South East Farmer March 2022

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March 2022

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www.southeastfarmer.net SOUTH EAST FARMER Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL 01959 541444 EDITORIAL Editor: Malcolm Triggs Email: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk Photography: Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic

MA RC H 2022

PUBLISHER Jamie McGrorty 01303 233883 jamie.mcgrorty@kelsey.co.uk GRAPHIC DESIGN Jo Legg 07306 482166 jo.legg@flair-design.co.uk MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE: Steve Wright CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Phil Weeden MANAGING DIRECTOR: Kevin McCormick PUBLISHER: Jamie McGrorty RETAIL DIRECTOR: Steve Brown RENEWALS AND PROJECTS MANAGER: Andy Cotton SENIOR SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Nick McIntosh SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING DIRECTOR: Gill Lambert SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Kate Chamberlain PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Georgina Harris PRINT PRODUCTION CONTROLLER: Kelly Orriss DISTRIBUTION Distribution in Great Britain Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 0330 390 6555 PRINTING Precision Colour Print

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CONTENTS

23

33

NEWS & REPORTS

04 Progress delivered at pig industry crisis summit.

07 Delicate job to move glasshouse.

08 The Doe Shoe review.

18 Grower hopping mad after waste discovery.

REGULARS

14 MONICA AKEHURST

Sometimes I question my sanity in keeping sheep.

20 NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS...

Nigel visits award winning Organic poultry farmers Danny and Susie Macmillan at the Macs Farm in the historic village of Ditchling, set in the South Downs National Park, to learn more about their diversified family farm.

53 ANITA HEAD

56 SARAH CALCUTT www.kelsey.co.uk Cover picture: Kent Gritting ©Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic

59 STEPHEN CARR 62 NICK ADAMES

Nick accepts a slapped wrist for not completing a survey.

76

66 ADVICE FROM THE VET Tightening calving blocks.

67 ALAN WEST 68 LEGAL

71 LAND AND FARMS

FEATURES

23 CEFETRA

A national grain trading business with a local presence.

33 HAYNES AGRICULTURAL

Making the most of a “natural affinity” between two family businesses, both with long histories and both with a focus on delivering great customer service to local farmers.

NEWS

4

Commitments made at the pig industry crisis summit hosted by Farming Minister Victoria Prentis in mid February need to be turned into actions quickly if they are to have any chance of achieving their goal, the National Pig Association (NPA) has stressed.

While the NPA said that the round table summit had “delivered some progress”, chairman Rob Mutimer stressed that the comments made “now need to be acted on and implemented with real urgency to provide desperate pig farmers with some hope for a viable future”.

The crisis meeting saw the NPA and NFU joined by pig producers and representatives from all the major retailer and pork processors, along with Ms Prentis, at an industry roundtable meeting at DEFRA’s London headquarters.

“We are grateful to Minister Prentis for bringing all parties – producers, processors, retailers and their trade organisations – together to try and find solutions to this deteriorating situation,” said Mr Mutimer.

“She certainly recognises the size and the urgency of the problems and there was a real focus on an immediate plan to reduce the current backlog of pigs on farms.

“There was, however, no silver bullet – there was never going to be. The truth is we need more from the supply chain in terms of a workable plan.

“The challenge is to build on what we have got here and ensure every single organisation involved in the supply chain is focused on getting that backlog down and easing some of the intolerable pressure currently on pig producers.”

Figures from DEFRA show that processors killed 986,000 pigs in November, 952,000 in December, but just 873,000 in January, which the NPA suggests shows that there is slaughter capacity in the system, although processors told the meeting they had been working to full capacity on weekdays.

The current backlog of pigs on farm is estimated to number at least 200,000, while the NPA is aware that 35,000 healthy pigs have been destroyed on farm and believes the true number is higher. It is aware of 40 independent producers that have left

SOME PROGRESS

DELIVERED

the industry and 30,000 sows that have been lost from the English breeding herd – a fall of 10%.

The NPA plans to write to the Minister to ask that processors produce a detailed, regularly updated plan setting out how many pigs they plan to slaughter per week, how many they actually have slaughtered, and the progress made towards reducing the backlog.

“After six months of this, the least producers can expect is some clarity on the future so they can plan properly. Finding out on a Friday night how many pigs are going the next week is simply not good enough,” Mr Mutimer said.

The meeting was told that the Government is considering changes to its support package, including allowing fresh pork from pigs killed under the slaughter incentive payment scheme to be sold on the domestic market, helping get more pigs through the system and adding value to the carcase.

The roundtable also discussed the need for retailers to work with processors to stock and

promote more British pork as it comes through the system.

While labour shortages are still being blamed as the primary cause of the problems being experienced by the industry, the meeting heard that the temporary skilled worker visas have made little impact, with only just over 120 of the 800 available visas used.

Although the NPA and others called for changes, including the removal of the unnecessary English language requirement and adding butchers to the shortage occupation list, delegates were told this was not within DEFRA’s remit, although Ms Prentis agreed to convene a meeting with the Home Office and interested parties to look at the issues.

While DEFRA is still resisting calls for a compensation package for producers, the Minister did agree to talk to the banks to ask them to “look with leniency” on cases where pig farmers are experiencing difficulties. She has also agreed to carry out an immediate review of supply chain fairness in the pig sector.

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR THIRD TIER ELMS SCHEME

Applications are now open for the third strand of the Government’s Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS), following the launch of the Landscape Recovery Scheme.

The scheme allows farmers and landowners to apply for funding to support projects that will restore nature, reduce flood risks and boost biodiversity, with a focus on more radical and ambitious land-use change and habitat restoration. Schemes could involve establishing new nature reserves, restoring floodplains to help reduce the risks from flooding or creating woodland and wetlands.

The first round of Landscape Recovery is open to individuals or groups

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

who want to work together on larger projects covering from 500 to 5,000 hectares. The projects will focus on two separate strands. Those aimed at recovering and restoring England’s threatened native species will be administered by Natural England, while those aimed at restoring streams and rivers to improve water quality and biodiversity and help them adapt to

GOVERNMENT BACKS DOWN

ON SILAGE WRAP

A “great result for us” has been hailed as saving farmers around £5m a year after the Government backed down on plans to include silage wrap within the Plastic Packaging Levy.

The proposal, which would have added a £200 a tonne tax to silage wrap, was abandoned following urgent top-level talks between NFU President Minette Batters and Treasury Minister Helen Whately.

The alarm was sounded in last month’s South East Farmer when a letter from Mark Webb, chairman of The Green Tractor Scheme, urged farmers to protest against the plan and pointed out that it could jeopardise the viability of the Agriculture, Plastics and Environment (APE) recycling recovery scheme for farm plastics.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) had also urged Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to reconsider plans that would have seen silage wrap included in the plastic packaging tax from this April.

The NSA pointed out that HMRC’s December 2021 guidance represented a complete about turn for HMRC, which had previously accepted that wrap was a ‘product’ and not ‘packaging’ because it was not used to transport goods or products from the manufacturer to their final destination.

Chief Executive Phil Stocker added that the impact of the extra cost on farm budgets would be “made even worse by new trade deals with countries that are not subject to the same costs. These trade deals will prevent the option of simply passing additional costs on to the consumer.”

It was the NFU team’s intervention with the minister, though, that resulted in a decisive change of heart by the Government, a move that left Ms Batters “extremely proud of the team”.

In her weekly video blog to members she detailed the impressively short timescale in which she discussed the proposals with Ms Whately, responded to the minister’s request for “a full and comprehensive breakdown of costs” and then received the news that the Government’s mind had been changed.

The NFU team stressed that the primary role of silage wrap was to ensure fermentation rather than as packaging and argued that its function made more recyclable or biodegradable wraps impractical.

The Treasury agreed, conceding: “Following further careful analysis, HMRC has confirmed that silage film falls under an exemption. Representations made by you and others have demonstrated that (it) is a highly specialised product, the primary purpose of which is to enable fermentation.”

Mr Stocker had warned that the imposition of an additional £200 per tonne tax would have a detrimental impact on the collection and recycling of farm plastic via the APE scheme, through which farmers were already voluntarily paying £60 a tonne to have silage wrap collected.

climate change will be administered by the Environment Agency.

Launched by Environment Secretary George Eustice at the Oxford Farming Conference, Landscape Recovery is the most ambitious of the ELMS strands, running alongside the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Local Nature Recovery, together intended as a post-Brexit replacement for the Basic Payment Scheme currently being phased out.

Applications for this round of funding will close on 24 May 2022 and will be followed by a “competitive” selection process assessed by DEFRA against criteria “focused on the projects’ potential impact, feasibility and costs”. Up to 15 projects will be taken forward within the total project development budget of £7.5m.

Commentators expect the Local Nature Recovery Scheme to be piloted in 2023, with full rollout not expected until 2024.

O PI NI O N Fall-out from this conflict will affect us all

As most of the population emerges from beneath the shadow of Covid-19 restrictions, so the world seems set to plunge into another storm, with Russian aggression in Ukraine now exposed as more than just sabre rattling.

I will leave predictions on the impact of turmoil in that part of the world will have on grain prices to Elved Phillips, whose valued contribution to this magazine each month continues to impress with its in-depth analysis of complex world events and their ramifications, but clearly the fall-out from this conflict will affect us all.

Within hours of President Putin sending troops into Ukraine, the price of oil surged through the 100 dollars a barrel mark, a hike that will inevitably ensure that the rise in input prices currently hitting farmers so hard will get worse before it gets better.

It follows storms that will have added to many farmers’ woes, with polytunnels particularly vulnerable to the 80mph winds that slammed into the South East but other exposed farm buildings likely to have taken a hit.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the balance sheet, the updates keep coming on the roll out of the Environmental Land Management schemes designed, at least in theory, to replace subsidies that are steadily dwindling following the UK’s exit from the EU. It would be naïve to think that many farmers expected the route out of the EU to lead directly to the sunlit uplands of independence and greater profitability, but they surely had a right to expect greater clarity, earlier information and more generous schemes that at least covered the costs involved in signing up to them.

It is interesting that the DEFRA announcements on the three ELMS strands take every possible opportunit y to detail how the schemes meet the Government’s objectives of improving the environment, tackling climate change and moving towards zero carbon but seem short on comments about helping farmers make a living.

This columnist isn’t about to become a climate change sceptic, and there is clearly a need to protect and enhance the soil that is so vital to the industry and reduce our carbon emissions, but there has to be balance between turning the countryside into a theme park and feeding the nation.

Pendulums swing, and we have to hope that the current focus on the environment will be followed by a realisation that agriculture needs a little TLC, too. Farmers, meanwhile, will just get on with the job, despondency lifting at the sight of a new born lamb or green shoots in the fields – and at least, with Covid-19 in the country’s rear-view mirror, we can drown our sorrows with a pint amongst friends.

MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR

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5

NEWS

LEADING THE WAY ON

CARBON EMISSIONS Fossil fuel-free trucks, green electricity and lowenergy solutions are set to see farmer-owned dairy group Arla Foods make a dramatic cut in its carbon emissions over the next eight years.

Arla has increased its target for reducing its carbon emissions from 30% to 63% by 2030, a figure that has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as enough to keep global warming to 1.5°C, in line with the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.

The new targets mean that the cooperative is more than doubling its ‘scope one and two’ emission reductions, having achieved a 24% cut since 2015. Scope one emissions relate to activities under a company’s direct control, while scope two relates to indirect emissions caused by the energy it purchases.

6

To help reach the 63% target, Arla has said it will continue to invest heavily in sustainability actions and plans to increase total investment by 40% to around £3.3bn over the next five years.

Key activities will include converting Arla’s owned fleet of milk tankers and distribution trucks to fossilfree solutions through biodiesel, biogas and electric vehicles, optimised route planning to reduce total mileage and working with logistics suppliers to help reduce their CO2 emissions as well.

On the production side, it plans to use 100% green electricity in Europe through green power purchase agreements and investment in wind and solar projects and reduce its energy consumption by investing in low-energy solutions such as heat recovery solutions, using electric boilers and optimising electrical equipment

across its dairy sites.

Ash Amirahmadi, Managing Director of Arla Foods UK, said Arla was “one of only 59 food and beverage processors globally and one of the first farmer-owned dairy cooperatives in the world to have a 1.5°C target approved by the Science Based Targets initiative”.

He added: “With Arla’s farmer owners already among the most carbon efficient farmers in the world, it is right that we also show leadership in reducing carbon emissions across the production and operational side of the cooperative.”

£25 MILLION FUNDING FOR

HIGH TECH MACHINERY Time is running out for farmers and growers to apply for up to £500,000 in government cash from the Improving Farm Productivity strand of the Farming Investment Fund.

Grants ranging from £35,000 up to £500,000 are available to invest in productivity-boosting equipment such as driverless tractors, automated milking systems and robots that harvest, spray and weed crops.

The scheme, worth £250 million in total, is the latest instalment of the Farming Investment Fund and is designed to boost productivity – but the

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It is part of the Agricultural Transition Plan that the Government says is designed to “reward farmers and landowners for actions which benefit the environment, supporting sustainable food production alongside vital nature recovery and work towards net zero”.

Farmers can also apply for grants towards new slurry management systems, enabling them to invest in equipment that lowers the acid in slurry which in turn increases the nutrients for plants and reduces ammonia emissions and pollution.

Farming Minister Victoria Prentis said the grants were “aimed at contributing towards the purchase of new and green equipment that can bring a positive change to the day-to-day operation of a farm, as well as the wider environment”.

At least 60% of the project costs need to be paid for through private sources like savings or a bank loan.

Further themed grants will open later this year.

DELICATE

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JOB TO MOVE GLASSHOUSE

A £1.1m glasshouse is being carefully taken apart piece by piece so that it can be moved to its new home less than a mile away.

The delicate job is being undertaken by CambridgeHOK, which originally built the 800m2 Venlo structure glasshouse at Hadlow College’s Court Lane nursery site.

With Hadlow College having been acquired by North Kent College last year, however, the glasshouse now needs to be moved 0.8km to the college’s main campus site and rebuilt with modifications.

The move means the team at CambridgeHOK has had to carefully plan its deconstruction, labelling and storing thousands of parts as they are removed piece by piece. It will then be transported and rebuilt, with new irrigation tanks and blackout screens added to improve performance.

“It’s an interesting challenge and certainly far from the normal glasshouse projects we take on,” said project manager Elliot Wrightson.

“We only built it a couple of years ago but circumstances at Hadlow College have meant that it needs to be moved, so it is a job which needs careful planning. Thankfully it has been retained in excellent condition, so that makes the job easier.

“We’re now at a stage where our teams are working on one project but two sites, and we have been stripping out the internal mechanical, electrical and irrigation systems ahead of removing the glazing panels one by one. At the same time another team has been starting the groundworks ready for the foundations to be laid at the new site.

“The plan is for the new site to be ready for building work to start as soon as the deconstruction is complete, and we aim to have the glasshouse up and running at its new home by early Summer.”

Chris Lydon, Interim Vice Principal at the college, said the facility “will support our horticultural students in their studies and prepare them for their future careers in industry”, adding: “The project represents the capital investment being made by the college to enable current and future students to be taught in a modern, high quality glasshouse.”

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THE DOE SHOW

SECOND LARGEST ATTENDENCE IN HISTORY After a gap last year, this very popular annual event was back again at the Ernest Doe headquarters in Essex, running from 1 to 3 February reports Richard Shepherd-Barron.

> 1931 Case Model C

Claimed to be the UK’s largest agricultural, construction and groundcare machinery event, Graham Parker, Ernest Doe Sales Director, said: “With an attendance of well over 10,000, this year’s show was the second largest in our history, being beaten only by our golden jubilee show 12 years ago.”

The show was not being treated just as a day out to look at ‘big boys’ toys’, but real business was being transacted, with visitors, not just locally but from most English counties as well as Wales and Scotland, having serious purposes in mind.

One hundred and fifty suppliers took the opportunity to exhibit their equipment and services. From the huge range of Case IH and New Holland tractors and combines through to small grass cutting machinery, there was something of appeal for everyone.

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> How to plough!

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Apart from the many tractors there was every conceivable piece of equipment to attach to them – ploughs, cultivators, drills, rolls, harrows, fertiliser spreaders, balers, grassland and groundcare machinery, hedge cutters and trailers. In addition, there were very many small trade displays of farm equipment and services, while Doe’s permanent showroom featured garden machinery, tools and spare parts as well as a vast range of practical and fashionable countryside clothing for men and women.

From an environmental point of view, the first showing of the new T6.180 from New Holland, which is the world’s first 100% methane powered production tractor, was the show stopper.

This was attracting a great deal of interest, as farmers with the right infrastructure can generate their own biomethane from anaerobic digestion plants using agricultural, horticultural or animal waste – or even growing energy crops such as maize – to power the tractor.

Gas may also be obtained from the gas grid network or at specific biomethane stations. Currently there is a price premium for this machine, but it most certainly does demonstrate the way ahead to help with environmental problems and as an alternative to fossil fuel.

In conjunction with Cheffins, there was a timed online auction for the 600 lots on display. There were no buyers’ fees. The winning bid was what was paid, and Doe offered free delivery within their trading area for all items over £2,500.

Graham Parker commented: “64% of the lots were sold and there have been a large number of post-auction sales as people realised the huge increases in the prices of new equipment. The slowdown in new tractor registrations in the UK last year has continued into the New Year and has sparked interest in good used machines.

“We’re delighted with our collaboration with Cheffins, and this has been very successful for us both.”

Part of the attraction of the Doe Show is the machines being demonstrated and Doe had New Holland and Case IH tractors demonstrating New Holland, Lemken and Bednar ploughs, cultivator and mower.

No Doe Show would be complete without the very popular display of vintage and classic tractors. This included a 1925 Fordson Model F, a 1931 Case Model C, a 1959 Fordson Dexta, a 1970 Ford 5000 and a 1974 Ford Force 500.

Of course, as the star of the show, the 1961 Doe Triple D! All machines were busy, with their drivers showing huge skill with perfect straight lines across the land – to the amazement of many of the younger visitors who only know GPS positioning.

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FARM EXPO 2022

RANGE OF SPECIALIST SUPPLIERS AT FARM EXPO

Visitors to Farm Expo on Wednesday 2 March will have been able to talk to a range of specialist suppliers, including Mitsubishi and SsangYong dealer Humphries and Parks.

The West Malling-based dealership celebrates its landmark 75th anniversary this year, having been established in 1947. The family-owned business remains proud to serve the local community and has welcomed SsangYong to the business as part of its continuing growth.

Marcus Joy, owner and managing director, has future proofed the next 75 years with his three sons all now working within, and committed to, the business.

“We are a multi award-winning dealership based in Kent with a wealth of experience in providing quality customer service in all areas of new and used car sales, vehicle servicing and parts supply,” he said.

“Our two-acre site based in West Malling and close to all major road networks such as the M25 and M20 is also the longest-serving Mitsubishi Dealer in the UK, having held the franchise since 1976, and we are proud to have welcomed SsangYong to the family.”

Selling in excess of 1,000 cars in 2021, Humphries and Parks has become

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the specialist dealer for electric, hybrid and 4x4 sports utility vehicles benefiting from a 100-car roadside forecourt with ample customer parking.

“Our specialist knowledge in everything 4x4 has gained us an enviable reputation with the farming community and local businesses,” said Marcus.

Hobbs Parker’s team of property experts was also on hand to help share their expertise and experience at this year’s Farm Expo. Many of the team come from farming backgrounds and enjoy catching up with farmers to discuss the current challenges in the industry and the opportunities that will present themselves now and in the future.

The experienced team of chartered surveyors, planning consultants, land agents, valuers and development consultants is committed to helping farmers and landowners maximise the potential of their land and property assets.

Based at the company’s head office at Ashford Market in Kent, Hobbs Parker serves clients throughout the South East.

Within the wider businesses, Hobbs Parker also operates a successful car auction, and most of the farming community will be aware that the company runs the livestock market at Ashford Market. Hobbs Parker also sells and let residential property in Ashford and Tenterden and in more than 80 parishes in the surrounding villages and countryside.

Also on hand to talk to visitors to Farm Expo were representatives from NFU Mutual Agencies in Kent who were keen to support an important event that many of the insurers’ farming customers enjoy year after year.

In Kent and the South East, NFU Mutual has several agencies available to support both existing and potential farming customers. The NFU Mutual understands that today’s farms come in many shapes and sizes and face

unique challenges. Farmers need to know they are supported by an expert and knowledgeable farm insurance provider that can be trusted to deliver the best possible service, tailored to their needs, and that’s what the NFU Mutual is committed to providing.

One of the NFU Mutual’s Kent agents, James Garrett, said: “My fellow agents and I are looking forward to welcoming our farmers to the stand and having the opportunity to discuss the current challenges they face and how we may be able to help, over a bacon roll and a beer. We’re really pleased to be supporting such a key event in the farming calendar.”

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11

SOLAR ENERGY

12

It’s been the Holy Grail of energy security for many years now, but is battery storage about to make that all-important breakthrough, revolutionising the use of solar power? One man who thinks so is solar specialist Shaun Beattie.

After many years in the industry, the development director of BeBa Energy UK is convinced that battery technology is close to reaching the crucial point at which the life of the hardware is longer than the pay-back period of the installation.

When that happens – something he predicts will be in the next 18 months or so – storing the energy solar PV systems generate during the day so that it can be used at night will be a compelling and attractive proposition.

That will come as music to the ears of many farmers and growers who currently export surplus energy to the National Grid when they would much rather be using it to run their own grain dryers, packing lines or cold stores.

With energy prices only going in one direction, farmers would clearly rather use their own ‘free’ electricity than export it in the day and buy it back at a much higher rate overnight.

“The pendulum is starting to shift significantly as the technology improves and the cost of power from the grid continues to rise at an alarming rate,” explained Shaun. “Up until recently, the cost of installing batteries meant the farmer or grower could still be paying for them after they had reached the end of their useful life.

“But things are changing, and with energy prices out of control, it’s only a matter of time before batteries are a viable proposition.”

But it’s not quite that simple, as Shaun went on to explain. “The benefits of investing in battery technology, the payback period involved, and the optimum set up needed to support that investment will depend entirely on the individual circumstances of the grower or farmer.

“Any reputable developer will want to see a wide

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REACHING CRUCIAL POINT range of data in order to make a sensible judgment and provide accurate and reliable advice to the potential customer – and now is the time to start gathering that data. You need to be thinking ahead unless you want to be taking an important decision based on lots of assumptions.

“In my view, the business case for batteries will move from interesting to compelling in the next 18 months to two years, but without data any proposal will clearly be based on a lot of guesswork. With the right data, farmers can get an accurate picture of when battery storage will become not just viable but critical to the success of their business.”

While many solar PV installations now have some monitoring technology in place, this varies from site to site, with some farms recording daily solar generation and some offering half-hourly detail. In order to make an informed judgment about battery technology, though, businesses need more.

“BeBa Energy UK – and other reliable developers – would want to know how much renewable energy was being generated across the site, how much was being exported to the grid and when, and how much is being bought off the grid to meet demand – ideally across a whole year,” said Shaun.

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MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

charging plays a bigger part in future energy policy.

At that stage, having a battery source will be critical to avoiding the highest grid charges at whatever time of day they may be imposed.

“Businesses that want to be in a strong position to make an intelligent decision about investing in battery technology in the timescale I predict will be the right one should really be putting monitoring in place now.

Otherwise they could miss out – or be forced to make a decision based on guesswork.

“BeBa Energy UK has always believed that it’s the farmer or grower who needs to make the decision on solar PV based on our accurate, high-level interpretation of the data they provide, and that’s equally true for battery technology – perhaps more so.”

Batteries also provide a reliable, low-carbon backup for power cuts, which Shaun believes will be more frequent as the country relies more on renewables ahead of the next generation of nuclear power stations coming on stream.

“Replacing diesel generators with stored solar power has to be a good thing,” he added. “In time, even sites without solar PV will have batteries. It’s not if, but when – and by fitting monitoring equipment now, that ‘when’ will be driven by data, not guesswork.”

Talk to Shaun about monitoring and future energy policy

SHAUN BEATTIE

Director T: 01442 220 100 E: info@beba-energy.co.uk www.beba-energy.co.uk

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MONICA AKEHURST AT THE KITCHEN TABLE

SOMETIMES I QUESTION MY SANITY IN KEEPING SHEEP

14

A murmuration of starlings is fascinating to watch. As the evening light fades, small groups of starlings fly in from different directions to swell the numbers and form a huge group. What an awe-inspiring performance they put on, viewing the ebb and flow of their flight, creating fluid, ever changing, darkened cloud like patterns in the sky. Soaring up high and then swooping down low. When they turn it almost looks like they disappear before the shape re-forms. Then suddenly, without warning, the show is over as they all drop down to roost on the reed bed. If you get the chance, I recommend making the effort to witness this magnificent display.

I watched it on Pevensey marshes, but I’m told it can be seen in Brighton, where the starlings go to roost under the pier. Although some starlings are resident in the UK, numbers are boosted when migratory starlings come over, particularly during harsh European winters. Apparently, the sound of the starlings’ wings as they fly overhead is said to sound like a murmur, which is why it’s called a murmuration. It looks amazing fun, but I wonder: “Why does this happen?” – apart from the obvious, safety in numbers, less risk from predators. I’m informed the close proximity of so many birds raises the air temperature, which ultimately saves lives in cold weather.

I wasn’t aware of these facts until I researched

them. It’s easy to witness what’s happening around you, without questioning why. That is unless you are accompanied by a pre-school child who questions everything and receives every answer with another “Why?” I’d like to think that with age comes wisdom, but I’m not so sure. It feels like the older I get the more I realise I don’t know. Our energy is focused on producing food, looking after livestock and the land.

The Agriculture Act and introduction of ELMS has shifted the emphasis to nature-friendly farming practices, raising the profile of climate change and encouraging the mitigation of global warming. Historically, in war time and during its aftermath, food production was given priority, but nature often paid the price. Recently the government has done little to curb the power of large retailers in their pursuit of cheap food, with scant regard for the consequences.

There are always exceptions, but there aren’t many farmers I know who don’t appreciate nature, love their land and aim to make it fit for the next generation. People need to eat and farming needs a sustainable income to stay in business.

Sometimes I question my sanity in keeping sheep, especially when standing out in the middle of the marshes being buffeted by gusting winds. I intended to move our flock onto fresh ground. Half the flock followed perfectly at my call and were delighted to get fresh grazing as their reward.

> Flock reunited

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

The rest, though, had other ideas. They had put themselves into a field that required walking through a wet gateway, but to exit it, they decided they couldn’t possibly get their feet wet.

I returned the next day accompanied by Brie, my sheepdog, determined to show them who was boss. But even with Brie’s help they stubbornly stood adjacent to the open gate, refusing to budge. I had to catch one ewe and physically put her through while Brie kept them bunched, then suddenly they looked at us in wonderment as if to say: “Oh, that’s what you wanted” and nonchalantly splashed through the gateway.

Their behaviour tried both mine and Brie’s patience. They gave us no thanks when we reunited them with the rest of the flock. We agreed that at times like these, extra backup would be handy.

We have a plan; there are two willing apprentices waiting in the wings. I best come clean and admit now, I struggled to choose just one puppy out of ten. It was an impossible ask, so I decided to keep two. The family is horrified. They tell me it’s a terrible idea, and I’ll never manage to train two. They do say animals take after their owners, so perhaps that’s where my sheep get their stubbornness from.

There will be testing times ahead, no doubt, but I’m hoping to prove the family wrong. Youngest daughter wanted to keep the cheese theme,

but I didn’t think calling “Gorgonzola” was very practical. As I write this column, Tip and Mollie are asleep at my feet.

Nigel and Hannah tell me that some guests staying in their shepherd’s hut had a bit of a shock when my sheep decided to be nosey. The compost toilet is located nearby in a repurposed rice horse trailer; my ewes opened the door and had a peek inside at an inappropriate moment. I hasten to add that this trait was not learnt from me. Luckily the guest was amused by their antics.

The Sussex cattle recently housed ready for calving didn’t seem to appreciate their change of accommodation. They must have heard me when I remarked it might be dry enough to get the lawn mower out. We awoke one morning to discover them wandering around the garden, grazing by the swings and slide. Best grass on the farm, they thought.

I’m relieved they didn’t discover my rhubarb, which is just beginning to regrow. Unfortunately, the cattle left some fair sized divots which will require some attention to restore my pristine lawn. Who secured the hurdle? Must have been someone’s fancy reef knot; wouldn’t have been my granny knot.

I hope everyone was busy being romantic on Valentine’s Day and didn’t watch Panorama, as its portrayal of dairy farming will do the industry no favours. Was some of the filming staged by activists? The only positive was that it underlined the fact that milk processors need to pay farmers a fair price. Plant-based milk is not the answer a kilogram of soya beans produces 13 pints, but up to 150 pints if fed to a dairy cow. I know which I’d rather drink.

Hope March lambing is going well. I was concerned to hear of a few Schmallenberg cases in the early flocks. I thought we’d seen the last of that.

>Tilley and Zinny taking a very relaxed attitude to life; maybe Grandma has exhausted them

> Tip and Mollie, double trouble > Sussex cattle weren’t so keen on being housed

> The grandsons supervising feeding some hoggets

15

> The Sussex cattle enjoying the garden grass

> Starlings coming down to roost on the reed bed TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

> The good sheep that came when called

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SEND YOUR VIEWS OR COMMENTS:

SEF.ED@KELSEY.CO.UK twitter @SOUTHEASTFARMER facebook-square SOUTH EAST FARMER

RIFE WITH SILT

16

Dear Sir, It was encouraging to read the Telegraph today and see the coverage the paper is giving to pollution discharge into rivers and hence the sea.

I would like to think that since their esteemed writer Charles Moore may be a reader of this magazine he may have picked up my ongoing fight against the same thing.

The behaviour of Southern Water is to some extent understandable, since it has inherited a waste system that in places is 100-plus years out of date. It simply cannot cope with the sheer volume of wastewater from the thousands of new dwellings, coupled with the fact the treated waste still, whether we like it or not, has to go out to sea.

However, the biggest constraint on getting it out to the ocean is the fact that the Environment Agency (EA), which should have been maintaining our river systems since it was formed back in 1996, has almost totally neglected to do so.

The agency has used every convenient environmental excuse to do nothing – or nothing positive, at any rate.

Those who read my column are probably as sick of reading it as I am of having to write it , but if the noble Lord Moore should have picked up any vibes from your magazine I would feel my ramblings had made a little difference.

Several of my neighbours have joined me in trying to expose this. We farm in an area that includes a wide floodplain that feeds into the English Channel south of Chichester. It is one of several. Each depends on rivers, like the Arun, or our local rifes to run as swiftly as designed hundreds of years ago into the sea.

But in the past 25 years, none of us recalls the rife here being cleaned of silt once. An old friend laid main drainage pipes to run off flood water from some 60 to 70 acres into the rife, with the final 18 inch concrete drains into the rife well above the bottom of the channel. Today those pipes are almost covered by silt, measured at over 40 inches deep. The EA simply is not, and has not been, doing its job.

We are close to a waste treatment plant which discharges half-treated or non-treated sewage into our ditches almost all the year. The result is the sewage filled water is forced back up onto good quality arable land and amenity areas, posing a big risk to the public and to the food grown on the land.

I rest our case.

Nick Adames

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DOCUMENTARY REINFORCED THE PUBLIC’S PERCEPTION ON CRUELTY Dear sir, The millions of viewers who watched this week's shocking television footage shot on a dairy farm can only, surely, come to one conclusion... that they have been conned.

Conned into buying "farm-assured" products because they believed that in doing so they were supporting higher standards in quality and animal welfare.

Conned into buying something with a Red Tractor logo on it because they thought it implied, similarly, that the contents had been conscientiously produced and that it came untainted by any connection with the kind of farming they had seen portrayed in undercover investigations by animal rights campaigners.

Well, how wrong they were. And how appalled they must have been to see representatives from the farm assurance agencies staring into the camera during the programme and attempting to excuse the appalling activities being filmed.

And how disgusted they must have been – as I was – to listen to the NFU trying to wriggle out of the way of the accusing fingers and trying to shift the blame on to supermarkets for paying farmers too little for their milk.

As an ex-dairy farmer, I can tell you one thing. There were times when I was getting as little as 12ppl for my milk, but I always made sure my cows were fed twice a day, comfortably bedded and generally well cared for.

I recall the then Sainsburys boss Justin King telling the NFU conference a few years ago that he wasn't interested in stocking Red Tractor products because it was a "low-bar entry" scheme. In other words, there was no USP and the requirements for membership were set so low that no claims could justifiably be made for their superiority over run-of-the-mill goods. I felt at the time that he had hit the nail on the head and here, years later, was the proof that he had summed it up pretty accurately.

The really dreadful thing about this documentary was not the fact that so many industry figures were prepared to act as though nothing was amiss, but

LETTERS that in refusing to condemn what was shown they were merely reinforcing the public's perception that cruelty and maltreatment are endemic on British farms.

Following other revelations from the pig and poultry sector, this programme is going to have the cumulative effect of tainting the entire industry at a time when we desperately need to get the public on side and persuade consumers to pay a little more to support food production here, in the face of all the cut-price foreign temptations this government has seen fit to bring in and lay in front of them.

I hope farmers will share my view that no blame should be attached to the makers of the documentary. On the contrary the fault lies with a regime which allows such activities – sickening to the farming community and wider public alike – to take place without lifting a finger to stop them.

And one final question. If the RSPCA is all too ready to prosecute a footballer for kicking his cat, why was it not prepared to intervene in this instance?

John Lillywhite, Farmers For Action

DON’T GET CONFUSED ABOUT WATER COMPANY ROLES Dear Sir In Monica Akehurst’s February column ‘I thought I was a goner’, she discusses the problem of raw sewage reaching our waterways and describes how South East Water has been in contact to discuss our work with farmers to prevent diffuse pollution.

It’s easy to get confused between water companies, but we have different roles and here at South East Water we don’t actually deal with sewage. We are a drinking water only company, supplying more than 521 million litres of top-quality drinking water to 2.2 million customers across South East England every day.

Although we do bill our mutual customers for Southern Water’s services on its behalf, we are different companies. This change happened during 2017 and the arrangement ensures that we’re working as efficiently as possible to serve all our customers, keeping bills lower.

We have decades of experience in managing our land to allow the environment to thrive and helping others do the same.

Our dedicated team of scientists work with farmers and other land managers in areas around water sources which are at risk from pollution. By 2025 it is our intention to have positively influenced almost 15,000 hectares of land through grant funding, land management trials and working hand-in-hand with farmers and others to make their land more sustainable – without impacting on their bottom line.

What’s more, we are working on the UK water industry's first 25-year environment plan to protect our environment from pollution, population growth and the effects of climate change.

We also work hard to improve the biodiversity of the dozens of designated sites we own or manage and protect our waterways and countryside from invasive non-native species.

To find out more about our work with farmers and landowners, visit southeastwater.co.uk/farming or email us at catchment@southeastwater.co.uk

SENSATIONALIST CLAIMS

Dear sir, As managing director of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF), I am writing to express my disappointment at the sensationalist picture of the UK dairy industry painted by the BBC’s 14 Feb Panorama programme, which showed several cases of animal abuse and questioned cow and calf welfare.

The programme, A Cow's Life: The True Cost of Milk? detailed numerous cases of animal abuse on a Welsh dairy farm, which the RABDF is saddened by. It also highlighted lameness and the removal of calves from their mothers at birth.

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UK dairy farmers operate to some of the highest welfare standards in the world, thanks to the robust and comprehensive legal frameworks protecting animal welfare alongside the credible quality assurance schemes and initiatives that exist. Cow welfare is at the heart of everything they do. Happy cows are productive cows, which is why it is so important.

Lameness was an issue highlighted on the programme, with one vet suggesting up to 30% of cows are expected to be lame in the UK. The industry is working hard to overcome lameness with diagnostic, early warning tools helping highlight the issues early.

Our farmers work long hours, often going weeks without a break to ensure the health and welfare of their cows are maintained, so we are sad the BBC chose to highlight one farm where inexcusable abuse was witnessed, as this is not representative of our industry.

While the inclusion of the Ethical Dairy in Scotland, whereby calves are kept with their mothers, showed high welfare, the system is not commercially viable for most dairy farmers, with the programme highlighting that most of the liquid milk was consumed by the calves.

The programme did, however, highlight the fact that many farmers are losing money or making very little money, which is important as the value of milk is underestimated by the vast majority of consumers both in monetary and nutritional terms. It is time milk and dairy products were valued correctly.

The UK's sales of dairy products continue to rise, with an extra 302 million litres of milk bought in 2021 compared to 2019. In 2021, cheese volumes increased by 13.2% compared to 2019.

Our farms continue to improve on the highest levels of welfare in the world and are vital in producing one of the most versatile products which forms an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet.

Matt Knight, Managing Director, RABDF

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NEWS

GROWER HOPPING MAD AFTER WASTE DISCOVERY

18

A Kent hop grower already dealing with the downturn in demand following the Covid-19 pandemic had “better things to do than shovel up someone else’s rubbish” after it was dumped in countryside near his farm.

For Mark Batt, a fourth generation hop grower with H M Batt and Son, the fly-tipping was “the icing on the cake”, but something he dealt with because of his love of the countryside. “It’s a piece of land we maintain and mow, although it’s not technically on the farm,” he explained. “I couldn’t just leave the rubbish there.”

When Ashford Borough Council’s Enforcement Team got involved with the fly-tipping in Romden Road, Smarden, they found evidence linking the rubbish to an address in Ashford, and two residents of the house who were interviewed under caution confirmed the waste was theirs.

The main householder said that he had been approached by unknown men in a white Ford tipper truck who were offering waste removal services door-to-door.

The resident paid £150 to have their domestic waste and scrap metal removed, but although the

householder was given a receipt they failed to carry out the correct checks to ensure the waste collectors were official and held an Environment Agency waste carrier’s licence or an Ashford Borough Council scrap metal collector’s licence.

Neither licence was shown at the time of collection by the men in the tipper truck. The rubbish was dumped 16 miles away and the main householder was issued with a £400 Fixed Penalty Notice for failing in their Householder’s Duty of Care. Investigations are continuing to track down the two men in the white Ford tipper truck.

Mark praised the work of the enforcement team in cracking down on fly-tippers. “It’s great to see,” he said. “I stopped work to sort it out because I hate seeing the countryside we live in looking such a mess.

I would advise anyone in a similar situation to get the council involved, particularly if any of the rubbish has an address on it.”

H M Batt and Son’s hops grown at Buckman Green Farm are sold all over the world and end up in British cask ales, but the downturn in pub trade and a trend towards using more citrus-flavoured US hops has hit business over the past few years.

> The flytip in Cheeseman's Green Lane.

Photos: Ashford Borough Council

“Life’s difficult enough at the moment and we didn’t need to spend time clearing up someone else’s mess,” Matt commented, adding that it was not the farm’s first experience of fly-tipping. “We’ve had burnt out cars blocking gateways and many other problems with rubbish being tipped. It’s hassle we don’t need,” he commented. “What we do need is for brewers to start buying Kentish-grown hops again.”

The Smarden incident was one of two cases which saw Ashford residents hit with £400 Fixed Penalty Notices (reduced to £300 if they are paid within 10 days) after being tracked down by the team.

The other case involved fly-tipping along Cheeseman’s Green Lane, Kingsnorth, where a number of black sacks and other waste items were dumped in a rural layby. Officers combed through the waste and found evidence relating to a female living a mile away.

During an interview under caution, she said she had held a house party and that rubbish from the party was given to her friends, who she believed would dispose of it at their home address. Instead, the bags were dumped nearby. She declined to give the investigating officer details of her friends.

> The flytip in Smarden

HEATHFIELD AGRICULTURAL SHOW

CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY With the past two shows having been cancelled because of the pandemic, organisers of the 75th anniversary Heathfield Agricultural Show on 28 May are looking forward to big crowds as people emerge from show ‘hibernation’ and start to get their livestock ‘show ready’ once again.

Organisers promise a full showing schedule and a number of exciting events around the showground throughout the day, including a flypast by a Hurricane (subject to weather conditions) and the launch of the Queen’s Green Canopy

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Jubilee Appeal for East Sussex.

Entries for all cattle, sheep, pig and horse classes are now live on the new show website at www.heathfieldshow.org, the place to go for the latest show news.

Also new for this anniversary show is a £500 prize, kindly donated by PJ Skips, for the Champion of Champions in the horse section of the show, which organisers promise will live up to its new slogan: "A Real Look At Country Life".

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19

NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: MACS FARM

EGGS IN MORE THAN ONE BASKET This month Nigel Akehurst visits award winning organic poultry farmers Danny and Susie Macmillan at the Macs Farm in the historic village of Ditchling, set in the South Downs National Park, to learn more about their diversified family farm.

20

The 100-acre farm in the village of Ditchling, East Sussex, is home to the Macmillan family and their award-winning organic egg poultry business (Susie and Danny won the Farmers Weekly Poultry Farmer of the year award in 2019 and Large Diversification award at the British Farming Awards in 2021).

They also run a successful summer campsite which, in less than seven years, has grown from a small diversification venture with 20 pitches to a multi-faceted camping and events business. They

have 115 pitches with up to 450 people staying on the farm at the weekend.

The business has come a long way since they took over running the farm from Susie’s parents in 2003. It’s not been an easy ride, with many ups and downs, but the past two years have been their hardest to date.

They have now realised they can no longer do it all themselves and are employing people to help them develop all their exciting ideas, said Susie.

Their campsite opens in May, and they are

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

looking forward to an easier season, with more staff already in place to help. Encouragingly, they are already 50% sold out. In addition to camping, they host various music and foodie events and have nine weddings booked in this year.

Central to their family farming business are their 12,000 organic egg laying hens, currently locked down in two 6,000-bird flat deck sheds due to Avian Flu. All the eggs are sold through their own egg shack or via local wholesalers in Sussex.

SUPPLYING THE SUPERMARKETS

Susie’s parents, Peter and Liz Barton, bought the Ditchling farm in 1994 and converted an old pig barn into a free-range egg shed. They converted to organic in 1996 and put up another shed two years later. By then Susie was working for them, alongside brothers Andrew and Richard.

In 2003, when Susie was in “baby zone”, her dad rang to say he was thinking about retiring and wanted her advice on how it could work. Susie suggested each sibling put their own money into the farm as “that’s your motivation”, she said.

Luckily her parents owned three farms and within 24 hours he came back with the idea that they run a farm each, as long as they could agree who was comfortable running which farm, she explained.

At the time her husband Danny, a self-employed builder, was running his own company. They decided it was too good an opportunity to miss.

The location of the other two farms suited her brothers, so Susie and Danny took on the Ditchling farm. Although it didn’t have a house, there was outline planning permission for an agricultural dwelling. They did up their family home in Seaford to sell and Danny set to work building the new bungalow on the farm.

To turn things around they poured any spare cash into improving the farm infrastructure. Susie had their third child, and three months later they moved

into the new bungalow, which made life easier.

Then in 2008 the birds allowed per square metre changed significantly, which meant they would have to cut their number of chickens by around a third, making the farm unviable. With limited options, they decided to put up two new 6,000 bird units, borrowing £750,000 in the process.

“That meant we could keep the number of birds we had plus 4,000 extra because the birds per square metre rules had changed so significantly,” said Susie.

All their eggs were supplied to supermarket under contract with Noble Foods, which helped them get their own Macs Farm brand into Tesco in the South East.

Despite the increase in hen numbers, below average egg production meant paying back the loans on the two new sheds was a “constant struggle,” said Susie. With small margins “every egg counts,” she added.

They were losing money and decided to try selling eggs direct from the farm gate at a better price point, as well as supplying local shops, cafés and restaurants. “We opened the farm to the public so people could come in and visit us and ask questions, buy eggs directly from the farm and get to know us. This was helpful in finding new customers,” Susie went on.

Eventually Susie asked Noble Foods if they could stop supplying them, as they would not survive if they held them to the contract.

They agreed to let them go. “It was exciting but also worrying as we still had large loan repayments outstanding on the two sheds,” said Susie.

Curious to learn more about the sector, I asked how other producers manage to make it stack up.

“Some of the organic egg producers are massive and they’ve been given huge grants - especially the Welsh and Irish - making their cost of production way lower,” she replied.

Susie explained how producers are paid the same regardless of whether they have eight massive sheds or one small one.

“It’s not a fair game and the supermarkets don’t care. With the current sky-high feed prices, more and more family farms are being driven out of business.”

The larger units can’t provide the same animal welfare as smaller family farms, she said.

“Everyone who works here is taught that animal welfare is above and beyond anything else. We have to keep them fit, healthy, happy and safe. We go to great lengths to bring out any that are bullied or slightly injured. They are really well cared for.”

FUTURE OF FAMILY FARMS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD EDUCATION On the future of family farms, she said: “Once these family farms go, they are not ever coming back as a cute farm. They’ll be used for storage or

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FARM FACTS

• 100-acre farm in the village of Ditchling, East Sussex run by fourth generation farming family • 12,000 organic egg layers housed in two modern, multi-tiered flat deck sheds • Previously supplied supermarket via Noble Foods and now sell mainly to local wholesalers and from their own egg shack • Re-home all chickens via Fresh Start for Hens charity • Have appeared in a number of TV shows • Won Farmers Weekly Poultry Farmer of the Year award in 2019 and the Large Diversification award at the British Farming Awards.

• Successful camping and events enterprise • Converted several old chicken sheds into multi-functional event spaces • Opened Crepe Shack in 2020 to sell pancakes • Built an outdoor stage in 2020 • Run larger events with bands.

• Passionate about educating the public about where food comes from • Employ eight local part time staff and three full time on the campsite plus 10-20 seasonal staff small industrial units. They’ll more than likely be converted into housing. That’s why is so important to keep hold of as many family farms as possible.”

Susie believes most smaller farms are having to diversify in one way or another: “A bit of storage or a little cafe. They are all having to do it – they have to find what is right for them.”

A big part of the solution is educating consumers about food labels and getting consumers to think more about where their food comes from.

"Everyone needs to start looking at packaging. You need to be buying more British stuff. Get your kids to look at packaging. You need to read it. It’s really interesting – it makes you stop and think about how you spend your money.

“You can go out and spend £3 on a coffee but then people object to spending that on half a dozen eggs. In our egg shack they are under £2. Those six eggs will make a meal whereas you’ll drink that coffee in under five minutes. >> “You have to look at food differently. It

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NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: MACS FARM

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<< shouldn’t necessarily be cheap – you need to value everything more. We are all responsible for animal welfare – it is down to how you shop. We encourage people to eat locally and seasonally,” she said.

Despite the opposition, their application was approved subject to lots of conditions, which would have cost upwards of £50,000. They decided to resubmit a second, pared-down application, which was then approved.

TRIALING CAMPING IN 2014

REHOMING OLD CHICKENS AND A CASHFLOW CRISIS

In 2014, they began their own diversification journey. Danny suggested camping and they decided to trial it on the 28-day camping rule. As a builder, he was able to build a portable toilet/ shower block and they opened with 20 pitches, targeting the weekend locals who wanted a camping break with their children.

They invited a friend in with a horse box to pitch up at weekends to do coffees and cocktails for the first year.

“Everything was done with pen and paper - you had to ring up! By the end of the summer we were fully booked. It was a useful exercise and we thought we could do some more with this.

From what my husband thought would be low maintenance, camping rapidly turned into ‘you come to the farm – meet the chickens, collect the eggs’,” said Susie.

For the second year they built their own coffee and cocktail bar out of an old van and quickly scaled up to 30 pitches and were sold out. By the third year they opened another field for group camping and were doing 80 pitches in total.

To grow the business, they converted one of their old chicken sheds into an event space with a bar, enabling them to put on barn dances and other events.

PLANNING BATTLE

All the while a planning battle with the South Downs National Park which she described as “a nightmare, costing them an absolute fortune” was rumbling on in the background She added: “None of the planning committee were farmers and they didn’t understand the application.” They also had lots of local opposition in the village, even receiving objections from Morocco.

“A lot of people have since apologised but the experience wasn’t pleasant,” she said.

In March 2020 they decided to take out their second oldest chicken shed as the machinery was worn out and needed upgrading.

To re-do it as a multi-tiered organic system would have cost £350,000 and a minimum 20-year commitment. No one was keen, said Susie, so they began the process of rehoming all their hens through the charity Fresh Start for Hens, run largely by volunteers.

Covid-19 hit, which made the process a real challenge. It took weeks but they managed to find homes for them all.

Their biggest Covid-19 concern wasn’t chickens, but the money they had taken from campsite bookings. They’d already reinvested it back into the farm as they had done during previous years.

“We knew we didn’t have enough money to pay everyone back if they wanted a refund. We went into panic - I felt physically sick and had sleepless nights,” said Susie.

"We constructed a good email to say if they wanted a refund we would honour it, but if we honoured everyone’s refund, we wouldn’t make it.” They asked customers to consider moving their bookings to the summer or the following season.

“People were incredible, and we only had to refund four bookings. I think everyone was very understanding of us being a small family farm,” she added.

There was enormous relief when it was finally announced that camping could go ahead in July.

They opened for eight weeks and went ‘hell for leather’ said Susie.

“We brought in street diners; we brought in buskers. We told people they could come in for a drink at the bar and to listen to the buskers. We didn’t take what we needed but it was just enough to see us through the winter and allow us to buy our next flock of birds,” she added.

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BOOMING EGGS SALES AND SCALING UP FOR 2021

Lockdown meant they lost most of their cafe and restaurant customers, but the shortages in the supermarkets meant sales from their on-farm egg shack went through the roof.

Selling at a better price point, this more than made up for losses elsewhere. They also sold plants from a local garden centre that was forced to close when the owner approached them worried that the stock would go to waste.

In 2021 they took a bounce back loan of £50,000 and invested it into transforming their other chicken shed. “We put in a concrete floor and an amazing bar. Half of it is an amazing event space and the other half is storage for all our mowers,” said Susie.

They also built an outdoor stage so they could host more outdoor events, along with a crepe shack, having successfully sold them the previous year.

“We’ve got all these income streams coming in. We’ve also started putting up our prices as we had spent years reinvesting to make the campsite so lovely and now include a wood box with marshmallows in the pitch price. People turn up and they don’t necessarily realise it’s included, which is nice.”

Susie explained it was their toughest year yet: “Events are such hard work. We were short staffed and doing everything.” By the end of the season they were exhausted.

It took months to recover, but they’ve found their ‘mojo’ again. “We’ve got the best job ever – we just need to make sure we’ve got enough help and we’re not trying to do it all ourselves,” she said.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

To help pay for additional staff this year they are adding a lot more courses to the experience of coming to the farm. "Things like woodland yoga, building a bug hotel, meet the farmer – which are popular,” she said.

This year they intend to split their accounts internally to see what is doing well, Susie explained.

“The farm is profitable, but I’m not sure how profitable. We need to make sure we understand every side of this business, so we know what decisions to take going forward.”

A national grain trading business with a local presence GOING FOR GROWTH

As your independent trading partner, we will look after you in a personal and professional manner

To contact us: South East office: 01303 201948 Wessex office: 01963 363162 Great Tew office: 07957 791358 / 07712 325197 Premium Crops: 02392 632883 Email: grain@cefetra.co.uk twitter @Cefetra facebook-f @CefetraGrain www.cefetra.co.uk

RAW MATERIALS SUPPLIER

FOCUSED, INDEPENDENT

AND COMPETITIVE Cefetra Ltd is a major importer of agricultural raw materials to the feed, food and fuel industries into the UK and Ireland, supported by a domestic grain origination arm that followed the acquisition of Wessex Grain in 2017. Cefetra Grain now purchases more than 1.3m tonnes of grain per annum across the UK and prides itself on being both supplier and consumer focused, independent and cost competitive.

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Price volatility, changing demand, new markets, political upheaval and global weather patterns are just a few of the factors that can make growing grain seem much easier than selling it these days.

Setting aside the unpredictability of the weather, getting it right needs not just skilled farming practices but an unparalleled understanding of global politics and market forces allied to the insight that comes from many years’ experience in a highly specialised environment.

For those who have all the know-how they need to grow a bumper crop of premium wheat and don’t want to risk losing out by selling it at the wrong time or the wrong price, help is at hand in the form of specialist grain trading business Cefetra.

Cefetra Grain, which pitches itself as a national

Cefetra Ltd has sister companies across Europe, including businesses in the Netherlands, Spain and Hungary, and is part of the BayWa group, a multinational company founded in Munich in 1923 and now the largest agricultural co-operative in Europe. It employs over 18,000 people.

In the UK, Cefetra Ltd has a turnover of over £1 billion and a balance sheet of circa £40 million and employs more than 140 people.

IN-HOUSE ANALYSTS AND UNPARALLELED

UNDERSTANDING

trading business with a local presence and has recently expanded its Kent operation, sees itself very much as partnering with farmers, using its market expertise to work with them to get the best price for their hard-won crop.

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As Simon Wilcox, UK Farm Grain Origination Manager, explained: “We work with farmers to understand what they are growing, what facilities they have to store it, what their cash flow needs are and when they want to sell their crop.

“We don’t impose contracts on our clients, we just work with them to tailor the best deal for a win-win scenario while taking into account all the factors they need to think about.”

Cefetra’s scale – part of a group with a turnover in excess of €16bn and a balance sheet value of around €1.44bn – means it has significant flexibility in finding a home for the grain it buys.

“We can hedge the price against future market changes and we have a range of options for finding buyers,” Simon explained. “We also have storage facilities in Kent, Oxfordshire, Somerset and Southampton.

“As an independent trading partner, we pride ourselves on finding the best outlet for our clients’ grain and on working in partnership to achieve their goals. We focus on long-term relationship building backed up by our strong, multi-national foundations.”

Cefetra also benefits from an impressive history, with roots that go back to 1778, when William McCorkell and Co was set up. By 1988, McCorkell Ltd was importing animal feed materials into North and South Ireland from around the world.

In 1999, Cefetra Bv, a trading firm based in the Netherlands, invested in McCorkell Scotland as a supply chain partner and Cefetra Ltd was born.

Now a major importer of agricultural raw materials into the UK and Ireland as a supplier to the feed, food and fuel industries, Cefetra is part of the BayWa group, a multi-national company founded in Munich in 1923 and the largest agricultural co-operative in Europe.

“As part of an agricultural co-operative we are able to take a long-term view, focusing on steady growth in partnership with our clients rather than having to answer to shareholders looking for a quick profit,” Simon explained.

That global scale also supports Cefetra’s customers, who benefit from the insight of the company’s trading analysts around the

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world. The central trading team of 16, based in Glasgow, is in constant contact with colleagues worldwide, giving Cefetra the edge when it comes to understanding the market’s direction and opportunities.

“Having our own analysts focused on the markets all day every day is a huge advantage when it comes to getting the best deal for the farmers we work with,” Simon commented.

Simon became part of the company when Cefetra bought the Wessex Grain co-operative he had been heading up as managing director in 2017. “Cefetra was looking for a domestic grain origination arm and I felt that Wessex Grain needed to be part of something bigger,” he explained.

While it may be bigger than Wessex Grain, Cefetra is still focused on local relationships, with hubs across the country keeping in regular contact with the farmers they work alongside. Offices in Folkestone in Kent, Sudbury in Suffolk, Great Tew in Oxfordshire and Henstridge in Somerset are central to a network that looks after around 4,000 arable farmers.

While the Glasgow team monitors prices and finds buyers for the grain, it is the local teams who keep in close contact with the farmers, alerting them when key price points are reached so that they can discuss the best time to sell. “It’s not always about price, of course,” explained Simon.

“It can be about freeing up space in the barn or bringing in cash to support another project.

Whatever the farmer needs, we are here to help achieve that aim.”

Cefetra’s size and healthy balance sheet gives the company flexibility, as does the fact that it also deals in other markets such as soya and co-products. “The markets can be very volatile and smaller traders can’t afford to take risks on a small balance sheet,” Simon said. “We’ve seen a couple of instances of that causing big problems for the

industry recently and farmers do need to choose their grain merchants carefully.”

Cefetra currently has 28 buyers across the country in regular communication with clients and looking for new farmers who want the security of a national grain trader but with a local approach.

The Cefetra team can also advise on quality and help with testing crops, again with a focus on achieving the best price for the client.

The Kent office was established two years ago by experienced and locally well-known farm grain traders Charles Roberts and Tim Porter. They have added to the team, with Steve Carter, Robin Bugden and most recently Emma Walsh all now working to expand the business.

As the new hubs grow and new farmers join the operation, Cefetra, which currently purchases more than 1.3m tonnes of grain per annum across the UK, is continuing to grow organically.

The company purchased Premium Crops in 2018, adding a specialist business that invites farmers to grow crops such as high erucic acid rapeseed, linseed, canary seed, millet, red wheat and naked oats under contract. “This is a niche part of Cefetra’s operation, but it offers a great opportunity for farmers to add high-margin specialist crops to their rotations,” said Simon.

“Premium Crops provides agronomy support and offers a premium price that’s agreed with the farmer up front.”

Cefetra can also support farmers with export opportunities for their grain, using their European sister companies to find a home for UK grain.

The company exports out of many ports around the UK including Dover and Rye in Kent and from Southampton and Poole.

It can also offer regional storage facilities which offer farmers prompt harvest movement and peace of mind over quality on intake. The stores are available in Kent, Suffolk, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Somerset.

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RAW MATERIALS SUPPLIER

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NEW OFFICE DOUBLES

TEAM IN TWO YEARS Kent cereal growers have had a new, independent trading option since Cefetra Ltd set up a new office in Folkestone.

The expansion was sparked by experienced grain traders Charles Roberts and Tim Porter, who approached the company and persuaded it to let them set up a new operation serving the most south easterly part of the UK. With good connections to mills in Tilbury and Harlow in Essex and strong existing relationships with local arable farmers, they grew the business steadily after setting up the office in 2019 and expanded further the following year when Cefetra acquired John Foad & Co, whose managing director Stephen Carter became part of the team.

In 2021 another experienced buyer, Robin Budgen, joined the team, which had now doubled in just four years and was beginning to serve

farmers in East Sussex as well as Kent. Trainee grain buyer Emma Walsh is now learning the trade and completes the current line up.

As well as having good supply lines to Essex mills and elsewhere in the UK, the Kent office has good export connections with Belgium and Holland and is continuing to grow strongly.

Tim Porter said the team was currently looking to expand into Essex while continuing to offer Cefetra’s locally focused service to its Kent growers.

“We offer a number of bespoke contracts for more specialist grains as well as access to a variety of markets, and because we aren’t tied to one parent company we can offer independent advice and a choice of homes,” he added.

The Folkestone operation also has storage available on the Isle of Sheppey and at Swingfield,

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Brookland and Eastry, increasing the options available to farmers at harvest time and at other times when they need space in the barn. Tim and his team have a focus on milling wheat as well as malting barley and oilseed rape and work closely with their farmer clients to maximise returns.

At the time of the John Foad & Co acquisition, the company said it would deliver “even greater focus on working with growers and consumers to provide a smooth and efficient supply chain”.

Managing director Andrew Mackay said the strength of Cefetra, which handles five million tonnes of grain per year in the UK and Ireland and more than 35 million tonnes across Europe through the BayWa group, would help Stephen Carter “maintain the long-standing trading relationship and service levels he has with his customers”.

MULTI-NUTRIENT, LOW-CHLORIDE

CROP NUTRITION Cefetra is leading the way on supporting sustainable farming and is committed to helping feed the planet.

As part of that ambition, it has secured a long-term agreement with Anglo American plc, a leading global mining company, granting it the European marketing and distribution rights for polyhalite-based fertiliser POLY4, a multi-nutrient, low-chloride crop nutrition product certified for organic farming.

The drive towards decarbonising the global economy presents radical changes across global commodities sectors. Mining companies and fertiliser producers will play an important role in making agriculture more sustainable. Anglo American, for example, has targeted a 30% reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and has a long-term plan to become carbon neutral across its operations by 2040.

“Operating as responsibly, thoughtfully and sustainably as possible is the essence of Anglo American’s Woodsmith Project,” explained Anglo American Crop Nutrients’ area manager in the UK and Ireland Scott Yarwood.

“The nutrient-rich polyhalite will be extracted at

the Woodsmith Mine that is being constructed near Whitby in the north-east of England. The mineral will then be transported in an underground, 37-kilometre-long mineral transport tunnel to Teesside, where POLY4 will be manufactured at the materials handling facility.

“Unlike traditional potash, polyhalite does not require any chemical processing for use on the farm. Anglo American has developed a patented, unique and simple granulation process to transform polyhalite ore into POLY4 granules. This process is environmentally considerate compared to production of traditional fertilisers.”

POLY4 offers season-long crop nutrition by supplying four essential nutrients – potassium, sulphate-sulphur, magnesium, and calcium – in one product. This balanced nutrition, backed up by years of agronomic data, will help increase yields, improve crop quality and enhance the structure and nutrient legacy of soils.

From sustained nutrient dissolution rate and uniform granule size packed with nutrients to uniform nutrient distribution on the field (up to a 36-metre width using standard equipment), POLY4 will offer solutions to farmer needs.

“In order to feed the planet’s growing population, there is a global need to adopt sustainable farming practices that boost crop yields while using less land and reducing environmental impact,” explained Cefetra Group’s European Business Head (Fertiliser) Simon Borthwick.

“This agreement is part of Cefetra’s strategy of continuing to build a business with an ethos of sustainability and social responsibility to the people and planet, with a transparent and traceable supply chain building long-lasting relationships.”

For more information see www.poly4.com or https://uk.angloamerican.com/our-fertiliser

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

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RAW MATERIALS SUPPLIER

GRAIN PROCESSING

FACILITY ADDS TO STRATEGIC STRENGTHS 28

Cefetra’s focus on supporting farmers by providing a flexible and responsive service depends on being able to store and process grain efficiently in modern, purpose-built, centrally located facilities.

That goal was given a major boost when Cefetra Grain signed a long-term agreement with Great Tew Grain Processing, part of the Great Tew Estate in Oxfordshire, making it a key grain processing facility for the company.

As well as helping to strengthen the food and feed supply chain in this country and across Europe at a time when food security is vitally important, the partnership has given Cefetra Grain a unique facility that will further boost its flexible response to farmers.

The Great Tew site can hold 58,000 tonnes of grain across 14 bays and also has comprehensive drying, cleaning and grain analysis services. Centrally located to support local arable farmers and Cefetra customers, the grain facility has quickly become part of the company’s nationwide network of strategic stores.

More than 150 farmer customers attended a successful open evening at Great Tew shortly after

it opened and were impressed with the facilities on display.

Simon Wilcox, Cefetra Grain’s UK Farm Grain Origination Manager, said farmers were “keen to view our outstanding facility, from the lab displays to the organised tours of the delivery, unloading and storage areas”.

Simon added that the company was “delighted that the facility has quickly become an important facility and in the second harvest has seen a significant increase in the number of farmers across this region using the facilities and working with us," continuing: “As a business we are growing rapidly, building long term relationships and working with farmers across the UK to secure grain for our customers both domestically and across Europe.”

He said Cefetra’s commitment to working in partnership with farmers across the UK went beyond trading grain and was based on a more flexible approach that included the option of prompt movement into one of its processing and storage facilities. “This also enables us to take grains that do not meet the full specifications required by customers and process them through our facilities to improve

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the quality,” he added.

Nicholas Johnston, owner of the Great Tew Estate, said: “We are very pleased to be working in partnership with Cefetra Grain. We believe they are the right long-term partner and will work with us to strengthen our role as a key grain processing facility in the region.”

Cefetra CEO Andrew Mackay added: “As a business we were pleased that the Cefetra Grain Team succeeded in adding Great Tew as a long-term strategic store to our nationwide network of facilities.

“In these difficult times, we are acutely aware of the responsibility we have as a business to keep the supply chain for food and feed in this country functioning. Great Tew has enhanced our capabilities in this respect and in the service we can provide to our customers, both farmers and consumers.”

Simon Wilcox said that Cefetra’s speciality arm Premium Crops had also been taking a range of commodities into the facility. “We are keen to work with local farmers, offering them full access to this grain processing site with the benefit of our comprehensive marketing support, an independent view and tailormade efficient solutions,” he concluded.

Farmers across the South East can benefit from Cefetra’s strength in supplying speciality products by taking advantage of opportunities on offer via its Premium Crops arm.

Premium Crops supports farmers to grow speciality break crops and benefit from free

PREMIUM CROPS

agronomy advice and a guaranteed market for low input products such as linseed and high output crops such as erucic acid rapeseed (HEAR).

Since becoming part of Cefetra in 2018, Premium Crops has strengthened its reputation as a leading arable crop agri-business in the UK, sourcing crops such as HEAR, linseed, canary seed and naked oats internationally with a focus on added value, sustainable, traceable and fully risk-managed supply chains.

Commercial Director Chris Spedding said most of the crops offered were break crops for which farmers had a real need and tended to be spring sown, low-input and high margin. Premium Crops had three in-house agronomists offering free support to help ensure a successful crop outcome for all, he added.

“Low input crops are particularly attractive to farmers, given the current cost of fuel, chemicals and fertilisers,” he added. “If the margin was good last year, it’s certain to be even better this year relative to

conventional higher input crops.”

Premium Crops, which offers the widest range of niche crops in the UK, works with buyers to Identity the demand for products and then works with farmers to meet that demand, with the result that farmers have a guaranteed market for their product.

Premium Crops sources and supplies the best seed variety and agronomy and provides what Chris referred to as ‘cradle to grave’ support.

As well as employing three agronomists, the company invests heavily in research and development, runs trials and applies for chemical approvals aimed at making crops robust and viable.

“Niche crop values are at record highs and gross margins from crops such as linseed and HEAR rapeseed have never been better,” Chris pointed out. “HEAR rapeseed, as an example, is currently producing £200/ha better gross margin than conventional double zero and linseed prices are today at 30 year highs.”

HIGH-TECH IRRIGATION SYSTEM CAN SAVE THOUSANDS

Cefetra UK’s groundbreaking VariableRain service can save growers thousands of pounds in water bills while supporting a high-yielding, healthy crop.

The site-specific irrigation management tool brings together satellite images and impressive computer technology to assess the demand for water and plan the irrigation sequence in advance, avoiding water stress to the crop.

In an early use of the VariableRain prescription tool, a Lincolnshire potato grower was able to reduce the use of water across the site by around 60mm during the growing season, saving more than £70 per acre in water charges alone, with no notable yield difference.

The calibrated plant growth model Promet is used to simulate the growth of the crop from the date of sowing or planting onwards, while satellite data is used to assess leaf area index across a 10m x 10m grid.

That data, allied to existing crop consulting expertise and meteorological data from the location, is used to assess the crop’s need for nutrients and water to create a weekly “prescription” that tells the farmer or grower the: • Water requirement within a 10m x10m grid and on average for the field • First day of water stress for the crop • Leaf area index LAI (if cloud-free satellite image is available).

VARIABLERAIN IN ACTION

Cefetra UK provided VariableRain to a Lincolnshire business that grows potatoes for the processing market and applies water with a reel and gun system. The site has a sandy loam soil type which typically requires high water demand throughout the growing season.

The producer was looking to increase their efficiency of water use, labour,

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and energy across their whole enterprise while maximising quality and yield.

The UK is increasingly confronted with recurring periods of low rainfall and in most situations a number of short irrigation doses are more effective and yield greater water savings than prolonged irrigation at greater intervals.

The leaf area index gave a clear aerial view of how the crop was performing and matched what was seen from the sprayer seat. VariableRain gave clear information about when the first day of water stress would occur and allowed irrigation to be planned using a “just in time” approach, before the crop needed it.

The largest notable saving came from the way the water requirement for varying organic matter levels and soil types could be judged. A large amount of straw had been returned to certain parts of the field, and where this had aided moisture retention it meant less irrigation was necessary, as highlighted

by VariableRain. Using meteorological data to allow for forecast rain also helped create an efficient irrigation programme.

A weekly call to the farm outlined the irrigation recommendations and was backed up by a more detailed discussion around factors that could affect the first day of water stress, such as forecast rain not arriving, allowing for a precise and accurate irrigation programme.

By using VariableRain, the business was able to keep most of its applications to between 10mm and 18mm instead of the usual blanket application of 20mm to 25mm, giving an estimated saving of 60mm over the duration of the season and a saving of £70-plus per acre for no notable yield differential.

Alongside the cost saving, using VariableRain offers significant environmental benefits by reducing the use of water, an increasingly valuable natural resource.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

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An Anglo American PLC Product

Reimagining crop nutrition Derived from a naturally occurring polyhalite mineral, POLY4 is a multi-nutrient, low-chloride fertiliser that offers season-long crop nutrition by suppling four essential nutrients – potassium, sulphur, magnesium and calcium – in one product. POLY4 is also suitable for organic farming.

POLY4TM is a registered product of Anglo American Group.

Find out more at uk.angloamerican.com/our-fertiliser In partnership with

IN CONJUNCTION WITH When the phasing out of Basic Payments was first proposed, one of the main reasons for doing so was because it was a flat rate payment per hectare, available to anybody, regardless of how the land was managed.

So those who were in control of the largest farms and estates received the biggest payments, simple. Except it was never that simple; keeping on the right side of the crosscompliance rules and mapping everything to 0.0001 of a hectare gave us all the odd sleepless night.

DEFRA deemed paying some very large payments to very large land managers, regardless of how the land was managed, was not a fair, equitable or sustainable use of public funds. The view was that the taxpayer did not benefit, the environment did not benefit and tenants didn’t either, as rents became inflated on the back of BPS payments.

Then onto the scene comes the much-heralded new way to support farmers in providing public good, the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS). When the scheme was first announced it was to be a simple scheme to support “farmers” in providing public good, with no detail as to what public good might be, or the payment.

Time has marched on, the cuts to BPS payments are set in stone, yet the detail on ELMS remains scant and fluid, making planning a way forward exceedingly difficult.

The latest announcements of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery strands have started to fill in some detail, but are way short of enough for making long-term business decisions. The declared aim is to have 70% of farms and farmland engaged with SFI by 2028 along with increasing commitments to provide ambitious outcomes for the environment, climate, and animal health and welfare.

Under SFI we now have detail on the initial payments on offer. Taking the Arable and Horticultural Soils Standard as an example, the introductory level payment is £22/ha, for which you must: • Test soil organic matter • Undertake soil assessment and produce a soil management plan • Ensure 70% of land has winter cover to protect soils, which can be autumn sown crops or weedy stubbles • Add organic matter to 1/3 of land in the standard; this can be any organic matter, including sown green cover crops.

I am sure that some will feel they are already meeting most of the requirements and £22/ha is adequate recompense. Others that are selling straw, as the income from it is too good to refuse, will look at having to sow cover crops on 1/3 of their land and question if £22/ha is enough.

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There's not enough detail to allow farmers to make longterm busines decisions, writes Peter Knight, managing director of Burgate Farms Ltd, Hambledon, Surrey.

31

> Peter Knight The intermediate level offers a further £18/ha but increases the commitment. Of the 70% of land under winter cover, 20% of that must be multi-species green cover crop I do not believe the increase in payment is enough, as it all gets swallowed up in buying seed and drilling 20% of the farm to cover crops.

There will be an advanced level, but as with many things to do with ELMS, there are no details yet!

At present the payments are not sufficient to encourage the large uptake required to meet DEFRA’s ambitions. Those that have the necessary machinery and are already fulfilling most of the requirements may look to join the scheme, but many will look at the possible loss of income from straw sales or the cost of cover crop establishment and shun the present offering.

On the plus side, at least SFI is aimed at, and available to, all who are actively farming the land. I fear the offerings under Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery are not going to work for many, especially the tenanted sector.

The commitments are long term and aimed at collaboration encompassing multiple holdings over large tracts of land which is never going to work for farmers renting on farm business tenancies.

As the drip feed of detail on ELMS slowly emerges from DEFRA, it is becoming anything but simple to engage with and payments to working farmers are looking mediocre. Once again it is looking like a large slice of the funding is heading towards the largest landowners and managers who are able to put together large schemes and commit land for many years.

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LEGAL

NEW BEGINNINGS Photo: Peter Titmuss / Shutterstock.com

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As spring approaches, farmers will be assessing their workforce requirements and may need to take on new staff on a temporary or permanent basis to assist with the year ahead. The start of the employment relationship is critical; getting it right can help prevent claims or issues later.

In this article, I will concentrate on the issues that arise when taking on an employee, although thought should always be given as to whether you wish to engage in an employment or selfemployed relationship with an individual, bearing in mind that the title given to an individual is not determinative of this question.

It is important that you take the time to make sure that you have the correct documents in place at the outset. This will include a clear job description, offer letter and contract of employment. A written contract must be given to the employee before or on starting employment setting out the key terms of the employment relationship.

It is a good idea to include a warranty from the employee that they are entitled to work in the UK. An employer will be liable to a civil penalty if they negligently employ someone who is not entitled to work in the UK and will commit a criminal offence if they do so knowingly.

One other term that is often overlooked is the probationary period. The purpose of the probationary period is to allow the employer to assess the employee’s performance for a short period, usually three or six months. It is common to include a shorter notice period during probation

to make it easier to dismiss an employee who doesn’t fulfil the requirements. The notice period must comply with the statutory minimum period of one week.

While most employment contracts contain a probationary period, it is not uncommon for them to be forgotten about once the employee starts working. The probationary period should be structured to ensure that the employee is clear about what is expected of them and that time is set aside to assess their performance and give feedback.

It can be useful to have the right to extend the probationary period in certain circumstances, such as if the employee is off sick or you think you need longer to assess the employee’s performance.

Once an employee has successfully completed their probationary period, this should be confirmed in writing. If you decide not to continue their employment, they should be given notice before the end of their probationary period.

Although an employee who has only worked for a few months cannot claim unfair dismissal, they will be eligible to bring a discrimination claim, so care should be taken before dismissing them.

It is worth making the effort to get it right at the start, both in terms of the documents you put in place and proper use of the probationary period. This will set the tone for the employment relationship going forward.

SEASONAL WORKERS

Many vacancies in the farming sector have in recent years been filled with foreign workers

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

relying on the seasonal worker visa scheme. The scheme, which has been extended to 2024, allows foreign workers to come to the UK for up to six months to work in the horticulture sector. There will be 30,000 visas available this year, but the numbers will taper from 2023.

While the Government acknowledges the farming sector’s reliance on foreign workers, it says that the UK is now committed to becoming a high-skilled, high-wage economy and that more must be done to attract UK workers through offering training, career options, wage increases and investment in technology.

PETRA VENTON

Associate Solicitor T: 01622 698060 E: petraventon@whitehead-monckton.co.uk www.whitehead-monckton.co.uk

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DEALERSHIP EXPANSION

NATURAL AFFINITY It’s usual for existing employees taken on by an expanding business to have an induction into the ways of the new company – these days probably via a half hour online group session.

What’s not so common – in fact probably unheard of – is for nearly every one of the 64 existing staff to be visited by the Chairman and CEO of the new business and welcomed into the bosom of the ‘family’ with a personal, one-to-one chat.

Unusual, perhaps, but just one example of the way Haynes Bros is determined to create a loyal and dedicated team that will continue to give outstanding service to its growing customer base.

What was particularly reassuring to the visiting CEO Andrew Haynes was that having met members of the former Oakes Bros staff in Winchester, Newbury and Horsham he discovered that every single one was “someone we would have taken on ourselves”.

That reassurance reflected what Andrew pointed out was a “natural affinity” between the two family businesses, both with long histories and both with a focus on delivering great customer service to local farmers.

For Haynes, taking on the Oakes Bros’ premises and franchises that had been up for sale for several years will allow the company to grow its presence

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> The Winchester team

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

to the south and west of the region. For the new employees it marks an end to uncertainty and a chance to play a vital part in a growing business with a focus on making the most of the opportunities facing farmers and farming.

The Haynes Group dates back to 1790, with Andrew the sixth generation of the family to take the helm, having joined in 1996 at the age of 30 after forging a successful career in international corporate communications and then working with Iveco, Ford and New Holland both in the UK and in the US to gain an understanding of their businesses.

Oakes Bros, which already shared franchises in the shape of JCB and New Holland, making it “a perfect fit” for Haynes, had nearly as long a pedigree, dating back 195 years.

While the synergies were obvious, Andrew and his senior management team – led by recently appointed Group Managing Director James Broadley and Agricultural Operations Director Adrian Woods – made certain the two teams were a perfect fit before agreeing the deal.

That team has been strengthened by the appointment of Richard Haines and Richard Crees, both former members of the Oakes Bros team, as Business Director West and Agricultural Divisional Finance Director, respectively.

Andrew is keen that the whole of the Haynes business – now 340 strong and

FEATURED COMPANY: based on 10 sites across Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire – shares the same underlying philosophy of unbeatable customer service based on innovation, solid values and long-term relationships.

It is the focus on innovation that was one of the driving forces behind the acquisition, with Adrian Woods believing that the future of agriculture will depend on the kind of technology that can only be supported by larger dealers across a larger territory.

“Scale will become increasingly important as farming continues to change following the removal of basic payments and the increasing focus on environmental schemes,” he explained.

“In essence, farmers will be asked to achieve the same level of productivity while taking an area the size of Rutland out of productive agricultural use each year for the next 30 years to meet the government’s target of planting up to 1.5 million hectares of trees. That will only happen with technology and Haynes will be here to support that technology.”

Adrian believes dealers will build on their existing offer of machinery sales, parts and servicing to offer precision farming advice, going well beyond the current baseline of supplying GPS-equipped tractors to provide detailed, highspec analysis and planning services that will allow farmers to optimise their production and maximise their profits.

The company will deliver that support through the new Haynes Technology Hub that is being set up to future-proof the company’s offer to farmers who want to make the most of the sophisticated equipment available now and on the horizon.

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<< computer sciences and a determination to help meet the challenges of modern-day farming,” Adrian explained. “They will work in partnership with agronomists and software experts to give 21st century farmers the mapping and programming tools they need.”

Mapping technology is also being used increasingly by vineyards, of which there is a growing number in the South East. “It’s possible to plot every plant in the vineyard and treat individual vines to maximise productivity,” said Adrian.

As well as setting up the hub, Haynes’ first significant investment in this area will be to network its seven RTK (Real Time Kinematics) base stations using specialist software that will allow remote guidance diagnostics, seamless licence updates and hassle-free roaming.

“It’s clear that businesses can only provide this level of service if they are large enough to

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support this kind of investment, and adding the new dealerships to the west has helped Haynes achieve the right scale to take on the complex work involved,” said Adrian.

“It also makes better use of our specialist teams such as our human resources department, perhaps unusual for an agricultural dealer but a vital part of our staff-focused philosophy and now a cost that is spread across a wider base.”

The HR team provides a range of services to the Haynes’ staff, going “the extra mile” to support those in need of help and providing counselling alongside the usual personnel functions.

It’s helped ensure the Haynes team remains “one big family” in the words of Andrew Haynes, with a number of long-serving staff still on the books.

Currently at the top of the long-serving leadership board is Jeremy Cloude, an agricultural salesman who joined the company as an apprentice an

> Adrian Woods, James Broadley, Richard Haines and Richard Crees

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

impressive 53 years ago.

“We have an important line in our budget for gold watches!” joked James Broadley, who joined the company in April 2019 as Finance and Commercial Director and took over from Andrew as Group Managing Director in 2021.

While growth is part of the Haynes philosophy and has created new opportunities with the Oakes acquisition, Andrew and the senior management team are clear that the aim is to be “not the biggest, but the best”, with expansion only considered when “sensible and opportune”.

“This is one of those opportunities,” James explained. “As well as giving us the scale that supports our technology ambitions, we have a huge opportunity to develop our offering in the Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire and West Sussex areas served by our new dealerships in Winchester, Newbury and Horsham.” >>

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> Scott King << As an example, James pointed out that the established Haynes dealerships typically exceed their New Holland tractor market share objective, whereas the new branches to the west currently achieve a share some way behind their objective.

“The disparity is due in part to an unusually high market share in our established business resulting from diversification into niche agricultural markets, which we look forward to expanding into the western region,” he said.

“It is also down to issues in the Oakes business due to a lack of investment while the business was up for sale and partly because farmers were unsure of its future. The potential for growth in that area, particularly given the enthusiasm and commitment of the people we have taken on, is tremendous.

“We want to help our new colleagues in the

west achieve the potential they have already demonstrated to us by giving them the support they need and investing in the buildings and the infrastructure. At the same time, we want to develop new, long-term relationships with farmers and growers in that part of the world, backing up great deals with unbeatable after-sales service.

“The Haynes way has always been to grow our customer base sustainably, building relationships for the future rather than chasing short-term goals.”

With the Haynes Group also selling Ford cars and Fiat and Iveco trucks, Haynes Agricultural supplies, services and repairs New Holland and JCB machinery from dealerships in Great Chart, near Ashford in Kent, Uckfield in East Sussex, and Wrotham in Kent, as well as from the three new westerly locations. Haynes Agritec operates a

Case IH franchise from Birchington in Kent.

The list of additional franchises across Haynes Agricultural and Haynes Agritec is impressive, including Kuhn, McConnel, Votex, Kongskilde, Honda, Walter Watson, Ifor Williams. Kawasaki, Quicke, Stewart Trailers, Alo, Krone, Stihl and Husqvarna.

The company sells 600 new and used tractors, combine harvesters and telehandlers a year, along with 1,400 farm implements. Group-wide it has around 2,000 account customers and an impressive customer database that includes councils, emergency services, the National Trust and UK Power Networks.

At the same time, it prides itself on giving personal service to all its customers, particularly those in the farming world. “We are dealing with a lot of customers and a lot of franchises, but we >>

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DEALERSHIP EXPANSION

40

<< still go out of our way to make customers feel special and we choose our employees with that in mind,” said Adrian Woods.

Haynes’ objectives include providing “outstanding levels of service and value”, creating a good working atmosphere for staff and attracting and retaining the best talent around – something that is very much to the fore with the development of the technology hub. Training is vital to the way the business operates, helps set the culture within the business and promotes the use of best practice.

The company’s focus on delivering the best possible service has seen it pick up dozens of awards along the way, the most recent being New Holland Tractor Dealer of the Year 2020.

The focus now will be on investing in the westerly

FEATURED COMPANY:

branches, with an initial focus on Newbury.

Winchester and Horsham are longer-term projects, but the aim will be to provide much better facilities for farmers in those parts of the territory.

“Launch celebrations will happen in due course, but for now we are focusing on getting things up and running and making life easier for the teams,” Adrian explained.

Early improvements have included changing the signage on the buildings, vans and clothing and a big investment in IT infrastructure which has led to improved communications with customers and better diagnostic equipment in the workshops.

Haynes has already invested £100,000 in IT alone, including adding high-tech Wi-Fi hotspots in technicians’ vans. “Before, they had to tether their

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laptops to their mobiles,” Adrian pointed out.

“As with HR, we are a big enough player now to support our own IT department, which is vital these days. IT improvements have already made a big difference; we have a happier team and that means happier customers.”

That happier team could still grow as Haynes develops its offering to the west of the region. “We are looking to recruit and will carve out the right role for the right people,” said Adrian. “Our aim is to double the turnover of our agricultural division following the acquisition of Oakes Bros and key to this will be the expansion of our fruit and vineyard business. There is lots of scope to join the team and help us continue to deliver a great service to farmers across the South East.”

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UNRIVALLED CHOICE 42

OF MATERIALS HANDLING SOLUTIONS The use of telescopic handlers and other purpose-built machines by farmers and contractors has had a dramatic impact on loading, stockpiling, store out-loading, bale stacking and general materials handling work in terms of productivity and versatility.

And thanks to an innovation culture that constantly looks for ways to do things quicker, more conveniently and more easily, the JCB materials handling solutions supplied and supported by Haynes JCB locations across southern England are extraordinarily varied.

True, the JCB Loadall – the World’s number one agricultural telescopic handler – meets the vast majority of requirements, with models from 2.5 tonnes to 6 tonnes capacity.

But other JCB solutions ensure that every application and working situation imaginable is also catered for by JCB telescopic forklifts, skid-steer and tracked loaders, wheeled loaders from the tiny 403 to the giant 457 bulk loading shovel and the TM telescopic wheeled loaders up to 4.1 tonnes capacity.

JCB LOADALL

As the world’s number one agricultural telescopic handler, the JCB Loadall represents sturdy durability, reliable performance, comfort and ease of use for what is often the most-worked machine on a farm.

There is a big choice of sizes, lift capacities, lift heights and powertrains, too, with variants to suit all operations from dairy and other livestock farms to large arable units, commercial horticulture and fruit production.

The latest Loadalls have more power yet simpler engines than their predecessors and potential for fuel-saving with JCB AutoStop engine shut-down after a period at idle.

The new Command Plus cab with its spacious internal layout and up-and-over windscreen for uninterrupted visibility, attracts universal praise from operators, while the LiveLink telematics system brings genuine benefits in terms of rapid faults diagnosis and repair and timely scheduling of

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

routine servicing.

Efficient powershift/torque converter transmissions coupled to JCB engines feature in most models and suit all applications, but for the ultimate in control and performance the unique DualTech VT transmission is unbeatable, providing as it does the best characteristics of hydrostatic and powershift in one unit.

For low-speed manoeuvres, the hydrostatic drive element provides smooth, inch-perfect control and rarely any need to press the brake pedal; while seamless automatic switching at 19kph to the directdrive powershift section is perfect for travelling across fields and towing on the road in rear-wheel or four-wheel drive for maximum traction.

JCB TM TELESCOPIC LOADERS

More industry-first features are found in the latest line-up of JCB TM series telescopic wheeled loaders – the machine of choice for many farms and contractors for clearing cattle yards, filling manure spreaders, silage clamp work and other

FEATURED COMPANY: demanding tasks where power and traction are crucial.

With its eight-speed powershift transmission and 173hp engine, the new JCB TM420S is the ultimate machine for this type of work, not least because operators can select direct drive torque converter lock-up in any of the forward gears and up to fourth gear in reverse for maximum productivity.

This new transmission is also available in the market-leading TM320S, along with a more powerful engine – now 150hp – with the 50kph version enabling both machines to keep pace with contract forage harvesting and muck spreading teams when on the move.

JCB WHEELED LOADING SHOVELS

Performance and operating ease are the key characteristics of JCB’s 419S and 435S top-end agricultural wheeled loaders, which also have more power and torque – as well as added fuel economy potential – in their latest guise.

The JCB 419S’ ‘default’ setting is 144hp and 660Nm of torque, but when full power is needed for maximum productivity, dynamic mode releases up to 195hp – a 6.5% increase over the previous version accompanied by 5% more torque at 881Nm. Corresponding figures for the JCB 435S are 230hp and up to 840Nm for routine work and in dynamic mode 252hp – up 9.5%, with 25.5% more torque at a thumping 1,186Nm reinforcing this machine’s ‘King of the Clamp’ credentials.

COMPACT EQUIPMENT

JCB’s materials handling solutions are not all about big and butch machines – there are plenty of options for operators who need something small but effective, too.

The diminutive JCB 403 Plus articulated wheeled loader, for example, is only a snip more than a metre wide but is a very ‘grown up’ machine with heavy-duty axles and optional 100% locking differentials front and rear, a 50hp engine with fuel-saving AutoStop, 60-litre/min hydraulics and JCB LiveLink 24-hour monitoring.

JCB skid-steer wheeled and tracked loaders remain unique for their single loading arm – either rigid or telescopic – which allows safer and more civilised side door cab access and no scrambling over or beneath the front-end equipment to get in and out.

Meanwhile JCB has pioneered battery electric drive technology with two telescopic forklifts for packhouses and indoor storage operations, as well as the Loadall 525-60E telescopic handler. All can perform every bit as well as their diesel-fuelled counterparts but with quiet operation and zero at-source emissions.

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RIDE AND COMFORT REMAINS A UNIQUE

EXPERIENCE Uprated axles for increased payloads and durability, along with new tyre options and a locking front axle differential for increased traction in the field, are among features of the ‘Stage V’ specification JCB Fastrac 4000 Series tractors supplied and supported by Haynes branches across southern England.

The Fastrac’s legendary ride comfort is unaffected by the upgrades and is further improved on the larger Fastrac 8290 and 8330 now that they have active suspension for the front axle as well as the rear.

JCB Agriculture Managing Director John Smith explained: “The new JCB Advanced Suspension, which is well proven on Fastrac 4000 Series tractors, gives the 8000 Series models a consistent and adjustable ride height and a further improvement in ride comfort, resulting in a new standard of driver experience for a tractor of this size and power and a further increase in productivity.”

The combined effect of the suspension design includes unrivalled driver comfort that encourages faster, more productive working speeds in the field and the stability and axle control required for high-speed road travel.

It maintains a consistent ride height when front-mounted implements or ballast are attached and provides increased stability when working with larger implements.

Operators can adjust the ride height

individually, front and rear, to help balance the tractor, and when undertaking operations such as buck-raking on a silage clamp or clearing roads with a snow plough the hydraulic cylinder actuators can be set to maximum pressure to minimise axle movement.

On the two biggest Fastracs, the suspension upgrade brings a 13% increase in permitted operating weight of 18,000kg, so larger implements and equipment can be operated and additional ballast used if necessary.

Similarly, the stronger axles on the smaller Fastracs raise maximum permitted weight to 14,500kg, with larger external brake discs, bigger hubs, kingpins and bearings all contributing to the enhanced performance credentials, along with a larger and now fully locking front axle differential.

New tyre options also help; the ‘VF’ category high-speed rated tyres can operate at a lower inflation pressure for a given load, resulting in a larger footprint delivering increased traction and less soil compaction. Conversely, they can carry a heavier load than lesser tyres of the same size without resorting to higher tyre inflation pressures.

John Smith said: “Fastrac 4000 Series tractors continue to win over new owners and operators with their unique combination of speed, comfort, road safety, field traction and four-wheel steer manoeuvrability – all of which contribute to increased productivity.”

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FEATURED COMPANY: By placing innovation at the heart of the business, Haynes Agricultural has positioned itself at the cutting edge of farming over the next few decades.

As agriculture strives to be more productive while reducing expensive inputs, devoting less acreage to growing crops and reducing its carbon footprint, technology will be at the forefront of a rapidly changing industry.

Agricultural Operations Director Adrian Woods has pointed out that the massive changes in farming expected by the Government and the wider population “will only happen with technology”, something Haynes has addressed by setting up the Haynes Technology Hub. But the hub is only part of the story. Haynes is also in a unique position to help farmers benefit from both available and emerging technologies because of its close links with two of its major franchises, New Holland and Case IH, whose machinery it sells through its Haynes Agritec arm.

At the end of November last year, CNH Industrial NV, the parent company of both New Holland and Case IH, bought US-based precision agricultural technology leader Raven Industries Inc, giving the machinery manufacturer – and its dealerships around the world – a huge boost in terms of the services they will be able to offer farmers.

At the time of the acquisition the manufacturing giant said the deal “builds upon a long partnership and is an important milestone in CNH Industrial's digital transformation”.

Scott Wine, Chief Executive Officer of CNH Industrial, went on: “Raven is a true pioneer in the precision agriculture space, and their technology is a perfect strategic fit that will differentiate us from our peers and significantly improve our competitive position.

“This acquisition will add strong innovation capabilities to accelerate our precision and digital strategy. I would like to commend both the Raven

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DEALERSHIP EXPANSION

INNOVATION

AT THE HEART and CNH Industrial teams who are collaborating closely on a seamless transition to make this truly transformative deal progress smoothly.”

Adrian Woods commented: “CNH Industrial has described itself as ‘laser focused on delivering immediate value for its brands’ dealer partners and their customers, the world’s farmers’, and that’s clearly good news for Haynes Agricultural and Haynes Agritec.”

“Haynes is determined to be at the forefront of emerging farming technology, and to be able to offer machinery that benefits from the input of a company with Raven’s track record is a real boost to that ambition.”

New Holland has also launched its worldleading methane powered tractor, which Adrian believes is set to be a big seller, particularly with farmers who have access to their own supply of methane via an anaerobic digestion plant.

Both the T6.180 tractor and the first in-house products featuring fully integrated Raven precision agriculture systems are expected to be available this year, further strengthening Haynes’ offer to its now wider customer base across the South East.

With emerging technology posing its own challenges to farmers, who will need to learn entirely new ways of doing things, Haynes is determined that it will be able to offer the right level of advice and expertise to make the most of

the new opportunities.

The Haynes Technology Hub will provide that support, bringing together the brightest minds, IT experts and programming specialists who will be able to provide the right level of consultancy and help farmers get the best from the new systems on offer.

The company is already networking its existing seven RTK (Real Time Kinematics) base stations using specialist software and is recruiting the technology hub team that will move Haynes Agricultural on to the next level.

“Shortly after we completed the acquisition of Oakes Bros, we scheduled a meeting with the New Holland precision farming team to discuss their direction of travel and what they expect from the dealer of tomorrow,” Adrian explained.

“It was clear from this meeting that we were on the right track, but that we needed to specialise within the technology and precision farming sector so that we could embrace their current offering but also prepare for the new technologies that will come to market following their $2 billion purchase of Raven industries.”

The team will be responsible for RTK, telematics, precision farming solutions today and new technologies as they emerge, and a growing list of other functions, including mapping assistance, consultancy and links to specialist companies and organisations.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

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METHANE POWERED TRACTOR CUTS

RUNNING COSTS AND POLLUTION Another exciting innovation that Haynes Agricultural will be sharing with farming customers is the launch of New Holland’s new methane-powered T6.180, due to enter production this year.

The tractor, which Agricultural Operations Director Adrian Woods predicts will be extremely popular with farmers or landowners with access to an anaerobic digestion plant, is in its final pre-production test and development stages and will be produced at the Basildon tractor plant.

The T6.180 Methane Power is currently undergoing practical testing by farmers across Europe – including two businesses in the UK, one of which is Essex-based Sell Farming.

New Holland explains that the tractor “features a re-engineered six-cylinder FPT NEF engine producing 179hp like its diesel-fuelled equivalent. Gas injectors and spark plugs replace the diesel injector, with the gas injected into each cylinder for constant, clean, maximised combustion”.

The manufacturer adds: “Compared to the limits

allowed under EU Stage V emissions rules, carbon monoxide emissions from the methane-powered T6.180 are 75% lower, while the level of non-methane hydrocarbons is reduced by 90%. Particulate matter is down by 98%, nitrous oxide by 62%, and CO2 by 11%.”

Running costs are claimed to be up to 30% lower, while the tractor’s 453 litres of gas capacity is sufficient for around eight hours of road haulage or PTO work using maximum boosted power, rising to 14 hours for operating something like a cattle feeder.

O

L

We are proud to be partnering with Haynes Agricultural to supply Claydon machinery across the south east.

VE

IL

Claydon Opti-Till® reduces establishment costs, improves soil health and maintains healthy yields.

O YOUR S

claydondrill.com

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

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NEW

420S | TELESCOPIC WHEEL LOADER

4.8 Litre

173hp

50kph

8-speed

Introducing the all-new Stage V JCB TM420S. With JCB’s proven DieselMAX 4.8 litre engine delivering a massive 173hp (129kW) and a new 8-speed powershift transmission with Torquelock in all gears for a greater range of travel speeds up to 50kph, it’s our most powerful and productive TM model ever. And with fuel saving regenerative hydraulics, high flow pipework, Auto Smoothride System and new seamless one-piece glazing, there’s now an even more powerful argument for buying one.

Contact your local dealer or call 0800 917 3325 for more information.

facebook.com/JCBAg

@JCBAgriculture www.jcb.com

DEALERSHIP EXPANSION

FEATURED COMPANY:

ONE OF THE UK’S LONGESTESTABLISHED BUSINESSES 1832

The Haynes name started in Maidstone when John Gurney took William Haynes into partnership.

William joined from the family business of Haynes and Son, ironmongers founded in 1790 and situated in the Edgware Road, London, now the site of the Hilton London Metropole. When John Gurney retired shortly after the partnership set up, he sold his shares to William Haynes.

1903

The firm sold its first motor car, a Humber, the start of a motor business selling Humber, Sunbeam, Daracq and De Dion cars. The purchase of 14 – 18 King Street, Maidstone, virtually opposite the main ironmongery premises, provided the necessary showrooms and workshops.

1911

Bernard Haynes, grandson of the founder, took a demonstration ride in a Ford Model T and was impressed with its performance up Boxley Hill.

He ordered one; the invoice for £180 is still in the Haynes archives and the transaction started the company’s long association with the Ford Motor Company, which has now lasted for well over 100 years. That same year, Haynes became the first Ford distributor in Kent and the 12th appointed in the UK.

1922

Ronald Haynes, eldest son of Bernard, joined the firm after studying at Cambridge and training with Ford. He was to play a big part in developing the motor business.

1926

> Adrian Woods, Andrew Haynes and James Broadley

1939/45

Only the agricultural business was fully operational during the second world war. After the war, Ronald Haynes continued to run the Ford franchises while brother Philip, who had been captured at Dunkirk in 1940 while serving with the Royal West Kent Regiment, concentrated on the ironmongery and electrical businesses.

1953

Ronald Haynes’ son David joined the company after gaining business experience with Ford in the UK and the USA. During his early years as sales and marketing director he raced Ford Zephyrs and Lotus Cortinas, prepared by Haynes, in the British Saloon Car Championship.

1959

Philip became company secretary.

The premises at 14 – 18 King Street were extended and modernised, while new offices and workshops covering 25,000 square feet were opened at Ashford Road on land that had been part of the Haynes family house.

1936

1961

Philip Haynes, second son of Bernard, joined the firm.

1928

Ronald and Philip were appointed directors.

1937

Bernard Haynes took the opportunity to buy the shares of 15 other family members. In the same year the directors bought the first 1.25 acres of the now 5.5 acre Ashford Road, Maidstone site and expanded the franchises for Ford cars, commercial vehicles and tractors.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

During the company’s Golden Jubilee as Ford distributors, racing driver Stirling Moss – now Sir Stirling Moss OBE and Godfather to current chairman Andrew Haynes, opened the new premises.

1962

David Haynes was selected to drive a Lotus Cortina for the Ford Works team under the Willment banner.

1965

David Haynes retired from motor racing.

1966

David Haynes was appointed managing director.

1968

Expanding steadily, Haynes moved some activities to a 3.5 acre site on the Parkwood Trading Estate and purchased an agricultural depot at Appledore.

1986

The company was told its classic 1930s showroom would have to be demolished to make way for the Maidstone ring road.

1988

Work began on a replica of the showroom on land to the rear of the old site. Ford’s truck division merged with Iveco Trucks, which owned 51% of the shares.

Until recently, Iveco Trucks was owned by CNH, owners of New Holland and Case IH.

1989

The new showroom, complete with a covered used vehicle display, was opened.

1991

New Holland bought Ford Tractors, which meant the company’s Ford tractor franchise, held since 1920, was extended to cover the New Holland Harvester range and now included the whole of Kent, following the Canterbury dealer’s decision to relinquish the franchise for that area. >>

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

49

THE PARTNER OF THE PROFESSIONAL DEALER Our unparalleled range of machinery spare parts and accessories for all brands gives our valued customers full access to a one stop shop for all their agricultural needs.

• Over 300,000 competitively priced replacement parts always in stock from your local Haynes dealer!

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• Every Haynes approved dealer has full access to the GRANIT Parts catalogue, which contains more than 13 million parts in the webshop.

GRANIT PARTS ARE A PROUD SUPPLIER OF AGRICULTURAL SPARE PARTS AND EQUIPMENT TO THE HAYNES GROUP OF COMPANIES. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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DEALERSHIP EXPANSION

FEATURED COMPANY: 1992

A new depot opened at the end of the previous year at Eastry was linked by new IT to the company’s two other depots at Maidstone and Appledore.

Haynes Bros Ltd then formed two subsidiary companies: Haynes of Kent Agricultural (Kent) Ltd, which operated Ford New Holland, and Haynes of Maidstone Ltd, which incorporated Ford car, commercial vehicle and Rallye Sport franchises together with Iveco Ford trucks.

1996

The company celebrated 85 years as a Ford main dealer and was presented with a plaque by the Registrar of Companies as the 50th company in Kent to celebrate 100 years as a limited company.

Andrew Haynes joined his father on the main board on his 30th birthday.

2000

Andrew Haynes was appointed managing director of Haynes Ltd. The company was invited by Iveco to take on the heavy truck franchise alongside the up-to-18-tonne franchise it had held since 1988.

Haynes Trucks, a new company, took over the assets and staff of Invicta Trucks in East Kent. With Ford having sold their share in Iveco Ford, this meant Haynes had the franchises for Iveco Trucks and New Holland agricultural machinery, both owned

by CNH.

2010

The company opened a new dedicated Case IH branch near Birchington in East Kent.

2011

Haynes opened a New Holland-branded modern agricultural facility at Great Chart, near Ashford.

The smaller, older satellite branches at Eastry and Appledore and the on-farm rented facility at Lingfield were closed.

2011

Haynes celebrated 100 years as a Ford main dealer, one of only four in the country to reach this milestone. Sir Stirling Moss OBE was once again present at the celebrations.

2013

The company opened a new New Holland agricultural depot at Wrotham Heath.

2016

The Ashford Road showroom was remodelled as a state-of-the-art FordStore showroom and the company sold its Parkwood site, which was no longer home to the New Holland agricultural business. The Haynes Heritage Centre was opened at Ashford Road by Sir Stirling and Lady Moss.

2019

The company was approached by JCB about expanding its territory into east Kent and approached its landlord at Great Chart about modernising the site and increasing the size of the workshop.

2020

The expanded and modernised site at Great Chart was completed to allow JCB sales and servicing from the site.

2021

Andrew Haynes stepped down as group managing director and handed the reins to James Broadley, previously the company’s finance and commercial director, while he took the new title of chairman and chief executive officer. Haynes acquired the trade and assets of Oakes Bros Ltd, together with freehold branches at Winchester, Newbury and Horsham.

With territorial coverage for New Holland and JCB now extended into part of Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire and West Sussex, it made Haynes Agricultural one of those manufacturers’ largest dealer groups in the UK.

2004

Haynes bought the Uckfield and Lingfield branches of New Holland dealer Sussex Tractors in a deal that was fully endorsed by the manufacturer. It was followed by the company taking on a franchise for Case IH, also part of CNH, at Lingfield along with a sales point at Uckfield. Haynes also secured a JCB (agricultural) franchise for the new company at both locations.

2006

Haynes was asked to take on the Case IH franchise for Kent after the existing dealer stepped down. The Appledore depot was rebranded from New Holland to Case IH. These changes made this side of the business the largest agricultural dealer in the South East.

2007

Haynes took on the Fiat light commercial vehicle franchise. The combined Ford, Iveco and Fiat volumes made the company the largest truck and commercial vehicle dealer in the South East.

2009

Following the death of his father, Andrew Haynes became chairman while also retaining his existing responsibilities as managing director. The company won the Ford Motor Company’s most prestigious award – for outstanding customer satisfaction – for the first time.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

51

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BIRCHINGTON The Old Mill, St Nicholas Court Court Road, St Nicholas at Wade Birchington Kent CT7 0PT TEL: 01843 847207

GREAT CHART Bayley Wood Old Surrenden Manor Road Ashford Kent TN26 1JJ TEL: 01233 822205

ORGANISED CHAOS ANITA HEAD

DUTY OF CARE TO PROVIDE

ACCURATE INFORMATION The dung has been spread and the fertiliser has been delivered. Spring drilling has begun in earnest, as the weather conditions allow. The first half of February (I even managed to mow the lawn) was very dry and the rain certainly made up for it in the later part. Let us hope March is kind to us. The evenings are drawing out and the additional daylight hours are a welcome change for the dreary winter. Spring is on its way. A little bit of warmth and the crops will grow in earnest.

This month has been and gone in a whirlwind.

So much to achieve in such a short space of time.

With February only being 28 days and a half term thrown in the middle, it would appear we are nearly a quarter of the way through the year. We now have a five year old in the house (where has the time gone?), next month we shall also celebrate having a 21 year old!

Now I am feeling really old. I seem to sound more like my mother every year (I’m sure the children will agree with me). When asking Ted what he would like for his birthday he replied “a slurry tanker”, an unusual present but the excitement mounted when he realised it was a remote-control Fendt tractor and slurry tanker. Apparently, it is the best present ever! I’m not sure we’ll see the same excitement from Fergus when he receives his birthday present.

While writing this article I had subconsciously decided to avoid any political debate; Boris, Prince Andrew, Russia etc, so instead I decided to watch

Panorama – A cow’s life, the true price of milk. What a disaster, what a mistake.

The BBC decided to air a programme that didn’t show a true reflection of a cow’s life in British farming. This program was a completely biased, one sided, undercover programme highlighting an issue (that needed to be dealt with) that happens on a minority of dairy farms.

I am convinced 99% of UK dairy farmers adhere to the stringent rules and regulations. How dare you, BBC, portray us all on the back of one farm’s poor actions? How dare you push an agenda that doesn’t truly reflect and portray an industry which has the highest animal welfare standards in the world and adheres to them?

I do not condone any of the cruelty shown in the programme, but I do condemn the BBC and the undercover activist group that chose to make this programme rather than report the cruelty to the relevant authorities. You have prolonged the suffering of those cows and are no better than the abusers. You made this programme for viewer ratings and not on behalf of the welfare of those

ANITA HEAD Farmer

cows. As a media outlet you have a duty of care to provide accurate information, not show edited clips designed to misinform the general public about the whole industry.

You haven’t shown the 99% of farmers who adore their animals or the farmer who cries when they lose a cow they have nurtured for weeks or any other animal that dies. You do not show the farmers who spend many hours up through the night ensuring 24-hour nursing care to their animals. The farmers who adhere to every standard for a Red Tractor assurance scheme and sky-high standards from their milk purchasers and many more.

Farmers have their milk price dictated by the supermarkets and still adhere to every standard.

What does the BBC think this programme is going to achieve, apart from demoralising all dairy farmers when farmers should instead be thanked for providing three meals a day?

Look at the success of Jeremy Clarkson’s programme and even Tom Pemberton on YouTube.

These are both programmes that display the love and affection as well as the truth behind farming.

These guys are the same as the rest of farmers, guys who love the animals. These guys show a true representation of the UK’s farmers. I’ve registered my complaint with the BBC. Lets see how many others have done the same. Rant over for this month…

Take care and stay safe.

PRE-CALVING NUTRITIONAL ADVICE The key to a successful calving period is cow condition. Cows should be fit – not fat – when they calve down, ideally with a condition score in the 2.5-3 range at calving.

Large fat deposits in the birth canal may impede the passage of the calf, but probably of greater importance is the fact that fat cows lose their appetite earlier than fit cows as calving approaches - and are slower to regain it after calving.

The reduced feed intake pre-calving means that magnesium intake also falls and this reduces her ability to mobilise calcium from bones. A modest reduction in calcium availability reduces the ability of the womb to contract, prolonging the first stage of labour (slow calving syndrome),

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

while a more serious calcium deficiency can lead to milk fever. Maintaining blood magnesium levels helps maximise both calcium absorption from the gut and mobilisation from bones, dramatically reducing the risk of milk fever.

Crystalyx Pre-Calver contains a unique combination of magnesium salts to optimise uptake and availability within the cow to help maintain blood magnesium levels as calving approaches, together with generous levels of all trace elements to help replenish body reserves prior to calving and promote a strong immune response within both the cow and calf, which is important for calf health and vigour. The high levels of Vitamin E and selenium also help reduce the risk of retained afterbirth.

With typical intakes averaging 200g/cow/day, feeding Crystalyx Pre-Calver for an eight-week dry period represents an investment of only around £11 per cow.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

53

beyond to ensure students are exposed to the latest cutting edge technologies, including robotics in the dairy and a brand new state of the art high welfare and RSPCA assured pig unit. Coupled with this, the college’s new farm shop and café open in Brighton this summer, providing the perfect opportunity to demonstrate and educate students in every aspect of the supply chain relating to British produce.

STUDENTS REVIEW

So whether your area of expertise is livestock, arable, machinery or agri-business, we’d like to hear from you.

SMART TARGETS

Find out more & apply: plumpton.ac.uk/our-college/vacancies

The importance of meeting parents/carers at Plumpton College. Curriculum Manager Alan Johnson reports…

Students are progressing well this term following parent/carer progress meetings.

Students review their SMART targets to ensure they continue to be stretched and challenged.

It is very important to meet with parents/carers and get an overview of our students’ progress.

We receive constructive feedback from parents/ carers through individual conversations. The feedback has evidenced that the students are very clear on their individual targets and are very motivated to learn. We received several requests from parents/carers to continue developing and progressing specific targets. This month's activity round up is as follows from our students:

54

MIA

We are now six months into our course and I am still learning something new every day. The lecturers make the lessons engaging and we have been taught a wide range of new skills in my practical lessons.

Of particular interest to me is that Plumpton College has been busy building the new pig unit over the past few months. I've taken time, just like many others, to go and look at the new and improved unit.

New automatic feeders and water systems have been installed and sows can access their own feed allocation. Along with this, sows and piglets will be kept in controlled optimum temperatures to stay warm and healthy, making sure the piglets don't feel the cold and adhering to the highest welfare standards.

A central walkway has been designed inside the unit, making it easier for staff and students to check the pigs more freely, which ultimately means easier and better monitoring. Each farrowing unit holds 20 sows; the other students and I are looking forward to learning about the new system.

This is an exciting improvement for Plumpton College, and it will be amazing to see how the pigs adapt to the new unit.

BEN

For my work placement during my education at Plumpton College, I have been working at Oak Farm, a mixed dairy and sheep farm. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the care involved with commercially producing dairy products and lamb.

The issues we experience in dairy farming predominantly include, but are not limited to, digital dermatitis, mastitis and pneumonia (calves). For treating and preventing mastitis, we use a bed cleaner for the mattresses the dairy herd lies on to prevent mastitis bacteria migrating from one cow to another.

To get an idea of the numbers within the herd exhibiting a mastitis infection, we test the milk with an external milk tester, via collection tubes that attach directly to the parlour, monthly. These results may give us an earlier indication that a cow is potentially harbouring mastitis, shown by an increased cell count.

These cows are then isolated from the herd

and collectively quarantined into the cell cow group, whose milk is sent directly to the calves for ingestion until they are recovered enough for their milk to be below cell count regulations.

Another issue we experience regularly is digital dermatitis, which is fairly easy to prevent but not so easily removed from the herd entirely once infection begins.

Although preventative measures may have been taken, dermatitis bacteria can begin to fester in cows' feet because of the bacteria-favoured conditions of dairy farming. This can cause sores and damage to their soles and heels.

Although this is a highly contagious and erosive infection, infection cannot set in without an initial lesion through which the bacteria can get beneath the skin. This means properly regulated foot care for herds is the most important factor to minimis dermatitis cases.

On the campus farm at Plumpton College we regularly use footbaths to help control any bacteria beginning to fester on the animals' feet.

Plumpton College opens new butchery training centre for South East – read more: bit.ly/PlumptonButcheryCentre Visit www.plumpton.ac.uk to study a range of fantastic land and environment courses

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Sorry, NO Dogs Allowed.

Join us for...

LAMBING WEEKEND at Hadlow College Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th March 2022

FOOD & DRINK VENDORS, ARTS & CRAFT STALLS, FUN FAIR RIDES & MUCH MORE! Pre-registration now live. Please visit hadlow.ac.uk/events for more information.

55 or ng f RS i t i u recr NEE are E ENGI ent e W VIC NS K SER t MAN a

Making a Difference

CLAAS service engineers are key to our business, so if you’d like to be a highly valued employee working in a forward thinking dealership apply now.

You will work on the full range of CLAAS machines, alongside complimentary products from the dealer’s franchises. You will use a laptop as much as getting your hands dirty to get the job done.

We’ll offer you structured career progression, with four clear stages of development, we will support you every step of the way with ongoing training at the CLAAS Academy.

In return for your commitment to the role you can: You can enjoy career longevity with our continuous training programme, and we will do all we can to manage your work/life aspirations.

And share the benefits the benefits of working for a dealer allied to a successful global brand.

Contact Thomas Hancock, After Sales Director on 07717 861826 or email a covering letter and a full CV to cuk.hr@claas.com All enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence. Deadline for completed applications is 18th March 2022.

ENGINEER YOUR CAREER

JOIN OUR TEAM

TM

SARAH CALCUTT FOCUS ON FRUIT

WE COME FROM THE SOIL

56

It’s lovely to be invited to an event where there is both an interesting group of guests and also some outstanding speakers. I was very fortunate to be able to listen to Professor Alan Buckwell's thoughts on the un-sustainability of the British food system at an excellent evening hosted by Rift R&D. This followed the excellent inaugural Kent County Agricultural Society (KCAS) farming conference There are many pressures on farmers, stemming from a confusion in agricultural, food and social policy. These include the drive for innovation, the need to produce food products from natural resources without destroying the environment, diet and health challenges, the biodiversity and environmental crisis and not least, the very poor current returns in farming.

Professor Buckwell began dissecting the list, starting with the food report and lack of resulting strategy – pressing home the point that we need a food system that doesn’t make us and the planet sick.

With diabetes still on the rise, the solution has to come from a healthy, British-grown diet with a minimum of onward processing. There is an enormous amount of work to be done on how we can shift the national diet with a balance of sources of vital nutrients, and how can this be done with less pressure for land? He referenced Tim Lang’s book Feed Britain and the continuing need to reset how food is regarded and how little is paid for it, with Alan, Tim and also Dieter Helm all agreeing that we need more agri-ecological production.

Professor Buckwell’s third point was that there is pressure to reduce the total area of agricultural land; we must devote some to carbon sequestration and return it to a natural state – clearly through the utilisation of marginal lands and peat restoration etc. His final point was that some intensification of the remaining productive area was necessary, the rapid adoption of new precision technologies coupled with older forms of land management being the focus of the ELMS policy shift. He ended with a challenge to the farmers in the audience: “Are you awake to the global innovation wave? Are you on track to be a part of this innovation in farming and environmental management?”

This all tied in well with the themes explored

at the KCAS conference earlier in the month, with Grace O’Dwyer from HSBC bank talking about how supply chains will use sustainability as a measurement metric in the selection of partners.

“The gauntlet has been thrown down,” she stated.

“Targets need an immediate start.”

She added that growers needed to be optimistic, with climate change a challenge that the industry can rise to. James Smith brought some sharp focus to the discussions with insight into the realities of farming in a changing climate. With a decision made to change production methods, 2021’s weather threw every possible negative climate trait at the potential crop.

James reminded the audience that we come > James Smith

SARAH CALCUTT Executive Chair, National Fruit Show

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

from the soil and we are driven and dependent on the quality of our food; the health of our soil is imperative for the quality of that food. From a perpetual cycle of farming intensively with chemical control regimes, James has come back from the brink of leaving the industry to embracing the five principles of regenerative agriculture: • Maintain living roots • Minimise soil disturbance • Livestock integration • Diversity • Protect the soil surface.

To learn more about James’ farming journey into regenerative fruit production, listen to the Farming for Change podcasts.

FRUIT

FRUIT SHOW MOVES DATE

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

years, what Outfield's growers have found useful and where these technologies might be going in the future.

The afternoon conference session is in conjunction with NIAB/EMR and will include a visit to the new Growing Kent and Medway facility and a presentation of the latest research findings for the sector.

Sarah Calcutt commented: “This is a crucial time for the industry, with growers having to deal with a wide range of challenges, and this conference will showcase some of the exciting examples of how automation and technology can help producers to thrive in the future.” www.nationalfruitshow.org.uk

Better people Best placed SEASONAL LABOUR PLACEMENT tm ui

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The 89th National Fruit Show (NFS) has been moved to early November in a change that is expected to prove popular with growers.

The show will now take place at the Kent Showground at Detling on 2 and 3 November 2022 and has been repositioned to fully include soft as well as top fruit.

“This new date means growers will have picked the majority of their fruit and will be able to bring their teams to the show,” explained NFS Executive Chair Sarah Calcutt. “We know the industry will be pleased by the move into November and we are looking forward to seeing everyone again.

“For the first time our show will be for growers of all fruit crops, ensuring that we are encompassing the broad range of challenges facing our sector, from regenerative techniques to the artificial intelligence (AI) and automation revolution required.”

Ahead of the show, organisers from the Marden Fruit Show Society have announced that the society’s AGM will be held on Wednesday 6 April at NIAB EMR in East Malling, Kent.

As well as covering formal society business, the day will feature a full conference programme focused on the theme of UK Fruit Growing – The future, automation and research. The AGM is open to everyone in the UK fruit industry and will be available to attend in person and online.

Sponsored by the Agri-EPI Centre, which supports the development of engineering and precision agriculture technologies and systems, the programme will look at how new technologies can help growers become more efficient and productive at a time of tight margins and chronic labour shortages.

Dave Ross, chief executive of the Agri-EPI Centre, said: “For us, sponsoring the National Fruit Show’s AGM is a fantastic way of showing our support for a like-minded organisation tackling the collective challenge of how to shape the future of sustainable fruit farming in the UK. We’re looking forward to the programme and an interesting day.”

The prestigious James Nichols lecture will be delivered by Professor Simon Pearson, director of the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology. A leader in inter-disciplinary ag-tech research, Professor Pearson is working on developing robotic solutions to drive productivity across the agri-food sector, including harvesting, phenotyping and crop care.

Also on the conference speaker’s platform will be Tim Mordan, deputy director of the agri-food chain at DEFRA. Tim will talk about the seasonal workers scheme, how the agencies involved are working to bring the right candidates to the UK and also about sourcing labour at home.

With Tim on the conference programme will be Lee Abbey, chief advisor, horticulture and potatoes, at the NFU. Jim McDougall from Outfield will be talking about the technology the company has developed with growers to assess orchards throughout the season using AI and drones. He will also share changes across horticulture in recent

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

57

SEED

FERTILISER

GRAIN

STORAGE

T: 01264 321 595 www.openfield.co.uk

ELVED PHILLIPS ARABLE NOTES

58

As far as wheat exports go, Russia punches above its weight, for while it only produces 10% of the world’s wheat, it contributes 17% of global wheat trade. Ukraine is similar; it grows only 4% of the world’s wheat (compared to the EU/UK at 20%) but exports 12%. So, between Russia and Ukraine, they supply 29% of the world’s wheat, which is why, together with the disruption of oil supplies, any threat of conflict or blockade in the Black Sea causes such volatility in world markets.

Those still prepared to offer marine insurance cover are still building in hefty “weapons grade” premiums for any Black Sea shipping business. Alongside this, but for other reasons, some record massive futures positions have been created, as for now this volatility has seemed never ending.

French MATIF wheat futures have hedge funds long of 116,000 contracts, whereas Chicago has funds short of 30,000 wheat contracts! If you add in 30-year high inflation in the USA and Europe, you have a heady cocktail of risks being run by these hedge funds. This is unprecedented and can only add to volatility of commodity prices.

The February USDA report was considered to be the most out of touch with reality that has been seen in the past 50 years. That is saying something, as they have had some very unrealistic efforts during that time.

ELVED PHILLIPS Openfield

THE CLOCK IS TICKING They seem to have completely ignored local agencies in South America that strongly suggest that the USDA production and export forecasts for maize and soya are 20 to 30 million tonnes too high. So, while world wheat has dropped in value, maize and soya have held their values and even increased.

In the UK we are, as I like to say, over halfway through the first half, of the second half of the 2021/22 trading season. So, if you still need to sell for cash flow or space by the end of March or first half of April, the clock is ticking and you need to get on with it.

Given that the wheat market peaked in the middle of November 2021, it has taken a long time to drift down slowly and, with spikes, has given lots of opportunities to improve your average selling price.

Like some of my CMG pools, even if the remainder were sold at spot values, the average price would probably still be higher than achieved so far.

The last quarter of the second half (April to July) offers many possibilities for yet more volatility and price increases. Ethanol production in the UK has been disappointing so far. It was expected that both plants would have been operational from the beginning of this year, but only one has and it has been using maize as well as wheat. The other does not intend to start producing until March and will use wheat. So the demand in the UK balance sheet for wheat used in ethanol production has been reduced from1.3 million tonnes to 809,000 tonnes. Despite this, when you factor in known exports to date, the UK has no wheat surplus at the end of June!

As last year, the key test will come when all of the futures stores have been cleared of wheat at the end of

May. It will then be a question of what’s left on farms or in end users’ stores to see us through until new crop is available. Last year the expected wheat stock was not there, and neither was the barley, so every ounce was used up, while eager buyers clamoured for the first cargos of French wheat and barley.

No one knows how much wheat has been imported into the UK so far. We know the expected milling must have come in as we didn’t have the quality, but the amount of feed is anyone’s guess. What we do know is that the imported price of wheat and maize are much higher than whatever our ex-farm prices are.

As I have said before, the biggest disappearing trick of all time is UK barley. Feed barley seems not to be there. Old crop malting barley demand has collapsed, so some of that is being flushed out, but where is the half million tonne surplus? Surely it cannot all have been fed on farm?

Until we have a “weather story” on new crop wheat and barley, I’m reluctant to start selling forward, when the differential between old and new crop is so high.

Also, what “weather story” there is so far is not good.

There are soil moisture deficits and unseasonably high temperatures in the North American Hard Red Winter wheat belt, the Balkans, Black Sea, Russia, Ukraine, Africa and the middle East, and Spain is more or less in drought.

Last but not least, The Russian parliament has placed a document in front of President Putin, requesting that that he officially recognises the Ukrainian regions of Donbas and Luhansk as being Russian. Russia has now made its first move and the markets hold their breath.

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MIN-TILL,

Offe in so serv your

MAX-ANXIETY

Min-till is a technique I’ve stubbornly refused to adopt for many years.

But, given that it is now considered basic ‘good husbandry’, even by the Government, and so may be a required technique to enable arable farmers to qualify for ELMS Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) payments, am I going to have to give up my ploughing ways?

Most of my arable land is heavy and poorly drained so ploughing helps prevent the soil from becoming compacted. The land is also infested with blackgrass, so, as this pernicious weed has become ever more resistant to the few herbicides that we are still allowed to use to control it, I rely on the plough to bury any weed seed return so that it cannot germinate.

But this year, as spring beans will form part of my rotation, I have decided to tiptoe gingerly into min-till by engaging a contractor to sow them for me with a Claydon drill. Depending on soil conditions, they will either direct drill them without any prior cultivations or move the soil slightly in advance to ensure that there is enough tilth to bury the beans.

So, rather than me plough the land this winter, any blackgrass will be killed off by an application of glyphosate. This will greatly reduce the CO2 that will be emitted, as inverting the soil releases truly scary quantities of carbon.

So far so good, but, unlike most min-till practitioners, I did not plant a green cover crop last autumn. This is done to suppress weeds, reduce leaching of nutrients, prevent soil erosion and improve soil structure and levels of organic matter.

The reason I held back was that I am currently unnerved by predictions that cover crops are forecast to become ‘the weeds of the future’. With so many species of cover crops being sown, agronomists are becoming concerned that controlling them within a rotation will become difficult and expensive – particularly given how costly herbicides have now become.

Apparently ‘phacelia’ (whatever that is?) is already causing problems in following cereal crops, and trials are also under way about the best herbicides to use to control volunteers of fodder radish, rye, clover, vetch and chicory.

But, ‘weeds of the future’ or not, it seems that we will have to plant cover crops if they are going to be required by the SFI, which will insist that 80% of spring-cropped land be sown with green cover through the preceding winter.

If I’m going to recoup at least some of my BPS payments as they are withdrawn over the next four years, it seems that I will have no option but to embrace min-till. That said, even though scrap metal is making good money, I won’t be getting rid of my plough just yet.

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AGRONOMY

ACT EARLY TO STOP

> Septoria on lower leaves

> Yellow Rust

YELLOW RUST AND SEPTORIA

60

Early action will be key to preventing yellow rust and Septoria gaining a foothold in crops as we enter the main spring growing period, according to Hutchinsons agronomist James Boswell.

The risk from both diseases is relatively high, following a milder than average winter and a significant area of crops sown early into good conditions last autumn. Overall, there are plenty of good, lush, earlysown wheat crops around, which will potentially be at higher risk of disease given the right conditions.

While cold weather and frosts will slow disease development, conditions can quickly change and allow disease to build, as was clearly evident with Septoria in some crops last season.

There is a reasonable level of inoculum on older leaves in many crops, which could develop quickly and spread to new growth if conditions turn warmer and wetter in coming weeks.

TARGET YELLOW RUST AT T0

Early treatment is paramount for yellow rust control, so this should be the main focus of the first fungicide spray, which is usually applied to winter wheat around growth stage 25-30.

If you’ve got yellow rust, it’s important to knock it out early with a tebuconazole or metconazole-based fungicide. Including a strobilurin such as azoxystrobin or pyraclostrobin can bring extra persistence, however strobilurins should not be used alone, as resistance management guidelines require them to be mixed with a fungicide with a different mode of action.

Prioritise susceptible varieties rated 3 or 4, which were hit particularly hard by yellow rust last year but will give greatest yield response to treatment.

JAMES BOSWELL

Hutchinsons’ Agronomist T: 07721 888382 E: james.boswell@hlhltd.co.uk Canterbury: 01227 830064 www.hlhltd.co.uk

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Those with higher Recommended List ratings cannot be ignored, especially if it is based on adult resistance, which may not kick-in until late in the season. If disease establishes early it can cause significant damage before adult resistance takes effect, so needs controlling.

Also, remember nitrogen strategy affects disease risk, with stressed crops, or those with excess nitrogen, potentially more prone to yellow rust.

BOLSTER SEPTORIA DEFENCES

This early spray can also be used to boost Septoria protection in high-risk crops and reduce pressure on later GS 32 (T1) and flag leaf (T2) treatments.

Drilling date makes a huge difference to disease risk, especially for varieties with medium RL scores for Septoria resistance (i.e. rated 5-6), sown around the end of September and early October. These make decisions challenging as they can neither be approached as a resistant variety or a susceptible variety and so other risk factors become highly important.

Earlier drilling for one of these varieties can knock a full point off its resistance score.

Temperatures change quite a lot at that time of year, so a week to 10 days variation in drilling date makes a big difference to the speed of disease movement and risk going into spring.

Last year’s emergence of Septoria races with virulence to Cougar makes early protection extra important for varieties with Cougar parentage, such as RGT Saki or KWS Firefly.

Following the withdrawal of multi-site chlorothalonil, which was the go-to option, folpet is now the main fungicide for Septoria protection where risk is high. But remember, the focus isn’t on curing Septoria that appeared on lower leaves over winter, it’s about protecting upper leaves as they emerge.

It may be worth holding back folpet for the T1 and T2 and building plant protection in other ways, such as with the biostimulant Scyon. Its combination of naturally-occurring signalling metabolites strengthens the plant’s natural defences and maximises nutrient uptake, making plants healthier and better able to fight off disease.

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> Hole in the river bank

62

The new ground has been planted up in Argyll and the land strip ploughed to give the young spruce some ‘competition free’ ground to speed plant establishment; hand planting of Sitka spruce at a precise 1,012 an acre is apparently standard up there.

With all new forests, plantings are accompanied by other broadleaved species for environmental and wind break reasons. While not a particularly commercial use of the land, it apparently satisfies the perceived aims of the ‘one minute to midnight’ disciples, soaking up larger quantities of carbon than the Sitka, which the likes of ‘little but noisy’ Greta see only as “being planted to make a profit.”

How evil! Yet without profit, from any business project, I’m afraid the world wouldn’t work for long.

For example, governments would be without the funds for things such as our recent furlough scheme of 20/21, when many workers were paid to cut their lawns or decorate their homes. Without profit the world’s economies would very rapidly come to a complete halt.

While new forest plantings are being established on huge areas in Scotland to satisfy the growing demand for timber in England, many dreamers are becoming besotted with throwing top quality farmland into ‘rewilding schemes’. The idea is to allow attractive yet virtual weeds (elder, willow, couch and ragwort to name a few) to provide cover for beaver, badger, foxes, lynx, wolves and goodness knows what else, on land which over the past centuries has created much employment and much food in the way of beef, pork, mutton, and dairy products to feed our ever-growing populations.

I fear people will suddenly wake up one morning hungry and increasingly aware of the fact that eating green leaves and chewing curried bark won’t sustain human life for long.

With the exceptional 2021 ‘open’ autumn we caught up with both hedge trimming and limbing of overhanging branches which, for years, had been left as summer shelter for the dairy cattle. More recently the trees have been obstructing the increasingly huge contractors’ machines.

We also took the long overdue opportunity to clear out some ditches, although I was recently taken to task by an over-zealous council official who deemed it necessary to start quoting new environmental rules

I ACCEPTED A > Repairing the river bank

SLAPPED WRIST after we had to clear a blocked and broken drain and replace it with a bigger iron pipe. I hadn’t, apparently, done a survey to confirm there were no water rats or crested newts around, or advised the council of my intentions! But the drain now runs well again.

I accepted a slapped wrist and we parted on quite amiable terms.

I find the thinking behind all the new regulations over drainage quite interesting. Yet what do they really achieve? When I was learning the job as a youngster, some time ago I must admit, our ditches and waterways were full of the likes of sticklebacks, newts, frogs and toads, moorhen, duck, coot and little grebe. Even, would you believe, overwintering water rail.

Despite the way farmers brought in big ‘draglines’, and later hydraulic excavators, to dig new, or clean old ditches (personally I dug out miles of ditches, for both ourselves and neighbours), and although the work was often quite severe, within a day or two one could see or hear these creatures back as though nothing had happened. Today, however, with onerous rules on protecting almost everything, other than farmers, one can hardly spot any of those species at all. The only things protected are the creatures that hunt them. Oh, and inspectors!

My guess at the reason is almost total neglect of our main waterways by the Environment Agency, coupled with the subsequent effect of sewage discharges by water companies. An official record of discharges for ten days last Christmas showed the Southern Water plant at Lidsey discharged raw sewage into the river system for 236.5 hours.

In the days up until the appearance of the Environment Agency (EA) in the mid 1990s, the Internal Drainage Boards (IDB) would clear main water courses annually and the water ran out to sea as intended. These days, so much EA time is spent

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

on surveys and imposing ‘enforcement notices’ that there is little time or funds left for any actual work.

We have some land in the Arun Valley where neglect by the EA has been almost total for some 25 plus years, although they will send emails or perhaps visit with their ‘highviz’ jackets.

Last summer, after two years of efforts with a neighbour, they agreed to come and repair some serious ‘wash holes’ in our immediate river banks.

The whole scheme was scheduled for September.

After two promised, then cancelled, starting dates, countless calls and emails, it wasn’t until just before Christmas that the promised emergency work was done – with temporary sandbags.

Had landowners and farmers been responsible for the upkeep of the river banks over these years, it’s certain they would not be in the deplorable state they have slumped to now. Had our old IDB or the NRA (National Rivers Authority) been retained, the work would have been done with some practical sense.

Back in January, looking for excitement, I watched Parliament on TV. Liam Byrne MP questioned Rebecca Pow, a DEFRA under minister, over the EA’s failure to do some important work improving play facilities for children in his constituency, promised for some two years, but you guessed it, producing nothing but excuses. Then Ms Pow avoided answering any questions and waffled at the Despatch Box without saying anything of use, except things like the ‘EA hopes’, ‘plans to’, ‘may’… We hear that all the time from the EA.

NICK ADAMES Former dairy farmer

AT COLCHESTER MARKET GRAHAM ELLIS FRICS FAAV FLAA

For and on behalf of Stanfords T: 01206 842156 E: info@stanfords-colchester.co.uk www.stanfords-colchester.co.uk

ALL CATTLE TRADE

BUOYANT This report is being written just before the proposed ‘freedom day’, when we are told all Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted. However, the world is a very different place, with the permanent shift to working from home with the resulting loss in many food outlets. This will impact on demand but as yet has not been significant.

The beef cattle entry remains stable at Colchester, although there is a steady decline in the suckler cow herd numbers in this region.

The trade for all cattle has been buoyant, and as yet has not been hit by the available cheaper Irish cattle. The store cattle trade on the back of the finished trade has remained strong and will continue at high levels throughout the spring.

The finished lamb trade has had the benefit of exceptionally high prices and it appears that the carry-over of lamb is limited. The high shipping costs and the demand for lamb from China has meant limited lamb arriving to the

UK from the southern hemisphere.

The trade in Colchester has been consistent for all weights, with a good steady demand from retail and wholesale butchers.

The cull ewe trade has been exceptionally buoyant, with mule cull ewes regularly trading from £110 to £130, while lean ewes have been in great demand.

A challenging time for the pig industry continues with high feed costs and a backlog of finished pigs due to abattoir staff issues and the pig supply outstripping the demand.

This situation will in time alter as the UK breeding herd is rapidly contracting. The global high prices for feed commodities and the inflation in input costs are continuing concerns for producers in all sectors. The beef and lamb trade will need to remain buoyant in order to sustain profitability and the pig trade will need to rise significantly for producers to survive.

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63

AT ASHFORD MARKET

ENCOURAGING START TO 2022

64

A cracking start to the year at Ashford Market, with some 23,000 head of stock already traded by mid-February, encompassing 409 Vendors from 11 counties and 107 producers from 18 counties. As throughout 2021, producers of both beef and lamb continue to benefit from all-time high prices resulting from reduced production and healthy demand for red meat generally.

The cattle section, in particular, has been buoyant since the turn of the year, with the wholesale meat trade keen to restock after the festive period.

In addition, due to the shortage of store cattle at this time of year, specialist feeders have been competitive bidders in both the prime and cull cow sections for any lean sorts with potential for further fattening, hence putting a strong base in the market.

The prime cattle to date have a favourable gross average in excess of £1,300, up by some £100 to £150 on the year, with the best beef bred cattle selling readily in the 240p to 260p bracket and the majority of native and dairy bred sorts generally 215p to 230p.

The cull cow trade has been phenomenal, with prices improving since the end of last year. Recent large entries of between 75 and 120 head have attracted a good attendance of buyers, with often 12/15 individuals at the ringside ensuring competitive returns throughout, for both feeding and slaughter cows. The best beef bred cows 140p to 190p and grossing in excess of £1,400, well fleshed Friesians 130p to 150p and grossing in excess of £1,000 and lean feeding cows and grazers a fabulous trade attracting big premiums above slaughter value, many in the 150p to 200p bracket.

The early store cattle sales have been equally encouraging for producers, with specialist feeders competing fiercely for all on offer in an attempt to replenish empty yards. The early indications are that demand will far outstrip supplies this spring, with prices not only reflecting the high returns available in the finished market but also the limited supplies.

In the sheep section trade has been exceptional, with prices for the 2021 crop of lambs dearer on average by some £20 per head for both finished and store lambs throughout the summer and autumn sales. Again, the finished lambs have benefitted from tight supplies, with slaughter figures for the second half of 2021 down 10% on the year and a retail demand which has remained strong throughout.

ELWYN DAVIES

Reporting on the sheep market at Ashford T: 01233 502222 www.hobbsparker.co.uk

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

The trade has eased during January from the peak prices achieved in December, however, and has now levelled around 270p, with top handy weight export types attracting a big premium in excess of 300p and the best heavyweights ranging in the £130 to £150 bracket. These prices are still £10 per head above those achieved in January last year but some £10 to £15 below the peak achieved in December 2021, with the heavyweights suffering the biggest drop in returns.

At the time of going to press there are some concerns within the industry regarding the hogget trade for the rest of the season. By mid-February national weekly slaughter figures were comparable to last year rather than the shortfall experienced during most of last year. For the first time prices have dipped below those achieved a year previously.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has for some time predicted a greater carry over of hoggets into the first quarter of 2022 and if correct these extra sheep will be a factor in determining the price going forward. Consumer demand is reported to have dipped slightly in January, which can be a sluggish month, but the food service industry has also been cutting back on lamb due to high costs.

On the plus side, specialist finishers will be looking for an uplift in demand during Easter and after Ramadan, with consumers able to celebrate properly for the first time in three years. Any easing of trade will increase female retention, with the expectation of a strong breeding trade again this autumn.

The cull ewe trade has been exceptional throughout. Even at the time of going to press there has been no let up and strong prices have been maintained, with top ewes selling consistently well in the £120 to £150 bracket and the majority of the lean sorts ranging from £60 to £100.

During the past 12 months the general beef and lamb market has benefitted from tight supplies both domestically and globally and a robust demand worldwide. The UK retail trade has remained strong and China’s growing demand for red meat has been significant, with large volumes imported from America and the southern hemisphere.

The UK slaughtering has been well down in both sectors, with beef down 5% on the year and its lowest level recorded since 2015. Lamb and ewe slaughterings are even more significant, with the lowest level recorded since the mid 80s with the exception of 2001 when foot and mouth decimated the industry.

In the short term the tight supply situation will remain unchanged and there is genuine good reason to remain optimistic, although producers will be mindful of increased input costs already impacting on profit margins. The support of the food service industry and retail outlets to source British product will remain important to producer returns.

WILL JAMES

Cliffe Veterinary Group E: will@cliffevets.co.uk www.cliffefarm.co.uk

RESEARCH PROVEN

NEOSPORA – THE DOG

ATE MY HOMEWORK

The famous phrase “the dog ate my homework” may not be the only time that our poor canine friends are made to shoulder unfair blame. Does this also ring true when dealing with Neospora on farms? The common misconception is that dogs being walked on public footpaths are to blame.

Well let's look at the facts: • For a dog to be infected with Neospora it must have been in contact with aborted material (eg. calf or placental tissue) • After infection dogs will shed Neospora for three weeks • The dog must then defecate in an area where cattle will graze/ ingest food.

So, the question is, when would a loving pooch from the city be in contact with aborted material? While not always the case, you would hope that when being walked on footpaths and in fields they are kept on leads, and rightly so. In theory, this should minimise the chance of Fido sneaking off and munching on some aborted material and then, within those infectious three weeks, defecating on areas where cattle are grazing. Perhaps a bigger culprit might be the farm's dogs, which have the means and the motive to commit such a crime.

I appreciate there is still a risk of random dogs contributing to the problem, but there are greater areas of risk when it comes to Neospora. As we are seeing and diagnosing this disease more and more, it is imperative to get a good understanding of how it has come about, so that we can implement good and productive changes. The last five out of six abortions I have seen came back positive for Neospora, which shows it is out there and causing problems.

So why do we care about this disease? Well, for starters, there is a significant monetary loss. The cost of an aborted cow being maintained in the herd and overwintered comes to around £1,100. This includes loss of the calf, bedding, feed etc. Other losses will result from poor fertility and weak calves.

90% of Neospora infections are passed on via vertical transmission, ie. from cow to calf. Often an infected heifer will abort its first calf and then go on to produce many persistently infected calves. This is how Neospora builds up in the herd. Often this is gradual and will go unnoticed each year until over time there is recurrent poor heifer fertility, or a higher number of abortions are seen.

Most recent infections which have come onto farms are a result of buying in cattle. Another smaller risk may be the presence of foxes, although research has shown they can contract Neospora but cannot shed it. Although further research is needed, pest control wouldn’t be discouraged.

What can we do?

1. Keep farm dogs away from feed stuff and aborted material; wheelie bins are useful for storage before disposal/incineration.

2. Either test all aborting cattle for Neospora and then trace back family lines for further testing Or 3. Know whole herd status. Blood test all breeding animals then keep replacements from negative dams. Eventually cull out positive animals.

4. Test cattle a few months before calving when the test is more sensitive, so that any positives can be calved separately from the others. This gives you the greatest chance of identifying any positive cows 5. Test all bought-in cattle if you are planning to keep them as breeding animals.

Following a well-attended (and well catered) beef meeting on Neospora last month, we have seen a lot of enthusiasm from our clients to tackle the disease.

Hopefully we will see improvements in the barren rates and abortion rates on these farms over the next few years.

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ADVICE FROM THE VET

TIGHTENING CALVING BLOCKS The industry target for mating period in beef herds is nine weeks, resulting in 95 calves born to 100 cows put to the bull; 60% of which we aim to calve in the first three weeks. The reality is that many herds are struggling to meet this target.

Those herds may be running bulls for a 12 to 16 week period to get enough cows in calf at the end of the mating period, writes Laura Gibson at Westpoint Winchester.

As can be seen in Table 1, a calf born at the start of the season is heavier at weaning and therefore worth more at point of sale. The more calves born at the beginning of the calving period, the better; a group uniform in size will sell far better than a group of calves that vary in age and therefore size.

It is not only the increased number of days of daily live weight gain that is beneficial to a tight calving block but it also reduces the pathogen load in the calving yard, which reduces the likelihood of calf disease. Having calves of a similar age prevents competition and bullying at the creep feeder by older calves. By having a shorter calving block labour can be directed elsewhere.

WHY IS THIS NOT BEING ACHIEVED IN MANY HERDS?

Weight at weaning (kg)

Value at weaning (using av £2.20p/kg live weight)

Calf born on day 1 of 120 day calving period

45

270

£594

Calf born on day 120 of 120 day calving period

45

174

£382

Table 1: Effect of increased number of days to weaning

WHY IS A TIGHT CALVING BLOCK AND THEREFORE A SHORT MATING PERIOD SO IMPORTANT?

66

Weight at birth (kg)

There are many reasons why a herd does not achieve maximum fertility. One of the two main reasons is an extended anoestrus period. Once a cow has calved, she has a period in which she is not able to conceive; during this period the uterus needs time to return to its pre-breeding state and the ovaries to normal cyclicity.

In a healthy cow this post-partum anoestrus period normally lasts a maximum of 50 days. This, however, is extended in certain situations; the Body Condition Score (BCS) of a cow at calving and shortly after has the biggest effect on the length of the anoestrus period.

A cow that is in poor body condition at calving or that loses a large amount of weight immediately after calving is likely to take longer to return, therefore the anoestrus period can become drawn out.

Heifers are most at risk of this because as well as nursing a calf and returning to normal cyclicity, they are having to put energy into growing. It has also

been shown that the act of suckling has a negative impact on a cow’s anoestrus period; suckling inhibits the hormone which is responsible for ovulation and therefore the cow is less likely to come bulling. Twinbearing cows are at even more risk.

This issue is further perpetuated in a late calving cow; she needs the 50-or-so days to return to cyclicity, but when the bull has already been out with the earlier calving cows for six weeks this leaves her either only one cycle to get in calf or in some cases no chance at all, resulting in being forced to leave the bull with them for longer or having a barren cow.

The second main reason for a herd not reaching their target is bull subfertility. Unfortunately, one in every five bulls tested is sub fertile. A fertile bull should be able to achieve a 60% pregnancy rate to each service when running with 40-50 cycling females, but a sub-fertile bull will not be able to reach this target, which can lead to the bull running with the cows for longer to have enough cows in calf by the end of the season. This, however, results in a drawn-out calving period.

Having a fertility test carried out on every breeding bull at least six weeks prior to the mating season will ensure any bulls that are not up to the job can be replaced before they are turned out with the cows.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO TIGHTEN A HERD’S CALVING BLOCK?

Improving fertility should firstly include a discussion with your vet. There are several areas that can be focused on when trying to reduce the anoestrus period: • Monitoring BCS – Body condition scoring is a practical tool for managing the nutrition and fertility of a suckler herd. Scoring should be carried out at key times during the year; calving, mating and weaning.

A cow calving down in optimum condition is likely to have a shorter post-partum anoestrus period than a thin or fat cow (Table 2). Once a cow is heavily in calf it

Spring calving herd

Autumn calving herd

Calving

2.5-3.0

3.0

Mating

2.5

2.5

3.0-3.5

2.5-3.0

Housing/Weaning Table 2: Optimum BCS

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

is not advisable to try and alter her condition, therefore monitoring at different stages of the year allows changes to be made when it is safe to do so.

• Temporary weaning – Improvements in fertility have been demonstrated in herds using restricted suckling and temporary weaning. Restricted suckling involves dictating how many times a day a calf can suck; a twice daily method is most often used.

Temporary weaning removes the calves from the cows, to varying degrees, for a period of 12 to 96 hours at a time between 25 and 90 days after calving. There are different methods of doing this which should be discussed with a vet beforehand.

• Hormone synchronisation – Synchronising late calving cows is an effective method of stimulating cyclicity and so returning them to the main calving block. A hormone synchronisation programme can be started as early as 30 days after calving, resulting in the cow being artificially inseminated at 40 days post-partum. This programme removes the need for the cow to display bulling behaviour as it is a ‘fixed time’ service; furthermore, it may be possible to select bulls with shorter gestation lengths to bring her back in to the main calving block even further. An added benefit of the use of artificial insemination is the ability to choose bulls with good estimated breeding values (EBV) for weight parameters, leading to heavier calves at weaning.

There is a variety of reasons why having a compact calving block is beneficial in a beef enterprise; if you think this is something you would like to work towards, consult your vet.

If you would like to discuss anything covered in this article contact your local Westpoint practice

ANDY RICHMOND

Westpoint Horsham T: 01306 628086

JACK BALKHAM

Westpoint Ashford T: 01306 628208

EMILY PHIPPS

Westpoint Sevenoaks T: 01959 564383 E: info@westpointfarmvets.co.uk www.westpointfarmvets.co.uk

SHEEP TOPICS ALAN WEST

ALAN WEST Sheep farmer

AGE AND VERACITY I really was not surprised by the response from some of my fellow sheep breeders to last month’s (February) sheep topics; responses that led me to question both the age and veracity of some. In particular it was my introductory sentences that were a cause for concern. I did venture to say that some might not be prepared to admit to remembering the 1969 hit song Windmills of My Mind. Even though a mere cursory glance suggested they would most certainly have been around at the time, the insistence of some that they were simply unable to recollect the song led me to conclude that they were either in denial about their advancing years, their memories were failing them or that they really were ‘there’ in the sixties, as they say: “If you can remember the sixties you weren’t there”.

To return to this month: for a few, lambing will already be done; for many others underway; and for the remainder, rapidly approaching. As lambing progresses, thoughts may well turn to the marketing of this year’s lambs. Trade is still good and market prices for lambs even picked up last week; with continued strong domestic demand and growing demand from the Chinese market driving up New Zealand lamb prices, things are looking promising for this season and not just for lambs.

This should generate sufficient confidence to put a bit of a spring into the autumn breeding stock sales.

It is not so very long ago that we were all told that our target weight range for finished lambs should be 17kg to 21kg on the hook. Lambs that

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failed to meet this weight range were often heavily discounted as being out of specification; now, for a number of reasons, the market is seemingly quite happy to take lambs significantly above this target range at sensible prices. Weight in lambs has now become money, and as slaughter weights have crept up so has the average age at slaughter; it’s certainly not that all sheep have suddenly got bigger.

We are now in a situation which really brings into question how we market our sheep meat. For over 50 years we were encouraged to finish lambs quickly, to derive the maximum benefit from the higher daily gains and efficiency of young lambs; the epithet hogget has at times been used by the trade as an excuse to discount lambs once they enter the new year, the implication being that hogget was poorer quality.

This begs the question as to why, as an industry, we are not being more honest and canny about the way in which we market our sheep? In reality we are selling two different and quite distinctive products, lamb and hogget, so why not actually market them as such? If you add mutton into the mix we have three quite distinctive and excellent sheep meat products.

There is an old saying “mutton dressed up as lamb”, a somewhat derogatory term, but it is an adage that brings us back to the title, age and veracity.

We really do not need to tell any untruths or half truths about our sheep meat or attempt to dress it up as something it is not. We have three quite distinctive and excellent quality sheep meat products; products that as an industry we could and should be usefully promoting as meats in their own

right without the need for any affectation.

Hogget has quite different eating qualities and flavour to a young lamb. Personally I prefer a nice piece of the former, a view, with which I know numerous sheep producers will concur. If they are going to have a “lamb” for the freezer, the majority will select something a bit older and larger. It’s a choice based not simply on the fact that it was a rough old lamb that, having struggled most of its life and being left behind when all its contemporaries had departed for the market, had finally managed to make something, although, being pragmatic, that may well be a contributory factor. It’s a choice made in no small part because they enjoy the fuller, richer flavour of a hogget, particularly if it is wholly grass fed. Additionally there is the bonus of a larger leg of hogget carrying sufficient meat for there to be ample left over for that tasty, traditional shepherd’s pie mid week.

A long-established marketing practice, where there is competition between products, has been to introduce a new brand. For example, with four brands of a product each with, let’s say, an equal share of the total market, if a new brand is introduced, the market is now split five ways. If one happens to own two rather than the previous one brand, market share potentially increases from one 25% share to two 20% shares. A rather simplistic example, but I’m sure you get the picture; sheep meat producers are in competition with other meats (I do not include plant-based “meats” in this), so why not market our excellent sheep meat products (not product) better and to our advantage?

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Legal services for farmers & rural businesses Call us today or visit our website:

01227 763939 furleypage.co.uk

MICHELMORES ADVISES ENVIRONMENT BANK

ON BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN SOLUTION

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UK law firm Michelmores LLP has provided advice on an innovative partnership between Environment Bank Ltd and specialist alternative asset manager Gresham House to support the introduction of a new compliance solution driving biodiversity net gain (BNG).

By establishing a nationwide network of habitat banks, Environment Bank’s BNG Credits offer developers a simple and risk-mitigated way of implementing biodiversity net gain in line with the Environment Act 2021 while generating income for landowners.

Michelmores advised on the partnership > Alex Watson arrangement between Environment Bank and Gresham House, structuring the suite of legal documents required to support the business model in line with the requirements of the Act. Partners Alexandra Watson (corporate) and Ben Sharples (agriculture)

Supporting the rural community for over 230 years We have a real commitment to the rural sector, providing responsive and accessible legal advice to farmers, producers and their suppliers.

If your business needs help with: • Contracts and transactions • Diversification • Property purchase and lease negotiation • Equine law • Employment If you would like help with: • Family law and divorce • Residential conveyancing • Tax planning and trusts • Wills and estate administration

Contact us today Canterbury 01227 643250 Maidstone 01622 698000 Tenterden 01580 765722 enquiries@whitehead-monckton.co.uk www.whitehead-monckton.co.uk Whitehead Monckton Limited (no. 08366029), registered in England & Wales.

Registered office 5 Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3EN Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under no. 608279.

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> Ben Sharples led the team, drawing upon expertise from across the firm’s corporate, commercial, agriculture, real estate, tax and regulatory teams.

Partner Ian Holyoak and senior associate Chloe Vernon Shore advised on the commercial agreements, partner Stephen Newson and senior associate Crispin Carpenter advised on property arrangements, senior associate Sarah Phillips advised on the planning aspects of the deal and corporate associate Adam Quint supported with the partnership arrangements.

James Cross, CEO of Environment Bank, said: “We’re working closely with landowners to offer a solution that will help deliver sustainable development through the creation of woodland, meadow and wetland habitats.

“Our unique habitat banks provide a long-term opportunity for landowners to diversify their income, a biodiverse haven for plants and animals and a simple, risk-free way for developers to meet changing regulations.

“Thanks to Michelmores’ expert advice and the support of Gresham House, we are able to offer an end-to-end solution for developers that are required to implement biodiversity net gain when it’s not viable to deliver on site.”

Alexandra Watson added: “The new biodiversity net gain requirements introduced by the Environment Act 2021 are a game changer for any development after the transition period and this will heavily impact on developers and local authorities.

“In response, Environment Bank will be offering an end-to-end commercial solution through its partnership with landowners. It has been a pleasure to work with my colleagues at Michelmores, the leading teams at Environment Bank and Gresham House in tracking this ground-breaking legislation through Parliament and supporting them with the ongoing roll out of their business model as the secondary legislation comes through."

Ben Sharples commented: “Natural habitats are key to locking up carbon, so the agricultural sector is in a unique position to help tackle climate change and dwindling biodiversity. I’m delighted we’ve supported Environment Bank and Gresham House in this venture, which is at the forefront of the biggest upheaval in land management since the Second World War.”

LEGAL

BUILDING ON AGRICULTURAL LAND For rural land owners, the process of developing and building on their land can be complicated by the need to obtain planning permissions, which can often be lengthy and complex. However, certain types of development benefit from pre-approved planning permissions, known as permitted development rights (PDRs). It is useful to understand, before considering any development plans, when these apply, the different types and their limitations.

THE BENEFIT OF PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS FOR FARMERS

Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, planning permission is required for the “development” of land. Development includes building, engineering and mining operations (known as operational development) as well as material changes in the use of land or buildings.

Obtaining planning permission to erect a new building in the countryside can be expensive and time consuming. A bewildering array of reports and surveys is often required to address the impact of the development. Planning legislation recognises that it is not always appropriate to require farmers to go to these lengths when the building in question is needed in the ordinary course of running an agricultural business.

This is reflected in a range of permitted development rights which benefit farmers and which can be relied upon to allow development to proceed without having to go through the full planning process.

These rights are set out in Part 6 of Schedule 2 of the General Permitted Development Order 2015.

TYPES OF PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS

There are slightly different rights available depending on the size of the agricultural unit on which the development is to take place.

Class A applies to agricultural units of five hectares or more and grants permitted development rights for:

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

AGRICULTURAL PERMITTED

DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS • works for the erection, extension or alteration of a building • any excavation or engineering operations.

Class B applies to agricultural units of not less than 0.4 but less than five hectares in area; in which case the rights allow: • the extension or alteration of an agricultural building • the installation of additional or replacement plant or machinery • the provision, rearrangement or replacement of a sewer, main, pipe, cable or other apparatus • the provision, rearrangement or replacement of a private way • the provision of a hard surface • the deposit of waste • the carrying out of certain operations in connection with fish farming.

In both cases the development must be reasonably necessary for the purposes of agriculture within the agricultural unit. The council will not always agree with the farmer’s assessment of whether a new building is “reasonably necessary for the purposes of agriculture” and this can make for some interesting discussions and result in appeals.

EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS

Another factor to bear in mind is that there are certain exclusions from, and limits to, the availability of the rights. The rules are complex and vary depending

upon the type of proposed development, where it is to take place and whether you are relying upon Class A or B. There is not the space here to set them out in detail.

However, by way of example, one exclusion common to all proposals is that no part of the development may be within 25 metres of a metalled part of a trunk road or classified road. Another example is that the rights do not authorise works to a building used for the accommodation of livestock or the storage of slurry or sewage sludge where the building is within 400 metres of the curtilage of non-farm dwellings.

Finally, even if permitted development rights are available, it is still necessary in most cases to apply to the council for what is called ‘prior approval’ before the proposed development can take place. While this is not as onerous as a full planning application, it can still require the submission of details to the council and the council can have a say over issues such as the siting, design and external appearance of the building.

If permitted development rights are not available, there is still the option of applying to the local planning authority for a specific grant of planning permission.

However, in those cases the application will need to be assessed against local and national planning policies and the council will need to take a balanced view on whether or not the proposal is acceptable.

The key is to get appropriate advice regarding what you can lawfully achieve without planning permission and, if permission is needed, how it can best be secured.

LEE MAY

Partner, Brachers LLP T: 01227 949547 E: leemay@brachers.co.uk www.brachers.co.uk

Legal services that deliver long-term solutions to support the future of farming Maidstone 01622 690691 Canterbury 01227 949510

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

www.brachers.co.uk hello@brachers.co.uk

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› Appraisals › Applications › Site Promotion › Enforcement

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19 NEW DWELLINGS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

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n Pre-application negotiation n Masterplan drawings n Project management Bloomfields established a fall-back position for a couple of dwellings on site, before opening up dialogue with the Council through the pre-application process. Despite the site’s location outside of the limits of ‘built development’ and with part of the site falling within the Strategic Gap (where a ‘landscape buffer’ was considered necessary) further liaison with the council identified the opportunity to increase the number of units on the site. This was subsequently worked into a masterplan by Bloomfields’ architectural team. Many third-party consultants were managed by Bloomfields, including drainage engineers, highway engineers, landscape architects,

and ecologist to name a few. Along the way, Bloomfields were able to involve members of the Lambert & Foster team to advise on easement matters relating to neighbouring land owners, utility matters concerning overhead power lines and to advise on values.

The site has been offered for sale though Lambert & Foster.

CONVERSION OF BARN TO HOUSE ALLOWED AT APPEAL S KI LLS U S E D

n Identifying the ability to use permitted development rights n Knowing when and how to appeal if negotiation fails n Discharging conditions Bloomfields made a case for converting a redundant building to a dwelling in the middle of an orchard.

After disagreeing with the legal position set out by Bloomfields, the Council refused the application. This resulted in the application being appealed, with the Inspector agreeing with the case advanced by Bloomfields.

Since the successful appeal, a further application has been made to re-roof and reclad the building to improve its aesthetics and to deal with related conditions imposed by the Inspector.

CONVERSION OF FORMER STABLES & AGRICULTURAL BUILDING TO DWELLING S KIL L S USED

n Contemporary design incorporated into historic buildings n Negotiation to avoid having to appeal Bloomfields have successfully obtained planning permission for the change of use and conversion of a former stables and calving shed into a two-bed dwelling.

During the application process some debate was had about whether the building’s proposed for conversion were curtilage listed or not, but in the end the Council agreed with Bloomfields’ assessment that they were not. The design, drawn by Bloomfield’s in house architectural team, respects the heritage of the building whilst creating a modern, open plan interior. A new glazed link connects the bedrooms to the living space and provides views through the house from the courtyard to the garden and fields beyond.

DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT YOU NEED HELP WITH? Contact our friendly and helpful team at our Kent or Sussex offices

Kent 01892 831 600 | East Kent 01303 814 444 | Sussex 01435 873 999 info@bloomfieldsltd.co.uk | www.bloomfieldsltd.co.uk SPECIALISING IN PLANNING ADVICE THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH EAST

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Thinking of selling this Spring?

Farms, Land, Equestrian & Rural Property.

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LAND AND FARMS SPONSORED BY BATCHELLER MONKHOUSE

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BIGGIN HILL | KENT

TENDER

For the particulars and tender documentation, contact Toby Trotman at Batcheller Monkhouse on 01892 509280 or email t.trotman@batchellermonkhouse.com

697 ACRES

Batcheller Monkhouse is offering a unique contract farming opportunity on a productive arable farm located within the M25.

Whelan Farms Ltd lies to the west of Biggin Hill and Tatsfield. The arable land consists of 697 acres (282 hectares). The soil is divided between shallow lime rich loams and slightly acidic loams. The land is split into 31 fields with an average size of 22.5 acres and has been contract farmed under a combinable rotation for the past two decades. The land benefits from good road access, with links to the A21 and the M25 close by.

The permanent grassland extends to 493 acres (200 hectares) and is sublet

QUEENBOROUGH | KENT

UNIQUE CONTRACT

FARMING OPPORTUNITY

to an established grazier. The contractor will be required to carry out all pasture management on this land.

There are two yards available under the agreement, situated either side of the estate. A four-bedroom farmhouse is also available.

ABOUT 249.20 ACRES

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

A compact agricultural holding of upland and marsh farmland with significant development opportunities is on the market with George Webb Finn.

Lot 1: Cowstead Farmhouse is a detached four bedroom period property built circa 1883. The converted stables provide ancillary living accommodation. There is an extensive range of portal framed and traditional farm buildings offering significant development potential. There is a level block of permanent pasture extending to about 11.59 hectares (28.64 acres). The soil is Grade 3.

Lot 2: Two parcels of permanent pasture extending in total to 5.49 hectares (13.56 acres) with frontage onto the Sheppey Way. The soil is Grade 3.

Lot 3: A level block of grass marshland extending to 22.68 hectares (56.04 acres) immediately east of the Sheppey Way and south of Cowstead Corner roundabout. The land is within the Swale Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest. The soil is Grade 4.

Lot 4: A level block of grass marshland including saltings and extending to about 59.92 hectares (148.06 acres) immediately south-east of Ferry Road. The land is within the Swale Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest. The soil is Grade 4.

Lot 5 : A three bedroom semi-detached cottage built circa 1950. The property is let under a periodic Assured Shorthold Tenancy.

Cowstead Farm and Minster and Cheyney Marshes, Queenborough, Kent ME12 3RL

A compact agricultural holding of upland and marsh farmland with significant development opportunities • Detached four bedroom period farmhouse in need of refurbishment with converted stables to residential unit providing ancillary living accommodation • Extensive range of steel and concrete portal framed and traditional farm buildings situated within a large farm steading offering significant development potential, subject to planning • 17.08 Ha (42.20 acres) of upland grass pasture • 82.60 Ha (204.10 acres) of grass marsh • One residential cottage let on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy In all about 100.85 Ha (249.20 acres) For sale by private treaty as a whole or in 5 lots

01795 470556 www.georgewebbfinn.com 43 Park Road Sittingbourne ME10 1DY TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

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Land & Property Experts

Lot 2

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Lot 1

Marden, Kent

Headcorn, Kent

A detached 6-bed Wealden farmhouse with farreaching views (EPC - E)

Three parcels of Grade III agricultural land Available as a whole or as Lot 1 on its own

Outbuildings, Orchard Land and Tennis Court In all approx. 4.87 acres

For sale by Contractual Tender Closing Date: Tuesday 5th April 2022 at 12 noon

Additional land available by separate negotiation

Lot 1 - 10.34 acres - Guide Price: £150,000

Guide Price: £1,750,000

As a whole - 20.09 acres - Guide Price: £275,000

Gillingham, Kent

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Challock Office

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Challock Office

Paddock Wood, Kent

Residential development site in rural yet accessible location with views to the north

Orchard land with considered potential for off-site Bio-Diversity Net Gains

Consent for 3 dwellings under Medway Council Planning Ref: MC/10/1025

Available as a whole or in 2 lots

Dwellings will extend to 160m² each with internal garage

For sale by Contractual Tender Closing Date: Wednesday 23rd March at 12 noon

In all approx. 0.67 acres

Lot 1 - 11.66 acres - Guide Price: £110,000-£130,000

Guide Price: £795,000

Lot 2 - 8.87 acres - Guide Price: £90,000-£120,000 Challock Office

Challock Office

www.btfpartnership.co.uk E heathfield@btfpartnership.co.uk E challock@btfpartnership.co.uk

T 01435 864455 T 01233 740077

PLANNING SYSTEM REFORM

Consultation on proposals for a ‘once in a generation’ reform of the planning system was carried out in 2020. It set out proposals for zoning areas into growth, renewal and protected areas, automatic grant of outline permissions in growth areas, a streamlined plan-making process and a fast-track process for certain applications. The proposals proved controversial and in September the new housing secretary said he would ‘pause’ the Government’s proposed planning changes for review. The Government’s final response to the planning white paper and related legislation is now expected this year.

INCREASED ROLE FOR AGRICULTURE TO OFFSET ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL HARM OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS

Within the South East, the water usage and nitrate generation of developments is leading to planning applications being paused while offsetting measures are investigated. Solutions being presented include ceasing agriculture on farmland to offset nitrates likely to be produced from housing developments and installing rainwater harvesting systems on farms to reduce mains water usage to help offset proposed developments nearby. This has the potential to provide farmers with additional income and/or cost saving measures, although the long-term commitment to the offsetting measure does require thorough consideration.

BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN

The Environment Act 2021 became law on 9 November 2021 to address environmental protection and the delivery of the Government’s

ARE YOU CONSIDERING A

DEVELOPMENT OR DIVERSIFICATION PROJECT? Clare Bartlett MRTPI PIEMA Partner at Batcheller Monkhouse reports on what 2022 could have in store for farmers and landowners.

25-year Environment Plan. A key component of the Act is the requirement for biodiversity net gain, an obligation on developers to ensure all new proposals feature at least a 10% improvement, with gain measures required to be managed for at least 30 years. A mitigation hierarchy prioritises avoidance and mitigation of impacts over on-site compensation. As a last resort, off-site measures or the purchase of biodiversity credits can be considered. There will be a two-year transitional period before biodiversity net gain becomes mandatory to enable the industry to prepare, but some planning authorities are already starting to set out their own requirements.

LOCAL NATURE RECOVERY STRATEGIES

Another feature of the Environment Act is a requirement for a new system of spatial strategies for nature covering the whole of England. A ‘responsible authority’ will be appointed to lead each strategy area and to map the most valuable existing habitat for nature and specific proposals

for creating or improving habitat. It is intended to help developers avoid the most valuable existing habitat and focus habitat creation where most appropriate.

LOCAL PLANS

In March 2020, the Government set a deadline of December 2023 for all councils to have up-todate Local Plans in place or face government intervention. With the majority of Local Plans in England being adopted before January 2019, and with plan reviews being hindered by the pandemic and emerging issues such as water neutrality, it is difficult to see how this ambition can be achieved.

Government threats of intervention have not historically led to action being taken against under-performing planning authorities, which will not help incentivise progress. It will be interesting to see if the Government announces any punitive measures to be imposed on those councils which miss the deadline, such as a presumption in favour of sustainable development regardless of the status of land.

For further information and to discuss your plans

CLARE BARTLETT

MRTPI PIEMA – Partner T: 01798 877555 E: c.bartlett@batchellermonkhouse.com www.batchellermonkhouse.com

LAND AND FARMS

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After countless stories about parties, champagne bottles and tinsel, the Government was keen to move the headlines away from lockdown-breaking gatherings and onto other matters. Cue the Levelling Up White Paper released to much fanfare (although the lack of ABBA songs at the launch was obviously disappointing for some).

The concept of ‘levelling up’ was emphasised by Boris Johnson in a speech delivered in July 2021 to address the entrenched problems and deepened inequalities that have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic: “We need now to work doubly hard to overturn those inequalities so that as far as possible everyone everywhere feels the benefits of the recovery and that we build back better across the UK,” he said at the time.

The ‘Levelling Up’ White Paper (all 300 pages of it), launched on 2 February 2022 by Michael Gove, looks forward over two parliamentary terms to 2030 in setting out its 12 integrated ‘missions’. The main focus of the strategy will be to: • direct the Government’s educational efforts on the most disadvantaged parts of the UK • extend research and development to areas outside the South East • bring 5G broadband to most areas of the country • give thousands of people high quality training and skills • narrow the disparities in healthy life expectancy • halve the number of poor-quality rented homes • support 20 town and city centres, beginning with Sheffield and Wolverhampton.

Although considerable long-term funding was announced nine months ago within the UK Community Renewal Fund (£220 million), the ‘Levelling Up fund’ (£4.8bn) and the Community Ownership Fund (£10 million), the current announcement has not actually attracted any new money from the Treasury.

So, what is in this considerable document that affects us as town planners, landowners and land

THE LEVELLING UP

WHITE PAPER Boris Johnson’s saviour or political epitaph? promoters? Well, not a lot in the short term. What it does do is a good job of reminding us on page 227 that the current Local Plan system in England is not fit for purpose, but not to worry, an easy fix is just around the corner: “Only 39% of local authorities have adopted a plan within the last five years, which limits effective community engagement about development. Local Plans will be made simpler and shorter, and improved data that underpins plans will ensure that they are transparent, understandable and take into account the environment that will be developed. All of this will result in a system that is easier to engage with and works more efficiently, with communities having more of a say and more councils agreeing local plans.”

Aha! I think I’ve heard this talk of planning reform and simpler, shorter local plans before… and not that long ago. Cast our minds back 18 months to the launch of the ‘Planning for the Future’ consultation, wherein you guessed it, the Government promised to streamline the planning system through the medium of shorter, quicker Local Plans. Except they didn’t, after a group of Conservative backbenchers got together via a WhatsApp group and forced the Prime Minister into yet another volte-face. The 44,000 consultees who responded to that document haven’t even had a response from the Government to their submissions; I doubt whether such a response will materialise in full.

So how does all this affect the good people of the South of England? The major policy announcement contained in the Levelling Up White Paper is the

Could your land have development potential?

Find out more about land promotion.

DAVID MORRIS

Planning & Operations Director T: 01926 836910 E: davidm@catesbyestates.co.uk W: www.catesbyestates.co.uk

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

scrapping of the ‘80/20 rule’, which directed 80% of government funding for housing supply to ‘maximum affordability areas’.

The 80/20 formula used a ratio of average house prices to average workplace-based household income figures. This meant money was disproportionately channelled to the South East of England, as it was supposed to target the least affordable areas of the country under the assumption that their need for additional housing was the most acute. Scrapping this rule means the Treasury can now direct such funding to areas of the country where house prices are cheaper, thus seeking to improve infrastructure in areas that may not have benefited from such investment in the past.

It is difficult to criticise the overall objective to redress country-wide inequalities in incomes and opportunities to help generate greater efficiency within the national economy and creating more fairness in society. Indeed, it is difficult to argue with the statement from Michael Gove that: “System change is not about a string of shiny, but ultimately short-lived, new policy initiatives. It is about root and branch reform of government and governance of the UK.” However, for the less prosperous areas to catch up economically to please the ‘red wall’ constituencies, the more affluent ‘blue wall’ constituencies may well retrench in comparison, which yet again will prove very unpopular with the home-counties Conservative MP’s.

I can see another WhatsApp group coming…

Contract Farming Opportunity Tenders sought for an agricultural contractor on a large farm close to Biggin Hill, Kent.

• • • •

Arable - 697 acres Grassland - 493 acres Good range of farm buildings Farmhouse available if required

CONTACT

Toby Trotman E: t.trotman@batchellermonkhouse.com T: 01892 509280 Enquire for the Particulars and Tender documentation Offices in Battle, Haywards Heath, Pulborough & Tunbridge Wells

batchellermonkhouse.com

75

I have a job vacancy!

It is probably part time but could be more.

I need:

SECRETARY/PA/ORGANISER It would suit me if you have humour and smile a lot. Age is not important; good with people is. Good written and spoken English essential. Understanding of farming and the countryside is a must.

Tell me about yourself and what you can bring to my business. Also, tell me how much you think you are worth.

Bespoke Planning Advice

for your planning journey

Please write to Ted Handley th@tedhandley.co.uk Please no agencies

TH & Co

TED HANDLEY & Co Ltd PROPERTY CONSULTANTS AND ADVISORS

ESTATE OFFICE • HIGH STREET • MAYFIELD • EAST SUSSEX • TN20 6AB TEL: 01435 692058 MOBILE: 07483 108078

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

www.therpp.co.uk CRANBROOK 01580 201888

CIRENCESTER 01285 323200

office@therpp.co.uk

Chartered Town Planner

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

UNIQUE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

WITH KENT GRITTING Tom Swayne of Kent Gritting has built an extremely profitable winter maintenance business which has successfully grown over the past decade. His commitment to the company, which has been nurtured from the start, has recently seen the business evolve into a Nationwide Facilities enterprise, which includes a progressive Nationwide Gritting brand at the forefront of its growth. As such, Tom needs to devote more time to his national organisation and is therefore seeking a purchaser, or partner, to take the reins of Kent Gritting and to continue its successful operation throughout the South East of England.

Coming from a farming background, Tom set up Kent Gritting to complement his already existing equestrian and farm contracting businesses, which

were operated seasonally throughout the spring, summer and autumn. ‘’The winter maintenance operation filled the gap throughout the winter months,’’ commented Tom ‘’and soon became very lucrative,’’ he added.

With high level contracts already in place, the new owner will inherit an existing and expansive portfolio of work, largely provided by Tom’s Nationwide business. ‘’Further to this, extra income will be generated from other commercial enterprises,’’ he added, ‘’where excellent longstanding relationships and revenue streams have been well formed over the years.’’

Across the network of existing clients, numerous contracts have been secured on a fixed price basis, meaning even on a mild year income is guaranteed. The ready-made client database

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includes some impressive names such as the NHS, Aldi and supermarket giant Asda, to name but a few. With an aggressive growth strategy, Nationwide Facilities Ltd will only be adding to the list of big names. ‘’We will continue to secure further contracts with other leading brands, which will safeguard the future income for both Kent and Nationwide Gritting,’’ Tom explained.

To enable this level of expansion, working alongside Tom in the Nationwide team are Winter Maintenance Director Louise Hindle, recently recruited from national competitor ‘Gritting.com’.

Joe Allan-Nagy, Head of Operations and BDM who also moved from a national competitor ‘De-Ice’ four years ago. Katie Milldown, (previously Sales Director at Savills) heads up the sales division and is currently recruiting a new sales executive for

further business development.

In addition to gritting, Nationwide Facilities Ltd is setting out to provide further service lines to its existing and prospective clients as part of its long-term growth. The successful purchaser of Kent Gritting will also have the option to deliver these services if they wish, providing continuity of revenue throughout the calendar year. ‘’This is a golden opportunity for someone to benefit from an already profitable revenue stream, throughout the winter months and beyond,’’ Tom added.

The equipment, which is also included in the acquisition, is predominantly made up of British built Vale machinery. The fleet is extremely robust, reliable, owned outright and mostly aged within three years old. ‘’We have always taken great pride in operating the very best equipment and keeping it well maintained, which is vital for reliability when carrying out gritting and snow clearance services for our clients,’’ Tom explained. ‘’I appreciate there’s a lot of talk about global warming, but what we really have is climate change, not warming,’’ Tom admitted. ‘’We still have regular cold spells, such as the one we experienced in January.

EXCELLENT GRITTING VENTURE

"It wasn’t so long ago we had ‘The Beast from the East’, and last year we saw lower than average temperatures with gritting work extending until the end of April. Clearly some winters are harder than others, but extreme weather will continue to happen and will continue to bring opportunities. ‘’The opportunity is there; it just needs the right person to take the opportunity. And whilst we all know that British winters are unpredictable, income from Kent Gritting certainly isn’t.’’ Tom concluded.

For an initial and informal conversation regarding this opportunity, please call Tom Swayne directly on 07775 774440

KEY ADVANTAGES OF ACQUIRING KENT GRITTING:

• Well known and established for over 10 years • Guaranteed Income • Utilises farm machinery, vehicles, and staff throughout the winter months • Guaranteed partnership with Nationwide Gritting • Long standing client relationships • Additional income stream from other organisations • Secured and existing contracts already in place • Opportunities for additional service lines • Continuity of work in historically quieter months • Up to date fleet of well-maintained machinery • A good source of revenue and very profitable

> Tom Swayne

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

77

CLASSIFIEDS

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

Industrial & Commercial | Structural Steelwork | Agricultural & Equestrian

G. J. ELGAR

CONSTRUCTION Ltd

Shufflebottom Agricultural Buildings Steel-frame buildings for your farm + Supply only or supply & erect + Construction all over the UK + Award winning company

• • • • • • •

78

Steel frame buildings Sheeting and cladding Guttering and repairs Groundworks and drainage Demolition and asbestos removal Refurbishment and change of use Concrete frame and steel frame repairs • Insurance and general repairs • Concrete floor and block paving

Strength, Security, Style Contact us for a free quotation 01269 831831 enquiry@shufflebottom.co.uk www.shufflebottom.co.uk Shufflebottom Ltd Cross Hands Business Park, Cross Hands, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA14 6RE

www.gjelgarconstruction.co.uk For more information contact us: t: 01233 623739 m: 07860 414227 e: office@gjelgarconstruction.co.uk

G.E.WHITE & SONS Ltd

Based in Lewes, East Sussex

AGRICULTURAL, EQUESTRIAN & INDUSTRIAL STEEL FRAMED BUILDINGS We supply CONCRETE PANELS – Any size to suit your needs

formabuild.co.uk

 Office 01273 492404 � info@formabuild.co.uk  www.formabuild.co.uk We specialise in the supply and construction of steel framed buildings together with the repair and refurbishment of existing farm buildings.

Based in the heart of Sussex, covering the South East.

Sussex builders since at least 1605.

Forma offer all aspects of steel framed construction and cladding together with groundworks and electrical fit out if required.

All our buildings are

marked

“You tried the others, now try the brothers”

All our panels are marked

All aspects of steel work, cladding & groundwork.

Family run business with 45 years experience.

100% British designed & built

Over 35 Year’s experience

Site visits Call to arrange a site survey

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

All refurbishments & repairs undertaken.

Call for a free quote today.

Gary White 07812 599679 Jason White 07941 274751

CLASSIFIEDS

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION Supplying profiled roofing products to contractors, builders and farmers

ĺѴ-m;v1omv|u 1ঞomĺ1oĺ h -m;v omv|u 1ঞom bv - =-lbѴ u m 0 vbm;vv b|_ o ;u ƓƔ ;-uv o= ; r;ub;m1; bm |_; bm7 v|u ĺ ); -u; 0-v;7 bm -bѴv_-lķ -v| " vv; -m7 1o ;u -ѴѴ o= |_; "o |_ -v|ĺ

visit www.southernsheeting.co.uk for our full range or call 01342 315 300 to speak to our friendly sales team NATIONWIDE DELIVERY

•

LARGE RANGES IN STOCK

We are specialists in: ]ub1 Ѵ| u-Ѵķ ;t ;v|ub-m -m7 Ѵb]_| bm7 v|ub-Ѵ 0 bѴ7bm]vĺ mŊ_o v; =-0ub1-ঞom -m7 rѴ-mmbm] v;u b1;vĺ

Call us today: 01323 848684 Or send an email: denis@lanesconstruction.co.uk

ENWARD

S3111 SS SE Farmers ad 93x60mm.indd 1

17/12/2020 15:27

ALL RISKS LTD ASBESTOS ROOF REMOVALS

Kenward Construction based in Horsham, West Sussex offer a full design and build service for your next steel framed building including composite cladding, concrete panels, roller shutter doors and bespoke designs to meet individual planning conditions.

Kenward Construction also offer a wide range of services offering a truly one stop shop for your next farm building project. Demolition, plant hire, access roads, drainage, sewage treatment plants, rainwater harvesting, biobed wash downs, paving, concrete foundations / slabs, walling and site landscaping.

Arrange a site visit with one of our contracts managers to discuss your project in more detail by emailing enquiries@kenwardgroundworks.co.uk or call 01403 210218

www.kenwardgroundworks.co.uk

Asbestos roof sheeting removals Asbestos encapsulation Asbestos fire damage, clearance & re-instatement works Asbestos clearance & de-contamination Asbestos disposals by licenced registered company New metal roofs installed over old asbestos roofs Roof light & sheet repairs Gutter repairs Gutter replacements & re-lining Strip & refurbishment works Change of use projects Demolition & Groundworks

79

Professional Services to the Agricultural, Industrial & Equestrian Sectors

CALL TO DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT!

FREEPHONE: 01233 659129

from BT land-line

charlie.woodger@btinternet.com

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

®

CONSTRUCTION

Agriculture ~ Cold Storage ~ Equestrian ~ Industrial ~ Waste Recycling • Agricultural Buildings • Cold Store Buildings • Equestrian Buildings • Industrial Buildings • Waste Recycling Buildings TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

01323 890403 www.danddconstruction.co.uk info@danddconstruction.co.uk

• Structural Steel • Drawing Services • Design Services • Mezzanine Floors • Custom Steelwork

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

CLASSIFIEDS

CONSTRUCTION

JPR ROOFING & CLADDING…

STEEL AND CONCRETE FRAME BUILDINGS ALTERATIONS REPAIRS REFURBISHMENT CLADDING ONSITE WELDING FABRICATION Email: bsimpsonconstructionltd@outlook.com Mobile: 07872 477792

Professional Services to the Agricultural, Industrial & Equestrian Sectors

SHORTLAND STRUCTURES LTD

FREEPHONE: 0800 756 9886 MOBILE: 07813 142 145

from BT land-line

• STEEL FRAMED BUILDINGS • CLADDING • ERECTING • • EXTENSIONS • ALTERATIONS • CONCRETE PANELS • ROLLER/SLIDING/PERSONNEL DOORS •

Covering Kent, East/West Sussex and the South East

Tel: 01732 460912 Mobile: 07976 287836 Email: sales@shortlandstructures.com

www.shortlandstructures.com

ROOFING & CLADDING

…

Specialists in: FIRE,FLOOD & STORM DAMAGE

Including:

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• Sheeting & Cladding to New & Existing Buildings • Roof repairs, Replacements and over sheeting • Insulated or single skin plastic coated sheeting in a wide range of colours • Concrete fibre sheeting, Big 6 profile etc • Asbestos sheeting removal & disposal, using registered waste carrier • Valley gutters, concrete or metal, repaired or re-lined • Roof lights replaced or covered • Maintenance Programmes to avoid the problems that occur with neglect • Conversions & extensions to existing buildings • Groundworks, Access Roads, Drives, concrete bases, Drainage etc

…

®

Including: • • • • •

24 Hour Call out service Making site/building/premises safe Structural safety assessment Emergency clear-up operations Emergency procedures to reduce impact on your business or premises • Demolition/site clearance • Asbestos removal/clearance & disposal, using registered waste carrier • Re-instatement works • Insurance Claims ALL WORKS GUARANTEED

CLASSIFIEDS FROM £65 To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883

07864 823 476 07889 481618 Nextgen Cladding Ltd

Quality of work Reliability and honesty Unbeatable on price

Specialist in the Agricultural, Industrial and Equestrian sectors.

Steel frame supply and erect or just supply.

Sheeting, cladding and oversheeting.

Gutter replacement, repairs and lining.

Steel frame, concrete frame alterations and repairs.

Asbestos removal.

Roof light and sheet changes.

Refurbishments and usage changes.

Demolition, groundworks and site clearance.

24 hour call out in the event of fire or break in.

Roller shutters, sliding and personnel doors.

All works are guaranteed

01227 918723

07784 619603

jez@JRJconstruction.co.uk

www.JRJconstruction.co.uk

MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

www.nextgencladding.co.uk

Penfold’s commercial, agricultural and residential building specialists with over 40 years experience METAL ROOFING

– Standing seam – Snaplock systems – Aluminium – Zinc – Copper

CLADDING

– Composite cladding – Metal cladding – Fibre cement cladding – Timber cladding

ASBESTOS REMOVAL

– Removal – Disposal – Surveys

S W ATTWOOD & PART

LAND DRAINAGE

   

FIELD MAPPING CONSTRUCTION

 FIELD MAPPING CONTRACTORS  DRAINAGE SURVEYING  DESIGN SWA  DRAINAGE S W ATTWOOD & PARTNERS FROM £220 PER ACRE LAND DRAINAGE

DRAINAGE SURVEYING DESIGN DRAINAGE

ALL RISKS LTD FROM £220 PER ACRE ASBESTOS ROOF REMOVALS

LAND DRAINAGE CLASSIFIEDS SW ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

S W ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

Asbestos roof sheeting removals Asbestos encapsulation Asbestos fire damage, clearance & re-instatement works Asbestos clearance & de-contamination Asbestos disposals by licenced registered company New metal roofs installed over old asbestos roofs Roof light & sheet repairs Gutter repairs Gutter replacements & re-lining Strip & refurbishment works Change of use projects Demolition & Groundworks

LAND DRAINAGE

   

FIELD MAPPING DRAINAGE SURVEYING DESIGN DRAINAGE

FROM £220 PER ACRE

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Professional Services to the Agricultural, Industrial & Equestrian Sectors PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR CALL TO DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT! WEBSITE:

FREEPHONE: 01233 659129 PHONE: 01795 880441

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION • FIELD MAPPING • DRAINAGE SURVEYING PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR • DESIGN • DRAINAGE EMAIL: james@swattwood.com WEBSITE: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION from BT land-line

charlie.woodger@btinternet.com

www.attwoodfarms.com CONTRACTORS PHONE: 01795 880441

PLEASE CONTACT JAMES OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE TOM: 01795 880441 or 07943 192383

EMAIL: james@swattwood.com EMAIL: james@swattwood.com GRAIN STORAGE & TESTING

 G & S BROWN 81  LANDwww.swjfattwood.com DRAINAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Drainage Contractors  PLANT HIRE OUR PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT Working with farmers since 1947 INERT TIPPING WEBSITE:  ● LAND DRAINAGE  GRAIN STORAGE & ● DITCHING  CLAY SALES ● POND WORK PHONE: 01795 880441

www.attwoodfarms.

POST BANGER 

● WATER SUPPLIES ● SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS ● GROUNDWORKS ● PLANT HIRE 360° EXCAVATORS

4 way tilt. Quick fencer will take 2x 500m EMAIL: james@swattwood.com

  

LAND DRAINAGE

rolls of stock netting and 2x 200m barbed wire. Hire separately or together.

PLANT HIRE

QUICK FENCER £70 PER DAY

CLAY SALES

INERT TIPPING www.attwoodfarms.com POST BANGER £75 PER DAY

FOR ESTIMATES & ENQUIRIES

(01622) 890884

GRAIN STORAGE & TESTING Call Chris on07930 410722  LAND DRAINAGE  in South PLANT HIRE To advertise East Farmer telephone01303 233883 INERT TIPPING  CLAY SALES

Email: info@brownsdrainage.co.uk

www.brownsdrainage.co.uk

LAND DRAINAGE, EARTHWORKS, GROUNDWORKS & CONSTRUCTION

Competitive Direct Drilling Service

FULL LAND DRAINAGE SERVICE sportsfields, amenity and irrigation systems using Mastenbroek trenchers

Using our proven Simtech Aitchison direct drill we seed into all surfaces - grasses, clovers, brassicas, cereals, pulses, maize and all mixtures. The unique T-slot boot allows a perfect environment for the seeds to germinate, along its 3m sowing width with 20 rows (15cm).

This method saves time and money compared with more traditional re-seeding methods, but is also capable of stitching and rejuvenating existing crops.

PONDS, LAKES & RESERVOIRS construction and maintenance GROUNDWORKS & CONSTRUCTION primary excavations, aggregate sub-base, agricultural construction and concreting

ENVIRONMENTAL HABITATS water course maintenance and improvement works

For all enquiries call 01233 860404 07770 867625 (Harvey) or 07768 115849 (Dave)

To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883 TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

®

®

Town Place Farm, Haywards Heath Tel: 01825 790341 Mob: 07970 621832 Email: Charlie@townplacefarm.co.uk

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

CLASSIFIEDS

HAULIERS CROP DRYING

Manufacturers of centrifugal, low volume and portable fans, air tunnels, drive over floors, grain stirrers and gas burners

PELLCROFT www.pellcroft.com | sales@pellcroft.com | 01526 342466

07860 728204 Hay & Straw Merchant | Machinery Haulage

HAY & STRAW IN STOCK | ROUND & BIG SQUARE BALES

Find us on Facebook

PRESSURE WASHERS

FOR HIRE

HIRE SPECIALISTS ACROSS THE SOUTH EAST

SERVICE

• Toilets & Showers for hire

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SALES

• Large range of Temporary canteens, stores & welfare units

HIRE

• Effluent Tank Emptying

01825 705777

Unit 4, 72 Bell Lane Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1QL enquiries@pressureclean.co.uk

• Events also catered for with chillers & toilets

FOUR JAYS GROUP

Tel: 01622 843135 Fax: 01622 844410 enquiries@fourjays.co.uk www.fourjays.co.uk

We are a leading supplier and an approved repair centre With 50 years trading in the cleaning industry. With our strong ties and long term relationship with the leading manufacturers

STORAGE TANKS KING

STORAGE TANKS Don’t run short of fuel this Winter!

FENCING

Buy or Hire a storage tank from Kings.

Manufacturers of Chestnut Fencing Products

4500L – 38,600L Bunded Fuel Tanks c/w cabinet, gauge and alarm

Hardwood gates

2730L – 54,500L horiz/cyl Water Tanks single or twin comp. with cradles

Cleft post and rail Tel 01638 712328

Stakes and posts Chestnut fencing

CWP fenci f n ng

Tel: 07985298221 www.cwpfencing.co.uk

tanks@thekinggroup.co.uk

SMITHS

of the Forest of Dean Ltd.

The Tank and Drum Experts

Redhill Farm Services: Fencing Division

ALL TYPES OF FENCING & GATES

Supplied and erected & Repairs Tel: 01737 821220 Mob: 07768 931891 Email: redhillfarmservices@gmail.com MARCH 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Buy from stock. Visit us to collect or same day dispatch with nationwide delivery.

New and recycled IBC Tanks. Plastic and Steel Drums. Water Tanks, IBCs & Fittings.

VisitVisit www.smdd.co.uk www.smdd.co.uk

Or telephone on 01594 833308 for more information.

Or telephone on 01594 833308 for more information.

CROSSWORD ®

VINEYARDS

COMPLETE OUR CROSSWORD TO WIN One bottle of Gribble Bridge White, one bottle of Gribble Bridge Rosé and a bottle of Gribble Bridge Sparkling White

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Leafy green vegetable (5) Flowing fresh water (5) Tavern (3) Blood disorder (7) Telling untruths (5) Mobile shack in a field (7) Lovers quarrel (4) South Asian term for potatoes (4) Species of vetch (5,4) Fluid used for writing (3) Tennis term (3) Loosen (5) Head louse (3) Purpose, object, goal (6) Propose (5) Tool for digging (5)

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Area of land forming one enclosure with house (9) Conflict, fight, battle (5) Having the upper hand (9) Tree (5) Mend with thread (4) A happy face (7) Estimated value (8,6) Empty in the middle (6) Mean (6) Public conveniences (7) Daze (4) UK national weather service (3,6) A disease that cannot be fully healed (9) Leave (4)

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Crossword by Rebecca Farmer, Broadstairs, Kent

PRIZE ANAGRAM: Cattle disease (7,10)

To enter, simply

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS:

PRIZE ANAGRAM: Left behind after harvest (5)

unscramble the

anagram (7,10) using the green squares.

Email your replies with your name, address and phone number to sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk Correct entries will be entered into a draw which will take place on 21 March. The winner will be announced in the April edition.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

83

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VINEYARDS

To celebrate Mothering Sunday (27 March) we are offering readers the chance to win one bottle of Gribble Bridge White, one bottle of Gribble Bridge Rosé and a bottle of Gribble Bridge Sparkling White.

For more information about the vineyards, please visit www.biddendenvineyards.com or call 01580 291726. *Subject to availability

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Correct answer: Old English Pheasant Fowl LAST MONTH’S WINNER: T Weaver from Sevenoaks, Kent

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MARCH 2022

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Download a copy by searching ‘NFU Mutual Agri-Tech report’ or contact your local agency.

The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No.111982). Registered in England. Registered Office: Tiddington Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 7BJ. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. A member of the Association of British Insurers.