April 2018 Farming Monthly National

INSIDE: Grassland UK 2018 returns to Bath & West Showground page 28

Farming

MONTHLY National

April 2018

Also in this issue...

News

| HMRC toughens Landfill Tax rules page 07

Farmers ploughing funds into animal welfare in 2018 Also inside this month..

40% of livestock farmers plan to invest further in animal welfare in the next year page 10

Forestry performance p39

Controlling disease on farm p30

UAE graduate on food waste p42

PLUS: Arable | Forestry | Tyres| Livestock| Education | Machinery | Energy | ATV | Motors

CONTENTS April 2018

FEATURES 08

15

12 Arable Bringing technology into the field

19 Potatoes Newest Strategic Potato Farm aiming for ‘better quality for customers’...more

26

36 Buildings

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40 Education

Regulations change positive for farmers

39 Forestry

Education news

48 Tyres

The UK forestry market posts another year of strong performance

Tyre news

22 Grassland Grassland UK 2018, Be ready to Spring out of Winter...more

26 Livestock Rearing an award winning herd

REGULARS 06 News Act now to prepare for Brexit

43 Machinery Latest machinery news

30 Biosecurity Controlling disease in farm animals

10 On Topic Farmers plough funds into animal welfare

32 Pig & Poultry Pig & Poultry 2018, State of the nation: 2018 poultry trends

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34 Energy Latest energy news

51 ATV ATV news...covered.

54 Motors Latest motors news

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41

Agriculture. Covered.

EDITOR Andrew Poulton editor@farmingmonthly.com EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES editorial@farmingmonthly.com

Farmers ploughing funds into animal welfare in 2018

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April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 05

| News

Act now to prepare for Brexit Farmers have just six or seven years to get their businesses ready for the tremendous changes which Brexit could bring, according the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV). peaking at the Association’s spring conference in Cheltenham last month, Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to CAAV, said: “Brexit as an event may happen in March 2019 – but it could be that nothing much happens after that during the transition period, until perhaps the end of 2020. Brexit will be more of a process, with changes to policy phased in after that.”

While the Government has guaranteed the total present money for agriculture until the end of this Parliament (March 2022 at the latest), that does not mean the money will be spent in the same way. “In England the Government proposes to cut some Basic Payment money in, say 2021, and

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remove the whole payment in the following years,” said Mr Moody.

“Spending will shift towards environmental payments, productivity and other public goods.” Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will make their own decisions but will see similar pressures.

However, the changes ahead are far greater than simple alterations to farm support payments, warned Mr Moody. “The real challenge is around third country trade deals and tariffs on agricultural imports. I think we’re likely to end up with tariff-free trade with the EU, but frictionless trade seems less likely.”

In future, farmers will have to become more competitive, whether to succeed in commodity markets, differentiate products to

create particular markets, or find alternative income streams from their property, explained Mr Moody. But to meet those demands, they need to start planning now. “Some farmers are already talking about it, some have stopped talking about it in the hope it will all go away, and some will find it just happens to them. It will be the top quartile of businesses which are best placed to handle this level of change.”

Given recent announcements on future Government policy in England, farmers will likely see more support for improving business efficiencies alongside greater environmental focus – and family businesses need to identify who is best placed to embrace that change. “We’re on the cusp of a technological revolution, but who

will best handle it?” questioned Mr Moody. “Scale is probably still a goal for commodity producers, but for many it will be about farming smarter not larger.”

This – and potential changes to taxation - are likely to lead to considerable restructuring of land occupation and use in the longerterm, he warned. “Brexit is going to release change that has been pent-up by the Common Agricultural Policy for years – and it’s going to collide with change that is coming down the track. But if we don’t seize the opportunity it presents, it will end up being something that is done to us rather than something we choose to control.”

For more information visit www.caav.org.uk

Rural broadband needs to be a priority in government policy Connectivity and broadband in rural areas has to be boosted if farms are to reach their full potential, the NFU has said, as new broadband legislation is laid down in Parliament. he design of the government’s Universal Service Obligation sets out that all households have a legal right to an affordable connection of 10 mbps by 2020.

However, the NFU believes that the design of the scheme has significant issues when it comes to delivering for farm businesses, many of who already struggle with connectivity.

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NFU Vice President Stuart Roberts said: “Universal Service Obligation could have offered a real lifeline to farmers, but design flaws mean it could end up increasing the digital divide between rural and urban areas.

“The NFU has consistently urged government to develop a package of measures that boosts rural connectivity; currently just 9% of farmers have access to superfast broadband.

“These businesses are facing

06 | Farming Monthly | April 2018

daily challenges and opportunities, which include increasing food production while managing the environment and mitigating price volatility. Rather than concerns over their broadband, British farmers want to concentrate on producing safe, traceable and affordable food.

“At the NFU Conference in February, the Business Secretary Greg Clark made a commitment that superfast high speed broadband was a legal right for all.

It is incredibly disappointing that it would appear the opportunity Universal Service Obligation offers to rural communities is falling at the first hurdle.

“The NFU believes that trade with other countries post-Brexit, both within and outside the EU, will be vital and farming businesses will expect the UK digital communications to be comparable and fit for purpose to compete with our international neighbours in the global market.”

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| News

HMRC toughens Landfill HRH The Prince of Wales launches Farm Resilience Tax rules Programme at Louth Livestock Market

Landfill Tax has changed to tackle unauthorised waste sites and stop them undercutting legitimate businesses. armers and other landowners need to be aware of their responsibilities before renting land to an operator dealing with waste and should check before signing a contract that it complies with environmental regulations.

Any person or business that makes a disposal at an unauthorised waste site in England and Northern Ireland, or knowingly causes or permits the disposal, may be jointly and severally liable for Landfill Tax. They could also face a penalty of up to 100% of the tax due, or face criminal prosecution.

The tax also applies to any material still on an unauthorised waste site which was disposed there before the change but HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is allowing those involved until 1 May to come clean about these disposals in order to avoid a penalty on top of the tax due.

Landowners who are unknowingly involved in the disposal will be protected as long as they take all reasonable steps to make sure it does not happen on their land.

Where a farmer has had material dumped on their land without their knowledge they will not be liable to pay the Landfill Tax. If a person rents out some of their land and takes reasonable steps to make sure the user of the land is dealing with waste appropriately, they will also not be liable the tax.

The changes, which came into force on 1 April, support the legitimate waste management

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industry and create a fairer tax system.

They will also deter the use of waste sites which require an environmental permit or licence for disposal but do not have one.

These sites can cause significant environmental damage.

Dumping waste at an unauthorised waste site has always been an environmental crime but HMRC previously could not charge Landfill Tax on these disposals. With no Landfill Tax to pay, rogue operators were able to undercut legitimate operators and make significant profits at a cost to the environment.

HMRC has published updated guidance on GOV.UK which explains what these changes mean for businesses, landowners, and individuals involved in disposing of waste. It is important that landowners in England follow the requirements set out in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Waste Duty of Care Code of Practice and in Northern Ireland comply with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Waste Duty of Care Code of Practice.

If any waste is left abandoned the ultimate responsibility for it sits with the landowner but the Environment Agency works in partnership with those involved to create a realistic plan to reduce the impact on local residents and the environment.

The new legislation will only apply to England and Northern Ireland as the tax was devolved to Scotland on 1 April 2015, and to Wales from 1 April 2018.

HRH The Prince of Wales attended Louth Livestock Market, to announce that Louth will be a new location for year three of The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme, and meet with key stakeholders involved in saving the mart.

RH took the opportunity to announce that the Farm Resilience Programme, run

by The Prince’s Countryside Fund, would be opening in Louth in September to support up to 20 local family livestock and dairy farms.

Held in 15 locations across the country annually, The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme helps farming families to become more resilient and prepare for the future, through a series of business skills workshops led by leading agricultural consultancies. It will bring local farmers together in a network and help to further secure Louth market’s place as an essential rural hub for Lincolnshire.

Claire Saunders, Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund said: “We are so proud to be bringing The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme here to Louth.

Livestock farming, and farming families, are increasingly at risk but this programme of support ensures that the local rural economy can prosper, and as a result, vibrant rural communities can thrive. We would emphatically encourage farming families in the area to sign up when the programme starts in the autumn.”

HRH also met auctioneers and members of staff from businesses based at the livestock market, and heard of their efforts to save the market from closure in 2017 following a decade of uncertainty when the district council landlords had earmarked the site for a

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supermarket and offered the site for sale.

As a result of a community led campaign the district council and the auctioneers who run the market are now actively working together to ensure a sustainable and thriving market site with the rural community at its heart.

Simon Williams a partner with Louth Market Auctioneers said: “2017 was a tumultuous year for the market but we now look forward to a secure future. We thank The Prince of Wales and The Prince’s Countryside Fund from the bottom of our hearts, and we think it’s great that His Royal Highness could be here today to launch the Farm Resilience Programme. That he is prepared to travel to see us and meet those involved is a tremendous boost and one that will live long in the memory.”

Additionally, HRH met with four farmers who were previous beneficiaries of The Prince’s Countryside Fund’s grants programme, attendees of the Technology for Information Literacy Course run by the Grimsby Institute. The project helped farmers to improve their IT skills, furthering the success of their businesses by allowing them to improve their record keeping, communications, and marketing.

For more information on The Prince's Farm Resilience Programme, or to express your interest, please visit www.princescountrysidefund.org.u k/farmresilience

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 07

| News

Glamorgan beef and sheep farming couple call for clarity on trade and funding post-Brexit

Richard Walker and Rachel Edwards

A Glamorgan beef and sheep farming couple have called for clarity on trade and funding post-Brexit on the eve of the 1 year exit countdown. armers’ Union of Wales Glamorgan County Chairman Richard Walker and his partner Rachel Edwards, who run Flaxland Farm - a 120 acre holding just outside of Barry, look after 120 breeding ewes, 3 rams, 40 lambs from last year, 150 lambs from this year and 100 cattle (consisting of 37 breeding and 60 young stock).

They are worried about the lack of progress made in trade negotiations and the fact that farmers in Wales still don’t know what budget will be allocated to Wales in terms of agriculture.

Speaking from his farm, Richard said: “We are 1 year away from leaving the EU, yet we have no idea of where our produce will be sold to and under what conditions and we don’t know how much money will be allocated to Wales as part of the agricultural budget. It is very worrying and I urge the UK Government to provide clarity as soon as possible.”

Even though Richard and Rachel have secured a market for their lambs with local butchers in the Vale of Glamorgan, the concern for the rest of the industry remains.

Rachel said: “We have managed to secure a

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market for our produce locally but that doesn’t in any way help the other lamb producers across Wales. Politicians need to understand that most of the lambs born this year will be sold into a post-Brexit market - but what exactly that market looks like, and under what conditions, such as tariffs, where and how our produce will be sold is a mystery.

“All this talk of farmers having to future-proof their business and be forward thinking is well and good but those in power need to do their bit too.”

Addressing the issue of funding, FUW Managing Director Alan Davies said: “Historically the funding to support farming in Wales has come from the Common Agricultural Policy, but once the UK leaves the EU in March next year that link will be broken.

“Any funding to support agriculture will have to come from the UK Treasury. We’ve already heard that the Government will commit the same amount of funding to agriculture for the rest of this parliament. But there are complexities around how that funding might be allocated.

“If the UK Treasury matches, as is expected, the current EU payments of £3.5 billion to DEFRA to support UK agriculture, there are at

least 2 ways in which that money can be allocated to Wales. One method and the one most often used in UK Government financial calculations is to use the Barnett Formula.”

Mr Davies explained that when “new” money is allocated to a government department, generally the “Barnett consequential” for Wales is around 5.6% of the total money allocated.

That means that if DEFRA receive £3.5 billion, the “Consequential” for Wales will be around £196 million.

“Wales has historically received around 9.4% of the total EU CAP budget allocation to the UK. That would equate to £329 million. Barnett would reduce our funding by around 40% and that must not happen.

“In order to deliver Fair Farm Funding for Wales it is therefore essential that the UK Government allocate funds outside the Barnett formula.

“Wales urgently needs certainty that we will receive at least our historical share of the UK’s agricultural and rural development budget promised by Secretary of State Michael Gove, especially as the budget for next year needs to be in place by October this year,” he added.

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| News

Red Tractor Assurance to launch TV advertising campaign Red Tractor Assurance will have its own national television advertising campaign later this year for the first time in its history. he announcement follows a comprehensive market research exercise looking at what primary shoppers know about the on-pack logo.

It highlighted that shoppers were twice as likely to purchase a Red Tractor product if they understood more about the standards behind it.

Chief executive Jim Moseley said: “The new campaign will focus on the reassurance that Red Tractor brings to consumers through its rigorous checks against the high standards of British agriculture.”

Spearheaded by the television advert, the campaign will be synchronised and reinforced

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across magazines, on-demand video, websites and social media channels.

The exact dates of when the campaign will air are yet to be confirmed, but more details will emerge in the coming months.

Brexit has brought the future of UK food and farming into sharp focus.

With the outcome of trade deals and tariffs yet to be decided, it is possible that domestic farmassured produce could come under even more pressure from imported food on the supermarket shelves.

Differentiating a UK product from an import in terms of its production standards, origin, traceability and safety have never been more important, Mr Moseley said.

“Red Tractor has a very broad consumer following, from busy parents to time-rich foodies, so our campaign will launch with national TV to achieve the greatest reach and awareness with our consumers.

"We need more shoppers to know more about the food they are buying to increase active sourcing of assured food."

Red Tractor has never had its own TV campaign before, and publicly raising the profile of it will spark even closer scrutiny of the scheme.

So-called ‘exposes’ which paint a negative picture of assured food production – particularly in the livestock sectors – are becoming a common tactic which Mr Moseley has warned his members to be wary of.

“The positive reputation of British farming is well deserved, built on decades of public trust.

“However, one negative story about a farm that is not complying to assurance standards 365 days a year can quickly spread to millions of consumers and undermine that trust.

“Now is the time for every member to do their bit and protect the integrity of the logo.

The consumer research found that: - 80% of primary UK shoppers want to support British farmers - 69% are aware of the Red Tractor on-pack logo - 58% say they are positiviely influenced by the logo - 30% would trade up to a Red Tractor product if they saw the logo

Global dairy sector rises to the challenge of engaging the next generation Dairy stakeholders from across the globe will meet in South Korea in October 2018 to ensure that the sector meets the challenge of engaging and inspiring the next generation of scientists, farmers and consumers. egistration for this innovative and educational event, the 2018 International Dairy Federation (IDF) World Dairy Summit, which will be held in Daejeon, South Korea from October 15th-18th, opened over the weekend.

Under the theme of “Dairy for the Next Generation”, the summit will explore emerging dairy issues and traditional aspects of the dairy sector while offering expert insight into the technical and scientific expertise that underpins the IDF’s work programme.

The summit provides a dynamic and interactive platform for participants to exchange cuttingedge technologies and knowledge, identify a common agenda, develop shared solutions and encourages a holistic view of how to improve dairy farming.

South Korea is at the forefront of the emerging dairy markets in Asia. From humble beginnings in 1902 with only 20 Holstein cows, the South Korean dairy industry now has 5,300 dairy farms with nearly half a million cows producing an annual average of

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two millions tons of milk.

Meanwhile, consumption of dairy products is rising steadily due to lifestyle changes as more people begin to incorporate dairy into the country’s traditional diet with average dairy consumption reaching 76.4kg per person annually.

Caroline Emond, DirectorGeneral of the IDF said: “I am delighted to announce that registration for this year’s World Dairy Summit is now open. I warmly encourage the dairy community to register as soon as possible to ensure they do not miss out on this excellent learning and networking opportunity.”

“The IDF World Dairy Summit is the flagship global event in the dairy calendar. We are very excited to be hosting the summit in South Korea for the first time, in what should be an informative event with an abundance of scientific and technical expertise on display from dairy stakeholders across the globe and all levels of the value chain.”

“Inspiring the next generation to connect with dairy in a meaningful manner is a challenge the whole sector needs to address but one I

am very confident we will meet successfully as dairy has so much to offer to the younger generation.”

Chang-Buhm Lee, Chair of IDF World Dairy Summit 2018 organising committee said “IDF colleagues and all visitors will experience both the best of the

modern dairy industry and the warm hospitality of our citizens, all of which will make your stay all the more memorable!”

To register for the 2018 IDF World Dairy Summit, please follow this link http://www.idfwds2018.com/html/r egistration.php#

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 09

| On Topic

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| On Topic

Farmers ploughing funds into animal welfare in 2018 40% of livestock farmers plan to invest further in animal welfare in the next year. Study marks the launch of new capital grant scheme from McDonald’s offering farmers grants of up to £10,000 to drive innovation in animal welfare on their farms. ew research reveals that UK farmers are planning to invest more in animal welfare than any other aspect of their farm business in 2018. This comes as McDonald’s UK unveils a half million-pound capital grant scheme to help dairy farmers deliver animal welfare initiatives.

The latest Farm Forward Barometer – part of an ongoing programme of research commissioned by McDonald’s UK and conducted by the National Farm Research Unit – found 40% of livestock farmers plan to invest in animal welfare over the next 12 months. This makes it the single biggest focus of investment, ahead of spending on infrastructure (37%) and working capital (30%). The research also showed that 88% of farmers are already accredited by a farm assurance scheme and, of those remaining, 20% are working to gain accreditation this year.

Asked why they are increasing their investment in animal welfare, beyond improving animal health, 88% believe that high welfare standards are vital to making UK farming globally competitive and 59% said they had seen an increased demand for higher welfare products over the last five years from food companies, retailers and end consumers.

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The study also revealed a strong sense of personal responsibility amongst these farmers.

Almost two thirds (64%) of respondents said they think individual farmers are responsible for driving animal welfare standards in the UK farming industry, followed by the government (44%), food companies and retailers (39%) and consumers (34%).

Mike Tizzard, a McDonald’s flagship dairy farmer, said: “Animal welfare has always been a top priority for us, but now we are investing more than ever in preventative measures to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the herd – from redesigning our cow tracks and collecting yard for optimum comfort, to ongoing monitoring of health and performance data so we can spot problems early. Put simply, happy and healthy cows mean happy staff, high quality standards, and improved productivity” However, the research also highlighted serious challenges that farmers face when it comes to driving higher welfare standards. 70% cited high production costs, 53% said they had difficulties raising the funds themselves and 54% said they struggled to get outside funding.

To help overcome some of these challenges McDonald’s has just launched its first ever capital grant scheme to help UK dairy farmers wanting to invest in animal welfare. Developed

in partnership with Arla Foods, a dairy cooperative, the scheme is making £500,000 available to UK dairy farmers who work with Arla this year. Successful applicants will be awarded a grant of up to £10,000 each to fund innovation in animal welfare on their farm. The grant will be offered as part of Farm Forward, McDonald’s long-term programme of support for the UK farming industry.

Connor McVeigh, Supply Chain Director, McDonald’s UK, said: “UK farmers have always been front-footed when it comes to animal welfare but, as this research shows, they continue to invest and innovate. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to serve the responsibly sourced food our customers want and expect, from the organic milk we use across our coffee menu and in our Happy Meals to the free-range eggs in our breakfast items.

We want to work hand in hand with farmers to make sure the industry continues to thrive.

That’s why, as part of our Farm Forward programme, we are investing half a million pounds this year to support farmers who are driving innovation in animal welfare on their farms. It’s just one of the ways we are doing our part to support this dynamic and evolving industry.”

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 11

| Arable

Bringing technology into the field Laura Bouvet new Knowledge and Innovation Facilitator for Agri-Tech East & AHDB. aura Bouvet has been appointed Knowledge and Innovation Facilitator for AgriTech East and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the first time the two organisations have collaborated in this way.

As part of the new jointly funded role, Laura will support a number of innovation projects with growers – drawing on her extensive knowledge of plant pathology, genomics and advanced breeding.

Dr Belinda Clarke, Director of Agri-Tech East, comments: “We have seen significant appetite from farmers and growers to be involved in the direction and implementation of trials of new technologies. We are looking to expand our involvement in this area.

“Laura brings the latest knowledge of plant pathology, genomics and advanced breeding with a hands-on enthusiasm for working in the field. We think this combination will be appreciated by our members and allow us to take forward a number of projects we have been discussing.”

Richard Laverick, Chief Technical Officer of AHDB, agrees: “Laura Bouvet’s appointment is a significant partnership for AHDB. We are working closely with Agri-Tech East to co-fund this post. It represents a very practical example of the two organisations working together to deliver more effective support for the industry and to ensure innovation and new practice is communicated effectively to a wide audience.

With this aim in mind Laura will also support our new national Arable knowledge exchange team.”

Laura is currently finalising her PhD at the

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Genetics & Breeding Department of NIAB and is affiliated to the University of Cambridge.

Her PhD project focused on the genetics of wheat yellow rust resistance. She worked with the UK wheat MAGIC population, one of the latest tools available in crop breeding for the precise dissection of complex traits of interest, such as disease resistance. Her work on plant pathology has involved significant networking with growers and seed breeders.

She says: “I have a strong interest in plant science and how it can contribute practically to tackling challenges faced by agriculture. During my postgraduate training, I have had the opportunity to work on different research and technology transfer projects where interactions with end-users have been crucial.

“In this new role, I am looking forward to facilitating the implementation of agricultural innovations and establish strong connections with farmers and growers.”

For Agri-Tech East, Laura will be supporting and directing a number of farmer-led research projects. The organisation is currently coordinating an Innovative Farmer Field Lab looking at the best way to use digestate (a product of anaerobic digestion) as a fertiliser.

Her knowledge will be highly beneficial for her work with AHDB, which will focus on its Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR) facility, which provides controlled environment facilities for research into optimum crop storage conditions.

Sprout suppression in potatoes is an area of particular interest for growers.

Dr Rob Clayton, AHDB Strategy Director for Potatoes, says: “This is a crucial time for Laura Bouvet to join the SBCSR team to help address

the immediate challenges facing our growers and store managers.

“We already know some of our stores use three times more energy than others and it’s compromising productivity and an individual’s bottom line.

“With industry introducing higher yielding thinner skinned varieties, it means that attention to detail on storage issues needs to be cranked up. And finally, keeping the sector tuned into alternative sprout suppression choices for the future is vital.”

In June the Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research facility will play host to an Agri-Tech East Pollinator event to explore a number of new innovations being used to help maintain the quality and integrity of the crop postharvest, for short and long-term storage. 'PostHarvest Technologies – Innovations for Keeping Crops Clean, Cool and (High) Quality' will take place on 20 June 2018 at Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research, East Bank, Sutton Bridge, Spalding, PE12 9YD. Find out more at www.agritech-east.co.uk/events.

If you are interested in getting involved in farm trials do get in touch: info@agritecheast.co.uk

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| Arable

LEAF Marque goes from strength to strength At a time when consumers, the food and farming industry and government, both at home and abroad, are focusing more than ever on environmental issues, LEAF’s latest Global Impacts Report has once again revealed the substantial progress being made in delivering more sustainable farming through LEAF Marque certification. he report, which was launched at the annual LEAF Marque Summit last month), shows continued growth in productivity. Significant growth was made in the livestock sector, with an increase of more than 3,500 sheep and cattle reared on LEAF Marque certified businesses compared with last year, and more than 15,000 ha of permanent or temporary grassland grown. The report also highlights the diversity of the assurance system, revealing that 162 different crop types and livestock classes are produced by LEAF Marque certified businesses.

In total, there are 1,032 LEAF Marque certified businesses, operating in 34 countries across the globe from Chile to New Zealand.

Over the past 12 months, the area of crop produced by these businesses has grown by more 19,000 ha (an area larger than the city of Glasgow) to a total of 386,500 ha, with the UK accounting for 81% - 314,500 ha - of this. Fiftyone percent of the crop was cereal, with 43% horticulture. The top five crops grown were wheat (98,200 ha), barley (34,500 ha), potato (32,600 ha), oilseed rape (27,300 ha) and lettuce (11,200 ha).

Caroline Drummond, Chief Executive of LEAF, said: “We are delighted with the progress we have made and are seeing some real and lasting change in the resilience, productivity and health of farmland across the globe delivering public goods. Our Global Impacts Report demonstrates how a credible, marketbased, independent, science and evidencebased assurance system like LEAF Marque can help drive forward strong connections between

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farmers, consumers and the wider supply chain.”

In the UK, LEAF Marque’s prominence in the fresh produce sector grew yet again, with 36% of UK fruit and vegetables now grown by LEAF Marque certified businesses, up from 25% just three years ago. For some produce, virtually all UK crop was LEAF Marque certified including leeks (95%), asparagus (91%), beetroot (88%) and lettuce (87%).

Many crops were grown to LEAF Marque standards for the first time, including bilberry, curry leaves, pulses, macadamia and sunflowers.

The report also highlighted how farms are following sustainable farming practices under LEAF’s Integrated Farm Management (IFM), with every LEAF Marque certified business implementing responsible environmental practices. The importance of soil health has been recognised with four in ten farms recording soil organic matter, compared with just one in three a year ago. Other precious resources are also carefully managed with 44% of LEAF Marque certified businesses having one or more types of renewable energy, and 51% carrying out waste management best practice.

Biodiversity, biosecurity and conservation practices, all key parts of Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan, were also measured as part of the report. Steps were being taken to minimise damage to beneficial species and non-target organisms on 339,500 ha of crops – accounting for 88% of all crop grown on LEAF Marque certified businesses. This was up 13% from 300,000 ha in the previous year.

Nearly 6.8 million metres of hedges are

managed on LEAF Marque certified businesses, enough to stretch from London to Nairobi. As well as planting hedges and trees, other ways businesses are improving on-farm biodiversity include creation of ponds and ongoing management of reservoirs, field margins and habitat banks.

Caroline Drummond added: “With the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals providing an important focus for delivering a better, more sustainable world, the work of LEAF and our members plays a key part in translating them into meaningful change on the ground. The challenges the sector faces are many, but so is the potential for transformation.

Going forward we will be strengthening our relationship with our members, in the UK and overseas, to ensure the LEAF Marque assurance system continues to provide benefit across a range of farm types and geographical locations. We know for example that there is great opportunity for the meat and dairy sectors to be further recognised for their environmental contribution, and the growth of LEAF Marque in these areas provides a unique opening for farmers to develop their markets.”

The results were released at the annual LEAF Marque Summit. The third summit, explored the theme Metrics, Measurables and the Marketplace and examined some of the pressing questions about the role of assurance schemes in delivering meaningful improvements for farmers and the environment.

As well as LEAF, speakers included representatives from Waitrose, Countryside and Community Research Institute, Barfoots of Botley, Green Alliance, Jordans & Ryvita, and G’s Fresh.

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| Arable

Contact your nearest dealer: Central Cropsprayers Limited Unit J Sandford Industrial Park Whitchurch Shropshire SY13 2AN 01948 840187 www.centralcropsprayers.co.uk

Agratech NW Ltd Unit 8 Dale Mill Burnley Road East Lancashire BB4 9HU 01706 211399 www.agratech.co.uk

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| Arable

PGRO & BEPA update “There will be many who are now significantly behind in their spring sowing campaign, the prolonged cold having been succeeded by continuing wet soil conditions. s we slip into April there will be many who are now significantly behind in their spring sowing campaign, the prolonged cold having been succeeded by continuing wet soil conditions,” comments Roger Vickers, Chief Executive of PGRO. With limited opportunities for good soil and sowing conditions, the rush is on to make the most of April for spring bean and pea sowings. Whilst sowings of beans beyond the latter half of April may start to impact yield potential, the good news is that the chances of Bruchid beetle damage are also reduced, increasing the opportunity for reaching human consumption export premiums.

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“While the prospect of later April sowing might tempt some growers to consider switching out of a pulse crop this spring, it is still too early to see that step as an option.

That said, the trade has long been forecasting a bean area fall of around 10% this spring and for peas to fall up to 25%.

“As European export quality beans have dried up, Australian beans have increased in value, rising approximately $30/tonne.

Along with rising alternative protein market, values this has seen a rise of approximately £4/t in feed bean prices over the month.

“The outlook for new crop pulses is considered to be good.

Beans are being well supported by the feed users and the human consumption market will be hungry for the new crop. New crop

A quarter of UK septoria isolates carry SDHI mutations The frequency of septoria tritici isolates with mutations that confer reduced sensitivity to SDHIs continues to increase at UK sites. ccording to early season monitoring work co-funded by AHDB, 26 per cent of all isolates gathered and tested carried an SDHI mutation.

This compares to 15 per cent and 0 per cent of all isolates tested in a similar period during 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Collected from 22 commercial and trial sites across England, Wales and Scotland, the ADAS-led work also shows the frequency of such mutations is highly variable across the UK. In 2018, SDHI mutation frequency ranged from zero per cent at one site to 48 per cent of isolates carrying detectable mutations at another.

Isolates containing the highly SDHI-resistant C-H152R mutation were not detected at any site in 2018, indicating it is only present at a very low level at the start of this season.

Paul Gosling, who manages AHDB’s fungicide resistance work, said: “Despite the variability in the

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monitoring data, a clear trend can be seen: SDHI mutation frequency is increasing in UK septoria populations. We’ve also seen examples of double mutants starting to appear.

“The increase is not rapid, however, and it’s good we’ve not yet seen highly resistant septoria isolates with low fitness costs. It means the battle against SDHI resistance in septoria is far from lost and growers need to keep on with strong anti-resistance measures in their fungicide programmes.”

Experience from Ireland in 2017 shows that moderately resistant septoria isolates, at similar frequencies to those found in the UK, can be managed using robust rates of azole and a multisite, alongside SDHIs. This approach not only gives better septoria control but has been shown repeatedly in trials to slow the spread of resistant isolates.

Information on fungicide resistance management can be accessed via cereals.ahdb.org.uk/fungicidefutures

peas of good quality and colour retention will once again be in strong demand as there is no carry over from 2017 harvest. Quality is always the key for export premiums.

“The French bean area stabilised at around 82,000ha in 2017 with peas around 142,000ha.

Interestingly, chickpea and lentil production rose significantly to 33,300ha (double) and 19,500ha (up 67%) respectively with French producers enjoying a coupled aid for protein crops of Euros 111.50/ha.”

Franek Smith, President of BEPA, reports that the UK feed bean market continues to firm with good support from the UK feed compounders and further supported by firm export demand from North East Europe and France. Values are currently around £160/t ex farm. As alternative protein sources firm in price, the base price for feed beans rises, and it appears that the outlook for the reminder of the old crop is slightly upwards. New crop prospects are educated speculation following London wheat futures which are varying between £143-147/t with a £15-20 premium for feed beans.

Whilst there were boats of human consumption peas leaving the UK in March with values of up to £180/t ex farm, the export activity is considered to be more or less over for old crop. There is little to zero buyer interest and few if any sellers remain with the right quality. The mood in the trade is static with little if any trade. New crop activity in the Baltic is anticipated to rise on the back of them selling out in 2017 as growers there switch out of peas.

As yet, it is too early to forecast Australian activity, but early indications suggest a stabilising or slight fall from 2017 crop area.

Forward prices for crop 2018 are available with a premium of £15£20 over feed beans. At current levels this could present a value of up to £180/t ex farm for November movement - but there is little if any trading activity.

The market for combining peas

continues to be static. Most buyers are already committed and there is a surplus of bleached and poorer quality samples in both blue and marrowfat categories.

The range in prices for marrowfat peas is directly linked to quality. Poor quality bleached samples are lucky to fetch £170/t ex farm and top quality continues to command up to £240/t ex farm.

Significant production ‘off contract’ peas produced an estimated 10,000t surplus in 2016, and whilst prices have continued to rise through 2017 with poor quality filling the market, it is likely to be into 2019 before further significant prices rises are realised. However, they are being anticipated, which may help to boost the continued confidence of long-term producers.

“As European export quality beans have dried up, Australian beans have increased in value, rising approximately $30/tonne” The best samples of large blue peas continue to achieve up to £235/t ex farm, but it is considered that this is likely to be the top of the market and that old crop is more likely to fall than rise. Buyers are generally covered and with new crop now on the horizon, old crop quality would have to be exceptional to compete. Bleached samples are not in demand and are hard to move. £160-165/t ex farm is optimistic and the indications are of falling values.

That said, the feed market has risen, so the downside risk is also reduced slightly. All markets are ready for the new crop and samples with good quality colour and good cooking and soaking characteristics will be in demand.

The trade for yellow peas continues to be unaware of any immediate demand. Small parcels recently traded at £160/t ex farm.

Domestic production for UK use will continue to have demand from 2018 and it is believed contracts are available.

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 15

| Arable

16 | Farming Monthly | April 2018

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| Arable

Gibbons extends Plug&Dry™ accessories range ahead of Cereals Amid preparations for its debut at Cereals in June (stand 1074), Essex-based Gibbons Agricultural Fans has enhanced its Plug&Dry™ crop store fan accessories range with another useful add-on. he new fan starter is a plug-and-play unit that offers instant pushbutton control in a compact casing with IP41 ingress protection, meaning it's safe against condensation.

The Plug&Dry™ range enables users to quickly and easily connect a number of optional accessories to their trusty Gibbons grain-drying fan to help them save time, energy and money during 2018 and beyond.

The rest of the Plug&Dry™ range – compatible with single phase or three phase power – includes: Direct on-line (DOL) starter fitted with thermal overload protection for direct push-button/auto-start control.

High-precision thermostat for accurate temperature control and

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monitoring – essential when the erratic British weather offers no guarantees.

Heavy-duty 10 or 20-metre extension leads with 16A plug and socket. The durable IP44-rated leads offer protection against dust and are resistant to water splashes.

Each of these solutions can be quickly and easily installed by the user, removing the cost of having an electrician attend site.

The Plug&Dry™ accessories can be connected to both the steel and aluminium versions of the Gibbons centrifugal fan, which is powered by an energy-efficient IE3 electric motor. The motor itself has been upgraded to include a steel (rather than plastic) terminal box casing for added robustness and reliability.

The accessories are ready to add to the fan box prior to shipping, and the flexibility of the

system means that the farmer can use any number of accessory combinations. And with electricity prices as unpredictable as ever – as well as Brexit causing uncertainty over the future economy – it’s a solution that will help farmers minimise their energy bills.

Gibbons has also developed an easy-to-use calculator that allows farmers to work out the optimum number of crop-drying fans required for a given area simply by entering a few key pieces of information.

Available via Gibbons’ network of official resellers, this exclusive tool enables the user to know

precisely how many fans to use for any given grain type and volume within a matter of moments.

The Gibbons Agricultural fan range is manufactured on-site at the company’s production facility in Tollesbury, near Maldon and is delivered to farmers across the UK and beyond. Sized at 0.13 – 2.2 kW, the fans are available as single phase or three phase in both aluminium and steel in most sizes.

For more information on the Plug&Dry™ system, fan selection calculator or any of Gibbons Agricultural Fans’ other products and services, call Josie Knight on 01621 868 138 or email fans@gibbonsgroup.co.uk

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 17

| Grain

18 | Farming Monthly | April 2018

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| Potatoes

Newest Strategic Potato Farm aiming for ‘better quality for customers’ Quality is paramount for RJ and AE Godfrey, a mixed arable farm in North Lincolnshire, which has joined AHDB’s Farm Excellence Network. he farm grows around 440 ha of main-crop potatoes for the packing market each year, in a rotation including peas, sugar beet, wheat, oilseed rape and linseed. It will become Strategic Potato (SPot) Farm North and act as a hub for farmer-to-farmer learning in the region.

Director Alex Godfrey said: “We’re always interested in what we can do better when it comes to growing potatoes and we thought this was a fantastic opportunity to see some of the newest developments applied on our farm.

“We hope this will benefit others in the region as well. We’re looking forward to sharing what we do and

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hearing what ideas other growers have. We know there is some fantastic knowledge out there.”

The business supplies the majority of its crop to the ‘free-buy’ market. Farm Manager Will Gagg says this makes crop quality of paramount importance.

He said: “If we can achieve better quality in store and to our customers I’ll be very happy. If we can fine-tune and gain small amounts, one per cent here, another per cent there, it will be a very positive thing. Of course we will be looking to share those gains with others in the local industry.”

The farm spans the Lincolnshire/Yorkshire border and includes two soil types, a sandy loam on the Lincolnshire Wolds

and silts on the Isle of Axholme.

Will is encouraging growers from both counties and soil types to attend a series of four events to be held on farm over the summer.

Trials will include varieties grown for both the packing and processing sectors.

He added: “The wold and the silt soils provide completely different challenges. On the wold land, we get fantastic yield, but it is harder to hold skin-finish in store long-term. On silts we get a fantastic skin-finish that holds well in store but moisture in the soil can make lifting conditions very tricky.”

Growers and agronomists interested in the work at SPot North can contact AHDB Potatoes Knowledge Exchange Manager for the region, Graham Bannister.

Graham said: “Alex and Will want to lead honest and open discussions on how to make positive change on farm. I am sure Northern potato growers will be as excited as I am to have them on board.”

“Inspiration for farmers to adopt new technologies and make beneficial changes on farm must come from voices they are familiar with and trust. This is why AHDB is investing £1 million in our Farm Excellence Platform, across more than 50 farms in 2018, to build on and create new groups to allow more farmers to see action on farm and channel innovation to those that can use it the most.”

Water conservation agent trials show potato yield increase Trials have proven that using a water conservation agent can significantly increase potato yields, which could bring in an extra £1,100 per hectare1, while reducing irrigation water use by approximately 25%2. hese results come at a key time for the agricultural industry as many growers look to consider how they can reduce water consumption and improve farm efficiency. This is in anticipation of a shift in farm subsidy payments that will reward sustainable practices.

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“Further testing has proven that H2Flo can reduce the amount of water applications by 25%, saving on overall water and pumping costs” One farmer who has experienced the benefits of a water conservation agent first hand, is Norfolk based Tim Papworth.

“We applied H2Flo to a block of Royal potatoes, mixed with our standard blight spray, and left an adjacent block untreated, on a well-drained sandy loam area of one of our farms near North Walsham,” says Tim. Dr Richard Collins, ICL technical

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sales manager, explains that the final digs on Tim’s farm showed that the treated plot yielded at a higher level that the untreated site, with an increase of 11 tonnes from 61.45 t/ha to 72.63 t/ha.

“This improvement in productivity could directly improve farm profits by over £1000 per hectare and can be attributed to the way in which H2Flo works.

“The product contains a blend of surfactants that alters the water surface tension. Therefore, this increased the spread of water through the soil profile of the treated crop, and improved rewetting of the soil, making it more readily available for the plants,” he says.

“However, the untreated plot maintained a constant moisture level with minimal plant uptake, which would decrease even further if dry conditions continued.”

Richard goes on to outline the additional benefits of the product.

“Further testing has proven that H2Flo can reduce the amount of water applications by 25%, saving on overall water and pumping costs.”

With this in mind, and the pleasing results from his own trial, Mr Papworth plans to put the product to the test again this season, trying it out on a considerably larger area with multiple varieties of potato.

“Given the significant cost to purchase and apply water, at roughly £99/hectare metre, I’m really interested to test the water saving benefits for myself,” says Tim. “We use an average of 0.67 hectare metres of water in a normal year, which costs us in the region of £8,600, so any saving would be a huge benefit to us and the environment.”

1 Based on a yield increase of 11t/ha and an average price of £100/t for potatoes 2 Based on trials carried out by Amega Sciences

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 19

| Potatoes

Elite operator and management control now comes as standard Greencrop Irrigation, the UK importer of Irrimec Hose Reel Irrigators, has offered the Elite range of Irrimec irrigators since its launch in early 2016. The latest range is designed with the professional grower in mind who demand reliable and easy-to-operate irrigation systems that require simple maintenance. reencrop is pleased to announce that the range is now supplied with the ‘Dosicontrol Pro’ computer control as standard, previously an optional extra. The ‘Dosicontrol Pro’ is a GSM system that provides diagnostic information and has the ability to record hours worked and water used for improved operator and management convenience.

The Elite 730 and 735 offer a range of hose diameters, from 100mm to 140mm, and hose length options, up to 580m long. The intention is to offer longer hose lengths with the introduction of the new Elite 800 series, which is now available.

The attention to detail starts with each machine being steel shot

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blasted, then painted in epoxy anti-corrosive primer, with a final coat of oven baked polyurethane paint for a superb long lasting finish.

Trolleys are hot galvanized.

The drive system continues with the proven Irrimec design. The drum is driven from one side by a cut gear ring positioned on the outer diameter of the drum. Unlike a chain drive, the hose drum is driven by a low-torque gear drive, which is positive and low wearing. Drum bearings are now fitted with an auto lube cartridge ensuring problem free reliability. The turbine drive retains Irrimec’s patented partial flow “Turbimec” system, interchangeable for flows of 10130mc/hr at low inlet pressure.

For more durability during long demanding irrigation periods, the chassis’ are constructed of large

steel frames using a 5mm thick box section. The hydraulic legs are 50% larger with built-in internal rams for improved weather resistance and are designed to exert a central push against the drum for added stability.

All of the guards are now manufactured in steel for increased durability and to enhance the appearance of the machine. The gun lift frame is also 50% larger, pivoting higher on the machine for additional strength and reliable operation.

The Elite is supplied with a full hydraulic system for operation of the jack, turntable and legs with the control levers now mounted on its own adjustable stand at the front of the machine. This can be adjusted to the right or left hand side of the drum, therefore when turning the drum into the work position you are

always in the line of sight to position the trolley in the correct row, making the machine set up easier.

The reinforced turntable gear and hose guide has not one but four metal bearing rollers guiding the hose onto the drum, aiding drum rewinding and improving hose durability. Gun trolleys are self-pivoting, have been made 50% stronger, are fitted with wheel weights and have a double support wheel for the hose.

The machines are available with either a single or tandem axle chassis, with a large range of tyres.

For further information on any of our Greencrop products, please contact your nearest dealer or contact Howard Chantry on 01328 701992 or email howard@greencrop.co.uk

Potato stock levels & ‘drawdown’ at record levels Potato stock levels reached a record 2.4 million tonnes in January – up 25 per cent on last year, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. he latest data survey also showed that the rate at which they were drawn from store was also at its highest level since 2010, when AHDB began measuring stock.

According to the new figures, GB stock levels held by growers rose by 492,000 tonnes compared to the 2017 end-January estimate.

And from November to January 2018. 1.19 million tonnes were drawn from grower’s stores – 226,000 more than the same period last season and 14 per cent higher than the five-year average drawdown rate.

Peter Collier, analyst at AHDB said: “Retail sales of fresh potatoes were up 3.6 per cent in the three month period to the end of January, as measured by Kantar Worldpanel. While this is good news, it does not entirely explain the increase in drawdown rate.

“Another factor is a greater level of grade outs in this year’s crop.

With quality reported as reduced in 2017/18, there has been an increased tonnage requirement to

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meet specifications, as seen by reports of a higher ‘out grade’ percentage than usual.”

AHDB Potatoes has released a new storage dashboard on Potato Data Centre, where users can examine data on the region or market sector pertinent to them.

The portal also includes the ability to distinguish between stock held that is intended to fill a ‘oncontract’ purchase and stock for the ‘free-buy’ market.

There is a chance, that despite these record stock levels, the market could still ‘tighten’ as the season progresses.

Peter said: “The delayed, wet start to 2018/19 earlies planting could see this marketing season extended, causing a tightening of supplies before the new crop is lifted. Conditions can change quickly, so I would recommend keeping an eye on Potato Data Centre, or our newsletter Potato Weekly for more information.”

The latest estimate is based on an AHDB survey, covering stocks held by growers and does not include stock held by purchasers.

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| Potatoes

The Caretaker’s latest optical sorting option proves top-grade Since Tong Engineering launched the option of integrated optical sorting within its market leading grading machine, the Caretaker, back in 2016, the inclusion of advanced optical sorting on dirty grading systems has proved to be a very welcome addition. ntroduced to offer potato and vegetable growers and processors automated optical sorting of dirty crop, Tong has been offering the option within its Caretaker mobile grader and static grading lines, as an alternative to traditional manual inspection facilities. The optical sorter for dirty crop can also be specified as a stand-alone unit or within a complete intake grading line, to replace manual removal of stones and clod from crop.

And now, after almost two years in daily action sorting up to 40 tons of potatoes per hour, the optical sorter has proved itself to be invaluable. “One of our most recent Caretaker installations that features the optical sorting system, is for a large potato grower and processor in France, where the integrated optical sorter is working very well on dirty crop,” explains

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Charlie Rich, Export Sales Manager at Tong Engineering.

“The addition of the optical sorter, which is built upon the Caretaker’s heavy duty chassis, has meant that they are now achieving very consistent and reliable removal of debris from crop without any manual inspection, and at high capacities.”

When specified as an option on the Tong Caretaker grader, the optical sorting unit is fitted in place of a standard inspection table, working very accurately on unwashed crop, separating foreign material from crop. Using the latest camera technology, the optical sorter scans all items whilst inflight to identify and separate crop from clod, stones and foreign objects including wood, plastic, glass, bone, rubber, metal and more. The machine offers effective separation for a wide range of potato varieties, including main, seed and processing crop.

“Growers and packers are continuously looking to increase the efficiency and productivity of their handling systems, with a definite focus across the industry on labour and its associated costs,” says Charlie. “Whilst we are offering carrot and potato processors advanced optical sorting of washed crop with the increasingly popular Visar optical sorter, the removal of stones and clod from dirty crop still remains a somewhat manual process for most. This new optical sorting option now offers growers and

fresh pack companies a fully automated system for consistent removal of stones and clod from unprocessed crop, which essentially removes the need for inspection staff at this stage in the process.”

“The new optical system, coupled with our latest Pro-Series Auto-Touch HMI control system, is bringing next generation automation to the intake crop handling process, for increased productivity and consistency whilst significantly reducing labour requirements,” added Charlie.

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 21

| Grassland

Grassland UK 2018 Grassland UK returns to the Bath & West Showground, Somerset on Thursday 10 May 2018. This ever-popular triennial event showcases grassland machinery and processes from seed to feed, attracting over 8,000 visitors from across the UK and beyond. live demonstration event held on working farmland neighbouring the Showground, Grassland UK takes place on over 100 acres, offering over 90 acres of machinery demonstration plots. More than 30 of the world’s key manufacturers will be demonstrating grassland processes on grass specially grown for the show, including; John Deere, JCB, Class and McHale. Manufacturers will also be demonstrating loading and

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22 | Farming Monthly | April 2018

handling equipment using the mown grass in the farm silage clamp, along with cutting edge muck and slurry technology.

Visitors can hear expert views on a mix of technical and agronomic topics such as grass management, varieties and soil management, alongside more business-oriented topics, including legislation changes, and attend seminars organised by the British Grassland Society.

Over 180 trade stands will showcase a range of products including seeds, mowers, balers,

tedders, livestock handling and feeding equipment, while numerous catering outlets will offer superb food & drink throughout the day.

The show is sponsored by Mole Valley Famers and Oliver Seeds, and is organised in association with Farmers Guardian.

From its inception in 1985 Grassland UK has gone from strength to strength, establishing itself as the foremost grassland event in the UK. Tickets are now on sale from bathandwest.com – book in advance and save £3 per ticket.

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| Grassland

Be ready to Spring out of Winter At the time of writing, the weather that has been dubbed “mini beast from the east” is just passing over. Whilst for most of us it has been much less of a disruption than the first event, it serves to remind us that winter still has some bite and that it is far from an early spring. igures from AHDB Dairy show that grass growth across the country is well below that seen at this time last year, with low temperatures and soils lying wet.

But there are some signs of change, particularly for those in milder areas or with freer draining soils, and in those places conditions can change quite rapidly. With some milder days forecast, soil temperatures will begin to rise and grass growth will start to move on, particularly where the soils are not too wet.

Grass growth begins when the soil temperature exceeds 5°C and where soils aren’t too wet, a few days of milder conditions will really make a difference.

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If applying slurry, make sure you take account of the nutrients applied and adjust fertiliser rates accordingly So what does this mean?

The obvious benefit is grass that is growing utilises nutrients and so where ground conditions permit, applying fertiliser or slurry will start to have a benefit. Using a low-emission slurry spreader such as a trailing shoe will help to make best use of the nutrients applied and keep the grass cleaner.

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Growth and uptake will still be modest, meaning that rates of application are best kept this way too. After a very wet autumn and winter, available sulphur will have been leached, so don’t forget this crucial nutrient, particularly on silage ground. If applying slurry, make sure you take account of the nutrients applied and adjust fertiliser rates accordingly – this should be done in conjunction with an up to date soil test, so that the plant’s nutrient requirements can be more precisely known.

Planning nutrient use without a soil test result is like doing a big grocery shop without a looking in the cupboards and making a list first – whether you get everything you need will be down to chance and you’ll probably end up with too much of one thing and not enough of another. For shopping you can gradually work through the many tins of beans and do without rice until you’re near the shops again, but in agronomy terms, it results at best in a waste of money through purchasing fertiliser nutrients you didn’t need, or reduced plant yield, because other nutrients are lacking; this is also a waste of money as the nutrients you have applied won’t be utilised to their best effect. A little care in nutrient planning can result in a better sward response and cost benefit – what’s not to like?

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 23

| Grassland

Target the first weather window in May for successful multi-cut Cutting grass silage in the first weather window in May, and targeting subsequent cuts at 35-day intervals, or less if the weather is suitable, will help in the adoption of a successful multi-cut system, says Kite Consulting’s Paul Macer. multi-cut system enables farmers to grow more forage of better quality. It also allows increased forage inclusion rates in diets, better land utilisation and reduces the risk posed by volatile feed markets, high concentrate to forage ratios and the weather,” explains Paul.

“With a multi-cut system sward cutting height should be targeted at 5-7cm as residual photosynthetic rates are crucial, especially in new leys. Cutting too low increases the potential for drought stress, as the plant will redirect energy for root growth towards new leaf growth formation. There is a potential to lose up to 14 days regrowth time if

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there is no residual leaf left, resulting in losses up to 1,000kg DM/ha/cut. Target a 24-hour interval between mowing and harvesting, meaning you can take advantage of shorter weather windows than with more traditional cuts.

“Aim to achieve a target dry matter (DM) of 35% within 24 hours of mowing. Tedding should be carried out according to weather conditions and the weight of the crop. Where necessary grass should be spread straight after mowing to allow the maximum surface area to be exposed to the elements during the crucial two hours that the plant’s stomata are open.

Remember DM can be quickly tested using a microwave to dry

24 | Farming Monthly | April 2018

Paul Macer

down the crop.

“Chop length will depend on the DM of the crop. Wetter crops will require longer material in order to avoid them turning to a mush, but intakes are usually higher with a shorter crop. When it comes to clamping the silage fill the clamp in long, shallow layers as opposed to the traditional wedge. If possible

clamp multiple cuts in the same clamp as this will lead to a more consistent diet during feed out. Put an extra tractor or use a specialist compactor on the pit where possible and target a density of 250kg of DM/m of clamp.

“You have to look at the silage clamp in terms of MJ of energy and protein as opposed to just the

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| Grassland volume you have. While cost per acre will generally be higher in a multi-cut system (four to five cuts plus), due to the higher levels of inputs and greater harvesting costs, the higher dry matter production over the season means there is a cost benefit just on the amount of material utilised. When the extra energy produced is calculated it shows that the multicut system will produce 50% MJ/acre more than a traditional three-cut system. This leads to a 14.5% reduction in cost per MJ,” concludes Paul.

Table 1: Comparison between a traditional silage system (3 cuts) and a multi-cut silage system (5 cuts)

3 Cuts

5 Cuts

Yield & DM Tonnes/acre Dry Matter (%) Dry Matter (Tonnes/acre) Clamp Losses (%) Amount Fed (TonnesDM/acre)

15 28 4.2 10 3.78

17 35 5.95 10 5.35

Nutrient Values Energy ME (MJ/Kg DM) Protein (% in DM)

10.8 14

11.7 16

Cost Freshweight Cost (£/tonne fed) DM Cost (£/tonne fed)

35.5 127

41.2 118

MJ/acre ME Cost (p/MJ)

40,824 1.17

62,595 (+53%) 1.00 (-14.5%)

d Come an t a s see u UK d Grasslan

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April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 25

| Livestock

Englefield Estate’s herd manager Terry Perkins on what Since Englefield Estate’s herd manager, Terry Perkins retired from dairy farming eight years ago to rear the Estate’s pedigree Fran McElhone about what it takes to rear such a spectacular group. ithin months of establishing Englefield Estate’s inaugural herd of Hereford beef cattle in 2009, herd manager Terry Perkins became a force to be reckoned with on the show circuit; his first show saw his first bull win first in his class.

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Terry regards his herd as friends, if not family, and many are named after members of the Benyon family Now 73, Terry has spent his life dedicated to farming; his childhood years were spent helping out his dairy farmer father, and in 1970, a 26-year-old Terry became the herd manager at

Mayridge Farm within the Englefield Estate, which has been owned by the Benyon family since the 16th century.

In 2008, a plea from the boss to stay on and establish a herd of Herefords, proved an irresistible proposition for the man who’s calling in life, and passion for farming were far stronger than his need for a lie in.

Terry travelled all over the country to find his prime animals to form the foundation of the herd, surveying 13 herds in two days. In early 2009 he brought together 35 Herefords, including his first bull called Exterminator, who come autumn, had made his show debut and won champion in his class.

Terry’s never come away empty handed ever since.

“Years ago, I used to show dairy cows so I thought I knew what I was looking for,” he says. “But it

26 | Farming Monthly | April 2018

was a completely new project, dairy is completely different, you almost have to start all over again,” he explains. “But a very good friend of mine who reared Herefords explained to me what I should be looking for, and I seemed to have picked the right ones. The only thing I’d do differently is to have selected animals without horns due to complications that can arise later on.”

More than 70 per cent of the Estate is farm land. Englefield Home Farms comprises 2,000 acres for livestock and arable farming. The prize winning herd, which now has 190 members, includes 70 cows and all the followers including heifers, bulls, bullocks, steers, and 65 calves.

The move to beef cattle meant a slightly later start in the morning for Terry who was up at 4am with

the dairy contingent. With the Herefords he’s up around 6am.

“I still absolutely love them all,” he says. “During calving season, my last visit will still be around 8pm or 9pm, when I’ll make sure all the calves are behaving themselves, and everyone’s settled.”

Terry regards his herd as friends, if not family, and many are named after members of the Benyon family. He can recognise each of them from their looks and personalities, which he says are all quite distinct. Can he really recognise them all?

“Oh yes, I remember all their names and can identify them all by the way they act,” he assures me.

Currently, he’s got a lot of ‘Catherines’, whose names are proceeded with a number, so he has Catherine one to 20 at the moment.

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| Livestock

Englefield Estate Herd Manager Terry Perkins and Englefield Estate Tenant Farmer Simon Strang

it takes to rear an award-winning herd year after year Hereford cattle herd, he’s never come away from a show without a rosette. As show season gets under way again, he speaks to “They’re beautiful animals,” he says. “But they’ve got a funny old streak in them, they’re hard work if they don’t want to do something, you have to tell them to stop mucking about, and they give up as soon as you’ve cornered them!”

He must have a favourite? “Oh no, I don’t think I have a favourite,” he adds. “Only when we’re winning shows!”

Terry and his team select 18 of his prime specimens for the show season early in the new year; seven to show, plus a cohort of reserves. Once they’ve become used to their halters, Terry will give them a few lessons in obedience and how to walk the walk.

“Obviously they play up a bit and pull you around,” he says. “But within weeks they’ll walk with you like Labradors,” Terry says.

“They’re more intelligent than people give them credit for.”

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Terry swears by linseed oil to add that extra sheen to the animals’ coats, which he says require precisely the right amount of blow drying. “I’ll start giving them wash and blow dries, twice a week, I don’t do it too early because they get dandruff,” Terry adds. “They absolutely love being fussed over,” he continues. “When you’re getting ready to go to a show, they’ll push you around because they want to get groomed, they think it’s super.”

Terry’s first show is the Surrey County Show in May. This year he plans to show at five shows including the Royal Three Counties Show, the Buck County Show, the Romsey Show and the Berkshire County Show in September rounding off the season. Terry tends to go to the shows where he thinks the most interest might be.

“They’re my shop window,” he says, adding that he sold around £20,000 worth of cattle following the Berkshire County Show last year.

The walls of his office, resplendent with rosettes and certificates, are a testament to Terry’s devotion and genuine love for his cattle. “I haven’t the faintest idea how many we’ve got,” he says. “300-odd maybe. One of the lads who works for me insists on putting the certificates up too, we’ll be hanging them on top of each other soon.

“Our animals are getting better and better every time,” he adds.

“But I don’t think I’ll ever know everything there is to know, I’m learning all the time.”

For the last five years, Terry has helped train Berkshire Agriculture College students at the farm. This, he says has been a highlight of his

Terry swears by linseed oil to add that extra sheen to the animals’ coats, which he says require precisely the right amount of blow drying more recent career. And somehow, he manages to find the time to run his own gardening business.

So what’s the secret to his success? “I think it’s attention to detail,” he ponders. “And you get to know the judges, and what they like.”

I suggest to Terry it could also be down to his genuine care for what he does. “Oh yes,” he adds modestly. “You’ve really got to love what you’re doing. I just wanted something to do when I retired, and it just took off. If I had my life all over again, I wouldn’t do it any differently. It’s a way of life.”

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| Livestock

South Devon Technical Championships set to return to Beef Expo Spectacular in Shrewsbury The event, themed ‘Beef Up Our Future’, will focus on how farmers can work to futureproof their businesses. One key focus will be the utilisation of technology and research on farm, including the uptake EBVs as a key tool to enhance genetic progression. he Performance Championships fits well within this theme, showcasing how EBVs can be used to the benefit of the industry. The technical show judges cattle bred from Breedplan performance recorded herds on both performance figures and inspection. Performance figures for bulls are accumulated in the ‘Quality Beef Index’ which includes carcase EBVs; and for heifers, the ‘Suckler Replacement Index’ is used which is weighted towards maternal characteristics.

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Speaking about the event, Caroline Poultney, Breed Secretary of the South Devon Herd Book Society stated “We are delighted to be returning to the Beef Expo this May. Last year’s show drew in a fantastic display of cattle which had the looks and the EBVs to back them up.

We should all be doing what we can to promote this vital breeding tool to the wider industry.”

South Devon cattle which originate from the South West are the largest of native beef breeds. Previously a dual-purpose breed, the cattle are renowned for their beef yield, docility, maternal characteristics, grazing conversion

along with the meat quality and marbling characteristics of native cattle.

The Beef Expo is the biggest technical beef event in the UK, celebrating the beef industry and all those who work within it. With over 100 trade stands, breed society displays, demonstrations, technical seminars, the national commercial cattle show and the South Devon’s technical championships the day is set to be a Beef Industry Spectacular, not to be missed!

Don’t overlook magnesium supplements this spring The prolonged cold and wet winter weather has led to restricted grass growth, delayed turnout on many farms, and in some cases shortages of forage earmarked for buffer feeding. owever, as grass growth catches up and producers look to make the most of spring grass, they are being reminded not to overlook the potentially fatal consequences of magnesium deficiency that results in staggers.

Bronwen Pihlwret, QLF’s nutritional adviser, explains why cows may still be at risk this spring, despite the later calendar date for turnout.

“Cows rely heavily on diet to ensure a sufficient supply of magnesium, and as lush spring grass is naturally low in the mineral, buffering, or restricting access to lush grass, can help reduce the danger of cows getting staggers.

“It’s important to understand that the risk is likely to continue until average temperatures reach 15-16ºC, and grass reaches maturity, both of which show every sign of coming late this year.

“For this reason, it’s likely that

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supplementation of magnesium may be required for longer periods than normal this spring, particularly in situations where mineralised concentrate feeding is reduced.”

Bronwen adds that spring grass is also typically low in structural NDF, and while this promotes DMI’s and subsequently milk yields, it reduces the opportunity for mineral absorption.

“Because fresh grass has a low structural fibre content, it passes through the rumen much quicker reducing the opportunity for any magnesium in feed to be absorbed across the rumen wall. In combination with low magnesium levels this further increases the risk of staggers,” she says.

“So, to help reduce this, it’s vital that producers include a magnesium supplement before and during turnout to help minimise a dip in productivity, and at worst death of livestock.

“It can be tempting to cut inputs, especially when the milk price drops, but it’s key to

provide a magnesium supplement at grass as staggers can come on very quickly and swift veterinary assistance is vital to avoid death.”

Traditionally, producers may have added magnesium chloride flakes to water troughs, but Bronwen advises against this as it can make the water undesirable, reduce water intakes, and in turn restrict milk yield.

For this reason, she suggests that providing a palatable source of the mineral in the diet is the most effective way of achieving sufficient uptake.

“Providing a palatable source of magnesium in solution, such as QLF’s Spring Mag (2% magnesium), fed through liquid lick feeders in the field is a good option this spring as cows can access it ad-lib, and it doesn’t require any additional inputs.

“As staggers can often prove fatal if not treated in time, it’s extremely important not to overlook magnesium supplementation at turnout, or you could run the risk of heavy losses,” she concludes.

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| Livestock

4000 farms in Wales have been screened in Bovine Viral Diarrhoea project A collaborative programme called Gwaredu BVD involving the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Coleg Sir Gâr’s Agriculture Research Centre, has tested over 4,000 farms for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) over the past six months. f those tested, 27% have evidence of the BVD infection and some 50 have started persistent infected (PI) animal hunts on their farms. Gwaredu BVD is currently screening approximately 50 submissions a day in their efforts to eradicate BVD. The ‘Animal Health & Welfare Wales – Eradicating Bovine Viral Diarrhoea in Wales’ project is funded by a £10 million award from the Welsh Government’s Rural Development Programme. This voluntary project, which was launched in July 2017, has been working closely with farmers to identify herds infected with BVD. The project is managed through a partnership between The RVC and Coleg Sir Gâr’s Agriculture Research Centre.

BVD is a viral and immunosuppressive disease maintained by a small population of animals that become persistently infected in gestation and are a risk to the health of the rest of the herd. This affects animal welfare and can

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lead to pneumonia, scour, infertility and reproductive disorders.

The RVC are strongly encouraging farms that have not taken part in the screening must get involved with the programme. Testing is carried as part of the annual TB test which farms undertake and only requires 5 animals (between the ages of 9 and 18 months) to be blood sampled. These samples are then tested for BVD antibodies, if BVD antibodies are present on the farm, then finding and removing PI animals becomes a priority.

Dr Neil Paton, Lecturer in Farm Animal Health and Production at the RVC, said: “This is a hugely important initiative for Wales and we are delighted to see that the farming community has taken the opportunity to get rid of the disease on farms. Getting rid of BVD will improve the health and welfare of the Welsh cattle herd by making it more robust and productive. If farmers have not already engaged with the programme I would highly encourage them to take advantage of the free

screening being offered through their vets.”

The UK is leading the charge in the fight against Bovine TB The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has announced that they will be partnering with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) to embark on two new projects which will take the agricultural industry one step closer to eradicating Bovine TB (bTB). sing recent AHDB research which identified significant genetic variations between resistant and non-resistant dairy cattle, AHDB and SRUC intend to develop a national database of genetic evaluations and a new state-of-the-art genomic prediction tool. This will enable farmers to identify natural resistance traits and make informed decisions about which cattle they choose to breed, depending on their resistance to Bovine TB. Combatting Bovine TB is a national priority, manifested by the £100 million spent annually on disease surveillance, monitoring and nongenetic control. If accuracies of genomic predictions were improved, genetic improvement could contribute to a long term reduction of this figure by reducing both infected and infectious animals on farm.

Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, reiterated the importance of eradication when he announced a review of the 25 year Bovine TB Strategy four years after it was first published.

The first of the two projects will be in partnership with the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) and will focus specifically on dairy cattle. Innovate UK have granted AHDB and CIEL £360,000 of funding, which will enable them to buy the genotyping

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services required to genotype around 12,000 cattle.

“The additional funding provided by Innovate UK will allow a far greater number of cattle to be included in the database, ensuring greater accuracy when the improved genomic prediction tool is put into practice” says Marco Winters, Head of Animal Genetics for AHDB Dairy. He added, “This project has gamechanging potential for the dairy industry and is a further demonstration of how the industry is actively using genetics, as part of wider industry initiatives, toward a sustainable livestock sector.”

The second project, which is being cofunded with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), will build on AHDB’s initial research on dairy genetic evaluations but instead focus specifically on beef cattle. This is a slightly more complicated project due to the number of different beef cattle breeds in comparison to dairy cattle, but could reap huge savings for livestock breeders.

Farming Minister, George Eustice MP, commented: "Bovine TB is a slow moving, insidious disease which presents many challenges. That is why we are taking strong action to deliver our 25-year strategy to eradicate the disease through tighter cattle measures, improved biosecurity and badger control in areas where the disease is rife.” He

added, “Reducing the risk of disease entering a farm is crucial to end the devastation of bovine TB and that is why we have chosen to support this project which has the potential to lead to reductions in its incidence.”

Both projects are being undertaken by Scotlands Rural College (SRUC) and new TB Advantage evaluations will be calculated by EGENES. Professor Mike Coffey from SRUC said “This is a major development in the battle against TB. It will increase data available for evaluations and create a new rich dataset for further research, leading to a reduction in cow to cow transmission of TB” AHDB were keen to point out that despite the potential of these projects, current disease control measures must continue to be adhered to as part of the UK’s bTB eradication strategy.

The first of the two projects, focused specifically on dairy cattle, is scheduled to commence later this year. The beef cattle project co-funded by DEFRA is already underway.

In 2015, AHDB collaborated with, among others, the NFU, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and DEFRA to launch the ‘TB Hub’, offering information and advice to farmers dealing with Bovine TB issues. And, in 2016, ‘TB Advantage’ was launched, a new genetic index of 650,000 animal records which helps identify resistant blood lines.

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 29

| Biosecurity

Controlling disease in farm animals How to prevent infections through biosecurity measures, quarantine procedures and what to do if disease breaks out on your farm. isease outbreaks among farm animals can cause significant economic damage. However, you can limit the impact through preventative and control measures.

You must ensure that you follow biosecurity procedures, such as cleaning and disinfecting premises and vehicles. If there is an outbreak, government contingency plans will be followed. These plans include designating affected premises, setting up protection and surveillance zones, and controls on livestock movements.

This guide explains the special measures which apply in cases affecting poultry - such as avian influenza or ‘bird flu’ - and to the treatment of fresh meat, milk and milk products in affected areas.

This guide also outlines ways to reduce the risk of animal diseases being transmitted to humans, including procedures to protect visitors on open farms.

Biosecurity and disease control Biosecurity measures can help prevent the spread of farmed diseases - including notifiable diseases - across the UK. They also protect agricultural workers and visitors. Different biosecurity procedures apply to animals on farms and to animals being moved, for example to markets and agricultural shows.

Disease control through biosecurity focuses on controlling and reducing movements of

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animals, people and vehicles to and from areas where livestock is kept.

On-farm biosecurity measures include: • cleaning and disinfecting protective clothing and vehicles before and after contact with animals • use of disposable protective clothing During an outbreak, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will usually impose restrictions on animal movements, and suspend agricultural markets and shows.

Standard biosecurity measures at markets and shows are based on the ‘clean in, clean off’ principle, eg: • banning vehicles, equipment and clothing contaminated with animal excreta - except vehicle interiors and protective clothing taken off site for laundering • cleaning contamination from clothes before leaving animal areas • cleaning and disinfecting boots before leaving animal areas You should check the health status of livestock before buying or selling animals. New animals should be kept separate from existing stock on first arrival.

Biosecurity for specific livestock species There are also some biosecurity measures that you need to be aware of for specific animals.

Cattle Cattle biosecurity measures follow general principles of

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controlling stock movement, and disinfecting vehicles and clothes belonging to people travelling between sites.

Related measures to control foot and mouth disease include covering disinfectant footbaths between uses so they are not diluted by rain. You should also prevent cattle from coming into contact with animals that cannot develop the disease, but can transmit infected material - for example, dogs, cats, poultry and foxes.

You can limit bovine tuberculosis transmission by deterring badgers from entering properties - for example with yard dogs, water jets or pigs - and ensuring that feed containers are sealed to prevent contamination.

Other control measures include the control of fallen stock - animals that die on your farm because of accident or disease. These control measures are of particular relevance to the control of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Carcasses are classed as animal by-products and must be disposed of under the rules of the National Fallen Stock Scheme or by an approved private contractor.

Pigs Pig biosecurity procedures must be of a high standard to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as swine influenza.

Pig farmers should: • prohibit unnecessary visitors to the farm • cleanse and disinfect any shared equipment before it enters

and after it leaves your premises • make sure that personnel in contact with pigs at different premises take standard precautions, such as cleaning and disinfecting boots and clothing • prevent people with flu-like symptoms coming into contact with pigs Sheep and goats Sheep and goat biosecurity control follows the general principles of controlling movements of people and livestock, as well as disinfecting vehicles, equipment, clothing and footwear. Diseases of sheep and goats may not always be apparent in the early stages, so stock keepers should regularly monitor their animals for signs of illness.

As with cattle, fallen sheep and goats should be treated as animal by-products and disposed of using standard fallen stock procedures.

Poultry Poultry farmers can increase the biosecurity of flocks through standard control measures, such as washing hands after handling birds and disinfecting boots when travelling between farms.

Poultry-specific measures include: • use of disposable protective clothing where practicable • providing clean drinking water and food - preferably indoors to prevent contamination by wild animals • isolating new birds • having a plan for bringing a flock indoors if necessary • cleaning and disinfecting housing at the end of each cycle

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| Biosecurity

Commercial poultry farmers should also follow salmonella control principles as part of the National Control Programme (NCP) for the disease. This involves providing Defra with the registration details of your business and the number of birds and flocks you have. You must also comply with sampling procedures, eg boot and sock swabs.

Deer Biosecurity measures specific to deer - whether farmed, park or wild - include health monitoring for notifiable diseases such as: • foot and mouth disease • bovine tuberculosis • bluetongue • epizootic haemorrhagic virus disease It is also important to limit or prevent contact of deer with neighbouring livestock, and to be aware of the health status of any animals bought or sold.

Disinfectant procedures for animal diseases Disinfection is one of the main biosecurity measures to control the spread of animal diseases.

Equipment, vehicles, protective clothing and footwear must all be cleaned and disinfected before and after contact with farm animals. Disinfectants can also be used as biosecurity barriers for vehicles and people at farm entrances.

Before disinfecting structures such as sheds, you should clean them with detergents to remove organic matter and oily films.

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Disinfectants should be applied under low pressure, for example from a backpack sprayer.

List of approved disinfectants The AHVLA maintains a list of approved disinfectants for use in farming. The information provided includes supplier addresses and statutory dilution rates for use during control orders for: • foot and mouth disease • swine vesicular disease • poultry diseases, including avian influenza • tuberculosis • other diseases Disinfecting livestock vehicles There are special procedures which apply when disinfecting vehicles used to transport farm animals. For example, you must: • clean and disinfect vehicles as soon as possible after use involving animals • clean wheel arches and mud flaps Drivers of empty, dirty vehicles leaving markets or slaughterhouses must complete a form to declare where their vehicles will be taken for cleaning.

Disinfectants and worker safety You must ensure that farm workers use disinfectants safely, according to the agricultural Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations.

As well as exposure to disinfectants, these cover hazards from cleaning - for example dust from animals - diseases such as leptospirosis, and cleaning in confined spaces.

Protecting employees from

infection at work Farming and food processing businesses should take steps to protect their employees from zoonoses - diseases transmissible from animals to humans. There are about 40 potential zoonoses in the UK. Most are mild and tend to clear up naturally. However, some can cause serious health problems and are notifiable, which means you must report them to your local AHVLA office.

Notifiable zoonoses include: • anthrax • avian influenza • bovine spongiform encephalopathy • brucellosis • equine viral encephalomyelitis • glanders and farcy • rabies • rift valley fever • tuberculosis • West Nile virus Non-notifiable zoonoses include: • coxiella - causing Q fever • chlamydia - causing pscittacosis/ovine chlamydiosis • toxoplasma - causing toxoplasmosis • orf - skin disease of sheep • ringworm Preventative health measures on farms include hand-washing facilities - these are especially important for visitors and open farms Protection from bovine tuberculosis There are three main ways by which bovine tuberculosis (TB) can be transmitted to humans: • drinking raw milk from cows

with ‘disseminated TB’ - cows with TBthat has spread outside the lungs or which have TB lesions on udders • close proximity to animals with TB lesions in the lungs or infected cattle carcasses • infection through cuts or abrasions in the skin You can also take steps to protect stored feed from being contaminated by badgers that are infected with TB. Defra helps the farming industry to operate as efficiently as possible. Defra administers European support policies that provide around £3 billion to UK agriculture. Defra oversees a number of agencies that work with farmers, supervise imports and exports of crops, and implement pest and disease controls. You can call the Defra Helpline on Telephone 08459 33 55 77.

In England, the Farm Advisory System advises farmers about cross compliance. For further information, call the Cross Compliance Helpline on Telephone 0845 345 1302.

Further information NFU Callfirst Helpline 0870 845 8458 AHVLA Information Line 0844 884 4600 Defra Helpline 08459 33 55 77

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 31

| Pig & Poultry

State of the nation: 2018 poultry trends The UK poultry industry is constantly growing and adapting, and with continued development in the sector it’s important to keep up-to-date with where the industry is headed. Melanie Jenkins finds out what’s in store for 2018. rowth in the poultry sector has soared in recent years, with UK poultry meat slaughterings increasing by 4.63% between 2015 and 2016, to 1.08bn head.

Consumption of eggs has also continued to rise, up 2% in the year to August 2017 to 12.8bn eggs, according to Defra statistics.

In total, the UK produced 10.6bn eggs, with the retail value rising by 7% in the year to September 2017, to £972m.

With all this recorded growth, the industry is expanding to meet demand and producers need to keep ahead – which is where the 2018 British Pig and Poultry Fair can help. With exhibitors from across the industry showcasing the very latest technology, products, buildings and systems, producers have all the information they need at their fingertips.

After the avian influenza outbreak, biosecurity measures are on the increase – especially on free range units, while producers from across the egg and broiler industries are implementing more measures to reduce antibiotic usage. So what are people investing in right now? Some of this year’s Pig and Poultry Fair exhibitors offer their insights.

Overview Broiler production is flying ahead, with domestic and overseas demand increasing.

January 2018 has been the busiest

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start to any year in terms of enquiries for equipment supplier, LA Systems, in the past 10 years, according to managing director Andy Done.

For the past three to four years, LA Systems’ sales to the egg industry have been quiet, says Mr Done. “Now, for the first time we are getting very serious enquiries from egg producers who are moving into alternative systems such as flat deck and multi-tier.”

With the ban on enriched cage systems due to come into place in 2025, a number of producers, especially the larger ones, are looking at adapting their systems in preparation.

Buildings Construction of new poultry buildings seems buoyant compared to last year, with enquiries coming in from both broiler and egg producers – but free-range units are in particular demand.

The current work is both healthy and manageable, says Paul Clarke, director at Clarke Group Construction. “We are seeing a steady flow of enquiries for the coming year, which is encouraging and a clear indicator that the industry is continuing with its sustainable economic growth.”

Paul Draper, managing director at DraperVent, has noticed increased investment in poultry sites over the past two years. “Not from owner growers but from investors who put up buildings and then rent them out to

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operators. These are not your traditional chicken farmers and a lot more sites are being rented.”

The past 12 months have seen predominantly new builds, according to Mr Done. “Quotations for new sheds have slowed down now but coming in behind that are orders for replacements or refurbishments, feeding systems and climate control.”

Knights Construction Group are also very busy and are set to get more so, especially across Wales, Kent and Lincolnshire, according to director, Doug Wellington. “It is swings and roundabouts for the busiest sector; last year it was free range, this year it is more broiler.

“There are a lot of new sheds planned: We have 416 enquiries at the moment from broilers to breeders, free range and brooders. Last year we put up about 80-90 sheds and it looks to be a bit more this year,” he adds.

Location is still playing a significant part in construction, with Welsh hill farms looking to diversify into rearing or free range, while in Wrexham there is major broiler expansion anticipated, says Mr Wellington.

A lot of producers are looking into new systems, such as multitier, according to Tom Simpson, manufactured products manager at Harlow Bros. “The majority are enquiring for cage free or free range as producers are starting to think about replacing caged units.

There is a lot of expansion going on and confidence in the market,

with free range picking up and catching up with broilers.”

With confirmation from Red Tractor that all broiler units now need natural daylight, there have been a lot of enquiries to install windows into existing buildings, adds Mr Simpson.

Planning and environmental stumbling blocks are among the chief concerns from construction and installation companies, which perceive measures around both of these to be tightening up. “I think planning permission will be a lot harder to get with social media playing a big part (in driving opinion),” warns Mr Wellington.

Mr Done agrees that planning permission and environmental hurdles are becoming a major obstacle for the industry, with controls on ventilation becoming very precise. “This could cause some problems for expansion but we do have to look after the environment and I think technology and equipment which reduces emissions from poultry units are needed.”

With ever greater emphasis on optimal health and welfare, keeping sheds and systems clean is vital and companies are seeing an increase in the measures being implemented in both new builds and refurbishments. “There are a lot more bio-security measures being put in place,” says Mr Wellington. “Before avian influenza, free range units did not worry as much but now there are wheel washers and separated car

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| Pig & Poultry

parks being installed.”

Equipment and nutrition Last year Interhatch was very busy across both the broiler and egg sectors, says sales manager Warwick Grinnell. “A lot of our growth was from equipment sales such as washers, and on the nutritional side. New equipment is really all about focusing on automation.”

Vitamins, acids and water hygiene are all helping to reduce antibiotic usage, says Mr Grinnell.

“Producers are always investing in the future in order to get better results from birds.”

Easy application of vitamins to feed is one of the latest innovations to come from Interhatch. The Easy At system automatically applies liquid vitamins to the feed track, and other products for water hygiene and new organic acids are also taking off. “Innovation is constantly improving and farmers are having to invest.”

With the increase in rented sites there is now a market for long-term contract renting of equipment, from climate control to flock management systems, according to Mr Draper. “We are looking at supplying equipment on a longterm contract including training and maintenance. This will mean sharing the risk over a longer period but is something that is normal practice in other industries.

Rolled up with the energy costs, it means there is a fixed price to an operation, rather than the changing costs of repairing equipment.”

Ventilation Installation of ventilation systems is just starting to warm up but is noticeably busier than last year, according to Brian Bourke, director at Maywick. “Avian influenza made things very difficult but business is more buoyant than last year. We expect 2018 to equal last year and anything more will be a bonus.”

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Demand from the egg sector is also firm and Draper is launching a new layer ventilation side – DraperLayers – to meet demand, despite previously being predominantly broiler focused. It has also founded DraperBiotech to meet growing demand for specialist air and water purification systems.

And, although they are expensive, some producers are opting for new air scrubber systems, says Mr Wellington.

Heating Recent changes to the Renewal Heat Incentive (RHI) were anticipated to slow investment in biomass boilers and other forms of renewable energy, but Mr Clarke has found this to not be the case.

“Despite fluctuations and uncertainty with RHI tariffs, we are designing into current schemes a range of renewable technologies, including ground source heat pumps with under floor heating, PV solar arrays, rainwater harvesting, biomass with recycled timber and litter burning to provide heat.”

However, producers need to adapt to make biomass affordable, says Mr Draper. “The incentives meant that biomass boilers were installed based on a reduced fuel cost and this skewed things slightly as people were not worried about the fuel, but now they are.

Fuels need to be cheap and sustainable, like miscanthus or poultry litter – or straw, when it is cheap.”

Ground source heating is replacing biomass in popularity, explains Mr Wellington. “And so is gas, as it is cheap at the moment.”

Mr Done believes that indirect heating systems are going to continue after RHI dies, as the cleaner air has a large impact on bird health and performance.

“When boilers are more efficient at burning poultry litter, farms will be more self-sufficient. The days of direct heating poultry sheds are

gone.”

Computer technology Among the major technologies taking off right now are remote management systems, says Mr Done. “It is useful to keep an eye on the farm remotely. Information comes into a central office and managers can direct efforts to areas that are not performing. It is quite an investment but with the internet, even an independent farmer can do it.”

The outlook for the poultry industry is very busy and positive,

adds Mr Wellington. “There is plenty of work for everyone and the whole industry is heading up and up.”

P&P Fair • The British Pig & Poultry Fair will be held on 15-16 May at, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.

• It attracts over 10,000 visitors and more than 350 exhibitors showcasing the latest equipment, technology and products.

• Entry is free, to find out more or to register visit: pigandpoultry.org.uk

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 33

| Energy

Achieve your sustainable future, today at edie Live At edie Live (22-23 May, NEC Birmingham), we will show you how your organisation can achieve a sustainable future, today. This is about increasing engagement and scaling up low-carbon technologies and innovations. ith a focus on energy, resources, the built environment, mobility and business leadership, edie Live will empower individuals and organisations to move from ambition to action across all areas of sustainable development.

“Mission Possible is about inspiring and helping businesses achieve a sustainable future, today and edie Live is the perfect setting to bring this mission to life,” said edie’s content director Luke Nicholls.

“Strategic thinking will be offered on the keynote stage; practical advice across the seminar theatres; workshops will encourage cocreation and collaboration to tackle life challenges; the innovation centre will showcase the best solutions; and the advice clinics will offer one-to-one consultations with the experts.

“Add to that the hundreds of leading suppliers and service providers across the show floor and you have a must-attend event for anyone and everyone who wants to achieve a low-carbon, resource efficient and profitable future.”

100+ suppliers Across the two-day event (22-23 May, NEC Birmingham), discover innovative tech solutions from more than 100 suppliers that will help you power energy and resource efficiencies throughout your business.

Keynote and seminars With session titles including ‘Taking the lead on energy’ with Head of sustainability, Caroline

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Hill from Landsec, the Keynote stage will give visitors the strategic thinking required to understand how they can drive profits and scaleup innovation.

Be inspired by thought leaders and best practice case studies in our free-to-attend and CPD-certified Energy Innovation, Energy Efficiency and Resource Efficiency Theatres, equipping you with the tools you need to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy and encourage and engage colleagues, clients and customers to be more socially responsible.

Hear from some of the leaders of the renewables revolution, such as Dare Ilori, Group head of sustainability from Merlin Entertainments who will be speaking on ‘Making the switch: Harnessing the business benefits of onsite renewables’. The session will explore how, with technology costs tumbling, green policy becoming more progressive, and stakeholders keen to keep an eye on sustainability credentials, how you can invest in onsite clean energy systems.

Mission Possible Innovation Centre Learn how to make disruptive technologies and solutions work to your advantage in the Mission Possible Innovation Centre. Collaborate with like-minded professionals and find out what new tech and tactics have worked for them.

Mission Possible Workshops Shape your future strategy, unlock the value of energy technologies and co-create the solutions

to key energy management challenges in the Mission Possible Workshops. Subjects include “Winning the war on waste in your supply chain”, “Achieving a flexible future”, “Moving from ambition to action on the SDGs” and “Developing stronger partnerships”. The workshops will be facilitated by the likes of Manchester City Football Club, William Jackson Food Group, Aston University and Severn Trent Water, with guest experts including E.ON. Join us at edie Live and get involved in discussions that go beyond simple energy efficiency measures to equip you with the insight, inspiration and innovations you need to accelerate the low-carbon transition and achieve your ‘mission possible’ for energy.

Discover your Mission Possible at edie Live 2018. We will give you the solutions to help you achieve your Mission Possible.

Register for your free edie Live 2018 pass, the latest show news, exhibitor list, keynote and seminar schedules at edielive.com/farm-preview You can also follow show news on twitter at @edielive #edielive2018 #missionpossible Your edie Live pass gives you access to: • The keynote stage and seminar theatres • 100+ suppliers and service providers • Mission Possible Workshops • Mission Possible Innovation Centre • Advice Clinics • Utility Week Live (co-located with edie Live)

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| Energy

The role of on-farm anaerobic digestion in a post-CAP world

By Charlotte Morton, Chief Executive of the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA) t the end of February, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) published its consultation ‘Health and Harmony: The Future for Food, Farming and the Environment in a Green Brexit’. As the consultation that will help to decide the future of farming support in England once the UK has left the European Union and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Environment Secretary Michael Gove is right to describe it as a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape future farming policy’.

There will be as many different ideas as to what post-CAP farming support should look like as there are farmers in England, but the consultation makes it clear that Defra’s priorities are supporting public goods (such as rural resilience and climate change mitigation), high environmental standards, and innovation and new technologies to increase productivity.

ADBA welcomes these aims, which are vital for ensuring that farming in England is environmentally and financially sustainable in the post-Brexit era.

It’s vital, however, for there to be coordination between changes to farming support and Defra’s recently published 25 Year Environment Plan, which seeks, amongst other objectives, to improve the quality of the UK’s soils and reduce pollution and waste from agricultural operations.

The role of AD This is where anaerobic digestion, often known simply as ‘AD’, comes in. Anaerobic digesters recycle agricultural wastes such as manures, slurries, and vegetable off-cuts and convert purpose-grown energy crops into renewable heat and power, lowcarbon transport fuel, and nutrientrich digestate, which can be applied straight to land as a natural fertiliser. AD provides farms with an additional income stream (through the ability to sell excess energy to the grid), a treatment option for wastes and cover crops, and a home-grown alternative to buying expensive and environmentally damaging artificial fertilisers.

While on-farm AD is often talked

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about in terms of the on-site energy it generates for farming operations (providing power, heat, cooling, drying, and vehicle fuel), there is a vast array of non-energy benefits to AD that are often overlooked: AD reduces emissions from rotting manure, farm wastes, and slurries and replaces petrochemical-derived artificial fertilisers, abating significant amounts of carbon; It supports farmers by diversifying their income and reducing input costs; It improves food security through supporting profitable crop rotation and the recycling of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and trace elements through the spreading of digestate back to farmland; Digestate increases organic matter, improves soil structure, and reduces water demand, soil degradation, and runoff; this helps restored soils to act as a carbon sink; The UK AD industry currently employs 3,500 people and has the potential to employ a further 15,000 in the agricultural sector and 30,000 more widely; and, The AD industry develops lowcarbon technology and expertise that can be exported to global markets, particularly important for the post-Brexit economy.

How AD benefits farmers To date, the non-energy benefits of AD have not been linked to financial support mechanisms, with support only provided for energy generated. While incentivising energy generation is important in helping to meet policy goals set out in the government’s Clean Growth Strategy, a new farming support policy offers the government the opportunity to reward the AD industry for helping to meet its wider farming policy goals, particularly restoring soils and encouraging sustainable food production.

For example, AD is an ideal component for profitable crop rotation. Through converting them into valuable on-site renewable energy, AD helps make break crops profitable for farmers, while maintaining and enhancing biodiversity. Farmers can incorporate crops for AD into their rotations, increasing subsequent yields of food crops, or grow them

on unproductive marginal land.

Use of cover crops for AD can also prevent persistent problems such as nematodes and black grass.

Use of digestate on farmland, meanwhile, has been proven to maintain pH and soil fertility, improving crop yields and the availability of nutrients whilst also, significantly, reducing reliance on expensive, carbon-intensive, imported artificial fertilisers.

Digestate-derived fertiliser is now available in over 200 Homebase stores, indicating that a market is starting to open up through which farmers can make a profit from their digestate.

The way forward In ADBA’s response to Defra’s consultation, we will be talking about the above examples and providing evidence on the benefits

AD and digestate can bring to farmers, as well as highlighting the wider impact this has on food production and the environment.

Defra is clear that, post-Brexit, farms will need to improve their environmental performance, particularly in terms of reducing emissions, restoring soils, and becoming more self-sustaining.

ADBA is clear that AD can and should make a significant contribution to these goals, and we’ll be making the case to the government that through supporting on-farm AD, it can ensure a profitable and sustainable future for UK farming.

You can find out more about ADBA’s work at adbioresources.org

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 35

| Buildings

Regulations change is a positive development for farmers New planning regulations are being hailed as good news for farmers, with development rules being brought in line with previous building restrictions. he change was announced by Housing Minister Dominic Raab, and means up to five new homes (of up to 100 square metres each) can be created from existing agricultural buildings on a farm, rather than the maximum of three currently permitted. The recommended minimum size for a three bedroom home is just over 90 square metres.

More significantly, it increases the conversion area of current agricultural buildings so that up to three larger homes can be created within agricultural buildings within a maximum of 465 square metres.

It also allows a mix of both small and large homes, of which no more than three may be larger homes.

Jonathan Lee, Senior Planning Consultant at Hobbs Parker Property Consultants, explained the significance of this: “The

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change removes an anomaly many farmers have struggled with.

The previous maximum size of agricultural buildings permitted under the prior approval system was 465 square metres, but farmers were only allowed to convert 450 to residential. This additional 15 square metres may not sound like much but it will make a significant difference to the potential of those buildings.

“This should help communities to make the best use of existing buildings to efficiently meet local housing needs, while protecting the character of an area.”

The limit on the size of new agricultural buildings under the prior approval system has also increased, to 1,000 square metres, or a little smaller than an Olympic swimming pool.

Jonathan added: “This should give farmers greater flexibility when planning new agricultural buildings, as it is more than double the current floor space

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limits. All of this is good news for farmers and for their suppliers.”

The new regulations will come into force in early April.

To find out more about the possible impact of the new

regulations or how they could affect development on your farm, call Jonathan Lee on 01233 506201, email jonathan.lee@hobbsparker.co.uk, or see www.hobbsparker.co.uk

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| Buildings

Landlords: Check energy performance now, warns CAAV Landlords letting out residential or commercial properties in England and Wales must ensure that they meet new energy efficiency standards from 1 April. ccording to Kate Russell, policy and technical adviser at the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), it will be illegal to let out a property if its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band is F or G. “However, the rules are quite complicated, so it’s worth seeking professional advice to check whether and when you need to comply.”

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“Exemptions must be registered on the official register before the start of the tenancy and most only last for five years” At the moment the new rules apply to new tenancies and renewals or extensions of existing tenancies, but from 1 April 2020 they will also apply to existing

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domestic tenancies - and from 1 April 2023, to existing nondomestic tenancies.

There are potential traps for the unwary, according to Ms Russell.

“The rules on renewals and extensions of leases are not straightforward. For example, landlords of residential property should be aware that when the initial fixed term of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy ends and it becomes a periodic tenancy, the new rules will then apply,” she explains. “Anyone who owns a let property with an EPC of band F or G should take advice on how the new rules might affect them.”

One key question is whether the rules apply to listed buildings or those in conservation areas.

“Government officials still cannot give us a yes or no answer to that, so landlords will have to decide on the appropriate action,” says Ms Russell.

Where a let property is in band F or G, landlords may be able to

apply for an exemption to allow the letting to go ahead. “Exemptions must be registered on the official register before the start of the tenancy and most only last for five years.”

Grounds for exemption include where a landlord has done everything possible to upgrade the energy efficiency, but the EPC band is still F or G. For domestic dwellings, the Government is proposing a cap so that landlords must contribute up to £2,500 per property, including grants, towards the energy efficiency improvements. For non-domestic property the landlord’s contribution is set at a level which can be paid back in seven years through the energy savings.

Other grounds for exemption include where the tenant or a necessary third party refuses consent – which could be the listed building officer, says Ms Russell. “There are also a number of temporary exemptions to cover

the purchase of property which is already subject to a lease, for example.”

The local authority is responsible for enforcing the new regulations, and can fine landlords £2,000 per domestic property and £5,000 for non-domestic property, she adds. “It’s therefore worthwhile checking all of the details to check whether you need to – and do – comply.”

For more information, please visit: www.caav.org.uk

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 37

| Groundcare

Meet the challenges of mowing head on STIGA front-cut mowers offer cutting edge solutions for any large garden or estate, with innovative options the Park Range represents the ultimate choice in lawn and garden maintenance. he unique 50:50 articulated (rear wheels exactly follow the front wheel tracks) steering makes these mowers agile and precise perfect for manoeuvring around more complex gardens; easy to steer around rocks, trees, flowerbeds and confined spaces.

All mowers within the range feature hydrostatic transmission as standard providing smooth speed control by the simple adjustment of the pedal pressure; no gear change, levers or knobs required.

Powered by a Briggs & Stratton, Stiga, Hatz or Honda high performance engine these mowers provide superior cutting with top mulching performance. With a choice of advanced Combi cutting decks to choose from, the working widths vary from 85 – 125cm and have been aero-dynamically designed with two or three blades

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to give the best mulching effect.

New to this season are the 110 & 125cm Combi Pro EL Quick Flip decks which are wide and powerful with three freely rotating blades, electric cutting height adjustment and pivot wheels that make them even easier to turn.

The key selling feature is the Quick Flip system that allows the deck to be quickly flipped for cleaning and servicing with minimal effort.

Thanks to the unique RAC Quick Connect system available as standard on all Park models, you can switch implements in minutes.

No tools are needed – just click them on and off! With a selection of seasonal implements ranging from sweepers, snow blades, flail mowers, rakes and carts these mowers are truly versatile.

The cutting edge reliability is assured by the quality of all the mechanical, electronic parts and components of the overall machine construction. The STIGA

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Park range is intended for a longlife span and is offered with a 5 year domestic warranty.

As the ‘Go To’ brand for those who work in the park and landscaping industry STIGA’s Park PRO range excels in providing all that is needed for lawn care professionals. The ultimate combination of raw power, versatility and perfect precision the Park Pro front cut mower is made to get the job done. This range features the following models and each has a 1 year commercial warranty:

• Park Pro 340 IX - powered by a 570cc twin cylinder Briggs & Stratton Vanguard 18 engine • Park Pro 540 IX - powered by a 688cc twin cylinder Honda GXV 660 engine • Park pro 740 IOX - powered by 724cc twin cylinder Briggs 7 Stratton 8270 Professional Series engine.

For more information about the STIGA Park range please visit our website www.stigalawnmowers.co.uk or visit your local STIGA dealer.

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| Forestry

OPEN DAY! 25th APRIL 10:30am - 6:00pm

The UK forestry market posts another year of strong performance Despite general uncertainty in the property world surrounding the potential effects of Brexit, the UK forestry market continues to demonstrate a degree of resilience and posted another year of strong performance, according to latest findings published in Savills Spotlight on the UK Forestry Market.

uring the 2017 forest year the total value of the forestry investment market increased by 24% to over £112 million compared with around £90 million in 2016. The value of forestry transacted during 2017 was 25% higher than the medium term average, although significantly lower than the £146 million in 2015.

Despite this large increase in the overall value of the market, the total area of forestry sold across the UK actually fell to just over 18,000 hectares during 2017 representing a reduction of -8% on the 2016 forest year, but was in line with the medium term average. Contraction of the market area, coupled with an increase in the overall value traded, resulted in rising average values.

Domestic timber is underpinning the forestry market and continues to drive value in the forest property sector, supported by a weaker sterling and the increasing demand for wood in biomass and construction, Savills research reveals average productive values across the UK rose by 20% to £9,300 per hectare.

This significant growth follows a fall in average values during the previous year, although in 2016 this was largely due to the location of properties traded with over 80%

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north of the Forth-Clyde canal.

In 2017 gross values grew by 19% to £7,300 per hectare. On average productive values were 27% higher than the average gross value and the average unproductive area was 32% per property.

James Adamson, Savills Head of Forestry Investment said: “A sustained period of low interest rates has stimulated the UK Forestry investment market, driving cash holding investors to look for alternatives. Forest ownership is perceived as straightforward, long-term and low risk in uncertain times. Our research tells us that, cash on deposit would have accumulated 19% in value before tax since the financial crisis of 2008: meanwhile tree growing on a hill in South Scotland would have accumulated 35% over the same time. Throw in the inflationary growth in capital market value and the performance is boosted to over 80%.

“New planting remains an area of focus. 2017 saw some progress in England, and Scotland is now beginning to reap the benefit of strong Government support and a keen industry, however there is still much to be done in this sector and the availability of physically suitable land at an appropriate price remains the biggest challenge.”

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 39

| Education

Groundbreaking bursary for agriculture students from non-farming families announces first winner Teenager Alex Neason of the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) has become the first winner of a prestigious new bursary for students taking farming subjects without a family background in the industry. he John Innes Foundation (JIF) Bursary will finance one student per year, who is aiming to make a career in primary crop production, rather than follow an academic or scientific research route.

The funding will cover all of 18year-old Alex’s course fees at the RAU in Cirencester and is awarded on a competitive basis to students taking a three-year degree course.

Students across six universities competed for the award, which is specifically designed to encourage those from non-farming backgrounds to apply to university, regardless of their financial circumstances.

It comes with mentoring from agriculture firm Velcourt, as well as the opportunity to complete

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summer work experience and to be considered for the company’s management training scheme after graduation.

Keith Norman, Technical Director of Velcourt, said: “In farm management, we are dependent on a good supply of highly motivated new entrants, so we are proud to have an integral role in the bursary. Many students see it as a challenge to finance their degree courses and some feel disadvantaged not being from a farming background. This bursary will address these issues on a competitive basis for one undergraduate each year.”

Alex, from Wellington, Somerset is studying Agriculture with Applied Farm Management at RAU and hopes to make farm management his profession. He is interested in working internationally and wants to gain

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as much experience as possible in every area of the industry.

He said: “This scholarship proves you don’t necessarily need to come from a farming background or have a family farm to be successful in the industry.

With rising populations putting increasing stress on the UK food produce industry, we are going to need not just more people, but more highly skilled people, working within agriculture to keep up with such demands.

“Not only does the backing from JIF and Velcourt come with clear benefits, the significance of the financial support they are providing can’t be overlooked. It allows me to focus on my degree and put a greater proportion of my time and energy into my work within agriculture. I’m incredibly excited about my future and delighted to be the first ever

recipient of this amazing scholarship.”

Peter Innes, Trustee of the John Innes Foundation, said: “The John Innes Foundation, which for more than a hundred years has provided support for some of the country's foremost plant scientists, is delighted to be extending its remit into practical farming by funding this new bursary. In Alex I'm confident we've found an exceptional candidate and we're very grateful to Velcourt for the part they are playing.”

As well as entering students for external awards such as the John Innes Foundation, RAU offers a range of scholarships and support packages including the Core Bursary for students from lower income families and the Widening Access Financial Support Bursary for those living in areas with lower progression rates to university.

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| Education

HRH The Prince of Wales meets next generation of farming at Newton Rigg College HRH The Prince of Wales, Patron, The Prince’s Countryside Fund, attended the National Centre for the Uplands at Newton Rigg College to meet with staff, students, and beneficiaries of the Fund.

RH visited the College’s state-ofthe-art Sheep Husbandry Centre its hill farm, Low Beckside, Mungrisdale, to see how Cumbrian farmers are preparing themselves for the future.

Students demonstrated how they use the latest technology, such as how handheld scanners can record animal data, from the sheep’s ear tag number, to its weight and any health issues the animal may have. They also

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displayed more traditional skills, such as tagging lambs and sheepdog training.

HRH then joined in with a discussion as part of the Fund’s ‘Preparing for Transition’ activity.

Cumbrian farmers who have been supported by the Fund were brought together to share how they planned to create businesses that were fit for future generations.

Claire Saunders, Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund said: “Today has demonstrated the many diverse and important ways that farmers are preparing for the

future. It was heartening to hear the conversation between local farmers on their aspirations and plans for their businesses.

“The Fund is committed to help bring farming families together in local networks to encourage these discussions, to create a thriving and resilient farming sector.”

Catherine Dixon, Chief Executive of Askham Bryan College said: “We were delighted to show The Prince of Wales the important work we are doing to inspire and equip agriculture's future leaders and custodians of

the countryside. For generations farmers have played a crucial role in providing the nation's food, but also in caring for our landscapes and our College has played a key role in that. We are passionate about continuing that tradition and particularly to ensure our uplands remain a vibrant workplace as well as a picturesque asset.”

Newton Rigg College became part of Askham Bryan College in 2011 and is the only college in the country to own a hill farm.

This year at Harper Adams £418,000 has been handed out in scholarships to students Some of these scholar's have amazing stories to tell, so we're currently producing a series of articles to highlight them.

The ones that have been released in the first month of this project are below with brief summaries. If you require high res versions of the photos on the web pages, please do let me know. ym Smith started to study BSc (Hons) Food Nutrition and Wellbeing at Harper Adams University as a mature student, after deciding she wanted a career change. However, it was while on her placement year that she realised where her true passion lies; in agronomy: https://www.harperadams.ac.uk/news/203219/maturefood-scholar-discoveries-passionfor-agronomy-on-placement Despite only being in the second year of his agricultural engineering degree at Harper Adams University, David Kelso has already designed and built what he describes a ‘6.5m

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trailed aeration machine’: https://www.harperadams.ac.uk/news/203215/studentto-use-scholarships-to-advance-hispersonal-engineering-project The CLA Charitable Trust has launched a second scholarship at Harper Adams University – adding to their well-established annual undergraduate scholarship they have been awarding for several years: https://www.harperadams.ac.uk/news/203199/clacharitable-trust-doublesscholarship-award Aimee Ash doesn’t come from an agricultural background, but yet her passion to enter the industry led to her turning down an offer to study nursing and instead she

travelled halfway across the world to start working in the dairy industry: https://www.harperadams.ac.uk/news/203200/aimeefinds-love-for-dairy-in-nz Harper Adams University BSc (Hons) Product Support Engineering student Will Flittner has recently been awarded a Douglas Bomford Trust Scholarship. With some of the funding, he plans to renovate his classic tractor which was left to him by his grandfather: https://www.harperadams.ac.uk/news/203204/scholars hip-to-help-student-repair-lategrandfathers-classic-tractor The first Paul Wilson scholarship has been awarded to Harper

Adams University BSc (Hons) Countryside and Environmental Management student Ellen Humphrey: https://www.harperadams.ac.uk/news/203210/firstpaul-wilson-scholarship-awardedto-ellen Despite not coming from a family farm, Dan Jones has worked hard to gain experience in the agricultural sector; from running his own egg and turkey business through his teenage years, taking a gap year to work on various farms in the UK, to working in Kansas on a 15,000-acre beef and arable farm: https://www.harperadams.ac.uk/news/203214/dansjourney-to-accomplish-dream-ofworking-in-agriculture

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 41

| Education

UEA graduate hopes to ‘crack’ food waste This Easter will see people tucking into trendy poached egg brunches and whipping up batches of creme egg brownies, but a University of East Anglia (UEA) graduate has developed a novel use for the humble egg by incorporating it into high protein drinks, which could reduce food waste.

ECK drinks was founded by former UEA Psychological Science student Matt Havers, after recognising that hundreds of eggs produced by the 16,000 chickens on his family’s North Suffolk farm were being disposed of as they were deemed the wrong size, colour or texture, making them unsuitable for sale.

Matt created his first fruit smoothie in June 2017, using British Lion Code free range eggs which would have otherwise gone to waste, and officially launched his range in January 2018.

“Cutting down on food waste is one of the biggest challenges we face as a farming industry anything we can do to make our processes more effective and sustainable is really important.

“Chickens use about 60% of their daily calorie count to make an

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egg, so it's even more important we make use of their produce from their perspective!”

In the future, Matt hopes to approach retailers directly to source the healthy eggs which are wasted by supermarkets when one or two eggs in a box are cracked.

The UK wastes 4% of its eggs before they even leave the shops, which equates to 1.4 million eggs daily.

Matt has encountered numerous challenges in his war against food waste, he said: “At the moment we can’t use eggs from my family farm as it requires some costly infrastructure to process them, but all the eggs in our drinks would have otherwise been disposed of at other farms.

“Transforming people’s perceptions about consuming egg whites in this way has also been a hurdle as some people still associate raw eggs with the Rocky

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films!”

Protein drinks have steadily grown in popularity in the last few years as consumers become more interested in high protein products for muscle building and weight management.

NHS Choices recommends eggs as part of a healthy balanced diet as they contain protein, vitamins and minerals.

The range of drinks are all lactose-free and contain five freerange egg whites per bottle, which equates to around 20g of protein.

They are all low in sugar and fat, with no artificial colours, flavors or preservatives.

“The yolk of an egg is where 90% of the goodness of an egg lies, however it also contains 100% of the fat. Similar to avocados and nuts, it is classed as ‘good fat’, but we wanted to keep the fat content low so it would appeal to people on specialised diets too.” said

Matt.

Matt graduated from UEA in 2009 wants to encourage students and graduates to pursue their business ideas and entrepreneurial passion, he said: “Always try something new, it's tougher to start, but if you truly have something unique then the pay-off is huge.

“Even if my business falls down around me, I can hold my head up because I know the journey that I've been through.”

PECK has received two grants from Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative run by Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership.

There are plans for PECK drinks to be launched in the East of England Co-op and Musclefoods in the next few months, and they can be purchased on the PECK website and on Amazon.

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| Machinery

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April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 43

| Machinery

Kubota UK launches L1361 Utility Tractor Kubota UK, leading agricultural machinery specialist, has launched its latest high performance L1361 Compact Utility Tractor, which provides unrivaled versatility, productivity and efficiency. or those looking to complete a wide range of maintenances task with ease, the 36.6 HP machine is a flexible choice, featuring a powerful three cylinder Kubota D1803-M-E2 engine, manual or three range speed hydrostatic transmission and a 38 litre capacity fuel tank for extended periods of use.

The new L1361 also includes 4WD and live, continuous-running rear PTO exclusively available on the HST model. The frequent and alternating use of various implements are supported by the machine’s three-point hitch and impressive lifting capacity, for easier and flexible use.

By featuring a quick detach front loader, the model allows for easier and quicker use of implements, including the new Kubota LA525 front loader with a curved boom design, for easy completion of the biggest of tasks.

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The bevel gear front axle has been designed to deliver an extremely tight turning radius, with full power transfer to the wheels at every steering angle. This enables greater traction across all terrains for secure high performance.

However, productivity and performance aren’t the only key benefits of the machine. Ergonomics have also played a significant part in the L1361’s refreshed design, with a spacious operator deck and slanted front bonnet for greater field of vision when handling front loader operations to ensure maximum safety.

Speaking of the latest L1361 tractor, Adrian Langmead, Business Development Manager for Groundcare, said: “As a market leader in the manufacture of high performance solutions, Kubota is dedicated to developing machines that combine innovation and technology together to constantly improve the way in which the industry works.

“Regardless of terrain or job requirement, the L1361 allows operators to get the job done better and faster, all with greater comfort, performance and ease.”

Addition of COATEX film to CLAAS product range With the introduction of the new net and film wrapping system in the ROLLANT 400 UNIWRAP range, CLAAS now also offers the COATEX film material needed for the new bale wrapping process. ess film, easier disposal The workflow for the new film wrapping process is exactly the same as for the normal net wrapping operation, except for the material.

Once the bale in the bale chamber has reached the required size, it is automatically wrapped in up to eight layers of COATEX film. In contrast to the net wrapping process, the film layers extend a few centimetres over

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the lateral edges of the bale. This saves on the number of layers required later on the wrapping table, and also provides optimum protection for the bale edges. The new system also does away with the laborious process of separating net and film when the bale is later opened. It all adds up to easier handling, and the tidy and efficient disposal of bale wrapping materials.

Improved bale shape, better silage quality The practical benefits of COATEX

include an ultra-reliable wrapping process. The bales are densely packed, resulting in a significantly improved bale shape. These are major advantages for transport and storage. The rapid and more effective air seal also ensures an optimum ensilage process, with outstanding stock feed quality.

The right product for every baler CLAAS COATEX is available in two versions, both of which are 1,400 mm wide, for reliable coverage around the bale edges.

According to the baler model and operating conditions, for example

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haylage as opposed to moist silage, the customer can choose between film thicknesses of 20 μm (1,750 m roller length) or 17 μm (2,000 m roller length).

CLAAS will also continue to supply the proven ROLLATEX product range, and WRAPEX wrapping films.

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| Machinery

New Holland reveals T9 Auto CommandTM tractor at a high horsepower event New Holland recently introduced 42 dealer personnel to the new T9 Auto CommandTM tractor at a High Horsepower event that took place at Lodge Farm, Oxfordshire, home to 200 racehorses. he new T9 features New Holland’s innovative Auto CommandTM Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), and the fivemodel range produces maximum outputs ranging from 429hp to 605hp. The range-topping T9.600 AC is the world’s most powerful CVT tractor today. This easy-tooperate tractor takes productivity, efficiency and versatility to an entirely new level.

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The event featured the only T9 Auto CommandTM model currently in the UK and a line-up of New Holland’s other high horsepower tractors, including models from the T8, T7 long wheelbase and T7 Heavy Duty ranges.

The group were taken through product training sessions with New Holland specialists, covering the new features across the four ranges. The dealers were also able to test drive and review the features first-hand.

More information about the T9

Auto CommandTM and its availability in the UK and ROI is available from New Holland’s high horsepower marketing specialist,

Tim Lowden.

April 2018 | Farming Monthly | 45

| ATV

Andrew Symons South Molton, Devon EX36 3L T: 01769 574455

Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6HL T: 01409 254040

Crediton, Devon EX17 1FB T: 01363 720430

www.andrewsymons.co.uk

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| Machinery

Easy does it with John Deere’s new compact tractor John Deere’s new 3038E compact tractor is an economical and versatile machine suitable for a variety of customers, from small-scale livestock and equestrian operations to rural property owners and landscape contractors. he 3038E is equipped with a powerful, emissionscompliant Stage IV diesel engine developing 37.3hp, and is available with four-wheel drive as standard. Features include a

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hydrostatic transmission with easy to use Twin Touch foot pedals, power assisted steering and an independent pto that can be engaged on the go. The tractor also features an easy-lift bonnet that provides wide-open access to the engine bay for maintenance.

A new 300E front loader has

been designed to complement the 3038E and features a curved boom and durable components.

Together with the tractor’s tight turning circle, this offers a highly manoeuvrable combination for materials handling, whether working indoors or outdoors.

The 3038E compact tractor also

offers telescoping draft links as a factory or field installed option.

These make attaching and removing rear implements very straightforward, and are compatible with a wide range of implements including mowers, rear blades and posthole diggers.

Precision moisture sensor for round balers For customers that have a round baler and are looking for an efficient, cost-effective monitor with accurate moisture readings, the new H2O Precision Moisture Kit from PFC is the answer. sing the patented** twin disc moisture reading technology, the system reads the moisture across the width of the bale in the chamber via moisture sensing discs on the chamber wall. The system will read crop moisture from 8% up to 60%, for those customers that make high moisture bales as well as dry bales.

The moisture system has twin disc shaped sensors in the bale chamber, which read across the width of the bale, up to 10 times per second. Giving the operator

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complete visibility of crop moisture conditions.

H2O uses the operator’s iPad, iPhone, or Android* phone as the monitor. The system connects wirelessly via Bluetooth to your device, through the free H2O app from PFC – search H20 HARVEST TEC at the store to download

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| Tyres

BKT’s exlusive website for XTractor 2018 is now online Rich contents, a dynamic information flow, a fresh and captivating layout - all in line with the topics of this exciting travel adventure. These are the characteristic marks of Xtractor.bkt-tires.com, the mini-website launched

by BKT as sponsor and tire supplier of the docu-reality show tractor 2018 is getting ready for departure in a few days and BKT, a main sponsor of this fascinating adventure, launches its dedicated communication project. Starting from March 26, the mini website Xtractor.bkt-tires.com, created by the multinational corporation headquartered in India for the purpose of fostering its significant contribution to the expedition and inspiring the audience’s interest and passion, will be online. The entire Xtractor adventure can be witnessed on the official BKT social channels with weekly comments and real-time news of the most exciting and astonishing moments of the journey. This way, followers will continuously be updated with all happenings and occurrences around the venture and can share the team’s emotions and the breathtaking challenges they face while driving the McCormick tractors equipped

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with BKT tires on the trail of unexplored routes.

Xtractor.bkt-tires.com is hence ready to provide internautes with an overall and passionate view of the multifarious aspects of this extraordinary itinerary through unspoiled South-African landscapes – facets that go from naturalistic to solidarity-based, from ethnographic to historicgeographical. In the spotlight also events seeing the company as a main player when meeting local tire dealers, taking part in the Nampo trade fair as well as in two humanitarian projects.

The website has three main sections: Expedition highlighting BKT’s role as a sponsor and tire supplier including the display of the products equipping the McCormick tractors, i.e. Agrimax Force and Agrimax RT 657; Drivers where you can find the six drivers’ profiles enriched by some personal photos and chatter.

Route narrating in detail the entire expedition by means of a

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comprehensive photo documentation.

In a nutshell, the website is a relevant platform for daily facts and updated information integrating preset textual contents, video-photographic material composed by the photojournalist on the spot and a variety of infographic solutions aiming at telling each episode of this adventure story. In addition, the itinerary is documented – stage after stage – through the main characters’ storytelling. A real “travel diary” narrating in a straightforward and emotional way all details and peculiarities encountered on the trail, the amazing challenges faced day by day and the impressive

distances mastered. All this is presented in a captivating graphic mood – fully in line with the expedition’s intrepid spirit and the suggestive surrounding where it takes place midst of unspoiled nature and desert beaches bathed by the ocean.

The website is a relevant platform for daily facts and updated information Follow the adventure of Xtractor Around the World on Xtractor.bkttires.com and the official social media channels – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and LinkedIn.

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| ATV

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| ATV

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| ATV

Honda ATV Keep your Honda safe

Theft of agricultural equipment continues to be a significant problem across the UK, and ATVs and utility vehicles are particularly tempting. ompact size and relatively light weight means they are easily loaded into enclosed vans or trailers for transport, and high resale values for legitimate used machines means those offered at prices cheaper than usual can quickly attract unsuspecting buyers.

Risk of theft can be reduced by taking simple precautions. Parking the machine out of sight of the road will reduce the chance of it being spotted by an opportune thief, and when it isn’t being used lock it away in a secure building.

Securing it to a barn stanchion or post using a substantial cable lock or chain will make it difficult to remove and discourage potential thieves.

Always remove the ignition key and store it away from the machine. Unlike many farm tractors; Honda ATVs and UTVs are issued with one of a very large number of potential key patterns and unless the key code is known, obtaining a replacement is almost impossible.

Security marking systems are also an effective deterrent. These often include highly visible warning stickers stating that an identification system is fitted, and hidden markings and transponders which can be used to identify the machine if it is ever

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found and suspected of being stolen. Equipment to read the transponders is usually only available to the police and because the identification is almost impossible to remove completely once fitted, anyone purchasing a stolen machine runs a much higher risk of being caught, making marked machines more difficult to sell on without correct paperwork.

Tracking systems are available and can be highly effective.

Complexity and prices vary but some allow the ATV’s position to be monitored by any authorised person using a smartphone or computer, while others can be tracked only by the police.

Your local Honda dealer will be able to advise the most suitable anti-theft equipment for your model and situation and most keep popular devices in stock for immediate use. Most insurance companies, including the NFU, offer premium discounts and excess reductions if approved antitheft equipment is fitted. Your Honda dealer will be able to tell you which comply and could save you money.

Using common sense and simple measures such as parking the ATV away from public view and always removing the key will greatly reduce risk of theft, but being prepared with all the relevant machine information will

increase the chance of getting the machine back and apprehending the thief if the worst happens.

Honda ATVs and Pioneers have a 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Make sure this is recorded safely, with the engine number. Both are engraved during manufacture and difficult to alter or remove without evidence of tampering. Keep a record of the key number because, with so many combinations if you do lose it and need a replacement your Honda dealer will be able to

supply one, avoiding the cost of a complete new ignition barrel.

Keep all the identification paperwork safe, and away from the machine. Making sure the paperwork matches is also essential when purchasing a used ATV, and without supporting documents it should be regarded with suspicion and avoided, unless a main dealer can vouch for its credentials. For further information on the Honda range and to find your nearest dealer visit www.honda.co.uk/atv

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| ATV

Polaris ATV Polaris 0% finance to keep on running

Polaris has lined up an extensive and impressive range of UTVs and ATVs for 2018 which also benefit from the 0% finance offer.

Polaris announces all-new Ranger 150EFI with industry first technology for rider safety Polaris, the industry leader in off-road vehicles, has introduced the RANGER® 150 EFI, a first-of-its-kind youth vehicle for riders 10 years and older that features ridersafety technology designed for parents’ peace of mind while letting youth riders experience the fun of driving their own vehicle.

large proportion of our customers have been taking advantage of our 0% finance offer,” says Ben Murray, Polaris’ National Sales Manager, “so we have decided to continue offering interest-free financing on new Polaris Sportsman ATVs, Ranger 4×4 Utility Vehicles, RZRs and Scramblers.”

Originally scheduled to end in March, the 0% finance scheme will now continue running on these 2018 models throughout the year.

Provided in conjunction with Rural Finance, the scheme is available over two years with 2 + 22 monthly payments up to a maximum of 80% of the Recommended Retail Price.

It’s available for new Polaris utility ATVs, UTVs, and Sport and Leisure vehicles (excluding Youth). Polaris also has one of the widest ranges of accessories available and the 0% finance can include up to £1,000 excluding VAT on genuine Polaris ATV and UTV accessories.

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The extended finance offer also runs alongside the arrival of new Polaris ATV and UTV additions to the range at Polaris dealers, with a number of other special offers available. Purchase a new Polaris Diesel for example and it comes with free roof and rear panels, so there is another saving to be made.

Enjoying a reputation for rugged durability, Polaris ATVs and UTVs come with a two year-warranty and CESAR security as standard for peace of mind.

A visit to a Polaris dealer is recommended for full details, any special deals, and to see the extent of the Polaris range and accessories. The availability of the 0% finance through Rural Finance is subject to status; the offers and warranty are subject to terms and conditions.

Available in the UK, excluding the Republic of Ireland. The finance offer ends on 31st December 2018.

Polaris Britain 0800 915 6720 www.polaris-britain.com

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riven by Polaris’ RIDE COMMAND™ technology, new safety features include geofencing, digital speed limiting, and passcode protected safe-start, which can be controlled from parents’ smartphones.

“As an avid rider, I love being able to share the joy of riding with my family, but as a parent, I also want to ensure I’m creating a safe environment where my kids can have fun, learn and gain experience driving off-road vehicles,” said Chris Musso, president of Off-Road Vehicles, Polaris. “Powered by innovative technology with safety as the top priority, the RANGER 150 EFI is designed to give RANGERloving families a way to extend their passion of driving off-road vehicles to the next generation and make riding a family adventure.”

Using the RIDE COMMAND app and the vehicle’s digital display, adults can set riding boundaries for kids using the geofencing feature.

Additionally, the Digital Speed Limiting feature allows parents to determine speed limits both within and outside of the pre-established riding areas, helping ensure that

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kids are riding at the appropriate speed for their age, experience and terrain. The RANGER 150 EFI’s Passcode Protected Safe-Start system controls who is operating the vehicle, and when it’s operated.

Equipped with a seatbelt interlocking system, the vehicle limits max speed to 9.7 kph until the seat belt is engaged. Additional features include a high visibility flag, two helmets, a protective cage, safety nets and LED daytimerunning lights and tail lights.

Available in Solar Red, the RANGER 150 EFI offers seating for two and is powered by an electronic fuel-injected 150cc engine giving youth riders aged 10 and up the fun of driving their own off-road vehicle.

Tilt steering and a 14.5cm seat slider provide adjustability for growing riders, while the 20.3cm ground clearance and 22 inch allterrain tyres help navigate tough terrain. The RANGER 150 EFI boasts 22.7kg rear box capacity and offers roof, full and half windshield, and front and rear bumper as accessory options.

The RANGER 150 EFI will be available later this year as an MD homologated model with a MSRP of 5,190€.

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| ATV

Suzuki ATV It’s called the KingQuad for a reason...

KingQuad. A reliable, powerful and economical ATV that will help you rule the land.

e have been using the Suzuki Kingquad now for well over 12 months.. and get asked lots of questions about it by our riders , land owners, farmers, and the like.

"What are they like to the others you've had ?", "Are they as good as I've heard?", "Is that Reliable ?" ETC ETC ... We always give the same answers .... "These are BY FAR the best quads we have used, they are most certainly as good as you have heard, and the reliabilty is unquestionable".... And we are not fabricating the truth in anyway shape or form. Even the pricing of them is superior to other quads out there and not to mention the service costs…

We have the 500 ...there are many size options...but for mpg , usabilty etc we chose the 500 non power steering version..

Downtime for us, IE the quad being in a workshop getting repaired, is as annoying and distrupting as a powercut in the middle of watching your favourite film or cooking you tea ...These machines are only ever in the workshop for a routine service when the required amount of hours has been reached to give them an oil change etc.

Not once in the 14 months we have run them have we had so much as a single fault...It's quite astonishing as we do really work our quads hard as you can imagine ...working on and preparing the toughest and gnarliest tarcks around Wales and Shropshire to name a few

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counties, on an almost weekly basis, asking a hell of a lot out of these sturdy machines.

We have tried the majority of the "other" makes out there and have always had issues and niggles with each and every one of them, overheating problems, diffs going, drive shafts popping, bearings giving up, gearboxes failing, non starting problems, radiators busting open, the list goes on.... The SUZUKI KINGQUAD, Nothing !!! and thats as genuine a fact as we can tell you.

Now you may think that we get given these, dont have to pay for servicing, and just push them hard as they are not ours...A sponsor provides them and we just use and abuse ..so we are obviously going to sing the KINGQUADS praises....Well you could not be more WRONG ...We have bought ours, paid for up front 12 months ago..We pay for all our servicing and parts (not that it needs anything) ..We look after it and use it hard for its purpose.

Yes we do have some help from a fantastic dealer, MIKE PRYCE MACHINERY in Llanymynech not far from Oswestry and Welshpool and SUZUKI ATV have been kind to us with banners and some tape etc..Also loaning us a spare quad for a good period of time allowing us to build and cover our events with the added comfort of knowing "two" of these super reliable beasts are out there at our events, pulling in broken down bikes, helping with injured riders, keeping the courses flowing, safe and in good shape.

I myself have personally used all makes of Quads since doing the WOR thing for all these years and all I can say about this current model SUZUKI KINGQUAD is that it feels and has the quality of how the old Honda's used to be..The late 90's to say 2006's ..They where the benchmark of Agricultaural 4X4 work quads, then they went downhill and the others caught up...Resulting in these superb machines, for as far as I am concerned, now are holding the mantle as the best out there in its field ..Excuse the pun!!

I asked Alwyn, my right hand man at WOR to sum up the Suzuki for me for this review, Remember he is on them more than me and has been provided with many a Quad over the years for his duties by myself and WOR...His very short and simple answer speaks volumes "Simply the best quad we have ever had!".. Nuff said…

Another astonishing fact on these machines before I sign off is the fact that in the right hands, Martin Benbow for instance, These machines can be raced, in standard trim almost, and be totally competitive in the 4x4 Expert class, They are quiet, dont break in "race" conditions either and then a simple jet wash and it is good to go again. Race on a Sunday, Work on a Sunday night / Monday ...

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| Motors

New Volkswagen Touareg drives more than 16,000km to its own world premier He's done it again: Rainer Zietlow and his team are among the guests of honour at the world premiere of the third generation Volkswagen Touareg in Beijing today. The adventurer and his companions drove to the world premiere to Beijing over land in a camouflaged prototype of the new Volkswagen Touareg. The team spent a total of 21 days on the "Bratislava2Beijing" tour. he new Touareg with its numerous driver assistance systems proved to be an absolutely reliable and comfortable car on this world premiere drive", says Rainer Zietlow. "The new Volkswagen SUV is absolutely suitable in every respect for long distances and impressed us in unpredictable road and weather conditions."

For three weeks Zietlow and his team put the new Touareg to the ultimate test. The route of the "Bratislava2Beijing" project took the

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Touareg pioneers through eleven countries: Slovakia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China.

The starting point was the Volkswagen plant in Bratislava, where the Touareg has been manufactured for 16 years. Almost one million units have rolled off the production line since the start of series production in 2002.

Zietlow and his comrades drove the new Touareg through wintry Europe and deep-frozen parts of Asia. Daily stages, some of which were more than 1,000 kilometres

long and temperature ranges of minus 23 to plus 21 degrees Celsius, demanded everything from man and machine, giving the team unforgettable moments at the same time. Unique landscapes, hair-raising road conditions, sit-ins with ice fishers. And never feeling out of place: the new Touareg – with camouflaged front and rear before its world premiere.

The journey to the world premiere in Beijing took them along the snow-covered Urals, past frozen Lake Baikal through the expanses of Kazakhstan, the mountains and steppes of

Mongolia and finally over Inner Mongolia to the Middle Kingdom.

16,500 exciting kilometres, marking another milestone in the longdistance history of the Volkswagen Touareg. So far Rainer Zietlow has driven a Touareg along the "Panamericana" from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska in eleven days and 17 hours, from Melbourne to St. Petersburg ("Russtralia") in 17 days and eleven hours, from South Africa to Norway ("Cape to Cape 2.0") in nine days and four hours and from Magadan (Eastern Russia) to Lisbon in six days and nine hours.

Flexible finance options now just a click away Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles launches new online finance calculator. olkswagen Commercial Vehicles is adding functionality to its award-winning website with the launch of an interactive finance calculator, designed to make the process of choosing the right finance package easier than ever for customers.

The new finance calculator gives customers the ability to choose from a range of flexible finance options, including contract hire,

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finance lease, hire purchase, lease purchase and Solutions personal contract purchase (PCP), to help them finance their next vehicle.

After selecting their vehicle customers can then see a detailed breakdown of the different finance routes available. Customers can also adjust variables such as terms and deposits, and the examples produced using the calculator can be emailed to themselves or saved for future reference.

Sarah Cox, Head of Marketing from Volkswagen Commercial

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Vehicles said: “The new finance calculator is another example of our commitment to supporting our customers every step of the way through our ‘Working With You’ promise. Navigating finance options can be tricky so we, along with our colleagues from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle Financial Services, have designed this calculator to make it easier for customers to understand the possible routes they can take to pay for their van and work out which is the best option for them

and their business.”

The finance calculator is just one of many useful online tools available on the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles website, which also offers the ability to book test drives or servicing, configure your perfect van or find a Van Centre or Authorised Repairer.

For further information or see the calculator in action, visit https://www.volkswagenvans.co.uk/app/local/financecalculator#/

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| Motors

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| Motors

Isuzu D-Max triumphs at the Professional Pick-up & 4x4 Awards The award-winning Isuzu D-Max builds on its continued successes as ‘Most Reliable Pickup’ at the inaugural Professional Pickup & 4x4 Awards.

udged by a panel of twelve ‘Pick Up Professionals’, judges tested the Isuzu D-Max both on and off-road and were impressed by the strong build quality and renowned workhorse character.

Launched in 2017, the new generation Isuzu D-Max introduced a brand new 1.9 litre turbo diesel engine, which retains the 3.5 tonne towing capacity and over 1 tonne payload whilst providing a quieter, more refined and economical driving experience.

Supporting the accolade, were the benefits towards overall running costs with roadside rescue and recovery including European cover, a three-year paint warranty,

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and a six-year anti-corrosion warranty all included within the initial price. The D-Max also comes with a five-year/125,000-mile warranty, and was the first pickup in the UK to be offered with such a comprehensive peace-of-mind package.

Professional Pickup & 4x4 Editor Liam Campbell commented on the win: “Isuzu has been held in high regard for build quality and reliability right back to the Trooper days, and our study confirmed this. In the end, 407 pickup truck owners were surveyed, and the DMax came out on top.

“This is great news for Isuzu as reliability is a very important issue for pickup truck owners, many of whom are owner-operators and rely on their vehicle for multiple uses”.

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Isuzu UK Managing Director, William Brown commented: “We’re really proud to receive this award as it strengthens the D-Max’s position as the most reliable vehicle in the sector. It’s really pleasing that professionals from a number of industries have recognised all the hard work that has gone in at Isuzu UK to make such a great product.”

“We make pickups for real

professionals, and this award is testament to that fact”.

The Professional Pickup & 4x4 Awards are the only awards to be judged by real-world professionals simulating real-life conditions.

The reliability award follows a successful year for the new generation D-Max, which claimed ‘Pick Up Of The Year” at the 2018 WhatVan? Awards.

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| Motors

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| Motors

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| Motors

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| Motors

Subaru UK: Official Sponsor of Ideal Home Show 2018 Subaru UK was pleased to be announced as Official Automotive Sponsor of the Ideal Home Show 2018, as the SUV brand continues its challenge to become the fastest growing UK automotive brand of 2018. ringing its fresh SUV range to home and property enthusiasts, Subaru showcased the all-new XV, Outback, and Forester models around the annual show, held at Olympia London from 17th March to 2nd April 2018. Introducing show attendees to the 2018 line up, Subaru showed it really is ‘Better Where It Matters’ with its safety, capability and reliability credentials echoing the shows exhibitor’s designs, services and products Show visitors were able to see the versatile all-new XV up close

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and in the metal. Awarded the Euro NCAP Best In Class title for the Small Family Car segment and achieving the best overall score for child occupancy, the all-new XV is the perfect partner for modern homeowners whom enjoy the comforts of their homes and the adventure of the outside world. Its capabilities allow drivers the freedom to drive on and off-road with no effort – perfect for those building homes from the ground up or from the inside out.

Chris Graham, Managing Director of Subaru UK commented “The Ideal Home Show was a great opportunity for Subaru to interact with likeminded people, who love being active and creating

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new experiences for themselves and others to enjoy”.

“Our cars are built to facilitate new opportunities in every sense, from the person transporting materials to build their new house to the family moving into their dream home, they can do all of this in a Subaru knowing it has safety, reliability and capability purposefully crafted into the design and manufacture of their car”.

This year’s Ideal Home Show celebrated the enhancement of modern living and the innovation of space in homes throughout the years. Hosted by a plethora of celebrity and household favourites, the show welcomed visitors from

across the country to interact with well-known exhibitors from the home and living sectors, including Subaru as the Official Automotive Sponsor.

‘Better Where It Matters’ is the guiding ethos for all Subaru models in the UK, with safety, capability and reliability at their core. Subaru aims to be the fastest growing UK car brand of 2018, armed with a sturdy SUV lineup and the safest small family cars in Europe. For more on the Subaru range and details of official dealerships please visit www.subaru.co.uk today.

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| Motors

Mitsubishi Motors UK’s specialised SVP Division unveils the Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian SVP II Mitsubishi Motors in the UK is adding even more style and purpose to the multi award-winning Mitsubishi L200 with the unveiling of the new special edition Barbarian SVP II – the second vehicle to be produced by its SVP (Special Vehicle Projects) division. he Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian SVP II builds on the success of the original limited edition SVP version and, like its predecessor, is instantly recognisable with a striking two-tone colour scheme and significant appearance changes to the exterior and interior.

Only 250 will be produced with half available in pearlescent Diamond Black and the other half in metallic Atlantic Grey. Details on either are picked out in orange to provide a striking contrast, ensuring the Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian SVP II stands out from the crowd in terms of road presence as well as exclusivity.

On top of the generous standard specification of the Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian Double Cab, the new special edition adds

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a host of eye-catching extras. On the outside, the pickup features 17-inch bespoke black and orange alloy wheels with BF Goodrich allterrain tyres, covered by aggressive wheel arch extensions, together with a new SVP grille and roof rails, both of which are also finished in black and orange.

The fog lamp rings, front and rear light bezels, door handle recess covers, puddle lamps and tailgate handle surround are all picked out in orange. SVP tailgate badging, a colour-coded bumper and shark fin-inspired black side steps complete the distinctive look, while for added convenience there are the additions of load bed illumination and a spring-assisted tailgate with soft-opening damper.

The special colour scheme is carried over into the interior, the Barbarian-inspired ‘six-pack’ leather seats with suede-like ‘Alston’ inserts having orange

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accented panelling, stitching and piping. Each SVP II’s individual limited edition number, plus the SVP logo, is stitched into the headrests and there’s also a unique ‘SVP’ embossed mat set with orange piping. The distinctive theme continues with orange illuminated door entry guards and front and rear foot-well mood lighting.

Standard equipment of the Mitsubishi L200 Barbarian SVP II includes the Mitsubishi Smartphone Link Display Audio (SDA) system, which allows users to connect to apps or other features of their Apple or Android smartphone through the

touchscreen or via voice control*; rain and dusk sensors, keyless operation, Bluetooth, Bi-Xenon headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights, cruise control and reversing camera.

Power is provided by an allaluminium 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine, while the rotary-dial controlled Super Select 4WD system, which allows drivers to seamlessly switch between twoand four-wheel drive at speeds of up to 62 mph on all surfaces, can be combined with a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddle shifters.

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