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Agricultural students are making their voices heard in the Inheritance Tax debate. See pages 82-83.
Power of united supply chain can force Government rethink
SUPERMARKETS are often cast as the villains of the food supply chain piece, but is it possible they may just be farming’s saviour in the family farm tax fight?
Several condemnations of the Government’s Inheritance Tax plans have flowed across social media channels this week, with Morrisons head of agriculture Sophie Throup seemingly setting off a domino effect with her heartfelt video calling on the Government to think again.
Farmers may argue such rebuttals should have come sooner, but, unlike the Government, retailers know the meaning of food security and what any added risk could mean for their balance books.
In the past five years alone retailers and, more importantly, their customers have been forced to consider food shortages with supply compromised by Covid-19, climate events and war in Ukraine.
In this new world, our ‘just-in-time’ approach to UK food security means the threat is never far away and in order for them to continue to thrive, retailers know they must do everything in their power to help smaller businesses navigate their way through the Government-imposed mire.
Ironically, just last week, agriculture chiefs from the devolved nations were having a similar discussion as part of a briefing with journalists at the Oxford Farming Conference.
They were making the point that retailers have a much bigger role to play in ensuring
greater levels of food security across the UK and that central Government should effectively force them to shoulder more of the burden of risk, rather than it all being placed on farmers.
In comments that have been repeated since the Groceries Code Adjudicator came into existence more than 10 years ago, they agreed the retail ombudsman, the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, needed ‘more teeth’ in order for it to truly hold retailers’ feet to the fire.
But the watchdog never does seem to get any bite and the inherent problems in the supply chain continue.
In his speech in Oxford, Defra Secretary Steve Reed talked about ‘fairness’ and ‘tighter regulation’ and again, the onus was firmly on farmers and processors, not supermarkets.
Inequity in the supply chain is not something that can be fixed overnight, but discussions about the reality of what food security actually means need to be had now.
Tax parties to the table then that could be the start in unify-
If Inheritance Tax brings all parties to the table then that could be the start in unifying a strained supply chain.
All too often retailers use their power to trample producers, now it is time to use that power and might for good.
AGRICULTURAL businesses across Britain have come together at LAMMA 2025 to voice their opposition to Inheritance Tax (IHT) changes.
Speaking to a packed crowd gathered at Farmers Guardian’s FG Live theatre (January 15), NFU president Tom Bradshaw warned businesses and associated industries across the UK could suffer as a result of the Government’s Autumn Budget which proposed a 20% tax on inherited agricultural properties and assets.
Mr Bradshaw said: “Just as family farm businesses stand to be crippled by this tax, businesses within the wider agricultural space may soon find themselves under crushing pressure too.
“Farm businesses are often the bellwether of the rural economy and many have curtailed investment on their farms because any penny they had, or could have borrowed, will now have to go on saving the future of the farm.
“We have chosen LAMMA to
Tom Bradshaw
launch a pledge for businesses to sign to show they will join our fight to stop this unfair tax and secure the future of British family farming – the bedrock of the nation’s food and drink manufacturing industry – and those allied industries which rely on a thriving farming sector.”
Jeff Claydon, chief executive of Suffolk-based drill manufacturer
RETAILERS AND PROCESSORS SPEAK OUT
RETAILERS and processors have shared messages of support for the farming community following the fallout from the Chancellor’s Budget.
It comes after Morrisons was the first retailer to publicly back farmers, supporting calls to put an end to what critics have dubbed the family farm tax.
Morrisons head of agriculture, Sophie Throup, shared on social media a video message saying the supermarket understood farmers’ anger and frustration and shared their concerns about the long-term impact, particularly on smaller family farms.
“We are with you”, she said, adding Morrisons has been raising concerns at the highest level of Government and will continue to do so.
Farmers praised Morrisons for being the first supermarket to speak out and asked others to do the same.
Booths managing director Nigel Murray said any challenges to farmers
affected the entire food industry, including the consumer.
He said: “The impact of changes to Agricultural Property Relief may not be immediate and will not affect all farm businesses, however over time there is a real risk that domestic food production could be eroded, and it is our view that we should be producing more of our own food, not less.
“Generational succession, confidence levels and business sustainability already present significant challenges to the farming sector and this change simply adds to that.”
A spokesperson for Dunbia said it understood farmers were ‘angry’ and said it will continue to work with the British Meat Processors Association to highlight concerns to Government.
A spokesperson for Meadow said it shared the community’s concerns over proposed changes to IHT, adding a sustainable farming sector in the UK was
Claydon, explained the ramifications of the tax on his own business and what it would mean for his two sons.
“Without profit, you have not got a business,” Mr Claydon told the audience.
“And the current policy and economic outlook means so many are seeing their profits slashed.”
The farmer and entrepreneur also slammed Government ‘indecision’ over the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund which meant orders have stalled and the firm has now been left with warehouses of unmoved stock.
Stifled
He added: “We want growth, the Government has repeatedly said it wants growth, but it must revisit its shortterm plans for the agriculture industry because it is being stifled.”
In a similarly impassioned speech, NFU Cymru president Aled Jones described farming businesses as a ‘delicate and beautiful flower’ which should not be ‘trampled on’ by those who do not understand.
He thanked FG for its commitment
not only crucial for the economy, but also ‘the nation’s need for quality, locally-sourced produce’.
Diana Overton, managing director at Frontier Agriculture, said it understood farmers’ concerns.
“Working closely with several industry bodies, including the NFU, across multiple areas, we support their calls for a collaborative conversation with the Government to agree a way forward,” she said, adding it would continue to work with farmers.
A First Milk spokesperson said it was disappointed to see the changes in the Budget.
“We have spoken to our members to offer our ongoing support on how to make sure that they get the right advice to put effective succession plans in place for their businesses, which is something we have done in the past,” the spokesperson said.
Claydon chief executive Jeff Claydon, NFU president Tom Bradshaw, Farmers
Guardian editor Olivia Midgley and NFU Cymru president Aled Jones joined crowds behind the union’s campaign banner at LAMMA 2025.
FARMERS URGE UNITY IN FACE OF DIRECT ACTION
THE farmers behind this week’s supermarket action are urging those planning to take part to ‘abide by laws’ in order to further the farmers’ cause with both retailers and consumers.
The plea comes after recently formed campaign group Farmers To Action (FTA) organised a blockade at Morrisons’ depot in Bridgwater, Somerset, last week, along with several tractor drives across major UK roads.
The FTA terms itself as a ‘direct action network’ and is believed to have the support of businessman Alan D Miller’s #Together movement which has also led on campaigns against
to helping the farming community through its Save Britain’s Family Farms campaign.
“Taxing the asset does not allow for a thriving economy,” said Mr Jones, adding farming was a proud industry, with all stakeholders depending on each other.
The presidents then urged the huge crowd to come together and stand as one in front of the NFU’s Stop The Family Farm Tax banner.
lockdown restrictions, vaccine mandates and net zero targets.
The FTA blockade has, however, divided opinion among farmers, many of whom have questioned why the more farmer-friendly retailer Morrisons was targeted.
Arable farmer Martin Williams, one of the five farmers behind the November mass farmer rally in Westminster, said farmers had to remain focused on providing a united front in order to negotiate with Government.
He said: “As an industry the only way for us to enable change will be through coalition not division.
“It is important that farmers have a
genuine brand and should disassociate themselves with third party activism.”
Simon Orson, chair of Midlands Farmers and one of the joint organisers along with Fairness for Farmers founder Matt Cullen, of a UK-wide supermarket event today (January 17), stressed that their protest is designed primarily to inform and not to disrupt.
“As far as we are concerned, the farmers who will be at supermarkets today [January 17] are peaceful, lawabiding farmers who just want to inform members of the public of the issues currently facing farmers,” Mr Orson said.
OBR distances itself from Government IHT claims
THE Government’s reliance on support from independent finance body the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) regarding Inheritance Tax (IHT) changes has been called into question as new analysis reveals the OBR believed the Government’s figures to be ‘highly uncertain’ and ‘unlikely to reach a
steady state for at least 20 years’. While both the Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer have stated the figure that only 500 farmers will be affected by IHT changes is backed by OBR data, Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, said a report from the body
WARNING OVER IMPACT OF IHT
LABOUR’S family farm tax could see agricultural holding numbers continue to drop across Scotland if it is not overturned, Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross has warned.
The Scottish Government has recorded a reduction in the number of agricultural holdings in parts of Northern Scotland between 2022 and 2024.
In Aberdeenshire, Angus, Moray and the Highlands, the number of holdings fell by 435, 43, 137 and 1,381 respectively in that time.
Ms Cross said the reduction of a total of 1,996 holdings had exacerbated fears among farmers that Labour’s family farm tax could add to the pressure farming businesses were facing if Labour did not reverse the decision.
“In the north and north east of Scotland, we are seeing a decline in the number of farms and this tax is another barrier to an industry which is already facing huge challenges,” she said.
“These figures are an illustration of the precarious situation farms already find themselves in before Labour implements their cruel and unjustified family farm tax next year, if their plans go ahead.”
makes it clear this was not the case.
“The OBR has not given the Government the confidence it claims for the figures it uses,” said Mr Moody.
“Instead, the OBR’s report repeatedly says that the financial figures are highly uncertain and it does not even touch the question of how many taxpayers are affected.”
With tractor horns blaring as a protest against Inheritance Tax changes took place, Defra Secretary Steve Reed highlighted the lack of profitability in the farming sector. Rachael Brown and Chris Brayford report from the Oxford Farming Conference.
Profitability is holding back investment, not IHT changes
l Focus on supply chain fairness
LACK of investment in the sector is nothing to do with Inheritance Tax (IHT) but about the lack of profitability in farming right now, according to the Defra Secretary Steve Reed.
Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference last week, Mr Reed said farming had been unprofitable for a ‘very long time’ and shared with delegates the details of the Government’s new farming roadmap, which he said would be the ‘blueprint’ to steer the sector to a sustainable and profitable future for decades to come.
Mr Reed said: “12,000 farms and producer businesses went bust under the last Government. This is already happening. It is nothing to do with IHT. It is because the sector is not profitable.”
He said the Government’s vision for the future of farming depended on three strands.
“First, a farming sector that has food production at its core. Second, a sector where farm businesses can diversify their income to make a
fair profit and remain viable even in the most challenging times. Third, a sector that recognises that restoring nature is not in competition
Defra Secretary Steve Reed said farming had been unprofitable for a ‘very long time’.
food security’ which ‘must be our destination’.
When probed by journalists in a media huddle afterwards about if his ambition to get farmers a better deal for the food they produced meant food prices would go up, Mr Reed said it was clear there were elements in the food supply chain that made a ‘good profit’ but too many producers made ‘next to no profit’ and produced food at a ‘significant loss’.
“What we are looking to do is make sure the supply chain works fairly,” he said, adding it was ‘not about food prices having to go up’.
Monitoring
With a Government target for 50% of food in public services to be local or produced to ‘high environmental standards’, public procurement was also in focus.
Mr Reed said the Government, for the first time, would monitor where food bought by the public sector came from.
with sustainable food production but essential to it,” he said.
He added that by pursuing all three, this would achieve ‘long-term
He added this would mean more British food would be bought and farmers would get a ‘fairer share’ of the ‘£5 billion a year spent on public sector catering contracts’.
Farm diversification comments described as ‘tone-deaf’
FARMERS have called out Defra Secretary Steve Reed for telling them to diversify in order to help manage ‘risk’ across the food supply chain, describing his comments as ‘tone-deaf’.
Speaking to delegates at the Oxford Farming Conference last week, Mr Reed said: “Food production will always be the primary purpose of the farming sector, but for all farm businesses, tenants, upland and others, to stay viable in an increasingly uncertain world and to make sure they can keep producing the food we all need, they must be able to [produce] profit from other activities.”
He said the Government would introduce reforms to planning and ensure permitted development rights worked for farms and enabled them
to ‘convert larger barns into a farm shop or holiday lets’.
But NFU president Tom Bradshaw said Mr Reed was ‘missing the point’ and food production was on a ‘knife edge’.
He said: “We all want farming to be profitable, but the very fact that he goes on to talk about diversification suggests they [the Government] are missing the point that food production itself needs to be profitable.”
Cornwall tenant farmer Rob Halliday said for too long governments had avoided ‘grasping the thorny issue of supply chain remuneration and the share returned to the farmgate’.
“Instead, they expect farmers to diversify to cover structural failures in the food market. Diversification is to be encouraged, but for the purposes
of growing the economy and adding additional farm income, not subsidising a broken system,” he said.
On X, Midlands beef farmer Michael Oakes highlighted the difficulty of diversification for tenant farmers and questioned whether the Secretary of State had considered that, warning that as soon as many tenants explored diversification, land agents would want a cut.
Vale of York dairy farmer and NFU Dairy Board chair Paul Tompkins said there was ‘little to captivate the interest of dairy farmers’ in Mr Reed’s speech.
He said that given the demands of dairy farming, it was ‘challenging’ for farmers to follow the Minister’s advice and seek profits from other activities to remain in food production.
[The Government] is missing the point that food production itself needs to be profitable
TOM BRADSHAW
“While diversified income has its merits, the primary focus should be on generating revenue from milking cows,” he added.
PICTURE: CRAIG STEPHEN
DEFRA URGED TO CONSULT WITH FARMERS OVER IHT
MORE than 40 tractors lined Oxford High Street alongside farmers holding banners to call on the Government to abolish the proposed changes to Inheritance Tax at the Oxford Farming Conference.
Farmers strategically pipped the horns of their tractors during Defra Secretary Steve Reed’s speech, creating a ‘racket of disapproval’.
Caroline Graham, a farmer from Thatcham, Berkshire, who organised the protest, said Labour’s policies could ‘push’ small family farms into selling their land.
Andy Corner, a fourth-generation sheep farmer from Somerton,
Oxfordshire, said the industry would not back down until the Government finally consulted with farmers.
“This family farm tax will devastate my family like it will other families across the UK,” he added.
“We will not be silenced and it is time for the Government to consult with us because we are not going to go away.”
Jack Smith, a dairy farmer from Newbury, said Labour’s plans could ‘take away’ his hopes to run the family farm in the future.
He added: “I am only 20 years old, but my family could be forced to sell our farm due to an Inheritance Tax bill, which would be heartbreaking.”
STEVE REED ACCUSED OF USING ‘STOCK ANSWER’ ON GOVERNMENT POLICY FOR TENANCIES
THE Defra Secretary has been criticised for using the incoming Tenant Farming Commissioner as a ‘stock answer’ when questioned about concerns surrounding Government policy on the tenanted sector.
Caroline Squire, rural surveyor adviser at the Tenant Farmers Association, told Steve Reed in a Q&A session at the Oxford Farming Conference that a Tenant Farming Commissioner could not help those who were threatened by eviction from their holdings due to landlords’ concerns about the Inheritance Tax (IHT) bill they could face.
Mr Reed was asked if he would consider allowing landlords letting for 10 years or more to have 100% relief from IHT on the agricultural value of let land to genuinely ‘protect hardworking farming families’.
Mr Reed said: “We need to keep listening and we need to improve the environment for opportunities.”
He said it was ‘really clear’ how important a commissioner could be.
“But we are going beyond that. For instance, we are opening up schemes now to tenants as well,” he added.
When speaking to Farmers Guardian, Mr Reed was asked how the Government was protecting the rights of farming tenants and guarding them from poor behaviour by landlords or land agents, similar to plans in the residential sector.
Proposals
Mr Reed said: “We will be coming up with proposals frequently over the coming months and beyond to look at how we can protect tenants in the farming sector. Just as we are looking at tenants in the housing sector.
“All the proposals for tenants in the housing sector have not come forward yet, because we have only been in Government for six months.”
There were more than 40 tractors at the Inheritance Tax protest outside the Oxford Farming Conference.
ACTION NEEDED TO TACKLE SUPPLY CHAIN UNFAIRNESS
CENTRAL Government should force supermarkets to take more responsibility to ensure farmers do not shoulder all the risk in the supply chain, according the devolved Ministers.
While the squeeze on margins at the farmgate is not a new issue for farming businesses, it is adding to the pressure many are facing currently.
Speaking to journalists after Defra Secretary Steve Reed announced in his Oxford Farming Conference speech that the Government would help tackle supply chain fairness, Scotland’s Minister for Agriculture Jim Fairlie said: “There needs to be acceptance that risk cannot be shouldered by farmers alone. Retailers have a much bigger role to play in ensuring food security in this country.”
Mr Fairlie, who was speaking
Down on the Farm
alongside Northern Ireland’s Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir and Wales’ Deputy First Minister and Rural Affairs Secretary Huw Irranca Davies, highlighted retailer schemes such as one at Morrisons, where growers and supermarkets shared the financial risk in the event of a crop failure.
Trade deals
Mr Irranca Davies said farm profitability was key to sustaining rural communities and called on governments of all nations to work together on trade deals, such as with the US and China, ‘which would benefit the UK as a whole’.
Mr Fairlie added: “In terms of competitiveness, we are all looking for the same thing, which is interconnected relationships with the UK – and that is the case even if Scotland becomes an independent country.”
with Philip Cosgrave Agronomist, Yara UK Ltd.
Gearing up for early N applications on the grazing block
It’s the time of year again where early nitrogen applications are up for debate. We would recommend applying 50 – 75 kg N/ha of YaraVera Amidas (20 – 30 kg N/ha) for these early N applications. They should only be applied when you can travel with a tractor, and without any major rainfall event forecast in the next 48 hours and soil temperatures are above 5.5 de-grees and rising.
The benefit of spreading this low rate of N early is a large increase in growth rates in March and early April. A grass yield response of 13 to 16 kg grass dry matter per kg N applied is typical at this rate applied in February. Many farms this year lost out on an estimated 500 –700 kg of grass dry matter growth over the course of the year due to missing fertiliser N ap-plications up to mid-March. Delaying this early
application reduces overall grass grown.
Heavy rainfall rather than low soil temperatures has been the main cause for missed or late early N applications, but there have been missed opportunities in many cases where early N could have been spread.
The environmental risk associated with slurry spreading in early spring is greater than the application of 50 – 75 kg/ha of YaraVera Amidas when applied in the correct conditions. Have the fertiliser product you need in the yard and ready to spread. Instead of waiting to spread the whole grazing block, apply it first on areas that are likely to respond best, such as those drier, warmer and recently reseeded paddocks.
With agriculture facing a range of challenges, the Oxford Real Farming Conference took a look at what the industry needed to navigate them. Jane Thynne reports.
● Big business and politicians under fire
THE Oxford Real Farming Conference kicked off with a set of powerful messages that sought to bring hope and unity to a global industry increasingly under siege from governments, big business and the climate.
The opening plenary was designed to be a celebration of the ‘power of connection, community, and care for the land’, and featured music and poetry, as well as thought-provoking speeches.
However, it was not long before issues currently impacting UK farmers came to the fore. Andy Dibben, head grower at Abbey Home Farm in Cirencester, Gloucester, said farmers needed a ‘toolbox of techniques’ to navigate the industry in the face of growing competition for land, and a range of views from people outside the farming community.
“Farming and food has never had such a high profile, but with this exposure and airtime has come division, often caused by factions focusing on a singular part of a very complicated and nuanced subject,
Unity is essential for a sector under siege
convinced their own particular focus is most important,” he said.
Mr Dibben added issues such as food security, climate change, biodiversity, carbon capture, green energy and public health were a ‘minefield of emotive subjects’ that farmers have to ‘pick their way through’ to try to manage their own farm businesses.
Unfairness
He called for an end to the rural versus urban ‘them and us’ culture war and suggested that farmers, campaigners and politicians unite to address issues of corporate wealth and unfairness.
“In 2023, Syngenta manufactured and exported from the UK more than 8,000 tonnes of pesticide the UK had already banned for use,” he said.
Andy Dibben said a ‘toolbox of techniques’ would be necessary.
He added Tesco had posted profits of £2.69 billion in 2023 while 500 dairy farmers went out of business.
“It is this greedy, corrupt and im-
Tempers flare amid heated Inheritance Tax debate
FARMER and founder of organic veg box company Riverford, Guy SinghWatson, waded into the argument on changes to Inheritance Tax (IHT), describing farmers’ responses as ‘emotional, emotive tosh’.
During the session on whether the Government’s Budget plans would signal the death of small farms, Devon-based Mr Singh-Watson also made it clear that farmers such as Jeremy Clarkson and James Dyson should be paying 40% IHT.
The event was a last-minute addition to the programme and featured Jeremy Moody, the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers secretary and adviser, and was chaired by Anita McNaught, a Sussex organic farmer, who admitted ‘she had skin in the game’, describing the tax changes as ‘hideous’.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere became increasingly heated as Mr Moody
explained what the alterations to IHT and Agricultural Business Property Relief would mean for the sector.
Mr Singh-Watson said: “For the working farmer struggling to make a living, the threshold should probably have been much higher […] This thing that land is going to be sold [...] is just tosh. Emotional, emotive tosh. I am not going to stand for it.
“I have sympathy with farmers, but I do have some issue with the calls for exceptionalism and the table-thumping as though they are the only people in this country suffering.”
moral behaviour of supermarkets and large multinational corporations – and the politicians who allow this to happen – that we should be focusing on. And to stop them we must all work together.”
Livestock farmer and author James Rebanks, from Matterdale in Cumbria, reminded the audience about the next generation, and the need to ensure that farming remains a sustainable and viable career option.
“It is not okay to have a food system that makes producing food essentially unprofitable,” he said.
“It is not okay for supermarkets to bully farmers – and boy do they bully farmers. It is not okay for 10 or 15 years to talk about paying farmers to provide public goods, then fail to open the door to allow them to do so. That is a con. It is disgraceful and a betrayal of farmers.”
DEFRA DEFENDS SCHEME RECORD
IT was standing room only at a Q&A session in which Jonathan Baker, deputy director for programme policy, engagement and strategy in the Future Farming and Countryside programme, sought to promote Defra’s commitment to sustainable farming.
Mr Baker began by pointing out that ‘more than half’ of farmers are now engaged in some aspect of the Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme. He thanked farmers for their input and said certain options, such as the adoption of herbal leys, had come as a direct response from
discussions raised at previous Oxford Real Farming Conferences.
Defended
He defended Defra’s record across ELM, although he admitted that elements of Landscape Recovery ‘had some real challenges’. And he said 900 farms had last year been involved and that for 2025 the aim was 1,200.
Mr Baker said the department was keen to realise ‘farmer ambition’ around nature and that the focus would be around ‘locally tailored actions’ to boost engagement.
Lynx furore reignites debate over species reintroductions
● One animal dead after being captured
By Chris Brayford
ONE of four lynx captured after being released into the Cairngorms National Park illegally has died of starvation, reigniting the debate over species reintroductions.
In a joint effort alongside Police Scotland and the Cairngorms National Park Authority, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has confirmed one of the four captured wildcats died after the animals were ‘thrust into an extremely harsh environment to fend for themselves’.
Police Scotland Highland and Islands had confirmed a total of four lynx were roaming the Scottish Highlands last week before being captured by trained animal officers.
Dr Helen Senn, RZSS head of conservation, claimed the animals had been ‘abandoned and starved’ following their release into the National Park.
The remaining three lynx are now being held in quarantine at Edinburgh Zoo.
Dr Senn added: “We do not yet know the circumstances behind one of the wildcats’ death, but will be carrying out a post-mortem to try to establish what happened.
“Whatever the case, this unfortunate development just serves to further demonstrate the folly of abandoning these amazing animals in the wild, with no preparation or real concern for their welfare.”
It has reignited the debate on reintroduction of predators, with NFU Scotland reiterating its opposition to any attempts to reintroduce lynx into Scotland.
Assurances
Seamus Logan, Scottish National Party rural affairs spokesperson and Aberdeenshire North and Moray East MP, said he had received assurances from the Scottish Government that there was no intention to allow the reintroduction of the lynx.
“I am aware that this issue surfaces quite regularly when environmental organisations suggest reintroducing lynx to Scotland, and the events of the past few days are a good example of why this would be a bad idea,” he said.
He added there was no appetite for reintroduction through any formal process and doing so illegally ‘puts these animals and the wider environment at risk’.
Alasdair Allan, acting Scottish Government Minister for climate action, highlighted there were currently no license applications
More support needed for abattoirs
THE NFU is calling on the Government to recognise the key role of small- and medium-sized abattoirs in the supply chain, after the last remaining abattoir in Hampshire announced it was set to close at the end of January.
The closure of Newman’s Abattoir, an independent family business, was described by the NFU as ‘a major blow to livestock farmers across the South and South East’ and is the latest of several small- and medium-sized abattoir closures in recent years.
A new NFU survey of 545 livestock farmers in the South East found if there were further closures to local abattoirs, 49% would either have to reduce their stocking levels, stop keeping livestock or cease trading.
William Newman, who co-owns Newman’s Abattoir with his brother Robert, which trades as PC Turner
and Ockwells Meat Company, said their grandfather had started the business in the 1950s.
“We felt we gave a very good and much-needed service to our customers and we are sorry to them that we are closing.
“We will continue our wholesale meat business and send our own animals elsewhere for slaughter. We will support our customers and offer transport where we can to other abattoirs.”
The last Government launched a Smaller Abattoir Fund in 2023, where £4 million was available in capital grants of between £2,000 and £75,000.
The NFU said it would like to see this scheme continued and expanded on by the present Government and any underspend used to directly address the shortages in the South and South East.
The Scottish Government said there are no plans to reintroduce lynx to Scotland.
to reintroduce lynx or any other large carnivorous species into Scotland.
He added the Scottish Government did ‘not believe that there is
the necessary support among the Scottish public in general and land managers in particular for such a reintroduction to take place at present’.
Border control ‘paramount’ as FMD found in Germany
● Industry flags risks of importing disease
By Alex Black
INDUSTRY leaders in the UK have warned border control is ‘paramount’ following confirmation of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany.
The import of cattle, pigs and sheep and their products from Germany to Great Britain has now been banned to protect farmers and their livelihoods. GB health certificates will no longer be issued for animals susceptible to foot-and-mouth, including all live animals and fresh meat and animal products.
The UK Chief Veterinary Officer has urged livestock keepers to remain vigilant to the clinical signs of the disease.
Outbreak
The outbreak was confirmed on January 10 in a herd of water buffalo in Markisch-Oderland, the first case in Germany since 1988.
On a nearby farm, 200 pigs have also been culled as a precaution and an investigation is underway to determine the source of infection.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said it was ‘worrying news’.
He added: “We welcome the swift
action taken in reporting the disease so that we can minimise the risk to all livestock keepers, and it is now paramount that we make sure our borders are secure so that we do not risk importing the disease into the UK.”
The last outbreak in Great Britain was in 2007. Currently, there are no
Efra calls for evidence on biosecurity amid fears of illegal meat imports
THE Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has issued a call for evidence as part of a new inquiry on animal and plant health, focusing on biosecurity at the border.
The committee will examine the stringency of biosecurity controls as well as their impact on international trade following the introduction of new animal and plant health checks on goods from the EU last year.
The inquiry comes amid continued concerns that large quantities of illegal meat are being brought into the UK.
Chair of the Efra Committee Alistair Carmichael said: “The biosecurity measures we have in this country are of the utmost importance
“Any weak points expose the UK to serious risks, such as African swine fever, which would have catas-
trophic consequences for the agriculture sector.
“In this inquiry, we are setting out to assess the adequacy of our biosecurity measures and will consider what could be done to strengthen biosecurity at the border.”
National Pig Association (NPA) chair Lizzie Wilson said: “NPA has been liaising with the Efra Committee on biosecurity and border control and is therefore delighted by its support in the form of this inquiry, which we hope will not only highlight the glaring issues regarding national biosecurity and the increasing quantities of illegal pigmeat entering the UK, an area that we have been lobbying on for some time, but will also apply pressure to the relevant government departments to actually effect the change so desperately needed.”
cases in the UK. Neil Shand, chief executive of the National Beef Association, highlighted symptoms can be similar to the initial symptoms of bluetongue.
“So, we actively encourage all producers to be as vigilant as possible and not complacent over what may look like bluetongue,” he said.
Scott Donaldson, managing director of Harrison and Hetherington, added it has been common practice for flying dairy herds to source replacement heifers from mainland Europe.
“We must be vigilant and cannot
afford for any animal to come onto our shores that would risk the health status of British livestock,” he said.
Phil Stocker, National Sheep Association chief executive, said it was ‘highly concerning’ to hear about the case.
“It is the last thing we want to see here in Britain – we are already suffering from BTV-3 and Schmallenberg virus applying huge demands on veterinary resources and many farmers will remember the pain and the costs of foot-and-mouth in 2001,” he said.
More bluetongue cases
confirmed in England
MORE bluetongue cases have been confirmed in England, with the total now standing at 193 cases across Great Britain in the 2024 to 2025 vector season.
One new case was confirmed on January 11 with a bovine in the restricted zone in Hampshire following surveillance testing. On January 10, three cattle were confirmed positive close to the edge of the restricted zone in North Yorkshire following surveillance testing.
Another new case was also con-
firmed on January 9, with one female bovine confirmed positive on the edge of the restricted zone in Dorset following surveillance testing.
Two new cases were confirmed on January 7. Five cattle were confirmed positive in the restricted zone in Norfolk following a non-negative premovement test.
Three cattle were confirmed positive in the restricted zone in Norfolk following a non-negative private test as part of an infertility investigation.
A herd of water buffalo in Germany has contracted foot-and-mouth disease.
Sea eagle predation continues to hurt farmers
FARMERS are calling for greater protection against sea eagle predation after claiming they cannot handle the volume of predators attacking livestock.
Last year, it was announced that plans to bring white-tailed eagles back to Cumbria had been driven forward by the Lifescape Project, which said the birds had an ‘intrinsic right’ to live in the UK.
RSPB Scotland claimed lambs were ‘no longer’ a major food source for white-tailed eagles, and the reintroduction of the bird had ‘benefited’ Scotland.
However, the NFU said it had rejected the project’s pathway to reintroduce sea eagles to Cumbria due to ‘serious concerns’ about the impact on the countryside, food production and farm businesses.
● Changes due to take e ect from April 2027
By Chris Brayford
MORE farmers are seeking advice on their pension pots following changes in the Autumn Budget which will bring unspent pensions and death benefits within the scope of Inheritance Tax from April 2027.
Sean McCann, chartered financial planner at NFU Mutual, said Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget was making it ‘more difficult’ for farmers to pass on wealth to the next generation.
Money left in pensions on death is currently free of Inheritance Tax, but this will change from April 2027. The Income Tax treatment of pension death benefits is set to remain unchanged.
Currently, if someone dies before
Consultations on the issue are set to take place later this month.
Ricky Rennie, a sheep farmer from Lochgilphead in Argyll and Bute, said he was left devastated after a sea eagle killed a ewe on January 7.
He said: “It is beyond a joke. This is domestic livestock that are being
killed by bird numbers which are out of control.
“In reality, it is putting us out of business.”
David Colthart, a sheep farmer from Perth, said sea eagle predation, on average, leads to the death of 200 lambs every season on-farm.
He added: “It breaks our hearts
for white-tailed eagles.
to see what happens year-in and yearout. People just do not appreciate that generations of work went into perfecting our livestock and it can all go to waste within a few years.”
He also said there was not enough ‘natural food’ in the countryside for the sea eagles to eat, which has led to attacks on livestock.
Farmers urged to review pension plans
the age of 75, the family can take income and lump sums (within limits) from their remaining pension funds free of Income Tax.
If someone dies after the age of 75, the family pays Income Tax on any money they take out.
The changes could mean that someone dying after the age of 75 with a fund of £100,000 could see a £40,000 Inheritance Tax charge. The remaining £60,000 would then be subject to Income Tax of up to 45%, leaving only £33,000 of the original amount.
Mr McCann said proposed changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief have caused major concerns, but it was also important to factor in changes to the treatment of pensions.
He added that as the date approached it made sense for those over 75 to take any available taxfree lump sum.
He said: “Post-April 2027, it is likely we will see more people taking income from their pension and making regular gifts to take advan-
National Trust celebrates its 130th birthday
THE National Trust is marking its 130th birthday by unveiling ambitious plans for the next decade as it launches a new 10-year strategy to ‘ramp up’ its efforts to address the climate and nature crises.
The plans follow a public consultation with more than 70,000 people – including members, volunteers and industry partners –
sharing their views on the trust’s work and future direction.
Nature in decline
Director-general at the National Trust
Hilary McGrady said: “Today, nature is declining before our eyes and climate change is threatening homes and habitats on a colossal scale.
“Meanwhile, millions of people
cannot enjoy the benefits that green space and heritage bring.
“So we will ramp up our work to restore nature, both on our own land and beyond our boundaries. We will work to end inequality of access to green space and cultural heritage.
“And we will inspire millions more people to take action to protect the things we all need to thrive.”
tage of the ‘gifts from normal expenditure’ exemption, which allows you to make regular gifts from income, immediately free of Inheritance Tax, provided you are left with enough income to maintain your normal standard of living.”
There is no upper limit on this exemption.
Insurance
It was also likely there would be more lump sums being taken and gifted, with many considering insurance to meet any liability on the gift.
NFU Mutual said most pension death benefits could be paid out on receipt of a death certificate.
The Government is proposing that from April 2027, pension providers will become liable for reporting and paying any Inheritance Tax due on unused pensions to HMRC, which is likely to delay payment to the family.
The consultation on how this will work in practice is due to close in late January.
RSPB Scotland said lambs were ‘no longer’ a major food source
PICTURE: GETTY
Write Letters to the Editor, Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Caxton Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9NZ Facebook facebook.com/FarmersGuardian Twitter @farmersguardian Email fgeditorial@agriconnect.com
Can Labour’s tax raid get any worse for UK farmers?
IT is already pretty bad. And £1 million does not go far in modern agriculture. At a price of £10,000 per acre – a figure now decades out of date – that means a farm of 100 acres will be subject, not figuring in any equipment or farm buildings. Factoring £500,000 in assets means a farm of just 50 acres will be subject.
The Treasury argues that the projected increase in tax revenue is too significant to overlook, estimating in the Budget Red Book that reforms to
Inheritance Tax will generate £520m annually by 2029. However, questions have arisen regarding the accuracy of these figures.
This is going to hammer farmers. I predicted at the time that this would be a disaster; family farmers would sell up, big ones would hoover up and internationals would move in. That prediction has now been confirmed by Charlie Ireland in The Times
He highlighted that some of the biggest acquisitions of UK land in recent years have been made by overseas pension companies and sovereign wealth funds, which will be unaffected by the changes and are likely to become more active buyers when smaller farmers sell.
Farmers are an inconvenience to Labour’s intended use of the countryside. Under Labour, hous-
ing targets for rural authorities have skyrocketed, while those for major cities have been cut.
The housing target for Tower Hamlets – which returns two Labour MPs – has been cut by 56%. The housing target for North Yorkshire – which returns two Labour MPs but twice the number of Conservative MPs – has been raised by a staggering 211%.
Labour’s plan to ‘make Britain a clean energy superpower’ largely rests on the idea of achieving a carbon-free grid by 2030, and includes installing a billion solar panels by 2035.
Since generating one gigawatt of solar energy requires 10 to 11 square miles of panels, this would necessitate roughly 750sq miles – an area comparable in size to Greater London. While rooftop solar installa-
tions are generally uncontroversial, much of this expansion is expected to involve solar farms on farmland in England and Wales.
That, of course, is not to mention an estimated 4,000-5,000 new onshore turbines to be built. Or that Ed Miliband’s plan requires a far more dramatic 119,850% increase in energy storage capacity than the outlined 30 GW.
Corporatising the countryside makes it far easier to cover vast swathes of the non-Labour voting countryside in solar panels and houses; alongside making a living, farmers have a concomitant commitment to preservation.
Corporations would have no hesitation in ripping up land for such ventures. Their only commitment is to profit maximisation for shareholders. Convenient, then, that Labour is making it easier to snap up farmland while offering huge subsidies to build renewable energy and to override the planning system in order to force houses through.
Labour needs land – there is a five-year plan to fulfil. And it will only cost us our natural inheritance, and your children their actual inheritance.
Councillor Tom Jones, North Yorkshire Council
What now for hill farmers?
IT was interesting reading the Farming Matters (FG, January 10) article written by Harry Bowell, the director of land and nature at the National Trust.
He quotes that the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit has said ‘hill farmers are among the poorest,
Tyson driving the newish Massey Ferguson 165 at Strudda Bank, Calderbridge. The tractor is still going, now driven by grandson Ryan Slater. Sent in by Kev Holliday.
you have a classic picture you would like to share, please email it to marcello.garbagnoli@agriconnect.com
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and face an outsize hit to livelihoods from delays to new farming schemes’.
He continues that these hill farmers, many of whom farm National Trust land, are ideally placed to deliver big gains for nature and deserve to be rewarded properly for this work.
An article in The Telegraph on January 7 headed ‘Farms Under Threat from National Trust Rewilding Plan’ paints an entirely different and very worrying picture.
This is to target the equivalent of almost all the land owned by the National Trust into wildlife-friendly territory. Its 10-year plan is for 620,000 acres to be for ‘wildlife and nature recovery’ and will include the 1,300 tenanted farms plus buying up new land.
This is an estate that will be equal to one-and-a-half times the size of Greater London.
One farmer said he was asked by the trust to reduce his stock numbers by 85% so it could rewild.
The National Trust lost its founding ethos some years ago and seems to be run by a group of the ‘green blob’ who are intent on removing farmers, rural communities and destroying the countryside and reducing home-grown food supplies.
Suzanne Greenhill, Gloucestershire
Katie Jones Head of Livestock – katie.jones@agriconnect.com
Foot-and-mouth sends shivers down the spine
THE news this week that foot-and-mouth disease has been detected in water buffalo on a farm in the east of Germany, almost 40 years since the country’s last confirmed case, is a stark reminder that this disease threat still persists in Europe and the rest of the world.
Talk of foot-and-mouth disease will have sent shivers down the spines of those who can remember the UK outbreak in 2001 and will inevitably rekindle memories of the far-reaching impact this highly contagious disease had on the farming sector and the countryside as a whole.
It has been positive to see the swift response from the UK Government, which announced it is banning the import of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany in order to prevent the potential spread of the disease.
But for now, we must wait while the German authorities conduct investigations to find out more about the origin of the terrible infection and hope that this is just an isolated case which has been
Young Farmer Focus
‘Our island landscape is forever changing’
Background: I first got involved in farming through the island’s Young Farmers’ Club (YFC), initially to make some new friends. The connections I have made with members since has helped to shape my life.
In March 2020, I helped to rear four orphaned lambs for a YFC friend. We kept them in my back garden.
It was quite daunting because I knew absolutely nothing about lambs. However, I found it exhilarating to be thrown in at the deep end.
Knowing I could pick up the phone at any point and ask for help was very reassuring.
Support: Something that has always stuck with me is that no question is too silly. The farmers I have met, both old and young, have been incredibly supportive.
If you don’t know something, you never will unless you ask. And they
contained. As ever, UK livestock farmers are being asked to remain vigilant.
And until we know more, it is vital that we have thorough checks in place to allow us to protect our borders so that disease, of any kind, is not imported into the UK.
can always tell when someone is eager to learn.
Community: Living on an island can be amazing – in summer, a beach is only 10 minutes away and looks like it should be Greece – but it does have added stresses.
Our island landscape is forever changing.
With the sea and weather causing landslips, it can make the available farmland that bit smaller.
Although everyone is supportive, there is an element of awareness that we only have a certain amount of land.
The UK is an island, but the Isle of Wight is even more so.
Once you reach the sea, there’s nowhere else to go.
Career: We currently have no abattoir, meaning all livestock have to be shipped to the mainland.
This adds extra time, travel and
expense, and it can also be tricky if a boat is cancelled due to poor weather or technical issues.
Similarly, for livestock sales and showing, we also have the added cost and hassle of ferry trips.
The one auction we have takes place in late November, and it is a key date in the Island’s farming calendar for farmers to showcase their prized fat stock and to socialise.
The Royal Isle of Wight County Show,
which I am secretary of, is also a key island event. Farmers can showcase the very best of the island’s produce and livestock.
It provides the perfect opportunity for the public to interact with the local farming community, helping bridge that gap between producer and consumer. The farming community on the island is fantastic, and I am incredibly proud to be a part of it.
Future: My ambition is to continue to be an ambassador for British farming, and to carry on showing how inclusive the industry can be.
MORE INFORMATION
If you would like to be featured, email chris.brayford@agriconnect.com
Newport, Isle of Wight
Sian Grove, 27, is a firstgeneration shepherdess from Newport on the Isle of Wight. She is also an NFU Student and Young Farmer Ambassador.
Sian Grove
Edited by Alex Black – 07880 490 486 – alex.black@agriconnect.com
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Dairy legislation ‘impotent’
● Industry starts year on positive note
By Katie Jones
THE Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024 are ‘impotent’, said market analyst Chris Walkland, speaking at this week’s Semex International Dairy Conference.
At the Glasgow event, Mr Walkland said the new legislation, which came into force for all new contracts from July last year, was ‘supposed to give farmers greater power’ but he had been disappointed to recently discover that ‘third parties’, such as himself and the NFU, would not be able to complain to the adjudicator.
Instead, the complaint must be made by a farmer, and that farmer must first make the complaint to the milk purchaser and also be prepared to be named.
This, he said, rendered the legislation ‘pretty useless’ as farmers could be put off from raising a complaint.
Mr Walkland added: “This legislation is based on the unscrupulous processor who does not play fair. But if those processors then start intimidating or threatening the farmer, especially in milk fields where there is no choice of processor, then the farmer is not going to complain and the farmer is going to be no better off.
“This has to change. We need stronger legislation than we have got.”
Responding to Mr Walkland’s comments, NFU chief dairy adviser Verity Richards said the regulations had been a ‘big step’ for UK dairy, but this was ‘just the start’.
She said: “It is vital that the new Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator is not just seen as a deterrent to bad behaviour, but also has the power to actively ensure all purchasers are compliant with the regulations.
“That is why the NFU continues to lobby Government to expand the functions of the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator office, in line with those of the Groceries Code Adjudi-
cator, to enable it to proactively investigate potential breaches without necessarily needing a named complainant, to ensure all producers have access to a fair, transparent and compliant contract.
“This will be even more important as the remit of the adjudicator is expanded to cover other sectors.”
Predictions
Mr Walkland also gave his predictions on what the future might hold for milk prices for 2025.
He said: “Currently milk prices are strong and they exceed the cost of production. I think we have got a few good months of really good milk incomes. There is every reason to start 2025 on an optimistic note.”
However, he added that he expected the ‘next milk price moves to be down’ especially from those processors currently paying the higher prices.
“Overall, I think we will see prices above 40ppl for quarter one, but if the rising milk volume predictions
Tax revenues fall after excise duty hike on spirits
THE Treasury has lost out on £350 every minute in tax revenue after excise duty on Scotch whisky and other spirits was hiked in August 2023.
According to HMRC figures, revenue from spirits duty between August and October 2024 was 5% lower than the same period last year, equating to £50 million.
A further hike will come into force from February 1, with the Scotch Whisky Association warning the industry is already ‘overburdened’ by tax.
Mark Kent, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said the industry had been proved right about how hiking rates leads to less revenue and stalled growth.
“We are not crying wolf – HM Treasury needs to understand that even this resilient industry cannot be stretched beyond breaking point,” he said.
He added consumers could not continue to bear the cost.
“The commitment made by the Prime Minister to ‘back Scotch produ-
cers to the hilt’ was broken by the decision to further increase duty on the industry. These new figures are just the latest evidence that was a misstep, just as the 10.1% increase by the previous Government was – something Ministers in that Government now admit.
“The industry is resilient but faces headwinds at home and overseas,” he added, calling on the Government to support the industry and not further raise duty.
are correct, we will probably see less than 40ppl for quarter two.
“But overall, I think prices will be over 40ppl for the first half of 2025. After that it is too close to call,” he said.
Muller driving down emissions
MULLER has announced the launch of ‘Fast Track’, a programme targeted at decreasing carbon emissions from supplying farms by introducing realtime data analysis.
Delivered in partnership with Kite Consulting and 40 supplying farms, the processor said the project will play a key role in its ambition to decrease on-farm emissions by 30% by 2030.
The programme will run for three years and will utilise automated data integration from numerous sources including Feedlync, a cloud-based feed management system, to monitor four key areas of feed efficiency, fertility, stock numbers and energycorrected milk.
Data-driven changes
David Craven, dairy manager at Grosvenor Farms, said the programme gives farmers the ability to identify data-driven changes and focus on ‘the indicators which have the biggest impact on long-term farm resilience and sustainability’.
Rob Hutchison, chief executive of Muller Milk and Ingredients, said the programme will mean there is no longer a reliance on ‘historic and sometimes out-of-date data to make decisions’.
Chris Walkland told the Semex conference the Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024 were ‘pretty useless’.
Grain prices have started the year in a muted mood, but there are reasons to believe values have at least bottomed out and could rise in the coming months. Cedric Porter reports.
Market for maize has an influence on wheat
● US forecasts global grain production down
THE January 2025 feed wheat futures price on the London ICE market was at £181/tonne at the beginning of this week, up £5/t on the week but still down almost £35/t on a year ago.
The market is a little more confident on prices for the 2025 crop, with November 2025 price trading at £196/t, while the November 2026 price is at £202/t.
Speaking at the recent US Potato Expo, Stephen Nicholson, global sector strategist for grains and oilseeds at Rabobank, said: “Given the tightness of global wheat stocks, including a small crop in Europe in 2024 and problems looming for this year’s Russia, people always ask why are wheat prices not stronger.
“The main answer is that corn [grain maize] stocks are still strong and wheat competes with that crop.
Also, although wheat is a smaller crop internationally than corn, it is grown by a lot more countries and is harvested throughout the year in that larger range of countries.”
In contrast, most maize is grown by the United States and Brazil.
The market for wheat could be given support by its main rival crop, maize, suggested the latest US Department of Agriculture (USDA) World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE). It actually raised its wheat stock forecast, but reduced maize estimates.
The January 10 WASDE report said: “Global coarse grain production for 2024/25 is forecast down 4.8 million tonnes to 1.494 billion.
“This month’s 2024/25 US corn outlook is for lower production, feed and residual use, exports and ending stocks.”
World grain stocks
The USDA put world grain stocks in January at 761mt, 2.6mt down on the December 2024 figure and 4.3% less than a year ago. Wheat stocks are up on the month, but by less than 1mt to 259mt, 3.2% less than a year ago and 5.5% lower than two years ago.
drier and hotter, which may affect potato growers in my home state and those in the Canadian Prairie states,” Mr Richardson said. “But corn and soya production could also be impacted by those drier and hotter conditions.”
He said the La Nina climate phase the world was entering could be weaker than previous years, while it will compete with a negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation event in the Pacific Ocean.
The USDA expected a slightly larger 2025 US wheat crop at 13.5mt, but that would be down 7% on the 2023 total.
Unusually for the last few months, AHDB turned most of its grain and oilseed price barometer dials to bullish this week. It said that wheat prices were being supported in the short-term by limits on Russian supply and exports.
Although the UK has little grain to export, a weaker pound was helping
make it more competitive and dissuading imports.
In the longer term, UK wheat values could be given support by global pressure on maize supplies, including unfavourable weather in Argentina.
Support
AHDB cereals and oilseeds analyst Yuriy Ruban said: “From early December, US maize futures have added support to the wider grains complex. High demand for maize on the physical market, with limited supply, is driving this gain.”
An increase in maize prices is giving some support to barley, but continued pressure on beer and malting demand could limit gains. Oilseed prices have been given support by tighter supplies this season, but the expectations of a record Brazilian soyabean crop may limit gains.
MORE INFORMATION
For more on the grain markets, see p22.
Given the tightness of global wheat stocks, including a small crop in Europe in 2024, people always ask why are wheat prices not stronger
STEPHEN NICHOLSON
As ever, the weather will be the main factor determining the size of the global grain crop. Better autumn conditions have allowed UK and European growers to plant more wheat, but areas were still not back to long-term averages. But it is often the weather in the US that makes the market.
Also speaking at the US Potato Expo, North Dakota state climatologist Daryl Richardson predicted that the upcoming summer would be wetter than average (and last year) in the north west and north east of the US, which is where most of the country’s potatoes are grown.
“However, the mid-west could be
The US Department of Agriculture has raised its wheat stock forecast while reducing corn estimates, which could affect the global market.
Land demand is still outstripping supply
● Price increase shows inherent resilience
By Alex Black
THE farmland market edged up slightly during 2024, according to the Knight Frank Farmland Index, with ‘plenty of active buyers’ still in the market, despite a turbulent year.
Alice Keith, associate on the farms and estates team at Knight Frank, said the index showed average values in England and Wales at the start of 2024 stood at £9,152/acre, finishing the year at £9,164/acre.
Budget
“The knee-jerk reaction in the wake of the Autumn Budget was to worry that farmland values would slide significantly, but so far, and given the time of year when sales are notoriously slower, there have been too few transactions to back that theory up,” she said.
“While the changes to Inheritance Tax are, of course, extremely unwelcome and ill-considered, with careful succession planning it will
be possible for many farmers and landowners to mitigate them.”
She added they did not foresee that the changes would deter a significant proportion of potential buyers. They were also not expecting a significant rise in land coming to the market in 2025.
Ms Keith said the rise showed the ‘inherent resilience’ of agricultural land as an asset.
Potential
Prospects for more marginal areas were also boosted by environmental potential for marginal land unsuited to commercial agriculture.
David Jones, partner and head of agency at Robinson and Hall agents, said little had changed in 2024.
“The total acreage offered for sale across the country has changed very little, although as always there are regional variations. We have, perhaps, seen more farms for sale in the eastern counties than for some time, while in the central counties, offerings have remained rather slim,” he said.
He added it was little surprise that prices had remained fairly consistent.
Shoppers splashed out at Christmas
RECORD amounts were spent on food at Christmas as inflation eased, but much of that spending was due to supermarket promotions.
In the three weeks before Christmas, shoppers spent £14.6 billion, according to data from market researcher NIQ. However, promotions were at their highest levels for three years at 27% of the total.
The star performer in the four weeks to December 28 was online retailer Ocado. Its sales were up 13.9% which was impressive as overall online sales were down 1.7%.
“Large complete farms have, as usual, been in short supply. Rollover buyers who have been unable to find a large farm in 2024 will no doubt be waiting anxiously to see what comes on the market early in 2025.
“However, the big news in 2024 was, of course, the Budget, and it will be interesting to see what effect this might have on the market this year.”
Marks & Spencer’s sales were up 6.8%, followed by 5.5% growth for discounters Aldi and Lidl. It was a solid performance for Tesco and Sainsbury’s with 4.5% and 3.1% growth, respectively. That contrasted with a continued decline in market share for Asda.
International
It seems that it was a more international Christmas for many. Sushi was the strongest performer, with sales growing by 20% on the year before.
But there was still good news for more home-produced fare. Bakery sales were up 4.8%, with a 2.1% growth in volume and 4.4% increase in the value of meat and poultry sales.
Mike Watkins, NIQ’s UK head of retailer and business insight, said: “Overall, it was a good Christmas for most food retailers, with sales growths in line with the expectations that had been set in the last three months.”
He added shoppers had had to spend more money this year on household bills, which may have ‘taken the edge off’ growth in categories such as alcohol.
He added the market researcher expected shoppers to keep shopping around in 2025 to find savings, shopping little and often.
Pound drops against dollar
THE pound dropped to its lowest value against the dollar since November 2023, falling to $1.21 on Monday.
This has raised concerns that inflation could persist for longer. It comes as Government borrowing costs rose in the UK. Government debt costs in Germany, France, Spain and Italy have also increased.
There
Alice Keith
By Alex Black
MORE than 37,000 sheep have died from bluetongue in Portugal, with 1,800 farms affected by the outbreak.
According to data from the Directorate-General for Food and Veterinary (DGAV), sent to Portuguese news agency Lusa, 118,607 sheep have been infected with bluetongue so far. However, these figures only reflect the notifications received by the DGAV, so the numbers could be even higher.
The Government has funded 385,050 doses of vaccine against serotype three of the bluetongue virus.
The Ministry of Agriculture told Lusa: “With the authorisation of voluntary vaccination at the end of September 2024, take-up has been significant. So far, all the applications made by December 31 have been funded, corresponding to 385,050 doses of vaccine, for a total amount of €982,318.62.”
Vaccination of adult breeding sheep and young sheep intended for breeding and cattle is compulsory against serotypes one and four of the bluetongue virus in Portugal.
Bluetongue hits 1,800 farms in Portugal
Three serotypes of bluetongue were circulating in Portugal: BTV-4, which first appeared in 2004 and was detected again in 2013 and 2023; BTV-1, identified in 2007, with outbreaks until 2021; and BTV-3, detected for the first time on September 13.
The Azores and Madeira are free from the disease.
Mosquitoes
The Portuguese Government will also launch an eight-month disinsection plan from March to combat the disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
In Belgium, cattle and sheep farmers will be required to vaccinate their animals against serotypes three and eight of the bluetongue virus from January.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, David Clarinval, spearheaded the initiative after consulting agricultural organisations.
He said: “The bluetongue virus
caused heavy losses among Belgian cattle and sheep farmers last year.
The Belgian Government will provide compensation to farmers.
Mr Clarinval added: “This measure ensures that farmers are not left to bear the costs of protecting their livestock alone.”
Three serotypes of bluetongue are circulating in Portugal.
Farm Profile
Edited by Angela Calvert – 07768 796 492 – angela.calvert@agriconnect.com
Positivity is key to the approach taken by Matt Brooks and Laura Pollock as they take their first steps on the farming ladder in Monmouthshire. Gaina Morgan finds out more.
Multiple enterprises vital to success of new entrants
Aferocious South American ostrich, Pygmy goats and Cayuga ducks are as important as the mainstream Aberdeen-Angus calves, British Blue cross calves, sheep and pigs which all fit together as Matt Brooks and Laura Pollock build their business. The couple are council tenants on just 46 hectares (114 acres) with a five-year tenancy and a novel approach to generating income.
The novelty breeds help to draw in visitors to events and open days organised by the couple. These range from a summer dog show to pick your own pumpkins, and all feature home-produced food to bolster income but also to forge a link between field and fork.
The couple first started applying for farm tenancies in 2021 and had a series of ‘just missing out’ disappointments. Then came the opportunity to
Farm facts
■ 46 hectares (114 acres)
■ Five-year council tenancy
■ 125 Aberdeen-Angus calves reared for Blade Farming
■ 70 dairy cross British Blue/ Limousin calves
■ 80 ewes of mixed breed
■ 16 pig weaners
■ 0.6ha (1.5 acres) pick your own pumpkins
take on Lower House Farm at Llanvair Discoed, near Chepstow, with its sweeping views across the River Severn and the Prince of Wales Bridge.
It was the opportunity Matt had been longing for, with his many years of experience working on farms. And Laura, whose day job involves corporate team-building and leadership development, spotted the chance to diversify.
She says: “We are close to Caldicot which is moderately affluent, as well as Newport and Chepstow, giving us a number of different audiences to target. There did not appear to be many other open farms nearby and so we felt it was a great location.
“It has also brought people together, and we could not run it without the help of my mother-inlaw, my mum and dad, a friend, and an apprentice all chipping in to help us run our events. It is as farms used to be and with a joyous feel.
Home-made feel
“We make as much as we can and so there is a rustic and home-made feel. People enjoy being out onfarm and kids can run around in the paddocks, breathing in the fresh air, surrounded by our ever-growing menagerie of animals.
“The infrastructure to make the
events run can be very expensive with insurance and a lot of risk assessments, but the NFU and Monmouthshire County Council’s Estates department has been very helpful and supportive.
“Social media has been really important for raising awareness and promoting our events. People sharing with friends, based on their own positive experiences, has helped our events to grow and we are grateful to returning visitors, many of whom come to every event.”
Matt and Laura are just two years into their five-year tenancy and have embraced the hard work, shrewd budgeting and cold weather. Winter is a time for consolidation and preparation.
The day-to-day work involves caring for the 125 Aberdeen-Angus calves, as well as dairy cross British Blue/Limousin crosses, a mixed sheep flock and a growing number of pigs.
Matt Brooks and Laura Pollock.
Monmouthshire Farm Profile
The Aberdeen-Angus are reared for Blade Farming and come in at four or five months old, leaving at 12 months old. The dairy cross calves are bought from Sedgemoor Market at under 42 days and stay for eight to 12 weeks before moving on. Three Highlands and two Belted Galloways will form the mainstay of this year’s ‘Meet Our Cows’ experience.
Cattle
Matt says: “The farm is at the bottom of Wentwood and, while lovely and flat, it is very wet over winter and so we have had to adapt our farming approach.
“Originally, we had hoped to keep our cattle out for the majority of the year, but we learned after the first winter that it was not to be the case and [we now] choose to house them indoors from October through to March. The native breeds are more suited to out-wintering, so they stay out – unless it is like 2023 when everything had to come in.”
From February, the couple will be lambing their 80 ewes – mostly North Country Cheviots, Welsh Mules and Romneys. They were, as with most of the farm animals, bought on price. The pig herd comprises 16 weaners, a mix of Oxford Sandy Blacks, Saddlebacks, Gloucester Old Spot crosses and Large Blacks.
The meat is sold through direct sales and at their farm events. Some of the lambs are also sold directly, with the remaining sold through Monmouthshire Market.
Laura and Matt work closely with two independent local butchers. Laura, with her need to know, spent a day at Benny’s Butchers in Gloucester.
Matt shoulders most of the dayto-day farming and Laura combines business management with her corporate work. The overriding impression is of a light-hearted and joyful working life.
Laura says: “I think it was the opportunity to build something of our own that drove us to wanting a
tenancy, even if it is for a relatively short time.
“The opportunity is definitely better than no opportunity at all and, having been on the other side, longing for a tenancy, we understand why these tenancies are short.
“It is a stepping stone for new people and, in a few years, hopefully we will be in a position to move on.
Future
“A lot of people say the future of farming is bleak, but it is only as bleak as you allow it. Some days are undoubtedly very hard and we ride a wave, but when I look around, I am so proud of what we are building.
“It is not without compromise; Matt was less keen on opening up to the public, but we are working together.
“An acre-and-a-half of pumpkins, surrounded by a maize maze, is profitable but very hard work. A yield of 2,700 pumpkins and squashes was achieved on the 1.5 acres, with a good
An ostrich is one of the more unusual additions, and helps draw visitors to the farm’s events.
I think it was the opportunity to build something of our own that drove us to wanting a tenancy, even if it is for a relatively short time
LAURA POLLOCK
turnover. A friend and I put in 1,000 plants by hand.”
Visitor numbers are constrained by parking, but restricting numbers to 20 vehicles every 90-minute slot has added to the intimacy of the
Goats and ducks form part of the animal menagerie at Lower House Farm.
The sheep flock comprises mixed breeds.
Farm Profile Monmouthshire
experience. Guidance came from the Welsh Government’s Farming Connect, who selected Lower House Farm to be part of its Our Farms network.
Advice and support was fully funded through the Farming Connect Advisory Service. A growers’ WhatsApp group also helps.
Establishment
Different establishment techniques were trialled for the pumpkins, including direct drilling the seed, bought-in pumpkin plants and propagating their own plants from seed.
Laura feels a combination of establishment methods is probably best.
She says: “It should perhaps cover all bases and eventualities if we get another tricky growing season. But, of course, it does add in extra expense and logistics.
“The squashes performed particularly well, with each plant yielding three or four fruit. Weed control presented the greatest challenge.
“The weeds did take over but we were able to top the weeds mechanically, which did help. This year strips of grass will be left between the rows, so that only the area around the pumpkins will need to be weeded, not the whole field. Pollinator strips will also be introduced.”
Autumn 2025 and the pumpkin season seems a long time away, but planning is vital and time-consuming. It is also crucial for the other events, starting with lambing and then ‘Spring on the Farm’.
Mentoring was particularly useful for the couple in the early days. They learned they had secured the tenancy in December 2022 and
Some days are undoubtedly very hard and we ride a wave, but when I look around, I am so proud of what we are building
LAURA POLLOCK
moved in February 2023 with 50 of their 75 hastily bought ewes due triplets in the March. Bottle feeding 50 lambs was an experience, but things have progressed and they now let the public help bottle feed orphan lambs.
Consumer
Matt and Laura are enthusiastic about linking the consumer to the cycle of farming life and enjoy showcasing the rearing of animals and taking them to market, to the abattoir, to the butcher and, ultimately, to the consumer.
It is relentlessly hard work, only made possible by family support, having matched all their savings with a gift from Laura’s parents.
But it is exhilarating and they enjoy giving non-farmers a glimpse of life on a farm in a beautiful location.
Aberdeen-Angus calves are reared for Blade Farming.
Highland cows are used for the farm’s ‘Meet Our Cows’ experience.
Dairy cross British Blue calves are bought from
The pig herd is a mix of Oxford and Sandy Blacks, Saddleback, Gloucester Old Spot crosses and Large Black weaners.
Sedgemoor market.
Edited by Jane Thynne – 07882 219 917 – jane.thynne@agriconnect.com
For more arable content, go to farmersguardian.com/arable-news-hub
● Act will transform plant and feed sector
By Jane Thynne
DEFRA Secretary of State Steve Reed has confirmed secondary legislation unlocking new precision breeding technology will be introduced to Parliament by the end of March.
First proposed in 2022, the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 allows for the development of gene-edited plants and animals for food and feed in England, removing them from the regulatory system for genetically modified organisms.
Speaking at last week’s Oxford Farming Conference, the Minister said the move would ‘make it easier for farmers to take part in research and benefit from agritech’.
Commercial
“Precision breeding offers huge potential to transform the plant breeding sector in England, enabling innovative products to be commercialised in years instead of decades,” Mr Reed said.
“Unlocking new precision breeding technology will allow farmers to grow crops that are more nutritious, resistant to pests and disease, resilient to climate change and benefit the environment.”
The announcement comes after 65 members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technol-
Defra gives timeline for precision breeding
ogy in Agriculture (APPGSTA) wrote to Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner asking him to set out a clear timetable to implement the legislation.
APPGSTA welcomed Mr Reed’s news, saying further delay threatened to stifle investment leading to greater food insecurity.
The group’s chair, George Freeman MP, said: “The Precision Breeding Act is progressive, coherent and evidence-based, and will help unlock the promise of these critical technologies in accelerating access to the agricultural innovation needed to boost food security, to make our farming systems more resilient, to support nature recovery, and to reduce the climate and environmental footprint of food production.”
Concerns had been raised that recent talks to realign the UK with the EU – which is still holding discussions with member states on how to proceed – could delay or even block plans to press ahead with the new gene-editing rules in England.
“Delays and speculation are potentially damaging to confidence among prospective investors and innovators,” said Mr Freeman.
ADOPT SET FOR SPRING BUT FUNDING UNDER WRAPS
THE long-awaited Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) fund will launch this spring, Defra has announced, while stopping short of confirming whether it will commit to the scheme’s £44 million budget as promised by the previous Government.
The ADOPT scheme promised businesses the opportunity to apply for a share of £44m to test and trial new technology and techniques on farms.
However, it – along with several grant programmes – was put on hold by Labour.
Technology
Speaking at last week’s Oxford Farming Conference, Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed confirmed the scheme would go ahead in the coming weeks funding farmer-led trials ‘to bridge the gap between new technologies and their real-world application’.
However, when questioned he failed to confirm the value of the total
Tom Allen-Stevens fund, saying the Treasury would confirm this in subsequent announcements.
Mr Reed said: “Our intention is to support these schemes and innovation because the future of the sector is dependent on getting that right.”
Oxfordshire farmer and founder of the British On-Farm Innovation Network
Tom Allen-Stevens welcomed the news, saying the fund was ‘desperately
“Getting our rules in place now will enable investment to flow and innovation to take place. It will allow the first precision-bred products to be commercialised, and for the market
needed and should never have been put on hold’.
Mr Allen-Stevens said: “Farmers need access to the latest technology and innovation which is most appropriate to their businesses. ADOPT is a very exciting programme which should make it possible to bring new tech onto farms to thoroughly test what does and does not deliver.
“However while Mr Reed acknowledged the role of innovation in agriculture, he failed to commit to restarting other measures such as the Farming Equipment Technology Fund.”
UK Agri-Tech Centre chief executive Phil Bicknell said the announcement marked ‘a hugely positive step’.
“ADOPT is so important because unless you can place innovation in the hands of end users, in this case farmers, and accelerate the pace of adoption then we are missing out on the opportunities which are out there,” said Mr Bicknell.
Defra said details on the fund and how to apply will be released shortly.
to demonstrate that it can deal with diverging regulations on an international basis, as is already the case for a range of agricultural technologies and inputs,” he added.
Scientists hail septoria study
A CRITICAL gene could be the key to what makes some fungal pathogens so virulent, latest research has found.
Scientists at Rothamsted Research, in partnership with the universities of Bath and Exeter, used combined pathogen host modelling to map the cereal disease fusarium, looking at genes active in infection and tracing them to the proteins driving infection.
Starting with more than 14,000 genes, this targeted approach identified the protein Knr4 as a driver of infection for fusarium head blight and septoria tritici blotch – two of wheat’s most common diseases. Knr4 is involved in regulating growth rate and sensitivity to stress.
Inability
Knocking the gene out which helps synthesise Knr4 in fusarium saw a complete inability of the pathogen to spread in the wheat spike and a similar deletion also resulted in a drop in virulence of septoria.
Study leader Dr Erika Kroll said: “This could be a game-changer for controlling these serious pathogens.”
Minister Steve Reed said the technology could ‘transform the sector’ of English plant breeding.
May 24 LIFFE wheat futures closed on Tuesday (January 14) at £192.90/tonne, up £2.80/t on the week.
OILSEEDS UPBEAT USDA REPORT
WORLD oilseeds prices had a very positive week, with CBOT soyabeans rallying 5.7% and MATIF rapeseed by 5.6%.
Gains were prompted by a variety of factors, but of particular note was the updated USDA crop report released on Friday.
Of the change made to the oilseeds sector, markets focused on the downwards revision to US soyabean yields, which were
LIFFE WHEAT FUTURES
UK PRICES MOVE LOWER
trimmed by a bushel, down to 50.7bu/acre. Few in the market had expected such a move and this set light to CBOT soyabean futures. CFTC data now shows speculators holding a net short position in soyabeans of 29,000 lots, the smallest short position since early October.
Adding supplementary support across the board was a huge 6.4% jump in crude oil prices and strong demand by China for soyabean supplies. Here, the race is on to stock-up before Trump is inaugurated and potential tariffs are put in place.
LONDON wheat futures enjoyed a buoyant festive break, rising to their highest level since the end of October 2024 – albeit briefly. However, the start of the new year saw prices move lower again, dropping by as much as £7/tonne while battling sterling strength and limited demand.
Domestic consumers have adequate cover short-term and even with domestic prices significantly below imported wheat costs for both feed and milling
grades, attracting demand has been a challenge.
A change in sterling’s fortunes might now indicate more movement and an improvement for UK wheat price prospects. Worsening economic indicators and the rising cost servicing UK debt has brought an end to sterling’s rally that peaked just before Christmas at a 32-month high.
In Brazil, the key Mato Grosso state has just started its soyabean harvest. While too early to make a judgement on the national crop size, we predict that the record 169-million tonne production levels expected by USDA is likely to be achieved. Rains have hampered cutting progress a little.
GLOBAL MORE SUPPORT AFTER SLUGGISH START
WORLD grain markets have, after a sluggish start to 2025, attracted more robust support.
Buying has been particularly evident in maize, for which support from Argentina dryness concerns has been supercharged by another cut by the USDA to its forecast for US stocks at the close of 2024/25, as it sliced seven million tonnes off the estimate for last year’s harvest.
World corn inventories are now forecast ending at a 10-year low, rather than building to a three-year high as the USDA had expected ahead of the US harvest.
The impact on maize prices has
been to send them to a one-year high in Chicago, spot basis.
For wheat, the USDA’s monthly WASDE crop report was not nearly as momentous, making a small upgrade in fact to the estimate for world inventories at the close of 2024/25. Nonetheless, the buoyancy in corn has started being felt in wheat markets too. This after wheat’s premium to maize shrank to half average levels in Chicago.
A slowing pace of Russian exports, seen potentially recording their slowest January in eight years, is also gaining attention – even ahead of the start of the country’s 10.6mt quota in a month’s time.
Indeed, that quota is a reminder of the particular geopolitical uncertainties surrounding markets –not all of which are supportive to prices. This as Donald Trump prepares to take office as US President on January 20.
The stage looks set for continued market volatility, albeit with a limit to downside risk from relatively tight wheat and corn inventories.
Traders have sold sterling and we have seen it fall heavily since the middle of last week. It is now at its lowest versus the euro since November 1, 2024, and the US dollar since the end of October 2023. If sterling continues to fall, import costs rise and in the south of the UK, exports might even begin to feature.
UK 2025 wheat production prospects are encouraging, with crop condition for the eastern side of the UK in good shape, but this adds another potentially bearish factor for prices to account for.
Rupert Somerscales, Agri-Analytics UK
Simon Ingle, Frontier
Mike Verdin, CRM Agri
LIFFE wheat, May 5, 2025 LIFFE wheat, Nov 11, 2025
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Growers are being urged to follow glyphosate stewardship guidelines after the first confirmed case of field resistance to the herbicide in the UK. Teresa Rush reports.
Glyphosate-resistant Italian ryegrass identified in Kent
Resistance to glyphosate at the label rate – 540g (1.5 litres per hectare) and 1,440g (four litres/ha) –has been detected in a single field population of Italian ryegrass (lolium multiflorum) following a weed control failure on a farm in Kent in 2024.
The discovery came after large Italian ryegrass (IRG) plants were seen to survive high rates of appropriate glyphosate applications in the run up to planting a relatively late-drilled spring crop. Issues with spray application, herbicide rates, spray timing and water condition that might have compromised herbicide efficacy were ruled out.
While there is known resistance to glyphosate globally in several weed species, this is the first time resistance has been documented in the field in the UK. Within Europe, glyphosate resistance in IRG has previously been identified in Italy and Spain.
Announcing the finding, ADAS principal consultant and weed specialist John Cussans says: “We have come across several high-risk cases before, where we could rule out resistance following resampling and retesting.
“However, this is the first time we can confirm, after vigorous testing and multiple samples taken, that glyphosate resistance is present in a UK Italian ryegrass population.”
In addition to this one confirmed case, three further populations of Italian ryegrass with suspected glyphosate resistance are still under
ADVICE TO FARMERS AND AGRONOMISTS
AHEAD of the 2025 cropping season, the Weed Resistance Action Group (WRAG), an independent organisation made up of crop protection researchers and agrochemical industry experts, is emphasising the importance of glyphosate stewardship and encouraging all growers and agronomists to read and act on the WRAG Guidelines for minimising the risk of glyphosate in the UK, first published in 2015 (see panel, right).
Glyphosate-resistant
Italian ryegrass has been identified on a Kent farm.
investigation, with results expected later this year.
Signs that glyphosate resistance is developing in common UK arable weeds have been present for several years. Scientists from ADAS and Rothamsted first discovered reduced glyphosate sensitivity in sterile brome in 2018.
ADAS and NIAB have screened more than 300 IRG seed samples as part of standard herbicide resistance testing. Although a number of potential high-risk cases were found during that time, the Kent population is the first in which glyphosate resistance has been confirmed.
Extensive testing
To date, Italian ryegrass is the only weed to show resistance in the UK. Extensive testing of black-grass and a 2023 survey of 166 brome samples found no populations with glyphosate resistance.
Roger Bradbury, agronomist with crop science business Bayer, which supplies glyphosate under the Roundup brand, says despite this first case of resistance in the UK, glyphosate will continue to be a core pillar of integrated weed management on-farm.
He says: “There are certain farming systems that are very reliant on glyphosate, because there is limited soil movement. That is not to say those systems cannot exist – there are posi-
tive environmental and financial benefits to the grower around adopting these types of farming system, but they do require vigilance around the appearance of suspicious plants in the field.
“This is an important moment, and I think it should help focus our minds on the need to focus on weed management at a field level.”
High-risk situations for the development of resistance to glyphosate are those where there is high grass-weed pressure and limited cultivations, adds Mr Bradbury.
Going forward, maximising the efficacy of glyphosate in the field will be important and that will mean using the correct dose for the target weeds and applying at the right time.
“Timeliness is important. As for most herbicides, the best efficacy comes from treating weeds when they are small. As weeds gets larger and as we move into the spring, treating larger weeds is a more challenging target for any herbicide, and that includes glyphosate,” says Mr Bradbury.
Spring 2024 was a particularly difficult one for weed management, with several factors potentially influential in compromising glyphosate efficacy.
Poor weather meant there were few opportunities for timely glyphosate applications in early spring.
Where spray applications were delayed, some weeds reached a size which required a higher dose of glyphosate than originally recommended to control them.
Tight spray windows may also have contributed to compromised spray application.
Wet fields and stressed crops with roots sat in anaerobic conditions for prolonged periods would have limited the translocation of glyphosate within Italian ryegrass plants.
And with very few days without rainfall last spring, rainfastness of sprays would have been an issue in some cases.
“We were not necessarily getting the dose of glyphosate that had gone into the spray tank to where it needed to be to do the job,” says Mr Bradbury.
Resistance
Commenting on the identification of glyphosate resistance in a UK weed population, Stuart Knight, director of agronomy at NIAB, says: “This first detection of confirmed resistance to glyphosate in Italian ryegrass in the UK is not unexpected, and in time other cases are likely to emerge.
“Growers and their advisers should continue to monitor the effectiveness of herbicide applications and further investigate where individual plants
WRAG GUIDELINES
■ Prevent survivors: Avoid repeat applications of glyphosate to surviving plants
■ Maximise efficacy: Apply the right dose rate to kill all target weeds (reduced rates increase the risk of reduced efficacy), at the right timing (when weeds are actively growing and avoiding the stem extension phase), in the right conditions (do not apply to plants under stress from waterlogging, drought and very cold weather)
■ Use alternatives: Use nonchemical options such as cultivation where practical, and use other herbicides in sequence
■ Monitor success: Remove survivors and report potential resistance issues to your adviser and/or the product manufacturer
have survived treatment. Repeat applications of glyphosate to surviving weed plants should be avoided and other measures deployed instead.
“Unlike, for example, insects that become resistant to insecticides, resistant weeds do not spread readily over a distance. Any new cases of glyphosate-resistant Italian ryegrass
IMPLICATIONS FOR REGEN FARMING AND CONSERVATION AG
GLYPHOSATE resistance concerns are not a barrier to regenerative agriculture, but:
■ Pressure on, and increased reliance on glyphosate, such as in a reduced/no-till system must be managed
■ In all systems monitoring and proper focus on glyphosate stewardship is essential
Source: WRAG
are therefore likely to have developed separately.”
Mr Cussans adds steps are being taken to ensure that the glyphosateresistant IRG population found in Kent is confined to the farm on which it was identified.
“There is a massive biosecurity responsibility, and I can only emphasise how exemplary the response has been from the individuals on the ground there, which should be reassurance to all of us,” he says.
Moving forward, the affected farm will be carrying out more mechanical weeding but will continue to use glyphosate as part of its weed control programme.
Mr Cussans adds that resistance to glyphosate is not linked to resistance to selective herbicides, which are still used successfully on the affected farm.
MORE INFORMATION Visit: ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/theweed-resistance-action-group-wrag
Rapid testing and monitoring
TO monitor the situation and evaluate the potential for additional cases of glyphosate resistance, ADAS will be conducting a rapid testing programme in spring 2025.
This testing will target populations of Italian ryegrass surviving glyphosate application prior to drilling of a spring crop as this has been identified as a high-risk situation.
The testing will require growers and advisers to:
■ Complete a questionnaire to evaluate risk
■ Dig up Italian ryegrass plants from the field (enough plant material to cover an A4 sheet of paper in total) and send them to ADAS (in sealed plastic bags with the completed questionnaire)
Edited by Angela Calvert – 07768 796
Hexel Texel flock tops Lanark at 6,200gns
l Gimmer trade reaches 4,400gns
THE Lanark Ladies sale of pedigree Texel females topped at 6,200gns for the pre-sale show champion, a ewe hogg from Donald and Sarah MacPherson’s Hexel flock, Berwickupon-Tweed.
By Strathbogie Gladiator and out of a Procters Chumba Wumba daughter, it sold online to B.I. and B.M. Mosey, East Yorkshire.
Topping the gimmer trade at 4,400gns, from Hugh and Alan Blackwood’s Auldhousebun flock, Muirkirk, was a daughter of 130,000gns Haymount Fan Dabi Dozi out of a dam by Sportsmans Double Diamond.
A full sister to 42,000gns Auldhouseburn Ghost, it sold on the phone to C. Fielder, Duttons, Hampshire,
carrying a single to the 24,000gns Mellor Vale Hercules.
S.J. and S.L. Beachell, Driffield, paid 1,400gns apiece for a gimmer and a ewe hogg, both from Robert Cockburn’s Knap flock, Crieff. At the same money was a gimmer from T.
Pre-sale show champion, a ewe hogg, from Donald and Sarah MacPherson, Berwickupon-Tweed, which sold for 6,200gns to B.I. and B.M Mosey, East Yorkshire.
Muirhead, Orchilmore, which sold to G. and J. Allan, Linlithgow.
AT the show and sale of feeding bulls at Pateley Bridge, first prize went to an 11-month-old Limousin from K. and G. Huck, Austwick, which sold for £2,200 to the judge, Edward Simpson, Bielby.
Messrs Huck also had the second
Flying store cattle trade at Hexham mart
STORE cattle were in demand at Hexham, with steers averaging £1,876 and heifers £1,689, with an overall average of £1,821, which was £438/head up on the same sale last year.
Weanlings and suckled calves averaged £1,468.79, with steer calves averaging £1,501 and heifers at £1,396.
The pre-sale show champion was a 10-month-old Limousin cross steer from W.D. and B. Thompson, East Unthank, which went on to sell for £1,820.
Reserve went to the over 18-monthold steer class winner, a black Limousin cross from Geoff and James Ogle, Blackburn, which topped the trade at £2,470. Other Limousin cross steers from the same home sold to £2,320 and averaged £2,356.
A run of 16 Limousin and British Blue cross steers from Devonport Farms, Blakelaw, sold to £2,300 and averaged £2,033. Alan Ogle, Comb Hills, sold Limousin cross steers to £2,300 twice.
Steers
prize winner, which also made £2,200, as did the third prize winner, another Limousin from J.W. Stockdale and Sons, Burnsall.
The store cattle section topped at £2,310 for a British Blue heifer consigned by J.A.S. Church, Lofthouse, who also had the top priced steer, a Limousin at £2,270.
Aberdeen-Angus steers sold to £2,280 for R. Maughan, Greencarts, with Aberdeen-Angus cross heifers from P. Featherstone and Son, Newcastle upon Tyne, topping the day’s female trade at £2,250.
Auctioneers: Barnard Castle and Teesdale Farmers Auction Mart Co.
Limousin heifer heads-up J36 stores sale
THE sale of 470 store cattle at J36 topped at £2,200 for a 20-month-old Limousin heifer from M.A. and J.A. Winning, Kendal.
Other heifers sold to £2,160 for S. Whitehead, Middleton, and to £2,100 for M. and L. Preece, Kirkby Lonsdale, with a number of others between £1,900 and £2,000.
Bullocks topped at £2,020 for a pair of 20-month-old British Blues from Messrs Winning. J.A. and J. Harper, Killington, sold two bullocks at £2,000 apiece, including the champion, a British Blonde.
In the stirk section, seven-monthold Limousin cross steers and heifers from B. Heys, Mosborough, sold to £1,090. Millfield Stud, Settle, sold eight-month-old Aberdeen-Angus cross steers at £900 and 10-month-old Blue Greys from M. Gibson, Sedburgh, made £890. Six-month-old dairy-bred
Aberdeen-Angus cross bulls from Messrs Young, Lindale, sold at £820. Bull stirks sold to £1,270 for an eight-month-old South Devon from
A.T. Threlkeld, Ulverston, with sixmonth-old bulls to £910 for a Limousin cross from J. and S.E. Woof, Dent. Auctioneers: North West Auctions.
Yearling cattle sold to £1,830 for ninemonth-old Limousin cross steers from H. Huddleston, Round Meadows. A run of 40, nine- to 11-month-old Charolais and Limousin cross steers and heifers, from A. and C.L. Bell, Woodhall, topped at £1,810 for Charolais cross steers and £1,800 for yearling Limousin heifers to average £1,654.29. Auctioneers: Hexham and Northern Marts.
Champion leads Leyburn prices
TOPPING the New Year store cattle show and sale at Leyburn was the champion, a home-bred British Blue heifer from the Porter family, Oxnop, which made £2,500 to the judge, Liam Rodney, Masham.
The Porters’ run of 10 British Blue cross Limousin heifers averaged £2,300. Reserve champion was a Limousin heifer from Georgina Laws, Hauxwell, which was bought by Stephen White, Barnsley, for £2,300. According to the auctioneers, trade was up about £200/head from the end of last year.
Auctioneers: Leyburn Auction Mart.
Champion, from J.A. and J. Harper, Killington, which sold for £2,000.
Welsh Blacks to 8,500gns at Dolgellau
● Females sell to 2,900gns twice
THE Farmers Guardian-supported Welsh Black Cattle Society show and sale at Dolgellau topped at 8,500gns for the reserve champion bull, December 2022-born Ysgethin Cawr 17 by Ysgethin Mabon 2 out of Ysgethin Ceinlys 5. Consigned by William Gwynfor Evans, Bermo, it sold to D.G. and B. Thomas, Llanddeusant.
Next, at 5,500gns, was Tryfil Hebog 3, a March 2023-born bull by Perthi Xavier 2 from Ioan Roberts, Llanerchymedd, which was knocked down to Messrs Morgan, Talybont.
Hefin Jones, Rhydymain, sold Llwynsarn Banner, a June 2023-born son of Caerynwch Ebrillwr 16 for 5,000gns to J.J. and M.M. Lewis, Llangwyrfon.
Rhiwlas Farm Partnership, Bala, then paid 4,800gns for July 2023born Tynygraig Samuel 8 by Machreth Samuel 12 from E.W. and M. Jenkins, Talybont.
The champion maiden heifer, Caerynwch Gwenfair 91, a June 2023born daughter of Hafodesgob Peredur 10 from T.W. Williams, Brithdir, sold for 2,900gns to Messrs MethuenCampbell, Reynoldston, who also paid 2,600gns for Caerynwch Gwenfair 94, a May 2023-born maiden heifer by Caerynwch Sam from the same home.
Also making 2,900gns was the reserve champion maiden heifer, May 2023-born Hafodesgob Molly 243 by
To find out where we will be next, go to farmersguardian.com/mth-roadshow
Gerddi-Bluog Ofydd from Gwenfair Jones and Sons, Hafod yr Esgob. The buyer was S.J. Layton, Leominster, who also paid 2,450gns for Mynach Gwenfair 28 by Hafodesgob Perefurd 10 from A. and R.C. Williams, Pentre. Llwynsarn Mai 9 from Hefin Jones sold for 2,550gns to G. Roberts, Rhydgethin.
Heifer
The champion female, Dysynni Fflur 6, an April 2023-born heifer by Dysynni Cai 9, and served by Llechwedd Twm, from W.T. Davies, Waenfach, made 2,800gns to C. Thomas, Llanerchymedd, who also paid 2,400gns for Dysynni Menna 9 from the same vendor.
The reserve female champion, Rhydygarneth Claudia 58, a May 2022-born daughter of Rhydygarnedd Ebrillwr, in-calf to Gerddi Dysynni, from E.Ll., M. and R.H.T. and J. Williams, Tywyn, made 2,300gns to Aled and Ellis Jones, Pantglas.
AVERAGES
Bulls, £3,843; in-calf heifers, £2,533.65; maiden heifers, £2,179.80. Auctioneers: Farmers Marts (R.G. Jones).
Farmers Marts oversaw the Welsh Black Cattle Society auction.
Reserve champion bull, Ysgethin Cawr 17, from William Gwynfor Evans, Bermo, which sold for 8,500gns.
Tryfil Hebog 3, from Ioan Roberts, Llanerchymedd, which sold for 5,500gns.
Champion maiden heifer, Caerynwch Gwenfair 91, from T.W. Williams, Brithdir, which sold for 2,900gns.
Reserve champion maiden heifer, Hafodesgob Molly 243, from Gwenfair Jones and Sons, Hafod yr Esgob, which sold for 2,900gns.
5th - 6th March 2025 NAEC
Low Carbon Agriculture 2025
The business event for forward thinking farmers, landowners and industry experts
A Perfect Prelude to the Low Carbon Agriculture Show 2025 Reganuary:
With Reganuary inspiring people to rethink their food choices this January, it’s the ideal time to focus on the upcoming Low Carbon Agriculture Show 2025. Taking place on 5-6 March 2025 at NAEC Stoneleigh, the show is the UK’s only event dedicated to sustainable farming and carbon reduction practices.
While Veganuary encourages millions to embrace plant-based eating, Reganuary offers a different perspective: sourcing food from regenerative farming methods that not only reduce environmental impact but can actively enhance ecosystems. This ethos aligns closely with the goals of the Low Carbon Agriculture Show, which provides farmers and landowners with the tools, technologies, and insights to make agriculture more sustainable, efficient, and environmentally conscious.
What is Reganuary?
Coined by Glen Burrows, co-founder of the Ethical Butcher, Reganuary challenges consumers to prioritise foods produced using regenerative farming practices. Unlike Veganuary, this movement encourages eating seasonal and sustainably sourced foods, whether plant-based or animalderived, that contribute to improving the environment. Reganuary is about thinking critically about the impact of your food choices. It shifts the focus from a binary plant-vs-animal debate to supporting farming practices that regenerate the land and enhance ecosystems.
This mindset is central to the Low Carbon Agriculture Show 2025, which unites farmers, innovators, and industry leaders to explore low carbon agricultural systems, clean energy, low-emission vehicles, and cuttingedge farm technology.
Low Carbon Agriculture Show 2025 Highlights
The show offers a comprehensive platform for those eager to embrace sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint:
1 Environmental Business
Transitioning from the EU’s CAP regulations to a UK system that rewards sustainable farming, this sector provides insights into policy changes and strategies for enhancing environmental performance.
2 Clean Energy
Explore renewable energy solutions like solar, wind, and bioenergy that are reshaping rural energy generation and boosting energy security.
3 Low Emission Vehicles
As the transport sector transitions in response to the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles, discover the latest lowemission vehicles designed for farmers.
4 Farm Technology Innovation
Gain hands-on insights into pioneering technologies, from AI-driven solutions to precision farming tools, all designed to improve efficiency and sustainability on the farm.
Why Reganuary and Low Carbon Agriculture Go Hand-in-Hand
Both Reganuary and the Low Carbon Agriculture Show focus on the bigger picture, rethinking how we produce, source, and consume food to address global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss. For consumers, Reganuary offers a way to make more thoughtful food choices. For farmers and landowners, the Low Carbon Agriculture Show provides the expertise and tools needed to implement regenerative practices on a wider scale.
Reganuary and the Low Carbon Agriculture Show share the same mission: to inspire meaningful change in how we approach farming and food production. Our show offers practical solutions for achieving sustainability goals while improving farm profitability and efficiency.
Secure Your Place Today!
Join the movement driving the future of sustainable farming and energy solutions. Book your free ticket by scanning the QR code below.
Fully Catalogued Sale from some of the Leading Herds in the Midlands and Surrounding Counties. A TREMENDOUS ENTRY already received from: Bradnop (4), Braemarhouse, Broomhouse (8), Brundcliffe, Harleygrange (3), Honeycroft (2), Meldamar (4), Millhurst, Moreben (2), Shieldhouse, Tissington (6) Also 6 Fresh Cows & Hfrs from Messrs Needham & various Youngstock
TUESDAY 21ST JANUARY 2025 11AM
For Further Details & Catalogues Contact (01889) 562811 Ref: MEE
Store Cattle Sales
330 STORE CATTLE
THIS SATURDAY 18TH JANUARY 2025
Fat/Barrens: Graham Watkins 07976 370894
Dairies: Meg Elliott 07967 007049 Stores: Mark Elliott 07973 673092 Sheep: Robert Watkins 07929 946652 Visit us at www.leekauctions.co.uk
HAWES, NORTH YORKSHIRE, DL8 3NP 01969 667207 www.hawesmart.co.uk
Tuesday 21st January 10am
2000 Prime Lambs
400 Cast Ewes & Rams
Tuesday 11th February 10am
Show & Sale of Pens of 5 Swaledale Prime Hoggs Ian Atkinson 07957 256337 Kenton Foster 07711 469280.
GENUINE DISPERSAL SALE
STANFORD PARK BEEF SHORTHORNS
(incorporating draft sale from the Longfield Herd) 136 HEAD
56 Pedigree Cows In Calf or with Calves
10 Pedigree In Calf Heifers
16 Pedigree Bulling Heifers
30 Pedigree Maiden Heifers (2024)
3 Pedigree Stock Bulls
20 Pedigree Bull Calves (2024) Embryos & Semen
Together with Tractors, Telehandlers, Pick Up, Machinery & Cattle
Equipment
(Separate Catalogue – See Machinery Advert)
SATURDAY 8th FEBRUARY
Machinery at 10.00am, Cattle at 11.30am
STANFORD PARK FARM, PARK LANE, STANFORD IN THE VALE, FARINGDON, OXON, SN7 8PF
Catalogues for both sections Tel: 01905 769770
Farm Manager Simon Bradley Farmer Tel: 07739 035667
MONDAY 20TH JANUARY
Complete Dispersal Sale of The Shamleys & Clifton Park Pedigree Charolais Cattle
Viz: 13 In Calf Cows with Calves at Foot, 1 In Calf Heifer & 2 Stock Bulls
All cows are due from early March. The strong calves will be sold separately
Also By Order of S & M Thomas, Dyffryn Farm, Pontlottyn, Rhymney
Due to Change in Farming Policy
Sale of 22 Pedigree & Commercial Salers In Calf Cows
Chiefly Fifith & Sixth Calvers
(Mainly bred by Powell, Glanmiheli) In Calf to Pedigree Hereford & Angus Bulls
Due early March
Sale to commence at 11.30am
TUESDAY 28TH JANUARY
January Fair of 700+ Forward Continental Store Cattle Chiefly 15 to 22 months
Sale to commence at 10am
Stockjudging Competition
To be in with your chance of winning up to £200, test out your judging skills by entering our annual beef stockjudging competition.
Test your stockjudging skills and win up to £200
This year’s beef stockjudging competition is now open for entries. Our annual competition is once again sponsored by Show Time, supplier of specialist livestock products for cattle, sheep, horses and other animals, covering the UK and Europe.
How
to take part
Take part by pitting your judging skills against those of our professional judge to be in with the chance of winning one of three cash prizes.
The first correct entry to be drawn at random will receive our top prize
of £200, while two runners-up will each win £50. To be in with a chance of winning, you need to rank the four animals pictured (one being the animal you rate most highly), in the same order as our judge.
Complete the entry form opposite and return it to: Showtime Stockjudging Competition, Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Caxton Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9NZ, by January 31, 2025.
ENTER ONLINE
Alternatively, you can enter the competition online at farmersguardian.com/showtimestockjudging
ANIMAL X ANIMAL Y
BORDERWAY MART, CARLISLE
Tel: 01228 406200
STORE SHEEP also Opening sale of INLAMB EWES
Monday 20th January – 11.00am
Sale includes Dispersal sale of inlamb Mule sheep 2shr and upwards on behalf of the late Mrs Rutter, Fartown, Alston
Please advise entries
– Rory Livesey 07535 0015441 or Joe Bowman 07736 883670
BEEF BREEDING CATTLE
Wednesday 29th January
Entries close Wednesday 22nd January
Show and sale of
49 PEDIGREE BRITISH BLUE CATTLE
Wednesday 29th January
Show 10.00am Sale 11.30am
40 bulls and 9 maiden heifers
Show and sale of PEDIGREE GALLOWAY & WHITEBRED SHORTHORN CATTLE
Friday 7th March
Entries close Friday 31st January
SALE OF MACHINERY, IMPLEMENTS & HEAVY PLANT items
Sale bidding starts 10.00am Wednesday 5th February until 10.00am Thursday 6th January
Entries close Wednesday 29th January or contact David Holliday 07710 189804, or Iain Dick 07713 599791
Tel: 01768 371385
STORE CATTLE
Cast/feeding cows & OTM cattle
Also Special spring sale of BEEF BREEDING CATTLE
Monday 3rd February
Entries close 10am Monday 27th January
Prize show and sale of CROWNED SINGLE INLAMB SWALEDALE EWES
Thursday 13th February
On behalf of the Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association Also Swaledale & Mule gimmer hoggs and flock books
And other breeds of inlamb ewes and hoggs
Entries close 10am Thursday 30th January
NEW SALE FIXTURE
LAZONBY
MART
Saturday 8th February
Dispersal sale of 850 Swaledale ewes and hoggs
SATURDAY 15TH MARCH
Livestock entries and Trade Stand applications close Friday 14th February
Tuesday 21st January 12.30pm - Prime Hoggs & Cull Ewes
Thurs 23rd –
January Viewing of lots Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th 9am-4pm & Saturday 25th 9am-12 noon WEEKLY
FORTNIGHTLY STORE CATTLE SALE + CALVES/ STIRKS
Thursday 23rd January 12.30pm
Sale of Young Bulls, Store Heifers & Steers. Rearing calves 12 noon to include Genuine Small Herd dispersal of Pedigree & Pure-Bred Aberdeen Angus Cattle
SHOW & SALE OF RARE & TRADITIONAL INLAMB EWES
Saturday 8th February 11am Classes for Derbyshire Gritstone, Lonk, North Country Cheviot, Whitefaced Woodland & Plus Commercial In-Lamb Ewes incorporating various breeds Entries close Tuesday 28th January ONLINE MACHINERY SALE
KIRKBY STEPHEN MART
Wednesday 22nd January
8am- Cast Ewes and Rams followed at 10.30am Prime Hoggs (Hogg Ballot at 10.30am)
Monday 27th January
Sale of Store Cattle and Feeding Bulls of all classes
Entries close noon Monday 20th January
Monday 27th January
Sale of Store Hoggs of all classes
Entries close noon Monday 20th January
Friday 31st January
Monthly Sale of Dairy Cattle of all classes including a Special Section for Dairy Shorthorns
Entries close noon Monday 20th January
Onsite
Friday 7th February
and
...Yorkshire’s Friendly Mart
SATURDAY 18TH JANUARY
SALE OF STORE CATTLE, SHEEP & PIGS
17 LimX Str/Hfr 15-24mth, Smith Bros
2 Lim Hfr, 8mth, Lim Bull 7mth, I Wilkinson
13 Bld X Strs, 18mth, RD Green
5 Bld Hfr, 10mth, PL Farms
6 Limx Str/Hfr, 10/12mth, ES Batley & Son
5 CharX Str/ Hfr, 16mth, R Iredale & Sons
5 Lim Str/Hfr, 18mth, R Hughes & Son
3 Limx Str/Hfr, 10mth, R Wilson
12 Lim BB AA Str/Hfr, 18mth, Cook & Watson
8 Lim Bulls, 12mth, A Smith
4 Linc Rd Bulls, 8-12mth DW Richardson
3 Lim Bulls 10-12mth, R Shipley
2 Lim Bull, 9mth, J&L Cardwell
Contact Office for Details
4 Lim Bulls, 10-12 mth, J Ireland
MART OFFICE: 01757 703347
2 Lim Bulls, 8-10mth S&P Padfield
RICHARD HAIGH: 07768 594535 www.selbymart.co.uk
4 Lim Bulls, 9mth, AS Green
Breeding & Store Sheep inc
50 Contx Store Lambs, W May
50 Tex X Store Lambs, J Smith Store & Breeding Pigs
Pigs 9am Sheep 9.45am Cattle 10.45am WEDNESDAY
Saturday 18th January
9.30am WEEKLY CAST SHEEP
10:30am PRIME CATTLE then CAST CATTLE 10:30am REARING CALVES
Saturday 25th January
9:30am WEEKLY CAST SHEEP & PRIME HOGGS 10:00am FORTNIGHTLY BREEDING & STORE CATTLE entries to office by Tues 21st 12noon
Thursday 30th January
10:30am PRIME CATTLE inc MONTH END BEEF SHOW followed by CAST CATTLE 10:30am REARING CALVES
11:00am WEEKLY DAIRY - entries to Eleanor
Tuesday 4th February
Opening New Years’ MACHINERY SALE Entries now welcome for pre advertising. Loadall available both days ALL entries to the yard Monday 3rd between 8am-2pm STRICTLY
SKIPTON AUCTION MART
Telephone: 01756 792375 www.ccmauctions.com
Auctioneers: Jeremy Eaton - 07747 780481
Ted Ogden - 07855 958211
Kyle Hawksworth - 07538 539077
365 STIRKS, WEANED CALVES, BREEDING & STORE GOATS & SHEEP Inc NEW YEAR SHOW OF STIRKS Sale 10.00am
Monday 20th January
SALE OF CALVES Sale 10.30am
Entries & Enquiries to Kyle PRIME, CAST & FEEDING CATTLE Sale 11.30am (TB exempt section available)
Inc MONTHLY SHOW OF PRIME CATTLE
SALE OF PRIME HOGGS - Sale 12.30pm followed by CAST EWES, RAMS & GOATS
Wednesday 22nd January
150 YOUNG BULLS Sale 10.00am followed by 30 BEEF FEEDING COWS, 400 STORE BULLOCKS & HEIFERS & 10 BREEDING CATTLE
Wednesday 29th January
ONLINE TIMED AUCTION OF 30 WORKING SHEEPDOGS
Details available at www.ccm.auctionmarts.com
Wednesday 29th January
Sale of STORE HOGGS & BREEDING SHEEP (Entries close Monday 20th January)
Dairy Cattle
Monday 20th January
Fortnightly Show & Sale of 15-20 DAIRY CATTLE Sale 12noon
Monday 3rd February
NORTH WEST AUCTIONS
Matthew Middleton – 07860 659803 MACHINERY SALES
Fortnightly Show & Sale of DAIRY CATTLE
Inc Special Sale of 30 In Calf Heifers from regular consignors P & J Bolland, Airton & A & J Clay, Kilnsey
Every Friday: 10:15am 150 CAST / OTM CATTLE 10:15am 100 REARING CALVES & WEANLINGS 11:15am 300 STORE CATTLE
Thursday 23rd January 10:15am WEANLINGS & STIRKS 10:30am CAST/OTM 10:30am FEEDING BULLS 11:15am STORE CATTLE 11:30am REARING CALVES
Saturday 25th January ‘DIAMOND DELIGHTS’
33 Rough Fell Females on behalf of the RFSBA 3 Cheviot, 14 Herdwick & 113 Bluefaced Leicester’s Also this day 77 Multi-Breed Sale of Individual In-Lamb Breeding & Commercial In-Lamb Sheep -
Monday 27th January
Milking Herd Reduction of 60 Pedigree HF Cow & Heifers (due to change in farming policy) on behalf of MH&SJ Morris, Wraysholme Tower
Thursday 30th January 10:30am IN LAMB SHEEP & 3000 STORE HOGGS
Saturday 25th January 10:30am
On Farm Machinery Dispersal Sale On behalf of S & J France, Kays Farm, Over Wyresdale, LA2 9DW. To Inc: 4 Massey Ferguson Tractors, 2 Diggers, Kramer Telehandler, Skid Steer & large selection of well maintained grassland & livestock equipment. Please see website for catalogue or contact Matthew Probert for more information on 07540446667
February Online Sale of Machinery Delivery: Monday 27th & Tuesday 28th (9am-4pm) www.nwauctions.co.uk info@nwauctions.co.uk
“Best of British” Sale of Ped Native Bred Cattle Entries for Catalogue close Wed 19th Feb Saturday 22nd March, 2025 On Farm Dispersal Sale of Machinery & Implements On Behalf of R Jones, Sandvilla www.garstangmart.co.uk
Annual Show and Sale of in lamb
Rough Fell Ewes, Gimmer Shearlings and Gimmer Hoggs.
Saturday 25th January 2025
Show commences 9.00am J36 Crooklands Livestock Auction.
Rough Diamonds Social Evening on Friday 24th January 2025 at 7.30pm Tickets £12.50 each and £6 for children under 11. Available from the secretary.
Calf Creeps / Hopper: Square & Ring Feeders: Troughs: Barrier Feeders: Foot Baths: Yard & Field Gates: Electric Fence Equipment: Dehorning Crate: Calf Disbudder: Cattle Clippers: Silage Covers / Gravel Bags: 6 x 600kg Fertilizer
SATURDAY 8th FEBRUARY
Machinery at 10.00am, Cattle at 11.30am
STANFORD PARK FARM, PARK LANE, STANFORD IN THE VALE, FARINGDON, OXON, SN7 8PF
Catalogues for both sections Tel: 01905 769770
We’re hiring Policy & Strategy Officer
Supporting the livestock production sector.
The Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (LAA) is looking to recruit a self-motivated and dynamic Policy & Strategy Officer, to drive exciting new developments and define long-term strategic direction.
The LAA is looking for an enthusiastic, energetic and influential individual to maintain a strong presence across government and industry, and also define, develop and lead on future strategies and policy direction.
The successful candidate will have a deep passion for the future of the whole industry and those who work within it. An in-depth knowledge of the workings of livestock auction marts and the livestock sector in general would be advantageous.
This senior, high-profile role will involve working closely with government agencies and processors.
The vacancy brings exciting opportunities for progression as the role develops and would be suitable for either a full or part time position, dependent on applications received. The remuneration package will depend on experience, skillsets and the role that develops.
Send your CV & cover letter to: chris.dodds@laa.co.uk
Full details can be found at: LAA.co.uk
MARKET MANAGER
Lawrie and Symington, one of Scotland’s leading auctioneering companies are looking to recruit a market manager following the retirement of their current incumbent. This senior role, reporting directly to the board will lead the operations and the procurement side of the business, developing and managing those teams and strengthening our relationships with customers.
As a key member of the executive board, applicants will set out a clear vision on maximizing opportunities and income streams, identifying market gaps and optimizing efficiencies to further enhance growth through our core and supporting businesses. L&S have considerable investment plans for the future and this role will be integral in shaping those to completion.
The leading candidate should have significant experience in the agricultural sector, preferably market related, working at a high level across stakeholders with a driven approach demonstrated through success and results in previous roles. Lawrie and Symington offer a competitive salary with benefits in return. All applicants should submit their CVs with a covering letter by 14th February 2025 to: jamie@lawrieandsymington.com
•
•
• BOREHOLE DRILLING FOR DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL PURPOSES
• WORK CARRIED OUT TO A VERY HIGH STANDARD
• WATER SYSTEMS INSTALLED
• BOREHOLE PUMPING INSTALLATIONS
• 24HR BREAKDOWN SERVICE
• FREE QUOTATIONS AND SITE VISITS THE POTTERIES GARAGE
Everglades Nurseries Ltd
Orders for Insertion of advertisements in Farmers Guardian are accepted subject to the following conditions:
1. Advertisement copy shall be legal, decent, honest and truthful, and shall comply with the British Code of Advertising Practise and all other codes under the general supervision of the Advertising Standards Authority: and shall comply with the requirements of current legislation.
2. While every endeavour will be made to meet the wishes of advertisers, the publisher does not guarantee insertion of any particular advertisement.
Trees, Hedging, Various Sizes Available. A standard delivery charge may be added. Quotes given for Countryside Stewardship Scheme. BN11 or BN7
Mix Native Packs from £2.91 or £5.31 per metre
Including rabbit guards/canes
All Prices Exclude VAT. Prices are subject to change. 269 Southport Road, Ulnes Walton Leyland Lancs PR26 8LQ
Calf Defender (Skim) (Energised Transition Milk)
Calf Distinction (Skim) (Energised)
Calf Supreme (Skim)
Calf Delight (Skim)
Heifer Plus (Whey)
Super XL (Whey)
For further details Telephone: 01387 750459 lnfo@britmilk.co.uk www.britmilk.co.uk
3. In the event of any error, misprint or omission in the printing of an advertisement or part of an advertisement the publisher will either reinsert the advertisement or relevant part of the advertisement as the case may be, or make a reasonable adjustment to the cost. No reinsertion, or adjustment will be made where the error, misprint or omission does not materially detract from the advertisement. In no circumstances shall the total liability of the publisher for any error, misprint or omission exceed
a) The amount of a full refund of any price paid to the publisher for the advertisement in connection with which liability arose. OR
b) The cost of a further corrective advertisement of a type and standard reasonably comparable to that in connection with which liability arose.
4. The publisher reserves the right to withdraw, amend or alter any advertisement it considers necessary.
5. Cancellations or advertisements are accepted providing they comply with the cancellation deadlines which are published at regular intervals.
6. Advertisement orders are issued by an advertising agency as a principal and must be on the agencies official form (when copy insutructions not constituting an official order are issued they must be clearly marked at the head “Copy Instructions – not an order”.
7. Advertising Agency commission will only be granted to those Agencies who are currently recognised by the Newspaper Society at the time of placing an advertisement order and copy. The rate of commission is determined by the publisher.
8. When credit is allowed payment is due within 7 days. Monthly accounts are due in full each month. “We reserve the right to charge additional costs and interest for non payment within our credit terms”.
9. Only standard abbreviations are permitted by the publisher. List available on request.
10. Classified display advertisements must be at least 3cms in depth for every column wide, and the minimum size of any advertisement is 2 lines.
11. Every endeavour will be made in order to forward replies to box numbers to the advertisers, as soon as possible after receipt by the publisher, but the publisher accepts no liability in respect of any loss, or damage alleged to have arisen through delay in forwarding or omitting to forward such replies, however caused. Circulars and the like should not be distributed through publisher’s box number facility.
12. The placing of an order for the insertion of an advertisement, is an acceptance of these conditions and any other conditions stated on any type of order form by an agency or advertisers are not applicable if they conflict with any of the above.
Inc. Rolled Barley, Maize Gluten, Hi Pro Soya, Malt Pellets, Sugarbeet Pellets, Oatfeed Pellets & Syrup Suitable for Cattle and Sheep
Premium Starter 18% Bags 750KG £240 delivered
Premium Grower 16% Bags 750KG £230 delivered Premium Finisher 14% Bags 750KG £225 delivered Bespoke Rations available to your requirements
IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING
Primo 6 Litre (MP6) & Primo 11 Litre (MP11)
MORCO OPEN-FLUED GAS WATER HEATER
Hazard: RISK OF FIRE
Please stop using the water heater immediately and isolate the gas supply to the appliance
You do not need to be a Gas Safe Engineer to isolate the gas using the isolation valve located under the appliance as per the picture to the left.
We have discovered that there is a risk of a gas leak in the above open-flued gas water heaters, which could result in a fire. These products were sold into the market between 2018 and 2023 and all serial numbers sold between these dates are included in this notification. They are typically installed in static/caravan holiday homes, boats or mobile catering vehicles.
If you have one of these gas water heaters installed (including those that have had the safety upgrade), please contact us immediately so we can discuss the next steps. Please do not attempt to check or test the appliance yourself
Please contact Morco Products Ltd on telephone number 01482 325456 or by email at: gaswaterheaters@morcoproducts.co.uk
No other Morco products are affected by this issue. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause however safety is our priority.
Throstle Nest Farm
Between Preston and Lancaster
• 5 bedroom Farmhouse • 275-acres • Dairy Farm
Throstle Nest Farm is a 275-acre, ring fenced working dairy farm located in Winmarleigh, which sits south of Lancaster and north of Preston. The farm features a 5 bedroomed farmhouse with a range of modern and traditional style buildings. FOR SALE - £3,000,000
For further information please visit www.wignalls.land or call the office on 01772 419277
A two bedroom detached bungalow with garage and mature garden.
Subject to an Agricultural Occupancy Condition. Guide Price: £265,000
‘MEA’, 65 THE MARSHES LANE, MERE BROW, PRESTON FOR SALE BY PRIVATE TREATY
A three bedroom detached bungalow with double garage and mature garden. Subject to an Agricultural Occupancy Condition. Guide Price: £350,000
DAIRY
FARM WANTED FOR SHARED VENTURE OR TO LET
Ideally in the Cheshire/North Wales area. From a farming family, currently farming with own Livestock but looking to expand.
Tel: Jack on 07754 052753
Property Landscape Changes in England for secure tenancies
Know the tests before succession planning
ASHEEP GRAZING
Wanted. Any Area. Tel: 07766 475799 (p)
number of changes to the rules for succession came into force on September 1, 2024, for Agricultural Holding Act 1986 (1986 Act) tenancies. The Agriculture Act 2020 brought in a number of proposals for how succession can occur. Anyone who currently holds a 1986 Act tenancy with succession rights remaining, or who hopes to succeed to one, should be aware of the changes and start planning as early as possible to ensure they are eligible. The amendments were brought in to ensure that farmland is being farmed in the most productive way and that a ‘potentially poor’ tenant is not being imposed on a landlord.
Currently, there are a number of tests an applicant would need to pass to succeed to a 1986 Act tenancy. Firstly, are the three eligibility tests, which comprise of:
■ The close relative test: There are no changes to this test and the applicant must be a spouse, sibling or child (or someone treated as a child of the marriage).
■ The principle source of livelihood test: Again, this test has not changed and the applicant’s principle source of livelihood over the last five out of seven years must be made from the holding. If this test is being examined on the death of the tenant, the tribunal may view that the tenant materially meets this test, but there is no flexibility with this test on retirement.
■ Commercial unit test: This test has been repealed and an applicant can now farm and occupy another holding. This test has been removed to ensure that the more go-ahead farmers are no longer excluded from succession.
■ The suitability tests: The suitability tests consider the applicant’s practical farming experience , their health and their character. They have now been amended so that the applicant has to
demonstrate that they have the capability and capacity to run the holding. The test, in effect, requires that tenant to demonstrate that they would at least be shortlisted for a tenancy should the holding have come onto the open market to let.
The applicant needs to show: ■ They can farm the holding commercially to a high standard of farming, with consideration to the environment.
■ They have the experience, training and skills.
■ They have a good financial standing.
The applicant’s age and any other factors, such as whether they are married, have a disability, their religion, should be disregarded.
The best advice is to sit down as a family as soon as possible and establish, when the time comes, who would be the best person to put in a succession application and ensure whether they would meet all of the above tests or whether any changes may need to be made.
There will inevitably be disagreements, in some cases with landlords and the more prepared an applicant can be, the less likely the landlord may object to a succession application.
Helen Johnston, associate, rural chartered surveyor at YoungsRPS. Email Helen.Johnston@youngsrps. com, or call Call 01434 608 980.
Helen Johnston
development, or you have been approached by a developer, then you will need expert advice that is not available at traditional sources.
Michael Rutherford is a specialist agent acting and negotiating for landowners. Contact me for a confidential and expert consultation at no cost. All areas of the UK
Farmers Guardian
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ISUZU ARCTIC AT35 Auto 4x4 in
Obsidian Grey or Biarritz Blue, call for full spec & price.
NEW ISUZU DMAX Utility Double cab Auto in Onyx black. £30,699 + VAT.
JCB 18-Z1 MINI EXCAVATOR c/w buckets, 2019, adjustable tracks, can be seen working, approx 1000 hours.
NEW CASEIH MAXXUM 125
Active Drive 4 Autoshift, full suspension 50kph. Front weights, 600/65 x 38 tyres.
NEW FARMALL 55A two wheel drive, folding roll bar, Mechanical Shuttle, Rear hydraulics, 340/85 x 28 tyres.
LAND ROVER DEFENDER SE
3.0L Commercial Automatic, 2021, call for full spec & price.
Super Trailed 36m sprayer, isobus, 520/85 x 42 tyres, Amaselect, Curve control, Swingstop, Extreme clean.
NEW AMAZONE UF 2002 mounted 2000 Litre 24m sprayer, isobus.
AMAZONE KE3001
Super 3 metre Power Harrow c/w 500mm Packer.
NEW AMAZONE Z-AV ECO
Superior 2600 fertiliser spreader, hopper cover etc.
NEW AMAZONE ZA-V 3200
Easy set terminal, hopper cover etc.
AMAZONE
Machinery
Edited by Toby Whatley – 07583 054 831 – toby.whatley@agriconnect.com
For more machinery content, go to farmersguardian.com/machinery-news-hub
The UK’s largest machinery show opened its doors once again this week with visitors looking to get the first view of new machinery, innovations and technology. Toby Whatley, James Huyton and Jane Carley report.
LAMMA 2025 highlights
NEW HOLLAND’S 2,000,000TH TRACTOR
HOLDING a show-stopping place on the New Holland stand, was the manufacturer’s 2,000,000th Basildon-produced tractor.
The unique T7.225 represents one of its most popular T7 models produced at the plant.
The distinctive livery comprised of candy blue body panels, silver and black graphics featuring the Union Jack, a 2,000,000 Basildon Tractors logo and black wheel rims with candy blue rim edges.
The milestone tractor was assembled earlier in 2024, with the first public viewing of the unit taking place at the event.
Production at the plant began in 1964 with its original owner Ford, where the now iconic 2000
3000 Super Dexta, 4000 Major and
JCB TM110
A NEW addition to JCB’s wheeled telescopic loader range comes in the form of its TM110 Agri packaged in a compact 1.56-metre wide and 2.2m high overall height.
Now the smallest variant on offer in the TM range, the machine offers a 1,100kg payload with a claimed telescopic lift height of 3.5m.
Aligning to the brand’s larger TM320 and 420 variants, the TM110 uses a servo joystick control system. Existing JCB users will find familiar functionality with the joystick offering forwardneutralreverse
from a rocker switch on the underside while roller switches on the face provide boom extension, retraction and operating the third service. JCB has opted for marginally wider axles over its 403 machine, claimed to improve machine stability, with manual differential lock fitted to improve traction.
The machine comes with 31/15.5R15 tyres as standard and is offered in agricultural, industrial or turf patterns. The two-speed hydrostatic transmission offers travel speeds up to 30km/h. Under the bonnet a threecylinder Perkins engine delivers 50hp. Users looking for greater control when operating a bedding dispenser can optionally specify creep function.
CASE IH AF 10
PICKING up a Bronze LAMMA Innovation Award in the Machine of the Year category, the Case IH Axial Flow AF10 had its first UK appearance at the event.
The single rotor combine claims to have been redesigned from the ground up and includes a 775hp engine, an active dynamic cleaning system, 20,000-litre grain tank, a 210 litres/second unloading rate and can operate with headers of up to 15 metres (50ft) wide.
Case IH says the AFXL rotor is 40% longer which provides
its 1,500,000th
increased throughput than the existing 260 series.
Control of the machine and precision technologies include dual Pro 1200 displays and Harvest Command combine automation.
AFS Harvest Command is a performance-enhancing technology which provides data gathering and automation of some of the machine’s functions to improve the grain sample cleanliness, reduce losses and increase crop throughput.
Dexta,
5000 Super Major models were initially produced, with the plant
producing
tractor, a Series 40 model, in 1995.
Machinery LAMMA
JOSKIN DRAKKAR 7600/33D180
BELGIAN tanker and trailer manufacturer Joskin showed a 7.6m long, 33cu.m model of its Drakkar conveyor belt trailers.
Designed to carry combinable crops, silage and root crops, the hydraulic conveyor floor and headboard move backwards to empty the trailer, without compressing the load, which Joskin says is important for both preserving crop quality and reducing pressure loads on the trailer sides.
Drakkar covers a range of sizes up to units 9.6m long with a 41cu.m capacity and triple axles.
To reduce weight and material resistance, the trailer sides use toughened plastic panels between a
steel frame. Users operating a trailer in conjunction with root crop graders and cleaners can order the machines with an optional remove control system, which allows the bed to be moved outside the tractor to fill a intake bunker as required.
The displayed machine retails at £80,000 and is part of Joskin’s Advance specification.
This designation is offered across multiple products and has been developed to allow production of machines to a typical market specification, which the manufacturer says reduces costs and allows significantly shorter lead times through the delivery of machines from manufacturer stock.
MALONE PROLINE 610
PREVIEWED as a prototype in 2024, Malone’s Proline 610 rake was shown as a production machine for the first time.
The twin 11 rotor rake provides a working width of 6.1 metres, with rotor working height and cam angle mechanically adjusted.
The 610 is the first machine in a planned range of rakes, with the current version placed as an entry-level machine for farmers producing their own winter fodder or smaller contractors working ahead of balers.
Malone says the Proline has been developed following customer demand for simple and robust rakes to operate alongside its established range of plain and conditioner mowers.
Input power
The Proline has a recommended input power of 50hp and can be adjusted to produce swaths of 1.3 to 1.7m wide, mechanical push-rod axle steering is offered with a folded transport height of 3.8m
KUBOTA RT305T-2
SHOWN for the first time in the UK, the RT305T-2 is now the largest pivot steer loader in the RT range and offers a 1.2 tonne lift capacity and a maximum lift height of 4.3m.
A maximum horizontal reach of 3m can be achieved with a 750kg load.
Power is supplied by a Stage V compliant, four-cylinder turbocharged Kubota diesel engine producing 66hp.
The driveline is hydrostatic and is supplied though a Bosch Rexroth hydraulic motor, driving both Carraro axles through mechanical
driveshafts, and offers two speed ranges – 0-15 and 0-30km/h.
A 45-degree steering articulation angle is claimed with an additional four degree of rearaxle oscillation which Kubota says provides consistent traction and power delivery.
The RT305T-2 is a further product from the partnership between Dutch manufacturer Tobroco-Giant and Kubota and was shown with a full cab.
The range will be offered with a semi-glazed ROPS frame and safety doors.
MUTHING MU-M/F VARIO 600
EXHIBITING at LAMMA for the first time, German vegetation management machinery manufacturer Muthing displayed a six-metre model of its MU-M/F Vario folding flail mower.
Offered as an alternative to a conventional rotary batwing mower, the design uses a variable shearbar mounted between the flail cylinder and the front edge of the chassis.
Muthing says this can be adjusted to change to material
chop length and the uplift suction. The MU-M/F has been designed for pasture topping alongside more intense cover crop and maize stubble destruction.
The 2,700kg machine requires an upfront power of 200hp, with the design using four pneumatic 360-degree castoring wheels instead of rear rollers, which Muthing says allows the units to be turned at headlands without lifting and provides greater machine manoeuvrability.
DEUTZ 5 SERIES KEYLINE
WHERE budgets are tight, choosing a more basic spec tractor with just the options you require can be a good plan, suggests Deutz Fahr, which debuted its 5 Series Keyline tractor range.
There are three models from 76-106hp, powered by the proven FARMotion four-cylinder Stage V engine, and a five gear, 20x20 transmission with the option to add hydraulic power shuttle or two-step powershift.
It is available with loader frame only or complete loader-ready kit with joystick.
The hydraulic system can be specified with two or three rear spools and two mid-mount spools and lift capacity up to 4,525kg.
The four-pillar cab offers good visibility for yard and field work along with air conditioning, radio and hydraulic cab suspension, said to reduce vibration by up to 40%.
Deutz Fahr has also ramped up its tech offering in recent years, and customers using its guidance and steering packages can now add path planning software, which can be operated on a screen extender.
The software creates guidance lines according to the operator’s parameters, which can include specific headland layouts and shortest routes or numbers of turns, plus obstacles. The plan is then transferred to the IMonitor via Agrirouter. Including lifetime unlock codes, the package costs £1,234.
BEDNAR KATOR POWER HARROW
BEDNAR showed the Kator KN 3000Q power harrow, as a precursor to introducing its range of combi drills to UK customers in 2025.
Available in three- to six-metre working widths, the Kator features a reinforced machine frame, closely spaced rotors at 22.5mm and three bearings per rotor.
Ease of maintenance has been considered with access to each rotor via four bolts, while underneath the trough, blades are enclosed to protect the rotors from stones wedging into them.
A close coupled levelling bar is followed by a packer roller.
The power harrow is compatible with the Katara seed bar and a front hopper and in common with other machines in the company’s range comes with a two-year warranty with no hectare limit.
Bednar has also added a front crop cutter to its Versatill tine cultivator which is designed primarily for seedbed cultivation, but it is also suitable for shallow stubble cultivation after harvest.
Available in 4.05-5.85m working widths, the Versatill can now also be used to mulch cover crops and lightly cultivate ahead of a min-till drill.
WEIDEMANN T6025
DESIGNED in the UK and assembled in Germany, the T6025 follows a similar route to the larger 7042 machine, with several controls and cab fit and finish features shared between the models.
The introduction of the T6025 replaces the existing T5522 and Kramer-sourced 6027.
The 6025 is a completely in-house Weidemann development and provides a 2.5-tonne lift capacity to a maximum height of six metres.
Hydraulic output extends to a maximum flow of 75 litres/minute at 250 bar.
Engine
Power is supplied from a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder 75hp Perkins engine with a two-speed hydrostatic transmission providing a maximum speed of 30km/h.
The introduction of the T6025 adds another machine into the now competitive group of telehandlers with an overall width and height of less than 2m.
ABBEY VF3350 DIET FEEDER
ABBEY Machinery showed the VF3350 triple auger model from its towed diet feeder range, en route to a customer in Scotland.
While the company is well known for its single and twin auger machines, increased demand is being seen for the larger wagons, driven by dairy farms scaling up and moving to green field site units purpose-built to accommodate larger machinery.
The VF3350 has three vertical 22mm augers and 8mm walls, its heavy build being one of its selling
points, says the company. It also features a wide angle pto shaft with shearbolt protection.
With 24 knives and two counter knives, materials are thoroughly processed and fed out via a pair of wide hydraulic discharge doors, using a two speed gearbox for different feeding needs.
Electronic scales with six weigh bars are linked to Digi-Star technology for ration recording. For manoeuvrability, the chassis has a sprung tandem steering axle.
STOLL PROFILINE FZ 46-29 ISOBUS CONNECTED
SIMPLY driven from the power beyond system, Stoll offers both the FZ selflevelling and FS non self-levelling loaders in a IsoBus-controlled format.
With many tractor manufacturers offering IsoBus functionality across the range, Stoll has opted to use the system to offer a loader without the need of a mid-mounted hydraulic feed. Loader functionality is operated through the tractor’s built in joystick.
Using the IsoBus system the manufacturer claims that the loader offers greater operator functionality over a standard system.
Control settings accessed through the tractor’s touchscreen terminal provide customisable functionality that can be saved for three different users.
Pre-set functions can also be set and saved for 10 different attachments. Operators can also programme the loader with return to dig functionality and set the bucket tilt or crowd angle for operation.
Built in weighing functionality can both count and subtract load weights to the operator’s pre-determined total during loading cycles.
GREENCROP SLURRY TANKERS
CLEAN and dirty water specialist
Greencrop has updated its vacuum slurry tanker offering with higher capacity models, up to 4,000 gallons, with rear steer twin axles, air/hydraulic brakes and 710/50 R26 tyres, although other tyre sizes can be specified.
Offering 13,500 litres/min capacity from a Bertolini pump,
WEAVING COMBI DRILL
WEAVING showcased its latest combination drill unit, with the stand-alone air drill offered in a multi-fit format claimed to be suitable for fitment on the manufacturer’s own power harrow or to be retrofitted to alternative brands.
Imants
Currently offered in three- and four-metre ridged variants, the entry level machine is fitted with the manufacturer’s standard tine and hydraulic pressure control.
A double disc opener on a parallel linkage with manual depth
the tanker has a fast fill arm and has mountings for a range of applicators for purchasers wishing to move away from splash plates.
Greencrop also offers a range of dribble bars and trailing shoe applicators and suggests that a 12-metre dribble bar would pair well with this tanker.
Prices start from £53,500.
control can be optionally specified.
The 3m variant pictured is offered with a 1,000kg hopper, with the manufacturer indicating plans to develop a split hopper variant.
Seed is delivered through an accord metering system. Preemergence markers can be optionally specified.
Prospective buyers can also choose from two following tine options. Prices for the 3m entry level machines start at £29,800.
OPICO STRIGLE STRAW HARROW
OPICO presented a new version of the HE-VA Top Strigle straw harrow, which is designed to penetrate the surface, distribute crop residue and create a tilth to prompt a lush of weeds.
The addition of Turbo Discs to three metre-9m models further intensifies the movement of soil, thus increasing the weed chit to help in the fight against problem weeds such as black-grass and ryegrass by creating a stale seedbed.
Working directly behind the
combine, the Top Strigle’s Turbo Discs and five rows of heavy-duty harrow tines spread trash and create a micro tilth to prompt a flush of growth.
The harrow also disturbs slug eggs exposing them to sunlight, so helping to control slugs.
Power requirement for the straw harrow is based on the need for an effective working speed; for example, a 6m Top Strigle would ideally be mounted on a 155-180hp tractor. Prices start from £11,227.
MASCHIO GASPARDO TEMPO 1200
A FIRST in the manufacturer’s move to an anthracite coloured polyethylene tank body, the Tempo 1200 has a 90hp power requirement.
Pitched at the more costeffective end of the manufacturer sprayer portfolio, the Tempo weighs in at 1,160kg with a 12-metre working width and 1,298-litre tank capacity.
Entry level machines come equipped with the manufacturer
starter lightweight hydraulic cross folding boom.
Prospective buyers looking for a more robust boom design can optionally specify the sprayer with the manufacturer’s U-boom.
An LED road lighting kit is fitted as standard and a manual threeway diverter takes care of sprayer filling.
An electronic control box controls the main sprayer functionality when in operation.
LAMMA Machinery
TEAGLE TOMAHAWK 6100H
AIMED at the skid steer and small pivot-steer market, the Teagle Tomahawk 6100H is the latest addition to the manufacturer’s line-up.
This straw-only machine uses the manufacturer’s 280-degree swivel shoot system, capable of directing bedding up to 12 metres into a livestock pen.
With a 40-litre per minute oil flow requirement, the Teagle can take a
4ft or 5ft round bale, or alternatively, the leading shear gate can be used to cut a Heston bale in half and feed it into the chopper for spreading.
The manufacturer also claims the design of the chopping unit aids in the reduction of dust emissions when operating.
The compact machine also offers a 1,400kg payload option for loader and three-point linkage fitment can also be specified.
More from LAMMA over the page
The ST (Side Throw) new head option for Micro, Mini, Midi, Midi XL and Maxi
• One vertical rotor
• For buildings with narrow access doors and passageways from 2m wide
• Spreading to left, right and front. 0.5m wide, up to 8m throw
• No chopping, lowers dust levels, saves straw
• Spreads any bale in under one minute
• Self-loading, requires only one tractor / loader
• Improves efficiency, profitability and environment
Machinery LAMMA
Amy Wilkinson picks out the top five products from the show for those with a more modest £2,000 budget.
Event’s top five products under £2,000
KRAMP’S LED WORK LIGHT BAR
n Price: £154.80
PART of Kramp’s new black light range, the 24 volt light bar contains 40 LEDs and is claimed to have a 30,000-hour lifetime.
The Kramp stand offered a variety of workwear, lighting and tools, with special LAMMA
AG-DRIVE APP
n Price: From £5 per month
WINNER of the Founders Trophy digital innovation award at LAMMA 2023, Ag-drive is management and invoicing app for farmers and contractors, developed by Will Dunn, whose family have a contracting business in Yorkshire.
The app offers GPS job scheduling and recording, field mapping, timesheets, health and safety checklists and online invoicing, or the ability to integrate your account with common accounting software such as Xero, Sage or Quickbooks.
The app allows users to manage jobs and invoices paperlessly and remotely for a price dependent on team size.
Ranging between £8/member/ month for businesses with staff of
PLUG&COOL 2.2KW GRAIN COOLING FAN
n Price: £534.03
PLUG&Cool claims to be the largest supplier of grain cooling fans in the UK, with an expanding product range.
The Plug&Cool 2.2kW fan is the biggest and most powerful fan within its range with claims that it can cool grain piled up to 12 metres deep.
It is aimed at arable farmers who require optimum performance
from fans, whether they have a lot of grain to cool, or need grain conditioned as quickly as possible. The brand claims energy efficiency across all its products and also offers a five-year warranty when the fan is combined with its starter (£49.68 excluding VAT). When combined, the fan has a thermal cut-off switch, to maintain the fan and avoid any damage.
EASY PETROL POST DRIVER (CLASSIC 35)
n Price: From £1,785 WITH the aim of making fencing less time and labour intensive, the Easy Petrol Post Driver has the ability to handle any size post up to four inches in diameter.
This portable and lightweight tool aims to make it easy for a solo operator to get the job done safely and quickly.
discounts across all kit. Furthermore, all proceeds from sales made during the show went towards Kramp’s ‘Cultivate a Generation’ grant fund which supports farmers, contractors and agricultural engineers by providing workshop equipment.
10 or under to £5/member/month for businesses with 31 members of staff or more.
Made in Australia and with a five-year warranty, the high impact hammer action running at 1,720 BPM ensures that posts are driven into the ground quickly and easily, even on steep or difficult terrain.
The reliable Honda four-stroke engine options claim to allow operators to use it all day without fatigue.
THE SPOT TRACE TRACKER
n Price: £138
FOR many attending LAMMA, the show highlights the increasing cost of kit and combined with a continued rise in rural crime, the uptake of trackers on expensive equipment has also seen a sharp increase.
The SPOT Trace tracker utilises satellite technology to provide real-time tracking, notifying the owner via email or text when movement is detected.
Compact and IPX7-rated for water resistance, the device is durable and discreet making it suitable for installation on various vehicles, equipment and can operate in more challenging environments.
Advanced Warning Improve
efficiency with performance
GEOLOCATION
OPTIMUM UPTIME
REAL TIME MANAGEMENT
Thank you for visiting the Merlo UK stand at the Lamma show ain Birmingham. We hope you managed to test the functionality of Merlo’s advanced warning system, Merlo Mobility, which was on display as a live demo. Along with exploring the wide of Merlo machines covering the entire agricultural suite.
Livestock
Edited by Katie Jones – 07786 856 439
Following the poor performance of the 2024 maize crop, earlier maturing varieties could be an option to help maintain feed value. Katie Fallon reports.
● Seed treatments to supply zinc also key
SPEAKING at this year’s Maize Forum, Tim Richmond, product manager at Limagrain, said the UK’s difficult and variable weather conditions last year contributed to a poor performing crop, which was lacking in starch and dry matter content.
Mr Richmond said following a wet winter and spring, most of the country experienced high rainfall in May, the main sowing period for maize, which resulted in difficulty accessing land to sow crops.
The continued high rainfall resulted in a lot of crops not being sown until two to four weeks later, which significantly reduced the crop’s growing period. For those that did manage to sow in May, high soil and weather temperatures resulted in good crop performance but, for many, the growing period was shortened.
Temperatures
With the Met Office confirming the UK summer of 2024 as the coolest on record since 2015, average temperatures during the vegetative growing period in June and July were also impacted.
Mr Richmond said: “The crop gets established and grows quite rapidly once it gets to the 4 leaf stage, which is early June. Temperatures then were one to two degrees below average, which will have impacted crop development.”
He added the lower temperatures predominantly affected the western side of the UK, where the majority of maize is grown for livestock feed, and the growing conditions for maize are already marginal.
Crop analysis over the past three years showed dry matter levels in 2024 were 3% lower than in 2023
Later sowing and poor growing conditions led to dry matter levels being 3% lower for 2024 crops when compared with the two previous years.
Matching maize crop maturity to the site’s potential vital
and 2022, a symptom of crops being sown later and a poorer growing season. Mr Richmond said dry matter and starch levels were very much linked; therefore, it is no surprise that if dry matter levels are lower, starch levels are also lower.
As a result, degradability usually increases due to less bypass starch being made available. Mr Richmond said this impacts feeding quality and causes an increased risk of acidosis.
“Ideally, you want a proportion of your starch to be in bypass form because that is more stable and can be used by the hind gut as opposed to being fermented in the rumen.”
When looking to this year’s crop and improving growing outcomes going forward, he said choosing earlier maturing varieties would be key, alongside using seed treatments to supply zinc and manganese to growing plants at an early stage and im-
prove the availability of phosphate in the soil.
When choosing a maize variety, matching the crop maturity to the site’s potential is the most important consideration, said Mr Richmond, advising that the heat that is available and the growing conditions must be matched by the season length of the variety.
While the UK is a difficult climate to breed for, Mr Richmond said farmers should focus on short season growing varieties with good early vigour to develop and deliver feed value.
“The message really is to choose from those early varieties and make sure you are giving yourself flexibility when it comes to harvest,” he added.
With starch the biggest driver of energy as a feed from maize, the earlier maturing varieties will deliver more starch, compared with later
maturing varieties that are more adapted to European conditions. These varieties are not as good for starch and will not produce the energy in the feed, he said.
The other major component of energy in the maize crop is the digestibility of the fibre. Research carried out by Limagrain, looking at cell wall digestibility, shows that the cell walls contribute to maize NDF levels. Therefore, making the crop more digestible will make more energy available to the animal.
Quality
Mr Richmond said: “When harvesting a maize plant, 50% of energy and weight comes from the cob but the other 50% comes from the leaves and the stem – if you can improve the quality of those, you are going to improve the quality of the feed going out.”
Tim Richmond
For more details about the ‘Breeding better beef and sheep’ project email hmccalman@hybucig.cymru, or call 01970 625 050.
Farmers needed to help path to net zero
●
Project aims to promote red meat sustainability
COMMERCIAL beef and sheep farmers from Wales are sought to participate in a project that looks to develop breeding strategies to reduce greenhouse gases.
The aim of the ‘Breeding better beef and sheep’ project is to help UK red meat producers make better breeding decisions that are also practical and affordable.
Working in partnership as part of a consortium of organisations, Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) is collaborating with Mentera to recruit farmers for the programme. They must be interested in improved breeding management and driving genetic progress on-farm, and be willing to complete a carbon footprint analysis and explore the cost benefits.
Dr Heather McCalman, research and development and sustainability executive at HCC, says: “We hope this project will give the red meat industry in Wales robust evidence to help us promote the sustainability credentials of PGI Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef to the consumer.
“Many farmers face unclear guidance on how to lower emissions, slowing the industry’s progress. By harnessing research, reviewing global
breeding methods and collecting data from five case study farms in Wales –along with 15 farms across the UK –the project will identify practical and affordable breeding strategies to cut emissions and improve profitability.”
Backed by HCC and Mentera, the work is one of 15 projects funded by the UKRI Agri-food for Net Zero Network+ that are designed to support the UK agri-food sector through the transition to net zero by 2050.
THEM THE BEST START
Young breeder wins coveted Holstein award
THE Holstein UK 2024 President’s Medal award was won by Jamie Pottow, a member of the South and Wiltshire Holstein Young Breeders (HYB) Club.
The award, presented at this week’s Semex International Dairy Conference, recognises outstanding contribution to the breed and HYB.
The entry process included the submission of an essay to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the genetic breeding techniques commonly available to UK farms.
One of the competition judges, Nick Helyer, Holstein UK president, said Jamie’s essay showed he had a ‘broad knowledge of the subject’, with a lot of research put into making his essay interesting with an excellent conclusion.
As part of the award, Jamie will attend the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto in November.
The three runners-up were Christie Baker (South Wales HYB), Emily Shorthouse (Western HYB) and Lizzie Cotton (Staffordshire HYB).
Feeding Actisaf ® Sc 47 live yeast and Safmannan® premium yeast fraction in the last six weeks before lambing optimises feed efficiency and supports ewe health, ensuring lambs have the best start and improving performance later in life. Benefits include:
• Up to 25% higher IgG in colostrum
• Immunity support for the ewe
• Up to 20% more milk
• Smoother diet transitions
• Improved digestion of fibre, increasing propionate and subsequent glucose supply
A new project will identify breeding strategies to cut emissions.
While bale grazing beef cattle over winter can be challenging and must be carefully planned out, there are many benefits. Sara Gregson finds out more.
Bale grazing benefits
Long practiced in Canada and North America, bale grazing has significant cost and labour-saving advantages. It frees up shed space and reduces the arduous and expensive job of mucking out in spring.
Animals are healthier for being outside and there is a lot of anecdotal evidence for increased grass growth and greater biodiversity.
Aberdeenshire farmer Nikki Yoxall, who is head of research for Pasture for Life and leading an Innovative Farmers project looking in greater depth at the effects of bale grazing (see panel), says: “Bale grazing is being seen more and more on social media, at well-attended farm walks and in discussions on farming forums.
“Currently, UK research literature is lacking on the impact on forage quantity and quality and soil health. However, farmers have expressed an interest in quantifying the benefits and our Field Lab farmers are already seeing improvements.”
Innovative Farmers Field Lab
■ Seven Pasture for Life farmers
■ Average rainfall 666mm to 1,675mm
■ Herd size 33 to 300 suckler cows
■ Four-year data gathering to 2026
■ Comparing changes between years
■ Soil sampling, forage sampling and soil health tests
■ Economic evaluation already carried out, funded by AHDB
■ Also personal well-being and biodiversity benefits
IN THE FIELD SAM AND CLAIRE BEAUMONT, CUMBRIA
THE Beaumonts returned to Claire’s 188-hectare (465-acre) home farm in 2017 after a spell working in London. Finding it hard to make any money with Swaledale sheep, they sold the ewes and bought pedigree Beef Shorthorn cattle in 2019.
Now they have a herd of 66 animals of varying ages, with the cows calving at the end of April. Mr and Mrs Beaumont are aiming to have 100head of cattle in the next few years.
Rainfall
The soil is heavy clay and the average annual rainfall is 1,700mm.
The farm consists of 33ha (81 acres) of top fell, 430 metres (1,410 feet) above sea level. Below this is 90ha (222 acres) of rough grazing, woodland and wood pasture, where the herd spends most of the winter on deferred grazing.
On the lowest ground, there are 65ha (161 acres) of meadows managed on long 60- to 80-day grazing rotations throughout summer.
The cattle include beef animals
targeted for direct sale to local and national customers. These are Pasture for Life certified.
Mrs Beaumont says: “We are passionate about maintaining the natural landscape and enriching the wildlife.
“Using cattle we can revitalise the grassland while producing high-quality food. Using a low-cost system, which includes out-wintering, allows us to do this and make a profit.”
In 2021, the plan was for the herd to stay on deferred grazing in the wood pasture until the end of March, but by the end of February, the cows were restless.
Forage analysis showed pasture quality dropping significantly at the end of February.
So Mr and Mrs Beaumont moved the herd to the lower pastures, rotating the animals around behind electric fencing.
But very slow grass growth, in what turned out to be a false spring, meant they soon ran out of fresh forage. They needed another solution for grazing in March and so they tried bale grazing.
In 2023, they invested in piped water
Bale grazing has significant cost and laboursaving benefits.
and electric fencing in one 5ha (12 acre) field that was not in any stewardship scheme, that had been rested for 10 months.
In total, 32 cattle bale grazed it for 34 days. By June 15, it had recovered, producing more grass than ever before.
The field was grazed with the entire herd of 65 in July 2023 and then rested for six months.
Some 30 hay bales were made in another field on the farm and moved into place in September.
Another 24 bales of species-rich hay made by Cumbria Wildlife Trust arrived in October.
Last March, 43 cattle went in on the first day of the month and stayed there until the last day, eating up to two bales a day. Any hay that was not eaten was left to feed the soil.
Thinking
Mr Beaumont says : “I am thinking about what and where the animals will graze all-year-round. I work out how much to give and where to place the bales using a free farming app and I move them at 8am every morning.”
The Beaumonts are already noticing changes in sward composition, with more taller grasses such as cocksfoot and wildflowers such as knapweed, ox-eye daisies and plantains present.
Out-wintering has also reduced costs from £375 per head when the cattle were housed down to £30/head. Bale grazing has also ‘given’ the Beaumonts the old shed back where they now salt and store hides for leather and have also set up a Johnson-Su bioreactor for making biologically-enhanced compost.
Sam and Claire Beaumont say out-wintering cut costs by £375 a head.
IN THE FIELD STUART MITCHELL, HAWICK
MIXED organic farmer Stuart Mitchell is making annual savings of £36,000 by out-wintering his suckler cows and heifers on his hill and feeding them a bale of hay a day.
Mr Mitchell farms with his wife Kate and his parents at Whitriggs Farm, near Hawick, in the Scottish Borders.
In 2018, they made the decision to sell their flock of 1,000 sheep and radically change the grassland management across the 442-hectare (1,092-acre) farm.
Mr Mitchell says: “We had always kept the sheep out on the hill in summer and the cattle were housed all winter.
Seed
“This was the wrong way round. The grass and wildflowers on the hill, which reaches 426 metres, need to flower and drop seed in summer.
“The cattle need to be there in winter to fertilise the ground and create conditions that encourage the growth of flora and fauna the following year.
“In 2019/2020 we started small with 50 of our 140 Shorthorn cross Aberdeen-Angus suckler cows with their calves, fed on silage bales for two-and-half months.
“This worked well. The cows seemed to be happier outdoors and poaching was not a problem
because they were moving across the hill every day.
“The next year, keen to avoid using plastic wrap, we tried it with more cows and hay bales, keeping them there for four months.
“The system really worked and we made 220, 1.5m hay bales for 140 cows and calves.”
The cows are strip-grazed behind a single wire electric fence, which is moved forward 8m every day.
The hay bale is unrolled, using a Whitriggs bale unroller, designed and manufactured on the farm.
Bulling and in-calf heifers follow a similar out-wintering system further down the hill. Calves come off the hill in mid-January for 10 weeks and are sold to finishers at one-year-old.
The hill is rested from mid-April until July and then grazed once to produce high quality regrowth. It is then shut up and left to grow until the middle of December when the cows, which had calved in April, are introduced. They stay there until the following April.
“It was costing £18/head/week
when we kept the cattle indoors,” Mr Mitchell adds.
“This has fallen to just £3.94p/ head/week now they are outside.”
Part of this cost saving comes from a reduction in the use of fuel –highlighted in the report which looked at the economics of bale grazing, written by Emily Grant, of Forrit Consultancy, and Rhidian Jones, of R.J. Livestock Systems.
“The savings in fuel are quite stark, with a 72% reduction from reducing the degree of mechanisation,” says Mr Mitchell.
“In our case this was moving from a forage mixer wagon when the cattle were inside, to a UTV and bale unroller.” (See table below).
Reducing the amount of purchased straw was also significant.
Mr Mitchell used to buy-in 1,000 bales for bedding and topped this up with straw from his own winter oat and spring barley crops. This year he has sold straw for the first time at good prices.
Other benefits include less time
FUEL USE: CATTLE HOUSED AND OUT-WINTERED
spent looking after the cattle, down from four hours a day feeding in the shed to 30 minutes on the UTV. This had led to more family time, with Mr Mitchell now indoors by 5pm each night.
Cattle are fitter and healthier and have not needed worming.
And the range and number of wildflowers, including orchids, insects and bird life are all increasing on the hill.
Limit
“For a while it looked like last year’s early wet autumn was going to push our stocks of hay bales to the limit this winter,” says Mr Mitchell.
“But thankfully late October and November were amazingly dry, which meant the cattle did not need such a large daily allocation, which saved a lot of forage for later on. December was good too and the recent frosts have also helped.
“It has been a much better start to winter than previous years.”
Stuart Mitchell says he has saved £36,000 by outwintering his suckler cows
2024 was a varied, challenging year for farming and no less so for Gwyn Jones, who stepped into the role of Ruminant Health and Welfare chair. Farmers Guardian caught up with him to reflect on his first year and the outlook for 2025.
Medicine use data is ‘massively important’
One main goal of Ruminant Health and Welfare is to bring everybody closer together, and Gwyn Jones says last year was focused on looking for synergies and ways of sharing knowledge across the industry.
He adds collaboration between nations was crucial for the steering group’s work on a central medicine hub, a topic that bookended 2024 with discussions in January and December.
Mr Jones says: “Recording medicine usage is massively important because we have got a great story to tell.
“We have done much work voluntarily to cut the use of antimicrobials and to improve responsible use, but that cannot be evidenced unless we have recorded data.”
Goodwill
In Wales, medicine use data is combined with farm assurance, but Mr Jones says the English system relies totally on goodwill, asking vets to do the heavy lifting in lamb and beef. And while dairy should be much easier, as this data is collected, Mr Jones adds that unfortunately those involved have been slow to engage with the hub and as a result the target for dairy has been missed.
With EU countries already having to gather and supply this data,
Mr Jones says he is concerned there could be a trade issue in future, which is why Ruminant Health and Welfare is now faced with the question over whether medicine recording should remain a voluntary action or become legis-
BIOSECURITY
BIOSECURITY was another big theme for Ruminant Health and Welfare in 2024, with its importance central to the ongoing topic of bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) as well as the bluetongue (BTV-3) outbreak.
Mr Jones says: “With trade front and centre, the importance of biosecurity should be much higher up everyone’s agenda. It is so easy to
lated – a difficult conversation which Mr Jones sees as crucial.
“We should be prepared to call out the industry when it gets things wrong, and I am afraid on this issue of populating the Medicine Hub, we are in danger of failing to underpin our unique and very successful story,” he adds.
What is Ruminant Health and Welfare?
RUMINANT Health and Welfare aims to bring together the four nations of the UK to improve the health, resilience and production efficiency of the national flock and herd by focusing on a one health approach.
With objectives to identify, facilitate and promote, a central part of the network’s activity is to run monthly steering group meetings attended by up to 50 delegates representing key organisations and industry stakeholders.
REPORTING CATTLE ABORTIONS
PUTTING together a farmer-facing strategy for investigating all abortions has been one of Mr Jones’ successes for the year.
The five-step collect, assess, report, ensure and safeguard (CARES) process is designed to make sure that no abortion on a UK farm is left uninvestigated.
“We have highlighted that all abortions and still births are
buy something in that then wrecks everything that you have built over the years.
“We have seen evidence of that, for example a hired bull on a BVD-free farm or bought-in in-calf heifers carrying disease. Anything like that can devastate an otherwise clean herd, and the same in sheep.
“If you trade, you have got to be
caused by something and always need investigating,” he says.
“Even that one incident that seems to be in isolation should be tested, to find the cause and then reported.
“Although farmers can be nervous to report, it is a win-win because if you catch something in time, that affects your bottom line positively.”
careful that you do so to the highest standard, isolate where possible, and test to make sure that you are not bringing disease onto the farm.”
Biosecurity plays an important part in BVD eradication, which is an ongoing focus into 2025 as the group looks to link up schemes running across the four nations.
Recording medicine usage is important in conveying the strides that have been made to cut the use of antimicrobials and to improve responsible use.
BLUETONGUE
MR Jones says RH&W was able to react quickly to bluetongue through working in collaboration with up to 30 industry experts coming together to share resources, advice and cascade credible updates between all organisations. He says: “It is a hugely challenging and difficult time for everyone, but we can draw some comfort in that there are a lot of resources going in to try to manage it, find out about risk and reduce the distress caused.”
Gwyn Jones
Dairy-Tech returns to Stoneleigh Park where visitors will be able to view new innovations, concepts and products. Katie Jones looks ahead to
this year’s event.
New Down to Earth Hub at this year’s Dairy-Tech
Advice and information sessions along with exhibits of new technology and products will all be on offer at this year’s Dairy-Tech event.
This year, Dairy-Tech will see the launch of the Down to Earth Hub, a new speaker area focused on sustainability, looking at the concepts that can be implemented on-farm to ensure farmers are in line with future industry legislation when it comes to reducing the industy’s carbon footprint.
The hub will host four sessions; carbon, soil, biology and plants, all of which will present as dynamic panel sessions.
The event organisers, the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, say the decision behind the hub lies with the desire to ensure the event is meeting the needs of modern dairy professionals, regardless of their system size or type, by providing exposure to a whole range of ideas,
concepts and new thinking aimed at maximising business efficiency and productivity.
The Dairy and Innovation hubs will return and, this year, the Dairy Hub will focus on the theme of futureproofing and cost of compliance, with sessions looking at perspectives when it comes to lending, politics and Catchment Sensitive Farming.
Levy
There will also be panel debates from Kite Consulting and AHDB, looking at future compliance and how levy is being spent when it comes to this.
The Innovation Hub’s line-up of speakers will cover topics such as data and how it should be used to inform wise business decisions; how progress is being made when it comes to dairy cow lameness; practical use
of genomics in breeding and the benefits of using blood and milk analysis for early pregnancy diagnosis; as well as labour solutions and what can be implemented to alleviate the pressures around staff shortages.
The hub will conclude with a session on the role of microorganisms in dairy, uncovering the truth behind them and addressing whether additives are money well spent.
The event will host a portfolio of new product launches with a wide variety of products, services and concepts being showcased.
As lameness continues to lead as a priority within Defra and its Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, the Healthy Feet Zone will return.
This year it will be led by EkoHoofcare and the National Association of Cattle Hoof Trimmers.
Hall three will house a training area, where training provider Lantra will cover topics on cow signals, mobility scoring and health and safety on farms.
Dairy-Tech
■ When: February 5
■ Where: Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, CV8 2LG
■ Tickets: All visitor tickets booked in advance are sold at a discounted rate of £20, with free tickets and further concessions for RABDF and Women in Dairy members. Tickets purchased on the gate are £25.
■ Details: dairy-tech.uk or office@rabdf.co.uk
Meet the products to be unveiled at Dairy-Tech
There will be a number of new products on show at Dairy-Tech this year. Here Hannah Morgan takes a look at a selection of these innovations.
LIQUID PROBIOTICS AND POSTBIOTICS TO SUPPORT GUT HEALTH FOR CALVES
A NEW range of liquid probiotics and postbiotics for calves is being launched by microbiology company Precision Microbes.
Unlike traditional probiotics, Precision Microbes delivers live beneficial bacteria in a liquid formula, combined with postbiotics, which are bioactive compounds produced during fermentation.
The liquid format is designed to be highly palatable as well as easily absorbed post-consumption, and the product aims to deliver immediate and long-lasting support for gut health, boosting immunity and enhancing overall health in dairy calves.
It can be used in calf diets from day one and works out at about £16/calf from birth up to weaning.
■ More information from precisionmicrobes.com/sectors/ animal-health/calves
LARGE-SCALE PLASTIC CALF HOUSING UNIT
CALF-TEL will be showcasing its largest plastic calf housing unit to date, the new Calf-Tel Mammoth.
Measuring 2.1 metres tall by 3m wide by 3.5m long, the dairy equipment specialist’s unit offers 10.5sq.m of space.
Designed with optimal ventilation in mind, it features a large front opening, two rear windows and six roof portals in total.
Consisting of only four structural components, it promises simple assembly and transportation.
Its twin-sheet thermoformed plastic base is reinforced with
steel and designed to be easy to move across varied terrains.
Smaller groups
It has been particularly designed for smaller groups of calves or as transitional housing for postweaned calves prior to moving to larger herds.
The unit will be available from spring 2025 and is expected to retail in the region of £2,500/unit, with the manufacturers promising that it is ‘nearly indestructible’.
■ More information is available from calftel.com
BOLUS TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES INSIGHTS
A NEW digital assistant service has been developed by dairy health management system provider SmaXtec. It is designed to work alongside its TruAdvice technology, which is powered by artificial intelligence.
The digital assistant works using a ruminal bolus and provides data, such as inner body temperature and water intake per cow, from the reticulum.
Based on millions of data points, it is designed to give farmers preventative disease indication notifications for mastitis, milk fever
and ketosis before clinical signs become visible, as well as other information including insemination windows and calving alerts ahead of time.
The service generates automated management lists and customised reports, which are accessible via a smartphone or PC.
The bolus is priced at £30/cow and guaranteed for life, with the software required starting at £3/ month on a per cow basis.
■ More information from smaxtec.com/en/
Dairy-Tech Preview Livestock
NEW 180-LITRE MILK KART
JFC Agri will be showcasing its new 180-litre milk kart with mixer and pump.
Some of its key features include the ability to custom dispense milk volumes and mixing cycles, an easyto-use interface, a combined charger and mixer cable, a recessed drain-off and filter for easy drainage and main-tenance, a new body shape, and an easyclean lid.
The larger capacity allows for 60 calves at a rate of three litres/calf to be fed on one mix.
The retail price
■
UPDATE TO LAMENESS DETECTION SERVICE
HOOFCOUNT is set to add a block and bandage function to its lameness detection device PediVue, designed to further aid prompt lameness management and treatment.
The system works via a high-speed camera fitted to the Hoofcount automatic footbath. This captures images of moving hooves, which a filtering algorithm then assesses using artificial intelligence (AI).
AI was used to train PediVue to identify when a block or bandage had been applied to a treated hoof, in
order to monitor it and subsequently remind the farmer of the agreed time to remove it. This is with the aim to avoid any further hoof-related issues, which could otherwise lead to more complex health problems.
Images are collected daily and stored in a cloud-based database, which can then be downloaded as required.
PediVue is available to customers on a subscription model. The new feature will be added to existing customers’ accounts free of charge.
■ For more, see hoofcount.com
More
Livestock Dairy-Tech Preview
A NEW APPROACH TO REDUCING STRESS IN CATTLE
IN cattle, a pheromone called Maternal Bovine Appeasement Substance (mBAS) has been identified as reducing the impact of stress and the production of cortisol, also known as the ‘stress hormone’.
FerAppease is a newly available synthetic analogue of mBAS. Created specifically to mitigate stress in healthy calves and adult cattle, FerAppease is widely used in US dairy and beef production systems.
FerAppease is applied topically to the skin above the muzzle and back
of the poll. It is then inhaled to deliver the same level of comfort an animal would have with their mother, therefore mitigating stress. The response has been shown within 30 minutes of application and lasts at least 14 days.
FerAppease is available from your vet. It is a non-medicinal product and a prescription is not needed.
n More details can be found on Stand P110 at Dairy-Tech, where there will be a competition running to win one of nine 10-dose packs.
PRECISION UPDATE TO HERDVISION SYSTEM
HERDVISION is introducing HerdNutrition, a resource designed to bring a new level of precision to group feeding and, in turn, herd management.
The HerdNutrition function builds on HerdVision’s individual body condition score (BCS) and
mobility data by tracking BCS trends for individual groups of animals.
Any collective changes to BCS within each group are reflected in the data, which has been built into a new metric designed to enable producers and their nutritionists to fine-tune
AUTOMATIC FEED BELT SYSTEM
NEW to the UK, an automatic belt feeding system is an alternative to the conventional feed passage for feeding out rations to livestock. Each system is specially adapted to the requirements and structural conditions of the farm it is installed on, and offers space- and costsaving benefits. For example, an extra row of cubicles might be able to be fitted in existing barns, or the volume of a new barn could be reduced at the planning stages because the belt removes the need for a passageway wide enough for a tractor and mixer wagon.
Cows are able to consistently eat off a smooth PVC surface, with residual feed removed as the belt reverses at each new feed.
n More information from feedstar. com/en or tim-gibson.com/product/ feedstar-feed-system/
TOOL AIDS CLUSTER LINER
A NEW diagnostic tool has been launched to help farmers maintain high milking performance by ensuring liners and pulsators are always working at their best.
MIPulse monitors the condition of pulsators and the vacuum line 24/7, saving the need to carry out multiple testing several times per year and enabling problems to be spotted and resolved quickly before issues affect cow or milking performance.
Information is also provided for
diets to the precise requirements of each group.
This is in order to maximise feed conversion efficiency and replace previous estimations based on diet
milking point failure alert and milking time recording.
MIPulse monitors can be installed on all brands and types of parlours as a bolt-on to existing set-ups, or designed into future installations. Data can be viewed remotely via an app on a PC or smartphone with an internet connection. The monitors retail at £500/point, with the app constantly updated as needed.
n More information from milkrite-interpuls.com/mipulse.htm
formulation/management or environmental factors.
n More information can be found at herd.vision
Trials diary
ENGLAND
January 18. NORTH WESTMORLAND, nursery and novice, Talibert, Shap, CA10 3ND, what3words: able.sticks.opposites, 9am start, pre-entry, contact J. Relph, tel: 07494 443 901. PENNINE, open, West Hall Farm, Nesfield, Ilkley, LS29 0BX, 9.30am start, field entry, contact C. Mellin, tel; 07891 871 298. FLYDE, open, Hollins Head Farm, Quernmore, LA2 9NA, 9.30am start, field entry.
January 19. MID SHIRES, beginners, nursery and novice, Barston, Solihull, Warwicks, 8.30am start, field entry, £5 per entry, contact G. Burbidge, tel: 07950 738 732. MID SHIRES, beginners, nursery and novice, Lower Shuckburgh, Daventry, Northants, NN11 6EB, 9am start, field entry, contact G. Burbidge, tel: 07950 738 732. RYEDALE, beginners, nursery and novice trials, Sandhoe Farm, Carlton, Goole, East Yorkshire, DN14 9RS, what3words: started. wildfires.outsize, 9.30am start, field entry, £2 per entry, contact S. Walton, tel: 07789 740 122.
January 24. MID SHIRES, beginners, nursery and novice, Solihull, 9am start, field entry, contact G. Burbidge, tel: 07950 738 732.
January 25. YORK, beginners, nursery and novice, York, North Yorkshire, 10am start,
For winning results
English results
ROMNEY MARSH, Whitehall, Ludgate Lane (Judge, E. Lauder) Nursery (19 ran) 1, M. Banham, Beacons Ben, 94; 2, P. Griffiths, Duchy, 77; 3, K. Reed, Prince, 76; 4, K. Reed, Nan, 44. NORTH WESTMORLAND, Talibert Farm, Shap (M. Metcalfe) Nursery (47 ran) 1, K. Cropper, Sam, 82; 2, J. Huddleston, Summer, 81; 3, N. Westgarth, Meg, 79; 4, P. Rigby, Sid, 74; 5, O. Dean, Sky, 65. Novice, 1, E. Hill, Pentre Roxy, 80 out of 90; 2, A. Temple, Hilltop Rita, 79; 3, E. Hill, Jess, 75; 4, J. Relph, Ben, 74. New Handler, 1, R. Willan, Rebel; 2, B. Cook, Trefynor Cork. HOLME, Cloughhead Grane Road, Haslingden (J. and C. Scrivin) Open (47 ran) 1, D. Wood, John, 75; 2, R. Taylor, Tess, 73; 3, R. Taylor,
field entry, £2 per entry, contact D. Bristow, tel: 07944 883 718. YORK, nursery, novice and open, 12pm start, field entry, contact D. Bristow, tel: 07944 883 718. January 26. NORTHALLERTON, open, Kirkby Fleetham, South Low Field Farm, Northallerton, DL7 0SY, 9.30am start, field entry, membership is £5 per person due on the first nursery date, contact A. Grant, tel: 07710 825 836. ROMNEY MARSH, nursery and novice trials, Whitehall, Ludgate Lane, Lynsted, Kent, ME9 0RF, 10am start, field entry, £3 per entry, contact L. Lauder, email: romneymarsh123@gmail.com.
SCOTLAND
January 25. SHETLAND, nursery and novice trials, Skeld Public Hall, Skeld, Shetland, ZE2 9NY, 9am start, pre-entry, £10 per entry, contact D. Mainland, 07748 582 031. WEST BURRAFIRTH, nursery and novice, Skeld Public Hall, Skeld, Shetland, ZE2 9NY, 12pm start, pre-entry, £10 per entry, contact D. Mainland, 07748 582 031.
NORTHERN IRELAND
January 25. KILKEEL, open, Head Road, Kilkeel, BT34 4PU, 8am start, pre-entry, contact K. McDowell, tel: 07753 162 699.
Dot, 72; 4, B. White, Jan, 70; 5, A. Grant, Kate, 68; G. Brierly, Ella, 67. Nursery (C. Pickford) (27 ran) 1, C. Kempson, Glen, 90; 2, S. Duckworth, Baw Sweep, 87; 3, J. Ashworth, Lass, 82; 4, J. Ashworth, Zac, 77; 5, J. Burrows, Maddie, 73; 6, S. Duckworth, Sweep, 73.
BOYNTON , Manor Farm, North Yorkshire, (M. Kinnes) Beginners (20 ran) 1, J. Porteus, Graylees Tig; 2, L. Bray, Scalpsie Maid. TRAWDEN, Cold Weather Farm, Gisburn, (G. Fearon) Nursery (32 ran) 1, R. Hutchinson, Taylor, 89; 2, J. Gustafsson, Clip, 86; 3, T. Longton, Gyp, 85; 4, S. Longton, Len, 81; 5, T. Longton, Brody, 80; 6, R. Taylor, Jes, 77.
SURREY, Shabden Park Farm, Chipstead, (M. Banham) Nursery, 1, P. Griffiths, Duchy, 87/100; 2, J. Watson, Mick, 80; 3, J. Watson, Jake, 75; 4, R. Hawke, Macey, 62; 5, E. Anstey, Spot, 61; 6, K. Reed, Prince, 59 OLF.
Northern Irish results
DONEGAL NORTH REGION, Ballylevin, Manorcunningham (P. Rodgers) Nursery, 1, M. Heraty, Jess, 70; 2, P. Boyle, Cap, 55.
Working Dogs
Ricky Hutchinson and Taylor, were the winners of the
trial with a total of 89 points.
Trawden Pennine nursery
Market Prices Primestock
SCOTLAND
ENGLAND
Source: LAA/MartEye
YOUNG BULLS
Market Prices Store Cattle
SCOTLAND
ENGLAND
Frome
Figures show livestock numbers first, then average price per head.
Source: LAA/MartEye
WALES
MARKET COMMENT
MORE than 64,000 livestock entered auction marts in England and Wales this week with price variations across the board.
In the cattle rings, steers were up by 1p/kg to 323.4p/kg, and dairy-sired cow values increased by 7.1p/kg to 171.2p/kg.
However, young bulls and heifers bucked the trend to decrease in price by 0.3p/kg and 2.7p/kg, respectively.
Almost 57,000 lambs entered markets this week, with prices rising by 2.8p/kg to 339.2p/kg.
Porkers had climbed in value by 48.5p/kg, which outweighed decreases for cutters and baconers.
As Farmers Guardian went to press on Wednesday (January 15), UK LIFFE wheat prices for May 25 were trading at £191/tonne, an increase of £1.5/t on the week.
LIVESTOCK AVERAGES
Market Prices
DEADWEIGHT CATTLE
Deadweight prices for the week ending January 11, 2025.
Source: AHDB
STORE SHEEP ENGLAND
DEADWEIGHT SHEEP
O/S deadweight prices for the week
2224
CARLISLE: wheat straw, round bale, £32/bale; mini Hesstons, £135/t; oat straw, round bale, £25/bale. Ashford Tu 887 109.9
DEADWEIGHT PIGS
WALES SCOTLAND
HAY AND STRAW
January13,2025
GOOSTREY: Every Monday, hay, square bale, £90 to £118/tonne; round bale, £94/t; haylage, square bale, £62 to £74/t; round bale, £64 to £75/t; barley straw, square bale, £144/t; round bale, £136/t; oat straw, square bale, £111/t.
The younger generation will be impacted by the Autumn Budget in various ways. Five agriculture students from Myerscough College talk to Farmers Guardian about their hopes for the future and the need for consumer connection. Emily Ashworth reports.
Speaking up for the future
The Budget prompted many conversations within the industry, and although the younger generation of farmers may still be in the throes of education or finding their farming feet, it is vital to hear their views since
Meet the students
n William Morphet, fourthgeneration dairy farmer
n Ollie Ciotkowski, who is not from a family farm but works in arable n Evie Moon, third-generation sheep and beef farmer
they are the future of the industry.
In this Save Britain’s Family Farms campaign special straight from Myerscough College campus, these five students – who are all studying agriculture – show that they have the passion and determination to take the sector forwards.
n Luke Edmunson, thirdgeneration dairy farmer
n Evie Hall, who is from a nonfarming background and works on Lancashire YouTuber and agfluencer Tom Pemberton’s dairy farm
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE BUDGET?
Ollie: “It was rushed into and people do not understand what farmers do for the country.
“People think farmers are earning millions and that they are earning all this profit.”
Evie Moon: “It is worrying. We should not have to be worrying about what our future looks like.
“My dad has been waiting his whole life to take over this business and now it is looking
even harder than it was ever going to be.”
Luke: “Shocked and stressed. We came to think it might not bother us as much [as tenants] but it is sad to see what it could do to family farms across the UK.
“It is nerve-racking because the landlord might choose to sell the farm, but there might be an opportunity to buy a farm in the future.”
DO YOU THINK CONSUMERS UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE BUDGET?
Evie Moon: “I do not think they understand at all, and they think farmers are rich. The business is rich, but without the assets we do not have much.”
Luke: “They think we are fighting back because of personal benefit.
“Everyone is a bit confused, but they are so far removed from farming they do not understand. It would be nice if they did.”
William: “All these tractors going to Parliament are machines that cost a quarter of a million pounds.
“But it is because there are less people working in the industry and we still need to produce food. Farms struggle as it is. They need everything they have got. The only way to pay Inheritance Tax is to sell
assets and that is what farms are – asset-rich.”
Ollie: “There are a lot of people in charge who do not have the knowledge.”
HOW CAN WE HELP CONSUMERS UNDERSTAND?
Evie Moon: “We need to get [farming] into schools and people should already know enough to want to go to an agricultural college.
we did not hear anything about farming. I went to school in Lytham, and I think I am the only one who went into agriculture.
The only way to pay Inheritance Tax is to sell assets and that is what farms are – asset-rich
“Some high schools do an agriculture course, but you only see it in rural places.
“People in cities are the ones who do not know – they do not grow up seeing it.”
Evie Hall: “It is hard to tell them, but their minds will not change if they have not done it themselves.
“There is nothing in high school;
“I fell into it. You have to have a love for it – I love cows and I love the animals. I started working on a farm at 14.”
Luke: “Social media is the biggest thing right now. It shows people do care – there are negative parts, but people do care, and we need to use the bigger names who are pushing it.”
DO YOU THINK THE GOVERNMENT WILL CHANGE ITS MIND ON THE FAMILY FARM TAX?
Luke: “I think we may have to sit this out. With the protests they may rethink, but the way Keir Starmer is opposing it, it does not look like anything is going to happen.
“Everyone is hoping the Government will rethink its rushed decision.”
Ollie: “Everyone going to Parliament shows the force and how many people are genuinely worried about their farm and future.”
AS THE YOUNGER GENERATION, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS INDUSTRY?
Luke: “A bit unsure and I do not feel confident that we will be able to farm for the rest of our days. It is all unknown and nerve-racking seeing other people worry. Farms have to diversify too. It is sad, but you cannot just live off the family farm. It is pushing towards having a farm shop or another business.”
Ollie: “People might not be able to afford wages. Finding jobs as a young person is hard – so is experience –without Inheritance Tax.”
Luke: “I am planning on going abroad and exploring other sectors and then coming back home to work alongside my dad. I would like to learn other ways rather than just ‘the way granddad did it’.”
LISTEN TO THE FG PODCAST TO hear the full interview, scan the QR code or go to farmersguardian. com/podcasts
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?
Evie Hall: “Hopefully something in veterinary. I would like to work while studying to be a vet technician.
“I think I will always want to milk though, maybe at weekends.”
IF YOU COULD TELL A CONSUMER ONE THING ABOUT BRITISH FARMING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Evie Moon: “A big misconception is – especially for dairy – the complexity of a dairy cow. Everything has to be just right for that cow to produce milk.”
Luke: “How little money there is. We do not have millions in the bank; we are not cash-rich.
“And to understand what actually goes on.”
William: “British food is the best and the highest quality.”
Ollie: “How much effort is put into it for people to sit at the table and eat it – the time, the love, the care.”
Left to right: Ollie Ciotkowski, Evie Hall, Luke Edmunson, Evie Moon, and William Morphet.
In Your Field
Every week we follow the ups and downs of farmers around the UK
ALAN CARTER
Cornwall
Alan Carter farms in partnership with his parents, Paul and Christine, on a 162 hectare (400-acre), 400-cow dairy unit at Constantine, Cornwall, with 130 milking cows, supplying Saputo. Alan, also a Parish Councillor, and his wife Sarah, have two children, Ross and Dana.
The new year usually starts with a TB test, and it wasn’t any different this month. The animals went through well over a couple of days, although the weather on the first day was very wet and cold.
We ended up with two reactors in the cows. There was some concern over what would happen to the milking heifers that had been grazing on the other farm during summer.
This was the site of a new infection at the last test and we didn’t know if it would have got worse by now. But it looks like we caught it quick, and we might be on the way to a clear test one day.
Flu
Last time, I mentioned that I hoped everyone’s machinery and livestock would not make the festive period tricky. I should have added the flu to that list as well.
It sounds like influenza has affected many people around the country and it hit Mum, Dad and Robert at various stages from Christmas Eve onwards.
Dad was pretty bad with it and had to be sent back in when he was
‘For days, the sound of his
coughing has been echoing around the farm’
out trying to help with the work. For many days, the sound of his coughing has been echoing around the farm. I wouldn’t be surprised if it has been heard in the village.
Despite being surrounded by it, Sarah and I have been fine. Our flu jab was obviously working hard.
We all spend time and money on vaccinations for our livestock to keep them well, we mustn’t forget how important our own health is.
I must also thank Robert who worked a lot of extra hours during this time.
The repercussions from the
Budget are regularly in the news, and it’s not just farmers that are very unhappy about it. It feels like the cost of living will be going up again from April.
On November 13, I wrote a brief email about the changes to Inheritance Tax relief to my new Labour MP. It wasn’t very long, and I attached my most recent article from these pages which explained my feelings on the subject. I got an automated reply straight back and that is all I have heard.
Our previous MP was the former Secretary of State, George Eustice.
These are warning signals we cannot ignore
IT was reported last week that 2024 was the warmest on record globally.
This is according to data gathered by the ECMWF, a well respected centre of excellence in weather forecasting and climate science.
I am always slightly dubious when such data is gathered from models and datasets comprised of limited amounts of real-world data.
The ‘record’ quoted by ECMWF goes back to 1850 and comprises several reconstructed sets of data.
However, I do think that in the absence of globally observed temperatures, the ECMWF data set is about the best that there is.
Its attempt at reanaylising temperatures (and other weather parameters) back to 1950 using its ERA5 dataset is certainly one to be taken notice of.
One of the other tests is to see what climatological reference period it is comparing its findings with.
Sometimes this can be an old dataset, but in the case of ECMWF this is the latest reference period of 1991 to 2020.
It is therefore hard to pick any holes in the data and it does indeed appear that 2024 was the warmest globally on record.
Regionally, European temperatures were also the warmest on record,
beating the previous high set in 2020.
In Antarctica the sea ice reached record, or near-record, low values for several months during the year, while in the Arctic, sea ice extent was close to average until June, but then fell well below.
The day of greatest ‘heat stress’ across the globe was July 10 when around 44% of the planet was affected by strong to extreme heat stress.
There’s much more which can be extracted from the data, but the question is, should we be concerned?
The answer is a resounding yes. These are now warning signals we cannot ignore.
During his term I contacted him a few times, mainly about TB, and always had a reply, once even a phone call. My Dad had a meeting with him once to discuss the killing of heavily in-calf TB reactors, after we had a terrible experience with 10 cows. Fortunately, now it’s a little more flexible and compassionate, after being able to talk about the real-life consequences with someone that could change the rules.
It makes me fear that if a newly elected MP in a swing constituency doesn’t want to talk about it, will the Chancellor want to?
For location specific forecasts visit farmersweather.co.uk and for video updates go to weatherweb.net or call the number below.
Call Farmers WeatherLIVE
Farmers Weather by Dr Simon Keeling
NEXT WEEK
Scottish Borders Kate Rowell
Lancashire Amy Wilkinson
‘Recent cold weather has worked in our favour’
DAN HAWES
Kent
Dan Hawes grew up on an arable farm in Suffolk and now produces strawberry and raspberry plants for the UK fruit market with Blaise Plants, sister company to Hugh Lowe Farms, Kent. The business grows outside, under tunnels and in glasshouses and produces more than four million plants a year. The arable side includes environmental schemes, with a mix of wheat, oilseed rape, beans and barley crops.
January soon rolls round and so does the cold weather.
Learning from past mistakes, I made sure we got the drippers out of the pots we want to move in good time, before we got the minus figures. Believe me, you
aren’t budging them when they’re frozen in solid.
Those who read this section regularly will know I was keen to get all the strawberries packed before Christmas and, unfortunately, this was not the case, but I had no-one to blame but myself.
Had my packing plan spreadsheet been correct, we would have finished at 4pm on the Friday, but Wally here hadn’t included a section of the field we were finishing in.
My spreadsheet error also meant we had more plants than expected, but they’ll have a home and I’d rather it was that way round than the other.
We did a bit more on the Saturday, but everyone was tired. It had been an intense six weeks, so we did the last bit when we started back up in January.
Crossword 1280
With strawberries out the way, the next big push is to get all blackberry and raspberry canes into store.
Luckily this is reasonably quick and we can do this with a team of eight over three weeks.
We prune the tops and pack them into big wooden crates, where temperature depends on the storage length, ready to bring them out as required.
Recent cold weather has worked massively in our favour, as far as plants are concerned.
emptying fields urgently before growth continues, particularly as cold stores are in short supply as our usual ones can’t shift apples quick enough.
This meant I actually had the full two weeks off (with the exception of walking round a couple of times to make sure everything was okay, and all prepared for high winds. NAME
We need a certain number of chill hours for the plants to fully release from dormancy, which we were struggling with back in November, but with the current weather I’m not too worried, achieving over 1,000 chill hours by the time we started back. This cold is handy, and takes the pressure off
I keep looking at ways we can streamline our packing process, particularly as we will be expanding cold stored plants next year, and I’m in the process of getting some drawings done for a retro fit conveyor system so we could pack directly in the field. Our links with a lettuce company mean we do have access to some work station trailers – the sort that fold out to make a covered platform, so using these would save on cost and maximise efficiency.
Finally, a shout out to the students I gave a talk to at Hadlow Rural Community School recently – particularly those who asked questions.
Send in your correct entries to be in with a chance of winning £20 worth of Love2shop vouchers every month. Send to: Crossword No. 1280, Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Caxton
ACROSS
1 Alive and not buried, as we hope most crops are (5,6)
9 Withdraw Religious Education pleasure excursion (7)
10 On account of British and European inducement (7)
11 Could be a present of Red Rum? One you don’t look in the mouth (4,5)
12 Expresses choice of very old essentially dated verse, ignoring the odds (5)
13 Some education paid for by this ancient gold coin? (5)
14 Frantically streaming people leaving their country (9)
16 Special Berkshire town extending widely (9)
18 Marks as correct bloodsucking insects (5)
20 One accepting offer thanks pair of royals (5)
22 Fashionable combination of dizzy fun and zeal - it’s contagious (9)
24 Mother of Esau and Jacob: a Hitchcock film (7)
25 Manured incorrectly without accessory apparatus (7)
26 Showy types flattery passes quickly (11)
DOWN
1 Artisan’s skill if decorator of cakes, say (9)
2 Hens too involved in thing that happens once only (3,4)
3 Professional clown lost opening for organic compound (5)
4 Cutting a groove sounds like hunting for vermin (9)
5 Expose a local disguise (7)
6 Mistrust the French abandoning traditional male attire (5)
7 Cold, frozen principally and stiff (6)
8 Animals not left in stables, wandering around (6)
14 Completely remove strange alien mite (9)
15 Steal northern souls soubriquets (9)
16 Witty insulting language posed with anger (6)
17 Fruit left out of tropical mixture (7)
18 Cataclysmic wave emptily tosses one French friend (7)
19 Small convenient beer and lemonade drink (6)
21 Clumsily bake last bit of lamb skewer (5)
23 Make a mistake: with force steer closer to the wind (5)
‘This broken system, built for corporate benefit, impacts us all’
It is not an easy time to be a farmer. While almost half of the nation’s food is imported, the past few years have seen the worst UK harvests in memory, due to unpredictable weather.
Biodiversity across the country is in serious decline. Farmers are feeling disenfranchised, and trust in the Government is at an all-time low. Recent protests at Westminster have shown that farmers are left with little incentive to pursue anything beyond the bottom line. This approach not only imperils our agricultural sector, but also threatens nature and our food system as a whole.
But there is hope. Across the UK, a dedicated community of farmers is leading the way through a practical approach to farming that connects food security, nature restoration, community well-being and strong local economies.
At the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC), we’ve seen this firsthand. Every January, farmers present innovative solutions to help their farms flourish as resilient businesses and biodiversity hubs based on the principles of agroecology.
Agroecology is farming that works with nature and for the community. It provides a holistic solution for the food system, addressing not only how food is produced, but how it impacts our shared environment and the health of the nation.
This approach is essential if we are to tackle the systemic issues affecting UK farmers.
Trapped
Let’s take, for example, the issue of intensive livestock farming. This practice is disastrous for animal welfare and the environment, yet many farmers feel trapped by a lack of viable alternatives. Agroecology offers a way out, with practical solutions for transitioning to more sustainable practices while ensuring farmers’ livelihoods are protected.
At ORFC, we discussed practical solutions in detail. Through a deep dive into her farming journey, Florence Mannerings explained how she and her family turned an intensive farm that was in a very poor state into a thriving dairy business where food production and nature work hand-in-hand.
The challenges we face go well beyond the farm. We’re increasingly aware of the public health impacts of a food system that surrounds us with unhealthy and ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Rather than pitting farmers against fellow citizens, we need to recognise this broken food system, built for corporate benefit, impacts us all.
We must build an alternative, through fair supply chains that prioritise access to healthy, more nutritionally-dense food while fostering resilient local economies.
In going beyond the farm gate, agroecology connects farming practices to broader societal benefits, offering a roadmap for transformative change in our food system.
Agreement
The Secretary of State has emphasised the importance of a systemwide, joined-up approach to the new food strategy, building on existing knowledge rather than reinventing the wheel. We couldn’t agree more.
The UK already has a wealth of expertise in agroecology, built on long farming traditions. The community is there, full of passionate people delivering real change on their farms and in their food businesses.
Now is the time for the Government to tap into this knowledge and create a fair and workable system that delivers good food and nature recovery on farms across the UK.
That means providing clear incentives for sustainable practices and ensuring farmers have the resources they need to transition to agroecology across the four nations.
Farmers are feeling disenfranchised, with trust in the Government low, says Hester van Hensbergen.
5th - 6th March 2025
NAEC Stoneleigh
Low Carbon Agriculture 2025
Join us at the UK’s only exhibition dedicated to tackling agricultural climate goals and showcasing energy solutions to provide a sustainable farming future.
This vibrant business event brings together forward-thinking farmers, landowners, and industry operators to explore how the agricultural sector can contribute to the UK’s Net Zero goals.
