus rake at work

Green rake cleaning up

On a recent trip to Cork, Alistair Chambers spent some time with Moss Noonan Contracting to have a look at their Krone rake which was midway through its second season with them

he speciďŹ cations of the Swadro 1400 Plus are very impressive, with its 13.5 metre working width giving a massive row of grass for the following machine to look after. The ďŹ nished swath can be adjusted from 1.4m to 2.2m in width, depending on the following machine. I met the machine in the small paddocks of Moorepark Research Centre where I found it raking up light crops for Moss Noonan Contracting. You may think that these are not ideal conditions for a machine of this size, but after talk-

ing with the operator he said that this was perfect for the big rake. The rake results in less driving in the paddocks, as one round of the headlands is enough to turn and less-short ranks are created. In the lighter crop the wide sweep of the Swadro means that each row has a worthwhile volume of grass. Art form Controlling such a large rake in conďŹ ned spaces is an art form, but is made far easier by the control system on it. This rake has the Delta Control Panel and

also came with the optional joystick control. The joystick allows for very easy adjustment to be made on the move, from narrowing the overall width to lifting either or both of the outer rotors. Even though the Swadro works very well in these conditions, output is what this machine is really about. Krone claims that output can reach up to 32ac/hr. A rate of 25ac/hr has been achieved by the Moss Noonan Contracting team in a big ďŹ eld situation. Portable When it comes to moving the rake from ďŹ eld to ďŹ eld or paddock to paddock, the Swadro folds up very tidily. When folded it has a width of 2.9m and a maximum height of 4 metres, with the use of its hydraulically lowering running gear. Although when the machine is lowered to this height its frame is worryingly close to the ground. This may not be an issue where the rake is travelling on smooth roads but in Ireland the frame coming in contact with the ground could be an issue. The operator said that he has occasionally had to raise the machine hydraulically to have sufficient ground clearance. Accessories A rake this size also needs other big gear around it to make sense, and Noonans

The pride of the pHHW 1RRQDQ V JCB Fastrac and 22ft Smyth supercube trailer.

certainly have them all. Mowing is done with a Krone Big M420, which clears 30ft of grass in one strip. Talking to the rake operator, he said that on some occasions he can collect two of these 30ft rows and put them into a single swath ready for the harvesters. The harvesters in this situation are a Claas Jaguar and a New Holland FR9080. The New Holland is a very interesting machine as after its original pickup was damaged a Krone pickup was ďŹ tted to it. The reason behind this was that the internals of the harvester were able for a greater grass flow than the original header could handle and they reckoned that the Krone header would increase output. This is a very good thing if 60ft of grass is being left in front of it. Once through the harvester, the grass is deposited into some newly purchased Smyth Supercube trailers. The pride of the ďŹ&#x201A;eet is a 22ft version which on the day I was there was attached to a JCB Fastrac. Padraig Noonan said that the Supercube works well and gives more capacity and slightly more weight on the draw bar than a standard trailer. Having seen the whole operation at work, I can see why the Krone is needed to get through the work and the unexpected advantages that it gives when working in lighter crops and/or smaller ďŹ elds or paddocks are a bonus.

MACHINERY 43

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

Cyclone tames the wildest of overgrowth Following an initial test drive of the Major Cyclone mower in December 2016, Michael Collins caught up with an owner operator in Cork using this machine

ugh Hegarty operates a number of hedge cutters in the greater Cork city area and recently added a Major Cyclone flail mower to his fleet. The addition of a Major MJ30-250 Cyclone mower was to replace a W-Perfect flail mower that Hugh traded in. The specifications of this machine are as follows: Â Overall width 2.65m (8ft 9in) Â Cutting width 2.5m (8ft 1in) Â Four rotors with four blades per rotor. Â Tractor hp requirement 50-120hp. Â Cutting height 20-250mm. Â Weight 785kg. When asked what he thought of the 2.65 metre four-rotor machine, Hugh said: “It’s very easy to drive and does a good job on overgrown material. So far the tractor is light on diesel which is always welcome and it runs very quietly. On material about 25mm thick it handles it no problem and really mulches it well.” At the time of our visit, Hugh only had his machine a few weeks but was impressed. He did say he was very happy with his previous W-Perfect mower but decided to try the Major this time based on the feedback from other operators. On the day I met Hugh, the machine was making a very tidy job of old dead reeds

It’s very easy to drive and does a good job on overgrown material. So far the tractor is light on diesel which is always welcome and it runs very quietly

and grass not cut in over a year on the banks of a lake. Some of the material was approximately 3ft to 4ft (91-120cm) in height and was no problem to the mower. On more regularly cut grass, the mower did an excellent job of cutting away the dead material left over the winter and spread it evenly behind the machine despite the recent rain and ample moisture underneath. Hugh did say however the machine was new and the blades were sharp, which would make chopping the material that bit easier. Added to this, the Massey Ferguson 6480 operating the machine has a rated PTO output of 120hp, which was more than able for the task. He also said on some of the thicker grass and vegetation that had become lodged and matted he had to give it a second run to get a tidier finish which was particularly noticeable. At the rear of the machine is a fullwidth steel roller that serves two purposes. It controls the working height and levels any material that is left standing up after the flails. Above this roller is a rubber flap that deflects any mulched material downward across the full width of the machine. Considering the tough conditions this machine is expected to work in, it has to be made of tough stuff. Strenx ™ MC high-strength steel is used in the manufacturing of the machines and the discs under the flails are made from Hadox R 450, a wear- and abrasion-resistant steel. The combination of these materials make the machine more suitable to handle rougher conditions which is the market Major is targeting. A point worth noting here is the four blades on each rotor are mounted at two different levels to ensure complete mulching. Asked if there is anything he would change about the machine, Hugh said: “I will probably run it on the front link-

New Holland bears new fruit New Holland launched its new range of specialist tractors for the fruit and vegetable market at the recent Fruit Focus 2017 event in East Malling, Kent. Key changes on the new tractors include a Unique Blue Cab 4, powerful hydraulics and increased lift capacity. The cab ﬁlter system is innovative as the operator can switch between ﬁlter options at the press of a button depending on the task at hand. Working widths range from 1.06m to 1.47m with power ranging from 75hp for the T4.80 to 107hp for the T4.110. All this comes from a 3.4-litre FPT engine.

Emissions Emission regulations are met using cooled exhaust gas recirculation (CEGR) and diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) requiring no regeneration. Transmission options are 31x16 or 44x16 Dual Command ™ for specilalist applications. Other options include the SuperSteer front axle. Rear linkage capacity is 2,600kg with front linkage increasing to 1,970kgs on all T4 FNVs. Hydraulic output is up to 82 litres per minute when a premium hydraulic system is speciﬁed.

– MICHAEL COLLINS

Hugh Hegarty operating his Major MJ30-250 on his Massey Ferguson 6480. Inset: the working end of the mower.

age as this would avoid trampling the grass with the wheels making for a better cut and I could also see exactly where the mower is running.” This could be easily done by turning the gearbox around and using the in-

situ linkage brackets on the rear of the machine. The other advantage of this would be if Hugh wanted he could run this in tandem with one of his hedge cutters or in combination with another side-mounted mower if he pleased.

Key changes on the new tractors include a Unique Blue Cab 4, powerful hydraulics and increased lift capacity.

44 MACHINERY

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

Hedge-cutting Special

Getting ready for the cut ALISTAIR CHAMBERS

MACHINERY TESTING SPECIALIST achambers@farmersjournal.ie

In our hedge-cutting special, Alistair Chambers got to spend some time trimming the motorway verges with a striking pair of orange tractors ﬁtted with high speciﬁcation McConnel hedge cutters. This is not a job for the fainthearted, but is essential to the

maintenance of the motorway network. Peter Thomas Keaveney went to visit a midlands contractor who runs a pair of Spearhead machines, as well as running the JF Centre. Michael Collins went on the hunt for value hedge cutters and found three good value machines in dealer’s yards around the country. Barry Cassidy looked into

the insurance issues that surround working with hedge cutters on a roadway and general safety when using these very useful but dangerous machines. In the news section, Mzuri have entered the market with some novel ideas and Blaney have upgraded their oﬀering with new technology and a smaller finger bar-type machine.

The hedge-cutting season starts on 1 September.

The Mzuri Razorback was launched in the UK and will hopefully be here for the cutting season.

Mzuri’s clever new entrant to the market

ALISTAIR CHAMBERS

MACHINERY TESTING SPECIALIST

achambers@farmersjournal.ie

One of the most interesting launches on the hedge-cutting front this year was from Mzuri, the direct strip-till drill ﬁrm whose boss founded and used to own Spearhead. The company chose the Ce-

reals event in the UK to launch the Razorback, a new hedge trimmer design incorporating two distinct features. A hydraulic levelling system automatically levels the trimmer independently of the tractor, while the head drops the conventional horizontal rotor and flails in favour of three vertical rotors, each with a

pair of three blade setups and mounted one above the other to pulverise the trimmings. Ireland As of yet, these machines have not been seen working in Ireland but the move away from the tried and tested rotor and ﬂails will be very interesting to see at work.

Hedge-cutting innovations at Blaney Co Antrim-based machinery manufacturer Blaney Agri is now oﬀering new control options on its Agri, Agri Pro and Contractor Series hedge cutter range

MACHINERY 45

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

The Blaney C600 at work.

Blaney showcased their new Compact series hedge cutter at the Balmoral Show extending their range further.

laney Agri has had a busy year with new additions to its hedge cutter range, from new machines to added features. The new “Soft Touch” proportional control options have been developed in response to customer demand. These electronic proportional controls are more responsive to further improve ﬁnish and user comfort. Over 10 years ago, Blaney Agri developed its acclaimed Power Shredder TM technology which is incorporated in the business end of the Blaney hedge cutters as well as the Blaney Power ShredderTM mowers and excavator heads. The Blaney R&D team has taken some unique approaches to ensure there is more power to the head for increased rotor speed, a better cut and ﬁnish with improved efficiency, saving time and

fuel. The new Blaney Compact hedge cutter is equipped with a fingerbar trimmer, featuring a low-friction, self-lubricating design which is easy to drive and reduces wear and associated maintenance costs. This also gives enhanced performance even on older tractors with less oil flow. It is ideal for smaller or compact tractors for lighter hedge-cutting tasks where a flail head is not required. Blaney as an independent manufacturer has no links to any other range and so has no restrictions in its design, giving it the ability to give experienced users exactly what they want. Blaney offers a range of impressive machines from the Compact trimmer to a telescopic Contractor machine with 6.5m reach, and a range of machines within the Agri and Agri Pro Series in between.

The Blaney C450 reaching over a hedge.

For those who have special requirements and want a diﬀerent combination of features, the Blaney hedge cutter is ideal since their efficient design and production techniques allow them to tailor machines for a custom build. Blaney Agri recognises oil condition to be key to the lifespan of its machine. The clever design promotes natural cooling in the system, with the use of special fittings to reduce pressure points and ﬂow restrictions. Lifetime maintenance costs are reduced as a result of painstaking development within the drive system for optimum oil conditioning and low-friction circuits reducing heat generation during use. This also reduces tractor power input requirements with greater rotor output due to lower energy losses within the system.

The Blaney R&D team has taken some unique approaches to ensure there is more power to the head for increased rotor speed, a better cut and ﬁnish with improved eﬃciency

46 MACHINERY

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

Hedge-cutting Special

Alistair Chambers drives the M9 motorway on a nearly daily basis. A few times a year he catches a glimpse of orange in his rear-view mirror

The orange motorway trimming ﬂeet

hat I am seeing is the most standout hedgecutting outfit in the country, which consists of two Massey Ferguson 6615 tractors painted in day-glow orange ﬁtted with two McConnell hedge cutters. These machines have been travelling up and down the M9 since 2015. They are owned by Holden plant hire in Kilkenny and are hired to and operated by Eigis Lagan. When I was given the opportunity to go out on the road with Eigis Lagan for a few hours and sit up in one of the or-

ange ladies, I couldn’t turn down that offer. The first thing I noticed as I climbed up into the Massey was how clean the cab was in comparison to your normal agri-tractor. These machines very rarely leave the hard shoulder of the motorway. IPVs Once on the move the two hedge cutters stay close together and are followed by an impact protection vehicle (IPV). This is a special truck with a crash structure built into the bed of it. This also has a sign on the back of it to warn following traffic to stay out from the machines at

work. This is essential as the hedge cutters are travelling at between 8km/hr and 10km/h which explains why I have only ever seen a glimpse of orange while driving by. From inside the tractors the speed at which the cars and lorries go by is breath-taking for the ﬁrst while but the everyday driver of the machine said that after a while, you don’t notice them. The two machines cover between 20km and 30km per day depending on where there is an exit junction to get the machines oﬀ the road overnight. Obstacle course When cutting, the operator is constantly busy as there are more obstacles along the edge of a motorway than you would have ever thought possible – from manholes, signposts to crash barriers. Each of these have to be expertly manoeuvred around so as not to damage the obstacle or the hedge cutter. The M9 is 111km from top to bottom, so the round trip to cut the verges is 222km. This on average takes them nine days to do and is undertaken at least six times during the growing season. The larger areas of greenery are tackled with a newly purchased Major Cyclone. The day before the hedge cutters

arrive, a team of litter pickers clears any debris from the cutting area so as to lower the risk of damage to machines or passing cars. Models These are two serious hedge-cutting outfits, the first hedge cutter is a McConnel PA7285T-VFR. This hedge cutter offers the big advantage of a variablereach forward arm. This design allows the operator to move the hedge-cutter head to a working position alongside the door or further forward. This is the machine that I was sitting in and Donal McDonald, its operator, said the forward reaching arm was very useful for working behind barriers and other obstacles. Donal also said that he has driven many different hedge cutters over the years and this McConnel was the smoothest and easiest to control. The other hedge cutter in this fleet is a McConnel 6570. This is a standard arm machine and cleans up anything that the bigger forward arm machine can’t reach The only place where this was an issue was on the forward-side of a pole where the angle of the arm didn’t allow the bigger ma-

MACHINERY 47

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

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chine to cut right back to the base of it. The tractors The two hedge cutters are ﬁtted on the very distinctive orange Massey Fergusons which have 150hp units. Both tractors have more than enough power for their respective mounted machines. One of the tractors is on road tyres and the other is on agri-tyres. Donal has noticed that the agri-tyres have tended to wear on the load-bearing side of the tractor, and on the forward arm machine the front left agri tyre has had to be replaced after only 1,100 odd hours. The tractor with the road tyres has shown little or no wear on the tyres in the three years and 900 hours it has done so far. Both tractors are very low hours as this is the only work they do and they are rarely disconnected from their hedge cutters. Having only ever ﬂashed by these machines on my daily commute, I would have thought that it couldn’t be a very interesting or exciting place to be. However, having spent some time on the road with the lads from Eigis Lagan, I can see that these are serious machines working in a harsh and slightly dangerous environment.

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48 MACHINERY

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

Hedge-cutting Special

Spearhead the choice for Oﬀaly contractor Peter Thomas Keaveney recently visited Gethings Contractors Ltd, based in Annaharvey, Tullamore, Co Oﬀaly

ethings Contractors is a family-run business which has been in the game for nearly 100 years in the Oﬀaly area. We spoke to Alan Gethings, who is the fourth-generation business owner.

Hedge-cutting Alan runs two Spearhead hedge cutters for 24 weeks of the year. The bigger machine is a Twiga 655T and Alan powers this using a Case CS 130. The smaller model is a Twiga 500 and it is powered by a Massey Ferguson 390. In 2016, Alan’s hedge-cutting workload was broken down into a 14-week period cutting verges for the county council and a 10-week period cutting hedges for local farmers and homeowners. Alan charges a rate of £36 per hour including VAT for the larger 6.5m hedge cutter and a rate of £31 per hour including VAT for the smaller 5m hedge-cutter. Speaking about the hedge cutters, Alan said: “I really like the Spearhead machines because of their versatility and simplicity. They are well-designed machines which are easy to put on to the tractor or take oﬀ; it only takes 15 minutes.’’ Controls ‘‘The controls are nice and simple to use with minimal electronics compared with some other brands out there. Some brands have gone down the line of using far too much electronic controls, many of which are proving to have costly issues. However, at the end of the day, they are all relatively similar machines. Spearhead, McConnel, Twose and Bombford

are all owned and distributed by the Alamo group,” he said. We asked Alan if he was in agreement with the current hedge-cutting season legislation and he explained: “There are certain hedges that may often have to be cut for safety reasons. ‘‘However, the majority of contractors are now too afraid to cut these when the season is closed. I think there needs to be more clarity on any exemptions for cutting hazardous hedges, which pose a risk to public safety during the closed season. ‘‘Other than this, I have no objections to the closed cutting season.” Contracting Gethings Contractors Ltd provides a wide range of services to its customers, including silage-cutting, baling, slurry spreading, hedge-cutting, ploughing, reseeding and combining. The fleet is made up of five Case tractors and one Massey Ferguson tractor. As the business is familyowned, Alan explained that the majority of the staff is from within the family circle. This includes Alan’s father, his cousin, his brother and two of his nephews. Alan picks up 10ft swaths of silage using a JF harvester. We asked Alan if he carries out any tedding and raking of grass. He said: “We have one customer for the past 15 years. He tests his silage on an annual basis and his silage quality ranks within the top three in the Laois/ Offaly Friesian breeders’ awards. This proves that silage does not need to be tedded or raked. We mow the grass in 10ft ledges, let it wilt for a day and then pick it up. I believe that this is the best way possible to make quality silage.’’ Alan runs two Redrock TH300 loading shovels. He couldn’t praise these machines enough and said it was a shame that they went off the market. He explained that over the past 15 years he never had to carry out any work on

Alan runs two Spearhead hedge cutters for 24 weeks of the year.

the machines with the exception of standard servicing and maintenance work. These loading shovels run on dual wheels and carry an 11ft fork while pushing up silage. We asked Alan what the best machine he ever purchased was. After some deliberation, he explained that the JF 900 harvester gave one of the biggest jumps

in output he ever witnessed. This machine was purchased 37 years ago. The business went from running a Tarrup 602B harvester with an output of 23 acres per day to the JF 900 harvester, which had an output of up to 40 acres per day. Alan said: “I can remember the day when the harvester arrived. The diﬀer-

JF CENTRE The JF Centre was set up by Alan just two years ago. Alan explained that he got the idea four years ago while cutting silage. The gearbox went in his JF harvester and he couldn’t source any secondhand parts throughout the country. He had completed an apprenticeship as a mechanic so dismantling machinery was never a problem. The business now employs three full-time staff. Alan began the business by purchasing a JF 1050 harvester and dismantling it for the resale of secondhand parts. Two months later, he was carrying new parts in stock. He

H[SODLQHG WKDW KH LV QRW DQ RIoFLDO GHDOHU but JF has made him an associate dealer. Alan said: “JF still haven’t made the JF &HQWUH DQ RIoFLDO GHDOHU EHFDXVH WKH\ LQformed me that they have an abundance of great dealers around the country and that they don’t need anymore. However, we have dealt with 616 clients since we opened our doors just two years ago. Many of these are repeat customers which is great to see.” In 2017, the JF Centre reconditioned 19 JF harvesters. In addition, the centre has sold six harvesters so far this year with

more currently in stock which are available for sale. Alan explained that the JF centre are currently carrying all parts on the shelf for the JF 900 model right through to the JF 1050 model. The centre sells genuine and secondhand parts. Alan informed us that the majority of people working JF harvesters are farmers who cut their own silage. These farmers are typically cutting 150 to 200 acres of silage per year. However, there are still a number of contractors who run JF harvesters and cut up to 1,000 acres of silage per year.

Alan is always trying to promote and grow his business and take on any opportunity that comes his way. Almost a year and a half ago, Alan took on the Spearhead agency for the midlands area. He informed us that there is huge interest locally in these machines. The JF Centre also carries a wide selection of parts for all hedge cutters. Alan expressed his gratitude towards all of his customers who helped him to build his business. He also promised us that there is more in the pipeline for machinery sales.

MACHINERY 49

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

The running costs of agricultural contracting businesses are extremely high while the margins are simply too tight

A.R. Engineering Services Ltd. New Aglish, Carrigeen, County Kilkenny Via Waterford - Tel: 00353 87 259 4595

Large selection of mod els availa ble to choose from. ence in output at the time was phenomenal. The complete outﬁt was the same with the exception of the harvester and to almost double the output was huge. It was a big step-up for contractors at that time.” We asked Alan for his opinion on the biggest challenge facing agricultural

contractors. He said: “The cost of machinery nowadays is so high with such little return for your investment. It’s also proving more and more challenging to collect money from farmers. The running costs of agricultural contracting businesses are extremely high while the margins are simply too tight.”

OVER 30 YEARS IN BUSINESS (est 1983)

For both Farmer and Contractor

The majority of people working JF harvesters are farmers who cut their own silage, according to Alan Gethings.

A.R. Engineering Services Ltd.

30 Years in Business

Es t. 1983

New Aglish, Carrigeen, County Kilkenny Via Waterford - Tel: 00353 87 259 4 595

50 MACHINERY

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

Hedge cutters Special

Making the cut for €10,000 or less Michael Collins looks at three hedge-cutting options available for €10,000 (£8,900) or less

F The business end of any hedge cutter is the head and all the machines we looked at were ﬁtted with 1.2m to 1.25m ﬂail heads

or farmers who want to do their own hedge cutting and have the time to do so, we spoke to a number of dealers to see what stock of secondhand hedge cutters they have. The business end of any hedge cutter is the head and all the machines we looked at were fitted with 1.2m to 1.25m flail heads. Also, all three machines were fitted with steel rollers to the rear of the rotor allowing the machine to follow any contours during work. As it is still some time away from the start of the season, 1 September, the dealers we called said it was still early for hedge cutter sales. Nonetheless, we got a taste of what secondhand machines are on the market. The question every prospective customer needs to ask themselves is, would it be cheaper to do the work with their own machine or get a contractor to do it for them.

Nicholas Gainford Ltd

– Garage & Engineering services –

Repair and balancing of hedge cutter rotors: -

Dynamic balancing of hedge cutter rotors with flails on! New hanging brackets for flails from mild steel or Hardox. Axle bracket manufacture

Nicholas Gainford Ltd. Ballinlug, Killianne, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. Phone: 053 92 55713 | Fax: 053 9255891 E:nicholas@gainford.ie W: www.gainford.ie

McConnel PA5000 hedge cutter with Orbitor head angling bracket.

MCCONNEL PA5000T This McConnel PA5000T is being sold by Alexander Mills, Benburb, Co Tyrone. Alexander Mills sells a lot of hedge cutters per year and on the day we were in contact had in excess of 40 machines on hand from new to secondhand. The machine we were particularly interested in was a PA 5000T. It is speciﬁed as follows: Â Horizontal reach 6.07 metres (22ft). Â Cutter head width 1.25 metres (4ft). Â Tractor hp requirement – 90hp+. This machine has the longest reach

of all three we looked at. For this reach, axle brackets are required for extra stability when the machine is at full stretch along with attachment to the three-point linkage. Another interesting feature of this machine is the Orbitor head angling bracket. This allows the head to tilt in such a way that allows it to work behind the tractor within the tractor’s width. Where space to the left hand side of the tractor is limited, the main arm can be swung back and the head can still operate. This could be particularly useful

when trimming that narrow cow passage or lane where there is not enough room to operate the head beside the tractor’s left-hand wheel. The head on this machine was in particularly good condition. There were no dents in the top cover from stones being caught in ﬂails and the paintwork was in good condition apart from general wear and tear. For the speciﬁcation of machine, the McConnel is well priced at €7,800 (£6,942) including VAT at 20%. All machines we looked at were in generally good condition.

FERRI TP61

BOMFORD B49

Atkins of Cork has the Ferri agency. Ferri is an Italian manufacturer and has machines in its range available for farmers right through to contractors. On the day we called, Atkins had both a Ferri and a Bomford machine traded in. The Ferri was a 2008 TP61. The specifications are as follows: Â Horizontal reach 5.91 metres (19.39 ft). Â Cutter head width 1.2 metres (3.93 ft). Â Tractor hp requirement 75-95hp. This machine could be readily described as a farmer’s machine, with cable controls and a flail cutter head. It’s straightforward to attach to the tractor, with three-point linkage. Two adjustable stay bars make it simple to put on or remove. Out of work the machine sits on four jacks which can be stored on it. The head was in good condition considering its age and is fitted with T-shaped flails which handle anything from briars to grass to general overgrowth. This machine would suit a farmer who wants to tidy his farm passages once a year and trim unwanted weeds under electric fence wire. The price is €9,000 (£8,010) including VAT.

The other machine we saw in Atkins was a Bomford B49 with a new ﬂail head attached. The ﬁrst question that springs to mind was why the new head? Atkins said it was cheaper to replace the old head than repair it. Unlike the Ferri, this machine was controlled with a joystick. The machine was in good presentable condition and has the following spec: Â Horizontal reach 4.9m (16.1ft). Â Cutter head width metres 1.25m (4ft). Â Tractor hp requirement – 55hp. It has an interesting feature not seen on many machines – a crooked arm. This allows for better visibility of the head in work and access around poles, fence posts and other obstacles. It also means the operator is not turning their head over their shoulder as much as the cutter head sits that bit further forward during work. This machine also has joystick controls and is attached to the tractor by three-point linkage with no further brackets required. Again, it is quick to mount and demount from the tractor. The Bomford is on the market for €10,000 (£8,900) including VAT.

Bomford B49 PowerPlus with new KHDG oWWHG

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

Insuring your hedge cutter Having the correct insurance cover in place for a hedgecutting implement is crucial in the event of an accident or damage occurring, writes Barry Cassidy

edge-cutting, whether it is carried out for aesthetics, road safety concerns or to maintain hedge integrity, is an important task. It is also a potentially very dangerous task. There are many associated dangers that can lead to a serious injury to the operator or persons in the vicinity of a hedge cutter. For that reason, it is important that the correct insurance cover is in place. Equally as important as having the correct cover in place, before carrying out any works, is identifying hazards and taking steps to minimise them.

THE EQUIPMENT Key hazards Â Contact with overhead power lines. Â Tractor overbalancing and overturning when machine arm is extended.

Small steps can go a long way to preventing any accidents or damage. That is why it is imperative a risk assessment is completed before any work is carried out. The Health and Safety Authority’s (HSA) booklet, Guidance on the Safe Use of Tractors and Machinery on Farms, outlines the key safety concerns that surround the use of hedge cutters and ways to control them. There are three key categories that account for the majority of exposure to hazards that result in accidents or damage. They are the equipment, the operator and the public.

Safety controls Â Before carrying out work check for overhead power lines. Â Only competent and trained operators should be allowed to operate hedge cutters.

Hedge-cutting at Drumconrath, Co Meath.

THE PUBLIC Key hazards Â Road traffic accidents. Â Being hit by the cutting head or machine arm in motion. Â Being struck by flying objects, ie machine parts or debris. Safety controls Â Before hedge cutting is carried out always ensure that each site is individually assessed and where visibility is limited, specific traffic management measures

THE OPERATOR Key hazards Â Being struck by ﬂying objects, ie machine parts or debris. Â Getting caught up in the PTO shaft or other moving parts. Â Entrapment between tractor and machine when hitching or unhitching. Â Damaged hydraulic hoses causing injection of oil leading to skin and tissue damage.

must be put in place to warn motorists of the potential danger. Â Flagmen should be used where appropriate based on the risk assessment and they must always wear high-visibility vests/jackets. Â Ensure appropriate warning signage is erected to warn workers, members of the public and oncoming traﬃc of the ongoing work. Â Ensure that any debris that falls on to the road is immediately removed so as to prevent injury or damage to a third party or their property.

Safety controls Â Only competent and trained operators should be allowed to operate hedge cutters. Â Ensure a safety screen is installed on the side and rear of the tractor to prevent injury to driver from ﬂying objects. Â Always ensure that the appropriate PPE is worn by all operators (eg gloves, safety boots, eye protection and hearing protection). Â Replace any faulty or damaged parts on the machine.

52 MACHINERY

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

FARM SAFETY Overhead wires and ďŹ&#x201A;ying debris top hedge-cutting safety concerns list When undertaking hedge-cutting this year, there are several key safety concerns to keep in mind, not least dangerous overhead power lines, writes Barry Cassidy

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FARMERS JOURNAL farmersjournal.ie

Working on public roads

As hedge-cutting is often carried out on public roads, extra VDIHW\ PHDVXUHV VKRXOG EH SXW LQ SODFH 3DVVLQJ WUDIoF PD\ QRW EH DZDUH RI WKH GDQJHUV SRVHG E\ p\LQJ GHEULV RU IDOOHQ objects on the road, so it is important that clear signage is used to alert them. These signs should be clearly visible and at a decent distance away from the actual hedge cutter, so that drivers can adjust their speed. If there is a risk RI GHEULV KLWWLQJ SDVVLQJ WUDIoF RU SHGHVWULDQV DOZD\V VWRS cutting and only resume when it is safe to do so. In areas with bad bends or narrow country roads that have limited YLVLELOLW\ IRU H[DPSOH LW PD\ EH QHFHVVDU\ WR SXW D pDJPDQ LQ SODFH WR VORZ RQFRPLQJ WUDIoF ,Q DOO FDVHV D ULVN DVVHVVment should be undertaken beforehand.

All machinery capable of making contact with overhead lines should be ďŹ tted with warning signs in the cab to remind operators of what to do in an emergency

Tractor and implement

Unfortunately as we are all too aware, machinery is one of the biggest killers on Irish farms. Machinery has accounted for 21% of all fatalities in the last 10 years and hedge cutters pose no less of a risk than any other farm implement. With 42% of those fatalities coming as a result of being crushed by a machine, extra care should always be taken when hitching or unhitching the cutters. It is also important to check that hydraulic hoses are intact to avoid an injection of oil causing skin or tissue damage. Finally, the ground conditions should also be assessed ZKHUH oHOG ZRUN LV EHLQJ XQGHUWDNHQ 8QHYHQ RU VRIW ground can increase the risk of the tractor overbalancing or overturning especially when the arm is extended.

Flying debris :KHQ XVLQJ HLWKHU D FLUFXODU VDZ RU D pDLO FXWWHUV WKHUH LV DOZD\V D KLJK OLNHOLKRRG RI GHEULV oULQJ RII IURP WKH machine. This debris could potentially harm either the operator or someone in the vicinity of the work. In order to minimise the risk of this occurring, any guards RU VDIHW\ IHDWXUHV RQ WKH PDFKLQH VXFK DV pDLO FRYers, should be intact. To help protect the operator from GHEULV WKDW PD\ p\ EDFN LQ WKH GLUHFWLRQ RI WKH FDE appropriate mesh or sheeting should be placed around the windows of the tractor. Appropriate PPP should also EH ZRUQ q JODVVHV HWF :DUQLQJ VLJQV VKRXOG EH HUHFWHG to alert people of the potential dangers and onlookers should be kept away from the operation.

Electricity pole stays

Stays can at times be a nuisance on farms. Given that they are placed at angles to vertical ESB poles they are in ditches RU VWLFN RXW LQWR oHOGV 7KLV PDNHV WKHP DQ REVWDFOH DQG D challenge to avoid when completing a task such as hedgecutting. The reality is that stays are a vital part for the stability of an ESB pole and are equally as important. As there can be 1,000t of force at the top of an ESB pole to keep WKH ZLUHV WLJKW DQG XS RYHU GLWFKHV DQG oHOGV VRPHWKLQJ LV needed to balance that force. Stays perform this vital task. In WKH HYHQW RI D VWD\ EHLQJ GDPDJHG RU EURNHQ LW ZLOO LQpLFW D shock load on the pole which causes a great risk of the pole breaking and falling. Not only will this affect the electricity network it may also cause the pole to fall on the machine, as well as the risks associated with live wires on the ground.

Overhead lines

Many hedge cutters will have a reach-in of approximately 7m. Given this reach, and the area that hedge cutters normally operate in, they are at a high risk of making contact with overhead wires. The majority of boundary hedges along roads generally have ESB lines running over them. These lines can hold 20,000 volts of power and making contact with one of these wires could have devastating consequences. Therefore, extra vigilance and care should be taken when operating in areas near overhead lines. This is especially true where poles may be damaged and wires are hanging lower than normal.

Emergency If you make contact with an overhead wire do not leave the cab of the tractor. If possible, move away gently and call the ESBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergency number. If there is a high risk of the machine catching oUH MXPS FOHDU RI WKH FDE q GR QRW VWHS down. Ensure to never make contact between the machine and the ground. If your machine makes contact with an ESB line, call 1850 372 999. All machinery capable of making contact with overhead lines should be oWWHG ZLWK ZDUQLQJ VLJQV LQ WKH FDE WR remind operators of what to do in an emergency.

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

VINTAGE

Big Deeres standing the test of time The 7810 is often regarded as one of John Deereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ nest tractors, and many can still be seen working today. So what made it so popular? Simon Henley ďŹ nds out

or those people who have spent any amount of time piloting a John Deere 7810, it is a tractor which arguably stands out as one of the most popular and capable high-horsepower tractors ever built. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never driven one, that may seem like a bold statement. Yet this American-built stalwart earned its iconic status on the back of a reputation for unstoppable power, and uncompromising reliability. The John Deere 7810 was the largest tractor in the John Deere 7010 Series, which was introduced in 1996 to replace the 7000 Series. Built in Waterloo, Iowa, the 7010 Series comprised of three models, namely the 7610, 7710 and the 7810. Underneath, the tractors were constructed around a full-frame modular steel chassis, which had been developed for the 6000 Series and 7000 Series tractors, introduced in 1992. This new design eliminated the requirement for a loadbearing engine and transmission. In many ways, the new models closely resembled their predecessors, sharing virtually identical styling, with only subtle changes to the design of the tractorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; decals. Beneath the sheet metal, however, it was a diďŹ&#x20AC;erent story. While the 7610 retained the 6.8-litre unit used by its 7600 predecessor, the 7.6-litre John Deere engine used in the 7700 and 7800 models was relegated to the history books. In its place, the 7710 and 7810 were equipped with a new 494 cubic-inch six-cylinder turbocharged John Deere 6081 engine. Unstressed 175hp Designed to be capable of reliably producing more than 300hp in marine applications, this 8.1-litre brute provided the 7810 with a colossal 870Nm of torque at just 1,400rpm, producing an unstressed, conservatively rated 175hp at 2,100rpm. Harnessing the engineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power, the 7810, and its slightly less powerful 155hp sibling the 7710, were oďŹ&#x20AC;ered a choice of either a 40km/h version of John Deereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 19/7 Powershift gearbox, or a 40km/h rated version of its bulletproof 20/20 PowrQuad transmission. PowrQuad, which had been introduced in the 7000 Series, was oďŹ&#x20AC;ered as standard with a forward-reverse mechanical shuttle lever incorporated into the gear lever console. An electronic left-hand power reverse lever, positioned next to the steering wheel, was oďŹ&#x20AC;ered as an option. In July 2000, John Deere added its AutoQuad II transmission to the options list. This was followed in 2001 by the introduction of AutoPowr, John Deereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hydro-mechanical CVT gearbox. Both of

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these transmissions were available in 50km/h format, which John Deere speciďŹ ed as standard with an electronic power-boost system which increased power to 196hp for PTO applications, or at speeds above 30km/h. The dĂŠbut of the TechCentre cab in 1992 introduced John Deere 7000 Series customers to a driving experience lightyears ahead of the curved-screen SoundGard unit it replaced. Equipped with a luxurious air-suspension seat, air conditioning and a level of ergonomic reďŹ ne-

ment almost unparalleled at the time, even now the two-door cab remains a comfortable place to spend a long working day. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been 15 years since production of the 7810 and its siblings ceased. Yet the mighty seven-eight remains extremely popular with those farmers who still own them, and many are still on front-line service. During the ďŹ nal months of 7010 Series production, sales of the John Deere 7710 and 7810 slumped across the UK and

Ireland as dealers and farmers alike anticipated the arrival of the new 7020 Series. Yet ironically they are now worth almost as much today as they cost when they were brand new. Prices have been steadily creeping up, for the past ďŹ ve years. A tidy low-hour example of a 7810, can now easily command in excess of ÂŁ35,600. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a significant amount of money for an old tractor. But then weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not talking about just any old tractor.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

54 PICTUREDESK

Queuing for burgers on a sunny day. \ Ramona Farrelly

Kieran Mailey of the Irish Farmers Journal talking arable with the crowd at one of the many talks at the Tullamore Farm open day. \ Ramona Farrelly

AnnaMae, Paddy and Tadhg Fitzpatrick all from Annacarney, Valleymount, Co Wicklow, at the Tullamore Farm open day. \ Ramona Farrelly

George Clarke from Carney, Co Tipperary, with a picture of himself, Joe Keane and Niall Hogan taken in August 1975 for the front page of the Irish Farmers Journal. \ Philip Doyle

The new sheep settle in at Tullamore Farm as they pose in front of visitors at the farm’s open day. \ Ramona Farrelly

Huge crowds arriving for the Tullamore Farm open day. \ Philip Doyle

Lorcan Bellew from Phillipstown, Co Louth, who is studying agriculture and working on a farm for the summer, listens intently to Ciarán Lenehan’s talk. \ Ramona Farrelly

Michael Brady, Cathal O’Donnell, Tom O’Farrell, Mary Phelan, Philip O’Connor and James Farrelly at the IFAC stand at Tullamore Farm. \ Ramona Farrelly

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

VIEWPOINTS 55

Editorial Justin McCarthy jmccarthy@farmersjournal.ie

Is a £1,000/ha proﬁt possible from suckling and sheep?

ore than 3,400 farmers from across the country attended the open day on the Farmers Journal suckler and sheep demonstration farm in Tullamore on Tuesday. The mood was generally positive, no doubt a reﬂection of the strong trade for beef and lamb, and live cattle. Factory price has outperformed even the most optimistic of forecasts from the start of the year, with the base price for beef continuing to sit well above the benchmark €4.00/kg. A combination of improved demand

for manufacturing beef across Europe and in third country markets for several months now, with a steady steak and hindquarter beef market, has meant an almost ideal carcase balance. There is no doubt that factories are also keeping a close eye on the live export trade. While numbers are relatively small, the shipment of 2,000 forward bulls to Turkey this week will certainly not go unnoticed. Since taking up their respective posts, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and IFA president Joe Healy have made opening up live exports

and improving international market access a top priority. Their focus is certainly yielding dividends. The positivity in the market is a welcome change for an industry that is generally associated with bad prices and lack of margin. We shouldn’t shy away from saying that our beef sector can be profitable. It won’t generate the same return on a perhectare basis as dairying, but this ignores issues around land fragmentation, land type, small-scale operations and the part-time nature of suckler, beef and sheep farmers. A farmer with a large suitable land block would be more profitable in dairying than beef, but to how many existing suckler and sheep farms does this apply? Adam Woods calculates that at a beef price of €4.20/kg for sucklerbred stock and a lamb price of €4.50/ kg, Tullamore Farm will create a surplus of €51/ha when stocked to capacity. It is a modest sum but one that includes a fixed cost charge of €500/ha plus a full labour charge of €616/ha, an interest charge of €301/ ha (100% of the money to fund the enterprise is borrowed) and a land rental charge of €346/ha (100% of the farm is rented). In this context, the more relevant figure is the fact the projected gross margin for the farm will be €1,816/

ha. On a typical farm system where there is a mix between rented and owned land, and more modest levels of debt, this would show the potential to achieve a net profit margin of between €800 and €1,000/ha, excluding labour but also excluding any basic payment. There is no doubt that this is at the top end of the range. Key to Tullamore Farm achieving this is running at a stocking rate of 2.7LU/ha and producing 14t grass DM/ha. Of course, it would be naive to suggest that all suckler and sheep farms could grow enough grass to operate at this stocking rate. While the 14t figure is a stretched target for Tullamore Farm, equally, given the range of land type, growing 8t/ ha could be a real achievement on some suckler and sheep farms. So, what is a realistic profit margin for efficient suckler and sheep enterprises? If the targets set for Tullamore Farm are achieved, then we have a road map for €1,000/ha net profit for an efficient, high-output system at current market prices.

The real challenge for suckler and sheep farms is to drive output by focusing on growing and utilising more grass

While the efficiency message is the same for those on more marginal land, the lower stocking rate is going to reduce profit-generating capacity – by what percentage will largely depend on the ability of the farm to grow and utilise grass. The real challenge for suckler and sheep farms is to drive output by focusing on growing and utilising more grass, and for this grass to be grazed by a productive cow/ewe. These are the areas over which we have control. We shouldn’t get hung up on the starting position and end targets. Instead, simply ask: how can we help farmers increase output by utilising an extra 2t of grass? If we look at the Tullamore example, all of the investment has been aligned to achieving this through improvements in soil fertility, roadways, fencing and installing a water system. With the exceptions of sheep fencing, none of this work was eligible for grant aid. In this current CAP reform and the potential for increased flexibility as to how each member state invests in their respective sectors, there is the potential to look at what direction we want to drive our suckler and sheep sectors. This starts by creating a vision for the sector and then investing through CAP in the areas that will deliver this vision.

FARM SAFETY

Only farmers can address safety issues Farming does not need to be dangerous. Until we accept this, accidents and deaths will remain a part of everyday life on Irish farms. The industry could be accused of simply accepting that agriculture is the most dangerous sector in Irish life, that near misses which turn into accidents are par for the course. The reality is that when accidents happen, some form of action is required in order to prevent a repeat. Changing this mindset is going to require a cultural shift in how we approach farm safety. So, how do you change culture? Increased regulation on its own will have little impact – it is not a problem that can be

solved by a top-down approach. Instead, we should look within the sector and address the level of tolerance among farmers towards poor safety practices. The farm safety initiative run this week, led by the IFA, is important in raising awareness of the issue, but it is how we react to this that will be key to driving change. There are examples of how this has been achieved in other sectors and countries, such as Sweden, that we should explore and learn from. On page 43 this week, we carry three harrowing stories outlining the extent to which farm accidents can change lives.

NI comment

David Wright, Northern Ireland editor dwright@farmersjournal.ie

Industry must try to inform green Brexit

iven the uncertainty that lies ahead around Brexit, and the slow progress towards any sort of clarity for farmers and the food industry, it is inevitable that any utterances from

senior British government ministers, such as Defra Secretary Michael Gove, will be picked over in detail. His speech to a gathering of environmentalists at the home of the UK World Wildlife Fund in

Surrey last week was hailed as his commitment to a ‘‘green Brexit’’. He talked about enhancing environmental protection, planting more trees, creating and protecting habitats, putting the environment ﬁrst and higher standards of animal welfare, including more scrutiny in abattoirs. There was only a ﬂeeting mention of the farmer’s role in producing food, or the importance of maintaining rural communities. Of course, farmers have a major part to play in protecting the environment, but it would be foolhardy in the extreme to put in place policies that curtail production at home, and at the same time the UK becomes even more reliant on food imports from around the world. A balance must be struck,

Of course, farmers have a major part to play in protecting the environment, but it would be foolhardy in the extreme to put in place policies that curtail production at home, and at the same time the UK becomes even more reliant on food imports from around the world and we must assume that Gove was, in part, playing to his audience last week. On visits to the Antrim Show on Saturday and the Welsh show this week, Gove’s message was more

targeted at farmers, giving assurances that a free trade deal would be done with the EU and that Brexit will bring less rules and regulations. Those who met him at the Antrim Show seemed to go away reassured that he understood some of our issues and was willing to listen. Until Defra produces a consultation paper on future agricultural policy post-Brexit (it was expected this year) there is little substantive to go on. In the meantime, it is important that political and farming leaders get Gove back to NI in the near future, and out on to farms and into local food companies both east and west. He needs to fully understand the potential damage a right-wing Tory led Brexit could do to farming in NI.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

56 AGRIBUSINESS

AgriBusiness

Eoin Lowry (01) 4199500 elowry@farmersjournal.ie @FJAgribiz

Painting a new direction for the Irish beef sector Dr John Colreavy, director of Meat Technology Ireland, outlines his vision to premiumise the Irish meat sector to Lorcan Allen

t may seem strange to an Irish farmer, but the latest development strategy for Ireland’s meat processing industry is based around a concept developed by a company that no longer exists, which manufactured a product as far removed from meat as you could possibly think of – paint. Perhaps even more unusual is the background of the man leading this new initiative known as Meat Technology Ireland, the research and development centre for the Irish meat processing sector launched in April this year. Dr John Colreavy, a Longford native who grew up on a suckler beef farm, spent his formative years working in the UK paint and steel industries before completing a PhD in corrosion engineering. However, what Colreavy brings to this new entity aiming to support the future development of Ireland’s meat industry is a mindset for R&D and its application in commercial sales. Colreavy cut his teeth with Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), the UK-based manufacturer of chemicals, fertilisers and paint that was acquired by Dutch ﬁrm Akzo Nobel in 2007 for close to €12bn. “ICI were the very best knowledge business I’ve ever come across,” says Colreavy. “They were a knowledge, science, chemistry business and they sold more commodity white paint than anybody on the planet because they had a better technical understanding of the product. ‘‘There was always a technical sell in there for the big customers they were

engaged with,” he says. Colreavy says that ICI was spending about 3% of annual turnover on R&D during the 1980s, which is about twice the level of spend on R&D that the average food company has today. “White paint is white paint, but ICI had a very powerful R&D function because they understood really well that it’s about the next generation of products,” adds the Longford native. The difference in ICI was leadership and culture, according to Colreavy, who came back to Ireland in the late 1990s and found himself working in Enterprise Ireland (EI). At the time, the Irish food sector was going through huge investment and Colreavy found himself working directly with the meat processing companies through the beef and sheepmeat fund. While Colreavy has come from a business in the 1980s that sold commodity white paint, his vision for Ireland’s meat sector is ﬁrmly on premiumisation and selling the product based on the technical science to support that claim. “We need to be premium wherever we’re competing. And we need to communicate our vision for meat in terms of what it means for health and sustainability,” says Colreavy. “Ireland is a sustainable-producing beef country. We’re not the same as everybody else. Irish beef is the BMW or the Mercedes of meat.” Collaboration Based at Teagasc’s research facility in Ashtown, Co Dublin, Meat Technology Ireland is a five-year research and innovation project that has more than €8m in funding. About 70% of this funding is coming from EI, with the remaining 30% (approximately €2.5m) coming from the nine meat processors involved in the project.

We’re not the same as everybody else. Irish beef is the BMW or the Mercedes of meat

Colreavy says the biggest challenge to getting Meat Technology Ireland oﬀ the ground was getting nine meat competitors into the same room to work out a precise research plan. He says EI needed to challenge the ambition of the CEOs and create a space for the companies where they knew there were aspects of their business they didn’t need to discuss but there was plenty of common ground for them to engage in. “I simply showed them what I had been doing for 25 years and the beneﬁts it had to those companies,” Colreavy says.

However, Colreavy warned the beef companies there were major challenges facing the sector, even before Brexit, and there were also things they couldn’t do on their own. He says innovation knowledge capacity is low in food and quite low in the beef sector. “No company today can recreate what ICI did because they cannot aﬀord to do it now. Not even Proctor & Gamble or Nestlé. Instead, they’re all reaching out to the universities through these gateway research programmes,” says Colreavy. The industry has developed a six-pillar

The six areas of innovation research Genetics and genomics

Meat tenderness

Shelf life extension

Carcase grading

ICBF is involved in all research on genetics and genomics. The research will focus on breeding for quality, tenderness and yield, and will be headed by Prof Donagh Berry, who Colreavy describes as the global leading expert in animal genetics and genomics. The expectation is that results can be achieved quickly given the size of the national genetics programme already in place. Before this, Colreavy explains there was no company big enough to make signiﬁcant inroads on their own.

At present, most meat processing in factories is carried out to Australian standards. However, Colreavy feels these standards are widely open to interpretation. Instead, Meat Technology Ireland will focus on developing a new Irish standard of best practice around carcase management to achieve the best tenderness outcomes. Colreavy sees technical standards in meat processing starting to emerge in Ireland that can become the global benchmark for meat processing.

Irish beef companies are very concerned about shelf life risks because they are going into new markets. Up to now, the industry never really had to think outside of Europe in terms of sales. But with the US and China starting to open up, it throws up new challenges for meat companies in terms of extended shelf life. Again, Colreavy says that Meat Technology Ireland has a global expert in Teagasc’s Geraldine Duﬀy working on this part of the research.

Research will be undertaken to look at the new technology being implemented in other beef-producing countries such as Australia, where processors are starting to trial X-ray or CT machines for scanning beef carcases so the robot-cutting machine knows exactly where to cut into the carcase. Colreavy says the aim here is to investigate the merits of the technology and whether Ireland even has the scale to begin adapting it.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

MAIN MOVERS

AGRIBUSINESS 57

+4%

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FBD Holdings €8.40

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Aryzta €27.12

Kerry Group €75.00

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What is Meat Technology Ireland? Â Meat Technology Ireland is an €8m research and innovation SURJUDPPH VHW RYHU oYH years. Â The programme has been developed by the Irish beef industry and co-funded by Enterprise Ireland and a consortium of nine beef and sheepmeat processing companies. Â Meat Technology Ireland is hosted by Teagasc at its Ashtown food research facility in Dublin, along with research partners Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Dublin City University (DCU), University College Cork (UCC) and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF). Â The companies behind the initiative are ABP Ireland, Ashbourne Meat Processors, Dawn Meats Group, Dunbia (Ireland), Hilton Foods Ireland, Irish Country Meats, Kepak Group, Liffey Meats, and Slaney Foods International.

strategy for Meat Technology Ireland that will serve as the key focus areas of research over the next five years (see panel below). First of its kind This type of collaboration between the industry and a state-sponsored research body is the ﬁrst of its kind in the northern hemisphere, according to Colreavy. The nearest comparison is in Australia and is operated by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA). Many of the Irish beef companies had been looking at what’s

been going on in the dairy sector in terms of innovation and the projects they work on. He says some of the Irish beef companies have tremendous ambition for their businesses and realised they weren’t big enough to take on some of the research that Meat Technology Ireland plans to undertake. Colreavy meets his steering committee four times a year, which is a board made up of the nine CEOs of the meat companies, the vice-presidents of research from each of the Irish universities involved in the programme, and the chair of Meat

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Origin Ent €6.78

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£0.8925 US$1.165

on 26/07/2017

Comment

ÁIn short

Dr John Colreavy at the Meat Technology Centre in Ashtown, Co Dublin.

Yara NOK311

A 2014 innovation study from UCD’s School of Agricultural and Food Economics found that Ireland lags behind other countries in terms of business investment in research and development. It also found that Ireland’s agri-food sector is relatively strong at innovation that removes cost from the supply chain (lean principles), but it is weaker in terms of the development of new products. The study also found that there is a perception that a conservative mindset dominates organisations ZLWK SRZHU DQG LQpXHQFH and that leaders in the agri-food sector need to be PRUH RSHQ WR WKH EHQHoWV of co-operation, collaboration and partnerships for innovation. 2QH RI WKH EHQHoWV RI Ireland as a small country is that it is able to coordinate activity more easily than larger countries. However, the industry must foster a culture of collaboration across and between all components of the sector, especially given our reliance on exports. To drive innovation, universities need to further strengthen engagement

Technology Ireland John Malone, who is the former secretary general of the Department of Agriculture. “We’re projectmanaging the research on a monthly basis,” says Colreavy. “And that’s the difference in that it’s not a three-year research programme and at the end of the three years we’ll give you a report.” He says that the advantage of Meat Technology Ireland is that its direct engagement with the meat companies allows the project to be more ﬂexible and dynamic to react to changes or new opportunities in the marketplace.

A UCD study found that Ireland lags behind other countries in investment in research and development. with industry. Companies may well need to be incentivised to take a longerterm view to R&D but similarly academics should be encouraged to look out to industry more, which could improve accessibility for companies. Alternative funding arrangements, such as the establishment of agri-food venture capital funds may be needed to RYHUFRPH oQDQFLDO FRQstraints – after all, this is a thin margin business along the supply chain. Because of this risk/return issue, novel public/private funding partnerships may need to be developed. All stakeholders need

to ask are the structures oW IRU SXUSRVH IRU D EHHI sector that wants to be world leading in terms of innovation and performance. Strong leadership will be required to ensure that innovation is facilitated and not hindered. The challenge for MTI will be to deliver effective results within a relatively tight budget of €8m over oYH \HDUV 7R SXW WKLV LQ context, the dairy industry which has an output level similar in size, saw a total of €35m invested by the Government and industry in two dairy research and innovation centres in Limerick and Cork in recent years. The need for this type of innovation centre for the Irish beef sector is even more heightened with the new threat posed by Brexit, where over 50% of all Irish beef ends up in the UK market. Ultimately, investment in research can build a reputation for excellence that creates a platform not only for export growth, but also for inward investment by major global players in the food industry.

– EOIN LOWRY

DIPLOMA IN SPECIALITY FOOD PRODUCTION

We are now taking applications for UCC Diploma in Speciality Food Production.

Meat and health

New opportunities

“Meat is getting a very bad sell in terms of health and it’s scientifically not correct,” says Colreavy, adding that on the food pyramid, meat is probably one of the most concentrated food groups in terms of constituents such as iron, zinc, vitamins A, B12 and D, as well as other proteins for a healthy diet. Colreavy says Meat Technology Ireland has a team of globally respected scientists such as Prof Kevin Cashman (UCC) working on the health nutrition side of meat.

This research will focus on finding greater added-value for the fifth quarter or other by-products of an animal. Colreavy says a very good example of this was the investment made by ABP in its Cahir facility, where it installed a food grade bone chip plant that produced a feedstock for the gelatine industry. He also points to one in five McDonald’s beef burgers sold in Europe being produced by Dawn Meats as added value.

The diploma starts on 19th September 2017 and will run on a part-time basis until May 2018. The programme is typically delivered every three to four weeks, over mostly two day sessions (Tuesday and Wednesday) and consists of lectures in conjunction with practical’s, case studies, site visits and workshops.

The fee for the diploma is €2800 and up to 64% of the fee is available for eligible applicants, through a Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine bursary scheme. An application form and more information can be obtained from Dr Angela Sheehan, Programme Manager, a.sheehan@ucc.ie or by visiting www.ucc.ie/en/ﬁtu

Dr John Colreavy is director of Meat Technology Ireland.

The closing date is 1st September.

FOOD INDUSTRY TRAINING UNIT

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

58 AGRIBUSINESS

20 minutes with Eugene Ferris

An escrow has an advantage for both the seller and the buyer ,V WKHUH D o QDQFLDO FKDOOHQJH ZKHQ GLYHUVLI\LQJ PDUNHWV" We all know that if Brexit happens, Irish agrifood companies will need to diversify. Yet, to start doing business with new customers where there is no previous relationship, sometimes takes a leap of faith (on both sides). Fertiliser or feed importers can often face the same challenge. The issue is that most buyers want credit and sellers want to get paid immediately, especially when conducting initial deals. The answer is to put the money “in escrow”. :KDW LV DQ HVFURZ" An escrow is a ﬁnancial arrangement where a neutral third party holds and regulates payment of the funds required for two parties involved in a given transaction. It helps make transactions more secure by keeping the payment in a secure escrow account, which is only released when all of the terms of an agreement are met as overseen by the escrow company. :K\ ZRXOG D FRPSDQ\ XVH RQH" Escrows are very useful in transactions where a large amount money is involved and a certain number of obligations need to be fulﬁlled before payment is released, like in the case of selling a shipment of dairy or meat to a new customer where the buyer might want confirmation of the quality before making a full payment, and the seller doesn’t want to ship without any assurance that they will receive payment. 'R OHWWHUV RI FUHGLW QRW RIIHU WKLV DVVXUDQFH FXUUHQWO\" Letters of credit have changed where they now have greater conditions attached and, depending on the bank that issues them and where in the world you’re doing business, the conditions will vary. But letters of credit really only help the seller of the

Á3URo OH Â %XVLQHVV SURo OH Providing escrow services as a neutral third party, for both domestic and international clients Â /RFDWLRQ Co Kerry Â (PSOR\HHV two Â %XVLQHVV VHFWRU o QDQFLDO VHUYLFHV

product whereas an escrow has an advantage for both the seller and the buyer. ,V DQ HVFURZ DV LQWHUQDWLRQDOO\ UHFRJQLVHG DV D OHWWHU RI FUHGLW" Yes it is. In the Americas they’re very common. In the aircraft industry nearly everything is sold through an escrow. :KDW V WKH FRVW RI DQ HVFURZ" It varies depending on the size of the deal. The higher you go, it becomes a fraction of a percent of the transaction. 'RHV WKH QHHG IRU DQ HVFURZ GLPLQLVK DV WKH UHODWLRQVKLS JURZV EHWZHHQ FRPSDQLHV" Almost immediately. Companies will use an escrow for the first number of deals with a new client because it avoids the financial leap of faith. Typically what happens is that once the relationship is formed, there’s really no need for it. :KDW FRPSDQLHV GR \RX WKLQN VKRXOG EH XVLQJ HVFURZV" We have a goal to introduce escrow into agribusinesses in Ireland but a large part of that is explaining the service and the benefits to potential users. It is particularly relevant to Irish agribusinesses trying to break into new markets or companies concerned about replacing suppliers which may become more amplified as a result of Brexit.

Business brieﬁng

Lorcan Allen

Strong market boosting demand for Potash

JBS moves to stabilise spiralling debt costs

PotashCorp, the world’s largest fertiliser company by capacity, says strong market fundamentals continue to boost earnings. Potash margins increased by 82% in the first quarter of 2017 to $160m (£142m), reflecting higher sales volumes and reduced per-tonne costs. First-quarter sales volumes increased 22% to 2.2m tonnes. While North American volumes were 10% higher, offshore shipments increased by 31% due to stronger demand in all key markets. Nutrient affordability and lower inventories increased buying during the first quarter, according to the company. It expects strong demand to continue through the remainder of the year. In North America, it believes fertiliser affordability and the need to replenish soil nutrients following 2016’s record harvest will contribute to healthy demand at farm level. In South America, it expects affordability of nutrients to continue to support a positive demand environment. PotashCorp’s Canadian potash operations represent more than one-fifth of global capacity and it expects to sell more than 9m tonnes in 2018.

JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, has reached a deal with a number of banks to stabilise the spiralling cost of servicing its debts. In a securities filing to financial markets, JBS said it had reached an agreement with financial institutions to extend the original borrowing terms of the $6.5bn (£5.8bn) in debts owed by its subsidiary company, JBS Brazil, for one year. Under the terms of this deal, JBS Brazil will continue paying interest on its borrowings, as well as four instalments of 2.5% of the total value of the loans over the next 12 months. JBS says this deal with banks covers about 93% of the total borrowings of its subsidiary JBS Brazil, which the company says will stabilise the short-term indebtedness of the group and ensure financial liquidity. In a separate deal, JBS said it has renewed borrowing terms for 60% of its $380m (£289m) in loans with another Brazilian bank, Itaú Unibanco. The remaining 40% of this loan will be repaid under the original borrowing terms.

The bottom line We expect improved nutrient aﬀordability in key markets to support potash demand through the remainder of 2017 – PotashCorp president and CEO Jochen Tilk

ÁChart of the week US dairy farmers continue to increase milk production on a monthly basis. Milk production for 2017 is currently running at 1.5% ahead of last year.

US milk production January to June Million litres 9000

2016

2015

2017

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

World news Fonterra to invest NZ$150m (€96m) in cream cheese plants Fonterra is to build two new cream cheese plants at its Darﬁeld site in Canterbury over two phases. The ﬁrst phase, which is a NZ$100m (£57m) investment, will be completed by August 2018. It will be a similar scale to the new cream cheese plant recently built at Te Rapa and will manufacture 24,000t of cream cheese each year for export. The second phase will see an invest-

May

Jun

ment of NZ$50m (£28m) and is set to complete in 2019/2020, depending on market demand. It will also produce 24,000t annually. This is an example of how Fonterra is shifting more of its focus to value-added products, to tap into emerging markets. Fonterra chief operating oﬃcer Global Operations, Robert Spurway, says: “This is not just about expanding our capability in manufacturing, it’s another marker in our strategy to continue delivering better returns to our farmers.” Cream cheese is undergoing a steady surge in popularity in Asia. In China, dairy hasn’t traditionally been a staple. However, this is changing. In the major urban centres in China ,people are shifting away from oils and actively seeking more dairy in their diet, whether in their cooking, as a table spread, or in a glass. The food service industry is growing at 6% annually. Fonterra’s food service business has tripled over recent years. It has set a target of 20% year-on-year growth in food service sales.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

AGRIBUSINESS 59

CAP reform and green Brexit – divergence or convergence?

What does Michael Gove mean by a green Brexit? How does this compare to the EU’s plans for the Common Agricultural Policy reform? Phelim O’Neill reports European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan and UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Michael Gove

INDUSTRY INSIGHT Phelim O’Neill

ichael Gove, the UK’s Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Aﬀairs, gave his ﬁrst substantial thoughts on support for agriculture after Brexit on Friday past. Gove was one of the leaders of the vote leave campaign in the UK referendum. He was seen as a key ally of Boris Johnson in the Conservative leadership vote before a last-minute withdrawal of support and his own unsuccessful pursuit the leadership. He was dropped from the Cabinet after Theresa May’s election but restored as minister at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) after this year’s general election. Gove is considered a political heavyweight with considerable intellect, though lacking in the charisma so necessary in the political world. A strong believer in the free market, he used last Friday’s speech to deliver his vision of a green Brexit and emphasised how the current CAP payment system would be abolished. The choice of venue for the speech – the World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Centre – and his declaration of being an environmentalist were further evidence

that this speech would be about the environment first and farming second – if at all. The substance of the speech was strong on rhetoric with lines such as Brexit being a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reform how we care for our land, rivers and seas”. Interestingly, Greenpeace was somewhat damning with faint praise, noting that the Defra secretary had made positive statements but questioning whether these would turn into Government policy. The Greenpeace spokesperson also pointed out that it was EU environmental law that cleaned beaches, banned dangerous chemicals and held Gove’s department, Defra, to account for failure to tackle illegal air pollution. Without these EU regulations, a dirty Brexit was more likely than a green one, Greenpeace added. Farming exposed Farming was included in the Gove speech and while prefixing with the view that future subsidies must benefit the environment, he did commit to “generously support farmers for many years to come”. He recognised that farming was exposed to external shocks and unpredictable events, and was supportive of financial support and mechanisms that would smooth out the volatility that farmers face. In a further swipe at CAP, he highlighted that the current payment system gives resources to the already wealthy and encourages land use that is wasteful of natural resources. The present UK parliament is committed to maintaining the budget for agriculture for its duration, which should be until the middle of 2022. However, given

the political makeup after the recent election, there are doubts if it will last that long. In any case, future British agriculture policy is to be shaped in this parliament and be implemented in the next. By coincidence, the current CAP is also under review with its successor scheduled to be in place for 2020. With the parallel process in place in Whitehall and Brussels at the same time, it will be interesting to note how a divergence in policy develops or if there will be similar elements. Investment in farming From a farming perspective, it was notable in Gove’s speech that there was a need for investment in farmers and farming, and a recognition of farming’s importance to the UK, even if there were strings attached. He also accepted that there was merit in supporting upland farming from a social perspective, which would be contrary to the policy of environmentalists who are of the belief that this land should be allowed return to nature. It was clear that there was a recognition that farming needed support to be sustained and that there was a merit in Government being supportive where the market wouldn’t work on its own, even if the conditions for farmers were based on environmental measures. Two weeks previously, the EU shared its ﬁndings in the consultation on what CAP 2020 should look like, based on the responses received to its 12-week consultation between February and May. In this, responses from the environmental movements were as expected, insisting on payments being linked to environmental measures. However, there was also an

It was notable in Gove’s speech that there was a need for investment in farmers and farming, and a recognition of farming’s importance to the UK, even if there were strings attached

expectation on the part of farm organisations that they would have to do more for the environment in the next CAP and there was less divergence of opinion than might have been expected. Transparency of supply On markets, the EU is looking at legislating on getting more transparency in the supply chain and a better deal for farmers, who are seen as the weakest link when confronted by large multinational processors and supermarkets. In the UK, action has already been taken with the Groceries Code Adjudicator. As for the environment, while the optics may suggest it will be a higher priority in the UK post-Brexit, it will also be centre stage in the 2020 CAP, with the European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan being a regular user of the phrase that farmers will be the “boots on the ground” that will deliver environmental policies. Reports in the Brussels trade publication Agra Facts suggest that the Estonian presidency will be looking at development of risk management tools to address market volatility. There is a certain similarly with Michael Gove’s recognition of the need to have a mechanism to protect farmers from the impact of external events. While there is a divergence of language and emphasis between Brussels and Whitehall on future farm support, in practice there is scope for considerable similarity, given the shared starting points of the need to support farming, protect the environment and deliver the reduction in green house gas emissions agreed at COP21 in Paris.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

60 AGRIBUSINESS

Global Focus

Reaping seeds of success in China William Conlon met Mark Lyons, global vicepresident and head of Greater China at Alltech, to discuss the growing opportunities for Irish farmers in China

Mark Lyons, global vice-president and head of Greater China at Alltech, welcomed a Chinese trade delegation visit to Ireland last month, led by Chunhua Hu, Communist Party secretary of Guangdong. The delegation visited Alltech’s European headquarters in Dunboyne.

ith plenty of on-theground international market experience under his belt, Mark Lyons – son of Alltech founder Pearse Lyons – explains that while markets such as Mexico, Brazil or Serbia prepare you, “the scale in China and numbers involved mean there’s simply nowhere that can compete.” He believes what really separates the Chinese market from the rest of the world is its scale. He says: “When you are in China and then go to other countries to try and identify opportunities, it is very difficult to find any you would say are better than China.” But he adds while there is a big macro picture of China, it really is about the micro picture. “It’s not an easy place to do business … it really is a grinders game and it’s the small details that are key,” according to Lyons. A big problem with the larger farms in China is generally that the land around the farm is not owned so applying manure cannot happen. Where it does happen, it can damage the soil. Lyons says that very high levels of heavy metals have been found in animal feed in China which then end up going back into the soil, creating a vicious cycle. “We are trying to change the animals’ diet, which changes the manure profile, and then take the manure and balance it,” he says. He also sees the high use of chemical fertilisers as an area where Alltech can play a key role, not only in China but in

With incomes in China continuing to grow, the Chinese want to eat quality products.

other regions around the world. He says: “There is massive overuse of chemical fertilisers and I think soil is polluted.” He believes there is huge potential in soil rehabilitation. He says they are developing technologies that could replace chemical fertilisers completely with organic fertilisers. Historically, Alltech’s core business has been to focus on improving animal health and performance while also placing a strong emphasis on improving both human health and the environment in the process. However, he sees huge opportunities in the crop science side of the business, which “could potentially dwarf other parts of the business in the future”. One child policy It was expected that the lifting of the one child policy would lead to an increased

demand for food. “The second child policy has not had the impact it was expected to have, I think because they waited too long,” according to Lyons. He says that many Chinese think if they have a second child they are dividing the money that they have between two which will lead to the two children only being half as successful. Furthermore, he adds that there are a lot of young professional women who have had one child, have returned to their careers and do not want to leave again. Food quality Incomes throughout China are continuing to grow; Guangdong, for example, had the highest per-capita income in China, which was not far oﬀ European levels. Today, 10% of the Chinese population has €10,000 disposable income and by 2030 that will be 35%. “That 25% increase is bigger than the entire population of America, so the Chinese are going to have a lot more money and they want to eat quality products,” according to Lyons. Breaking into China “It’s very difficult”, was Mark’s initial response to the opportunities for Irish agricultural companies trying to break into the Chinese market. “I mean, we are very fortunate because we have been on the ground for so long, since 1994. However, we were already selling product for 10 years before this so the name Alltech was well-known in the Chinese market which makes it a bit easier.

“That said, the Chinese do like the Irish image, they get along with Irish people, our sense of humour and our way of connecting really fits with the Chinese ways. Another advantage is that there is no major geopolitical issue with the Irish Government, which is actually a huge benefit. That’s a big advantage for the Irish delegations as they actually can work. “My suggestion to Irish companies is to connect with Chinese companies. Because, ultimately, any government office that is deciding whether a company gets a licence or not will ask around and see what the people and business is like. “I think the green image of Ireland and the traceability aspects of the Irish systems are very important. If there is more focus put into innovation in decreasing environmental emissions, there is the potential to develop exportable technologies that are all very exciting,” Lyons says.

Alltech expansion The sheer scale of Alltech’s global operation is immense with its targeted rate of expansion even more staggering. Currently doing business in 128 countries worldwide, a turnover of $3bn was recorded in 2016. The aim is to grow this to $5bn by 2018 through an aggressive acquisitions strategy, which it hopes will bring the company and its products closer to the end users, the farmers.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

VIEWPOINTS 61

Viewpoints How open should a market be?

No need for another economic free-for-all

normally, this policy was carried ver the last few out on the basis of nods, winks months, I have spoand informal understandings ken to representarather than a clearly articutives from New lated government policy. Zealand, Canada With President Macron in and Australia. All three counpower, this is going to become tries have now expressed clear a much clearer government policies that restrict the acquipolicy and we can expect French sition of agricultural assets by certain categories of investors. DEMPSEY AT and German co-operation in setting out a common approach. At a minimum, each investment LARGE The subject is moving to farmof a major asset is looked at on Matt land where, again, rules vary. a case-by-case basis, especially if the investment is made by a Dempsey Much of South America has brought in restrictions banning government fund â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the soforeigners buying farmland, called sovereign wealth funds. The most important of these from an but, over the last few years, several eastagricultural point of view is the Chinese ern European countries have questioned and all three countries have at a mini- whether Europe should be as open to mum delayed and in some cases actu- non-farmers buying as some countries ally banned the sale of major agricul- are. France already has a restrictive regime around buying farmland. tural assets to the Chinese. In an answer to the Polish minister for Part of the reason of course is that foreign investors, even private individuals agriculture, Agriculture Commissioner with transparent financial standing, Phil Hogan conďŹ rmed the Commission would find it very difficult to buy any will publish this autumn a paper on forkind of agricultural asset in China, though eign investment in farmland and how partnerships with local Chinese interests member states can regulate the market in farmland while staying in compliance are quite common. The position in Europe is now becom- with EU law. When these east European countries ing much less clear than it used. After the Chinese bought a German robotic joined, there was a temporary ban on company, the German government has non-nationals buying farmland in the announced quite clearly that it is review- country. Since then, land prices have ing how strategic nationally important risen and the transitional period has companies should be safeguarded from ended, but the emotion around the issue â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;foreignâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; takeover. The French have long still exists in some areas. The Commishad a policy of blocking foreign takeover sion clariďŹ cation will be awaited with of important domestic companies, but interest.

Ă THE HOME FARM: The extended harvest With the range of crops, the harvest period now stretches from mid-July to mid-September. During all that time, there is intense anxiety that the weather will come right at the proper time for each crop. We can only take it step by step. 7KH ZLQWHU EDUOH\ LV QRZ o QLVKHG Interestingly, my Tower barley for seed did exactly the same as last year, a shade over 4t at approximately 16% moisture. We got it as I mentioned just before last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rain and I was glad we did, as there was more lodged than I expected and it needed good conditions to get it all. 0\ FRQWUDFWRU KDG o WWHG WKH OLIWHUV to his new combine and there was no great problem, but of course rolled ground after sowing gives the combine RSHUDWRU UHDO FRQo GHQFH Apart from the Tower seed, the rest of the winter barley was Cassia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this year was undoubtedly the best crop of Cassia I ever had. :H o QLVKHG RQ 6XQGD\ DIWHUQRRQ and did almost exactly the same as the Tower, at just on 4t or a shade below. I had sold most of it forward and we hope to get the straw cleared in advance of the rain forecast for

this week. The demand for straw is the opposite of last year, with several enquiries as to how much I was looking for per acre or per bale. I ended up selling it locally, but with the price to EH o QDOO\ GHWHUPLQHG The next crops are the gluten-free oats and oilseed rape. The oilseed rape wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be three weeks desiccated until next week and the oats is harvested by the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own combine. On the cattle side â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a long time since I have seen the beef price hold up so continuously into the midsummer period. We will keep selling EXOOV DV WKH\ FRPH o W DQG DV ORQJ DV they meet the age and weight specio FDWLRQV ZLWK WKH DJH FXW RII RI PRQWKV EHLQJ DEVROXWH ZLWK QR p H[ ibility. We are continuing to bring them in IRU WKH o QDO GD\V o QLVKLQJ SHULRG once they reach 500kg to 525kg liveweight out on grass. Though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very QRWLFHDEOH WKDW WKRVH VORZHVW WR o QLVK DW D o QDO ZHLJKW RI NJ WR NJ have inevitably some element of dairy genes. The more we go down the Holstein/Jersey route in the Irish dairy herd, the more the weanling price gap will open up.

Cities foolish enough to host the Olympics have lost so much money that only two are still interested in the 2024 and 2028 events

fetched schemes, bothered to long-serving include a cost estimate. county councilBut the prize for the daftest lor, in the bar proposal of the 2017 silly seaafter a seminar son must go to backbencher during the pubMichael Fitzmaurice, the indelic ďŹ nance crisis in the late pendent Teachta Dala, member 1980s, oďŹ&#x20AC;ered me the followof Irish parliament, for Roing insight: â&#x20AC;&#x153;you can get scommon-Galway. The disused away with anything if you THE call it capitalâ&#x20AC;?. airport site at Carnmore should The decade of mismanOUTSIDE be turned into a major all-puragement in the Irish Governpose stadium for the west, acVIEW mentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget and in the cording to deputy Fitzmaurice. Colm banking system that led to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a no-brainer,â&#x20AC;? he added the crash in 2008 included McCarthy helpfully. numerous projects which Galway airport closed to followed the councillorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ&#x201A;ights in 2013, as did the aircredo. The public capital programme port at Sligo. Waterford airport lost its ballooned and numerous wasteful last (subsidised) passenger service projects around the country helped to more recently, bringing the list of airdrain the Irish Exchequer. ports with no ďŹ&#x201A;ights to three. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inevitably there were drastic cuts in what happens when you spend money capital spending in the years following on facilities for which there is no pubthe 2008 crash and it is not diďŹ&#x192;cult to lic demand. There is already a ďŹ ne identify areas where extra money GAA stadium at Salthill in Galway with could now usefully be spent, subject a capacity of over 30,000. The Galway always to getting the State debt under soccer and rugby teams have smaller control. venues adequate to their requireThe mistake to avoid is an acrossments. Pearse Stadium has not had a the-board green light for infrastrucfull house for some years and is not ture spending. Unfortunately, it seems exactly overloaded with ďŹ xtures. There always to be either a feast or a famine is, in a nutshell, no more need for a with the capital programme in IreBertiebowl in Galway than there was in land. There are calls for a dramatic Dublin. Deputy Fitzmaurice has, howincrease in the capital budget and ever, managed something unique: he some reckless proposals have has proposed the construction of a emerged. Every politician in the counwhite elephant on the abandoned site try seems to regard capital spending as of an earlier one. productive by deďŹ nition, not requirThe cacophony of demands for a ing careful justiďŹ cation, and with rapid increase in public capital spendpride of place for projects in their own ing has found an unlikely recruit in constituencies. IBEC, the business lobby group. NorThe list of silly recent proposals inmally a proponent of cautious public cludes a suggestion that Ireland ďŹ nances, IBEC released on Monday a should oďŹ&#x20AC;er to host the Olympic pre-budget submission calling for the Games and a plan to build a nationabandonment of the Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wide high-speed rail network, either of budgetary limits as outlined in Miniswhich would help to bankrupt the ter Donohoeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent summer stateExchequer all over again. Both proposment. There are no cost estimates, or als were made by government miniscalculations of project beneďŹ ts, anyters, believe it or not. Cities foolish where in the IBEC document. enough to host the Olympics have lost The list of projects which it would be so much money that only two are still nice to have is unlimited â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a decent interested in the 2024 and 2028 events. water system, more social housing, These are Paris and Los Angeles: both better roads and rural broadband. But will apparently be selected, there bethe list of â&#x20AC;&#x153;nice to haveâ&#x20AC;? projects can ing no other oďŹ&#x20AC;ers. Other cities whose be expanded without limit as we can politicians had expressed interest have see from the politiciansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; brainwaves dropped out, including Istanbul and â&#x20AC;&#x201C; high-speed rail, Olympic Games and Rome, where the new mayor won eleca Bertiebowl for the west. tion on a ticket which promised to There is only one way to identify the drop the Olympic bid. worthwhile projects from the unending wish-list, and that is to assess not Second thoughts only their merits but also their costs in Politicians in the cities which had secthe framework of a responsible overall ond thoughts were scared by the widelimit on State borrowing. spread riots in Brazil during the 2016 The last Irish economic crisis was games â&#x20AC;&#x201C; citizens took to the streets to caused in large part by wasteful capital oppose the quadrennial festival of spending, ďŹ nanced through the Exwaste and corruption. chequer as well as through the myopic High-speed rail lines cost up to banking system. There is a reasonable â&#x201A;Ź100m per kilometre and need passen- case for a measured expansion in pubger volumes large multiples of any lic capital spending. It will be underthat are available in this country. Neimined by the undisciplined calls for ther minister, in proposing these far-

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

62 COUNTRY LIVING

COUNTRY LIVING Harvesting garlic Garlic planted in autumn begins to wither in mid-summer and is ready for lifting when the foliage turns yellow and flops over to one side. Loosen the bulbs in the ground with a digging fork, so they lift easily without breaking the stems, as the tops can be useful for tying a bunch together or for plaiting. If there are any bolted bulbs, gone to flower, these can be used now. Otherwise, lift the bulbs and shake the soil off the roots. Let them lie on the soil surface for a week, unless it is very wet, before moving them into a greenhouse or covered area to dry. They can then be tied in bunches or plaited and, kept dry and cool, will last into spring.

Lambâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ear and its close relatives have a lot to offer during the summer period, writes Gerry Daly

gerrydaly@theirishgarden.ie

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

COUNTRY LIVING 63

Allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fair in love and marriage Even a long marriage still needs work, as little fights can creep up on the best of couples. In fact, writes Katherine Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Leary, the longer the marriage, the more effort it requires kkoleary@gmail.com

t was the most beautiful of summer mornings. Tim was going to be away for the day as he had a meeting up the country. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rarity now compared with his time as deputy president of the Irish Farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association. I rarely write about my relationship with Tim, because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just personal and would be grossly unfair to my wonderful husband. But Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to share this particular morning with you. After 35 years of marriage we can still nearly have a spat. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a reminder to be always working on the relationship, to keep it well oiled. To be honest, in hindsight it was just a lack of coherent communication. Colm was on holidays, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like old times when I would do the milking to allow other jobs to be completed. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy being in a position to milk the cows, sort the grass and so on. We had a discussion about it the next morning. The cows were in one of the farthest away plots. 7KH\ SRVVLEO\ ZRXOG EH o QLVKHG there. We always give them their time to come home, not to stress them in any way. It would take half an hour or so. I said Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d bring in the cows in the morning.

ENTHUSIASM Normally, one would bring in the cows while Diarmuid would ready the yard. My enthusiasm got the better of me, so I was up and out bright and early. By the time I was home with the cows I expected that the lads would be in the yard. Instead, they were just arriving, as Tim had to attend to a few other FKRUHV o UVW 6R KH TXHVWLRQHG PH as to why I had brought the cows myself and commented that I KDGQ W o [HG WKH JDWHV +H QRZ KDG

to open the gates of the collecting yard against the cows. I could see that he was exasperated with me. There was a right tension between us. Diarmuid and I milked away, but I was upset and uneasy. A few tears even escaped. Years ago a few comments of criticism like that could lead to a full-blown row. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no point in pretending that arguments donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t occur in relationships, and ours is no different, but the trick is in resolving them quickly. I could hear Tim on the loader feeding out silage for the cows. Meanwhile, D and I were getting on with the job of milking. Women are emotional by nature. We over-think things and

o QG SUREOHPV ZKHUH WKHUH DUH none. I was scolding myself for feeling hard done by. I knew Tim was busy and in a rush. 7KHQ KH DUULYHG WR o QLVK RII the milking himself. I was still smarting from the earlier comments. He has been dealing with me far too long and could read my face. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong?â&#x20AC;?, he asked. I told him that I was hurt by his earlier remarks. He explained that he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know I was going out for the cows. I said Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d told him the night before, and so on. Very quickly we drew a line under it and put it down to crossed lines of communication. Years ago, it might have gone on for the day with us

He might ask: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; And I might reply with the elusive: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nothing.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; What men donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand is that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nothingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; said in a certain way means loads

not talking about it or, more to the point, with me not talking about it. He might ask: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong?â&#x20AC;? And I might reply with the elusive: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nothing.â&#x20AC;? What men donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand is that â&#x20AC;&#x153;nothingâ&#x20AC;? said in a certain way means loads. But men are straightforward beings and accept the â&#x20AC;&#x153;nothingâ&#x20AC;? as really being nothing. Meanwhile, you are feeling unloved, unappreciated; he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care, he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand. The tears fall and the row worsens. One of my friends describes this state by saying: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all picture and no sound.â&#x20AC;? I think it captures the mood admirably. All-picture-and-nosound days are not pleasant. I learned many years ago that honesty is the best policy, so out with it, no matter how silly it sounds. How often over the years have I heard the words from the men, both young and old: â&#x20AC;&#x153;But why didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you say that?â&#x20AC;? When we are busy, we are not tuned into others and not as receptive to othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feelings. It takes effort, even after 35 years, to make it work. The real point is that we both went on to have a happy and productive day. A few days later, it was our actual anniversary. Tim suggested we go out to dinner to celebrate. We decided on our local gastro pub/restaurant, Blairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inn. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been there many times and it never fails to satisfy, with beautifully cooked local food. The day was balmy. We chose to sit outside in the garden. That evening, there was a trad group playing and singing at one of the tables. There were no microphones and people could continue to chat and enjoy the good weather and food. Tim had ordered two glasses of champagne to start the evening off. We had Clonakilty black pudding and goatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cheese tartlets, followed by steak and duck. Accompaniments and sauces are of premium quality at Blairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family run restaurant. :H KDG D ORYHO\ HYHQLQJ D o WWLQJ celebration for our 35th anniversary: private and local.

THE FARM Last week, I said that we would GHo QLWHO\ PDNH PRUH EDOHV RI silage. Because of the severity of drought conditions that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just been through, it is now looking less likely. We will now start building grass covers for the autumn. Thunder and lightning storms brought us 23ml of rain. A further 16ml fell since, bringing a welcome end to the drought. The JUDVV ZLOO PRVW GHo QLWHO\ UHVSRQG taking that stress away and allowLQJ XV WR p RXULVK DJDLQ CL

64 COUNTRY LIVING

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

Finnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Surfer Finn NÃ FhaolÃ¡in speaks to Ciara Leahy about her quirky cookbook, her love of Donegal and why she always wants to have her foot in lots of different puddles

cleahy@farmersjournal.ie

he waves crash up on Tullan Strand in Bundoran, Co Donegal, causing the small pebbles to jump on the sand as the foam creates a natural white carpet on the famous surf beach. Looking out at sea, an array of colours catch your eye â&#x20AC;&#x201C; vibrant pink, neon green and royal blue wetsuits p RDW XSRQ WKH ZDWHU V VXUIDFH UHDG\ waiting and then jumping when the moment is just right to catch that much-anticipated wave. Welcome to )LQQ V ZRUOG ,W V EHDXWLIXO QDWXUDO fun and healthy, just like Finn, and just like her new cookbook, aptly named Finnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World. With her beach-blonde hair and surfer physique, you would think Finn NÃ FhaolÃ¡in has spent her whole life on the Donegal shore, but it is a place she only recently started to call home. ,Q IDFW VKH KDV FDOOHG ORWV RI SODFHV LQ ,UHODQG KRPH /DXJKLQJ VKH VD\V k0\ PRP LV &DQDGLDQ P\ GDG LV ,ULVK , was born in Dublin, moved to Donegal ZKHQ , ZDV RQH WKHQ OLYHG LQ *DOZD\ 0RQDJKDQ WKHQ *DOZD\ DJDLQ WKHQ VRPHZKHUH HOVH , FDQ W UHPHPEHU WKHQ :LFNORZ 'XEOLQ *DOZD\ IRU FROOHJH &RUN IRU P\ PDVWHU V 'XEOLQ again and then Bundoran. But this is ZKHUH , DP VWD\LQJ , ORYH LW KHUH , YH made great friends, my boyfriend lives KHUH DQG , FDQ VXUI ZKHQHYHU , OLNH y

FREE SPIRIT

Photography: Clive Wasson

,W V WKLV LQIHFWLRXV IXQ DQG VHQVH RI IUHH VSLULW WKDW KDV PDGH KHU o UVW cookbook such a success. Released in $SULO E\ *LOO LW ZDV WKH QXPEHU RQH VHOOLQJ FRRNERRN LQ WKH o UVW PRQWK RI release, and it is packed with recipes that anyone can put their hand to. Her whole ethos is creating easy, healthy, ZKROHVRPH UHFLSHV WKDW ZRQ W EUHDN the bank, allowing you more time to enjoy the things you value in life. Oh and by the way, everything is gluten-free. Now if you have just let RXW D VPDOO JURDQ ZH GRQ W EODPH you. The words gluten-free often go hand-in-hand with descriptions such as bland, boring and sometimes downright yucky. However, things really are changing on the gluten-free

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

VFHQH DQG LW LVQ W MXVW SURGXFHUV DQG supermarkets who are putting in the effort. Books such as Finnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World as ZHOO DV *HDURLG /\QFK V My Gluten Free Kitchen are really proving that there are lots of tasty options, whether you are coeliac or not. k7KLV ZDV WKH ZKROH SUHPLVH DURXQG FUHDWLQJ WKH ERRN y VD\V )LQQ k,W ZDV UHDOO\ LPSRUWDQW WR PH WR FUH ate recipes that were gluten-free, but WKDW WKRVH ZKR GRQ W KDYH DQ LVVXH with gluten could enjoy as well. One of the hardest things about being coeliac is when you are eating out or having friends over. You either have to eat something different, or if they do eat RQH RI \RXU PHDOV WKH\ VD\ C2K WKDW V DOULJKW IRU JOXWHQ IUHH , GRQ W ZDQW to be eating something really bland when everybody else is tucking into VRPHWKLQJ UHDOO\ ORYHO\ VR LW V DERXW preparing meals that everyone can HQMR\ y

COUNTRY LIVING 65

WUDLQLQJ IRU WKH *DOZD\ %D\ VZLP +H ZDV VD\LQJ KH GLGQ W NQRZ ZKDW WR HDW ZKHQ GRLQJ WKLV WUDLQLQJ VR , GH signed him a food plan for him and he GHVLJQHG D ZHEVLWH IRU PH WKDW V KRZ P\ EORJ VWDUWHG y 7KLV ZDVQ W MXVW DQ\ ROG IRRG EORJ though, it really is a snapshot into )LQQ V ZRUOG $V ZHOO DV GHOLFLRXV DQG easy-to-make recipes, there is a whole VHFWLRQ GHGLFDWHG WR o WQHVV ZLWK KHU love of all things surf making us want to pull on a wetsuit, and a section about her ocean adventures. Yes, before Finn did a culinary course and embarked on this food journey, she GLG D GHJUHH DQG PDVWHUV LQ 0DULQH Science and has had plenty of adventures on research ships. On top of that, she has now also started up her own catering company and has a second book set in her sights. k, UHDOO\ DP VR LQWHUHVWHG LQ VR many things and there was a time

>> Recipe

COELIAC REALISATION When developing the cookbook, Finn GLGQ W KDYH WR VWDUW IURP VFUDWFK VKH had a whole bank of recipes already. k:KHQ , ZDV GLDJQRVHG , JRW D OLW WOH FRS\ERRN DQG RQ WKH IURQW , ZURWH C2K 1R , DP D &RHOLDF $FWXDOO\ WKDW ZDVQ W ZKDW LW VDLG WKH ZRUG CQR ZDV D PXFK PRUH JUDSKLF FXUVH ZRUG WKDW V not suitable for a national newspaper, EXW , P VXUH UHDGHUV FDQ XVH WKHLU LPDJLQDWLRQ DQG , JXHVV LW VXPPHG XS KRZ , IHOW DW WKH WLPH k, ZDV GLDJQRVHG ZKHQ , ZDV LQ FROOHJH DQG , JXHVV LW ZDV D GLIo FXOW WLPH WR o QG RXW ,I \RX DUH GLDJQRVHG when you are a child you usually have DQ DGXOW WR WDNH FRQWURO ,I \RX DUH DQ adult, you are a bit more educated and responsible with regard to adapting to this change in lifestyle, and have PRUH GLVSRVDEOH LQFRPH $W WKH WLPH , was a student living on the carb-heavy VWXGHQW GLHW RI EUHDG DQG SDVWD VR , had to educate myself a lot. k7KHUH ZHUH VRPH IDLUO\ JULP incidences of rice cake sandwiches â&#x20AC;&#x201C; WHUULEOH , ZLOO QHYHU HDW WKHP DJDLQ ,Q fact, the ladies in the college canteen were great. They brought me around saying, you can have this gravy because its gluten-free, but not this breaded chicken. One day, when they found me picking the breaded coating RII WKH FKLFNHQ WKH\ UDQ RYHU VD\LQJ â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No, no, that is going to make you feel UHDOO\ LOO y

GLUTEN-FREE GOODNESS *LYHQ WKDW )LQQ KDG D KXJH LQWHUHVW LQ food, even at that young age, it shows how challenging getting a handle on the gluten-free lifestyle can be. k, ZDV DOZD\V UHDOO\ LQWHUHVWHG LQ KHDOWK DQG QXWULWLRQ , VWDUWHG VXUo QJ in my early teens, convinced the guys in the Happy Pear to give me a job â&#x20AC;&#x201C; long before the Happy Pear was the ELJ EUDQG LW LV WRGD\ , XVHG WR HYHQ SXW together a meal plan and make meals IRU D J\P LQVWUXFWRU LQ H[FKDQJH IRU personal training classes. k6R ZKHQ LW FDPH WR SXWWLQJ P\ UHFLSHV WRJHWKHU , GHFLGHG o UVW WR VWDUW D EORJ $JDLQ , KDG D IULHQG &LDQ who was a computer guru and he was

I CANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T BELIEVE ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOT CARDBOARD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; THICK CRUST PIZZA Makes four mini (15cm) pizzas 1 cup (120g) gluten-free self-raising flour, plus extra for rolling â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Doves Farm Organic is tip top: great ingredients and no chemicals Pinch of salt 1 cup (250g) Greek yoghurt 2 tbsp olive oil Big handful (30g grated or Â½ ball sliced) mozzarella for each mini pizza 1 cup (225g) tomato frito â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a wonderful Spanish invention where they have already added the garlic and seasoning to the tomato, if your local supermarket doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have it, passata with some oregano, garlic powder and salt will do 2 chestnut mushrooms 2 pineapple rings in juice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not syrup, no need for that nasty sugar 2 slices Serrano or Parma ham

ZKHQ , ZDV DIUDLG , ZDV VSUHDGLQJ P\ self too thin, being a jack of all trades. $QG WKHQ RQH GD\ ZKHQ , ZDV GRLQJ an internship, sorting through a tray of insects and feeling a little bored, , VWDUWHG OLVWHQLQJ WR VRPH 7HG 7DONV and heard this woman Kimmy Ring. This lady is such an inspiration. She is a free diver and swam with a great white shark, she is also a trained chef, a visual artist and painter, and has a 79 VKRZ ZLWK 1DWLRQDO *HRJUDSKLF and you know what, she sounds really happy. k, ORYH FRRNLQJ , HQMR\ SXWWLQJ WR JHWKHU FRRN ERRNV , VWDUW P\ GD\ ZLWK D VXUI DQG , ZLOO DOZD\V EH LQWHUHVWHG LQ marine science and want to keep my research current. k:KR VD\V \RX RQO\ KDYH WR GR RQH WKLQJ LQ OLIH"y CL

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be eating something really bland when everybody else is tucking into something really lovely

1 Preheat the oven to 180Â°C. 2 Line two baking trays with baking parchment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this stops the pizzas from sticking and makes them easier to move. 3 &KXFN WKH p RXU DQG VDOW LQ D ELJ ERZO 0DNH D ZHOO LQ WKH PLGGOH RI WKH p RXU DQG SRXU LQ WKH \RJKXUW DQG ROLYH RLO 0L[ WKH ORW WRJHWKHU with a wooden spoon to make a sticky dough. 4 Now the fancy looking bit. Pour DERXW RQH FXS RI p RXU RQ D ELJ chopping board and smooth it out a bit. For non-gluey hands, quickly GXVW \RXU KDQGV ZLWK p RXU , ORYH doing this as it reminds me of CFKDONLQJ XS IRU ZHLJKW OLIWLQJ 7LPH WR VKRZ WKLV GRXJK ZKR V ERVV Working with Â¼ of your dough at a time, grab a chunk and drop it on WKH p RXUHG ERDUG 5ROO LW DURXQG XQWLO \RX KDYH D p RXU\ EDOO q LI WKH dough feels too wet just add more p RXU :DUQLQJ WKLV JOXWHQ IUHH YHU sion will never be as gluey as regular pizza dough and will feel softer than \RX G H[SHFW VR QRQH RI WKDW IDQF\ swinging it around the place. 5 1H[W SRS D EDOO RI GRXJK RQWR one side of your papered-up baking

WUD\ \RX VKRXOG o W WZR VPDOO SL]]DV on an average tray). Cover your UROOLQJ SLQ LQ p RXU WR VWRS WKH GRXJK sticking. Roll the pizza base out by moving the dough a quarter turn clockwise after each roll. This stops the dough from breaking and keeps the nice round shape. Using your KDQGV p DWWHQ WKH GRXJK LQ WKH FHQ tre and squish the edges to create a thick-crust pizza. 6 Repeat until you have two mini pizzas for each tray. Pop the trays in the oven for 10 minutes to partially cook the dough. 7 For the toppings, thinly slice the mushrooms and chop the pineDSSOH LQWR FKXQNV , ORYH 6HUUDQR ham for a little twist on the classic Hawaiian â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it adds such a great p DYRXU DQG \RX FDQ FXW WKLQ VWULSV using a scissors. 8 Take the pizza bases out of the RYHQ 1RZ LW V WLPH WR FXVWRPLVH Do you like loads of sauce? Not too PXFK FKHHVH" , OLNH D JRRG GROORS RI sauce, but plenty of space for plain FUXVW WKDW , FDQ XVH IRU GLSSLHV ODWHU 9 Spoon on your sauce, spread it out then grab a good handful of cheese and sprinkle over each pizza. Pop WKH EDVHV EDFN LQ WKH RYHQ IRU o YH to 10 minutes to let the cheese melt. After this, take them out, arrange your mushrooms, pineapple and ham and pop back in for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

66 COUNTRY LIVING

Eating out(side) Make the most of the summer days by dining out, with these delicious â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and easy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; recipes, writes Neven Maguire

e have been very lucky with the summer this far and have done a lot of eating out â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the garden, that is. This antipasti platter looks good and is ideal to nibble on. I recently travelled to Italy and learned a lot about how much the Italians care for their olive oil. If you are into your olive oil, you must look up Villa Campestri in Tuscany near Florence. I visited LW HDUOLHU WKLV \HDU WR GR VRPH o OP ing, and I even cooked there. It is a wonderful place. It is the only â&#x20AC;&#x153;olive oilâ&#x20AC;? hotel in the world, with a marvellous collection of oil in a beautiful old property. You can even plant your own olive tree there. They say that for the best paella, you should use the best rice. This paella with the mixture of seafood is a real treat. Lots of chefs also make paella with chicken, or rabbit, or add FKRUL]R 7KLV LV D ELW FRQWURYHUVLDO ZLWK traditionalists, who sometimes refer to it rudely as arroz con cosas, which means rice with things. It still tastes good to me.

>> Recipes ANTIPASTI PLATTER WITH SPICED NUTS & MARINATED OLIVES Serves four to six 6 slices Parma ham 225g (Â˝lb) piece Italian cheese, cut into slices (such as dolcelette or taleggio) 25g (1oz) wild rocket Â˝ tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil For the olives: 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds juice and finely grated rind 1 small lemon 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp dried crushed chillies (optional) 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 225g (8oz) black or green olives, or a mixture (from a jar or can)

This antipasti platter looks good and is ideal to nibble on

For the nuts: 4 tbsp softened butter 225g (8oz) roasted salted whole almonds 4 tbsp soft light brown sugar good pinch sweet or smoked paprika sea salt and freshly ground black pepper brushetta, slices of crusty bread or crackers, to serve

1 To marinate the olives, toast the cumin and fennel seeds in a small, dry frying pan for one to two minutes, until they become aromatic. Tip into a bowl and add the olives, lemon rind and juice, garlic, chillies, if using and olive oil. Toss until each olive is well coated and then leave to marinate to DOORZ WKH p DYRXUV WR GHYHORS IRU DW

least 15 minutes, or for as long as time allows. 2 To make the spiced nuts, melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the almonds and toss to coat. Sprinkle the sugar over the nuts and add the paprika with a good pinch of salt and pepSHU WKHQ FRRN IRU DERXW o YH PLQXWHV

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

stirring constantly until the almonds are golden brown and the sugar has caramelised. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool and harden. 3 To serve, drain off the excess liquid from the olives and tip into small bowls set on a larger platter. Break up the spiced almonds as necessary before piling into bowls and adding those along with the Parma ham and slices of cheese. Lightly dress the rocket and pile that onto the platter to serve with the brushetta, bread or crackers.

COUNTRY LIVING 67

GLUTEN-FREE BAKING

Bakewell goodness Denise Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Callaghan shares her recipe for a gluten-free traditional bakewell tray bake

VALENCIAN SEAFOOD PAELLA Serves four 8 large Dublin Bay Prawns (shell on) 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, grated (skin discarded) 1 tsp sweet paprika Â˝ tsp hot smoked paprika (pimenton picante) 150g (5oz) baby squid, cleaned and cut into rings 200g (7oz) Spanish short grain rice (Calasparra, La Bomba or paella rice) 500ml (18fl oz) fish stock (from a jar) Good pinch saffron strands, soaked in a little water 20 large live clams or mussels, cleaned 450g (1lb) raw peeled prawns, cleaned (Dublin Bay or tiger) Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Lemon wedges, to garnish

Photography: Ramona Farrelly | Styling: Sharon Hearne-Smith

1 Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a paella dish that is approximately 25cm (12Â˝in) over a medium heat, then add the whole prawns and sautĂŠ for two to three minutes. Remove the prawns from the pan and set aside. 2 Heat the remaining olive oil in the paella dish and tip in the onion and garlic, then sautĂŠ for a few minutes until softened. 3 Add the grated tomatoes and cook for another three to four minutes, until reduced and thickened. 4 Tip in the sweet and hot smoked paprika and cook for another minute, stirring. 5 Add the squid and continue to sautĂŠ for a minute or so, then stir in the rice and continue to stir to ensure it is all evenly coated. 6 Heat the stock in a separate pan and WKHQ SRXU LQ PO p R] RI LW LQWR the rice with the saffron mixture and season to taste. 7 Increase the heat and simmer vigorously for 10 minutes, then arrange the sautĂŠed whole prawns on top of the dish with the clams or mussels and raw peeled prawns, pushing them well into the rice but not otherwise disturbing it. 8 Cook for about eight minutes. If the dish looks very dry before the rice has cooked completely, then add the remaining hot stock, bearing in mind it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be soupy. 9 Cover the dish with foil and take off the heat. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then garnish with lemon wedges and serve straight to the table. CL

his is an easy recipe to put WRJHWKHU , o QG LW KDQG\ WR PDNH pastry in large amounts, then divide it into 450g (1lb) balls DQG SRS LQWR WKH IUHH]HU LQ plastic bags, until needed. The pastry IUHH]HV UHDOO\ ZHOO DQG ZLOO WKDZ RXW overnight. The recipe here is for a tray bake, but, alternatively, you can grease eight individual loose-bottomed tartlet tins to make individual tarts (as shown in the photo).

GLUTEN-FREE BAKEWELL TARTS Makes eight 1 quantity of sweet pastry (see below) Raspberry or strawberry jam Almond topping 200g (8oz) butter/margarine 4 large eggs 175g (7oz) caster sugar 50g (2oz) tapioca flour 150g (6oz) ground almonds 50g (2oz) flaked almonds 1 Prepare the pastry according to the pastry recipe below. While it is chilling, preheat the oven to gas mark four/180Â°C fan/350Â°F. Grease and line a 25cm x 30cm (10in x 12in) baking tray with baking parchment. Roll out WKH SDVWU\ RQ D ERDUG p RXUHG ZLWK D OLWWOH SRWDWR p RXU 2 Lifting the rolled out pastry on a rolling pin, line the baking tray with it, tucking in gently and trimming any excess with a sharp knife. If using indiYLGXDO WDUWOHWV FXW WKH SDVWU\ WR o W WKH base of the tins and to line the sides. Press well into the sides of the tins.

3 Spread the jam generously on the unbaked pastry. 4 To make the almond topping: melt the butter/margarine. Then beat the eggs well with a hand-held whisk, add the sugar and whisk to combine. ,Q DQRWKHU ERZO PL[ WKH p RXU DQG ground almonds until combined. 5 Stir the almond mix into the eggs and beat with a wooden spoon to combine, then add the melted butter/ margarine and beat well. 6 Pour the almond mixture over the pastry and jam, using a spatula to guide the mixture into the corners. If baking individual tartlets, divide the mixture between the eight tins. 7 6SULQNOH ZLWK p DNHG DOPRQGV DQG bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out dry. The individual tartlets will cook much faster, in about 10-15 minutes. 8 Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully in the tin, before cutting into squares and serving.

DENISEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DELICIOUS SWEET PASTRY 200g (8oz) Deniseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Delicious flour blend (see below) Pinch of salt Âž teaspoon xanthan gum 100g (4oz) butter/margarine 50g (2oz) caster sugar 1 small egg 2 tablespoons water 1 6LHYH WKH p RXU VDOW DQG JXP LQWR D PHGLXP VL]HG ERZO &XW WKH EXWWHU

margarine into cubes and add to the p RXU PL[WXUH 8VLQJ DQ HOHFWULF PL[HU RQ VSHHG WZR ZRUN LW LQWR WKH p RXU until fully mixed in and it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix the sugar into the p RXU PL[WXUH ZLWK D ZRRGHQ VSRRQ 2 In a small bowl, beat the egg lightly with a fork. Add the egg to the mixture and, using the mixer, beat well to EULQJ WR D EDOO 2QH HJJ LV VXIo FLHQW IRU this and the mix will form into a ball. However, if the egg is not very large, then add the water one tablespoon at a time. Do not add the water if the mix does not need it, you do not want a sticky pastry. 3 Wrap in a piece of greaseproof paper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. When ready to roll out, roll onto a p RXUHG ERDUG ,I \RX DUH QHUYRXV about handling gluten-free pastry, then place it between two pieces of FOLQJ o OP WR UROO RXW

DENISEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FLOUR BLEND Makes approx 850g (2lb) 250g (10oz) rice flour 25g (1oz) tapioca flour 275g (11oz) potato flour 275g (11oz) corn flour 13g (Â˝oz) teff flour 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder 1 teaspoon guar gum 1 Sieve all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Recipes by Denise Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Callaghan from her book Recipes from my Gluten-Free Kitchen (Mercier Press). www.delicious.ie CL

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

68 COUNTRY LIVING

Welcome to the jungle Ferdia Mooney

Leighton Hoban tells Mary Phelan how a forestry degree took him from the heart of the city to rural Belize

production, everything to do with SURGXFLQJ EDQDQDV y Fyffes has a country manager for all of the countries it sources fruit from and Leightonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next career move was into the role of deputy country manager for Belize. He was promoted a year later and has been country manager for two years. He has 29 people reporting to him in various departments, such as compliance and quality control and is also responsible for cool chain management: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Keeping the fruit cool, making VXUH LW DUULYHV LQ JUHHQ VWDWH y

mphelan@farmersjournal.ie

lthough born and reared in the heart of the city, Leighton Hoban has spent most of his career in extremely rural parts of the tropics. Leighton is country manager for Fyffes in Belize, and tells us he always liked the great outdoors and â&#x20AC;&#x153;didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to spend the majority RI P\ WLPH LQ DQ RIo FHy His desire to work out in the open air saw him study forestry. During his degree, he went to Madagascar for four months on work placement â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;in the middle RI QRZKHUHy q ZRUNLQJ IRU D former University College Dublin student who was the general manager of the Madagascar region for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). â&#x20AC;&#x153;The WWF had been managing tracts of land like national parks for the country, so the government founded an organisation to take over and look after the parks, OLNH D IRUHVWU\ VHUYLFH y /HLJKWRQ says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were doing GPS coordinates or lineating land, marking borders to show the separation between the WWF land and what WKH\ UH JRLQJ WR EH PDQDJLQJ y Leighton says it was really, really, wild â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in a good way. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To get to the town where I was based, you got this old rickety truck that was turned into a kind RI SDVVHQJHU EXV y They did two days of nonstop driving on a road that had massive pot holes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was really, really rural, then we got a little pickup car, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d all sit in it, drive for another three hours and then from there you had to walk 30km. And then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re only in the town close to the area you need to be LQ y KH VD\V

WORKING ABROAD /HLJKWRQ UHWXUQHG KRPH IRU o QDO year of college but the stint in Madagascar piqued his interest in working abroad. Halfway through o QDO \HDU DQ HPDLO ZDV VHQW WR KLV class asking if anyone was interested in going to Central America and learning a new language; Fyffes were recruiting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had done Spanish in school, VR , DOUHDG\ KDG DQ DOO ULJKW OHYHO y says Leighton. He thought: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind going down just to see. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not fully sure what I want WR GR VR ZK\ QRW"y

FRESH FRUIT

Leighton and seven other candidates who reached the third round of interviews were brought WR &RVWD 5LFD IRU o YH GD\V EXW only two of them were successful in getting positions. His career ZLWK )\IIHV EHJDQ ZLWK o YH ZHHNV in Costa Rica on an intensive Spanish course. Then he was sent to Belize.

us the best thing about living in Belize is the weather. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warm, comfortable, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not too humid â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing better than waking up in the morning and having sun VKLQLQJ LQ y During wet season temperatures can drop to around the mid V q kQRWKLQJ WR FRPSODLQ DERXWy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but temperatures can reach the 40s in dry season, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so it can be ZDUP ZKHQ \RX UH LQ WKH o HOG ,W FDQ EH IDLUO\ KDUG JRLQJ y

I sometimes feel like a politician because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about talking to people, talking to the growers, explaining what our requirements are

FORESTRY TO BANANAS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where I have been IRU WKH ODVW o YH \HDUV y It is a very beautiful country, he tells us. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, so no fast food. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no large shopping centres, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s QRWKLQJ OLNH WKDW y The people are very nice as well, he says, and he is going out with a local Belizean girl. He tells

While a degree in forestry and a career in banana production may seem an odd pairing, Leighton explains: â&#x20AC;&#x153;With forestry, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 20 years before you start harvesting, before you start generating any revenue; whereas with bananas, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nine months. But whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so similar about them is theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re large-scale agriculture. Forestry is large scale and so is bananas, so having an idea of that scale of management is what helped me develop in ZKDW , P GRLQJ QRZ y He says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no course to study bananas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; maybe you could study horticulture â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about

taking what you studied and implementing it into what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re GRLQJ DQG PDNLQJ WKH EHVW RI LW y Leighton says he had to learn from the bottom, starting with digging drains, planting and fertilising. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was learning from the ground up. When you get to a high level and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re dealing with people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; clients or growers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you need to know what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking DERXW y KH VD\V â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like to put a plant in the ground or fertilise the plant or harvest the plant, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t discuss, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t negotiate, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t argue your point with people. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how you generate respect as well, because people realise that you have GRQH ZKDW \RX UH WDONLQJ DERXW y Leighton says it was hard graft as he worked from 5 in the morning until 8 in the evening six days a week for about seven or eight months. He then progressed into managerial roles, starting with o HOG IRUHPDQ +LV QH[W SURPRWLRQ was to an assistant manager role. k, UHDOO\ JRW LQWR WKH o QDQFLDO side of managing the farms, crop

+H VD\V LW V kWHUULEOHy LI WKH IUXLW arrives yellow: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to make sure that fruit is harvested in the peak period or the optimum condition, to make sure it lasts the MRXUQH\ y It takes a little more than two weeks for the fruit to travel from Belize by boat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The shelf life is important and WKLV LV D SHULVKDEOH JRRG y VD\V Leighton. He also oversees material distribution, inventories â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and port logistics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have it split up into different areas. I have nine people in quality control, nine in materials, but I am constantly involved with WKHP y KH VD\V Communication is very important in his role. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I sometimes feel like a politician because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about talking to people, talking to the growers, explaining to them what our requirements are â&#x20AC;Ś talking to WKH PDUNHW o QGLQJ RXW ZKDW WKH market wants and trying to gel WKHP WRJHWKHU VR LW ZRUNV y Leighton says the job is demanding but â&#x20AC;&#x153;the rewards are WKHUHy +H VD\V )\IIHV LV D kJUHDW FRPSDQ\ WR ZRUN IRUy DQG WKDW WKH company has a very low turnover rate: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The people that are in Fyffes VWD\ LQ )\IIHV y He says that with Fyffes, in o YH \HDUV KH KDV JRQH IURP KDY ing â&#x20AC;&#x153;zero knowledge in bananas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; nothing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to manning a multimillion pound source of fruit, and PDQDJLQJ SHRSOHy He says the company is not ageist, pointing towards the amount of responsibility heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been given at the ripe young age of 27. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fyffes recognise good people. Fyffes is a people company, so if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s someone thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s putting in the effort and wants to develop themselves, the opportunities are WKHUH y CL For about Fyffes and its opportunities, log on to www.fyffes.com

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

COUNTRY LIVING 69

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;My husband is obsessed with runningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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AGRIWORD 907 ACROSS 1 & 24a In Ireland, Herald lies teem around destruction. (3,7,4) 6 Each of the two. (4) 10 The Devil. (5) 11 Abandoning gin, rested in a new way. (9) 12 One might discern the remnants of a ďŹ re. (7) 15 Small mammal. (5) 17 It sounds like this weather feature was not a hit. (4) 18 Raised streak left by a whip, for example. (4) 19 Fortunate. (5) 21 One can ďŹ t gear into this old ship. (7) 23 The olfactory sense. (5) 24 See 1 across. 25 Hidden in a beeswax elephant is the nickname for Munsterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much-missed Anthony Foley. (4) 26 Enumerate. (5) 28 Ruler of ancient Rome. (7) 33 Dessert makes Granny Smith bitter. (5,4) 34 Feed on grass. (5) 35 Such ďŹ lth is taxing. (4) 36 Pierced some tender peat. (10)

>> Answers AGRIWORD 906

GET IN TOUCH Do you have a problem you would like to share with someone who may be able to help? If so, you can write to Miriam, Country Living, Irish Farmers Journal, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12, or send an email to miriam@ farmersjournal.ie

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myself, it is very easy to get carried away, especially at the start, when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so exciting WR UHDFK JRDOV OLNH \RXU o UVW N N DQG KDOI marathon. Throw a marathon into the mix and you almost certainly have a recipe for mania. But while I believe that running is a very healthy and rewarding pastime, it should o W DURXQG IDPLO\ OLIH QRW WKH RWKHU ZD\ around. I would tell your husband that while you support his hobby and are proud of all he has achieved, this current regime is not sustainable. For a start, he does not need to be running every day, the hours wasted on Facebook could also go and as for the laundry â&#x20AC;&#x201C; well, if he can run a marathon, , P VXUH KH FDQ o JXUH RXW KRZ WR SXW RQ D sports wash. I think in the run-up to the marathon, it might be a case of sitting down together and planning your week so that you do factor in what is most important, ie time with the kids and as a couple. If your husband is a bit anxious that he is not doing enough training, it might even be an idea for him to see a running coach who could design a plan that would take family, farm and work commitments into account. Like anything, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about communication, mutual respect and a bit of compromise. Best of luck. CL

It seems that family life seems to come last in line after work and training

Dear Running Widow, Thank you for your email. I have to put my hands up and admit that as a runner

BY FINĂ&#x2030;AGAS

Some clues are cryptic, some more straightforward and some have an agricultural theme

DOWN 1 Job, chore. (4) 2 Recite tax provision to disentangle. (9) 3 Dug up a denim collection. (5) 4 More impolite. (5) 5 Ultimate, ďŹ nal. (4) 7 Willow has Rosie upset. (5) 8 Did these robbers avoid low roads? (10) 9 The girl set about providing some cartilage. (7) 13 Always, at any time. (4) 14 Bring in contraband. (7) 16 Leafy vegetable a Helvetian scorched, by the sound of it. (5,5) 20 Russian space traveller. (9) 21 Praise insincerely. (7) 22 Snare. (4) 27 The more elevated end of an evening snack. (5) 29 Bishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s headgear. (5) 30 Keen. (5) 31 Mr Gyllenhaal is German? Yes, when beside Kildare. (4) 32 Tear right to the ďŹ nish. (4)

9 10

17 19

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24 25

WIN

ACROSS 1 Friendship 6 Bred 10 Broth 11 Icelandic 12 MaTo be in with a chance zurka 15 Lurch 17 Pogo stick 18 Emir 19 Wiped 21 Fenians of winning ÂŁ20 of Farmers 23 Banal 24 To-do list 25 Oslo 26 Cider 28 Trapper 33 Damp Journal Scotland merchandise, answer as many questions as squib 34 Azure 36 Hard cheese you can, fill in the form and DOWN 1 Fibs 2 Isolation 3 Nehru 5 Ides 7 Rider 8 Decasend us your entry with the hedron 9 Gallows 13 Ruse 14 Apricot 16 Herbicidal 20 crossword number on the Prosecute 21 Florist 22 Nora 27 Dumps 29 Rabid 30 Peach front of the envelope 31 Cuba 32 Pele Congratulations to Laura Nicholson, Aberfoyle, winner of Agriword 904. Send entries to Farmers Journal Scotland, Scottish Ag and Rural Centre, West Mains, Newbridge, Edinburgh, EH28 8LT

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

70 BUSINESS OF FARMING

Scottish weather DETAILED WEATHER FORECAST: 28 July – 30 July

Weather data courtesy of www.yr.no

NORTHEAST

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10°C

11°C

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FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

BUSINESS OF FARMING 71 Pig market: 24/07/2017

Market digest | Stories from around the world

Prices reported to IFA

forecast wheat exports for the 2017/18 season at just under 17m tonnes, which is a 1m tonne increase compared with last year. The increase is driven by shorter supply of bread wheat in the US due to dry weather and lower planted areas.

2211

Compiled by Lorcan Allen

US secretary for agriculture Sonny Perdue has told his Brazilian counterpart Blairo Maggi there is no plan in Washington to lift the ban on Brazilian beef exports into the US, which came into effect in June.

Comment: It was another positive week for pig farmers, with demand from all processors forcing the trade to continue LWV VORZ XSZDUG WUHQG 1R RIo FLDO SULFH ULVHV ZHUH UHSRUWHG but pig prices reported by the Department of Agriculture show that prices have continued to increase and have moved on by 4c/kg in the month of July. Pig farmers report prices from a low of â&#x201A;Ź1.72 up to â&#x201A;Ź1.76c/kg buying the majority of pigs this week. Strong demand from processors for the last IHZ ORDGV RI SLJV WR o OO WKHLU ZHHNO\ GHPDQG UHVXOWHG LQ stronger prices for some spot loads and prices up to â&#x201A;Ź1.80c/ kg have been reported. The future outlook for the pig market has improved as a result of the recent EU-Japanese trade agreement, which will see all EU pigmeat imports, including Irish pigmeat, into Japan attract reduced tariffs from 2018 onwards.

New Zealand dairy exports for the month of June stood at $4.7bn, which represents an 11% increase compared with the same month last year. This was led by exports of whole milk powder (WMP), which increased almost 20% to 125,800t.

Agri-food exports from the EU-28 increased 9% for the month of May to â&#x201A;Ź923m. The healthy growth in export value was driven by double-digit growth in shipments to Japan (+19%), China (+11%) and Hong Kong (+30%). Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agriculture ministry has

European pig prices: Week ending 22/07/2017 i NJ

1.688

Ireland N. Ireland N/A

N/A 1.839

Britain 1.551

Belgium

Grain trends

France

1.600

Netherlands

1.602

Prices depressed in nervous market Grain prices: Futures wheat price (MATIF) for December 2017 (â&#x201A;Ź/t), SPOT native wheat 2016 and 2017, SPOT barley 2017 and SPOT corn ex-port (â&#x201A;Ź/t)

ANDY DOYLE With harvest under way in many parts of the world, price is sending diďŹ&#x20AC;erent signals in diďŹ&#x20AC;erent markets. Spring milling wheat remains a price driver, but rain in parts of Europe could well push part of the quality wheat crop there into either lower grade milling or even feed markets. Wheat is now diďŹ&#x20AC;erentiating into quality and feed. On the negative side, we have big maize exports from Brazil and a very big wheat harvest in Russia. Exports from the EU are down year on year. However, concerns exist about the potential impact of

240 220 200

MATIF Dec 2017 SPOT native wheat Corn ex-port

180 160

SPOT native SPOT native barley wheat 2016

140 120 100

2016 2015

F M A

M J

However, sentiment is mainly driven by the last tangible news in the market and this was for high availability. The high level of recent importation of maize into China ver-

N D

300 280 260 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100

(â&#x201A;Ź/tonne) Est forward price for Aug/Oct: â&#x201A;Ź200/tonne

360

Pig Slaughterings

iďŹ es reason for this concern. Other countries are also known to be in the market for increased imports this season. Native prices are slightly weaker than last week, reďŹ&#x201A;ecting the general trend on feed grains. Spot wheat to the trade is running either side of â&#x201A;Ź180/t, with barley between â&#x201A;Ź162 and â&#x201A;Ź165/t depending on location. Spot oilseed rape is now around â&#x201A;Ź380/t dry to the trade. December wheat prices are running between â&#x201A;Ź173 and â&#x201A;Ź177/t, with barley around â&#x201A;Ź165/t. November maize is currently around â&#x201A;Ź173/t and will push buyers towards this feed for as long as the price relativity remains like this.

Week ending 22/07/2017 19/07/2016

Rooster Box Rooster 10kg Kerrâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pinks 10kg New Season Queens 10kg

2015

240 210

2017

180 F

M A

150

F M A

M J

2016 S

Total Cumulative 65,902 1,815,226 62,361 1,829,621

Low â&#x201A;Ź320 â&#x201A;Ź3.50 â&#x201A;Ź3.20 â&#x201A;Ź5.00

High â&#x201A;Ź360 â&#x201A;Ź4.00 â&#x201A;Ź3.60 â&#x201A;Ź7.00

Average â&#x201A;Ź340 â&#x201A;Ź3.75 â&#x201A;Ź3.30 â&#x201A;Ź6.00

Comment: Supply of new-season potatoes has remained VWHDG\ DV DOO o UVW HDUOLHV DUH PRVWO\ VROG DQG PDQ\ RI WKH ODUJHU 4XHHQ JURZHUV LQ WKH VRXWK DQG VRXWKHDVW DUH o QLVK ing this week. Provisional estimates would indicate that over 40% of the early crop is now harvested. All retail outlets are now stocking Queens in large pack sizes and with old-season ZKLWHV QRZ o QLVKHG WKH PDUNHW VKRXOG VWDELOLVH There is a reduction of up to 20% in the volumes of Queens on the market compared with last year. Therefore, growers need to remain patient regarding sales. Harvesting RI WKH o UVW FKLSSLQJ DQG VDODG SRWDWR FURSV KDV QRZ EHJXQ LQ the southern regions of the country. 2OG VHDVRQ VWRFN LV DOPRVW o QLVKHG LQ WKH 8. ZKLFK KDV seen prices for the remaining stock stabilise and increase in certain cases. This should have a positive knock-on effect for the remaining stocks here in Ireland.

(â&#x201A;Ź/tonne) Est forward price for Aug/Oct: â&#x201A;Ź193/tonne

270

Sows 1,790 1,994

Ex-farm potato prices reported to the IFA

330

2016

Pigs 64,112 60,367

Potatoes: 25/07/2017

300 2017

1.594

Denmark

Distillers

Citrus pulp

(â&#x201A;Ź/tonne) Est forward price for Aug/Oct: â&#x201A;Ź233/tonne

2017

dryness in parts of the US, Canada, Australia and Ukraine, but these will only be veriďŹ ed when harvesting is underway. Markets remain nervous about projected yield levels.

Beet pulp

320 300 280 260 240 220 200 180 160 140 120

1.774

Germany

N D

FARMERS JOURNAL Scotland

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Prices remain buoyant with the weekly kill down to the level normally associated with a bank holiday week. The beef kill in June this year was the lowest on record since 1999. The average weekly kill last 7,300 head, 200 less than month was a typical June week. Over the last six weeks, there have been 8% fewer animals in abattoirs. Tight supply has pushed prices 8-11% higher. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The increase in store prices is welcome, but while it is ďŹ ne in the short would prefer to see a consisten term, we cy in numbers,â&#x20AC;? chair of the Scott ish Beef Association Neil McCorkindale said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We continue to be alarmed by the drop in suckler cow number s.â&#x20AC;? Supplies are further tightened by a 0.5% drop in carcase weights. Lighter steers are taking 7.5kg of beef oďŹ&#x20AC; every carcase. Advice from abattoirs last year to castrate bulls seems t h b

22 July 2017 Vol 1 No 8 | ÂŁ3.10

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017 Saturday 28 January

72 BUSINESS OF FARMING

Irish management notes

Beef

Adam Woods

Dairy

Aidan Brennan

Arable Andy Doyle

awoods@farmersjournal.ie

abrennan@farmersjournal.ie

adoyle@farmersjournal.ie

ÊCASTRATION: For farmers operating a spring-calving, steer-based system, now is the time to think about castration in male calves. Where castration is to be carried out on-farm without an anaesthetic, it needs to be completed before the animal reaches six months of age. If you are planning to castrate male animals in the next couple of weeks, one of the ﬁrst steps is to ensure that the animals have received a clostridial vaccine, especially if banding is taking place. Make sure the vaccine covers tetanus. The primary course and booster vaccine should be given four to six weeks apart. If using a burdizzo, it is advisable to crush the spermatic cord twice, one below the other, for 10 seconds each time. Completing this job well in advance of weaning will also decrease the amout of stress put on the animal. Monitor animals after castration for signs of swelling and watch for animals lying on their own and not grazing. Having good handling facilities is extremely important for this job and having good help will also reduce the chances of getting injured during the process.

ÊLEASING LAND: One of the main themes from this year’s Irish Grassland Association summer tour, was the importance of getting the home farm humming before looking at taking on a lease. That means optimising the stocking rate on the existing block of land. Many farmers often do not see the potential that exists within the boundary ditch. Making improvements to soil fertility, drainage, grass varieties and grazing infrastructure will allow more grass to be grown and eaten, thereby allowing more stock to be carried. The key message from yesterday was taking on a lease should only be considered once all the potential in the home farm has been used up. Why pay for a lease when you can get more out of what you have? Of course, it often happens that a lease comes up unexpectedly. This happened to the Kirwan family, featured on pages 24-25. Joe didn’t have a clear plan of action for the ﬁrst year after taking on the lease and, as he says himself, he would have had more money if he didn’t take on the land. Now, three years in, there is a clear plan in place, cow numbers have nearly trebled and the farm is ﬂying it. With the investments being made in leased land, make sure the term of the lease is long enough to pay back the investment and get a decent return at the same time.

ÊSTART AGAIN: With a big proportion of winter barley now harvested, growers have moved into oats and oilseed rape. And looking around, there will be some crops of winter wheat ready to come under the knife relatively soon. Broken weather is making harvesting a bit awkward, but there have been good windows to date. And straw is obviously a brisk trade, given the amount of baling activity taking place. It is heartening to see so many ﬁelds cleared of straw so quickly and this provides an opportunity to get stubble cultivation done, and possibly even get organic manure spread or a catch crop planted.

ÊDOSING: Calves on Tullamore farm have been faecal sampled three times so far this season, and both dairy calves and suckler calves have returned clear samples. This could be due to grazing a high proportion of reseeded pastures. Cows were dosed for worms during the housing period as well, so worm burdens are probably low at pasture. We did notice some coughing during weighing last Friday and we have taken the decision to dose this week. Faecal samples won’t pick up lungworm infection and it’s important to monitor animals for signs of coughing when herding. Ivermectin-based products will give an instant kill and will have a three-four week residual activity period. White/yellow drenches will not give as severe a kill and may be a better choice where you think there is a bad lungworm infection. ÊBUILDING GRASS COVERS: Over the past two months, good grassland management will have focused on managing grass quality and taking out heavy covers as silage. From now on, the focus should be shifting towards building grass covers to extend grazing into the autumn. Grazing rotations should be starting to increase by 1 -1.5 days per week from now onwards. Therefore, if your rotation length is currently 16 days, by the end of August it should be 24 days. Applying 25-30 units of nitrogen will keep grass growth ahead of cattle over the next month and will help to build covers. As silage ground rejoins the grazing platform, you can increase grazing rotations quickly. The longer rotation will give grazed paddocks more time to recover. Ê FARM SAFETY: Are there signs around the yard highlighting dangers to people? Is the ﬁrst aid kit well stocked up and does everyone on the farm know where it is stored? Are all slurry tank manhole covers in good condition? These are just a few simple questions to ask. Take 10 minutes this week to think and talk about farm safety.

Sheep

Darren Carty dcarty@farmersjournal.ie

ÊANTHELMINTIC RESISTANCE: Last week’s sheep breeding supplement touched on the importance of implementing a good quarantine procedure to reduce the risk of importing disease onto the farm. There have been a few questions since, on where farmers can source Zolvix or Startect, the two products now recommended for use, along with a moxidection-based product, for reducing the risk of importing resistant worms. Both of these products are prescription-only medicines, meaning that they can only be sourced through your vet. It is worth contacting your vet in advance, as some practices may not have it in stock and may need to order it in. There were also a few questions on if it was advisable to use these

ÊFERTILISER: Now is the time to be looking into ordering potash (K) fertiliser for spreading this autumn. A lot of fields are becoming very deficient in potash, particularly fields that are cut for silage but that don’t get slurry spread on them afterwards. A prime example here is paddocks on the milking platform that are cut for bale silage. Autumn is the best time to spread K as it reduces the risk of luxury uptake of K, causing grass tetany and milk fevers. Nitrogen and potash compounds are available without any phosphorus, eg 19:0:15 and a product like this could be used between now and the closed period, which is only six weeks away. Straight K can be spread at any time of the year. The options here are muriate of potash (0:0:50) or sulphate of potash (0:0:42+16 sulphur). I am hearing of good deals being done now for all types of fertiliser, with CAN being available for less than €190/t. ÊPROTEIN: With milk yields tailing off as we approach the end of July, maintaining milk receipts at their current level will be a challenge. Feeding more meal now to keep yield up is a false economy, as the meal costs money and you will be wasting grass, which is a double cost. Put the emphasis on maximising fat and protein instead. Solids should start to increase now anyway as cows come off peak. How can this be accelerated? Grass quality and quantity is key. It’s not too late to take up measuring grass. Don’t go into covers greater than 1,600kg, or half the yield of secondcut silage. Only use strip wires when ground is wet, otherwise give cows three grazings per paddock. Keep residuals at 4cm. Fat and protein percent needs to increase by 0.15% each to cover for the loss of income for every 1l drop in milk.

products if there were confirmed cases of resistance to some of the other wormers on your farm. Veterinary recommendations are to only use these products strategically and not as a routine dose, as routine usage will also increase the risk of resistance occurring. If the product is to be used, then it should be used at a time that will give the greatest response – for example, with store lambs on the farm and not ewes. The other two pieces of advice that vets are keen to convey are the importance of getting an accurate assessment of the weight of animals being treated and ensuring dosing guns are calibrated to deliver the desired volume. ÊGRASSLAND MANAGEMENT: Grass growth rates are variable, ranging from as low as 20kg DM/ha to 30kg DM/ha, where fertiliser usage is low or soil moisture deficit is an issue, to upwards of 70kg DM/ha, where nitrogen is being regularly applied at 20-25 units after grazing. The fact that soil temperatures are high will deliver a good response where fertiliser is applied in advance, or in tandem with recent rainfall. Regular nitrogen application will also help to improve sward quality and ensure high-quality grass is available for finishing lambs. Where silage has been harvested, it is important to

ÊSTUBBLES: The broken weather with showers provides a terrific opportunity to get stubbles cultivated, once they are cleared of straw. Heat and moisture will encourage weed seed germination. When a cultivated seedbed dries out, it can help to reduce slug numbers by helping to dry out the eggs laid in the last crop. This can be very important for those plagued by slugs, but you need to try and leave a loose-ridged surface behind your shallow cultivator. Stubble cultivation is essential to help tackle grass weeds. Cultivation must be shallow so as not to bury seeds, to maximise the likely strike and to avoid having a depth of fine soil if the weather turns wet. Every seed that can be germinated in the stubble is one less weed for the future. What you can grow in the stubble can be gone forever. ÊCATCH CROPS: Catch crops should not be just about GLAS, Ireland’s agri-environmental scheme. They have the potential to improve soil health, bring yield benefits and possibly reduce costs over time. The payment should be seen as a way to get long-term benefit with the help of funding. Doing it just for the money can be a false economy. Aim to get these mixes sown as early as possible, but you could get a batch or two of weeds to strike after winter barley before planting. But, in general early sowing equals growth and growth equals organic matter. Planting must be done by min-till, but a good seedbed is essential for the small seeds being planted. This may be easier with a disc cultivator operated at speed. The seeds can be sown as part of the same pass, but they should really be rolled in. Small seeds need shallow planting. It becomes easier to get a seedbed after a year or two. The species planted should be influenced by rotation and sowing date. Don’t plant a brassica like rape or mustard if you have oilseed rape or other brassicas in the rotation. Same for peas. If you are planting early, do not plant oats or mustard due to risks from crown rust or seed-set, respectively. As your soil begins to improve from the system, more complex crop mixtures might be considered, as these can have even greater soil structure benefits. Simple early mixes might include black oats, fodder rape and possibly a legume. Options for later planting might include oats plus rape or mustard. Things like radish, phacelia and other crops are better used with earlier planting once you get establishment mastered.

address possible depletion of soil fertility by using a compound fertiliser, or targeting these areas for application of slurry or farmyard manure. ÊRESEEDING AND CLOVER: Incorporating clover in a reseed is advisable in light of its potential to fix nitrogen and ability to increase animal performance. The big dilemma is if there is a significant weed problem in the sward and if this is likely to be sufficiently addressed by burning off the vegetation before reseeding. If this is not likely to be the case and there is a high likelihood of persistent problems with docks, thistles or rushes after reseeding, then delaying incorporating clover, and as a result widening the range of herbicides available for post-emergence spraying, may be the best route to take. In terms of clover selection, small- and medium-leaf varieties will achieve greater persistency in swards grazed by sheep and cattle. The Department of Agriculture and Teagasc’s Pasture Profit Index should be used when selecting the most appropriate grass/clover variety. A detailed list and explanation can be found at www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/ farmingsectors/yearofsustainablegrassland/GrassandWhiteCloverRecommendedListVarietiesforIreland2017210317.pdf

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 28 July January 20172017

BUSINESS OF FARMING 73

On the Irish market Ringside comment

In the spotlight

Numbers and prices up on last year NATHAN TUFFY WESTERN LIVESTOCK SPECIALIST ntuffy@farmersjournal.ie

The trade has conintued to be positive in the past week. Mart managers have commented that the combination of farmer, feeder and exporter demand is helping to keep the prices up for all types of cattle. If we look at MartWatch ďŹ gures, prices are up on last year for all animal types. The main reason for this is the current positive sentiment. This time last year the impact of the Brexit vote was being felt in the mart trade,

with weaker prices and negative sentiment. One year on, and that has changed. Forward stores continue to be ďŹ rm, despite rumours of a pending beef price slippage, and slaughter-ďŹ t and shortkeep bullocks and heifers remain ďŹ rm. In some areas, managers have reported a slight improvement in prices for slaughter-ďŹ t cows due to a little more agent activity. The weanling trade is strong also. Heavy autumnborn bulls are seeing strong demand from feeders, while exporters continue to buy lighter types under 300kg. This Charolais dry cow, weighing 975kg and born April 2011, sold for â&#x201A;Ź1,980 (â&#x201A;Ź2.03/kg).

At a glance: Average price paid week ending 25/07/2017

The marts

:HLJKW Ă¸ KHDG Ă¸ RYHU NJ Weekly diff Yearly diff

Accurate mart prices, only in the Irish Farmers Journal

1199 0 17

S S

:HLJKW Ă¸ KHDG Ă¸ RYHU NJ Weekly diff Yearly diff

T S

:HLJKW Ă¸ KHDG Ă¸ RYHU NJ Weekly diff Yearly diff

T S

Steers

Heifer

Weanlings

7KH EXOORFN WUDGH LV o UP 7KRVH IURP NJ DQG RYHU DUH VHOOLQJ IURP Ă¸ NJ WR Ă¸ NJ ZLWK SODLQHU W\SHV IURP Ă¸ NJ WR Ă¸ NJ %XOORFNV IURP NJ WR NJ DUH VWLOO EHLQJ PHW ZLWK VROLG IHHGHU GHPDQG 3ULFHV DUH VWHDG\ RQ ODVW ZHHN DQG XS F NJ RU Ă¸ KHDG RQ WKH VDPH ZHHN ODVW \HDU /LJKWHU VWRUHV IURP NJ WR NJ DUH WKH PRVW FRPPRQ RQ WKH JURXQG DQG WKHVH FDWWOH DUH o UP DW PDUWV 3ULFHV DUH UDQJLQJ PDLQO\ IURP Ă¸ NJ WR Ă¸ NJ IRU DYHUDJH TXDOLW\ W\SHV ZKLOH WKH WRS WKLUG DUH PDNLQJ XS WR Ă¸

7KH KHLIHU WUDGH LV o UP DOVR 'H VSLWH QXPEHUV RQ RIIHU EHLQJ VPDOO SULFHV DUH KROGLQJ ZHOO 7KRVH RYHU NJ DUH YHU\ VFDUFH DQG ZKHUH RQ RIIHU DUH PDNLQJ XS WR Ă¸ NJ IRU WRS TXDOLW\ W\SHV 7KRVH IURP NJ WR NJ DUH VHOOLQJ PDLQO\ IURP Ă¸ NJ WR Ă¸ NJ ZLWK 8 JUDGHV JRLQJ RYHU Ă¸ NJ LQ VRPH DUHDV /LJKWHU VWRUHV IURP NJ WR NJ DUH WKH PRVW DEXQGDQW DQG DUH D o UP WUDGH 7KH DYHUDJH NJ KHLIHU LV PDN LQJ Ă¸ ZLWK 8 JUDGHV PDNLQJ Ă¸

7KH ZHDQOLQJ WUDGH LV SRVLWLYH ([SRUWHUV DUH VWLOO DFWLYH DW ORZHU ZHLJKWV IRU EXOOV ZLWK VRPH H[SRUW GHPDQG IRU EUHHGLQJ KHLIHUV DOVR 6SHFLDO DXWXPQ ERUQ ZHDQOLQJ VDOHV KDYH VHHQ H[SRUWHUV DFWLYH IRU VRPH WRS TXDOLW\ W\SHV DOVR EXW RYHUDOO WKH QXPEHUV EHLQJ VRXUFHG IRU WKHVH PDUNHWV DUH ORZ 7KH PDLQ GHPDQG DW DXWXPQ ERUQ ZHDQOLQJ VDOHV DUH IDUPHUV DQG IHHGHUV ZLWK WKH ODWWHU PRVW DFWLYH IRU IHHGLQJ EXOOV IURP NJ DQG XSZDUGV $JH LV FULWLFDO KHUH ZLWK PRVW EX\HUV VRXUFLQJ WKRVH WKDW ZLOO o QLVK XQGHU PRQWKV

YearlyComparison Steers

260

240

250

230

240

220

230

210 200

2015 2017

2016

220

270

260

250

2015

240 2015

230 220

2017

210 200

190

Average price for 300-400kg weanling heifer (c/kg)

Average price for 300-400kg weanling bull (c/kg)

Average price for 400-500kg heifer (c/kg)

250

Weanling Heifers

Weanling Bulls

Heifers

Average price for 500-600kg steer (c/kg)

210 2016

250 240

2016

200

220 210 200

190

170

180

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2015

230

2017

180

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2017

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2016

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017 Saturday 28 January

74 BUSINESS OF FARMING

Irish beef trends

Factory bullocks: Under 30 months

Struggle to secure upper hand

R Grade factory bullocks (cent/kg) DW incl VAT 480 460 440 420 400 380 360 340 320 300

2015

2016

Factory cows

O Grade factory cows (cent/kg DW) incl VAT 410 390 370 350 330 310 290 270 250 230

2015

2017

2016

Factory heifers: Under 30 months R Grade factory heifers (cent/kg) DW incl VAT 500 480 460 440 420 400 380 360 340 320 300

2015

2017

2016

Export factory disposals

There has been a stand-oﬀ in some negotiations in recent days, with factories once again trying to claim the upper hand in sales. The main processing groups have moved to lower base entry quotes by 5c/kg and are starting negotiations by oﬀering a base of €4.00/kg for steers and €4.10/kg for heifers. The kill has not jumped massively with last week’s throughput rising 468 head to 31,891. With throughput not a major factor, the deciding element that is likely to dictate whether prices reduce is if factories can source enough cattle without reverting to the higher base quote. There has already been cracks in this stance, with regular sellers resisting negative price pressure and securing higher prices. Independent plants with access to a lower supply base are still, in most cases, paying a base of €4.05/kg for steers and €4.15/kg for heif-

Cattle born on this date will be over 30 months old this week

ers. There has been deals completed above this level, but reports indicate these are harder to secure as the week progresses. Some agents say that producers are not in a rush to move stock given the strength of the trade for store cattle. Others point out that the only pressure on farmers at present is stemming from the 30-month age limit, with higher numbers of February-born cattle coming into the system. Date of births are something that producers should be mindful of from here on and it is advisable to go through cattle approaching slaughLivestock tool Latest mart and factory prices at \RXU À QJHUWLSV www.farmers journal.ie or our news app

Quality-based pricing grid for steers and heifers CUMULATIVE

17/07/2017

18/07/2016

17/07/2017

18/07/2016

2616 599 13061 7711 7854 50 31891

2787 572 12065 7504 6904 13 29845

117493 15513 331078 206779 255022 6227 932112

127285 16812 309551 186960 243933 3189 887730

YOUNG BULL BULL STEER COW HEIFER CALF TOTAL

28/01/15

DARREN CARTY

2017

Source: Department of Agriculture

2+ 3 44= 4+ 5

ter weight and reviewing whether animals are on track or need a switch in management. Last week’s cow throughput fell marginally by 113 head to 7,711, with demand holding strong and coming out the other side of what has traditionally been a tougher period for trading cows. Variability still exists between plants, as can be seen in the price tables. P+3 grading cows are trading from €3.25/kg to €3.35/kg, with O grades to €3.40/kg in general but as high as €3.50/kg has been paid for large numbers moving into plants most active in the trade. R grades remain at a range of €3.50/kg to €3.65/kg, with top prices again 5c/kg higher, while U grades range from €3.60/kg all the way to €3.80/ kg for small numbers of heavy ﬂeshed cows. Bulls are trading in the main at a price of €4.05/kg for R grades and €4.15/kg for U grades, with 3c/kg to 5c/kg higher payments that some specialist producers were achieving also becoming slightly harder to negotiate as the week progresses.

Bulls less than 16 months are selling on a base of €4.05/ kg in the main, but some plants are trying to bring this back to €4.00/kg. NI and British trade The northern trade is unchanged, with the U-3 base price ranging from £3.60/kg to £3.64/kg. The sterling to euro exchange rate has settled at a high rate of over 89p in recent days, with Wednesday afternoon’s rate of 89.3p to the euro equating to a price of €4.26/ kg to €4.31/kg, including VAT at 5.4%. Regular sellers continue to secure 2p/kg to 4p/kg higher. Cull cow throughput has increased, but the trade is steady at a range of £2.70/kg to £2.75/kg (€3.18/kg to €3.25/ kg) for ﬂeshed O grades, while R grades are 10p/kg higher at an average of £2.85/kg (€3.37/ kg). The AHDB’s latest market report shows British prices steadying at an average of £3.80/kg to £3.82/kg for R4L heifers and steers (€4.49/kg to €4.51/kg). Prices are running 35p/kg (40c/kg) ahead of the same period in 2016.

Bonus structure for quality assurance payment

U+

U-

R+

R-

O+

O-

P+

24 24 24 24 18 0

18 18 18 18 12 -6

12 12 12 12 6 -12

6 6 6 6 0 -18

BASE BASE BASE BASE -6 -24

-18 -12 -12 -12 -18 -36

-24 -18 -18 -24 -24 -42

-30 -24 -24 -30 -30 -48

-36 -30 -30 -36 -36 -54

R= and R- carcases grading fat class 2+,3 and 4- will be paid the base SULFH 7KH o JXUHV LQ WKH VXUURXQGLQJ FHOOV UHSUHVHQW WKH YDULRXV SUHPLXPV penalties paid across the range of conformation grades and fat scores. For example an R+3 carcase will be paid 6c/kg above the base price.

U+

U-

R+

R-

O+

O-

P+

2+ 3 44= 4+ 5 Steers and heifers grading within the shaded area will be paid an extra 12c/ kg if they are quality-assured and under 30 months old at slaughter. Qualityassured cattle must be on the farms for at least 70 days before slaughter. Animals over 30 months and not quality-assured will be deducted 12c/kg.

Irish sheep trends Weekly sheep slaughterings (head) 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0

Renewed pressure on trade

2016 2017

DARREN CARTY

2015

Lambs and hoggets: Week ending 25/07/2017 c/kg

700 650 2015 Hoggets

600 2016 Hoggets

550

2017 Lambs 2016 Lambs

500

2017 Hoggets

2015 Lambs

450 400

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

The sheep trade has come under additional pressure, with quotes for today falling by 20c/kg to 30c/kg on last week’s levels. The two ICM plants have reduced to the lowest base quote of €4.80/ kg, citing poor market demand in export markets and a weakening in sterling aﬀecting the trade. Dawn Ballyhaunis and Kepak have reduced their base quotes to €5.00/kg, while Kildare Chilling is not quoting, but is reported as oﬀering similar. Farmers selling lambs at the start of the week were securing €5.20/kg to €5.35/kg up to Wednesday’s heavy price cuts. Farmers trading lambs for today are, in the main, secur-

ing €5.10/kg to €5.15/kg, with some frequent sellers and groups securing higher by means of bonus payments. Some farmers in groups supplying ICM have reacted angrily to the price cut, saying that it is undermining the ethos of groups with farmers not rewarded for delivering lambs to tight specifications. The latest cuts have seen 50c/kg or over €10 knocked off the value of a lamb in less than three weeks and, with it, has severely hit farmer optimism, which up to then was boosted by the trade holding above previous year’s levels. IFA national sheep chair John Lynskey said: “The price cuts of the last 10 days have gone way too far and are inflicting unnecessary income pressure.

“Some plants have overstepped the mark by forcing down quotes excessively to pull back the trade. Carcase weights need to move up to 22kg immediately.” Northern trade Northern plants have reduced quotes by 15p/kg on last week’s levels, with £4.10/kg oﬀered as a base quote. Sterling has held above 89p to the euro in recent days, which, at Wednesday afternoon’s rate of 89.3p, translates to an equivalent of €4.84/kg. Regular sellers are securing 5p/kg to 10p/kg higher, with agents purchasing for southern plants remaining active. The number of lambs imported south for direct slaughter in the last week reverted

upwards to 7,743 last week after low activity in the previous week. Kill-out and fat cover A number of plants have pointed to lambs killing out poorly and short of ﬂesh. They advise farmers who have recently weaned to take account of this when drafting and to select lambs on a combination of weight and fat cover. The ewe trade in comparison is holding firm, with quotes of €2.60/kg to €2.70/ kg, while prices towards the top of the market are rising to €2.80/kg to €2.90/kg. The live trade is also holding ﬁrm and remains a good outlet for farmers trading small numbers and struggling to secure higher prices.

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 28 July January 20172017

BUSINESS OF FARMING 75

Northern Ireland Report

Prime cattle quotes holding at 364p/kg KIERAN MAILEY

Factory agents indicate that there are more cattle coming on to the market compared with the previous week, but they are still working hard to source good steers and heifers. Additional numbers mostly consist of cull cows. One plant is importing cows from Scotland, which is helping to maintain throughput. Farmers report a range of prices on steers and heifers.

NORTHERN DEPUTY EDITOR kmailey@farmersjournal.ie

There is no change to cattle prices this week, with base quotes starting on 360p/kg for U3 grade animals. The best official quote on steers is 362p/kg with heifers on 364p/ kg. However, most farmers report they are managing to secure a base of 364p/kg on prime cattle across all plants.

NI beef base quotes: Week ending 29/07/2017 (p/kg inc VAT) 0 E U R O P

+=+ = + = + = + = -

22= 2+ 3+=- 44= 4+ 360 362 364 366 364 360 356 358 360 362 364 362 358 354 356 358 360 362 360 356 352 354 356 358 360 358 354 350 352 354 356 358 356 352 348 350 352 354 356 354 350 346 348 350 352 354 352 348 344 342 344 346 348 346 342 338 336 338 340 342 340 336 332 330 332 334 336 334 330 326 324 326 328 330 328 324 320 318 320 322 324 322 318 314 312 314 316 318 316 312 308

2IoFLDO 3ULFHV 1, Week ending 22/07/2017 (p/kg ex VAT) Category

Steers

Heifers

Young bulls Cows

U2 U3 U4 R2 R3 R4 O2 O3 O4 P2 P3

368.8 369.5 365

370.3 370.8 367.1 365.1 367.4 363.5 348.2 360.8 363.3

359.5 363.2

366.9 365.9 358.2 358.8

358.2 359.9

300.7 301.8 267.3 281.5 286.8 247.5 264

333.7 337.8

Note: EU deadweight price reporting – the prices in this table are around 3p/kg below the prices actually paid by NI factories, all of which trim carcases to the UK spec, removing brisket and bed fat before weighing. The reported factory prices have been adjusted downwards by 1% to allow for the greater EU reference weight of the carcase.

2IoFLDO 3ULFHV %ULWDLQ Week ending 22/07/2017 (p/kg ex VAT) England/Wales Steers Heifers 376.1 375.6 369.2 374.3 378.6 385.2 362.6 368.1 372 329.1 331.4 341.8

Steers

382 379.9 373.5 374.2 374.5 376.1 361.8 366.8 364.5 319.5 334.4 338.1

U3 U4L U4H R3 R4L R4H O+3 O+4L O+4H O-3 O-4L O-4H

Scotland Heifers

393.4 393.5 388.1 390.4 393.6 395.7 380.4 387 381.2 340.4 338.5 334.6

399.5 395.3 387.7 394.9 391.4 390.9 381.9 392.7 381 359.4 354.6 350.8

Good-quality beef-bred animals are moving from 362p to 366p/kg for farmers with limited numbers. Farmers are ﬁnding it hard to negotiate beyond this price unless they have a good supply of in-spec animals. With a strong mart trade, some farmers with smaller cattle numbers to sell have opted to move them through the live trade. At the top end of the trade,

there are still deals of 370p/ kg on offer, but, as usual, these prices are paid mostly to finishers who are currently selling on a weekly to fortnightly basis. Young bulls are moving from 362p to 366p/kg, with dairy-bred animals selling from 350p to 360p/kg depending on conformation and numbers on offer. Last week, the average price paid on steers and heifers was 360.34p/kg. The average price

Do your sums for winter fodder stocks BETTER Farm NI >> P23

paid on U3 steers was 371.7p/ kg, with U3 heifers on 373p/ kg. Cows were paid 302.5p/kg for R3 animals.

Cows The beef trade for cows is holding steady, as farmers resist moves by processors to reduce prices on the back of increased numbers. Quotes for O+3 animals are 270p to 275p/kg, with R grade animals on 285p/kg.

MartWatch: Prices in p/kg week ending 25/07/2017

Mart comment

Mart prices for various weight categories and difference in p/kg on last week

STEERS

HEIFERS

400-500kg Top1/3 220 –

400-500kg

Avg Bot1/3 187 152 – –

500-600kg Top1/3 212 –

Avg Bot1/3 186 168 – –

500-600kg

Avg Bot1/3 186 155 – –

600kg plus Top1/3 214 –

Top1/3 204 – Top1/3 212 – Top1/3 – –

WEANLING HEIFERS

200-300kg

Top1/3 277 –

Avg Bot1/3 239 187 – –

Top1/3

268 –

Top1/3

261 –

Avg Bot1/3

230 –

Top1/3

197 –

248 –

400kg +

Avg Bot1/3 – – – –

Top1/3

222 –

Avg Bot1/3

219 –

165 –

300-400kg

Avg Bot1/3 193 171 – –

600kg plus

Avg Bot1/3 192 166 – –

WEANLING BULLS

Avg Bot1/3

209 –

168 –

400kg + Avg Bot1/3

193 –

Top1/3

162 –

227 –

Avg Bot1/3

206 –

174 –

The Marts: The tables are based on data from: Ballymena, Clogher, Dungannon, Kilrea, Markethill, Omagh, Rathfriland and Enniskillen marts. Slaughterings of sheep and cattle in Northern Ireland Week ending Cumulative 15/07/17 02/07/16 2017 Prime cattle * 4,522 4,131 177,413 Cows 1,385 1,358 49,918 Sheep & Lambs 6,469 7,224 189,825 Ewes and rams 375 306 13,241 (prime cattle includes steers, heifers and young bulls) Imports and exports of cattle for direct slaughter Week ending Cumulative 22/07/17 23/07/16 2017 From GB 94 101 3839 To GB 0 51 844 From ROI 279 131 6,700 To ROI 66 242 4,108 Imports and exports of sheep for direct slaughter Week ending Cumulative 22/07/17 23/07/16 2017 From GB 0 0 637 To GB 0 0 0 From ROI 0 0 0 To ROI 7,743 7,240 192,006 Figures are subject to change

2016 172,692 47,379 177,042 13,031

Difference 3% 5% 7% 2%

2016 2,203 3,335 7,718 8,357

Difference 74% -75% -13% -51%

2016 875 257 0 197,351

Difference -27% -100% -3%

Sharp trade at Ballymena

Tuesday’s sale at Ballymena Mart saw about 120 store cattle on offer. The trade was sharp once again, with plenty of buyers active for all types. Heavy bullocks over 500kg sold mainly from £2.10/kg to £2.30/kg, with most goodquality types making around £2.20/kg. Lighter stores from 400kg to 500kg were available in good numbers and prices ranged mainly from £2.20/kg to £2.40/kg. Heifers over 500kg sold mainly from £2.00/kg to £2.20/ kg, with lighter types from 400kg to 500kg making from £2.00/kg to £2.15/kg. Last Friday’s sale saw dairy stock make up to £1,850, with other lots selling from £1,020 to £1,680. Prices averaged at around £1,500. The suckler sale saw 40 lots pass through the ring. Prices topped out at £1,680 for a Charolais heifer with a bull calf at foot. Other types sold from £1,000 to £1,570. There were over 270 calves on oﬀer also, with prices peaking at £495 for a 10-week-old Simmental bull.

SHEEP COMMENT See page 79

North price trends at a glance Source DAERA Finished sheep: Deadweight price (p/kg)

Steers: Deadweight prices (p/kg) 390 380 370 360 350 340 330 320 310 300 290 280 270

500 450

2017

2016 400 350

2016

2015 300

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

250

2015 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Straw: (£ per large round bale)

Dropped calves: (£/hd) 260 250 240 230 220 210 200 190 180 170 160 150 140 130 120

24 22

2017

20 2016

18 16

2015

14 12 10

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2017

2016 2015

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017 Saturday 28 January

76 BUSINESS OF FARMING

Camera at the mart Dingwall, 19 July 2017 The 827 bullocks on sale at Dingwall on 19 July averaged 252.2p/kg (+21.8p on the year) and sold to 336.4p/kg for a 220kg Limousin from Midbadgrinan, Culbokie, and £1,550 gross for the champion a 640kg Charolais cross from Woodend, Killearnan. The 621 heifers sold averaged 240.0p/kg (+18.1p on the year) and sold to 322.2p/kg for a 360kg Charolais cross from Wester Rarichie, Tain, and £1,520 gross for a 525kg Limousin cross from Hilton Farm, Tain. The seven breeding cattle sold for up to £1,350 gross for a British Blue bull from East Kirk, Wick.

The intermediate champion went to Firm of J. Munro & Son, Invercharron. This 440kg bullock, born between April and July 2016 made £1,280.

The overall and senior champion went to Messrs WJ Jack & Son, Woodend. Born before 1 April 2016, the 640kg bullock made £1,550.

7KH ,QWHUPHGLDWH UHVHUYH KHLIHU DQG oUVW prize went to Messrs J&J Henderson, Udale. The 555kg heifer, born between 1 April 2016 31 July 2016 made £1,300.

The reserve champion title was awarded to the Shorthorn champion, a 10-monthold, 450kg bullock from Smallburn Farms, Elgin, which sold for £1,350.

The junior champion went to Messrs Smallburn Farms, Duffus. This 360kg bullock, born on or after 1 August 2016, made £1,130.

7KH oUVW SUL]H VHQLRU KHLIHU ZHQW WR 5 0DFKenzie, Glebe of Deisher. Born before 1 April 2016, the 585kg animal made £1,420.

The senior reserve champion went to Messrs WJ Jack & Son, Woodend. Born before 1 April 2016 the 570kg bullock made £1,400.

Store cattle: week ending 25 July (£/hd) and change on last week Continental steers

Ayr Tu Caithness Mo Castle Douglas Mo Dingwall We Dumfries Mo Forfar Sa Huntly Th Kirkwall We Lanark Th Lockerbie Fr Newton Stewart Fr Newtown St Boswells Th Stirling (caledonian) Mo Stirling (ua) We\Mo Thainstone Fr

Continental 10to 14-months

1030.93 999.35 1056.46 46.68 1033.93 133.93 1110.21 977.5 932.81 -128.55 882.67 -120.06 958.14 169.69 866.21 101.59 1064.72 61.34 992.17 193.31 917.2 -175.25 961 -64.16

Continental heifers 915.65 996.67 54.92 1046 1440 420 990.15 58.65 882.39 127.39 901.51 -32.28 877.38 -81.27

Continental 10- to 14-month heifers Native steers 886.19 1025.93 900.83 3.05 1106.36 235.69 965 1127.5 903 43.83 1233.33 193.64 817.14 117.14 876.96 173.63 841.45 18.95 889.75 -170.8 849.29 -45.35 836.43 -123.28

Native 10- to 14-month steers 975.16 1061 139.57 1300 463 868.06 493.75 -386.25 996 29.39

Native heifers 824.54 964.06 159.77 960 939.22 -25.78 723.75 -36.25 1012.41 92.99 994.23 30.71

Native 10- to 14-month heifers 691.67 1027.5 357.5 857.29 -60.21 713.33 -106.67 803.75 56.02 960 63.68

Store cattle numbers 0 0 0 1458 108 0 64 1 0 0 0 128 346 429 119

Store cattle price 973.4 1022.59 110.35 1073.83 1440 440 978.32 -54.37 868.05 99.29 965.92 16.95 887.64 -134.64

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 28 July January 20172017

BUSINESS OF FARMING 77

Irish mart report – Carndonagh

Irish mart report – Balla

These three ewe lambs, weighing 37.3kg on average sold, for €93 each.

This pen of mixed lambs, weighing 33.6kg on average, sold for €78 each.

This Charolais heifer, born May 2015 and weighing 495kg, sold for €1,365 (€2.76/ kg).

This Charolais heifer, born April 2015 and weighing 450kg, sold for €1,230 (€2.73/ kg).

These four ewe lambs, weighing 28.5kg on average, sold for €68 each.

These 10 ram lambs, weighing 38kg on average, sold for €84 each.

This Charolais bullock, born September 2016 and weighing 450kg, sold for €1,060 (€2.36/kg).

This Charolais bullock, born April 2016 and weighing 510kg, sold for €1,235 (€2.42/kg).

These eight ram lambs, weighing 30.5kg on average, sold for €46 each.

These 10 ram lambs, weighing 34.8kg on average, sold for €71 each.

This Limousin bullock, born April 2016 and weighing 475kg, sold for €1,145 (€2.41/kg).

This Charolais heifer, born April 2015 and weighing 560kg, was bid to €1,200 but not sold (€2.14/kg).

Trade continues to draw numbers

Store lambs in demand at Carndonagh Over 1,200 sheep were oﬀered for sale at the sheep sale in Carndonagh Mart on Saturday, with solid demand throughout the day. Mart manager Harry Molloy said buyer demand was greatest for good-quality forward store lambs and ﬂeshed cull ewes. A few pens of heavy butcher-type lambs weighing 50kg sold from €102 to €108, with fat lambs weighing 45kg to 47kg selling from €94 to €97. There was a big show of store lambs, with

plenty of competition between specialist ﬁnishers and farmers looking to utilise grass on farm. Top-quality Texel and Suﬀolk-cross lambs weighing 38kg to 40kg sold from €81 to €86, with plainer lots selling from €76 to €78. Lambs weighing 34kg to 37kg were a solid trade, with prices ranging from €72 to €75 at the top of the market and plainer lots selling from €67 to €70. There was a small show of lighter stores around 30kg selling from €55 to €62, depending on quality.

Last Saturday’s sale at Balla Mart saw another strong trade for all types of stock. Mart manager Michael Murphy said that there were approximately 630 cattle and cows on oﬀer on Saturday, up three-fold on the same week last year. He added that the strong trade for all types of cattle have helped raise numbers, as farmers are being tempted to sell stock due to the high prices. There were a few bullocks over 600kg on oﬀer, but once they came into the ring, they were met with strong demand.

As a result, better-quality types sold to over €1,000 along with the weight. Other types sold mainly from €800 over and upwards. Forward stores from 500kg to 600kg sold mainly from €2.20/kg to €2.30/kg, with topquality types making over €2.40/kg or to over €830 with the weight. Plainer types and traditional breeds made from €2.00/kg to €2.10/kg. Bullocks from 400kg to 500kg were fairly plentiful and remain a steady trade.

Store sheep: week ending 25 July 2017 (£/hd) and change on last week Numbers

Ayr Caithness Castle Douglas Dingwall Dumfries We Forfar Huntly Kirkwall Mo Lanark Lockerbie Newton Stewart Newtown St Boswells Mo Stirling (caledonian) Tu\Mo Stirling (ua) We Thainstone Fr

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 125

Store sheep average price - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 56.39 7.41

Continental & Suffolk - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 63.41 15.31

Halfbred & Mule - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cheviot - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40.13 -6.87

36.61

Blackface -10.39

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017 Saturday 28 January

78 BUSINESS OF FARMING

Deadweight cattle Average Scottish deadweight price for steers

World cattle prices

R4L (ÂŁ/kg)

Week ending 25/07/2017

400

p/kg

335

350

Steers

R3 Young Bull

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Southern England Midland and Wales Northern England 3

Sep

Oct

Nov

Ger Italy Nld

376.5

374.3

372.8

374.7

377.1

393.4

393.5

381.2

380.3

372.5

372.4

368.9

381.6

390.4

393.6

O+

366.3

373.0

359.5

355.7

362.7

371.9

380.4

387.0

-O

332.6

340.8

323.3

323.2

332.7

333.6

340.4

338.5

-U

380.0

386.3

385.4

378.2

377.7

379.3

399.5

395.3

377.5

374.9

374.7

375.1

369.1

373.4

394.9

391.4

O+

362.8

363.2

362.4

364.9

359.4

371.1

381.9

392.7

-O

333.5

337.5

314.8

325.7

311.0

341.1

359.4

354.6

Young bulls

Scotland Steers

Heifers Young bulls

Cows

386.9 +0.8S

390.3 +0.7S

280.2 -0.3T

371.2 -0.8T

Scotland

Southern England Midland and Wales Northern England

Northern England Steers

Northern Ireland (R grade)

Scotland

Steers

Heifers

Young bulls

Cows

359.7 -0.8T

361.3 -2.1T

349.1 -6.8T

266.3 -1.3T

Heifers Young bulls

365 +2S

372.5

370.0

368.9

362.0

364.2

360.5

386.2

381.2

Steers 356.7 -3.8T

365.3

363.7

361.5

357.6

354.1

355.5

380.5

381.5

O+

341.4

330.0

332.6

335.4

332.4

337.8

358.0

355.7

-O

349.0

309.4

311.3

307.3

290.0

321.0

Cows

367.1 -

347.5 +4.1S

Cows 258.3 +0.3S

Central and Wales

Southern England Midland and Wales Northern England

Pol AUS US

382.8

Heifers

323

Scotland

-U

Southern England Midland and Wales Northern England

Dec

320

Averages (p/kg)

Heifers Young bulls 365.1 -1.9T

354.8 +6.4S

Cows 251.2 +3.6S

Southern England

Scotland

306.1

303.9

303.5

306.0

297.8

298.7

307.9

303.6

O+

294.9

288.5

292.9

292.7

286.2

286.6

299.3

299.1

-O

282.6

277.3

278.0

278.4

270.5

275.5

285.9

281.8

P+

258.9

243.0

249.3

252.0

246.4

253.0

240.0

R3 Young Bull

Apr

UK deadweight reporting: Week end 11/07/2017 (p/kg)

-U

R3 Steer

Mar

283

R3 Steer

Feb

289

Scot Irl

R3 Steer

300 Jan

343

R3 Steer

325

327

Av. Steers

379

Steer

373

354

Steer

394

2016

R3 Young Bull

375

R3 Young Bull

2017

Steers

Heifers Young bulls

Cows

364.9 +6.2S

362.7 +3.6S

250.9 +1.6S

352.5 -2.9T

Prime cattle: week ending 25 July 2017 (p/kg) and change on last week Heifers

Steers Market Ayr Caithness Castle Douglas Dingwall Dumfries Forfar Huntly Kirkwall Lanark Lockerbie Newton Stewart Newtown St Boswells Stirling (caledonian) Stirling (ua) Thainstone

Total cattle 16 0 0 19 10 24 0 0 33 0 0 55 74 2 53

370-550 kg 235 228 158.5 239 217 145.1 236

11 13.33 -40.67 34.12 5 -8.34 23.67

551-650 kg 191 236 242.75 174.69 227.47 231.94 216

-23 -2.5 19.42 -25.69 -4.86 -1.27 -5.53

>650 kg 194 168 208 203.73 176.67

3 11.67 -9 -3.71 -22.33

330-500 kg 231 204 86.04 226 233.33 175.5

-18 -129.21 -10.44 28.33 -72.5

501-590 kg 222.67 228.33 210.71 237.31 208.01 237.67 230.47 224.4

11.92 -8.05 -5.12 6.42 -17.5 5.44 1.93 -9.53

>590 kg 217 230.5 141 234.83 150.56 219.25 234.63 210.9

48 -5.4 -23 22.83 9.24 8.25 3.69 15.51

Young bull numbers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 1 4

All young bulls 183 212.25 171.7 149

33 26.25 -0.5

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 28 July January 20172017

BUSINESS OF FARMING 79

Liveweight sheep Average price for prime lamb

Average price for cull ewes New-season lamb

250

Old-season lamb

200

150

100 50 50 0

40 Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Numbers of prime lamb

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Numbers of cull ewes 8000

30000

6000

22500 New-season lamb

15000 Old-season lamb

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

4000 2000

7500 0

Jan

May

Jun

0 Jan

Jul

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

World lamb prices: (p/kg) New Zealand 17.5 kg lamb (02 June)

385

Ireland lambs (28 May)

451

France butchers lamb (28 May)

586

US lambs LW (02 June)

300

UK price

467

Data provided by

British deadweight lamb price reporting (Old Season Lambs) Final SQQ: week ending (12.0 - 21.5kg) 1 E U R O P

Num 9 31 309 194

p/kg 460.0 460.8 449.0 415.8

2 p/kg 485.4 479.0 467.6 447.0 339.4

Num 797 2671 7684 1662 17

Num 1840 8188 16360 1858 2

3L p/kg 483.6 477.9 466.7 451.7 355.0

Num 740 3707 5552 424

3H p/kg 465.0 465.6 458.9 447.8

Num 101 534 863 58

4L p/kg 444.2 441.1 444.5 446.3

Num 23 77 146 13

4H p/kg 419.6 415.9 416.6 415.0

Num 12 20 1

5 p/kg 381.3 387.5 390.0

Prime sheep: week ending 25 July 2017 (p/kg) and change on last week Ayr (Mon) Caithness Castle Douglas Dingwall Dumfries Forfar Huntly Kirkwall Lanark Lockerbie Newton Stewart Newtown St Boswells Stirling (caledonian) Stirling (ua) Thainstone

Hoggs 25.5-32kg

Hoggs 32.1-39kg

Hoggs 39.1-45kg

Hoggs 45.6-52kg

66.67 90.34 139.14 -

91.8 131.13 -

92.9 158.27 -

Average Average price price change 66.67 90.99 136.93 -

-20.15 19.18 -

Total old season lambs 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 56 0

Total ewes 964 0 0 148 720 124 501 76 577 0 387 469 0 1524 0

Total ewes average price 66.39 57.25 65.89 70.17 67.68 51.63 61.63 64.28 70.56 59.66 -

Total ewes average change -3.27 -9.53 0.72 -0.76 -12.12 -9.93 -1.4 -10.31 -11.84 -4.72 -

FARMERS JOURNAL Saturday 29 July 2017

80 BUSINESS OF FARMING

Market view

£1=€1.12 €1= | £0.89

Tight supply keeping beef prices up BEEF John Sleigh

stone on Friday. Dairy-sired cull cows peaked at £1.16/kg liveweight at Dumfries, a rise of 2.2p/ kg on the week. The market for cows looks to be strengthened by the weak pound. 2,653 store cattle were traded over the last week, a rise of 737 on the week (see the Marts focus on page 15). Ayr mart sold 169 cattle averaging £1,005/head. The largest global beef exporter, Brazil, saw exports recover after a poor spring thanks to scandals and setbacks. AHDB report export volumes of 100,000 tonnes which is 4% higher than June 2016 plus a rise of 11% com-

than O+ steers, but R grade heifers averaged 1p/kg below R grade steers. Poor-grading bullocks, O+ or O- are reported to be getting around £3.20/kg if they get fat level three. However, the penalties for fat scores of two or four can be quite severe. Young bulls are close behind steers and heifers thanks to the shortage of beef. Prices are at around the £3.80/ kg mark which is around 11p/kg behind steers and heifers. There are reports of U grade bulls getting over £4.00/kg. The cow trade was steady with £1.49/kg the top price at Thain-

teers and heifers are making around £3.87/ kg, holding steady with last week. QMS reports an average price of £3.94/kg for R4L steers which will include cattle gaining the Angus premium. Looking over the past four weeks, the average heifer price has been 2.5p/kg higher than the average steer price. The ﬁrst two of those weeks, the difference was 1.5p/kg to 2p/kg, rising to 3.5p/kg in the last two weeks. Ugrade heifers averaged 4.5p/kg higher than U-grade steers and O+ heifers averaged 1p/kg more

Deadweight cattle in Scotland:

Store cattle in Scotland:

Week ending 22/07/17 (£/kg)

Week ending 25/07/17 (£/hd)

R4L steers

-1p R4L heifers

+1p R4L young bulls

+2p 0+4L cows

-12p Continental 10 to 14 month steers average

+£39

+£34 Native 10 to 14 month steer average

pared with May this year. It has not been an easy time for the beef sector in Brazil with key markets such as Hong Kong and Egypt both importing 28% and 75% less respectively than at the start of the year. The corruption scandal involving processors did further damage to exports. China went as far as closing imports from Brazil. Further sanitary concerns resulted in the US banning fresh and frozen beef last month. The USDA suggested system-wide problems in Brazilian meat inspection which will further damage their brand. No time scale has been indicated as

Continental 10 to 14 month heifer average

+£49 Native 10 to 14 month heifer average

£3.94 £3.91 £3.82 £2.99 £958 £949 £880 £842 Sheep in Scotland: Week ending 25/07/17 (£/kg)

-25p Liveweight newseason lamb

+659 Total number new season live sales

-£7 Live ewes per head

£1.84 13,455 £64

-31 Total ewe live sales

R3 Steer UK & Ireland: Week ending 22/07/17 (£/kg)

-4p S England

+10p N England

-3p NI

+3p ROI

2,234 £3.69 £3.81 £3.39 £3.56

Lamb prices start to fall as numbers rise SHEEP John Sleigh

Prices fell this week to 1.84/kg liveweight for medium lambs, with Dingwall mart averaging £1.82/kg and St Boswells at £1.85/kg for medium weight lambs. This is back from an all Scottish average of £2.09/kg on the previous week. Deadweight prices for lambs are also back at around £4.40/kg for R4L. Ewes fell on the week, with Scottish marts recording an average price of £64.93/head for the 2,234 sold. Lamb consumption looks weak in the continent, with is-

sues over a combination of weak supply and demand. Reports from AHDB put the issue down to losing price competitiveness compared with other meats. Spanish consumers are buying 10% less lamb in shops in the ﬁrst quarter of 2017 compared with 2016. This is after a poor consumption year in 2016 adding to a worrying trend for sheep farmers. Spanish consumers are turning away from lamb quicker than any other meat. According to AHDB the Spanish lamb crops looks to be high-

er this year which will reduce the amount of lamb they import. This could have an impact on the light lamb market in the back end in Scotland. French shoppers have bought 2% less than in the ﬁrst quarter which is a more modest fall compared with Spain. But this is a continuing trend as lamb consumption fell 3% over the same period in 2016. Nevertheless, beef has taken a bigger tumble, falling 3% so far in 2017. The worrying trend continues here in the UK, with consump-

tion back 13% year-on-year so far in 2017. AHDB has reported a reduction in availability due to a decrease in New Zealand lamb imports. Meanwhile, lamb has been rising in price to consumers faster than other meats, showing a 7% inflation. Leg roasting joints and chops/steaks are well down. Shortages estimated for EU and NZ production all point towards continued reduction in availability into 2018. This could spell higher prices for farmers but could cause issues for the longer run.

to when sanctions might be lifted, with the USDA stating that inspection regimes must improve before change is considered. But it is important to note that Brazilian exports to the US account for only 3% of overall exports. Access for US beef to China will be strong competition for Brazilian beef. Eighteen per cent of China’s imports come from Brazil, its number one international supplier. However AHDB reports that Chinese consumers might be switching to US beef as meat scandals about Brazil refuse to disappear.

Rise in farmer slice of retail meat price The amount of money coming back to the farmer from the retail price has risen in the last two months. The share of the money ending up in farmers' pockets rose by 8% to 59% of the retail price. This continued into June, with farmers receiving 60% of the share, the highest level since 2014. If a farmer received £90 for 20kg lamb this would mean shoppers are paying less than £150 for all the cuts. Figures from AHDB show that the retail price has remained fairly constant over spring and summer. Beef farmers also saw their share of the retail price rise in May and June. According to AHDB, farmers receive 52% of the retail price in their pocket. This is 5% above this time last year compared with a rise of 13% in the farmgate price. According to the AHDB ﬁgures, it would put a £1,400 beef carcase at around £2,700 in shops. Kantar published figures which shows that consumers have continued to reduce the amount of lamb being consumed at home. Meanwhile, domestic beef purchases are steady. ‘Vegan meat’ sales rise 19% British vegetarian meat substitute company Quorn Foods has reported a 19% growth in sales in the last six months. Quorn’s turnover rose to £101.6m, compared with £82.6m in the same period in 2016. This is being put down to the rise of ﬂexitarianism, a part-time vegetarian, part-time meat-based diet. The fungus-based food is sold as the raw produce as mince or steaks or can be made into sausages, burgers and ready meals. Diet market intelligence agency Mintel said 35% of people are trying to have meat-free days. While the number of vegetarians has remained stable, there is an increase in people regularly eating meat-free meals such as, salad, pasta or pizza.