South East Farmer April 2022

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April 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 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

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A PRIL 2022

CONTENTS

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40 04 07 08 10

NEWS & REPORTS

Supporting victims of war in Ukraine.

British pork supply at risk.

Major boost for fight against diseases.

Impressive line-up of machinery at Farm Expo.

REGULARS

12 MONICA AKEHURST

Retiring is not for Monica.

16 NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS...

Nigel visits Jenny and Andrew Flake at Church Farm in Coombes, set in the South Downs National Park, to learn more about their diversified beef, sheep and arable family farm.

22 ALAN WEST

24 ADVICE FROM THE VET Fly control in your animals.

12

37 NICK ADAMES

There are many operators who seem unable to resist possible long term ‘subsidised inaction’.

39 STEPHEN CARR 40 ANITA HEAD

45 SARAH CALCUTT 46 LEGAL

48 LAND AND FARMS

FEATURES

25 AGWOOD

Backing from one of the world’s leading agricultural machinery manufacturers has inspired an ambitious expansion.

NEWS

TREEMENDOUS

APPRENTICESHIP

OPPORTUNITY

4

Young people looking to take advantage of the growth in tree planting without racking up a mountain of student debt are being encouraged to apply for a new apprenticeship scheme launched by the Forestry Commission.

Unveiled in February at the start of National Apprenticeship Week, the initiative has been described as “A first-ofits-kind apprenticeship initiative to foster a growing, highly skilled and more diverse workforce within the forestry sector”.

The Development Woodland Officer programme offers a three-year, paid development opportunity for individuals looking to kickstart their careers in forestry and jointly led by the Forestry Commission, the University of Cumbria and the Institute of Chartered Foresters.

It marks the first time a degree-level forestry apprenticeship has been offered in the UK. “The initiative aims to grow, upskill and diversify the forestry sector workforce. Expanding long-term workforce capacity will help to deliver the Government’s tree planting and woodland creation ambitions over the coming years as we build back greener,” announced the publicity around February’s launch.

Development woodland officers will study forestry management at the University of Cumbria and gain practical experience in Forestry Commission area teams across England, followed by spending nine months in wider sector placements to build their skills and experience.

Up to 45 placements will be available and successful graduates will earn a Professional Forester Apprenticeship (equivalent to Level 6), a Professional Forester BSc (Hons) and the potential to gain Chartered Forester status with the Institute of Chartered Foresters.

Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford said the programme “offers a new and exciting career pathway into the forestry sector for people from all backgrounds and abilities”. Students will be paid and will have no fees to worry about.

SUPPORTING

UKRAINE A remarkable gesture inspired by a shearing contractor from just outside Maidstone saw farmers at Ashford Market raise close to £7,000 to help support Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion of their country.

Ian Lucas, who runs a sheep shearing business based in Boxley, decided to donate two hoggets for sale, with the idea that the proceeds would be donated to a charity supporting Ukrainian refuges.

Fellow traders were quick to respond, with the result that Ian’s hoggets were bought and then resold five times, three times at £280 each and twice at £200 each. Other generous donations of animals for sale, including a steer, followed, with keen bidding finally raising an impressive £6,690 in total.

“I don’t mind admitting I had a tear in my eye at the end of the sale,” Ian said. “I really didn’t expect it to go as well as that – I feel humbled by the whole experience. It was amazing.”

After Ian and wife Jenna set the ball rolling, animals were donated by Harvey Rivers, Chris Woodhead, E & J

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

H Maylam, Mervyn Woodroofe, Charlie Saunders, E J Stanford and Beslee Farms.

“I was very proud to stand on the rostrum and raise almost £7,000 to benefit this worthy cause,” said auctioneer John Rossiter from Hobbs Parker. “Local farmers have shown great sympathy with the plight of the Ukrainian people, more so than I have ever seen in the past in global times of need.

“The generosity of our vendors to donate their livestock to the cause in what is already a hard time for many is particularly humbling, and then for the buyers to pay greatly elevated prices and re-offer the lots for sale over and over again is a heart-warming gesture that restores my faith in humanity in times which are very dark for some people less fortunate than us.”

With farming – and sheep shearing – going through tough times at the moment, Ian was clear about why he had decided to help. “Yes, we have our own problems, but we aren’t being shot at or blown up and my children have food in their tummies and a warm bed for the night,” he explained.

CONCERN FOLLOWING P&O ANNOUNCEMENT With war in Ukraine already causing ripples throughout the industry, the National Sheep Association (NSA) is also worried about the impact of another major news story.

The NSA is concerned that P&O Ferries’ announcement that it plans to change the way it operates, alongside its controversial decision to make 800 workers redundant and replace them with agency workers, will have a knock-on effect on the movement of breeding sheep between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The ferry company, which is responsible for most overseas movement of animals and goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and is the biggest shipper of breeding sheep from Great Britain to Europe, has warned that its future depends on making significant changes to its operation.

The NSA has said that while it is not yet clear how these changes will be implemented, it fears that in the immediate term it “could create serious disruption to the movement of sheep and goods and further delay any solutions to the absence of any live breeding animal trade across the English Channel”.

NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker commented: “For a long time, [P&O} has been the mainstay of shipping live breeding sheep between Britain and Europe and between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

“Brexit brought new controls for moving live animals into Europe and the fact there is no border control post (BCP) with live animal facilities on the other side of the Channel means British breeders have not been able to sustain what was a long standing and important trade for valuable UK livestock genetics.

“Negotiations are ongoing about establishing such a facility but today’s news from P&O is likely to create further uncertainty and delays.

“The Northern Ireland protocols have allowed the continued movement of animals between Great Britain and Northern Ireland but have imposed serious extra controls resulting in many sheep farmers in Northern Ireland feeling ‘cast adrift’. It is not clear from the P&O statement what might happen immediately, but this disruption will do nothing to allow farmers in Northern Ireland to integrate with the wider UK industry.

“We await further details and hope that solutions can be found to prevent any immediate or short-term disruption and to provide confidence for plans for a live animal BCP to progress in time for this year’s breeding sales this summer.”

WORTH THE WAIT Farmers across the region who travel outside the patch for their machinery ‘fix’ will be looking forward to the long-awaited 40th anniversary LAMMA show at Birmingham NEC, now planned for 4 and 5 May after the original January date fell foul of the Omicron Covid-19 surge.

More than 500 exhibitors and tens of thousands of farmers from across all sectors and regions are expected to visit over the two days and enjoy a chance to reconnect after a difficult two years.

Agriconnect’s Nichola Bell said: "We are excited to be opening the doors to LAMMA 2022 at last and promise it will be worth the wait. As well as getting up to date with the latest machinery, technology and other innovations across nine halls. visitors can enjoy some nostalgia in our new Classics Zone.

"Our anniversary celebrations will showcase the incredible progress made across the industry since the first LAMMA Show 40 years ago."

O PI NI O N Time to rethink

It would be true to say there isn’t a lot of good news about at the moment. Having emerged from the trials and tribulations visited upon us by the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been plunged into a man-made global crisis, although to describe Russia’s president as a ‘man’ is to overdo his credentials. He’s certainly not showing the slightest shred of humanity.

Even the soaring price of wheat, which farmers wouldn’t have wanted, given it has its roots in a conflict that is costing thousands of lives, is of little consolation, since any additional revenues have been more than swallowed up by the cost of inputs.

Red diesel is now so costly that one Whitstable fisherman craned his 32ft boat out of the water, put it on a specialist boat transporter and drove it to a filling station, where he filled it with white diesel on the grounds that he was saving money. A PR stunt?

Perhaps, but an effective one.

There seems little hope for an early end to the conflict, with fuel, fertiliser and energy costs likely to continue to rise while the conflict continues and wheat stocks inevitably being hit hard by the Ukrainian farmers’ understandable preoccupation with defending their country rather than drilling their land.

And yet there are things to cheer about. Livestock farmers at Ashford market sold the same sheep five times over in an auction that raised getting on for £7,000 for victims of Putin’s unwarranted aggression, with other vendors joining in and buyers digging deep.

One of our correspondents explains in this edition that she is planning to offer accommodation to a Ukrainian family and there will undoubtedly be other kindnesses shown by farmers and landowners across our region. War brings out the worst, but sometimes also the best, in people.

And perhaps there will be another benefit in terms of a rethink on our use of agricultural land. Everyone – or, at least, nearly everyone – believes in regenerating the land, cutting our carbon footprint and doing their bit for the environment, and farmers are leading the way, not least by aiming to hit carbon neutrality ten years ahead of the national target.

But surely now is the time for a bit of a rethink as food security takes on a renewed importance. Planting trees is a lovely thing to do, but with Ukraine usually producing more than 10% of global wheat, we might just need to reassess our priorities and grow some of that instead.

Shell is already looking again at opening up the Cambo oil field as the world tries to avoid buying anything that might support Putin’s evil regime, and perhaps we need to reconsider how much land we want to devote to “farming trees and butterflies”, as correspondent Anita Head so succinctly puts it elsewhere in these pages.

But perhaps worrying about our own future is to miss the point.

Let’s all spare a moment for the real victims of all this – the people of Ukraine.

MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR

EMAIL YOUR VIEWS, LETTERS OR OPINIONS TO: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to the address on page 3 ®

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5

NEWS

STEPPING STONE

FOR FUTURE LEADERS

NEW NAAC CHAIRMAN TO LEAD ON SAFETY

6

The new chairman of the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) is determined to make a difference to what he sees as farming’s “dreadful” safety record.

James Bannister runs an agricultural contracting business crop spraying and spreading manures and lime, but has taken more than 20 years to rebuild his life and the JLR Farm Services business after an accident saw him lose his left arm when it became entangled in a potato harvester in 1998.

James now wants to use his experience to help others stay safe on farms, explaining: "If just one person changes the way they operate, based on my experience, that will be one life potentially saved.”

He went on: “In my new role as NAAC chairman, I want to drive the association forward while putting particular focus on trying to improve our dreadful industry safety record.”

James said that with farming facing challenging times, the NAAC was working hard to ensure that contractors could future-proof their businesses, helping them build sustainable and productive operations while protecting the environment and animal welfare.

Applications are now open for 2023 Nuffield Farming Scholarships, often seen as a stepping stone for future leaders in agriculture.

Run by The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust, a registered charity, the annual awards are open to young people between the ages of 22 and 45 from across the agricultural industry.

No formal qualifications are needed, and the Trust says it “looks to unlock an individual’s potential and broaden horizons through study and travel overseas. Scholars are selected with

a view to developing tomorrow’s leaders within their individual business and the industry as a whole.”

Nuffield Farming member countries span the globe, with established programmes in Australia, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Kenya, and Zimbabwe; Associate countries also include Brazil, USA, South Africa, and Southern Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan).

Online applications can be made until 31 July 2022 via www.NuffieldScholar.org

HELPING PLANT-BASED FOOD

BUSINESSES HIT NET-ZERO

A new training programme has been set up to help horticultural, food and drink businesses in Kent meet net-zero targets by giving them the skills, knowledge and funding to become more sustainable.

Led by NIAB as part of the Growing Kent and Medway project, Growing Green is inviting up to 40 micro-businesses and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to volunteer for a pilot that will help develop a sustainability training package for the horticultural and plant-based food and drink sector.

Priority for the pilot scheme will be given to businesses based in Thanet, Swale and Tonbridge and Malling. If successful, the project will be rolled out more widely.

The training package will analyse the business’s current carbon emissions and how they could be reduced. A sustainability action plan will look at areas for improvement and grants will be awarded to the businesses taking part so they can put their plans into action.

The project is being funded by the UK Government and Growing Green partners through the UK Community Renewal Fund and will be delivered by NIAB, Locate in Kent, Low Carbon Kent, Produced in Kent, University of Kent, the Kent Foundation and APS Produce Limited.

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APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

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NEWS

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent hike in the price of wheat could be the final straw that breaks the back of the British pork industry, retailers have been warned.

The National Pig Association is calling on retailers to significantly increase the price they pay for pork to save the industry from “total collapse”, following an unprecedented spike in feed costs since the war began.

With pig farmers already in desperate straits for a variety of reasons, including having to deal with a backlog of animals on farm caused by a lack of abattoir capacity, the post-invasion leap in the price of wheat from around £215 per tonne to closer to £300 could have sounded the death knell for many.

“Pig farmers, who have already faced more than a year of heavy financial losses, are losing tens of thousands of pounds per week and face a serious and imminent risk of being unable to afford to feed their pigs and keep their businesses going,” the NPA has declared.

The association has responded by asking retailers to pay enough to at least cover the farmers’ costs of production, not just to help ensure the survival of the sector but, with EU pig numbers falling and prices rising, to maintain their supply of pork and pig meat products.

BRITISH PORK

SUPPLY AT RISK The NPA said producers had typically lost £25 per pig in the first half of 2021, a figure that rose to an “unprecedented” £39/pig in the final quarter as the result of a ‘perfect storm’ of a falling pig price, record feed costs and the need to feed heavier pigs for longer because of the backlog. Many have quit the industry over the past six months.

“Nobody can survive with wheat at £300/tonne.

The situation is now beyond desperate and there is no light at the end of the tunnel,” NPA chairman Rob Mutimer said.

The NPA, which has the support of pork processors, has asked retailers to increase the price they pay for pork immediately to somewhere above £2/kg, a breakeven point for producers that is around 70p/kg above current price.

The UK pig price has failed to follow some dramatic price increases in Europe, where the market has experienced shortages of pigs

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following a notable contraction last year.

Mr Mutimer commented: “We need a large and immediate price increase from retailers. Our current pricing mechanism has failed to keep up with the unprecedented events taking place around the world.

“EU pig prices have shot up over the last week or so, leaving the UK trailing behind. This is not something we ask for lightly, but it is now the only way to save the industry’s bacon.

“We are staring down the barrel of a total collapse of the British pig industry, which is not only a tragedy for the producers themselves, but will leave UK consumers short of one of their favourite and most versatile meats. Retailers will not be able to rely on EU pork, either, as it gets shorter in supply and more expensive.”

The association is also reiterating its calls for a financial support package from DEFRA.

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7

NEWS

8

The UK’s fight against diseases including avian flu and bovine tuberculosis has received a major boost with the allocation of £200 million investment into world-leading research facilities.

The money will be spent on a state-of-the-art revamp of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) scientific laboratories at Weybridge in Surrey which will enhance the UK’s world-leading scientific and veterinary capability.

Weybridge is renowned for its specialist research and laboratory facilities and its animal health science and disease control capabilities – with a focus on tackling and eradicating high-risk animal diseases.

APHA, which is responsible for safeguarding animal and plant health, played an important role in controlling Foot and Mouth Disease in 2001 and is currently tasked with tackling the largest Avian Influenza outbreak on record.

The £200 million confirmed funding is part of a £1.2 billion investment in the Science Capability in Animal Health programme first announced in March 2020. In making the announcement, DEFRA pointed out that the Covid-19 crisis had reiterated the importance of strengthening the UK’s ability to fight zoonotic diseases.

DEFRA said new equipment and specialist testing facilities would mean APHA scientists could identify pathogens for existing and emerging threats posed by diseases spread by animals and maintain the UK’s “high biosecurity standards against Bovine TB, Salmonella and avian flu”.

The department added: “Research at Weybridge has paved the way for field trials of a TB cattle vaccine which if successful will enable farmers to vaccinate their animals against this deadly disease.”

APHA is also playing an essential role in tackling the largest outbreak of avian flu on record, supporting a rapid response aimed at limiting its spread and ensuring that the poultry industry

MAJOR BOOST FOR FIGHT

AGAINST DISEASES is able to continue to operate. DEFRA said the investment would help Weybridge scientists confirm an outbreak quickly so that APHA could respond swiftly.

In a reference to future risks from diseases such as African Swine Fever, DEFRA said: “This investment will offer APHA greater capacity to track diseases of concern across the globe and conduct research into a growing number of high-risk threats in advanced, high-containment laboratories.”

Biosecurity Minister Lord Benyon said the investment “builds on a long-term programme to future-proof our animal health capabilities and ensure that we are at the forefront of defence against future pandemics”.

APHA Chief Executive Ian Hewett said work was already underway to transform the campus, “paving the way for a future science hub which supports our international reputation as experts in animal science and well-prepared national disease control”.

NSA SPEAKS OUT ON VAT DECISION A decision that will cut £1.4m from the budget available to support the beef and sheep sector has been strongly criticised by the National Sheep Association (NSA).

The association has spoken out in support of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board following an HMRC ruling that the levy body will no longer be able to recover VAT payments.

The decision means the AHDB will no longer be able to recover an estimated £4million a year, leading NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker to accuse the Government of not being serious about supporting the industry.

He said: “NSA is bitterly disappointed over the final decision by HMRC that AHDB will no longer be exempt from paying VAT. This will reduce total financial resources by some £4 million, with the beef and sheep sector being hit with a £1.4 million reduction in cash available to support our industry.

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

With the total beef and lamb levy being some £16 million, this equates to a 9% reduction at a time when our industry is going through a massive amount of change and needs additional investment, not less. Coupled with the recent DEFRA decision not to allow levies to be increased for specific activities, this will constrain our levy body just at the point it needs to be doing more.”

The ruling follows HMRC’s formal decision to alter the VAT status of the levy board last autumn and will come into effect from 1 April.

Mr Stocker concluded: “It does make you question whether the UK Government is serious about investing in England’s farming and food production. It is both astonishing and extremely concerning, given the global security challenges we are facing, that decisions are being taken that reduce investment.”

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FARM EXPO 2022 REVIEW > Robin Back (centre) with Kieran Hughes and Shane McKenna from McHale

> The busy BeBa Energy UK stand

> Donna and Gary Fielding on the Pressure Clean stand

IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP

OF MACHINERY 10

Lockdown seemed a lifetime away as farmers, landowners, professional advisers and the merely interested visited the Kent Showground for Farm Expo 2022.

Wet weather the previous day left the showground itself boggy, which gave visitors to the outside stands plenty of mud to wade through, but the day itself was dry and saw crowds of potential customers chatting to friends old and new, clearly enjoying being “allowed out” once more.

There was the usual line up of machinery dealers, equipment suppliers and professional advisers ranging from banks to land agents and solicitors. The outside display area featured impressive equipment line-ups from the likes of Bell Agricultural, Ernest Doe Power, Haynes Agricultural, Agwood and Lister Wilder, rubbing shoulders with media sponsor South East Farmer.

Dryer and warmer were the inside exhibitors, who quite literally ran from A – represented by A1 Installations – through to Z for Zantra and

Zedlock. Amongst the well-known names talking to potential clients about the prospects for 2022 were Agrovista UK, Alvan Blanch, Batcheller Monkhouse, Graham Heath Construction, Kirkland, NatWest and Southern Farmers.

While most exhibitors were pleased with the number of visitors to the show, Pressure Clean’s Gary and Donna Fielding were particularly impressed with the quality, having picked up a number of solid leads for their Nilfisk, MAC and Karcher ranges during the day.

Another exhibitor who enjoyed a busy show was solar specialist Shaun Beattie, of BeBa Energy UK, who said visitors to the stand had been “two deep” for much of the morning, discussing solar PV installations and rapidly advancing battery technology.

At the NFU Mutual stand, the team was kept busy both by general enquiries and by those who wanted advice on how to deal with storm damage following the strong winds that had ripped through the region

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

just days earlier.

The Bell Agricultural stand featured an impressive line-up of machinery from McHale, reflecting a partnership that is now celebrating its fifth anniversary.

Bell Agricultural’s Robin Back said the franchise had proved highly successful not just because of the quality of the McHale products and the manufacturer’s customer support but because the ethos of the business matched his own.

“It’s another family business like Bell Agricultural and we work well together. They understand what our customers need and they provide great back up as well as making first class machinery,” he said.

Kieran Hughes, UK sales manager for McHale, which is based in County Mayo and makes a wide range of grassland equipment, including mowers, rakes, balers, wrappers and straw blowers, said the show had been “even better than we anticipated”, with a steady flow of customers throughout the day.

Julian Barnes, Chairman of organisers the Kent County Agricultural Society (KCAS), said: “Despite the poor weather, we’ve seen an excellent turnout in exhibitors and visitors.” The society said 1,500 members of the farming industry had taken the opportunity to network with colleagues and industry experts and catch up with the latest advancements in technology and machinery.

The society said the day’s seminar on “21st Century Farming: Evolving in a Changing Landscape”, had focused on a number of hot topics faced by today’s farmers and rural business

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

owners, including diversification, regenerative soil practices, the post BPS funding scheme, natural capital and succession.

Sam Barnes, Tom Sewell, Callum Preece, Sarah Mannooch and Richard Wordsworth gave their insights into some of the current challenges in farming as well as their tips and tricks for navigating the present climate.

Jan Lorraine, elected as KCAS vice-chair earlier this year and attending her first event in that capacity, said she was “delighted to see what a success it has been”. She added: “We had a fantastic range of trade stands this year, representing all aspects of the farming industry, and it was great to catch up with some familiar faces.

“Farm Expo aims to support a wide range of farming enterprises, not just arable and livestock sectors but also fruit and viticulture, so having a diverse range of trade exhibitors here allows us to connect businesses to a broad range of farming specialties.”

> The N P Seymour team of Ashley Manwaring, Victoria Rose and Claire Seymour

MECHANICAL

WEEDING PROVES ITS WORTH

Specialist tractor and machinery dealers NP Seymour showcased the latest in mechanical weeding technology at the well-attended show.

Mounted on a new Gen 3 Fendt 209v Vario Profi+ was a Clemens SB Compact Frame and Radius SL+ which uses cultivator blades to effectively undercut the topsoil and cut the root structure of the weeds, while the optional rotary tiller incorporates the topsoil.

While NP Seymour also stocks and supplies other brands of mechanical weeding equipment, the Clemens took centre stage at Agri Expo as it has been praised recently for its involvement in an integrated weed management trial.

The results of the IWMPRAISE project proved that mechanical weeding is just as effective as herbicide. The study found the difference between the mechanical and chemical treatments was marginal, dispelling growers’ concerns that moving away from herbicide could reduce yield.

The trial also found that the Clemens Radius SL+ was the most effective in reducing biomass and had an impact on the greatest number of different weed families.

“Mechanical weed control is still one of the things we get asked about the most,” said Claire Seymour, sales and marketing director at NP Seymour.

“Under-vine cultivators are not a one-sizefits-all product. Modern systems can be incredibly sophisticated, so before choosing a make or model, growers need to think about what they are trying to achieve.

“The system on offer from Clemens is robust and comprehensive and has been built to suit growers who need to do everything in just one pass. It is designed to deal well with hardy weeds, and vineyard managers often comment that the Clemens will do a more thorough job, with the effects lasting noticeably longer.”

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | APRIL 2022

11

MONICA AKEHURST AT THE KITCHEN TABLE

RETIRING IS NOT FOR US

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Today has been a nightmare. I fleetingly wondered if we should take up the Government’s offer of retiring from farming, but in my heart I know that’s not for us. One of the good things about farming is the challenges it throws at you. It’s amazingly satisfying when you figure out a solution but inevitably there are occasions when it all goes horribly wrong.

Our day started out as usual. I walked the dogs and other half went to check on the cows.

He called me to say we needed to investigate a cow that seemed to be struggling to calve. Since using an Aberdeen Angus bull our cows rarely need help. We penned the Sussex cow and discovered a head, but with both front feet tucked back and an unpleasant smell, not a good omen. We got one leg up but were struggling to get the other leg, mainly because the cow was straining, pushing against us.

So we called the vet. Sadly, despite the best efforts of two vets in attendance, we had to put the cow down. In all the years we’ve been calving this was a first; I hope it’s the last.

Our difficulties pale into insignificance with those being faced by the Ukrainian nation. On the news they show the plight of the refugees and devastation in the cities, but also spare a thought for the Ukrainian farmers. The country was expected to produce 28 million tonnes of wheat this year. Those farmers still on the land are struggling to get diesel.

There’s short supply of herbicides, normally imported from China, not to mention fertiliser usually supplied by Russia and Belarus. April is when they sow maize and sunflower seeds. Even if farmers succeed in growing crops, will they be able to harvest them? The milk processing plants aren’t operating; dairy farmers are struggling to feed and milk cows and then giving the milk away. The problems are catastrophic.

The G7 agricultural ministers held a meeting on 11 March 2022 about the situation in Ukraine. It was incredible to read on the DEFRA website later that the UK Government “does not expect any significant direct impact on UK food supply”. I beg to differ, as I think it is beyond doubt that it will impact UK food supply. Time will tell, but only a few days into the conflict we have already seen fuel prices go up. Wheat prices have risen. Fertiliser costs are astronomical and energy costs are spiraling.

Youngest daughter sent a WhatsApp message saying: “Half our diesel is imported and a third of that comes from Russia.” She said I should have bought an electric or petrol motor. Why didn’t she tell me this before I did a deal? I was fed up with being car-less after my midlife crisis petrol convertible died. It had done 12 years’ good service and been a lot of fun. It still goes well if only I could get it started. Frustratingly it won’t recognise the key and will cost more to fix than it’s worth.

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When I bought it, the family criticised me for not getting a practical farming vehicle, so I thought I was being sensible buying a 4x4 Skoda Karoq. It does seem to be fuel efficient, and the boot has ample room for transporting my working dogs or maybe the odd sheep.

The salesman did tell me that many parts for electric cars are made in Ukraine, and this will be a real problem for the electric car industry. It’s about time England started to make its own components and build up our industry, which will create more jobs for our increasing population.

The Government needs to put an end to their obsession with bureaucracy; shuffling paper is a nonsense. If they diverted those resources into building up industry it would be far more constructive and put this country in much better stead.

Greta Thunberg says: “Don’t listen to me, listen to the science.” I don’t think Vladimir Putin is listening, as his ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine is likely to be exacerbating global warming. It certainly isn’t helping the aim of creating better ecology for our planet and ultimately benefiting all inhabitants.

Our weather patterns are changing, there’s no denying it. Storm Eunice with its 80mph gusts of winds caused havoc here in the South East. We had several trees come down on our farm and a couple of roofing sheets ripped from one building. A gate

> Roo, Tip, Brie and Mollie supervising got blown open and cattle accessed the adjoining field, but no major damage done. We were left with no electricity. Candlelight and no television for one evening is a novelty, almost romantic, but by day two it’s an inconvenience. My main concern was our freezers.

Standing in the corner of the workshop covered in cobwebs and dust is an antiquated generator.

It was last used 10 years ago. Earlier this winter I suggested we should upgrade it; this was unsupported. So when this beast was dragged from its hiding place, I waited with bated breath.

Other half calmly topped up the fuel, took out the spark plug and poured a little petrol into the hole, and screwed the plug back in. He then pulled the rope to crank it over and it burst into life on the very first pull. I was amazed and delighted, and there was me thinking he’d be tinkering with it for hours. “Who needs modern technology,” he asked with a beaming smile.

Our electricity supply was intermittent for several days. Luckily our water wasn’t affected, unlike some water supplies that were cut due to electrical pumps failing. I was shocked that water companies didn’t have a backup like ours. It was, however, a full week before some Scottish Power men clad in fluorescent jackets arrived to tackle the fallen tree being precariously held up by a power line. Up until then, users of our lane had adopted the high-risk strategy of driving underneath it, fingers crossed, and toe down, putting faith in the strength of the single line.

Happy lambing to all those April lambers; may the sun shine on us.

>Some successful calvings > Practising lie down > Eunice Storm damaged tree held up by electric line

13 > Plenty of room for dogs

> Scrambled eggs

> Trees always manage to flatten fences TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

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THE AWFUL STATE OF SO MANY OF OUR RIVERS IS DOWN TO US ALL

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Dear Sir, We were indeed honoured to get a double dose of Nick Adames this month, offering his trenchant opinions on the uselessness of the Environment Agency, the source of all that ails our rivers, while disparaging those with different and, perhaps, better informed views who will live to inherit our mistakes.

At least DEFRA and TB are getting a rest. Perhaps Nick should aim to join the noble Lord Moore in the upper house now that he no longer has to rise early and milk. A generous donation to Boris Johnson should do the trick. He could then put things right, though I suspect Lord Moore’s aim was directed more at the water companies’ misdemeanors than at hastening more of our sewage out to sea.

The awful state of so many of our rivers is down to us all; our increasing numbers, increased consumption and scant regard for our planet. We farmers, and our forebears, have made the rivers what they are today by deepening and straightening them.

We have drained our land, dug ditches and raised river banks to speed runoff in the name of productivity. We have too often left too much soil bare over winter, so it is hardly surprising we get floods, made worse by anthropogenic climate change, and the ditches and streams silt up. Increased flow drives turbulence, which erodes riverbanks and bunds. The doctrine of unintended consequences comes to mind and repeated dredging is not the answer. It merely kicks the can down the road.

We can and must modify our practices to slow runoff across all river catchments. More and more farmers are re-adopting regenerative methods, commoner in times past. Perhaps Nick’s ecologically sterile Sitka Spruce Argyle forest will help hold water and peat in Scotland and store a bit of short-term carbon. It could, however, do so much more with a wiser and wider vision while still earning a bob or two more in grant money.

No one would disagree that untreated sewage discharge is an abomination, but it should never occur, and when it does, not just be flushed faster downstream. That, however, requires better legislation, and it is down to government to regulate the privatised utilities tightly and then hold them accountable. Some chance with our current lot holding the reins!

The Government’s whipping boy, the underfunded Environment Agency (EA) quango, hasn’t the muscle to take on the privatised utilities. These utilities have been fined repeatedly, particularly Thames Water, my supplier. The fines are met with a shrug while paying dividends out of debt and paying their executives eye watering sums and bonuses for failure.

Many of these companies are largely foreign owned via a variety of holding companies, so why should they bother about our rivers and invest in modern plant? It just might dent their short-term profits. Better laws and penalties are required, rather than increased taxes to pay the EA to clear up the water companies’ mess. So perhaps Nick will agitate for this legislation at local hustings or bang on the doors of the water companies.

The appalling health of UK rivers is also due to constant nutrient inflow causing eutrification, over enriching and effectively poisoning the water. More than half is from treated sewage excreted by us all, while the rest is runoff and leaching from our farms and an occasional farmer dumping slurry. Sewage

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© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2022 outflow is also awash with chemicals we ingest, apply to our pets (e.g. flea medicine) and pour down the loo, so adding serious poisons to the mixture.

We farmers must improve our fertiliser management so none is wasted into rivers and, today, the cost of inputs might perchance drive that. On the water company side they must be made to invest in better plant and scientific methods of extracting our NPK residues, and not just solids or chemical cocktails, before they get to the rivers. They also need to re-establish natural silt traps.

19th century systems no longer suit the 21st century numbers and habits.

I look forward to Nick’s speech on improving the state of our rivers, or perhaps it will be eradicating bovine TB, from the Upper House.

Mike Kettlewell, Chipping Norton

ELMS PERSPECTIVE FROM A SMALLER OPERATION Dear Sir, I have been following your articles on ELMS with interest, particularly those by Peter Knight. Your readers may be interested in the perspective from a rather smaller operation.

We, that is two of us, farmed 135 acres in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The ground is poor, but with care grows good grass, allowing us to run a flock of breeding ewes and take a good crop of horse hay. Profitability was negligible but we survived on an equestrian diversification. BPS provided roughly 25% of our revenue – not gross margin, but turnover!

When the Sustainable Farming Initiative was announced we applied to join the pilot and were accepted. From that point I kept a careful record of time spent and the results. We were attracted by the promise of a £5,000 “involvement” fee, in addition to any SFI payments, and that we would be paid monthly.

The first task was a complete review of our RPA field parcel maps as we realised that many of our hedges and small areas of woodland were not recorded. This took some considerable time and effort in communication with

LETTERS the RPA who, to be fair, responded promptly.

Studying and understanding the SFI rules to the point where an application could be made absorbed 26 hours. Just before completing the application we were informed that payment would, “after consultation”, be not monthly but quarterly. Who are these farmers who want to give DEFRA three months credit?

I have yet to meet one.

After carefully selecting the “standards” for which we were eligible and working out the “ambition levels”, we thought that realistically our potential annual claim came to a total of £3,200. Almost exactly one third of our BPS entitlement.

We estimated that the cost to us in time and lost productive capacity would easily exceed this sum. Our lack of scale effectively prohibited us from taking part in the other legs of ELMS, the complexity of which deny human understanding.

It must not be forgotten that over 10,000 people depend on DEFRA and its agencies for their living. They have a vested interest in ensuring that nothing is simple and that farming becomes a totally bureaucratic exercise in line with our government’s denial that food production is a public good.

We declined to continue with the pilot and have now sold the farm. I suspect that many other similar-sized farms will follow.

Chris Jeffries, Heathfield

WAR FOOTING

Dear Sir, Is it now time to put the UK onto a war footing for food and energy production.

This country needs to put agriculture on to an active war footing now, not in six months or a year. Government departments, both national and local, should stop taking agricultural land out of production and delay the overzealous greening programme.

It should: 1. Increase the use of organic fertilisers 2. Stop making food production more expensive than it needs to be by removing or delaying green levies and capital taxes 3. Increase home grown food production by any means necessary 4. Increase home grown energy production such as agricultural oils 5. Facilitate, encourage and bring on stream new gas and oil fields in UK waters 6. Speed up offshore wind farm construction 7. Upscale natural energy production such as anaerobic digestion, which will automatically increase the availability of organic fertilisers 8. Fast track on-farm development of food stuffs and remove barriers to basic food production being implemented at the moment by DEFRA and Natural England.

Bob Milton, Farnham, Surrey

I HOPE GEORGE EUSTICE WAS LISTENING

Dear Sir, As the MP Tobias Ellwood put it so succinctly earlier this week, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine we must accept we are living in different times.

Adding, as a rider, that we are going to need to construct a whole new range of policies for the way the Government does business and runs the country.

I just hope George Eustice was listening because this applies to his department just as much as any others. Because the last time I checked DEFRA was charged with overseeing agricultural policy in the UK. (I know, I know.

It hasn't exactly distinguished itself in that role. In fact the responsibility for maintaining a thriving, prosperous British agricultural sector appears to have been downgraded to the status of a side issue. You might think, moreover that there is a pretty dismal ministerial team in post. But it's the best we have got and we have to work with that.)

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And what is already becoming abundantly clear is that food economics are going to suffer a mighty shock as a result of the uncertainty that now hangs over Ukraine's future.

Wheat prices are already moving upwards to around £260 a ton (at the time of writing) and forecast to go higher. Good news for cereal farmers, perhaps, but not such cheery tidings for consumers.

But how long is it going to take for the realisation to dawn on George and his cohorts that to pursue the current set of DEFRA agricultural policies amounts to driving British farming over a cliff ?

How can we possibly still be talking about "rewilding" good, productive land when we are perilously reliant on an increasingly volatile, unpredictable and unreliable world to supply us with 40% of our food?

How can DEFRA go on promoting the ELMS programme, which even the Princess Royal now regards as spelling the death of the smaller livestock farm?

It would be the simplest matter in the world for us to step up productivity in this country by 10% or 20%. If push came to shove we could probably come within spitting distance of being 90% self sufficient. Which would make everyone feel a lot more secure about life.

Instead we are in a far from secure position of only being able to feed ourselves, statistically speaking, until lunchtime on Thursday while being led by a Government whose policies are likely to push the cut-off point back to Wednesday.

Tobias Ellwood was absolutely right. The world has changed. And we need to change to adapt to the new order. And if George Eustice would just get his head out of the sand for a moment and listen to common sense – rather than those who want to turn swathes of the UK into jungle – he might finally realise that means DEFRA has to change too. And (if I might be so bold as to suggest it, George) sooner rather than later.

John Lillywhite Farmers For Action

BOOK REVIEW: COMPREHENSIVE AND

INSIGHTFUL GUIDE TO OAST HOUSES Oasts and Hop Kilns – A history Patrick Grattan Liverpool University Press £40

Much of the rural South East is home to tall, often conical buildings topped by white cowls or covered vents and used over hundreds of years for drying hops, that vital ingredient in ale.

These days, with far fewer hops grown across Kent, East Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, many of these elegant old buildings have now been retired from their original purpose and instead serve as comfortable – if potentially draughty – homes.

Known as oast houses in Kent and Sussex and hop kilns elsewhere, these distinctive buildings are a vital part of our architectural and social history, as Patrick Grattan reveals in this comprehensive, scholarly yet readable work.

Having studied oasts and hop kilns since the 1960s – although working as a diplomat, in the oil industry and in the charity sector – he has amassed a huge amount of knowledge on the subject and expresses it with great clarity in what claims to be the first comprehensive account of oasts and hop kilns in England.

Beautifully illustrated with maps, cutaway drawing, diagrams, sketches and photographs, this is a book for dipping into as well as one for serious study.

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NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: CHURCH FARM

TOUR DE FORCE This month Nigel Akehurst visits Jenny and Andrew Flake, known as Passmore Coombe, at Church Farm in Coombes, set in the South Downs National Park, to learn more about their diversified beef, sheep and arable family farm.

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Church Farm is set in the hamlet of Coombes, in between Shoreham and Steyning, West Sussex, and is where the Passmore family has been farming for five generations since 1901.

A 1,000-acre working farm, it stretches from the hills of the Downs to the banks of the River Adur, with 140 acres some two metres below high tide.

Today the farm is run by Jenny and Andrew, her 28 year-old son, who took over from his Uncle Trevor, who passed away six years ago.

The family is passionate about farming, the environment and food education. Over the past 40 years they have received half a million visitors to the farm, said Jenny, who started running farm tours at Coombe in 1979.

Before that her late parents Dick and Mary Passmore ran open days for the public throughout the 1960s and 70s. Dick was passionate about food education and conservation, and in recognition for his work received an MBE in 1992.

FARM VISIT

Arriving at the farm I meet Jenny, Andrew and his partner Gussie, along with their two young children James and Connie.

We take a tour of the farmyard, checking out the collection of traditional and more modern farm buildings. They explain that most of the barns are being used to house their flock of expectant ewes which have just started to lamb.

At the time, only 25 had lambed, with another 575 to go over the next six weeks, explained Jenny.

They lamb all their sheep indoors, with ewes and

new-born lambs penned in wooden pens for two days before being taken out to pasture. It’s a system that suits the farm being open to the public, who get to see more of the action come rain or shine.

This year they are open until 24 April; they typically receive over 20,000 visitors each year.

“Bookings are taken through their website www. coombes.co.uk. Ticket prices are kept low (£4 per child and £5 for adults) to make it accessible for most families,” said Jenny.

“Refreshments can be purchased on site in their dedicated visitor space, but families can also bring their own picnics to eat,” she added.

Visitors travel from all over, and on their busiest days they can have up to 2,000 people through their gates.

“It produces a good supplemental income – for the farm and myself,” said Jenny.

“Without the public we wouldn’t be able to afford to lamb inside because of the additional feed and labour costs,” she added.

Visitors are also able to see their herd of pedigree

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Sussex cows and new born calves in their cattle barns. They can also take a tractor and trailer ride up onto the Downs to see sheep and cattle out grazing in the fields.

Eager to see more of the farm myself, I take up Andrew’s offer of a quick tour of the fields. I jump into the back of his pickup truck and we drive up onto the Downs behind the farmyard and along a flint track with far-reaching views out to the English Channel. Arriving at a large 60-acre field, Andrew calls out to his flock of ‘early lambers’ – 200 mainly Charolais ewes and their offspring – which come running over to greet us.

Reaching down, he points out their new herbal ley which he planted back in the autumn.

“The ley includes 15 different species, including two types of nitrogen fixing clover, and was planted as part of a land management option developed with and funded by Southern Water aiming to reduce nitrate leaching into groundwater,” said Andrew.

I ask how he thinks it’s performing? It’s early

> Andrew, Gussie and Jenny days but he’s “impressed,” he replied, and thankful he won’t need to apply nitrogen, saving him considerable expense.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAND MANAGEMENT AND ARUN TO ADUR FARM CLUSTER

On land management, Andrew said “farming in harmony with nature is a key part of our approach,” adding that he is relieved they still have one more year left in Countryside Stewardship HLS. Under their existing agreement they have been doing more conservation work, putting in various wild bird feed strips as well as honey and nectar mixes for pollinators. On their brook ground they have grassland for winter wader and wetland birds.

He added that where possible they try to maximise environmental gain by creating habitats next to existing nesting sites and hedges.

Soil health is a high priority and something they have been learning more about through their involvement in a local farm cluster, the Arun to Adur farmers' group. The group, which has 31 members, covers nearly 11,000 hectares of chalk downland habitat and was setup in 2015 via the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund.

In 2017 the group launched a five-year project to study how different techniques affect the various soil types within the area, looking at organic matter, nutrient availability and soil biodiversity. The project is being led by forward-thinking agronomist Stephen Woodley and Southern Water, and >>

FARM FACTS

• 1,000-acre family owned farm situated at the foot of the South Downs

• 800 breeding ewes with a mix of Welsh Mules, Charolais crosses and pure Charolais. All lambed indoors.

• Lamb 200 ewes in January to target early trade

• Lamb 600 ewes from mid-March to end of April, during which they open to the public and welcome more than 20,000 people (with over half a million visitors in past 40 years) • Offer tractor trailer tours over their farm, with breathtaking views over the South Downs out to the English Channel.

• Part of Farms for Schools network

• Have started offering night time lambing sessions for adults.

• Offer farm tours for schools throughout the year (available by booking) • 70 pedigree suckler cows

• 400 acres of arable on low-yielding but good chalk downland (reduced to 200 acres of best downland ground due to fertiliser prices) • One full-time farm worker

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• Passies Ponds fishing lakes with café (dug in 1990 as fishing lakes diversification) • One more year remaining on their existing HLS scheme

• Part of the Arun and Adur Farmers' Group, with 31 members covering nearly 11,000 hectares of nationally important chalk downland • Planted 120 acres with diverse nitrogen fixing herbal leys with the support of Southern Water as part of a new scheme to reduce nitrogen leaching

• Previously offered DIY barn weddings in one of their farm buildings but after 20 years decided to close and let the barn commercially this year • Host the Glastonwick beer festival, which has been held at Church Farm for over 13 years and attracts around 500 revellers annually • Annual TB testing due to being deemed a city farm

• Sell majority of fat lambs at Hailsham market; Sussex cattle are sold either as stores or fat at Ashford Market • Offer basic camping in the summer and are looking into shepherd’s huts for the future • Jenny is a member of the Farm Women’s Club (formerly part of Farmers’ Weekly magazine) • Support RABI farming charity.

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NIGEL AKEHURST VISITS: CHURCH FARM << hopes to produce comparable data that can be used by farmers and agronomists to improve soil health throughout the region.

A more recent project has helped increase awareness and understanding of the effect of soil health on water quality, particularly nitrate leaching to the chalk aquifer, an important drinking water source. Building on this work, many of the group’s members (including Andrew) have taken up land management options developed and funded by Southern Water.

The group also seeks to educate others about the importance of farming and farmland conservation.

Once a year, in collaboration with external partners, it holds an Open Farm Sunday that allows local people to visit and learn about the importance of the conservation work being carried out on the farm. In 2019 this attracted 800 local people.

HISTORY

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I was interested to hear more about the history of the farm; Jenny described how her great-greatgrandfather moved here from the West Country in 1901.

“They hired a train and after milking in the morning, loaded up all their livestock, machinery and people and milked here in the afternoon,” she said.

The family carried on milking until 1954, when Jenny was born. They switched to running a herd of beef suckler cows instead. Jenny’s parents Dick and Mary ran the farm until 2000, when Dick Passmore died.

Under their stewardship the land was farmed intensively, said Jenny. They grew around 600 acres of arable crops, with the steep downland being fertilised from the air in the 50s and 60s.

Jenny recalls the dare devil pilots flying under the pylon wires.

In addition to arable, they ran a flock of 800 ewes and a herd of 120 Hereford Friesian suckler cows, as well as fattening 500 calves a year.

“Every October Dad used to go to Wales to buy in beef calves to fatten as well as all our replacement ewes.

“It was intensive,which people criticise now, but it was done to produce food to feed people,” she said.

He was also a keen conservationist and set aside less productive areas of land to plant new woodland, buying end-of-season trees to create his ‘follies’ she continued.

FARM DIVERSIFICATIONS

Jenny’s late brother Trevor was a keen fisherman and in 1990 he dug Passies Ponds at Coombes as a farm diversification. It is now very popular with visiting anglers, with three lakes and a café which is open seven days a week.

Up until last year they also used to offer DIY weddings in one of their modern barns, but after 20 years have decided to call it a day, and plan to let the barn commercially instead.

They will continue to hold different events on the farm including Glastonwick, a real beer and music festival due to take place in June. Coombes has hosted the small festival for over 13 years and the Passmores lay on tractor and trailer rides for the 500 festival goers to tour the farm and see their cattle and sheep.

The latest venture is their maize maze (in the shape of a sheep), which they trialled last year. They opened to the public in the month of August and in the October half term, Andrew explained. It was

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a big hit with the public and they are planning on repeating it this year.

More information can be found on their website (www.coombes.co.uk) and their Facebook pages (Coombes Farm, Lambing) which has a community of 10,000 likes.

INCREASING HEALTH AND SAFETY RULES AND REGULATION

One of the big drives for the Passmores is educating the public: “People are so disconnected from agriculture and we give them the opportunity to learn more about where their food comes from,” said Jenny.

Sadly she said that new health and safety legislation introduced in 2018 has made it almost unworkable to open their farm to the public.

Farmers who exhibit animals for educational or entertainment purposes have to buy an animal activity licence under new rules from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

They were previously exempt under a 1925 law.

“We want to stay as we are - a working farm. A working farm that has opened rather than set up an animal area for petting,” she continued.

“Until they introduced this new legislation we used to put children into the pen with clean straw.

Now the only way people could get in with the animals is if it were a concrete floor. Having young lambs on a concrete floor is not good enough for the welfare of the lambs.”

The public are allowed to lean over and stroke them, and they still do bottle feeding - “it’s now over the fence rather than in,” she said.

In addition they’ve had to install more hand washing and hand gel stations on the farm and

Photo: Eddie Mitchel

increase the number of volunteers.

Despite all the extra red tape and additional costs, they are determined to stay open and Jenny says she is on her third generation and possibly fourth generation of visitors to the farm “Some people have come nearly every year since we started. Sometimes when something happens it’s easier for me to keep quiet, as the people who have been before will explain what’s happening.

“They’ve all learned that they come out with two feet then a nose. We’ve kept our price well down so people can keep coming. We could put our prices up and earn more money,” she said.

As a new venture Jenny’s daughter Pamela has started running late night lambing for small groups of adults, which has proved popular.

The past two years haven’t been easy with Covid-19. “We had one vet student, Andrew, and farm staff,” said Jenny. This year they’ve got nine vet students booked in. It’s the education point of it too – plus they can educate the public.

“Dad always had farm students on the farm and we’ve carried on the same way,” explained Jenny.

“People helps us and we help others. You need to educate the next generation otherwise there will be a lack of knowledge.”

> Take The Lead campaign

VEGANS

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Over the years they’ve had lots of vegetarians and vegans visit the farm, commented Jenny.

“If people ask what happens to the lambs, we don’t shy away from telling them they are for food production and explain that they wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that purpose,” she added.

The majority of people understand and are well behaved, but there is the odd trouble maker.

Andrew recalls numbering up lambs with spray paint when a vegan activist started telling children watching him that the lamb he was spraying was next to die.

Andrew politely asked her not to spread information that wasn’t true. After she left, several visitors congratulated him for standing up to her.

Jenny described how they have converted several farm visitors back to eating meat. “Seeing how well our animals are cared for at Coombe changed their minds,” she said.

THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF FARMING

Despite the challenges facing UK farmers, the Flakes are optimistic about the future. They would like to see a greater emphasis on food production and believe current government policy could lead to food shortages.

More could be done to educate the next generation about where their food comes from, they say. Our conversation turns to Clarkson’s Farm.

They are both huge fans and think he has done more for the image of farming than anyone.

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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

NUMBERS STILL

INSUFFICIENT FOR DEMAND

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Spring is fast approaching; grass is growing, fertiliser prices increasing.

These are interesting times for all involved in agriculture and livestock farming.

The beef trade continued to be strong throughout the month, with numbers still insufficient for demand, particularly for the best quality cattle, and trading at levels that are certainly required with the input costs such as feed wheat, feed barley and proteins all increasing substantially. Any reduction in finished cattle prices would be a body blow, and in all likelihood would reduce the number of people willing to feed and fatten cattle, which would be a disaster for the eastern counties, a traditional feeding area.

Best cattle are still trading from 260p/kg to 290p/kg, with very few cattle selling for less than 200p/kg in the finished ring.

The cull cow trade remains at very high levels, with processing meat required;

westpoint farm vets

100% Farm Vets Supporting British Livestock Agriculture Since 2000

numbers are short of requirements and many more could be sold to advantage.

With the barbecue season approaching, it is to be hoped that the beef trade will continue to firm.

Some resistance has been seen to the finished hogget trade through the previous month as numbers increased, with a particular resistance seen for heavy hoggs over 50kg. This is totally against last year’s trend, when hoggs got dearer and dearer. Despite this, best hoggets are trading from £130 to £150 a head at the heavy end, with standard and medium hoggs £110 to £130 a head on a regular basis.

As always presentation is absolutely imperative, with clean, dry, wellpresented sheep always making a premium.

In reverse to the hogget trade, the ewe trade went ballistic throughout the month at levels unseen for the time of year, and long may it continue. Numbers are insufficient, with more and more meat required in that section.

The strongest trade was seen for the big strong ewes, which were forward in insufficient numbers. Store hoggs are nearing the end of the season and becoming more difficult to place at realistic levels.

There are a few spring lambs about. These are trading below last year’s levels at around £3 a kilo. More will come forward in the next few weeks with Easter in April. We hope to see an increase in that trade.

The sheep market needs to be monitored very carefully. We are hoping for an increase in demand but it is uncertain when that will happen.

A ray of light has been seen in the pig industry, with prices in the second week in March suddenly seeing a lift. The European pig market is increasing substantially due to problems in the east of Europe, and although not a good reason for having an increase, it’s a welcome relief for pig producers. It will be interesting to see how that market develops over the next month.

In line with the finished pig trade, the weaner price has also increased substantially, as has the cull sow trade.

In the arable section, a fantastic increase in price for wheats, barleys and all proteins. Unwelcome for feeders of livestock, but for arable farmers who are having to meet extraordinary increases in fertiliser and spray costs, a welcome relief. Crops look well with the very mild winter ongoing and with little chance now of a long cold snap.

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AT ASHFORD MARKET

AN INCREDIBLY WORRYING

TIME FOR US ALL

The opening months of another new year have once again not failed to disappoint us with, at the time of writing, the ongoing crisis in the Ukraine dominating the headlines. Just at the point where we felt comfortable coming out of one global disaster and the life changing upheaval it caused, we are now discussing the possibilities of diesel hitting £2/litre and fertilisers over £1000/ton due to the situation that is rapidly deteriorating in the Eastern Bloc.

I can only speak of the sectors of the industry in which I am directly involved, but it is fair to say that this is an incredibly worrying time for all in the agricultural industry, with input costs spiralling out of control.

A livestock market is not a place where one hears talk of current affairs or global conflict; the conversation generally is based around local gossip, the day’s trading and who is buying the tea in the café that week, but in recent times it has become noticeable how worried many of our customers have become. This topic is all consuming and all that is spoken of in the pens nowadays.

However, there are a number of positives to take from the livestock industry as we stand, including record prices being achieved in many sections, including cull ewes regularly exceeding £200/head, which topped recently at £227 for a superb pen full of Charollais ewes, not just a single sheep, from Miss Katie Tucker, Pulborough. This trade shows no signs of slowing and numbers on offer nationally are considerably down in comparison, with demand for the wholesale product greater than ever before.

Again, in the cull cow department we have seen these break the £2,000/head price barrier now. One particular example of this was a tremendous cow put forward by Mr A Price that grossed a very impressive £2,241. Demand for this processing meat is also currently at record levels, and with the national suckler herd shrinking in numbers every year these best cattle will be in demand for a long time to come.

Many sellers are currently finding it difficult to see the positives in the finished sheep section, with the rising food costs and market prices taking a small step down in recent weeks due to larger numbers coming onto the market nationally.

This situation is being escalated by many sheep running out of fodder crops and having to be sold at this time.

However, over recent weeks the finished sheep price per head has averaged from £110 to £120/head, with top prices reaching £140 at times, which, if we take a step back and look a it objectively, is actually a very good price if selling a

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homebred sheep. Admittedly, if selling expensively purchased stores then this may not be as lucrative, but a leg of lamb on the supermarket shelf can only cost a certain price before the public chooses a cheaper alternative.

These are just a few of the positives that we can draw from the livestock industry at the moment, but in the past 12 months many other sections such as store and breeding sheep have also broken top price records that had stood for many years.

In conclusion, despite the negativity that surrounds us on a daily basis, you can easily find many positives in what we do, with livestock markets providing a service that ensures you are treated fairly and equally, with the added benefit of a day out off the farm. If you are lucky, you may even have your cup of tea paid for!

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ALAN WEST SHEEP TOPICS ALAN WEST

> A safe, grandstand, view for lamb watching

> That look that says "don't mess with my lamb”

Sheep farmer

22

At the time of writing our lambing is almost done, at least the Lleyn; the Herdwick are due to take over the lambing paddock this week ready to start around four days after the Lleyn are due to finish. Keeping fairly detailed records of when ewes were tupped is very useful and has shown, this year, that regardless of litter size there seems to be very little variation on the duration of pregnancy. Everything that has lambed so far has been within a day or two of 145 days, with most lambing on their due date; although, I suspect, just a bit of luck this year.

Once again the Herdy tup completely ignored his little group of ewes for three weeks after joining and then covered everything over three days, with no returns; although this was just a bit slower last year, taking five days to cover everything. So, if the Herdys are true to form we should be finished lambing by the end of the month, in theory, but they are sheep and things could, quite easily, still go awry.

Lambing has been relatively easy (so far). I say relatively; they are, after all, sheep and it has not been entirely without incident, sufficient (to date) to make things interesting but not enough to make life difficult. We had some anomalies in the first few ewes lambing, with lamb weights all over the place; similar aged, twin (scanned) ewes, managed the same throughout pregnancy, producing litters ranging from a pair at 7kg and 5 kg to another at 3kg and 4kg on the same day. Fortunately things soon settled down, with most lambs weighing in at 4.5kg to 5.5kg, just about where they need to be.

We have also had rather more ewes needing minor assistance than normal; nothing major – hung elbows, leg back etc – but just a few more than expected. But sheep will be sheep, never without their issues; regardless of what some claim, there is no such thing as an easy-care sheep, some just happen to have a few fewer problems than others and even then they will throw a real curved ball occasionally, simply because they can.

During quite a relaxed lambing it has been interesting simply watching ewe and lamb interactions and behaviour. I have ewes that display the full gambit of mothering styles, from the real tiger mums, insisting that their lambs are never more than a few metres away, to those that, if they were human, could be a cause for social services intervention; off grazing without a clue where their lambs are, although to be fair they do generally, when they realise that their lambs are not there, panic a bit and call them in fairly quickly and vociferously; more careless and forgetful mums

NEW LIFE AND NEW LEARNING than negligent.

Lambs are just as interesting. A lot of early behaviour is plainly instinctive, driven by the desire for food and security, with mum being the source of both. It is, though, surprising how quickly they start to develop learnt behaviour; the recognition of other ewes and lambs (apart from siblings), copying mum, within days, with early attempts at grazing etc. They also begin to recognise differences, to the point where they will even differentiate between different coloured lambs. We have a couple of crossbred ewes in the flock (because I am not allowed to get rid of them) plus a few Lleyn that go to a Suffolk ram. Their progeny quickly recognise that they are different and tend to associate rather more with other, similar lambs.

I have the added joy this year of guiding our pup through her first lambing. She is a lovely little dog both in looks and nature, quite well bred from good, working stock, with all of the instincts, energy and enthusiasm that come with her background. At almost six months old she is coming into the dog equivalent of her teenage years and is beginning to learn to live with her instincts, learning to channel them, with all her youthful enthusiasm, into

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

developing some useful working skills that she is learning to deploy on command.

For a young dog she is doing well, although not without her ups and downs, and we do occasionally have need of some fairly straightforward conversations. As a doggy teenager she occasionally seems to think that she knows best, which can lead her into trouble, but she does, fortunately, tend to learn from her mistakes.

Lamb watching has become one of her favoured pastimes; as she is learning, it is not without its hazards. She was already learning how to balance sheep, that crucial tipping point that triggers the flight or fight response, but has now had to learn that, for ewes with newborn lambs at foot, that response becomes rather more fight than flight.

Having been bowled over a few times and taken a few, albeit minor, batterings, she quickly came to appreciate that you simply don’t mess with a snorting, stamping ewe defending her lambs and now thinks that she has worked out the safe distance to avoid any further mishaps. We shall see, but I suspect not. She is discovering, like many novice sheep keepers, that sheep are rather more complex animals than they first appear.

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For many, lambing is underway or about to start, which means the sleep deprivation has already started or is incoming. Lambing is one my favourite times of year and is probably a close second only to the start of the football season, although being a Bolton Wanderers fan there’s never much to shout about.

The lambing season could be compared to the football season in several ways.

The nerves prior to that first lamb on the ground; what will this season bring?

Midway through we start to build a picture of how the season is going. Is it time to ask for advice about an issue? Can it wait until the annual health and performance review? Finally at the end, when all is said and done, with the “swear jar” full to the brim, we can start to digest the past few months knowing that it’s only a matter of time until the cycle starts all over again.

The word on everyone’s lips seems to be “Spectam”, with one of the most common questions being: “What are we going to do without it?” The lack of availability has forced people to look at their risk factors for watery mouth, and as vets we are having daily conversations regarding nutrition, colostrum management and hygiene.

Has this been the wakeup call the industry needs to reassess our relationship with prophylactic antibiotics? And when we probe further what other examples can we find? The use of oxytetracycline spray for navel treatments is another example of inappropriate, and often ineffective, antibiotic use and is a practice which is still commonly implemented.

Now that we have no licensed oral antibiotics available for lambs, where does this leave the industry? We have seen a shift towards a focus on preventative medicine through adequate pre-lambing nutrition and metabolic profiling, good hygiene practices at lambing time and thorough colostrum protocols; change is coming, and as farm vets we need to be championing this with initiatives such as Farm Vet Champions reminding us of our responsibilities.

Thankfully, most of our clients have been receptive to suggested changes, although there will always be some exceptions!

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24

Spring is here, giving us vets a rude awakening during our on-call nights. It is lovely to see some sun shining and some lambs out and about in the fields. Many cattle are still in, due to the ever-enjoyable rain, but thoughts will be rumbling about turn out. It is always a big relief to get stock out on grass and get the sheds cleared out, but one of the main concerns that goes with grazing is the dreaded fly.

There are many species of fly in the UK, such as stable, horn, house, face, and head flies. I only ever think of one word for flies and that is “nuisance”.

Not only is their physical presence annoying but they are also important vectors of disease in our stock. They are irritating and can upset animals enough to reduce eating time and cause weight loss. They can transmit more exotic diseases such as Schmallenberg and bluetongue, but there are some more common issues that we see linked to the fly population.

Firstly, the much-dreaded fly strike; it is important to remember that fly strike is not limited to sheep. It can affect sick calves and cattle that become recumbent for any reason or those that have open skin wounds. Fly strike is important to bear in mind if you are late dehorning your calves, which creates a perfect environment for strike.

Clinical signs include a clearly irritated animal – pacing, scratching, tail twitching, nibbling at fleece, weight loss. Severe strike can cause discoloration of the fleece and the animal will be visibly ill, with depression, septicemia (systemic infection from toxins) and eventual death.

Act quickly with fly strike; clip the area and treat with something like Crovect, Spot on etc. Take care, as some products are only for prevention, not treatment e.g. Clik. The animal should have pain relief and, if severe, they will need antibiotics to prevent septicemia.

Pink eye/New Forest Eye/infectious keratoconjunctivitis is a bacterial infection of the eye. Flies will act as vectors and transport the bacteria from animal to animal. This can affect many animals in the group and an outbreak can sometimes seem endless. Signs will include runny eyes, tear staining on the cheek, eyelids closing or constantly twitching and discoloration of the eyeball itself (commonly white/blue). It can progress to ulceration and, in severe cases, some animals may need the eye removed to relieve pain. Catching this early is key and treatment is relatively simple at this point with some eye cream. Antibiotic injections may be needed if it has progressed. Please call us to discuss.

Summer mastitis, a bacterial infection of the udder, is also spread by flies. This is commonly seen in non-lactating heifers or cows. It can, however, sometimes affect bulls or calves. It is mostly seen in June to September, but it pays to always be vigilant.

Quite often, the early stages are missed but

FLY CONTROL IN YOUR ANIMALS

By Sarah O’Reilly, Westpoint Farm Vets. common signs include an enlarged teat or entire quarter. There is usually a pus discharge like clotted cheese. Wear gloves – it normally stinks! The animal may be noted as lame, but this is often an attempt to prevent rubbing the sore area. They can become stiff and can progress to real systemic illness with some getting gangrenous mastitis where some skin or the quarter itself may slough off.

These cows will need antibiotics, pain relief and possible supportive fluids etc, so please do not hesitate to call your vet to attend.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP PREVENT AND REDUCE FLY-RELATED DISEASE?

• Teat sealants – these work well in dairy heifers and dry cows but are generally more impractical in beef cattle.

• Fly repellants – start using them early. Get a head start on the flies and keep the population reduced as much as possible. This can be from March onwards. Most are repeated every four to six weeks, but follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Most of these are pour on solutions containing things like permethrin, deltamethrin and cypermethrin.

• Fly tags – these are impregnated with fly repellant and can be applied to one or both ears.

• Manage the grazing areas– keep cattle away from places that are damp or have a lot of trees, which are ideal breeding grounds for flies. Keep

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

any dung piles away from grazing spots.

• Sheep – spraying with Clik, Crovect, Ectofly etc, is critical to prevent flystrike, as well as reducing fleece around the back end and keeping on top of internal parasite management to prevent scours that attract flies.

• Clover Friendly Flies – a sustainable scheme which uses natural parasites of the flies (pteromalid wasps, also known as fly parasites).

These wasps parasitise the flies listed here and reduce the numbers irritating the stock. Ask your vet for more information as they can usually supply the fly parasites.

• Be vigilant – check stock frequently to pick up and treat issues early.

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

Swingfield: 01303 844682 Linton: 01622 749819 Godstone: 01293 368001 Email: info@agwood.co.uk Visit: www.agwood.co.uk

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DEALERSHIP EXPANSION

AMBITIOUS EXPANSION Backing from one of the world’s leading agricultural machinery manufacturers has inspired an ambitious expansion by a wellknown Kent dealership.

Agwood Ltd, based at Swingfield near Dover, has transformed and enlarged the facilities on that site while also expanding its territory into Sussex and Surrey after being invited to take on a full-line Massey Ferguson dealership in that part of the world.

The company has opened a temporary but well-equipped new branch at Godstone while it develops plans for a

completely new depot at Crawley. Working closely with the business’ other busy dealership at Linton, near Maidstone, it will give Agwood comprehensive coverage of Kent, Surrey and East and West Sussex.

The move will give farmers across the region

access to the entire Massey Ferguson range, including the impressive new Ideal combine harvester range, along with Agwood’s other top tier franchises.

“We were delighted to have been given the

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FEATURED DEALER: opportunity to supply and look after Massey Ferguson customers across a bigger area and we are keen to get to know the farmers and landowners in that part of the world,” said Agwood founder Ian Wood, who began the company in 1978 and still plays an active part as managing director.

“This is a great opportunity for the company to expand in partnership with a prestige manufacturer and we are privileged to have been asked to support the brand’s expansion into a new area. It’s an accolade that reflects a lot of work by the whole Agwood team and we are looking forward to driving the business forward.”

The expansion at Swingfield, along with the investment at Godstone and putting together the plans for Crawley, represents an investment of around £1m by the business over the past 18 months and is a vital part of the company’s business plan, as director Phil Bush explained.

“As a successful agricultural dealership, we need to keep growing and providing a broader range of services,” he said. “We need to ensure we can give all our

customers the level of support they deserve, together with the best possible after-sales back up, and that is only possible if we continue to grow and generate additional business.

“Our customers also like to see investment in the business as it shows that we are planning to be here for the duration and are committed to taking good care of the equipment they themselves are investing in.”

Phil, who joined the company as general manager in 2019, has worked closely with Massey Ferguson on the expansion plans, specifically around finding the new Crawley location and employing the new team based for now at Godstone, while also overseeing the impressive changes at Swingfield.

Those changes are dramatic and have created a showroom that is around 60% bigger than previously, allowing for a number of new ranges that cater both for farmers and for members of the public looking for anything from wellington boots and secateurs to a ride-on mower or rechargeable strimmer.

“We have designed the new showroom with all our customers in mind,” said Phil. “Agwood has

always seen domestic customers as a vital part of our retail mix, so we have worked hard to make sure they feel welcome without risking alienating our farming customers by making it too shop-like.”

It’s a balance that has been well struck, with the usual range of spare parts, greases, filters, overalls, work boots, lamps and heavy-duty tools sitting comfortably alongside garden implements, a new clothing range and plenty of quality domestic-level machinery from the likes of Stihl, Stiga, Mountfield and Husqvarna.

The redevelopment at Swingfield included adding a new building that houses a service reception area, workshop, warehousing, offices and a smart new boardroom with impressive audiovisual connectivity. The workshop itself boasts four 6m by 11m bays and can house three combines at the same time.

Moving the workshop out of the back of the original showroom building allowed Agwood to add a mezzanine floor to the rear. That mezzanine now houses the parts racking, allowing the showroom to expand into the space that had been taken up by the workshop and parts storage.

While the changes at Swingfield have >>

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FEATURED DEALER: << transformed head office, and the dealership at Linton continues to perform strongly, it is the move into new territory that is particularly exciting for the Agwood team.

The temporary premises at Godstone are well located just off Junction 6 of the M25 and feature a well-equipped workshop, office space, parts department and storage yard for displaying machinery. Four new staff have been taken on and more will be recruited over the next six months.

While the site is geared up to provide a high level of service to Massey Ferguson customers in Surrey and Sussex, it will in time be eclipsed by the ground-up development being planned for the new site at Crawley, close to the junction of the M23 and A264.

Phil Bush is currently in negotiation with the landlord over plans for the site that will create a 7,000 sq ft depot featuring a workshop, parts department and showroom on a half-acre site that will deliver a full-line flagship Massey dealership for that part of the world.

“We have great plans for the site and we are looking forward to the new branch coming on stream, probably in about 18 months’ time,” he

DEALERSHIP EXPANSION said. “In the meantime the Godstone site is fully functional and will deliver Agwood’s renowned levels of customer service to our new family of customers.

“All our existing suppliers are on board with our plans and will be joining us at Godstone, and with Agwood and Massey Ferguson on the same page when it comes to growing the two businesses and increasing market share, this is an exciting time for us all.”

Ian Wood began the business in 1978 with a Renault franchise before switching to Case in 1998.

Eight years later, with Massey Ferguson looking to grow its presence in this part of the world, he was offered the chance to take on the MF dealership for Kent and East Sussex, opening the Linton branch, formerly a John Deere outlet, and selling and servicing the famous red marque from that new base as well as from Swingfield.

“And then in 2021 Massey Ferguson came back to Agwood again and gave us the opportunity to expand our full line territory into Sussex and Surrey,” said Phil Bush. “We put forward a business plan they liked and we have worked with them to set > John Goodsell

up the new dealership while expanding the facilities at Swingfield at the same time.”

A total of around 30 people now work for the business, which prides itself on second-to-none levels of after care that reflects the quality of the brands it stocks.

Phil has worked in the industry for 35 years, including 29 with another big-name agricultural dealer, Ernest Doe, and has masterminded the expansion plans.

As well as focusing on both agricultural and domestic customers in the showroom, Agwood also relies on a mix of in person and online sales, with a strong ecommerce platform a vital part of a new website launched in July 2020, when lockdown was another incentive to promote ‘virtual’ browsing and buying.

With a broad range of quality franchises that includes OPICO and its allied HE-VA, Sky, Strautmann and Maschio Gaspardo dealerships, along with Suzuki, Schäffer, Kioti, Ventrac, Lemken and AS Motor, Agwood is confident that it can meet the needs of new and existing customers across Surrey and Sussex and in its Kent homeland. >> > Harry Arnold

29

> Harry Arnold

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DEALERSHIP EXPANSION

FEATURED DEALER: << Agwood’s Linton depot also operates a large hire fleet which is changed every 12 months, with one large customer hiring around two dozen tractors each year. “The customer wants new, reliable equipment along with fixed costs for the coming year, and that’s what our full contract hire service gives them,” Phil explained.

That focus on supporting the customer continues across the whole of the dealership. “We like to think we are still small enough to care and deliver personal service but large enough to support our entire customer base, from retail customers looking for a garden fork at the weekend to large arable farmers who need – and receive – unbeatable levels of service,” he went on.

“Service is top of our list every time. We understand that the agricultural world is a lifestyle, not a job, so we are there for our professional customers on Sundays and Bank Holidays if they need us. If someone rings, whatever the day or the time, they need to know that someone will answer the phone – and that something will happen as a result of the call.

“If I have to drive from my home in East Grinstead

on a Sunday afternoon to get a part to someone in Dover, then I will – and that goes for everyone in the team.”

And while most dealerships quote harvest as the time when they need to pull out all the stops, Phil recognises that there are other customers who also need an instant response. “A dairy forklift used for feeding cattle is just as important to that farmer on a daily basis as a combine is to an arable farmer during harvest. We treat both as being equally important,” he said.

Agwood’s parts department is set up to ensure that most spares are always available, while an emergency parts service guarantees next day delivery by 7am, with a harvest deadline of 7pm the previous day.

Agwood also has four tractors, from 120hp to 400hp, available as back-up loan machines for farmers covered by Massey Ferguson’s Always Running scheme aimed at filling the gap if a machine can’t be repaired quickly.

“Everything we do is geared towards helping farmers get on with the job and do it productively and efficiently,” Phil concluded.

31

SHOWROOM UNVEILED The new showroom at Swingfield was launched to local farmers and other professional customers at a two-day celebration event in mid-March which featured special offers, refreshments and a raffle, as well as the chance to see the wider range of products on offer in the vastly expanded retail area.

It also gave them the opportunity to admire Agwood’s 2022 demonstration model of Massey Ferguson’s new Ideal 8T tracked combine harvester, an impressive beast that is nonetheless narrow enough to allow easier access to

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fields. While the tracked model is 3.4m wide, the 800mm tyre wheeled version comes in at just 3.2m.

The Ideal is also ahead of the game in delivering good grain quality and high productivity without compromising on the quality of the straw, a combination that has been seen as difficult to achieve in the past.

Agwood will be holding an IDEAL combine launch at the Swingfield head office on 19 April, followed by an open evening and combine launch at the new, temporary, premises at Godstone on 21 April.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | APRIL 2022

SMART OPERATION Swingfield, Dover, Kent CT15 7HF Tel: 01303 844682 Linton, Maidstone, Kent ME17 4AX Tel: 01622 749819 Godstone, Surrey RH9 8DF Tel: 01293 368001 Email: Sales@agwood.co.uk Web: www.agwood.co.uk

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Agwood’s new customers in Surrey and Sussex will not just enjoy top class levels of sales and service for all things Massey Ferguson but will also be able to take advantage of the dealership’s impressive selection of other franchises.

Customers at the Swingfield and Linton depots already benefit from the company’s close links with the OPICO grassland brand and its allied HE-VA, Sky, Strautmann and Maschio Gaspardo ranges, and those same quality products will now be available from the new depot at Godstone – later Crawley.

Under its own name, OPICO produces a broad range of kit including grass harrows, seeders, grassland subsoilers, fertiliser applicators, post hole diggers and grain dryers.

HE-VA’s range of equipment includes subsoilers, disc rollers, a triple tiller stubble cultivator, front presses, grass rollers and Cambridge rolls, while Sky offers mintill, pneumatic and gravity-fed direct drills.

Strautmann manufactures mixer wagons, forage wagons and muck spreaders, while the line-up is completed by power harrows, flail mowers, seed drills, rotary cultivators, hedge cutters, ploughs and precision seed drills from Maschio Gaspardo.

Also included in the Agwood stable is Lemken cultivation equipment, which includes ploughs, fertiliser spreaders and power harrows. “Lemken is a good quality premium brand that builds kit that

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DEALERSHIP EXPANSION

A BROAD RANGE OF

QUALITY FRANCHISES seems to last forever,” Phil commented.

The broad range of equipment, allied to the full-line Massey Ferguson offering that includes everything from hay tools, balers and telehandlers to the impressive new tractor range and the tracked and wheeled Ideal combine harvesters, makes Agwood a one-stop dealership for everything arable.

With smaller concerns in mind, the company stocks the popular Kioti range of compact tractors and utility vehicles, together with the impressive all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) available from Suzuki.

Agwood also supplies the high quality, Germanbuilt Schäffer range of pivot-steer telehandlers, which extends from compact models to larger industrial/agricultural machines, all manufactured to the same exacting standards.

As well as agricultural and domestic customers, the latter benefiting from a range of quality franchises including Stihl, Stiga, Mountfield and Husqvarna, Agwood offers services to a considerable number of groundscare professionals, including local authority

maintenance teams and golf course owners.

The company supplies the Ventrac range of pivot-steer tractors that can take multiple groundscare attachments, a versatile set up described by Agwood director Phil Bush as “a kind of Swiss Army knife for taking expert care of grass”.

With its focus on partnering with established and reliable brands, Agwood is a stockist for the AS Motor range, which includes brushcutters and flail mowers, together with weedbrushes available with conventional four-stroke engines or as battery powered machines. “AS Motors have more than 60 years’ experience in manufacturing professional mowers and we are very pleased to have them as one of our franchises,” said Phil.

“With all our franchises, the emphasis is on stocking good quality machinery that offers value for money by doing a first class job over many years, allied to levels of reliability that avoid costly downtime. We are delighted that all our Kent partners will continue to support us as we move into Surrey and Sussex.”

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | APRIL 2022

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NEW FROM THE

GROUND UP When it comes to driver comfort, the new generation of Massey Ferguson tractors looks set to raise the bar considerably.

The past 18 months has seen the launch of four new models, including what director Phil Bush described as the “new from the ground up, award-winning 8S." They range from the 5S, which tops out at 145 horsepower and is described by the manufacturer as the “best-in-class dairy and livestock tractor”, through the increasingly powerful 6S and 7S and topping out with the flagship 400hp 8700S series with 12,000kg lift capacity.

As well as having the ‘bells and whistles’ and build quality for which the prestige red marque is rightly renowned, the new 8S model is exceptionally quiet, with in-cab noise levels topping out at just 68 decibels.

The cab itself is impressively spacious and is separated from the engine compartment by a large gap. It looks rather odd, but the clear separation

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

means there is no physical heat, vibration or noise transmission from the engine to the cab, delivering a cool, quiet working environment.

Massey Ferguson has said the 8S, named Tractor of the Year 2021, reflects customer feedback which “underlined the need for comfort, ease of use, value for money, excellent reliability, intuitive and convenient controls, efficiency transmitting maximum power to the ground, 100% connectivity and the ability to work with the most demanding implements.”

Phil Bush said the innovative new models from the Massey Ferguson stable were helping the brand gain an increasingly large share of the UK tractor market.

“The latest models really are impressive, particularly in terms of driver comfort, and we are looking forward to demonstrating the changes to our broader customer base across Kent, Surrey and Sussex,” he added.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | APRIL 2022

35

North & West Kent: Trevor Sacree: 07966 338676 Romney Marsh & East Sussex: Simon Coyle: 07971 781285 East Kent: Steve Day: 07885 708177 West Sussex: Vinnie Copper: 07884 010511 Surrey: Phil Bush: 07580 121425

Swingfield: 01303 844682 Linton: 01622 749819 Godstone: 01293 368001 Email: info@agwood.co.uk Visit: www.agwood.co.uk

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WEST SUSSEX DIARY NICK ADAMES

SUBSIDISED INACTION So here we are, after all the gloom of winter. It’s springtime…the rewilding process is growing rapidly around the old English countryside, those once well-tilled fields are sprouting weeds across unploughed surfaces and the ‘experts’ at DEFRA along with their ‘Minister Useless’ (yes, I know how it’s spelled) are growing prouder of their work by the day.

I know for a fact that much of this neglect of good farmland is involuntary. I may be partly to blame.

Much is brought on by the spike in farm input costs and the increasingly recognised view, amongst real farmers, that there is little point in growing a crop properly, when, as I’ve said before, it’s more than likely that the end result will be a financial loss.

However, one hears, there are many operators who seem unable to resist possible long term ‘subsidised inaction’ who are intent on putting all or large parts of their land down to rewilding (neglecting) while thinking Britain will always get all the food we need from abroad.

As one who has experienced clearing scrub off long neglected (purchased!) land, I know what’s involved. Root clearance is but one aspect, but it soon becomes clear what the neglected land has been storing, in the way of what were once known as pests. Rabbits, foxes, badgers, which of course are all now, or probably close to becoming, protected species. I also know how long it takes to get such land back in order. Today, of course, you will also face the environmental lobby and numerous wildlife restrictions.

An interesting alternative crop we investigated over recent months was Miscanthus. It appears there is a growing demand for it as a replacement for fossil fuels and the market is said to be ‘guaranteed’ so, naturally, we looked at it. The plusses are that the rhizomes only have to be planted once every 15 or 16 years. It is reported to require no fertiliser after establishment. It comes

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NICK ADAMES Former dairy farmer

for harvesting in early spring, when it is treated rather as hay, cut, maybe turned once and then baled into big bales. All well and good.

Then once baled it has to be stacked or stored, preferably so it doesn’t get penalised for exceeding 14% moisture content or set alight by vandals. All the aforementioned expense is quite reasonably the responsibility of the grower until it is picked up for movement to the end user, where cost is down to them. The forecast return, after the second year, is based (at the estimated guide price last December) on some nine to ten tons per hectare. The annual predicted return at 2021 prices is some £270 an acre. Less, of course, the harvesting costs.

Even then it sounds better than rewilding. It will certainly look better. But there appeared some fairly obvious negatives, which we started looking for when a proposed contract arrived for signature.

Firstly, there were some four to five pages of very small, close-typed terms, which not unnaturally made me wary. I learned many years ago, the more the conditions, the more they needed scrutinising and also that the smaller they were printed, the more one needed to be ‘double wary!

These were printed exceptionally small, around font size 4 or 6. I managed to read enough of them before the alarm bells started to go off in my head.

Every cost and problem was to be paid by the grower, even failure of the ‘seed’, or rhizomes, which the buyer was initially providing. The soil test results the grower had to fund, but were to be handed over to the buyer. Surely if they wanted tests they were keeping, they should pay? And so it went on, until what initially had looked to be just the sort of crop

we wanted to grow in these uncertain times was suddenly a crop I couldn’t risk touching with the proverbial bargepole.

Perhaps a bit of competition in the market might improve things, but we fast decided it’s not for us, not now, not on those terms. Although the crop does appear to have much going for it - 15 years before a need to replant, likes wet ground and stands flooding, no annual fertiliser requirements, utilises contractors’ existing harvesting machinery and avoids the stupidity of rewilding! What would you prefer, getting tied down to a contract you could barely read, getting your leg bitten off by a wolf, being charged down by a bison or fallowing the land for next year?

It’s good to see, at long last, our national press and media taking the sewage release situation seriously. It is a national disgrace that this country, so keen to call itself a ‘world leader in care for the environment’ can allow such practices to continue.

The devastation this (often raw) excrement must have on the marine life around our beaches and seas is unimaginable. Apart from its effects on our own land, what about the creatures that try to survive in our waterways? That the solids from waste treatment plants (that’s sewage treatment works) will end up in the world’s oceans is to me understandable, but that they are being allowed to get there in anything but a fully treated state is surely criminal.

Yet when the pressure is put on them, our supreme environmental arbiters the Environment Agency quickly close their one good eye and say “It’s all because the public are disposing of wet wipes and other household items down their toilet” or that the farmers are “allowing spray drift to get into ditches”. They make no mention of the part they and their ‘buddies’ in the water companies play in dumping untreated sewage or neglecting the waterways. “It’s not our fault, guv.”

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37

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ELVED PHILLIPS ARABLE NOTES

38

With the critical decisions that Mr Putin must make now, Shakespeare’s quote: “Uneasy is the head that wears a crown” from Henry IV part 2, seems very appropriate. Meantime all the grain markets can do is wait for the next news headline and react to it. The Financial Times reported that significant progress had been made in peace talks and the French and US futures plunged to their limit down. But there have been more limits up than down of late, making market price reporting a waste of time, because as soon as you write it down it’s out of date!

The whole world knows now, if it didn’t before, just how much wheat, maize, barley and sunflower seed is supplied from Russia and Ukraine. It’s so much that at this late stage of the trading year, it’s hard to see which suppliers can actually fill the deficit. If there should be a cease fire, even a short one to bury the dead, that would cause the markets to fall just on sentiment. But they have already risen so much that they would have a very long way to fall to get back to anything like the levels they were before the conflict started.

Simple maths suggest that Ukraine has about 13 million tonnes of old crop maize and four million tonnes of wheat that were due to be exported in the next few months. With the damage to the infrastructure and seaports, like Mariupol which has

ELVED PHILLIPS Openfield

HARD TO SEE WHO CAN FILL THE

RUSSIA AND UKRAINE DEFICIT

been flattened, plus all the harbours being mined, that is not going to happen. So where will that expected maize and wheat come from?

Keeping on old crop, the EU has been a huge importer of Ukrainian maize and wheat. Don’t forget that the EU granted Ukraine levy-free access for significant quotas of both; well we can whistle for that now! In the short term some other usual exporting countries are saying that they want to hold onto, or hoard, stocks of grain. Russia has an export ban in place and because of sanctions a lot of countries cannot buy from them now anyway.

So even when the fighting stops it will be some months before grain exports by ship could resume, but exports to the west by train should be possible.

As I have stated many times, UK old crop wheat was always going to be ‘very tight’ even before this conflict. June was always my bet for the top, when our wheat ran out; well, having just bought some feed wheat at £300 ex-farm, I think we can say that the expected June peak has already arrived.

Of course, feed barley has benefitted from this but you must remember that barley has a shorter fuse than wheat as we will have new crop French in June, so sell barley first before the wheat. Malting premiums have disappeared on old crop as feed barley has pushed up in price and maltsters are full up.

Turning to new crop, since the conflict “weather stories” have receded into the background. Ukraine has half its spring barley crop to plant, but not much wheat; still, without the manpower, energy, fertiliser and opportunity it’s difficult to see how they can do

that. Also they will have to husband and eventually harvest their winter crop, so it’s a good job there are six months still to go before that crop comes to harvest.

As I said, prices change so fast it’s pointless reporting them. Today there’s about a £50 discount for new crop wheat compared to old crop UK, but should there be? With reduced fertiliser we only get the same size crop as 2021. We must not forget that only huge early season imports in July and August kept us going. But even with those and the usual milling imports, we will probably still run out before next harvest.

If we could be faced with a similar scenario for harvest 2022, old crop and new crop wheat should come together on price at some point. If the conflict continues and old crop wheat does not fall, why should new crop be discounted by £50? Again, I say even new crop barley is different to wheat because no one can doubt that we will have a big exportable surplus of barley, both feed and malting. So there’s no reason why we should be short of barley between July and December.

Just finishing on a sobering note. Don’t forget no market goes in the same direction forever! Every day that goes by is a day closer to this conflict being resolved. So to finish with Shakespeare, Julius Caesar was warned “beware the Ides of March”. In 44 BC he was assassinated by his fellow senators as certain things had not gone to plan. I don’t know when you will read this but I won’t be surprised if this conflict has been sorted out, in some shape or form, by the end of March.

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STEPHEN CARR

FINANCIAL

Offe in so serv your

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Regular readers of this column may remember that not so long ago I reported that a friend of mine had described arable farming as a “financial treadmill”. I haven’t seen him in recent weeks but I’m guessing that he has now altered his description of our profession to a “financial rollercoaster”.

In case you’ve been hiding in a nuclear bunker these past few weeks, at the time of writing, feed wheat prices have hit over £300/tonne, ammonium nitrate (AN) £1,000/tonne and red diesel £1.10 per litre. As farmers, we’ve got used to ‘agri-inflation’ in recent years, but one of the many impacts of Russia’s horrific invasion of Ukraine has been to raise wheat prices by £100 per tonne, AN by £600 per tonne and diesel by 45p per litre.

What this surge in prices does, of course, is hugely raise the financial stakes for arable farmers. While the higher oilseed, grain and pulse prices suggest an improved return, will this all be wiped out by the cost of inputs rising even faster than farmgate commodity prices?

In the current cropping year, the financial viability of individual arable farmers will now depend more on when they sold their crops and bought their inputs than how their crops yielded. A quick calculation on the back of an envelope tells me that a 400ha arable farm that sold its 2021 harvest spot last September and still has not bought its AN will be over £400,000 worse off than if that same farm still had its crops unsold in store now and bought its AN last autumn.

On my own farm, with my usual genius for gauging the likely movement of grain prices, I waited until January and managed to sell my wheat for £210/ tonne. I even congratulated myself that I’d been smart not to sell it earlier in the season. Indeed, the January spot price quickly fell away by £10/tonne after my sale and I was soon boasting about my skills as a trader to anyone prepared to listen (the collie).

With my grain now looking horribly undersold, I’m calming myself down by remembering that I don’t need to buy any fertiliser for this season and that my tank of red diesel is reasonably full and bought for 65p/litre.

But to put my worries in perspective, I do know of a farmer with a large arable area, including 800 hectares of cereals and 180 hectares of potatoes, who has just placed a £50,000 order to fill his tank with red diesel; he says his “hand was shaking” after making the phone call to his buying co-op. I would imagine his hand might be shaking some more as he negotiates his potato contracts this spring.

Just how many of us have the nerve, stamina and financial wherewithal to keep producing crops under these current hyper-inflationary trading conditions, only time will tell.

Arable farmers are committed to their crop for this season, but if new crop wheat prices stick at £240/tonne and AN stays at £1,000/tonne, it’s hard to predict just what acreage of combinable crops will be sown in the UK this autumn. Most of us endure the rigours of the treadmill, but this rollercoaster might frighten many of us out of the fairground altogether.

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ANITA HEAD ORGANISED CHAOS

THE WORLD IS GOING MAD

40

Well, well, well, who would have thought that we could be on the brink of a major world conflict? The world is certainly a very daunting place at the moment, and with tensions ramping up between the west and its antagonists in Russia and China, fears are now developing that proxy wars could develop into wider armed conflict.

“A no-fly zone” has become a catchphrase that I’m not sure a lot of people understand.

Unfortunately it’s not a rule that you pass and everyone must abide by; it’s the willingness to shoot down aircraft of the Russian federation, which is basically the beginning of World War III. Having come out of one of the world’s worst pandemics in history we are now entering completely unchartered territory. The world has officially gone mad, or have I? The price of fuel is at heights that have never been seen before. The cost of running a tractor, ploughing on a daily basis, is nearly £1,000 per day. The cost of wheat would seem to be extortionate at present but if the truth is known, is it? If you were selling wheat last year at £200 per tonne when the fertiliser price was £225/ tonne, in today’s market you would need to be selling wheat at £595/tonne as fertiliser is now £950/tonne.

The milk price has been on the increase but so have all our inputs, water, electric, wages etc, which effectively means farmers are still financially treading water. Successive governments have been asleep at the wheel, and now, within a few short weeks, our food and energy policies seem to be in tatters. With Russia and the Ukraine being 30% of the world’s breadbasket, changes need to be swift and accurate. Being paid to farm trees and butterflies may have to take a back seat for a while; we have a nation to feed.

In the last few months of 2021, a successful campaign by Greenpeace, supported by Nicola Sturgeon, led to Shell deciding to pull out of pursuing the development of the Cambo oil field development off Shetland, a newly discovered oilfield with the potential of up to 800 million barrels of our own oil. This was shut down by the “green” agenda. Within three months this would appear to be a little short-sighted. It is the responsibility of any government to ensure that their citizens are fed, warm and safe. This Government certainly has a job on its hands.

The world is going mad…or so it appears.

In 2007 the farm sold two worn out telehandlers and purchased three new ones; the cost to change was £81,000. In 2018 we sold two telehandlers and purchased two new ones and

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

ANITA HEAD Farmer

the cost to change was £85,000. In 2022 we have been quoted £86,000 with no trade in for one machine. In an age where the average cost of a first-time house is £330,000, where is the next generation going to find the cash? Surely there must come a time when it will all come crashing down around us.

The era of cheap food is over. It’s time people got their priorities right, but it’s going to hurt and we have not been raised in a world where food is scarce. Being self-sufficient is going to be key.

In our preparation for being self-sufficient I have purchased six new point of lay chickens. Four weeks on and we haven’t even had one egg. Good job our trusty old chickens still produce an egg or two. I’m trying to persuade the kids to start growing potatoes or even rear a few pigs, but as yet I haven’t had any success.

Spring is here and the lighter evenings are such a blessing; the crops are looking well so far. Silaging is just around the corner and the machinery will be serviced in the next week or so. Dunging will commence in earnest as soon as the weather allows.

Lambing is now well under way and the children are on Easter holidays. Yippee – no school runs for a while and the diesel bill goes down.

We are in the process of offering accommodation to a family of Ukrainian refugees.

I’ve been trying to explain to the children how they will feel upon arrival but am failing miserably at the moment so we shall offer them all the support and love we have.

I’m sure by the time this article goes to print the world will be a completely different place from when I wrote this article. Here’s hoping it’s for the better.

All that remains is to wish Fergus a very happy 21st birthday and to say how incredibly proud we are of all that he has accomplished and all he has yet to achieve.

Until next time stay safe and take care.

AGRONOMY

PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS

TO CUTTING CARBON Reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of farming operations benefits both the environment and business profitability.

This was the clear message to more than 200 attendees at the Hutchinsons National Carbon Conference in February.

While farming is often criticised for its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, delegates heard how the sector was pivotal to tackling climate change through improved efficiency and carbon sequestration.

While it is still early days for carbon markets and financial incentives, speakers said simple improvements to the carbon footprint made sound business sense and would help meet ambitious GHG targets.

NFU climate change adviser Dr Ceris Jones was confident UK agriculture could meet the union’s 2040 net zero ambition – 10 years earlier than the Government’s target – through a concerted effort across different areas.

“There is no silver bullet to tackling GHGs. We need as many farmers as possible to do everything they can to reduce emissions per hectare and per tonne.

“Farmers can’t do this alone, so it’s great to see Hutchinsons grabbing this issue,” he said.

Speakers highlighted the links between reducing emissions, efficiency and cost savings and the fact that on productive land, maximising yield helped reduce the carbon footprint per tonne.

“Many things we can do to reduce emissions make perfect business sense,” conference Chairman Gary Mills-Thomas said.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

But before making changes he advised farms to assess their individual carbon situation to identify areas of focus and provide a baseline against which to measure changes. TerraMap Carbon and Omnia Carbon management offered an ideal means of doing this, he pointed out.

AREAS TO TARGET

Nitrogen fertiliser was highlighted as a major contributor to the carbon footprint on arable farms, as “its production and application accounted for around 60% of emissions,” The Farm Carbon Toolkit’s Becky Willson said.

“Fuel use and field operations accounted for 20%, while other fertilisers, lime, seed and crop protection made up the remainder. Although crop input emissions are the predominant factor, we still have to produce food, otherwise we risk exporting the problem,” she added.

Improving nitrogen use efficiency is a great starting point for reducing emissions that offers significant financial benefits given high fertiliser prices. Advice included more accurate application timing matched to crop requirement and greater consideration of fertiliser type.

Dr Nigel Davies of Maltdoctor Ltd said “abated” nitrogen fertiliser offered significant carbon savings. As former director of sustainability for

Canterbury: 01227 830064 www.hlhltd.co.uk

Muntons, he embedded abated fertiliser use in supplier contracts, reducing the carbon footprint of the firm’s primary raw material by 32% at no extra cost to growers.

SOIL HEALTH FOCUS

While nitrogen often grabs carbon headlines, the focus should be on soil, Hutchinsons Head of Soils Ian Robertson said.

Well-managed healthy soil fulfills four functions: 1. Plant production 2. Carbon sequestration 3. Filter and buffer water 4. Biological habitat and diversity.

Helix Yorkshire farmer Nick Wilson said: “Soil health underpins any successful farm business.”

He explained how the farm’s move away from a plough/power-harrow based system to strip tillage had dramatically improved soil health, resilience and carbon footprint.

Kent farmer Tom Sewell also moved to no-till as part of a concerted focus on protecting and enhancing soils across 600ha managed for 15 landowners. “Soil health underpins everything we do,” he said.

SOIL CARBON STORAGE

Rothamsted’s Steve McGrath said soil was important for sequestering carbon, but soil type and land use affected its storage ‘capacity’.

Different soils have their own 'saturation point' for soil organic carbon (SOC) and levels would gradually decrease if organic carbon inputs fell as material was degraded.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | APRIL 2022

41

NEWS

> Lapwing

> Little Owl

> Belinda Bailey by a soil pit

BIRD NUMBERS INDICATE HEALTHY FARM BIODIVERSITY

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This year’s Big Farmland Bird Count could highlight the benefits of using conservation agriculture establishment techniques, according to crop protection and seeds business Syngenta UK. The company says three years of successive monitoring as part of the Syngenta Conservation Agriculture & Sustainable Farming Initiative has shown up to 1,000%+ higher bird numbers over the winter on fields established with conservation agriculture systems compared with conventional plough cultivations.

Syngenta believes the results of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT)’s annual bird count, which took place in February, will highlight the system’s potential for “a huge environmental uplift” and has pointed out that the presence of birds feeding on the ground indicates a healthy farm ecosystem.

The independently monitored research is studying the field-scale agronomic, economic and environmental implications of conservation establishment systems on both light land, at East Lenham in Kent, and the heavy soils of Loddington

in Leicestershire.

On the GWCT’s Allerton Project farm at Loddington, areas established with conservation agriculture techniques recorded an average 1011% more birds over the winter, compared with crops established with conventional plough-based tillage.

At East Lenham, the average numbers of birds recorded on the ground over the past three winters was 145% higher in fields established by direct drill/light till.

Results of detailed monitoring over the years of the ongoing project has confirmed the trend towards improved soil health and biodiversity with conservation agriculture techniques, said Syngenta Sustainable Farming Manager Belinda Bailey.

“Bird numbers are likely to be attracted to more favourable winter feeding resources associated with min till or direct drill crop establishment systems, where food remains on or close to the surface. Higher bird activity is a very positive indicator of biodiversity in fields under conservation agriculture,” she commented.

GWCT ecologist John Szczur, said the numbers of all the insect- and seed-feeding bird species recorded

> Dale drill used in Conservation Agriculture establishment trials

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

were higher on the conservation agriculture plots at East Lenham last winter. That included over two and a half times as many skylarks and double the number of meadow pipits as on conventionally established plots. Snipe, grey partridge and red-legged partridge were only recorded on the direct drill areas or cover crops in the conservation agriculture system.

The Syngenta conservation agriculture research has also studied earthworm numbers under different establishment systems, monitored by GWCT. Results have seen consistently higher numbers of earthworms, an important source of food for some bird species, under both direct drill and min till establishment compared with conventional tillage.

Establishment using a direct drill or light tillage had also seen significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint of growing crops, as well as boosting profits. Belinda explained: “Reduced operational costs with the system have contributed to an average 36% increase in overall net profit on the light land and 19% increase on the heavy soils, compared with conventional tillage.”

The Big Farmland Bird Count results are expected this month.

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

DEVELOPING

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

PRACTICAL SKILLS

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

Students focus their attention on developing their practical skills and knowledge as the impact of innovative technology takes shape at Plumpton College, reports Alan Johnson.

Students enjoy linking the theory they learn at college to seasonal practical tasks. The Level 3 Agriculture course that Ben and Mia are studying provides a balance of practical and theory activities covering various agriculturalrelated subjects. They have the opportunity to undertake visits to farms and other specialist land-based operations.

The use of guest speakers and employer visits is a popular part of the course, including developing skills to improve career prospects. The course also provides a wide variety of assessment methods that match the subject and meet individual student needs. In addition, there are opportunities to represent the college by competing in both national and regional competitions.

This month, their updates illustrate how they can take more responsibility for their progress and achieve a deeper understanding of all aspects of their course relating to technology, animal welfare and specific industry based additional qualifications.

MIA

Technological innovations have shaped and improved agriculture through time. Since January, Plumpton College has been working with LELY robotics including new robotic milkers and feeders.

When speaking to Steven (dairy manager) and Scott (dairy stockperson), they guided me through facts and figures. It's safe to say that LELY robotics have been a huge advantage to the college for many reasons, primarily the animals' welfare. In recent times, milkings have increased to 3.2 per day per cow compared to the former herringbone parlour (the regular dairy parlour), leading to a decrease of mastitis due to the cows holding less milk because automatic milking is more frequent.

Another advantage of the robotic milker is the ten-minute standing time for the cows compared to one hour in the parlour; this means less stress for the animal and an overall benefit for their health because "small amounts more often is better for the cow", Steven told me.

The automatic feeders operate more regularly than a human would, including throughout the

night. In theory, cow intake should increase because of this. Ultimately, these technological advances have been shown to benefit animal welfare as well as humans, and as Steven pointed out, the priority is "freedom for cows" which is exactly what these advances are achieving.

Since visiting the pig unit, I have had the chance to speak to Steve, our pig manager; following my recent understanding of the basics surrounding the new pig unit, I have expanded my knowledge. I was intrigued to find out how the broader range of benefits for the pigs has changed since moving.

Lighting has made a drastic change to the animals; the unit allows for more natural light than the older unit, which effectively brightens the mood of the livestock. Referring to my previous point on tech innovations, the NEDAP heat sensor we now have in the new unit took my interest. This heat sensor notifies Steve when the sows are interested in the boar while in heat, consequently allowing better monitoring.

Another benefit is the minimal restraints; there are now open crates in which the pigs are only kept for the first five days. Similarly, Steve talked me through how his routine has changed for the better.

His three-step method of serve, farrow and wean would typically be every two weeks, and this is now a three-week batch, which means there is a break in the routine allowing resting and cleaning, which aids health and performance overall.

BEN

One of Plumpton College's initiatives is student experience and qualifications. With this being the case, I, along with two other students, was selected to undergo telehandler training on the college campus every Wednesday at the driving range.

The range is where all manner of licences are earned and training undergone, ranging from PA2 spraying to forestry logging and tractor driving. In my case, my group used the limited edition Manitou MLT737-130 PS+, which has a 3.7-tonne weight lift limit and a 3621cc inline 4-cylinder diesel engine producing 130hp. Using this high spec machine we initially began with pre-start checks and in-cab checks and learned about the safety features it has, including the need to enter a passcode before starting it.

We took turns negotiating a tight twisting course to comprehend better the crabbed steering and how it manoeuvres, starting with pallet forks alone and then progressing to a box on an actual pallet which we picked up using the boom controls.

Extending the boom came next. We loaded the pallet and container onto a flatbed dolly trailer, imitating the stacking of bales the machine would perform in actual farm practice. I feel this to be a positive move by the college since this opportunity allows me to take my telehandler off-road licence test with NPTC without the need for extra training. I look forward to taking advantage of more opportunities when they arise.

Visit www.plumpton.ac.uk to study a range of fantastic land and environment courses TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | APRIL 2022

43

FROM THE FRONT LINE

IN CONJUNCTION WITH

> David Exwood

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How different the world looks to one month ago. As someone who grew up in the shadow of the Cold War, to see a full-scale Russian invasion of a major European country is shocking. Our thoughts must go to Ukrainian farmers, who have lost all their fuel and workforce to their army, have had crops in store ruined or that they are unable to sell and large areas of land littered with landmines and the debris of war.

So many people, myself included, feel a sense of guilt that we are living relatively normal lives while a country of 45 million people is being brutally attacked. Many of us will have close ties to Ukraine through people we work with, which brings it all closer to home. We all hope for a swift end to the war.

In complete contrast, I was honoured and delighted to be elected as Vice-President of the NFU recently at the end of our annual conference.

I want to thank all those who supported me and got in touch. I have always been proud to speak for farmers and I will do all I can in the coming years to make our voice heard in a noisy world. The honeymoon was short lived, however, as Putin’s tanks rolled into Ukraine the very next morning and suddenly the world looked very different.

Farmers are not people who scare easily, but so many in recent weeks have said just that to me.

Spiralling feed, fuel and fertiliser costs have made the cost of production seem out of all control. The risks of continuing to farm have become extreme, with the difference between selling and buying beyond anything we have ever experienced.

The annual cashflow requirements of keeping trading in my own business have risen by £250,000 in a month. I might get that back from higher prices but I might not... Coupled with major labour problems, for many businesses the sensible option is to play safe and drastically cut production.

In the face of all this, the government line that all is well because we are enjoying higher prices for most commodities is very hard to swallow. This time higher prices don’t mean higher production, they mean less. There isn’t the fertiliser, labour or confidence to maintain even current production, and in a world that is going to be short of food, not doing everything we can to support farmers is morally and economically questionable.

In the face of world events, this week DEFRA launched its consultation on new environmental targets this week, including a 3% increase in UK tree cover and creating or restoring in excess of half a million hectares of wildlife rich habitats beyond current protected sites by 2042.

It seems hard to believe. This is the chance for farmers to show that they can deliver for food and the environment, so the challenge now is not about forgetting the green agenda and ploughing everything up; it’s about feeding ourselves and

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

David Exwood, arable, beef and sheep farmer and farm shop proprietor, Horsham, reflects on a changing world. looking after the planet. There is no moral victory in hitting biodiversity targets here while poor countries in Africa are rioting because we went out and bought all their food.

The NFU is now absolutely focused on keeping farmers doing what they do best, growing high quality affordable food while looking after the countryside. Every piece of legislation should be tested for its impact on food production; we need to monitor markets and act if there is market failure, we need to maintain fertiliser production and invest in using every resource we have efficiently.

There is so much to do. Nobody knows when the war will end but we do know global trade and food flows have changed for the foreseeable future. We

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

can’t change the world ourselves but we should be doing what we can, where we can.

I was impressed with the NFU before I was elected. Now, being at the heart of the organisation and seeing at first hand all the brilliant people working hard for members across England and Wales is something to be proud of.

There is no one else who could hold DEFRA and this Government to account in the same way and I am honoured to be part of it.

Farming’s resilience was already low after years of Covid-19 and Brexit uncertainty. In the face of a new and deep crisis we will be doing all we can to, in the words of the famous saying, “Keep calm and carry on” farming.

FOCUS ON FRUIT SARAH CALCUTT

GOOD VIBRATIONS Putting soft fruit pests off their rhythm

One of the interesting groups I belong to is the awards council for the Fruiterers company. This SARAH CALCUTT is a group of livery members who volunteer Executive Chair, time to evaluate and facilitate research National Fruit Show projects, travel bursaries and grants to worthy recipients in our sector and is made up of a truly impressive bunch of people, dedicated to ensuring that our modest grant fund is used to best advantage.

When we meet, we always have several research proposals to evaluate and it was an absolute joy when Dr Bethan Shaw submitted a paper to the Fruiterers’ awards council that had a little humour in the title, as well as a novel proposal to solving a big issue. Formally the paper is entitled Good vibrations – developing and testing the efficacy of biotremology as a control strategy to disrupt mating/ reproductive success in Lygus rugulipennis and Drosophila suzukii in strawberry.

The UK soft fruit industry faces several challenges, including uncertain chemical pesticide approvals, the loss of actives (and associated insecticide resistance), emerging and invasive pests and climate change, which can result in higher insect pest populations as well as unpredictable outbreaks. Effective alternative approaches to pest control are therefore required to prevent a reliance on chemical control.

The invasive Spotted Wing Drosophila and capsid European Tarnished Plant Photo: ©EMR Bug (ETPB) are both serious pests of commercial strawberry in the UK, having the potential to reduce marketable yields of fruit by 50% and more if left uncontrolled (AHDB, SF 174 report 2021).

Biotremology, the study of mechanical vibrations and their effect on organism behaviour, has revealed that some insects, including ETPB, use vibration signaling at mating time. Bethan proposed that perhaps all the structures involved in modern soft fruit production (this included the tapes, the metal structures and the plants themselves) could be used as one enormous mating disruption system. The trial was not as successful in dissuading either pest from laying eggs in the field situation as it was in the lab, but there were some real positives and a clutch of second stage proposals that will be investigating the application of ‘good vibrations’ in messing up the lives of other 0 6 78 9 1227 8 pests in other crops. |0 u e t.

Lemons are being commercially grown in the UK now. The livery has been en m t i supporting the Thompson’s Innovation Centre; recognizing that now is a good u time to be planting trees, Pete Thompson and his team have been supported by the livery in exploring alternative tree crops for the UK. Calamondins (a bitter orange citrus) and lemons in unheated tunnels, along with groves of olive trees, are now a productive feature of his operation, with Meyer lemons and other novel varieties of citrus like finger limes now being introduced. Meyer lemons have proved very productive and successful first tastings and product assessment with a major UK retailer have taken place.

Further discussions are ongoing in partnership with a Fresca subsidiary, supplier of fruit to the retailers.

Under consideration is a new, purpose-built facility to provide a soil-grown, naturally lit protected environment to produce commercial quantities of UK lemons for retail sales. The new grove of olives has established well, with no trees lost and a good ground cover of specially selected grasses and perennials.

British olive oil has amazing depth of flavour and colour; the trees are hardy too, though still susceptible to a bad frost. Perhaps a crop to consider in the future – anyone with an oil-bearing crop this year is in a strong position, after all…

Better people Best placed

ag re cr

SEASONAL LABOUR PLACEMENT

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45

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

01227 763939 furleypage.co.uk

TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO RESOLVE BANKING ISSUES 46

Agriculture and farming sector businesses have been warned that they only have one year left in which to register unresolved historical banking complaints with the Business Banking Resolution Service (BBRS).

The BBRS is an independent and free dispute resolution service set up to help businesses tackle unresolved banking disputes relating to the period between

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.

1 December 2001 and 31 March 2019. The historical scheme will close for new complaints on 14 February 2023.

Businesses using BBRS will be assigned a dispute resolution specialist who will act as a single point of contact and offer practical support. The BBRS can make both financial and non-financial awards when a complaint is upheld.

Businesses may qualify for support through the historical scheme if they had turnover of between £1 million and £6.5 million per annum at the time of their complaint and their case has not already been settled, been subject to an independent review or gone to court. This includes businesses which have since closed, merged or been sold.

The BBRS can also assess more recent unresolved complaints through its contemporary scheme, which covers cases for the period from 1 April 2019 onwards; this is for businesses with a turnover of up to £10m per annum and total assets up to £7.5m and which are not eligible to take their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Businesses with outstanding historical banking disputes are urged to see if they can apply for support using a quick online tool as the deadline for historical complaint applications is just one year away. Professional services businesses are also encouraged to see if their clients could be eligible for the BBRS. Paul Scully MP, Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets, said: “It is important that businesses who have unresolved disputes with their bank check to see if they can receive BBRS support. Services like the BBRS play a vital role in ensuring SMEs and their owners, past and present, can access expert advice.

“The BBRS supports business to address unresolved banking complaints. This service is vital to the UK economy as we bounce back from this pandemic and look to the future.”

Dirk Paterson, customer director at the BBRS said: “We want as many businesses as possible to have the opportunity to use the BBRS service. This includes businesses, trusts, charities, friendly societies and co-operative societies. It includes directors of businesses no longer operating.

“We urge them to see if they qualify for our help and, if so, to register. If they’re unsure, businesses can check online or contact us to find out more.”

Agriculture and farming sector businesses can use the online tool at: https://thebbrs.org/can-we-consider-your-case/ SEF1220

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

LEGAL

THE FUTURE OF FARMING

PASSING THE TORCH: IS NOW THE TIME TO GIFT THE FAMILY FARM? The question of when to pass down the family farm to the next generation is often a difficult one to answer. With many aspects to consider, it’s easy to see why it’s a topic often avoided by farming families. However, having a plan in place is the most effective way to safeguard the future of your farm and ensure a smooth transition when the time comes to hand over the reins.

A common query from our clients is whether a gift should be made during lifetime or otherwise left until death, and timing is an important factor. Handing over significant assets too soon can cause difficulties for a number of reasons. For example, is the recipient truly committed to pursuing the family business/ trade? What are the tax consequences? Might the gift inadvertently trigger a charge to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) or leave an unpalatable exposure to Inheritance Tax (IHT)?

Nevertheless, there might still be good reason for gifting some or all of the family farm or farm business sooner rather than later. A legal advisor can help you assess the financial implications of the timing of your gifting, as well as advise on the discussions you need to have with your family around the broader succession planning process.

More broadly, we are all aware of the uncertainty surrounding the future of farming. Could this uncertainty be an opportunity to accelerate succession plans? Here are a few things to consider: Land value: Timing the gift when land and property prices are lower can be tax efficient. Gifting at this time could mean that the value of the gift that lingers in your estate for the next seven years is lower than the value that it might be at any point during that period. While the current property market is still

buoyant, the impact of the war in Ukraine has not yet been felt. It is useful to be alert to this opportunity if the property market does fall.

The impact of political uncertainty on agricultural reliefs: It would be sensible to consider taking advantage of IHT reliefs such as Agricultural Relief (AR) and Business Relief (BR) while they are still as favourable as they are. The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has made recommendations that may make IHT reliefs, particularly BR, harder to achieve. Those recommendations have not been implemented “for now” so it may be prudent to take advantage of the current window.

The Basic Payment Scheme: With the Agriculture Act 2020 making changes to this scheme, the agricultural sector will need to diversify income streams and innovate farming practices to maximise income. Innovation is likely to be critical to the success of post-Brexit farming and therefore needs to be encouraged. What better way to do so than to incentivise the next generation by giving them ownership and control of decision making? Gifting to the next generation may well incentivise innovation to help long standing family businesses continue for generations to come.

So there are many reasons why now might well be a good time to consider passing on the family farm to the next generation. Any proposal, though, needs to be carefully considered to ensure that problems do not arise.

Like any gift, a balance needs to be struck between giving and retaining enough for the future so as not to leave yourself short. It will be important to avoid inadvertently triggering a charge to tax if the gift is not given in the appropriate way. Likewise, what will the effect of gifting be on the family dynamic if one child is treated more favourably than another?

Gifting might or might not be the right thing to do but is certainly something which should, in the present climate, be considered, given so much uncertainty about the future. It is always recommended that professional advice is taken when considering any sort of gift to highlight the benefits and challenges that may arise.

CHRISTOPHER ERIKSSON-LEE Partner, Brachers LLP T: 01622 776465 E: christophereriksson-lee@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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LAND AND FARMS

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LANDOWNERS: COULD YOUR LAND HAVE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL?

Masterplanners and urban designers are often faced with a plethora of environmental and technical ‘constraints’ on potential development sites.

While many constraints are relatively easy to resolve, some features can have significant development capacity implications if not appropriately or innovatively challenged. This is a particular challenge for features which have further levels of protection set by the National Planning

Could your land have development potential?

Find out more about land promotion.

Policy Framework (NPPF).

At Catesby Estates, our highly experienced technical, urban design and communication teams work collaboratively with chosen specialists to turn what may initially appear as significant development limitations into real and positive opportunities. Our approach enables us to: • fully maximise the development potential of each of our sites for our landowners • gain positive engagement and support from the relevant statutory stakeholders • ultimately deliver high quality outline planning permissions that are appealing to both national and local housebuilders, as they can be confident they have been fully considered from a technical and deliverability perspective.

Associate Design Director T: 01926 836910 E: annap@catesbyestates.co.uk W: www.catesbyestates.co.uk

NOT ALL SITE CONSTRAINTS ARE EQUAL. CONSTRAINT INFERS LIMITATION, OR DOES IT?

ANNA PARSONS

As an example, Catesby Estates worked on a site where the potential for uncovered archaeology was a potential constraint. During our early dialogue with the relevant statutory stakeholders we were consistently receiving strong resistance and objections to the principle of development.

Recognising the importance of resolving this limitation and gaining support from the stakeholders, Catesby committed to early archaeological analysis followed by extensive trial trenching. This enabled us

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

to reopen more positive dialogue with stakeholders as well as making meaningful connections with local interest groups.

This approach has provided stakeholders with early comfort that the areas of significant archaeology were limited and that therefore the site was not as archaeologically constrained as first thought. As such, we have been able to work constructively together exploring how archaeological features of greater importance could inform and influence the form and layout of the development as well as the position and treatment of the public open spaces.

This has also enabled us to propose features within the public open spaces which ‘reveal’ the archaeological and historic importance of the whole settlement to both existing and future residents.

The result has been the achievement of a more extensive developable area than first considered possible, a range of locally desirable benefits and an ability to fully demonstrate how our design rationale complies with the specific and challenging historic and landscape stipulations of the NPPF. We believe the key to our success rate is our collaborative approach and commitment to delivering sensitively designed housing developments tailored to the character of the local area and providing real community benefits.

As a result, our landowners are justifiably proud of the quality of the places that they leave for future generations.

How are your Farm Cottages Performing?

Book a free property heath check with our ARLA Qualified Letting Agents. Covering Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.

CONTACT: Clare Sheffield, MARLA - 01424 236145.

LAND AND FARMS SPONSORED BY BATCHELLER MONKHOUSE

WELL LOCATED FARMLAND WITH OFFSET POSSIBILITES HEADCORN | KENT

GUIDE PRICE FOR THE WHOLE: £275,000 | LOT 1: £150,000

BTF Partnership is offering for sale three parcels of well fenced and hedged agricultural land between Headcorn and Lenham in the county of Kent. The land is available as a whole (20.09 acres) or Lot 1 on its own (10.34 acres). The guide price for the whole is £275,000, with Lot 1 offered at £150,000.

The Grade III agricultural land is in a sought after and rural location to the north west of the Lenham Road with a gated access track. The land has a Wealden Clay soil type and has been cut for hay for many years. Lot 2 has

20.09 ACRES

previously been in arable use. Basic Payment Entitlements are available from the vendor by separate negotiation.

Alex Cornwallis, Director at BTF Partnership commented: “The land is considered to offer potential for off-site biodiversity net gain for developers, being located in the Maidstone Borough Council district. It is unusual for parcels of farmland of this size to come onto the open market in this location and we anticipate it will generate significant interest. The property is offered for sale by contractual tender with a closing date of 12 April 2022 at 12 noon."

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For further information go to www.btfpartnership.co.uk

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K C I P

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Alan Mummery MRICS FAAV

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LAND AND FARMS

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AVAILABLE MID-APRIL Grass and Woodland

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The Estate Office - Burwash Road, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 8RA www.watsonsestates.co.uk

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Land & Property Experts

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Farmers considering selling their carbon credits should prioritise taking steps to understand the carbon footprint of their own business before entering into any agreement.

Jonathan Armitage, Head of Farming at Strutt & Parker, said: “Carbon has become a major talking point for UK farmers and landowners, but most of the talk is about how to monetise it and not enough is about how to go about working towards net zero targets.

“One of the questions I am asked most frequently by farmers is how they can sell their soil carbon. However, from our conversations it is clear that many people are operating with limited information, for example they haven’t worked out whether they actually have any surplus carbon to sell. Nor do they know the difference between the voluntary carbon market and the compliance carbon market.

“Understanding the basics is important to make informed decisions and enable farmers to ask the right sort of questions before entering into an agreement. Selling carbon may be an opportunity to generate a new income stream, but there are also potential pitfalls making it an area that requires careful navigation.”

Strutt & Parker has produced a short guide to help farmers understand more about how carbon credit markets work and highlighting some of the wider considerations worth bearing in mind.

Its advice for farmers thinking about selling their carbon includes first understanding how much carbon their land can sequester, how much carbon they are emitting as a business and whether there is any surplus that can be sold to third parties.

“It’s about minimising the risk of unintended consequences further down the line, which might arise if a business is unable to demonstrate its own low-carbon credentials,” said Mr Armitage. “For example, if a farmer has sold all the carbon their land can sequester to third parties, they could find themselves in a position where they cannot easily offset their own emissions, which might prove costly if carbon offsets are made a requirement for land-based businesses.

“Once a landowner has sold sequestered carbon, this will appear on the buyer’s balance sheet. Looking into the future, it seems inevitable that supermarkets and food processors will want their own supply chains to be low carbon and if a farmer has sold all their carbon credits to another emitter for offsetting purposes, they will not be able to use the ‘sold sequestration’ against their own emissions.”

Establishing baselines now by measuring activities and soil carbon levels in a verifiable way will help farmers make informed decisions, said Mr Armitage. It might also prove important in the future to be able to demonstrate the impact of any positive actions taken now.

Mr Armitage advises that farmers who are in a position to sell carbon credits should also consider the following: • Ensure that the verification scheme is of high quality.

• Have a contingency plan in place to avoid breaking your contract.

• Protect your own reputation by knowing your buyer.

• Understand the implications that lie within carbon trading.

• Investigate alternatives.

SOUTH OF HEATHFIELD

S

Strutt & Parker produces new guide to carbon markets for farmers and landowners

EST. 1873

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CARBON

CHARTERED SURVEYORS VALUERS

O

PITFALLS WHEN SELLING

COUNTRY PROPERTY AGENTS AUCTIONEERS

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BEWARE OF POTENTIAL

WATSONS

Hawkhurst, Kent

Guide Price on Application

Approximately 93.93 acres of mainly south-facing arable land including 9.93 acres of woodland & shaws

Ring fenced parcel comprising four main field enclosures divided by established hedges & small woods

Considered suitable for potential vine production

Situated about 1 mile from Hawkhurst village centre

www.btfpartnership.co.uk E challock@btfpartnership.co.uk

T 01233 740077

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | APRIL 2022

LAND MANAGEMENT

WAR REMINDS US OF LAND USE PRIORITIES

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The clue was always in the name. The Environment Act, which recently became law and sets out the post-Brexit policy framework for farming, was always going to be more about the environment than it was about agriculture.

Watching the terrible scenes unfold in Ukraine over recent weeks has reminded us all of how lucky we are in so many ways – but it’s also raising a host of huge questions, and our how we use land is one of them.

What Putin has done, in a few short weeks, has shown that the actions of one man can turn the world’s food and energy supplies on their head. We simply can’t ignore this.

In terms of government policy over the past few years, the emphasis has shifted from food production towards environmental protection and stewardship. Yes, we need more trees to combat climate change and we need to reverse the biodiversity decline, but conversations about food and energy production have been sidelined.

This isn’t new. I’m old enough to remember when MAFF (the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) was renamed DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). You could argue it was semantics, but that signalled a shift in focus.

At least we seem to have moved on from the days of one-time DEFRA secretary Margaret Beckett, whose view seemed to be that given we were a relatively wealthy nation – and that the world is, in theory, capable of producing masses of food – it was fine to simply rely on imports. The shocking scenes of a war in mainland Europe, with all its terrible humanitarian consequences, has exposed the flaws in that approach.

The Covid-19 pandemic also made us realise how fragile food supply chains are. Empty shelves focused consumers’ minds and, for a while, we viewed farmers – quite rightly – as key workers. It’s quoted in slightly differently ways (and variously attributed to everyone from Lenin to MI5) but

Photos: Ink Drop / Shutterstock.com

there’s a saying that is very true: Society is only three meals from anarchy.

The truth is, though, governments have a short memory and policy seems to vacillate, often overly influenced by environmental groups with huge memberships and correspondingly strong lobbying powers.

As an industry, we have been given different signals and different support systems encouraging different – and sometimes mutually exclusive – goals. Right now, understandably, a lot of farmers are looking at how they can maximise environmental payments to put a floor into their income as a result of the disappearance of BPS. But what happens in five years’ time if the government decides to replace the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMS)?

Farming is a long-term endeavour. It can’t change direction every election or – heaven forbid – every time we get a new DEFRA secretary.

Ultimately, the personalities probably aren’t that important, but the fundamentals are.

This lack of vision at policy level makes it hard for individual businesses to make decisions, because they are led by policy as well as by market signals (obviously the two are often connected).

Clients sometimes tell me their kids don’t want to come into the business because they don’t know what being a farmer means anymore. How can you want to do a job when you don’t even know what the job description is?

MATTHEW BERRYMAN

Director, CLM T: 07710 765323 E: matthew@c-l-m.co.uk www.c-l-m.co.uk

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Prioritising food and energy production, alongside sensible environmental measures, necessitates joined-up thinking, but there are too many contradictions at present. Take tax. Despite all the encouragement to manage land in an environmentally sensitive manner, some of the best accountants in the country are asking government whether income from stewardship will be deemed as agricultural and therefore Agricultural Property Relief will still apply – but are still not getting an answer. It’s difficult, and often unwise, to make big decisions without knowing the impact it will have on your inheritance tax relief position.

It’s the same with the planning rules. The biggest problem any prospective renewable energy project faces is how to navigate the planning system. A few years ago, there was a huge amount of interest in wind turbines, but the environmental lobby – and often NIMBYs – effectively scotched many of the opportunities. Ditto large-scale solar farms: a lot more could be developed if planning policy was more supportive.

When I criticise government for not putting sufficient emphasis on food production, I’m not making a political point. This is relevant to all future governments of all political persuasions. Recent world events do have the potential to change policy, though.

I’ve had more conversations over the past few weeks about growing wheat than I have in the past few years, which is hopefully indicative of the nation’s collective new-found focus on food production and energy supplies.

People need to able to open their cupboards and find food in them, and they need to be able to flick a switch and see the lights go on. Given the right direction, farmers are the ones who can help make sure that happens.

®

ATTENTION all land agents.

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FOR SALE

FOR SALE

Brenzett Romney Marsh Kent Approx. 58 Acres of Arable Land www.stratfords.net Tel: 01233 820218

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H.J. BURT

Chartered Surveyors : Estate Agents

CHARTERED SURVEYOR & LAND AGENT Could you be the right fit?

We are looking for an enthusiastic and intelligent individual, who will ideally already be RICS qualified or working towards it, to be part of our independent firm of Chartered Surveyors & Estate Agents with a strong rural core and a cross-spectrum of agency and professional work.

You must be hard-working, honest and discreet, personable and a good communicator, plus with a good sense of humour.

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for your planning journey

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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 | APRIL 2022

53

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

• • • • • • •

54

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

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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.

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APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

All refurbishments & repairs undertaken.

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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

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55

ALL WORKS KENT & SUSSEX Professional Services to the Agricultural, Industrial & Equestrian Sectors

CALL TO DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT!

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from BT land-line

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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 | APRIL 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

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FREEPHONE: 0800 756 9886 MOBILE: 07813 142 145

from BT land-line

Covering Kent, East/West Sussex and the South East

• STEEL FRAMED BUILDINGS • CLADDING • ERECTING • • EXTENSIONS • ALTERATIONS • CONCRETE PANELS • ROLLER/SLIDING/PERSONNEL DOORS • Tel: 01732 460912 Mobile: 07976 287836 Email: sales@shortlandstructures.com

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ROOFING & CLADDING

…

Specialists in: FIRE,FLOOD & STORM DAMAGE

Including:

56

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POST BANGER 4 way tilt. Quick fencer will take 2x 500m rolls of stock netting and 2x 200m barbed wire. Hire separately or together.

POST BANGER £75 PER DAY QUICK FENCER £70 PER DAY Call Chris on 07930 410722

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.

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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

APRIL 2022 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

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S W ATTWOOD & PART

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   

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LAND DRAINAGE CLASSIFIEDS SW ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

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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

   

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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 57  LANDwww.swjfattwood.com DRAINAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Drainage Contractors  PLANT HIRE OUR PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT Working with farmers since 1947 INERT TIPPING Bushell WEBSITE:  ● LAND DRAINAGE  I & JGRAIN STORAGE & ● DITCHING  CLAY SALES ● POND WORK PHONE: 01795 880441

www.attwoodfarms.  LAND DRAINAGE  PLANT HIRE Excavations | Concreting | Drainage | Infrastructure Operated Plant Hire 180 &360 Excavators INERT TIPPING www.iandjbushell.co.uk  2136 |CLAY SALES office@iandjbushell.co.uk | 020 8394 07979 911655

● WATER SUPPLIES ● SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS ● GROUNDWORKS ● PLANT HIRE 360° EXCAVATORS

EMAIL: james@swattwood.com Groundworks | Civil Engineering | Environmental

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FOR ESTIMATES & ENQUIRIES

(01622) 890884

 GRAIN STORAGE & TESTING  in South LAND To advertise EastDRAINAGE Farmer telephone01303 233883 PLANT HIRE  INERT TIPPING CROP DRYING  CLAY SALES

Email: info@brownsdrainage.co.uk

www.brownsdrainage.co.uk

LAND DRAINAGE, EARTHWORKS, GROUNDWORKS & CONSTRUCTION

®

FULL LAND DRAINAGE SERVICE sportsfields, amenity and irrigation systems using Mastenbroek trenchers 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

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 WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | APRIL 2022

CLASSIFIEDS

IRRIGATION FOR HIRE

HIRE SPECIALISTS ACROSS THE SOUTH EAST

Why dig when we can trench it?

Trencher with operator for installing: • Irrigation and water pipes • Utility cables and ducting

• Toilets & Showers for hire

• Repairs to water pipes

• Large range of Temporary canteens, stores & welfare units

• Impact moling

• Effluent Tank Emptying

Enquiries FieldWaterInstallations@gmail.com

• Events also catered for with chillers & toilets

Est 1993

FOUR JAYS GROUP

01580 891728 or 07768 626131 www.fwi-trenching.co.uk

HAULIERS

Tel: 01622 843135 Fax: 01622 844410 enquiries@fourjays.co.uk www.fourjays.co.uk

07860 728204 Hay & Straw Merchant | Machinery Haulage

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BIG PROJECT? ON SITE? NEED A TOILET? Call QiK Group today for a competitive price P U O R G

01233 713555

HAY & STRAW IN STOCK | ROUND & BIG SQUARE BALES

Find us on Facebook

or check out www.qikgroup.co.uk

FENCING

STORAGE TANKS KING

STORAGE TANKS Don’t run short of fuel this Winter!

Manufacturers of Chestnut Fencing Products Hardwood gates

Buy or Hire a storage tank from Kings.

Cleft post and rail Stakes and posts

4500L – 38,600L Bunded Fuel Tanks c/w cabinet, gauge and alarm

Chestnut fencing

2730L – 54,500L horiz/cyl Water Tanks single or twin comp. with cradles

CWP fenci f n ng

Tel: 07985298221 www.cwpfencing.co.uk

Tel 01638 712328

Redhill Farm Services: Fencing Division

ALL TYPES OF FENCING & GATES

tanks@thekinggroup.co.uk

SMITHS

of the Forest of Dean Ltd.

The Tank and Drum Experts

Supplied and erected & Repairs Tel: 01737 821220 Mob: 07768 931891 Email: redhillfarmservices@gmail.com To advertise in South East Farmer telephone 01303 233883 APRIL 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 Three bottles of Dry, three bottles of Medium and two bottles of Sweet Strong Kentish Cider

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Cricket term (9) Initial (5) Part of a violin to which the strings attach (4,5) Used for flight (5) Marsh plant (4) Gliding on ice (7) A professional person who examines historial sites (13) Beginning of the day (7) Herb (6) Openly support (7) Rotate (4) Beef animals (9) Moisturiser (9) Ruminant animal (4)

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Crossword by Rebecca Farmer, Broadstairs, Kent

PRIZE ANAGRAM: Machinery (4,6)

To enter, simply unscramble the

anagram (4,6) using the green squares.

Email your replies with your name, address and phone number to sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS: 1

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As spring has sprung we are offering bottles of Dry, three bottles of

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please visit

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readers the chance to win three

Correct entries will be entered into a

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

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Correct answer: Digital dermatitis LAST MONTH’S WINNER: David Walker from Hailsham, East Sussex

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | APRIL 2022

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