South East Farmer December 2021 by KELSEY Media

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December 2021

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www.southeastfarmer.net SOUTH EAST FARMER Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL 01959 541444 EDITORIAL Editor: Malcolm Triggs Email: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk Photography: Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic PUBLISHER Jamie McGrorty 01303 233883 jamie.mcgrorty@kelsey.co.uk

DEC EMB ER 2021

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CONTENTS

Kelsey Media 2020 © 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.

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NEWS & REPORTS

Alarm at trade deal. Too little too late. National debut for Kent ploughman.

REGULARS

MONICA AKEHURST

Monica might ask for a pay rise when it comes to cleaning out the chicken house.

NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS...

Nigel meets Stuart Fletcher of Fletcher's Flock to find out what it takes to be a firstgeneration sheep farmer in the High Weald.

NICK ADAMES

38 46

SARAH CALCUTT ADVICE FROM THE VET

ALAN WEST

DEFRA don't really care.

Data – too much and not enough?

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OP IN IO N

Too big? Surely not

It is surely a given in every other industry that winning a prize signifies success, both in commercial as well as professional terms. It would be unthinkable for an Oscar winner to find him or her self searching around for their next starring role, or a Booker Prize winner unable to find a publisher willing to take their next work. In less glamorous industries, too, award winners – and we seem to be knee-deep in award ceremonies these days – are usually at the top of their game. Winning an industry prize goes hand in hand with business success and usually guarantees more of the same. But this is not the case with fruit, it seems. One of the winners at this year’s National Fruit Show – and let’s not be humble about this; it may be on our doorstep here in Kent, but this is the NATIONAL fruit show, the Academy Awards of the growing world – is giving up. RD Applegrowers, twice winner of the Britain’s Tastiest Apple award and recipient of a wheelbarrow load of prizes at this year’s show, is calling it quits because they simply can’t compete with the industry as it is. They aren’t big enough to benefit from the economies of scale from which the county’s ‘successful’ growers benefit. With my rational, sensible hat on, it’s clear that growers live in the real, commercial world and must adapt to modern pressures, but it is still sad that we will no longer be able to enjoy fruit that was once the tastiest in the land because of the way things work. It’s easy to blame the supermarkets, but they will respond that they are just doing what consumers want – although they’ve never asked me, so quite which consumers told them they only wanted apples that looked identical and didn’t vary in size by more than a couple of millimetres I’m not sure. Yes, we’d like them fresh, tasty and maggot-free, but beyond that we surely aren’t that fussy, are we? We had another example of supermarket nonsense at home this week. Readers of last month’s comment will recall that we have signed up to Oddbox and its fortnightly surprise package of fruit and veg rescued from rejection. This week’s box featured a superb Lincolnshire cauli that was “too big” – whoever heard of such a thing? – and red peppers that were apparently “too odd” but just looked like, well, red peppers. We must stop this madness. Talking of madness, I commend to you all the final paragraph of Stephen Carr’s excellent column in this month’s edition. After admitting he doesn’t know whether farming’s current problems are caused by the pandemic, Brexit or a combination of the two, he quotes a friend: “When you can’t distinguish between the impact on farms of a global pandemic and something farmers voted for, they probably shouldn’t have voted for it.” Priceless.

MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR

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

FIZZ IN AUTUMN

BUDGET

The Chancellor added some welcome fizz to the autumn budget with news that the rate of duty on sparkling wine is to be reduced, although not until February 2023. Rishi Sunak said he would “end the irrational duty premium of 28% currently levied on sparkling wines”, something that is likely to be welcomed by the growing number of winemakers now taking advantage of the South East’s increasingly favourable climate for growing grapes. Analyst Nick Watson, of Strutt & Parker’s viticulture group, said the reduction was “a further vote of confidence in the English and Welsh wine sector”, adding: “While he could have gone further by offering a lower rate of duty on UK-produced wine, his planned changes will go some way towards encouraging consumers to choose UK wine, as imported wines are often of higher alcohol content and so will pay more duty.” Commentators looking at the budget’s impact on farmers and landowners also welcomed the announcement that the £1m Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) is to continue through to March 2023. Martyn Dobinson, a partner with Saffery Champness and a member of the firm’s Landed Estates and Rural Business Group, commented: “The AIA allows a full deduction for the first £1m of qualifying capital expenditure from taxable profits. Writing down allowances are then claimed on any expenditure above this limit. This is in addition to the super-deduction for companies, introduced in March, which also runs to 31 March 2023.” Mr Dobinson also expected the UK rural sector to benefit from planned spending on research and development (R&D) of £20 billion by 2024-25, with an announcement that tax relief for qualifying R&D will be restricted to UK activity. “I would hope that a portion of this funding will filter down to research and development, innovation and new thinking in the agri-tech sector,” he said. “There will also be benefit for diversified farm businesses with leisure sector income streams – accommodation, restaurants and cafes and visitor attractions – with the announcement that these should benefit from a 50% discount in business rates in England, up to a maximum of £110,000. This is in addition to a 12-month holiday on increased rates for businesses investing in their properties.” Jonathan Armitage, Head of Farming for Strutt & Parker, also welcomed the extension of the AIA, describing it as “good news for farming businesses, given they are currently facing a number of difficult challenges – including rising input costs, labour shortages and significant changes in agricultural and environmental policy. “The ability to claim 100% tax relief on qualifying plant and machinery does at least help to support investment, which is likely to be required as part of a strategy to develop robust, sustainable businesses for the future.” Mr Armitage added: “It is the absence of any immediately obvious bad news for the rural sector that probably looks to be the biggest win. It's possible, though, that this could change over the coming days as further details emerge from the small print.” While joining the welcome for the AIA extension, which she said would “help support critical investment in British farming businesses”, NFU President Minette Batters said that the country needed “a longer-term roadmap for capital allowances from 2023, one which incentivises all forms of capital investment including infrastructure”. She added: “It was disappointing not to hear anything from the Chancellor on government plans to develop its export strategy to help UK farmers grow their markets overseas, including funding for dedicated agricultural counsellors, or any details on overhauling government procurement practices to increase the provision of fresh and nutritious British food in our schools, hospitals and other public sites.”

NEWS

Farming bodies have reacted with alarm to news of another trade deal that will allow increasing lamb and beef imports into the UK. Both the National Sheep Association (NSA) and the NFU expressed their concerns at news of a trade deal with New Zealand that has followed hard on the heels of a similar agreement with Australia. Both are worried about the impact that the ‘agreement in principle’ could have on farmers in the South East, with the NSA claiming that it “risks undermining UK sheep farming and the standards that the country’s hard-working shepherds adhere to”. International trade expert and occasional South East Farmer correspondent Wyn Grant, though, said that the deal with New Zealand, concluded after 16 months of negotiations, “has more political than economic significance, showing that the UK can negotiate post-Brexit trade deals quickly”. He said the Government – which singularly failed to mention the impact on agriculture when it released the news – hoped the New Zealand agreement would pave the way for the UK to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). “The deal envisages that tariff-free sheepmeat quotas will grow by 35,000 tonnes per year (t/y) for the first four years, on top of the country’s existing 114,000t WTO quota, and then by 50,000t/y from years five to 15,” said Wyn. “This will give New Zealand a combined tariff-free access of up to 149,000t of sheepmeat in year one, rising to 164,000t in years five to 15 – quantities the country has failed to fulfil in recent times. “For beef, New Zealand currently has just 545t/y of duty-free access to the UK, but the planned deal will see this increase steadily to 38,820 tonnes by year 10 and 60,000t by year 15.” He played down the fears expressed by the NSA that in just over a decade the two new trade

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ALARM AT

TRADE DEAL

partners would have access to the UK’s entire volume of lamb consumption, pointing out: “Asian markets are a priority for Australia and New Zealand as they are closer and more profitable.” NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker, though, argued that the deal was another damaging blow to domestic sheep farming. “Although the Government has long made its intentions clear over trade liberalisation, the one thing they have promised us is protection of the high standards of production, environmental protection and animal welfare that British farmers adhere to. But here, in the agreement in principle, in black and white, the get out clause is clear for all to see – recognition that New Zealand and the UK’s farming systems are different but provide comparable outcomes.” He added: “The worry continues that government is content to wind down livestock farming in the UK, to fulfil climate commitments and grand images of high standards – and then scour the world to feed our nation from sources that are out of sight. To me this shows our future can only be in our hands – it is down to us to promote British lamb and mutton to our domestic market, a market that currently takes over 65% of our production, in a way that works for us.” NFU President Minette Batters said the announcement, coupled with the earlier Australia

deal, “means we will be opening our doors to significant extra volumes of imported food whether or not produced to our own high standards – while securing almost nothing in return for UK farmers. We should all be worried that there could be a huge downside to these deals, especially for sectors such as dairy, red meat and horticulture. “The Government is now asking British farmers to go toe-to-toe with some of the most export-orientated farmers in the world, without the serious, long-term and properly funded investment in UK agriculture that can enable us to do so. “Instead of repeating the refrain that these deals will be good for British agriculture, our Government now needs to explain how these deals will tangibly benefit UK farming, the future of food production and the high standards that go along with it on these shores.” In reality, the Government failed to repeat the refrain, stressing instead that the agreement would “cut red tape for businesses, end tariffs on UK exports and create new opportunities for tech and services companies, while making it easier for UK professionals to live and work in New Zealand”. Meat failed to get a mention in a statement that instead focused on clothing and footwear, buses, ships, bulldozers and excavators, along with Sauvignon Blanc, Manuka honey and kiwi fruit.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

NEWS > Charles Tassell

ACCESS TO FARMLAND A FUTURE CHALLENGE New Chairman of the Kent branch of the CLA Charles Tassell believes food security, climate change and public access to the countryside will dominate the rural agenda over the next few years. Charles farms in Ulcombe, overlooking Headcorn and the Weald of Kent. He is also Director of the Kent County Agricultural Society, Kent Chair of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), Vice Chair of the Kent Wildlife Trust and Chair of East Kent LEADER. Responding to the increasing numbers of visitors to the county’s rural areas since Covid-19 struck,

Charles commented: “I see access to farmland being a massive challenge, alongside the part we as landowners and managers will increasingly play in the problems of food security, climate change and biodiversity loss, which will take up an increasing amount of time for the CLA in Kent and nationally. “I’d like to thank outgoing chairman Gary Walters for his endless CLA work over the past few years, a great achievement alongside his successful expanding business interests at Highland Court Farm near Canterbury. He has calmly guided the Kent branch of the CLA through the various trials and tribulations, not least the pandemic.”

working days and a private storage aid scheme to allow slaughtered pigs to be preserved and stored for three to six months before being processed later. Overseas butchers will be allowed to travel and work in the UK for six months, which Flavian, an immigrant himself, said was part of the problem. “People want to come over to this country for a secure job; it’s not fair to expect them to leave their family and move over here just for a few months and then return home,” he said. “I moved here from Kenya 15 years ago. If I had a family, there’s no way I’d have left my country

for six months to get other people out of a hole knowing that at the end of six months they would be waving me goodbye. “What we need is to recognise that butchery is a skilled job and introduce a work permit system so that people can work for a year and then apply for a longer-term permit.” The Plumpton set-up has 130 breed to finish sow units, with the pigs sent to an abattoir in Essex. “We’ve been luckier than most,” Flavian said. “We’ve had some reduced numbers and some push back but generally we’ve been OK. The private storage initiative should help, but we do need more butchers. “I think the Government’s response is too little too late, but we shouldn’t be too ungrateful,” he added. “At least they have done something, but it’s a shame they have been reactive rather than proactive. People are paid serious money to think about solutions to these kinds of problems and they should have foreseen this crisis and made plans much earlier.” There was further support for the industry with the two meat levy bodies – the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and Quality Meat Scotland – suspending payments paid by farmers and producers for November 2021, a move which is expected to save the sector close to £1 million. DEFRA has said temporary visas are “not a long term solution” and that it expects businesses to invest in the UK domestic workforce in order to create a high-wage, high-skill economy that does not rely on overseas labour.

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE Last-minute support to help struggling pig farmers has been criticised as “too little too late” by Flavian Obiero, pig unit manager at Plumpton College in East Sussex. In response to the crisis that has seen a huge backlog of pigs on farm, in part because abattoirs have been unable to recruit enough workers to process them, the Government has said up to 800 pork butchers will be allowed to apply for visas from the existing allocation in the seasonal workers pilot scheme. Other measures include working with industry to introduce processing on Saturdays and longer

> Flavian Obiero

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

NEWS Photo: Cam Harle Photography

DEVASTATION OF FMD BROUGHT TO THE STAGE

An award-winning play centred on the impact of foot-and-mouth disease, which brought such devastation to the farming community 20 years ago, is currently touring South and East England. Bobby & Amy, which enjoyed a Fringe First sell-out run at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival, is described as “an award winning coming-of-age story about friendship, heartache and the repercussions of foot-and-mouth disease”. The play, which has been featured on the BBC’s Farming Today programme and is likely to find a powerful resonance with farmers across the South East, began a 17-venue tour in November, with shows in Oxford, Reading, Colchester, Farnham, Tonbridge and a number of other venues across the region. Written and directed by double Fringe First winner Emily Jenkins, the play marks the 20th anniversary of the outbreak of the disease, discovered at an Essex abattoir before quickly spreading across the UK, leading to more than six million cows and sheep being killed in an eventually successful attempt to halt the disease. The play is said to “celebrate the power of community in times of unprecedented adversity”, and has relevance to the current Covid-19 pandemic as it reflects on the worst crisis to hit farmers and the agricultural industry for decades. Having grown up in the countryside, writer Emily Jenkins has strong memories of the horrors of foot-and-mouth disease. She commented: “The day the cows started burning, many communities were changed forever, but as a Gloucestershire-raised writer and director, it struck me that nothing in the theatre I’d seen – or anything, really – was talking about an event that deeply affected the childhood of so many of us, or about the continuing erosion of a way of life centuries in the making.

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"So that’s why I wrote Bobby & Amy – to talk about what has happened to towns in the area I grew up in and others like it.” She added: “Bobby & Amy speaks to the present as Britain is once again struck by sudden shut down, isolation, economic decline and a dynamic shift in the way we live and interact with our environment. “But this story is more than that, it’s a celebration of community, nature, agriculture, and the importance of finding your voice and fighting for what you believe in, however hopeless things seem. Bobby & Amy is a story for right now that many will connect to, whether they remember foot-and-mouth or not”.

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NEWS

SUCCESS FOR SOUTH EAST

YOUNG HANDLERS Young handlers from the South East took on the best in the country as the All Breeds All Britain Calf Show returned to the East of England Showground to showcase expert young handlers and pedigree dairy calves from across the UK. The show, organised by Holstein UK under the Holstein Young Breeders banner, saw over 260 calves and 140 young handlers come together for

the annual event which represents the Ayrshire, British Friesian, Brown Swiss, Dairy Shorthorn, Guernsey, Holstein and Jersey breeds. The South East Team of Alfie Dyer (Dartford, Kent), Kayleigh Gosling (Borden, Kent), Robyn Moody (Ingatestone, Essex), Charlotte Hamlyn (Sevenoaks Weald, Kent), Holly Dyer (Dartford, Kent) and Georgina Moody (Ingatestone, Essex)

were named Reserve Champions in the Tidy Lines competition. Individual placings went to Alfie Dyer, who was placed sixth in Holstein Calf Class 9 with Designer Unstopabull Elegance, Charlotte Hamlyn, fifth in Holstein Calf Class 13 with Holben Racey Holben and Georgina Moody, ninth in Holstein Calf Class 15 with Designer Crushabull Adrienne.

YOUNG ENGINEERS TO BE RECOGNISED 8

Young engineers who have helped improve the lot of UK farmers are to be recognised by an award scheme set up by the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) and the LAMMA show. The 2022 Young Engineer Award promises to “showcase engineers who have created or made changes to a piece of agricultural machinery, equipment or technology and, by doing so, improved efficiency, profitability or sustainability on farm”. Kate Walsh, event manager for LAMMA, which celebrates its 40th year in 2022, said championing “the best and brightest agricultural engineers” was “the perfect way” to celebrate the show’s legacy. “We recognise agricultural engineering can reduce the environmental footprint of farming through reducing carbon emissions and better fuel efficiency, and by partnering with LAMMA for this award, IAgrE can recognise and reward practical, environmentally efficient and sustainable agricultural engineering solutions,” said the institution’s CEO Charlie Nicklin, one of the award judges. Entry is via the website at LAMMA365.com and is free. The award is open to engineers aged 35 years or under at 1 January 2022 and the winner will be announced at the LAMMA show that same month.

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TOP AWARD FOR BASIS CEO

BASIS Chief Executive Stephen Jacob has been made an Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies in recognition of his contribution to the betterment of the food and farming sector. The prestigious award was presented by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal at a ceremony hosted by The Rt Hon Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE at the House of Lords. Stephen, who has played a significant role in progressing the scientific understanding and efficiency of agriculture by leading and developing BASIS’ professional standards, described the award as “a great honour”. He went on: “Throughout my career in agriculture, including my time at BASIS and as a farm business consultant, I have worked to join science and education together, realising the latest ideas and techniques as solutions which feed the nation in a safe and sustainable way. “The role of education will only become more important to the future of agriculture. Through my role at BASIS, I will continue to advance professional development as the sector builds an increasingly competent and skilled workforce to manage the land. “I’d like to thank the people who nominated me for the award, and I look forward to being involved in the various activities carried out by the societies.” There are currently more than 350 Associates of the Royal Agricultural Societies. Associates can go on to become Fellows if they continue to go “over and above the call of duty” in contributing to improving the food and farming sector.

NEWS

NATIONAL DEBUT FOR KENT PLOUGHMAN Top local ploughman Chris Cullen made the trip to Mindrum Mill, Northumberland, for the 70th British National Ploughing Championships – and did his sponsors proud. Chris’ employers at Bell Agricultural arranged the funding that helped him make the trip, with Skelton Plant Hire taking his tractor and plough up to the far-flung venue for the event and other support provided by the NFU, McHale, Acres Insurance, Kramp and the Romney Marsh Ploughing Match Society. He finished a creditable 19th out of 24 competitors in what was his first appearance at the national finals, and said he had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “It was a different class of competition up there and I was happy with my performance,” he said. “Because I work full time, I have probably only ploughed competitively four times this season – a lot of the other competitors looked like they practised regularly!” His rivals also included a number of ex-British champions, making for a tough but enjoyable time. “We are very proud of him,” said boss Robin Back of Bell Agricultural. “He has worked with us as a technician for the past five years and is a great member of the team. We were pleased to be able to support him in his ambition to compete in Northumberland.” Chris, from Lyminge in Kent, qualified for the Nationals in 2019, but saw the 2020 event called off because of the Covid-19 pandemic. As well as seeing him compete in the Nationals for the first time, this season

> Chris Cullen was one of his best on the domestic scene. He won the Romney Marsh match in the vintage mounted class, won the Weald of Kent match and was also crowned overall champion at that event, and won his class at the East Kent match as well as being named reserve champion. Chris, who is 58, competes using a 1960 Nuffield Universal 3 tractor with a two-furrow Ransome TS59 plough. He was keen to thank Robin Back and all his sponsors. “I simply wouldn’t have been able to take part without their support,” he said.

> Ian Harvey Kent ploughman Chris Cullen’s debut in the British National Ploughing Championships took place during the 70th anniversary of the event, which saw thousands of people enjoy this much-loved rural spectacle. The site at Mindrum Mill, Northumberland, covered almost 300 acres across 14 different fields and was loaned by D Harvey and Son, who welcomed spectators and competitors from all over the country. First time plougher in the British Championships, Brian Baxter, was the winner of the reversible final with 300 points, ploughing with a Massey Ferguson tractor and Kverneland plough. Ashley Boyles won the conventional final for the fifth time, also ploughing with a Massey Ferguson

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70 YEARS OF

BRITISH PLOUGHING tractor and Kverneland plough, while the vintage trailing plough-off final was won by John Crowder, using a Fordson N tractor and Ransome RSLD Major plough. In the vintage hydraulic final, Charlie Nicklin used his Massey Ferguson 35 and Ransome TS54 to good effect to win with 258 points, while David

Thomlinson retained his title when he won the classic final for the second time, driving a Ford 3000 tractor pulling a Ransome TS86 plough. Ashley Boyles was named supreme champion. Full results can be found on www.ploughmen.co.uk

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

SUSSEXCATTLE CATTLESOCIETY SOCIETY 2021 HERDS COMPETITIONS SUSSEX

2021 HERDS COMPETITIONS

The Sussex Cattle Society’s annual Herds Competitions first started in the early 1900s. The Competition now has three classes, Large Herds for those with 50 or more breeding cows, Intermediate Herds 20 to 49 cows, Small Herds 6 to 19 breeding cows. The Competition culminates The Sussex Cattle Society’s annual Herds Competitions first started in with a Championship for the winners of the three classes the early 1900s. The competition now has three classes, Large Herds for with judge outsidecows, the breed making decision. thoseawith 50 orfrom more breeding Intermediate Herdsthe 20 to 49 cows, The competition is judged in different sections, breeding and Small Herds 6 to 19 breeding cows. The competition culminates with cows, stock bulls, in-calf heifers, yearlings andageneral mana Championship for the winners of the three classes with judge from outside the breed making the agement. The marks fordecision. each section added to give a final Thefor competition is judged in different sections, breeding cows, stock bulls, score the herd. in-calf heifers, yearlings and general management. The marks for each section are added to give a final score for the herd.

This year the judges were: Champion Herd, Mr. David Sapsed (Heathbrow Simmentals); Large Herds, Mrs. Brenda Hide and Mr. Edward Harmer; Intermediate Herds, Mr. Donald Masters and Mr. John Hickman; Small Herds, Mr. James Holdstock and Mr. Simon Wright. Between This year the judges were: Champion Herd, Mr David Sapsed (Heathbrow them over 2000 Sussex were judged. Awards are also Simmentals); Large Herds, Mrs Brenda Hide and Mr Edward Harmer; presented toMr the Stockperson of John each prizeSmall winning Intermediate Herds, Donald Masters and Mr Hickman; Herds,herd. Mr The judges reported that this year the cattle looked James Holdstock and Mr Simon Wright. Between them over 2,000 Sussex were well on plenty ofalsograss making a changeof each from previous judged. Awards are presented to the stockperson prize winning years herd. when grass was scarce when the Sussex withstood the The judges reported that this year the cattle looked well on plenty ofand grass,milk. drought conditions easily maintaining condition making a change from previous years when grass was scarce, but the Sussex withstood the drought conditions easily, maintaining condition and milk.

> Left to right: James Holdstock (Elbridge Herd),

David Stevens (Boxted Herd), Ruth Perry (Montreal CHAMPION 2021WINNERS: and LARGE HERD WINNERS : ELBRIDGE HERD CHAMPION HERD 2021 AND HERD LARGE HERD Herd), Tom Jones (Montgomery’s Herd)

Mr. Sapsed selected ELBRIDGE HERD the Elbridge Herd as the Champion. Commenting that the breed was in strong heart and how he had been impressed with the herds had seen. He commented Mr Sapsed selected the Elbridge Herd he as the Champion. thatElbridge the breed was in strong and said he hadand beenfirst impressed The Herd was heart started in 1946 won with thethe Herd Competition in 1988 and this is their 15th win. The herd has herds he had seen. 180 breeding cows and produces breeding bulls. The Elbridge Herd was started in 1946 and first won the Herd Competition in 1988; this is their 15th win. The herd has 180 breeding cows and produces breeding bulls.

INTERMEDIATE HERD WINNERS: BOXTED HERD

The Boxted Herd was started in 1962 with their first win in 1975 and this being their 19th win. The herd has 27 breeding cows and regularly produces breeding bulls.

INTERMEDIATE HERD WINNERS : BOXTED HERD

The Boxted Herd was started in 1962 with their first win in 1975 and this being their 19th win. The herd has 27 breeding cows and regularly produces breeding bulls.

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

SMALL HERD WINNERS: MONTGOMERY’S HERD

The Montgomery’s Herd is an established herd but a much newer entrant in the competition and this is their first win following a number of placings. The herd has 13 breeding cows.

NOVICE HERD WINNERS: MONTREAL HERD

The Montreal Estate is a newly established herd and this was their first time entering the competition. The herd currently has 44 breeding cows and is moving into producing breeding bulls and a show team.

LARGE HERDS RESULTS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

E.H. Holdstock & Son, Elbridge Herd Mr G.A. Innes, Titsey Herd Chandler & Dunn Ltd., Goldstone Herd The Earl De La Warr, Buckhurst Herd

INTERMEDIATE HERDS RESULTS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

L. Stevens & Sons, Boxted Herd The Montreal Estate, Montreal Herd D. Spanton & F. Paterson, Maygate Herd Augustinian Care, Augustinian Herd

SMALL HERDS RESULTS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th

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SEND YOUR VIEWS OR COMMENTS:

SEF.ED@KELSEY.CO.UK twitter @SOUTHEASTFARMER facebook-square SOUTH EAST FARMER

WILL SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION HELP SHIFT BALANCE OF POWER?

Dear Sir, Fuel shortages and driver shortages have stolen the headlines recently, shining a light on critical issues in the grocery supply chain. Has more airtime and Government energy been given to these issues than the labour shortages facing farmers? I suspect so. More needs to be done to highlight the plight of farmers. Grocery retailers wouldn’t exist without farmers and producers. If we don’t change the balance of power in the supply chain, farming will fail and we’ll really see what supply chain issues look like. At the Rural Policy Group, which campaigns for better representation of farming and agriculture in British politics, we think there needs to be more collaboration to address the imbalance in the entire supply chain. At a time when consumers are increasingly concerned about the provenance of what they eat and its impact on their health and the planet, growers and businesses must be able to play their part in revolutionising the way we address the nation’s diet; to create a circular and holistic approach to the future of food and farming in the UK. Farming is currently less financially viable, at a time when financial stability is needed to underpin progress towards the sustainable development goals the Government has signed up to. Instead, the Government favours cheap food imports that risk further supply chain issues as well as the health of the nation. A supply strike, extreme as it is, would give a taste of what the future might look like if too many farming businesses fail. A stand-off like that would be fraught with danger and complexities and would set back the progress supply chains are making towards greater collaboration. It would have ramifications for food security and national security. However, a slowing of supply may well be out of farmers’ hands as chronic labour shortages appear to risk the availability of British produce on our supermarket shelves, from bacon to apple pies and even the Christmas turkey. Let’s hope this will be enough to demonstrate that the bottom of the supply chain is, in many senses, the most important end. Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, Chair, Rural Policy Group

WHERE HAVE ALL THE SELLERS GONE?

Dear Sir, The lack of farms or farmland advertised in the November edition of South East Farmer made it all the more noticeable how few farms and/or land are being marketed across the region this autumn. This continues a trend that we have seen emerging throughout the year, with demand for farmland remaining strong but the supply of rural property coming to the market below historic average volumes. The knock-on effect is that commercial farmland values are increasing in response to this tight supply and strong demand imbalance. Historically, around 10% of the annual supply of land is launched in Q4, although this increased to around 18% in Q4 2020 due to the exceptional market circumstances of last year. We anticipate that the supply of newly advertised stock in Q4 2021 will return to historic levels, which means most of 2021’s market performance is likely to have already been accounted for. This slow recovery of supply partly relates to concerns among potential sellers about what they will do with the sale proceeds if they sell and/or whether they will be able to find a suitable replacement property. Now that details surrounding the agricultural transition plan are providing more

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2021 clarity on future subsidy support levels, albeit to varying degrees, farming businesses throughout the South East can hopefully start to make decisions about their long-term future. This is clearly a very tricky market for those who want to buy, and many would-be sellers don’t seem particularly inspired to sell at the moment, despite some outstanding deals having been done in the past 18 months. Chris Spofforth, Head of rural agency Savills Sevenoaks

WILL REWILDING LEAD TO LYNX AND WOLF ‘SELFIES’? Dear sir, Events in faraway Vancouver are hardly likely, you might think, to have any bearing whatsoever on life in the UK countryside, but in one respect I certainly think that they do. A furious debate is raging over the management of wildlife in Stanley Park, a 400-hectare public open space on a peninsula bounded by English Bay and Burrard Inlet. It’s home to an array of wildlife, notably a population of wild coyotes which have been making a bit of a nuisance of themselves lately. Or perhaps it should be that the Vancouver residents have been making a nuisance of themselves to the coyotes. Either way there have now been 45 cases of coyotes attacking people including children – since December 2020, and so the city authorities have closed the park at night and are preparing to shoot 35 animals. This, of course, was the signal for the inevitable anti-cull petition and lots of collective weeping and shroud waving of the kind seen during Geronimo’s final days. Yet this is a man-made problem. Do-gooders, bunny-huggers and the rest have taken, against firm official advice, to feeding the coyotes, while others have tempted them out of cover with food specifically to photograph them.

The coyotes have therefore worked out that humans = food and have been getting uppity when they have been denied it. Why is all this relevant? Because I can see the same situation developing here if the rewilders get their way and alien and potentially dangerous wildlife is released back on to the hills once government policies have made actively farming them completely uneconomic. Because where there is exotic wildlife, people will want to go and see it and photograph it – and will be prepared to go to any lengths to obtain a selfie with a lynx or a wolf, neither of which is going to be entirely happy that its territory is being invaded. This is just one likely, negative outcome of rewilding but one that, as usual, will hardly rate any consideration by the more extreme factions of the environmental lobby, those who blithely suggest that predatory species will observe the rules about not taking livestock. You only have to look as far as the mountainous regions of Spain, Italy and France to understand what inroads hungry wolves can make into sheep flocks. In fact, you don’t even have to look that far to see problems. Scottish government conservation agencies have admitted that the sea eagles reintroduced into the west coast of Scotland are now preying on lambs. The NFU for Scotland recorded that one farm alone lost 181 healthy lambs to birds between 2012 and 2018, yet the issue is still being officially played down, presumably to facilitate further reintroductions. I spoke to a Scottish farmer’s wife who had angrily complained about a spate of eagle attacks on her flock, only to be accused of exaggeration. This was not a view, she retorted, that would be shared by the new-born lamb she had just witnessed being carried off in an eagle’s talons before it had managed to stand. John Lilywhite Farmers For Action

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‘WATER RESULT’ AS COMPLAINT FALL

Dear Sir, As Southern Water’s newly appointed Chief Customer Officer, I am heartened to see our water complaints fell by 37% in the year to April 2021. We recognise our waste water complaints and first contact resolution still have a long way to go to meet our customers’ expectations and we are determined to keep improving. We are committed to resolving more complaints effectively the first time we receive them and to reducing complaint escalations by 20% by next year. We will do this through improved training, more customer-focused resources across the business and integrating our systems. I have recently hosted a conference to underline the importance of putting our customer terms at the heart of what we do every day, which is an important and positive step forward. We know our customers want us to provide a reliable service to them and protect the environment with all we do. We are improving our use of sensors and analytics to predict and give early warning of blockage and potential flooding and pollution incidents. This will help us deliver on our commitment to reduce pollution incidents by more than half by 2025. Katy Taylor, Chief Customer Officer Southern Water

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With all this CO2 talk, I have been thinking, will most average farms be CO2 neutral? The amount of trees, hedges, grass land and bogs we have about must take up more CO2 than we are producing or am I missing something? I have a funny feeling we are not the problem. Andrew Paterson @Ampandrew

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MONICA AKEHURST AT THE KITCHEN TABLE

“Public money for public goods” is a phrase farmers are becoming all too familiar with. What farmers want to know is: “Does our government perceive food to be a public good?” Their handling of our pig industry’s difficulties leaves much to be desired. I’ve been truly shocked by the callous attitude of the Prime Minister to the culling of healthy pigs. It’s sacrilege, a waste of good food. The mental stress and financial toll for the farmers caught up in this debacle is incomprehensible. At the same time, it’s frustrating to discover supermarkets prominently displaying imported pork products while British pork is often found on the least accessible shelves. Wouldn’t it be great if ‘the powers that be’ recognised the environmental advantage of using home-produced food rather than hauling it halfway around the world? Surely if the food chain journey remains within the UK, it’s easier to verify the welfare standards and safe practices on farms and processing units alike. Global trade is part of the modern world, but food security shouldn’t be ignored. Encouraging people to work in all sections of the food chain should be a priority, offering better pay for essential but less popular jobs. I think I might ask for a pay rise when it comes to cleaning out our chicken house. It’s not my favourite job but now it’s towable, I can use the pressure washer, making it easier. There’s no denying it’s messy, but the positives are that chicken manure benefits my garden and I do like eating freshly laid eggs with their lovely golden yolks. Our eggs disappear fast because the family raids our supplies, but strangely there’s no queue for cleaning out duties. The grandchildren like letting the chickens out, feeding and collecting eggs. Grandma aims to teach them exactly where food comes from. Most cake recipes require eggs and keeping Granddad happy is top priority, after all he

I MIGHT ASK FOR

A PAY RISE

holds the keys to the tractors. Unless you live in solitary confinement it’s difficult to escape the debate about climate change. In my experience, practical farming in extreme weather conditions is challenging, sometimes dangerous (rescuing animals in floods or from fires for example), while looking after animals’ welfare in freezing or high temperatures is hard work and stressful. Extreme temperatures, too much or not enough rain contributes to crop failure. The bottom line is that ‘climate affects life’, so everyone should be concerned about the outcome of COP26. I’m sceptical but hope the world leaders and politicians achieve cooperation to arrive at some workable solutions. How land is managed can play a major part in offsetting CO2 emissions. Farming has the potential to help achieve the net zero goal. Livestock are often disproportionally vilified, and yet only 5% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions are from livestock. Unfortunately, agriculture is an easy target, which is why farmers need to publicise the true facts. Undoubtedly some present-day agricultural practices need to change to mitigate environmental impacts but I’m confident UK farmers will rise to the challenge of making that adjustment. On our farm, preparations are underway to get the sheds ready for cattle to come into when the ground conditions dictate. We’re going to be tight

> Elusive cattle hiding in the wood shaw

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

for space, and an opportunity has arisen for us to try out-wintering some cattle on nearby parkland, providing we can get the correct paperwork in place and go clear at our yearly TB test. Instead of terrorising me, I hope our new trio of rams will soon be diverting their energy to creating next year’s lamb crop. I haven’t dared mix them with the old boys, for fear of scrapping. We’ve replaced our cull ewes by keeping some homebred ewe lambs. With the high prices being paid for store lambs, time will tell if we’ve made the right decision to finish ours. Lambs are currently grazing on clover. I confess that rather too many prickly sow-thistles are appearing amongst the clover, so I’m on a mission to destroy them with an array of different tools for the job. It’s surprising how satisfying it is routing out these monsters, I’m reliably informed this task is especially good for anger management, as is splitting wood the old-fashioned way. Nigel is successfully marketing some of our finished cattle in the form of beef boxes. He’s recently started selling lamb as well. He sent off the sheepskins to be processed, which he’s convinced will make good presents. I’m impressed with the one he gave to me; it’s so soft, warm and cosy, as well as looking great. The cheese makers selling Pevensey Blue and Nigel selling meat both attend the Eden provisions market at Ashburnham Place. When once this

> Chicken in the wood fungus

> Brie had an unusual visitor jump out of her water bowl

> A hat full of cherry plums growing wild tasted delicious in a pie

was cancelled at short notice, it was decided to try holding our own pop-up market at Hockham Farm. This proved popular, so now they are doing both on a monthly basis. 20 November and 18 December from 9am to 1pm are the next dates for Hockham Farm meat and cheese sales. In our kitchen I’ve been making plum jam; smaller quantities this year. Despite best intentions I’ve not managed much blackberry picking, so I’ve only made one batch of blackberry and apple jam. We’ve not found as many wild mushrooms to eat this autumn. The old fallen oak with a bench cut in it had an impressive yellow ‘chicken in the wood’ fungus growing out of it. I’m told it’s tasty. Uninvited night visitors broke into our locked container on the farm. Luckily they didn’t find anything to their liking. We were one farm of many in the area targeted that night. Reporting crime is not for the faint hearted. I dialled 101 and listened to recorded messages advising me to fill out a form online. This I did, but on completion I felt like I was the convict. Details requested included my name, address, email, phone number, gender and ethnic origin; eventually there was a space provided for describing what had happened. Even the police are obsessed with data harvesting. Is all that information on the person reporting the crime reaping rewards in catching thieves?

> Freshly laid eggs are popular

> My sheepskin is so comfy. It’s a great by-product of lamb meat production

> Plum jam

15 > Autumn sunrise

> Sorry Tilley, it’s mine not yours!

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WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

& WINERY SHOW

For viticulturists in Great Britain 24th November 2021

Kent Event Centre, Detling, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3JF

In association with

GET READY FOR THE VERY FIRST 16

VINEYARD & WINERY SHOW Vitifruit Equipment Sales and Hire

On 24 November 2021 at the Kent Country Showground history will be made with the first ever Vineyard & Winery Show – all under one roof and no need to travel abroad! It is a not to be missed event for anyone involved with UK viticulture and wine production. The show is being organised by Vineyard magazine, in association with WineGB and is

supported by sponsorship from some of the leading businesses in the sector – and we are all looking forward to welcoming you to this inaugural Buiness2Business event. Whether you are established producers or new to the industry the show is your key opportunity to access advice, meet suppliers and services, listen to experts and network with peers.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Viticulturists and vineyard owners Winemakers Viticulture suppliers (vines, trellising) Packaging suppliers (bottles, labels, corks, cases) Vineyard machinery and equipment suppliers Winery machinery/equipment suppliers Companies that supply winemaking sundries and supplies (yeasts, nutrients, cleaning products)

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

SPONSORSHIP FROM SECTOR LEADERS

The Vineyard & Winery Show is proud, and honoured, to have the support of some of the most prominent businesses in the sector and the organisers thank the main sponsors Berlin Packaging, CLM, Hutchinsons, Royston Labels and Vitifruit.

◆ Winery services (contract winemaking, contract bottling) ◆ Labour providers ◆ Business services (marketing/PR, legal, insurance) ◆ Retail, wholesale or wine trade ◆ Soil and plant health companies ◆ Students and educational organisations ◆ Consultants ◆ New entrants to the sector

Don’t miss out Sarah Calcutt, Vineyard & Winery Show Director, commented: “As well as the fantastic support from our main sponsors, we are so pleased to have individual sponsorship across all aspects of the show’s activities. Harvest Green Development will sponsor the hospitality, Ferovinum will sponsor the WineGB affiliated seminar programme, and Rankins Brothers & Son will provide a free unique cork bag as a gift for all visitors. Defined Wine will sponsor ‘The Wine Hub’ – a 30m long central table with 100 of the UK’s top wines to taste. Thanks also go to Urban Bar who are the show’s glassware sponsor, providing an exclusive branded glass for every visitor and Elite Wine Refrigeration who are our official wine storage sponsor – ensuring that all wines for tasting at the Vineyard & Winery show will be served at the correct temperature. “All visitors will receive the beautifully designed cork bag with their exclusive engraved tasting glass, a handheld spittoon, as well as the Vineyard & Winery show guide.” Jim Rankin from Rankin Brothers & Sons commented: “It’s right and proper to have our own expo, on our home shores, as the industry has reached a critical phase. It has experienced such high growth over the last 10-15 years, received so many accolades the world over, and we are recognised for the quality of our wine, and great winemaking. It is an opportunity for the supply chain to come together to show that it is supportive, strong and robust. There will be the opportunity to show vineyards what we can offer, to have conversations, build relationships and trust, and to explore new ideas and solutions. It’s also a chance to discuss sustainability and products that are positive for the environment.”

OVER 70 EXHIBITORS

The Vineyard & Winery Show organisers are delighted with the number of exhibitors attending this year’s first ever event – with more than 70 trade stands at the Kent County Showground. The wideopen space at the Kent County Showground can accommodate even the largest machinery, as well as provide flexibility for seminars and meetings. “We have been absolutely overwhelmed with support from the trade, demonstrating a real appetite for this event,” commented Jamie McGrorty, Publisher of Vineyard Magazine. “We are so pleased to be able to provide visitors access to so many companies offering every aspect of the winery or

Network with the key players in the UK wine industry Meet with industry experts Learn the cutting-edge technology and see demonstrations of the latest machinery Take part in the Matthew Jukes tutored wine tasting. The world-renowned wine writer and columnist Matthew Jukes will present 6 still and sparkling wines. Tickets are £20 and the proceeds are donated to the Drinks Trust charity. (Numbers are limited to 120 – so book early!) ◆ Visit the Wine Hub and taste some the UK’s best wines – up to 100 different wines available to try on the day ◆ Attend the WineGB seminars – Expert speakers will cover viticulture, winemaking and marketing topics – aimed at new entrants to the industry as well as those already established ◆ Join some of the biggest names in the industry such as CLM, Hutchinsons, Vitifruit, Berlin Packaging, Royston labels – and many more ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

17 vineyard supply chain that you can think of. “From the winery side alone visitors can look forward to seeing companies displaying equipment such as BevTech Ltd, Core Equipment, Vigo and Vitikit, as well as label and cork suppliers. There is nothing better than seeing vineyard machinery first-hand, and visitors can view displays from firms such as Bell Agricultural, Bourne Engineering, Ernest Doe, Haynes, NP Seymour, Landini, Tuckwells, and Vitifruit. “Anyone seeking advice on vineyard establishment or management will be able to discuss topics with companies such as Agrii, Hutchinsons, S.J. Barnes, Vine Care, Vine-Works, Veraison and Vinescapes – all on hand to assist on the day. “If anyone still wishes to book a stand and join us then please do get in touch. Although space is now limited, we have arranged for more exhibitor areas in the John Hendry hall (where we will be hosting the seminars on the day) along with the catering facilities.” Jamie added.

SEMINARS TO FOCUS ON A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Ben Kanter, Nyetimber’s Head Viticulturist and the show’s keynote speaker will share his story and views on the viticulture in the UK. “I am very pleased to be invited to speak at the inaugural Vineyard & Winery show. In just five years in the UK, I have seen huge changes across the industry and as a whole it is just getting better and better. It is a privilege to reflect on these changes with colleagues, friends and peers and I look forward to passing on my experiences during what will be a great day,” commented Ben. A full day of seminar sessions, in affiliation with WineGB, and chaired by Simon Thorpe MW CEO, will provide an exciting line up of experts who will share their experiences, communicate their ideas, and encourage discussion and networking on topics that are current and pertinent to the industry and its sustainable future. For a full programme go to www.vineyardshow.com

GET YOUR FREE TICKET TO THE SHOW The Vineyard & Winery show will be an unmissable event for anyone working in viticulture and wine production in the UK. The show takes place on 24 November 2021 at the Kent County Showground, Detling, Kent. Organised by Vineyard magazine and supported by WineGB, it will be an invaluable opportunity for all viticulturalists, winemakers,

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

suppliers and the trade to come together. There will be a packed programme including a series of seminars from WineGB, tastings of the UK’s top wines, lots of machinery and equipment to see – as well the opportunity to network with peers. To register for your free ticket go to Eventbrite via the Vineyard & Winery show website ww.vineyardshow.com

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

FROM THE FRONT LINE

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

AN INSIDE VIEW OF THE SEASONAL LABOUR CRISIS

Growers are doing their best, but a functional seasonal worker scheme is still needed, writes Nick Ottewell, production and commercial director at Laurence J. Betts Ltd, Church Farm, Offham.

Since the Brexit vote (June 2016, over five years ago now), the country’s requirement for migrant workers has been probably the most consistently debated news topic. Unwittingly, many fresh produce businesses that rely significantly on seasonal workers to plant and pick crops have found themselves thrown into the spotlight while the debate has raged. I think that all of us would instantly sign up for a future of complex, automated machinery, backed up by a small number of highly skilled individuals with the knowledge to operate the machines. But how do we get there? It seems to me that the Government agenda has moved more quickly than business can, so we are now faced with a period of time that will be very difficult to operate in as a business that is reliant on seasonal migrant workers. I can’t give a timescale on when we will be able to automate or semi-automate some of our more labour-intensive crop lines. Here at LJ Betts we are specialised salad producers. Our most labourintensive crop is iceberg lettuce. Nobody in the UK, yet, has found a way to automate the harvesting of iceberg lettuce. It requires quite a lot of skill to cut iceberg in the right place. Slightly too high with the knife and you “overtrim” the head and the outside leaves become disconnected from the stalk and fall off. “Undertrim” the head and too many outside leaves remain on the plant and it could be rejected. So, we find ourselves reluctant iceberg lettuce growers, due to the labour requirement, but it’s our biggest crop line! We need to keep finding ways to reduce our reliance on labour, but we also need a functional seasonal workers scheme. Without a seasonal workers scheme we will not be able to function next year at our full capacity. We need time to work out how to move forward, and this is the part that the Government clearly doesn’t want to hear. I can only see an immediate future of lurching from one supply chain crisis to another if the Government does not soften its stance on the need for migrant workers in many sectors of industry. At farm level, we must continue being the best that we can be. We need to look after our

seasonal workers as well as we possibly can. Living conditions, working conditions, a sensible number of hours worked each week and rates of pay all have to be the best that we can make them. We need to make working on our farm a rewarding and enjoyable experience as much as we can. However, somebody still has to bend their back and cut lettuce, come rain or shine, and this is the bit that we haven’t been able to change yet. This season we had a really tough start. Within two weeks our carefully worked out plan for our seasonal worker requirement had been compromised, as 10% of our workforce decided not to stay. We then spent a four-week period from early June until early July really not coping. Everyone had to work too many hours to do the orders, because we were 10% down on workers (we simply couldn’t replace the people that had left). This leads to worker welfare issues; too many hours worked and people getting tired in a busy farm environment can also cause anxieties over health and safety at work. By early July I was beginning to wonder how we would get through the remainder of the season, but

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

then two things happened. We managed to recruit five workers who weren’t enjoying the fruit farm they were on and, probably more significantly, the next link in our supply chain started not coping. To explain, around 40% of our produce is sent to processing factories that wash and chop the salad. The processing factory (unable to access seasonal workers as they are a year-round business) couldn’t get enough workers in their factory. It fed back up the supply chain, and as our orders reduced, our requirement for labour reduced as well. This led to significant crop wastage in the second half of the season. With the season now behind us, we are starting to look towards to next year. Will the processing factory be ok in 2022 or will the issues rumble on? Will we get the seasonal worker scheme (still not decided by the home office)? How many of our 2021 workforce will come back next year? I have so many questions mulling around in my head. One thing I am sure of though is that our industry is in crisis. It’s been coming for five years and now it has arrived.

& WINERY SHOW For viticulturists in Great Britain

In association with

24th November 2021 Kent Event Centre, Detling, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3JF Vitifruit Equipment Sales and Hire

Main sponsors

“After such a challenging year it will be LOVELY to see everyone.”

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NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: FLETCHER'S FLOCK

IMPROVING THE GENETICS OF SHEEP Nigel Akehurst meets Stuart Fletcher of Fletcher's Flock to ﬁnd out what it takes to be a ﬁrst-generation sheep farmer in the High Weald.

I met Stuart Fletcher and his son Fred at The Deer Park Café in Eridge, a short journey from one of his small ﬂocks (or families as he calls them) of 50 Lleyn ewes and one of his Signetrecorded Lleyn rams. Stuart is passionate about regenerative farming and improving the genetics of his sheep, spending much of his time performance recording his two flocks: 450 Lleyn ewes and 20 pedigree Texels. He works with a network of landowners in the High Weald, including Eridge Park, using his sheep to facilitate mid-tier and high-level Countryside Stewardship (CS) agreements. In return, he gets mainly rent-free grazing on short term licences; he does farm one block of land on a Farm Business Tenancy agreement.

With little Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) or environment payments, Stuart’s business model relies on making enough money from selling sheep. A former naval architect, Stuart spent ten years performing statistical analyses on ship structures before doing the same with sheep when he quit his job to become a farmer at the end of 2012. His aim is to develop a breed of super sheep that produces a high value carcass from low quality pasture with zero inputs. “That’s why we went for the Lleyn; they had the hardiness and tended to do well off poor grass, but they also had a decent carcass,” he said. Direct sales are another key part of his business, linking the consumer directly with the produce. Last year he sold over 300 lamb boxes to customers. He

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

hopes to expand this in the future by adding beef and poultry, but is hesitant without an investment in infrastructure.

GETTING INTO SHEEP

Stuart grew up in a town and had no connection to farming whatsoever. He says he always enjoyed being outdoors, spending much of his childhood towing a golf trolley around after his parents. After university he went into naval architecture at Lloyd’s Register. “I used to design structural repairs to oil rigs and aircraft carriers and lots of interesting stuff. It was a good job, with nice people, but I’d spend months and months designing one bracket or girder. Sitting behind a desk I felt a bit like a duck out of water,” he said. “The highlight of the day was

> Stuart and his son Fred a lunchtime run along the Thames.” On his commute to London, he’d stare out of the window at the pasture and woodland of the High Weald. He decided he wanted to try buying more locally produced meat and went to his local butcher to buy lamb. He asked where their lamb came from. The butcher replied “it’s all local” but then a van from Smithfield market would turn up outside, he said. Then he got talking to some locals in the pub, who gave him the details of a local farmer. He went to buy a box from him and was surprised to discover the farmer wasn’t interested, explaining it was too much ‘aggro’. Undeterred, he bought four live lambs from the farmer and found a small paddock to graze, saving the owner the job of mowing with a garden tractor. To learn more about how to look after them, he took a couple of sheep husbandry courses run by the Small Farm Training Group. He found he enjoyed looking after the lambs and decided to have a go at breeding from three of them (and wisely ate the one with bad feet). He went back to the farmer and borrowed a ram and took the sheep back to the farm for lambing, working with the farmer for a couple of weeks to gain more experience. He bought another 30 and returned the following year. The farmer then offered Stuart a couple of rented parcels of land he was giving up, so he bought a few more. By the end of 2012 he had 150 sheep and used to receive the odd sheep-related phone call during

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office hours in London. His work colleagues thought he was barking mad. So did the local farmers he met, which surprised him as he thought they should be flattered that he wanted to be like them. When it was announced that his office was relocating to Southampton, he took a redundancy package to focus on his fledgling sheep enterprise. “I’d been there for 10 years. I finished on Christmas Eve 2012. That same day I went and got my first sheep dog puppy."

LOW INPUT HIGH OUTPUT

Stuart says he’s made every mistake in the book, having started out with zero knowledge and no >> family farmers to ring for advice.

FARM FACTS

• First-generation farmer – after 10 years as a naval architect in London • Farms around 300 acres • Most land on temporary grazing licences, also has new FBT and new share farming agreement • 450 breeding Lleyn ewes. Two ﬂocks – one organic and one conventional with plans to double this in next ﬁve years. Lambed outdoors in late April. • Flock of 20 pedigree Texels and produces own rams. • Performance recording with Signet and TexelPlus • Involved in PRLB group and AHDB Progressive Sheep Group • Integrating livestock into arable partnership with local regenerative arable farmer • Sells 50% of lambs through box scheme and to restaurants and 50% through livestock markets (Ashford and Colchester) • Passionate about educating farmers regarding regenerative methods and the public about where their food comes from. • Started a small beef enterprise buying weaned dairy calves to produce beef boxes • Also bought pigs and plans to do pastured poultry behind mob grazed sheep and cattle • Featuring in an upcoming BBC TV series scheduled to air in the spring.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: FLETCHER'S FLOCK

<< He bought continental rams to get a decent carcass lamb, but, unable to supplementary feed (due to the environmental schemes), he struggled to keep them alive on his poor grass. He turned to a farmer who bred grass-fed pedigree Texels and started buying his rams. When the farmer retired, Stuart purchased his small flock and brought them back to his farm. After being on Italian rye grass, their productivity soon declined on his permanent pasture, he said. “They are all performance-recorded stock and a lot of them are in the top 1% for EBVs – very high index – but you look at them on the ground and we still have a long way to go. Genetically they are phenomenal, but it’s going to take a few more years to get consistently exceptional performance,” he said. Getting the genetics right is a long-term project, he explained. Everything is tagged at birth and weighed monthly using a mobile handling system and Farm IT software. The handling system was bought with the help of a small farm productivity grant, though he said he’s working on a design of his own: “There’s no one trailer that does everything. I want a race where we can drive out in the field, put the back down, run them through and weigh them in as much time as it takes them to walk past, and also use it for shearing and taking a quad around to do electric fencing.” He finds it can be tedious spending hours setting up a mobile race and understands why many farmers don’t do performance recording. For Stuart it’s an essential part of his business model. “The sheep are my only asset in the business, my pension. And only the very best of them are profitable in this type of zero-input system. We can’t

afford any passengers so it’s vital that we collect and use data to understand what’s going on and select the most productive replacements to drive a profitable system. “It’s fine if you’re chucking two kilos of creep per day at them, but if they have to handle living out there, they need to thrive on poor forage, and the only way of knowing that is by collecting data,” he said. The same can be said for physical characteristics; any ewe that limps goes into a mutton box, as does anything causing a headache at lambing time. He had just spent three days sorting his ewes into single sire mating groups, with around 50 ewes in each family, which is the most he’ll put a ram lamb to. The rams will then be in for 21 days. I ask what his lambing percentages were like? “Last year the adults were 155%, with no triplets and 1% barren. Not where we want them,” he replied, “but I’m confident they’re heading in the right direction.” His aim is to get to 180% with minimal triplets. He added that they have done a lot of work on mineral analysis over the past year and found problems with trace element deficiencies and toxicities that affected getting weight on the ewes after weaning. “Since correcting these problems, the ewes have gone to the rams in great condition this year, so I’ll be excited to see this year’s scanning results. “The long-term goal is a sheep that will rear a single lamb at a year old and then have five sets of twins. Longevity is very important to us and is quite an underrated trait. Ultimately, I want them to finish all their lambs by weaning at 14 to 16 weeks. It’s

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a tall ask but some of the ewes are not far off. The trouble is that while we’re expanding the flock we can’t apply as much selection pressure as we’d like because we need to keep the female lambs to get the numbers up.” He keeps most of the ewe lambs and all go to the ram in their first autumn. Anything that isn’t in lamb at ten months old goes into hogget boxes the following spring or is sold as breeding shearlings off the farm. “We make a lot of genetic progress from using ram lambs to speed up generational turnover but have also bought some high index shearlings this year from Peregrine Aubrey to add a bit of diversity. It takes a huge amount of staring at a computer screen looking at the statistics, which I quite like in moderation,” he added.

PERFORMANCE RECORDED LLEYN BREEDERS GROUP

I ask about worming: “Friday afternoon is microscope day. I’ve bought my own gear – I do my own faecal egg counts, although don’t seem to find many!” He is part of the Performance Recorded Lleyn Breeders group. “There are about 20 of us in the country who take a similar approach to breeding, and we’re committed to selecting for worm resistance – an initiative with Harper Adams and Signet,” he said. “The replacement lambs have been blood tested and analysed for antibodies, IgA. The idea is to breed a sheep that is more naturally resistant to gut worms so that we will be less reliant on worming when anthelmintic resistance becomes even more

of a problem. We’re in the early stages but we’re making progress; so far this year we’ve wormed our ewe lambs only once, despite the wet summer. “The downside of the testing is you have to let the worm burden build up so their immune system can kick in, which can be a worry as you don’t want them to start dying,” he said. “Production slows a little as the burden increases, but I think it is worth it. "The New Zealand way is to chuck a load of sheep on a mountain and see what comes back alive. You can’t really do that here with all the public scrutiny," he added.

INTEGRATING LIVESTOCK INTO THE ARABLE ROTATION

Stuart is also working in partnership with a local zero-till regenerative arable farmer. “Right behind the combine, he’s there with his direct drill, putting cover crops into the stubble, making the most of any soil moisture. Once they’ve grown, we use the sheep to mob graze around the cover crops. “He gets muck and enough rent to cover the cost of the seed and I get clean grazing for the ewe lambs over winter. It’s a win-win situation. By grazing the cover crops we expose the ground to the wind and sun so the black grass can emerge and be sprayed off before the spring drilling.” All his ewe lambs go there for the winter, he explained: “If you’ve got an eight month-old lamb that’s been tupped, they need a kind winter.” He has also presented on the topic for the Agriculture and Horticultural Development Board, speaking to other farmers at a few agronomy conferences. With the arable sector becoming less reliant on chemicals and fertilisers, he sees a big role for more livestock. “There are synergies you can’t separate. This year we are going to try grazing some oil seed rape to get rid of the cabbage stem flea beetle –

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which I think is relatively innovative,” he said.

SHEARING

Stuart shears all his own sheep and says he only recently got the hang of it. “I had ten years of pain and a hatred of shearing, but being bloody-minded, I stuck with it. My sheep were dotted around in so many places it wasn’t economical to get a contractor in. But something clicked over the last summer and now I’ve got the bug. “It’s strange – you can’t wait to finish, counting down the sheep, but the minute you finish you can’t wait to go again! I’ve got significantly quicker and am hoping to get some work on a shearing round next year. It’ll get me away from the farm and allow me to socialise with other people.” He now shears his ewes twice a year, in the spring and autumn: “I find autumn shearing a great benefit to the ewes from a welfare point of view. They don’t get tangled up in brambles and are less likely to get cast pre-lambing, and dry quicker after rain.” All the ewe lambs are shorn too, which he thinks benefits them on the cover crops by stopping them picking up much soil in their fleeces. Last July he posted on his Facebook page about the dire price of wool; how his fleeces were worth less than the cost of diesel to drive them to the Wool Board’s depot in Ashford, and how he’d decided to compost them on a neighbouring arable farm. The post was shared over 25,000 times and reached more than two million people. He’s now got about 2,000 followers “he’s neglecting” and would like to do more public engagement but finds social media hard work. “I’m not a natural salesman; there’s a reason I wanted to be alone in a field rather than in London. And the anti-meat agenda is getting depressing: there are so many ‘experts’ out there with no clue about farming, despite being the first to give their

opinion. Including our policy makers. “Most people now know less about the food they eat and how it is produced than how their iPhone works. I should know, I was one of them 10 years ago. I feel we must do more to engage with the public and promote this amazing grass-fed product which we’re being vilified for. I’m convinced that ruminants are the solution to our climate, biodiversity and health problems.”

DIRECT SALES AND WORKING WITH A CELEBRITY CHEF

Last year he sold over 300 boxes of lamb direct, around 50% of his crop. “We sell loads in the village. We stand outside a mate’s fish shed in the middle of Ticehurst on Saturday mornings selling individual cuts. People tend to buy half a leg or some chops and then come back and order a box if they like it,” he said. They also sell boxes by mail order and supply whole carcasses to restaurants in London. One of his customers is the celebrity chef Marcus Wareing. A few years ago he invited him to his Michelin starred restaurant to try his lamb, which had been slow cooked in a water bath for 36 hours and finished on high heat in the oven for 15 minutes. “It tasted sensational,” he said. More recently the celebrity chef has bought some land where Stuart has a tenancy and they have worked together on an upcoming BBC2 series called Marcus Wareing’s Tales From a Kitchen Garden, scheduled to air in the spring.

FUTURE DIRECTION OF FARMING

I ask Stuart what he thinks about the direction of farming? “I’m very positive, but I do find things disconcerting at this moment in time. When I started farming 10 years ago, I said to myself that I was going to take no interest whatsoever in political policies and subsidy schemes and the >>

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: FLETCHER'S FLOCK

<< like, but everything is so inextricably linked it’s hard not to. “We should feel like we’re in a fantastic position, but I’m struggling to believe a word we’re told by our politicians. They are as detached from the land as the general public, yet are doing trade deals and implementing policies that have a direct impact on our industry, seemingly with no plan. It’s like they are palming our problems off on other countries for the popular vote. We stop farming and producing any methane over here, yet we can ship it from the other side of the world. “In the High Weald there isn't much you can do other than animal agriculture or coppicing. It’s no good for arable land as it’s too heavy and it isn't very fertile.” The future is very uncertain, he added, but with plenty of opportunities for risk-takers. “Most of what we have is rent free as we’re

facilitating landowners’ stewardship schemes, but with the BPS going we’re not sure what will happen. “Presumably there is going to be more land available as a lot of businesses won’t be profitable. I can see more of a necessity to have environmental grazing, but you’ve got to have the animals that can handle it, so in that sense I hope our hard work will pay off.”

FAMILY FARMING AND FUTURE PLANS

Stuart clearly loves what he does and so do his four children. “Being around farming instills an amazing mentality for kids growing up. You can see the things they do compared to their friends who are all on X-Boxes or phones, or can’t go for a family walk without whinging that its muddy. It’s such

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a can-do attitude that farming instills in you,” he said. “They learn from a young age that there is no knocking off at 5pm if there are still jobs to do. I love every minute of it.” At the time of our meeting, Stuart was on the cusp of signing a large share farming agreement but wasn’t able to say much more. He hopes this will enable him to double the number of sheep over the next five years, which will mean his wife Vicky can leave her job and join him on the farm. He added: “we are almost at the stage where we need to make a big investment and get set up butchering, or not expand at all. It’s quite a tricky situation.” In the meantime, he has started to diversify into cattle and pigs and plans to do pastured poultry. It’s hard to believe that a little over 10 years ago Stuart was working in an office and had zero farming knowledge.

DIVERSIFICATION

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THE COWSHED With farmers facing a period of uncertainty around such issues as the move away from Basic Payments and workforce shortages, diversification is never far from the minds of many. One farming couple who decided to move into providing holiday accommodation as a new income stream is now benefiting from the hard work involved, and welcoming some of the increasing numbers of ‘staycationers’ looking for an on-farm experience. Owners Cathy and Tim Whimhurst have lived at Bluemans Farm, near Westfield in East Sussex, for more than 30 years. A modern working farm of around 21 acres, the land is home to sheep in winter and is used to produce hay throughout the summer. In 2018, the couple, who both have other careers as well as looking after the farm, decided to use their savings to convert an old dairy on the land into a holiday home, enlisting the help of a local builder to bring their renovation dreams to life. Their existing skills also helped turn the dairy – now marketed as The Cowshed – into an upmarket holiday let which boasts underfloor heating, plush furnishings and high-quality kitchen appliances. Cathy, a brick and tile maker, made the floor tiles that feature in the kitchen, living room and hallway, while Tim, who works as an agricultural contractor, was able to use his skills to construct the groundworks. After nearly 18 months of work, The Cowshed was ready to welcome its first holidaymakers last year, once pandemic restrictions eased, but it was in 2021 that bookings really started to ramp up. With the calendar filling up for autumn and winter, the new venture looks set to prove successful. Bookings agency Sykes Holiday Cottages has reported that bookings for farm stays in the UK are up by 160% compared with 2019. Although visitors are unable to wander freely on the farm due to health and safety regulations, Cathy and Tim regularly share insights about farming life with the couples and young families who come to stay, telling them all they know about

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farming and its ups and downs. Cathy said: “Life as a farm contractor can be immensely busy but converting our barn into a holiday home has been a rewarding experience and we’re glad we decided to take the plunge. “It’s been fantastic sharing the property with visitors and we’ve met people from all walks of life. We’re really looking forward to meeting more

guests as restrictions continue to lift and we can all enjoy holidays once more.” She praised the support of the team at Sykes Holiday Cottages, which takes the lead on managing the bookings for the property. “With a farm to run, as well as our careers, they’ve made the process as stress free as possible by handling any guest queries,” she said.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW REVIEW

QUALITY OF FRUIT Photos: Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic

WAS OUTSTANDING Clockhouse Farm took the ultimate accolade at this year’s National Fruit Show, winning the NFU South East Prize for the Best Fruit Exhibit in Show for the first time with an impressive 99 points out of a 100 in the Braeburn class. A change to this year’s competition saw fewer judges, but with all of them professional agronomists or technical managers it ensured a high level of scrutiny to which growers responded impressively. Notable winners alongside Clockhouse Farm included the Bardsley England team, which took home 14 prizes, including the four top Bramley awards and five more prizes for Cox’s Orange Pippin or any Cox sport. J L Baxter and Sons and Mallions Farm also scooped multiple awards, while first-time entrant Braiseworth Orchards won Class 18 for dessert apples (novice), picking up the Henshall Rose Bowl, F P Matthews Prize, John Henshall Salver and Agrovista Regional Champions Cup in the process. Young packer Katie Langridge also impressed the judges, winning the A C Goatham & Son Memorial Trophy and the A C Goatham & Son Prize, both for a Bramley Exhibitor under 40. One winner’s success was tinged with sadness at the news that this is set to be their last show. Prizewinning growers R D Applegrowers have bowed to the pressures facing the industry and will no longer be producing top fruit. Previous winners of the Britain’s Tastiest Apple

award on two occasions, R D Applegrowers this year won the Rubens and Gala classes and took home the AR Piller Challenge Cup, the Avalon FRESH Prize, the Pask Cornish & Smart Cup, the Greencell Prize and the BIFGA Prize. The judges, supported by competition manager Norma Tompsett, praised the quality of the entries following a season that did the growers no favours. Marden Fruit Show Society Executive Chair Sarah Calcutt pointed out that the weather and the shortage of pickers had all worked against growers this year, with show entries around 25% down on the usual number, indicative of the reduced national harvest. Despite that, she said, the quality of fruit on display was outstanding, with most entries scoring a good 90 points out of the maximum 100. Summing up the aims of the show, which she described as “a much-loved industry event that delivers a useful and important forum for growers”, she explained: “We are determined that its new features, including the conference forum, new speakers and industry led advice and support, really answer growers’ urgent questions. “These are unprecedented times, and we are doing everything within our power to ensure that the voice, and needs, of growers are heard by those with decision-making responsibilities.” Held at the Kent Event Centre, the show was opened by the Minister for Farming, Fisheries and

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Food, Victoria Prentis MP, supported by NFU VicePresident Tom Bradshaw. Ms Prentis, who grows apples herself, pointed out that the UK last year produced fruit worth £1 billion, and said the show was an important opportunity to celebrate the success of the sector, which had seen exports rise by 9% over the same period. She referred to the “challenges" posed to fruit growers by this year’s extreme weather, the pandemic that saw last year’s show restricted to an online-only event and the fallout from Brexit, and said her Ministerial team was “keen to work with the industry to support it through these difficult times”. Ms Prentis also referred to the labour shortage and said there was a need to make working in the industry “more attractive”, adding that the Government was also looking at automation and pursuing other initiatives in support of growers. Mr Bradshaw responded to the opening speech by stressing to Ms Prentis – who would not take questions from journalists – that “we need the Government to give this sector confidence”. This year’s Tastiest Apple Competition was won by Elverton Farms’ Gala, with Chandler & Dunn picking up second and third place with Jazz and Kissabel. The Tastiest Pear Competition was won by the B Piper Partnership with Concorde. The partnership also took second place with Cornice ahead of Richard Edmed in third with a Concorde entry.

> Brooklyn Worsley, who will be two in January

> Emily Chaplin, daughter of Sean and Elaine Chaplin and granddaughter of Rob Kendall of Wealden AM tucks into a Dum Dum doughnut from the South East Farmer stand at the National Fruit Show. We are glad you enjoyed it Emily – we loved ours too! TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW REVIEW BARDSLEY ENGLAND • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Class 1 : Bramley 90 - 100mm Class 2 : Bramley 80 - 90mm Class 4 : Cox’s Orange Pippin or any Sport Alfred Shread Cup for Bramley Class 1 The Twyman Prize for Bramley presented by Agrii Squire Salver for Bramley in Class 2 The Avalon Produce Ltd Prize for Bramley The Systhane Cup for Cox’s Orange Pippin or any Sport of Cox The Landseer Prize for Cox’s Orange Pippin or any Cox Sport Vernon Hayes (Seeds) Challenge Cup for Cox’s Orange Pippin or any Sport of Cox Bayer CropScience Prize for Cox’s Orange Pippin or any Cox Sport Podger Norton Trophy for the Best Exhibit of Culinary Apples Fruiterers Medal for the Best Exhibit of Culinary Apples Fyffes Salver for the Best Exhibit of Pears UKF Fertilisers Cup for the Best Cox’s Orange Pippin or Any Sport in Classes 4,5 & 18 Dan Wuille Cup for best colour and skin quality for the variety in the culinary Apple Classes John Acock Memorial Rosebowl for exhibitor with most point in the culinary classes

CLIVE & RICHARD EDMED • • • • • •

Class 10 : Cameo Class 16 : AOV Pear The Cornwallis Cup for Cameo The Avalon Produce Ltd prize for Cameo Segro Salver for Any Other Variety Pear NFU Canterbury & Sittingbourne Prize for Any Other Variety Pear • Winch Memorial Challenger Cup for the highest number of points for Weald of Kent exhibits in all classes

BRAISEWORTH ORCHARDS

• Class 18 : Dessert Apples (Novice) • Henshall Rose Bowl for Dessert Apples, Novice Class • The F P Matthews Prize for Dessert Apples, Novice Class • John Henshall Salver for the Best Exhibit of any Dessert Apple grown in UK outside Kent • Agrovista Regional Champions Cup – Grower most points from the Eastern Midlands

B PIPER PARTNERSHIP • • • •

Class 14 : Conference AMG Trophy for Conference Pears The Azets Ashford Prize for Conference Pears Cantagrians Cup for the Best Exhibit from an ex-student of Hadlow, KFI or KHI • AMG Trophy for Conference Pears • Tastiest Pear

ORCHARD FARMS LTD

• A & P Hill Fruit Trophy for Class 41 Single Variety Juice • Class 41 Single Variety Juices

RINGDEN FARM LTD

• The Crown Trophy for Class 42 Blended Juice • Class 42 Blended Juices

FOUR ELMS FRUIT FARM

• Four Jays Trophy for Class 40 Blended Apple Juice • Graham Amos Trophy for the Best All-Round Entry of Apple Juice • Class 40 Blended Apple Juices

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Fruit display pictures: Neil Turner

LATENESS OF DECISION

MAKING TO BLAME The seasonal workers scheme was an inevitable topic of discussion at this year’s show, with NFU Vice-President Tom Bradshaw leading the charge in a bid to ensure growers receive the workforce they need for 2022. He pointed out that some orchards had been left unpicked because growers could not get enough pickers and warned the Home Office against using the fact that not all the available 30,000 visas had been used this year as evidence that they weren’t needed, pointing out that it was the lateness of decision making that was to blame. Mr Bradshaw said workers had not been able to start on farms until May because the visa scheme

was only finally given the green light in December and the process took time to implement. With the number of settled and pre-settled workers available to pick fruit also dropping sharply, the delay with this year’s scheme saw a 34% shortfall in available pickers in July and a 22% shortage in August, he said, adding that autumn raspberries had also gone unpicked. Mr Bradshaw said the NFU was urging ministers to make an urgent decision about next year’s seasonal worker scheme visas rather than leaving it late once again, pointing out that it took around eight weeks to get workers through the system after they had been signed up by the recruitment

agencies. He said the NFU’s clear message to the Home Office was: “This is a critical sector so don’t undermine it,” adding that DEFRA had responded by saying that officials understood the problem but had to persuade the wider government of the industry’s case. Mr Bradshaw said that in the longer term the industry needed a permanent seasonal workers’ scheme, which he stressed was not the same as increasing immigration as the figures showed that the picking workforce returned home after the season. He also said that the numbers allowed into the country needed to be increased.

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WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW REVIEW

A new way of analysing apples without picking or damaging them was unveiled to the UK fruit industry at this year’s National Fruit Show. Chelmsford, Essex- based Landseer Ltd has teamed up with trinamiX GmbH, a German subsidiary of BASF SE, to develop a handheld device that analyses the apple’s detailed composition and displays it in a smartphone app within seconds. The developers say the cloud-based software “includes flexible reporting systems with measurement history and allows the grower to create batch or orchard profiles for visualisation and downloading”. Landseer believes that by enhancing and simplifying quality control, the device – which it describes as “a lab for the pocket” – could help growers “increase their yields, mitigate risks and optimise their farm’s profitability”. The company says the goal is to provide growers with a fast, on-site analysis of parameters like brix, acidity and dry matter which goes beyond today’s common methods. The handheld solution allows for non-destructive measurement on-tree as well as during storage. It adds that growers “could flexibly compare orchard practices and identify apples’ nutrient content in order to make informed decisions on the spot, for example concerning storage”. The project is built upon trinamiX’ Mobile NIR Spectroscopy Solution, which combines a handheld device and smart algorithms for the fast and easy molecular analysis of objects. Knowing the dry

NON-DESTRUCTIVE

FRUIT TESTING matter profile of an orchard can help growers decide which orchards are best suited for long-term storage, as dry matter can be viewed as the fuel for storage capability. “Since our solution is already in use for other applications in various markets, we could see the great benefits it could also hold for the fruit industry,” said Florian Pröll, Business Development Spectroscopy at trinamiX. “In Landseer we’ve found a strong partner to make that idea reality. Together, we can help growers to reliably determine the internal quality of fruit – anywhere and at any time.” In 2021, Landseer has been putting trinamiX’ solution to an extensive test, teaching it to identify different quality models specifically for the composition of UK apples. By measuring thousands of Gala apples over a period of several months, the company showed that the solution works under bright sunlit conditions and throughout long days in the field. “Fruit analysis today has its challenges. It can be inconvenient and time-consuming, and it often

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involves the destruction of fruit,” explained Mark Tully, Managing Director at Landseer. “We believe that trinamiX’ solution has the potential to be gamechanging in our industry and we are happy to be embarking on this exciting journey with them.”

OF SERVICE A grower who was “too rude at a committee meeting” was given a job at the National Fruit Show that he proceeded to carry out expertly for the next 50 years. At this year’s show, Michael Lutener was presented with a splendid appleshaped glass paperweight to mark his half century of service to the Marden Fruit Show Society. Asked how he had first become involved back in 1971, he said: “I was too rude at a committee meeting. I told them it was just about ‘my apples are shinier than yours’ and that the show should have a wider focus and help to promote the industry. So they gave me the job of displaying the fruit – and I’m still doing it.” Now 82, Michael used to grow 1000 tonnes of apples and 100 tonnes of strawberries at Cornwells Farm in Marden, land that has been owned by his wife Jean’s family for several hundred years.

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W.H.Skinner & Sons

01622 744640 - 07711 264775 www.whskinnerandsons.co.uk

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NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW REVIEW J L BAXTER & SON

• Class 7 : Jazz • Class 13 : Comice Class 15 : Concorde • Fuller Water Systems Trophy for Jazz • Worldwide Fruit Prize for Jazz • Ernest White Cup for Comice Pears • Richard Hochfeld Ltd Prize for Comice Pears • East Kent Packers Cup for Concorde Pears • The Greenyard Fresh Ltd prize for Concorde Pears • Bayer Rose Bowl for the Best Exhibit of Pears • Fruiterers Company Medal for the Best Exhibit of Pears

KATIE LANGRIDGE •

A C Goatham & Son Memorial Trophy for Bramley Exhibitor under 40 • A C Goatham & Son Prize for Bramley Exhibitor under 40 • Class 21: Bramley Exhibitor U 40

CLOCKHOUSE FARM LTD • • • • • • • • •

Class 11 : Braeburn Class 33 : Blackberries WASP Bin Trophy for Braeburn or any Sport Worldwide Fruit Prize for Braeburn or any Sport Fruiterers' Company Medal for the Best Exhibit of Dessert Apples NFU South East Award for the Best Exhibit of Apples or Pears in the Show Roderic Sarson Memorial Trophy for the Best All Round Exhibit of Apples Stokes Bomford Rose Bowl for the Best Exhibit of Dessert Apples East Malling Trust Prize for Blackberries

W B CHAMBERS & SON • Class 31 : Strawberries Everbearers • Berry Gardens Prize for Strawberries • Joan Buttfield Trophy for Best Entry of Strawberries

BRICE WALNUTS

• The Bennett Opie Prize for Walnuts

DERRICK MAY (FARMS) LTD • Heaviest Apples • Single Heaviest Apple

4,752 gms 1,023 gms

L STEVENS & SONS • Heaviest Pears • Single Heaviest Pear

3,603 gms 681 gms

SIMON MOUNT

• The John Breach Award for the best entry of NUVAR VARIETIES

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

IMPRESSIVE SPEAKERS Along with the central display of fruit and the diverse range of trade stands at the heart of the show, the 2000-plus visitors were able to hear from a range of impressive speakers at two conferences sponsored by MHA Macintyre Hudson. Organised in partnership with the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, the morning session was chaired by Master Fruiterer Laurence Olins and included speakers from NIAB EMR and Reading University along with Nuffield fruit scholars Neil

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McDonald and Nicola Harrison. The session ended with a presentation by Professor Tim Lang – known as “the man who invented food miles” – entitled Feeding Britain – why is our current system at breaking point? After lunch, delegates joined the Rural Policy Group for a conference entitled How can farmers go green when they are in the red? The high level panel was made up of The Rt Hon Sir Richard Needham, a former minister of trade, Sarah Dodds and Richard Hall from MHA MacInytre Hudson and Marden

Fruit Show Society President Teresa Wickham, who gives her thoughts on the subject on page 35. The session was chaired by Kirk Siderman-Wolter, Chief Operating Officer at the Agri-Epi Centre. The National Fruit Show was supported by four major sponsors, NP Seymour, Agrovista, UKCA and, on board for the first time in 2021, Worldwide Fruit. New partner Harvest Green Developments also supported the show by providing an impressive £10,000 solar PV installation as the 2021 Bonanza Prize, which was won by the Banfield family.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW REVIEW MALLIONS FARM • • • • • • • •

Class 3 : AOV Culinary Apples Class 9 : Russets Class 12 : AOV Dessert Apple Dufaylite Developments Cup for Culinary Apples The Wealden AM Prize for AOV Culinary Apples Foreman Salver for Russets The Fruit Grower Prize for Russets George Harlow Cup for Any Other Variety Dessert Apple • Invicta Petroleum Shield for Any Other Variety Dessert Apple • New Spitalfields Market prize for Any Other Variety of Dessert Apple • The David Burd Memorial Trophy for entrant gaining most points in Classes 18/19/20/21

R D APPLEGROWERS • • • • • • •

Class 6 : Rubens Class 8 : Gala or any Sport of Jonagold A R Piller Challenge Cup for Rubens The Avalon FRESH Ltd Prize for Rubens Pask Cornish & Smart Cup for Gala or any Sport The Greencell Prize for Gala or any Sport The BIFGA Prize for the Best Exhibit entered by a BIFGA member

ELVERTON FARMS LTD • • • • • • • • •

THE TAUNTON CIDER COMPANY

• Engage Agro Cup for Traditional Cider • Class 44 Traditional Cider

Class 50: Kentish Cobnuts Class 51 : AOV Cobnuts 1st Prize presented by The Fruit Grower Class 55 : Walnuts John Thwaites Bowl for hightest number of points in all classes to Kent Exhibitor, North of the M20 Fiennes Cornwallis Trophy for the Exhibitor gaining the highest number of points in all Classes The MFSS Prize for Kentish Cobnuts The Rural Planning Practice Prize for AOV Cobnuts John Bardsley Tankard for Best Entry of Cobnuts

CHARNEE BUTCHER

• Class 20 : Dessert Apples, Exhibitor Under 40 • Western International Market Shield for Dessert Apples, Exhibitor Under 40 • The Sue Daly Novice Trophy • Haynes Agricultural (Kent) Ltd Prize for Dessert Apples, Exhibitor Under 40 • W Bruce Challenge Cup for the best exhibit of Dessert Apples excluding Cox & Sports in Class 20

J MYATT & CO

• Class 32 : Raspberries • F Edmed & Sons Prize for Raspberries • CPM Ltd Trophy for Best Overall Entry of Raspberries

TURNERS CIDER MARDEN LTD • • • •

Engage Agro Cup for Pear/Perry Mixed Blend Class 45 Perry/Pear Cider Class 46 Blended Cider

The National Fruit Show’s afternoon debate, hosted by the Rural Policy Group, asked “How can farmers go green when they are in the red?” In this special feature, National Fruit Show President Teresa Wickham gives her answer to that difficult question. There is pressure and interest, both politically and from consumers, to demonstrate sustainable food production and care for the countryside. Farmers cannot increase their commitment to the environment however, if their businesses are not profitable. Britain’s entry into the EU increased competition, and combined with the rise of the supermarkets, the country began to import more food. Political incentives at that time resulted in capital grants incentives rather than the cheap credit which the French opted for. UK horticultural and agricultural producers failed to realise what impact these new market forces would have on their profitability and market share.

INDUSTRY INITIATIVES

Initiatives have come and gone over the past four decades, with varying degrees of success. The 1982 Selborne Report recommended setting up The Kingdom Scheme with the aim of developing a Cape style brand on the home market, but unfortunately the inclusion of Class 2 destroyed it. The Women’s Food and Farming Union (WFU)’s successful top fruit campaign enabled growers to have a direct dialogue with consumers and create a better awareness of UK Produce. The Strathclyde Initiative set up by Safeway followed in the 1990s with the aim of closing the UK Trade Gap and led to the setting up of the industry body British Summer Fruits. The Curry Commission (2004) made a compelling case for making our food system more transparent, sustainable and integrated, with subsidies reoriented to meet public interest. An impressive 101 of the 105 recommendations were implemented.

GO GREEN? BUT

WE ARE IN THE RED! demand for healthy, locally farmed food. The food industry as a whole has a responsibility to raise awareness of the link between diet, health and nutrition. There may be opportunities to take advantage of the recommendations in the new national food strategy, such as the proposed prescribing of fruit and vegetables on the NHS to help people out of ‘food poverty’. Charitable initiatives have already shown that the NHS and producers can work together to deliver such a scheme, but it is worth noting that food poverty is more about poverty than about food, which is cheaper in the UK than anywhere else in Europe. Diversification into leisure and tourism could provide opportunities for farmers to bring income

onto their farm, and investing in upstream businesses enables farmers to retain some of the value added on their produce. Off-farm work for the farmer or farmer’s partner is also an option many rely on to stay afloat. Ultimately, though, we need government initiatives that make it easier for farmers in this country to invest in more sustainable means of food production and environmental protections, rather than continuously looking overseas for cheap food, where we have no control over food safety and provenance and which undermines the potential of British farming. All this adds up to an exciting, though probably no less challenging, future for our farmers and growers.

WHERE NEXT?

There is no silver bullet for fixing our food system, but a look back at the most successful initiatives could provide a roadmap for the future. The marketplace is likely to continue to be dominated by supermarkets, even as new entrants challenge the big four and farmers find more direct routes to market. Farmers need to find ways to build closer connections with consumers. After all, it is consumer demands and purchasing power that ultimately drives retailers and food manufacturers. The increased consumer focus on health and wellbeing is an opportunity for farmers. Diets are changing as consumers seek out plant-based and less processed options, indicating an increasing

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NATIONAL FRUIT SHOW REVIEW

AROUND 90 EXHIBITORS The trade stands at the National Fruit Show were, as ever, an important part of the event, which allowed growers, machinery manufacturers and other industry specialists to get together in person again after last year’s enforced online show. Around 90 exhibitors were on hand to showcase their skills, professional advice, services, new technology or vital equipment to an audience that was keen to meet and greet friends, fellow growers and industry suppliers in person once again. Impressive exhibits included the Kirkland Machinery stand, based around a reconditioned Bedford truck and pulled together over several months by Scott Worsley. His efforts were repaid by a steady stream of visitors and by winning South East Farmer’s Best Machinery Trade Stand award. One eye-catching exhibit was the Adrian Scripps Ltd stand, where Managing Director James Simpson was highlighting the benefits of the Revo Piuma

4WD apple harvesting machine. As well as using the machines to harvest the Adrian Scripps crop at Parsonage Farm, Cobham in Kent, the grower has the agency to sell the automated picker to other growers across the UK and has already sold 19 of the high-tech machines. James explained that using the Piuma 4WD, which conveys fruit quickly and gently from the tree to a central bin, had allowed him to reduce the picking team from 250 to 180 – useful in a time of labour shortages – and increase productivity by between 25% and 30%. Other stands highlighted equally high-tech solutions to growing challenges, while The Hive was another area of the show that brought together entrepreneurial, tech-led companies that were appearing for the first time. Visitors to that area of the show could learn about the work of City Harvest, an organisation that converts surplus food into around a million

Best Machinery Stand ®

Best O verall Stand ®

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

meals a month in London, technology from Dynium designed to improve crop load knowledge, OX Truck’s solar powered off-road vehicles and Concordia. South East Farmer’s Best Trade Stand award went to H L Hutchisons Ltd, where Head of Marketing Nick Rainsley said the fruit show provided “a great opportunity to engage with growers and the wider trade and support the business we are all in,” adding: “This is a partnership – if our customers don’t do well, we don’t do well.” Nick was one of many exhibitors and visitors to the show who pointed out how important it had been to be at the event following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. “It’s vital to be able to get together and share ideas,” he said. “This industry relies on relationships.” The Fresh Produce Consortium Prize for the Best Shell Scheme Stand went to Royal British Legion Industries.

WEST SUSSEX DIARY NICK ADAMES

DEFRA DON’T REALLY CARE

You will probably have heard enough about the alpaca, Geronimo, that was eventually put down (not killed!) with suspected TB and inﬂicted with the shouting, screaming and tears that accompanied it. Several questions come to mind, but firstly why, when he was imported from New Zealand and tested positive with TB some two years ago, wasn’t he removed by DEFRA (known in this household as ‘Deathra’) and put down then? Even given their pretty questionable testing regime, why did they allow him to stay around other animals to risk infecting them? They would have taken animals from dairy farmers very quickly. Now to the wider issues. Just ask any dairy or beef farmer, who will almost certainly have gone through similar traumas to that lady owner because TB is something most of us have lived with for much of the past 15 to 20 years. Some have dealt with this issue from much further back. It is doubtless still ‘going the rounds’ because DEFRA don’t really care; after all it’s not their officials that suffer the losses, it’s not their money, it’s not their livelihood that is being steadily disrupted and not their confidence that’s being slowly destroyed. In fact, in the case of all four points they are making a living out of regular TB breakdowns, as it keeps them in well-paid jobs. Some might say overpaid, because if they were paid on their success in beating TB they would have been sacked long ago. Or resigned from their posts and ‘forced the issue’ with various governments. I ran one or two dairy herds for over 55 years and, having seen the disease overcome in my father’s last few years of dairying, I hoped the problem was behind us. We knew the main culprits, badgers, and were able to deal with them, so for some 25 or 30 years after the

NICK ADAMES

Former dairy farmer

disease was controlled, we were able to farm without the worry. But then ‘limp’ 1970s Labour decided it would be a popular move to relax controls of badgers, to satisfy the noisy and growing ‘animal rightists’, and gave protection to these ‘spreaders of death’. It was not long after this that we began to have, or hear of, outbreaks of TB across mainly the southern half of the UK. It spread steadily from the previous hotspots (the west country and a persistent problem area in East Sussex) and suddenly many of us were seeing new cases and being faced with movement restrictions, setting us back on our heels. Like the owner of Geronimo, we were pretty upset but, as working farmers, without much access to publicity and without today’s instant internet, we didn’t get hordes of people coming to support us. Speaking from first-hand experience, the problem crept up slowly. The first ‘shut down’ we had here was in 2000, when one animal tested positive. We were not initially too concerned, but the same year another three or four were taken away. Only two were infected, but of course we didn’t know that until they were long dead. This rumbled on and off for the next 16 years. We lost around 20 animals but the number of those proving positive remained at around 25% of those taken away. DEFRA vets would confidently state: “They will have it” … but how could they tell with such inefficient testing methods? In the end we felt we were fighting a losing battle

with officialdom, that the vets could see easy work till they retired, a view appearing to be reflected right up through to the government of the day. Had it been a human disease, like Covid-19, I am certain real efforts would have been made to get drugs designed to treat it, but no government seemed really bothered. After all, the taxpayer was there to foot the bill - in England alone (in the late 2010’s) approaching £100 million a year, including inadequate compensation to owners, for around 30,000 animals put down annually. I think governments of either hue and including the EU actually thought it was a good way to reduce UK cattle numbers, so had no real inclination to act. That’s just the same now. Meanwhile dear little ‘brocks’ are again breeding uninterrupted and TB continues. Perhaps if the internet had come 10 years earlier, we farmers could have made waves and persuaded the voters to turn out, as they did for Geronimo, and persuaded governments to take the problem seriously. Sadly, few bothered, except the farmers and the private vets, who knew the State Vet Service simply didn’t have any real interest, other than in killing our cattle. I am just pleased we made the decision to get out when we did in 2018. It is a sad reflection on politicians that we are little further forward than in the early 1950s. Most farmers should now be done with autumn drilling, with little active work to do other than look forward to some 14 to 16 weeks of dark, cold, wet nights. Getting away for a decent break is still a bit of a risk, since half the world operates quite difficult travel rules and many countries have still been unable to get ‘jabbed up’. A nice trip to some exotic place would be very refreshing but isn’t on the agenda; long flights are pretty exhausting at the best of times, but with travel constraints still in place it looks like a winter at home.

> Emma, right, watches the young stock being tested, approx 2014 TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

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SARAH CALCUTT FOCUS ON FRUIT

INNOVATIONS AROUND

EVERY CORNER SARAH CALCUTT Executive Chair, National Fruit Show

Bringing everyone together again for a National Fruit Show, back at Detling, with the magnificent display of fruit at its heart, turned out to be quite emotional. The joy at hearing laughter and animated conversations as old friends and colleagues met up again was well worth the hard work, and with awful weather forecast it ensured that plenty of growers and their teams could feel justified in coming rather than braving the elements. There were new innovations and services around every corner, and with some substantial reports on hand we had plenty to talk about with the Minister. It was good to have Victoria Prentis with us; she took the challenge from the NFU’s Tom Bradshaw and acknowledged that our sector has much to give and is a positive benefit to society and the environment. She was dispatched back to London with amazing fruit, along with copies of the handbook, the BAPL sustainability report and the Rural Policy Group’s investigation into financial sustainability in the food industry. I also delivered winning fruit and reports to the Queen and to the Prime Minister. Visiting number 10 delivering a gift is a wholly enjoyable experience,

> The Ian Johnston Award presented to Ox Truck it must be said. Hosted by Helena and her Garden Room team (Churchill called them his Garden Girls), we are always welcome. The Garden Room team are those responsible for the Prime Minister wherever he may be; they travel with him, prepare his red boxes, organise travel and everything that would be needed throughout each term of office. They are an invaluable point of contact and they have aided us in delivering key industry messages in a non-confrontational way. We always receive acknowledgements and notification that the reports have been shared with relevant DEFRA teams. In addition to celebrating a reunion of the industry, > The Jon Jones Award presented to Carmella Meyer of Boxford farms

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

we were also celebrating the contributions to the industry of two important individuals through the inaugural awarding of commemorative awards. The Jon Jones Award has been created to recognise a notable contribution to the fruit industry; someone who modestly has excelled at their day job and also worked on behalf of the industry to its great benefit. It was an absolute joy to be able to award the beautiful trophy to Carmella Meyer of Boxford farms, Copella juice and Plantsman PO fame. Not only has she been a key person on POs with the DEFRA/RPA team for a number of years, Carmella has led a PO, sat on the board of British Apples and Pears for multiple decades and always worked for the betterment of the top fruit industry. Hats off to her family, who managed to keep it a secret! The second commemorative award was created to celebrate the Ian Johnston take on life – a practical innovation that could benefit any farm business. It was lovely to be able to present the award to the team from OX Truck, developers of an electric four-wheel drive farm truck that farmers can build, maintain and customise themselves. Designed to be maintained without dealership intervention, its presence at the show attracted great interest. Planning has begun for 2022, so if you have a potential cover picture you would like us to use across all next year’s fruit show material, please send it over.

DEALERSHIP

FEATURED COMPANY: Photos: Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic

COMPANY’S POSITION STRENGTHENED IN KENT The ‘buzz’ generated by the opening of a new depot never fades, even when the premises in question is number 19 in the sequence. For Ernest Doe Power, the new dealership at Woodchurch, just outside Ashford, is particularly exciting as it strengthens the company’s position in Kent and allows it to take the impressive Case IH range to a new customer base to the east of the county. While the Woodchurch branch is the 19th to have been unveiled by the company, which dates back to 1898, it is the first expansion since incoming managing director Angus Doe took over the reins at Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd. “As a company we never

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tire of the excitement generated by opening new premises and we are looking forward to welcoming customers old and new at the new dealership,” he commented. The spacious, modern premises, formerly a transport depot at Hendon Barn, Woodchurch, was unveiled to the local farming community at a well-attended open evening at the end of October and boasts a well-equipped four bay workshop, generous parts depot and large outside display area. The building has been extensively refurbished, with new cladding, rearranged internal office space, uprated electrics and heating and new

external concrete areas, giving the impression of a completely new building although retaining the footprint of the original. The large, spacious and well-lit workshop is particularly impressive, boasting a dedicated welding area and served by new air lines. Each of the four bays is large enough to cope with a combine harvester or class-leading Case IH Quadtrac, while service manager Janet Noakes’ glass fronted office at the rear of the space supports her aim of being a vital link between the workshop and the customer. “My aim is to ensure our customers receive excellent service, and an important part of that >>

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

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DEALERSHIP

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> Sam Turnnidge demos the Ex-pilot Pro

<< is keeping them informed about progress on their job,” she said. “They deserve to know what’s happening with their equipment and when they can expect it back. It’s all about delivering service with a personal touch and that’s what I am here for.” Like the rest of the six-strong – but expected to grow swiftly – team, Janet is local and has an agricultural background. She was born in Brookland, near Rye, where father Howard and brother James farm at King Farm. Having moved from an assistant service manager’s job with another dealership, Janet is excited about the challenge of keeping the workshop working smoothly and believes the team’s complementary local knowledge will help the dealership settle in quickly with local farmers. “This is a great site with easy access and it’s well located for customers right across the county,” she added. Angus Doe agreed. “We have existing depots at

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Sutton-at-Hone, Dartford, at Ringmer near Lewes and at Albourne. This new site at Woodchurch completes that ‘square’, giving some existing customers shorter journeys while allowing us to reach many more potential new customers in this part of the world,” he said. The journey has not been an easy one. Ernest Doe Power spent a considerable time searching for the right location and has been hampered in its refurbishment efforts by supply issues with cladding and other materials, but the bulk of the work was done in time for the open evening – and the result is impressive. Branch and sales manager Steve Patfield, also well known locally after working for many years for another dealership, has overseen and contributed to the process, having been invited to join the team in August 2020, 14 months ahead of the building’s opening. Steve is looking forward to introducing more

of Kent’s farmers to the impressive Case IH range, from the mighty Quadtrac, with its low ground pressure and articulated steering, through to the Quantum range of fruit and vineyard tractors. The range runs from 50 to 700hp and includes the US-built Magnum AFS Connect, which is bristling with state-of-the-art telematics and connective technology, and the Optum, Puma, Maxxum, Vestrum, Luxxum and Farmall ranges, all of which are built in Austria. “Case IH offers an unbeatable range of high specification, supremely engineered tractors that benefit from an in-house power unit and an attention to detail that ensures both efficiency and reliability,” he said. “The top end models also boast an impressive new cab introduced this year.” Along with telehandlers and balers, Case IH also manufactures a range of Axial-Flow combine harvesters, culminating in the 9250, that are renowned for their comparatively low running >>

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

A MODERN SOLUTION FOR THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER MAXIROLL

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■ Seed hopper with up to 1,850 litres available ■ Easy access to metering and calibration button at the rear of the machine

FEATURED COMPANY:

43 << costs, thanks to the single rotor design and fewer moving parts, Steve said. “A winter service for an Axial-Flow can cost just half, or even less than half, as much as for other leading combine brands,” he explained. Another vital member of the team at Woodchurch is parts and assistant branch manager James Emery, another well-experienced professional whose role is to make sure visitors to the new depot can pick up the spares they need or arrange for them to be transferred from one of Ernest Doe’s 18 other dealerships across Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Sussex, Surrey and Hertfordshire. “Nationally, Case IH stocks, on average, 94% of all the parts that customers could require,” said James. “If they aren’t here in Woodchurch and we receive the order by 6pm one day, we can have them shipped here and ready for collection by 8am the next.” With Steve Patfield having overall responsibility for the branch, he is

supported on the sales side by area sales manager Tom Wheatley, while parts supervisor Tim Walter has moved down from Doe Power’s Dartford office, bringing a detailed knowledge of the company’s systems with him. The sixth member of the new team is technician Martin Watson, soon to be joined by additional workshop staff and supported in the meantime by existing service van technicians based at Dartford, Ringmer and Albourne. While the ambitious and customer focused team members are essentially new, they are far from on their own in their mid-Kent outpost, with the hands-on Ernest Doe & Sons management team ready, willing and able to offer support and advice. “We have a family business philosophy and a well-defined support structure that ensures help is only one phone call or email away,” commented Angus Doe. “We are excited about the future of this new branch, and we feel we have put together a great team – one which will grow over time – but it will have all >>

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DEALERSHIP

> Young Jack Lowrie on the Case Multi-Trac

<< the back-up that a business that employs around 530 people can offer.” Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd was set up in 1898 in Maldon, Essex, when Angus’ great, great grandfather Ernest began life as an apprentice blacksmith. His apprenticeship papers are framed and still hang on the wall at the company’s current Essex headquarters. The company took off when Ernest and his successors spotted a succession of opportunities, many of them related to the two world wars and the need to feed and arm the nation. It now has the franchise for Case IH equipment across the South East from The Wash down to Brighton. As well as the impressive motive power at the heart of the dealership, the new depot at Woodchurch supplies and services equipment and machinery from a range of leading brands including Lemken, KRM, Shelbourne, Dal-Bo, Maschio, Marshall, SIP, Bednar and Spearhead. “It’s taken a lot of work to create something special here in Woodchurch and we hope the local farming community will take the opportunity to drop in and see what we have to offer,” Steve concluded.

ERNEST DOE POWER – ASHFORD

NOW OPEN FOR SALES, SERVICE AND PARTS • Branch and Sales Manager | STEVE PATFIELD.....................................................07917 163394 • Area Sales Manager | TOM WHEATLEY...................................................................07387 023467 • Service Manager | JANET NOAKES ...........................................................................07870 230890 • Parts and Assistant Branch Manager | JAMES EMERY...................................07385 380483 Hendon Barn, Woodchurch, Ashford, Kent TN26 3QP Tel: 01233 224860 Shop online: ernestdoeshop.com

ADVICE FROM THE VET

DATA – TOO MUCH AND NOT ENOUGH?

How do we get this right? More and more information has to be recorded, legally as well as for purchaser schemes and assurance bodies. Vets and advisors constantly and rightly espouse the benefits of accurate and complete data for monitoring performance. It is frequently highlighted to me by farmers that this begins to take up more time than doing the job in the first place, writes Ian Roper BVetMed MRCVS, Senior Clinical Director – South East at Westpoint Farm Vets. Furthermore, we are bombarded with the best, latest, or updated software options for on-farm recording and analysis. It can be a bit difficult to know what is going to make your life easier, rather than harder. There must be a better way of reducing duplication, using what is already being recorded and viewing the data in a way that facilitates better understanding of the on-farm situation. Anything we add to the pot in terms of data platforms needs to either take some manual effort out of the process or improve the quality of output - ideally both. In the best circumstances there is clearer visualisation of trends and the ability to benchmark against relevant groups, and that must all reflect the current situation. Well, perhaps now there is something that can achieve this, following the launch of DigiFarm from Kingshay in conjunction with Westpoint Consultancy. This brings together multiple data sources which are already being recorded. All you need to do is give permission for the access. Any information which is collected by your milk recording organisation, be that NMR, CIS or QMMS, will feature in the analysis: information about the milk sample itself such as somatic cell counts, but also cow data which you enter onto the farm’s own recording system. You should make sure your milk recorder gets all the available data, even that which hasn’t made it onto the farm computer! That often includes clinical mastitis cases. Sometimes it is the other bits of data that are really vital to keep a handle on, but don’t seem part of that set, such as disease incidence – eg calf scours, retained foetal membranes etc. Our consultancy team can help you transfer your records into the platform, be that from a pen and ink farm diary, a whiteboard in the calf shed or even a WhatsApp string. This can then be turned around through the system to give you an accurate and genuinely useful output which will also satisfy Red Tractor and purchaser obligations. DigiFarm will soon be able to fetch BCMS data to assess herd details and disposals, tying into the longevity reports, which can also show age profiles and

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

compare reasons for leaving if that data is available in any form. Most Westpoint clients will already be familiar with the antimicrobial stewardship reports. This is just one example of the type of analysis and reporting available. It’s largely data which you had access to anyway, but presented in a clear way with an anonymised benchmark group, which makes it clear which areas to focus on in order to make real improvements to performance. That is the tenet across all the DigiFarm options. Many dairy focused reports are available right now, with more tools for beef and other species also on the horizon. There is also a VetInvest report that will be available shortly to analyse the link between treatment spend and disease incidence, and also between vet consultation and medicine spend. Again, this is benchmarked and allows further discussions about potential prevention measures to lead to a healthier herd. The system can be accessed by our vets through a standard web browser, meaning the analysis can be brought up on farm on a tablet or smart phone while discussing the subject in question and looking at the real-world situation. It is not tied to software loaded on to the office desktop. There will soon be an app available that will make the data input even smoother. It can be very useful to flag up cows that might otherwise slip through the net such as repeat breeders. It forces a discussion about cows which may be being kept contra to farm policy for special reasons. So, it’s about helping you to do the things which you have to do anyway, but reducing the effort and time required to get that done, and with a more helpful result to show for it.

If you would like to discuss anything covered in this article contact your local Westpoint practice

ANDY RICHMOND JACK BALKHAM

EMILY PHIPPS

Westpoint Horsham Westpoint Ashford Westpoint Sevenoaks T: 01306 628086 T: 01306 628208 T: 01959 564383 E: info@westpointfarmvets.co.uk www.westpointfarmvets.co.uk

AT ASHFORD MARKET

PETER KINGWILL T: 01233 502222

www.hobbsparker.co.uk The rapid rise in prices, returns and margins for both cattle and sheep over the past 18 months has been to the delight of all on the producer side of the equation! It is long overdue for sectors that have been squeezed and squeezed by the retail giants in the name of maintaining low consumer prices but in reality done to preserve their margins, their profits and their share price. This rise in price has not come about by a change in the attitude of the supermarkets but because supply has steadily tightened over the years as more producers either cut back numbers or got out of the industry altogether. What a shame that those conglomerates are unable to look into the future and realise that maintaining profitability in all tiers of the chain is the only way to construct a tiered industry on solid foundations. The current price hike has been accentuated by a Covid-19 driven strengthening in home demand, but the real problem is on the supply side where, with low returns and little hope for an improved future over the past 20 or 30 years, a stagnation in confidence and development has come about. Consequently, ‘bright young minds’ have not necessarily followed their forebears into the industry and have gone on to succeed in other areas, while their fathers and grandfathers continued to work hard for too little return.

WE WILL TAKE THE HIGH ROAD Time has caught up with many of them, and the prospect of yet another lambing or another calving is just a step too far. Maybe some would see this as a natural selection of the fittest to survive, and undoubtedly there are many good producers left with cattle and sheep ready to expand and take on that opportunity. But with herds and flocks in all corners of our country having gone with nobody to follow in business, it is clear that knowledge soon goes along with the stock, the fences and the buildings. Retailers have protected themselves in the world of poultry and pigs by taking total control of a production system that lends itself to the factory style of production. Uniform carcases at identical dates fed identical feed in identical houses, whether it is Ashford or Aberdeen, might seem the future to some but I am not so sure as prices and margins continue to fall and green and ethical clouds loom on the horizon. With beef and lamb prices having lifted spectacularly in less than two years, there have been expressions of concern as to whether beef

or lamb might just get too dear for the consumer, home or abroad. This debate as to whether to produce a premium product at premium price or sink to a generic product at a world price level is one that is well worn in the UK. We have the best beef and lamb, valued highly the world over, produced in a way that is understanding of the green debate. Compare its quality and its production standards to the feed lot beef of northern and southern America and we have a distinct advantage. Lamb could not be a greener or more natural product, and while some have fears over trade agreements with New Zealand and Australia, the length and cost of that journey is getting greater by the day, and why would they wish to increase their costs when they have such a strong market on their doorstep? British beef and lamb is a good product in a good place. We need to look after our industry, and all sectors must play their part in the chain to ensure that successive generations of small, medium and large producers can successfully “Take the High Road”.

SWAPPING TRAFFIC FOR TRACTORS

Aspiring young inner-city farmers swapped traffic for tractors when they visited Holyfield Hall Farm near Waltham Abbey in Essex. More than 35 members of Surrey Docks Farm’s ‘Young Farmers’ youth club, based in Rotherhithe, south east London, enjoyed a day of informative tours during the visit to the dairy, beef and arable farm. Staff from Lee Valley Regional Park’s Holyfield Hall Farm were joined by representatives from ForFarmers, an internationally operating feed supplier, and Arla UK, giving the enthusiastic young farmers a comprehensive understanding of the various steps in the journey from farm to fridge. The visit was sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Farmers and was part of a programme with Surrey Docks Farm that aims to give young inner city adults the opportunity to experience different commercial farming enterprises and explore a career in agriculture. As well as learning about the calf, beef and dairy

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areas, including insights on animal nutrition and an introduction to Arlagården, Arla UK’s commitment to milk quality, food safety and animal welfare, the group was also briefed on the arable side of the farm, including environmental land management and the machinery used on the farm.

Jason Painter, Farm Manager at Holyfield Hall Farm, commented: “It was wonderful to see how engaged the club members were. They listened intently and asked lots of questions. Initiatives such as this are crucial in showing what a vital, diverse, innovative and exciting world agriculture is.”

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

ALAN WEST SHEEP TOPICS

WHAT AN

INTERESTING

YEAR?

As 2021 ends it will, for many, be a time of introspection; I am sure that many sheep ALAN WEST producers will be looking back over the Sheep farmer past 12 months with a tinge of satisfaction, perhaps even smugness. In December 2020 everything was still very much in the air, our imminent departure from the EU, compounded by Covid-19 regulations, providing a “cliffhanger” end to the year, with uncertainty casting a bit of a cloud over New Year celebrations. Things could have gone either way for the sheep sector; it could easily have been an absolute disaster, but with tight supplies both internally and globally and relatively strong domestic demand, markets took off in spite of a significant fall in the amount of lamb crossing the Channel to our erstwhile European partners. Fortunately the divorce was not as acrimonious as it might have been, although the full settlement has not yet been finalised. Weather wise, this year rather broke the trend of summer droughts, at least in the South East. A period of five weeks with just a couple of millimetres of rain in late March and April caused a bit of consternation but proved to be no more than a brief hiatus, with the rains reappearing as we moved into May. Overall as a grass growing season, 2021 excelled itself; it really is a long time since I can recall having so much summer grass, I won’t say too much, but certainly on occasions a bit of an embarrassment. The sheep have not gone short of grazing this year. I know that at times I’ve done everything that we are constantly told not to do: not keeping on top of grass growth, turning ewes and lambs into paddocks where the grass is far too long, grazing grass that is too mature, the list goes on, but the outcome does lead me to question some of the current recommendations. Both ewes and lambs have done remarkably well. The ewes have gone to the tup in good condition, some even pushing the boundaries a little at the upper end of optimum BCS, and the lambs are growing on well and look good. I must admit that with plenty of grass available, I have not pushed them to clear up but have moved them around paddocks fairly readily, quite happy for them to eat the bottom out and then tidy up behind with the topper. It’s an approach that has seemed to work. The strategic use of molasses blocks has, I suspect, helped this process or at least helped rumen function. Providing a little extra fuel for micro flora and fauna that make up

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the rumen micro-biome enables them to work more effectively and make much better and more efficient use of available grass and forages, much of which had unquestionably passed its optimum feed value. I have always been an advocate of looking after the inner animal; feed the rumen and let the rumen feed the sheep. The residues left after grazing and topping off have also provided an unintentional but welcome bonus in helping to put what I guess will be a significant quantity of organic matter into the soil over the summer period. Any additional organic matter should leave the soil in better condition and provide added resilience to drought in subsequent years. The rather wet and warm summer has not been without its down sides; plenty of hay has been made, but hay-making has been snatchy, to say the least, and although there may be abundant quantity, the wet weather and rather mature grass has resulted in quite a substantial knock to quality. I’m sure that there will be plenty of hay available this coming winter, but good hay will be more difficult to find. The long grass and warm, wet weather has also generated a few problems for sheep, most notably a significant increase in the incidence of foot problems. Fortunately this has largely been due to scald which, if spotted and treated in a timely manner, is relatively easy to deal with; the footbath has certainly had more than its usual level of use over this summer. The real bonus to most sheep producers this year has, however, been prices, which in general have been good across the board (except wool, but this is steadily, if slowly, improving); lamb prices have been buoyant throughout the season, a few ups and downs but it will always be thus. Trade in breeding ewes has been very good, particularly for anything with a bit of quality, and the ram trade has been not good but OK - it could have been much worse. Rams have sold reasonably well and, again, for anything with a bit of quality, at a sensible, if not a good, price. It is a strange phenomenon that, frequently, if there is a strong trade in breeding females then the ram trade is proportionally not quite so good. As a result ram sellers have generally not seen the premium prices that have been made at some of the female sales. It seems counter-intuitive to me that if one has paid good money for some good ewe tegs one should then try to save a bit by buying a cheaper ram. Good ewes merit good rams; cheap rams will not generally produce the quality of lambs that they deserve. We had a very slow start to our ram sales but by the end of the season could have sold rather more than we had available and all at sensible prices. The store lamb trade has also been surprisingly good; on occasions strong stores have even made more than finished lambs, possibly as a result of

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of pregnancy will help reduce the risk of twin lamb disease. In addition to energy, protein, trace minerals and vitamins are all factors in producing good quality colostrum for the lambs. Colostrum is the first chance for the ewe to pass on nutrients and antibodies and is the most important feed a newborn lamb will ever get. Megastart Ewe & Lamb is a free-choice feed lick designed to supplement the ewe during the four to six weeks before lambing. With intakes

some buyers getting a little carried away with the moment, but very good for breeders. Some store lamb buyers may feel that they have paid too much for lambs, but they did have a very good start to the year, selling finished lambs into a very buoyant finished lamb market this spring, often at a premium price - lambs they probably purchased, due to Brexit uncertainty, at quite a favourable price last autumn. Latest AHDB forecasts of a 2% drop in lambs marketed at the tail end of 2021 and census figures showing an almost 3% decline in total sheep numbers would seem to justify the current market confidence in a good trade next spring. We mustn’t forget those sheep keepers who last autumn purchased ewe lambs to run on. The lively trade in breeding females, has in general, served them very well, some of the stronger ewe tegs this year making more than twice, some three times, what was paid for them as ewe lambs in 2020, leaving some very generous margins; this in spite of 1.5% fall in the national breeding flock. We certainly have some cause for modest celebrations this year, if only out of relief, particularly when one considers that with both Brexit and Covid-19 restrictions, things could so easily have gone disastrously wrong for agriculture; the sheep sector in particular. It is a shame that recent supply chain problems and the prospect of some significant cost increases heading our way have put a bit of a dampener on the celebrations. Fortunately we in the sheep sector are neither as threatened nor as vulnerable as some of our fellow quality British meat producers such as those in the pig sector. I’m sure that we all empathise with the pain currently being felt by pig producers, many of whom find themselves in a dreadful situation, some facing ruin and loss of businesses that may have been built up over generations; a situation that has been generated by a range of events and circumstances completely beyond their individual control. Some of the supply chain issues impacting on the pig sector, particularly

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between 100 and 150g per day, Megastart Ewe & Lamb supplies high energy, high quality protein, Vitamin E and selenium, important factors in the production of rich colostrum. Megastart incorporates a cell wall material produced from a single strain of yeast that contains high levels of specific sugars called mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) and beta glucans, which research has shown to stimulate the immune system and improve both colostrum quality and yield.

abattoir capacity, veterinary inspections and insufficient processing capability, are also a potentially serious threat to the sheep sector. We are to some extent fortunate in as much as sheep production is nowhere near as intensive as pig production; efficiency and intensity are not always the gods that some make them out to be. The nature of the modern pig sector is such that if things do start to go wrong they have an almost immediate and cascading impact, capable of generating significant disruption through the industry. The nature of the sheep sector does allow for greater flexibility; rather more relaxed specifications, wider marketing opportunities and less severe penalties for being out of spec confer some significant advantages. But the relative comfort that we find ourselves in compared with the pig sector should not be an excuse for complacency; we still need to be aware of potential threats and be proactive in addressing them. The wide range of sheep breeds and crosses that we have at our disposal gives rise to an equally wide array of systems, which are, at times, something of a disadvantage, a hindrance to efficiency we are repeatedly told, but they do provide a useful degree of flexibility. In general we have not gone down the same “one size fits all” route of production systems that is now proving to be part of the undoing of the pig sector. Recent trade deals agreed with both Australia and now New Zealand, plus the way in which the pig sector has been treated and regarded by the Government, should ring alarm bells; the current administration has ably demonstrated both its lack of understanding of the issues and unwillingness to commit to meaningful support for any part of the agricultural industry that happens to find itself in trouble due to no fault of its own. As an industry, the sheep sector does in general tend to be very independent and self reliant; out of necessity we are good at identifying problems and adopting suitable solutions, an attribute that will serve us well as we move into 2022.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

AT COLCHESTER MARKET GRAHAM ELLIS FRICS FAAV FLAA For and on behalf of Stanfords T: 01206 842156 E: info@stanfords-colchester.co.uk

www.stanfords-colchester.co.uk

EXCEPTIONAL

RETURNS PROVE

We saw another month of exceptional returns in the cattle and sheep pens at Colchester, proving the live system is beneficial to producers, with local wholesalers and butchers competing openly to acquire stock for their businesses. It is tremendous to see the returns currently being obtained, but they are desperately needed with high feed prices and all other costs on the increase. Cheap food has been available in the country for a long time and it may not be the case in the future, but the prime producer, that is the farmer, does need a realistic return to ensure his investment is worthwhile. In the month of October we saw live cattle regularly trading from 260p/ kg to near 290p/kg liveweight, with finish being paramount. Weight was no issue, with cattle trading up to £1,890, with the majority of medium and heavy trading at over £1,400 per head. As always, small butchers’ beasts made a premium per kilo as they need to do with the high price of store cattle. Numbers are totally insufficient and many more could be sold to advantage. Cattle are now trading at some 40p/kg to 50p/kg more than this time last year, equating to £200 per head for an average beast. Several plainer cattle are being taken out of the finished ring for further feeding and even those are looking well sold.

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The store cattle trade is following the prime cattle trade, as would be expected. Numbers generally are totally inadequate and many farmers’ yards are empty. Again it is fair to say in Colchester that Farm Assured cattle do not make a premium; indeed, several vendors have decided to de-register from Farm Assurance for cattle which is frustrating but does sum up the service they believe they get from the organisations that run the Farm Assurance schemes. Cull cows fell in price towards the end of October as would be expected with several plain cattle forward. However, best cows were still trading at well over 150p/kg for beef breeds and the very best touching 200p/kg. As with all marketing, presentation is important. The sheep trade continued at its record levels for the time of year, trading again some 50p/kg above 12 months ago, and many more could be sold to advantage in Colchester, where local wholesalers and butchers compete for all stock. It is good to see sheep being attracted from greater distances to Colchester, and long may that continue. Again, as with all markets we sell all qualities; it is noticeable that several rare breeds are coming forward, even these meeting a relatively strong demand. The store sheep trade, as would be expected, is strong, the very best store lambs up to £100 and above and averages running to £75 to £90 per head. This is a remarkable average compared with last year, when the finished lambs were making the same. Ewes are stronger than expected, particularly towards the end of October as trade increased, with numbers generally insufficient. Good to see ewes trading for £100 to £140 per head for the best meated types. Leaner ewes also easily sold; less money but still well above 12 months ago. The current sheep prices are giving farmers and producers confidence to replace their breeding stock. Let us hope their confidence is rewarded over the next few years and the British public stays faithful to welfare friendly produced stock from a known source rather than cheap imports from around the world. The one disaster in the livestock industry is the pigs, with the well documented problem within the slaughter business and the enormous problems that it is causing on the farms. It’s quite extraordinary when a business which is so well founded has these problems. It is fair to say that many producers will probably decide not to continue in production, which in the medium to long term will no doubt cause a shortage of home produced pork and an open market for pork imported from less welfare-controlled areas. With the exceptionally warm weather in late October, autumn drilling carried on at pace, with the majority of farmers well in front of where they were 12 months ago. With so many green fields, the concerns of high nitrogen prices and spray costs are the negatives as far as growing arable crops goes. As this report is being written we were well into planning the 2021 prime stock show and sale in Colchester, with classes for cattle and sheep, to be held on 30 November; an opportunity for regular vendors to show their quality stock to the benefit of all. Let us hope for a successful year for them.

NEW FUTURE FARM HEALTH

MEGASTART EWE&LAMB

PLANNING

As today’s livestock keepers are becoming better trained and more competent in recognising and treating diseases, herd and ﬂock health planning advice is rapidly becoming the major (but not the only) role of the modern farm vet. It is certainly the biggest change, along with the use of ultrasound scanners on farms, which I have seen in my role as a farm vet in East Sussex over the past 31 years. I was heartened to see in a recent survey that 93% of farmers still trusted their vet, but was disappointed that only 77% considered their vet to be integral to the success of their livestock business. You may be surprised to know that all farm vets are required to participate in at least 35 hours of further training (Continued Professional Development) every year, all of it regulated and monitored by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. In a fast-moving ever-changing world, vets need to keep learning, keep up to date and keep abreast of changes in the rules and regulations for food producers on farms. Hopefully we can then continue to be trusted advisors who are also willing to collaborate with other specialised farm advisors and so contribute to, and be considered integral to, the success of our clients’ farming businesses.

RED TRACTOR

New Red Tractor rules in November 2021 are requiring more veterinary involvement in health planning and next year the Government’s new Animal Health and Welfare Review will be introduced. This is a fully funded farm vet visit that farmers will receive on a yearly basis and includes help to control endemic disease in their herds or flocks. Health planning is obviously integral to future UK livestock farming policy and can certainly be a constructive exercise for keepers when bespoke advice is provided for each livestock farm after discussions with their own farm vet.

HEALTH PLANNING

Health planning has contributed to the admirable progress that has recently been made in reducing antibiotic treatments on UK livestock farms. While some consumers would like to see zero usage of all medicines on farm, “no medicines” does not always mean “no disease” or “good health and welfare”. It is still vital that vet medicines (including vaccines) are used if and when necessary to protect animal health and welfare, and these contingency plans and preventive plans will be at the heart of your future herd or flock health plan annual reviews.

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WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

MANURE SERVICES

FROM STABLE

TO STUBBLE 52

A chance meeting with an organic farmer more than 20 years ago set Richard Kennard on a new career path, one that is continuing to deliver rewards for his business, growers across the South East and the environment. Friend and farmer Keith Langmead, from Arundel, told Richard that he was happy to spread as much organic material on his land as possible – with horse manure a particularly good source of the nutrients he needed. “I was running a successful plant hire company at the time, but Keith was so enthusiastic about

the potential benefits of horse manure, something that stables are always needing to get rid of, that it sparked an idea,” Richard recalled. “I spotted another business opportunity in helping equestrian establishments get rid of their waste material and putting it to good use at the same time.” Richard was determined that his new business, Sussex Manures, would offer a comprehensive and professional, end-to-end service, not just picking up and delivering the manure but spreading it on the recipient’s fields to complete the task and put the nutrients to work as quickly as possible.

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

To move the product quickly, efficiently – and legally – from stable to stubble, he needed the right motive power, and so his relationship with Haynes Agricultural and JCB’s impressive Fastrac machines began. “The Fastrac is the only real option if you want to be able to tow a trailer full of manure over a reasonable distance at a decent speed,” commented Richard. “JCB is one of only two manufacturers that make a full suspended, fully braked, ABS-equipped tractor that can legally travel at 40mph on the roads.

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> Richard Kennard, Tyffany Booker and Simon Sinclair “Not only does it meet the criteria but it meets them exceptionally well, with the result that we have bought 12 Fastracs over the past 20 years, all of them from Haynes.” With Richard at Haynes’ Uckfield depot to collect the company’s latest Fastrac – an impressive new 4220 – from Area Sales Executive Simon Sinclair was Sussex Manures’ Agricultural Services Director and Fastrac operator Tyffany Booker. Regularly turning heads when she turns up at stables across Sussex and Surrey at the wheel of a bright yellow Fastrac, 30 year-old Tyffany has been with the company for five years, having previously trained sales teams for a mobile phone manufacturer. “A lot of people are surprised to see a woman at the wheel of a Fastrac, and there certainly aren’t many of us, but I really enjoy driving big kit and I love the job I do,” she said. “I fancied something different after training and this really suited me, particularly the idea that we are taking a waste product and putting it to good use."

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Richard commented: “Tyffany recognised the value of what we do and fitted in well with the company’s vision, so we just had to train her to use the machinery. When it comes to handling a Fastrac, she’s more than kept up with the boys; she’s shown them a few things, too.” As well as being able to handle a Fastrac, Tyffany has a range of business skills that has seen her take on the new directorship, in which role she will be responsible for the company’s drivers, with a particular focus on compliance. “Safety and compliance are really important to Sussex Manures,” explained Richard, who served as a retained fireman for 15 years and has worked in the construction industry, another area where the workplace demands respect and concentration. “A loaded trailer towed by a tractor can weigh a total of 30 tonnes. That means you need a welltrained and fully qualified operator, but you also need the right vehicle, and that’s why we only use Fastracs. It’s not just potentially illegal but unwise

to use a standard tractor on lengthy road trips; they just aren’t designed for it, and using a tractor at high speeds regularly doesn’t do a lot for the brakes.” Tyffany, who said the Fastrac was “one of the easiest things to drive, it’s so smooth and comfortable, and the four-wheel steering makes it easy to manoeuvre” has just earned her HGV Category C licence. “It’s not mandatory for the driving she is doing, but it has given her an insight into HGV training and into the safety aspects in particular,” said Richard. “I also see it as future proofing as I think – and hope, to be honest – that the powers that be continue to raise the safety bar when it comes to moving heavy loads around the countryside.” It is for that reason that Sussex Manures runs its own in-house training and assessment scheme for its Fastrac drivers based on the standards set for HGV drivers. “Given that 18 year-olds can drive these machines, we feel duty bound to make sure our drivers exceed the current requirements,” said >> Richard.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

MANURE SERVICES

<< It is Richard’s – and his fellow director’s – healthy obsession with safety and compliance that has seen Sussex Manures take advantage of Haynes Agricultural’s new full maintenance service contract. Apart from the peace of mind it delivers by fixing the costs up front, it also means that Richard knows his machinery will always be compliant as it is being looked after by the dealer. Sussex Manures' first Fastrac was a 145, bought – from Haynes – to launch the business in 2000. It was the start of a close relationship that even saw one of the company’s Fastracs taken back and stripped down by the manufacturer in 2009 so that they could assess the impact of high mileage on their product. “In a small way I think feedback from Sussex Manures has helped in the development of the machine,” said Richard, who has now bought four 4220s in succession. The other benefit of buying Fastracs is that the company can use them throughout the year, as

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Sussex Manures also carries out gritting and snow clearance work for councils during the winter. “Operating Fastracs has been key to picking up national contracts for this kind of work as it immediately sends a signal that you are a professional outfit that’s geared up to meet the challenge,” Richard said. “Pointing out that your motive power is a JCB Fastrac is the key to being taken seriously when it comes to that kind of work.” The move into manure haulage and spreading, which Richard is keen to stress is an integrated package, also saw Sussex Manures move into grassland contracting, while the company also makes hay and haylage from 200 acres of grassland at Ashington and offers a range of other agricultural services. Richard was also keen to pay tribute to other valued members of his team, including brother Roger Kennard, who he said had been “a key member and operator with us for 20 years, cascading his experience down to the younger

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

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operators”. Also vital to the success of Sussex Manures is Harriet Burbidge, manure sales and operational director. Another new product launched by Sussex Manures is Puckamuck, a bagged manure that is growth tested and is proving extremely popular with gardeners and smallholders as a “safe, consistent and peat-free” manure. Based at Muntham Farm, Findon, near Worthing, the company runs three JCB Fastracs, two Loadalls and three 360-degree diggers. Nineteen year-old Archie Osenton is the third driver on the team. Sussex Manures uses a grab loader to collect manure from large livery yards, racing stables and individual clients who may just have one or two horses. Because it is spread back onto the land, improving the soil, the waste is classified as agricultural. “We are always looking for new equestrian outfits that want their waste removed quickly and efficiently and put to good use elsewhere,” Richard concluded.

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ELVED PHILLIPS ARABLE NOTES

UK HAS AN EXPORTABLE SURPLUS

Since my last article, DEFRA has announced a UK wheat crop of about 14 million tonnes. Even though the market had been “trading that figure” already, it did not prevent the UK wheat futures for November hitting another ‘new high’ of £216. It is interesting to note that about one year ago its low contract point was £145. The then talk of the UK having ‘wall to wall’ wheat from the 2021 harvest meant many farmers bought into that view by selling forward at £150 for this harvest. Who would have thought that, a year on and with five million more tonnes of UK wheat, we would have spot prices much higher than this time last year? When you think that, unlike last year, the UK does have an exportable surplus, the logic of this situation is more difficult to fathom. But we have begun with a surplus of feed wheat at least, because we have been exporting it for the past four months, with estimates of up to 250,000 metric tonnes already shipped. This may not include the wheat we have been shipping to Northern Ireland from the west coast but, whether in the official export figures or not, it has definitely left these shores and won’t be coming back. But, I hear you ask: “How can wheat in southern England costing £200-plus ex farm, with big haulage, elevation and sea freight costs, be competitive anywhere?” That’s a good question as usually there are other origins who cannot wait to undercut us and maybe they will yet. For now, the demand is real enough and even better, as I presaged last month, feed barley is being carried up with

feed wheat. This means that record ex farm prices are being paid spot, so if selling feed wheat and barley in November and December is part of your strategy, now is the time to get on with it. Regular readers will know that my view is that the January to June positions will yield the highest prices for feed and milling wheat and that £200-plus ex farm for feed should have always been on. Because you can make it now, it does not mean that the later months won’t trade at even higher levels. Simple maths confirms that with a 14 million tonne wheat crop, normal milling imports and compound demand, the only uncertain factor is the demand for ethanol production. Most assume 1.3 million tonnes will be used. If the second factory is on stream from 1 January 2022, that could rise to 2.2 million tonnes. Why wouldn’t that happen? Well, with wheat at £200 plus ex farm, is it too expensive to use? One plant can switch from wheat to maize, the other can only use wheat. But with maize currently at £250 ex store it does not calculate; E10 is flowing at the pumps. The government’s recent subsidy of CO2 production leads me to believe they would do the same again if this valuable source of carbon dioxide was threatened by the high price of wheat. Assuming I’m correct about this, then as well as importing milling wheat, the UK will be bringing in feed wheat. If that happens the old chestnut about the difference between export and import ELVED parity will be wheeled out. That is PHILLIPS £20 per tonne, so in theory feed Openfield wheat could increase to £220 ex farm in the new year between

IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF YOUR SOIL

January and June. So, for the long holders there may be even more fun to come. As I have indicated, barley could continue to be dragged up by wheat. If it’s trading at, say, £10 discount, you have to be selling it. Don’t forget the UK does have a 1.2 to 1.5 million tonnes barley surplus. The next word of warning is about malting barley. Having reached premiums of £50 per tonne-plus for January or February, the biggest European maltster has just purchased a large cargo of Australian malting barley for the new year, so there’s now a ceiling to malting barley. That really should be sold now, but for January or February, as pre-Christmas logistics will make it impossible to execute new business. So, keep cashing in spot feed wheat and barley and sell malting barley. Hold some wheat for the January to June rise, but as you do, release some new year feed barley at a differential of £10 to wheat. I said months ago that the premium for proper group one milling should be similar to malting barley, so if you’re lucky enough to have milling wheat when it is, sell some. Last of all, oilseed rape. A recent trade with the oil bonus was close to £600 per tonne. While some farmers I know would still want “another quid” even at that price, this bit of icing on the cake is probably worth taking. The UK and the EU have to import an awful lot, but it will come from somewhere. This year has the look of one during which, as long as you still have some tonnage to play in the wheat, barley, oilseed ‘game’ and even if you miss the remaining peaks in the market, you will still do very well. Remember, from a pricing view it’s sometimes better to sell at ten minutes to noon rather than leave it until one minute past!

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STEPHEN CARR

Offe in so serv your

WINTER BEANS

ABANDONED

“So, how did the farm come through a combination of Brexit and the pandemic?” is a question that I’m often asked by friends and acquaintances. “Great, thanks,” is my standard reply. “Great” is a bit of an exaggeration but, considering the challenges Covid-19 and Brexit posed to so many businesses, it’s the only answer I feel comfortable giving. After all, while the likes of hospitality and high street retail establishments were ordered to shut during the pandemic, my farm carried on remarkably unaffected. Similarly, while many businesses, including food exporters, have run into a nightmare of bureaucratic form-filling and other additional costs in doing business with the EU, post-Brexit, my farm seems to have sailed serenely on. Indeed, there has hardly been a hiccough in its normal trading. But, in recent weeks, my mood has become more gloomy, even though farmgate prices for my combinable crops, beef and lamb all remain buoyant. First came the news that energy prices were soaring. The most obvious immediate impact of rising energy prices has been an escalation in the costs of a series of farm inputs, most notably red diesel and ammonium nitrate (which is made from natural gas). But I don’t need to be an economist to work out that rising energy prices will work through to increase the cost of just about any input my farm buys. But perhaps more unsettling still has been my inability to get so many inputs delivered on farm, whatever price I’m prepared to pay for them. I had grand plans to grow winter beans this year, but I have had to abandon the crop. Firstly, I couldn’t source any glyphosate to spray off the wheat stubble I was proposing to direct drill the crop into. The farmer’s co-operative I tried to order the chemical through informed me that I was “at the back of a 23,000-hectare queue”. I might have got around that particular difficulty by broadcasting the bean seed and ploughing it in, but I was told that no winter bean pre-emergent herbicide would be available until next spring. The final nail in the coffin of this enterprise was being informed that there was no guarantee that transport could be found to deliver the bean seed anyway. So it is that my winter bean crop has been postponed to a spring bean crop in the hope that I can be sure of having the inputs required on farm by then. I’ve no idea to what extent all these recent difficulties for my farm are attributable to the pandemic or Brexit or a combination of the two. But, as a friend said to me recently: “When you can’t distinguish between the impact on farms of a global pandemic and something farmers voted for, they probably shouldn’t have voted for it.”

STEPHEN CARR Arable farmer

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ANITA HEAD ORGANISED CHAOS

ANITA HEAD Farmer

58 The drilling is complete for 2021, the maize is all clamped, and while the weather is changing daily, a few farmers must be contemplating whether or not to drill any spring crops in 2022. The cost of nitrogen is astronomical (congratulations to all who purchased amounts in advance); it would appear that short supply, rising gas prices and panic buying have led to a rapid increase in price. The average spend on fertiliser in this season could be well be more than double the price for the same amount this past season. Soil analysis is essential this year, as is a possible recalculation of fertiliser requirements based on the results. A large proportion of farmers may take a P and K holiday, especially those who have spread high applications of slurry. Slurry spreading in the spring will be carried out with a trailing shoe to increase nutrient uptake in the soil. Digestate will be in demand as a possible alternative. With BPS diminishing, the cost of the end product must surely rise. The rising cost

SOIL ANALYSIS IS ESSENTIAL THIS YEAR of all associated products must be taken into consideration. In the past two weeks two large dairy herds were dispersed at their local auction marts. One had to make a hasty decision to sell as the majority of staff left to go back to their own countries; the other had reached the end of his tether and decided he couldn’t make ends meet, enough was enough and he sold his cows before he could change his mind. Where does that leave the rest of the farming community? If we lose many more farmers we could be in short supply of home produced food. The calf price seems to have increased again. A dairy X bred calf at eight weeks old is selling for over £400! I struggle to see where a margin can be made on selling the bullock as fat in 14 months’ time. Blood, sweat and toil go into our lives 365 days a year for small reward. Farming is relentless, but so many farmers continue because it is all they have ever known. Away from the farm it was a roller coaster of a month. Zara and I had an amazing week in sunny (with rather a lot of rain) Devon competing at her first three-day event with the additional roads and tracks endurance phase. Torrential rain and sunshine filled the week. A lovely dressage, a clear cross country with roads and tracks and a nailbiting finish with the show jumping and a superb round by Zara gave her the win – her biggest to

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

date and a qualification for Badminton Grassroots 2022. She was the youngest competitor, aged 12, and one of 147 entries. Can you tell I am a very proud mummy? The horses are now having a well-deserved holiday. As I write we have just returned to school after two weeks of half term. A whirlwind, non-stop two weeks mainly farming and thoroughly enjoyed by us all. Ted is about as enthusiastic as a turkey waiting for Christmas going back to school. Let’s hope the Christmas holidays are just around the corner. Speaking to a farmer in Devon while we were competing, I was asking him about his farm. We even had a cup of tea. He had over 600 suckler cows and approximately 2,000 sheep. This year his grass yield was off the scale. “Three cuts we had; never in my life have we had three cuts of grass,” he said (these are the small things we take for granted in the South East). He also inferred that he wouldn’t be applying any fertiliser next year unless the price came down. He has enough silage to see him through most of next year, so will just take a cut later in the year. I believe many farmers across the country will be following his example. With the darker evening upon us and Fireworks Night around the corner, we shall look out of our window and hope to see a display. Until next time, stay safe and well.

AGRONOMY

Successful cover cropping is well documented to need the correct species choice and establishment timing. However, of equal importance is how best to terminate the cover crop. Soil type, cover composition, following crops and machinery availability are all key parameters to take into consideration when deciding how to terminate.

HOW DO I TERMINATE MY CATCH/ INTERCROP?

COVER CROP TERMINATION

These covers may have been drilled in the early summer and be of good height. Grazing or mowing can be used to manage top growth. The majority will contain soft, lush growth with limited height, and termination timing is often driven by soil moisture. Leaving these in the ground for too long can over-dry soils. Most drills will be capable of drilling straight into these covers as the roots anchor the top growth, allowing clean movement through them. Try to avoid the temptation to incorporate the cover, as this can often make it problematic to drill. Treatment with Glyphosate/Kyleo should occur three to four days before drilling.

CAN I GRAZE MY COVER?

Yes, this is a fantastic way to manage the biomass, improve nutrient cycling and inoculate soil with bacteria. It will also reduce the potential nitrogen lock up from high carbon:nitrogen species such as cereals. Be wary if there are large quantities of buckwheat in the mix. Grazing management is vital to success, especially on heavy land. The aim is to graze 60% and trample the remaining cover, promoting exudate and nutrient release. Covers should be mob grazed. Lighter land is more forgiving and will allow a more relaxed approach if that is preferred.

WHEN SHOULD I TERMINATE MY COVER?

Clay based soils are wetter, therefore moisture management is critical. They should be terminated by the end of November. This allows the moisture that will have been drawn around the root ball to dissipate back through the soil while sun and wind dry the surface.

Leaving the cover over winter will encourage water to be drawn to the surface, meaning the working zone will be wet when it comes to drilling and the drill may struggle to cover the slot. Light soils are less problematic and can be terminated at any time as long as following crop issues have been addressed.

HOW DOES MY FOLLOWING CROP AFFECT TERMINATION? This depends on the cover type. Some broadleaved covers (radish and phacelia) have a tolerance to glyphosate and therefore need the use of Kyleo (glyphosate + 24D) for complete control. However, if you are following a broadleaved cover with a cereal crop, you can finish off the broadleaved covers in the following cereal. Remember that where you have used cereal covers preceding cereal commercial crops you will need 40 days to elapse between termination and sowing of a following cereal crop due to allelopathy. Therefore, I would never recommend using cereal covers, especially preceding spring cereal crops. Where the cover is ploughed down, this is obviously less of an issue, but arguably negates the value of the cover. However, this may be needed where following crops cannot cope with the residue, such as sugar beet or potatoes.

ALICE CANNON

Hutchinsons Agronomist and Regional technical Support Manager T: 07583 692576 E: Alice.Cannon@farmacy.plc.uk Canterbury: 01227 830064 www.hlhltd.co.uk TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

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ARCHERS STORYLINE PROMPTS SUCCESSION PLANNING ADVICE

A storyline on long-running BBC radio series The Archers has highlighted the importance of succession planning for owners of family businesses, particularly farming businesses. The storyline centres around Brian Aldridge, who is fretting about the future of Home Farm as there is no one in a position to take over. With his daughter getting divorced, Brian worries about the risk to the farm and considers selling the business so that he can retire and ensure financial security for his children, even though it means giving up on his dream of passing it on. Expert private capital lawyers say the common issues raised by the programme show that succession planning should start as early as possible to minimise risk and disagreements later. Tom Chiffers, a partner with national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP, said: “Conversations around succession can never come too soon; accidents, sudden illnesses and all sorts of changes in circumstance can occur and it’s always best for everyone involved to know where they stand. “Some business owners aim to realise their business at retirement, while others

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regard it as a family concern that they would like to pass on to future generations. Farmers traditionally fall into the latter category as their business is often also their family home and one that they have inherited. “Planning should start by establishing what each family member wants, something Brian doesn’t seem to have done with his children and step-children. A family business agreement can record what has been agreed within the family and help concentrate minds and facilitate conversations about the shape of the future in a way that is not legally binding. “Wills are also an essential document, particularly where blended families are involved, as is the case with Brian.” In many cases some family members will be more involved in the business than others, and some not involved at all. While this will have a bearing on planning, it is important to talk to all parties to ensure everyone is happy with, or at least aware of, the plans. Timing is also key, with several financial reliefs coming in to play. David Maddock, who specialises in advising clients on tax issues at Clarke Willmott, said: “Family members working in the business over time will require the incentive of taking on more responsibility and perhaps a share in the business, through a family farming partnership or other legal vehicle. “If family members are to be brought into the business this might involve gifts which could incur an inheritance tax (IHT) charge if reliefs do not apply to all the assets. If made earlier there’s a greater chance of avoiding any IHT charge as there is a greater likelihood of surviving seven years, when such gifts fall out of account for IHT. “In addition, agricultural property relief, which exempts assets used for agricultural purposes, is very generous at present but there have been suggestions that this might change, so a gift made now might qualify for greater relief than is available in the future. “Furthermore, gifts of agricultural and business property presently qualify for capital gains tax holdover relief, so no CGT is payable on the gift, but again this might change.” While The Archers storyline continues, the team at Clarke Willmott is encouraging anyone thinking about succession planning to get in touch for advice.

LEGAL

Grazing licences are often used when farmers or other landowners want to allow a third party to use their land for grazing animals, for a short period of time on a non-exclusive basis. This type of arrangement allows the occupier (also known as a grazier) to access the landowner’s land to graze their animals in return for a fee. A grazing licence is therefore a useful tool for a landowner who wants to keep the grass cropped and at the same time receive income from the land. Here are some key points to consider when exploring the possibility of granting a grazing licence.

1. MAKE SURE THE LICENCE IS IN WRITING

To avoid any uncertainty, it is important that the grazing licence is in writing and that it details the rights and obligations of each party. A plan should also be included to show the relevant land.

2. AGREE HOW THE OCCUPIER WILL USE THE LAND AND ANY BUILDINGS Before agreeing any grazing rights, it is important to understand how the land will be used. There are three common scenarios: 1. If the land is used for grazing livestock for purely private purposes (for instance, pet horses) which is not connected with a trade or business, the agreement is likely to be a licence. 2. If, however, the land is likely to be used in connection with a trade or business, with any non-agricultural activity incidental to the grazing, the agreement is likely to be a Farm Business Tenancy (FBT). 3. Alternatively, if the land is used for grazing livestock, but the grazing is incidental to a business use of the land such as a riding stable, livery yard, horse training, gallops or exercise

FIVE TOP TIPS WHEN CONSIDERING

GRAZING LICENCES facility then the agreement is likely to be a business tenancy. Unlike a grazing licence, FBTs and business tenancies grant occupiers various statutory protections and rights over the land. It is therefore fundamental that a landowner understands and controls the occupier’s intended use to avoid the risk of unintentionally granting a lease with statutory protections and rights.

3. POTENTIAL PITFALLS

Occupation under a grazing licence means the occupier does not have exclusive possession of the land (ie the occupier shares occupation of the land with the landowner who remains in control). This is simple enough in theory but is often not what happens in practice. If the occupier is the sole user of the land, the arrangement will likely be a tenancy (which can either be a common law tenancy, FBT or a business tenancy) and not a licence. The risks of inadvertently granting a tenancy, as already mentioned above, are that the landowner may give the occupier unintended statutory protections and rights over the land. It is therefore important that, when granting a grazing licence, the

SIGNE SPARNE

Solicitor, Brachers LLP T: 01622 291901 E: signesparne@brachers.co.uk www.brachers.co.uk

landowner permits only non-exclusive occupation of the land for grazing.

4. MAKE SURE THE LICENCE IS FOR A MAXIMUM OF 364 DAYS

Usually, a grazing licence will run for the grazing season only. However, landowners can grant licences for longer periods. This can have tax and other consequences. If the licence is for 365 days or more, HMRC might treat the occupier as carrying out the trade of farming the land for income tax purposes, rather than the landowner carrying out the trade of farming the land for income tax purposes. This can have tax consequences for the landowner as the tax treatment may be different. Also, the longer a licence continues (for instance, if it rolls over from year to year), the more it looks like a tenancy (with protections) and not a licence.

5. FINANCIAL BENEFITS (EG BASIC PAYMENT SCHEME)

A landowner can retain their BPS Entitlements over land let to a grazing tenant. Advice should therefore be sought before the grazing licence is entered into to ensure that the landowner’s BPS entitlements are protected. In summary, it is important that any grazing licences are drafted and implemented correctly to avoid any future dispute and ambiguity. When done correctly, grazing licences can be a valuable revenue stream for landowners.

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LAND AND FARMS

PUBLIC CONSULTATION 62

AND THE PLANNING PROCESS Unless you work in strategic land promotion or are a property developer, councillor, housing enthusiast or a stalwart NIMBY, there is a strong probability you will have never engaged with your local planning system. Obtaining planning permission is an incredibly complex, risky and costly process to navigate. It requires patience, an eye for detail and significant financial backing. An allocated site in the Local Plan is by no means guaranteed a positive outcome at planning committee. Other factors include the politics at play in the local area (and more recently at a national level, with Boris Johnson’s recent brownfield comments), local residents and other stakeholder groups, including action groups against new homes. Nothing appears to get the blood pumping more in local communities than the potential development of new homes. Housing is like marmite; people either seem to love it or hate it depending on their housing need and where they are on the housing ladder. Action groups are becoming more common and are increasingly well organised, well-funded and very knowledgeable. They are often led by people who have plenty of time on their hands, own their own homes and are skilled at delaying and frustrating the planning process. Research by Shelter found people who are opposed to local housing are three times more likely to actively oppose than supporters are to actively

support an application (21% compared to 7%). The politics of the planning system means public engagement and stakeholder consultation has never been more critical. This is one of the reasons Catesby took the decision a number of years ago to bring this element in-house. We are the face of our applications; people build a relationship with us directly and we are able to deal with questions, agitators and more challenging parties head on. Giving people the opportunity to know who we are, providing a point of contact and responding directly enables us to build relationships. It’s important to us that we work with local stakeholders including planning officers, councillors and, where possible, local interested parties to ensure we put forward a well-designed development that provides real community benefits for the area. The Covid-19 pandemic has, for at least the short to medium term, resulted in a need to adapt consultation methods. The use of online platforms

such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom, are all now seen as legitimate tools for use in public consultation. ‘The silent majority’, including those looking to take their first steps on the housing ladder, key workers, growing families and people with disabilities looking for a new home, often found it difficult to attend and engage with public consultation. Our use of online platforms including social media, websites, videos, surveys and virtual roundtable meetings has allowed Catesby to reach a wider demographic. We hear from voices that may not have previously engaged with the planning system and public consultation by enabling them to engage actively in the process at a time and location that suits them. There is definitely no one-size-fits-all approach to public engagement, with each site requiring a unique approach. Different platforms for consultation are adapted to differing geographical and demographic factors on a site-by-site basis.

Interested in our approach to land promotion and public consultation? Contact us today to find out more about strategic land promotion and get a no-obligation appraisal of your site.

KATIE YATES

Associate Director – Marketing & Communications T: 01926 836910 E: katiey@catesbyestates.co.uk W: www.catesbyestates.co.uk

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Substantial Working Farm Required We are fully retained to purchase a significant holding Contact: Matthew Braxton – 01424 775577 – m.braxton@batchellermonkhouse.com

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A block of 166 acres of farmland with views to the South Downs has been put up for sale with a guide price of £1,200,000. The Balneath Farmland, located between the villages of Cooksbridge and Chailey, is predominantly pasture comprising good sized fields and also includes parcels of woodland, equating to 15 acres in total, two ponds and shaws between fields that provide sporting potential. With direct, gated access to Town Littleworth Road, the southern corner of Barn Field has a small former livestock shed, somewhat overgrown and with hardstanding to the front. The Bevern Brook runs along the southern boundary and the northern boundary adjoins Balneath Lane, a popular bridleway giving access to Markstakes Common. Chris Spofforth, head of Savills south east rural agency team, whose team is handling the sale, said: “The availability of this land presents a number of exciting future uses. In addition to the potential it holds from a sporting perspective, the new environmental tier that has emerged in our market in recent times – encompassing natural capital, carbon offsetting and personal pursuits such as re-wilding – opens up a range of options. The land, which is under 45 miles from London, also enjoys some fine views to the South Downs

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166 ACRES including the iconic V above Westmeston.” According to Savills rural research, around 10 per cent of the annual supply of land is historically launched in Q4, although this increased to around 18 per cent in Q4 2020, due to the exceptional market circumstances of last year. Savills anticipates that the supply in Q4 2021 of newly advertised stock will return to historic levels, which means most of 2021’s market performance should already have been accounted for. Chris added: “Between July and October there was a continuation of the trends we have seen emerging throughout this year, demand for farmland throughout the South East is strong and the supply of property coming to the market continues to be below historic average volumes. The knock-on effect is that commercial farmland values are increasing in response to this tight supply and strong demand imbalance.” The Balneath Farmland is being marketed by Savills.

For more information, contact Chris Spofforth at Savills on 07812 965379 or cspofforth@savills.com

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STREAM AND FURTHER POTENTIAL WEST FARLEIGH | KENT

GUIDE PRICE: £1,400,000

BTF Partnership is offering for sale a unique equestrian smallholding just outside West Farleigh near Maidstone in Kent. The property is available as a whole or in three lots, with an overall guide price of £1,400,000. Smiths Hill Farm consists of a modest house, significant range of buildings, sand school and holiday let accommodation all situated in an elevated, rural position with far reaching views over the Medway Valley. The land is all pasture, well fenced and extends in total to 30.51 acres, with no public rights of way. The breakdown of the lots is as follows: Lot 1: A three-bedroom Scandia Hus-type dwelling of high specification, significant range of equestrian and agricultural buildings, sand school and land. This lot extends in total to 10.71 acres – Guide Price £825,000. Lot 2: Recently converted holiday let accommodation and land. This lot extends in total to 0.54 acres – Guide Price £325,000. Lot 3: The Hunt Street Land which is north-facing, well-fenced pasture. This lot extends in total to 19.26 acres – Guide Price £260,000. Alex Cornwallis at BTF Partnership commented: “This is an attractive smallholding in a sought-after location with equestrian and tourism business opportunities. It will be of interest to a number of buyers, especially those looking to combine a personal equestrian interest and business equestrian interest with other income generating opportunities that are already in place.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

30.51 ACRES

"Smiths Hill Farm is well-maintained, with a range of buildings that have future potential. The land to the north provides additional grazing if required, along with security. It is fantastic to see a property such as this on the market, especially with the lack of supply at the moment, and I can see there being plenty of interest.”

WANTED

We run Oak Oak framing framingmanufacturer manufacturerlooking looking We are are aa family family run for for Industrial / Converted farm tooffice set upspace. oak Industrial unitunit for manufacturing use building along with framing machine shop. Workshop Area ~30 x 15m Building (5000ft²) Workshop AreaMinimum Minimum ~30 x 15m Building (5000ft²) Office Area ~15x5m (800ft²) Office Area ~15x5m (800ft²) Exterior space to unload arctics Exterior space to unload arctics Good Access & 3 Phase electrics Good Access 3 Phase electrics Ideally within 15&miles of Robertsbridge. Ideally within 15 miles of Robertsbridge. Pleasecontact contactedward@tradeoakbuildingkits.com edward@tradeoakbuildingkits.comor orcall call Please 07738733253 733253 07738

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

LAND AND FARMS

The temporary suspension of approval to export to China for some UK pork establishments, combined with abattoir labour shortages that have reduced processing capacity, has led to a backlog of finished pigs on UK farms. Following news that pigs were being culled on farm, the government has intervened and announced temporary support measures for the sector: • The introduction of processing of animals on Saturdays and longer working days where possible • A private storage aid scheme in England that will enable meat processors to store slaughtered pigs for three to six months so that they can be preserved safely and processed later • Suspending the pork levy in England and Scotland for November, saving the sector nearly £1 million • Allowing up to 800 pork butchers to apply for visas from the existing allocation in the Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme up until 31 December, allowing them to travel and work in the UK for a period of six months. These are not long-term solutions and, in return, the government expects business to invest in the UK domestic workforce to build a high-wage, high-skill

SUPPORT FOR PIG INDUSTRY AS FUNDING APPLICATIONS OPEN economy, instead of relying on overseas labour. It wishes to see the pork sector offer improved training, career options and wages alongside investment in technology. Meanwhile, applications opened on 20 October for three types of project within the Farming Innovation Programme’s Research and Development Partnerships Fund. These include: • Research Starter Projects – to help farmers, growers and foresters based in England develop bold, ambitious, early-stage ideas and build a collaborative team. • Feasibility Projects – to test the feasibility of early-stage solutions and to inform decisions

on subsequent, larger-scale research and development projects. • Small Research and Development Partnership Projects – to carry out research for innovative solutions that have the potential to substantially improve the overall productivity, sustainability and resilience of the farming and forestry sectors. The Government is keen to ensure research is applied and focused on business priorities, so projects applying for funding must be led by businesses rather than academics. Applications for the Research Starter Projects close on 24 November and the two other projects close on 1 December.

67 STUART NICHOLLS

Associate Director in the food and farming team at Savills Sevenoaks T: 01732 879060 E: snicholls@savills.com W: www.savills.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

LAND AND FARMS BTF Partnership is offering for sale a large, ringfenced parcel of mainly Grade III arable land at Hurst Green/Hawkhurst on the Kent/East Sussex border consisting of a total of 249.66 acres with a guide price of £2.3m. The Fillbrook Farm Land is situated in the High Weald and is bounded by Merriments Lane on the north and the B2244 to the east. The land exemplifies the rolling country of the High Weald with the farming landscaped dispersed by coppice and broadleaved woodland and shallow stream valleys. The land consists of 206.06 acres arable land and 43.60 acres woodland, tracks and miscellaneous. It is predominantly Grade III, south facing with soils consisting of the Cranbrook and Curtisden Series of silty soils suited to arable cropping and also considered suitable for viticulture or top fruit production. It is divided into several good-sized field parcels with boundary hedges and streams. Brickhurst Wood and part of Fillbrook Wood consist of mainly mixed chestnut, alder, and hornbeam coppice under oak standards. Sporting rights pass with the sale and there is potential for a small driven shoot, and there are duck flighting ponds at the south end of Brickhurst Wood.

249-ACRE PARCEL

OF SOUTH FACING FARMLAND

Richard Thomas at BTF Partnership commented: “This is a large parcel of very useful arable land in the heart of the High Weald which is ring fenced and with good access. As much of the land is south facing it is considered suitable for viticulture or top fruit production and will no doubt be of interest to a

MEOPHAM | KENT

249.66 ACRES

HURST GREEN | KENT/EAST SUSSEX

number of potential buyers.” The vendor has applied to enter a Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme to commence in January 2022. Acceptance is awaited and the purchaser has the option with benefit of the scheme under their own management structure.

For further information go to www.btfpartnership.co.uk

GUIDE PRICE: £995,000

UNSPOILT SMALL FARM BTF Partnership is offering for sale a rare and unspoilt small farm in a rural location in the North Kent Downs with 24.93 acres, with a guide price of £995,000. Oxens Shaw is located on the southern edge of the village of Meopham and has been in the vendor’s family for 100 years. Originally part of a larger estate, the land was used as a fruit and cobnut plantation during WW2 and since the 1950s, it has supported a pig herd and arable crops. The land is currently used for grazing and hay. The farm consists of a three-bedroom bungalow for improvement which overlooks an attractive wooded valley. To the west of the farm and with a separate access is a hard standing yard with a range of steel frame livestock buildings, which are considered to have development potential (subject to planning permission). Beyond there is a further brick built former piggery building with a separate access located next to the woodland.

Bespoke Planning Advice

for your planning journey

www.therpp.co.uk CRANBROOK 01580 201888

CIRENCESTER 01285 323200

office@therpp.co.uk TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

Chartered Town Planner

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

CLASSIFIEDS

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

Industrial & Commercial | Structural Steelwork | Agricultural & Equestrian

G. J. ELGAR

CONSTRUCTION Ltd

Shufflebottom Agricultural Buildings Steel-frame buildings for your farm + Supply only or supply & erect + Construction all over the UK + Award winning company

• • • • • • •

Steel frame buildings Sheeting and cladding Guttering and repairs Groundworks and drainage Demolition and asbestos removal Refurbishment and change of use Concrete frame and steel frame repairs • Insurance and general repairs • Concrete floor and block paving

Strength, Security, Style Contact us for a free quotation 01269 831831 enquiry@shufflebottom.co.uk www.shufflebottom.co.uk Shufflebottom Ltd Cross Hands Business Park, Cross Hands, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA14 6RE

www.gjelgarconstruction.co.uk For more information contact us: t: 01233 623739 m: 07860 414227 e: simon@gjelgarconstruction.co.uk

G.E.WHITE & SONS Ltd

Based in Lewes, East Sussex

AGRICULTURAL, EQUESTRIAN & INDUSTRIAL STEEL FRAMED BUILDINGS We supply CONCRETE PANELS – Any size to suit your needs

formabuild.co.uk

 Office 01273 492404 � info@formabuild.co.uk  www.formabuild.co.uk We specialise in the supply and construction of steel framed buildings together with the repair and refurbishment of existing farm buildings. Based in the heart of Sussex, covering the South East. Sussex builders since at least 1605. Forma offer all aspects of steel framed construction and cladding together with groundworks and electrical fit out if required.

All our buildings are

marked

“You tried the others, now try the brothers”

All our panels are marked

All aspects of steel work, cladding & groundwork. Family run business with 45 years experience.

100% British designed & built

Over 35 Year’s experience

Site visits Call to arrange a site survey

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

All refurbishments & repairs undertaken. Call for a free quote today.

Gary White 07812 599679 Jason White 07941 274751

CLASSIFIEDS

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION Supplying profiled roofing products to contractors, builders and farmers

visit www.southernsheeting.co.uk for our full range or call 01342 315 300 to speak to our friendly sales team NATIONWIDE DELIVERY

•

LARGE RANGES IN STOCK

We are specialists in: ]ub1 Ѵ| u-Ѵķ ;t ;v|ub-m -m7 Ѵb]_| bm7 v|ub-Ѵ 0 bѴ7bm]vĺ mŊ_o v; =-0ub1-ঞom -m7 rѴ-mmbm] v;u b1;vĺ

Call us today: 01323 848684 Or send an email: denis@lanesconstruction.co.uk

ENWARD

S3111 SS SE Farmers ad 93x60mm.indd 1

17/12/2020 15:27

ALL RISKS LTD ASBESTOS ROOF REMOVALS

Kenward Construction based in Horsham, West Sussex offer a full design and build service for your next steel framed building including composite cladding, concrete panels, roller shutter doors and bespoke designs to meet individual planning conditions. Kenward Construction also offer a wide range of services offering a truly one stop shop for your next farm building project. Demolition, plant hire, access roads, drainage, sewage treatment plants, rainwater harvesting, biobed wash downs, paving, concrete foundations / slabs, walling and site landscaping.

Arrange a site visit with one of our contracts managers to discuss your project in more detail by emailing enquiries@kenwardgroundworks.co.uk or call 01403 210218

www.kenwardgroundworks.co.uk

Asbestos roof sheeting removals Asbestos encapsulation Asbestos fire damage, clearance & re-instatement works Asbestos clearance & de-contamination Asbestos disposals by licenced registered company New metal roofs installed over old asbestos roofs Roof light & sheet repairs Gutter repairs Gutter replacements & re-lining Strip & refurbishment works Change of use projects Demolition & Groundworks

Professional Services to the Agricultural, Industrial & Equestrian Sectors

CALL TO DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT!

FREEPHONE: 01233 659129

from BT land-line

charlie.woodger@btinternet.com

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

CONSTRUCTION

Agriculture ~ Cold Storage ~ Equestrian ~ Industrial ~ Waste Recycling • Agricultural Buildings • Cold Store Buildings • Equestrian Buildings • Industrial Buildings • Waste Recycling Buildings TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

01323 890403 www.danddconstruction.co.uk info@danddconstruction.co.uk

• Structural Steel • Drawing Services • Design Services • Mezzanine Floors • Custom Steelwork

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

CLASSIFIEDS A1 Installations ALUMINIUM GUTTERING SPECIALISTS

LEAKING GUTTERING?

CONSTRUCTION t: t:01787 01787474217 474217 07900920023 920023 m:m:07900

SHORTLAND STRUCTURES LTD

a1dave@hotmail.co.uk e: e: a1dave@hotmail.co.uk

WE OPERATE NATIONWIDE

Seamless aluminium guttering and gutter linings for all concrete, asbestos and metaI valley gutters. Ideal for Atcost, Crendan and Tyler type barns. The material has a life expectancy in excess of 30 years.

• STEEL FRAMED BUILDINGS • CLADDING • ERECTING • • EXTENSIONS • ALTERATIONS • CONCRETE PANELS • ROLLER/SLIDING/PERSONNEL DOORS •

Please call or email for a free quote.

Tel: 01732 460912 Mobile: 07976 287836 Email: sales@shortlandstructures.com

www.shortlandstructures.com

www.a1installations.co.uk

DOMESTIC • INDUSTRIAL • NEW BUILD • AGRICULTURAL

JPR ROOFING & CLADDING…

FREEPHONE: 0800 756 9886 MOBILE: 07813 142 145

Asbestos removal Sheeting Guttering RAMSA K

from BT land-line

Covering Kent, East/West Sussex and the South East

…

Including:

Survey Removal Disposal

Specialists in: FIRE,FLOOD & STORM DAMAGE

• Sheeting & Cladding to New & Existing Buildings • Roof repairs, Replacements and over sheeting • Insulated or single skin plastic coated sheeting in a wide range of colours • Concrete fibre sheeting, Big 6 profile etc • Asbestos sheeting removal & disposal, using registered waste carrier • Valley gutters, concrete or metal, repaired or re-lined • Roof lights replaced or covered • Maintenance Programmes to avoid the problems that occur with neglect • Conversions & extensions to existing buildings • Groundworks, Access Roads, Drives, concrete bases, Drainage etc

GUTTERS Aluminium liners PVC liners Accessories

…

SHEETING

Including: • • • • •

24 Hour Call out service Making site/building/premises safe Structural safety assessment Emergency clear-up operations Emergency procedures to reduce impact on your business or premises • Demolition/site clearance • Asbestos removal/clearance & disposal, using registered waste carrier • Re-instatement works • Insurance Claims ALL WORKS GUARANTEED

Complete buildings New roof system for conversions Repairs – Rooﬂights

07864 823 476 07889 481618 penfoldprofiles@btinternet.com www.penfoldprofiles.co.uk

Penfold Profiles. Lees Paddock, High Halden, Ashford, Kent DESIGN • PLANNING • PROJECT MANAGEMENT • DEMOLITION • GROUNDWORKS • CONSTRUCTION • FIT-OUT • LANDSCAPING

RESIDENTIAL AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIAL tom.bower@salamandergroup.net / 07507 639 560

Specialists in agricultural and industrial buildings ASBESTOS

ROOFING & CLADDING

Penfold Profiles

Professional Services to the Agricultural, Industrial & Equestrian Sectors

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

Salamander is focused on delivering high quality sustainable developments within the residential, agricultural and industrial sectors. We offer the full range of services from planning through to completion, providing a unique perspective on how to get the most value from your assets.

www.salamandergroup.net

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

john.houlton@salamandergroup.net / 07813 747 361

CLASSIFIEDS

CONSTRUCTION

FARM BUILDING REPAIRS REFURBS, BIG 6 ROOF SHEETS, ROOF LIGHTS, RIDGES, VERGES, VALLEY GUTTERS, BOX GUTTERS, BOUNDARY GUTTERS, ASBESTOS, SHEETING Single Sheet To Whole Roof Roller Shutters Accidental or Storm Damage Works Demolition Refurbishments Waste Clearances

CONTRACTORS

G & S BROWN

Drainage Contractors Working with farmers since 1947

● LAND DRAINAGE ● DITCHING ● POND WORK ● WATER SUPPLIES ● SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS ● GROUNDWORKS ● PLANT HIRE 360° EXCAVATORS

S W ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

S W ATTWOOD & PART LAND DRAINAGE FOR ESTIMATES & ENQUIRIES

LAND DRAINAGE (01622) 890884

 FIELD MAPPING  DRAINAGE SURVEYING   DESIGN ALL WORKS KENT & SUSSEX   DRAINAGE

 

Professional Services to the Agricultural, Industrial & Equestrian Sectors

FROM £220PROJECT! PER ACRE CALL TO DISCUSS YOUR

FREEPHONE: 01233 659129

Email: info@brownsdrainage.co.uk

www.brownsdrainage.co.uk FIELD MAPPING DRAINAGE SURVEYING DESIGN SWA DRAINAGE SW ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

S W ATTWOOD & PARTNERS FROM £220 PER ACRE LAND DRAINAGE

from BT land-line

S W ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

charlie.woodger@btinternet.com

LAND DRAINAGE

   

FIELD MAPPING DRAINAGE SURVEYING DESIGN DRAINAGE

Quality of work Reliability and honesty FROM £220 PER ACRE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Unbeatable on price PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PHONE: 01795 880441 • FIELD MAPPING • DRAINAGE SURVEYING PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR • DESIGN • DRAINAGE EMAIL: james@swattwood.com

Specialist in the Agricultural, Industrial and Equestrian sectors.

WEBSITE:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT JAMES OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE

www.attwoodfarms.com PHONE: 01795 880441

Steel frame supply and erect or just supply. Sheeting, cladding and oversheeting. Gutter replacement, repairs and lining. Steel frame, concrete frame alterations and repairs. Asbestos removal. Roof light and sheet changes. Refurbishments and usage changes. Demolition, groundworks and site clearance. 24 hour call out in the event of ﬁre or break in. Roller shutters, sliding and personnel doors.

TOM: 01795 880441 or 07943 192383

EMAIL: james@swattwood.com EMAIL: james@swattwood.com GRAIN STORAGE & TESTING

  LANDwww.swjfattwood.com DRAINAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION  PLANT HIRE OUR PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT INERT TIPPING WEBSITE:   GRAIN STORAGE &  CLAY SALES PHONE: 01795 880441

www.attwoodfarms.

07784 619603

jez@JRJconstruction.co.uk

www.JRJconstruction.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

LAND DRAINAGE PLANT HIRE

INERT TIPPING www.attwoodfarms.com FULL LAND DRAINAGE SERVICE sportsfields, amenity and irrigation systems using Mastenbroek trenchers

01227 918723

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

   

LAND DRAINAGE, EARTHWORKS,

EMAIL: james@swattwood.com GROUNDWORKS & CONSTRUCTION

PONDS, LAKES & RESERVOIRS construction and maintenance

CLAY SALES

CONSTRUCTION  GROUNDWORKS GRAIN&STORAGE & TESTING primary excavations, aggregate sub-base, agricultural construction and concreting  LAND DRAINAGE ENVIRONMENTAL HABITATS water course maintenance and improvement works  PLANT HIRE For all enquiries call 01233 860404  867625 INERT 07770 (Harvey) TIPPING or 07768 115849 (Dave)  CLAY SALES

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

CLASSIFIEDS

HAULIERS CROP DRYING

Manufacturers of centrifugal, low volume and portable fans, air tunnels, drive over floors, grain stirrers and gas burners

07860 728204 Hay & Straw Merchant | Machinery Haulage

HAY & STRAW IN STOCK | ROUND & BIG SQUARE BALES

Find us on Facebook

PELLCROFT www.pellcroft.com | sales@pellcroft.com | 01526 342466

EVENTS

HIRE SPECIALISTS ACROSS THE SOUTH EAST • Toilets & Showers for hire

• Large range of Temporary canteens, stores & welfare units

REACH FARMERS

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

PRESSURE WASHERS

• Effluent Tank Emptying • Events also catered for with chillers & toilets

FOUR JAYS GROUP

Tel: 01622 843135 Fax: 01622 844410 enquiries@fourjays.co.uk www.fourjays.co.uk

FENCING Manufacturers of Chestnut Fencing Products Hardwood gates

SERVICE HIRE 01825 705777

Unit 4, 72 Bell Lane Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1QL enquiries@pressureclean.co.uk

Cleft post and rail Stakes and posts Chestnut fencing

CWP fenci f n ng

SALES

Tel: 07985298221 www.cwpfencing.co.uk

STORAGE TANKS Don’t run short of fuel this Winter!

Redhill Farm Services: Fencing Division

ALL TYPES OF FENCING & GATES

Buy or Hire a storage tank from Kings. 4500L – 38,600L Bunded Fuel Tanks c/w cabinet, gauge and alarm

Supplied and erected & Repairs

DECEMBER 2021 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

ties and long term relationship with the leading manufacturers

STORAGE TANKS KING

Tel: 01737 821220 Mob: 07768 931891 Email: redhillfarmservices@gmail.com

We are a leading supplier and an approved repair centre With 50 years trading in the cleaning industry. With our strong

2730L – 54,500L horiz/cyl Water Tanks single or twin comp. with cradles

Tel 01638 712328

tanks@thekinggroup.co.uk

CROSSWORD ®

VINEYARDS

COMPLETE OUR CROSSWORD TO WIN One bottle of Pinot Reserve and one bottle of Ortega

ACROSS

8 9 10 11 12

1 5 7 8 10 12 14 16 19 22 23 24 25

Wisdom (9) Set amount of medication (4) Piece of machinery (8) Bed with base and mattress only (5) Oddity (7) Autumn visitors (bird) (5,5,4) Scotch ------, hot chilli (6) Cooked in very hot water (6) Apprentice (7) Matured (4) Agreed (9) A person who designs and builds machines, structures etc (8) Sharpened side of a blade (4)

1 2 3 4 5 6 9 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 20 22

Franz -----, novelist (5) Village in Faversham, famous for its old gunpowder works (4) Text speak meaning something is humorous (3) Excuse in court (7) Occurring seven days a week (5) Coastal bird (7) The long hair on a horse (4) Right, correct (4) Cattle breed (9) Continuous drops of water falling from a tap (4) Used in tennis (3) Animals within a species having a distinctive appearance (5) Ovum (3) Guidance or recommendations (6) Rule as King or Queen (5) Measured in degrees (5)

DOWN 14

17 18

Crossword by Rebecca Farmer, Broadstairs, Kent

PRIZE ANAGRAM: Agricultural agreement (4,8,7)

To enter, simply unscramble the

anagram (4,8,7) using the green squares.

Email your replies with your name, address and phone number to sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk Correct entries will be entered into a draw which will take place on 31 November. The winner will be announced in the Christmas edition. TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS: 1

VINEYARDS

As we edge closer to winter, we are offering readers the chance to win one bottle of Pinot Reserve and one bottle of Ortega. Enter the crossword to be in with a chance of winning four bottles of our favourite wine, Ortega. For more information about the vineyards, please visit www.biddendenvineyards.com or call 01580 291726. *Subject to availability

O T

A R

U 11

A G

L O

E 16

C C

O N

C C

R O

E E

U U

T 24

A 23

V E

T N

N 21

T 26

C 25

L 12

D I

13 14

S S

Correct answer: Golden Guernsey LAST MONTH’S WINNER: John Wilkosz from Biddenden, Kent

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | DECEMBER 2021

& WINERY SHOW For viticulturists in Great Britain

In association with

24th November 2021 Kent Event Centre, Detling, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3JF Vitifruit Equipment Sales and Hire

Main sponsors

FREE T AVAILA ICKETS BLE NO W! The Vineyard & Winery Show is an unmissable event for anyone working in viticulture in the UK and abroad.

Agrii solutions for frost protection

NEW FOR 2021:

TAILORED HOME INSURANCE RIGHT DOWN TO THE FINEST DETAIL

The Vineyard & Winery Show will provide vineyard owners, winemakers and growers with a fantastic opportunity 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.

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more than advice

www.bourneeng.co.uk chris@bourneeng.co.uk 07752520058

temperature e.g. bougies, frost drains, frost fans, water sprinklers.

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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 different UK producers are making their wines available for tasting on the day.

Tel:01488 683628

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Extensive Material Options Hot Foil & Multi Level Embossing High Build & Decorative Varnishes

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insurer who knows your world – from the Integrate ProAct® as part of a b to the wine you grapes you grow frostown. risk mitigation strategy

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-20 -40 -60 -80 -100

y = -0.0005x2 + 0.0212x +0.3998 R2 = 1

SF_014UKSmallAppleAd_SouthEastFarmer2_SF_014UKSmallAppleAd_SouthEastFarmer 9/17/14 9:21 AM Page 1

Agrii is pleased to be working with Vine-Care UK. For more information, please contact your usual Agrii agronomist, our Customer Services Team on 0845 607 3322 or email fruit.solutions@agrii.co.uk

Maintaining Superior Produce with Superior Technology. www.agrii.co.uk

Visit us on stand S59 at the National Fruit Show phone: 01245 357 109 e-mail: info@lanfruit.co.uk www.lanfruit.co.uk

BespokeAdvert_Champ_A4P_1120.indd 1

FREE SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

04/11/2020 15:34

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.

Southern Farmers Ltd.

Vine-Works

AGRICULTURAL BUYING GROUP IN KENT, SUSSEX, SURREY, HAMPSHIRE & ISLE OF WIGHT

VINEYARD

VINES DIRECT LTD

for viticulturists in Great Britain ™

2021 Special Report Produced by

Vitifruit Equipment Sales and Hire

“Building the Future of Farming and Industry”

22/04/2021 17:44

Wealden AM have been supplying and managing steel-framed building projects in the South East of England for over 25 years.

Oﬀering a complete package to customers who are looking for a carefully thought out, well-designed agricultural or industrial building.

SEMINARS | WINE TASTING | MEET INDUSTRY ADVISORS Contact: Robert Kendall • Sean Chaplin • oﬃce: 01323 833086 • email: oﬃce@wealdenam.com www.wealdenam.com

PLAN

DESIGN

BUILD

South East Farmer December 2021

Articles inside

Anita Head

Sussex Manures

Alan West

Ernest Doe Power

Nick Adames

National Fruit Show

Nigel Akehurst visits... Fletcher's Flock

Monica Akehurst

National debut for Kent ploughman

Alarm at trade deal