Farming 16 October 2013

Rundle: Apple Day has boosted fortunes for everyone Page 7

How Young Farmers are setting a great example to us all Page 3

Raymond sets off race to get Kendall’s seat

BY JEFF WELLS wdnews@b-nm.co.uk NFU deputy president Meurig Raymond last night threw his hat into the ring following the announcement of Peter Kendall’s decision to step down as president.

Pembrokeshire farmer Mr Raymond, who has held the post since Mr Kendall’s appointment as president eight years ago, said he would ‘most definitely’ put his name forward.

Mr Raymond, who farms 3,400 acres in Pembrokeshire

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The Government has commissioned research into gassing TB-infected badgers in their setts – www.westerndailypress.co.uk with his twin brother Mansel, paid tribute to Mr Kendall and said he was “very fortunate” to have been part of a team that has made “huge progress”.

“It is an industry I passionately believe in and I just want to build on the building blocks that have been put in place over the last eight ears. I believe I am up to the task and this is the right opportunity for myself,” he said.

But he is unlikely to go unchallenged, with Adam Quin-

ney a popular choice in many quarters, not least those who would see a livestock farmer in charge after arable farmer Mr Kendall.

Mr Quinney, a beef farmer from Warwickshire, has been on the radar ever since coming through a big field to land the job of vice president at the election in 2012, a job he said he wanted in order to “make a difference”.

Admitting that the top job would give him a chance to “make more of a difference”, he added: “Of course, I am going to think about it.

“Let’s work on that, then after Christmas I will figure out what I want to do,” he told Farmers Guardian yesterday.

Mr Quinney, a Warwickshire beef famer, also paid tribute to Mr Kendall, who he said had ‘revolutionised the way the union communicates with the general public’ and had put forward a consistently positive message about farming.

Mr Quinney is also expected to stand for the deputy president post set to ve vacated by Mr Raymond. With nominations open until mid-January, other candidates may come forward to challenge for the top two roles, while the vice president is likely to be hotly contested.

Mr Kendall, who had always said this would be his last two-

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DIY dredging with licenses to clear rivers Farmers in parts of Somerset will be able to dredge watercourses themselves under a relaxation of rules in the wake of the devastation suffered on the Somerset Levels last year.

The River Brue catchment is one of seven areas to be across the country where silted rivers and streams may be dredged without the need for a licence.

Farmers in Somerset have been calling on the Environment Agency to take action, but it has not been able to find the money for dredging, despite admitting that it needs doing.

The new River Maintenance Pilots – which begin on Monday – are designed to see

£7.8m First Milk’s pre-tax losses in the year to March 31

Peter Kendall’s confirmation that he is to step down as president of the NFU has led to two names being proffered as potential replacements; one of whom, his deputy Meurig Raymond, has said he is going to run

how existing rules can be simplified without damaging the environment.

Currently, landowners have to apply for permission from the Environment Agency before carrying out certain maintenance on rivers crossing their land.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: “I want to make it as simple as possible for landowners and farmers to carry out work to protect their land.

“Watercourse maintenance can reduce the risk of flooding, enhance the environment and improve water quality. These pilots will make sure that people who want to carry out

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80,000 PEOPLE

*

that’s twice the number of students that attend the University of Bristol and University of Bath combined.**

VISIT

EVERY MONTH

*Source: Omniture - Daily Unique Visitors Report | Western Daily Press September 2013 (1 Sep 2013 – 30 Sep 2013) ** http://www.bristol.ac.uk/ssio/statistics/totalstunos_year.html / University of Bath SREO Dec 2012

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Farming

2 FARMING WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16 2013 WESTERN DAILY PRESS

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Farmers given license for DIY river dredging

Devon record as sale draws far and wide

FROM PAGE 1

A new record was set for a South Devon polled bull at the Society Autumn Show & Sale in Bristol, selling at 10,200gns.

The bull was for ME & TE Broome’s Leicestershire-bred Z Welland Valley Trident 3, sold to Bill and Susanne Harper of Holsworthy. By Z Embury Hermes (T), the bull’s polled genetics will bring additional bloodlines to the Harpers’ Bedford Herd.

The judge, Peter Rowe from Trewint, Menheniot, picked his male champion from a lineup of 18 bulls, as North View Bailey, sired by Edmeston Zodiac 3, bred and shown by 22year-old Oliver Brewin, from the North View Herd of Thorpe Langton, Leicestershire.

The judge’s decision was fully vindicated in the sale ring when the hammer fell at 10,000gns to RJ & SE Whitcombe, of Petersfield.

Reserve male champion and winner of the Thornton Cup for most points on performance and inspection was WH Scott’s Grove David 18, a high EBV bull with Trevowah bloodlines, who sold to Collacombe Farm Ltd, of Tavistock, for 7,500gns.

In the female section, the champion was ME & TE Broome’s Welland Valley Reggatta 18 (T), an in-calf heifer who sold for the top female price of 5,100gns to A & C Farms, Rutland.

Next highest female prices were achieved for M E & T E Broome’s Welland Valley Primrose 31, and Roger Rundle’s Kestle Buttercup 31, selling for 4,100gns and 4,000gns respectively to Morgan & Co, of Leominster, Herefordshire.

The reserve female champion came from the Tully Partnership – Waddeton Pansyette 43, by Northwick Fortissimo 2, who sold for 2,300gns to Daylesford Organic Farms, of Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.

Best pair of males came from the Tully Partnership, of Brixham, and best pair of females was shown by Mrs D R Rusher, of Minehead.

Averages: 16 bulls, £4,088; 23 in-calf heifers, £2,616; 18 maiden heifers, £2,421.

this kind of work can do so without getting tied up in red tape.”

Environment Agency staff in each pilot area will be on hand to provide advice, and new Good Practice guidance will ensure that all activities take environmental concerns into consideration when maintenance work is carried out.

The pilots will be run on watercourses in : Alt Crossens, Lancashire; River Idle, Nottinghamshire; Bottesford Beck, North Lincolnshire; River Brue, Somerset; Upper Thames, Oxfordshire; Winestead Drain – East Ridings of Yorkshire; and River Duckow, Shropshire.

The pilots will be overseen by the Environment Agency and will last for one year.

Last month, the Royal Bath and West of England Society launched a £3 million-plus appeal to dredge the Levels.

Edwin White, chairman of the society’s agricultural policy group, explained: “We’ve been doing this sort of work for nearly 250 years – in the early days the society was involved in schemes in the Levels – so we have a long history.

“The first thing people think when they see the big lake is: ‘Thank God I don’t farm there.’

We had a group of farmers come over from the east of England and they were absolutely horrified. They saw farmers who’ve had to sell their stock. They saw businesses who couldn’t operate, and they saw roads closed.

“The area affected is 15 per cent of the county of Somerset.

We have to ask – what do you want of this land? Do you want to compensate farmers and say – we want a bog for the wading birds? Or do you want it as productive land?”

Good number at charity trials The Devon and Exmoor Sheepdog Society staged the Bishopstone Charity Trials in Wiltshire over two days. The Open Trial on Saturday was judged

by John Stammers, from Salisbury, and 52 ran. 1, Nij Vyas (Saddington, Leicestershire), Mac, 91; 2, Trevor Hopper (Veryan), Tweed, 90 OLF; 3, Dick Roper (Northleach, Gloucestershire), Spot, 90; 4, David Kennard (Mortehoe), Zola, 89; 5, Jed Watson (Postbridge), Sweep, 88 OLF; 6, Nij Vyas, Sky, 88.

On Sunday, the Double Gather Trial was judged by Robert Hawke from Bishopstone and 40 ran.

1, Dick Roper, Spot, 119; 2, Nij Vyas, Mac, 112; 3, Eamonn Lawless (Isle of Wight), Bill, 110; 4, David Kennard, Fly, 108; 5, Richard Montgomery, (Rudgeway, Gloucestershire), Ollie, 100; 6, Jed Watson, Mirk, 97.

Winner of the trophy for the highest pointed aggregate score for a dog over both days went to Spot and Dick Roper from Northleach.

Jane Harper from Okehampton with her sheepdog Lilly during the ‘double fetch’ trial

PICTURES: EMILY WHITFIELD-WICKS

One woman and her dog tidy up at a hard-fought contest

BY PETER HALL wdnews@b-nm.co.uk The sheepdog trialling season in the West Country is reaching its climax, with both the Cornwall Society and the Devon and Exmoor Society holding trials each weekend.

The timeless quality of trials has an immediate appeal – one man (or woman) and his (or her) dog, controlling wayward sheep with minds of their own – and being judged one against the other in stiff competition.

It was one woman and her dog who won the hard-fought competition run by the Cornwall Society at the weekend.

Meriel Fox came down to the Cornish south coast from Sydling St Nicholas, near Dor-

Jed Watson’s dog Sweep gives these sheep the runaround chester, to win the Veryan Trial.

Staged at the idyllic setting of Pennare Farm on The Nare, her dog Gem beat 29 other contestants to impress the judge, Hamish Ross. They scored 154 out of a possible 170 points.

The course had a “double fetch” with a 250-yard first outrun to the left and a 350yard turn back to the right.

This was where some of the dogs had problems, as the sheep did not respond well due to the lie of the land. The Mule

ewes, which were in two packets of four, worked well around the course, but took a bit of keeping apart after they were shed.

Jim Nicholls, from Buckland Brewer in Torridge, North Devon, took the early lead at the sixth run with his dog Joe. But five runs later Mrs Fox and Gem had the winning run, with two good “gathers” and the best drive of the day, only losing one point.

Then a clean “shed” and penning of the sheep, just getting them into the trailer before time was up, clinched the contest.

Second was Norman Dalgarno, of Tregony, with Mirk, and third Mr Nicholls and Joe.

English farmers given ‘strong assurance’ over CAP English farmers will not lose out to their European counterparts by reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy, Peter Kendall has told the NFU council, after “strong assurances” from Defra.

Owen Paterson’s department is due to publish a consultation on implementing CAP reform in England, with firm decisions on a number of issues already made.

The three-region payment system is to be continued but entitlement values will be altered in a way that would ‘move money uphill’, Gail Soutar, the NFU’s senior CAP

advisor said yesterday. The NFU has rejected the option of reintroducing coupled subsidies in England, an option likely to be taken up in Scotland and possibly Wales. It has also rejected the option of introducing a small farmers’ scheme.

But one of the biggest areas of debate will be over how Defra implements CAP greening. Ms Soutar said Defra is considering implementing greening from 2015 via a national certification scheme.

This will be based on the three broad measures agreed at European Commission level –

Peter Kendall said he had been assured that English farmers will not lose out in Cap talks

Ecological Focus Areas, retention of permanent pasture and crop diversification.

Ms Soutar said Defra had given assurances that it would adopt a ‘minimalist approach’ to greening, and would not impose additional measures beyond those in place elsewhere in the EU. “They will not gold-plate greening,” she said.

She said, while the certification scheme is likely to include all the exemptions to the greening measures available elsewhere, it will also contain flexibility to tweak the measures.

Cheese packing plant to close The loss of an Asda own-label cheese contract has pressed First Milk to close its Maelor cheese packing plant near Wrexham by the end of May. A spokesman for the firm said the work done at Maelor could be done more economically on contract by another party.

The Asda business accounted for 61 per cent of throughput at Maelor, which employs 231 people. However, cheese production was expanding and First Milk was confident of making up the lost business, he said.

“In terms of our creameries in Wales, England and Scotland, it is business as usual.

“There is increasing demand for good quality British cheddar and we currently supply a number of customers.”

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WESTERN DAILY PRESS WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16 2013 FARMING 3

Clubs exhibit winning ways at season end

BY EVA JONES wdnews@b-nm.co.uk Members of the Herefordshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs have been busy rounding off the year and taking part in national finals competitions.

The fence-erecting team from Hereford YFC – Scott Bristow, Greg Bristow, James Crofts-Hill – came second at the national final held at Harper Adams University, defied by the strong home side from Shropshire but beating Montgomery by less than a point.

The task was to erect approximately 13.5m of sheepnetted fence with one strand of plain mild steel wire on the bottom and one strand of barbed wire on the top. The fence had to turn at a 45-degree angle in the middle.

Harper Adamsalso hosted the national final of the efficiency-with-safety competition, which addresses farm-

YOUNG FARMERS? westerndailypress.co.uk

Are you a member of a Young Farmers’ Club? Send your news and pictures to us at wdnews@b-nm.co.uk ing’s awful safety record, employing 1.5 per cent of the UK workforce, but accounting for 20 per cent of fatalities.

This competition, which is supported by Defra, challenges YFC members to demonstrate their skills in machinery maintenance and use, whilst ensuring safety. During the competition a mock accident was also set up and competitors were required to perform basic first aid. The team from Herefordshire represented by Welsh Newton YFC – John Brewer, Jamie Bevan, Peter Brewer and Edward Bowen – were placed fifth overall.

Members went on to compete in the national cookery and floral art finals hosted by the Three Counties Agricultural Society at the Malvern Autumn Show, where there was a bumper attendance over the two days in perfect weather conditions. More than 100 YFC members from 37 clubs across England and Wales took part in the competition where their culinary skills were judged by former Masterchef finalist Ben Axford alongside experts Pam Powell and Neil Dillon. Competitors, in teams of three different age categories, were challenged to devise, cook and display a sumptuous fourcourse meal for a British Farming Awards dinner using locally sourced produce. Herefordshire rose to the occasion and were eventually crowned winners after a tense day of competition. Their menu, in-

Leisure review ‘should not increase access’ A review of access and outdoor recreation laws should be more concerned with updating provision rather than increasing access, farmers in Wales have told the Welsh Government.

The call from NFU Cymru’s rural affairs board follows farmer concerns over the review put together by the Cardiff Bay administration.

“Officials from the Welsh Government left our meeting knowing the concerns of farmers across Wales and the total opposition to parts of the working document,” NFU Cymru rural affairs board chairman Bernard Llewellyn said..

“It is extremely disappointing that the paper looks at access in isolation and as a priority use for land on what is mainly privately owned property where farmers need to make a living.

“It should be asking how access can fit in with farming

cluding leek and goats cheese parcels, salmon mousse and duck breast in cider sauce, impressed the judges, as did their presentation skills. The team’s victory is even more impressive considering Megan Watkins, Zoe Scott and George Goring are all under the age of 20. Megan said: “We really didn’t expect to win, but we are so excited that we have. We practised the dishes a few times this week before the finals and it’s taken a lot of organising but it was definitely worth it.”

Malvern also provided the backdrop for a claim by a respected figure in the world of professional floristry that Young Farmers are flying the flag for competitions in floral arts. More than 100 members entered the Young Farmers national finals, prompting Lynda Owen, author of three books on flower arranging and an award-winning florist, to say she and two other judges were “blown away” by the standard of entries from Young Farmers.

Mrs Owen said: “Every year seems to get better and the juniors are absolutely fabulous. Young Farmers are fabulous and their work is inspiring.”

Florist Jacalyn Dobson, aged 23 and a member of Yarcombe YFC, was the winner of the 26-and-under category with her hand-tied presentation bouquet packed with English country cut flowers. For 20-year-old Fay Thomas, from Easrdisley YFC in Herefordshire, it was the eighth time she had made it to the national finals. She created a floorstanding exhibit reflecting the same theme.

The Herefordshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubholds its annual meeting on October 25 at the Shire Hall, Hereford.

For more information, call the county office on 01432 274187 or email countyadmin@ hfyfc.org.uk, or visit www.hfyfc.org.uk.

Peter Hall The Young Farmers movement has had a sometimes chequered reputation in recent years, and just occasionally censure has been justified.

For example, excessive high jinks at a national conference in Torquay a few years back led to a lot of negative publicity about alcohol-fuelled deplorable conduct.

But don’t let anyone tell you members of the YFC don’t contribute positively to society as a whole – with a laudable degree of entrepreneurship.

Just how considerable this is was brought home to me by

Farmers are concerned there could be a rise in the amount of access to private land in Wales

Lucy Berisford, who set up Devon Eggs after leaving school, is one of a clutch of Young Farmers proving an inspiration to youngsters, says Peter Hall

Young Farmers’ acumen sets a real example young Lucy Berisford, who was in the news a year or so ago after she started up Devon Eggs, run from her home at Perkins Village in East Devon.

She was out on her rounds delivering eggs last week and made a regular delivery to Bartlett’s Farm Shop, near Honiton. It is run by the two daughters of the Bartlett family, Rebecca and Nicola, whom Lucy knows outside of work, through the Devon Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs.

The girls discussed how both their businesses had now been

going for four years – and it occurred to them how many more young members of the YFC in their county had begun to “paddle their own canoes” successfully.

In fact a considerable number, all aged under 26, have founded their own companies, of all sorts and kinds, a laudable achievement and clearly demonstrating how young people can succeed when they put their mind to it.

Lucy supplied me with a list of members who have gone solo. It’s worth seeing.

As well as herself at Devon

Eggs, and Rebecca and Nicola at Bartlett’s Farm Shop, there’s Zoe Berisford, of Exeter, with Exe Signs; Emily Sizmur, of Okehampton, with Emily Fleur Photography; Marcus Tucker, of Talaton, with Marcus Tucker Contracting; Alex Wass, of Exeter, with Alex Wass Groundworks; Samantha Keightley, of Honiton, with Butterflies Beauty Studio; Emily York and Mercedes PembertonFinch, of Exeter, with Flowers ... and many, many more throughout the county.

What a terrific record and what an example.

and conservation – not the other way round as appears to be case in the document.

“The first step must be to look at what we have now and we seriously question the need for more access,” he added.

“Instead priority should be given to ensuring adequate funds are allocated to the longterm maintenance and updating of the current network.

“In the past we have seen more access created but no money to maintain it in a useable condition.

Better access should not necessarily mean more access.

“The current system of rights of way is based on historic use and is not fit for purpose – though if the consultation recognised this and made closure of redundant paths and path diversions easier and less costly it is something we would support.

“Footpath diversions around the edges of fields and away from farmyards are of benefit to both user and landowner.

“If new legislation has to come then it should replace existing legislation and not add to it. It must also address the issue of dogs in the countryside, inappropriate vehicular use on some rights of way and misbehaviour by those on open access land.”

NFU Cymru president Ed Bailey will take up concerns with Culture and Sport Minister John Griffiths.

4 FARMING WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16 2013 WESTERN DAILY PRESS

Radio link-up gives round-the-clock alerts

Welsh farmers start TB vaccine grants

A vet practice serving farms in Devon, Somerset and Dorset has become the first to offer technology which continually monitors animals and alerts farmers to imminent calving, health issues and cows coming into heat. As well as text message alerts, the devices from Synergy Farm Health also send information to an online platform which stores and analyses the data and can be accessed by the farmer at any time from anywhere.

Farmers in Wales who suspect badgers are infecting their cattle with bovine TB can apply for Welsh government vaccination grants. The application window for the grants opened on Monday. The government has agreed to fund 50 per cent of the cost of vaccinating badgers on land outside the North Pembrokeshire Intensive Action Area – but farmers will have to bid for funding from a £1.25 million pot of money set aside for the initiative. It is estimated it costs about £600 to vaccinate a badger.

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Ban lanterns, Farming Minister urges authorities Natural Resources Minister Alun Davies is encouraging authorities in Wales to introduce a voluntary ban on the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons. The Minister has warned of the danger and stress that sky lanterns can pose to animals and has highlighted the fire risks, as demonstrated by the recent fire at the plastic recycling plant in the West Midlands GET THE LATEST FARM NEWS AT WESTERNDAILYPRESS.CO.UK

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Growers express fear over axing of SAWS

Better wheat means feed could be hit

Defra has called a meeting to discuss the axing of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Scheme, after every major player in the horticultural sector reiterated the long-term damage the decision will have. Speaking after Friday’s meeting NFU horticulture board vice-chairman Anthony Snell said: “If the Government is serious about the horticulture industry securing all of its seasonal labour from the UK and the EU it must ensure that all of the barriers are removed.”

A better quality wheat crop despite a relatively small quantity this year could shift domestic supply issues to feed wheat. Jack Watts, senior analyst for cereals and oilseeds at AHDB/ HGCA, told a meeting in Westminster this was because a larger amount of higher quality wheat was likely to serve the domestic milling market better than usual, which would mean a lower reliance on imported milling wheat but less availablity of lower quality feed wheat domestically.

Turbines are ‘value for money’, insists Energy Minister The Energy Minister has defended wind farms as good value for money amid growing calls to slash ‘green’ energy subsidies. Tory MPs are leading a campaign to cut the estimated £110 added to bills to underwrite renewables. But Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary, defended the hand-outs, saying they were value for money BUSINESS NEWS, IN TOMORROW’S WEEKLY SUPPLEMENT

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Secrets of Iron Age farming are revealed

Milk debate at centre of city food festival

Archaeologists say discoveries at a working limestone quarry have helped shed new light on Iron Age farming. A ten-week dig at Potgate Quarry, near Ripon, Yorkshire, has revealed an enclosure and tracks to surrounding farms that were homes for numerous families for up to 150 years.

Archaeologist Steve Timms said discoveries of corn drying ovens and imported sandstone quern stones for milling grain in a patchwork landscape of fields with different uses suggested agricultural organisation.

The first Wells Food Festival takes place on Sunday, along with the Great Somerset Sunday Lunch. A market will run in Wells Market Place, from 10.30am, from producers within 25 miles of the city. The Bishop’s Barn plays host to the Big Milk Debate at 11.30am for noon where a panel of guests will debate the issues surrounding this crucial local commodity. On the panel will be David Cotton, Neil Darwent, Judith Freane, Stephen Hook and Michael Eavis. Details at www.wellsfoodfestival.co.uk.

Peter’s out – time for the pretenders FROM PAGE 1 year term in office, said now was a good time to leave.

He denied he had any political ambitions, but has expressed an interest in anything that puts more British food on more British plates, suggesting a move within the industry.

“The reason I got involved in the NFU is that farming for so many years has had a negative press,” said Mr Kendall

yesterday. “When I stood up to seek council support all those years ago I said I wanted to champion the industry, champion what we do for the environment, the importance of food production and the great industry farming was.

“I had a great time doing that and I hope to carry on championing British farming in various other ways in the future,” he said, adding that he also wanted to spend more time farming and watching

his children play sport. He said he expected some ‘positive decisions’ on the big issues of the badger cull and CAP reform by the time he left office in February but said he hoped his legacy would be how farming is now perceived.

“I would like people to think we have moved farming forward from the old image of moaning, whingeing farmers to being very clear this is an exciting, innovative industry”.

Often controversial and frequently criticised, the arable farmer from East Bedfordshire has been a regular visitor to the West Country since his election in 2006. Most recently he has been closely involved in the current extended pilot culls of badgers in the campaign against bovine TB in the South West, and the ongoing, and convoluted, negotiations in the EU over the new look for the Common Agricultural Policy.

He has always said he would not seek re-election again. Re-

affirming this decision, he said he had seen an enormous change in attitudes to farming throughout his in office.

“Sir John Beddington’s Foresight Report and three global food spikes have meant that agriculture’s importance is being increasingly recognised,” he said. “And there is still much work to do in many areas. But I shall be leaving the NFU in excellent shape.

“There is a wealth of talent and experience among NFU members and so I look forward to the elections next year when they will select a new officeholder team to continue the NFU’s work representing and lobbying on behalf of our farmers and growers.

“To be president of the NFU is a huge privilege and I have been extremely fortunate to be part of a great team, working alongside very able and committed officeholders. I have been supported by the most fantastic, professional staff.

The breadth of knowledge, commitment and expertise

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WESTERN DAILY PRESS WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16 2013 FARMING 5

Anthony Gibson One of the best the NFU has had Peter Kendall is, quite simply, the best president the NFU has had since Henry Plumb, and one of the best in its entire 105year history.

Intelligent, forceful, highly articulate and bursting with energy and ideas, he has provided both his organisation and the industry with precisely the positive, forwardlooking leadership that was needed at a time when the future of both hung in the balance.

It was entirely typical of Peter that he didn’t wait for his turn for the presidency, but seized it with both hands, challenging and beating the incumbent, Tim Bennett, in 2006.

It was a brave move. The NFU was at its lowest ebb, having lost many experienced staff in the move from London to Stoneleigh, and was struggling to cope with a dire situation in the industry with a largely new and untried team.

Something dramatic was needed to turn the situation round.

Peter provided it. He took the NFU by the scruff of the neck, re-focused it on the basics of productive farming and set out to remind the world of “why farming matters”. He was inspiring but exhausting to work for. He gets up every day at some unearthly hour, and sets straight to with his mobile phone and emails.

When I was his director of

communications, he would often ring me with at least six bright ideas before eight in the morning. But his staff loved him.

He could be domineering, sometimes seeming to act as chief executive as well as president, and he never bothered too much about treading on sensitive toes, particularly in the conservation lobby. He is happiest in the seat of a gigantic combine. He has tried hard (sometimes too hard) to connect with the smaller livestock and dairy farmers of the West Country, without ever quite succeeding.

He believes in free markets and the appliance of science.

He would have given the industry an even clearer sense of purpose had it not been for the two dead weights which have been a drag on his leadership throughout: the CAP and bTB. As it is, his greatest achievement has probably been in restoring a sense of self-confidence to the industry he leads. When he took over, British agriculture was producing a diminishing amount of food as a by-product of countryside management. He will leave not only with the industry’s fortunes restored, but with its importance to the economy and the nation’s food supplies once again fully recognised.

Given the context in which he had to work, I doubt anyone could have achieved more.

Rural life is well covered in the Western Daily Press, with forthright farming opinions from Ian Liddell-Grainger and Derek Mead – every Saturday, and online round-the-clock WESTERNDAILYPRESS.CO.UK/FARMING

Chris Rundle Few hurt the South West so much

available to members is unsurpassed in the farming industry – and that has always made me immensely proud.”

But Mr Kendall’s tenure has at times been a bumpy ride.

Somerset dairy farmer Derek Mead, who unsuccessfully challenged him for the presidency six years ago, said few West Country farmers would miss him.

“The West Country has been sidelined by the NFU leadership for years and Mr Kendall has done nothing to change that,” he said. “Just because we don’t always want to dance to the union’s tune, we are looked on as troublemakers at worst, outsiders at best.

“The dairy industry is in a worse state now than it was when he arrived, and he has backed a flawed badger cull pilot that is merely going to lead to more delays in getting to grips with TB. “And meanwhile the voice of the West Country is repeatedly drowned out at NFU headquarters.”

Who will take on the top job?

Meurig Raymond, top, has been deputy president of the NFU since Peter Kendall was appointed president eight years ago and has confirmed his intention to stand.

Adam Quinney, seen during a visit to Gloucestershire in the run-up to the badger cull, is another favourite

Deputy president Meurig Raymond is leading the race to replace Mr Kendall in the top job at Stoneleigh Park, raising the prospect of a Welsh farmer leading English farmers for the first time since devolution.

The biggest clash would likely be on the control of TB, a topic on which English and Welsh governments have followed markedly different trial paths, with the English culling and the Welsh vaccinating.

Mr Raymond, who farms 1,376 hectares in Pembrokeshire in partnership with his twin brother Mansel, has served as deputy president since Mr Kendall was elected leader in 2006 and chose not to challenge Mr Kendall for the presidency.

The family farm grows 890ha of combinable crops and 113 hectares of potatoes.

On the livestock side, there are 620 dairy cows, with 300

followers. The farm also has 600 head of beef cattle and around 2,500 store lambs, fattened during winter.

Also in the running is Adam Quinney, who has been something of a rising star at the NFU in recent years, having been voted in as vice president in February 2012.

He farms 250 hectares of rented land at Sambourne, near Redditch, on the Worcestershire-Warwickshire border, with a suckler unit, a beef finishing unit, breeding ewes and 40 hectares of arable.

He is a former NFU Henley Branch chairman and West Midlands Regional Board chair man.

He has also served on the NFU National Livestock Committee and Animal Health Working Group, as well as time on the EBLEX Board, becoming the first English ASDA beef scholar, and as a trustee of the Studley College Trust

Few, if any, tears will be shed in the South West over the news that Peter Kendall has announced he will not be seeking another term of office as NFU president.

He has occupied the post for eight years – six years too long as far as the majority of the West Country’s livestock farmers are concerned.

Hardly any can remember an NFU president who ignored the views of the South West quite so assiduously. None can recall a NFU president whose attitude was quite so dictatorial – as when Kendall arrived to unveil the plans for the badger cull, announcing to the audience it was the only deal on the table so they had two choices: take it or leave it.

And none, certainly, can remember a holder of his office who surrounded himself with quite so many cronies and sycophants and was quite so precious about the kind of image he projected.

He will, in fact, be leaving office with farming in a far worse state than when he first hung the chain of office around his neck. Despite all attempts to talk it up, the dairy sector is still in chaos and producers

are still quitting; TB is making the same devastating inroads into dairy and beef herds; and we still have no policies and structures in place to attract the cohorts of new entrants of which the industry is in such chronic need.

Kendall, in fact, has been merely the latest in a succession of deeply flawed leaders of a clapped-out farming association whose relevance to the modern world is increasingly being questioned.

The dairy industry is, despite protestations to the contrary from NFU headquarters at Stoneleigh, in as parlous a state as it was when Peter Kendall took over, argues Chris Rundle

6 FARMING WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16 2013 WESTERN DAILY PRESS

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Hospitals told to buy local as costs revealed

Farmer David Barton addresses the media in May, as he led a tour of his farm to show his backing for the pilot cull in Gloucestershire

Heartbreak as more cattle shot after TB

BY MICHAEL YONG wdnews@b-nm.co.uk A farmer faced his “darkest days” when he lost more than a third of his herd to bovine tuberculosis (bTB).

David Barton, 46, showed the Western Daily Press the firsthand effects of the deadly disease in his home at Manor Farm, Middle Duntisbourne, near Cirencester.

The Gloucestershire farm, which has been in the Barton family for a century and three

generations, was first hit in 2001, with four outbreaks since. The latest in 2011 saw him lose more than 50 cattle, at least a third of his overall herd, the majority breeding cows.

Around 104 cattle have been shot there since 2001 because of the disease.

He said: “They were some of my darkest days, certainly the most difficult I have had to face in my entire career. I have never lost that many.

“What people don’t understand is that these are breeding

cows, which stay in the family for years. The ones I lost could have been with me for another 10 to 15 years.

“I grew up knowing them, I see them born, I take care of them. It was heartbreaking when they were shot. When they were taken away two years ago, I couldn’t even do the last lorry. I had to ask my neighbour to do it. It’s more than just a financial loss, there is an emotional connection with the animals we rear.

“Can you imagine what it is like to hear a calf mooing for her mother after she has been slaughtered? It’s difficult.

“I’m lucky to have the support of family and friends, but some farmers who might be more isolated and are susceptible to depression will find it really tough.”

The farm has not yet been given a clean bill of health, and his cattle needs to be tested every 60 days.

It will not be declared bTB free until there are two consecutive negative tests.

He rejected claims the disease was brought into his 360-

acre farm by buying cows, with all of his herd before the 2011 outbreak reared at the far m.

His son, Benjamin, 23, also runs a farm next door and David plans for his son to take over in years to come.

“Because the number of badgers have increased so much, they have become diseased. What we need is a

‘I grew up with them.

It was heartbreaking when they were shot’ David Barton healthy population of badgers and healthy population of cattle. I have seen all the evidence, and a cull is essential to stop this disease.”

But his view was disputed by Dave Purser, who insists the cull has been counter-productive, and would lead to wildlife perturbation with infected badgers potentially leaving the zone.

PICTURE: SIMON PIZZEY

Mr Purser, who owns Newbridge Farm in Clapton-onthe-Hill, in the Cotswolds, is against the badger cull and any extension. The 120-acre beef and sheep farm had remained bTB free for almost 30 years before an outbreak last year closed the farm.

He said: “We understand the pressure on farmers when their businesses are put on hold following a bTB breakdown, but this is the result of the Government’s test and cull cattle policy, which needs addressing.

“We don’t believe the badger cull is the appropriate response in this day and age.

“We have written to Natural England detailing our concern, including our belief they will leave themselves open to possible legal action if farmers with bTB-free herds around the cull zones subsequently face the disease.

“The NFU does not represent the entire farming community. The way forward is badger vaccination, not cull.

Vaccination does not cause perturbation.”

Calls have been made for hospitals to spend more on buying local ingredients for patient food, after figures showed some trusts spend as little as £4.15 per day feeding patients – less than half the national average.

Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust in London spent £4.15 per inpatient per day in 2012/13, compared to a national average spend of £9.87.

The data, released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), showed some NHS trusts spend over three times as much per inpatient per day as other trusts, though some bodies dispute a link between cost and popularity.

As well as Barnet and Chase Farm, other low spenders included the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (£4.65), Ealing Hospital NHS Trust in London (£4.65) and the Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, a specialist neurology and neurosurgery trust, in Liverpool (£4.83).

The South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, a mental health trust, spent £4.37 per patient per day, while the NHS in Barking and Dagenham, east London, invested £4.63.

Others spending around the £5 per day mark included Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (£5.02).

Alex Jackson, co-ordinator of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, said: “A survey of patients by the Care Quality Commission this year showed that there is no relationship between the amount of money spent on hospital food and its popularity with patients.

“The best patient meals are often those that are freshly cooked in a hospital’s own kitchen.

“Patient meals cooked in this way are often also the cheapest to make, because they give hospital cooks the option to find the best deals from local suppliers.

“The Government must introduce mandatory standards for all hospital food to end this postcode lottery and make sure all patients get nourishing, high quality meals.”

Joel Woolf Wages board abolition can be good for farmers and workers The Agricultural Wages Board has been abolished and the existing Agricultural Wages Order expired at the end of September.

This means that from October 1 businesses employing agricultural employees have new-found freedom in contracts of employment.

The first important thing to note is that for all those employed before October 1, terms and conditions will continue.

This means that employers must continue paying them at the same hourly rates and overtime rates, and cannot

unilaterally change their employment contract.

But with pension auto-enrolment beginning for smaller businesses in the next few years, now is the time to think about the structure of the business, how employment affects that structure and the profitability of the business and what employment changes might be necessary.

These changes can be simple, such as changing the holiday year. It could be moving to a monthly payroll, which would certainly ease with administrating real-time

information with HMRC. There are also quite significant changes, which although not necessarily detrimental to the employee, could really help a business. Cashflow can always be a problem and with the requirements within the Agricultural Wages Order, workers would always earn more during the summer.

This has two effects. Firstly, for the business, it has to find more cash during the summer than it has during the winter which impacts on its cash flow.

For the farm worker, he has

more money in his pocket in the summer.

The employer and the employee might welcome some change to overtime rates to average hourly pay over the year so that the cash flow can be made more regular.

With the current changes, it is worth reconsidering whether a person is an employee or a self-employed contractor. Getting this wrong can be costly and there could be simple alterations such as a zero-hours contract for a relief herdsman.

A happy well-motivated employee will work hard and be

far more use to a business than an unhappy, unmotivated employee.

The Agricultural Wages Board, by setting the mechanisms for pay, effectively left the employee/employer relationship in neutral with little scope or even want on either side to try to engage more effectively with the other.

Good employee relations can sometimes mean the difference between a business thriving and a business struggling.

It is true that the removal of the Agricultural Wages Order has left a void, which now has

to be filled by businesses looking at their employment contracts and considering what is the best thing for the business.

That can mean unpopular decisions, like not giving a pay rise or having to change working practices.

But the changes really only bring agriculture in line with the rest of the economy and give farmers a real ability to make employees a far more integral part of their businessplanning process.

Joel Woolf is partner and head of agriculture at regional law firm Foot Anstey

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WESTERN DAILY PRESS WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16 2013 FARMING 7

Chris Rundle Tasting fruits of success Apple Day comes round on Saturday – an event which barely existed 20 years ago when about the only form of celebration associated with apples was the occasional January wassail.

But thanks to the upsurge of interest in apples, cider, community orchards and the rest it seems there will be barely a village without some kind of festivities at the weekend.

All very heartening, particularly for the English apple industry which not that many years ago faced obliteration under a deluge of cheap imports. Thousands of acres of orchard were grubbed up, the number of growers selling direct from the farm shrank to a fraction of what it formerly was, and an entire generation grew up believing apples came from France, Holland, New Zealand, Australia or South America but never from Britain.

The new national appetite for local and traceable foods has undoubtedly helped stem the losses but it will be many years before we replace all the lost orchards – though the cider industry is showing how it can be done.

And at least there has been a change of heart on the part of supermarkets which have finally recognised that people prefer English apples because they are tasty rather than travel-weary.

It is going to take some time for the home-grown fruit to elbow all the imported competition off the shelves but I can see the time coming – particularly if the likes of Waitrose continue to get away with charging an eyebrowraising £2.50 for a pack of four apples – when the tables will be completely reversed.

The essential drink to mark any apple day celebration is, of course, cider and this year the sector really has something to shout about, with sales breaking records all over the place thanks to a summer which could have been designed with ciderdrinkers in mind.

At the same time are those sales going to draw George Osbor ne’s attention as he pencils in the next round of duty rises? George claimed to be doing the beer sector a favour when he scrapped the duty escalator in the Budget earlier this year.

His aim was to at least slow, if not halt, the closure of pubs, 4,000 of which have called last orders for the last time in the last year.

But now the formidable forces of the Taxpayers’ Alliance are lining up with the National Association of Cider Makers to demand the same treatment for cider.

There is a strong argument for it: although it is the fastest-growing drinks sector,

cider remains a minor category whose contribution to the government’s coffers is not that great anyway. And there is the added bonus that cider creates jobs in rural areas and delivers massive environmental benefits in the shape of orchards which are the exclusive preserve of wildlife for most of the year.

There is a huge amount of optimism around in the industry at the moment, with major producers such as Thatchers and Westons assuring future supplies by planting thousands of trees.

But as producers point out, however good the product there is going to come a point where, if duty continues to be racked up, consumers are going to think twice about putting the usual number of bottles in their baskets or trollies.

Non-discounted prices for 500ml bottles have now broken through the psychological £2 barrier without any apparent downward effect on sales. But the further the price climbs above £2 the less attractive the purchase becomes.

The Chancellor could well use the argument about job opportunities in rural areas to justify a freeze on cider duty because that has traditionally been the reasoning behind cider’s benign treatment by the Exchequer in the past.

He certainly shouldn’t try to justify it as a way of stemming the loss of pubs.

That was the reasoning behind his help for brewers this year but there is nothing to show the closures have slowed down.

Mainly because it is the brewers and other pub chain owners themselves who are contributing to the decline in their greed-driven rush for short-term gains.

The case of a landlord not far from here illustrates what happens. In the spring she took over an inn which had been through at least three changes of landlord in as many years with intermittent periods of closure and was clearly on the brink, despite being in a prime trading position.

She invested heavily in improvements to bars, kitchens and accommodation, started to source local food and cook it well and as a result has had a very successful first trading season and built up a loyal clientele. On which basis the corporate owners have now looked at her books and slapped on a substantial rent increase, leaving her with another mountain to climb – and one she’s not sure she will be able to conquer.

Freezing duty has helped her keep her beers competitively priced and selling well – but it’s those sales the grasping owners have now used to justify a rent rise which could well deprive the locality of a much-cherished asset.

Banging away at badgers

John Skirton and Steve Taylor from Dartington Morris Men, wassailing the young apple trees at Saltram House.

The ancient wassail is testament to how heavily apples feature in the West Country psyche – a trait also credited with the huge rise in the number of community orchards that have sprung up in recent years PICTURE: STEVEN HAYWOOD

So we’re in for another three weeks of badger-hunting, which means another three weeks of wailing and keening by the anti-culling fanatics.

The upside is the more badgers are dispatched and the more we move towards the blissful state of being a virtually badger-free zone, the less frequently our nights will be disturbed by the screams of hedgehogs being eaten alive.

Oddly, the hedgehogs wiped out by badgers is one of the several issues the pro-badger lobby repeatedly sidesteps.

Yet the evidence is there.

Badger numbers have increased exponentially.

Hedgehog populations, however, have gone the other way. Badgers eat hedgehogs, as they do the eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds, which is why all our attempts to improve breeding numbers will never work as long as the area remains infested with badgers.

Meanwhile, those who are attempting to disrupt the culling continue to paint themselves as martyrs. The latest is the Cornish owner of Ziggy, a German shepherd, who claims the animal was “viciously attacked” while on a wounded badger patrol in the very centre of the West Somerset culling fields.

Ziggy, according to a posting on a Facebook page, emerged from the encounter with a cut and grazed paw.

According to his owner, who styles himself “Danny Badger” (don’t you just love the romance of all this?), he clearly saw – with the aid of night-vision goggles – two men struggling with the dog before he called it.

Ziggy’s wound required the attention of a vet, the subsequent and apparently unaffordable bill being met partly by means of an online whip-round.

Avon and Somerset Police, however, postulated a rather more prosaic explanation: the dog cut itself on barbed wire.

So let’s just get this straight. We are being asked to express sympathy for someone who has let his dog loose on farmland where neither of them had any business to be.

So here is someone who can not only afford the costs of travel from Cornwall to Somerset but to treat himself to expensive night-vision equipment – but can’t afford to pay the vet. Or, presumably, to take out pet insurance, as most sensible people do.

And note, if you please, the naked hypocrisy of those who are all too keen to ‘name and shame’ those organising the cull but take refuge behind pseudonyms.

Is that because by using real names they risk attracting the attention of the DSS? Surely not.

8 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16 2013 WESTERN DAILY PRESS

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Farmers’ bulletin board Market reports FROME Wednesday October 9 BEEF CATTLE (91) UTM Steers (24) Five cracking Limousins from RE Carnell averaged 227p/kg and £1,406 topping at 229.5p/kg. Blondes from AG Knight & Son sold to 215p/kg. Charolais to 208p/kg from D Goodall. A Blue from Sue Bishop to 208p/kg. Other Continental cross breds in demand from 189.5p/kg. Lean Angus to 184.5p/kg from E & W Holloway & Son. Friesians to 154.5p/kg from RJ Knapton.

UTM Heifers (31) A Limousin from R Fear topped at 223p/k with more of the best sorts wanted by buyers. Good Continental cross breds to 209p/kg from RE Dury and generally from 190p/kg. Other grades from 172.5p/kg. Angus to 188.5p/kg from E & W Holloway & Son. More cattle could have been sold.

Overage Beef (32) A good entry with the quality finished cattle again selling well. A top at 206.5p/kg for a Charolais steer from D Goodall. Limousin heifers to 198.5p/kg from AE Perry Partnership. Hereford steers to 193.5p/kg from Norridge Farms and heifers to 183.5p/kg from BG & TW Randall. Angus steers to 188.5p/kg from Norridge Farms. Friesian steers 162.5p/kg from RJ Knapton and heifers to 149.5p/kg from LKR Farms Ltd. BARREN COWS & BULLS (109) A smaller entry met a good trade. The very few meat cows in strong demand and many more wanted to satisfy the buyers. The many plain cows straight out of the dairy sold well on the trade.

Dairy Cows (82) The best heavy Friesian meat cows scarce and sold from 115p/kg to 135p/kg from G Patch, £1,048 from TK Jeans & Son and £1,020 from BJ & EM Yandle. Manufacturing cows in demand from 100p/kg with the plainer sorts from 80p/kg. The very poor again selling well for their type.

Beef Cows (26) An insufficient number of meat cows forward met a dear trade to 166p/kg from JE & EM Durbin and£1,119 from AE Perry Partnership.

Others from 135.5p/kg. Herefords to 144.5p/kg from JE & EM Durbin. Angus to 133.5p/kg from GB Doel. Shorthorns to 133.5p/kg from LKR Farms Ltd. The over- full and poor conformation cows met variable demand.

SHEEP (752) Prime Lambs (353) SQQ 170.22p/kg Max 189p/kg £89.50/head A strong trade from start to finish with all types meeting spirited bidding. The better bred and well fleshed lambs again selling above expectations and commanding a real premium. Best yellow grade lambs to Cull Ewes & Rams (233) A very large entry sold to a good complement of buyers. Medium framed half meat ewes wanted and trading from £55 to £60.

The majority of today’s entry comprised of Welsh Mule grazing type ewes which met strong demand and generally traded between £30 and £45. Very small and plain ewes either side of £25.

Store Lambs (166) Max £65.50 Av. £51.87 A flying trade for all grades of stores and many more would have sold to advantage. Stronger lean Suffolk x lambs to £65.50 from C Dicks. Charollais x lambs to £64 from AG Hook.

Medium framed lambs trading easily in the £50s and small Dorset lambs at £45.

DAIRY (58) Pleasing to see almost 60 dairy penned for sale again this week. Demand extremely variable and potential purchasers only wanting the best types.

Super calved Holstein heifers presented by Peter and David Green saw fast bidding to £1,950, £1,920 from £1,820.

Smart types from David and Simon Cheacker sold to £1,760 and £1,620.

Quality British Friesian heifers from AF Leighton peaked at £1,600. Grand Shorthorn heifers wanted and saw a firm trade at £1,550. This week saw a large consignment of top grade in-calf heifers due November/December from Keith and Michael Isgar. They produced very keen interest and sold ten times over £1,400 to top at £1,500.

NON EXPORT CALVES (306) Another large entry but first quality sorts in short supply. A firm trade for all forward. Many buyers attending and keen to purchase.

Continental Bulls A fast trade for the best but not enough on offer. Medium and smaller bulls saw an improved

trade. A huge entry of Blues with the very best to £455 from Stavordale Farm Ltd. Fleckveihs to £392 from RTJ Voizey & Partners. Simmentals to £355 from FJ & GT Hannam & Sons. Limousins to £312 from Wilverley Farms.

Continental Heifers Plenty of small and medium sorts forward selling to a quick trade. The best to a top of £330 for a Blue for RTJ Voizey & Partners.

Limousins to £240 from WJ Weeks & Son. Simmentals to £220 from N & B Hutton.

British Almost a third of today’s entry were native sired calves with all grades selling well. Only the small heifers were easier. The best Angus bulls to £382 from R & R Collis with their heifers to £260. Hereford bulls to £358 from RM Fyfe with his heifers to £200.

Friesians Plenty forward and those showing rearing potential continue to sell well. Overall averages remain very firm. The best Holstein to £1,70 from Wyke Farms Ltd. British Friesian to £1,28 from RP Green & Partners. Plenty from £80+ with medium sorts from £50 to £80. Small plain calves remain difficult to place.

Friday, October 11 STORE CATTLE (1257) Suckler Cows & Calves Suckler cows and calves seeing an improved trade overall. Younger Simmental heifers with calves at foot produced very competitive bidding to £1,080. Strong Simmental cows with 3mo Limousin steer calves had an excellent day and topped the section at £1,200.

Feeding Bulls Mainly Holstein Friesians on offer today which have become more difficult to sell over the past months but never the less most ranged from £300 to £400 (12-16mo).

Young Continentals This sale saw the start of our annual consignments of suckled calves. A number of tremendous entries were forward and trade was electric. Outstanding Limousin steers (7mo) from Paul and Rob Lucas sold to £790 and £835 from David Miller. An excellent presentation of 80 grand Charolais from West Amesbury (5-7mo) produced wonderful bidding with steers to £805 and heifers to £590.

A run of 70 top grade Limousin steers and heifers (5-7mo) from NB Needham & Son saw steers regularly from £750 to £800 and heifers to £660. Keith Bamlett and Andy Russell presented some very smart Charolais and buyers were desperate to buy these best types. Keith’s steers (7mo) sold to an incredible £918 and 26 times over £800. Andy’s cattle ranged from £830 to £842 with his heifers often over £600 to peak at £645.

The very best British Blues (11-12mo) came from Andrew Catley-Day and saw bidding close to £900 (£898) and heifers to £832.

Forward Continental Steers Another tremendous trade with forward stores needed to meet the strong bidding from the large company of buyers forward.

Blonde steers (16mo) set the trade from £1,285 to £1,418 from Martin King with his young Charolais equally sought to £1,285. Stronger well bred Charolais steers sold to a massive £1,430 from Malcolm Doble. Simmental steers met a fast trade at £1,242 from George and Clive Wareham and £1,245 from Betty Chiswell. Limousin steers (16mo) were an equally good trade from £1,215 to £1,235 from Martin King with stronger types to £1,420 from George and Clive Wareham who took top honours with their Blue steers at £1,430.

Forward Continental Heifers were regularly over £1,000 with Blues to £1,102 from DH Wilkinson & Sons. The tremendous Charolais from Malcolm Doble were a highlight at £1,140 and his Limousins from £1,055 to £1,130. Others sold well from £1,050 from AJ Butler.

Several quality consignments met a fast trade from £905 from Ken and Neil Hayter to £942 from Clive House, £955 from Jeff and Derek Legg, £962 from Alexi Bees and £965 from N & JE Pointon.

Hereford (92) Herefords continue to hold a strong premium in line with finished levels. Farm Assured and Named Sired sought after forcing prices beyond that of the Angus.

Yearling steers (12mo) sold to a massive £740 from GM Pearce. Medium steers from £815 to £890 from Longclose Farm.

Forward types wanted to £965 from G & W Farm Management to £1,100 from Poplar Farm Partners with the best to £1,250 from Jeff & Derek Legg. Heifers equally commanded a premium with AM Catley-Day’s (11mo) to £555. Other quality young heifers sold well to £720 from Besent & Sons, £765 from Ken Neil and Philip Hayter and £790 from Mich-

ael Miller. Forward heifers were a good trade from £835 from RW Courage & Son to £955 from JHR Hosford.

Angus (184) A good selection of all grades forward with a strong premium paid for Farm Assured and Named Sired. Single Suckled types were a fast trade with steers (7mo) to £680 from NB Needham & Sons with forward yearlings to £765 from DN Crofts. RJ Vincent’s cattle sold well to £880 (16mo). Forward steers in strong demand to £1,000 from Compton Farm Partnership, £1,060 from Alexi Bees, £1,130 from Jeff and Derek Legg and £1,120 to £1,195 from JHR Hosford. Angus heifers equally sold to a premium with yearlings to £620 from the Burgess family. Medium framed types with bulling potential to £722 from FF & J Down to £755 from PR Burgess. Framed bullers reached £850 from N & JE Pointon. The forward consignment of quality bred heifers sold well from £950 to £960 topping at £1,110 from JHR Hosford.

Friesians (232) Prices were firm but generally at lower rates. Buyers wanted cattle with as much shape as possible and British Friesians were selling at a premium. Several good consignments met keen bidding with yearlings at £398 from DJ Nelmes and £418 from Tim Bowden (13mo). Medium framed feeders sold well from £580 to £700 from Tony Sims. Framed feeders sold from £865 to £1,080 from George and Clive Wareham with their best heavy types to an excellent to £1,200.

SEDGEMOOR Tuesday, October 8 BARREN COWS, BULLS, OTM & UFM PRIME (104 ) A short entry as throughputs nationally look to be reducing. Trade consequently much improved. Apart from the absolute worst all types were 5 to 10ppk up on the week. The autumn “flush” may be over as buyers return to keener frames of mind. Top was 157.5ppk for a smart South Devon from Mr SA Lloyd. A good Angus from Mr CGG Maddick achieved 151ppk. Better cows 130 to 146.5ppk. Half meat 120ppk plus.

Sucklers sold to £1,,299.38 for a Blue from Mr RH Neale, who also sold a black Limousin at £1,,051.88. Other strong cows £1,,181.25, South Devon, Mr SA Lloyd; £1,,082.52, Charolais, Messrs PH & ME Buckingham & Son and £1,,075.31, Limousin, Mr RK Matthews.

Black and whites topped at 133ppk twice for two good meat, clean “types” from both Messrs Avery & Co and Messrs LG Heal & Son. Others close by at 132 and 130ppk were from Mr SJ Perry and Messrs AJ Gay & Sons Ltd. Better black and whites again 120ppk plus. Better steakers 110ppk plus. Plain steakers 100ppk plus. Those with little to offer at lower levels.

Black and whites sold to £1,,042.95 from Mr N & Mrs J Ham & Son. Another well sold at £1,,033.35, from Mr G Pople & Sons. All cows averaged £636.41, which included some very small cows.

Bulls sold to £1,,195.43 for a HF from Mr E Gay & Sons. Heifers to 145.5ppk for a HF from Messrs House & Son. PRIME LAMBS & HOGGS (341) Lambs (341) A much firmer trade for all presented and like for like at least on a par with Monday’s flyer. The best sold to 201ppk for a very smart pen of Beltex from Messrs PB & SE Dibble. Others sold to 189ppk from Messrs Vigar & Son; 183ppk from Messrs BJ Ware & Son; 181ppk from Messrs AJ Withers & Son and 180ppk from Messrs MJ & GM Summers. Heavier lambs sold to £94 from Messrs TJ Samways & Son. Others £81.50 from Mr B Gibbins and £81 from Messrs MJ & GM Summers. Overall average £73.54.

Cull ewes & rams (134) A smaller entry sold to a similar competitive trade. Very few strongest ewes forward sold to £95 from Messrs C & A Williams.

Others £91 from Mrs J Barrett and £87.50 from Messrs PB & SE Dibble.

Overall average £53.40.

Saturday, October 12 Dairy Cattle (122) A record entry of 111 milkers tested the trade at a time when dispersal sales in the area are in full swing. Buyers could afford to be very choosy. However only one Jersey cow returned home unsold as Vendors acknowledged the current trade. Best

This photograph was taken in Durrington, Wiltshire, on what was a field of spring rape, that is now being cultivated ready to plant winter wheat. The fields, although in Durrington, are managed by MIke Hoppe of Manor Farm, Bulford PICTURE: DAVID HARGRAVE cows and heifers still approached £2000 to a top of £2020 for a non pedigree heifer from Messrs M & K Churchill & Son. Others to £1,980 for a non pedigree from Messrs Heywood & Son; £1,960 and £1,900 for best type calved heifers from Andy Neill Farm Services; £1,920 from John & Heather Snook and £1,910 from Mr N Taylor. Medium heifers to £1,500, purer types +/- £1,,000. A consignment of 14 dispersal sale cows from Messrs HJ Cox & Son, Burtle sold to £1,480 for a second calver. Other 3rd calvers to £1,460 from Derek Tottle £1,410 and from Messrs J & H Snook.

Jersey cows (3rd) to £850 from Mr AD Tubby of Norfolk. In calf heifers to £1,380 Messrs Griffin & Son. Calves to £270 from Messrs M & S Powell.

STORE CATTLE, STIRKS, SUCKLER & GRAZING COWS (902) Store cattle & grazing cows (540) They say a week is a long time in politics. The same can be said of the cattle world. A much reduced entry of 540 strong Stores, part of 895 with the Stirks and Sucklers met another good trade for the best and much improved for the tail. Possibly some vendors

were busy harvesting maize and fourth cut or planting corn. Possibly some vendors still have grass and are in no hurry to sell. Maybe we have already sold them. Only time will tell but buyers were definitely keener as a result of a “perceived” shortage. Top was £1,440 for a grand 28m FA Blue steer from Messrs MD & GJ Curtis, Crediton, who sold other well bred Blue steers at £1,375 and £1,360 (all 26/27m). Other strong Blue steers £1,365, £1,262 (24m) and £1,080 (20/24m) Messrs AW Maidment & Partners, Hambridge; £1,345 (22/24m) £1,090 (19/26m) and £1,060 (17/22m) all FA, Messrs KJ & LC Popham, Fiddington; £1,055 (overage & FA) Messrs TW & MB Symes. Forward Limousin steers £1,430 (29m) from Mr BC Knapp, Pilning. Other well grown feeding Limousin steers £1,285 (24/25m & FA) Messrs Hutton & Sons, Bristol. A good run of black Limousin steers from Mr Martin D Baker, Shillingford met calls of £1,200 (24/28m) £1,175 (22/28m) and £1,090 (22/25m) all FA. 26m at £1,080, Mr MP Tekell - Rogers, Bampton; overage £1,050 from Mr BC Knapp again. Very few Charolais steers on offer to £1,190 for good feeders from Mr

TR House, Glastonbury. Others £1,090 (17m & FA) Mr A & Mrs JL Jackson, Swimbridge; £1,065 (22/24m & FA) Messrs DT & GM Patch, Chard. A shortage of native cattle sold to £1,340 for a well fleshed Hereford steer (27m & FA) from Messrs MD & GJ Curtis again. No other real strong native steers.

Black and white steers to £985 for a 19m Brown Swiss from Messrs Cradock & Son, Bath. Others £915 for a 26m Friesian from Mr MP Tekell Rogers again; £905, HF (29m & FA) Messrs R & BJ Woollacott, Clayhidon; £890 (28/29m & FA) Mr CJ Burrough, Axminster; £870 (23m) HF, Mr TR House again and £865 (24/26m) Mr Ian J Walker, Highbridge. The smaller Friesian steers were also improved.

Few below £400. Many towards £500 and a bunch which could have made £500 last week made £630 this.

Heifers peaked at £1,310 for a forward 27m FA Blue from Messrs MB & GJ Curtis, Crediton again. A fit 28m red Limousin from Mr BC Knapp rose to £1,125, who also sold others 28m at £1,100, overage Blonde at £1,070, 28m Simmental at £1,025 and 25/28m Lim-

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WESTERN DAILY PRESS WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16 2013 FARMING 9

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OCTOBER

heifers £260-£320 with quality at a premium. Medium heifers from £1,80.

The sharp trade for good Angus was maintained when bulls averaged £225 to a high of £320 from Mr KP Silverthorne. Others £318 from Messrs AA & JM Churchill; £315 Mr GR Davis and £312 from Messrs D & SM Osborne.

Angus heifers to £1,92 from Messrs AA & SM Churchill; £1,83 from Messrs Phillips and £1,83 from Messrs PH Creed & Son. Hereford bulls to £320 from Messrs W & EA Trat; £316 and £300 from Messrs Mitchell Bros when heifers sold to £1,86 from Messrs House & Son. Freisans (142) A similar entry but quality patchy.

Buyers keen on the better rearing types, others somewhat selective. British Friesians to £1,66 from Messrs FS Cross & Sons. Others £1,35 from Mr WHG Cornock; £1,34 from Mr MJ Grabham; £1,30 from Messrs SW Batten & Sons. Holstein Friesians to £1,40 from Messrs AC House & Son. Others £1,30 from Messrs J & D Tilbee. Most good black and whites £80-£1,20. Mediums generally £50-£80 but the plainer calves were a touch more difficult.

Swedish Reds to £230 from Messrs AC Edmonds & Son. Danish Reds £1,25 from Mr AJ Craddock. Brown Swiss to £1,00 from Mr RJ Stitch.

ousins at £995. A 30m Charolais heifer (FA) from Messrs RM Sparks & Son, Wellington achieved £1,115, when feeding Charolais (24m) from the same farm rose to £1,085. A 22m Limousin from Mr JLD Burrough & Son, Wambrook realised £985.

Native heifers also close to four figures at £955 for an Angus (25m) from Mr RE & Mrs EAM Vooght & Son, Luton. Strong Herefords, which would have made super cows but were probably too strong to bull also hit £955 (23/26m & FA) from Messrs JH Coombes & Sons, Barrow Gurney. Another 25m from Mr MP Tekell - Rogers again returned at £935. Friesian heifer (overage & FA) from Messrs HM Heywood & Sons rose to £930.

Young stores peaked at £995 for 16m Simmental steers from Mr TG Lunt, Hawkchurch. Good 12/14m Hereford steers from Mr SA Grant achieved £900. £875 was bid for a 16m Angus steer from Taylor Farm Partners, Wells. Young heifers to £840 for a 13m and FA Charolais from Mr CJ Love, Closworth.

Trade definitely stronger and cattle easier to sell. Are we over the peak will remain to be seen. If we have a wet week we will know sooner than later but hanging on now could result in offering cattle when the sheds are already full.

SUCKLER COWS, CALVES & STOCK BULLS (22) Small entry when a Hereford cow (06/04) and her Hereford heifer calf (04/04/13) sold to £1,035 from Messrs CJ & JE Snell and an Angus Stock bull sold to £1,380 from New Kingsmeade Partners.

STIRKS & BUSK CALVES (340) A similar sized entry to the equivalent market last year saw an excellent trade. Quality suckler bred types continue to attract strong interest from the large company of buyers and some secondary types attracted more interest. Top price of £810 (11m) for a Limousin heifer from Messrs MD & KE Lanfear – a wonderful heifer.

Blonde steers to £790 (11m) from Mr RJ Marks who also sold others at £665 (8m) and £660 (7/11m). Limousins to £755 x 2 (10/11m) and £665 from Mr WJ Dicks when others sold at £755 (12m) from Mr RAD Legg who also sold others at £725 (11/13m) and £690 (8m) from Messrs M Harrison Partners. An excellent and level entry of British Blues from Mr M Naish saw steers rise to £710 (4/5m). Charolais to £670 from Messrs R Stevens & Co. Other Limousin heifers to £700 (13m) from Mr RAD Legg who also sold others to £625 (13m) and £588 (11/12m). £620, £565 and £520 (8 & 9m) from Messrs M Harrison Partners and £615 from Messrs C & SG Dibble and £585 (8m)

from Mr J Turner. British Blues to £650 (14m) from Bittadon Farms Ltd when others sold at £610 (13/14m) from Messrs C & SG Dibble; £550 (7/8m) from Mr J Turner and £545 (4/5m) from Mr M Naish. Herefords to £565 (13m) and Angus to £555 (12m) from Messrs M & R Vellacott when others sold at £500 (9m) from Bittadon Far ms.

NON-EXPORT CALVES (413) Beef Breeds (271) A reduced entry of 271 beef calves reflecting maize harvesting and corn drilling weather.

Quality very mixed and a shortage of top quality continental bulls led by a Charolais to £420 from Messrs DJ & SE Bristol when Blues from Mr JA Baker sold at £415 and £385. Other Charolais to £382 from Messrs ST & EE Nickells; £380 and £378 from Messrs SM & DM Turner. Simmental bulls £400 from Messrs AC & JH Loxton and £366 from Messrs H & NM Wall. Blues remained bright averaging £279 when the best sold consistently over £300. Medium bulls from £250. Smaller types £200 plus.

Lively heifer trade saw Charolais to £365 from Mr GM Veysey and £332 twice from Messrs DJ & SE Bristol.

Simmentals to £350 from Mr KP Silverthorne, Gloucester. Blue heifers to £330 from Mr MC Clothier. The top of an excellent run. A lot of continental

SHEEP (4119) Store Lambs (2262) Another large entry sold to a firmer trade for all presented to a top price of £87 from WJD Limited. Others to £83 from Messrs EH & RL Leyshon; £79.50 from Messrs D Clothier & Sons; £78 from T Sandiford Ltd; £77.50 from Mr T Wotton; £75.50 from GH Woollatt Farming; £74.50 from Messrs EH & RL Leyshon and Messrs B & L Little; £73.50 from Mr AS Cowling; £73 and £72.50 from Mr P Judah; £71 from Mr DT Coward and £70.50 from Mr CT Rawle. Mediums ranged £55-£70 and small nearly all £30 plus. Overall average £58.55.

Grazing Ewes & Rams (1257) Another very large entry of 1257 Grazing Ewes made up of mainly hill breeds and hence generally on the smaller side, sold to a similar trade with the £1,00 barrier again being broken. Top price went to Messrs GR Baker & Sons at £1,05.50. Others to £1,00 from Mr H Adler and Mr IC Churchill; £99 from Mr DA Wookey; £99, £93,50 and £89 from Messrs EH & RL Leyshon; £94 from Mr S Bevan; £90 from Mr H Adler; £89 from Messrs CW Ashford & Son; £87 from Mr BJ Gruitt and £83 from Messrs PH & ME Buckingham & Son. Mediums ranged £50-£80 and plain £35-£50.

Boners nearly all £1,5 plus. Overall average £51.47.

Breeding Ewes (436) A larger entry of 436 Breeding Ewes sold to another selective trade to a top of £1,39 and £1,32 for Zwartble ewe lambs from Mrs S Cameron. Other ewe lambs sold to £1,01 for Blue Faced Leicester from Messrs HW & HM Braddick and Suffolk cross from Messrs JM & W Rodgman at £86.

Texel cross 2Ts sold to £1,26 from Mr C Smale and Suffolk cross 2T’s sold to £1,22 and £1,15 from Foxhollow Farm Ltd and £1,10 (x2) from Messrs NF Clothier & Sons Ltd. Overall average £83.30.

Stock Rams (164) A huge entry of 164 Stock Rams for the catalogued October ram sale. The best sold exceedingly well when a cracking run of Texels from Messrs R & MF Rottenbury & Son sold to £440 (x2) £410, £390 and £360.

Charollais to £370 and £300 from Mr AJ Wrayford. Suffolks to £370 from Mr ST Pierce who sold others at £350, £340 and £300. Ram Lambs to £240 for Suffolks from Mr A England. Blue Faced Leicester to £205 (x2) from Mr M Naish.

Monday, October 14 PRIME CATTLE (154) A reduced entry of 154 finished cattle, when we might appear to be over the “autumn flush” and the supply/demand balance might be starting to tip back in favour of the producer again. Top price was 236ppk for an exceptional Limousin heifer from Messrs P & J Ley, Alverdiscott, who sold another similar at 227ppk. Steers sold to 229ppk for a superb homebred Limousin from Messrs DH & SM Churchill, South Chard. Another great Limousin steer from Messrs W Porter & Son rose to 222ppk. Many better steers 210ppk to 219.5ppk. Heifers 205ppk to 210.5ppk. Good steers around 200ppk. Heifers similar. Steers sold to £1,603.70 for a grand 812kg Blue from Messrs MD & GJ Curtis, Crediton, who

also sold a Limousin at £1,589.79. Another strong Blue (782kg) from Mr RG Speed, Axminster returned at £1,591.37. Many steers £1,400 plus.

Heifers sold to £1,564.08 (Charolais) £1,434.88 and £1,432.37 (both Limousin) from Messrs P & J Ley. Several others £1,300 plus. Young bulls to £1,109.18 for Herefords from Mr P Bradley, Exeter.

OTM cattle to 217ppk for a Blue steer from Messrs F & M House & Son, which returned at £1,538.53. Heifers 209ppk, Limousin again, Messrs FR & MJ Morrish, Barnstaple. OTM heifers sold to £1,393.29 for a Blue from Messrs RW & SJ Gay, Chulmleigh. It is too early for buyers to be buying forward for Christmas but Bonfire Night is not far away and that is when they will start.

FINISHED LAMBS & HOGGS (1006) A much larger entry sold to an even dearer trade for handyweight lambs but generally slightly more difficult for heavier sorts. The best more keenly contested and sold to 198 and 193ppk from Messrs CJ & JLM Hutchings; 198ppk from Messrs AV & N Lee; 195 and 193ppk from Messrs EB & JA Webber; 194ppk from Milborne Wick Farms Ltd; 193 and 191ppk from Messrs WN Chick & Sons and 192ppk from Messrs EJW, AJ & MJ Land. Heavier lambs sold to £88.50, £88 and £85 from Mr AR Henson; £85 and £84 (x2) from Messrs MH Chapple & Sons; £85 from Milborne Wick Farms Ltd (x2), Messrs T & D Kingdon and Messrs WJ & IJ Gard and £84 from Messrs AA, RH & EJ White. Overall average £77.92.

BLACKMOOR GATE A good entry of breeding ewes, rams, ewe lambs, store lambs and grazing ewes sold to a brisker trade with 111 grazing ewes selling to a top of £68 for Messrs Wright, Simmons. This was followed by breeding ewes which sold to £1,02 for 2T Suffolk Mules from A Hobbs, Sandhill with others to a peak of £98 for two pens from GVP Ltd. The overall average was £67.80. The sale then proceeded with ewe lambs, 1,726 selling to an average of £72.60 with the best reaching £93 for a pen from Messrs Collins, Worth with a pen of Exmoor Mules. The 1,466 store lambs averaged £57.80 with the best at £75 for a pen for R Nicol, Comers. This was the third consecutive week that Mr Nicol retained the top-price pen. The overall average for store lambs was £57.80. The sale of Exmoor Horn rams saw two selling for a top of 350gns (£367.50) for E A Westcott & Sons, Eastcott and M R Scott, Brendon Hill. The 120 rams forward averaged £220 and peaked at £500 for a superb Charolais-cross-Texel from E W Quick, Loosebeare Manor. In the show section, for the best pen of Bluefaced Leicester-cross-Exmoor Horn ewe Lambs judges L Spry and T Stenner gave first prize to Messrs Collins, second to C J Tucker and third to Middle Dean Farm. The top price went on to be the first prize winner, at £83.50. In the ram section judges A J Richards and R P Alford gave the Best Old Ram to G Dart & Sons, selling for 280gns. In the Shearling section the first prize honours went to E A Westcott & Sons selling at 350gns. The overall Champion Ram prize was won by a shearling ram forward from E A Westcott & Sons and the Special Prize for the Champion Ram, again to E A Westcott & Sons with the Reserve Champion going to G Dart & Sons for his aged ram.

CUTCOMBE An entry of 254 suckled calves sold to a very strong trade with prices breaking the £1,000 mark for several of the stronger steer calves. The steers averaged 241.7ppk with the top price of 291.1ppk achieved. Per head the average was £802.20 with a top of £1,085 paid for calves for C Clare, Capelands, this was a bunch of three Limousins weighing 440kg. Charolais from D J Vellacott, Springfield made £1,,018 for a bunch of four. British Blues forward sold to a similarly strong trade with a 360kg steer from Stephens Bros, Luckyard reaching £925. Premium went to a bunch of five from W J Burge & Son, Oaremead which sold at 291.1ppk.

There were 125 heifers forward which sold to an average of 196ppk with the best reaching 261.3ppk, for a pen from C Clare, Capelands. Premium was 261.3ppk achieved by Riddle Farm Partnership selling a Limousin heifer at £810.

17: ‘Healthy Bulls for Natural Service’ open day, Gear Farm, Zennor, 11am.

Details: 01363 776623 19: Cornwall County Farmers’ Ball, Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge, 7pm. Details: 01872 520788 27: Cornwall Pedigree Beef Calf Show, Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge. Details: 07976 504 131 30: Yeovil Dairy Meeting, Lambrook Farm, Queen Camel, 11am. Details: 0800 756 2787 30-31: CropTec, East of England Showground, Peterborough. Details: 01772 799424 31: Liskeard & District Primestock Show, Schedules: 01579 347562 31: Family Farmers’ Association Annual Open Meeting, Houses of Parliament, London, 2pm.

Quota Milk Average wholesale price (4.00% butterfat, for 2013/2014 quota): clean 0.20ppl, used 0.20ppl.

Entitlements 2014 season price: Non-SDA £210-£215 per hectare. 2013 season average price: Non-SDA £213 per hectare; SDA £190 per hectare, moorland £39.60 per hectare Naked Acres 2013 hosting and letting season-average price: Non-SDA £49 per acre; SDA £35 per acre; Moorland £7 per acre Townsend Chartered Surveyors, Exeter, (01392 823935) and www.townsendchartered surveyors.co.uk

Useful numbers Defra general inquiries 08459 335577 Met Office 01392 885680 NFU South West 01392 440700 south.west@nfu.org.uk EBLEX South West 0870 608 6610 0871 504 3581 Rural Payments Agency 0845 6037777 Farm Crisis Network 0845 3679990 7am–11pm RABI helpline, financial help 01865 727888 ARC Addington Fund 01926 620135 office hours The Samaritans 08457 909090 24 hours a day Sole Occupancy Authorisation for multiple movements between groups of premises under the same occupation and management issued by local Divisional Veterinary Manager Devon 01392352825; Cornwall 01872 265500; Somerset 01823 337922

Contact us Western Daily Press Telephone 0117 934 3223 E-mail wdnews@bepp.co.uk Fax 01752 765535 Online www.westerndailypress.co.uk/ farming

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Farmer’s digest WEED CONTROL

PESTICIDES

The open autumn is helping farmers control grass weeds in winter wheat.

Careful choice of herbicide programmes and timing this autumn can significantly help bring populations under control, said Dow AgroSciences’ Tom Chillcott.

He explained: “The legacy of harvest has been a massive burden of grass weeds, especially black-grass. Many treatments were not applied last season, allowing grass weeds to thrive. Now conditions are moving in farmers’ favour.”

When it came to black-grass, dormancy was low and the open autumn had allowed many farmers to reap the benefits of stale seedbeds to burn off early flushes of the weed.

Crops were being drilled into good seedbeds suited to effective early control from preemergence treatments.

“All this adds up to an ideal season in which to optimise the performance of the postemergence herbicides,” said Mr Chillcott.

“Autumn applications are proven to be the most effective at controlling black-grass and other grass weeds.

“Given the open autumn, conditions are ideal for application of post-emergence treatments such as UNITE. Proved over three seasons of use, it provides both contact and residual action against key grass weeds and an extensive range of broad-leafed weeds.”

UNITE controls black-grass, wild oats, rye grasses, bromes, silky bent and annual meadow grass, plus pansy, speedwell, cranesbill, cleavers, charlock, volunteer oilseed rape, volunteer beans and groundsel.

Growers need to adhere to the strict guidelines for the application of metaldehyde-based slug pellets in order to avoid risk of water contamination, writes Stewart Woodhead, technical manager for Interfarm.

With significant dose rate restrictions for this type of product being advised as part of this Stewardship – just 210gms per hectare between August 1 and December 1 – integrating alternative active ingredients, such as methiocarb, into the slug-control programme is the obvious way forward.

Cultural methods of control, and in particular creating firm, fine seedbeds, will be the first option to limit slug activity. Cloddy seedbeds attract slugs. Shallow cultivation will incorporate last year’s stubble which once again attracts slugs. Then growers can look at using slug pellets when there is a confirmed need.

It makes sense to use a proven high-quality product with a different mode of action which helps avoid the water contamination problem in the first place.

The low dose rates of metaldehyde form a key part of the Stewardship guidelines and must be adhered to if water contamination is to be avoided.

Know when to stop. Once metaldehyde maximum limits are reached (210g per hectare in the autumn or 160g or less where suppliers/BASIS advisers recommend reduced rates) do not use metaldehyde.

Switch to an alternative method of slug control.

Growers should consider introducing Cobra as this alternative. Containing 4 per cent methiocarb, Cobra is a modern high-quality wet extruded pellet, which maintains its integrity even in wet conditions.

It is very durable and gives long-lasting persistence. It also has good ballistic properties for an even application on the soil surface.

Methiocarb is more than eight times less soluble than metaldehyde. This means lower risk of contaminating surface water. Although Cobra has no Local Environment Risk Assessment for Pesticides, it must be kept out of watercourses.

Methiocarb is a stomach poison and so slugs which feed on Cobra pellets rarely recover, unlike metaldehyde which works by making slugs produce mucous leading to dehydration. Cobra also continues to work effectively, when it is cold and wet. It is still effective down to 2C. It makes sense to integrate another pellet with a known different mode of action within the programme.

Growers should monitor winter cereals from sowing to tillering and to monitor oilseed rape from sowing to four true leaves. When traps indicate the threshold has been exceeded and if the weather is conducive for application, then pellets can be applied.

More planning Brussels could needed in war cause delays with the slugs Single farm payments could be

After harvest, turn thoughts to grass weed

TB INFORMATION

SFP

Steven Harris receives the cheque of £2,000 from Steve Harris of sponsors Dairy Crest YOUNG FARMERS

Scholarship rewards huge potential Steven Harris, from Racecourse Farm, near Bodmin, is the winner of the Dairy Crest/ NFU Scholarship Fund Awards for 2013.

Steven is 19 and has taken a keen interest in his family’s 160-cow herd all his life.

Currently reading Agriculture with Animal Science at Harper Adams University, Steven is especially interested in breeding. In 2010 he started showing his cattle and won the breed championship at Liskeard Show. In 2012 the farm embarked on an embryo transfer programme with which he has been involved.

Steven was delighted to re-

ceive his £2,000 prize money, saying: “This will be a great help to me and hopefully keep my student loan to a minimum. The Dairy Crest/NFU scholarships do a lot of good for students in South West England. Getting started in the industry isn’t easy and we all appreciate the help we receive.”

His namesake and fund chairman Steve Harris, of Dairy Crest, said: “He is exactly the sort of person we want to help enter the industry.

His enthusiasm and dedication came through so strongly and he deserved to win. He is destined for success.”

Steven was one of four finalists from 23 successful applicants who entered this year’s scholarship competition, which has distributed over £16,000 this year.

The other finalists, who were also interviewed by the panel and received cash awards, were Emily Ashford, from Buckfastleigh, in her final year at Reading University reading agriculture; Henry Lucas, from Ilminster, at Harper Adams for a degree in agriculture; and Edward Hosegood, from East Worlington, near Crediton, who is also studying at Harper Adams for a degree in agriculture.

FINANCE

Timing as essential with machinery as with harvest

Surveyor draws up TB factsheet

Plan purchases carefully, says Mike Butler, director of rural services at Old Mill accountants

Due to the number of its clients affected by TB and the everchanging and fluid rules applied by the Animal Health & Veterinary Services Laboratory, Townsend Chartered Surveyors has produced a new TB Herd Movement Control in England Factsheet, in the form of a flow chart, to help illustrate and simplify how the system works.

It is available by email or post on request.

Hugh Townsend said: “Unfortunately in the South West, living with bovine TB has become a way of life. The resistance to the pilot badger cull suggests this will remain the case for some time. Talk of a vaccine becoming available in the UK does not, however, raise one’s hopes, as this would be contrary to current EU legislation and if used could lead to a ban in the trade of live cattle, meat and dairy products with other EU countries.”

Call 01392 823935 or email htownsend@townsend charteredsurveyors.co.uk.

Harvest is complete for another year, and many farmers will be considering replacing their combine – but timing is critical to minimise tax.

The post-harvest period is always a key time for disposing of older machines to release capital, with many manufacturers also keen to do deals and secure orders. As soon as farmers know how productive their harvest has been, attention turns to cash flow and, in the longer-term, tax relief.

In good years, where yields are high and prices firm, farmers will be keen to invest and, by doing so, reduce income tax liabilities through the use of capital allowances. But the timing of those investments is critical.

The 2013 season has been difficult for many, following the appalling weather conditions last autumn. But some crops have fared remarkably well, and where profits have been made, farmers will rightly be seeking to invest.

If a business has a Septem-

Year-end dates are crucial when considering new machinery ber year-end, then the September 2014 accounts will capture the majority of the crop sales from this summer. A combine bought now will qualify for Annual Investment Allowance, enabling up to £250,000 to be written down against this year’s profits.

But a business with a March 31 year end may not find it so simple to offset its profits.

Again, most of the harvest 2013 sales are likely to fall into the

March 2014 accounts. But to secure tax relief, new machinery must be brought into use in the same year.

In most cases, a farmer purchasing a combine outright within the current tax year will be able to claim the full capital allowance. But if they take out a finance agreement the rules are far less straightforward – particularly if the machine is delivered to the farm in the following tax year.

Any payments made before March 31, 2014, will most likely be eligible for capital allowances, but later payments will fall into the 2014/2015 tax year.

This may be useful, where farmers have minimal profits to write off, and anticipate better results next harvest – but those with large profits this season will not be able to use capital allowances to such a full extent.

And many farmers may want to sell combines now, but replace them next year, which has additional implications.

Remember a sale in your books this year will register a negative capital allowance position – yet you won’t be able to claim allowances on the new machine until next year.

delayed this year unless the European parliament agrees to financial discipline rules within the next few weeks.

So-called financial discipline rules from Brussels mean single farm payments for 2013 must be reduced by about 4 per cent – but the European parliament must agree to that percentage. Unless MEPs do so by mid-November, farmers face the prospect of delayed payments.

NFU senior CAP adviser Gail Soutar said she didn’t want to create unnecessary alarm. But there could be an effect on 2013 single payments if agreement was delayed, she told a union council meeting at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on Tuesday.

Last year, 95,000 farmers received their money on the first day of the payment window, said Ms Soutar. But swift payments this year would depend on financial discipline being agreed by mid-November “at the absolute latest”, she added.

“Farmers could see some delays to their payments.

We’re not looking, I hope, at significant delays – maybe a matter of a few days – but please be aware that even if you got paid on the first day of business last year, this year it is dependant on financial discipline being agreed.”

POULTRY

Warning over poultry demand

British Poultry Council chief executive Andrew Large has warned that demand for British chicken is in danger of outstripping supply if planning permission for new sheds remains difficult to obtain.

He told the Daily Telegraph that planning permission applications for new sheds were taking too long, and the BPC had been pressing ministers to improve the process. “Decisions that should take 13 weeks are taking more than 18 months,” he said.

“The knock-on effect is that the consumer won’t be able to buy British. Those going to places like Tesco won’t be able to do so. They will be forced to buy imported chicken.”

He added consumers had preconceptions about poultry far ms’ smell and lorry movements that were often outdated.

Meanwhile, the latest chicken statistics from the NFU indicate an extra 47,000t of broiler meat was produced in the UK from the turn of the year to August, when compared with the previous period.

This was put down to retailers’ commitments to source 100 per cent fresh British poultry.

The Telegraph report puts domestic consumption at 2.2 million birds a day, 70 per cent of which is British.