Gleadell Viewpoint Spring 2015

SPRING 2015

By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen.

Supplier of Quality Seeds Gleadell Agriculture Ltd Lincolnshire

VOL 13, ISSUE 1

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www.gleadell.co.uk

How to avoid selling at the bottom of the market The graph below shows two things – the blue columns indicate the volume of wheat sold by farmers to Gleadell on a monthly basis in the period February 2014 to December 2014 for the 2014/15 marketing season, while the orange line shows the futures market price during the period, which ranged from over £160/t down to £115/t.

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The story of a market

It’s going to the moon – I’m going to be loaded!

170 165 160

Damn – I missed the top!

I’ll sell on the next wave...

155 It’s going to the moon!

I’m not selling...

Ouch! As soon as it goes up I’m selling!

Ah – the price is going up... let’s watch the market.

145 I knew it was too cheap.

140

It can’t go much lower, surely?!!

The basic story of this graph is that the lower the market fell, the more wheat was sold.

135

What the hell?

I’m not selling it here – it has to come back. It looks cheap!

130 125

Volume of ex-farm wheat sold versus market price movement.

There’s no hope – I’m selling everything!

120

180

140

£/t

120

Thousand tonnes

100 80 60 40 20

Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug

Sep Oct Nov Dec

0

2014

This is not a new phenomenon. Indeed, in 1997 Banks Agriculture looked at the same sort of data for that marketing season, and the figures were very similar, albeit the wheat price was significantly lower!

What are the reasons for this sort of behaviour – and why does it keep on happening? The answer is we are all human, and fear and greed are the key drivers for all markets and always have been.

The chart to the right illustrates the ‘story of a market’ and the emotions that are probably familiar to most who market grain.

GleadellAg

@gleadells

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

115

You what???

Glad I sold all of my wheat!

160

Key

150

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

110

Given that not many farmers hit the top of the market, and that avoiding market lows should be the key aim, what can be done to assist farmers’ grain marketing? Here are some key points that may help: Use a good grain pool for a percentage of grain. The amount allocated should reflect the time any individual can commit to grain marketing and their appetite for risk. It should be remembered that it is in the interests of a good pool to return good results.

Look ahead for forward prices that allow one to lock into values that cover anticipated costs of production.

Understand that fundamental market factors such as supply and demand are not the only market drivers nowadays. Fund activity, technical market analysis and currency movements are worthy of some understanding and need to be taken into account.

Grain marketing on one’s own account takes time and effort. Farmers should be prepared for this if they are marketing their own grain.

Don’t be forced into marketing purely to suit movement or cash flow requirements.

Use the HGCA sellers’ checklist – this useful guide reminds farmers to check the terms they trade on once a trading decision has been made.

Whilst there is no guarantee that following these sorts of guidelines will achieve market highs, we are sure that this sort of template will, over the long term, achieve better-than-average prices, which is surely a realistic, achievable aim for all farmers.

David Sheppard, managing director, Gleadell Agriculture

Gleadell Agriculture Limited

VIEWPOINT

Feed wheat

Pulses

As we enter the final quarter of the season, end-of-season corn and wheat stocks look set to rise 8% and 6% respectively on the back of record global production..

Prospects for 2015-16 will be dictated by the eventual area planted. On first impressions farmers are expected to plant more beans and peas to meet greening requirements and for agronomic reasons, such as blackgrass control.

Although grain supplies and stocks are already more than adequate, current market dynamics are far from simple. Russia and the Ukraine are currently operating under export restrictions to secure domestic supplies amidst new crop concerns, while the Argentine government (in an election year) seems more interested in keeping domestic prices down rather than granting exports.

In addition, farmers across much of the Northern Hemisphere remain reluctant sellers.

As suggested in the autumn issue, the threat of Black Sea export restrictions has become a reality.

Russia imposed an export duty on wheat shipments from 1 February to 30 June, followed by Ukraine placing limits on milling exports.

Both steps initially supported the global market on the assumption that demand would switch to other origins, especially the US. This built large premiums into US prices, which limited export potential throughout the season. The recent firming of the dollar leaves US supplies even less competitive on price and struggling to reach current export projections.

However, the demise of the Black Sea as a major export force has played into the hands of the European market. Exports are running slightly ahead of last season’s record pace, partially supported by a currency ailing due to the EU’s economic concerns.

In the UK, a large crop was expected to provide much opportunity for exports, but again, this has been far from the reality. Although some business has been executed, imports have been greater than expected and it has taken until the end of January to show the UK as a net exporter of wheat.

This, plus a fall in domestic industrial usage, leaves the UK balance sheet looking extremely heavy. This could result in a significant price fall in the coming months as the UK attempts to shift some of its stocks.

In summary, old crop is all but over and supplies remain plentiful. Bearish old crop fundamentals are running against new crop weather concerns, export uncertainties and US fund shorts, all of which are seen as supportive to the market.

Increased inventories will partially offset lower new crop production estimates, so unless the current weather issues turn into major crop losses, ample grain availabilities are likely to curtail any major price rally for 2015/16.

David Woodland, trader

02

Human consumption demand will continue to increase due to the growing population. At present, values for edible beans to Egypt are about $100/t below the peak of last year. This is certainly making buyers look at purchasing early, but quality will dictate the final outcome.

Ian Skinn, pulses trader

This, however, is being mirrored in France, Australia and Canada, leading to the conclusion that prices for the coming crop will be under extreme pressure. On the plus side UK compounders are more likely to re-introduce beans into animal diets and, with values more linked to the feed wheat market, this in its own right will create welcome demand and movement.

Oats We went into harvest 2014 with a 23% drop in plantings, but this was mainly negated by good yields on winter oats in England and spring oats in Scotland.

Quality generally held, which gave the millers an easier campaign than the previous two seasons. Exports off the south coast helped to

clear most of the surplus in England.

HGCA figures for harvest 2015 show winter oat plantings 5% lower in England, but one of the keys to price direction will be spring oat sowings in England and Scotland. There appears to be a drop of acreage in the southern counties as a reaction to one miller not supporting spring oats.

Eventual yield and quality will unfold at harvest, but a stress-free growing season could be crucial.

Robert Leachman, oats trader

Oilseed rape At the time of writing we are in the midst of the South American soybean harvest with no problems of note. The soybean futures market is trading at below $10/bushel (about £250/t) and the oilseeds complex, like grains, lacks bullish impetus.

Soon attention will turn to US soybean plantings, where current price spreads favour the planting of beans over corn.

In Europe the physical rapeseed market has been fairly flat with low volatility and sufficient supplies for the 2014 season topped up with Australian imports. The May 2015 MATIF futures market has ticked higher since harvest, retracing around €50/t from the low.

Crush margins currently remain unattractive and the market lacks a story.

volatility to continue for sterling.

Currency markets continue to be very volatile and throughout 2015 euro weakness has knocked about £25/t off UK prices. As we move towards the UK election we expect the

We continue to have an overall bearish market tone but a drought or problem can quickly change sentiment and momentum.

Looking to new crop, the oilseeds complex and rapeseed need a weather or geo-political problem somewhere. The one thing farmers have on their side at present is time – with US soybeans not planted and Europe in the early throes of spring, it’s hard to have a strong view on harvest prices at present.

Chris Wood, oilseeds trader

MARKET OUTLOOK

Milling wheat UK milling premiums have fallen some £15/t from their highs of the season over the past month. At their peak in January this year, premiums were approaching £50/t over feed wheat, double the average of the previous five seasons.

Firming UK premiums throughout much of this season primarily stemmed from a lower availability of domestic full-specification Group 1s & 2s, with average proteins of 12.2% a full 1% below last year. In addition, direction came from firm milling premiums on the continent, where quality has been variable – especially in Germany where proteins have averaged 12% compared to 12.7% last year.

However, with the euro hitting an 11-year low against sterling in early March, the

competitiveness of German, Polish and Baltic milling wheat imports improved significantly.

At their most competitive, the gap to UK values was £6/t compared with £16/t at harvest.

Coupled with a reduced buying appetite from UK millers (flour demand is estimated to be 5% lower across the industry), premiums have suffered as a result.

Looking forward to new crop, there has been a notable increase in the area sown with Group 1 milling wheats. The main increases have come in the shape of Crusoe and most importantly Skyfall, which can be expected to account for over 7% of all winter wheat plantings. Early premium indications for new crop are about £10/t below old crop.

As growers will be aware, the key for new crop milling wheat will be the final months of this season, when the UK crop is made and when weather conditions are crucial.

Dan Sedgwick, milling wheat trader

Malting barley As we head towards harvest 2015, the prospect remains of going into the new season with tight global stocks, despite two consecutive aboveaverage world malting barley harvests.

The outlook for demand is again strong, with China, the world’s biggest buyer, expected to buy close to 4 million tonnes for this coming season due to a reduced domestic crop and increased beer sales. The rise in the popularity of craft beer is also helping demand, as this type of beer uses more malt than lager types.

Supply-wise we expect Russia and Canada to reduce their areas and Europe to be 3-4% down.

Argentina will be similar to last year and Australia slightly up. So we will need another decent world crop to satisfy growing demand.

Organics Since our last report it is pleasing to see a more positive outlook from organic consumers. Demand for produce has picked up, albeit slower than expected.

More emphasis on the benefits of natural health and safety of organic produce (highlighting the non-use of antibiotics, fertilisers and pesticides) has been supported and marketed by the Organic Trade Board.

The board is working closely with major retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose in a major campaign to promote and highlight the true benefits of organic food consumption, including the highest standards of animal

welfare. As a result, farmgate prices have improved to reflect the extra interest.

Old crop movement of all organic commodities continues well and end users still have positions to cover before the arrival of new crop. Strong demand exists for any grade of milling wheat and especially for feed beans and peas, due to the lack of imported protein supply.

For new crop, end-user buyback contracts plus premiums are available for milling wheat, malting barley and milling oats for October/ December 2015 and January/March 2016.

We expect demand in the organic market place to continue in a positive mode and would envisage values that reflect this.

Brian Wilburn, organic trader

In the EU the situation is a little different as this is the area where all the world’s surplus lies. We can therefore expect maltsters, and especially distillers, to have high carryover stocks, so internal demand may be restricted before the New Year.

In the UK we expect a reduced winter malting area but up to a 10% increase in the spring area. We will need a strong export market to help move this surplus.

SY Venture will be the main winter malting variety, Propino the main spring brewing variety and Concerto the main distiller. Looking forward, we have some exciting Null-Lox varieties coming along, together with the very high yielding KWS Irina and RAGT Planet Stuart Shand, sales director GLEADELL AGRICULTURE

03

VIEWPOINT

BRITISH WHEAT: A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Gleadell is one of the largest suppliers of home-grown wheat to Hovis Limited, delivering to all of its mills. Gary Sharkey, head of commodities at Hovis, gives Viewpoint an overview of the company and how it operates.

Hovis has a long history of supporting British farming. It buys home-produced wheat in large volumes and brings the best varieties to the market by liaising with seed breeders, merchants and farmers. This underpins the manufacture of high-quality flour products for Hovis’s in-house and external customers.

The company is proud to support British farming and, with help from Gleadell and UK farmers, in 2011 became the first major bread brand made from 100% British wheat.

Hovis is one of the largest bakery brands in the UK and among the best-known food brands in the country. Hovis Limited also makes Mothers Pride, Ormo and retailer-branded bakery products and supplies flour to a range of customers under its Rank Hovis, Fleming Howden and Holgran trading platforms.

Rank Hovis is the UK’s leading flour miller and one of the most recognised names in the milling and baking world. It is renowned for product and service excellence, backed by outstanding technical support.

The portfolio uses predominantly British wheat.

It includes a comprehensive range of flours and mixes, and two of the UK’s best known brands,

Hovis® and Granary®.

We offer our customers flour in bulk or bags including Rank Hovis Originals, a range of flours specifically developed for small and medium-sized customers. For large/specialist customers we mill bespoke grades to meet their industrial requirements, including pizza base, bagel and sandwich production.

Rank Hovis owns a national network of sites.

Each of the mills serves a different purpose, providing customers with the wide range of products.

The Selby mill, for example, is dedicated to specialist high-quality cake flour production, while Gainsborough is responsible for malting and granary production. For this reason we buy varying types and grades of wheat to meet the needs of our customers.

The standard breadmaking spec is 13% protein, 250 Hagberg and a specific weight of 76 kg/hl. However, we sell flour on completely different parameters, such as flour colour, speck count (an indicator of product quality), dough rising times, and dough stability.

These customer specifications are very demanding – much more stringent than those we purchase on. However, thanks to our ability to blend different combinations of raw material we can produce a range of homogenous products from month to month, and season to season.

Rank Hovis is one of the biggest buyers of British wheat for milling – it now accounts for about 90% of the wheat we use. As previously mentioned Hovis breads use 100% British wheat, which has been very important in our brand promotion.

Beyond that, we prefer to use home-produced wheat wherever we can – it is more local, more traceable and is seen to have more provenance than imported wheat. The 10% of imported wheat we buy goes to free-trade (third party) customers that require strong flours for certain breads and pizza bases.

On average about 35% of our British wheat requirement consists of Group 1 varieties, with Group 2s not far behind. Exact needs vary from year to year, depending on the effects of the season.

For us, wheat group is more important than a specific variety. We will take any variety provided it matches the buying specification for its group – we can tweak the amounts we use to ensure we end up with a flour that exactly suits a customer’s requirements.

As a result rejections for out-of-spec wheat are very unusual – we only reject a very small percentage of deliveries, mainly for high moisture, ergot infestation or some other significant quality problem.

Nevertheless, we do encourage farmers to deliver as close to the specification as possible.

Generally farmers don’t know exactly where their wheat is going, and merchants often don’t when they buy it, which can be months ahead of being sold.

Rank Hovis is the UK’s leading flour miller. Its portfolio uses predominantly British wheat and includes two of the UK’s best known brands, Hovis® and Granary®

04

Often the destination is only known in the month prior to allocation. If farmers know what they have in their shed they can help merchants

CUSTOMER PROFILE - HOVIS

match purchases with their sales as accurately as possible. Gleadell works closely with the Hovis team to supply the right wheat, on time and of the correct specification from a supplier base of over 6000 farmers.

We would advise farmers to store by variety, not just by group. Not all Group 1s and 2s perform the same, and some millers insist on single varieties. Seperation is even more important with varieties in their first commercial year, as not all millers will accept them at this early stage.

Hovis – a brief history April 2014 saw the creation

It’s imperative we see new breadmaking varieties coming through the well-established trials process, to ensure the crop remains viable to grow and to meet the evolving demands on the milling industry. Here at Rank Hovis we encourage this innovation by contracting at a very early stage, working with breeders and merchants to assess the viability and commerciality of varieties.

of Hovis Limited, a vertically

We have a close liaison with breeders with regard to their pipeline material, which we will see two to three years ahead of commercial release, test baking and trialling in our specialist facilities.

infrastructure and reinvigorate

When a variety shows promise, the merchants play a key role in moving it on to commercial production, using their close relationship with growers to underpin the process through buyback contracts.

Wycombe and operates as a

integrated baking and flourmilling business, jointly owned by The Gores Group (51%) and Premier Foods plc (49%).

The company was created to help release new investment to upgrade its operational the Hovis brand, building on its rich heritage.

The company has its headquarters in High stand-alone business led by chairman Nish Kankiwala, in conjunction with an executive board of directors, and two

The most recent addition to our portfolio is Skyfall, bred by RAGT, which we will see in commercial volume this coming harvest. We are hopeful that this variety, having achieved Group 1 accreditation, will prove to be an excellent variety for farmers and our test baking to date, on full-specification samples, shows it should meet our demand for Group 1 milling wheat and will perform for our customers.

directors each from The Gores

Hovis has supported the variety by offering buyback contracts for Skyfall through Gleadell for the 2015 harvest.

the Prevention of Accidents

For more than a century Rank Hovis has been perfecting a comprehensive range of premium and standard grades of flour and cake mixes, using British wheat where possible. By building on its strong relations with Gleadell and other merchants and their farming customers, we look forward to the next 100 successful years.

status, with each year proving

Group and Premier Foods.

Hovis Limited employs approximately 3,800 people at 10 bakeries, six flour mills and two regional distribution centres across the UK. Our sites operate at the highest standards, which are recognised and accredited

by The Royal Society for (RoSPA). Rank Hovis sites have been awarded Gold and Silver more and more successful.

All sites are also BRC (British Retail Consortium), the Global Standard for Food Safety, certified.

GLEADELL AGRICULTURE

05

VIEWPOINT

SPOTLIGHT ON AUTUMN SEEDS Top variety choices for the new season Gleadell’s seed manager Chris Guest previews some of the best varieties that are set to fill farmers’ drills this autumn

Oilseed Rape The increased risk of light leaf spot (LLS) spreading across the whole of the UK will mean that resistance to this disease is an important factor when choosing varieties this coming autumn.

Regional forecast for the percentage of OSR crops with more than 25% affected plants Final 2013/14

Preliminary 2014/15 0-14

LLS is one of the most significant diseases to hit oilseed rape, with untreated crops suffering 50% yield loss or more.

As well as robust disease resistances, Gleadell’s OSR portfolio is based around varieties with excellent gross output potential and good oil contents.

30-44 45-59

Campus is the best all-round conventional variety on the new Recommended List (RL). It was the top conventional type in 2014 in both East and West and North Regions.

The variety looks an excellent choice for growers in all areas. It is stiff strawed with solid disease ratings, including a 6 for LLS, which is key to its placing for the north.

60+

(Source: Rothamsted Research 2015)

The on-farm favourite Incentive is also already proving a popular choice with growers booking seed for next season. The variety has established strongly on farm this season and is looking well.

Wheat

Other new varieties that entered the market this season include the hybrid SY-Harnas from Syngenta, which tops the northern list, scoring an excellent 114 for seed yield and a 7 for LLS resistance.

The new RL for wheat features six new winter varieties. KWS Trinity from breeder KWS is a new provisional Group 1 variety, with high yield potential, particularly in the east.

DK Exalte, currently in National List trials, also looks an exciting new addition to the portfolio, from breeder Dekalb. It features many of the traits from the brand, including excellent phoma and LLS resistance, pod shatter and rapid spring growth.

KWS Lili looks the most exciting of the new varieties. It is a high-yielder (equal to KWS Santiago) with milling quality and is classified as a Group 2 variety. It performs consistently across all regions and soil types, and should create plenty of interest on farm, particularly in the first wheat slot.

Wembley from LSPB is top of the candidate list for the East/West region and looks a solid all-rounder.

Britannia, a new Group 3 from Limagrain, looks interesting. It has high yield potential and good grain quality, as well as good all-round disease resistance. It has a weaker straw so suits suit later sowings and would respond well to a robust PGR programme.

Growers should also remember the conventional Amalie, which has Turnip Yellows Virus resistance and should be considered in all cropping plans as a risk management strategy.

Winter Beans Tundra is a new variety to the market. Although listed on the 2014 PGRO RL, limited seed availability last autumn means 2015 is its first year of commercialisation. It marks a real step up from Wizard in terms of yield (+9%), delivers equally well on agronomics and has relatively early maturity.

With the three-crop rule and the need to control blackgrass, we could see an increase in interest in the winter bean area this coming autumn.

06

15-29

RGT Conversion from breeder RAGT is another entrant in the congested Group 3 sector. Conversion has very high grain quality, would suit earlier drilling and again has a solid all-round disease portfolio.

Reflection from breeder Syngenta is the new highest yielding variety on the RL. It will certainly be of interest to growers looking for an real barnfiller – it scores well in all regions, particularly in the west. It has earlier maturity than its competitors and a very strong 77.4kg/hl specific weight. The variety is short and stiff and features a sound agronomic package.

Costello is the final new entrant. Bred by KWS, it is represented in the UK by Senova. Costello has high grain quality for the feed wheat sector and looks to be a step up from established favourite JB Diego. Consistent across soil types and regions, Costello has the highest specific weight of all RL varieties (80.5kg/hl) and has very good yellow rust resistance and stiff straw.

GLEADELL UPDATES

FERTILISER IN FOCUS Rising urea output dictates global market tone but AN remains key in Europe Global demand for high-analysis, easy-to-transport fertiliser products is steadily increasing, so it is inevitable that urea is set to gain a larger share of the global market.

Nitrogen is by far the most popular artificial

the export tariffs that

fertiliser across the world, due to its

created an oversupply

important role in crop production.

situation in China is

Urea is already the market leader, accounting

likely to see more

for about 56% of the nitrogen produced.

product pushed onto

Moreover, the ongoing need for increased

the world market.

production means all major growth in the

Urea is traded as a

nitrogen fertiliser industry is now being

commodity, often

channelled into this area.

bought as open

The primary source of energy needed to

origin rather than

manufacture ammonia, vital as a feedstock in the production of all nitrogen fertilisers, is natural gas. New manufacturing plants are only being built in areas with large natural gas

being tied specifically to a producer.

The importance of

Over 27,400t of bulk urea consigned by Gleadell Agriculture was unloaded at Immingham in January. It is one of the largest shipments of urea to arrive in the UK

having a strong trading partner in such a diverse international market

farm margins likely to be squeezed further, some

ammonia is such a price-sensitive commodity

has never been so important.

UK growers have turned to urea for the first time

and that manufacturers are competing fiercely

Gleadell has such a partner in CHS, a globally

to sell their finished products, it is likely that

integrated Fortune 100 company. Our exclusive

However the UK market will remain driven by

the highest-cost producers will gradually

UK arrangement allows us to source the right

ammonium nitrate as the push towards a low

be displaced as this new capacity comes on

product at the right time, paramount in such

carbon economy and the investments by

stream.

volatile times. Thanks to an agreement with

GrowHow UK into nitrous oxide abatement

Further displacement will happen in the US

Associated British Ports at Immingham we

technology continue to catch the

can also ship 25-30,000 tonne vessels and

attention of consumers at the

discharge them in a timely fashion, giving us

end of the food chain.

We also see expansion of manufacturing

added strength in this area.

Gleadell’s fertiliser business is

capacity in China, though this may be slowed

Five-year low

built on solid partnerships and

No fertiliser season is ever the same. Spring

our strategy, with an innovative end

demand in the Northern Hemisphere and the

vision to link producers with both farmers and

strength of the US dollar has prevented prices

end users.

from slipping significantly so far in 2015. That

Importers fail to invest time and money into

said, urea is now trading at a five-year low

research and development. However, ensuring

ex-factory and, with new plants about to be

the right product is used at the right time can

commissioned in Egypt, Algeria and Saudi

bring about real savings. GrowHow is the leading

Arabia targeting the European market, all

manufacturer of fertilisers in the UK, and by

traders will be watching with interest as a floor

helping to improve the efficiency of fertiliser

will be found and positions will be taken ahead

use on farm and getting the very best from

of a new-season campaign at some point.

applications, it will ensure its number one status

This increase in supply from North Africa and

remains intact.

reserves, where prices are lower. Given that

fertiliser industry, which is experiencing a renaissance following the shale gas revolution.

by the closing of older, less efficient plants as newer ones open. However, a change in

this season to help drive down growing costs.

GrowHow is an integral part of

Calum Findlay, fertiliser manager

Saudi Arabia will dictate the tone for global urea prices over the next few months. With GLEADELL AGRICULTURE

07

VIEWPOINT

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Sentry and Gleadell – opportunities through partnership

by John Hall Sentry is a growing business. New opportunities continue to come forward as first-rate business management combined with innovative farming solutions makes Sentry the ‘go-to farmer’ for a range of rural and institutional clients seeking land management expertise.

We have struck up similar close working relationships across the industry, creating further opportunities that will deliver mutual benefits for all.

Sentry and Gleadell have been working together for many years in partnership to solve grainmarketing dilemmas. Take last season for example – when the pre-harvest wheat price was on the slide Sentry Cambridgeshire took out an option, which put a floor in the price. We were still able to move the wheat at harvest, which, due to lack of storage, we had to do.

The cost of the option at the time was the same as storing the wheat externally until November.

This meant that we weren’t forced sellers at harvest (when the price was below £100/t), we had a minimum price of £120/t and we would have been in the market if there had been a rally.

In other words, thanks to working together with Gleadell we were able to turn a perceived negative position into a positive outcome.

Sentry works with many different farm businesses with varying facilities, so we need to tailor our business strategies to the resources we have.

Over the past five years Sentry has focused on creating long-term business plans. Despite the fact farming agreements are generally only for three years, every winter we review the longterm plans for all our farms. This includes procurement, agronomic issues and investment in machinery and infrastructure.

Over the past three years while prices have been good we have invested significant sums in infrastructure. Drainage has been assessed on all farms and improvements carried out where appropriate. You can have all the best intentions and employ the latest techniques such as cover

crops and direct drilling, but if the drainage isn’t right, it won’t work.

the correct nozzles and water volume.

We want motivated and self-disciplined staff.

We see our investment in our people as paramount. It continues with our focus on agronomic development at all levels in the company. For example, in North Norfolk Doug Pickup has just undertaken his Advanced Sugar Beet BASIS, in Suffolk Nigel Britten has just obtained his FACTS qualification and in South Norfolk Richard Canham has successfully completed his Foundation BASIS.

At Sentry we believe that we are in a great position to prosper despite the challenges that continue to be thrown at our sector, such as the new Basic Payment Scheme, neonicotinoid restrictions, endocrine disrupter bans and, of course, challenging grain prices.

We expect all our staff to work alongside as well as challenge the agronomists that they are working with to ensure the best decisions are made for the business. The most important timing is the day the crop is drilled, which is why we focus on training at all levels – we expect everyone in the business to be able to react to the conditions that confront them and come up with the right decisions. When it comes to looking after the crop, spray operators need to have the confidence to decide when to start and when to stop. They need to know they are using

Working together with successful businesses like Gleadell will help ensure that our customers continue to see us as the ‘go-to farmer’.

* John Hall is director designate at Sentry, a long-established private company and market leader specialising in land management on behalf of a wide range of primarily rural and institutional clients.

John is based in west Norfolk where he has practical involvement with managing Sentry Farms in Cambridgeshire. He also provides farm management advice to clients in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

DISCLAIMER: Prices quoted are indicative only at the time of going to press and subject to location and quality. Gleadell Agriculture cannot accept liability arising from errors or omissions in this publication.

HEAD OFFICE Lindsey House, Hemswell Cliff, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 5TH

T 01427 421200 F 01427 421230

Gleadell Agriculture Limited

www.gleadell.co.uk