Farming

Buckling down

for winter by James Cossins, a fifth generation farmer in the Tarrant Valley.

Rolling winter-sown wheat at Rawston Farm in the early 1970’s Image: James Cossins (James - why does this tractor look like some tank tracks were bolted onto a Landrover? Ed)

October was a good month for farmers but there’s important work to be done for next year - and our children’s future, argues James Cossins.

The autumn planting programme has progressed well in October with some clement weather in the middle of the month. Maize harvesting has also been completed with a wheat crop to be sown as soon as conditions allow. Our cattle are gradually being brought into their winter quarters which will mean extra work for us but at least, at the moment, we have a plentiful supply of winter feed and straw. A few of our cattle will be outwintered on forage crops, straw and baled silage on fields which are free-draining and have hedges for shelter. Let’s hope the winter is not too severe!

Rocketing fuel costs

One of the major topics in the news has been the rapid price increase in the cost of fuel especially gas. The knock-on effect to farmers and growers that use inorganic fertiliser made from gas is that not only is it in short supply but it’s now at record price levels. Many growers may think it is not economical to apply the fertiliser or may reduce the amount applied which will lead to lower yields. We purchased some at £250- £300 per ton in the summer and it is now being quoted at £600- £700 per ton. We do have some in store from the forward buying, but not enough to see us through next year. We will have to calculate the economics of how much to apply compared to the loss in yield. With prices of oilseeds and wheat looking good for next year it could be difficult calculation to make. Being a mixed farm we do produce a lot of farmyard manure which we use as fertiliser on the spring sown crops but we will still need to buy some in.

We need leadership

Another hot topic talked about daily in the news is the debate on Climate Change. There are many phrases being bandied about at the moment; net zero, sustainability, carbon capture, natural capital, regenerative farming and sequestration to name a few. Agriculture can play its part in trying to correct the perceived problem, but we need guidance from the government and scientists - of a practical and workable nature - to achieve the magical net zero. The National Farmers Union has pledged to achieve this by 2040. We need incentives and joinedup thinking now in order to start the process. Our milk purchaser Arla has already set up a climate check programme which we are all involved with, which measures the efficiency of the farm and identifies where improvements can be made. Without engagement from all countries, especially the large developed ones, what we do in this country will have a relatively minor effect on climate change.

“We purchased some at £250- £300 per ton in the summer and it is now being quoted at £600- £700 per ton”

A greener future for agriculture?

With landmark global announcements protecting forests, acceleration of green technologies and methane pledges this UN Climate Change conference is focusing on the shift from ambition to action.

The view across Hilton Bottom towards Lower Ansty image: Laura Hitchcock COP26 is rightly dominating the headlines at this moment. Pre-COP26 70% of the world’s economy was covered by a net zero target and with Australis and India laying out their targets in Glasgow, it is a vital step in limiting global warming.

So how about our industry?

There is plenty in the press about agriculture’s impact but let’s look a bit closer. NFU President Minette Batters set a target for the British farming industry to become net zero by 2040, this is our contribution towards the UK’s ambition of net zero for 2050. Agriculture is uniquely placed to be part of the solution, as both an emissions source and sink. As farmers, we can protect and enhance the carbon reserves already in our soils and vegetation, by modifying some farm practices and better managing out hedgerows and trees.

In addition to these ‘naturebased’ climate solutions, we can help to capture more carbon by growing the raw materials for bioenergy alongside our food production. That food production element mustn’t be forgotten: because at the same time as reducing our impact on the climate, we should not reduce our capacity to feed UK consumers with high quality, affordable British food. Nor should we achieve our climate change ambitions by exporting UK production - or

“...at the same time as reducing our impact on the climate, we must not reduce our ability to feed the UK with high quality, affordable British food”

our greenhouse gas emissions - to other countries. So, there is no single answer to this climate problem; agriculture has to manage a real balancing act.

How much of an impact is our food production having on the climate anyway?

There is much talk about reducing your red meat intake to help climate change. But British cattle and sheep only account for 5.7% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, and greenhouse gas emissions from UK beef are less than half the global average. We also mustn’t forget the role that our livestock play in maintaining wildlife habitats, soil quality and the beautiful landscapes we treasure, both here in North Dorset and further afield. There are several activities that would make more of an impact than reducing meat and dairy – green energy, or driving a more efficient car for example, especially as 27% of UK greenhouse gas emissions comes from transport.

Regenerative farming

We have always known this would not be an easy task but as I work across the County it has been incredible to see the innovative and diverse range of measures farmers have employed to make their businesses more sustainable. Regenerative farming has been in the headlines within our industry for some time; the over-arching principle is working hand in hand with the environment and that starts with the soil, all whilst producing high quality food. I see many farmers embracing this approach, but it is important to remember that a farmer can make just one change within their farming system and still make a huge difference.

For example, when arable farmers grow cover crops after harvest, or chop their straw rather than bale it, these actions capture carbon, draw it down and lock it into the soil at the same time as improving soil nutrients and biodiversity – a simple and easy win! Grassland management is at the heart of any livestock farmer’s plans. Allowing species of deeper rooting rye grass and clover to flourish helps improve soil health and increases nutrient cycling, fixing nitrogen in the soil and reducing the need for artificial fertiliser use. This will also help improve the health and productivity of a herd by reducing the worm burden. With rotational grazing regimes, the cattle graze a small area for a short period of time and then move on, allowing the grass a chance to replenish and put sufficient energy back into the roots. This can improve the soil organic matter and biodiversity. But with every farm being different, even to their neighbours, its important each farmer choose options and farming practices that suit their own system. Herbal leys for example do need planting every few years so there is a cost implication. Making changes to a farming system takes time; soil biology takes time to make up any difference from removing chemical inputs.

Making changes to get to net zero is a journey.

Finally, with the COP26 methane pledge in mind, there is a seaweed food supplement to reduce methane emissions from dairy herds being trialled through the University of Nottingham; watch this space to see what our iconic Blackmore Vale dairy herds will be munching on in the future! As you walk the footpaths across Dorset farmland, there is often more happening around you tackling climate change than you might first realise. Farmers are showing how they are adapting their businesses to reduce agricultural emissions and capture and store more carbon on farmland, all while providing climate-friendly, nutritious and affordable food for people at home and abroad. Louise Stratton NFU Dorset County Adviser

“British cattle and sheep only account for 5.7% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions”

“there is often more happening around you tackling climate change than you might first realise”

Dorset’s iconic rolling farmland is already the scene of a considered indistry move towards tackling climate change image: Laura Hitchcock

Ever since Brexit was confirmed, Britain has been slowly careering toward a meaty iceberg, ominously bobbing in the sea. The Government, for now, has managed to avert a meat crisis - but your Sunday roasts aren’t safe yet, says Andrew Livingston.

If you hadn’t heard, the current crisis involved pigs - and the lack of people able and willing to kill, cut and process the animals for them to be available on our shelves for consumption. In a Post-Brexit world, all the skilled workers that usually perform this work are of European nationalities and unable to work here.

Backlogged Pigs

The Government knew this was an issue and last month created 5,500 working visas for the poultry sector to try to save Christmas. Pigs meanwhile were ignored, and left to sit on farms without the skilled workers to kill them. This led to a backlog of 150,000 pigs that we close to being slaughtered on-farm - meaning that their meat would be unable to go into the food sector. Worryingly, the Government’s stance was that it would hopefully solve itself and British workers would fill the position (even though it takes 18 months to train to take on one of these positions). The Government’s attitude was typified by Boris Johnson in an interview when he stated that “culled pigs would have died anyway” - completely missing the reason farmers nurture and grow their animals.

The solution sees prices rise

Since then, 800 six-month visas have been granted to clear the backlog of pigs needing to be killed - but this issue will not go away. After this six months is up European workers will be required again - the British public frankly don’t have the desire to complete this skilled work. One food processing plant put leaflets through the doors of their local town advertising working opportunities in their business - 15,000 leaflets generated three phone calls and no interviews. And it’s not just butchers that are needed. In the summer, workers are needed to pick fruit, veg and flowers in the fields. Vast sums of money can be earned per hour by picking - however you are paid by the amount you pick, rather than time spent in the fields. This incentivises fast, hard workers. During the ‘Pick for Britain’ campaign last summer, farmers were having to top up wages for local workers to meet the minimum wages. It’s not a new issue - in 2018 when talking to the Independent, Stephanie Maurel, the chief executive of Concordia, a recruitment company that supplies workers to about 200 British farms, said they had virtually zero Brits apply. “We’ve had two applications out of 10,000,” she says. “It’s statistically quite damning.” When asked why this was, she suggest early hours, long days, physical toll, seasonality, lack of affordable transport, “and, quite simply, the farms aren’t in places with high levels of unemployment.” The Government has called on the agricultural sector to make its jobs more appealing to the public. Undoubtedly this will happen with increased wages, but higher wages will only inflate the cost of the food or reduce the price paid to the farmer (the middle man never takes the brunt), heightening the want for cheaper foreign imports on our shelves.

Crisis averted - for now

Covid taught us that we need to be self-sufficient at feeding the nation - food security. We must move forward from cheap foreign imports to feed our population and begin to back British farming. The British Titanic is slowly turning and looking like it’ll survive this winter with the help of European workers. Unfortunately, if attitudes don’t begin to change then all we are doing is moving deck chairs.

Here comes Trouble