South East Farmer October 2022

EAST FARMER

Media, The Granary,

Court

Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18

541444

Malcolm Triggs

sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk

Apps, Countrywide Photographic

McGrorty 01303 233883

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Jo Legg 07306 482166

MANAGEMENT

CHIEF EXECUTIVE: Steve Wright

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Phil Weeden

MANAGING DIRECTOR: Kevin McCormick

PUBLISHER: Jamie McGrorty

RETAIL DIRECTOR: Steve Brown

RENEWALS AND PROJECTS MANAGER: Andy Cotton

SENIOR SUBSCRIPTION

MARKETING MANAGER: Nick McIntosh

SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING DIRECTOR: Gill Lambert

SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Kate Chamberlain

PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Georgina Harris

PRINT PRODUCTION CONTROLLER: Kelly Orriss

DISTRIBUTION

Distribution in Great Britain Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 0330 390 6555

PRINTING

Precision Colour Print

Kelsey Media 2022 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers.

Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published. Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties.

Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information of our privacy policy, please visit Kelsey Media takes your personal data very seriously. For more information of our privacy policy, please visit https://www.kelsey.co.uk/privacy-policy/ . If at any point you have any queries regarding Kelsey’s data policy you can email our Data Protection Officer at dpo@kelsey.co.uk.

CONTENTS

H

of

prices

to improve

FEATURES

14 CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

A spur of the moment decision sparked the revival of what is now one of England’s most respected farming magazines –South East Farmer.

AKEHURST

AKEHURST VISITS...

Akehurst

Company,

home of

find out more about

orchards.

Cover

20 PLOUGHING MATCHES

Kelsey Media’s editor at large Peter Love visited three September ploughing matches to see how these special events bring the farming community closer together.

42 NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW

A preview of this year's sell-out event.

CHARITY DEFENDS HELP FOR FARMING FAMILIES

A leading farming charity behind a successful ‘return to school’ grant has stressed that it is committed to ensuring its funds are only used to support those who are genuinely in need.

Alicia Chivers, Chief Executive of RABI, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, was responding to criticism from a former volunteer who said the charity was no longer means-testing its grant payments effectively.

The correspondent, who asked not to be named but said he retained close links with RABI and stood by his comments “100%”, suggested a small number of payments had gone to families with children who were being educated at fee-paying schools.

In a robust response, Ms Chivers stressed that the charity “takes its duty to ensure we only provide financial support to farming people, in this case farming families, in financial difficulties, extremely seriously”.

She went on: “To date, RABI has been advised of only two cases of concern out of the thousands of farming families supported with this funding and investigated both fully. In both cases, the applications have been confirmed as meeting a genuine need.”

The former volunteer acknowledged that RABI was “best known for the monetary support it has offered over the years to thousands of struggling families adversely affected by the notorious fragility of an occupation which depends so heavily on so many uncontrollable factors, the weather and consumer buying habits among them”.

But in reference to the ‘return to school’ initiative, he went on: “The way some of the funding has been freely and generously pumped out has been the cause of no small disquiet in some quarters, notably among ex-RABI field workers and previous beneficiaries.” He suggested: “In the case of this latest scheme, many of the standard checks and balances that previously operated have been discarded.”

Ms Chivers said the allegations contained “factual inaccuracies” and added: “While the application process was simplified as far as possible for this campaign to ensure we could respond and meet this important need in a timely manner, the application and approval process to support these awards continued to include application criteria, interviews and multiple robust checkpoints for all applications to ensure funds were provided to those in need.”

RABI’s ‘return to school’ grant saw an

unprecedented response, with take up in July at four times the expected level. In response, the charity made another £500,000 available on top of the £1m initially set aside to help farming families cope with the current cost-of-living crisis.

“With the current financial pressures impacting on all of us, we know that farming people are having to make unacceptable choices,” Caron Whaley, Director of Services at RABI explained at the time. “Our trustees had already committed £1m to the campaign, however with the level of uptake having surpassed our expectations, I am extremely grateful to them for approving an additional £500,000,” she went on.

“This campaign has introduced RABI and the support we can provide to lots of new people, and we hope will continue to break down some of the invisible barriers that makes reaching out feel like a weakness rather than a strength,” she said.

Ms Chivers said the “overwhelming evidence” from the ‘return to school’ campaign was that the families who came forward were desperately in need.

She said one of the RABI team had spoken to a mother who had been saving £2.50 per week all year because she was worried she wouldn’t be able to give her children what they needed for the new school year. She had no heating oil and was boiling a kettle for hot water to bathe her children. The team member told her she would be speaking to the mother about longer term help and mental health support.

In mid-September RABI was announced as the winner of the Change Project of the Year category in

the prestigious Charity Times Awards, highlighting the calibre of its work within the farming community.

A spokesperson for the charity said that the thinking behind the ‘return to school’ grants was to encourage people to apply by offering help for a specific purpose rather than expecting people to admit that they needed general financial support. It is aiming to reach four times as many farming people by 2024.

The ‘return to school’ help, together with a fuel poverty grant also organised in response to the cost-of-living crisis, had seen RABI’s reach extended significantly, with 89% of the applicants approaching RABI for the first time. The approach had helped remove some of the stigma and the barriers from asking for help, she said.

In January 2022 RABI also launched two new support services, in-person mental health counselling and mental health first aid training. The charity’s Big Farming Survey received over 15,000 responses and identified worryingly low levels of mental wellbeing among the farming community.

“RABI remains focussed on working hard to achieve its ambitions, to support even more farming people who need and deserve the charity’s care and support,” Ms Chivers concluded.

RABI’s free, confidential helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on 0800 188 4444. Online wellbeing support and counselling services can be accessed via rabi.org.uk

NEW PM “MUST GO FOR GROWTH”

New Prime Minister Liz Truss has her work cut out if she is to deliver real results for the rural economy, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has warned.

President Mark Tufnell said “years of neglect” by government had led to an 18% productivity gap between the rural economy and the national average and pointed out that closing the gap would add £43bn to UK GVA (Gross Value Added).

Pointing out: “No Prime Minister in the past 20 years has had an ambitious strategy for the rural economy,” he described the recently announced £110m support package for rural businesses as “a welcome start”.

While agreeing that the funding, announced in the Government’s Delivering for Rural England report, would “kick-start the green shoots of recovery for the rural economy”, he said it did not fully address the challenges faced by rural businesses.

“Liz Truss must go for growth, laying out in detail her plans to deliver genuine planning reform, full connectivity, a simpler tax system for diversified businesses and a Whitehall shake up to encourage cross-departmental cooperation, he said, warning: “Otherwise, her party risks losing the hearts and minds of millions of rural voters.”

Commenting on the same report, NFU President Minette Batters said it was “encouraging to see concentrated efforts from the Government to level up rural communities, especially the funding being made available through the Rural England Prosperity Fund to help the development and growth of rural businesses.”

She added: “It’s also promising that the Government is looking at its levelling up goals through a rural lens and training civil servants on rural proofing. This will help ensure levelling up policies work for those living and working in rural areas, in turn enabling rural communities to deliver even more when it comes to producing climate-friendly food, providing greater access to the iconic great British countryside and contributing to the national economy.

“We now need to see all government departments taking greater accountability for levelling up rural areas; policies around digital connectivity, tourism, transport and housing are just as important to rural communities as they are to urban ones.”

Ms Batters called for a specific rural taskforce within the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities to help keep rural needs “at the forefront of all levelling up policy-making”.

The nation grieved OPINION

Wearing another hat, I have been privileged to meet and spend time over the years with some of ‘the Few’ – the men of the RAF who defeated the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain in 1940 and who were given that name by wartime PM Winston Churchill.

Over the past few years most of the last of the Few have left us; there is now thought to be just one, Group Captain John Hemingway DFC, still alive at the remarkable age of 103.

Like Gp Capt Hemingway, those who died recently were all close to their centenary or exceeded it, and yet their deaths were inevitably a source of sadness. In one sense, that’s counter intuitive. If you had told an inexperienced 19 year-old Spitfire pilot as he tried to shake an ME109 off his tail in the summer of 1940 that he would make 100, he would almost certainly not have believed you.

The same, surely, applies to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, whose funeral brought a grieving country to a standstill just a few weeks ago. Reaching 96 at the end of such a remarkable life is an achievement – particularly when you consider the alternative.

And yet it was still sad. The nation grieved for a great grandmother, a grandmother and a mother, and perhaps for the end of an era. Her Majesty was a cornerstone of the nation whose devotion to duty, dedication and diligence have been highlighted by better correspondents than me in recent weeks.

The world of agriculture and those who respect and enjoy the countryside will certainly miss her undoubted support for the pastoral life. She was Patron of many related organisations, including the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland and The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF). Her love of her dogs and horses and the pleasure she took in the countryside around Balmoral are well known.

The industry will no doubt be keen to see what King Charles III, whose interest in organic farming is well known, will bring to the table, although his new role is likely to make him less outspoken in the future.

As well as a new Monarch, the country has a new Prime Minister in Liz Truss, who may have too much on her plate dealing with soaring energy prices and the war in Ukraine to pay too much attention to domestic agriculture policies.

That being the way of the world, though, she has reshuffled her Cabinet and given Ranil Jayawardena the top job as Secretary of State at DEFRA. A trawl through Wikipedia (other sources are available) doesn’t suggest he has any previous experience within farming or horticulture or even that he likes gardening, but fingers crossed.

And just when you think everything is new in the world, ploughing match season comes around again to remind us that in the midst of change, some things stay the same. Do enjoy Peter Love’s special report and fabulous pictures in this issue.

MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR

EMAIL YOUR VIEWS, LETTERS OR OPINIONS TO: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to the address on page 3

®

HUGE BURDEN OF BEREAVEMENT EASED

Bereavement is tough for anyone, but when it leaves a distraught wife with a farm to run, animals to care for and children to support, the burden goes well beyond the emotional.

Friends, neighbours and family will no doubt do their best, but the mental strain of suddenly having to run a dairy farm, tackle unfamiliar paperwork and be ‘mum’ to three distressed children while dealing with grief, funeral arrangements and probate would overwhelm the toughest of us.

That was the situation in which Janice (name changed but the story is true) found herself when her dairy farmer husband Phil died in 2021 in his late fifties.

His unexpected death from leukaemia left Janice and her three children, two of them in their mid-teens, facing an intolerable burden, one that was eased considerably when a farmer friend of her late husband’s suggested she should contact the Farming Community Network (FCN).

Founded in 1995, FCN describes itself as “a national voluntary organisation and charity that supports farmers and families within the farming community through difficult times”. It has helped thousands of people with a range of issues, from financial difficulties, mental ill-health and family disputes through to dealing with animal disease.

Janice turned to FCN after several months in which she struggled to cope with the aftermath of Phil’s death. While she had played her part in supporting the 200-acre farm on the Kent/Sussex border, where Phil grew maize as well as grass for his 200-head Friesian herd, plus followers, she was far from ‘hands-on’.

“There was not a single day that Phil missed going to the yard, even when he was poorly,” Janice said. “Even while he was having blood transfusions as part of his treatment, he would check on the cows.”

Although Phil’s death was not linked to the pandemic, it happened during lockdown, adding to the pressure facing the family at such a traumatic time. To make matters worse it was during the winter, adding bad weather to the list of issues.

“When Phil died I was in bits, but we still had a farm to run, and that wasn’t something I was used to doing in a practical sense,” said Janice. “We had two stockmen for milking, and neighbouring

farmers, family and friends were amazing, but the impact was still overwhelming.

“Calves were being born and needed selling, there were veterinary records to keep up to date and so many other things to think about, as well as looking after the children. It just became impossible to keep everything up to date. Phil’s elderly parents were also poorly, so I was trying to keep an eye on them, too.”

“My sister dropped everything and came to help and I thought my only option was to try to keep going. I didn’t realise that there was help available but thought you just had to push through and do the best you could. I didn’t know about the FCN until a neighbouring farmer suggested I contact them. They were, frankly, amazing.”

While FCN provides emotional support and a welcome shoulder in difficult times, the charity also offers practical help. “We were facing issues with our animal passports because Phil had got behind with record keeping while he was poorly. FCN stepped in and helped massively to sort out the muddle,” Janice recalled. “It was a huge relief when the late application was approved.”

FCN, which is supported by a network of 400 volunteers nationwide, made sure Janice had someone to talk to whenever she needed it. “It really helped a lot to know that I didn't have to face things alone. I often had someone to talk to several times a week – and they were there for the children, too, if they needed it.”

FCN also offered practical help when there was a problem with the bulk tank, a piece of kit Janice knew very little about. “It was reassuring to know that I could call at any reasonable time for practical help and advice,” she said. “The website is another fantastic resource and very accessible.”

The cattle, always Janice’s priority, were sold in the summer of 2021, but while they have long gone, FCN is still there. “I’m working hard to be independent, but I know that whenever I need some help, as long as it’s farming related they will be there for me,” she said.

“FCN made a big difference to me and to us as a family. The emotional support I received also helped the children to cope because they knew I was in good hands. It’s still difficult and I am now dealing with all the probate issues. I could have accessed more help, but I am doing my best to cope and I know the FCN team will always be there for me.”

Janice’s eldest daughter Sally, 21, added: “It was so nice to know that there was someone there, separate from immediate friends and family, who understood what we were going through and, importantly, understood farming and the more complex situation we were trying to cope with. It was reassuring for us to know that she wasn’t on her own.”

FCN Regional Support Officer (South East) Sally Field commented: “Many of our volunteers are involved in farming or have close links with agriculture, and therefore have a great understanding of, and empathy with, the issues farm workers and farming families regularly face. They provide free, confidential, pastoral and practical support to anyone who seeks help, regardless of whether the issue is personal or business-related.”

The charity runs a free, confidential, national Helpline (03000 111 999) which is open every day of the year from 7am-11pm and an e-Helpline (help@ fcn.org.uk).

Sally added: “FCN relies solely on donations and grants to continue supporting the farming community. With British farming facing deep uncertainty in the coming years, the workload of FCN volunteers is expected to increase significantly.”

The last word goes to Janice: “I know it can be really very hard to pick up the phone and ask for help, or to admit that you are struggling, particularly in farming where there is a “stiff upper lip” attitude and an idea that we should just struggle through, but it is important to ask for help, especially when farming can be isolating.

“In my experience FCN has been incredibly empathetic, non-judgemental and supportive.”

offers free information about personal and business

FCN’s

mental and physical wellbeing, planning ahead for the future and

managing through change.

PRICES ARE THE HIGHEST THEY HAVE EVER BEEN

Record prices for pork are failing to improve the lot of pig producers trying to cope with massively inflated input costs, an Essex farmer has revealed.

Jack Bosworth, former chairman of the Young NPA (National Pig Association) said that while the price per kilo of pork had reached just shy of £2, production costs were still around £2.30 to £2.50 a kilo for most producers.

“Prices are the highest they have ever been and would be at a sustainable level for us if inputs were normal, but as everyone knows, they are far from that. High cereal prices mean producers are paying so much more for feed that most are still losing money on every animal they sell,” he said.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) estimates that the full economic cost of production for April to June 2022 rose to 240p/kg deadweight, resulting in a margin per slaughtered pig of minus £52 per head. That cost was 33p/kg higher than the cost for the first quarter, which was estimated at 207p/kg.

The AHDB said 27p/kg of the increase was due to rising feed costs, with the rest attributed to energy, fuel, interest rates and cull sow prices, along with decreasing carcase weights. It added: “With pig producers experiencing continued negative margins since October 2020, it is estimated (based on the total pig slaughter

numbers) that the industry has lost over £600m [from] October 2020 to the end of June 2022.”

The saving grace for the family business, F J Bosworth and Sons, which farms at Spains Hall, near Chelmsford in Essex, is that the mixed farm makes all its own feed, buying in cereal from the arable side of the operation.

“The early harvest was really useful for us. It meant that at Spains Hall we saved a month’s worth of bought-in feed for the pigs, and that’s about 70 tonnes of wheat and 30 tonnes of barley, which has saved us another £24,000 leaving the pot,” he explained. “It is tough enough for us but even tougher for the pig producers who don’t have that facility.”

The farm also saves money on fertiliser, currently at record high prices, by using slurry from the pig unit. Even so, the costs are eye watering. “Our fertiliser costs were less than £30,000 last year and topped £90,000 this year –and that’s with using our own slurry,” Jack said.

Meanwhile the AHDB is expecting a contraction in the UK breeding herd, leading to a 6% fall in UK pig meat production by the end of this year. Demand is also expected to weaken slightly as the year progresses, caused by a return to pre-pandemic buying habits and the increased cost of living.

Export markets, the AHDB explained in July’s

Pork Market Outlook, “remain challenging, with Chinese demand slowing”. The report added: “Although exports had been increasing, higher GB pig prices and declining production may constrain future volume growth.”

DEFRA’s 1 June livestock survey showed that the total number of pigs in England had decreased by 3% to just over 4.1m animals, with breeding pigs decreasing by 18%. An NPA spokesperson estimated that the national herd had lost between 60,0000 and 65,000 sows.

Many independent pig farmers had given up, with the cost of living crisis making things even more difficult, explained Jack Bosworth, whose family business has 550 sows and around 900 acres of arable land which this year produced a “better than expected” harvest.

While many smaller abattoirs are said to face continuing problems recruiting workers, larger processors have been able to source labour from the Philippines, albeit at an increased cost.

Looking forward, Jack said AHDB was continuing to look for new markets for lightly processed products and urged producers to respond to DEFRA’s consultation on fairness in the supply chain. “It’s a detailed survey, but now DEFRA has taken that first step to help the industry we really need producers to get involved and give their views,” he stressed.

CALLOUT FOR YOUNG FARMING AMBASSADORS

Passionate young farmers are being invited to apply to join the NFU’s Student and Young Farmer Ambassador Programme for 2023.

The year-long programme, now in its fourth year, gives younger industry representatives an opportunity to promote British agriculture and represent the industry at key agricultural and political events while “promoting the value of British food and farming to the nation”.

It also offers valuable experience, networking opportunities and training in areas including media skills, along with the chance to attend events including The Lord Mayor’s Show in London and the NFU’s annual conference.

Dan Hawes, who works for Hugh Lowe Farms in Kent and was the first ambassador to be selected from the soft fruit industry, told South East Farmer he would “highly recommend” the experience to fellow young farmers.

“It’s a great opportunity to represent your area and industry, and of course yourself,” he said. “I hope I’ve been able to encourage some of the next generation to think about a career in the sector and inform others about how their food is produced.

“I’ve learned a lot more about what the NFU does

INSIGHT

behind the scenes, visited the NFU Headquarters in both Stoneleigh Park and London and attended the NFU conference, hearing from some great speakers and networking with others in the industry.

“We’ve also had the opportunity to ‘take over’ a copy of the NFU’s Student Farmer magazine which comes out soon and get involved in various social media activity promoting British farming and British produce.

“Like most things, you get out as much as you put in. If you are passionate about something, this is your opportunity to shout about it and get the message out there with support and resources.

“Other ambassadors have got involved with the Farmers in Schools initiative, talking to the younger generation about farming, and a group went to Pride in Manchester to support Agrespect and equality, diversity and inclusion in the industry we all work in.

“Media training is provided, so you may well find yourself being asked to write an article relevant to you, be on a radio interview or even TV – if you want to – but full support from the NFU media team is provided. If you’re enthusiastic about agriculture, this is a great opportunity.”

NFU President Minette Batters said ambassadors were “really important to the work of the NFU, helping to represent the voice and views of young farmers and highlighting the work that needs to be done to secure their future and the future of the industry”.

OF AGRITECH

The Fresh Produce Consortium’s (FPC) ground-breaking agritech event FPC Future will run alongside recruitment fair FPC Careers again this year on 3 November at the East of England Arena and Events Centre in Peterborough.

The exhibition and conference event will provide an insight into the future of agritech. FPC Future will lift the lid on the agricultural and horticultural innovations needed to safeguard the future of our food supply, such as robots and vertical farming. Speaker sessions with talks from industry experts will run throughout the day.

Running alongside is FPC Careers, the annual careers drive which provides employers the unparalleled opportunity to secure the next generation of talent to drive forward the food, fresh produce and floral industries.

All food, fresh produce and cut flower growers, producers, logistics providers, foodservice operators, retailers, labour providers, hospitality operators and other related sectors welcome. Exhibitors can bring up to four team members, and access sister event FPC Future free of charge.

Last year’s FPC Future and FPC Careers attracted over 850 visitors.

SOLID PERFORMANCE

Kent growers have been enthusiastic about the performance of a new Group 2 milling wheat on the back of a successful harvest.

Tom Reynolds of S. Salbstein Limited, a 200ha farm near Folkestone, reported a specific weight of 82kg/hl with protein levels of 12.8% for his crop of Mayflower – well above the 11.3 to 11.5% that millers would look for from a Group 2 wheat.

He said: “We achieved 11.9t/ha at 13% moisture from the 32ha cut on 5 August. Mayflower did considerably better than our crop of KWS Extase and, all in all, it was a solid performance with the variety showing definite milling quality from the grain samples we tested. The lack of rain did play its part, and while we did see some signs of stress between T2 and T3, as well as one or two small patches of brown rust around mid-July, neither issue was significant enough to affect the final yield.”

Steven Batchelor, of JE Batchelor and Partners, based near Canterbury, was initially impressed with Mayflower’s disease resistance characteristics as shown in trials last season and grew 40ha of the new Group 2, which was drilled on 25 October last year.

He said: “Mayflower certainly impressed, getting away a lot quicker than Palladium in the spring with a strong second growth spurt. It also coped much better than Palladium with the later hot, dry conditions due to its denser, leafier canopy that also helped it to out-compete our resident blackgrass. The extra shade from the taller, denser canopy during June and July ensured the variety held its moisture longer as well.

“Final yield was 12.2t/ha with an impressive protein level of 13.1% when tested for milling quality and, on those results, we will be going with Mayflower again this autumn, with a 50ha area split between seed production and a commercial crop."

APPLY ONLINE

Farmers in England operating Countryside Stewardship (CS) or Environmental Stewardship (ES) agreements can now apply online for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and no longer have to contact the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) instead.

The change, introduced in September, will allow an estimated 82,000 farmers to join the SFI by signing into the Rural Payments Service. Farmers with agreements on common land, or who have common land as part of their farm business on the Rural Payments service, however, still need to apply via the RPA.

DEFRA said that after asking farmers with land in CS or ES agreements to go via the RPA during the first few weeks following the launch of the SFI, it was now confident that the service was working well and was ready to allow more farmers to access it directly.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said the move was “an encouraging step in the transition towards the Environmental Land Management schemes”.

SEND YOUR VIEWS OR COMMENTS: SEF.ED@KELSEY.CO.UK

@SOUTHEASTFARMER facebook-square SOUTH EAST FARMER

HELP US SAVE THE PLANET

Dear Sir,

For I don’t know how long, ministers and environmentalists have been preaching about the virtues of clean, renewable energy. It is the true path to follow. It will help us save the planet.

So, a farmer in South Wales decided it was a sensible move for him to make. He had the ideal situation, there were no planning issues and accordingly he installed solar panels and a wind turbine, and for some time was cheerily pumping power into the national grid.

Now, however, he has been told the grid can no longer accept it. As I understand it, a number of other farmers have had the same information. Suddenly there is no outlet for all the green electricity generated by the equipment the farmers have invested in. So they are somewhat stuck. It’s not as if they can invite people round to charge up their cars and lawnmowers.

Whatever the technical nature of the problem may be I have no idea, but problem there is. But this I can be sure of; it will not be some minor technical issue. It will have stemmed from a decision taken at some point by someone at the top of the organisation.

Because in this country we seem to be governed by a law of diminishing abilities which states that the higher up an organisation people move, the less able they are at doing their jobs. Mistakes are made on monumental scales. People recruited for top jobs on the basis of glittering CVs turn out to be manifestly unfit for purpose once they get behind the desk.

Yet invariably their mistakes and failings are played down - because they reflect so badly on those who did the recruiting.

Generally, the worst outcome is an early retirement and a generous pay off. Failure, in other words is amply rewarded.

Down at the bottom of the scale, farmers know full well that if they make a mistake, either with paperwork or in some action that has an adverse environmental effect, they are going to get caned as they always have.

And no better example of where incompetence is generously rewarded can there be than the water industry, where, as we are now beginning to understand, the matter of paying fat salaries, huge bonuses and massive dividends has taken priority over any duty to keep our coastal waters safe to swim in.

Billions of pounds that should have been spent on bringing our water infrastructure up to date have instead been siphoned off into individuals’ bank accounts. Britain is now surrounded by sewage-contaminated seas, but that won’t concern the top executives because they will be holidaying in the Maldives or some other exotic location.

And when it is put to them that they should really clean up their act, their response is that they totally agree - but that the taxpayer will have to pay for it - presumably while still continuing to fund the lavish salaries and breathtaking bonuses of people who literally couldn’t run a tap.

John Lillywhite, Farmers For Action

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2022

STILL OUT THERE

Dear sir,

Following the piece in last month’s South East Farmer about the retirement of Mark Cleverdon, just a quick note to those who frequent Ashford market.

On arriving to judge at a show in north Norfolk at the end of August, I really was quite surprised to hear the unmistakable voice of Mark doing his cattle commentary; I’m sure you will all be delighted to know that he’s still out there strutting his stuff.

Alan West

HEAVY CRITICISM

Dear sir

The letter from John Lillywhite in the September edition makes heavy criticism of the NFU. I cannot comment on the NFU finances but I do know that the current President, Minette Batters, works incredibly hard for farmers and her high profile and communication skills considerably help our cause.

It is not easy to cover every agricultural issue, and no organisation is perfect. The NFU always has a multitude of topics on its plate, never more so than in present circumstances. Without its lobbying, all farmers would be worse off.

In my experience as a past county chairman, the office holders and staff work incredibly hard in the interests of members. Pressure groups such as Farmers for Action need to contribute positively themselves, as being constantly negative achieves very little.

Like it or not, the Government only listens to long established and respected organisations, and the NFU has a record of success.

David Knight, Pippins Farm

Pembury, Kent

When the chips are down and divorce is the only card left to play, tax planning is unlikely to be top of the list for many couples. But failing to transfer assets at the right time may result in unexpected charges for capital gains tax, eating into much-needed capital.

When a couple first separates, transfers and disposals made during the current tax year can be on a ‘no gain, no loss’ basis. But matters become complex and could involve tax charges on the spouse or civil partner who is transferring the asset once outside that first tax year. And the likelihood of this is rising with financial matters becoming increasingly complex and many divorces taking longer to complete.

Recognising that couples going through the trauma of separation do not consider the tax implications and timing of asset transfers, the Office of Tax Simplification has recommended that the tax rules be updated to reflect a fairer and more modern approach to separation and divorce.

In response, the Government is proposing to introduce legislation to change the rules for disposals that take place on or after 6 April 2023. The proposed changes would extend the window of ‘no gain, no loss’ transfers and disposals to three tax years after the end of the tax year of separation, or where there is a formal court order with no time limit.

Even with the best intentions and swift agreement between a couple, it can be a real challenge to conclude financial matters before an April deadline, particularly for those who separate later in the year. Being hit with unwelcome, and possibly unexpected, tax bills can turn a difficult situation into a full-blown crisis, when tax may need to be paid but no cash is available with which to do so.

Good planning can help avoid such problems, but this proposal would provide much needed flexibility. It won’t remove the need for specialist legal and tax advice, and timing will remain

TAKING POSITIVE ACTION IN TRICKY TIMES

important, but it would be a very positive change.

In the meantime, as family lawyers we will be keeping a close eye on the progress of these proposed reforms, as it may be a good idea to intentionally delay some asset transfers until the proposed new rules take effect.

Provisions within the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 cover the tax position when spouses live together and when they dispose of assets on divorce. And while these provide for some relief from capital gains tax, including on the primary marital home, the circumstances are limited and can be inflexible in the reality of current-day divorce.

One example is in the different approaches to dealing with jointly-owned property. With house prices continuing to rise, more couples are agreeing to retain the family home until children are adult, whether ‘bird nesting’ – where shared childcare sees parents move between homes, rather than the children – or where a couple agree they will delay selling up and dividing the proceeds until the children leave home.

The proposals would help in this situation, provided the arrangements are in accordance with a court-approved agreement, as an

ex-spouse or civil partner would be entitled to receive the same tax treatment on any proceeds in the future as they would have received if the property had been sold or transferred at the time of the separation.

How to meet the challenge of producing nutritious, sustainable food everyone can afford will be the subject for debate at the South of England Agricultural Society’s 2022 Farming Conference.

The conference on Wednesday 16 November at the South of England Showground in Ardingly, West Sussex, will be chaired by BBC Farming Today presenter Charlotte Smith and will focus on food in today’s society. South East Farmer is supporting the event as media sponsor.

“Record high food prices have triggered a global crisis that will drive millions into extreme poverty. The war in Ukraine, supply chain disruptions, drought across many parts of the globe, and the continued economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic are pushing food prices to all-time highs,” explained Duncan Rawson, a Nuffield Scholar sponsored by the Society and one of the organisers of this year's farming conference.

He added: “Rising food prices have a greater impact on people in low and middle-income countries, but there remains a paradox; while we see more of the population going hungry, we are facing an obesity crisis, a crisis which is not going to get any better if people cannot afford healthy and nutritious food.

“In the past 60 years our diets have become more homogenous and increasingly dominated by staple foods that are high in energy and low in micronutrients. Three crops – rice, maize, and wheat – provide more than 50% of the calories that we gain from plants. People, particularly the poorest, do not consume enough nutrient-rich food such as fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

“Against this backdrop is the ever increasing need to reduce the environmental burden of food production to meet the targets required to arrest global warming. A need that is hampered now by more regular climate shocks, such as droughts, that make it more difficult for the food industry to meet such targets. All of this raises a fundamental question – one which is the subject of this year’s conference - can we really produce nutritious,

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT FOOD

sustainable food that we can all afford?”

Guest speakers at this year’s conference include Sheila Dillon, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme, Judith Batchelar, ex brand director of Sainsbury’s, Tom Gribble, arable/ dairy Farmer and trustee of the society and Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of Leon Restaurants. All speakers will deliver a short presentation setting out their thoughts as to the future, leaving plenty of time for debate and questions.

GUEST SPEAKERS CHAIR: CHARLOTTE SMITH

Charlotte Smith is one of two main presenters of BBC Radio 4's Farming Today programme. She grew up in Quorn, Leicestershire and volunteered on BBC Radio Leicester.

Charlotte was put on the BBC's Local Radio Reporters Scheme and then toured the local radio stations of Sussex, Cumbria and Devon.

She worked on BBC national radio, on The World Tonight. More locally to Leicestershire, she became a reporter and sports presenter on East Midlands Today. Returning to national radio on BBC 5 Live, she was a producer, reporter and presenter.

Prior to Farming Today Charlotte worked as a reporter for You and Yours, the consumer programme on Radio 4. She was a television reporter on BBC1's Countryfile until 2009.

SHEILA DILLON (PRESENTER OF BBC RADIO 4’S THE FOOD PROGRAMME)

Sheila Dillon has been a food journalist for almost three decades, beginning work as an editor and writer at the New York based magazine Food Monitor. She has been part of The Food Programme since 1987, first as reporter, then producer and now presenter. Her futuristic documentary Sitopia, based on Carolyn Steel’s book about a world shaped around food, won gold in the 2021 UK Publisher Podcast Awards.

Recent programmes on food in care homes and the government's National Food Strategy carry on the tradition. She is also the creator of Radio 4's first interactive grocery show, Veg Talk

JUDITH BATCHELAR (EX BRAND DIRECTOR OF SAINSBURY’S)

Judith is a biochemist and nutritionist, has an Honorary Doctorate in Agriculture from Harper Adams University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and the Royal Society of Arts and Manufactures (RSA) and a liveryman at The Worshipful Company of Butchers.

Judith started her career in pharmaceuticals and teaching before finding her true vocation in food and farming. She worked in the food and drink industry for over 35 years, starting in manufacturing at Bass and Mars before moving into retail at Marks and Spencer. From 2004 to 2021 she worked for

> Charlotte Smith

> Sheila Dillon

> Henry Dimbleby

> Tom Gribble

> Judith Batchelar

Sainsbury’s as Director of Sainsbury’s Brand, driving the product quality and innovation agendas.

Today Judith is deputy chair of The Environment Agency and sits on the Natural Environment Research Council and the European Advisory Council of The Nature Conservancy. She is also chair of both The Rugby Players Association and North Highland Products. Judith is a non-executive director of Monaghan Mushrooms and Daemon and is a trustee of The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Accounting for Sustainability and The Matt Hampson Foundation. Judith is an ambassador for the Woodland Trust and Farm Africa.

From 2013 to 2018 she was chair of the Government’s AgriTech Council. She was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to farming and the food industry, and is a commissioner on the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission.

TOM GRIBBLE (ARABLE/ DAIRY FARMER AND TRUSTEE OF THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY)

Tom is a fourth generation mixed farmer on the Firle Estate near Lewes, farming 1,250 acres. He has a herd of 200 dairy cows plus followers and 120 beef animals from the dairy herd and rears 550 North of England Mules from ewe lambs to shearling age. He grows 500 acres of wheat, spring barley, oats, maize and grass leys in arable rotations.

Tom graduated from Newcastle University in 2001 and went straight onto the farm. The plan had been to work abroad, but land on the estate became available over the next two years and the family more than doubled the land it was farming, moving back into dairy cows “at 17ppl!”.

The farm has always been in environmental schemes, starting with ESA in 1987, and is currently in Higher Level Stewardship.

HENRY DIMBLEBY (CO-FOUNDER OF LEON RESTAURANTS)

Henry Dimbleby was given the role of lead non-executive board member of DEFRA in March 2018. In June 2019 the Environment Secretary appointed him to lead the National Food Strategy, which he published in July 2021.

Henry Dimbleby co-founded the Leon restaurant chain in 2004. He was a co-founder of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (2009) and the charity Chefs in Schools (2018) and co-authored The School Food Plan (2013), which set out actions to transform what children eat in schools and how they learn about food.

Henry previously worked as a strategy consultant at Bain & Company (1995-2002), where he advised businesses on strategy, performance improvement and organisational design. Before that he worked as a journalist on The Daily Telegraph and as a chef at the Michelin-starred Four Seasons Inn on the Park.

YOU THINK

Complete the South East Farmer readers’ survey to be in with a chance of winning six bottles of wine!

South East Farmer has been published since 1982 and is the region’s favourite farming magazine, reaching 45,000 farmers, growers and allied traders each month in Kent, Sussex, Essex, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

Available in print and online, the magazine proudly covers all types of farming in the area, with regular features on arable, fruit, vegetables and livestock topics, as well as covering newsworthy stories. Our team keeps farmers informed on the latest industry trends and on matters they need to know about.

We would be grateful if you would help us

to continue to improve South East Farmer by completing our reader survey. It should take no more than 10 minutes and gives you the opportunity to be entered into a prize draw to win six bottles of British wine, courtesy of our sister title Vineyard Magazine.

Taking a few minutes to fill out this short, multiple choice questionnaire will really help us create the content you want to read.

Trials taking place in Kent could prove the viability of a long-term scheme to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while also improving the vitality of fruit trees.

The project, involving orchard trials in Kent and Hereford, is investigating the benefits of chipping trees at the end of their life and then turning the wood into charcoal which can then be used as a soil improver.

“Growers used to grub up old orchards and burn them, which simply released all the stored carbon into the atmosphere,” explained Hutchinsons agronomist Rob Saunders. “Charcoal, on the other hand, is extremely resistant to being broken down, and so the carbon stays locked up in it.”

The charcoal, known as biochar in this context, is also useful to growers as it makes nutrients in the soil more available to the plant – in this case the next generation of fruit trees.

The initiative was prompted in part by a claim made by New Zealand fruit growers that apples imported from their country had a lower carbon footprint than stored fruit grown here in the UK. “That comment inspired Ali Capper, the chairman of English Apples and Pears Ltd, to lead efforts to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint,” explained Rob, who added that the process could work with other high organic waste material.

The ambitious project, which could create a new income stream for farmers, has been backed by more than £350,000 of grant funding from Innovate UK. It began in May and the aim is to use the biochar this winter and monitor the results.

YEARS

ONE OF ENGLAND’S MOST RESPECTED FARMING MAGAZINES

A spur of the moment decision sparked the revival of what is now one of England’s most respected farming magazines.

South East Farmer, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, would probably not have made it past 1994 without the intervention of Clive Rabson, who only recently stepped down as publisher after guiding the magazine’s growth and development for more than a quarter of a century.

Back in 1994, at the heart of the recession, Clive had been invited to what he thought was a routine sales meeting at the headquarters of the Chelmsford publisher that then owned South East Farmer.

“After the meeting I was told we would all be made redundant,” he recalled. “I’m still not quite sure why they held that meeting, but I replied with ‘How much do you want for the magazines?’ and the owners said: ‘We were hoping you would ask that’.”

Clive bought South East Farmer, then struggling for revenue, and its sister publication South East Business, arranged to remain in the existing

premises at Evegate Barn, Smeeth, kept the team together and began the job of transforming the fortunes of the publications under the Evegate Publishing banner.

South East Farmer had been launched in 1982 by Harvest Publications, which had bought its predecessor, Farmscope, from the Kent Messenger’s Special Publications Unit. Farmscope editor Ray Vale stayed on as the first editor in 1982. Around five years later, Apple Communications, the company Clive was working for at the time, bought the magazine.

When Apple Communications began a new venture which later became the successful travel company Holiday Extras, the directors brought in a public relations business, Plus Communications, to manage the editorial side of South East Farmer. Two years later, in 1993, the magazines were sold to ACG in Chelmsford, but with the recession biting hard, the writing was on the wall – until Clive bought the titles a year later.

“Those were tough times for magazines, and

while focussing on South East Business I was tempted to close down South East Farmer,” Clive admitted.

“But I stuck with it, and then in 1996 I advertised for a new advertising executive with experience.

“I received four or five inquiries, including a letter from a guy in Sittingbourne. A smart looking fellow turned up, and after three interviews I gave him the job. It was a very good move.”

That new advertising salesman was Jamie McGrorty, now the magazine’s publisher and the man credited by Clive as “the driving force behind South East Farmer, back then and to this day.”

Jamie, who had begun his career at Adscene at the age of 16, managed to get property advertisements back in the magazine, sharpened its farming focus, cleaned up the mailing lists and, most importantly, began attending farming shows and events around the South East to raise the magazine’s profile. Revenues climbed steadily as a result.

“We worked hard to establish the magazine as a reliable source of information and quality

advertising for farmers across the region, as well as ensuring the content was relevant and interesting,” Jamie explained.

Editor John Harvey, who was at the helm from 2002 to 2018, played a huge part in ensuring the success of the magazine, while farmer Peter Tipples, who contributed an at-times acerbic and hardhitting column from 1987 until shortly before his death in 2011, was certainly its best-loved writer.

“Peter was never afraid to put his head above the parapet and also kept the reader up to date with the month’s weather and the antics of his five

great danes,” commented Clive. “He was a true gentleman of the farming world.”

Evegate Publishing published a book of Peter’s South East Farmer contributions in 2009, donating the profits from a 9,000 print run to a number of Peter’s favourite charities. The author himself signed hundreds of copies during an appearance at that year’s Weald of Kent Ploughing Match.

In 2001 Clive and Jamie launched Farm Machinery, giving farmers another incentive to rip open the monthly mailing to check out the latest bargains. Rival publication Farm Advertiser closed a

year later, further strengthening the appeal of the new magazine, which, then as now, complements South East Farmer

That same year, just five years after joining, Jamie became a director of Evegate Publishing – but the story could have been different.

“In 1997 at the age of 18 I had a string of flashy but old and unreliable cars, and I wasn’t great at getting to work on time,” Jamie admitted. “One Monday morning after I had been out partying all weekend I phoned in and told Clive I wouldn’t be in that day.

RURAL VOTERS

TURNING SOUR

> Our liveried Freelander has been supporting British farmers since 2005

> Jamie McGrorty pointing out on the South East Farmer marquee Mark Cleverdon to Mark Cleverdon!

> Clive Rabson

BSE could rise in beef herds

BSE

“My

When

DAIRYTROUBLES

Two cheers for EU farming reforms

NEWFOODSTRATEGYFORREGION

the plans affect

“That wasn’t a good move as I’d already missed several days because of car breakdowns, and when I got in the next day Clive gave me a written warning about my punctuality and admin skills. I felt very hard done by and went home and complained bitterly – but the family all agreed with Clive! I bought myself a nice reliable little Peugeot 1.4 and made sure I got to work on time in future.”

Explaining his thinking behind attending farming shows and ploughing matches to raise awareness of the magazine, something Jamie and the team still do every summer, he explained: “Farming is life for our readers. It’s not like a business magazine, which just reflects the ‘nine to five’ part of its readers’ lives. Farming is a way of life like no other – and we have tried to make South East Farmer a welcome part of the whole farming community.”

Clive added: “South East Farmer changed me. I came to love farming, the people involved in it and the events that support it. I couldn’t get to the Heathfield Show this year and it saddened me to miss such a great event.”

South East Farmer ’s original Kent and East Sussex patch had been expanded to include West Sussex and Surrey following Jamie’s arrival, and in 2006 it widened again, taking in Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Essex, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

In 2017, with South East Farmer increasingly writing about the number of farmers who were diversifying into viticulture, the duo decided to launch a specialist magazine to serve that growing market, and in January 2018 Vineyard was launched. The magazine quickly proved a success and in 2021 spawned The Vineyard and Winery Show, which is being held again this year on 23 November at the Kent Event Centre.

It was while at the Heathfield Show in 2019 that Clive decided the time was right to retire and the magazines were put up for sale. After receiving

Our future is growing...

FORWARD

considerable interest, the directors decided that Kelsey Media was the best fit, a decision that has proved to be a good one, given the continued growth of South East Farmer, Farm Machinery and Vineyard under the new ownership.

The deal was completed on 2 Jan 2020, with Jamie staying on as publisher and continuing to head up the

sales team. Clive’s retirement, after he had provided three months of handover support, unfortunately coincided with the pandemic. “I thought to myself: ‘Right, where shall I go first?’ and Boris came on the TV and said ‘nowhere’,” he recalled.

Looking back on the part he played in the 40-year history of South East Farmer, Clive added: “The

magazine has grown far beyond my initial dreams, with the invaluable support of the right editors and a superb team. I never thought it would carve out such an important role in the world of agriculture and horticulture and to see it grow in this way has been a source of joy and pride. I know that under the current leadership that growth will continue.”

> South East Farmer has been supporting farming events since 1982, in particular handing out prizes for Best Trade Stand awards

AT

TB TESTING IS STRESSFUL

The autumn race against time is upon us, the daylight hours are reducing and there is the dread that drought conditions might turn to mud and water faster than we’re prepared for. The usual T-shirt and shorts are gone; now you have to give more thought to what to wear, appropriate for work and weather conditions.

Choosing work priorities; cultivations, sowing crops, picking fruit, sorting breeding ewes, grading fattening lambs, pre tupping care for rams, hedges to cut, calves to be weaned, preparing winter housing, TB testing. An endless list, no chance of boredom setting in.

Recently we’ve been moved onto six-monthly TB testing. Now we have a test in early October. Previously it worked well because we tested yearly during December, when all the cattle are housed, making it a relatively easy task. But in October the cattle will be out and about, making it logistically challenging, as they are located on different holdings.

TB testing is stressful, not only the worry about safety, but the fear of detecting a reactor and the resulting impact on our business, accompanied by a deep sadness for the unfortunate animal/s having their life cut short. TB needs eradicating, but the present system feels as if it’s prolonging the agony. Surely with today’s technology a more efficient system needs to be evolved.

Last night was noisy because we’d weaned some 10 month-old calves; they’re being temporarily housed while getting used to the idea of being separated. Their vocal protests have been loud. Granddaughter Anna (22 months) is delighted. She just loves cattle, incessantly demanding to see them, her face lighting up in delight when she does. Her vocabulary is limited, but she has a good stab at calling cattle, some dodgy counting goes on and very enthusiastic waving as she shouts ‘bye bye cows’ when we leave. Granddad might yet gain an assistant herdswoman. Sadly, she is not nearly as animated when it comes to sheep. I’m pinning my hopes on Zinnia.

Needless to say, I’ve been deciding on my own which ewes to cull. That’s not strictly true, because I did have the help of three willing sheepdogs. This year I’ve used short cable ties through the ear tag as markers instead of ear notching any trouble makers and this worked well.

It’s surprising how tetchy the ewes are about revealing the state of their teeth. Honestly, they should be grateful that I care, because NHS dentists certainly don’t worry about their patients. I waited four months for my appointment about my chipped tooth. The day before attending I received a message cancelling it, as they no longer accepted NHS patients. Now why didn’t they tell me this at the start? Turns out I had to pay extra for a check up and then raid the bank to pay for required treatment, £100 per 15 minutes. Clearly, I made a wrong career choice.

We (the sheepdogs & I) also went through our lambs and agonised over which ones to keep as ewe lamb replacements, all based on conformation and breeding history of course. I

are enjoying the greener grass

SOUTH EAST PLOUGHING MATCHES WELL SUPPORTED

Peter Love visited three September ploughing matches to see how these special events bring the farming community closer together.

74th East Grinstead and Three Counties Annual Ploughing Match

It was a fine autumnal morning at Imberhorne Farm, West Grinstead, Surrey as I pulled into the car park to be warmly greeted by two young marshals who gave me an excellent programme for the day ahead.

Already it was 9am and the 57 competitors were lining up to start as they cleared their plots of straw. As expected, the conditions were to be tough, but the firm ground was ploughable, although hard work for the little grey Ferguson class (Class 8).

This is the cheapest way to get into match ploughing using a Ferguson two-furrow plough which will cost you approximately £260 in good order and on average £2,000 for an altogether Ferguson TE-A/TE-D and a good diesel (TE-F), possibly a little more. Everyone in this class is helpful and the Friends of Ferguson Heritage or The Ferguson Club will keep you in touch with what is going on, as will the Society of Ploughmen, the leading ploughing organisation in the UK.

Harry Ferguson’s TE-20 creation hit the streets, so to speak, in September 1946, but only 316 were completed by the end of the year owing to a major material shortage in the UK. The first of these tractors had the two litre American Continental Z-120 23bhp four-cylinder ohv engine fitted with a four-speed transmission and load sensing hydraulics and was called the TE-20 (Tractor England). By September 1947 the

Standard Motor Company’s own four-cylinder ohv 25bhp unit was running, but it was not until 26 January 1948 that it started to replace the Continental engine which was finally phased out later that year.

In fact the Standard petrol-engined version was called the TE-A. Later came the TE-D petrol/ paraffin and then in 1951 the TE-F diesel version, all of which are seen in the Ferguson ploughing class along with a number of Perkins P3 engine conversions mostly made from TE and TE-A tractors whose engines needed replacing. The diesel engine provided the owner with much better fuel economy, of course.

There were, however, literally hundreds of different types of grey Ferguson tractors from industrial (TE-P/R/S) to the famous narrow (TE-C/E/G/J) and vineyard (TE-K/L/M/N), made firstly by Reekie in Scotland and then Lenfields of Maidstone. They were all based on the Harry Ferguson basic design and factory approved. Harry left nothing to waste and the linkage spanner acted as the fuel dip stick.

Ferguson didn’t just provide tractors but supplied the farmer with the full ‘Ferguson System’, making thousands of implements and just about everything, even generating sets to provide electricity for your milk parlour and home lighting.

During 1947, Ferguson made 17,522 ploughs,

of which 20% went overseas. Interestingly, the mould boards were an American Oliver Corporation design. The founder of this company had his roots in Scotland before seeking his fortune in the USA. The big Oliver dealer in the UK from the 1930s to 1950s was John Wallace & Sons of Glasgow. Readers might have seen one of their potato diggers in the back of some dusty barn as they were sold all over southern England.

By the time the last grey Ferguson left the line in October 1956, just under half a million of these venerable beasts had been made and many are still going strong today.

As I mentioned earlier, these tractors and ploughs are very much the way into vintage ploughing for men and women today, and the winner of the sponsored Kenward Construction Ltd Ferguson class was T Patterson and his TE-F with GP (general purpose plough). Second was W Cottingham with his TE-20 and GP plough and third was Phil Curd and his well-known Ferguson TE-20 Perkins P3 conversion with Ferguson 10H on the back end.

In Class 7 Vintage Mounted, the winner was Gordon Newman from Basingstoke with his 1959 Fordson Dexta and Ransomes TS59, which he has owned since new. Second place was P Pierson with his fine 1958 Massey Ferguson 35 and Ransomes TS59 behind and third was taken by the third generation of the Tingley family to take

> Winner

Vintage Mounted Ploughing

Gordon Newman from Basingstoke,

A Cooper (Novice) did a fine job with his 1960 Fordson Power Major and TS59M plough.

SOUTH EASTFARMER BESTTRADESTAND

REVERSIBLE CHAMPION

up ploughing, S G Tingley with his fine Bradfordbuilt (ex Jowett car works) International B414 with a TS59.

Class 6 Vintage Trailed was to produce the overall winner of the day in Bedfordshire’s Mick Cherry, a capable engineer who has improved and improved over the 20 plus years he has pursued the hobby. He uses a 1938 Harvest Gold Fordson N and Ransomes RSLD 9 two-furrow behind, with some interesting cast rear wheels on the tractor. He was chased hard by East Sussex local Simon Tingley with his lovely Waterloo, Iowa-built but genuine UK imported 1942 unstyled John Deere AO (O for orchard) and Ransomes RSLD No 9 plough. Third on the day was D Green with his wide-wing 1941 Fordson Standard N and RSLD 9.

Class 6 Best Maintained Pre-1976 tractor went to J Grantham with his 1960 County E1A Ploughman six-cylinder conversion. Well known New Holland/JCB area salesman Quentin Waring was seen going backwards in the furrow with his gorgeous 1966 Pre Force Ford 5000 with fourfurrow Ransomes behind.

John Deere tractors were to sew up Class

OVERALL VINTAGE CHAMPION

CONVENTIONAL CHAMPION

SOUTH EASTFARMER RUNNERUPBESTTRADESTAND

OVERALL CHAMPION

3, with G Long first with his 2015 6125R with Dowdswell DP8 behind. Grahame Butler was second with his original 1976 1130 with Ransomes behind. This tractor had worked in south Wales before coming to East Sussex with Ed Burrows’ help. The former East Sussex plough champion Matt Butler sorted the tractor out. Matt was to finish third on the day with his original 1970 1120 with Ransomes TS82.

Class 10 was the biggest, with ten ploughmen competing for the Classic Ploughing award sponsored by Chris Leggat Plant. The winner here was S Hill with his 1965 David Brown 880 with David Brown C plough behind. Second went to Ian Linch, who went on to finish in the same position after taking part at the Brooklands, New Romney match the next day. His outfit is always immaculate, with his 1963 Massey Ferguson 35X shining brightly, along with his TS59 plough. Third went to C Fenner and his 1960 International B275 and Ransomes TS57 plough.

All in all, an excellent match which was enjoyed by many.

Champion Ploughman was M Cherry and Reserve Champion Ploughman was W Tupper.

OVERALL CLASSIC CHAMPION

SEVAC Play Weekend

Just up the road from the East Grinstead ploughing match on the Mayes Estate, Sharpthorne, the South East Vintage Agricultural Club held its annual ‘play’ weekend. This consisted of ploughing, a road run, barbeque and more, with the SEVAC chairman Steve Pike reflecting that he was very pleased with how well the event had gone.

OVERALL COMMERCIAL CHAMPION

HORTICULTURAL CHAMPION

Peter Love popped in early on the Saturday afternoon to see Mark Blunt’s recently refreshed 1938 John Deere BN ploughing with its home-made linkage and made up Ferguson plough and doing an excellent job. Also working well with its TS46 four-furrow plough was the ex-Paul Badger, Glasgow-built 1960 Caterpillar D4C. The owner has taken the cab off and rebuilt some of the metal work, doing an excellent job in the process.

> Champion Ploughman Mick Cherry from Bedfordshire, a former British Champion

> Third on the day in Class 6 was G Green with his 1941 Fordson Standard N and RSLD 9 plough

> J Dyer finished third in Class 3 Open Tractor Conventional with his 1984 Massey Ferguson 250 four-wheel drive with Keverneland plough

> First in Class 2 Open Tractor and Reversible Plough was T Foster with his 2015 John Deere 6125R made in the old Lanz Manheim, Germany factory with Dowdeswell DP8 four-furrow reversible

> Mark Blunt’s 938 John Deere BN which was supplied new to Norfolk and has the early four-speed transmission and homemade plough

> Going well, the former Paul Badger Caterpillar D4C and Ransomes TS46 plough

PLOUGHING MATCHES

A wonderful day in the Weald

Brilliant weather greeted the annual Weald of Kent Ploughing Match and Show at New Barn Farm, Hawkenbury, near Headcorn, courtesy of John Emery and Mr and Mrs Graham Williams.

This is by far the most popular match in the South East season, with visitors still arriving even after the ploughing had long since finished. Sadly missed was regular Ralph Stevens from Horsmonden and his Caterpillar D2 outfit following his recent retirement.

In the Conventional Mounted class there were three competitors, including P Baseby’s Super Dexta with Ransomes 103 plough looking good. Next door was D Linch and his finely presented Kubota L275 using a Ferguson two-furrow behind.

Class 2 – Classic Mounted featured some 11 competitors. This class is by far the most hotly contested at any ploughing match these days and it was the same here.

Looking very smart was the outfit of former British Crawler Champion Colin Fenner from Essex, who was going well with his Bradford-built International B275 and Ransomes TS59 plough. ‘Mr Reliable’ Ian Linch was hoping to go one better than his earlier second places this autumn with his immaculate Massey Ferguson 35X with his TS59 on the back. Bob Baseby was a winner in the spring and is a formidable competitor and was doing good work using a Fordson Super Major and Ransomes plough.

Class Vintage A – Open featured the top vintage trailed ploughers such as New Romney match winner Austin West, who put top ploughman Paul Wyle from Essex in his place there. The man to watch here was John Dungey, a local professional ploughman for so many, many decades. All three were Fordson Standard N-based with Ransomes ploughs behind.

It was so pleasing to see Class Vintage B – Vintage Local Trailed Ploughs dominated by the Fordson Standard N, the largest selling tractor of its time. M Watson’s 1940 example looked an original treat with his Ransomes plough, like all of the nine entrants in this class. It was great to see Emily Watson out there with her well-presented restored Standard outfit going well.

For me it was great to hear the ‘plonking’ sound of the two 40hp single-cylinder Fowler VF crawler tractors, a type Tetts of Faversham would have sold in years gone by. The two examples entered by G Maynard and C Gadsden were using four and threefurrow Ransomes ploughs respectively.

Class Vintage D for Vintage Open Mounted Ploughs featured a great variety. J Wilson’s early Nuffield Universal with two-furrow Ransomes looked such an original treat, as was Chris Cullen’s similar condition Nuffield Universal-Three, the big Weald of Kent match winner last year.

It was good to see a trio of machines taking part in the horticultural Class 7 – Single-Furrow. It included Andy Ford, the current British Champion, taking part this weekend with his Trusty outfit.

Modern reversible ploughing is not very fashionable, but some 16 outfits took part here using Kevernland, Dowdeswell and Lemkin ploughs, with John Deere the most popular tractor. The biggest was the USA-made JD 8330 with Kverneland six-furrow behind, while the most impressive was F Martin with his immaculate Massey Ferguson 4709 with three-furrow Lemken behind.

In the Reversible Novice Class it was good to see A Seymour with his classic Fendt 309 65A with four-furrow Lemken behind. Next door was T Eckley with his Basildon built New Holland TM150 and four-furrow Dowdeswell. If you wanted speed of

work, M Sheath would have won with his Case 1056 four-wheel drive with four-furrow Dowdeswell.

Trailer rides were being given, with the marshal talking about ploughing and encouraging people to take part. Up front was a Claas 650 Arion made at Le Mans, France, not in the normal Claas green but in black.

Steam ploughing has always been part of this show and this year was very special one, with Paul Ransley’s 1873 Fowler 12hp single-cylinder green ploughing engine making its public debut in steam.

Top engineer Paul is based at Hadlow and has been working on this amazing project for 30-plus years. He started with hardly any bits, finding some for the engine in Australia. The engine worked with one of the Pierce/Stanier 8hp single-cylinder Fowlers dating from 1876/7 with the four-furrow Fowler anti-balance plough, all brought to the show by Peter Denham behind his fabulous USA built Freightliner.

Not far away was the heart of the show with people packed around the many trade stands. All the major machinery dealers were here, with Agwood, which has a number of branches in the area, showing a Massey Ferguson 5S.115.

On the Lister Wilder stand was the Kubota L1-382, along with a Merlo loader. Haynes had a good selection of New Holland and JCB equipment on show, while Tuckwells entertained their many customers on their John Deere stand.

Ernest Doe’s Case-IH stand saw lots of young people climbing on the seat of the open centre maroon Case-IH 55A. M&A Brown & Sons was showing a full range of Branson tractors, with the 5025 model standing out in particular.

Overall Conventional Champion was I Linch and Overall Reversible Champion was T Bennett.

> Emily Watson was out with the family 1940 Fordson Standard N and Ransomes RSLD plough behind

> J McPherson with his lovely International Lowey-styled W4 with two-furrow Cockshutt plough in the Vintage Open Trailed Plough class

> The Local Reversible Ploughs class had four entries, including this MF and five-furrow Kverneland

> J Bishop with the John Deere 6215R and sixfurrow Kverneland behind

> D Linch with his very smart Kubota L275 using a Ferguson two-furrow modified plough

> F Martin with his very bright Massey Ferguson 4709 with three-furrow Lemken plough in the Open Reversible Plough Class

Laughton & District

MIDDLE YEAR PLACEMENTS

At Plumpton College, our Level 3 Agriculture students have gained invaluable work experience as part of their middle year placement. This work experience increases their chances of employment after completion.

Students have not only had the opportunity to complete a placement year as part of their course but also found relevant work during the summer holiday, such as working on farms and shadowing the farm manager to develop an understanding of farm management. Students have the options to get involved in volunteering abroad on farms, forests and nature reserves during the placement year.

The employment opportunities within agriculture are not just in farm management. You can be an engineer, scientist, researcher, business advisor, trader, manager, retailer, food manufacturer or vet within agriculture.

SKILLS FOR A CV

Throughout our Agriculture courses, students develop a broad mix of technical skills and knowledge, including land use, farming practice and food production, as well as an understanding of the scientific, ethical and business principles that underpin the agricultural industry. Students confirm that employers are particularly interested in transferable skills such as: numeracy and IT; initiative; organisation; ability to plan and conduct research; communication, including influencing and leadership; teamwork; and the ability to manage projects.

An increasing number of students go on to study for a university degree, master's or other postgraduate qualification in a related area such as crop science and management, animal technology and agricultural technology.

For further information on agricultural courses and to find a course that interests you, visit our website, as there are many different ways to gain a career in agriculture.

ISAAC ADAMS

I have recently completed my middle year placement in the industry, gaining first-hand experience and knowledge on farming as opposed

to my usual in class studies backed up with practical application on the college farm. I have just returned to Plumpton College to complete my third year of studies back in the classroom, where I look forward to topping up my knowledge further.

During my placement year, I worked on two farms. The first farm was a small beef farm in Kent, where I gained lots of helpful knowledge about calving and other livestock husbandry skills. I learnt how to complete tractor work, e.g., topping, trailer work and feeding the cattle with the Keenan diet feeder, which is an integral part of seasonal activities.

Halfway through the year, I decided to change and see a different side of producing beef, leading me to work on a large beef and arable farm in Surrey. With over 1400 head of cattle, this was a big change from my previous farm.

The farm fattened store cattle brought from the market and calves from their large suckler herd. As well as working with the cattle, I learnt how to complete more complex tractor work such as muck spreading, power harrowing, bale carting, telehandler work and silage carting.

Working on the arable side of the farm was a new and exciting experience as it made me have a new interest in growing crops and farming livestock. I found my middle year placement valuable as I learnt how farms work and run first-hand rather than in a classroom. I'm looking forward to what my third year brings. I've just been back for a few weeks and have had the chance to go on trips to meet farmers in the local area, speak to them about the contemporary issues in farming, and learn what they are doing to combat these issues.

Alan Johnson reports.

So whether your area of expertise is livestock, arable, machinery or agri-business, we’d like to hear from you.

Find out more & apply: plumpton.ac.uk/our-college/vacancies

PLOUGHING MATCHES

Romney Marsh Ploughing & Cultivations Society

The ground conditions at White House Farm, Brookland, Kent were drier than the previous day at East Grinstead as the tractors lined up in good sunny conditions for the 10am start.

A larger crowd than the day before descended on the very flat site at this well-organised annual match. Sadly, there was just one entrant in the Modern Reversible class. While nearly 60 ploughman were here, only a few had made it down from the East Grinstead match the day before.

The man to watch was ex-Doe second-hand combine expert Paul Wylie. The multiple Essex ploughing champion and regular trailed National finalist has been going well this season. He found himself up against it, though, when local Austin West took him on and won in the now running sweetly (new plugs last year) Fordson Standard N wide wing and Ransomes RSLD, which, like the tractor, had been properly restored. The family has been rallying tractors since 1976 at the May

Sellindge Rally with the International 10/20 which they still own today.

Austin’s brother Oliver, who also is a top local ploughman, was out of luck and picked a very poor plot with his superb running and so original 1936 J I Case C, but by the end of the day in typical style he pulled it all together to finish third.

It was good to see a Novice class (Class 6) which included Emily Watson with her Fordson Standard N and trailed Ransomes that was to finish third. Leelan Watson finished second, while winner Ed Lovejoy and his immaculate mounted International 276 and IH plough was in a different class.

Ben Marsh from Faversham took the Classic Class 2 with his MF 135 and Ransomes TS84 and was to be named ‘Plough Champion’ at the end of the day. Ian Linch was second and third was B Baseley with his famous Fordson Super Major/Ransomes TS59 combination from Sevenoaks.

The Class 3 Vintage Mounted was taken by Ian

Hogbin with his Ferguson TE-20 and Ransomes Robin. Second, and having a rough ride of it, was Dan Smith with his grey and gold Ferguson FE35, also using a Ransomes Robin, and third was Richard Head from Hailsham using his International B250 with David Brown plough behind.

Class 4, the Ferguson class, had 11 entrants, with N King from Tonbridge taking the honours, Mick Jones finishing second using a French built FF30DS and J Paine third with this TE-F diesel. Competitors came from Swindon, Wimborne and Chichester to compete in this popular class.

Yet again it was a successful event with lots of trade stands including Agwood, Bell Agricultural, Beshaw Tyres, R W Crawford, Ernest Doe, Haynes, Hobbs Parker, Lister Wilder, Tuckwells, Seddlescombe Vintage Tractor Spares and others. The dog show and other events kept the crowds here to the end.

Overall Champion was won by Ben Marsh and Reserve Champion went to Paul Wylie

> Leelan Watson in the Novice class is given tuition by the 2021 British Horticultural Champion Andy Ford

> ‘Rocking and rolling’ is Den Smith with his lovely 1957 Ferguson FE35 grey and gold with Ransomes Robin behind

> Winner of the Vintage Trailer Class was Austin West, with his Standard Fordson and Ransomes RSLD plough

> Ian Linch was to finish second two days running with his MF 35X and TS59

> Taking the Ferguson Award at the Great Dorset Steam Fair in August was Mick Jones, who finished runner-up in the Ferguson class

> The Clydesdale-cabbed Ferguson petrol was being rather temperamental on the day

> Winner of a number of awards was novice Ed Lovejoy and his IHC outfit

> Jamie Croft with his Fordson E27N Perkins P6 with Ransomes Robin behind

PROFITABLE QUALITY FRUIT

This month Nigel Akehurst visits Hempstead Farm in the village of Tonge, near Sittingbourne in Kent, the home of G H Dean and Company, to find out more about their award-winning pear and apple orchards. He caught up with head grower Lukasz Kaminski for a tour and chatted to chief executive Tim Malpas about their environmental plans and their drive towards net zero.

Pulling into the large farm yard at G H Dean and Company Ltd, I make my way past a number of large cold store buildings to the main office where I meet chief executive Tim Malpas and head grower Lukasz Kaminski.

We sit down in the board room, where Tim gives me a quick rundown on the history of the business. The company traces its origins back to George

Smeed, who came from humble origins to establish one of the three main brickworks in the town producing yellow stock bricks.

After securing land to maintain a supply of brickearth clay for the factory, Smeed planted orchards on each parcel of land as he finished removing the clay. The “Smeed Dean” operation remains active today as part of the Weinerberger

Group and has supplied vast quantities of brick into London for buildings including Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London.

The farming company was established by George Hambrook Dean, who introduced a small flock of 16 sheep to Hempstead Farm in 1920 and has engaged in a broad range of agricultural enterprises over the past century.

Fast forward some 100 years and the large, family owned business now produces around 10% of the UK’s pear crop on 100 hectares of orchards. They also have 40 hectares of Gala apples and supply all their top fruit through ABB Marketing Ltd and AC Goatham. In addition, they grow 24 hectares of cherries and have a two-hectare trial plot of plums, growing 11 different varieties as part of a knowledge exchange group with other growers overseen by NIAB.

Today the company prides itself producing profitable quality fruit using best practice crop husbandry, field work and science, Tim explained.

PEAR HARVEST

To find out more we head next door, where after we don high vis vests Lukasz shows me around one of their large cold store buildings. Entering the huge passageway, I notice a large room to my right stacked with boxes full of pears. This is where the fruit is brought in from the orchard to be chilled to below five degrees Celsius, he explained, as a near silent (electric powered) fork lift entered the passageway behind us carrying a fresh bin of pears.

“Each bin has a unique barcode providing full traceability of where and when it was harvested,” he added, referring to just one of an increasing number of compliance measures now required. These vast cold stores require a lot of energy to run, though this is partly offset by a sizeable 320kw rooftop solar array. I later learn from Tim that they plan to triple this to a megawatt in the next six months to help with the rising cost of energy.

We then jump into one of their company pickups and take a short drive up the road to a pear orchard, where their team of 88 pickers is busy harvesting.

Last year nearly 50% of the workforce were Ukrainian and “they have been missed,” he said. Thankfully, they haven’t suffered the supply issues reported by several other UK growers and their agency AG Recruitment has successfully recruited enough workers through the Government’s seasonal workers scheme.

“At times communication can be a challenge,” he said. “With around 10 nationalities, many are from central Asia, but most speak some Russian, which helps.” All the workers live onsite in a mixture of pods, caravans and converted farm buildings.

The fruit pickers work in small teams and harvest the pears by hand into baskets worn around the body. These are then carefully emptied into wooden crates that sit on top of small trailers that are linked together. The fruit is inspected as it is unloaded into the boxes by a quality control officer, after which a barcode is printed and stuck to the side of each box. They are then transported to the cold store by a small tractor.

So far, the harvest has been “okay”, said Lukasz. Yields across the new and older orchards have averaged 36.6 tonnes to the hectare, with their

younger orchards averaging more than 50 tonnes. A pleasing result given the summer drought, he felt.

One of the biggest threats to their pears and apple crop is scab, a fungal disease that causes dark, scabby marks on the fruit and leaves. “Luckily it hasn’t been a problem this year, but it was a different story last year,” said Lukasz. The persistent wet weather meant they were left with no choice but to apply a fungicide to protect the crop. They used a new trailed orchard sprayer from Munckhof which has improved coverage in the top of the tree. Lukasz described it as a worthwhile investment “as fruit quality has improved though targeted application”.

They only spray when necessary and use a number of different tools to monitor plant health and weather conditions, using high-tech micro weather stations located through the orchards that transmit real time data back to Lukasz via 4G sim cards. They also use drones and software supplied by Outfield.

Another bit of kit they are pleased with is their variable rate KRM fertiliser spinner, which has allowed them to target areas that are nitrogen deficient. All their orchards are now satellite mapped, he explained, and they are now able to farm by the centimetre and not by crop or orchard as was done in the past.

AWARD WINNING FRUIT AND INVESTING IN NEW ORCHARDS

G H Dean and Company are proud of the fruit

they produce and regularly pick up awards, winning a first place in the East Kent Fruit Society awards this year for their pears. Their crop of around 6,000 bins represents around 10% of total UK production. Nearly a third of their orchards are now planted on a modern trellis system and they plan to increase this area over time.

FARM FACTS

• 1,800 hectare privately owned holding

• 1,133 hectares of arable ground

• 525 hectares of pasture (mainly marshland)

• 100 hectares of pears

• 40 (moving to 50) hectares of apples

• 24 hectares of cherries

• Two hectares of plums (trial site)

• 1,500 breeding ewes (split into two flocks - Suffolk Mules and Romney Inverdales); all lambs sold via Hobbs Parker at Ashford

• Nine full-time farm staff and five maintenance staff

• Commercial and residential lettings on the estate

• Countryside Stewardship higher tier agreement

DEAN AND

<< APPLE HARVEST

Not only are the modern orchards more productive, but they are also designed to work with mechanical harvesters and robotics (when the technology is finally ready and cost effective). All the modern orchards are standardised with 3.5 metre row widths. The trees are planted north to south to allow for better light distribution (as opposed to east to west, where the fruit can ripen unevenly and involves multiple passes when picking). All their trees are drip line irrigated via a bore hole, which allowed them to keep the trees wellwatered at night during the recent drought.

Planting trees is always a long-term investment and, in the case of pears, one that will continue to yield productive fruit for between 30 and 40 years (as opposed to apples which deliver fruit for around 20 years).

Expanding and modernising their orchards and rationalizing their systems has been an ambition, although Tim is finding it difficult at the present time to justify the investment, with concerns over high inflation, the cost of living crisis, rising labour costs and increasing market uncertainty.

To combat this the company is looking to maximise yields and increase efficiencies across the business and to constantly strive to do better.

“Robotics is still at least 10 years away, but like other growers in the industry we are beginning to trial mechanical harvesting, in the hope that we can reduce our reliance on labour, but this will mean replacing our growing systems,” said Lukasz.

Moving onto apples, Lukasz shows me around some of their Gala apple orchards. Early indications for their 40 hectares of apples are “good,” he said. Having sampled a couple, I can confirm they tasted pretty good, too.

“Scab was the main problem last year,” he said, but they haven’t suffered this year, which has been helped by the fine dry weather. Showing me some of their different orchards he pointed out the crab apple trees which they plant as pollinators against the supporting stakes, freeing up 6% of their orchard planting area.

He also pointed out many of their rows are sown with wild flowers to help attract more bees and beneficial insects.

I was also interested to see the difference in the ripeness of the apples in their north to south planted orchards versus the older ones that were planted east to west. He also pointed out many of their windbreaks, which are planted with mixed species to promote pollinators and provide beneficial insect habitats.

While the yield forecast looks promising, the market is less certain, with reports of growers in Europe selling first class apples early and for processing as there is a reluctance to store with the fear of rising energy costs.

As with their pears, they are following a long-term investment strategy and looking to increase their orchard size. This winter they will be planting 10

hectares of Magic Star, a variety with good yield potential, great taste, strong genetics and long term storage capability, said Lukasz.

All their trees are supplied by Fleuren Nursery, based in the Netherlands. They produce “top quality trees” and the company has worked with them for decades,” said Lukasz. The planting is carried out by local contractors who sub soil the rows before using a small tractor-mounted auger to dig the holes. They then plant the trees and cover them with PAS 100 certified compost to help retain moisture and promote bug life and flies. As with the pear trees, all the apple trees are irrigated from day one.

OTHER ENTERPRISES AND BUILDING A PATHWAY TO NET ZERO

We head back to the office and I catch up with Tim to learn more about the other aspects of the farm. He explained that fruit is just one of enterprises on the farm, a holding that extends to nearly 1,800 hectares.

A sizeable chunk of that is arable, he explained, running to around 1,200 hectares with a sheep enterprise of 1,500 breeding ewes over part of the area, using cover crops and delivering the ‘golden hoof’.

“An overarching objective between all enterprises is to become more integrated and experiment with regenerative agricultural techniques as we progress on our pathway to net zero.” Tim said

G H Dean & Co has recently entered into a new higher tier agreement, which Tim is particularly excited about. The scheme’s main focus is on the marshland and improving habitat and conditions for breeding wading birds by opening up more bodies of water and improving habitat for farmland birds, water voles and the shrill carder bee.

With a large land base, they are also seeking to create a green corridor to provide a better and more joined up habitat between their higher (arable), middle (fruit) and lower (grazing) marsh ground. He can also see the benefit of working at a landscape scale and is hoping to link up with other local farmers and landowners as part of a local farm cluster group this autumn.

HUGE GAP IN PRICES

It has been tough being a livestock farmer in the South East in the past few months. Well, tougher than it normally is anyway. We have been through what is probably one of the worst periods of drought and heat in living memory; some readers may suggest 1976 was worse, but I am not old enough to verify this!

This drought has created a quite unusual situation in the marketplace for both store and finished sheep, where the gap in prices from bottom to top has been huge, larger than we have ever seen before, with the best selling at record levels, over £150/head on many occasions, but stores trading from £70 to £80/head.

There is a simple reason for this; with food short, less finished lambs are available. Couple this with not many farmers choosing to buy in extra mouths when grass is at a premium, the store trade is down well below the levels we saw last year. There was an abundance of grass 12 months ago which pushed the store prices skyward, admittedly too high at times.

Last season, store lambs traded at tremendous levels, with demand outstripping supply constantly throughout the season. The 2021 crop of store lambs was also in considerably better body condition and more forward than those we are

seeing currently, which must be taken into account when making this annual comparison.

Despite the record prices we have seen in the past two years, we must not lose sight of reality and admit that last year’s prices were not the new “norm”, which many vendors have already found out this year to date.

When taking stock of the current trade, a number of factors must be looked at including weather conditions, the costs of further finishing and, most importantly, the long-term predictions on what the finished lamb price will be like after Christmas 2022.

Let’s cover weather conditions first. It is very dry. Most of the UK is very short on grazing, with some exceptions to this rule in far flung corners. In the last store sale at Ashford, store lambs purchased ended up in destinations almost 500 miles apart, from the far south west to the Scottish borders in an effort to reach the areas with most grass keep. Ashford Market has customers in every corner of the UK, which will help to boost the trade in tough times like this, but we must not forget that one-way haulage to these areas can often exceed £4/head, a big bite out of the margin.

The topic of further finishing costs is also a tough one this year, as the cost of establishing root and fodder crops has rocketed in line with diesel and

fertiliser prices. We can also blame the weather here, as many turnip crops are four to six weeks late going in and will be a decidedly average crop at best this winter. Concentrate feeding of lambs is another option, but in reality, with food in excess of £400/t, £20/head to finish would be conservative at best, all of this eating away at the margins.

Now we get to the really tricky part for finishers of store lambs; predicting the trade/demand in early 2023. If the past two seasons are anything to go by, all reasoning goes out the window as Covid-19 and Brexit played havoc with any forecasting, but luckily, it all worked out fine in the end.

This season, looking forward is pretty tough as we are facing soaring energy and input costs that will affect every part of the supply chain. This, coupled with the general cost of living increases, may cause the public to eat and shop differently, depending on their priorities.

To ensure we keep the production cycle moving and sustainable for all involved we must protect the export market and the ethnic trade that we rely on dearly with the finished sheep market. We can do this by producing the right product and keeping supply constant throughout the spring, avoiding the price spikes and dips caused by over and under supply at critical times.

JOHN ROSSITER

OUTSIDE FACTORS AFFECTING TRADE

With the drought finally partially breaking in early September in Essex and Suffolk, there is a small amount of regrowth seen on parched grass pastures but too late to be of any viable use to farmers. Many more inches of rain are still required to bring water levels up to normality, but at least there is hope that stubble turnips and winter fodder crops drilled into dust will have some chance of survival, although these will be late growing.

So many outside factors are affecting the livestock trade, including concerns over the cost of energy supplies to abattoirs, wholesalers and retail butchers magnified again by the other increased costs throughout the industry.

Throughout the previous month, finished cattle prices remained firm but numbers are very short. This reflected many fattening units not being filled due to the high cost of fodder or indeed the general lack of fodder due to the drought in the summer and also the high cost of stores.

Best cattle are still trading from 250p/kg to 275p/kg in line with 12 months ago but well below that required to offset the higher feed costs. Most commercial cattle are trading from 220p/kg to 240p/kg live weight. A strong demand is still being seen for traditional breeds with meat. It is fair to say, however, that numbers are very much controlling the trade at the time of this report, with supplies equaling demand.

The processing meat trade is still good. The cull cow trade and over 30 month cattle are still meeting a good enquiry but it was noticeable towards the end of the period that many more leaner cows are coming forward again, a reflection of the lack of fodder. It is good to see buyers who feed cows having confidence for the future and they were underpinning the market.

Store cattle are starting to come forward in better numbers, but again we are seeing a two-tier trade; more forward cattle are still making a good trade with the longer keep cattle finding some resistance, again because of the cost of feed and the uncertainty with the meat trade.

The sheep trade continued very much in line with 12 months ago but with a noticeable increase in the price difference between best lambs and feeding lambs. With the general shortage of feed including grass, and difficulties in establishing fodder crops, the store lamb trade was well below 12 months ago. Best stores have been trading up to £100, with very small cross bred lambs anything from £40 to £65 per head. This is disappointiing, but a reflection on the season we have had and the uncertainties in the meat trade.

The cull ewe trade continued to be strong for the best meated ewes, but again there are many plain ewes coming forward, with numbers in Colchester substantially increased on the year due to the competitive trade we have seen.

The pig price is at record levels, but still producers are unable to make a return on cost and are trading at a loss. It is difficult to see how the spiral will be

changed, with the number of pigs available being generally short but sufficient for demand.

It was good to see an increase in the cull sow trade towards the end of the period caused by currency fluctuation; still at levels less than hoped for but certainly at more realistic levels. This is, however, encouraging more and more producers to reduce sow numbers or leave the industry.

With harvest generally completed by mid-August in this area, the later rains encouraged autumn cultivations, but the many acres of rape are suffering due to the dry weather and many acres are not drilled. Hopefully if the rain continues to fall, autumn establishment for cereal crops will be better.

Farm

Dwindling and unreliable medicine supply

been somewhat of a theme over

few years. Often this is remedied by substitutions of products that carry veterinary medicinal licenses in other countries, but it is undoubtedly frustrating.

We have recently been informed of an unreliable supply of something we consider to be an essential vaccine for breeding sheep; Toxovax. At present, we do not know of any reliable or available substitute. We also appreciate that a lambing season without the benefit of vaccine protection is a daunting prospect for many sheep farmers.

In order to understand how to protect against Toxoplasmosis, it is important to consider how this disease enters flocks. Toxoplasma is a parasite spread by infected cats defecating on sheep’s feed and bedding. The parasite uses sheep as an intermediate host and causes them to abort in late pregnancy or absorb the foetus but has no direct effect on the health of the ewe. Live lambs born to infected ewes may be weak and sickly. Sheep can develop immunity once infected, but an abortion storm can cause huge losses. Once vaccinated, a ewe is protected for a large proportion of her reproductive life, but this year, there is a chance that you may have naïve and unvaccinated ewes in the flock.

In order to defend against this, vector control and hygiene are paramount. This means ensuring that sheep feed and bedding supplies are cat and rodent proofed. Lockable bins for feed are ideal to protect against wildlife and cats, and ensuring bedding is well wrapped is important. Ideally, neuter farm cats to prevent uncontrolled population growth, and continue efforts to reduce rodent numbers (as they are a source of infection to the cats). In the unfortunate case of an abortion, remove any abortion materials (and contaminated bedding), and present them to your vet for testing. Any not utilised for laboratory testing should be incinerated.

If we expect a serious problem, particularly in first-time breeders based on history or risk then we can consider medicating feed or licks in the pre-lambing period. Treatment designed to combat the protozoal disease coccidiosis can have some effect in limiting the protozoa Toxoplasmosis. But this is far from a perfect control measure, so the expected cost benefit ratio should be carefully considered in discussion with your vet.

REDUCING LOSSES

On top of vector control to prevent toxoplasmosis, we must also consider how to reduce losses from other abortive conditions. Appraise your last lambing season’s data; if there was more than a 2% rate of barren ewes, or abortion, then you may have an abortive disease on farm.

Subsidised testing schemes available for barren or aborted ewes run for much of the year, so

HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE NO TOXOVAX?

it’s worth discussing with your vet. Often, they involve sampling around six affected ewes, and determining whether antibodies to the most common abortion problems (Enzootic Abortion of Ewes (EAE) and Toxoplasmosis) are present. Knowing that there is a preventable abortive disease on farm may influence breeding decisions and vaccination strategies ahead of tupping– it is also pertinent to know for human safety, as abortive disease can be transmissible to humans.

The most commonly diagnosed cause of abortion in sheep is EAE, a bacterial disease caused by Chlamydophila abortus. This normally leads to late pregnancy abortion and is spread by carrier sheep. Disease is most commonly introduced to a farm by buying in, and sheep may often abort the year after exposure. Once infected, ewes may continue to abort in subsequent years, so ongoing losses can still be a worrying issue. The best weapon we have against EAE is vaccination. Ewes should be vaccinated a minimum of 4 weeks before tups are introduced, so time is of the essence. Investing in vaccination can fortify your flock against ongoing, destructive losses, and vaccines for EAE are still available.

The foremost priority in ensuring a good lambing season is the condition of the ewes. Take some time now to ensure that your breeding flock is as strong as possible, culling ewes with poor teeth (cheek, as well as incisors), in poor condition, with histories of vaginal prolapse, poor mothering, poor milk supply or mastitis.

Though we can chalk some issues up to pure bad luck, many of the problems encountered with ewes at this time are metabolic or nutritional, and their pathway was set long before they lambed. Conditions such as twin lamb disease are borne of energy imbalances that could be reduced by body condition scoring and evaluating nutritional status during pregnancy, which is why condition checks pre-tupping, and regularly throughout pregnancy are ideal. Trace element testing (via blood sampling) can give valuable information as to whether supplementation of ewes is required and is also often subsidised. Further to this, there are in depth pre-lambing metabolic profiles that can

give valuable insight into nutritional status of ewes around four weeks prior to lambing, allowing time to compensate for any potential issues flagged.

Lest we forget the perennial thorn in the side of sheep farmers everywhere: dog worrying. Though much of this is beyond our control, ensuring safe, secure fencing and putting up signage to denote where your livestock are grazing are tools that may protect against avoidable losses.

Lastly, there is still time to ensure that your tups are in tip top condition ready for work. Consider undertaking breeding soundness checks with your vet, as well as assessing their body condition, teeth and feet before they go in with the ewes.

Wishing you the best of luck with the season ahead.

ANDY

ALAN WEST

Sheep farmer

A bit of an understatement, but oh what an interesting summer. Taken in a global context we are undeniably seeing the impacts of climate change. The cause, our contribution and whether it’s the start of a longer process or a temporary blip are still debatable to some, but we have seen another dramatic shift in weather patterns.

And yes, I do remember 1976 when the drought broke on 27 August and the September and October of that year were some of the wettest on record. This year’s lack of meaningful rainfall has extended well into September and has now reached the point where there is a risk of the hoped for autumn flush of grass being severely compromised.*

I know that expectations are often predicated on hope more than reality, but generally the autumn flush does, in some part, deliver a decent, late bite of grass in September/October, providing a valuable and useful autumn bonus that is frequently relied upon to supply a vital boost to ewe nutrition in the approach to tupping; a critical time in determining both tupping success and next year’s lamb crop.

The lack of grass across the south and east of England is already having a significant impact on the sheep trade. In those areas with no grass in front of them, many buyers have been reluctant to commit to large numbers of store lambs and the lack of demand has depressed prices. The trade in breeding females has been similarly impacted, with a marked reluctance on the part of breeders to take home significant numbers of females for which they have no available grass, or certainty of any, in the forthcoming weeks. On the plus side rams seem to be trading reasonably well; if you need a new ram then you need a new ram and one or two new mouths do not represent a significant drain on scant feed resources.

To add to our woes, some meteorological experts are now predicting that we could be experiencing an emerging pattern for the years ahead, of longer summers that will extend into what we would normally consider autumn. It is rather too easy to simply dismiss such predictions as scare stories, media hype or whatever, but it is a possibility that at least deserves some consideration as to how it might impact on the way we manage our sheep and grazing, particularly at such a critical point in the production year.

Even a cursory glance at the grass growth curves on the AHDB Forage for Knowledge website shows that for the past few years seasonal grass growth, and hence availability, has deviated quite significantly from what we have all come to expect. That normal (or what we accept as normal) twin-peaked, somewhat lopsided, annual grass growth curve is

SHEEP AND CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS

barely recognisable. How well our current grass varieties are able to adapt depends very much on the precise nature of any changes and upon the factors which determine seasonal grass growth; weather has an obvious impact, but I’m sure that grass also responds to the time of the year. The magnitude and the effect of each is uncertain, as are the interactions. And it is inevitable that any long-term changes in grass growth patterns will have a major impact on the way in which we manage our sheep.

Grass breeders have taken on board changing weather patterns and have put considerable effort into developing new varieties (e.g. the Festuloliums), mixtures and forage crops (with greater drought tolerance, longer growing seasons and greater resilience) in order to mitigate the impact. Perhaps we should be thinking along similar lines; if we are going to be faced with long-term changes, a few new grass and forage crop varieties and mixes are not going to solve all our problems.

The question is what sort of shape the long term predicted (they are only predictions) changes to weather patterns might take. An extension of summer may mean a simple shift of autumn and shorter winters or a short autumn and more rapid transition into winter. And what will winter mean? We have not seen what most would describe as a “normal winter”, for a few years. We could experience warm, open winters with grass growth extended for most of the year, or the converse with more extreme winter weather – remember March 2018. Either option will no doubt require some shift in the way we manage

forages (not just grass) and our sheep, particularly in a cost climate where many producers, for sound management and financial reasons, are also seeking to make less use of expensive, purchased hard feeds and more effective use of grass and forages. The one thing that we cannot change easily (although other options are available) is the seasonality of our sheep production cycle.

Sheep undoubtedly do well in hot, dry summers as long as they have adequate feed in front of them, but who knows quite what direction future weather patterns will take? Uncertainty, however, should not be a justification for doing nothing; it is incumbent on us all to consider what influence any changes in weather patterns may have, not just on the seasonality of grass growth and how that may influence the way in which we are able to produce good quality finished lambs and breeding stock, but, also on the welfare of our charges and potential effects on future profitability.

Simultaneously, in order to maintain a thriving and sustainable sheep sector into the future, we need to explore suitable and appropriate measures that may be developed and employed in both mitigating any negatives and exploiting any positive impacts of climate change.

*Fortunately by the time copy was submitted (13 September), we benefited locally from a very welcome 56mm of rain. Things have definitely greened over, the ewes are more settled and autumn prospects are rather more promising, but significantly more is still required.

Testament to their resilience and efficiency, these two ewes have both reared twins this year and are still looking good (apart from grubby faces from the molasses) even after six weeks on hay; they will be pleased to see a decent drop of rain and some fresh, green grass

>

NEGLECT IS EASY TO SPOT

In the September issue the editor in his comment column got a bit fired up about who or what was to blame for the weather and its effects. I think he was referring to droughts and flooding. He also mentioned ‘doom mongers’ although I think they are mainly in the media, the papers and TV.

I don’t think he really came to a firm conclusion, although he did conclude that “we should all start working in partnership with the water authorities”. I fully agree, but their bodies don’t appear to want to work with us. I don’t think many of us really has a direct line to any higher authority, and although he mentioned the water companies, he strangely said not a word about the number one culprit the Environment Agency. They who have the final say over everything they see as “environmental” although do almost nothing practical themselves.

We farmers around my old hamlet in West Sussex have been trying to stir some action from the EA to maintain our local rifes (400 to 500 year-old hand-dug water courses) which take water to the sea and for which they inherited responsibility in 1996 and have since then neglected.

They were previously well maintained by other bodies, the Internal Drainage Boards and the National Rivers Authority (IDB and NRA), but since then the neglect is easy to spot if you can find the waterways at all. Silting up in the lower reaches has exceeded 40 inches, weeds which were always trimmed out annually have been left for the newts, crested or others, for water rats and for other creatures. But nothing has been done to drain the water to the sea, and here’s the rub. These rifes also have to take sewage discharges from Southern Water to the sea. With the blocked rifes, it gets held up and floods back uphill onto hundreds of acres of good farmland, a golf course and public footpaths.

We have arranged meetings with our local MP, the local council and Southern Water, with the local golf club which is forced to close for weeks on end

NICK ADAMES

Former dairy farmer

in wet periods and is then left with sewage scum when the water finally drains… oh yes, and the EA. We have civilised meetings, mostly, but all we hear is that “there are no funds available”, probably because the EA has too many enforcement staff on too high salaries. I won’t bore you with the details but I’m sure many of you around the South East understand what I am talking about.

If they put their house in order, cleared the work backlog and got the water flowing I’m sure most landowners would be happy to contribute to future drainage work, perhaps through a reconstituted IDB system, boards which were run largely with much input by riparian owners, mainly farmers who know their land; but until then we are pretty unanimously agreed here that the EA has to do its job or be disbanded. It is a disgrace.

Southern Water has to take some responsibility, too, and ensure sewage discharged even in flood conditions is fully treated to avoid the scenes of this past summer along our southern beaches. It is truly disgraceful; on top of the damage it is causing to farmland, footpaths and golfers’ health as well as to other living creatures that have to suffer it.

Presently our meetings, which were useful in airing the problems as opposed to getting the desired results, have stopped happening. The authorities may be relieved the pressure is off them, but it really needs the next generation to show initiative, keep the pressure on and see the job through.

None of this is being improved by the ‘initiative and thoughtlessness’ of local planning committees that are smothering rural areas of the south with thousands of new homes; too many on Grade I farmland. These houses in turn create huge extra

pressure by feeding waste water and sewage down towards the English Channel, overwhelming thousands of acres of land with more water our systems cannot reasonably handle.

The whole situation is a huge mess, while the main cause, the EA, is sadly incompetent to do anything positive about it. It is, from our local experience simply not fit for purpose. Of most importance to those in charge appears to be ensuring that they get big salaries, while their chairmen get the odd peerage or knighthood for their performance.

Meanwhile life on the land goes on. The drought has broken, and the maize is cleared and did a lot better than expected. I am told they cut fractionally over 1,000 tons on 50 acres.

We have a new prime minister (whose partner doesn’t pull all their environmental strings) and a new minister for DEFRA, who can only bring some better ideas. I hope the first two things he does are stir up the EA and then bring some urgent and clearer thinking towards the huge ongoing problem of TB in our cattle herds which have, in the past 15 to 20 years, been brought to their knees. Our herds have been decimated by policies which began so well after the war but which have hardly progressed since. If TB were killing off humans as quickly as false test results kill our cattle it might well have been overcome.

I hope some of this encourages some readers to pick up the points regarding the EA, and if you have similar experiences and thoughts do please drop a note to the editor. The only way to bring pressure on similar issues is to make a fuss. The old saying, “the squeaky wheel (axle) gets the grease”, is just as true today as ever it was.

Since writing this our dear Queen has passed away. What a wonderful lady and what a life. I feel she was the cement that has held the UK together, and like many others I almost treated her as a second mother. God Save the King.

> Two photos of our local ditches. When we called Southern Waterthey immediately sent an inspector, who took samples and told us thewhite on the banks was chopped toilet paper and the ditch was full ofraw sewage. Five days later the SW head office told us the chap waswrong - so which expert does one believe?

PREPARATION FOR

It very much feels like summer has been and gone, with the weather turning very autumnal. Daytime temperatures of 18°C followed by night-time lows of 5°C has meant a flurry of Alamycin, Zactran and Metacam requests alongside carcasses entering the post-mortem room for examination. Unfortunately, in most cases pneumonia has been the cause of death, which is not surprising given the flux in temperatures.

It's at this point of the year that beef producers start to think about the upcoming housing period and the list of considerations is seemingly endless! Nutrition, cost, worming and fluke treatments, vaccinations, TB testing, weaning and preparations for calving are all areas for consideration over the coming weeks.

Parasite treatment this year will be an interesting topic for discussion among farmers, vets, advisors and SQPs (suitably qualified persons).

The drought over summer has meant the likelihood of liver fluke infestation over late summer/autumn is low, even for animals grazing pasture previously considered high risk. It would be well worthwhile blood testing youngstock two to four weeks after housing to assess for exposure over the grazing period.

Alternatively, regular weighing of youngstock can be useful in detecting reduced growth rates which could be attributed to fluke/worm infestations. Targeted treatment is important to address the rising issue of wormer resistance and prevent the emergence of extensive wormer resistance –something the sheep industry is currently battling with.

Developing an appropriate ration plan for sucklers and youngstock is another important consideration. Body condition scoring suckler cows at housing will allow for better control over feed allocation and can be useful to prevent cows becoming over-conditioned, leading to calving problems in Spring.

Despite this, is it important to remember that cows need to be receiving a good level of nutrition immediately before calving to optimise colostrum quantity and quality, therefore in the two to four weeks prior to calving cows should receive high quality forage alongside adequate magnesium supplementation.

Vaccinations play a key role in heard health during the housing period. Pneumonia always rears its ugly head at this time of year and is an ongoing problem for many beef producers. A housing assessment can be conducted by your vet to identify issues which may lead to sub-optimal ventilation and housing conditions, thereby predisposing to pneumonia problems.

Vaccines offer a good level of protection against pneumonia pathogens, but their protection is most effective when combined with a reduction in other risk factors.

Housing poses many challenges amongst beef producers but with careful consideration these challenges and risks can be minimised and lead to a productive winter period.

INAUGURAL NSA RAM SALE SUCCESS

The inaugural NSA South East Region Ram Sale was held in conjunction with the Thame Farmers Auction Mart annual second Breeding Sheep Fair on Friday 2 September.

81 Shearling and Ram Lambs were offered to a packed ring of potential buyers, 62 rams found homes to average £498.

NSA South East Region Ram Sale Chairman James Goffin said: “A lively atmosphere turned into lively bidding at our inaugural sale at Thame farmers market. With almost all rams forward that had been entered the bids came thick and fast; buyers spirits not dampened by the morning drizzle.”

Suffolk shearlings met strong demand topping at £900 for an April born shearling from Russo Suffolks, Norbury. Mr M Legg who came over from

the Isle of Wight took £720 along with Diana Linton of Dorking. MJ & JA Pinny sold their run of ram lambs at £380.

Texel Shearlings topped the sale at £960 from local breeders M & L Blakemore who sold others to £750 followed by R & B Smith at £740 and £700.

Charollais shearlings sold to £740 and £700 from C W Thomas, Wolston who sold ram lambs to £400. Ram Lambs topped at £500 for Charollais from Weeksland Charollais, Biddenden who also sold to £460 and £420.

Holton Mill Farm, another local producer topped at £500 for their Lleyns.

NSA South East Region Chairman Yann Le Du commented: “This sale gave ram buyers from across the region and beyond the chance to acquire inspected, MV accredited rams with plenty

of time to fulfil not only the recommended one month’s quarantine period prior to joining with their flocks, but also in many cases the rams will have been on their new farms for longer than the 7-8 weeks required for sperm production and maturation. This will minimise any potential fertility problems associated with health, dietary or management change issues.”

Mr Goffin added: “As ram sale committee Chairman, on behalf of the committee I would like to express my thanks to Simon Draper and the staff at Thame who looked after us extremely well, to all the vendors who travelled across many counties to be a part of this sale and to everyone who purchased rams. Special thanks to our team of inspectors, Harry Bishop, Joe Hope and Les Morris.”

A HEAD START ON MENTAL HEALTH

A nationwide ‘Wool and Wellness’ campaign organised by British Wool and farming charity The Farming Community Network (FCN) is looking to give people a head start on promoting good mental health.

The Wool and Wellness campaign encourages the farming community and members of the public to knit a woolly hat, stitch in an FCN Helpline label (03000 111 999) – and then give it to another person.

FCN and British Wool are asking people to share photos of their creations on social media using the hashtag #WoolAndWellness.

The aim is to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health in farming, encouraging people to keep the FCN Helpline number close to hand – or head – in case they need to talk to someone during the cold and challenging winter months.

The Vineyard & Winery Show is an unmissable event for anyone working in viticulture in the UK and abroad.

The Vineyard & Winery Show will provide vineyard owners, winemakers and growers with a fantastic opportuni to keep up to date with the latest technology, meet with suppliers & allied trades that are supporting the industry as well as having the chance to network with key players in the UK wine marketplace.

FREE TO ALL ATTENDEES

You will be able to meet with industry experts, learn about new technology and view demonstrations of the latest machinery. Come and taste some of the UK’s best wines – up to 100 di erent UK producers are making their wines available for tasting on the day.

FREE SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

Giving you the chance to learn from industry leaders and hear about how they built their businesses. Expert speakers will cover viticulture, winemaking and marketing topics.

FRUIT FARMING IN SERBIA

The British trade press has shared several excellent articles on the brown marmorated stink bug, but thankfully almost the entire population of the UK has never met one. You don’t want to, frankly. When they arrive en-masse they are loud, they are invasive and extremely hard to deal with – I remember one report from Italy included a description of how mowers were being broken because the mass of bugs and their sticky excretions were breaking drive shafts.

They still don’t have a predator; there are no natural controls and no chemical ones either. Only a barrier between the bugs and the fruit will prevent massive issues.

In Serbia last week, I met lots of shied bugs, of both colours. I was visiting the Agrounija farm in Indija to have a look at their orchards and new storage complex. As we stood on the rooftop terrace of the packhouse building a few green shield bugs came to sit on our sleeves. When I went for a tour of the orchards their brown cousins were more in evidence, hanging from the nets surrounding the orchards. The nets used by Serbian growers are principally for hail, but they also provide some degree of shade, very valuable this year, as well as being of sufficiently small gauge to prevent birds and shield bugs

getting to the crop.

What a beautiful crop of apples there was at Agrounija. The farm is in a wonderful position, less than 1km from the banks of the Danube in the Fruska Gora region on the edges of what was the Pannonian Sea nine million years ago. They are surrounded by vineyards, nature reserves and similar farming businesses.

The whole production unit in Indija has been planted since 2015, producing a focused, commercial, range of varieties; three Gala clones, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith along with an Australian/Italian club variety called Crimson Snow, the latter being a large fruiting variety that is very successful with Middle and Far Eastern customers looking for a much larger apple than consumers in the UK.

I was envious, frankly, mostly for the ability to establish such a model farming system – drip irrigation/fertigation (they have a substantial irrigation reservoir fed by the Danube in the centre of the 120ha of orchards) along with frost irrigation and hail netting to maintain high grade out levels across the four varieties.

With a current market focus of the Middle East, India and Africa as well

SARAH CALCUTT

Executive Chair, National Fruit Show

as near neighbours, the core focus of the production team is the delivery of larger sized fruit. The samples I saw in the packhouse were wonderful, as was the quality of the fruit on the trees outside. It’s always a timely reminder of the skill of growers in managing the crop loading according to the target marketplace, something that the young, and clearly very expert, technical team were delivering for Agrounija’s owners.

It’s not all rosy though, and it’s not just the stink bugs that are causing issues; labour is an issue in Serbia too. In fact we are not alone, pretty much anywhere in the world right now, in trying to find younger, well-motivated harvest labour. Speaking with Sara, the orchard technical manager, and Biljana, the production manager for Agrounija, they have noted the same change in age and demographic that UK growers have experienced.

“Ten years ago, we had students,” stated Sara. “Now its more like we employ their parents. We have seen a drop in the numbers coming here to pick as well as in the productivity.” Like many farms, they have begun to invest in autonomous harvesting rigs. Along with their parent company, MK, and BIOS (the regional equivalent of NIAB, which is also working with the UK’s Agri-EPI centre), they are evaluating a range of robotic and semiautonomous picking and management solutions.

At present they are using Hermes Tecnofruit self-drive platforms, which have made a substantial difference to the rate of harvesting and quality of picked product, taking the strain off the pickers. They are also another company evaluating the benefits of British tech business Outfield in improving accuracy of crop estimation and making thinning applications more targeted.

Another similarity to the UK is the rapidly rising cost of electricity and its impact on storage programmes. In 2017, MK and Agrounija made a substantial investment in 25 chambers with a total storage capacity of 7,000 tonnes. The average chamber size is 1000 bins and all chambers allow the use of Ultra Low

Oxygen (ULO) and Dynamic Controlled Atmosphere (DCA) storage.

Isolcell is the storage partner and Agrounija has been very pleased with the extended storage capacity for their key varieties, but the power required remains an ongoing issue as the situation is similar to that of the UK; charges will have gone up by 100% in the next quarter. Investigations have begun into suitable solar PV systems that will deliver the power required for such a large facility, along with the technology to manage power demands throughout the season.

It was lovely to meet with an overseas grower again, enjoy a walk through excellent orchards with really talented technicians and be reminded that growers still have so many issues in common.

SELL-OUT EVENT

Sarah Calcutt Executive Chair of The National Fruit Show introduces this year’s show.

To try and sum up in just a few words what is on offer at this, the 89th National Fruit Show on 2&3 November is difficult, as there is simply so much packed into two days and something for everyone in the fruit sector.

The 89th show is set to be the largest for a decade with a fantastic range of exhibitors, in fact, a sell-out show with a waiting list for 2023 now open. With the latest agronomic recommendations, product launches, new machinery, the latest in autonomous systems, robots, drones along with graders and packers we are delighted to welcome a number of significant soft fruit exhibitors for the first time as well as

expanding the trade show areas for top fruit growers too.

The 89th show will also host a conference programme delivered by the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers highlighting the work of the awards council seed funding scientific investigation and Nuffield Scholars. We will be joined by Tom Heap who will be speaking about his life in the farming media, Tom will also be participating in the Rural Policy Group debate on Farming and the Environment.

Growing Kent & Medway will be breaking down in a series of talks, the massive subject of sustainable innovation in horticulture. And

as well as top fruit, talks will focus on the wider horticulture sector looking at issues in tomatoes, soft fruit and cherries led by NIAB, Thanet Earth, Hutchinsons, University of Greenwich and University of Kent.

As an industry we all know the move towards the development and integration of exciting new technologies, new machinery and equipment, environmentally sustainable growing practices and varieties with greater natural pest and disease resistance, investment in new club varieties, dealing with draught and climate change, government policy, seasonal labour, and wider recruitment issues. All of this will be covered either in talks or by

our many exhibitors over the course of the show.

Of course, there wouldn’t be a show without a truly amazing competition display of fruit and this is down to the growers who make the time to select and showcase their finest. And what a year we are expecting, especially for flavour and colour, a feast for the eyes and we would urge you to enter now as there is still time. This of course is ultimately what we are about – a show by growers for growers and putting the very best of British top fruit in front of retail representatives and alerting the national media to the needs of the sector and the issues affecting growers. With Back British Farming day now moved to 2 November you can be assured that we will be the key messages around returns, labour, plant protection and technology.

We also have our excellent dinner with an auction and some fantastic prizes that money simply can’t buy, including a journey under the North Sea, it’s not too late to book tickets

Thank you to all our sponsors, especially Worldwide Fruit, Hutchinsons, N P Seymour, BASF and UKCA Ltd + Isolcell, without whom we couldn’t put on such a fantastic showcase for British fruit.

Sponsored by

Sustainable innovation in horticulture

Join the Growing Kent & Medway team on day 2 to learn more about our latest fruit research projects and how the industry is benefiting from GK&M funding.

Technical talks

10.00: Developing a new precision dosing orchard sprayer Charles Whitfield, NIAB

10.15: Beespoke – new research into pollinator management Celine Silva, NIAB

10.30: Enhancing nutrition of tomatoes Rob James, Thanet Earth

10.40: Using biochar from farm waste to lock carbon into soils Rob Barker, University of Kent

10.50: Supporting top fruit’s journey to net zero Rob Saunders, Hutchinsons

11.00: Finding a cure for apple canker Matevz Papp-Rupar

11.10: Identifying strawberries and raspberries with resistance to SWD Bethan Shaw, NIAB

11.20: A longer season for British cherries Richard Colgan, University of Greenwich

11.30: Impact of recent research on management of bacterial canker in cherry Xiangming Xu, NIAB

Growing Kent & Medway programme talks

11.40: What have we learned from the Growing Green programme? Robert Saville, NIAB

11.50: Business grants from Growing Kent & Medway Sophie Packer, University of Kent

THE EVOLUTION OF STRESS REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY

New for 2022, Engage is excited to launch Fortify Maxx™. Building on the success of its Fortify platform, Fortify Maxx™ introduces a brand new technology, phenophites.

Unique to Engage, phenophites are plant extracts which increase the natural production of phenolic compounds from secondary pathways to significantly limit a plant’s susceptibility to stress.

Research over the past 30 years has proved that

stimulating plant pathways can help plants limit damage from oxidative stress, phosphites being just one well known example. Fortify Maxx™ takes this research further by using natural extracts rather than inorganic substances. New research across the world suggests that naturally elevating production of these compounds has far greater potential health benefits to plants.

Phenolic compounds work as antioxidants

against oxidative stresses such as temperature extremes, deficient or excessive water, high salinity, heavy metals, ultraviolet radiation and pathogenic pressure. The phenophites in Fortify Maxx™ have been proven to work in conjunction with a nutrient package to significantly reduce the effects of these stresses on plants’ growth and development.

For more information on Fortify Maxx™ visit Engage at stand K22.

BESPOKE CROP NUTRITION SOLUTIONS

Hortifeeds provides an extensive range of technically advanced, high-quality specialist fertilisers. They work with growers to help them produce bespoke crop nutrition solutions to help improve plant health, yields and quality. Their wide range of products includes water-soluble NPK powder fertilisers, easy-to-use specialist liquid fertilisers, granular fertilisers and trace elements.

Hortifeeds also offers a comprehensive range of biostimulants, including the industry leading phosphite Hortiphyte and the complete seaweed-based biostimulant HortiBoost.

Participating in the National Fruit Show 2022 provides an excellent opportunity for them to catch up with growers and discuss how they can help

optimise nutrition. The National Fruit Show has been a staple of the industry for many years and Hortifeeds are pleased to show continued support for this valuable event.

Hortifeeds are looking forward to showcasing their new wetting agent HortiHydrate Bio, which combines superior surfactant performance with sustainable ingredients. This environmentally friendly product delivers equivalent performance to standard synthetic wetting agents, which represents a vast improvement to currently available products.

HortiHydrate Bio is also approved for use in organic growing systems by The Soil Association. Hortifeeds look forward to seeing you at the National Fruit Show on stand S33 .

APPLIED RESEARCH IS ESSENTIAL TO INFORMED AGRONOMY

Don Pendergrast, Agrii technical manager for non-combinable crops, explains why its research focus distinguishes it from other advisers

The capacity to properly evaluate new products or techniques that promise better crop production is the basis for Agrii’s relationship with growers. It is this capability, enabled by the applied research performed at the Agrii fruit iFarm at East Malling, that exemplifies our commitment to helping growers meet the challenges of the future.

The Agrii fruit iFarm at East Malling came into existence more than a decade ago. Initially to investigate how growers might adapt to the withdrawal of products once relied on to protect yields and quality. In the years since, its focus has evolved. We have added new crops – vines were planted in 2021 – while the emergence of new production threats means we are constantly reappraising how crops are managed.

We also need to consider how new means of

protection can be incorporated into programmes. Biological insecticides and fungicides hold great promise but getting the best from what they offer is far more complex than was the case with the synthetic products they replace. Though still in their

infancy, data driven management systems offer a similar opportunity. The fruit iFarm means we have the capacity to investigate these considerations and prospects often several seasons ahead of their commercial introduction.

RECESSION AHEAD?

PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS

With the possibility of the UK entering a period of significant downturn or recession, it’s important to plan and get your business into the best position to weather what comes and be in a good position to grasp opportunities and recover quickly and profitably. Here are some practical steps you can take now to prepare.

BUSINESS PLANNING

Have a plan. It’s likely you have a business plan but how often do you refer to it and is it still relevant and up to date? Sitting down with your whole senior management team is important to discuss and agree where you want the business to be in the next 12 months, three years, five years etc and if you have the right people to take it on that journey.

EMPLOYMENT

Review your employees – from recent new

starters to those who have been with you for years. Decide who is the best placed with the right skills, knowledge, and experience to help your business meet its longer term objectives.

CASHFLOW

Cash is king and maintaining your cashflow is essential for long-term business success. It is also the responsibility of the directors of the business to follow their directors’ duties which are set out in The Companies Act 2006. With inflation at 9.4% the highest level for 40 years and interest rates slowly rising, your own costs will have risen and will keep rising.

DIVERSIFICATION

Are you able to diversify any part of your business offering and if you can, think about the legal implications for doing this, such as ensuring

you have relevant insurance and up to date terms and conditions in place.

REVIEW YOUR LEASE OBLIGATIONS

If your business leases any equipment, vehicles, or property these obligations continue even if the business fails, unless you have negotiated a termination clause. If you are considering ending a lease for vehicles or equipment early there may be clauses which oblige you to pay an early termination fee or penalty and you might be held personally liable if you have provided a director’s guarantee.

The journey of running a business is rarely smooth and having the right team behind you is essential to help you to reach your longer term goals and objectives. If you would like to discuss any aspect of owning and running a business, get in touch with the Gullands Business Hub team at the Show.

LOOKING

At this year’s National Fruit Show, Kirkland will be looking to the future with our electric and robotic machinery.

Being a forward-thinking company, we are keen to embrace new technologies, and with the pressure of labour on everyone’s minds we are always striving to find ways to help our customers.

Come and talk to the Kirkland team about the world’s first fully automated Tecnofruit harvester, which provides real time information on quantity, quality, size, weight and colour of the fruit

picked. It’s also available as a ‘bolt-on’ solution that allows growers to upgrade their current Tecnofruit harvesting system.

Visitors to the show will also be able to pre-order the AgBot driverless sprayer which can save growers up to 80% on labour costs and a 33% saving on fuel compared to a tractor.

We are also excited to announce the new 100% electric Corvus UTV. With less maintenance and no fuel costs, electric vehicles are significantly more affordable and cost-effective. The EX4 offers ample storage and load capacity of up to

300kg thanks to its large, unique, cargo box. Their specialist machinery proves extremely popular with fruit growers. We offer a wide range of tractors, sprayers, mowers, cultivation equipment, forklifts and loaders.

Kirkland regularly produce special builds for customers and have skilled engineers in house to carry out these tasks. They will listen to your requirements and can either alter an existing machine or build from scratch if more suitable. Make sure you visit Kirkland stand at this year's National Fruit Show.

J

UTILISING NEAR INFRARED SCANNING TECHNOLOGY

Landseer Limited is a crop protection and horticultural advice company, meeting the needs of the fresh produce industry in the most cost-effective way.

With over 40 years of experience within horticulture, our team are regarded as experts within the post-harvest sector. The team consists of BASIS qualified members, researchers, and qualified crop protection applicators.

Landseer are marketing agents for Corteva Horticultural Crop Protection products in the UK and carry out SmartFresh™ applications on behalf of Agrofresh Inc. Landseer also distributes TrapView automated pest monitoring devices and offers fruit testing and consultancy services.

Landseer are currently running a number of investigatory projects, including accurate automated fruit sizing and harvest management systems, pest prediction modelling, and fruit health monitoring using spectroscopy. Their most recent project, utilising near infrared scanning technology, has allowed them to monitor fruit content (e.g. brix and dry matter) non-destructively whilst the fruit remains on the tree, and throughout storage – something which has never been achieved before. To find out more about what Landseer do visit their stand.

Warners is a modern and innovative law firm built on a strong heritage. Their lawyers are experts in their respective fields and always provide a high-quality service. Whether your legal needs are personal or professional, they will provide you with a tailored service.

Warners are regularly recognised by the leading legal directories Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 as offering some of the best legal advice in the

region. With offices in Tonbridge and Sevenoaks, they can assist clients throughout Kent and the South East.

As a rural law practice, their agricultural lawyers have a long-established relationship with farmers, landowners and landed estates, having acted for several generations of farming families for over 200 years. They know that this industry faces unique challenges, which is why they have a dedicated team of agricultural and landed estate solicitors who

all have a detailed understanding of the issues of relevance to rural landowners.

Warners was appointed to the NFU panel following an intensive and robust tender process to cover the counties of East Sussex and Kent.

They regularly advise our farming clients on matters ranging from farm business tenancies and land acquisition to succession planning and employment claims.

Thank

MAKING WAGE PAYMENTS EASY

Many employers in the UK support and employ overseas workers. For employers it is essential to make the transition to working and living in the UK as simple and hassle-free as possible for their employees.

OnePay is considered by many of their clients as vital part of this process, providing an alternative payroll solution for growers, and ensuring temporary staff/migrant workers without a UK bank account can receive and access their wages quickly and easily.

OnePay is more than just a card, it’s a helping hand, whether that is by providing a range of functionality on their mobile app ‘My OnePay’ in a variety of languages so workers can easily manage their account where and when it suits them, or their in-house multi-lingual customer service team. In addition, OnePay provide a multi-lingual website and documentation/user guides.

It's straightforward for clients to sign-up to OnePay and it doesn’t cost them a penny. By working directly with the employer, OnePay can open an account for workers simply and quickly. Each worker has a unique account number so for the clients, payroll works in exactly the same way as for a traditional bank. As would be expected, OnePay is also a service partner of the Association of Labour Providers. OnePay care about your workers' welfare. That’s why they proactively engage with Law Enforcement and organisations such as the GLAA as necessary to help keep workers safe from exploitation.

Alison, who has seen OnePay grow from small beginnings to a 90-strong team over the past dozen or so years, is looking forward to chatting to growers who are looking to make life easier for their workforce at this year’s National Fruit Show.

FULLY SOLUBLE FERTILISERS

Yara understand the importance of quality. Quality “in”, produces quality “out”. That’s why they use only the best raw materials in their products. Their range offers British fruit growers complete crop nutrition, to ensure their crop reaches its maximum potential in yield and marketability. They have the perfect product to suit your crop’s nutrient requirement at every stage of its growth cycle.

YaraTera is a complete range of fully soluble fertilisers for use in all types of fertigation system.

The management of nutrients and water ensuring yield and quality are maximised. With the Krista range we offer soluble straights for those preparing their own nutrient solutions including the ever popular Calcinit, or for those who prefer, the all in-one, easy to use Kristalon range.

The YaraVita range is manufactured to the highest standard. Raw materials are selected carefully to minimise heavy metal contaminants. Formulations ensure products are safe and effective in delivering nutrition to the plant. The

process is governed by multi stage quality control, making certain each batch is of the finest quality. Each finished product comes with full traceability, right back to raw material source. Yara quality also extends to the packaging. They only select packaging of the highest quality to ensure products are safe to use and easy for operators to handle. This all adds up to ultimate peace of mind for growers and agronomists.

If you would like to find out more about Yara products, you can find Yara at stand K24.

We believe that targeting the fruit crop with readily available nutrients exactly when needed is fundamental. Come and talk to us and see how Yara’s high quality fertiliser, fertigation and bio stimulant products can help you grow bigger and better next season.

you want to increase the yield and quality of your crop?

you looking for help to combat nutrient deficiencies?

As the cost of electricity skyrockets, not only is it important to look at ways of conserving energy but it’s also critical to ensure that any generating assets you own – such as solar PV panels – are working to the best of their ability, writes Shaun Beattie of Beba Energy Ltd.

Whilst the fundamentals of a solar array are beautifully simple, the componentry is complex; solar systems are made up of hundreds of different pieces which come together to generate clean electricity. Unfortunately this does mean that, on occasion, solar systems can go wrong.

With this in mind it’s critical to ensure that your investment is regularly checked/monitored to

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOLAR MAINTENANCE

minimise potential downtime or costly repairs.

For those who invested in solar pre-2015 and were able to secure a FIT, each unit of power produced by the array is potentially worth upwards of 70p when the cost of electricity is added to the FIT.

On this basis, a 50kW array, in Kent, will earn/

save around £31,500 per year if all of the power generated is consumed on site. Assuming this same system was off for one week in summer –when the days are longer – there is the potential to lose around £1,181 in missed energy savings and FIT income.

MANAGE RISK AND PROTECT YIELDS

ICL offer quality crop nutrition of the highest purity to help manage risk and protect yields.

They offer a range of quality fertilisers including:

• Nova – Produced for professionals in fertigation and foliar application. Nova specialty fertilisers are of unrivaled quality and are highly soluble. They can be mixed with other straight fertiliser or compound water-soluble fertigation fertilisers.

• Agrolution – An easy-to-use single bag solution to improve the availability of nutrients through its formulations that prevent magnesium and calcium deficiencies. Agrolution pHLow is perfect for growers who have to deal with a high pH and high alkalinity in their irrigation water and/or soils.

All-in-one fertiliser with acidifying power for better nutrient uptake.

• Solinure – Complete nutrition with the right analysis for every need.

The cleanest raw materials for trouble-free mixing and application. Trace elements and NPK analysis are ideal for soil-based crops of fruits and vegetables.

• H2Flo – a market-leading advanced wetting and water conservation agent. A blend of soil surfactants reduce the surface tension of irrigation water and spread water over a larger surface area. Save on irrigation costs without compromising on yield.

ICL offer all these crop nutrition solutions and more. Visit them at National Fruit Show stand S18 to discuss how they can help grow your business.

MORE TO A BUILDING PROJECT THAN JUST A BUILDING

Wealden AM are always excited to be attending the National Fruit Show. They have been supplying and managing steelframed building projects in the South East of England for nearly 30 years. In that time, they have delivered projects to meet a wide range of needs for agricultural, industrial and commercial customers, with a large proportion of them in the fruit industry. Wealden AM understand that there is more to a building project than just a building.

Providing a first rate customer service is at the heart of what they do and they pride themselves on being able to offer a complete building package,

from expertise and advice during the planning and design stages, right through to the supply and management of the construction itself. Their in-house team provide the variety of skills and enthusiasm to give every project their all and together, working alongside their suppliers and contractors, enable them to put together a team best suited to an individual project. This can include planning consultancy, groundworks, all building elements, electrics, white walling and refrigeration. Being located in East Sussex, most of their existing customers are based in Kent, East and West Sussex. If you have a project in mind that they can assist with, please come and visit stand K26.

BESPOKE TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEMS

JD Cooling Group is the UK’s leading independent supplier of bespoke temperature control systems. They provide installation and design of state-ofthe-art cooling systems, as well as tailored service and maintenance contracts throughout the UK.

They are committed to working towards Net-Zero and reducing their carbon footprint over the coming years. Achieving this will require significant changes across all sectors of the economy. With their ability to offer turnkey cooling and heating solutions, combined with in-house design capability, they can deliver environmentally responsible solutions using sustainable technologies.

Whether you are looking for future proof, fluid-based cooling and heating systems, heat pumps, heat recovery or fully integrated energy solutions using innovative technologies with greener refrigerants, all to reduce your operating costs whilst lowering your carbon footprint, they are on hand to discuss your requirements and demonstrate how they can take your business to the next step in an efficient and sustainable future.

The JD Cooling Group have extensive knowledge to support changes to your storage or processing requirements, from Controlled Atmosphere storage (CA), specialist ripening facilities, new packing house facilities or storage complexes, through to automation and Vertical Farming, where controlled environments provide sustainable solutions, whilst providing sustainability and emission reduction.

WEED ORCHARDS UP TO 4.2M WIDE

As well as supplying viticulture and fruit growers, Ernest Doe Power is part of the UK’s largest supplier of agricultural, construction and professional groundcare machinery, Ernest Doe & Sons. With a network of 19 branches, our depots at Ashford, Dartford, Albourne and Ringmer are well positioned to support South East fruit growers with all their machinery requirements.

Ernest Doe Power offer a carefully selected portfolio of fruit and viticulture machinery including specialist tractors, sprayers, intervine weeders, mowers, pulverisers and leaf treatment equipment. They are authorised dealers for leading manufacturers including Case IH, Dondi, Ideal, Berthoud, KRM,

Fleming, Teagle and Marshall Trailers. Their skilled and knowledgeable team are trained to understand the technical capabilities of the machines that are sold to ensure that a comprehensive back up service can be provided, giving customers peace of mind and confidence in the products.

Ernest Doe Power have been serving the agricultural community for 124 years and have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Visit stand H11 to see the Dondi Intra row cultivator, able to weed orchards up to 4.2m wide, and find out more about how they can support your business with an extensive range of specialist equipment and machinery.

Ernest Doe Power look forward to seeing you!

ELVED PHILLIPS ARABLE NOTES

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

Nearly everybody comments daily about the war in the Ukraine. I try to report grain market fundamentals in this column, but President Putin really is the ‘gift that keeps on giving’ to news programmes and bulls alike!

I have endeavoured to highlight the problems that the big Northern hemisphere crop is bringing close to home, plus economic recession and demand destruction caused by Covid-19. The only thing which has moved the world futures markets recently is president Putin’s rhetoric.

We had threats to close the grain export corridors via the Black Sea and then it was our price cap on their gas being supplied to Europe. Next is the move to force a referendum on the already occupied areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk, so as to annex them, because of the Russian speaking population. This is real cut and paste stuff from the Hitler era when German speaking Czechs in the Sudetenland were used as the excuse for annexation. But his latest is borrowed from the First World War. It’s called mobilisation!

In 1914 the Triple Entente UK, France, Russia and the Central Empires Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Ottoman Empire faced off. Ironically Russia, albeit on our side then, again mobilised its army first. This caused a chain reaction, back then mobilisation meant a declaration of war, after which all parties were compelled to fight and we know what happened next. Winston Churchill once said “the longer you can look back the further you can look forward”.

The 300,000 reserves Russia wants to mobilise are mostly heading for the Georgian border to dodge the draft. Again history repeats itself because in 1945, with Russia invading Germany, Hitler mobilised the “Volkssturm” who were old men and boys, for much the same reasons as with Russia, the front line German army had been severely degraded. I reckon some of the Russian reserves will be about my age and whilst I have driven a tank, my main military contribution was belonging to the RAF Sport Parachute Association, so not much use in modern warfare. I suspect neither will these unwilling reservists be.

The UK has no shortage of grain and is not likely to have until the New Year and that depends upon ongoing exports of malting barley, feed barley and

ELVED PHILLIPS Openfield

feed wheat. However, if you are lucky enough to have 13% protein milling wheat, you may make a £47 premium. This is because we have a mountain of hard wheat which is under 12% protein. Also, the replacement cost of German high protein milling wheat is around £375 delivered to mill. So, if you have that quality cash it in, sooner or later the miller will find a way to cheapen their grist!

Malting barley is an even more obvious sell. The World barley crop has been revised to 150 million tonnes, from 145 last year. This is based on record barley crops in the Northern hemisphere in Denmark, France, Germany, UK and Russia. Canada is now able to replenish its stocks and is exporting barley to China. Australian estimates are increasing all the time. Argentina will join in with large malting barley exports. EU and UK malting prices are too high for us to be able to compete for any third country malting barley exports. We have a barley surplus of one million tonnes, 750,000 tonnes of which is spring malting barley.

As the major UK exporter of malting barley Openfield has already started our shipping programme; but even we will have to go some to get through this surplus. Amazingly despite this there are still malting premiums of £30 over feed to be had for the New Year. Yet there is a real possibility that the malting premium will

disappear completely by then as brewers are not confident about maintaining beer sales in the current economic climate. UK maltsters are now covered for barley until January. They only want to buy January to June because of excellent harvested quality; this is the year where you can hold barley that long without much risk. Brewers are covered on malt up to June 2023. You cannot rely on feed barley rising in price to provide a floor for malting because the UK has to liquidate that surplus first.

So almost any grain you have in the barn, apart from oilseed, can still be sold at a price and with a yield you could never have budgeted for! It’s back to my “needy and greedy”. With recession looming and abundant supplies, you may find the end users are not so “needy” after all, that may leave the “greedy” drinking in the last chance saloon.

A final word on Russia. Months back I wrote that maybe President Putin’s “special military operation” was to acquire a big chunk of Ukraine’s wheat production, get the world price up 100 dollars a tonne, add that to Russia’s own record 100 million tonne harvest and just make a lot of money. Maybe that will be his only victory in the end as he is running out of options and friends.

China is now saying that it would support Kazakhstan’s independence if Russia made any moves to the East. Turkey has to side with Armenia in their conflict with Russian supported Azerbaijan. Also, the Turkish president does not agree with the proposed referendums in the Eastern Ukraine. As before, only a major escalation in the war could now affect the comfortable fundamentals we have in the UK. People talk about the nuclear option, but with the three to one superiority NATO has in those weapons that does not seem likely.

I didn’t want to do it and I’m still not sure about it, but last season I embarked on my first foray into ‘min-till’. It was 30 hectares of spring beans (because I didn’t think I could afford to buy nitrogen priced at £1,000 per tonne to grow a spring barley crop).

It went quite well. I hired a contractor to sow them with a Claydon drill so that all I had to do was cultivate the land with one pass of a power-harrow in advance of the drill and Cambridge roll behind it.

The resulting crop was remarkably successful; about five tonnes of beans to the hectare, which was considerably more beans than I’ve grown in the past using the plough. Weed control also went well, including the suppression of most, but not all, of the blackgrass.

Now comes the difficult decision about whether to stick with min-till for a following crop of winter wheat or revert to the plough? What makes the choice so nerve-wracking is that the field is infested with blackgrass.

Ploughing is likely to bring to the surface worrying quantities of dormant seeds that will grow the moment they see some daylight. But the min-till alternative runs a similar risk of a blackgrass problem as, although we used a herbicide targeted to kill it off, some plants survived and set seed in the bean crop. There may also be considerable quantities of dormant seeds in the top layer of soil that I risk waking up by moving the soil with min-tillage.

I’m particularly anxious about blackgrass because it’s the most terrible weed to have in a wheat crop as it competes for nutrients and sunshine right up to harvest. And, of course, the array of herbicides that I used to have at my disposal to kill the stuff has been heavily reduced over the years due to concerns about agri-chemical residues finding their way into the water courses and from there into drinking water.

So, what to do? Like any other decision, my instinct is always to vacillate, fret and postpone any decision right up to the last possible moment. So far I have power-harrowed the field in the hope of chitting as much surface blackgrass seed as possible.

Perversely, if this does succeed in chitting vast numbers of seedlings I will abandon min-till as I’ll worry that there are likely to be many more blackgrass seeds still on the surface likely to germinate. At least with the plough I know from experience that, although I might drag large numbers of viable seeds to the surface, they won’t be so numerous as to wipe out the crop. Maybe the battered and dented landsides, frogs and tailpieces of my trusty old Kverneland will shoulder aside the gleaming mounted tine seed drill of my contractor for at least one more season.

I’ve not made the decision yet, but, as I write this, I can almost hear the tut-tuts from true min-till disciples, horrified by my weak-kneed wavering and willingness to return to the plough at the first sign of difficulty.

To them, I say – on this farm, pragmatism has always triumphed over ideology.

ANITA HEAD Farmer

Tributes have poured in from across the country and indeed the world as the nation mourns the loss of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on 8 September 2022 after more than 70 years on the throne. The longest reigning monarch in British history. What a role model, a tremendous lady and an avid supporter of UK agriculture as well as many other rural organisations.

In an ever-changing world, Her Late Majesty The Queen was a constant. Her devotion and sense of duty should inspire us all. We should be forever grateful for all her hard work to promote agriculture along with other members of the royal family. A one-off bank holiday was declared for her state funeral, and we sat glued to the television. A funeral involving many of the Queen’s staff, including gamekeepers from Balmoral and, of course, some of the staff who cared for her beloved racehorses.

An amazing display of pageantry and patriotism. I am sure King Charles III will do an equally amazing job with his wife at his side. Change is always hard (for some the Queen was all we had ever known) and explaining to the children that the King’s head will now appear on coins and notes has been a frequent discussion in our house.

Indeed, changes in the government have become a frequent occurrence as of late and we find ourselves with a new prime minister. A few momentous decisions occurred within 24 hours of has being in power. One of them was a complete u-turn on fracking. Boris Johnson managed to put a moratorium on any further fracking and within

FOREVER GRATEFUL

24 hours Liz Truss has revoked this agreement and claims that extra gas supplies will be on stream within six to eight weeks. This is essential for the current situation that the world finds itself in; Greenpeace have claimed they will fight it in court so we hope that they are unsuccessful or that they can afford to pay all our gas bills.

The farm is changing shape and colour every day. Drilling is now underway and ploughing match season is upon us. The East Kent Ploughing match was, as ever, an enjoyable affair allowing us to catch up with friends and family on one of the few days a year that we all venture out together.

Ted is finally coming to terms with the fact that he must attend school and that creating havoc about going isn’t going to make the slightest difference. After having the most amazing summer, winter feels like its creeping up rather fast. October half term is only a couple of weeks away. The evenings are drawing in and the temperature has dropped. The combine, baler and other equipment have been put to bed for another year.

Having been ribbed for months about never going in the sea and living so close to the beach, I finally took the plunge and went swimming as the moon rose. A friend has been doing it for years

(rain and shine, winter, and summer) and it would appear that I am now an accomplished swimmer in the sea. What an amazing (if not, chilly) feeling. If you haven’t tried it, you must. Until next time, stay safe.

GRASSWEED CONTROL THIS AUTUMN

Burial, aerobic or anaerobic conditions, light and temperature stimulation all impact dormancy duration and break. Soil movement this spring followed by rapid drying could throw up some unexpected surprises this autumn, so be prepared to observe and react rather than assume the normal rule book will be followed.

Limited emergence this spring in dry conditions pre-May could leave seeds primed for rapid germination this autumn, so expect the unexpected. Black grass in particular has been so successful because it never follows the rules!

Overall control of grass weed plant numbers, where residuals where successfully applied, have been good this season. However, any open and slow growing crops this spring will see surviving

grass weeds produce multiple tillers so be vigilant in stubbles.

One of the key requirements for grass weed control is a reduction in seeds returned, so carefully assess the success of this and ensure that soil management decisions capitalise fully on any reduction in seed return. For any grass weed, one of the most successful routes to control is to leave seed on the surface for as long as possible. For some bromes this is vital to prevent dormancy being induced, but in all cases the seed is open to predation, degradation and loss of viability.

Ten years ago discussion around grassweeds inevitably meant black grass with wild oats for some and even fewer with a persistent brome issue. Ryegrass rarely made the headlines.

However, times are changing. Spring cereals have been used to combat the black grass issues and this is allowing spring emerging wild oats to become prevalent again.

Shallower tillage regimes, again focussed on black grass control, can be equally effective on autumn emerging ryegrass populations or on barren brome, but can allow a proliferation of soft, rye and meadow brome, later emerging ryegrass and increasingly spring emerging black grass.

Be prepared to mix it up a bit regarding cultivation timing, type and depth, never allowing grassweeds to become comfortable with our approaches to control.

MANAGING RYEGRASS

Ryegrass responds to nitrogen, so it is right at home in your cereal field. There are two types – Italian Ryegrass (Lolium Multiflorum) and Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne). Both are highly aggressive by nature, five plants per m2 will equate to a 5% yield loss.

Ryegrass is very adept at conferring resistance mechanisms very quickly to a wide range of active ingredients.

NIAB and Bayer along with agronomists around the country have conducted the biggest UK resistance survey. When many of these samples were tested, the pot trials showed that ALS chemistry and residual chemistry was still working well – infield effects have a large influence on the efficacy levels – from timings to soil moisture and application techniques, they all have an impact on the levels of control achieved.

There is no “silver bullet shot, and all is well” approach with Ryegrass – it

takes all the above mentioned practices to give you the overall opportunity to achieve the control you need.

CONTROLLING RYEGRASS

1. Keep headlands tidy – sterile strip around the outside of the field stops the combine from spreading it

2. Delay drilling – this helps but is less effective than seen in black grass – later drilling will reduce plant numbers however the seed return is not reduced at the same levels

3. Spring competition – spring barley and hybrid barleys are extremely useful in helping combat this weed

4. Cultivations – non-inversion deep tillage adds greatly to the proliferation of ryegrass – so that combined with winter crop rotations can lead to devastating problems

5. Cultivations – full inversion can help. It must however, be done well and not just mixed through the profile – that makes it no better than deep non-inversion

6. Rogueing and spraying off – as for all grass weeds, if it is a large patch take it out and stop the seed return

7. Crop rotations – pulse crops – oil seed crops, where you can get at the weed with graminicides to reduce the seed return

8. Chemical options - we have options – newly approved Cinmethylin (Luximo) is not a silver bullet, but it does offer a significant improvement in control – it should be your go to option alongside your cultural measures – addition of triallate will also help control and is a good resistant management strategy

9. Aclonifen – in trials, aclonifen has given very good levels of control in combination with flufenacet, even in a resistant situation – again the addition of triallate helps greatly.

James Short, Hutchinsons regional director in the south east, gives his views on optimising grassweed control this autumn.

KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN DIVERSIFYING

Philip Whitcomb, partner at law firm Moore Barlow, shares his top tips for farmers planning to diversify their land.

A shift has emerged in the agricultural market in recent years whereby diversification has become a popular tool to unlock additional revenue streams and help futureproof the success of the farm.

We’ve seen farms open private fishing lakes, maximise under-used resources by renovating old barns into holiday lets and wedding venues and even repurpose open space for commercial woodland.

While a new venture might sound exciting, there are important considerations to make when it comes to the farm’s future that can have a significant impact on the next generation.

INHERITANCE TAX IMPLICATIONS

While diversification projects may lead to increased income, future tax planning implications must be taken into consideration.

Many farms benefit from Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR), which can reduce or eliminate Inheritance Tax (IHT). To secure APR, the land or buildings must be occupied for agricultural purposes and, in the case of BPR, they must be used for trading rather than investment purposes.

One of the most common methods of diversification is to make use of property for holiday letting, an area that has seen rapid growth since the pandemic. Holiday lets are a quick way to make money from surplus buildings which can be easily converted and put on the market.

However, holiday lets can be problematic when it comes to IHT reliefs as they may be viewed as an investment and therefore would not qualify for BPR or indeed APR, resulting in the 100% tax relief no longer being available. Careful planning prior to commencement may assist in preserving the reliefs available and mitigating the potentially large IHT bill.

Making changes to create other revenue streams can alter eligibility and can potentially result in more tax being accounted for upon death.

SUCCESSION PLANNING

Diversification can play a big part in planning for the farm’s future ownership and help support the smooth transition to the next generation. Having a succession plan in place that clearly states how you wish the farm to be run on a day-to-day basis in the future can help to ensure the business you have worked so hard for continues to thrive.

Giving away aspects of the farm to the next generation, either outright or by way of a trust, can be another way to navigate through any inheritance tax pitfalls. This would increase the estate value for the younger generation rather than the senior and allow them to benefit from the profits now. They are likely to have the energy and enthusiasm to run a project on the farm and gain valuable experience of business management.

When deciding whether or not to diversify, it’s vital to think about the bigger picture. Having plans in place for all elements of diversification and the business will help ensure that what can sometimes be quite a challenging process runs more smoothly.

FUNDAMENTAL PART OF EVENTS CALENDAR

As the weather cools and the evenings draw a little closer, it marks the start of Kent’s annual ploughing matches. As a firm, Brachers has been part of the agricultural sector for over 125 years and the ploughing matches are a fundamental part of our events calendar.

From the first ploughing match in 1946, held immediately after World War II to raise money for the British Red Cross, the matches have stayed true to their origins with charity at their core; every year the associations continue to contribute to a range of great local and national causes.

Ploughing matches today are vibrant and lively events, supported by the local agricultural and associated trades. This year’s Weald and East Kent ploughing matches featured more than 80 trade stands alongside the ploughing competitions, clay pigeon shoots, gymkhanas and local farmers’ markets.

Brachers takes pride in its heritage and in the long-term support it has given to farmers and landowners since it was founded in 1895. The ploughing matches provide an excellent opportunity for us to catch up with families and clients we have worked with for generations, as well as reinforcing our other agricultural relationships.

We know that those within the sector face many complexities and considerations throughout the

season, from the latest political challenges and energy prices to longer-term issues such as carbon exchange and inheritance tax. The matches provide us with an opportunity to discuss issues many of our clients are facing together with the new opportunities opening up to them.

Alongside our legal support, we are also committed to supporting community and charity initiatives. In 1967, Brachers worked alongside local farmers to set up the Kent Farmers’ Benevolent Fund, a charity created to provide financial assistance to farmers and their families when in need.

The board of trustees is made up of local farmers

covering all areas of Kent. The trust works closely with the NFU, supporting it with regular donations, but also welcomes direct applications from farmers and their families who are in need. The fund has assisted many, from helping to install a heating system for an elderly retired farmer to financial assistance for a farmer injured on the farm who needed to employ temporary help. We continue to support this charity, giving our services for free.

Brachers has been dedicated to supporting the farming community for over a century and is thrilled to be continuing our sponsorship of the ploughing matches again this year. We are pleased to announce that we will be sharing our marquee this year with Kent County Agricultural Society – a charity strong in its support for the promotion of agriculture, forestry, horticulture, allied industries, rural crafts and the breeding of livestock. Please do come along and start a conversation with us.

Turning

Planning & development experts who will assist you in unlocking the potential of your land. Contact our Chartered Surveyors & Town Planners Telephone

EXCITING WEALDEN FARM DEVELOPMENT SITE

BTF Partnership has launched for sale an exciting self-build project in central rural Kent at Tilsden Farm, Cranbook. The farm has planning permission to develop three new contemporary homes from existing buildings and is for sale with land extending to 167.28 acres. The farm is available in three lots or as a whole, with a guide price in excess of £3,000,000.

Lot 1 consists of farm buildings in the north yard and has full planning permission to convert the former grain store into a four-bedroom dwelling with conversion of the stable block to a home office, gym, games room and garden store. In the south

yard there is a more extensive range of buildings and full planning permission has been granted to demolish all but the former oast house, with consent to convert these buildings into a single, sevenbedroom dwelling. Finally, there is consent for the erection of a new, detached four-bedroom dwelling. The land in Lot 1 comprises 22.46 acres of grass and arable land with a Christmas tree plantation and 9.2 acres of woodland. Guide price £1,825,000.

Lot 2 is a ring-fenced parcel of arable land with road frontage and woodland extending to 113.69 acres which comprises six main field parcels. The land is divided by a 9.63 acre parcel of wood. Guide price £1,000,000.

Lot 3 consists of an 18.08 acre parcel of Grade III arable land and woodland with a guide price of £175,000.

Richard Thomas, director at BTF Partnership, commented: “This is, in my opinion, one of the most exciting self-build projects that has come onto the market in this part of Kent for a good number of years. There is fantastic scope to build three large, contemporary and unique homes in a stunning rural setting. This will certainly attract significant interest from a range of prospective buyers given the proximity to Cranbrook which is 0.5 miles away. The new homes will be in the popular Cranbrook School catchment area.”

Further details can be found at www.btfpartnership.co.uki

Several blocks of land with significant potential for viticulture use in Kent have come to the market through Savills. The land extends to about 242 acres in total and lies in the Medway valley around the village of Burham in Kent.

The soils are predominantly chalk based and on south west facing slopes. The land is currently in arable use but is considered to have significant potential for the planting of vines. It is available as a whole or in lots.

Chris Spofforth, who heads up Savills viticulture team, said: “This is an excellent opportunity to acquire a sizeable block of land for planting within a recognised area of established and award-winning vineyards. It is likely to be of interest to existing commercial operators and new entrants to the sector who have been waiting for just the right land to become available, which is rare.”

The Medway valley land at Burham is being marketed by Savills for a guide price of £3,632,500.

AND FARMS

A level block of agricultural land, currently in arable production with long road frontage, in a lovely unspoilt rural location is on the market with Batcheller Monkhouse. It extends in all to approximately 30.36 acres (12.29 hectares).

The land is found in a beautiful unspoilt rural backwater with long frontage to a country land and two existing gateways.

It currently comprises a single arable field growing a crop of maize with two small woodland rews in the south east corner.

Whilst the land is currently in agricultural production, it does have potential for horse grazing and the vendor would reseed to grass if required by a purchaser.

Near Balcombe,West Sussex

block of

STORAGE

Watsons of Heathfield are pleased to have been instructed to market High House Farm, located between Ninfield and Bexhill with access to the A259 coastal road and the A21 London to Hastings road, about two miles and six miles, respectively. Bexhill Railway Station is two miles.

This former small dairy farm comprises a three bedroom, two reception room farmhouse (subject to an Agricultural Occupancy Condition) for modernisation/ refurbishment and three serviceable concrete framed farm buildings;- cow shed incorporating milking stalls, dairy area and storage room, covered yard/ livestock building and a hay barn. In addition to these, on the eastern side of the farmyard is an unclad concrete barn frame. It is possible that the buildings may have some development potential, subject to obtaining the required planning consent. The land lies to the south west of the farm buildings and is principally pasture with areas of scrub and a small woodland of about one and a half acres on the western boundary, bordering St Mary’s Lane. In total, the property extends to about 40 acres (16.2 Ha).

Another interesting instruction is the sale of a builders storage yard located just to the north of Heathfield. The area extends to about 0.8 acres (0.3 Ha), has lane access, adjoins the A267 Eastbourne road and has a certificate of lawfulness for use as a storage yard for building materials, plant and equipment. There are a number of small buildings/sheds on the site in various states of repair. Storage yards are, due to the limited supply, a much sought-after commodity and offer the opportunity for a variety of uses, subject to the grant of planning permission.

woodland

Horley

RARE OPPORTUNITY FOR GRASS FARM

A majestic farm in the Surrey Hills extending to approximately 255 acres (103.17 hectares) is on the market with the agricultural Agents White & Sons. The farm is available as a whole or in six lots.

Frith Park Farm is located at Walton-on-the-Hill and includes a detached Grade II Listed, 4 bedroom farmhouse, together with a small range of commercial units and modern agricultural barn, currently used for free range egg production and storage. The farmland is mainly down to grass with extensive areas of woodland ranging from larger blocks containing commercial softwood, to smaller shelter belts extending to approximately 110 acres in total.

The farmhouse (Lot 1) comprises a large kitchen, two reception rooms, separate office, cloakroom and external store and utilities. To the first floor are four bedrooms, one with an en-suite bathroom, and a further family bathroom. Externally, there is a good sized garden surrounding the farmhouse including a reasonable sized paddock suitable for grazing totalling approximately 1.8 acres.

Adjacent to the farmhouse is the commercial units (Lot 2) with amenity area having an established tenant in place and currently producing a passing rent of approximately £25,250 per annum. These units are attractive former farm buildings converted to offices with approximately 0.86 acres of amenity land

and yard. Details of the commercial tenancies are available upon request. There are a further four Lots of farmland including:

• Lot 3 which comprises 6.4 acres of grazing with three timber loose boxes, providing excellent equestrian opportunities.

• A further 157 acres of agricultural land including woodland together with a modern farm building make up Lot 4. The farm building with mezzanine floor, currently houses a licenced free range egg packing station and further storage but has flexible uses and extends in total to 600 sq m (including mezzanine floor).

• Lot 5, located to the north of the M25, is approximately 74.74 acres of grazing and woodland. Within the larger areas of woodland there are four automated free-range chicken sheds currently capable of housing 2,400 hens.

• Finally, Lot 6 is an appealing block of grazing land with mature woodland extending to 14.46 acres with road frontage. The farmland is predominately Grade III and down to pasture. The soil is described as freely draining, slightly acidic and loamy.

Frith Park Farm is being guided at £5,165,000 as a whole.

We’re not just accountants…

MHA’s agricultural, food and farming expertise is rooted in a wide-ranging client list that spans family farms across livestock, dairy, arable and fresh produce, through to large commercial organisations in agri-business.

Both the Head of Agriculture (Sarah Dodds), and Head of Renewables (Rachel Nutt) own and live on working farms, with several others within the team also having working experience of, or a background in, agriculture, food and farming. This forms the close connection with clients MHA is known for, giving them confidence in the practical advice and meaningful solutions provided.

MHA is the UK member of Baker Tilly International which gives the firm access to 36,400 professionals in more than 146 territories worldwide. Meaning we have the global reach to translate clients international ambitions into new markets.

Our agricultural clients are spread out all over the country, and primarily serviced out of 2 of the 17 offices which act as agricultural hubs of expertise, one in the South East and the other in the East Midlands.

The firm also has a plethora of experience in many related sectors, particularly with manufacturers and providers of agri-chemicals and plant machinery as well as leisure, tourism and property.

We actively champion sector issues that matter and strive to make a difference through effective commercial support and lobbying, and also set up the Rural Policy Group as a conduit to make this happen.

As a firm of chartered accountants, tax and business advisers, MHA works in partnership with clients to navigate the ever-changing business world and proactively identifying the opportunities that tomorrow presents. We take the time to create great relationships with clients to become not just their trusted advisers, but valued partners that face the future together.

We are passionate about helping agricultural, food and farming businesses succeed and making their ambitions a reality.

Please visit our website to learn more about us and read about our experts. macintyrehudson.co.uk

Sarah Dodds

Partner sarah.dodds@mhllp.co.uk

Mark Lumsdon-Taylor

Partner

mark.lumsdontaylor@mhllp.co.uk

Rachel Nutt Partner

rachel.nutt@mhllp.co.uk

Joe Spencer Partner

joe.spencer@mhllp.co.uk

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE PLANNING SYSTEM?

Earlier this year I wrote an article entitled: The Levelling up and Regeneration Bill – Boris Johnson's legacy or political epitaph? In the interim period, partygate and various other scandals meant Mr Johnson had exhausted his political capital with his fellow Conservative MPs, and so his short-lived period in office ended before the Bill had any meaningful progression through the House of Commons.

Boris Johnson famously rolled out another of his three-word slogans early in his term in office, being “Build, Build, Build”. The former prime minister promised to bring forward substantial reform of the planning system in England. The foreword he wrote for the planning white paper in August 2020 now makes for interesting reading:

“Thanks to our planning system, we have nowhere near enough homes in the right places. People cannot afford to move to where their talents can be matched with opportunity. Businesses cannot afford to grow and create jobs. The whole thing is beginning to crumble and the time has come to do what too many have for too long lacked the courage to do – tear it down and start again. That is what this paper proposes. Radical reform unlike anything we have seen since the Second World War.

“Not more fiddling around the edges, not simply painting over the damp patches, but levelling the foundations and building, from the ground up, a whole new planning system for England.”

Why is it interesting reading? Mainly due to the fact that despite the typically bullish language used, less than six months later those reforms were dead. They were sunk by a group of Conservative MPs (drawn together via a WhatsApp group) who railed against the supposed liberalisation of planning laws and a perceived loss of control over planning in local areas by local authorities.

Fast forward to the present day and Liz Truss was making equally bullish statements in the leadership contest about the “broken housing market” and how to fix the planning system. Amongst many different quotes, the standout ones appear to be “I will abolish the Stalinist housing targets that local authorities have to deliver” and “I will remove Brussels red tape, such as nutrient neutrality, which will free up thousands of new homes”’.

Not surprisingly, we have of course heard all of this before, and these quotes are designed to play to the core sentiments of the Conservative Party membership. When you consider that the average age and demographic profile of the membership

is remarkably similar to those individuals who are most vocal against housebuilding in their back yard, it is hardly surprising that the rhetoric had to be ramped up by both candidates. The only candidate to actively promote the fact that new housing is essential to the health of the economy was Sajid Javid, who was subsequently ejected from the race by the parliamentary party.

So where does this leave planning reform and in particular the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill, especially as Michael Gove will not be back in front line politics anytime soon?

The short answer is no one knows.

What we can expect over the next few years is more uncertainty within the planning system, making an existing complex and bureaucratic system even more cumbersome.

Should your land have development potential this could mean more time, expense and uncertainty as you try and navigate your way through the system. Whatever you do, make sure you are well advised along the way, as the next few years are going to be some of the most tumultuous the planning system has ever seen – and that is saying something.

TOPPICK

details are available

FINE WOODLAND

RH & RW Clutton have been instructed to offer 30 acres of woodland near Balcombe in West Sussex. Comprising a fine block of broadleaf woodland which offers future commercial opportunities, it forms part of a larger block and lies in a totally unspoilt location, yet readily accessible.

Previously in a Sweet Chestnut coppicing programme, there is a wide range of other broadleaves including veteran Oaks, Silver Birch and Hazel coppice giving the area a special character. There is a good double gated access off the

adjoining lane which opens to an extensive timber yard with a hard surface. Various rides provide good access.

The woodland is in a Countryside Stewardship Agreement and under a Woodland Management Plan. The Sporting Rights are in-hand and are included with the sale. There are no public footpaths or other rights of way through the woodland.

A guide price of £300,000 has been quoted.

HEVER | KENT

BTF Partnership has launched for sale the Oast Farm development site at Hever, near Edenbridge, Kent. With planning consent to develop six new dwellings from five existing buildings in a rural setting on a plot measuring 2.13 acres and which has a guide price of £1,500,000.

Oast Farm is situated to the south east of Edenbridge, close to the village of Hever and within walking distance of Hever Station (with trains to London Bridge in 49 minutes). It is also close to the historic Hever Castle.

The site has been designed to meet the demands of the modern individual, with spacious contemporary design and sustainability principles in mind. The

GRAZING FOR EWES AND LAMBS

development incorporates the use of PV solar panels, solar hot water panels, sun pipes and roof lights, rainwater harvesting for the WCs, high levels of insulation, DEFRA-approved wood burning stoves, electric vehicle charging points and bicycle stores.

The new dwellings are summarised as follows:

• Plot 1 – a four-bedroom detached barn with southerly views extending to 450m².

• Plot 2 – a semi-detached three-bedroom dwelling extending to 347m².

• Plot 3 – a semi-detached three-bedroom dwelling extending to 347m².

• Plot 4 – a detached single storey two-bedroom dwelling extending to 175m².

• Plot 5 – a semi-detached three-bedroom dwelling extending to 360m².

• Plot 6 – a semi-detached three-bedroom dwelling extending to 360m².

Richard Thomas, director at BTF Partnership, commented: “This is a well-designed and located farmyard development site in a sought after rural location. It brings together the best of both worlds – modern and comfortable rural living but a short distance from good road and rail links to central London and beyond.”

WE ARE HIRING!

URGENTLY REQUIRED: QUALIFIED MOBILE PLANT FITTER

To repair, service and maintain

and heavy plant

TO APPLY: Call 01622 938220

Experienced machine operator/ forestry operator

Modern mechanised Forestry/Arb business based located near Cranleigh, Surrey, working in the South East (Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Kent).

We are looking to recruit an experienced machinery operator with an agricultural/ forestry background. Applicants must have experience of operating tractors / excavators /forestry machines / whole tree chippers.

Applicant must be competent in operating machinery and keen to work hard and develop their skills. Driving license essential and experience in the use of a chainsaws beneficial but not essential. Would suit agricultural/ machine/ forestry operator. Opportunity to work full time hours at a competitive rate.

Contact Ben Nicholson Trees on 07719 026998

info@bennicholsontrees.com

HERDSPERSON

Herdsperson wanted to assist Farm Manager and join a small team with the day-to-day running of 100+ cow, spring/autumn calved unit, based near Maidstone, Kent.

The ideal candidate will have a good mix of tractor skills, stockmanship and practical ability ensuring that the highest standards of health and welfare are maintained across the entire herd. The role requires two weekend shifts per month.

Single person accommodation available together with a competitive rate of pay.

TO APPLY: Call Richard Gallagher on 07900

FARM

West Sussex (4)

in a kitchen (4)

the meantime (7)

tree from which comes conkers (5,8)

Cover with spots (7)

put flavour into food (6)

upper part of a room (7)

Beverage (4)

with repetitive song (4,6)

Knowledge that shows expert capability (9)

Remain (4)

to a vehicle (5)

Instrument played with the mouth (5)

Large room used for gatherings (4)

illness that is long standing and persistent (7)

Abyss (5)

brass instrument with three valves (7)

Upper limbs (4)

Exaggerated statements (9)

Instruction to a dog (3)

Freshwater duck (4)

Involuntary muscle movement (3)

Make musical sound with voice (5)

Number (3)

Spirit (6)

Consumed (5)

London theatre (5)

Metal alloy (5)

your replies with

and phone number

name,

entries will be entered into a

which will take place on

October.

winner will be

answer:

harrow

LAST MONTH’S WINNER: