February 2016 Farming Monthly

Bees ‘n Seeds p12 |

SheepWatch UK launches to help protect the national flock p11 |

Farming

MONTHLY National

February 2016

Inside this issue...

Feature

| SheepWatch UK launches p11

Irrigation Farmers expect a fair share of the nation’s water resources P26 |

Arable

Patchwork of profits p25 |

Tyres

Fencing

Boundary maintenance p33 |

| Harvesting the benefits of reduced road lope p57

Livestock | Dairy farmers discuss challenges of high costs for machinery p31 Also Inside: Buildings | Education | Machinery | Animal Health | Energy | ATV | Motors

CONTENTS February 2016

FEATURES 11

12

11 Feature SheepWatch UK launches

14 Education Latest education & skills news

23

37 Buildings

31

42 Diet Feeders

Creating the perfect storage solution

40 Animal Health

Calculate feed savings

56 Tyres

Proactive health planning is key to herd performance

Harvesting the benefits of reduced road lope

16 LAMMA Post show round-up

23 Arable England regains official world title..

26 Irrigation A fair share of water resources

REGULARS 06 News All the latest news this month

31 Livestock High costs for machinery discussed

33 Fencing Maintaining your boundaries

04 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

12 On Topic Bees ‘n Seeds

20 Energy Room for growth for biomass

44 Machinery How do I get the most from it?

59 ATV ATV news...covered

58 Motors All the latest motors news

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

63

From the Editor...

EDITOR Andrew Poulton editor@farmingmonthly.com EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES editorial@farmingmonthly.com ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Tel: +44 (0) 2476 353537 Advertising Director: Shona Beedham s.beedham@farmingmonthly.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Julie Smith j.smith@farmingmonthly.com Phil Barry p.barry@farmingmonthly.com ACCOUNTING Accounts Payable Manager: Cheryl Arnold c.arnold@farmingmonthly.com DESIGN & PRODUCTION studio@farmingmonthly.com SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@farmingmonthly.com ON THE COVER Lambs in Warwickshire

Dog attacks on sheep have seen significant coverage recently and the overarching message is that the public need educating to keep their dogs on a lead when in the vicinity of livestock.

My question is, when did the public become so stupid and inconsiderate in these circumstances?

Is it the migration to the countryside by confirmed ‘urbanites’ in the past few years that has bolstered the number of attacks...or perhaps the increased number of ‘townies’ holidaying in rural hotspots rather than jetting off abroad?

Who knows - but the situation needs addressing.

There is some good news though...self confessed country lover Terena Plowright has founded a community initiative called SheepWatch UK (read more about it on p11) in the hope that, with the right backing, they can introduce some radical new solutions to try and bring farmers and dog walkers together to protect the Nations flock. Good luck to her...

The weather continues to cause problems now with high winds and another storm front

moving in as I type. Land drainage and run-off will be problems but it’s ironic that, in the Midlands, East Anglia and the South East at least, the major issue for farmers may actually be drought.

The UK Irrigation Association Annual Conference on 2nd March in Peterborough is an ideal opportunity to get the latest information on these critical issues and others direct from those who are leading the debate and planning for the future. There’s more information on p26.

This year’s LAMMA event was a tough one on the old feet - there was a lot to see and a fair distance to walk to cover all the stands - it’s just so big. We didn’t experience any real traffic issues this year - and the weather was kind considering how it had been. Exhibitors reported plenty of interest and some decent business done - but there were a number of whispers about the smaller machinery shows. What did you think of the show? Let us know...

Andrew Poulton, Editor

Subscribe today!

Enjoy your 12 month print subscription direct to your door for just £20!

Call us on 02476 353537 or visit our secure website at www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Available in

PRINT. DIGITAL. APP.

Follow us For editorial, general enquiries or to advertise please call Tel: +44 (0) 2476 353537 or email sales@farmingmonthly.com Farming Monthly National is published monthly in the UK by Farming Monthly Ltd, 15-17 Dugdale Street, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 5QJ Tel: +44 (0) 2476 353537 Printed in the UK No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission from the publisher.

Whilst every attempt is made to ensure accuracy, the opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or publication. The Editor also reserves the right to alter or edit material as required and no responsibility is accepted for inaccuracies.

Full copyright applies. All rights reserved.

ISSN 2044-0190 (print) ISSN 2044-0200 (digital)

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 05

| News

Blackacre Farm hatches a plan for new educational campaign With reports of over 6 billion eggs consumed in the UK last year and the nation’s growing appetite for free-range, award-winning Somerset-based egg producer, Blackacre Farm, has launched a new educational campaign, ‘No Multi-Tier Here’, to give people a better understanding of their egg’s journey from the farmyard to the kitchen. ighlighting the fact that many freerange eggs are now produced in industrialised multi-tier units, the No Multi-Tier Here campaign will be taken to exhibitions and conferences throughout the UK in 2016, supported by interactive presentations in schools, online resources and social media activity using the hashtag #NoMultiTierHere.

While many free-range poultry farmers have embraced the new multi-tier shed systems, which can house up to 64,000 hens on multiple levels under one roof and offer advantages including

H

reduced feed consumption and the opportunity to vastly increase flock numbers on the same size of land, Blackacre Farm has remained committed to traditional farming methods. Unwilling to introduce the equivalent of highrise urban living to its hens on the farm, Blackacre’s birds are free to roam on luscious pastures throughout the day, soaking up those all-important daylight hours before returning to sleep in their single-tier sheds at night.

Dan Wood, managing director of Blackacre Farm, explains; “The industry is changing at such a rapid pace, but in its efforts to keep up with consumer demand while prices have been

06 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

Check your feed bins regularly K livestock farmers have been warned by the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) to check their bulk feed bins regularly for structural defects or corrosion. The warning comes in the wake of a two incidents in the Netherlands where feed bins collapsed. One was a ‘near miss’ but the other resulted in the death of a farmer.

George Perrott, AIC’s Feed Sector Head said: “Feed bins are familiar objects on livestock farms but can be holding tonnes of feed up in the air. Over time, these static

U

consistently driven down, it has forgotten to communicate effectively with the public. The term ‘free-range’ has lost all meaning, as it refers to everything from a multi-tier industrial unit housing thousands of birds to a handful of laying hens in a family’s back garden. Thankfully we’ve been able to keep up with demand without compromising our principles, partnering with other likeminded family-run farms in the south west, in the process supporting the traditional independent farmer and setting an example for other farms to follow.

pieces of equipment are just taken for granted. Corrosion or accidental damage can make them unsafe.

“It is good practice to routinely inspect feed bins, looking at signs of corrosion in metalwork, loose metalwork or cracks in welds.

Also, should there be an accidental collision with a farm vehicle or delivery truck – always carry out a visual inspection for any damage that could weaken the supports.

“The tragic and catastrophic incidents in the Netherlands are a timely reminder of how important it is to pay attention to regular inspection of equipment.”

In a marketplace increasingly concerned with provenance, we think the time has come to reengage with the public so they’re able to make an informed decision, which is why we’ve launched our No Multi-Tier Here campaign.”

Blackacre Farm’s eggs are available exclusively from independent retailers, including Fortnum and Mason, Selfridges, Bayley and Sage, Chatsworth Estate and other good independent delis, farm shops, butchers and grocery stores in the UK.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| News

Falling farm incomes today will jeopardise tomorrow’s food supply

D

efra’s latest Farm Business Income forecast shows significant falls across almost all the farming

sectors. Average incomes are expected to fall by almost a half on dairy farms in 2015/16. However, these figures mask significant variations across farms given the variance in price is so large.

IOSH welcomes reduction in Irish agriculture deaths A 40 per cent reduction in the number of deaths in Ireland’s agriculture industry has been welcomed by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). he Institution’s Ireland Branch is keen to see the trend continue this year and has vowed to do all it can to assist in cutting fatalities in all sectors.

There were 18 deaths in agriculture in 2015, down from 30 the previous year, according to figures published by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).

Liam Howe, Chair of IOSH’s Ireland Branch, said there had been a concerted effort throughout the year to ensure people working on the country’s farms are kept safe.

He said: “The major reduction in the number of deaths in agriculture is to be welcomed.

The HSA has concentrated its efforts to bring about the actual reduction.

“IOSH in Ireland has also concentrated its efforts in attempting to reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities in the agricultural sector with an initial farmer and farm safety event in Cavan during November.

Consideration is ongoing on the advisability and effectiveness of conducting these events throughout Ireland during 2016.

IOSH will do all it can in supporting the HSA in continuing the reduction trend.”

About 120 people attended an event held jointly by IOSH’s Ireland and Northern Ireland branches in Co Covan in November 2015. It included live demonstrations of best practice

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

when conducting hazardous work.

While the number of deaths in agriculture fell last year, the overall number of fatalities in Ireland remained the same as in 2014, with 55 people dying at work. Four of those deaths were children, all of them in agriculture.

There were 11 deaths in the construction industry, up from eight. Mr Howe believes an increase in the number of building projects explains the rise and has called for more to be done to safeguard workers in that industry, adding that the branch will support the HSA with this.

He added: “IOSH is fully supportive of the HSA in its work and successes and is understandably a willing partner in the necessary efforts which are ongoing in 2016 to achieve continual reduction in accidents, injuries and fatalities in Irish workplaces.”

Incidents involving vehicles were the main cause of fatal accidents in the workplace, accounting for 21 of the total.

Fifteen people were killed as a result of falls from height, the second most common cause of death.

Brian Higgisson, Assistant Chief Executive of the HSA, said: “There are high levels of safety and health awareness in Irish workplaces and we must ensure that this translates to changes in behaviour and fewer accidents in all the sectors this year.”

A prolonged period of drops in farmgate prices are largely to blame for the falling farm income the National Farmers’ Union said.

Similarly, the arable sector has also suffered as income is forecast to be down by 24 per cent. This is the second year of significant falls in farm incomes.

NFU President Meurig Raymond said: “Given the low prices we have witnessed across the industry it is no surprise that we have seen sharp falls in incomes. But the figures still make sobering reading. Agriculture is short on good news right now with the last 24 months seeing British farming face massive challenges.

“The subsequent cash flow problems this creates for agriculture should be a worry for all in the agri-food sector. Farmers need to be profitable so that they can reinvest in the future. The reality is that low profitability and falling confidence should be a wake-up call for everyone and it’s the antithesis of a sustainable framework for the UK food industry.

“While the short term focus is on income and cash flow, the longer term issues are around

better management of risk and volatility and everyone has a role to play in achieving that. There is no quick fix but we all have are responsibility towards achieving a better functioning supply chain, only then will farmers have the confidence to invest in the future and build resilience. The solutions are out there – for example forward contracts, formula pricing, supply chain integration - but these currently characterise a disappointingly small proportion of the food supply chain.

“The opportunities for UK farming are clear – in the longer term global and domestic demand will increase. 2016 will see a new food and farming plan laid down

by Defra. A plan to ensure British agriculture thrives needs to be bold, it needs to address fundamental issues of productivity and competitiveness and it needs to see a culture change about how we value food and farming. It must set a confident path for all parts of the UK food system.”

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 07

| News

Children in East Anglia go against the grain when it comes to breakfast A survey of primary school children, conducted by Kids Country, indicates children in East Anglia are bucking national trends and do, in fact, understand the importance of eating breakfast. Almost 100 per cent of the children questioned know that breakfast should be eaten every day. s part of National Breakfast Week, Kids Country, the education arm of the East of England Agricultural Society, conducted the survey and visited two schools in the region, giving over 300 children the opportunity to increase their knowledge of the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast, and teaching them about where their food comes from.

A member of the East of England Agricultural Society parked a Massey Ferguson tractor, provided by Chandlers Farm Equipment, in the playground of the schools visited. The tractor was used to explain the role of farming in getting breakfast products from the field to the table.

The children also had the chance to taste a variety of different

A

breakfast produce, with oats donated by Jordans Ryvita, flour provided by Marriage’s Master Millers, bacon from The Fruit Pig Company, and local honey provided by a Peterborough beekeeper. Pupils also took part in interactive games and quizzes about animals, food products and the farm.

Commenting on the event, Ms Jackii Crockett, Headteacher at St Botolph’s School, said: “As a school, we could not have provided the expertise, volunteers or food stuffs for all the children to learn about the importance of a healthy breakfast without the support of Kids Country. The visit has made the farm to fork adventure real for the children; standing next to a tractor wheel that is taller than them is a really powerful message for a child. Next time they see a picture of a tractor or watch one on TV, they will know

08 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

how big it is and the part it plays in bringing them the food on their plate.”

The Mayor and Mayoress of Peterborough attended St Botolph’s School to see first-hand what the children were experiencing. Commenting on the importance of events like the tour, Mayor of Peterborough, Councillor John Peach, said: “Hands-on education provides children with a fun and exciting way to learn, and puts their learning into the context of the world around them. We know all too well that children who skip breakfast find it hard to concentrate, which is why it is vital that initiatives like Kids Country continue to provide practical, hands-on learning about the importance of healthy eating, as well as giving children an understanding of where their food comes from.”

One of the pupils from Warmington School, also visited

by Kids Country as part of National Breakfast Week, added: “It has been so much fun! I loved making pancakes, and learning that wheat makes flour and flour makes pancakes. I also learnt how many seeds you can plant in a field and how a farmer has to take care of them so they grow. Did you know

you can eat all parts of the pig, even the snout!”

“The tour has been a fun, interactive and engaging way to educate and we are proud to have supported this event” The tour was sponsored by the Central England Cooperative.

Karen Ball, Member and Community Relations Officer at Central England Co-operative explains why they get involved in projects like the Kids Country Breakfast Week tour: “As an ethical retailer, we are delighted to support local primary schools and partner with community groups to help educate children on food, farming and much more. We had a great time, learning about the food journey from farm to fork, the interesting story of where flour comes from and making some great pancakes. The tour has been a fun, interactive and engaging way to educate and we are proud to have supported this event.”

For more information about the Kids Country Education Programme visit http://www.eastofengland.org.uk/ki ds-country/

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| News

The Venom Range: “Saws with Bite” from Draper Tools Brand new from Draper Tools is the high performance Venom™ range of saws. his feature-packed affordable range is made for the trade with a rigid, highquality, 1mm carbon steel blade ensuring precision and straightness of cut.

The Draper Venom™ range has saws to suit a variety of trades and tasks and includes fast cutting double and triple ground blade options. Each saw features optimum tooth design for smooth, effortless cutting too.

All saws also feature a lacquered coating to reduce friction and prevent corrosion and an ergonomic comfort grip handle to help reduce fatigue on the job.

T

You’ll also find helpful 45° and 90° guides for marking out.

Plus, there are colour coded handles to help you choose the right saw for the right job. For rough cutting of sawn timbers such as joists and stud partitions, including hidden frameworks there is a range of First Fix saws. For fine detail cutting jobs such architrave, skirting or banister rails, where the quality and precision of the cut really shows, Second Fix saws are available. Tenon saws for smaller jobs form part of the colour coded Venom range too.

The impressive new Draper Venom range is available now at great prices. For stockist details visit www.drapertools.com

Great British agriculture, food and drink at the Royal Bath & West Show Hailing a new generation of Great British festival, this year’s Royal Bath & West Show promises more farming, more food and drink and more fun – the same show, but even better.

NS

chedules for the show – which will be held from 1-4 June – have just been released and for the first time ever livestock classes will be held on every day of the show, with the Grand Parade now being held on Saturday as well as Thursday and Friday. “This offers an opportunity for more visitors to be treated to a display of all the winners and for exhibitors to show off their prize winning animals,” says Head of Shows Alan Lyons.

The show has introduced

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

more classes for exhibitors to enter, including commercial beef steers on the hoof, providing more chances to win as well as offering more prize money.

This year, the younger generation will be given a time to shine with Wednesday now dedicated to young exhibitors.

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 09

| News

10 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Feature

Sheepwatch UK: Communities fight dog attacks As the number of sheep being injured and killed by dogs across the country increases a new community organisation launched on 1st February pledging to introduce measures which will help protect the National Flock – SheepWatch UK. o-one really knows how many sheep have been injured or killed by dogs’ says Terena Plowright , founder of SheepWatch ‘it’s so hard to get exact figures but reports are coming in nearly daily from across the country and we have had enough’.

SheepWatch UK is already highlighting the problem and is coming up with some radical new solutions to try and bring farmers and dog walkers together to protect the Nations flock.

‘Dog walkers sometimes genuinely have no idea there are sheep in a field’ said Terena ‘and so we are asking Farmers to put a notice at entrances to fields announcing that livestock is present, especially those with footpaths through them. This will then remove the excuse that walkers use – they did not know sheep were there. We can then actively pursue people for having a dog out of control in a field with sheep in it, even if it is not (yet) causing harm. We just ask that farmers remove the signs when they move the stock’.

N

“We need to find out just how big this problem is so we can prove to the government that more needs to be done” SheepWatch UK is working with farmers, the NFU, the Police, the general public, dog walkers, and country parks to try and bring together a solution. ‘It’s not good enough to believe your dog won’t chase sheep’ said Doug Jones, Parish Councillor for Buriton in

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Hampshire, ‘all dogs love chasing and many bite or kill – it’s an inbuilt instinct. Everyone thinks their dog will be okay but all dogs can potentially be killers. Most people only find out when the dog has disappeared over the horizon. Our parish has had several attacks in the last few months and we are pulling together to aim to put an end to it by being part of SheepWatch UK and imploring people to keep their dogs on leads when anywhere near where there might be sheep’.

‘I am fed up with seeing injured or dead sheep,’ said Andrew Bray, farmer, ‘it’s horrendous for the animals and costly and emotionally upsetting for me and my family’.

Andrew has had several attacks from dogs on his sheep in recent months and is now one of the founding group who are advising SheepWatch UK on a way forward. ‘I need to be able to create a deterrent,’ he explained, ‘and fines may work better than threatening to shoot dogs. That could be a good way to go forward, linked to clear signs out in the fields.

I’d also consider naming and shaming people via social media if I caught a dog amongst my sheep and had evidence of ownership,’ he added. ‘Many people on Facebook are already indicating lots of support for the SheepWatch idea.’

Mandy has a dog which got into a field and chased some sheep ‘I just didn’t realise there were sheep in the field. In this case some rams were in there, too, and my dog sensed them from quite a long distance away. I never thought that my dog would even chase sheep, let alone possibly harm them in any way. It just goes to show that dogs are potentially a big

problem for sheep and that action needs to be taken, by all concerned, to help owners to take precautions’.

‘We need to deal with this problem urgently’ said Terena ‘it is costing the farming community a huge sum of money and individual farmers are having to pick up the bill. We need to find out just how big this problem is so we can prove to the government that more needs to be done. We don’t have any funds but we do have the will to fight this. We have a temporary website page with a form for farmers to submit every dog attack whether it is chasing, biting or sheep being killed, it all adds up in financial terms. We are also releasing some signs that people can use or copy over the next couple of weeks, and we have a facebook page too where people can comment or add pictures of the chaos. We will find a way to stop this – this year!’

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 11

| On Topic

Count on

Bees‘n’Seeds to increase farmland bird numbers Farmers across the UK are being urged to join in the Big Farmland Bird Count (6th – 14th February), with Syngenta Operation Pollinator Bees‘n’Seeds wildflower habitats among the areas being targeted to record the highest numbers of bird species and populations. focus on actively managed new habitats specifically designed to attract and support large numbers of farmland birds could identify many of the species that have been in decline.

Organised by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), the Big Farmland Bird Count gives an invaluable snapshot to the health of farmland bird populations – some of which have suffered serious declines over past years, but where farmers’ positive action to restore habitats has seen notable recovery of some species.

GWCT Farmland Biodiversity Advisor, Peter Thompson, explained that the fall in numbers of farmland birds had occurred for a myriad of reasons over the past 30 years. “However, there are some really encouraging initiatives instigated over recent years that have shown landowners can support more farmland birds.”

He highlighted the three key elements to restore bird numbers were the provision of safe nesting sites; enhancing insect rich habitats for summer food supply and providing ample winter seed sources.

“We now have far better understanding of different birds’ requirements to tailor these fundamental elements to specific species,” advised Peter. “But if farmers can provide the basics for food and shelter, it will significantly help a broad range of farmland

A

species.”

Belinda Bailey, Syngenta Environmental Initiatives Manager, reported over 350 hectares of the Bees‘n’Seeds mix had been sown by farmers across the UK over the past year. “We have already seen that the flowering mix creates a colourful bloom in late summer, which has been alive with insect life essential for birds to successfully rear chicks.

“Then it goes on to bear prolific seed heads that provide an essential winter food source for our native birds and many visiting farmland species.” The Bees‘n’Seeds flower mix has been selected by specialists, Kings Seeds, which also provides agronomic support for farmers.

In many instances the areas have been sown alongside annual wildflowers, pollen and nectar mixes or other ecological features to create a truly diverse farmland habitat, added Belinda.

All farmers taking part in the Big Farmland Bird Count are eligible to apply for a limited special offer from Syngenta for Operational Pollinator Bees‘n’Seeds mix.

The GWCT is aiming for over 1000 growers and participants to spend 30 minutes recording the diversity of bird species on areas of farmland. The initiative takes place between the 6th and 14th February this year.

For more information on how to take part in the Big

12 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| On Topic

Farmland Bird Count visit the GWCT website.

For more information on the Bees’n’Seeds offer and Operation Pollinator advice, please contact

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

belinda.bailey@syngenta.com or Kings on 0800 587 9797

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 13

| Education

Reaseheath College can help you be a leader in your field!

Are you passionate about agriculture and food production? Could you help feed a growing population while combatting climate change? Are you keen to gain the technical knowledge, qualifications and practical skills that employers want? hether it’s managing a farm, carrying out research and development or working in the commercial side of the industry, Reaseheath College in Cheshire will offer you a great career pathway. We offer degrees, diplomas and apprenticeships, and we’ll make sure YOU get the best education and training possible.

You should choose Reaseheath because: • We work closely with industry to make sure all our courses give you the high level skills and knowledge you’ll need to land a great job • 90% of graduates who completed their qualification last year were in related employment within six months.

• We’ve invested £50 million on specialist educational facilities to

W

ensure that you enjoy the best possible resources, and we’ve plans for a further £30 million spend on campus • Our modern farm has an elite dairy herd and award winning commercial sheep and pig units.

We’ve increased the area dedicated to arable crop production to give you more hands-on experience using precision machinery • Next year we’ll have an advanced agri-technology centre, offering world class facilities and training in precision farming including crop and animal production systems • We’re one of the few colleges to offer a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture which includes a full year’s work placement. You’ll also have regular practical sessions on our own farm • All our students enjoy study tours at home and abroad

14 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

McDonald’s UK becomes first retailer to back Nuffield Scholar McDonald’s UK has become the first ever major retailer to enter into a partnership with the Nuffield Farming Trust. Announced at this year’s Oxford Farming Conference, the exclusive agreement is further testament of its support for the UK farming industry, in which the iconic brand relies so heavily upon. he McDonald’s Nuffield Farming Scholarship will mirror the traditional programme, with a ‘Global Focus Tour’ included.

McDonald’s encourages enthusiastic individuals to consider a scholarship which will see a study into their own choice in agriculture, land management, horticulture or the food chain.

Recognised for its dedication in developing leadership in farming and the rural industries, the first ever McDonald’s scholar will embark on a programme that will identify new knowledge and apply practical knowledge, seeking profitable industry outputs.

Speaking at Oxford Farming Conference, Connor McVeigh McDonald’s UK Supply Chain Director said: “We make no secret of our reliance on a thriving farming sector which underpins our UK business, currently in its 38th consecutive quarter of growth. That success is down to an industry which involves brilliant people and minds and being the first UK retailer to sponsor a scholar is something we are infinitely proud of. This partnership further demonstrates our support of the sector and finding talent within it, critical in securing the future of farming within our UK shores.”

Helen Woolley, Director General, CLA and Nuffield Scholar Trustee also spoke about the partnership: “We were really impressed with the moves McDonald’s has made in

T

demonstrating its commitment to the British farming sector.

Becoming the first major retailer to support a scholar is testament to this even further and we are delighted to have them on board.

Nuffield Farming Scholars are the most progressive and committed the industry has to offer and having a sponsor who is like minded, with such scale is really exciting. It is brilliant to see someone like McDonald’s supporting such a programme.”

Last year saw a series of big farming announcements from McDonald’s UK, including its commitment towards sourcing 100% British potatoes for the iconic French Fries. This was followed by an extension of its Progressive Young Farmer programme, now in its fourth year.

Offering a further year placement to one student in the arable sector, the pioneering training scheme offers young people a unique opportunity to experience the entire farming and food supply chain covering pork, beef and dairy. Each student is mentored by one of the UK’s most progressive farmers and offered first-hand experience of practical farming and business management as they trace the supply chain of McDonald’s ingredients, from farms and processors to the restaurant front counter.

Potential McDonald’s Nuffield Farming scholars are encouraged to find out how they can expand their knowledge and understanding by visiting www.nuffieldscholar.org

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Education

£1500 Agrii award available to College students An innovative study award scheme has been launched by Agrii to reward students from Bishop Burton and Riseholme Colleges. The leading agronomy organisation is looking to reward individuals passionate about the future of British farming.

A

total of five £1,500 awards will be made in 2016, with one student from both Bishop Burton and

Riseholme College eligible to win.

Two further awards will be given to students at other agricultural colleges, with the final one being available to anyone currently working on a British farm.

Lantra Scotland reveal finalists for LOTY Awards hese muchcoveted accolades will be presented to the winners at the Land-based and Aquaculture Learner of the Year Awards ceremony, on Thursday 3rd March 2016 at the Doubletree

by Hilton Dunblane Hydro Hotel.

Alison, aged 31 from Stromness on Orkney, has recently finished a Modern Apprenticeship SVQ Level 3 in Livestock Production and Agriculture at family run Kierfiold Farm and Orkney College UHI. Alison previously worked for a local accountancy firm, but decided to leave at the age of 28 to help run and eventually take over the family farm.

Andrew, aged 18 from Duns in Berwickshire, is doing a Modern Apprenticeship SVQ Level 3 in Mixed Farming at his family farm and Borders College. Andrew has plans to modernise the family business and establish a profitable cattle herd. He won the Best Practical Student for agriculture at college last year, due to his commitment and hard work.

17-year-old Lewis is doing a Modern Apprenticeship SVQ Level 2 in Agriculture at Springhall Farm and Borders College. Although he has no agriculture background, his lecturers believe that he is a great example of how someone can flourish in the industry by having the right attitude and willingness to learn. Apart from his interest in agriculture, Lewis is also a member of the Hawick Scout Pipe Band and regularly takes part in events at the weekend. He is also currently undertaking his Adult Training to become a Scout Leader.

Sophie, 27 from Arbroath, recently completed a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Agriculture at SRUC Ayr. She graduated in June 2015 with Distinction and was voted the best first year agriculture student across all SRUC campuses for one of her graded unit projects. She is currently working as a Procurement Assistant for Bill

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Longair Farmcare Trading Ltd in Carnoustie, where she is building her knowledge of buying and selling potatoes and helping expand the company’s grower group. She hopes in time to secure a managerial position in the procurement department.

Land-based Service Engineers Steen Durno and Michael Rolfe have been short-listed as finalists too.

Steen, aged 19 from Buckie in Moray, has completed a Modern Apprenticeship SVQ Level 3 in Land Based Service Engineering with Mark Garrick Ltd and SRUC Oatridge. He is now working fulltime at the firm, focusing on the service and repair of Deutz-Fahr tractors. Steen was runner up 3rd year Apprentice at Skills Development Scotland’s Modern Apprenticeship Awards in 2015.

Michael, aged 19 from Braehead in Lanark, is studying for an extended Diploma in Land Based Engineering at SRUC Barony while working as an Apprentice Agricultural Engineer at Ross of Lanark. He recently went to Germany to train on the Krone BigX forage harvester at the Krone training centre in Spelle, where he attended an advanced hydraulics and electrics course. Michael’s ambition is to become an Area Service Manager for a major tractor manufacturer.

This year’s judging panel of influential figures from across the land-based and aquaculture sectors consists of Ray Jones, former Chairman of Scotland Food & Drink, agriculture and rural affairs journalist Erika Hay, Keith Paterson of Forestry Commission Scotland, farmer Keith Redpath, Lisa Connell of The Scottish Salmon Company and Rebecca Dawes of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs.

Tickets for the evening are available from Lantra on 01738 646762 or scotland@lantra.co.uk Lantra Scotland is at www.lantra.co.uk/scotland and on Twitter and Facebook as @LantraScotland.

The awards will be given so that students can use the funds towards a course of study or a project. The course or project must help to further their own knowledge and development and be of value to British farming.

On the award, Jeanette Dawson OBE, Chief Executive and Principal, said; “We are delighted that Agrii has chosen our students as worthy recipients for these awards. As a college that prides itself on research and development, these grants will enable students to fund some outstanding dissertation projects, looking at innovation in farming.”

This year’s awards are inspired by an arable farming family who achieved a record wheat yield in 2015. David Downie, Chief Executive of Agrii said; “Our Best of British Farming awards are inspired by the Smith family’s recent 16.52 t/ha world wheat yield record at Beal in Northumberland as part of their 54 ha first wheat average of 15.32t/ha at an input cost of barely £50/t.

“This shows just what is possible when the best of British

farming, agronomy and agriintelligence come together.

“We see our awards helping to foster precisely this sort of practical, joined-up farming improvement thinking. They can be used towards a whole range of educational or development studies or projects at college or on farm.

“These may include cuttingedge farming techniques or technologies, integrated production improvement work, useful agronomy or growing Apps or environmental enhancement initiatives.”

Applications for the 2016 Agrii Best of British Farming awards are now open and close on 30 April 2016. Entrants are required to submit a 1000 word proposal, or make a two-minute video, explaining how the grant would be spent.

Winners will be announced and the awards will be made over the summer within the 2016/17 season. To apply, visit http://www.agrii.co.uk/studyaward-application/

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 15

| LAMMA

Break in the weather helps make LAMMA 2016 a highly successful event A brief but very welcome respite from the wet and windy weather, which has plagued many parts of the country over recent months, coincided with the two days of the UK’s largest farm machinery and services showcase, the 35th LAMMA Show. he event which took place at the East of England Showground at Peterborough, between the 20th & 21st January, once again attracted near record crowds of farmers and contractors from across the UK and further afield who were able to browse the over 850 stands displaying machinery, crop protection equipment and supplies and a wide range of associated farm business services.

With farm commodity prices in serious decline over recent months and delays in the receipt of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments, many exhibitors at the Show were looking at the event as a means of assessing their business prospects for the coming year. In times of hardship farming businesses do what they do best, they look for means of reducing the unit cost of production, either by looking for new ideas, critically analysing expenditure or seeking the best means of financing essential purchases. With this in mind, both farmers and machinery manufacturers said people were still looking to invest in cost cutting measures to improve their profitability and help them ride

T

16 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

out the current commodity downturn.

However the launch of a raft of new products from tractors through crop sprayers and cultivation equipment to crop monitoring and store control equipment, exhibited by a wide range of companies from both the UK and overseas meant that the more than 40,000 visitors attending the event had plenty to attract their attention.

From the number of visitors on the stands it became clear that there was an appetite to do business, with exhibitors reporting good interest from potential customers, with many requests for further contact or to arrange onfarm demonstrations of items of machinery during the appropriate usage season.

The lack of any significant traffic problems and the generally up-beat message from both exhibitors and visitors made the 35th LAMMA Show a great success. LAMMA’s sister event Croptec 2016, the technical event for the arable farming sector, will take place at the East of England Showground at Peterborough on 29th & 30th November 2016 and LAMMA 2017 will take place at the same venue on 18th & 19th January 2017

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| LAMMA

GE reflect on LAMMA ‘16 Another good show for Griffith Elder with a steady influx of enquiries covering all manner of specialised weighing equipment from conventional weighbridges to hopper weighing for feed bins, Spreader monitors for manure and lime and livestock weighing for cattle, pigs and sheep. n display were their new generation double height multi language indicators that are designed for exterior mounting, desk top mounting or cab mounting, with an array of different port options dependant on environmental requirements.

Data transfer methods are now more varied as more secondary equipment and applications are controlled by the weigh indicator.

2016 devises are now constructed with “Quick Lock” water and dust proof sockets with options in some models for a USB port for data collection or Blue Tooth transmission capability.

Equipment being demonstrated on the stand included the new control option for the popular portable weigh beam systems.

The new WB6 controller is built into a waterproof case and has a double height display that has

O

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

added recording capability by way of a USB socket from which completed weighings can be recorded onto a memory stick as well as saving a record to the main system and printing a ticket. Other features include the Yeild per Field batch setting that can be used to record the tonnage harvested off any particular field. The system also has a large display with built in traffic light and built in fob reader. This is connected using one cable, keeping cabling simple and easy to deploy.

Software developments were also being demonstrated as new promotions on full size weighbridges include a package of farm and industrial software. For the more advanced farming operations storing and conditioning grain, Griffith Elders “Ultimate Grain Storage” software was attached to a simulator to show its key operating advantages.

February 2016 | Farming Monthly |17

| LAMMA

Pumps introduced at LAMMA 2016 the new 12m Eco Max at LAMMA 2016

Dale Drills launches

Mastek launched two new products at the LAMMA show.

Direct drilling specialist Dale Drills launched a new 12m version of its flagship Eco Drill at LAMMA ‘16.

he Eco Max has been developed to meet increasing demand from large farms and contractors, both here in the UK and in Eastern Europe.

With a daily output of 100 hectares, the new model uses the Eco Drill’s tried and tested seeding system to sow directly into uncultivated stubbles or into min‐till and conventional seedbeds.

A key feature of the drill is that it needs a tractor of just 240hp‐300hp to pull it – around 20hp for every metre. Most drills of a similar type require between 40hp‐50hp per metre.

It means the Eco Max offers true, low cost crop establishment while keeping compaction to an absolute minimum – fitting seamlessly into controlled traffic farming (CTF) systems, reducing production costs and increasing yields through improved soil health.

Its low draught, 12mm wide, long‐life tungsten carbide tipped boron steel tines also cause minimal disturbance, helping to maintain good soil structure.

The drill, which is equipped with 96 seeding tines mounted on 48 drilling assemblies, attached to the chassis in three rows of 16, works to a depth of 100mm. It weighs 9,979kg and is 9.76m long ‐ 1.2m longer than the existing Eco Drill.

The drilling tines are attached to a new A frame which is 275mm longer than that of the Eco Drill.

The new design ensures a huge inter‐tine clearance of 750mm, allowing crop residue to flow through easily, while row spacing can be adjusted from 125mm to 250mm for cereals and up to 500mm for oilseed rape.

Parallel linkages and variable hydraulic pressure along with Dale

T

Drills’ own adjustable self‐cleaning press wheel system – provide unbeatable contour following capabilities in all conditions and soil types, ensuring seed depth is consistent.

The drill’s outer sections fold hydraulically, giving a transport width of just under 3m, with a height of 3.95m.

The Eco Max comes with a 5,500 litre hopper – the equivalent of about four tonnes – which can be split between seed and fertiliser. Its four metering units can be switched on and off as required, giving the drill 3m sectional control, depending on options.

Steering axels are fitted to improve manoeuvrability when turning on the headland, while 710mm wide Michelin XBIB tyres which can run at 6psi come as standard. Other equipment includes a RDS iSOCAN Artemis electronic seed metering system, radar speed sensor, low hopper level sensors, tramliners, and an 8in hydraulically driven fan to blow seed from the tank to the coulters.

A lower link arm connection will also be available as an optional extra, further improving the drill’s manoeuvrability.

The Eco Max is based on a prototype currently being used by Bedfordshire farmer Robert Barnes.

James Dale, who runs Dale Drills with his brother Tom, said: “It’s something that we’ve been looking to develop for quite a while but up until now there just hasn’t been the demand. But interest has been growing in the last two or three years. People are starting to see the benefit of having a wider machine – increasing output, reducing costs and keeping the trafficked area in fields to an absolute minimum, helping with compaction and protecting the soil.”

18 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

he Mastek Roto Pump has an output of 38,000 gallons/hr (108 m3/hr) that can pump to a distance of up to 2,000m at 10 to 14 bar pressure. The new Roto Pump is self-priming and has low horsepower requirement of 100hp+. Running at 350rpm max, the Roto Pump is very efficient, with low fuel consumption figures

T

reported.

The other new product from Mastek is the Bauer SX1000 centrifugal pump with integrated Hydraulic Screw Compressor which eliminated the need for a tow-behind auxiliary compressor.

The hydraulic requirements is 90 to 100 litres/min to achieve 150 cfm. This makes it capable of emptying 1,200m of four-inch pipe in less than ten minutes.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| LAMMA

Thermobile enjoys success at LAMMA Andy Wallis, General Manager of Thermobile UK Ltd, was extremely pleased with the Lamma Show as regards the amount of visitors to their stand and genuine interest resulting in sales on both days and many projects to follow up. ndy was full of praise for the Show - �We enjoy exhibiting at Lamma for the excellent organisation and quantity and quality of the visitors & we will definitely be back next year�

The Company has a vast range of heating and cooling units and a selection of the range was on display for uses including emergency

A

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

heating , workshop heating , warehouse heating, frost protection and crop drying.

Portable, mobile and fixed heaters are available including models operating on paraffin/kerosene, diesel/heating oil, natural gas , propane gas and electricity, with models ranging in output from 3Kw (10,000 Btu) to 380Kw (1,300,000 Btu).

Thermobile UK Ltd was established in 1993

as a daughter company of Thermobile Industries BV, a Dutch manufacturer with over fifty years of experience and whose first heaters were produced for the Agricultural Sector and now sell to many areas including Motor, Industry, Building & Construction, Event Hire, Horticulture, Poultry and many diverse projects.

Full details can be found at www.thermobile.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly |19

| Energy

Room for growth for biomass in Britain Biomass stands at the heart of decarbonising the UK’s energy system. he Renewable Energy Association (REA) and the Wood Heat Association (WHA) have championed the use biomass pellets for heating for a decade, particularly as their use provides a lower carbon and often more affordable alternative to burning oil or coal. In 2009 the REA was instrumental in the creation of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), the government’s core policy used to support the low-carbon heat industry. The RHI since its creation has facilitated the instalment of 25,735 new biomass boilers as dirtier coal or heavy oil boilers are replaced, particularly in rural communities or on farms.

The government’s quiet decision to end support for Carbon Capture and Storage in the UK in December means that the UK’s carbon budgets will be seriously constrained. No viable alternative plan has been proposed by government on how to reduce emissions in the 2020’s or 2030’s to the same extent.

Renewables have played a critical role so far, and with this announcement will likely be relied upon to a greater extent than anticipated. This will impact government’s future support for the use of biomass boilers in homes and rural businesses.

Decarbonising heat remains the elephant in the room in government discussions. It is such a substantial issue that it risks derailing the

T

20 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

government’s targets. Although progress has been made in electricity following the deployment of wind, solar PV and the conversion of coal power stations to biomass, heat and renewable transportation fuels lag behind. Real commitment is needed lest the country faces fines and condemnation internationally, particular as the global community has only just committed to a ground-breaking climate change agreement at the United Nation’s COP21 conference in Paris.

The continued growth of the biomass boiler industry, providing heat to an increasing portion of homes and farms in rural parts of the UK, relies on stability in the Renewable Heat Incentive.

The REA’s lobbying activates were able to extend the RHI to 2020/21, but uncertainty remains. There is discussion of “reforms to the scheme” in 2017. As a trade association it is our role to steer critical thought in these early days away from radical exclusions or cuts to the RHI or other biomass policies, lest the government’s decarbonisation attempts fall flat on their face.

The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) is a major European policy that frames the Commission’s expectations of renewables deployment. It is now under negotiation what the targets should be from 2020 to 2030. Policy changes at the top can have serious implications for rural life, and the REA and

Wood Heat Association will be working on EU policy particularly closely in 2016.

Encouraging discussion of the sustainability of biomass fuel is a core priority for 2016. The REA plays a major role in making sure that pellets are typically made of low-value wood that would otherwise be discarded after regular forestry operations. Sustainability and emissions reduction are at the heart of why we do what we do, and continuing to strengthen biomass sustainability policies in government and in the EU are a major aim. We’ve been delighted to see small-scale sustainable projects springing up, such as the Woolhope Wood Heat Community Cooperative project that encourages active forest management, improves biodiversity, and provides costcompetitive fuel for rural biomass boilers that the cooperative installs.

Many have expressed concern for the future of biomass in boilers for heat in the UK. For many rural communities and farms it represents a very real and economic way of participating in this huge movement towards a cleaner economy. Although right now the politics look uncertain (the Government has made 13 major cuts to the renewable economy since the election) and the economics tight as the oil price remains low, biomass will continue to play a central role in tomorrow’s low carbon energy sector and rural economy.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Grain

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 21

| Energy

AD switch delivering rich reward for family business A forward-thinking family business is reaping high-energy rewards from a move into anaerobic digestion. orseway Energy has produced enough electricity to supply more than 900 homes since installing a high-tech AD plant from EnviTec Biogas UK almost exactly a year ago.

And managing director Nick Allpress celebrated the first anniversary of the project by revealing the investment is on course to pay for itself within eight years.

Nick, who runs Allpress Farms in Cambridgeshire alongside brother Patrick, set up Horseway Energy as a separate company in December 2014.

But he says diversification has paid strong dividends for the entire business.

“Moving into anaerobic digestion was a big decision for us, but we’ve seen significant benefits in the year since we launched the project,” he added.

“Our plant generates almost

H

12,000 kWh of electricity a day – that’s 4.25 million kWh since we first flicked the switch.

“That means we’re well on course to meet our financial targets and return on capital is running with initial predictions.

“But converting waste to energy has also helped us to become much more efficient across our business.

“It has really worked very well for us and we can look back on the last year with a degree of satisfaction.”

The 2,500-acre Allpress operation produces leeks and onions for supermarkets as well as wheat, maize and sugar beet.

Nick added: “Our day-to-day activity produces a lot of waste and we wanted to make use of that. We also wanted to diversify, so we saw AD as the perfect fit.

“We chose EnviTec Biogas as they had a strong balance sheet during a time when the AD industry was going through a difficult stretch.

22 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

Jay Senecal, AD Plant Manager and Nick Allpress, Managing Director

“They were committed to delivering on time – the plant was actually installed in just five months - and their pre-mixing dissolver was the best solution for our farm as it enables us to remove stones from the waste effectively.

“We also know that we have the back-up of the UK based biology and service teams.”

The plant is fed each day with 50 per cent maize and 50 per cent leek and onion waste and the digestate - the organic bi-product of the AD process – is being used as fertiliser.

That delivers further savings for the business, which employs more than 100 full-time staff.

Mr Allpress added: “The beauty of our plant, aside from the sustainable generation of electricity and the obvious benefits that brings to us, is that it has helped us to close the loop in a way.

“It’s supplied with waste from

our own farm, some of which costs us nothing, and provides us with a fertiliser for our crops which all helps reduce our carbon footprint.

“It really works for us on a number of levels and we’re delighted with how it has panned out.”

Mike McLaughlin, managing director of EnviTec Biogas UK, said: “Our AD plant has delivered significant benefits to both Horseway Energy and Allpress Farms since it was installed a year ago.

“It’s great to see the farm making such good use of the waste they were once simply disposing of and equally good to see Horseway Energy exporting so much renewable electricity to the grid.

“We’re delighted to have played a role in their success and our back-up team will help ensure they benefit long into the future.”

For a video about the project, go to http://bit.ly/1NkfGmz

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Arable

England reclaims official world title from Kiwis It’s official, England has emphatically reclaimed the world record for the highest yielding wheat crop from New Zealand. The 16.52 t/ha seed crop of Dickens grown by Rod Smith and his Beal Farm team on 11.3 ha on the Northumberland coast near Berwick-upon-Tweed has been verified and accepted by the Guinness Book of Records, displacing Mike Solari’s New Zealand record of 15.64t/ha which has stood for more than five years. ushing the world wheat yield record up by not far short of a tonne per hectare is all the more remarkable for the fact that it was achieved with a strictly commercial agronomy programme involving barely two thirds the amount of fertiliser nitrogen fertiliser used in the previous record. Total input costs of under £46/t underline the financial success of the crop even at feed wheat values of little more than £100/t.

Part of the Agrii Best of British Wheat 15t Challenge, the Dickens crop grown for Master Seeds was selected for its northern potential and managed with a carefully prescriptive nutritional and crop protection programme from sowing to harvesting. Despite later than ideal sowing, this ensured the best possible level and timing of inputs to take maximum advantage of a season without serious disease or other environmental limitations.

“We’re proud to have put Northumberland in its rightful place at the top of the world wheat rankings,” commented Rod Smith. “It’s especially satisfying we’ve been able to ensure England out-performs the Kiwis after the disappointment of the Rugby World Cup. “We may be well outside the country’s arable heartland but there’s a long heritage of first class wheat growing up here which deserves the wider recognition we hope our achievement will bring.

“Our whole farm and agronomy team works hard in coaxing the very most from unforgiving soils in which the ditches can’t run at high tide.

In particular, we make extensive use of tracks, sub-soiling and rotational ploughing,

P

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

thoroughly incorporate straw and add 500 t of muck annually to maintain the most productive soil structure and health.

Over the years we’ve developed a system that suits our ground and conditions well,” he pointed out. “We’ve found producing quality seed crops with integrated Agrii agronomy invaluable in helping us maximise performance and profitability across the entire 250 ha or so of wheat we grow each year.

“Having said that, it was only in 2014 that we managed to break my father Jimmy’s 11.6t/ha (4.7 t/acre) farm average wheat record set a good 15 years ago. And we’re convinced our ‘next generation’ team has plenty of room for improvement in the years ahead.”

World Record Beal Farm Crop Agronomy • 330 seeds/m2 with fluquinconazole seed dressing at T(-1) sown on Sept 22, 2014 • 300 kg/ha each of TSP and MOP after variable P&K to even-up soil indices • Post-em annual meadowgrass and broadleaf herbicide + insecticide + Nutriphyte PGA • 310 kg/ha total N plus balancing S (on top of 140 kg/ha available N from the soil) • Four nitrogen fertiliser splits, two of stabilised urea • Four main fungicide sprays – including SDHIs at T1 & T2.

• Little and often four spray PGR programme from T0 • Foliar Mn, Cu, Zn, B and Mg strictly to tissue analyses • 16.52 t/ha at 15% moisture with a specific weight of 82 kg/hl combined on Sept 1, 2015

Azotic awarded Azotic Technologies secure Frost and Sullivan Award. zotic Technologies, the developer and producer of natural Nitrogen-fixation for increased agronomic benefit, has been awarded Frost and Sullivan’s 2015 Technology Innovation Award for the European Alternative Fertiliser Industry. Analysts independently evaluated the technology’s attributes and future business value to recognise the Company as having strong overall performance, highlighting the importance of a ground-breaking agricultural solution that allows plants extract nitrogen from the air rather than from polluting fertilisers.

Azotic Technologies has developed a natural Nitrogen fixing technology (N-Fix®) based on a food-grade bacteria, providing a sustainable solution to continued fertiliser overuse and nitrogen pollution. It is environmentally friendly, applies to all crops, and provides an additional cost benefit to the grower through reduced fertiliser costs.

This is a new platform technology which provides every cell in the plant with the ability to fix up to 50% of the plant’s nitrogen needs from the air, thus reducing the dependency on nitrogen-based fertilisers. This process provides the optimum solution for the agricultural industry looking for sustainable alternatives for nitrogen addition to plants.

Commenting on the award Peter Blezard, CEO of Azotic, said: “This award acknowledges Azotic’s work over the past few years, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our innovation and the potential ground breaking change for the agricultural sector. By allowing crops to access atmospheric nitrogen through our NFix® technology, we offer a more sustainable solution to the nitrogen problem, along with a financial benefit to the hard-pressed agricultural industry. Nitrogen leached into ecosystems and waterways has serious detrimental effects on our natural environment. “Modern agriculture needs to become more sustainable and natural nitrogen fixation will contribute to this. This technology is a major development in plant nutrition and has the ability to transform agriculture.”

A

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 23

| LAMMA

24 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Arable

Patchwork of profits Generating sufficient profit is one of the number one priorities for Monitor Farmer Rob Addicott so he has to balance keeping costs down and boosting productivity. ike many farms, Rob has a number of income streams; some from farming activity, others from diversification or government aid. According to Sebastian Graff-Baker, Andersons Partner, in an effective business each of these parts has to pay its own way rather than the farming being subsidised by non-farm activity.

The first step is to get an assessment of all the costs affecting profit margins in the different business areas. Step two is to drill down into those figures and look at what can be managed to maximise profit.

“Detail is important because average figures can hide a lot,” says Sebastian. “For example in the UK, the average profitability from raising livestock and growing crops is quite low but some farms do it really well and others produce at a loss.

“The same is true on farm, particularly diverse enterprises like Rob’s with a mixture of farm and non-farm activities – some parts won’t perform as well. And even on the farming side some land or crops will not be as profitable as others.”

The history of Rob’s farm is fairly similar to many other farms in the southwest, as Rob explains: “Fifteen years ago we were a traditional mixed dairy farm. At that time we started developing some buildings into offices.

Then we looked at where the milk price was (it was low then too) and decided to sell the dairy cows and reinvest the money into more offices and setting up an arable operation – with some beef cattle – although we no longer have beef.”

Right from the start, Rob realised that for his size of holding, machinery costs had the potential to take too much out of the business if he wasn’t smart.

“We decided to share machinery costs by forming a joint venture with our neighbour who went through the move out of dairy at around same time. Sharing allowed us to reduce our fixed costs and expand and take on more land.

To start with we were quite successful getting

L

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

more land; however, there was a lull, but now we’re picking up stubble-stubble contracting work.”

Despite being an enthusiastic farmer who is working to spread fixed costs with a neighbour, farm fixed costs still need to be reduced or matched to land with higher income potential to cover them.

Sebastian Graff-Baker prompted debate at the recent Monitor Farm meeting by asking people to look in detail at yield maps from Rob’s farm and comparing it to the break even production price covering all operational costs.

The result provoked discussion because there were large parcels of land that weren’t ‘pulling their weight’ and didn’t cover costs.

In the three fields the group looked at, the figures showed that around 40% of the cereals land and 25% of the oilseed rape land was not reaching the break-even point (assuming prices of £120/tonne for cereals and £250 for oilseed rape.)

So what can be done about this? According to Mr Graff-Baker you need to make sure that your fixed costs match the productive land available. So, if economic, increase yield on the poor areas by improving the land. If not, reduce overall costs and concentrate on the good areas. Finally, you could rent more productive land and not farm the least productive land, subject to rent, as ever.

These approaches sound quite simple in theory but putting them into practice will depend on the circumstances on any particular farm as AHDB Regional Manager Philip Dolbear explains: “What we saw from tonight’s presentation is that quite often too much cost is applied to poorer land. Either you improve the land you have or cut costs on it to remain profitable.

“Identifying the profit requirements of the business and then looking how the cropping area can achieve that is essential. Realistically, it has to be tackled at both ends by boosting productivity and cutting fixed costs.

“You need to make a strategic decision about whether you can afford to farm land that

Working out which parts of the farm are working well

can’t pull its weight. Yield is clearly important.

Last year is a case in point, most people got fairly high yields which has helped negate low commodity prices but you can’t rely on that year on year.”

“Detail is important because average figures can hide a lot” In Rob’s case, he has always viewed expansion as the best way to lower his fixed costs although there are challenges up ahead.

“For machinery, we’ve invested in a lot of capacity because we’ve always had an eye on expansion,” says Rob. “But with it being a family partnership, it’s likely the older generation will be stepping back over the next few years so we’re going to need to look at taking on labour to cover work or reduce the overall cost of our kit.”

Rob is still considering the next steps for his business but by analysing the detailed business finances, he has started to formulate future options.

To attend the next Bath AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Monitor Farm meeting, contact Regional Manager Philip Dolbear, philip.dolbear@ahdb.org.uk or 07964 255614.

Rob Addicott is a Duchy of Cornwall tenant farming 478ha in Somerset, divided between his home farm, shared land with a neighbour, and contracted land. The farm grows winter wheat, barley and OSR for feed, as well as beans for human consumption, on a six-year rotation and shares all of his machinery with a neighbour.

Rob manages an on-farm office complex together with his father, and also belongs to a benchmarking group in Somerset. Topics for discussion include reviewing the machinery complement in the light of the mix of soils types and managing the soil

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 25

| Irrigation

Farmers expect a fair share of the nation’s water resources Floods are grabbing the water headlines nationally, but in East Anglia, the Midlands and the South East, farmers and growers, who rely on irrigation for their livelihoods, are more concerned about water scarcity. ow to reduce drought risks, cope with water abstraction reform and the Water Framework Directive (WFD), and what pathways to follow to share limited water resources with other users – the water utilities and the aquatic environment. In short – how to ensure that agriculture gets a fair share of water resources.

The UK Irrigation Association Annual Conference on 2 March in Peterborough is an ideal opportunity to get the latest information on these critical issues and others direct from those who are leading the debate and planning for the future. Trevor

H

Bishop, the Environment Agency’s Director of Water Resources, will presenting the EA’s new approach to drought planning based on the experiences in 2011-2012, together with Prof Ian Holman, Cranfield University, who is engaged in a major drought research programme on how to manage droughts, the risks, and the impacts. Prof Joaquín Andreu Álvarez from Valencia will bring a Spanish dimension to our discussions on managing drought.

Henry Leveson-Gower, Defra’s Head of Abstraction will be talking about Defra’s new plans for abstraction reform just published.

Jamie Lockhart, Chair of the BAWAG abstractor group in Norfolk will discuss the

26 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

advantages of farmers and growers working together to increase water security. And Ian Barker, who was the EA Director of Water Resources and is now a consultant to the OECD, will speak about international approaches to water governance and why they matter for UK agriculture.

Steve Moncaster, Anglian Water, will present a new initiative that seeks to integrate water resources management rather than each sector working in its own silo, how

we might do this, and what tradeoffs might be needed.

Finally, Prof Tim Benton, UK Champion for Global Food, will remind us that over half of our food is imported from countries with much greater water concerns that we have. How can we mitigate the risks and build resilience to conditions that can seriously threaten our food supply chains in the future?

Full details and registration go to website: www.ukia.org

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Irrigation

Irrigation? It pays to Javelin spearheads think long term

agri irrigation systems

Different sectors of food production have their own preferred methods of irrigation, the soft fruit sector favours drip irrigation while leafy salads require the small droplet size delivered by a boom. However, the majority of irrigation within the UK is still completed by a hose reel/rain gun combination and estimated to make up 60 to 70% market share.

As one of the leading suppliers of irrigation equipment to the agricultural industry, Javelin Irrigation continues to improve the product range in our extensive catalogue.

ose reel based systems offer users simple and reliable operation, initial low acquisition and set up costs and long service lives. Nearly all vegetable producers will irrigate, and in some cases units can number 30 or 40 within one business meaning a constant and regular investment in machinery is required. In some cases the decision to change may be driven by grants or more likely a climatic event – although given the current weather pattern, it’s difficult to remember that some parts of the UK have experienced droughts in recent years.

Investment is not always in equipment but often in infrastructure; in recent years there

H

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

has been a marked increase in the number of UK reservoirs. This is in partly due to restrictive controls on abstraction, the added value this gives to the land, reduced risks to the grower of water shortage and a number of tax and grant incentives.

Grimme Irrigation is currently working on a number of fronts and has developed its latest hose reel computer controller for improved ease of use and accuracy. Variable rate water application is the next natural progression and will reduce overwatering and run off; similar technology is currently available from Grimme with variable rate planting. Improved water distribution methods will see an increase in layflat hose usage, with systems of quickly laying out and collecting; Grimme currently offer a solution for this in their range.

lready held in stock at our Louth works are various hose reel irrigators with sizes ranging from the small turf hose reels to the large agricultural machines, along with a selection of booms and diesel engine pump units. Also readily available from stock are a selection of irrigation pumps such as bareshaft, tractor PTO and borehole types.

Quantities of aluminium and galvanised steel pipes and in-field pipe couplers and fittings are available throughout the season, along with other essential items such as sprinklers and big volume rainguns.

The Javelin product range for 2016 continues to introduce new machinery with increased structural dimensions, allowing a broader range of hose diameter size and length options to give a

A

larger choice for various applications. These machines have the high-specification Irridoseur 5 or Program Rain 10/12 computers which gives the user full control over water application rates. Along with fully hydraulic operation on the larger reels as standard and the optional advantage of GSM control, irrigation no longer has to be the time consuming task it once was.

Here at Javelin we appreciate how valuable time can be, so all of our diesel engine driven pump units are now supplied with an automatic electric priming pump and remote GSM control panel as standard. The self-learning Idromop panel constantly monitors and adjusts the unit for optimal performance and efficiency.

Please call us on 01507 607175 for advice or information on our product range.

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 27

| Irrigation

Severn Trent reopens environmental scheme for farmers Farmers in the Midlands are being given another opportunity to apply for a grant from Severn Trent, to help protect local watercourses from pollution. he ‘Severn Trent Environmental Protection Scheme’ (STEPS), which is solely funded by the water company, supports farmers making improvements to their farm management and infrastructure,

T

reducing the risk of pollution from their land into local water courses.

Margaret Baile from Severn Trent, commented: "The more work we can do with farmers to reduce pollution from their land, the more we’ll protect local water courses, such as rivers, and the environment. In turn it'll help us

Briggs Irrigation introduce new booms and extra options Briggs Irrigation has added a new 46-metre model to its range of hosereel mounted booms. he R46 can irrigate from 54 - 66m, depending on nozzle and sprinkler combinations.

Designed and thoroughly tested to ensure quick and secure mounting and transport on the hosereel. the boom can be set up in minutes by just one person.

Lightweight but robust, the R46 incorporates large diameter water tubes for high flow rates and reduced friction loss.

Briggs Irrigation Director Adrian Colwill said: “Our new R46 boom has been engineered to make it extremely quick and easy to move. It can even be transported along the headland on the hosereel while fully extended so the operator does not have to extend the arms for the next run.

“We are also offering the option of offset hose feed so the hose can run in the wheeling and not on the crop.

T

“For growers looking for a larger hosereel mounted model and who don’t need the irrigation widths provided by our four-wheel chassis booms, this is an extremely convenient alternative, offering all the benefits of advanced boom irrigation in a compact unit.”

The new heavy duty chassis used for the R46 is now available for existing R18, R24 and R30 boom sections. This chassis offers offset waterfeed spanning one bed (1.8 to 2.2m) or central waterfeed (1.5 to 4.4m track).

The company has also introduced a VR Hosereel drag fitting which allows layflat supply hoses to be ‘dragged’ to the next run without disconnecting them from the hosereel. Available for VR4, VR5 and VR7 machines, the connector enables the supply hose from the main to be dragged easily and quickly to the next run, making it a simple but effective time saving option that has already proved popular on several farms.

28 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

reduce how much we have to treat the water we take from these water courses.”

The STEPS grant scheme offers grants of up to a maximum of £5,000 per year, per farm for the next four years. Farms must be located within a Severn Trent priority catchment area.

The window for grant applications for 2016/17 closes on 18th March 2016. For more information on STEPS funding and to contact your local Severn Trent Water Agricultural Adviser visit www.stwater.co.uk/catchment

Torne between specialists? orne Valley specialise in farm irrigation. We supply to the retail and trade markets. We cater for all types of irrigation projects including underground and over ground.

Our own quality TVF pipes and fittings have been developed to a very high standard. Our female coupling allows integration with other systems like Wright Rain, Irrifrance, AMS, Riego Wright and Raesa.

We specialise in fabricating steel hydrants and steel junctions made to your specifications.

Coupled with plastic

T

underground pipes and fittings we can offer a total solution for supplying water to your irrigator We are well stocked with a product range that includes pumps and filters, Murphy irrigation controllers, gate valves, non-return valves, water meters, aluminium and steel pipes, PVC and poly pipe and a range of irrigation fittings.

We are also major stockists of TVF (our own system), Wright Rain, Farmland, Bauer type fittings, Nelson and Sime Rain Guns, Caprari pumps, Murphy Control and Shutdown Equipment and water meters.

Telephone our Irrigation team, John or Chris on 01302 756000

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Irrigation

Bauer Ecostar

RST Irrigation

6000 controller brings celebrate milestone additional features to Rainstar reel irrigators

In 2016 RST will be celebrating providing 40 years of unparalleled levels of customer service and quality products to the agricultural industry. he company was formed by Bill Smith and is now managed by two of his sons, Nigel and Terry and have been operating out of their current Sedge Fen base for over 25 years. Nigel and Terry have in excess of 55 years experience in irrigation.

RST are importers for Lindsay Europe with their Perrot range of hosereels and Zimmatic range of Linears and Pivots. RST are the most experienced company in the UK for Linear and Pivot irrigation having supplied 23 Linears since 1995 and installed 3 pivots (the longest being 703m) since 2006.

RST also design and install underground systems, pumphouses and control systems as well as manufacturing mobile diesel pumpsets, our latest range is fully up to date with emissions and return upto 20% savings in

T

The Ecostar 6000 is a new, more advanced electronic controller for Bauer Rainstar reel irrigators that provides new features including water usage records. t has been developed as an alternative to the standard Ecostar 4000S, which has a four-line display showing the status of the irrigator and is used to punch in set-point or retraction speed settings, and the optional Ecostar 4200 controller, which adds automatic stop/start, working hour records and variable speed operation, plus a remote access option via SMS. The new Ecostar 6000 controller has a 4.3in LED touch-screen for entering and adjusting settings, although basic functions, such as ‘start’, ‘stop’ and reel-in speed or precipitation input can also be handled by a set of dedicated buttons.

The controller can quickly be switched between retraction speed and precipitation amount operating modes, a defined pipe length can be programmed to activate a signal lamp when the PE hose has been pulled out the required amount, and a timer can be set for an additional sprinkler irrigating around the Rainstar.

Users can store up to 12 different irrigation programmes that define retraction speed, preirrigation, post-irrigation and speed zones, and then retrieve them at any time to save having to enter individual parameters for every irrigation session.

I

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

fuel costs.

Always looking to innovate and improve systems RST recently became the UK importer for Raindancer gps systems which can be fitted onto any irrigation equipment providing the operator/owner with real time information on application, pressure and finish times allowing the operator to not only see which fields have been irrigated but the amount applied on every run and which require irrigation. Reports are produced show how much water has been applied by each hosereel to each crop and each field providing an invaluable management tool.

Remote access via SMS on a mobile telephone enables irrigation managers to not only stop and start the Rainstar irrigator but also adjust retraction speed, check on the status of the machine and receive error messages – as well as a ‘run finished’ message – on up to four phones.

Thanks to a digital input on the irrigator’s water meter, the Ecostar 6000 controller also records the quantity of water used since the last start, since the beginning of the irrigation session and the running total, and these data can be transferred to farm records software using a USB memory stick.

The new controller can be installed on Bauer Rainstar reel irrigators in the compact Rainstar T Series, which starts with the T32 handling Bauer PE pipe in 6585mm diameters from 220-350m in length, and the full-size E Series, which tops out with the E55 XL carrying pipe lengths of 560-740m in 125-140mm diameters.

These Rainstar reel irrigators are equipped with Bauer’s energysaving Vario water nozzle and TVR drive turbines, which together provide efficient reel drive with precise regulation over a broad operating range, even at high retraction speeds.

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 29

| LAMMA

Contact your nearest dealer: Agratech NW Ltd Unit 8, Dale Mill Burnley Road East Lancashire BB4 9HU 01706 211399 www.agratech.co.uk

Torne Valley Bawtry Road Tickhill Doncaster DN11 9EX 01302 756000 www.tornevalley.co.uk

30 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

Central Cropsprayers Limited Unit J Sandford Industrial Park Whitchurch Shropshire SY13 2AN 01948 840187 www.centralcropsprayers.co.uk

Sprayer Spares Ltd Unit 2-3 Moorlands Trading Est. Moor Lane, Metheringham Lincoln LN4 3HX 01526 323521 www.sprayerspares-ltd.co.uk

Kellands Agricultural Ltd Brimpsfield Road, Birdlip, Gloucestershire GL4 8JH 01452 863900 www.kellands.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Livestock

Dairy farmers discuss challenges of high costs for machinery Machinery costs were under the spotlight at a recent Climate Change Focus Farm meeting organised by SAC Consulting, a Division of Scotland’s Rural College.

eld at the Auchincruive Estate in Ayrshire, the meeting – entitled ‘Making Big Decisions – focused on how farmers could adapt to recent drops in the milk price and many farmers present spoke about the financial difficulties they faced, especially with regards to machinery.

SAC Consultant Robert Ramsay said: “Machinery costs are an issue not just in the context of trimming production costs, but also as part of potentially bigger changes within a business such as the decision to mothball a dairy for a period, or move away from milk altogether.”

Many of the farmers present had already started to significantly reduce energy and machinery costs by moving to simpler systems. One member of the group explained that he felt it would not be a huge loss for him to stop using a TMR (total mixed ration – where the forage and concentrates are mixed together before feeding) as he felt that on his system this was unlikely to cause any significant reduction in output but meant he saved the depreciation and running costs of both the mixer wagon and, potentially, the tractor which powers it.

H

“There is an awareness that buying in replacements could potentially bring disease onto the farm, and where cattle are imported from out with Scotland the risk of movement restrictions associated with TB. When you operate a flying herd, the potential cost benefit could be negated by an increase in vet and medicine costs.”

As well as machinery costs there was also discussion about management of youngstock and replacements. Several farmers were

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

operating ‘flying herds’ whereby all replacement cows are bought in as calved cows or heifers. This has the potential to improve efficiency as the business can concentrate resources such as land, buildings, labour and capital on the milking herd.

Currently the price of these replacement dairy heifers is frequently less than the cost to rear a homebred animal so the strategy appears to present an opportunity to make cost savings and free up capital.

Robert Ramsay noted: “There is an awareness that buying in replacements could potentially bring disease onto the farm, and where cattle are imported from out with Scotland the risk of movement restrictions associated with TB. When you operate a flying herd, the potential cost benefit could be negated by an increase in vet and medicine costs.”

More meetings are planned for the group, with another meeting at Auchincruive on 25 February 2016 where the focus will be on managing soil nutrients to reduce fertiliser costs, and a visit to SRUC’s Barony Farm on 8 March 2016 to see the efficiency measures that have been implemented in the last 12 months and how the farm is preparing for spring.

SRUC Dairy Specialist David Keiley believes that these meetings are a great opportunity for farmers to learn from each other. He said: “A problem shared is a problem halved – everyone in the group contributed something to the meeting and took home some ideas they could apply to their unit. Farmers were able to focus on efficiency measures within their own business which would make a difference to their bottom line.”

The meeting was held as part of the Farming for a Better Climate initiative, funded by the Scottish Government. Farmers interested in attending the meetings in the future should contact Robert Ramsay on 01292 525252 or see www.farmingforabetterclimate.org

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 31

| Livestock

Trial results confirm feed value and production gains from forage pre-treatment According to the results of a three-month ADAS-monitored trial on a commercial UK dairy unit, application of a forage pre-treatment increased total mixed ration (TMR) D-value and energy content, leading to improvements in both milk yield and fertility. he D-value of the TMR improved from 63 to 65%, whilst energy content rose from 10.5 to 11.1 MJ ME/kg DM. Average dry matter intake (DMI) for the 50 first lactation heifers used in the trial increased by 2 kg/day, resulting in a 0.6 litre/day lift in average milk yield (28.2 vs. 27.6 litres/day).

Greatest gains were seen towards the end of the trial (day 68 to 84), when the average milk yield improvement rose to 1.4 litres/day (27.7 vs. 26.3 litres/day).

T

32 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

Heifers were milked twice daily and split into two equal groups, each receiving a TMR consisting of maize and grass silage plus a concentrate premix. Fresh TMR was prepared during each milking, with the TMR for one group receiving no treatment (control) and the other having VistaPre-T forage pre-treatment applied at a rate of 750 ml/tonne DM. “In addition to the gains in DMI and milk yield, heifers receiving the treated TMR also showed improved conception rates, requiring an average of 2.3 inseminations per pregnancy compared to 3.2 in the control group.

“This was most likely due to a rise in energy status, suggesting that in addition to producing more milk, the heifers fed the treated TMR were also better at maintaining or gaining body condition,” adds AB Vista Ruminant Product Development Manager Dr Nicola Walker. “Four months after the trial started, 84% of the heifers in the treated group were confirmed pregnant, as opposed to just 64% in the control group.”

For more information, contact AB Vista on +44(0)1672 517 650 or info@abvista.com

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Fencing

Advertising feature www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 33

| Fencing

How do you keep livestock in and predators out?

Of course… its easy...you use electric fencing! hen it comes to the largest specialist online supplier of electric fencing in the UK, look no further than www.electricfencing.co.uk.

We have the most extensive and comprehensive range of Hotline electric fencing products to cover all of your electric fencing needs.

Whether it is a new fence or an upgrade of your current fence you’ll find what you need in our online shop: poultry netting kits to keep Mr Fox out, three reel systems to keep sheep and pigs in, post and rail protection kits, and we also have a wide range of energises to suit most applications and all the electric fencing accessories you could possibly need.

Stock up on our Plastic Electric

W

Fencing Posts – On Offer Now! We have an amazing deal on our Premium Plastic 1m Posts (10 pack)... They are now only £12.38 Whether it is a new fence or an upgrade of your current fence you’ll find what you need in our online shop per 10 pack! They come in a range of colours – green, orange, white and blue. Our offer is available from 1st January – February 29th 2016!

If you are not sure what you need - contact us - we know electric fencing!

Call: 01620 860058 E: info@electricfencing.co.uk or visit www.electricfencing.co.uk

34 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

C&G make fencing easy Calders and Grandidge have for many years supplied high quality pressure treated fencing in both Creosote and AC500 treatments to the UK and European markets. e place particular emphasis on supplying quality fencing which is treated correctly and seasoned to allow for maximum penetration of treatment. These products can be supplied in part packs, full packs or by the job, as required, and they do not require full load volumes to make a delivery. Due to the high percentage some end users are experiencing of early failures in green treated posts, Calders and Grandidge are finding creosote is proving to be the long term alternative and seeing a huge increase in demand especially as it is long lasting treatment giving long term peace of mind to the customer.

Correctly treated fencing needs virtually zero maintenance providing the initial treatment and erection is carried out correctly.

Properly erected creosote fencing will give a long life span of many decades giving peace of mind to owners and erecters alike. Our

W

creosote is impregnated to 115kg/m3 which is significantly higher than many imported creosoted products on the market currently.

A full range of softwood and hardwood field gates is also available in either treatment of green AC500 or Creosote; these are supplied with or without ironwork as required and can be ordered in single gate volumes or multiples.

In addition to the supply of fencing products Calders and Grandidge also offer a third party treatment option in Creosote or AC500 enabling customers to send in their own timber for treatment. Prices are available from the Sales Team for this service.

C&G offer a reliable and professional service and are very happy to come and discuss your requirements at your premises nationwide.

Please contact the Sales Team for more info on 01205 358866 or enquiries@caldersandgrandige.com

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Fencing

The future in new generation fencing In the midst of winter’s icy conditions, UK farmers are now busy with early lambing and routine maintenance and repairs in preparation for the new season. And for many, the priority will be safeguarding young stock by replacing ageing or damaged compound perimeter fencing, a regular chore says M&M Timber which, with the right choice of fencing stakes, could safely avoid any further attention for years to come and add to your bank balance. p until quite recently, standard fencing options had burdened farmers and landowners alike with time consuming and increasingly expensive replacement costs every five years or so. That is until M&M Timber developed its innovative incising process and launched its 'Agricised' long life fencing range which gives a much greater life span of up to three times that of ordinary timber fencing posts. The economic benefits, highlighting the savings in materials and labour, prompted a surge in demand.

M&M Timber’s trademark Agricised machine rounded timbers have now become the established benchmark for long life fencing solutions, offering its customers a no-quibble 15 year warranty, backed with a reassuring on-line registration scheme for

U

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

absolute peace of mind. Over the last twelve months alone, on-line registrations have soared to five times the total of the previous year.

Company heads are confident this upward trend will continue will into this year.

As much of the UK’s farming community are now preparing to use their recent subsidy payments to replace or upgrade fencing, they would do well to first consider the economic facts that support the growing trend for M&M's Agricised timber fencing. Based on an initial installation of an example 500 metres of fencing, Agricised posts cost only 4% more than the non-Agricised industry standard equivalent, says M&M Timber. And, lasting three times longer, Agricised fencing will return a saving of around £4,500 in materials and labour over the guaranteed 15 year life span. In these difficult economic times, such long term benefits simply cannot be ignored.

M&M Timber’s Agricised timbers already have a huge following in the farming industry.

But, not surprisingly, it has been the company’s timely introduction of its Agricised peeled and pointed fencing timbers option that has generated the most interest. A favourite in rural circles for many years, peeled and pointed timbers have been challenged by the economic benefits of the Agricised machine rounded newcomer.

Overcoming the difficulties of machining uniform Agricised incisions in the uneven surface of peeled stakes, necessary for the deep Tanalith E preservation process, was achieved with the introduction of technically advanced machinery at the company’s Midlands manufacturing centre, another acknowledged ‘first’ for this goahead company.

The ever popular AgriPost fencing range, featuring pressure treated machine rounded stakes

and strainers, is still regarded as one of the best low-cost options for traditional fencing. And the top of the range Prestige scalloped post and rail fencing is perfect for applications where visual appearance is most important.

Fielding its largest and most comprehensive choice of market leading fencing options yet, M&M Timber is gearing up for an unprecedented level of demand from customers over the coming months, beginning with a new flexible approach to its nationwide delivery service. The minimum carriage paid order requirement across the product range has now been reduced to just five packs, with a useful just-in-time delivery option when required. And to make bulk handling and on-site storage more manageable, fencing posts are bundled in a square format.

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 35

| Fencing

LAMMA shows why British fences stand the test of time Visitors to LAMMA celebrated the launch of ArcelorMittal’s Dragon Estate®WIRE 2Life®, believed to be the market’s longest-lasting green wire fencing. Tony Hinchliffe, CMO of ArcelorMittal, which manufactures its fencing in Sheffield, comments: he critical factor for fencing is the quality of the steel wire from which it is made,” he explains. “If you start with inconsistent, inferior material you get wire fencing that is difficult to erect, won’t stand square and cannot cope with the weather and wear of a British winter. It’s a false economy to use cheaper, imported products as farmers will have to re-build their fencing as soon as it fails.

“Dragon Estate®WIRE 2Life® is a major step forward, delivering

T

a longer corrosion-resistant life, even when it is folded or bent - if the green coating is damaged the 2Life® properties remain intact.

“At LAMMA, we were overwhelmed by farmers, landowners and contractors seeking out British made products,” says Tony Hinchliffe.

“We have a long history of manufacturing in Sheffield, the steel city, using only high grade steel wire.”

The ArcelorMittal team took the opportunity to meet old friends at LAMMA. Staff are well-known throughout the fencing sector due to their long-term commitment to

the industry. CMO Tony Hinchliffe himself will soon celebrate his 25th year in the wire industry.

“We have a very loyal customer base,” he says. “When we launched Dragon it was clear that farmers and landowners really did want a British made, long life, green product that gave a superior alternative to what was already available.”

Tried and tested science with added protection ArcelorMittal has taken the tried and tested science that gives double protection to its 2Life® wire and added an extra, green coating to make Dragon.

In 2Life®, the zinc is an active, sacrificial and traditional anticorrosive coating while the aluminium provides passive protection, slowing down the sacrificial reaction of the zinc and increasing the effective lifespan of the coating.

• A long-lasting smooth surface • Perfect adhesion • No peeling, no cracking • Remarkable concentricity of the coating • Extended lifetime, giving an obvious economic advantage • Environmentally sound products because 2Life does not use any harmful metals or plastic • 100% recyclable.

Tony Hinchliffe concludes: “Dragon retails for a price comparable to ordinary heavily galvanised, green-coloured wire products and will always be in stock.”

ArcelorMittal supplies its worldbeating fencing through retailers and distributors offering local supply.

Electric fencing for rabbits Electric fencing offers a highly cost effective way of protecting both arable and horticultural crops from rabbit predation. mall distances, up to say 300m, are best fenced using electric netting. This is easy to put up and take down, and as long as you maintain enough voltage through the fence via a decent sized energiser, it works well. Available in both orange and green, netting offers a good electric and physical barrier.

However, over longer distances, the poly nets offer too much resistance and voltage starts to drop, making them less effective. This is where the Rappa Rabbit packs are both efficient and easier on the pocket. We offer a four line system, best for cereal crops, and a six line system to protect precious horticultural crops. Both of them are available to be deployed via our winding mechanism- much faster and easier- or with hand reels. As a rule of thumb, if you think you will need four or more

S

36 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

systems, invest in a Rappa Winder Barrow. The systems will be cheaper than hand reels and it’s much faster.

The beauty of the Rappa system is that the fencing is quickly deployed. You can then let the crop grow through the fence until it’s no longer threatened, when you can just reel it up prior to harvest. This means you never have expensive static fences getting in the way of machinery and your electric fencing is kept neat and tidy for next time.

There are a few tips to remember. When using the plastic stakes on the four line system, remember to angle out the stake from the crop.

This “closes “down the gap between the lines.

Rabbits very rarely try to jump electric fencing, but rather try to push through and get a shock.

Always use a powerful energiser. 1 joule for one system, but 2 joule for 2-3. Use 3 joule for 4-6 systems. Make sure they are properly

earthed, particularly in dry conditions. Rabbits are light and to get good shock the system must be well earthed. If you are on really light ground, you may consider leaving the bottom line “earthed”. This will result in a rabbit getting the maximum shock should it try to push through. Never try to go cheap and use polywire instead of stranded steel. It’s not nearly as robust and effective. Finally, warn your neighbour that your rabbits might be visiting his crops- it really is that effective!

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Buildings

Grain store: Creating the perfect storage solution Planning for harvest is a lot like planning for Christmas. You spend months preparing, sewing, growing and harvesting and then once it’s complete, the process must begin again. With many crops taking some 11 months to grow, it is essential that all of that hard work is followed through by providing the perfect storage solution. raham Heath Construction has many years experience producing a wide selection of agricultural buildings, with Grain Stores being one of the most requested throughout the winter months, as farmers make preparation for the expected harvest. There are many external factors that can affect a crop once in storage; from moisture, fungi, mites and general hygiene, through to pests and structural issues, such as bowing walls and leaking roofs. As such, it is essential that suitable storage conditions are created to minimise waste and maximise return.

Storing grain in tired buildings that allow access to the elements will only bring problems. These damp conditions act as a breeding ground for many common species of insects and although drying the grain after combining will slow down insect development, it is essential that moisture content is kept to 12% or below to reduce the risk as much as possible. The structure itself is a vital factor in this and one that needs to be well considered.

G

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

With advances in agricultural building materials, a new grain store offers a clean, dry, well ventilated and watertight construction, but how is this achieved? Starting with an independent structural calculation, high quality CE Marked steel and materials all ensure that the building prevents rain and other such weather to penetrate the building. Decent roofing will also reduce or eliminate the entry of birds and pests into the building.

Concrete panels are a key feature in Graham Heath Construction Grain Stores, playing an essential role in the creation of the perfect grain store. They are easy to clean, hygienic and exceptionally durable, withstanding the force of a grain harvest with ease. Concrete panels are also quick and easy to install, without the need for foundations as they just slot in between steel supports.

Graham Heath of Graham Heath Construction comments: “Store preparation is a key stage in ensuring safe grain storage, whether it’s being held for a temporary period or longer. We offer farmers the best chance of success by providing them with a clean, dry,

durable and weatherproof building. From the steel frames to the concrete panels, the key elements are produced on our UK based site, with our experienced design teams creating bespoke buildings with a high quality guarantee.”

Always looking to provide the best possible price and quality of this level, Graham Heath Construction have a number of offers available at the moment, including just a 5% deposit on Grain Store orders for 2016. They have also added a price drop for the following buildings: Grain Store Offer 1 - 100ft x 50ft x 18ft £34,400 Grain Store Offer 2 - 80ft x 60ft x 18ft £37,000 Manufacturing the steelwork on site at its Cheshire plant allows Graham Heath Construction to manufacturer to customers’ exact requirements. Concrete panels are also manufactured on-site by its sister company Concrete Panel Systems.

To find out more about Graham Heath Construction products and prices visit www.ghconstruction.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 37

| Buildings

Insulation lining moves into new build projects for first time An insulation lining used worldwide for improving the environment of poultry housing is being adopted for a new project for the first time in the UK and Ireland. he high strength Valerón AVA film is widely established for renovating existing roofing with an energy efficient, durable lining that provides an effective heat shield in summer and minimises warmth escaping in winter.

The product is now benefiting a UK broiler unit in Gloucestershire where the Phelps family has chosen to incorporate it in a new 200,000-bird unit near Hartpury.

The unit was designed to provide the most beneficial specification for a cost-effective, timber-framed building by Northern Ireland based poultry housing suppliers, E & C FitzGerald Ltd. After detailed design meetings Eamon FitzGerald proposed a system to fit Valerón AVA on the

T

internal side of the pre-made insulated panels which were then fitted to the roof. This reduces the amount of insulation needed and virtually eliminates transmission of water vapour.

Another benefit is in energy saving in lighting. The bright, highly reflective surface of the lining provides an even spread of light across the house, reducing the energy consumption for lighting.

“The product is well proven from its use in at least 16 countries in hot and cool climates around the world,” said Allan Meldrum, director of Food Chain Innovation, which supplies Valerón AVA for the poultry industry. “It has been used in refurbishing a number of poultry units in the UK — but this is probably the first application in a complete new project in the Northern Hemisphere.”

38 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

And the winner is…

Having recently appointed a new Marketing Manager it was all systems go at the beginning of 2016 with the company’s decision to attend one of the biggest events in the Agricultural calendar ‘LAMMA’. he event was held on the 21st and 21st January at the East of England showground.

The show included a fantastic range of farm machinery, equipment and agricultural services with over 900 exhibitors in attendance.

Despite the freezing conditions attendance was fantastic and the stand was very busy both days.

All our Retaining Wall Precast Concrete Products were on show in their various sizes and there was a lot of interest across the range. We also took along a sample trough representing our bespoke department and this also resulted in some interesting enquiries.

Designed from an individual’s specification our concrete troughs can be used for a variety of agricultural uses from slurry channels to cattle feeds. They

T

are quick to install, manoeuvrable and durable.

As part of the exhibition stand Poundfield also ran a competition to win a superb Bose Soundlink Mini II Blue Tooth Speaker. There were a lot of entries and we would like to thank everyone who took part. We are pleased to announce the winner was Adam Beaty, from R S Beaty & Sons a livestock farm in Coventry who was really pleased when he heard the news! Congratulations to Adam.

If you didn’t make the event but are interested in our products give us a call during normal office hours on 01449 723150 for a no obligation quote. www.poundfield.com

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Buildings

Better than tin: Fully compressed fibre cement sheeting The owners of a dairy farm in Wales are seeing the benefits of fibre cement products, after two of their agricultural buildings were fitted with Cembrit Cemsix corrugated sheet, an attractive, well ventilated alternative to steel sheeting. ocated in Mid Wales, the farm is situated 1,200 feet above sea level and features two newly built dairy units combining to cover 5,600sq m². Due to the location, the roofing material for this project needed to be able to withstand the often demanding weather conditions, as well as provide the appropriate ventilation to accommodate the cattle.

Powys-based contractor, Gareth Pugh Steel Framed Buildings was the contractor for this project, and specified Cembrit Cemsix corrugated sheet. Having worked with the product previously, the contractor recognises the benefits of fibre cement products over alternatives such as steel sheets. Steel roofs are susceptible to condensation and corrosion, while fibre cement sheets can absorb moisture and do not rust. Gareth Pugh Steel Framed Buildings installed over 1,500, 10" Cembrit Cemsix sheets to the two buildings. The

L

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

popular Natural grey shade of Cemsix was fixed on the roof, with Cembrit’s Open Ridge accessory installed on the apex.

Gareth Pugh himself had nothing but praise for Cemsix: “We have used various corrugated sheet products in the past but have always found Cembrit Cemsix to be the most consistent sheet on the market. This makes the installation of the roof quick and easy, and results in a higher quality finish.”

Cemsix corrugated sheeting from Cembrit is a durable and waterproof building material which is perfectly suited for dairy housing.

Cemsix has the advantage of being slightly porous, which means that high levels of water vapour or humidity within agricultural buildings can be absorbed by the sheets and gradually released into the atmosphere. This contrasts with steel, where moisture condenses on the underside of the roof and drops back onto the contents inside. Cemsix is not affected by rust, destructive fungi, vermin or insects, so will not

rot or decay.

Incorporating the latest technological advances, Cemsix allows designers to clad agricultural or industrial buildings in a Class 0 fire rated, rust and rot-proof material that will last for decades. Manufactured using Portland cement, together with a formulation of superior blended synthetic and cellulose fibres and reinforced with strengthening strips and available with superior colouration systems, Cemsix is produced to the highest European standard.

Available in natural grey, matt black and ten attractive coated colour options, Cemsix is offered in a standard imperial 6 inch profile strengthened with strategically placed polypropylene reinforcement strips. These are incorporated within the fibre-cement sheet to comply with BS and H&S requirements for site safety and fragility.

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 39

| Animal Health

Proactive health planning is key to herd performance “Performance review and then management planning aimed at improvement should be a regular part of the routine on any farm but can often be neglected because of the many and varied day to day tasks necessary to look after the animals and ensure their health and welfare,” says Keith Cutler, Veterinary Surgeon at Endell Veterinary Group and a member of the NBA’s Animal Health Committee on behalf of the National Beef Association (NBA). he advent of a new year might provide an opportune moment to look back and reflect on performance over the year just gone and to ponder whether and how improvements might be made in the coming year.

Here Keith gives advice on – when planning herd health - how comparing a few basic ‘key performance indicators’ against targets might be a useful place to start.

• How many cows and heifers were put to the bull last year?

• How many calved and how many animals were lost?

This information will start to provide some assessment of herd performance but at a very superficial level. To make the assessment more meaningful and useful, information about the duration of the calving period and the distribution of calvings within this period is necessary.

T

In any seasonal system, the later a calf is born during the calving period the younger and therefore smaller it will be at weaning resulting in it being less valuable More information about losses including differentiating culls into voluntary and involuntary, information about the age of the animal lost and the reason for the loss (including the number of pregnant cows which never calve, which will require pregnancy diagnosis to be carried out at the appropriate time) will allow common themes to be identified and then hopefully addressed.

A fully fit and fertile bull ought to be able to get at least 60% of the cows he is running with pregnant within three weeks. This is assuming a satisfactory bull:cow ratio and that the cows are all fit and healthy and cycling normally. If this is achieved this means that of 100 cows put to the bull 93 should be expected to be pregnant after a nine week bulling period, with 60 of these conceiving within the first three weeks. Extending the serving period by a further three weeks should result in a further four cows in-calf. Extending the serving period beyond this may result in one additional pregnancy for each three weeks the serving period is extended but is this sensible or is it false economy?

In any seasonal system, the later a calf is born during the calving period the younger and therefore smaller it will be at weaning resulting in it being less valuable. It will also be exposed to a greater infectious pressure than calves born early during the calving period and so is more likely to become ill. This will require it to be treated and further reduce its performance,

40 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

and could result in death.

In addition, cows which calve late during the calving period will have less time for the uterus to undergo involution and for ovarian cyclicity to restart than cows which calve early during the calving period before they are put back with the bull for the subsequent serving period. A cow which calves on the first day of a three month calving period will have three months ‘open’ before being put back with the bull.

However, a cow which calves on the last day of a three month calving period will be put back with the bull the day after she calves (if the seasonality of the herd is to be maintained).

Early calving cows tend, therefore, to conceive early during the subsequent bulling period.

They remain early calving cows year after year, whilst later calving cows tend to slip further and further in the calving period each year until they fail to conceive within the desired time period, forcing a decision about whether to extend the serving period, carry them round or cull them.

A tight calving period also makes herd management much easier; many management tasks (disbudding, vaccination and weaning for example) can be carried out on a group rather than an individual basis allowing labour in particular to be better planned.

Looking at the spread of calving within the calving period might also give an insight into the management and health of the herd. If more than 95% of the cows put to the bull conceive within a twelve week period and then at least 60% of these calve within the first three weeks of the calving period this might suggest that there is not too much to worry about. If, however, as many calves are born during the final three weeks of the calving period as are born during the first three weeks, then this might suggest compromised fertility. This may be due to a number of causes; was nutrition and cow condition optimal, were the bulls used all fully fertile or is infectious disease compromising performance?

From a nutrition point of view - whilst minerals and trace elements can be important energy status, body condition score and how it is changing are more likely to be significant.

Cows that are too fat at calving tend to have more difficult calvings. This can result not only in more dead calves but also in more uterine problems after calving often having an adverse

effect on future fertility. Cows that are too thin will take longer to return to cyclicity and to conceive. Weaning thin cows before fatter cows can provide a potent means of manipulating body condition score. If supplementary feed is required on a herd basis there is benefit if this is done sooner rather than later and cows should be in a ‘fit-not-fat’ condition and on a rising plane of nutrition for at least six weeks before and during the entire serving period.

The published literature consistently reports one in ten bulls to be infertile which means they are incapable of successfully impregnating cows. A further two in ten are reported to be sub-fertile. These bulls will successfully get cows pregnant but less efficiently than fully fertile bulls (so either fewer cows will calve than hoped or the calving period will extend). A thorough pre-breeding examination of each bull would hope to identify ‘problem’ bulls so that they can be replaced before being used. At the very least body condition and locomotion should be evaluated and a critical assessment of the penis and testicles should be carried out prior to the breeding season to make sure that there are no obvious problems. You should then continue to watch the bull during the serving period to ensure that he is working properly.

From an infectious disease point of view the options are many and varied. Some of these will have a direct effect on fertility, BVD for example, whilst others, such as Johne’s disease will have an indirect effect. Some may affect calf viability and result in pregnancies being aborted. Herd health status should be discussed with your vet who will be able to plan with you surveillance strategies and plans to protect the health of the herd, if no evidence of disease is found, or to control the disease and mitigate its effects, perhaps by implementing a vaccination or other management programme, or an eradication programme, if disease is identified.

This, of course, is herd health planning, which, when carried out proactively by monitoring and analysing performance and using the results of this to influence herd management aiming for improved performance, should deliver both easier management and economic advantage.

Suckler Herd Key Performance Indicators Bulling period Cows conceiving

# 3 months >95%

Cows calving (of conceived)

>98%

Cows calving during the first three weeks of the calving period

>60%

Cows aborted, stillborn or lost within the first day of life

<2%

Calves weaned (of calves alive at 24 hours)

>99%

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Animal Health

Mild winter increases fluke risk in sheep and cattle There is a high risk chronic liver fluke burdens in livestock in western regions of the UK and especially in Scotland, according to the latest NADIS Parasite Forecast, sponsored by Merial Animal Health. Beef and sheep farmers are warned to be on alert for signs of fluke disease and take appropriate action, based on local risk factors. hronic liver fluke infection peaks in the late winter and early spring. The recent mild weather has enabled a greater number of fluke to survive the winter, leading to high numbers of parasites on pasture. Assessing and treating cattle and sheep now will help prevent production losses, particularly due to impaired reproductive performance in ewes, and increased finishing times for growing cattle. It will also reduce pasture contamination with fluke eggs, leading to a reduction in fluke larval challenge in late summer and autumn 2016.

Not all sheep with chronic infections develop classic “bottle-jaw” so fluke can potentially go unnoticed. Poor scanning results are often the first sign of an infection and can be limited to specific groups of animals, depending on their exposure to infective fluke at autumn and winter grazing.

Sioned Timothy, veterinary adviser for Merial Animal Health says: “Chronic fluke infections can put a lot of strain on pregnant ewes. If untreated, these animals may lose a significant amount of weight, and in severe cases both the lambs and the ewe may be lost.”

Treatment is advised in sheep that are likely to have been exposed in the autumn and early winter, or where diagnostic tests have identified the presence of fluke in the flock.

Ms. Timothy continues: “Flukicides such as those containing nitroxynil (Trodax®) or

C

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

closantel are effective at treating fluke from seven weeks post-infection. Selecting an appropriate product based on the stage of fluke being treated, and observing good practice when treating sheep to ensure accurate dosing will maximise the efficacy of treatments, whilst minimising the risk of selecting for resistance.”

Weighing a number of different sheep will enable a representative bodyweight range within the flock to be identified, and will help avoid under or over-dosing. Whilst underdosing will compromise the efficacy of treatments, overdose carries a risk of toxicity. Groups should be treated separately where there is a significant difference in weight between different groups of animals.

Sheep should be moved to clean pasture after treatment, where supplementary feeding may be required to maintain or improve condition in affected animals.

The risk of sheep scab may continue into April. If left untreated, scab can cause weight loss due to disturbed grazing patterns and the consequent reduction in feed intake. Sheep may be seen kicking at their chest and rubbing against fences.

The fleece of affected animals will often be wet, sticky and yellow, and may be contaminated with dirt from the hind feet.

Fleece loss is common where infections have been present for eight weeks or more, with bare patches sometimes extending up to 20cm in diameter, surrounded by an area of

inflammation and sticky exudates.

In cattle, heavy adult liver fluke burdens may now be identified by rapid weight loss and diarrhea, which can increase finishing times by several weeks and impact significantly on cost of production1.

Over a fifth of British cattle livers are condemned at the slaughterhouse2 due to liver fluke damage. Asking the abattoir for feedback on liver condemnation can help identify if there is a fluke issue within the herd.

“Chronic fluke infections can put a lot of strain on pregnant ewes. If untreated, these animals may lose a significant amount of weight” “Out-wintered cattle are at particular risk due to the relatively mild winter weather, which allowed infective fluke to remain active on the pasture long into winter. Cattle grazing potentially infected pastures should either be dosed, or checked for the presence of fluke eggs in faeces,” says Ms. Timothy.

Adult fluke in beef cattle can be treated with a straight flukicide product such as those containing nitroxynil (Trodax®) or closantel, or a combination product such as Ivomec® Super (containing ivermectin and clorsulon) where treatment of worms is also required.

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 41

| Diet Feeders

Calculate the feed savings with Hustler Every winter a significant amount of hard earned cash is lost through inefficient stock feeding, resulting in wastage of valuable fodder. There are various factors which cause this, such as the bale not being teased apart enough, making it harder for stock to eat. Animals may lay or trample on the fodder or bales are unfinished in a ring feeder because ground conditions are too poor for animals to reach the rest. Dirt, mud and contaminants result in stock rejecting the feed. se the Hustler feed calculator and you can see how much you could be saving by feeding the right amount of the bale & retaining the rest for the next feed.

Say you use 200 bales per season and the average cost of a bale is £35, with an estimated wastage of 20%. The total feed cost for the season is £7000. Hustler bale feeders claim and have been proven to save that 20% wastage which translates into a saving of £1,400 over the season. Take the lifespan of the bale feeder of at least 12 years and your overall saving is £16,800. It all adds up. Hustler bale feeders are easy to use, simple to maintain and will feed round or square bales.

The range comprises chained and chainless versions available as mounted or towed. The chained Hustler SL-350 is a single bale feeder with easy self-loading system and comes either mounted or trailed. The SL-450X is based on the popular SL-350, but has the added advantage of the extension chute

U

42 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

which allows delivery of the fodder into a high level trough or manger.

The CH-2000 is a unique chainless bale feeder, which will handle round or square bales efficiently. As with the chained versions, the bale is spiked and lifted onto the platform with the heavy duty tines and the bale is ready for feeding.

The Hustler SL-700X is the ideal machine for feeding at a distance from the bale storage site, as it allows two bales to be taken to the stock at the same time. One bale is lifted on the spikes and placed onto the cradle ready for feeding, and a second bale can be carried on the rear allowing two bales to be fed before returning to reload. The CH4000 is a trailed version of the CH2000 chainless feeder offering the twin bale capacity. Ideal for hill farmers feeding stock at a distance from the bale storage site, as this machine allows two bales to be carried to the stock reducing travelling time.

For more about Hustler equipment, call 01264 345870 or visit www.wessexintl.com

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Diet Feeders

Abbey Machinery: Feeding the future heir range of diet feeder offers a host of options and sizes to meet all customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and to easily fit within their current system requirements. With feeders ranging from 8cu to over 30cu and

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

available with a comprehensive choice of TMR (Total Mix Ration) management solutions Abbey Machinery continue to push the boundaries in providing customers with the range to enable them to maximise efficiency and control their costs.

Consistency / accuracy is the key

Abbey Machinery have been manufacturing both paddle and vertical diet feeders for decades and is one of Ireland's longest established manufacturer of agricultural machinery. to providing a cost effective TMR mix and the Abbey special designed low power requiring augers provide this through their unique design and raised top knife. All feeders are standard with four point Digistar weighing systems to further enhance the accuracy.

The Abbey Diet feeder range of options include rear/front mounted PVC sliding elevators, rear door options give the flexibility to work within narrow passageways. A host of control systems featuring full Electric/hydraulic or manual controls.

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 43

| Machinery

How do I get the most from my machinery?

Improving profitability is a must for Monitor Farmer Phil Meadley, so he’s needed to ask himself one of the trickiest questions in farming – how do I get the most from my machinery? achinery costs are usually one the largest outgoings on arable farms, so any grower aiming to improve margins needs to take a close look and see where savings can be made. Philip Dunn, partner with Brown & Co agricultural consultancy, has taken a detailed look at machinery and labour costs at Grange Farm to give Phil Meadley the facts to make an informed decision.

“The overall picture is that the cost of production in the UK is very high by global standards so farmers have no other option but to try and become more efficient,” explains Mr. Dunn. “Land, labour and machinery prices are all relatively high in the UK which means that the cost of production can quickly escalate to unsustainable levels without careful management.”

“As a general rule, if machinery isn’t used very often it is probably costing the farmer a lot for every hour or hectare done.”

To understand the cost of machinery, it is vital to know what the standing cost of each piece of kit is: this is the depreciation in value (around 10-15% per year), repair costs, insurance and the lost interest from not having the money to invest somewhere else. Using a machine more often means that this standing cost is spread across more field operations – so the cost of each operation comes down.

Farmers need to be willing to consider the alternative options to owning kit such as hiring, part ownership or using a contractor – only once you know how much you are currently paying can you decide if the alternative options offer better value.

However, the cost is only one of the considerations. The Meadleys’ farm has invested heavily in machinery for a 240ha farm, which pushes up the cost but means field operations can be very timely. The Meadleys’ production system focuses on pushing up yields by good attention to agronomic details – having the piece of machinery in the shed means they can time field work to perfection.

One example of this is the hedge-cutting equipment: the cost of this was calculated at over £60/hr whereas a contractor would charge in the region of £30/hr. But for Philip Meadley, sorting out hedges promptly after harvest before moving on to cultivation means that all his drilling can be completed to plan.

Across the farm, there are a whole series of decisions to make around machinery usage and the farming system as a whole. Philip Dunn explains more: “Look at the whole business with an open mind and think about what can be changed because changes in machinery and labour will have a big impact on the overall profitability. Any change to the system or a new piece of machinery will have knock on effects in other parts of the business – some positive, some negative.”

With this in mind, Phil Meadley is investigating changes to his system to reduce the cost of primary cultivation and spread workloads more evenly throughout the year.

M

44 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

“We are looking to invest in a strip-till drill to cut the amount of primary cultivation equipment needed and complete establishment with fewer passes. One field has been sown to test the strip-till drill – so the results at harvest 2016 will be very interesting.

We will also sow 90ha of spring barley this year as well as some cover crops – we hope this can spread workload and improve soil structure,” says Phil Meadley. “We will also try a direct-drill approach this spring by establishing spring barley into five different cover crop mixes currently over-wintering” “Improving soil is a big target for us because it will make land easier to work and be better for travel, meaning that establishment costs are cut down even more. We would like to incorporate more straw to boost organic matter – as long as the soil biology is right to break down the straw.

“A strip-till drill will leave straw on the surface to decompose rather than sitting buried in the soil and decomposing slowly. Two other monitor farmers – Julian Gold and Dave Blacker – are doing something along these lines and we would like to replicate that here.”

Philip Huxtable – Director of arable production at JSR farms shares Phil Meadley’s view on the importance of soil structure for managing cultivation costs. “The most important bit of kit is the spade. Being able to assess soil structure after harvest so you know what type of cultivation is needed is very important. Looking at each field, or even part field separately is a must. This attention to detail means you can increase productivity and prevent unnecessary expenditure.”

Mr Huxtable is responsible for 4,000 ha at 15 sites in East Yorkshire. When it comes to machinery his approach is to cut standing costs by using equipment as much as possible. “On JSR farms we try to find kit that we can use on all land in all conditions. This reduces standing costs and means we get a lot of hours out of all our drills,” explains Mr Huxtable.

The final word comes from farmer and contractor Andrew Gloag, farming heavy clay soil on Teesside. Timeliness is essential so he has invested in equipment to make sure he can be drilled up by the end of the first week October. To spread the cost of this machinery he also does contracting work.

“Our costs are £170/acre for stubble to stubble production of combinable crops: this is less than the ‘typical’ £200/acre Philip Dunn told us about today but it is still not really sustainable with the current wheat price,” explains Andrew. “Machinery must last longer and generate additional revenue through the year – the seasonality of farming makes this tricky but you need to find a way.”

Andrew has spread his costs by expanding the area he operates on to 1,500ha as well as doing contracting work.

“The main thing to remember is that yield is still king – so timeliness of field operations and soil structure are essential to maintain crop performance,” concludes Andrew.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Forestry

Pirtek Cambridge Tel: 01223 835222 Pirtek Derby Tel: 01332 205000 Pirtek Harlow Tel: 01279 427300 www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Pirtek Luton Pirtek Penrith Pirtek Preston

Tel: 01582 597050 Tel: 01768 210055 Tel: 01772 620111

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 45

| Machinery

New Holland Forage Cruiser The new FR Forage Cruiser self-propelled forage harvesters deliver consistently high chop quality and industry-leading crop processing efficiency. his exceptional productivity is further enhanced by the powerful and fuel efficient performance of the new engines – with horsepower ranging from 476 to 775 – and ECOBlue™ HieSCR Tier 4B technology, with the top model retaining the 20.1 litre 824hp engine. The new five-model line-up offers superior comfort in the spacious flagship cab, enabling operators to make the most of the forage harvester’s exceptional productivity with its ergonomic layout and intuitive automation.

“New Holland has been at the forefront of forage harvesting technology for over 50 years with many industry firsts,” commented Lars Skjoldager Sørensen, Head of Harvesting Product Management. “The new FR Forage Cruiser builds on this strong heritage to deliver a highly productive, highly efficient package capable of reliably meeting the requirements of large scale contractors and cooperatives.”

Consistent top chop quality from the widest crop channel in the industry from cutterhead to crop processing rolls to spout The new FR Forage Cruiser features the largest cutter head in the industry – both in width and diameter – that powers through crop lumps effortlessly. The proven chevron knife design chops cleanly, quickly and, most importantly, uniformly. The cutter head is available in five configurations to match the specific chopping requirements: 2x8, 2x10, 2x12, 2x16 and 2x20 knives for a length of cut range of 6 to 33 mm, 5 to 27 mm, 4 to 22 mm, 3 to 16 mm, and 2 to 13 mm respectively. The proven Hydroloc feedroll drive system enables the operator to adjust the length of cut to match crop conditions on the go.The large processing rolls, the widest in the industry at 30 inches wide, maximise throughput.

The exclusive Variflow™ system enables the operator to change effortlessly from grass to corn configuration and back, as well as optimising crop flow in difficult to blow conditions for maximum throughput.

The new FR Forage Cruiser further improves on the spout. Already the widest, easiest to access in the industry, the spout now features full-length replaceable top and side liners, a new hard-faced flipper, stronger flipper cylinder and improved spout base lubrication. Efficiency can be further increased by automating trailer filling with the award-winning Intellifill™ spout guidance system: it guides the crop accurately into the trailer whatever the weather conditions, time of day or type of trailer.

New award-winning engines with ECOBlue™ Hi-eSCR Tier 4B

T

46 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

technology are tuned for constant high loads and deliver powerful performance All models of the new FR series feature engines developed by FPT Industrial. The two smaller models run versions of the proven Cursor 13 engine tuned to the constant high loads experienced when harvesting forage. The FR650 and FR780 mount the new Cursor 16 engine, recently named “Diesel of the Year 2014”

by Diesel Magazine. Both engines deliver powerful performances with exceptionally low fuel and DEF consumption. Tuning specific to forage harvesting delivers almost instantaneous transient response, making the Forage Cruisers able to handle sudden changes in load without stopping or plugging, therefore increasing capacity up to 5%* vs. the previous model. Fuel and DEF tank capacities are increased on all models to provide the autonomy customers need for long harvesting days. The top model FR850 runs a 20.1L Vector engine.

All but the largest model feature ECOBlue HieSCR technology to meet Tier 4B emissions standards. As the engine design optimises combustion, particulate formation is very low.

The after-treatment system cleans up the NOx created by the high combustion temperatures.

The result is powerful performance combined with exceptional fuel efficiency.

New ECO mode in the engine management system helps optimise fuel consumption and results in up to 21% fuel savings and Best-inClass fuel efficiency of 0.5 l/ton For our customers, their forage harvester’s capacity is just as important as chopping quality – and they seek to minimise operating costs where possible. The combined effect of the new Cursor engines and the ECOBlue Hi-eSCR technology enables the new FR models to use up to 21%* less fuel than the equivalent Tier 3 model at the same length of cut. Field tests carried out by the DLG German Agriculture Society show that the FR650 model delivers Best-in-Class fuel efficiency of 0.5 litres/ton chopping at 8mm in maize. A new standard ECO mode setting can reduce fuel consumption in field conditions where it is not possible to load the engine fully, for example when harvesting low yield crops or in muddy fields. When engaged,

the intelligent engine management system controls the engine’s speed and reactivity to minimise fuel use.

New Holland’s PowerCruise™ system maximises productivity by continually monitoring the actual power required and adapts the forward speed of the FR Forage Cruiser to reach the highest possible work rate through variations in crop conditions in the field.

Premium comfort in the spacious flagship cab with ergonomic control layout, new comfort seats and intuitive automation that maximises performance effortlessly The flagship cab of the new FR Forage Cruiser provides operators with a comfortable work station. The ample and quiet cab provides exceptional 360-degree panoramic visibility, with curved windows offering a perfect view of the header and spout, whatever its position. The new Deluxe air-suspended seat features automatic weight adjustment and variable shock absorption. The backrest, lumbar support, seat pan angle and height are adjustable to provide the perfect seating position for the operator. A new leather and cloth luxury seat with heated and ventilated cushions and suspension upgrades is also available as an option on the top three models. The new slim steering column with a double-jointed design makes it easy to position the steering wheel for the best view of the header and maximum comfort.

Operator comfort and productivity is further enhanced by the intelligent and intuitive automation. All key machine parameters such as header control, spout engagement and Power Cruise™ activation, are controlled through the CommandGrip™ multi-function lever. The IntelliView™ IV monitor provides a view of machine functions at a glance. *New FR650 vs. previous FR700

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Machinery

CLAAS & Agrovista join crop sensing forces o provide a new industry-leading level of both mechanical, but more importantly agronomic support for this cutting-edge technology, CLAAS UK has teamed up with agronomy specialists Agrovista UK to ensure that users of the ISARIA CROP SENSOR receive an unprecedented level of support that is not matched by any other system.

The agreement between CLAAS UK and Agrovista UK means that in addition to full mechanical support for the CROP SENSOR from CLAAS dealer EASY precision farming specialists, this is also backed-up by Agrovista’s full range of agronomic specialist knowledge and software including the latest MapIT Pro data management system, which is part of the cloud based real-time AXIS data hub.

The ISARIA CROP SENSOR is ISOBUS compatible, so enables both the sensor and the spreader to both be used with the same ISO-compatible control terminal. It is the first sensor to be awarded an AEF certificate for ISOBUS compatibility, which confirms its compatibility with current ISOBUS terminals, and will be listed on the AEF database so that users can check its compatibility with current or new technology.

The ISARIA CROP SENSOR is mounted on the front of the tractor, which has the advantage that it is

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

further from the spreader, so more accurate. Also by measuring vertically at 80cm above the crop instead of at an angle, this again aids accuracy.

The two sensor heads incorporate four high-performance sensor LEDs that enable the CROP SENSOR to be used at day or night, plus an optical sensor and a distance sensor. These take a real-time measurement of the crop’s nitrogen requirement, which is then used to automatically alter the fertiliser spreading rate accordingly. Unlike other sensors, the ISARIA CROP SENSOR does not need to be manually calibrated on a regular basis or require any agronomic input, making it far easier to use.

Using biomass reflection as the measure for crop analysis, working over a 50cm diameter area, up to 800 measurements of the light reflected by the crop are taken every second. These measurements are then used to calculate the IRMI vegetation index, which reflects the current nitrogen supply to the crop.

The ISARIA CROP SENSOR measures the quantity of nitrogen which has already been absorbed by the crop up to that point in time, compares this measurement with the target value of the current growth stage and then calculates the missing nutrient difference which must be balanced. In addition, crop density is measured using the IBI biomass index. If the IBI falls below a particular threshold value, for example due

The use of crop sensing technology to provide a realtime, area-specific calculation of a crop’s optimum nitrogen requirement, provides growers with the opportunity to easily and accurately ensure optimum nitrogen application rates across the field, thereby potentially boosting crop performance and a reduction in fertiliser use. to drought or frost damage, the spread rate in these subplots reverts to the value defined by the farmer.

With the ISARIA CROP SENSOR the best results come when making a ‘yield potential’ map for the field, this allows you to essentially create a map that tells the ISARIA CROPSENSOR whether it is operating in a high, medium, or low yield potential area so that it not only looks at the crop in isolation. In real terms this means that a thinner crop in a low yield potential area of the field will not receive as high a nitrogen rate as the same patch in a high yield area, which is a feature unique to the ISARIA CROP SENSOR. The data produced by the sensor will automatically record all the input and biomass data from

the crop which, using Agrovista’s MapIT Pro Advanced data manager will help build-up an overall ‘picture’ of the crop. In addition to allowing easy access to view both field and input data, the data can also be easily utilised to create both yield potential and also variable seed rate maps.

The Agrovista MapIT Pro software will allow the user to set up their own yield potential maps, either from field knowledge or by using other data layers such as soil conductivity data or yield maps. The collaboration between the two companies will ensure that Claas yield data can be seamlessly imported into the cloud based software to be easily accessed anywhere using a number of platforms.

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 47

| Machinery

John Deere foragers new self-propelled

John Deere has added three new models to its 8000 Series self-propelled forage harvester range, which utilise advanced technology to reduce crop losses and boost performance, including new Active Fill Control (AFC) for automated filling of trailers.

T

he machines are designed to provide customers with up to 15 per cent more productivity, increased uptime, lower operating costs and faster, easier maintenance, and line

up as follows: • 8300, with a 490hp Stage IV 13.5-litre engine • 8700, with a 761hp Stage II 19-litre engine • the top-of-the-range 8800, with an 845hp Stage II 19-litre engine Because of their longitudinal engine layout, the new foragers feature an improved airflow through the entire machine, resulting in lower cooling requirements and more power for chopping. At the same time the lowered engine position provides an improved overall centre of

48 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

gravity and enhanced visibility. This helps to improve stability when working on steep slopes or while travelling on the road at speeds of up to 40kph.

The forager cab features an anti-glare screen, Bluetooth connectivity, plenty of storage room and automatic air conditioning, adjustable from the CommandARM. Other advanced features include a GreenStar 2630 with touchscreen display and all functions conveniently located in the CommandARM, Remote Display Access (RDA) and AutoTrac automatic steering with RowSense. Each model can also be equipped with HarvestLab, an advanced crop analysis and documentation system that uses constituent sensing to improve forage quality.

Headers include John Deere’s new 9 Series

grass pick-ups and Kemper 300 or 400 Series row-independent rotary drum harvesting units.

These include the new 10-row 475 Plus rotary harvesting unit with 7.5m working width, which reduces stalk and ear losses and improves the ability to harvest laid maize. These units also reduce plugging in weedy conditions, and all John Deere headers are automatically speed matched to the selected length of cut.

Additional features include a DuraDrum cutterhead with reverse knife sharpening and other technologies designed to improve forage processing and nutrient quality. New for 2016 are LED light packages and a convenient ProTouch function for increasing road or harvest speed during field changes, further improving operator comfort and convenience.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Machinery

Contact your local dealer AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY P Tuckwell Ltd (Ardleigh) Essex Telephone 01206 230283, Visit www.tuckwell.co.uk P Tuckwell Ltd (Worlingworth) Suffolk Telephone 01728 628325, Visit www.tuckwell.co.uk

Ripon Farm Services (Darrington) Pontefract Telephone 01977 795241, Visit www.riponfarmservices.com Ripon Farm Services (Ottringham) Hull Telephone 01964 622351, Visit www.riponfarmservices.com Mona Tractors Co. Ltd North Wales Telephone 01248 750075, Visit www.monatractors.co.uk

P Tuckwell Ltd (Dunmow) Essex Telephone 01371 875751, Visit www.tuckwell.co.uk

GROUNDCARE MACHINERY

P Tuckwell Ltd (Cromer) Hertforshire Telephone 01438 861257, Visit www.tuckwell.co.uk

A J & R Scambler & Sons Ltd Cambridgeshire Telephone 01954 718484, Visit www.compactmachinery.com

P Tuckwell Ltd (Maulden) Bedfordshire Telephone 01525 405848, Visit www.tuckwell.co.uk

Godfreys Kent Telephone 01732 741177, Visit www.godfreys.co.uk

Ripon Farm Services (Keighley) West Yorkshire Telephone 01535 632661, Visit www.riponfarmservices.com

Godfreys East Sussex Telephone 01323 846866, Visit www.godfreys.co.uk

Ripon Farm Services (Ripon) North Yorkshire Telephone 01765 692255, Visit www.riponfarmservices.com

Godfreys Berkshire Telephone 0118 402 6870, Visit www.godfreys.co.uk

Ripon Farm Services (Stockton) County Durham Telephone 01740 630254, Visit www.riponfarmservices.com Ripon Farm Services (Tadcaster) North Yorkshire Telephone 01937 835454, Visit www.riponfarmservices.com www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 49

| Machinery

Gehl R Series Skid Loaders Three new models added to the innovative R Series Skid Loader lineup.

he Gehl range of compact loaders are an important part of the Manitou Group and provide an extra dimension to the materials handling offer complementing the product range of Manitou telehandlers and forklifts which are renowned for quality build and performance.

In early 2015 Manitou Group celebrated 500,000 unit sales of Manitou, Gehl and Mustang machinery which is testimony to the innovation and reactivity to customer needs over many years of product development.

The history of the Gehl brand is interesting as it spans hundreds of years originating from the United States of America. Gehl was established in 1859 in West Bend, Wisconsin and was a family owned business over three generations. The iconic Gehl skid steer loader was first manufactured in 1973 at Madison, South Dakota and it was in the same year that the European distribution was set up. In 2004 Gehl entered into a strategic partnership with Manitou and in 2008 Gehl was purchased by Manitou BF SA becoming a wholly owned subsidiary.

T

“The design of the new Gehl R Series skid loaders is a result of over 40 years of market experience and extensive feedback from loyal Gehl equipment owners” In the UK & Ireland, Gehl products are distributed through a dealer network which include Manitou dealers.

Gehl is proud to announce the all-new midframe R Series Radial-Lift Skid Loaders. These include three new models – a brand new addition to the line – the R150, with 1,500 lbs.

(680 kg) capacity, the R135 (replacing the 4240E), and the R165 (replacing the 4640E Power2).

These skid loaders feature an all-new operator station with an integrated digital display, new load arm design with increased visibility, Yanmar-powered Tier IV engines and several serviceability enhancements.

The R135, R150 and R165 radial-lift skid loaders fall into the mid-frame category, bringing unparalleled versatility to the job-site.

When equipped with optional counterweights,

50 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

the rated operating capacities range from 1,500 lbs. (680 kg) on the R135 to 1,800 lbs.

(816.5 kg) on the R165. Lift heights reach up to 119” (3023 mm) on the R150 and R165.

These mid-size skid loaders come equipped with emissions compliant Tier IV Yanmar engines that incorporate DPF (diesel particulate filter) technology. This engine technology is environmentally sound and does not require fuel after-treatments, such as urea. With maximum torque ratings from 107.8 ft.-lbs. (146 Nm) on the R135 and R150 to 178 ft.-lbs. (241 Nm) on the R165, these machines are equipped with the power needed to tackle demanding jobs.

The new R Series skid loaders feature standard proportional auxiliary hydraulics for maximum precision and infinitely adjustable flow control. Achieve flow rates from 17 gpm (64.4 L/min) on the R135 and R150 to 18.9 gpm (71.4 L/min) on the R165. Impressive breakout forces deliver optimal digging and lifting performance. Faster cycle times further enhance productivity on the job-site. Pressurerelieving hydraulic couplers make attachment changes simple and safe.

The state-of-the-art operator’s compartment on the new R Series skid loaders leaves little to be desired. A front-lifting restraint bar and armrests with multiple adjustments enhance operator comfort and safety. The mechanical or air-ride suspension seat options deliver outstanding comfort. Creature comforts - such as automatic dome light, cup holder, 12-volt outlet, storage tray and multiple air vents – come standard on these intuitive loaders. A cab-forward design and lowered rear towers deliver unmatched visibility to the bucket edge and rear of the machine. The optional pressurised cab enclosure, with sound reduction material and a rear-mounted air filter, provides a cleaner, quieter, climate-controlled working environment.

Controllability and ease of use are part of the package on the new R Series skid loaders.

Customize your skid loader with three control options; T-bar, hand/foot, and joystick (R165 only). Auxiliary hydraulic controls are located on the joystick in all configurations for easy access. A fully customisable digital colour display provides coolant, fuel, battery,

environmental, engine regeneration information and other features in real time.

Excellent service access is achieved on the R Series models through the extra-wide rear door and engine hood. A swing out rear door and new swing out cooler provide unparalleled access to filter, fluid reservoirs and the engine bay area.The level II FOPS structure tilts back with the aid of gas springs, providing easy internal access to the pumps, hydraulic valve bank and drive motors. A safety restraint holds the ROPS/FOPS structure in the raised position. Release of the safety restraint is made easy with a new pull cord. Plus, all high-rotation pins have grease points for ease of maintenance and quiet operation.

These exciting new R Series skid loaders also include many other features such as the manual Quick-a-Tach™ or hydraulic Power-aTach™ attachment systems, HydraGlide™ ride control and the Hydraloc™ safety system. A variety of options and attachments allow the user to customize the machine to their needs.

Gehl R Series skid loaders are available now.

These new mid-frame skid loaders are popular among agriculturalists, contractors, landscapers, and excavation companies due to their excellent ground engaging capabilities and manoeuvrability. Rental businesses will also benefit from the versatile nature of the new R Series skid loaders.

“The design of the new Gehl R Series skid loaders is a result of over 40 years of market experience and extensive feedback from loyal Gehl equipment owners,” says Brian Rabe, Gehl Manager of Product Development. “Gehl focused on customer voice and market expectations when designing this new line of skid loaders. This research resulted in a variety of machine upgrades and the addition of a 1,500 lbs. capacity (680 kg) loader with 46.3 hp (34.5 kW), which we were pleased to bring to life with the R150. To guarantee emissions compliance, our engineers chose the engine technology that was best suited to the Gehl skid loader line and the applications they excel in.”

To learn more about the Gehl R Series skid loaders please visit www.gehl.com

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Machinery

Manitou serving British Agriculture for over 40yrs Manitou has a proud tradition of developing materials handling machinery for farmers over the past four decades and the history of the company is a story of traditional values, of quality and innovation. he Manitou rough-terrain forklift truck was born in 1958, a hybrid between the existing forklift truck and the farm tractor. Now The MANITOU Group designs, manufactures, distributes and services equipment for Construction, Agriculture and the Industries and the Group product ranges include: telehandlers, all-terrain, semi-industrial and industrial masted forklifts, skid steers, track loaders, articulated loaders, access platforms, truck-mounted forklifts, warehousing equipment and attachments.

A popular Manitou model with todays modern farmer is the MLT 735 which benefits from the Tier 3B Deutz engine which offers

T

fuel efficient operation. Another advantage is the 6 speed powershift transmission which offers a 40 kpl roadspeed and those doing a lot of roadwork will appreciate the extra gear in the working range. It has a 150l/m load sensing hydraulic pump coupled to a flow sharing control valve providing the operator with the ability to multi function hydraulic operation and the excellent stability of this machine combined with the aggravating movement arrestor allows you to handle maximum loads up to 4.1 tonnes with complete confidence.

The interior of the MLT leaves nothing to be desired with itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s superb bodywork. The driving position has been ergonomically designed for maximum comfort. Ventilation outlets, sun visor, roof screen, all help to provide a comfortable

working environment. A large window area, lateral engine, low boom pivot as well as the high seating positon gives you 360 degree visibility.

This machine benefits from the user friendly JSM controls which is fitted as standard on all MLT models, allowing the operator to control all movements with one hand leaving the other hand free to maintain full control of the steering and like all Manitou MLT models it has a unique bucket mode that allows an operator to achieve maximum tear out whilst still conforming to the strict requirements of EN15000.

Whatever your farm handling requirement you can be sure that Manitou has the solution.

Featured Dealers: Farmstar Limited Marr, Doncaster DN5 7AU T: 01302 786786

Market Weighton,York YO43 3GA T: 01430 875900 Brigg, North Lincs DN2 8NF T: 01652 654944 www.farmstar.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Robert D Webster Ltd Owstwick, Hull HU12 0LH T: 01964 670251

Goole, N. Humberside DN14 7DZ T: 01430 430624 Driffield, E. Yorkshire YO25 4RF T: 01262 420226 www.robertdwebster.co.uk

Andrew Symons South Moulton, Devon EX36 3LZ T: 01769 574455 Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6HL T: 01409 254040 www.andrewsymons.co.uk

Sharnford Tractors Ltd Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 5EH T: 01455 209300 www.manitou.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 51

| Forestry

52 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Machinery

Purchase of Kubota tractor makes it easy sailing for staff at Waveney Sailability Kubota’s B1620 compact tractor has been put to work at Waveney Sailability in Suffolk in order to speed up the time it takes to launch and recover the sailing and rescue craft at the activity centre. he 16HP tractor was fitted with turf tyres to provide a stable grip on wet and muddy surfaces, whilst the inclusion of a front ball hitch and electric winch help the team maintain control when getting the rigid inflatable boat in and out of the water.

Malcolm Brown, Assistant Sailing Instructor at Waveney Sailability, commented: “Since the arrival of the B1620 tractor, the tasks that we have to carry out following a busy day of sailing with very few volunteers has been made

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

significantly easier and safer.

“We use the tractor to manoeuvre, launch and recover our sailing boats and rescue craft, which was previously very difficult due to the weight of the equipment. The tractor has been well received with the team at Waveney Sailability as it helps to speed up the time it takes to bring the boats back to land when the team have been out sailing.”

Equipped with Kubota’s E-TCVS diesel engine for increased power, cleaner emissions and low noise levels, the B1620 offers an increased travel speed to allow the team at

Waveney to travel between destinations quicker. The inclusion of 4-wheel drive prevents the tyres slipping and the Rollover Protection System provides safety when using the tractor on an inclined surface.

Waveney Sailability, who specialise in providing sailing classes to individuals with disabilities, was presented with the compact tractor following a grant by Sports England.

For more information on Kubota and its extensive range of solutions for the groundcare and agriculture sectors visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 53

| Machinery

Express Mowers Stourbridge, West Midlands T: 01384 443499 www.expressmowers.net

Ermin Plant (Hire & Services) Ltd Gloucester, Gloucestershire T: 01452 526616 www.erminplant.co.uk

Forest Park & Garden Pontypridd, Glamorgan T: 01443 230000 www.fpandg.com

World of Power Buxton, Derbyshire T: 01298 213101 www.worldofpower.co.uk

Charles H Hill Ltd Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire T: 01526 388281 www.charleshhill.co.uk

54 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Forestry

Breakthrough discovery reveals how thirsty trees pull water to their canopies International team led by University of Leicester overturn 400 year-old barometric limit theory. scientific mystery about how trees pull water from the ground to their top branches has been solved by an international team of researchers from the University of Leicester and the Queensland University of Technology, Australia.

The team, led by Dr Adrian Boatwright, who conducted the research while at the University of

A

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Leicester’s Department of Chemistry, has examined the phenomenon of water being pulled to the top of tree branches, when scientific theory says that the maximum height water can be pulled up is 33 feet due to gravity – known as the barometric limit.

The researchers have discovered that water can in fact be held in a vacuum for almost indefinite periods of time and even under significant tension without

forming bubbles or breaking apart, which helps to explain how trees siphon water to their highest points.

The team also found that water can be pulled up to as much as 45 feet - well above the barometric limit, overturning the theory proposed by seventeenth century Italian physicist and mathematician Evangelista Torricelli which has stood for the last 400 years.

Dr Boatwright said: “How is it that trees can pull water up to the top most branches? This question has troubled both botanists and physicists for many years with various mechanisms used to describe this process - ranging from capillary action to osmotic pressure.

“By siphoning water up to as much as 45 feet we have managed to ‘break’ the barometric limit and show that the maximum height is limited only by the strength of bonds in the water.”

While the widespread view has been that siphons work because of atmospheric pressure, recent research has shown that cohesion and gravity, and not atmospheric pressure is the driving principle.

Dr Stephen Hughes, Senior Lecturer in the Science and Engineering Faculty at Queensland University of Technology added: “The first recorded use of siphons was in ancient Egypt circa 1430 BC. Our experiment, conducted over 3,400 years later, is the first report published in the scientific literature of a siphon operating over the barometric limit. How siphons work has been quite controversial.

This experiment is a clear demonstration that siphons work through gravity and not atmospheric pressure as is commonly supposed.”

The team also found that water can be pulled up to as much as 45 feet - well above the barometric limit The study ‘The height limit of a siphon’ has been published in the academic journal Scientific Reports and is available at the following link: www.nature.com/articles/srep16790

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 55

| Machinery

56 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Tyres

Harvesting the benefits of reduced

road lope

Lindsay Hart

UK agriculture and farming continues to bolster at a steady pace, resulting in the need for improved equipment lifecycles and performance to ensure those working in the sector can keep up with the demand. Here, Lindsay Hart, European tyre sales manager at Titan Tyres, considers the importance of correctly maintained tyres for farming environments to safeguard productivity and reduce downtime. he farming sector in the UK has recovered dramatically since the recession hit in 2008; defying the impact of the still relatively hostile economy and bouncing back to a similar sized market as it stood before. In fact, the sector alone contributed over £10 billion to the economy last year1.

Perhaps driven by this growth, recent sector research indicates that more than half of cropping farmers have planned to make major improvements to their business in 2016 to increase profitability2.

Clearly then, there is a developing appetite in the farming community to invest in innovation which can help to optimise efficiency and, in turn, profit potential. And core to this is an investment in reliable, long lasting vehicles and machinery to ensure they can suitably keep up with demand, sustain wider market growth and reduce site downtime.

When it comes to agricultural machinery, such as tractors and harvesters, there are a number of factors to consider – especially as the cost of replacing a damaged or incorrectly operating vehicle can be as high £40,000.

Reducing road lope Road lope in particular can cause physical swaying and bouncing of machine during transit – resulting in an extremely bumpier ride for the driver and can potentially damage the vehicle.

However, by selecting the right tyre and ensuring it has been correctly maintained, drivers can be put at an advantage with increased ride quality, improved vehicle breakout force and handling, allowing them to perform their job more confidently.

It’s important to understand that road lope is not necessarily a byproduct of poor design, it is actually often related to how the wheel and tyre has been aligned to the high and low spots on of the wheel and tyre assembly.

Factory-mounted tyres from manufacturers such as Titan International are pre-aligned on production, meaning agricultural vehicle users are likely to see reduced road lope compared to a tyre that has not been calibrated to the appropriate high and low spots.

Through working closely with tyre suppliers or an appointed field service team, farming businesses can reduce the impact road lope can have upon machinery, and crucially reduce the potential cost implication of damage. A field service technician will be able to identify any alignment issues out on location, using specialist equipment, such as lasers, to assess the vehicle.

A regular maintenance schedule should also be implemented to ensure the tyres are correctly aligned on an on-going basis. What’s more, balancing will not only prevent premature and uneven tyre wear, but it also helps eliminate vibration (impacting on health and safety protocols), vehicle suspension, and steering and bearing systems.

In conjunction with this, tyre rotation is also an essential part of any tyre maintenance programme to ensure even tread wear and long tread life. Rotation is necessary due to the uneven wear characteristics of each wheel position on the vehicle as front tyres are used in steering, while the rear tyres remain relatively stationary. The act of steering a vehicle creates scrubbing which of course causes more stress for front tyres, as opposed to the rear.

Low sidewall, lower risk Another solution available to the farming sector to combat road lope is low sidewall (LSW) technology, which helps deliver improved stability and a smoother ride both in the field and on the road. While it is a concept that has already proved successful in the automotive market, Titan has adapted it for demanding agricultural and construction applications, making it the Titan International LSW tyre the first of its kind

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

to launch in the UK. LSW tyres feature a lower aspect ratio and a smaller sidewall than a standard tyre resulting in a wider wheel diameter without a increase in the outside diameter of the tyre, which in turn results in more stability on site. This means an overall faster, harder and smoother ride as there is less side-to-side movement.

As sustained productivity is a crucial factor in any agricultural environment, the LSW tyre puts the driver at an advantage with increased ride quality, and handling, allowing farmers to perform their job more confidently. It is also suitable for larger growers and harvesters, which may routinely need to travel between the various fields and crops.

In addition, as road lope and stability concerns are minimised, there is no need to boost inflation pressures in the tyres – meaning there is no compromise to the soil compaction benefits of the vehicles.

Since last year, Titan is now also licenced to supply Goodyear Farm Tyres for agricultural and industrial purposes, as well as developing a new range of tyres to specifically meet the needs of the wider European farming market, featuring additional sizes and traction levels. Ultimately, this means farmers have access to the stability benefits of the Titan LSW tyre, but now also the opportunity to invest in like-for-like replacement of the Goodyear Farm Tyre range.

And so, as the agricultural industry enters into what promises to be another buoyant year ahead, it’s important that farmers ensure they take the time to reflect, revisit their business proposition and make changes as needed. By making the most of innovation in this way they can ensure to accumulate even more business in the long run.

For further information about Titan Tyre’s product offering for the agricultural sector, visit www.titandistributionuk.com or www.titan-intl.com References: 1 http://www.ukagriculture.com/uk_farming.cfm 2 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_da ta/file/458462/foodfarmbrief-04sept15.pdf

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 57

| Tyres

BKT Management Team

“The Game Changer” Inauguration in grand style of the modern Bhuj plant, a strong piece on BKT’s chessboard.

26 hectares of barren desert with a handful of withered and windswept shrubs. No water, no electricity. - This is how the area looked like, where BKT has created in a few years a real showpiece out of nothing thanks to a 500million-US dollar investment: a self-contained production plant representing the state of the art for both industrial equipment and infrastructures and facilities for employees. The site is located in Bhuj in the State of Gujarat at a distance of about hundred km from the Pakistani border and 60 km from the Port of Mundra on the Arabian Sea. After the start of construction works in January 2011, an eightkm-long pipeline for drinking water as well as thirteen kilometers of electricity lines were laid.

The first tire rolled off the production lines in March 2012, even if the entire project will be completed by the end of 2016.

1

“The Bhuj production site is a milestone in BKT’s growth” After reaching a daily production of 150 tons – approx. 50% of the maximum production capacity - the BKT Bhuj plant was inaugurated at the beginning of December 2015 in the presence of numerous guests from all over the world. Specific events took place involving on different occasions customers, distributors and

58 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

partners. During the opening ceremonies, guests had the opportunity to give an admiring glance to the production units provided with modern compound mixers, complex equipment for the production of steel rings and new vulcanizing presses even for large tire sizes.

The tires currently produced in Bhuj include 22 sizes of the Maglift solid tire and various measures of Liftmax LM 81 tire, both for forklifts, in addition to Portmax PM 93 in size 280/75 R 22.5 for straddle carriers, and the giant Earthmax SR 45 Plus tire for dumpers.

The Bhuj testing track, the one and only in India, has been projected for testing tire performance and driving comfort on different surfaces from uniform road conditions to rough terrain. Many Indian producers have already applied for using the BKT track for their tests.

Close to this facility, the new R&D Center is being built for research on new polymers and tread compounds. On the other side of the complex, a thermoelectric power plant covers the needs for water vapor and electricity throughout the entire site. Enormous water collection tanks provide water reserves even in droughts.

“The primary resource for the growth and success of any business is its staff,” Mr. Arvind Poddar, Chairman and Managing Director of BKT, states. Over 6 hectares of the Bhuj site – fully in line with this philosophy - a small town for the employees was built including modern flats for 406 families, a mall, a green area, a

recreation center, a medical center, and a fire station. The fire brigade takes action even in case of emergencies outside the Bhuj plant. In addition, there are 90 rooms for university students who take part in an industry-university cooperation project.

Like all BKT plants, Bhuj has obtained the ISO 9001: 2000 Quality Certificate. As far as production parameters, quality control and environmental regulatory requirements are concerned, BKT adheres to the strictest international standards.

“The Bhuj production site is a milestone in BKT’s growth,” Ms. Lucia Salmaso, Managing Director of BKT Europe, says, “not only for its high levels of technical and quality standards, but also because it is the BKT plant that is situated at the closest distance to a port - a decisive factor to speed up delivery time.

Likewise, this is a great benefit for companies that have chosen BKT tires as original equipment”.

Alluding to the game of chess, Mr. Arvind Poddar illustrated BKT’s philosophy in his inauguration speech as follows: “There is a unique trait that distinguishes a true champion from a mere player: the versatility to adapt his/her strategy to the challenges entailed in each game. One move after the other, BKT has created and reached its objectives. Thanks to the new Bhuj production plant, the company is now ready to change the game acting as the “game changer” on the global chessboard.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| ATV

Former multi-franchise ATV dealer chooses

Suzuki ATV Each and every Suzuki ATV out in the field is the result of the company’s careful and considered design, manufacturing and testing processes in the Japan factory.

And as the first on 4-wheels, Suzuki ATV have built a range of reliable, comfortable and user-friendly ATV's to suit a variety of needs. hat's why E.T. James & Sons in Rhayader, Wales have chosen Suzuki as their sole ATV supplier.

Appointed as a Suzuki dealer in 1963, E.T. James & Sons is Suzuki’s third longest serving dealer. All the staff have a real affinity to the Suzuki brand – thanks, in no small part, to Sales Manager Alan Bates’ lasting involvement with the brand since its launch in the UK.

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

A family-run business that was established back in 1921, E.T. James & Sons has for many years held a large number of franchises – selling off-road motorcycles, utility and junior ATVs, genuine parts and accessories, and offering servicing and repairs. But the company has decided to relinquish all of its other ATV franchises, concentrating instead on Suzuki – which is deemed the best fit to their business moving forward – and continuing to offer sales and aftersales services to the highest of standards.

George Cheeseman, Sales & Marketing Manager, Suzuki ATV Division, says, “We have worked with E.T. James & Sons for a number of years and are thrilled they have chosen to trade as a sole Suzuki ATV dealer.

“We work

extremely hard and are dedicated to establishing strong relationships with our UK-wide dealer network.

As such we have an ongoing commitment to training and strengthening our representation and working closely with ambassadors like E.T. James & Sons is a privilege.”

Suzuki ATV has some 80 dealers in the UK offering the manufacturer’s range of utility and junior ATVs – all offering customers the fantastic benefits that come with choosing Suzuki: Try before you buy Knowing that customers want an ATV that is comfortable, reliable and hard-working, Suzuki offers customers the chance to try before they buy in order to help them get a feel for the right model and the company’s expert dealers are onhand to help customers to find the right ATV for them.

Free Suzuki workwear kit Suzuki knows that customers will be riding their ATVs in all weathers and conditions. So when customers buy from an authorised Suzuki dealer, they will receive a free Suzuki workwear kit, consisting of a branded bodywarmer and overalls.

Courtesy ATV Scheme Suzuki understands that customers rely on their ATVs and therefore gives a courtesy Suzuki ATV to keep customers’ businesses on the move when they take their machine – whatever the make or model – in to an authorised Suzuki dealer for service or repairs.

“We have worked with E.T. James & Sons for a number of years and are thrilled they have chosen to trade as a sole Suzuki ATV dealer” Theft deterrent as standard FREE on all new Suzuki utility ATVs, the CESAR Security System powered by Datatag gives each ATV a unique ‘fingerprint’ with an identity that cannot be erased, which acts as a strong theft deterrent and a tool for recovery should the worst happen – plus, it reduces insurance premiums too!

For more information, and to find your local Suzuki ATV Dealer, visit www.suzuki-atv.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 59

| ATV

60 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| ATV

Don’t neglect the winter checks With most areas of the UK having experienced at least a short spell of cold and wet winter weather by now, giving the farm’s ATV a thorough check over to ensure it is safe to use and has no faults likely to cause reliability issues will be worthwhile. he first item to check is the owner’s manual. Hopefully the daily and pre-riding checks will be well known to the user, but the manual will provide information and a reminder about what to check and how the checks should be carried out. Despite the demanding situations in which most ATVs are expected to operate, reliability tends to be so good that there can be a temptation to neglect the routine maintenance but this can be a mistake, resulting in repairs which could be avoided with just a few minutes spent each day ensuring the machine is fit for use.

Safety checks must include the suspension, steering and brakes. Splashed mud can build up behind wheels, drying out there and obstructing suspension and steering movement. Mud build up around the brake mechanisms can restrict movement, and might also make it difficult for the operator to spot potential faults. The steering should be checked for excessive play, with special attention paid to the linkages. Brake and throttle cables should be inspected carefully for cracks in the outer sheath, which could allow water ingress. Damaged cables should be

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

replaced as moisture and dirt inside can cause excessive wear and early failure of the inner cable and, when operating on very cold days, freezing could cause the cable to seize.

ATV lights are expected to put up with tough working conditions too, and they should be checked regularly, with bulbs replaced and wiring repaired as necessary.

Engine and transmission oils have to work hard to protect the mechanical components of an ATV. Most machines work relatively short periods at a time which means oil temperatures can fluctuate between hot and cold many times during a typical working day. There is a relatively small volume of oil, and this needs to be of the correct type and grade, changed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and maintained at the correct level to ensure it provides the protection needed.

The axles and final drives are equally important to maintain but, looking after the lubrication also means keeping an eye on the condition of the axle seals. These cause few problems and usually have a long working life, but damage caused by bale twine wrapped round the axle, for example, can allow water to enter and contaminate the oil. Almost all driven

axles have a built-in breather, allowing air to flow as the temperature changes and, in time, moist air entering the transmission as it cools after use will result in a build up of water, making routine changes essential.

Liquid cooled engines have replaced air cooled power units on many modern ATVs and, if top-ups are needed make sure the correct anti-freeze mixture is maintained to prevent frost damage. Check the cooling fan too, to make sure it turns freely and has not become jammed by splashed mud or vegetation, particularly maize stalks.

Your local main Honda ATV dealership is fully equipped, with experienced, trained technicians to make sure the vehicle continues to provide peak performance. Combining daily and weekly routine checks on the farm with a trip to the dealer when routine services are due will make sure you get the best from the machine, whether it is operating in winter or summer temperatures, and that it remains safe.

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 61

| ATV

Polaris Sportsman 450 H.O. is the new star

0% finance still available on new Polaris ATVs & UTVs Polaris has extended the 0% finance offer on new ATVs and UTVs for a limited period.

Take the power and performance of the Polaris ProStar engine delivering 31hp. Wrap around it the new Sportsman 450 H.O. and you have a full-size capability ATV at a 400cc class, entry-level price.

rom 6th January Scotland and Ulster Farmers Union will benefit from 5% 2016 business discount on selected new users can arrange interest- Polaris ATVs and utility vehicles.

The world leader and European free finance on No.1 in ATV and Side x Side new Polaris utility vehicles, Polaris has the ATVs and Ranger models widest choice of proven Allpartners finance Polaris through Terrain options and Rural Finance. The scheme recommends visiting your offers payments over 22 months nearest Polaris dealer to see the at 0% up to a maximum 80% of range and accessories, for full Price.

Retail ended Recomm the details and any special There is a wide range of additional deals available. The accessories available for Polaris availability of the 0% finance is ATVs and UTVs and the finance subject to status and terms and to up include also can offer conditions. Polaris Britain 0800 £1,000.00 (excluding VAT) on 915 6720 www.polarisgenuine Polaris accessories. britain.com In addition to this farmers union members of the NFU, NFU

F

he Sportsman 450 H.O. is the new star of the Polaris Sportsman range, featuring Polaris’ legendary automatic 4x4 system with On-Demand, True All-Wheel Drive which engages all four wheels when you need more traction and reverts back to 2WD when you don’t. For a smoother ride there is the proven MacPherson Strut front suspension with 8.2in/20.8cm of travel and Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) with softer suspension springs for a better ride.

Manoeuvring over obstacles is made easier with 10.5in/26.6cm of ground clearance and the Sportsman 450 H.O. benefits from a new style seat with more foam and a durable base to keep your ride more comfortable.

Storage is all-important with any hard working ATV and the new Polaris has a 180lbs/81.6 kg capacity rear steel rack and 90lbs/40.8kg front rack that is Lock & Ride compatible along with 1225lbs/557.7kg of towing capacity. The front storage capacity allows you to stow away loads of gear and still have access to it, even with items tied to the deck.

T

62 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

To run more electrical accessories the vehicle has a 660 watt output and comes with industry-exclusive integrated plough and winch mounts.

For working in high dust areas a high-flow, high capacity air filter provides better dust filtration, while Electronic Fuel Injection provides flawless starting and smooth running in varied temperature and altitude.

Braking is made easy with a single lever hydraulic disc system for allwheel braking and a foot brake for rear wheel braking.

Also a key feature is the Polaris PVT Automatic Transmission which allows you to easily shift between High, Low, Neutral, Reverse and Park.

The new Sportsman 450 H.O. comes in sage green and with its long list of features for 2016 is certainly a new star in the rising.

Visit www.polaris-britain.com or call 0800 915 6720

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| ATV

I own one…

Kawasaki KVF650 Farming Monthly chatted to Nottinghamshire based farmer, Simon Blant, all about his utility vehicle and workmate of choice – his Kawasaki KVF650 – more recently called the Bruteforce 650… ’ve had my quad for around three years now – I got it from Platts Harris at Tuxford, my closest Kawasaki dealer. I’d not had a quad before but the need arose and I did some asking around. A few of my friends had Kawasaki’s before and had said that they were good bikes for what I needed so I took their advice and headed to my local dealer. I wanted a dealer that could provide everything I needed – a seeder and the bike itself – as I didn’t want to be ordering parts from all around the country.

As it happened, Platts Harris were able to deliver it exactly how I needed it with all the additional parts fitted – and they did me a good price!

I

“If I was going to get another then I’d get the same again as it’s perfect for what I use it for” “I was looking for comfort and enough power to do what I needed – something the independent suspension and the engine provide.

“I use it for all sorts – spraying paddocks and fields, grass seeding and chain harrowing and rolling – mainly paddock maintenance. I do have some larger jobs on big sites like seeding under the solar panels. I recently used it to salt spread the yard too in the colder weather.

“I don’t tinker with it myself, I take it back to the dealership. Admittedly it’s an additional cost but it gives me peace of mind for improved efficiency, would spot any potential problems and ultimately will give a higher residual value with a full service history – plus the dealership is nice and close and the team so helpful. I take it in there around every 100 hours of use to check everything is in top shape.

“I’m looking after it well and am planning to

have it as long as I can as it's exactly what I need. If I was going to get another then I’d get the same again as it’s perfect for what I use it for.

“Safety is really important for me. Before I started using it everyday, I went on a safety course and learnt about how to operate on it properly and safely. I wear my helmet whenever I’m on it – even if I’m just putting it away in the shed. I'd also urge everyone to have their quad tagged for security and lock them up safely when not in use.

“My advice for anyone looking to buy a utility vehicle? Be clear what you need it for and choose the best machine that suits the applications you’re using it for. It’s easy to be ‘wow-ed’ into thinking you need something more than you actually require. I’d also pick a

brand with an authorised dealer close by for back up support. A feature like the independent suspension makes all the difference. I looked for a machine with good load carrying capacity, fuel efficiency and comfort – something the 650 delivers on.”

For more information, or to view the whole utility range from Kawasaki, visit: www.kawasaki.co.uk For more information

Contact your nearest dealer

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Jim Price Machinery Ltd Farmore Mills, Shropshire SY7 9QG 01588 673746 www.jimpricemachinery.com

Southam Agri. Services Southam, Warwickshire CV47 2DH 01926 813426 http://southamagri.co.uk

Richard Jones ATV Ltd Kington, Herefordshire HR5 3DA 01544 350256 www.richardjonesatv.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 63

| ATV

Outlander 6x6 100XT Can-Am proves it's credentials on Racy Ghyll Farm

Outlander 6x6 demonstrates usefulness in tough conditions. y Can-Am Outlander 6x6 1000XT is covered in about an inch of mud, and hayseeds. The Can-Am people will cringe when they see it, because I am giving it a bloody hammering.

They sent it to me to give it a good reality test on my fell farm in the Lake District ten months ago. I am working it hard, because that it is what it is for.

It is looking filthy, after a tough winter, and as I write this it is standing in the rain with three sheepdogs on the back waiting for me to come out and work again.

I have pushed it to the limits in every way I can but to be fair, it has stood up to everything I can throw at it very well indeed. I'm impressed.

When it first came I wasn't sure

M

if I would like using a six wheeler.

My first impression was that it isn't quite as agile for turning as a four wheeler, inevitably. But over the past few months I have come to love having it on our farm.

It doesn't seem to use much more fuel than my old four wheel quad bike. It is excellent on the fells where our sheep go in summer, much more stable and safe than a quad on really steep ground. And in the recent floods having six wheel drive made a huge difference, enabling it to go across the ground instead of marking the sodden fields.

The greatest advantage of a six wheeler is that you have a much more useful carrying capacity than on a quad. I work three sheepdogs every day, and there isn't room for three dogs on the back of a quad, not safely. Every morning in winter I put out about two tonnes of hay

64 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

and haulage in hay racks for my sheep, and I lead all of that out using the back of the Outlander.

You can get in about half a Heston hay bale, so can leave the trailer back in the yard.

Going back to a four wheeler quad would be hard work after you have had a six wheeler like this (and I think my dogs would be very unhappy, after nearly a year of comfort in the back of the Outlander). I can't say enough

good things about it; It has been a real workhorse on our farm, doing everything from leading logs home, to carrying our fencing materials to exposed dykes.

James Rebanks, Racy Ghyll Farm James Rebanks is the author of The Illustrated Herdwick Shepherd & the Sunday Times No.1 bestseller, The Shepherd's Life.

Contact your local dealer Yorkshire Outdoors Felixkirk, Thirsk North Yorkshire YO7 2DP T: 01845 537766 www.yorkshire-outdoors.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

Warwick 4x4 Limited: A passion for Land Rover My name is David Pym-Smith, and I am currently the CEO of Warwick 4x4 Limited & the inspiration behind the relaunch of the company as we know it today. here are many people who will remember Warwick 4x4 from the 90's, as ultimately one of the best known Land Rover Restoration & Rebuild Companies in the UK at the time. They carried an outstanding reputation, and were at the forefront of industry, leading the way, for many to follow.

Warwick 4x4's current Operations Director, Robin Armstrong and I, were both long standing employees of Warwick 4x4 through most of the 90's, actually starting our employment with Lew Gostling of Gostling Trim, which was later bought out by Warwick 4x4 as a complimentary addition to their expanding company at the time.

Initially based in Solihull, after the buy out, we were all transferred over to Kenilworth into a purpose built factory which housed both of the companies. It was over in Kenilworth, that it became very apparent that Warwick 4x4 were something special, and were without doubt, leading the way in Land Rover Restoration, Rebuild, Repairs and Servicing.

Robin and I, had built a long and lasting friendship from our time at Warwick 4x4, and our passion for Land Rovers continued to dominate our lives. Robin and his family were known as 'The Land Rover Family', and even had a feature in Land Rover Owner Magazine, due their life long obsession and dedication to everything Land Rover.

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Over the last few years, especially with the end of production of the classic shape Land Rover Defender looming, there has been a real surge of people buying the older Series Land Rovers & Early Defenders. This has become very apparent by the amount of restoration work we have had to turn away due to lack of space and time, which is why we started to rethink about launching the business on the scale we had originally hoped.

It’s our belief that our passion for the 'Warwick 4x4 Limited' brand has stood the test of time, and our obvious obsession with everything Land Rover stands us in good stead for running a successful business working with these classic vehicles. We never cut corners, have no time for the companies that do, and although we may never be the cheapest on the market, we know we are one of the best. The cost will be long forgotten when you are pulling a crowd down your local pub, admiring your pride and joy !

We also believe we offer some of the best customer service, and more importantly (where a lot of companies fail), we offer the very best of aftercare too. We like to think that the first time you step across the threshold at Warwick 4x4 Limited, not that we might have made a sale, but that we have started a life-long journey and friendship with you. It’s our hope that we are here to stay and only our continued commitment, investment and our promise of a quality service, will keep us here.

Likewise, we trust Warwick 4x4 customers, new and of old, will support us on our exciting journey putting Warwick 4x4 Limited back on the map. Its a company run by genuine enthusiasts, for enthusiasts, and only with your continued help, support and sometimes even criticism, will we be a company that provides everything the Land Rover owner requires.

I personally believe the current Warwick 4x4 Limited not only carries the prestige of the original company, but an exciting and refreshing new approach and over 50 years of experience and techniques working with Land Rovers, which combined, is the huge inspiration behind our decision to relaunch the company.

Warwick 4x4 Limited. Built on reputation and recommendation….

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 65

| Motors

66 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

Accessorise your

NAVARA

NP300 Navara leads the way with array of accessories Nissan has ensured its all-new NP300 Navara is ready for action as soon as customers take delivery by launching the model with its most extensive set of pick-up accessories to date.

T

he newly-crowned International Pick-up of the Year is available with 125 dealer-fit accessories, making it one of the most customisable, adaptable and versatile vehicles on the

market.

This includes many first-in-sector features and innovations that add to the new model’s already broad appeal, and will ensure it is up to the demands of the toughest job.

“In developing the new NP300 Navara, Nissan had accessories in mind from the very outset” Sector firsts, include: • A sliding load tray that makes loading and unloading the new NP300 Navara a breeze • A foldaway rear step that improves access to the truck bed • Tailgate assist – a system that lowers the vehicle’s tailgate smoothly at the touch of a button • An ingenious load carrier that allows vehicle users to make use of the space on top of the load space cover

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

Further adding to the vehicle’s practical appeal, is a top quality hardtop available in two distinct grades. The higher of these two grades comes with opening windows, interior trims, interior lighting, a stop lamp and central locking.

The vehicle can also be supplied with either a plastic or aluminium bedliner and a choice of aluminium or soft tonneau cover or roll cover.

There’s also a wealth of options for those who want their vehicle to look the part and stand out from the crowd.

Styling choices include striking chrome bars for the front, side and bed of the vehicle and high impact lamps that can be fitted onto the bars. Also available are decal stickers, exhaust finishers, a shark antenna and alloy wheels.

Mike Thompson, After Sales Director at Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, said: “In the past it’s often been the case that new pick-ups have come to market and customers have then had to wait for third-party, aftermarket accessories to personalise and adapt their vehicles.

“In developing the new NP300 Navara, Nissan had accessories in mind from the very outset and so we have been able to ensure that even those customers taking delivery of the first vehicles this month have the full range of options and accessories available to them.”

Find out more about the NP300 Navara: Brindley Nissan Staffordshire Tel. 01543 406733

J.S Holmes Nissan Cambridgeshire Tel. 01945 561061

www.brindley-nissan.co.uk

www.jsholmes-nissan.co.uk

W.R. Davies Nissan Stafford Tel. 01785 275060 www.wrdavies.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 67

| Motors

Subaru sales success Subaru Automobilesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; parent company Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI) has announced its global production and sales forecast for 2016. ollowing another record in 2015 when the company sold 978,000 vehicles world-wide, the company has projected a sixth straight record again this year with a global forecast of 1,033,000 vehicle sales. If it reaches its target, it would be the first time in its history it has surpassed the million vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sold mark.

Subaru has been performing strongly in every region, but in particular the US and Canadian markets continue their upward trend unabated with growth of 13 and 14% respectively. Closer to home, Subaru UK saw an increase of 24% in 2015 with a volume of 3,455 registrations, and anticipates a further

F

modest increase this year.

Global production is also set to increase and to be in excess of one million vehicles for the first time. The vast bulk of production remains in the home territory of Japan, which this year

will build around 718,000 vehicles; overseas production will account for around 296,000 units, a total increase in production of 8% and the fifth year in succession it has risen.

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER:

MTC Subaru

Perkins

Maple Garage Ltd

Unity Leicester

Cambridgeshire 01733 822 943 www.mtc-subaru.co.uk

Essex 01371 483 379 www.perkins-subaru.co.uk

East Yorkshire 01964 670392 www.maplegarage.co.uk

Leicester 01162 149 060 www.unityleicester-subaru.co.uk

68 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

Last of the current Land Rover Defenders is built in Solihull

Jeep partners with

Land Rover celebrated 68 years of history recently as the last of the current Defenders was produced at its famous Solihull production facility.

off-road driving centre

o mark the occasion Land Rover invited more than 700 current and former Solihull employees involved in the production of Series Land Rover and Defender vehicles to see and drive some of the most important vehicles from its history, including the first preproduction ‘Huey’ Series I as well as the last vehicle off the production line, a Defender 90 Heritage Soft Top. At the same time, Land Rover announced a new Heritage Restoration Programme, which will be based on the site of the existing Solihull production line. A team of experts, including some long serving Defender employees, will oversee the restoration of a number of Series Land Rovers sourced from across the globe.

The first vehicles will go on sale in July 2016.

Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, said: “Today we celebrate what generations of men and women have done since the outline for the Land Rover was originally drawn in the sand. The Series Land Rover, now Defender, is the origin of our legendary capability, a vehicle that makes the world a better place, often in some of the most extreme circumstances. There will always be a special place in our hearts for Defender, among all our employees, but this is not the end.

T

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

We have a glorious past to champion, and a wonderful future to look forward to.”

Nick Rogers, Group Engineering Director at Jaguar Land Rover, added: “This is a special day of fond celebration for Jaguar Land Rover. We all have personal memories of Defender.

It’s a true motoring icon and is much loved around the world. The world has changed dramatically in the last 68 years, but this vehicle has remained a constant – something no other vehicle can claim. The last of the current Defender models embraces the vehicle’s simplicity, honesty and charm – it represents its Series Land Rover heritage. Creating the Defender of tomorrow, a dream for any engineer or designer, is the next exciting chapter and we are looking forward to taking on that challenge.”

The Defender Celebration in Solihull saw more than 25 unique vehicles from Land Rover’s history come together in a procession around the Solihull plant, featuring the final current Defender vehicle off the line. Land Rover associates were joined by a number of previous employees from the past 68 years to help celebrate this historic day. The last of the current Defender vehicles includes an original part that has been used on Soft Top specifications since 1948 – the hood cleat. The vehicle will be housed in the Jaguar Land Rover Collection.

Jeep is further broadening the appeal and accessibility of its award-winning 4x4 vehicles, after agreeing a partnership with specialist off-road driving organisation 4x4 Events UK. he link-up with the events company, which operates off-road driving sites in Wales, Cheshire and Yorkshire and has plans for two more venues in the UK, will allow more people to experience the capability, fun and excitement of a Jeep in true offroad conditions.

As the official Jeep-supported off-road driving centre, 4x4 Events UK only use the awardwinning Jeep model range, including Grand Cherokee, the most awarded SUV ever; Renegade, 4x4 Magazine’s ‘4x4 of the Year’; and the legendary Cherokee and Wrangler vehicles.

Under the guidance of directors Nigel Mayne and Phil Reeves, 4x4 Events UK offer a range of specialist courses, corporate days, private tuition and experience days, allowing customers to learn more about both Jeep, and the art of off-road

T

driving.

As well as its Chester-based ‘Centre of Excellence’ and the two other UK sites, 4x4 Events UK also has an outdoor hospitality unit and transportable obstacle course enabling it to attend nationwide events such as county shows and outdoor exhibitions.

“Jeep is an iconic brand which is growing and heading back to the top, where it belongs,” says Nigel Mayne. “We wanted to be a part of that success, and were delighted to team up with Jeep.

We knew the range was full of good off-road vehicles but we have been amazed at just how good they are.”

“I’m delighted that Jeep has teamed up with 4x4 Events UK,” says Damien Dally, brand head, Jeep UK. “Our great line-up of cars, and their fantastic driving centres and expert tuition, make a very good combination which I hope many people across the UK will have a chance to enjoy.”

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 69

| Motors

Crossroads Garage Ltd Warwickshire Tel: 01608 661544

Great Wall Bath Somerset Tel: 01225 473014

Winchester Motor Co. Hampshire Tel: 01962 866331

www.unityautomotive.co.uk

www.bathhonda.co.uk

www.winchestermotorgroup.co.uk

MTC Great Wall Cambridgeshire Tel: 01733 309782

Garland Great Wall Hampshire Tel: 01252 367373

www.mtcars.co.uk

www.winchestermotorgroup.co.uk

70 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

The all new

Kia Sportage The all-new Kia Sportage – the fourth-generation of Kia’s globally-popular compact SUV – features an attractive, allnew interior and exterior design, a host of advanced new technology features and greater quality.

aving made its global debut at the 2015 Frankfurt International Motor Show, the all-new Sportage will go on sale across European markets during Q1 2016.

Now in its fourth-generation, the new Kia Sportage compact SUV builds comprehensively on the success of the outgoing model, offering an innovative and sophisticated package to buyers in an increasingly competitive market. The new-look interior features high quality materials and design integrity, as well as greater practicality and a range of technologies to improve comfort, convenience, connectivity and safety. A range of new and updated engines and transmissions will result in enhanced efficiency and performance, while ride, handling and refinement are all improved.

For the first time, a new ‘GT Line’ specification is available to Sportage customers. Designed and engineered to appeal to those looking for a sportier driving experience from their Sportage, the GT Line specification delivers all the versatility of the standard Sportage while adding greater

H

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

visual and dynamic appeal to those customers that desire it.

Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer, Kia Motors Europe, commented: “The Kia Sportage has been a major contributor to Kia’s sustained growth and success across Europe in recent years. Made here in Europe, it’s an incredibly important car for us.

More customers than ever are turning to SUVs, and there is now greater competition in the compact segment than ever before.”

Cole added: “In Europe, the Sportage is Kia’s flagship car, clearly demonstrating our brand values best and consistently accounting for more than a quarter of our European sales. As this hotly-contested segment continues to expand, the new Sportage will reinforce our position among the market leaders, leading the way in terms of its refined innovation, distinctive design and high material quality.”

The Kia Sportage is manufactured at Kia’s production facility inŽilina, Slovakia, and remains the brand’s bestselling model in Europe, with more than 105 000 sold across Europe in 2015, accounting for 27.4% of Kia sales.

Infinity Q30 customers take first deliveries January 2016 was a historic moment for Infiniti as their first Q30 customers take their keys and begin driving away from Infiniti showrooms across the country.

roduction only started in December at the Sunderland plant and with the final quality checks complete the vehicles have been released for sale.

The new model represents Infiniti’s first entry into the fastgrowing premium compact segment. It offers a comprehensive technology package that enhances the car’s driving experience while providing maximum safety to all occupants.

The Q30 has just been awarded best-in-class “small family car” 2015 by independent vehicle safety organisation, Euro NCAP. Q30 clearly surpassed all of its competitors that were tested in this segment last year. This is further evidence of Infiniti’s advanced safety approach.

This is the start of a busy time for Infiniti in 2016 with the QX30, an active crossover, soon to follow the Q30 down the Sunderland production line in early Spring, with an expected on sale date soon after.

Infiniti’s new sports coupe Q60, first revealed at the Detroit motor show earlier this month, is expected to arrive in UK showrooms in the Summer. The sports coupe will be fitted with an all-new 3.0 V6 petrol engine producing 400PS. The 3.0 litre V6 engine will also make an appearance in the Q50 premium sports saloon during 2016.

P

Q50 has been the backbone in Infiniti’s recent sales success with 70% of all sales in the UK belonging to the mid-sized saloon.

Total sales of all models increased by over 60% compared to 2014 with continuous growth month by month up until December. An alltime high of 7,000 vehicles sold in Western Europe represent an increase of 45% from 2014 across the entire region.

“2015 was an excellent year for Infiniti. Not only in terms of sales but we are starting to build the foundations and plans for the new products arriving in the next 12 months” With the addition of the Q30 premium compact to the Infiniti portfolio, the retail network is also being expanded. In the UK new retail partner Motorline have started the building process to open up a new centre in Bristol.

Infiniti will also be opening up its first authorised repairer based in Exeter. Both centres are expected to be operational by the end of January.

Carl Bayliss, Regional Director for the UK commented “2015 was an excellent year for Infiniti. Not only in terms of sales but we are starting to build the foundations and plans for the new products arriving in the next 12 months. It is going to be another very exciting year for Infiniti in the UK.”

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 71

| Motors

72 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

Guy Salmon Knutsford

Kentdale Kendal

01565 632525, www.guysalmon.knutsford.landrover.co.uk

01539 814444, www.kentdale.kendal.landrover.co.uk

Barretts Ashford

Duckworth Land Rover, Boston

01233 506070, www.barretts.ashford.landrover.co.uk

01205 449758, www.duckworthlandrover.co.uk

Barretts Canterbury

Duckworth Land Rover, Market Rasen

01227 475475, www.barretts.canterbury.landrover.co.uk

01673 799393, www.duckworthlandrover.co.uk

Ripon Land Rover

Conwy Land Rover

01765 646464, www.ripon.landrover.co.uk

01492 580000, www.conwy.landrover.co.uk

Hunters Norwich

Stafford Land Rover

01603 944836, www.hunters.norwich.landrover.co.uk

01785 214140, www.stafford.landrover.co.uk

Lloyds Kelso

Likes Land Rover

01573 224345, www.lloyd.kelso.landrover.co.uk

01497 842100, likes.hayonwye.landrover.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 73

| Motors

Isuzu UK plans bumper year of activity to mark centenary

Centenary year arrives for Isuzu as UK operation achieves best annual sales performance in 2015.

suzu UK has an exciting year of activity planned to mark 100 years since laying down its foundations in Tokyo, Japan. A range of celebratory events and new models will recognise the rich

heritage of the company, which is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of diesel engines, pick-ups and light commercial vehicles.

2016’s centenary activities come in the wake of a sustained period of strong growth for Isuzu.

Last year saw the sixth year of

I

74 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

sales growth and the third consecutive annual sales record for the brand. In 2015, Isuzu sold 6,220 D-Max pick-ups, representing a 478 per cent increase over the 1,076 models registered in 2009.

To kick-off a busy year of centenary activity, Isuzu UK has

taken to the airwaves this week with promotions on commercial radio stations Radio X and talkSPORT with short, 10-second advertising focussing on the DMax as the “proper pick-up”. “The Isuzu D-Max…a proper pick-up.

So why fake it?” it asks.

In spring, a UK-only special edition will join the Isuzu D-Max line-up complete with premium accessories and extensive upgrades to further widen its appeal among an ever growing spectrum of customers. The team at Isuzu UK is also working on a one-off development vehicle based on the standard D-Max, which will show-off the versatile pick-up’s key strengths like never before. Further details will be revealed about the project later in the year.

30 years in the UK It will be a double-header of celebrations, as 2016 also marks 30 years since International Motors began importing Isuzu vehicles, seizing an opportunity to capitalise on the growing affinity for reliable Japanese vehicles amongst British motorists. While the D-Max has proved the best seller, among the varied range of vehicles it has brought to these shores, it was the Trooper that really set Isuzu UK on its way.

Contact your local dealer for more information.

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

AUGUST MOTORS Wiltshire 01722 622 633 www.augustmotors-isuzu.co.uk

DUCKWORTH ISUZU Lincolnshire (South) 01205 449 758 www.duckworthisuzu.co.uk

MARK WEATHERHEAD LTD Cambridgeshire 01954 574 562 www.markweatherhead-isuzu.co.uk

ARCHIE MOSS Leicestershire 01530 553 785 www.archiemoss-isuzu.co.uk

GARLAND MOTORS Hampshire 01252 884 026 www.garland-isuzu.co.uk

HOLDCROFT ISUZU Staffordshire 01782 484 954 www.holdcroft-isuzu.co.uk

BOB GERARD LTD Leicestershire 01162 149 052 www.bobgerard-isuzu.co.uk

JEFFRIES OF BACTON Suffolk 01449 424 758 www.jeffriesofbacton-isuzu.co.uk

BULLDOG TWYFORD Berkshire Tel. 01189 320922 www.bulldogtwyford-isuzu.co.uk

BURRELLS MOTOR GROUP South Yorkshire 01302 515 763 www.burrellsmotorgroup-isuzu.co.uk

LIFESTYLE EUROPE Kent 01892 629 140 www.lifestyleeurope-isuzu.co.uk

MAPLE GARAGE LTD East Yorkshire Tel. 01964 670392 www.maplegarage.co.uk

DUCKWORTH ISUZU Lincolnshire (North) 01673 799 393 www.duckworthisuzu.co.uk

YORK VAN CENTRE North Yorkshire 01904 275 211 www.yorkvancentre-isuzu.co.uk

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 75

| Motors

76 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 77

| Motors

Ford Rangers help turn the tide in Northern England flood battle Ford has lent a helping hand to hardpressed council staff investigating the damage from the devastating December floods which hit the north of England.

F

ord Ranger 4x4s were deployed to help the City of York and Cumbria County Councils with the clean-up and repair efforts, and continue to support vital recovery

operations.

Ford Rangers provide the ability to tackle challenging terrain, particularly acute in Cumbria, where 6,500 properties were flooded and 1,600 bridges have had to be surveyed for damage. Two Rangers are still in daily use in the county.

Peter Hosking, Cumbria County Council’s highways network manager, explains: “While the county’s A-roads have for the most part been unscathed, we have numerous B-roads and single-track roads damaged by water runoff, and they have had to be inspected and closed where necessary. With so many road closures, just getting around and finding a route can be challenging, and the Rangers have been a real lifeline to allow our surveying teams to get access to those difficult areas.

78 | Farming Monthly | February 2016

“Our fleet isn’t huge so the loan of these Ford Rangers has certainly added to our capacity, helped staff to get about, and has made a big difference.”

Ford Rangers were also loaned to York council to help with the city’s fortnight-long clean-up.

Andy Barratt, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director, said: “Everyone in Britain

was horrified by the floods which hit the north last month, and have been impressed by the resilience shown by the people of Cumbria and York as they battled the floods and salvaged what they could. We are pleased to play a small part in helping those on the front line with what will be a lengthy battle to tackle the many challenges in the affected communities.”

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

| Motors

www.farmingmonthly.co.uk

February 2016 | Farming Monthly | 79