Agrimart September 2025 Issue by Agrimart

LAND AND FARMS FOR SALE

Here at Glendale Engineering, we are proud to be able to say that we have over 35 years’ experience designing and manufactur ing Agricultural Buildings & Equipment.

• Special offers available on Cattle & Sheep Hurdles, Gates & Water Troughs •

Suppliers of:

-Cattle Handling & Feeding Equipment

• Cattle Handling & Feeding Equipment

-Sheep Handling & Feeding Equipment

-Sheep Portarace

• Sheep Handling & Feeding Equipment

- ATV Trailers

• Sheep Portarace

- Agricultural Buildings

• ATV Trailers

-Electronic Cattle & Sheep Weigh Systems

• Agricultural Buildings

- Large quantity of box section and pipe, Phone for special offers

• Electronic Cattle & Sheep Weigh Systems

• 9”x3” Timbers & 6”x3” Timbers In Stock

• Big Six Fibre Cement Sheets In Stock

Wooler : 01668 281464

Hexham : 01434 603078

Email : info@glendaleegineering.co.uk

Wooler : 01668 281464

Graeme Wilson : 07971 880275

Web : www.glendaleengineering.co.uk

John Common : 07981 890999

Bob Clapham : 07954 363979

info@glendaleegineering.co.uk www.glendaleengineering.co.uk

Octoposts

Sheep Snacker

Calf Creep

Octoposts

Buildings - Any Size in Kit Form or Erected

Bespoke Sheep pens

IBC Trailer

Bracken Basher

Galvanised Calf Creep

OVER KIRKHOPE - ETTRICK VALLEY, SCOTTISH BORDERS

An exceptional hill farm set in the dramatic and ecologically important landscape of the Scottish Borders. Home to one of the UK’s largest native trees planting schemes and Scotland’s largest new wildflower meadow.

• Fully modernised 6-bedroom farmhouse (5 bathrooms) and converted Bothy.

• 2-bedroom cottage.

• In-hand farming enterprise with a range of modern and traditional farm buildings, 2189 acres.

• Significant sporting potential and 935 acres of managed broadleaf woodland.

• Just over 3 miles of single bank trout fishing on the Ettrick Water and 6 acres of trout ponds.

• Environmental, habitat enhancement, investment and income opportunities.

• In all about 3,171.7 acres (1,283.57 hectares).

FOR SALE AS A WHOLE

OFFERS OVER: £4,585,000

If you require dependable, plentiful source of power, our fantastic generators won’t let you down. Marshall Green’s expert team offer generators for sale to a diverse range of clients through out northern England and Scotland. We are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to make sure you have all the power you need, when you need it.

Main Office:

WINDMILL WAY WEST, RAMPARTS BUSINESS PARK, BERWICK UPON TWEED TD15 1TB TEL: 01289 331904

www.merlo.co.uk

PINNACLEHILL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, KELSO, TD5 8AS TEL: 01573 225213 MACMERRY INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, EAST LOTHIAN, EH33 1EP TEL: 01875 617323

71 Reg, 3500 hours, GPS, Section control, VRC 18 Reg, 6300 hrs, Trimble GPS, Front PTO, VF Michelin tyres 60kph, 16 Reg, c/w 6000 hrs, front linkage, 5 rear spools

Front mounted Low Disturbance Cultivator

AGRIWELD 3M MANTIS MOUNTED CULTIVATOR c/w 5 legs £18,850+VAT

FENDT 828 PROFI PLUS 17 Reg, 9000 hours, RTK, Front PTO, Tyres 90%

KVERNELAND 853 PRO BEDDER 2012 build

KVERNELAND 853 BEDDER 2012 Build

MASSEY FERGUSON 4160V XTRA c/w 17 knives, 32000 bales, hyd. brakes, 2022 model

MASSEY FERGUSON 124 CONVENTIONAL BALER in good working order

SULKY 3M GRAIN & FERTILISER COMINATION UNIT full spec EX DEMO

SUMO 3M TRIO c/w 6 leg auto reset and packer. Straight leg model

SUMO 3M FRONT MOUNTED MULTIPACKA c/w tines

TEAGLE 8100 TRAILED STRAWBEDDER c/w swivel chute, 2012 model

NEW / EX STOCK

FENDT 160 V COMBI EX STOCK

NEW NC FORK MOUNTED YARD BRUSHES 2.5m & 3m EX STOCK

NEW TEAGLE 8500/9500/1010 STRAW/SILAGE BEDDER FEEDERS EX STOCK

MERLO TF42.7CS Cab & Boom suspension, LED work Lights, Full Spec EX DEMO

MURRAY 4CUBIC GRAIN BUCKET c/w Q Fit Brackets and Bolt on Wear Plate

SKY X40+ ECONOV FERTILISER SPREADER weight cells

SKY X30+ FERTILISER SPREADER

SUMO 5 & 3 LEG SUBSOILERS c/w auto reset EX STOCK

SUMO 3M TRIO EX DEMO

TEAGLE DUAL 280 & 300 FLAIL TOPPERS

NEW SUMO FRONT WEIGHTS 1000kg, 1500kg, 2000kg EX STOCK

Border Chainsaw, Earlston

Thorburn Group, Duns

Lower Mansfield Road, Hawick, TD9 8AW

Willowford Farm, Jedburgh

Thorburn Group, Duns

August General Online Machinery Auction

Friday 22nd – Wednesday 27th August

To Include The Farm Sale on behalf of James Runciman & Sons (Lugate), Elmbank, Stow

Arable & Livestock Equipment Further Entries Invited

Forthcoming Farm Sales

24th - 29th October - Crieff Area 14th - 19th November - St Boswells Area

******************************

Kelso Ram Sales 2025 - Friday 12th September

300 Texel Shearlings

15 Allanshaws; 31 Catslackburn; 15 College Texels; 14 Commonside; 35 Crumhaughhill; 7 Falahill; 50 Falla; 12 Hawthornside; 12 Headshaw; 14 Highcraigs; 21 Mains of Auchnaghatt; 16 Muircleugh Partners; 7 Roxburgh Mill; 15 Sharplaw Farms; 32 Sydenham; 4 Upper Bolton. ***************************

The Online & On Farm Sale Specialists Store & Breeding Cattle & Sheep, Farm to Farm Sales, Prime Stock - Moving Daily - Guaranteed Payments “Less Stress to Stock & Producers”

£95,000

borderlivestock.co.uk

Logan: 07971 185657

Brian: 07721 558795

Robert: 07976 855613

Emma: 07917 611169

Office: 01289 306067

JD 6155R Tractor Chapelhill Farm, Cockburnspath (July 2025)

Niall Whyte Forestry and Landscaping Services

Cairnhill

Mob:

The

SAS Mobile Seed Cleaning

We offer a high output ser�ice producing �� - �� tonnes per hour of gra�ity separated seed using gra�ity tables, the only real method, not gra�ity selectors

We supply � men per machine - farm input only � man�

Our long ser�ing members of staff are time ser�ed and highly s�illed

Our full time staff are employed from the local community

We will be processing wheat, barley & oilseed rape this Autumn with:

Signal - wheat bulb fly control applied with/in addition to other seed treatments

�atitude - the best �one dimensional� ta�e-all control applied with a single purpose

Beret Gold - single purpose fusarium & septoria control ideal for wheat and oats

Raxil Star - loose smut, leaf stripe & net blotch control in winter barley

Redigo Pro - single purpose treatment for both wheat & barley

Vibrance Duo - a single purpose treatment for winter wheat, triticale, rye, spring oats & spring

barley controlling fusarium & septoria with the ability to greatly enhance root growth.

Trace Elements - Winter Crop, manganese, phosphite

SURFACE DRESSING WITH NATURAL STONE FINISHES

SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES

BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS

SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS, PATHWAYS, CAR PARKS

TARMACADAM, ASPHALT, PATCHING & POTHOLE REPAIRS

DRAINAGE, KERBING, GROUNDWORKS

PRIVATE & COMMERCIAL WORK UNDERTAKEN

Warreners House, Morpeth

The Stiel, Yarrowford

Broad eld Farm, Symington

Langtonlees Farm, Duns

Agricultural Property Relief is Changing: What It Means for Farmers and Landowners Looking to Sell.

With key reforms arriving in April 2026, early planning could protect your assets and unlock maximum value.

Upcoming changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) are creating uncertainty for farmers and rural landowners considering a sale or looking to pass their assets onto the next generation. With reforms set for April 2026, understanding the tax implications is now even more imperative.

Fergus Thomson, Head of Rural Asset Management at Rettie, is leading the advisory team helping clients prepare. “The new rules could significantly affect inheritance tax relief,” Fergus explains. “Early strategic planning is key to protecting your assets”

Fergus is joined by Chris Hall and Emma McGregor, who bring decades of rural expertise.

“We’re seeing rising demand for valuations for tax planning purposes” says Chris. “Market conditions are currently favourable, so there’s a real window of opportunity before the APR reforms take effect.”

Emma adds: “We’re helping clients across Scotland and the North of England prepare properties for sale, maximising value and ensuring a smooth, discreet and efficient process.”

Thinking of selling? Now is the time to act.

Speak to our rural experts for tailored advice on how the APR changes could affect you.

FERGUS THOMSON

Tel: 01289 334 530 fergus.thomson@rettie.co.uk

CHRIS HALL

Tel: 0131 624 4074 chris.hall@rettie.co.uk

EMMA MCGREGOR

Tel: 01289 334 537 emma.mcgregor@rettie.co.uk

HE SURVIVED UNDER FIRE

We had a great stand at the Border Union Show, at last we were on the front row overlooking the ring. I loved it, people could see me and I was able to have sensible conversations with so many friends. One of my admirers had driven all the way from West Linton. He wanted my autograph on his copy of Agrimart, which I was very happy to sign. My tyre print on my column, was what he was asking for. He went away with a big smile on his face! What did bore me though was hearing just how wonderful they thought he was driving that car out to Ukraine. It was a miracle to me he got there and back unscathed. I gather he was woken up at 12.30am on the first night in Lviv when the air raid siren sounded and a tannoy told them to take cover in the shelter in the basement of the hotel. He stumbled down four flights of stairs and spent the next three hours down there with fellow residents. By 2am he wondered where his co driver was, so he sent him a WhatsApp – this is a transcript of their exchange!

My life has been very quiet in the last two months, a lack of hen sheds to pull, dry fields so nothing is getting stuck and a very unambitious driver. Healthwise I am in good shape, the odd leak but who hasn’t at my age. I start when requested and stop when I have to. He is talking of looking for another vehicle to donate to the Ukrainian forces, I look down and hope he won’t notice me in his quest. I look strong and brave but underneath I am a quivering wreck and would be terrified under fire. It took him 10 hours to drive the 600 miles from Amsterdam to the hotel in Poland where they stayed the first night, it would take 24 hours for me to do that distance and as I am classified as an agricultural machine I probably would not be allowed on the autobahn so I have every excuse not to be sent.

Quality Steel Framed Buildings

The new JCB 4220 Fastrac iCON. Discover the most productive Fastrac yet. PUTTING YOU IN TOTAL CONTROL

ASK ABOUT OUR SUBSIDISED FINANCE OFFER PLUS FREE 3 YEARS / 3000 HOUR WARRANTY ON FASTRAC SUBJECT TO TERMS & CONDITIONS

TM320S Stage V Telescopic Wheel Loader THE ARGUMENT FOR BUYING ONE JUST GOT EVEN MORE POWERFUL

ON TOP OF BEING THE WORLD’S No.1 OUR BEST CAB EVER

UNIVERSAL SEED DRILL FOR ALL CONDITIONS

The Old Smiddy, Graden, Kelso, TD5 8BS Telephone : 01573 430338

Lothians

Email : info@walkergroundworks.com

Our highly skilled and dedicated team are here to help with any of the following works Earthworks/Site Preparation/Roads Crushing Groundworks/Plotworks

Walker Groundworks are a long-serving company, established in 1996, covering a working area including but not restricted to the Scottish Borders, Northumberland and the Lothians.

Our highly skilled and dedicated team are here to help with any of the following works:

• Earthworks/Site Preparation/Roads

• Crushing

• Groundworks/Plotworks

• Deep Drainage

• Field Drainage & Ditching

• River Works

• Concrete Flooring for Agricultural/Industrial Shed (Laid with highly accurate Laser Screed, with finish to meet clients' requirements)

• All Timber work undertaken – including Harvesting, Hand Cutting, Thinnings & Clear Fell

• Haulage including Heavy Plant Movement, Timber Haulage & Hiab Hire

• In house Welding Engineer/Steel Fabricator

• In house setting out engineer/surveyor

• Ad Bl ue & ERG Sol ution s

• H GV Tr actor & Vehicle Tun in g

• Br ake Rol l er Testin g

• Pr eventative Main tenance In spection

• F ul l Se r vicin g facil ities

For more information on new & used farm machinery, contact

Alnwick Tel: 01665 604555 I Stuart Allen Mobile: 07770 736778

Carlisle Tel: 01228 536331 I Craig Robertson Mobile: 07801 835201

Carnforth Tel: 01524 730915 I Mick Hall Mobile: 07595 281741

Dumfries Tel: 01387 255328 I Chris Higgins Mobile: 07920 793180

Newcastle Tel: 0191 264 7000 I Stuart Allen Mobile: 07770 736778

John Deere 7310R, 2017

John Deere 6150R, 2012

John Deere 6155R, 2018

John Deere 6155R, choice

John Deere 6155R, 2018

John Deere 6175R, Choice

John Deere 6195R, 2022

Kramer KT356 Telehandler ex-demo

Kramer KT357 Telehandler ex-demo

Kramer KT3610 Telehandler ex-demo

Kramer KT407 Telehandler ex-demo

John Deere 6195R, 2015

John Deere 6215R, choice

John Deere 6250R, Choice

John Deere 6900, 1997

John Deere 8400R, 2018

CaseIH Puma 165, 2018

Fendt 724 Vario, 2020

Kramer KT276, Telehandler, 2022

Kramer KT306, Telehandler, 2021

Kramer KL38.5 Wheeled Loader

MACHINE OF THE MONTH

COMBINE HARVESTER

John Deere S785 combine, 2017 C

John Deere T670 HM combine, 2017 J

John Deere T670i HM 2016 30ft Ha

John Deere T560 combine, 2012 Ha

John Deere T560 combine, 2021 C

CROP CARE

John Deere M732i Sprayer Ha

John Deere R732i Sprayer Ha

John Deere R4140i SP Sprayer 2021 C

John Deere R4040i SP Sprayer J

Kuhn AXIS 50.2 Fertiliser Spreader Ha

Allman front tank 600 Litre capacity Ha

MISCELLANEOUS

Kuhn 3570M Straw bedding machine A

Kuhn 3570M Straw bedding machine S

Kuhn 5570M Straw bedding machine J

Kuhn Profile 13.1C Feeder Wagon He

800/45R 30.5 FLOTATION WHEELS (4)

5M Grain Pusher

Western D12 Muck Spreader

Shear Grab 175

Contact:

Connon Construction Ltd.

Construction of shuttered slurry tanks and silos (all built to SEPA requirements)

Christopher07843 208 544

Patrick07701 040 681

Contact:

Christopher07843 208 544

Slurry spreading available with umbilical, dribble bars and ferry tankers. Tractors on floatation tyres

Dung spreader hire or complete service

Complete silage service

All types of digger work undertaken

Patrick07701 040 681

Connon Farms / Connon Construction

BLUE CHIP FORESTRY

MULCHING

All types of Brash, Gorse, Willow and Rhododendron mulched to 3 inches below ground level

High-Capacity Mulcher powered by 500 HP Fendt

Quickly clears large areas with ease

EXCAVATOR & MULCHING HEAD

Various sizes of machines

For Hard to access areas

hour

Brash Chipping

Site Clearances

MULCHER & FLAIL

Minimise ground disturbance

Slopes up to 55 degrees

High Performance Fixed Tooth mulching head ● 1.3m Cutting head with a variety of ﬂails for grass cutting & Vegetation

Thinning’s

Felling Licences

IF YOUR FARM TRACK OR FOREST ROAD NEEDS SOME ATTENTION, WE HAVE THE SKILLS, MACHINERY AND EXPERIENCE TO DELIVER A LASTING SOLUTION.

• REDUCES OR ELIMINATES THE NEED TO IMPORT MATERIALS.

• IMPROVES DRAINAGE TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE.

• QUICK AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTION THAT MINIMISES DISRUPTION TO TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS.

J & J Grant

Scotland’s Spreading Specialists

5 spreaders available to meet your precision spreading requirements

High output LGP machines to minimise soil and crop damage

Weighing systems and auto steer fitted

We supply our own loader and fuel to minimise disturbance to the customer

Blanket or variable rate lime spreading compatible with all mapping systems

The following can be supplied and accurately applied

Lime, Compost, Slag, Henpen, Fibrophos, FYM, Gypsum, other organic materials

Soil Mapping service

• correct variations across fields

• independent analysis

• 4 samples/ha for accurate pH maps

• all nutrients can be tested

• recommendations to suit your enterprise

Contact us to discuss how we can help reduce your costs with the use of organic products Tel 01875 320363 Mob 07703 113178

Rejuvenation

Fertiliser

Tubeline

BYREWALLS FENCING

A & E Brown, Byrewalls, Gordon, Berwickshire TD3 6JU Contact: Andrew 07725 583737 Euan 07774 004622 Evenings 01573 410260

J Hepburn & Co

CONTRACTORS SERVICES

On Our Farm

August 6th 2025

Hugo Lee farms in partnership with his father, Guy, at Sandystones, near St Boswells. Arable crops of wheat, oilseed rape, malting barley and oats are grown, 500 Angus cattle are finished annually, 8000 organic hens produce eggs for Waitrose and 8,000 organic point of lay pullets are reared each year.

I can’t believe we are only at the start of August and already well through harvest. It was our earliest start ever here at Sandystones and could have been a week earlier if I was not on holiday! Yields have been really encouraging to date with winter barley, high erucic oilseed rape and organic oats all well above our five year average. I am hoping to start wheat tomorrow and then get into some spring barley on Monday. The forecast is looking really good which makes the whole job much easier especially as some of the barley is undersown. We had a fantastic holiday in France with three other families and their children, 19 of us in total. It was strange to leave France at 28°C and land back in Edinburgh where it was 31! It was straight back to work as we were making second cut silage, combining winter barley and I had an RSPCA poulty inspection all on the same day. Thankfully all went pretty smoothly, the inspection was passed and we had a huge cut of silage which has gone some way to make up for the poor first cut.

Muck has just been spread on all the rape stubbles and they are being cultivated with a Sumo Trio as I write. This year half the ground for next year’s rape crop has been mucked and ploughed and the other half also cultivated with a Sumo Trio. All fields will then be sown with a combi drill. It will be interesting to see what effect the different cultivations methods have and if there is any significant difference in yield.

Despite the early start to harvest both the St Boswells show and the Border Union show were very well attended. It was great to see so many of you on our stand over the two days and we are hoping to keep our new location for next year. With both my sisters and their families staying as well as friends from Dubai the Agrimart stand did sometimes feel like a childrens’ party. They all absolutely loved the show especially the machinery, dancing sheep and motorbike display team.

Grass growth has been fantastic over the past month helped by the rain and warm weather. Grazing cattle are looking really well all we need now is for the fat price to firm up a bit.

I am in a harvest WhatsApp group with a couple of neighbouring farmers from Hampshire. We always used to have a tongue in cheek competition to see who would finish harvest first. Since moving north I come last by some distance. This year they have finished already! Except for oilseed

Prentice Agriculture Straw and Baling

Choice of bale size, either; 8’ × 4’ × 3’ or 8’ × 4’ × 2.5’

Also 2 x 32ft bale trailers can be supplied if required to clear fields.

Substantial quantity of barley/wheat straw in the swath required. Cleared by bale chaser where possible. For more info please contact either: Keith on 07703 199 255 Mark on 07774 425 633

Second cut silage. 50% larger than first cut

Beyond the stour is a combine harvesting OSR at 7%mc

Stock judging at St Boswells Show

R L SMITH & SONS LTD

MULCHING

• Woodland clearance • Gorse • Willow • Brash • Trees upto 30cm dia.

TILLING

/ GRINDING

• Tree roots & stumps upto 30cm dia. • Willow stumps

Tel 01750 32264 or 07831 505440 Email gary@garyrenwick.co.uk

Talking

......New Zealand

August 3rd 2025

Ian Mackenzie is an arable and dairy farmer from the Canterbury Plain in the South Island of New Zealand. He runs a number of fully irrigated intensive cropping farms, producing grain, vegetable and grass seeds with some stock finishing.

After probably our wettest winter ever we’re on the starting point of spring.

The worst of the surface flooding has drained away and hopefully we might get some wheat in the ground in a week or two. Ironically a new centre pivot irrigation system we ordered last summer has turned up from Italy. It has been too wet to get on the ground to build it, but like the wheat we’re hoping it might go up in the next couple of weeks. It will irrigate about half the dairy farm and replaces an old and knackered rotary boom travelling irrigator that came with the farm when we bought it. The pivot has cost close to $200k which makes it quite a significant investment.

The land it will irrigate is a mixture of heavy soils and some lighter drier country. The pivot will enable us to vary the amount of water we apply to the different soil types which should in turn enable us to grow more grass and will save about an hour a day in labour… by not having to move the rotary boom daily.

In the meantime calving has started and the first milk of the new season is ready for pickup, and despite the tough winter some of the lambs have gone to market and killed well.

Beef, lamb and milk prices all look pretty good for this coming season which might help justify the investment in the pivot.

KENNY HALL & SON

Agricultural Engineer

• Roof & Sheeting Repairs • On-site Welding

• Grain Machinery Repairs

• Kit Sheds Supplied & Built

• Gates and Feeding Troughs Made to Measure

• Buildings dismantled or rebuilt

• Demolition Mobile: 07740 350461

The new centre pivot irrigator

Calving has started

CONTRACTORS SERVICES

Drain CCTV Survey Services • Drain defect diagnostic • Drain survey & report

• Drain network mapping • CCTV survey for local water authority pre-adoption

• Manhole/inspection chamber locating • Pre-purchase drain survey

JetVac Services • Up to 1000mm diameter drain jetting capacity

• Gully sucking/emptying • Flood water vacuum response

• Septic tank emptying/de-sludging

Drain Repairs/Installation Services • Excavation & repairs

• Public sewer connections • Adoptable sewer installations

• Pumping mains/stations installations

Tel: Kelso 01573 225249 Mobile: 07793 361023

e-mail: enquiries@gwcwateranddrainage.co.uk

UStor Business units, Unit 8/1 Spylaw Road, Kelso TD5 8DN

Proud to sponsor Event riders: Olivia Wilmot, Laura Swinnerton, Laura Mitchell, Ellie Bryce, Sarah Hutchison & Morag Sutherland

AC FULLERTON LTD

Colin Fullerton: 07818 056 365

Tru-Test Systems

Talking......from Lincolnshire

August 4th 2025

Will Howe is an arable farmer from Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The soils are predominantly heavy. There is 1000ha of cropping including winter wheat, spring beans, spring oats and oilseed rape. He also manages a contracting business Thorpe Farming Ltd.

In keeping with a traditional harvest report, I’ll start with the most disappointing part—which, in a sharp turn from last month, is the weather.

Weather: Since the winter barley came off, we’ve managed only one full day of combining. What started as a promising season has turned into a frustrating stop-start affair. It’s mildly irritating when you’re combining close to home, but utterly infuriating when you’re 30 miles away. Worse still, we’re getting just enough rain to disrupt progress, but not enough to do any good.

We did get 40mm the weekend after finishing the barley, which has helped with cultivations. The warm soil temperatures even had me flirting with the idea of growing OSR again—tempted by my inner agronomic demons. Armed with a plan so cunning even Baldrick might blush, I sowed a small patch of brassica in a failed cover crop to monitor flea beetle pressure.

Seven days later, it was up—not a shot hole in sight—so seed and fertiliser were duly ordered. Fast-forward through 110ha of drilling, and I returned to the test patch on my way to pick up the rolls, only to find... nothing. Utterly bare. The seed was bought with a 100% refund for crop failure so all is not lost.

Yields: Soil types have never been so clearly distinct. Sandy, light soils have disappointed. Rank, heavy clay has been average. Clay loams have done well, and the standout performer has been the heavier fenland—some of which was genuinely a pleasure to combine. You can tell when yields are decent: Dad gets more agitated in the yard. This year he had the added joy of his grandson helping out. When loading grain into the top of the shed there is a lot of manual work to fill in the available space, so with an average age of 44 they were perfectly placed for some shovelling! Joking aside it is miserable for a day so a big thank you to those two.

I’m now battling through 300ha of spring barley that looks like it’s been through a fast spin cycle and, when met with a lifter or divider, prefers to come out roots-andall. Lifters have been a saving grace after some trial and error; the dividers, however, have been a daily battle. I must have climbed those combine steps 50 times a day to clear wrapped crop. After a bit of research, I discovered a curved metal bar that bolts to the divider and forces the crop under rather than parting it—an absolute game changer. No more clogging, and finally, some progress.

Back when the sun was shining and crops looked thin, I made the bold (in hindsight, foolish) decision to carry over some wheat stock, assuming we’d have more than enough storage. With yields higher than expected in places, we’re now tight on space. Worse, we’ve only got drying capacity for 600t of barley, meaning 900t will need to go straight on the floor —cut dry, or else. And, of course, it keeps raining but fingers are crossed for the long promised dry spell later this week.

A customer kindly brought out breakfast at 9:30am when it was hot

Progress is slow

Calf Creep

Portequip Mobile Dipper

Bateman Bespoke Cattle Handling

Combi-Clamp

Bateman Squeeze Crush

26’ Trailer

Talking......Business with Edwin Thompson August 2025

Jack Frater is an Agricultural Consultant at Edwin Thompson, based between their offices in Berwick and Galashiels. Jack specialising in Farm and Estate Management

This year has seen one of the earliest harvest starts on record, so by the time you read this it could well be done and dusted. Winter crops have gone well but spring sown cereals are not worth shouting about. Spare a thought for a friend of mine in the south of England who whole cropped his spring barley as it was going to be worth more to him as silage than selling as grain.

It is over a year since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister and since the budget IHT changes have dominated the headlines and our focus, but other legislation decisions from both Westminster and Holyrood may ultimately have a big impact on agriculture in Scotland.

Although devolved, Scottish agricultural policy is reliant on a block grant from Westminster. Previously it received dedicated, ring-fenced funding but as a result of the budget, starting from the 2025–26 fiscal year, this will be determined through the Barnett Formula. This means Holyrood could divert funds away into other areas such as the NHS and education. The SNP Government have committed to providing around £660m in support to farmers for the 2025-26 period, but with a Holyrood election next year it wouldn’t be a surprise if funds are allocated elsewhere as part of pre-election promises given that they have already diverted £25m away to cover the cost of public sector pay raises in addition to the £61m removed in 2022 as part of an emergency budget. NFUS had initially expressed concerns that this could result in lower funding levels for Scottish farmers compared to their UK counterparts, however changes to English policy including the withdrawal of BPS payments and the sudden end to SFI may lead to legal challenges under the Internal Markets Act as there is a thought that English producers are now at a competitive disadvantage. The current FFIS scheme was a welcome announcement but is well over subscribed, with nearly £30m worth of applications within a fortnight of it being open.

Going forward the Scottish Government is still intending to introduce the Four-Tier Payment System from 2026,and have said that at least 70% of the farming budget will be allocated to the base and enhanced tiers, with only 5% designated to an upgraded AECS scheme. The issue is that we don’t yet know the size of the farming budget, but being pessimistic it is likely there will be a real terms reduction.

Add in to the new US trade deal, the dreaded Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, and of course IHT issues, and we end up with a complex landscape to navigate. Seeking professional advice is more important than ever, be it from your land agent, accountant, or solicitor. Our advice is to engage early to plan ahead to mitigate any impact.

Finally, thank you to everyone who came to see us at the Border Union Show, it was another very successful and enjoyable show. A big well done to all involved with organising the show, see you there next year.

Bursary Opportunities for Borderers

• Do you have drive and ambition?

Bursary Opportunities for Borderers

• Do you have drive and ambition?

• Have you identified a learning opportunity, a course or study trip which could enhance your career or your business?

• Do you have drive and ambition?

• Do you have a plan to start a new career or business which will benefit the Borders economy?

• Have you identified a learning opportunity, a course or study trip which could enhance your career or your business?

• Are you finding it difficult to get funding for career development?

• Do you have a plan to start a new career or business which will benefit the Borders economy?

• Are you finding it difficult to get funding for career development?

• The Border Union Bicentenary Bursary Fund may be able to help you. It offers support to people in the Borders and North Northumberland.

• Are you finding it difficult to get funding for career development?

• The Border Union Bicentenary Bursary Fund may be able to help you. It offers support to people in the Borders and North Northumberland.

• The Border Union Bicentenary Bursary Fund may be able help you. It offers support to people in the Borders and North Northumberland.

• The Border Union Bicentenary Bursary Fund may be able to help you. It offers support to people in the Borders and North Northumberland.

• Successful applicants will ultimately contribute to the benefit of the rural economy of the area. This reflects the main objective laid down by the founders of the Border Union Agricultural Society in 1813, that of ‘Encouraging Improvement’

Details of the terms and criteria for eligibility, and deadlines for applications, are available online at www.borderunion.co.uk or from the Society’s Office at Springwood Park, Kelso, TD5 8LS. Alternatively email to: info@borderunion.co.uk

Talking......from the boundary

It is the case that once in a generation a farm next door comes on the market, so when it happens these opportunities must be considered. In June a 360 acre block split in two lots was put up for sale. 90 acres was on our march which would fit in well with our current system. We did our sums, offered as much as we felt comfortable with and waited nervously for the agent’s call. We missed out by quite a considerable margin we were told, which is a great result for the sellers. Congratulations to them, their presentation and timing paid off. What is revealing is the confidence progressive farmers have in the industry. I have been told there were no investors or lifestyle buyers amongst those offering – it was down to earth practical farmers wanting to expand their businesses. This block was attractive because it was ring fenced, there was no farmhouse or dilapidated buildings involved. It was a straightforward simple sale of goodish land with sensible sized fields. In general, the agricultural land market is apparently subdued - obviously not in this case.

We have devoted space in Agrimart to at least two previous convoys out to Ukraine with Pickups 4 Peace so I don’t want to repeat the same detail of our drive out last month. We were made up of 32 vehicles which included two Thames Valley police BMW motorbikes which their Chief Constable had donated, plus a black Range Rover from their compound. The previous owner was a drug dealer, apparently they don’t tend to reclaim their cars! There were four pickups on our ferry from Newcastle, we were told of the NHS warehouse at Seaton Delaval that was disposing of 1000’s of items of medical equipment which they were willingly donating to the Ukrainian forces. We filled up there, to bursting point, with syringes, breathing tubes, tracheotomy devices and more. Arriving in Lviv exactly 48 hours since we boarded the ferry made one realise just how close we really are to a country at war. First impressions of the city were life going on pretty much as normal. It is a very attractive place with large well laid out cobbled streets, a café culture and overall an appearance of Western European civilisation. At the presentation ceremony when we officially handed over the vehicles, the appreciation and thanks, that they don’t feel forgotten in their fight which they are determined to win, was repeated constantly. Having been once, I can understand why so many people go repeatedly. I am planning to drive out again in October. I have identified two near end of life cars on the farm that might be suitable. I need to convince the Board of directors!

company with over 20 years of experience. Call us for a free estimate on work in planning, grant work & any other projects before taking the package deal as our prices are very competitive.

Guy Lee

Delicious gingerbread

USED 2021 McCORMICK X7.624VT 40HP, VT 50KPH TRANS., AIR BRAKES, FRONT LINK., FRONT PTO, CAB & AXLE SUS., LED LIGHTS, HEATED MIRRORS, 4600 HRS, ISOBUS, TOPCON AUTOSTEER, 6 ELEC. SPOOLS £72,000+VAT

USED 2014 LELY WELGER RP445 BELT BALER 43K BALES

USED 2016 VALTRA T144 155 HP, POWERSHIFT 50KPH TRANSMISSION, AIR BRAKES, FRONT LINKAGE, FRONT PTO, CAB & AXLE SUSPENSION, MANUAL SPOOLS, 6700 HOURS £44,500+VAT

USED 2020 McCORMICK X7.690 225HP, POWERSHIFT 50KPH TRANS., AIR BRAKES, FRONT LINKAGE, CAB & AXLE SUS., 6 ELECTRIC SPOOLS, ISOBUS, AUTOSTEER READY, 5800 HOURS £49,500+VAT

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Talking......Organic

August 6th 2025

Simon Bainbridge farms in partnership with his wife Claire and his parents, Ivan and Elisabeth in Northumberland. They run suckler beef, sheep and laying hen enterprises across 650 ha of mainly SDA and moorland - organically.

New hens are in, which is always a relief. They are looking good and feeding well. The first hour of light went on, on Friday, so we will continue to add an hour each week until we reach 15 hours. Soon there will be eggs and it all begins again. We are needing to be on it as much as we can with our biosecurity, as bird flu is continuing to rumble across the whole country. A flock of laying hens has been culled in Aberdeenshire, a back yard flock in Tow Law, commercial pheasant rearers in Somerset, layers in Devon, turkeys in Norfolk, all within the last week. Turning the flock around is always challenging regarding cash flow, as there will be three to four months without any income from those hens, yet the costs increase during that time.

We’ve spaned all the lambs, which is the earliest we’ve ever weaned, but with the muck straight on the silage fields early, the welcome rain arriving, the fogs are now ready to be grazed and the pastures ready for a break. Lambs are looking good, ewes as well. All in all I’m happy with the way the sheep are looking. The bull has come off the heifers, but a couple more weeks for the bulls with the cows. Cattle too are looking good and have come through the earlier dry spell well. We’ve got most of our straw in now, which is good. The rest of the summer will be on routine jobs like topping and hopefully we will get a bit of maintenance done too.

Someone must have read our article last month, as Joe Morris has recently set about visiting all the parishes in his constituency. Claire managed to catch up with him in Otterburn and had a good conversation, however like most politicians, he was unable to give concrete promises, nor answer any specifics. He did however promise to look into some more detailed enquiries we had. What Claire felt was that on local levels he is able to help, but on National policy and bigger matters, it’s unclear whether our points will be raised at all.

Its probably too much to hope that Trump’s comments about the US Estate Tax actually sank in with Kier Starmer. It’s not often I agree with Trump, but he definitely told Starmer the stark impact of these taxes, and the inability of farms being able to pay, in one short conversation. There is talk of more activity this Autumn from various farming groups and we need to continue to lobby our MP’s even though we may feel we’re not getting heard. What does surprise me though is that smaller, family-owned, non-agricultural businesses aren’t lobbying government harder and more vocally regarding the impact to the changes to Business Property Relief on them. It’s got to affect many of them.

LAND DRAINAGE

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Here at Davidson Land Services Stores, we have a wide range of stock including:

• Consumables (Sprays, Paints, Nuts & Bolts Ect)

• Exol Oil, Grease, Brake Fluid Ect

• Viking Johnston Fittings

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SGN Approved Contractor

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Mill Ind Est, Mill Road, Earlston, TD4 6FA

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We also offer a hydraulic hose repair service. We hold a wide range of hose & fittings in stock from 1/4” to 1 1/4” 4 Wire.

We have recently upgraded our machine and are now able to crimp up to 2” 4 Wire.

Talking......North of the Forth August 4th 2025

Tom Pate farms 240ha of arable on a tenanted farm in Angus. Cropping includes wheat, spring barley, rye and oilseed rape along with land let for potatoes and vining peas. Additionally, around 6500 pigs are reared annually under contract and 600 Christmas turkeys sold directly to the public under the KellyBronze franchise. On his wife’s 380ha family farm in the Angus Glens they also run 200 red deer hinds plus followers for venison production, along with developing a forestry enterprise. As I write this, Storm Floris is blowing through Scotland. Listening to the storm you would think we are in the middle of November but watching the trees bend in glorious sunshine and relatively warm temperatures it’s a curious weather event. Highly relieved that our oilseed rape is safely in the shed, having been cut on the 2nd August in perfect conditions. I am not sure much seed would be left in the pods had we left it to face Floris.

Three of the four fields in OSR yielded well but the average will be knocked by the fourth field which slightly let the team down. This field is really my nemesis. “Field 13” is a 9.26ha area which used to be three fields running north to south up a steep brae. After a portion of the land was sold to Dundee City Council and zoned for industrial development the Council split the fields east and west across the brae, with a shelter belt of trees to mark the northern boundary of the site. Three decent fields then became one nightmare of field which is narrow, steep and awkwardly shaped. Headland turning has to be undertaken with extreme care and any field operations are painfully slow. If we weren’t right on the outskirts of Dundee with all the wandering people and dogs you’d fence it, grass it and stock it. But we have to persevere and crop it. After a couple of dodgy incidents in the sprayer, I lost my confidence to spray off the OSR and called in a contractor with a swather. It’s the first time I have combined swathed OSR in years and surprisingly went quite smoothly thanks to a very dry swath. However, I was highly relived to get it finished and move into the standing crop of the other, flatter, fields.

Rye was harvested on the 13th July and yielded well at just under 47t/ha. This is the second best yield in the ten years we have grown the crop. Being deep rooted before the dry spell probably allowed the rye to make the most of the sunshine available without stressing. These rye stubbles will shortly be sown in OSR.

Peas have also been vined leaving land cleared for sowing early wheat.

Sowing will this year be undertaken by our new Mzuri drill. After a successful trial of the machine last year we bit the bullet and bought a second-hand machine. It marks a step into the world of strip tillage and non-inversion farming. Really driven by a lack of available labour in the autumn rather than any thing else. This particular drill will also be able to sow into ploughed land which should be a benefit come the spring. Mzuri was a British-designed, developed and built machine from their headquarters in Worcestershire. Unfortunately, only a couple of weeks after buying the drill, news came through that Mzuri has been acquired by Mzuri World a Polish company. The production has now moved to Poland and a question mark hangs as to whether any of these machines will ever make it back onto UK farms. Mzuri UK still offer parts and servicing for UK built machines, but their focus moves onto their Razorback range of mowers. Thankfully one of the original Mzuri engineers has since been up to get me up and running and set up the machine in anticipation of the autumn sowing campaign. It’s an impressive bit of engineering and I am looking forward to getting going.

Big boys’ toys. Some serious kit needed for rye harvest

The new drill being given a practice run

Field 13. Difficult to

buttock clenching steepness of this field in a photograph

NEW STYLE 2300S VARI-WIDTH 5 FURROW

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437

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•

LONGNEWTON CUP - OVERALL WINNER - GRANT & DONALD MAXWELL

Best Field of Sheep

1st Joanna Forster - Chapel Farm

2nd Grant Maxwell

3rd Neil Sandilands

Best Field of Cows

1st Douglas Tweedie - Middlethird

2nd James McCorquodale

3rd Grant Maxwell

Best Field of Grazing Cattle

1st The Allen Family - Longnewton

2nd Grant Maxwell

3rd Hugo Lee

Best Field of Winter Barley

1st Grant Maxwell - Faughhill

2nd Chris Wilson

3rd Robert Bruce

Best Field of Spring Barley

1st Jimmy Morton - Kaeside

2nd Ron Shaw

3rd Robert Bruce