The Farmer - January 2023

‘ANUNCERTAIN FUTURE AWAITS’

Farmingisgoing throughan “extraordinarytimeand an incredibly uncertain time”, a meetinghas heard.

Butfarmers have been assured advice andsupportisavailabletohelpthem throughthe difficulties.

That message wasgivenwhenHerefordshirefarmers heardfromthe NFU vice presidentDavid Exwood at avirtual meeting.

Themeeting discussed sector andsupply chain issues, thefuture of farmingin thecountyand otherindustry news.

Mr Exwood waswelcomedbycounty chairman Bill Quan, of Pontrilas,tothe HerefordshireNFU annual generalmeeting.

Farmersand growersheard theNFU wasworking acrossmanypolicyfronts.

Thoseinclude agri-environment,water, plantand animal health,the availability of labour,the transition away from theBasic PaymentScheme, ruralcrime prevention,and ahostofother issues.

Mr Exwood spoke about currentissues inGovernmentand Westminster, the challengesinthe poultrysector, in the supply chain, avianinfluenza andspirallingonfarmcosts forall

He said: “This is an extraordinarytime andanincrediblyuncertain time

“Weare used to dealingwithuncertainty in farming, theweather andother issues, butthere arelayerstothis–the RussianinvasionofUkraine,the energy crisis that comesonthe back of it,inflationand thepolitical uncertainty this summer

“Wealsohaveuncertainty in agricul-

BY IAIN ST JOHN

turalpolicybetween theold andthe new.

“WhatIwould sayisthatyou need to give yourself abreak.Ifyou are feeling under pressure andyou are notsure, be assured thereare lotsofpeoplewho feel thesame.

“

TheNFU recognisesthose layers,that uncertainty,and we will tryand helpyou with them.”

Mr Exwood said Herefordshirefarmers, industry anddecision-makersneeded to work together to seize future opportunities andheurged Herefordshire farmerstocontinuetolobbyMPs

At themeeting thefarmedenvironmentwas discussed,includingthe Environmental Land Management programme.Members heardschemes needed to be fitfor purpose andallow farmerstocontinuetoproduce traceable, sustainable, climate-friendlyfood,and deliverfor theenvironment

Otheritems on theagendaincluded commodityboard reports.

Meanwhile, themessage that helpand supportisavailabletoall farmersfeeling thestrainofdealingwithissues affectingthe industry has been echoed by the farmingcharity RABI

Bossesatthecharitysaidpoultryfarmersaffectedbycurrent AvianInfluenza issues mayinparticular be facinga worryingtime.

RABI’s services managerHelen Sisk has givenareminder that anyfarmercan accessthe charity’sfreeconfidential helplineand arrange professionalin-person mental health counselling.

l Reminder –Page 32

Lights donation made

TheRoyal Welsh Agricultural Society has againmadeadonationtoBuilth WellsTownCouncil towardsits Christmaslightsdisplay.

Eachyear,thedisplayisputupinreadinessfor theRoyal Welsh Winter Fair and to spreadthe festivespiritinthe town Thecolourful displaygivesawarm festive welcome to thethousands of fair visitors

As amarkofappreciation, thesociety wasdelighted to contribute £350 to the counciltohelptowards thecostofmain-

taining, erectingand purchasinglights. Societychief executive Aled Rhys Jones presentedthe cheque to town mayor Councillor AlanWaller.

Mr Rhys Jonessaid: “Therelationship betweenthe societyand thetownof Builth Wellsisvitally importantand we arepleased to continue ourongoingsupporttowardstheChristmaslightsdisplay.

“Weare grateful to thecouncil forthe festive atmosphere theChristmas lights create forour Winter Fair andshowground visitors.”

Rea Valley Tractors were delighted to be asponsorofthisyear’s WelshpoolIlluminated TractorRun Morethan200 tractors participated in the30-mile Christmasspectacular whichraised thousands of pounds forfarming charitythe Addington Fund

RVTled out theprocession with afestive JCB8000 Series Fastrac, New HollandT7315 HD andNew Holland T6,together with tractors of allcolours andages.

Annie Winn from theAddington Fund said: “Wehave been overwhelmedwith supportand wouldliketothank everyone whogot involved with thisyear’s Illuminated ChristmasTractor Run, andespeciallytoorganisersJenny andKevin Clarke.”

l RVTsponsorsthe Machinery Section of TheFarmer,startingon Page 21

Firm backs tractor run New venue

TheRoyal AgriculturalSociety of England’s flagship event, the British Pig& PoultryFair, will be moving to anew venue at theNEC in Birmingham for 2024.

Thenextfairwill take placeon May15-16,2024.

Builth Wells Mayor Councillor Alan Waller,left, with Aled Rhys Jones

Meeting highlights challenges

Astark warningwas givenata Staffordshiremeeting aboutspirallingcostsandtheneedforthewider supply chain to invest in thefuture of county farms.

NFU deputypresidentTom Bradshawwas at Staffordshire County Showground andspoke to more than 40 farmersand industry representativesabout currentchallengesfacingall sectors.

At theStaffordshireNFU annual generalmeeting Mr Bradshaw said stress hadbeenput on allfarm businesses, butparticularlypoultry, eggs andpigs, duetorisingfeed, fertiliser andfuelcosts, coupled with interest ratesgoing up “Weneed to seecompletefairness in thesupply chain that really does recognise therisk beingtaken

on farm with levels of investment andcosts of production,sowecan invest in food production forthe future,” he said.Hespoke of the RussianinvasionofUkraineandthe global impact on prices anddomesticfood supplies in all countries.

“Wheat priceshavedriftedoff quitesignificantly but generally feed prices are60to70per centup,” he said

“Gas andenergyprice aretwo to threetimes what they were last year andsix timeshigherthantheywere in 2019, thefertiliserprice has more thandoubledandthatisbeingfaced by everycountry around theworld

“If we do notlookafter food productioninthe UK at this moment in time andhavesupply issues, Ido notbelieve it as simpleas picking

up thephone andimporting from somewhereelsebecause theseother countries aregoing to feed their ownpopulations first

“Thosegapsinthe supply chain willhopefully wake up retailersto just howfragilesupply chainsare, andifwedonot invest in production today, we won’thaveittomorrow.

“For retailersand thewhole supply chainitmustbeabout making sure that we reallydoinvestintoday’sproductionsowecan afford to produce in 12 months’time, in two years’time, in five years’ time –otherwise therewillbeareally nasty wake-upcall.”

During themeeting farmers heardfrom StaffordshireYFC county deputyvice chairHannah

Britland,fromUttoxeterJNFU,who outlined their work forthe year Shediscussed amembership boostamong youngfarmers’clubs followingthe difficulties of Covid, theYFC RallyonMay 13 at Woodseaves andthattheir focus, going forward, wouldbeonmentalhealth andwellbeing, supporting YoungMinds,FCN andthe RABI charities. Mr Bradshawsaid: “WhatI have been saying to NFU members isthatifthereisonethingwecando foreachother that doesn’t costanythingistosupportour fellow farmers.Thelastthinganyoneisgoingto doispickupthephoneandsaythey arereallystrugglingaswearealltoo proudfor that,but we all know our neighbours andweshouldcontact them.”

RVTannounce new managing director

Afteranincredibly busyyearfollowing thetransition to New Holland,along with expandingtheir JCB& Kuhn territories,Rea Valley Tractors are delighted to announce that Matt Mulligan has been promoted into theroleofManaging Director.

AspartofRVT’songoingstrategy to developleadersand create internalopportunities, Matt’s experience acrossvarious departments in the last six yearsatRVT,togetherwith vast industry experience,has given him theskill base to step up and takethe helmof theRVT business.

OriginatingfromLancashire andbeingbroughtupon thefamily farm,Mattisnostrangertothe trialsand tribulationsof theagriculturalindustry.Mattisa Harper AdamsgraduateandworkedatJCB for 12yearsbothintheUKandabroad

Matt willfocus notonlyondeveloping internal talentbut on meetingand exceedingcustomer

expectationsalong with providinga service to customersthatRVT has builtits reputationonfor decades.

RVTChairmanSimon Clarke commented: “Matt, andthe teams throughout thebusiness, have done atremendousjob in managingthe

Warningonarson

Police have vowedtotakeaction againstarsonists setting fire to hay bales.

West Mercia Police areremindingthose responsiblethatarson is acriminal offence andextremely dangerous.And they areappealing to thearsoniststothinkabout the victimsofthe offence –farmers who losethousandsofpoundsinhay,and theanimalswhose food andinfrastructureisbeingset on fire

Sophie Sandison,WestMercia Police’s ruraland businesscrime officer,said: “Whatwehaveseenis youngpeoplestrayingontoprivate land andsetting light to food stocks.

“Withfarmers making sure their livestockhaveenoughfood outin the fields thereare afew people who thinksetting animal feed on fire is fun.

“I’d like to assure them that it’s not, that they arecommittinganoffenceand,ina lotofcases, they are beingwatched.Manyfarmers have strategically placedcovertcameras on their land andare then providing us with thefootage

“Withthisweare able to take effective action andifyou arestarting fires, youare committingseveral crimes andyou canexpectus to trace youand knockatyourdoor.”

Matt Mulligan takes on theRVT Managing Director role

Prestigious vet prize is awarded

TheBritish Veterinary Association (BVA)has announcedDrHannahHuntasits YoungVet of the Year

Ayoung mixed practice vet, Dr Hunt has been awardedthe prestigiousprize in recognition of her passionand exceptional dedication to herhigh-levelworkacrossmultiplespecies includingfarmanimals, equineand companionanimal practice.DrHunt, from Aberystwyth, waspresented with theaward at the BVA’sgaladinner,heldatthe LondonMarriot Hotelaspartofthis year’s London VetShow.

Dr Hunt wasnominated forher

dedicationtoexcellingin first-opinionpractice throughher farm,small animal andequineworkasa mixed animalvetinAberystwyth.DrHunt, whograduatedfrom theRoyal VeterinaryCollegein2015, has also appeared on national radio giving veterinary advice andonchildren’s televisiontopromote beinga “big animal vet”

Dr Hunt said: “I’m so pleasedto acceptthisaward.Iwanttosay a huge thanks to my practice forgivingmethe freedom to explore my passions andenablingmetowork with awide of range of species. I want to particularlymention my

mentorsDafydd, Phil andKate, who inspired me to focusonwhatIlove.”

BVApresidentMalcolm Morley said: “Hannah’sincredibleenthusiasmand passionfor herworkasa mixed-practice vetreally made her stand-out to us.She is excellingin herworkacrossspecies, whichis challenging enough,but she’s also doingitatahighlevel.Itisgreat to recognise the contributionthat Hannah andother first-opinion vets make to ourprofession. Idon’t mindsaying, if Ihad all of thejobs shedoesinone week,I wouldthink Ihad aprettyintense week ahead of me.”

Company forced to retire rose varieties

ArenownedShropshire flowergrowing business has spokenofthe impact climatechangeishaving on its roses and its decision toretirepopular varieties

DavidAustinRoses,based in Albrighton,isfamousglobally forits blooms andhas been on amission forthe last 60 yearstooffer itscustomers “the most beautifuland disease free roses”

But, theongoingchallengesof global warmingand theincreasein pests, meansthatthe businesshas been forced to retire popular flower varieties, includingthe Munstead Wood andAShropshireLad Paul ConstantineofDavid Austin Rosessaid: “Asthe leadingexperts in rose breedingand care forover 60 years, we arewell-placedtowitness theenvironmental changesthat impact thehealth of thenation’sfavourite flower

“Wecannotstand still andobserveas we seediseasesand pests evolveasconditionsand climates change, threateningthe health and successofsomeofour most popular varieties.

“Weare passionate about being custodians of theroseand arecommittedtodoingeverythingwecanto guaranteeour customers plants that

thrive,thereby safeguardingthe future of therose.

“This means re-triallingall our releases and, in some instances, retiring very popularvarieties.”

He added:“Whilst theseplants maycontinuetodowellinsome circumstances, in thelongtermthe changing conditions mean that we

recommendalternative varieties that arebettersuitedtothe changing environment

“

This isnot an easy decisionand maywellresultinlower revenue, but we must takethe bravedecisionto retire them.”

TheMunstead Wood is adark, velvetyrosewhichwas introduced

in 2007, whileAShropshireLad is a light peachy rose whichwas grown at DavidAustin formore than 20 years.

DavidAustin Rosessaysthe varieties will“always remain part of ourhistory” butthatitmade sense to pursue more climate-adaptable flowers.

Progress made on use of antibiotics

ThelatestRUMATargetsTask Force(TTF) report has revealed UK livestocksectors continue to make positive progress on antibiotic use targets.

Thereporthighlightswhere targets arealready beingachievedor sustained, andwhere challenges still remain. ThelatestVeterinary Medicines Directorate’s Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance andSales Surveillance report has also been released

That shows UK antibiotic sales forfood-producinganimalshavereducedby55per centsince 2014, to 28.3 mg/kg This represents thelow-

estsales to date. This RUMA TTF summaryreportcovers10sectors acrossaquaculture,pigs,poultryand ruminants.

It providesthe latest annual progressupdateinthe second cycleof TTFgoals acrossall UK livestock sectors fordatacollection, useof antibiotics, uptakeofpreventative measuressuchasvaccinesandtraining, andthe developmentofindustryinitiatives.

CatMcLaughlin, chairofthe RUMA Targets Task Force, said: “Aswereach thehalfway point, two years into thesecondcycle of the RUMA Targets Task Forcetargets,

Icontinuetobeimpressed by the commitmentoffarmers,vets and everyone in thefoodsupply chain.

“Thepast twoyears since the launch of thesecondset of TTFtargets have notbeeneasy. Theimpacts oftheglobalpandemic,theUK’sexit from theEuropeanUnion, coupled with risingproductioncosts, ongoinglabourshortages, ongoingtrade negotiations,supply chainissues contributing to animalsremaining on farm longerthanusual,and the onsetofthe costoflivingcrisis, has made forchallenging conditions rightacrossUKfarming

“For some sectorssuchas poul-

try, therehavealsobeensignificant diseaseoutbreakssuchas AvianInfluenza, theworst ever experienced.

“I highlighted in my TTFReport introduction last yearthatthe impactsofthe challenging environment in whichUK agriculture has been operating areyet to be fully understood on thejourney towards thetargets andasexpected,someof thoseimpactscontinued to play out during2021 andwellinto2022.

“Yet despitethat, theindustryhas remained unitedand focusedwhen it comestoaddressingthe AMR challenge and has notwavered in its commitment.”

Shropshire’s David Austin Roses says climate change is impacting on its growing decisions

Dr Hannah Hunt

Insurance specialists issue advice on pipes

With homeowners up anddownthe countrylooking to controlheating bills, NFU Mutual is warningpeopletotakesteps to preventpipes from freezingand avoidrepair billswhichcan runto£8,000 andbeyond

As people look to tackle thecostofliving crisisandtheriseintheirenergybills,aYouGovsurveyshows 61 percentofpeoplewill usetheir heatinglessthiswinter.

Unfortunately, when warm watercirculatesaround pipesand warm aircirculates around homeslessfrequently, therisk of pipes freezingand becomingdamaged increases.

When thewater in pipes freezes, it expands,causingthe pressure inside thepipe to buildup. This canoften causethe pipeto

splitwhenitthaws, resultinginsignificant damage to thehome.

From 2019 to 2021, theaverage cost of a home insuranceclaim to NFU Mutual relatingtofrozenpipes was over £8,000.

AndrewChalk,homeinsurancespecialist at NFUMutual, said: “While damagefrom frozen pipes is thankfullyquite rare,when it does happen it canresultinsevereinconvenience to theowner andcan causetensof thousands of pounds worthofdamage.

“Britain is generallyamildcountry,but cold snapscan seecases of frozen pipes rocket. The‘Beastfrom theEast’ in 2018 saw claims to NFU Mutual that year top1,660 forleaksfollowingfrozenpipes,10tentimes theaverage in themilder yearssince,soit reallyisbettertobesafe than sorry. ”

Family farms ‘facing threats’

Welshfarmersmustcallonall theirmutualstrengths if they aretoprotect theirhistoric family farm networkand theirunrivalledsustainable production system.

That wasthe message from Catherine Smith, thechair of Hybu Cig Cymru-Meat PromotionWales, at thegroup’s conference at theRoyal Welsh Showground,Llanelwedd

Shesaid: “No-one here todayunderestimatesthe challengesfacingour family farms. We have global anddomesticinflation impacts, post-pandemic economic recovery issues, aEuropeanwar and Brexit transition obstacles, whichhaveexposed fragilities in global supply chains.

“For ourconsumers,itmeans asqueeze on budgets anddisposable income that has notbeenexperiencedfor many ayear. On farm,itmeans risingcosts of feed,fuel, and fertiliser and, forour supply chain, it means escalating costs, labour shortages anduncertainty

“But we have averysolid platform on whichtotakeonthese challenge

“If it’s high-quality, sustainablered meat youare lookingfor,thenlooktoWales.”

Ms SmithsaidWelshLamb andWelsh Beef were theproductsofacarefully curated,thrivingnatural environmentwithhigh animal welfare standardsand world-leading traceability.

Shesaid: “Wehaveverymuchtobe proudofinWales. Together we have created

brands that areknown acrossthe worldand whichour competitorsenvy.

“Wehavechampioned TheWelshWay of sustainablefarming. Together we have campaignedfor avibrant future forour farming families, ourruralcommunities, ourculture andour language.”

Shesaidnow is thetimetobeclearly sighted of whereweneed to go next and prevent thelossofthe great momentum that hadbeenbuilt over thepast twodecades. “If we standstill,wewillbeblown back by the fiercestofinternational trade winds.We cannot open thecommercial door forcompetitors andimporters of cheaper products, producedtoinferiorstandards,totakeour place.”

allanimals have the same levelofprotection.”

Theconsultation will runfor 12 weeksand is availableonthe Welsh Government website.

Catherine Smith

MPshavewelcomedthe useof finespaidbywater companies going straightintoenvironmental andwater qualityimprovement projects

Finesleviedbyregulator Ofwat andthe Environment Agency had been sent straight into theTreasury’s coffers–but atweak in thelaw means themoneywill go to environmental measuresinstead

Anditisnot an insignificant amount of money– some £141mhas been raised by finesonpolluting water companies since2015.

is abreakthrough forriver quality.

“I am delighted that ameasure that colleagues andIhavecalledfor was formallyadoptedbythe Government whichwill help to clean up theUK’s rivers,seas, andwaterways,” said Mr Dunne.The Department for Environment,Food andRural Affairsis settoget the finesmoney

Andithas announced anew measure that couldsupportlocal initiatives in Shropshire andacross thecountry to tackle pollution using moneyraisedfrom finespaidbywater companies

The value of expert valuer

Ihavebeenundertaking expertwitnessvaluations foruse in litigation and courtfor over 30 yearsand tworecent valuationsreally demonstratethe valueofusing an experienced andrespected valuer,writesMikeTaylor, Senior PartnerofBarbers RuralConsultancyLLP.

Mr Taylor says: “I recentlydealt with a complex valuationofahouse sold in the countryside whereneither theseller’s agent northe buyer’ssolicitorrealised that there wasan agriculturaloccupancy restriction andsothe buyer, whowas nota farmer,was left with ahouse that he wastechnicallynot allowed to live in.

“Theoccupancy conditiononlycame to light severalyears after it hadbeensold when thenew ownerwas seekingplanning consenttoextendit.Thenewownersuedhis solicitorand Ihad to undertakeexpertvaluations forthe solicitors before andafter and with andwithout theoccupancy condition.

“Thesewerethenall agreed with theexpert valuer forthe homeownerthereby allowing theparties to reachanout ofcourt settlementsavingtime, money anda lotof heartache.

“In averydifferentcase, Iwas instructed by oneofthe farmingpartnersina partnership splitinNorth Wales. Thefarmwas a large dairyand arable unitwithafullcomplementofmachineryand livestockand

severalhundred acres of ownedlandwith threefarmsteads. Thefreehold property includedlandwithmediumtolongtermdevelopmentpotential

“Despitethecomplexityoftheissues,Iwas able to agreevalues with theexpertworking forthe otherpartnersand asettlementwas agreed.Itwas clear that theexperience and skillofthevaluersinvolvedhelpedtoavoida protracteddisputeand courtcase.

“Unfortunately,not all parties areaswillingtoreach settlement even when values have been agreed.Inanother case,withunderlyingissues of family strife,the partners couldnot agreeonthe mechanics of asplit andthe matter is currentlygoing to court.

“However,atleast some of thesalientissues have been narrowed down by theexpert valuersand thereisnodoubt that experience counts foralot in thesematters Themutualrespect of experiencedvaluers within ourprofessionoften makesiteasier to negotiate with theother side andreach a satisfactory agreement.”

Guidance given on the vital choice of fertiliser

Farmersare beingurgedtochoosefertiliser productswiselyfor upcomingspringnitrogen applications to maximise yields with lessinputs.

DavidNewton, TimacAgrotechnical manager, said farmersare lookingfor opportunities to make their inputs go further forlongerand oneofthe best ways to stretch nitrogen applications is by usingfertiliser with addedstimulant technology.

“Tomakecropsmore efficient, farmers need to increase therateatwhichthe plant is metabolisingnitrogenintoprotein,” Mr Newton explained

“Withhighnitrate availability,a plantwill trytotakeupasmuchnitrogenas it can, before attempting to store theexcess. However, plants that do this tend to be wetter in com-

position andare more attractive to pestsand diseases –whichfarmers don’twant.”

To address this problem, Mr Newton recommends choosinganitrogen-based fertiliser formulated with biostimulant technology,suchasSulfammo23 N-Process, which contains N-Processnitrogenand sulphur.

This biostimulant technologystimulates theplant genesthatcontrol nitrogen uptake, transportation, andconversiontoprotein –thismakes theplant hungrier forthe nutrient, whilealsoenablingittometaboliseit more quickly.

“Developed at ourresearchfacility,this unique mode of action allowsthe plantto handle more nitrogen to convertitintoamino acidsand protein whichimprovescrop quality,”addedMrNewton.

Ludlow MP PhilipDunnesaidit

Mike Taylor of Barbers Rural

-Mowingwithdoublemowers£11peracre

-Rakingtwoandfourrota£5peracre -Tedding£5peracre

-Lugging18tonnetrailers£50perhour

-Lugging24tonnetriaxletrailers£58perhour

-SquarebalingwithtwoClaas3300(120x90) £4.80perbale

-Combinationroundbalingandwrappingwith twoJohnDeerec441r6layers&net£8.50 -Ploughing£28.50peracre -Shakerating£27peracre

-5metrePowerharrowing£23peracre -3metrecombidrilling£28peracre

-Maizedrillingwithfertiliserplacement £19peracre

-Muckspreadingwithloader£50perhour

-Muckspreading3200gdualspreaderwith loader£53perhour

-Tanking5000gLGPdribblebarvariableflow rate£80perhour

-FertilizerspreadingwithGPS£3.80peracre -Flatrolling6.3metre£5peracre -Hedgecutting£42perhour

-TractorsfittedwithGPS Fencing,Fabrication,Farmmaintenance

HIRE

3200gDualspreader£160perday

12Tonnereardischargespreader£125perday 6.3Metreflatroller£80perday 18Tonnesilagetrailer£80perday

Meeting sees county chairman take up role

BY IAIN ST JOHN

Paul Brown, whohas heldavariety of union postsand championsanimal health andwelfare,was electedthe new NFU county chairman at ameeting near Stafford. Around 40 farmersand growers attended theStaffordshireNFU annual generalmeeting at thecountyshowground

Out-going chairman Robert Lockhart, of Drayton Bassett, said he wasdelighted to hand thereins to Mr Brownand wishedhim well representing county farmersand growers.

Mr Lockhart’stwo-yeartermofficially comestoacloseatthenationalNFUconferenceatBirmingham in February.At themeeting acountyvice chairman was notelected butplans areinplace to fill thevacantposition. Awhole host of industry issues were also discussed includingcurrentmarketpressures,particularly in thepoultry andpig sectors, spiralling

farm costs across theboard,food security,trade,HighSpeed rail,rural crime, bovine tuberculosisand otherpressing industry topics.

Mr Lockhartsaid: “This ismylastannual generalmeeting as chairman andI took over theroletwo yearsago at an uncertainand interestingtimefor farming andthe county duetothe pandemic.

“Wesaw virtualmeetingsand other ways of workingbut throughout it we

have continuedtodowhatwedo, produce highquality,traceablefoodfor peopletoeat.Ihavethoroughlyenjoyed my term as county chairmanand Iwish Paul theverybest.

“I’m sure he willrepresent your views well andmakesurethe county continues to have astrongvoice on industry issues andbring alot of enthusiasm to therole.”

Mr Brown, whofarms cattle at Woodseaves, is aformerbranchchairmanof

Eccleshall andStone NFU andhas solid unionand industry experience.He also thankedMrLockhartand hopedhe wouldcontinuetobeagreat source of support, helpand information during his term in office

“Roberthas been atremendousservanttoStaffordshirefarmingand theNFU andweappreciateall youhavedoneand all of your hard work,” he said.“As chair, Ihopetomeetasmanyofyou as possible in theweeks andmonthsahead.I cannot stress what aprivilegeand honour it is to be electedand IhopeI candothe jobjustice foryou all.

“I look forwardtobeingabletoserve thecountyand itsfarmers working alongside NFU county adviserJeremy Lowe,unionofficeholders, membersand theregionalteam.”

At themeeting sector boardreports were heardand farmerswereelected to theunion’scommodity boards where therewerevacancies.

NFU West Midlands regional director RobNewbery made apresentationtothe best Staffordshirecountygroup This went to Simon Batesand Ed Stubbs of MidStaffsNFU forservices to farmersand growersand membership performance.

Peat sales to end inWales

Theretailsaleofpeatinhorticulture willend in Wales, RuralAffairs Minister Lesley Griffithshas announced

Theannouncementfollows apublic consultation whichshows 92 percentof Welsh respondents supportedan overall banofthe saleof peat compost.

Whilst thereisnocurrent peat extraction in Wales, bosses saythe action will be crucial in protecting Welsh peatlands in thefuture

Preventing sales of peat containing products is also in linewiththe Well-beingof Future GenerationsAct commitment to be globallyresponsible

Peatlands arethe UK’s largest stores of carbon,supportkey habitatsand species, andcan hold large volumesofwater Whenpeatisextracted,thecarbonstored inside thebog is released as carbon dioxide,contributing to climatechange. Peat extraction also degrades thestate of the peat mass whichthreatens biodiversity.

It is primarilyextractedinthe UK for horticulturalpurposes, with bagged retail growingmedia accounting for70 per centofthe peat sold inthe UK.

Aban willend greenhouse gasemissions from theextraction anduse of peat domesticallyand be keyinmeeting the Welsh Government’s NetZerotargets.

TheWelshGovernmentwill nowwork withtheUKGovernmentonnextstepsto implementthe baninWales.

Lesley Griffithssaid: “Our peatlands areiconic, andthisannouncementwill be keyinprotecting andrestoring them forfuturegenerationsand supporting theworkofthe National Peatland Action Programme.”

AStaffordshirelivestock farmer has been namedthe next NFUcountychairman afterhewas elected unopposed.

Robert Lockhart congratulates Paul Brown on taking up the role

Anotherbusyyearfor association’smembers

Farmersinthe Wem &DistrictAgricultural Associationhaveenjoyed anotherbusyyearof eventsand fundraising.

In June, thesummer steakbarbecuereturned, hosted at longstanding membersJohnand Rory Lay’sfarmin Wolverley,nearWem Thanks to some wonderful donatedprizes, theraffle raised an impressive £1,000. Proceeds willbesplit evenly betweenthe LingenDavies Cancer Appeal andtothe West Midland AirAmbulance.Lingen Davies is alocal charitywhichsupport thelivesofthose impactedbycancer in Shropshire, Telford&Wrekin, and MidWales.

More recently, on November 25, 241 guests gathered at Tern Hill Hall,near Market Drayton,for theannualpresentation dinner.NFU Cymrudeputy presidentAbi Reader wasthe guest speaker at theevent

Shetooktimeawayfrom herfamily farm in Wenvoe,justoutside Cardiff, to speak on theimportanceof teaching children about wheretheir food comes from.She also emphasised thecritical role that womenplayinagriculture andfarming business. Abiisafound-

ingmemberofthe ‘CowsOnTour’ initiative whichisleadingthe wayin educatingthe generalpublic andtelling thestory of food production from farm to fork

At thedinner,results of this year’s farm judgingwereannounced Topprizes includedthe best garden over 1001 square ft,awarded to Lucy Walker of ErcallPark, High Ercall Theoverall Points Cupand Arable

Points CupwenttochairmanRory LayofWolverley,nearWem The DairyPointsCup waswon jointlyby A Crowther andM&S Mottershead The LivestockPointsCup wasawarded to W&J Forrester.

ReserveChampionFarmwentto P, J&RGriffithsofWillaston, near Whitchurch,and the2022 Champion Farm wasGCDavies &CoofLittle Ness,nearShrewsbury.

NFU Cymru deputy president Abi Reader at the presentation dinner

Livestock farmersacrossShropshire willbeabletoapply foragrant of up to £250,000 to helpthemimprove theuse of organic nutrients on their farm and reduce pollution.

TheSlurryInfrastructuregrant has launchedandanonlineeligibilitychecker willremainopenuntil January31.

This scheme formspartofthe broader FarmingInvestmentFund, whichis aimedatimproving productivity and bringing environmental benefits to the farmingindustry throughgrants.

Open to both land owningand tenant farmers, thegrant is aimedathelping farmersimprove or expand slurry storage capacity to six months basedonexisting livestocknumbers.Paidinarrears,the minimum grantthatcan be appliedfor is £25,000 anda maximum of threeclaims over theduration of theprojectare permitted RobPaul, directorand head of rural managementatSavills in Telford, said: “This latest grantwillbeofgreat assistanceinhelping farmersinvestinfuture-proofed slurry infrastructure, but with arelatively smallwindowtocheck eligibilityweare urging farmerstolook into this as soon as possible.”

David’snew role

BY IAIN ST JOHN

Counties Agricultural

Davidwilljointhe team this month to take over therunning of thesociety.It followsthe announcementKen Nottage willberetiringfromthepostafterahugely successful decade at thehelmofone of theUK’smostprosperousshowground enterprises.

Davidjoins thesocietyafter a27-year career with theOxford-based bookseller Blackwell’swhere he held avarietyof roles acrossthe companyfrom theshop floortomanagementand regional roles He became managingdirectorfor Blackwell’s Bookshops in 2011, andchief executive forBlackwellLimitedin2013.

KenNottagesaid: “Atthe heartof ThreeCounties is acommitted andtalentedgroup of employeesand volunteers, whoI am sure willbesupportive of Davidinhis newroleasCEO.David is stronglyplacedtoleadthe societyinits

future growth plans. In additiontohis wide-rangingskills, he hasinvaluable businessmanagementexperience which willcontributetothe long-termfuture andsuccessofthe business.”

Davidsaid: “I’m hugely excitedtobe takingonthe role of

‘Ingredients for success’

Topquality,super sustainability and strong

trust willbuild asecure futurefortheWelshfarmingindustryand itsWelshLamb andWelshBeefbrands

That wasthe message from Catherine Smith, thechair of Hybu Cig CymruMeat PromotionWales (HCC)atthe RoyalWelshWinterFair.

Shesaid: “Wehaveanambitious visionfor theWelshred meat sector and ourrecipefor successisbased upon our threewinningingredients; ourgreen credentials; best-in-class eating quality and customerrecognition andtrust

“In Welsh farming, integrity is somethingthatwehaveinspades andwecan be proudofthe factthatPGIWelsh Lamb and Beef and Porc from Wales is producedinthe rightplace in theright way. ” ShereferredtoworkHCC wasundertakinginterms of measuring biodiversity on Welsh hill farms.

“HCC is drivingthisagendaforward In termsofsustainability:wewantto go further. Ourindustryroadmap,the Welsh Way, is just thestartingpoint Work is underwayonclean airand water, thriving soils, flourishingbiodiversity,healthy livestock, prosperous supply chains andunitedcommunities.”

Three

SocietyinMalvern has appointed DavidPrescott as itsnew chief executive.

ThreeCounties chief

executive. I’ve been reallyimpressed with howwellthe societyisrun andIknow there’slotsofopportunity to buildon what is areallyimpressive events calendar. Of course,Ihavesomebig shoes to fill with Kenhavingdonesuchafantastic job.”

David Prescott is the newCEO at Three Counties Showground, Malvern

Farmers advised ‘spreading risk key to survival’

Farmershavebeenadvised that ‘spreadingrisk could be keytosurvival’ butremindedthat‘keeping it simple’has helpedthe industry weatherprevious storms

With spirallinginput costs threateningthe bottom lineofbusinessesupand down thecountry,the teamatFarming ForaBetterClimate, part of SACConsulting, is advisingfarmers totakesmall manageablesteps, to safeguardtheir operations.

Outlook

Commenting on thecurrent outlook forarablebusinesses, consultant Zach Reillysaid: “Althoughthe increase in fertiliser prices over thepast 18 months has been eyewatering,there remainsastrong margin forarablecrops on many farms.

“Two yearsago,fertiliser forwheat crops(N,P,K) wascostingapproximately £20/t, howeveratcurrent prices it is closer to £80/t.

However, grainprices over thesame period have increasedinthe region of £100/t, leavingadditional income to cover theincreases seen in otherinputssuch as fuel, labour andmachinery.”

Heexplained thattheincreaseinfertiliser prices posestwo large riskstoarable units:firstly,thatbusinesscashflowisput under significant pressure,and secondly, increasingsensitivity to commodityvol-

atility, whichcould leavegrowers with highinput costs butlow sales values. Farmingfor aBetterClimaterecommends that farmersprepare anutrient budget, whichisasimpleway to assess thefertiliserrequiredonfarm,whilstalso reducingemissions from thefarming business.

Zach continued: “Tohelpmitigate risks, ensure youknowthe costofproductionper tonne, andhow risinginput costs affectthis. It is also worthconsideringsellingaproportion of grainforward to provide some security goingintothe next season.”

Pressure

Consultant Robert Ramsay shares his insight on thelivestockindustry.“Beef andsheep enterpriseshavebeenunder pressure duetoinflatingcosts, whichare underminingany margin to be gained from strong farmgate prices,”heexplained.

“Itishardtobelieve that 18 months agowewerepleased to be receiving an average deadweight price forbeefof£4 perkg, when nowweare seeing£4.60, butare in aworse offfinancialposition.

“Itisamazingtosee milk prices forthe dairyindustryof50ppl. “But farmerscannotaffordtobecome complacent.”

Guidance given on heat stress

Dairyfarmerscould be losingmilk production worthtensofthousands of pounds by failingtoprotect theircowsfrom heatstress duringthe summer.

That wasthe message from independentvet consultant Dr TomChamberlain fromChalcombeLtd ataLallemandAnimalNutrition workshopatTotal Dairyin Stratford-upon-Avon.

Alive poll runduringthe workshop indicated 92 percentoffarmers have seen heat stress on their farm and86 percentthought they’d lostmore than 50 litres/cowduringlactation as aresult of this,withmanysuggestingthey’dlost more than 150 litres/cow.

To reiteratethe impacts of heat stress, during theworkshopDrChamberlain sharedresults of astudy,carriedout in conjunctionwithLallemand, to assess whetherheatstressisaproblem in British dairyherds

Thestudy focused on ninefarms in Englandinthe summer of 2022 –from Cheshireinthe northtoDevon in the south–and temperature andhumidity were measured inside cattle sheds and outatgrazing.

“Thestudy shows theamountoftime

cows suffered from heat stress during the trial period,whichran from April to October,was57percentforcowskeptinside, and22percentforthoseoutatgrass,”said Dr Chamberlain.

He said thestudy suggests theaverage housed cowlost139 litres of milk production duetoheatstressduring thesummer, whilethe average cowout at grass missed out on 129 litres of production.

“Acrossthose ninefarms, theaverage lossofproductionfrom heat lossis£128 percow,withherdlossesranging from £24,000 to £90,000,”addedDrChamberlain.

He encouragedfarmers todrawupa heat stress managementplanfor summer2023 andsuggestedadoptingasiesta management approach.

“This involves gettingthe cows in at 10amand keepingtheminuntil after milking,beforeturningthemout againat 4pm,”saidDrChamberlain.

“This means they areindoors during thereally hotperiod; when thereisa lot of daylight thecowswillhaveamajor grazingbout in theevening, so youare still making good useofgrass with this approach.”

Dr Chamberlain also encouraged farmerstoput cows in paddockswith thebestshade on hotdays, to make sure thereisadequatewater supply to paddocks, andtoinvestintreeplantingto create shadedareas in thefuture

Lallemand’stechnical supportmanager,NicoVreeburg, toldthe Total Dairy seminar that farmersalsoneeded to ensure they hadadequateventilation in their sheds for dealingwithheatstress.

He said: “Warmsummersare becomingmore regularandbecausecowsspend 75 percentoftheir time inside, it’s worth investingingood housing.

“In badlydesignedsheds,itcould be 5°Chotter than outsideofthe shed, howeverinagoodsheditcould be 5°C cooler.”

Givethem the beststart.

Feeding Safmannan® premium yeastfractionand Actisaf® liveyeast to ewesduring the last6weeks beforelambingmaximises ewe performance-giving lambsthe beststart and setting them up forbetter performancelater in life.

Actisaf® supports rumen function, drives feed intakes and improves energy supplytothe ewe. Thisresults in up to 20%higher milkyield, reduced risk of acidosis/digestiveupset, smoother diet transitionsand lowerlevels of circulating ketones- akey indicator of negativeenergy balanceortwin lamb disease.

Safmannan® is rich in specific betaglucans and mannans which support the immune systemand bind to certain pathogens. Feeding Safmannan® to your ewesprovides:

•Upto25% higher IgG levels in colostrum

•Immunity support forthe ewe

•Improvedlamb performancelater in life

Prepare yourewes for the demands of lambing by addingSafmannan® and Actisaf® to your pre-lambing diet now!

TomChamberlain, Nico Vreeburg and Mark McFarland from Lallemand

Be alerttored mitedangers

MSDAnimalHealth isurging poultryproducerstocontinue monitoring for redmiteamong flocks as thehousing ordercomes into effect.

“Normally, during thewinter period when theweather is cooler, redmiteactivity declines,” says KatiePitman,technicalpoultry manageratMSD AnimalHealth UK.

“However,with thehousing orderrequiring birdstobekept indoorsatall times, withpop holes closed,thiscreates favourable conditions for redmitepopulations to thrive.

“The birdswillalreadybe stressed duetobeing permanently housed, andsoproducers don’t

want to add to thispressure by not keeping on topofred mite.”

Birdsaffectedbyred mite can displayrestlessness,weightloss anda dropinegg production andquality.Inextreme casesthe parasite mayalsocause anemia andmortality

Additionally,red mite suppresses abird’s immune system,meaning chickens affected by highinfestations aremoresusceptible to other infections.

Producersshould notrely on birds displaying symptoms as an indicator of ared mite infestation.

“Red mite aretypically more active at night-time andoften feed when the houselights areoff,making

it hardtovisually assess whether youhaveanissue.Producers should place traps to accurately quantify thethreatto flocks,” said Ms Pitman

Producerscan create theirown simple redmitetrapsmade from corrugatedcardwhichisrolled up andinsertedintoaplastic tube,similar in diametertoawater pipe.Theyshould be placed strategicallyaround theshed wherered mite arelikely to travel at night, such as near nesting boxesorperches.After 48 hours, thetrapscan be collected, putinto individual bags,and placed in the freezerfor afurther 48 hourstokill themites,makingiteasier to count thenumberofmites

Farm business succession in atime of great change

There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution forthe future of anybusiness, says SarahReece from Berrys.

Sarahsays: “Withdifferingfarming systems,enterprises, structures, occupation arrangementsand emotions,it is imperative to seek advice from your trusted agent/consultant,accountant andsolicitor

“A joined-up, well plannedapproach is critical forfuture businessstability andsuccess.

“TheBasic PaymentExitScheme, has proven to be astarter to conversationswhichmight nototherwise happen.

“Thepotential taxation implications of theschemeinrespect of Capital GainsTax andAgriculturalProperty Relief under InheritanceTax areconcerns toogreat formanytorisk.

“Thecap of justunder £100,000 also renderedtheschemehopelessforsome largerbusinesses.

“Mostdiscussions startarounda kitchen table, teasingout andlistening to thethoughtsofthe individualsinvolved.

“Farmingisunique –businessesare often ownedbyfamilymembers,sometimesinvolving extendedfamily, who it is assumedwill seeeye-to-eye over complex businessmatters

“Often, thereare non-farmingfamily memberstothinkabout

“Itisimportant foreveryoneinvolvedtohavetimeand space to think andconveytheir thoughts andfor the advisors to do thesame.

“Communicationisvital;somepeople find this easier than others

“Peoplemay prefer to do this verballyorinwriting Themethoddoesn’t matter,the most important pointisto maintain communication.

“Effective successionplanning will helpthe parties involvedtoprotect assets, safeguardincomeand provide continuity

“Whenembarking on ajourney,itis importanttoacknowledge theremay be some blindalleysand diversions alongthe way.

“Also, theroute maychange

“This is okay as long as time is taken to consider theoptions andkeepthose onboardwhowant tobe keptonboard andallowthosewhowishtodisembark to do so.”

Sarahadded: “AtBerrys, ourbusiness consultantsand ruralsurveyors work with awide range of farming businessesinconjunction with accountants,solicitorsandbanks/lending organisationstoimplement effective successionplans that pave theway for thefuture.”

To discuss theseissues further, peoplecan contactSarah Reece in the first instance on 01743 267068 or they can emailsarah.reece@berrys.uk.com.

Forestry values escalate

Commercial forestryvalues have escalatedbyatleast 15 percentinthe past year,accordingtoan industry report

Increasingdemandfor timber assets drivenbynet zeroambitions contributed to risingprices in amarketcharacterisedbyfewer,smaller,but higher valuesales in 2022.

Scotland “spearheadedthe charge for economic forestry”withan84per centshare of UK commercial forestry sales. Meanwhile, thelandavailablefor naturalcapital projects includingnative afforestation,peatlandrestoration andrewildingalsotrebledoverthepast

year,asectorled by England. TheUK Forest Market Report 2022, themost comprehensive review of themarket, has been producedbyTilhill andspecialist forestry firm GoldcrestLand& Forestry Group

Thereportestimated themarket wasworth well over £200m –taking into account aconsiderablenumberof off-marketsales on topofthe £195m monitoredbythe two firms–and continues to offer an exceptional outlook forinvestors

Greaterawareness of thebenefits of broader naturalcapital increasedinterestinopportunities offeringwetland,

islands andother diversity, said the report

Thefocus on nature-based solutions beyond timber revealed farmoreland suitable forthese projects, swellingto £80.7m, from £26.4m in 2021, based on thedatamonitored.

Englandaccountedfor thelargest market share with £32.4m of listings for2,500haoftotal land area,followed by Wales (£28.9m for2,100ha) and Scotland (£19.5m across2,300ha).

Theselistings averaged, pergross hectare,£13,200 in Englandand £13,600 in Wales and£8,500 in Scotland

Bagshaws

Uttoxeter 01889 562811

Balfours

Craven Arms 01588 673314 Shrewsbury01743 241181

Barbers Rural Consultancy Market Drayton 01630 692500

Berrys Northwich 01606 49200 Shrewsbury01743 271697 Kettering 01536 412464

Brightwells Limited Builth Wells 01982 553614 Hereford01432 261325

Fisher German Chester 01244 409660 Knutsford01565 757970 Stafford01785 220044 Worcester 01905 453275

Wright Marshall Chelford01625 861122

GHerbertBanks Worcester 01299 896968

Morris Marshall &Poole Welshpool 01938 554818

Nock Deighton Bridgnorth 01746 762666

Rostons Chester 01829 773000

RB and RG Williams Ross-on-Wye 01989 567233

GHerbert Banks Worcester 01299 896968 Morris Marshall &Poole Welshpool 01938 554818 Nock Deighton Bridgnorth 01746762666 RB and RG Williams Ross-on-Wye01989 567233

Sarah Reece from Berrys

Know your permitteddevelopmentrights, says JamesNeame of Nock Deighton Jamessays:PermittedDevelopmentRights under TheTownand CountryPlanning (GeneralPermitted Development) Order 2015 permit certain developments quicker than thefullplanningpermissionprocess, subjecttomeeting certain requirements. For farmsandagriculturalunits,thereareseveral options fordevelopmentand change of use that youmay consider ClassA–Part6,Class Aofthe order permitsyou to erect, extend or alteranagriculturalbuildingincludingany excavation or engineeringworks that arerequired The buildingmust notexceed 1,000 square metres, andbeusedfor agriculturalpurposes such as agrain store or machineryshed. If thebuildingwillhouse livestock, it must be furtherthan400 metres from aresidential

property (not includingthe farmhouse). Thereare otherconditions, includingheight restrictions and distance from atrunk or classified road

Class O–Class Oallowsfor buildings used as offices to be convertedintoresidential houses. Thebuildingmusthavebeenan office on or before 29thMarch 2013.

Class Q– This allowsfor agricultural buildings to be convertedintoresidential use. Again, theuse of thebuildingmust have last been agricultural. Thefootprintand external dimensions of thebuildingmust not change and up to 5dwellings arepermitted

Class R– Limitedto500 square metres, Class Rpermits thechange of useofbuildings from agriculturaltoa flexiblecommercial use. This caninclude offices, commercial storage, restaurant or café,retailspace and range of leisure uses.

Permittedrightsdetails Responsibilities on roads

It’sthetimeofyearwhenwetweatherleads to theinevitableconsequence of mudon countryroads andit’s vitalthatfarmers know their legalobligations, says Steven Corfield, principal agriculturalconsultantatLanyon Bowdler Solicitors

Although afarmercan do little to prevent mudgetting onto roadssurroundingtheir fields,theydohavealegaldutytominimise theproblem, such as cleaningmud from vehicles before goingontothe road

Appropriate warningsigns must be placed on roadsifthe farmer expects mudtobean issue,andtheroadmustbecleanedattheend of theworking day, andifnecessary during theday as well.Carehas to be takenas to the wordingofsignageandlegaladviceshouldbe obtained on this,as well as checkingthiswith thefarminsurersbeforehand

If acontractorisused, an agreementneeds

to be reachedregardingwho is responsible for dealingwithmud on roads,includingensuring that thecorrect liabilityinsuranceisin place

This is an importantpoint,asitisultimately thefarmerorlandowner whowould be liableifanagreement is notreached.As well as thesesteps, farmersshouldalsothink abouthiringequipment in advancesothey areready to cleanthe roadswhennecessary, trytokeeptominor roads anddrive at low speedswheneverpossible, andcruciallyrecord decisionsinwriting so theycan be referred to at alater date. Failuretotakethe necessary action canleadtoa fine of up to £1,000, although if thereisanaccidentinvolved,the civil claims andcriminal penalties canbemuchhigher. Please feel free to getin touchifyou have anyqueries, by calling0800 652 3371 or visiting www.lblaw.co.uk

Rolling over regulations

In order to roll over acapital gain on the disposal of abusinessasset, thetimelimit forreinvestment of thedisposal proceedsin qualifying assets is up to oneyearbeforethe disposal or threeyears after

With alackoflandsupply issues andproblemswithsupplies of buildingmaterials,rollingoverhas become increasinglymore difficult fortaxpayers.

What arethe options?

Steven JonesofBallardssays: HMRCcan extendthe timescaleoutside of theselimits when ataxpayercan showthattheyhad a firmintentiontoacquirethenewassetwithin thethree year period from disposal but was preventedfrom doingsobycircumstances outside their control.

Thetaxpayer must also demonstrate that they actedassoonastheycould after having been prevented

This howeverisatthe discretion of HMRC andnoadvance clearancecan be sought

Youneed to provide detailedevidence of your attempts to reinvest theproceedsand thereasons whyyou couldnot do so

Examples of circumstances outside the taxpayer’s controlinclude deathorserious illness of avital partyatacrucialtime; or unsettleddisputes or litigation

Otherexamples aregenuinedifficultyin establishinggoodtitle or in findingsuitable replacementassets; or delayinreceipt of disposal proceeds.

Alternativelyyou mayneed to weighup thecostofpayingthe Capital GainsTax now in order tominimise theinterestcharges payableifitlooks unlikely that thereinvestment willnot occurintime.

If youdomanagetomeetthe timescale, then thetax canbereclaimed

Adviceondiversification

I’mthinking aboutdiversifying to useland forground-based solarPV. Is it agood time to developthese plans?

MeganPrice,a solicitorwithin theAgricultural&Rural Services Team at FBCManby Bowdler,says: Landowners andfarmers couldbeforgivenfor puttingplans foralternative useofagriculturallandonholdin recentmonths.

With so many changes both in thecountry’sleadership causinguncertainty around ruralagendas andrevolving Ministersrunningdepartments, planningfor thelongterm has been equally necessary andimpossible.

Former PM LizTruss had signalled an intentiontoban solarenergyfrom farmland. Herreasoning? Food security.But many farmersand landowners know that notall agriculturallandissuitablefor growing

crops, with livestockatleast abletograze in betweensolar panels

Many of ourclientsare membersofthe CountryLandand BusinessAssociations (CLA) whichiscurrently campaigningfor clarityonfuture policies over ground based solar. Membersare alreadyfacinguncertainly over future farmingsubsidies, although DEFRAhas promised an update in thenear future

Ouradvice to clients is to continue to explorediversificationschemes whichcan add revenuestreams andseekprofessionaladvice around theterms andconditionsoflanduse forrenewableschemes. Although none of us hasacrystalball,risingenergypriceshavefocused the generalpublic’s consciousness over climatechangeand when thevotersraise the issue on thedoorstep, policies whichaddress theseare usuallynot toofar behind

newschemes? Clare Williams from RogerParry &Partners says in 2021 theWelshGovernment and RuralPaymentsAgencychangedthe way they payBPS to cross-border farmers.

Themoney is nowpaidtothe farmer from each country, insteadofthe previous system whereone countrypaidmoney to theother before paying to thefarmer.

This has ledtomuchmore straightforward claims andquicker payments.

However, if lessthan five hectaresofyour ground is in onecountry andthe majority in another, then youcan only claimon theland lessthan five hectaresifyou also did so in 2020, puttingnew entrants at adisadvantage. But nowtimes arechanging, wheredoes this leavecross-border farmerswiththe new schemes?

Thenew Welsh proposalsrequirethat10 percentof land must be trees.

This will only apply to your Welsh land so treesonyourEnglish land willnot count towardsit. However, beingcross-border may beanadvantageinthenewWelshNVZregulationsifyourEnglish land is notinanNVZ, meaningyou’renot confinedtomanure spreadingrules on your English land

We awaitfurther clarification on this Goingforward it is expectedthatthere willbemuchlessinteraction betweenEngland andWales andyou willlikelyend up with completely differentschemes andpayment ratesoneachpartof yourland, leading to twice thepaperwork anddifferentrules to abide by

Formore advice aboutthese issues, contact ClareWilliams at RogerParry &Partners

What is theFuture FarmingResilience Fund?

Will Davies from Berrys says: TheFFRF (FutureFarming Resilience Fund)isa free service availabletofarmers in Englandand is fullyfundedbyDefra.

Theaim of thefundingistohelpfarmers understandhow changesinthe industry will affecttheir businesses. Berrys is abletodeliver this in person on aone-to-one basis, lookingatthe performanceofthe businessbefore making recommendationsfor thefuture

Theprovisionofthisadvice is particularly timely, notonlybecause of reducingBPS payments andthe uncertainty over howthese willbereplaced, but also becauseofglobal uncertainty in relation to risinginterestrates andinflation.

Theadvice providediscompletelybespoke andadvicemightincludeforexamplematters

of diversification,renewableenergy, carbon, biodiversity,businessstructure, finance, successionand landlord andtenant.

Theoutcome of thescheme is notnecessarilytoenact fundamentalchangestohow a businessoperates, anditmight be thecasewe provide confirmationthata businessisperformingwell, andany recommendationsmay only be minor

In atimeofgreat uncertainty however, it is prudenttotakethe opportunity to undertakea thorough review of thebusiness performance, at no cost. Anyinformation providedtoBerrysistreated in complete confidence andwillnot be used by Defra. To find outmoreabout theFFRF,pleasecontact Will Davies on 01743 267062, completethe registration form at https://cutt.ly/jMIiuRa or scan theQRcodeinthe advert with your phone.

Land ownership query

Iamconsideringsellingmylandinnorth ShropshirebutspeakingtotheLandRegistry, it appearsthatfourofmy100 acres, whichI have been in occupation of,are registered as part of theneighbouring farm.Where does this leavemelegally? Am Inow thelegal owner?

Hannah Taylor of mfg Solicitors responds: Unfortunately, this is an issue Ihavebeen dealingwithmore andmore in recentyears This issue is knownasAdversePossession, or ‘squatter’srights”,whichisessentiallyaprocesswhereby apersonwho does nothave legaltitle canbecomethe owneroflandby beinginpossessionofitfor long enough,either 10 or 12 years

Putsimply,ifa neighbouring landowner possesseslandfor aminimum period of either10or12years,dependingontherelevant statutoryregime,theycanclaimownershipof

thelandthrough adversepossessionand apply to theLandRegistry to register theland in their name

So with that in mind, if your possession canbeproven, asuccessful applicationwill mean that youbecomethe ‘owner’ofthe land.Whilstwewould need awider conversation,whatthisdoeshighlight is whyitis importanttoregularly checkboundaries and ensure theLandRegistry’s recordsaccurately reflectthe actual position ‘onthe ground’. This is somethingyourneighbourhas failed to do andhas likely notfenceditappropriately all thoseyears ago. Taking legaladvice can ensure deedsare reviewed properly andcareful consideration is giventoLandRegistry requirements. Often theseissues only come to light upon asaleorre-mortgage and cause considerabledelay andexpense.Itis well worthcheckingthese mattersin advance.

Howcan Iuse PermittedDevelopment Rights to unlock value?

GeraintJones of McCartneys says: If an existingbuildingisplanned to be used,itis importantfor thelandowner to establish if Permitted DevelopmentRights(GPDO)orif Full PlanningPermissionwould be required

Utilisingthe GPDO routecan be amuch cheaperand quickerroute than full planning permission, howeverdoesnot suit all sites.

Theestablishedroutes allow for theconversionoftraditionalbuildings under full planningroutes, fora wide range of uses, includingfor unrestricted residential,tourism, or commercial usetonamebut afew

However, an alternative optionisutilising theGeneralPermitted DevelopmentOrder process(Englandonly).

ClassQ(agriculturaltoresidential):allows conversionfor up to five newsmall dwell-

ings, or threelarger dwellings. To qualifyfor class Q, thestructure must be deemed to be ‘capable’ forconversionand used for agriculturalpurposes.

This simplifies theapplication routeand removesthe need for many costlyspecialist reports.

Class R: allowsconversionfor commercial use. Thecommercialuse canbe flexibleallowing shops, office spaces, hotels or storage anddistribution after permissionhas been granted. ClassR canbepursued within areas of outstandingnaturalbeauty, conservation areas,nationalparks,sitesofspecificscientific interest andgreen belts.

It is importanttonotefor either of these options,thatcannothaveusedGDPOrights on an agriculturalbuilding(28 dayapplication)oryou willhaveremoved your rights for10years from thedateof that permission.

Netzero–how willthisaffectyourplanningapplication?

CharlotteHurleyfrom Hallssays: Halls have seen asubstantial riseinthe number andcomplexity of planningand development work formultiplereasons –younger generationsplaying largerroles in farming businesses, lookingatdiversification andexpansionopportunities; theAgriculture Act in 2020 post-Brexitleadingtothe phasing outofBPS andthe subsequentarrivalofnew grants, andthe instabilityofnationaland global economydirectlyaffecting theprofitability of many ruralbusinesses.

So,what’snew? TheEnvironment Act 2021, revealed that all planningpermissions grantedinEngland,aside from afew exemptions, willberequired to deliveratleast 10 percentBiodiversityNet Gain andbesecuredfor at least30years,achievedon-site,

off-site or via astatutory biodiversitycredits scheme This isexpectedtocomeintoforce in November 2023.

Theeffects on planningapplicationsare: 1, Increasedneed forecological surveys. 2, BNGStrategic Plan –Planningatearly stages in an applicationtomitigate theimpact of thedevelopmentonthe site’s bio-diversity.3,Protecting andenhancingbiodiversity throughthe introduction andrelocationof newhabitats.

Whilst this seemslikeahindrancetoan applicantinbothtimeand money, thereare also opportunities to be gained from theincomingregulations such as transactional biodiversity credits–utilisingunproductive borders, fieldcorners etcand creating habitat bankswhichcreate‘credits’ developers and companies alikepurchase. Formore advice contactCharlotte Hurley on 01562 820880.

Opportunities of net zero Infrastructure grant help

Areyou goingtotakeadvantage of the slurry infrastructuregrant nowlaunched?

Will Phillips, Buildings andWasteManagementSpecialist at P&L AgriConsulting Ltd, said: Theanticipatedslurryinfrastructure grantopenedonDecember6.Ifyou want to apply youmust register your expressionofinterestbyJanuary 31, 2023.

Go onto theDEFRA website andgo throughthe onlinechecker.I‘Googled’Defra slurry grantwhichgot me to theright page Thereare threekey issues

1. Forthe best chanceofsuccess, youhave to be in apriorityarea. To find outgoonto MagicMaps. Theinstructionscan be found on theDEFRAwebsite. If youare notinthe priority area your chances of successwillbe reduceddependingonthe number of applicationsbut youcan still apply.

2. Youmust show that youwillend up with

at leastsix months storage, basedoncurrent stock numbers.

3. Youmust coverany newslurrystores with an impermeablecover.Alternatively, youcould look at acidification treatmentof theslurry. Note that acidification equipment willnot be grantfundedunder thescheme. Thegrant paymentwillbebased on standardcosts andthese canalsobefound on the website.

To meet thegrant requirements, youmust have an investment of at least£50,000 and amaximum of £250,000. Thegrant rate is £50%. To obtain grantfundingyou willneed to have appropriate planningpermissions, anyother authorisations (eg SuDS) andEnvironmentAgencyapproval.For furtherinformationwithout obligation contactWill PhillipsatP&L AgriConsulting Ltdon07939 474838.

Prediction on land values

What willhappentoagriculturallandvalues in thenext 5-10 years?

TomMason,directoratForge Property Consultants, said: Historic events have often hadanimpactonUKlandvalues.

In thelate1940s, demandfor land in postwarBritain sawvalues spiketo£3,000 per acre.

When theUKjoinedthe EU,landvalues sawanother spikebeforesettlingaround £7,750 peracreinthe mid 1970’s.

Inmorerecenttimes,2008’sfinancialcrash resulted in average land prices spiking at £10,000 peracre(source ONS, Bank of England andSavills RuralResearch)

We now find ourselveswithaneconomy reelingfromthe Covidpandemic,inflation above10%, acost-of-living crisis andwar betweenRussia andUkraine

On topofall this, more land is beingset

aside forurban developmentand energy production.

We areanislandnationand land is a finite resource

Historyshows that in timesofuncertainty people invest in land as asafehaven, but we arealsoseeingmore land than ever being pulled away from agriculture

It appearsthatthe UK farmlandmarket canexpectdemandfor land to rise,withless andlessbeingavailabletopurchase.

This imbalance points towardslandvalues risingoverthe next 5-10 year period.We arecurrently seeinglandand farmsselling for10%-15% more than we were afew years back;partofthatislinkedtothe increase in residential values, butweare also seeing strongcompetition from farmingbusinesses lookingtopurchaselandand expand their holding.

Latest

healthresearch from theUniversityofNottinghamwas shared during GB Calf Week

Andimproving thehealth and welfare of dairycalveswas highon theagenda

Theannualevent,run by the Agriculture andHorticulture DevelopmentBoard(AHDB) andthe NationalFarmers’Union (NFU) brought together arange of expertstolook atwaysof improving thecarethese young animalsexperience.

Amongthe speakersatthis year’sevent wasDrRobert

Hyde from theUniversityof Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine andScience.His seminar, entitled PracticalCalf Housing andManagement, drew on research conductedbythe school overthe past fewyears.

Dr Hyde andhis colleagues have carriedout anumber of studieslooking at thekey factors that caninfluencethe health andproductivity of dairycalves –including the firstanalysisof colostrumbacteriologyinthe UK andthe firstanalysis of calf mortalityrates across thewhole

country- culminatinginthe developmentofanonlineHerd Health Toolkit.

Thetoolkittakes the findings of theirresearch andtranslates it into apractical, evidence-based online appthat farmerscan useto improve thegrowthand survival ratesoftheir youngstock.

Using the20interventions shown to have thegreatest impact on thehealth andwelfare of preweaning calves it createsa bespokeplanfor individual farms, providing guidanceonthe key areasthat will be of most benefit.

Flock planning brings benefits

Flock health planninghas become an invaluable businesstoolfor LudlowbasedfarmerNigel Lloyd

Byworking closelywithhis vet–Emily Brownfrom MarchesFarmVets –MrLloyd has tackledaproblem with wormer resistance at HollyBush Farm

The60-hafarmhousesa250-ewe flockofNorth CountryMules andAberfields,put to Charollais or Texeltups, alongside aherdof40suckler cows, a small area of cereal croppingand B&B pigs.

Thesheep lamb from themiddle of Marchonwards,withlambs finished on thefarmand sold with atarget live weight of 42kg.MrLloyd says thefarm previouslydid nothaveaclear planfor making best useofanthelmintics, and he waskeennot to exacerbatewormer resistance

However, work to tackle this –throughhis flockhealthplan–has paid off.“We’vemanaged to geta practical plan in place that worksfor our farm,” he said

“Wenow rotate throughthe wormer groupsthrough the year,startingwith awhite drench for nematodirus in the spring,and then we rely on faecalegg counts (FEC) to monitorwormburden.”

FEC testingiscarriedout,inconjunction with Mr Lloyd’svet, every fourweeks,and lamb performanceis closelymonitored.

“Wealsobaseour wormingdecisions on howthe lambsare perform-

ing, as we routinelyweigh all lambs to ensure they’reontrack with their DLWG,toallow us to identify anythingthatlooks like it’s notputting weight on,” said Mr Lloyd.

Thenewer group4 (orange)wormer,Zolvix, has been introducedaspart of thefarm’swormcontrol plan andit is used at twokey pointsinthe season –for lambsinthe late of thegrazing season,and as part of thequarantine treatmentfor anybought-in animals.

“Usinganorangedrenchhelps clear out resistantworms at theend of the season andmeans Ican keep on topof thewormburden without increasing thelevel of resistance on my farm,” explainedMrLloyd

“Bywormingnew stockwithZolvix andkeeping them indoors, off pasture for48hours,we’re preventingany re-

sistantworms beingbroughtontothe farm.” Other focusareas forMrLloyd’s flockhealthplaninclude flycontrol, liver fluke, andapreventative vaccination strategy

Mr Lloydsaysthe whole flockis givena flycontrol pour-ontreatment,suchas CLiK, everyyearand blood-testing is carried outtoascertain whetherliver flukeispresent,and if treatmentisneeded forthis.

Vaccinations are used as part of a wider preventative approachto flock health andMrLloyd routinelyvaccinateshis sheep againsttoxoplasmosis, enzootic abortion,clostridial diseases, pasteurellosis, andorf.“If youcan prevent diseases you’re doingyourbit to helpuselessantibiotics,andyou’realso reducingthe financialcostofhavingto treatsickanimals,”addedMrLloyd

River pollution complaint

Anglersare catching“more sanitary products than fish”inaShropshireriver duetolevels of rawsewage.

Severalprotest marcheshavebeen heldoverthe dumpingof humanexcrementand sanitary waste in theRiver Severn

AShrewsburyTownCouncil report,preparedbyoutdoor recreation andasset manager Mike Cox, said:

“ThePengwernBoatClubareawhich represents theQuarry fishery area was terriblewithonlythree frycapturedof twospecies.

“The fisheries manager canonlyput this down to high levels of sewerage

continuouslypresentinthislocationas it comesfrom theCoton Hill area and affects theentirelengththrough to the English Bridge.

“Anyoneassociatedwithangling finds this demoralisingwhentheycannotdoanythingabout theimpactand thedamagethisisdoing

“The fisheries manager is embarrassed about ourwater when complaintscomeinthatanglersare catchingmoresanitaryproductsthan fish.”

In response to thereport, Severn Trentsaysitiscommitted to continuingtoimprovethe river, but that most pollutioncomes from toxic chemicals

that it has nothingtodowith. Severn Trentsaid78per centofthe blame for theQuarryareanot achievinggood ecological status wasdowntofactors outof itscontrol

Aspokesman said: “Environment Agency measuresshowthatthe reasons forfailureonthe stretch of river are relatedtopersistenttoxic chemicals, whichare notasa result of Severn Trent’sactivities.

“TheEAdataalsoshows that two keyparameterslinkedtothriving fisheries, dissolvedoxygen andammonia, areatbetterlevels than thoserequired to achieve theEA’sgoodriverstatus.”

Farmer Nigel Lloyd says apractical plan is in place that works for his farm

Research projectaims to boostlambindustry

Twofarmershavesaluted an industry-ledresearch project designedtoensure Welshlamb leads theway in quality andconsistency forconsumers.

Hybu CigCymru –MeatPromotion Wales (HCC)–launchedthe fourth phaseofthe Welsh Government and EU-fundedWelshLamb Meat Quality Projectinthe summer as part of the ongoingexploration to tasteand tenderness of themeatdependentonhow thecarcase is hung andpackaged.

Five farms, includingCarmarthenshireneighbours andfriends,Gareth Morgan and Ogwyn Thomas,supplied atotal of 120 lambstothe assignment with selectionbased on carcase, conformation, andfat class,withthe averageweightcominginat20.4kg

Theconsumertaste panels,which took place in Liverpooland Malvern, investigatedwhether hangingvia themore traditional Achilles tendon method,oracross-leg technique, impactseatingquality,and whether vacuumpacking (VAC)ormodified atmosphere packaging(MAP), makes adifference to thelamb taste

Lambchump,loin,andtopsidesamples were presentedfor consumer and nutritionalresearchafter themeatwas agedfor eightdaysinVAC or MAP to comparethe processand cutintosteak slices. Themeatwas then presentedto

theconsumerpanels fortasting, whilst theother half prepared fornutritional laboratory research lookingatthe meat’s nutritionalcontent Theconsumerpanels seeindividualsreceive anumberof meat samplesina controlled environment andscoring themeatfor different tastequality attributes.

Participantswereasked to score each sample on fourkey factors whichmake up meat quality. Theseinclude aroma, flavour, tenderness,and juiciness, before beingasked howmuchtheywould be willingtopay foreachpiece

To date, thetrialshavehelpedlamb in thecountry retain itsreputationfor world-leadingquality.Datafrom taste panels heldinLudlow, Chester, and Readingshowedthat60per centof participantsare purchasingmore lamb,

with 50 percentbuyingWelshproduce Gareth, whorunsthe 320-acreBron-yGlyn Farm in Llanfynydd,Carmarthen, with wife Ina, sonSteffan,and daughter Carys, said: “Weare thrilledtobeinvolvedinthe fourthtrial by supplying lambstothe project

“Tobeabletouse DNAtechnology to verify theparentage of thelambsis goingtobefascinating, as willseeing whichonesdevelop andfattenquicker to give thebestqualitymeat.”

Usinginnovative DNAtechnology, thestudy investigateswhether or not differentlambs parentagehas an effect on theeatingquality andnutritional values of themeatproduced.

“WhenIwas approachedtoparticipateitwas somethingIwas keen to be involvedwithasthe more research we do to seewhataffects thequality of Welsh lamb thebetter.”

Ogwyn, whowas talking as he stood on his170-acreLlettyngors farm overlookingGareth’sland, provided24 lambsfor thestudy

“Itwas superb to be involvedand to gettoknowmore aboutmylambs,”said Ogwyn,whokeepsaround600ewesand more than 50 suckler cows on hisfarm. It also benefits from 120 acres of rented land.“Once they getfat they aresoldso it wasfascinatingtofollowthe process andseehowdifferentlambsprogressed.”

Ogwynishelpedonhis farm,which has been in thefamilyfor around 70 years, by teenageson Daniel.

Ogwyn Thomas

Superb trade reported at dairy show and sale

BY IAIN ST JOHN

SeniorauctioneerJonny Dymond said thetop 10 cattle averaged£2,955 as theBryan Challenor Cupwentacross theborder to acow –Caran SilverEnid VG87 –owned by GeraintJenkins of G. B. andH.M.Jenkins’Caran Herd at Talybont,nearAberystwyth

“Thisthirdlactationcowwasdescribed by anotherprize winningvendoras too good to ever sell,” said Mr Dymond.“The epitomeofpower,style,balanceandmilk, she wonthe BryanChallenor Cupand went on to sell to thejudgeat£3,000. A greatturnout of cattle metaterrificteam of buyers.Combinedwithindustrybased trade stands,the showand sale were absolutelyfantastic.”

Adelighted Mr Jenkins,who narrowly missed out on winningthe cupthree yearsago,said: “Ofall theChristmas

shows andsales, this is theone to win becauseBryan Challenor wasaverywell respectedman in thedairy world.

“Itdefinitely helps to have asashand cupwhenitcomes to gettingagood price foryouranimals. Ithink£3,000 is agood price becauseshe is agood cow, having alreadyhadthreecalvesandwillgoondo well forthe newowner.”

Thepre-saleshowwas judged by Miles Oakleyand Sammie Wilson,fromDorrington, near Shrewsbury. Reservecham-

pion wasa heifer,DilandyPistonAda, ownedbyDand AC Shakeshaft which sold for£3,100.

Theother prize-winnerswere: Cows: 2, Meldamar ClarifyCeleste 36 owned by J. M. andD.Shepherdwhichsoldfor £2,550; 3, Priddbwll MaydayHeather ownedbyMartinEvans Group Ltdwhich sold for£2,800 to Mr P. Mcdowell from Staffordshire.

Heifers: 2, Meldamar BomberoLady Eilwen92owned by J.M. andD.Shep-

herd whichsoldfor £3,050 and3,Caran Sidekick Mai2owned by G. B. andH.M Jenkins whichsoldfor £2,850.

Topprice of £3,100 went to reserve champion DilandyPiston Ada, from the highlyregardedDilandy Herd of Andrew Shakeshaft,whichsoldtoanundisclosed Shropshirebuyer.

Meldamar BomberoLadyEilwensold toanundisclosed flying herd in Cheshire, whileMarkHughes’ Criggion Altavelvet Gayle, giving 33kg,achieved£3,050, sellingtoMrMcdowell

Apairfrom theGlamarton Herd of C. V. Whitticase,giving38kg,and afresh heifer from toitoi genetics, with afantastic pedigreefromthe Unique Cheers family,eachachieved£2,950.

Jerseysfrom Jude Cambidge, giving 25kg,soldto£1,700 andcrossbreds to £1,420. ApedigreeHerefordbull from P. &E.Williams sold for£2,000, nine outwintered commercial bullingheifers from G. E. Oakley&Sonssoldto£820, averaging £760.

Show sponsors were WorldWide Sires, H. J. LeaOakes, LivestockSupplies, N. D. Challenor,Herdvision, K&S Livestock, T. E. &C.P.Ltd,Meadow, Milk Tech NZ, ShropshireHolstein Club,Collinson Bins, TheFarmOffice,Mygreen Home.

Get to know your nozzles

Severn Trentisinvitingfarmers to learnabout improving sprayefficiencies in aseries of virtualworkshops inJanuaryand February,where they will receive afreeset of lowdrift spraynozzles upon completionofthe session.

TheSwapYourNozzles workshops provide farmersinprioritycatchments with an opportunity to boost their knowledgeonhow to reduce spraydrift andminimisetheriskofpesticidesreachingwatercourses.

Dr Alex Cooke, Severn Trentprincipal catchment scientist,saidfollowing each trainingsession, attendeeswillbeoffered achoice of fully-fundedLERAP 3or 4 nozzles andcapsfromapredefinedlist of options.

“Attendees canalsoregister forone NRoSO andtwo BASISCPD points,”she said

Each eventwillcover topics from legislation, Local Environment Risk Assessmentsfor Pesticides (LERAP) andbuffer zones, throughtochoosing anozzle and applicationconsiderations.

“Theseeventsare afantastic opportunity to provide supportand engage with farmers. Theaim is fordelegatestowalk awaywithtoolstonotonlyimprovespray efficiency,but also improve farm profitability,” said Dr Cooke

She explained that whilespray drift is justonewayinwhichpesticidescanreach watercourses, it is oneofthe easiest ways forfarmerstoprotectwaterwhilereaping therewards of reducedinput costs.

Formore information, contactyour local Severn Trentagriculturaladviser or visitstwater.co.uk

AuctioneersHalls reported possibly arecordattendance at theirhugely successful Christmas DairyShowand Sale at ShrewsburyAuction Centre whereinexcessof30 milkerssold for £2,000

Geraint Jenkins, left, with his cow which won the Bryan Challenor Cup, judges Miles Oakley and Sammie Wilson and Halls’ managing director Jon Quinn

Andrew Shakeshaft with his heifer, the reserve champion, judges Miles Oakley and Sammie Wilson and Halls’ managing director Jon Quinn at the Christmas Dairy Show and Sale. Halls reported possibly arecord attendance at the hugely successful event at Shrewsbury Auction Centre.

Following an extensive retenderprocess by Defra, PromarInternationalhas been awardedthe next Farm Business Survey (FBS)contractin England.

Promarwill be responsiblefor recruiting farms,collecting and processing datafor the2022/23 survey year andfor an initial fouryear period

Thetransfer of current FBS activities andstaff from the incumbentsupplier,Rural Business Research,will complete at theend of January.

“The FBSprovidesessential data to help Defrabetter

understand andmonitorthe economic performanceand productivity of farm businesses to help shape andevaluate agriculturalpolicy decisions, whilefarmers canuse the datatoimprove theirbusiness throughaccess to management accounts andunique benchmarking,” said Sandra Callwood, director of research with Promar

Currently around 1,800 farmersinEngland participate in theFBS andtheyare all being encouraged to continue to do so with Promar.Manyof theresearch officers currently

responsible for datacollection will be transferring overto Promar

“Ithas neverbeen more important forfarmersto understand the financial performanceoftheir businesses andhow they comparetoother farms.

“The FBSisawell-established survey benefiting participating farmerswhile delivering important datatocentral decision-makersand we hope more farmerswill decide to participateinthe survey.”

Promarhas been operating farm financialrecording services

for more than 45 yearsand has extensive expertiseincollecting, handling andaggregating individual farm data

MrsCallwood stressed participants canbeassured of theconfidentiality andhigh security of theirFBS data.

Thesurveywill be run as aringfenced activity independentlyawayfromthe rest of Promar’scommercial activities andthere will be no upselling of theircommercial activities

More information aboutthe survey canbefound at farminfo co.uk

Advice is offered on key herbicide choice

Consider your spring herbicideprogramme carefullytoavoid carryoverofany residual activityfromspring appliedsulphonyl urea (SU) herbicides, particularly if it remains dryand then turnswet lateroninthe season.

That is theadvice from leadingcropproductionspecialists Hutchinsons

“This isparticularlythe case for thosegrowers whoare thinking aboutincreasingthe areasofcover crops they willgrownext summer or for thosethinking of comingback into or extendingtheir oilseed rape acreage

“Thevalueofbothcropsishighso it’s best to avoidcompromisingtheir establishment if avoidable,”says DickNeale, technical manager

“This puts more significanceon howweedcontrol is builtupinthe spring to avoidresidualherbicide activity carryingover,”hesays.

“Itdoesn’t mean holdingoff controllingthe difficult weeds, butlook at how‘softer’sulphonyl ureas(SU’s) couldworkwhilststill controlling theweeds withoutthe long tail of residuality. It’s the fine details that willmatter.”

Mr Nealepointsout that grassweed contacts such as SU’s Hatra (mesosulfuron-methyl and2g/L iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium) and Pacifica Plus (30 g/kg mesosulfuron-methyl, 10 g/kg iodosulfuron-methyl-sodiumand 50 g/kg amidosulfuron) can have long lastingeffects in thesoil, so consider this if planningtoincorporate them in spring herbicide programmes wherecover cropsoroilseed rape is following.

He explains:“We used to apply

theseproductsinthe autumnandissuesrarelyoccurred,butastheirefficacyonblackgrasshasdeclinedthey arenow increasinglyusedtotackle wildoats, bromesand ryegrass with aspringapplication

“Wild-oatscan emerge anytime from February to April anditis when herbicides areappliedlater to thesecrops that issues canbeseenin followingcoversand oilseed rape

“Alsobroad leaved weed SU’s,for example in AllyMax (metsulfuron methylandtribenuronmethyl),coversawhole range of weedsand has anextendedgrowthstageonitslabel so is apopular option–but it is also very persistentinthe soil.”

He suggests an alternative to this wouldbetouse tribenuron methyl andthifensulfuron as amix with no metsulfuron. “Althoughthere is

areduced weed spectrum, thereis nowherenearthe same levels of persistence.”

“Other options wouldbeproducts with activescontaining florasulamand fluroxpyror florasulamand hauloxyfen-methyl,”hesays.

Mr Nealenotes it is also important to avoidstackingherbicides with thesameactive as it is easy to reachdamaginglevelsthis waywithoutrealisingit. “You want to avoid levels of DFFbuildingupasitisvery residual andcan form apencilthin lineinthe topofthe soil.Whena newcropmeets this it canreally knockthe vigour out of it.”

“It’snotdifficultforthistohappen without realisingit,”saysMrNeale.

“For example,ifa pre-emergence applicationofLiberator(flufenacet anddiflufenican)goesonat0.6l/

ha this contains 60gmsofDFF.If usingasplit labelratethenitispossibletogobackon post-emergence six weekslater,ofwhichisperfectly legaland safe to do,with0.3l/ha (30gms DFF) making that atotal of 90gms DFF.

“However,ifCrystal (flufenacet andpendimethalin) is also being usedintheprogramme,DFFisoften addedtothis, that adds in another 50gmsofDFFwhichifthenfollowed up with 0.6l/haLiberatortakes the amount of DFFupto110gms.As its been dryit’spossiblethatone of the applications hasn’tworked, so blackgrass might be starting to come through, whichmeans another0.3l/ ha Liberator(30gms DFF) is added to themix, whichwould bringthe total amount of DFFuptoa total of 140gms.”

Growers are being urged to consider their spring herbicide programme carefully

Lightweight drill offers excellent functionality

KUHN has unveiled an updated, lightweight Megant drill featuringnew tine coulters,anupdated terminal,and theoptionto add asecondhopper.

TheMegant 602R sharesfunctionality with theprevious600 model, but features half widthshutoff andcan be specified with an additional SH 1120, 110 litrehopper to drill twocrops in thesamepass

Duetoits lightweight design, theMegant canbeoperatedbytractorswithas little as 150 horsepower

Threetypes of tinescan be specified on theMegant, includingreversibleforward action,straight, anda newnarrow12mm straight tine coulterwhichreducessoildisplacementthrough improvedpenetration andalsoreduces wear on thetinethanksto

theaddition of carbide plated points. Anew VT 30 terminal makesthe Megant suitable fortractors with andwithout ISOBUS.

Large buttons, ashock proofcasingand ergonomic designmakethe terminal easier to operate andmore durable.

CompatibilitywithbothKUHN CC1 800-1200 andother ISOBUSterminalswill maketheMegantmoreaccessibletoallusers andwilloffer theeconomy of notneedingto purchaseasecondcontrol terminal fortractors already fitted with acompatiblemodel

The602R has inheritedsomefeatures from thelarger ESPROdrill including spring loaded nonstoptrackeradicatorsand side markersthatare better suited to dry conditions.Anew welded1800 litrehopper is capableofholding1200 kilos of wheat

Award joy at show for Kevin

Atremendousentry of vintage tractors andmachinery competed fortop honoursat theNewark VintageTractor and HeritageShow.

KevinWatsonclaimed theoldesttractorinshowtitle,withhis 1904 SharpAuto Mower–the oldesttractorinthe UK and possiblyinthe world.

“Whenitwas built, everyone wasstill making bigsteam engines, cumbersome things forheavy work,” explainsKevin “Wilfred Sharpwantedatractortodosmall jobs on thefarm, to replace onehorse rather than replacing 10 horses.

“Hebuilt this oneas aprototype, and amongstthe die-hardtractor enthusiastsit’s always been amythabout whetheritsurvivesornot.”

WilfredSharp sold thetractortoPower Farmingmagazine, whichtouredEngland with it in the1950s, butit’sbeeninprivate hands since

“I’veknown aboutitfor 15-20 years, and it took me five years tobuy it as theprevious ownerdidn’t want to sell it,” says Kevin. The Humber engine is running, andheplans to takeittothe oddworking event.

“It’sa veryhistoric, importanttractor, and winningthisaward just topped theweekend off.”

Taking thebestexhibit ownedbya personunder 30 was27-year-oldBen Knowles, with his1955 David BrownTaskmaster Bensaid: “I’vealwaysbeenintotractors; engineeringrunsinthe family andexhibit-

ingopens your horizons.I’vebeendoing it for10years,andthere’salwaysagoodsocial, funelement.”

In thecommercial vehicle classes, it was AndrewIbbotson’s1944 BedfordOWLB whichwon thebestpre-1950 British class

Exhibited by Alex Smith, whostoresitfor Andrew, theBedford is midrestoration as a coal truck. “Andrew’sgrandad Harrywas a coal merchant andheusedtogoonrounds with him,”saysAlex, whowas also exhibitingaFordson tractoratthe show. “I’vegot 27 tractors altogether in variousstates, and military vehicles andcarsaswell–I’m tryingtosavethemfromthe scrapman.Ifwe don’tpreservethese vehicles, they’llbelost forever.”

exhaust fluid, minimising operating costs forcustomers

This three-cylinder, 1.1-litreengine, drivesthrough aprovenBosch hydrostatic transmissiontoatwospeedLinde motor, delivering a maximum travelspeed of 10mph.

Kevin Watson with his award

Union makes call on crime Organisation backing labels

Bosses at theOrganicTradeBoard (OTB) saytheybelieve environmental labellingwillhelpconsumers make more informed, sustainableand educated decisions at pointofpurchase

They aresupporting and encouraging all their members, alongwiththe wider organic industry in theUK, to trial the internationallyrecognisedPlanetScore label.

A board spokesperson said: “We stronglybelieve theobjective of anyenvironmental labelshouldbetoreflectthe keymetricsthatresultinamoresustainablefood production approach,delivering amore transparentand honest labelling system.

“Theincreaseofeco-activesinthe UK population willsee arisingnumber of shoppershighlyconcerned aboutthe environment andwanting to takemore seriousactions to reduce their impact Therightenvironmentallabelwillbewelcome tool in achieving this

“TheOTB,onbehalfoftheUKorganic industry,isfully supporting thedevelopment of environmental labellingonfood anddrinksproductsthatwillfurtherhelp consumersinmakingbetterand more informedchoices forthemselvesand the planet.

“Weneed to make sure that this label is as clearand transparent as possible, as well as avoidingany potentialgreenwashingwhichcould misleadconsumers

“Itisofutmostimportancethataholistic product overview is achievedwith clearassessments of impactsincluding pesticides, biodiversity, andanimal welfare.”

Charlotte’srural work is awinner

BY IAIN ST JOHN

An artisticyoung farmer has takentop prizeina partnership initiative with a Shropshire firm

TudorGriffithsGroup,inWoodLane, Ellesmere, launched acompetition to encourage young farmerstodraworpaint atypical scenefrom their workinglives thatwouldberecreatedontheirnextnew vehicle

And thewinningdesigncamefrom CharlottePrice,of Ludlow YoungFarmersClub, whovisited thecompany’s concrete plantatBridgnorthtosee it unveiled

TG Concrete generalmanager Dave Morrissaidthe project wasthe latest in aprogramme of initiativestoshowthe company’scommitmenttothe community in whichitwas based.

“Weare one of thelargestprivately-owned readymixed concrete suppliers in theregionand we recognise ourbusiness brings with it ahighlevel of responsibility to minimise theenvironmental impact of ouroperations.

“It’snot justabout theenergyand materialsthatweuse,but also thedirect

impact that theprocesses we usehaveon thehabitatsand landscapesaround us We feel it’s very importantthatweshow visiblesupportfor theagriculturalsectorinparticular, andwe’re delighted that so many youngfarmers took part in our competition.

“Charlotte’sdesignwas abrightand cheerful interpretation of atypical rural

As aresultofher win, Charlottereceiveda Kindle andAmazongift vouchers.

And theTudor GriffithsGroup made a £100 donation to Ludlow YoungFarmers Club

FarmsinShropshireshouldnot be seen as a‘soft target forcriminals’

Themessage,from NFU Shropshire adviserEdwardGarratt,comes as farmerswereurged to increase security as darker winter nightsenablecriminalsto raid thecountryside unseen.

Mr Garrattsaidthe unionhad made ruralcrime akey priority as it wasalways highonthe agendawhenhespoke to farmers. TheNFU also sits on theexecutive boardof TheNationalRuralCrime Networkasits only farmingrepresentative andhas consistentlycalled fordedicatedrural police teamstobetterprotect alreadyisolatedand vulnerableareas

Mr Garrattsaid: “Ruralcrime is abig problem forShropshirefarmers some of whom have been victimsof arson, vandalismand burglary but also everything from vehicle andlivestocktheft right throughtoharecoursingand fly-tipping

“Our farmsshouldnot be seen as asoft targetfor criminalsand with ruralcrime costing millions everyyear, theNFU continues to lobbyGovernment andthe Home Office

“Wemeetofficersregularlyand hold events, includingatOswestryand ShrewsburyLivestockmarkets, to engage with farmersand look at ways they can protectmachineryand beef up security

“Wewould urge people to report anythingunusual to officersorcontact Crimestoppersanonymouslyiftheyhave information.”

Hismessage came as apollbyruralinsurers NFU Mutual found 89 percentof respondentsbelievedthatinflationwould lead to an increase in ruralcrime

scene, anditlooks greatonour latest truck–keepaneye outfor itonthe roads of Shropshireand beyond.”

TG Concrete general manager Dave Morris and winner Charlotte Price

MF7722S.2019,2300Hours,DynaVT,NewTyresallroundbeenon rowcrops

MF7718S.2020,1800Hours,Dyna6,50KPH.

MF7716.2017,3600Hours,FrontLinkage,50Kph.

MF7620.2013,3000Hours,FrontLinkage&PTO.

MF4709.2020,300Hours,MXLoader,PowerShuttle,AirCon, 3Spools,AsNew

MF7614.2014,1900Hours,CabSuspension,Dyna4.

MF7618.2015,4100Hours,50KPH,AirBrakes.

MF7616.2013,8100Hours,Frontlinks&Pto,AirBrakes.

MF6490.2009,Front&CabSuspension,FrontLinks&Pto

MF6480.2004,7000Hours,FrontLinkage,CabSuspensionDynashift.

MF8670.2012,7000Hours,50Kph,FrontLinkage,FrontAxleandCab, Suspension,GuidanceReady.

NewHollandFX50.2005,GrassMachine,Straight&Tidy JohnDeere1365TrailedMower,2011,VeryGoodCondition. MooreDrill.CloseSpacing,ExDemo,AsNew Manitou1050RSkidLoader.NewHands/FootControlSystem,2022, C/WLWC5ftBucket,AsNewCondition.

HerbstLowLoaderTrailer.2017,16TonGross,21FT,TandemAxle.

Spring barley ‘meets supply chain’s needs’

KWS’songoingcommitmenttobreeding spring barleysthatdeliverinthe malthouse andthe fieldhas been underlined by theaddition of KWSCurtistothe 2023/24 AHDB Recommended List,saidthe company’scerealsproduct manager Dr Kirsty Richards

Shesaid: “The first of apipelineofsimilar highperformersnow entering RL candidate trials,KWS Curtis is astrongall-round varietybredspecificallytobeeasytogrowand managewhilstmeeting thedemands of the supply chain in an increasinglycarbonfootprintfocused future

“It’sahighyielding2-rowvarietythatoutperforms thebestinclass forquality whilst deliveringthehighestspirityields/haofcrop combinedwithreducedlevels of carbon emissions throughout theproductioncycle

“It’sagreat example of howgenetics can contribute tomore sustainableproduction beingstronglyalignedwithour Sowing for Peak Performance(SPP) initiative arming customerswiththe varieties needed for successinanincreasinglychallenging future.”

AccordingtoKWS UK spring barley breederDr HenryBarber, KWSCurtis’resilience andperformance has been testedin a varietyofgrowing conditions acrossEurope with thevariety having anagronomic profile perfectlysuitedtothe UK.

Dr Barber said: “It’savariety that performswellacrossthe countrywithtreated yields of 105 percentofcontrolsinthe east and103 percentin thenorth andwestregionswithanaverage yieldof104 percent forthe UK as awhole.”

Online hub to aid knowledge

Trinity GlobalFarm Pioneers (TrinityGFP)has launcheda newonlineknowledge hub for farmersand landowners.

Theknowledge hub, called Luca,will bringcutting-edgescientificresearchon naturalcapital andpractical farm implementationadvice together forthe first time Availabletoall farmersacrossall sectors, free of charge,Lucanot only translates complex scientificdataintoaccessible, easy to digestformats, butitalsoallowsusers to interactwithsubject matter experts andother like-mindedindividualswho areadopting similarpractices on-farm

Luca’s first contentseries willbefocused on agroforestry.

“Until now, theknowledge exchange landscape in agriculture has been fragmented andinefficientinbringingthe best insightstofarmers andsupporting easy atscaleinnovation, notonlyatfarmlevel,but at industry-leveltoo,” explained Dr Emily Pope,directorof knowledgeexchange

“Farmers canuse Luca to accesslatest insightsas well as compareand contrast their farmingpractices andideas,which willspeed up knowledgedevelopmentand supportfarmers in buildingfarmresilience quicklyand efficiently.

“Wewillregularly be releasingnew information andpractical insightswhichcan be implementedasneeded

“We’ve chosenagroforestryasthe first release, as it’s applicable to allfarms,whether you’re runningan arableoralivestock

system. Agroforestry also impactsmultiple aspects of naturalcapital,includingbiodiversity, waterprotection andcarbon.”

Trinity Global Farm Pioneers is anew generation digital platform forengagement, collaboration andinnovation.

Dr Pope highlighted oneunique aspect of theplatformisits caravelfunctionality, whichbringstogetherlike-mindedfarmers into focusedcommunities, whichTrinity callscaravels,tonetwork,share ideasand learnfromone another.

“Caravels arespecific topicalgroups, such as agroforestry.Within thecaravel,members canreadand interactwitharticles as well as with otherindividualswho areinterestedinthatsubject matter,” she said

DrEmily Pope

University’s researchersare among the bestinthe world

Tworesearchersfromthe Royal AgriculturalUniversity(RAU) have been recognisedinprestigiouslists rankingthose at theverytop of their profession

Dr DavidO’Connor,senior lecturer in sustainable landmanagement, andthe RAU’sPro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Planning andResources)Professor David Main,who also lectures in production animalhealthand welfare at theCirencesteruniversity, were both recognisedinthisyear’sStanford Universitylistofthe toptwo percentof influential scientists in theworld

Dr O’Connorhas been additionally recognisedasahighly citedresearcher in Clarivate’s 2022listingsofthe world’s most influentialresearchers whohavedemonstratedsignificant andbroad influencereflectedintheir publicationofmultiplehighlycited papers overthe last decade CongratulatingDrO’Connor, Clarivate stated:“In 2022, fewerthan 7,000,orabout 0.1per cent, of the world’s researchers, in 21 research fields andacrossmultiple fields,have earned this exclusive distinction

“You areamong this elitegroup.”

Little book has fabulous facts

There were morethan three times thenumber of sheep as peopleinWaleslastyear.

And thesheep industry contributedan estimated£744 milliontoWelshred meat production andaccountedfor 43 percentof thetotal valueofWelshagriculturaloutput during 2021.

Thoseare just threeofthe fascinating facts that canbefound packed into anewly-publishedmineofagriculturalinformation from Hybu Cig Cymru–MeatPromotion Wales’ (HCC).

Theorganisation’sLittleBookofMeat Factshas many more gems containedinits slimlinepages.

Forinstance, Wales’s 9.5millionsheep andlambsand 1.1 millioncattleproduced 48,700 tonnes of sheepmeatand 40,300 tonnes of beef last year.Consumerspend on lamb at retail in Wales wasupfourper cent year-on-year.

TheLittleBookofMeatFacts is apocket-sizedcompendiumfull of facts, figures andtrendsfor thelamb,beefand pork industries.

It covers everythingfrom thesize of agriculturalholdings andmarkettrends to trade data andconsumerhabitsduring 2021–anotherextraordinaryyear, with residual Brexitand Covid-19 pandemic impactsaffectingthe year’s activity

HCC’sGlesni Phillipssaid: “TheLittle Book of Meat Factsisacompellingreadfor anyone with even theslightestinterestinthe sector.Itprovides generalstatistics –acom-

prehensive overview of Welsh agriculture –followedbyin-depth sections on cattle, sheep andpigs.

“

Thebooklet shows that,despiteall the disruptions andchangesstill evidentduring 2021, theindustryremains central to the economyinWales. Large numbersare employed in thesectorand it remainsthe backbone of ourrural communities.

“Without doubt, theindustrywillbefacingfresh,and perhaps serious, challengesin thenew year but we canbeconfidentthat Wales willcontinuetoberecognisedonthe worldmap forquality,sustainableand reputablered meat production.”

TheLittleBookofMeatFacts is available at meatpromotion.wales

Supermarketsmake climate change pledge

Five of theUK’sbiggest supermarkets have agreed to join forces to speed up their suppliers’ work on tacklingclimatechange

Thepledgecomes as conservation charity WWF announcedits goal of halvingthe environmental impact of food shoppingby 2030. It warned therewas an “urgentneed foracceleratedaction” from thesectorand greatersupportfrom theUKgovernment, especiallyinareas such as agriculturalsupply chainsand includingremovingdeforestationfrom food production

Thechief executivesofCo-op, Marksand Spencer,Sainsbury’s,TescoandWaitroseannouncedtheywould supporttheir suppliers to adopt science-based targets.

They have also agreed to work with Waste &Resources Action Programmecharity to

developand deliveran ambitiousclimate action programmefor thegrocery retail sector with theaim of halvingtheir climateemissions by 2030.

WWF chief executive TanyaSteelesaid: “Natureisinfreefall andweknow60per centofglobalbiodiversitylossand 30 per centofgreenhousegas emissions are caused by thefoodsystem.

“Shopperswanttoknowthattheir purchases arenot contributing to thedestruction of ourplanet, so we urge othersupermarkets to join the five whohavecommitted to ourgoaltohalve theenvironmental impact of ourfoodshoppingby2030.

“But beyondwordsand commitments, we need action to reduce deforestation,nature lossand climatechange.”

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Awardsare presented to leadingbusinesses

Thewinnersofthe AgriScot Farm Business of theYearawardshavebeenrevealed Spanning five categories, theaim of the awards is to celebratethe innovation, skill anddedicationwithin farming, andtorecogniseandrewardthoseenterprisessuccessfullytacklingemissions,boostingbiodiversity,bolsteringproductivityand maximising profitability

Taking homethe titleofScottish Arable Farm of theYear, sponsoredbySoilEssentialsand supportedbyAHDB, wasColin McGregor of McGregor Farms, Berwickshire.

Colin LairdofBlyth Farm in theBorders wasawarded Scottish DairyFarmofthe Year,sponsored by CowAlert.

HarryBrown of Auchmaliddie Mains

Farm,Peterhead,was presented with Scotch Beef Farm of theYear, with CalumMcDiarmid of MainsofMurthly, Aberfeldy, crownedSheep Farm of theYear– both sponsoredby ThorntonsSolicitors andsupported by QMS.

Concludingthe ceremony, Diversified Farm of theYear, sponsoredbySAC Consulting, wasawarded to ClairePollock of ArdrossFarm, Fife.

Commenting on theannouncements, chairofAgriScot,RobertNeill,said: “The Farm Business of theYearawardsare always ahighlight of theday.Itisfantastic to see thriving farmingbusinesses, from Aberdeenshiretothe Borders, recognisedfor the highstandards they uphold andexample they setfor thewider industry.”

Anew role at firm for Simon

Agronomy firm ProCam has appointedSimon Montgomery as technicalteamleadfor its FieldOptions division.

Simonjoins Field Optionsfollowing the retirement of technical directorFrancis Dunne. He willberesponsible forhelping to bringthe twooperationsofthe business, Field Optionsand ProCam,closer together under oneumbrellatodeliveran improved service forbothcompanies’ customersand personnel.

Setupin2004, Field Optionsmarkets a comprehensiverange of forageseedsand associatedproductsfromgrass mixtures, maize,fodder beet, andwholecrop foragemixtures to seedsfor environmental schemes, greenmanures andgamecover Thecompany also provides forage planningadvice andsupplies specialist fertilisers, silage inoculants andcropprotection agrochemicalstolivestock farmersthroughoutthe UK. Simonjoins Field Optionsfrom NickersonSeeds wherehehas spentthe last 14 yearsworking as aseed specialist in the southwest. PriortothishefarmedinZimbabwe,workinginthedairyandbeefsectors andgrowing awide varietyofcrops includingforagemaize,soyabeans,groundnuts, fieldbeans,sunflowers, tobacco,wheat, grass andseed maize

Simonalsospent threeyears growingcottonand maize in Tanzaniaand is agraduate of theRoyal Agricultural University with a diplomainfarmmanagementand aMaster of businessadministration in agriculture

andfood industries. Commenting on his appointment, Simonsaid: “I’m delighted to join Field Optionsand look forwardto workingwiththe wider ProCam teamto buildonthe successesthatFrancis hasoverseen forthe past eight years.

“Wehaveaconsiderablelegacytosafeguardand buildon, but I’mconfidentthat Field Optionsand ProCam areideallypositioned to continue to offer thebestquality, value-addedforageseedstoour customers throughout theUK.”

“We’re delighted to welcome Simonto Field Optionsand look forwardtoworking with him as avaluablememberofthe wider ProCam team,” said DianeHeath,ProCam’s UK managing director.

with the watersupply.”

TruDrinkingrecordshow oftenand howmanylitres of watereachcow consumes. Dataisretrievedinthe reticulum using auniquebolus andAIsupportedapplicationswhich measure internal changestobodytemperature aftereachdrinkingcycle.TruDrinking tracks waterintakewhich is monitored withoutany additionaleffortusing smaXtec’sreal-time system

Simon Montgomery

Choose right oil for the job, is firm’smessage

BY IAIN ST JOHN

MorrisLubricantsisadvising farmerstoput oil, lubricant andgrease performance aheadofprice as they prepare theirtractorsfor the newseason.

Choosingacheap,alternative oiltothe manufacturer’sspecification,atalower price,may seem like asound investment.

However, says Adrian Hill,MorrisLubricants’technologymanager,selecting thewrong,and usually,aninferiorquality oilmay result in significant,long-term consequences to equipmentperformance andintheend,anoverallincreaseinrunningcost.

Thecompany,whichmanufacturers thespecialist Agrimaxrange of agriculturallubricantsfor awide range of tractors,vehiclesandfarmingequipment,has launched avideo series with tractorenthusiast andmechanic GuyMartin. The short videos demonstrate that no matter theagriculturalvehicle,equipmenttype, brandormodel,choosingthe correct oil, lubricantand grease canhavea positive impact on uptimeand profitability

Mr Hill said: “Moderntractorengines arenow designedtoStage Vemissions compliance foroff-highway vehicles, to meet thelatestemissions legislation.

Thesemodernengines willinclude after treatmentdevices, such as AdBlue systems,diesel oxidationcatalysts anddiesel particulate filters, to limitharmful particulatematterand NOx emissions

“Oil choice is important.Selecting thecorrect,high-qualityoil willmore

than payfor theslightly higherpurchase price in thelongrun.For example,an incorrectlyspecified engine oilcan block catalysts or filters, potentially leadingto significant remedial costsinthe region of £3,000 or more forthe replacementpart, plus theadditional costofthe repair and downtime itself

“Investingina newormoderntractor is asignificant capital expense,and farmersand farmingcontractors need theas-

surancethatthe investment will perform reliablyovermanyyears.After theinitial three-yearmanufacturer’sservice schedule, some owners maychoosetodelay future servicing, but this canprove false economy. Engine oilovertimemay start to degrade, causingdamagetovital engine components, so it is always advisable tomeetthe manufacturer’srecommended service intervals.

“Someolder machinerymay have always operatedreliablyusingauniversal tractoroil,but moderndiesel particulate filterscan be sensitive to theseuniversal oils.Instead,farmers should ensure they areusingthe correct oils forboththe engine andthe transmission, back end, systems

“Seeking professionaladvice regardingthe correct engine oilspecification, or serviceintervals willalwayspay dividends.MorrisLubricantshas adedicated team of experts on hand to provide the latest oil, lubricantand grease recommendations for awide varietyofagriculturalvehicles andequipment. Whether it’s atractor,combine harvester, mini digger, or an all-terrain vehicle,the Morris Lubricants technical team has theappropriate solution.”

To view thevideo, visitbit.ly/3Vyagro

Advice given about grants

Farmersshouldtakeadvantage of the newslurryinfrastructuregrant to improvetheir slurry storage before it becomesalegalrequirement, accordingto theCentral Association of Agricultural Valuers.

With airand waterquality of increasingconcern, andextremely highfertiliser prices, it’s a“no-brainer”tomakeuse of thenew scheme, whichwas announced on November 23, theassociation said

“Water legislationistighteningand it’s notgoingtogoaway,”saidJeremyMoody, secretaryand adviseratthe CAAV.

“Improving slurry stores to benefitthe environment is likely to become astatutory requirementinfuture, so whilethe Government is offeringmoney to get thereitmakes sensetotakeit.”

Thegrant offerspig,beefand dairy producersbetween £25,000 and£250,000 –paidinarrears –toimprove or expand their slurry storage capacity to six months,including fittingimpermeable covers on grant-fundedstores.

It will be competitiveand focussed on applications in priority areas, whichdeliverthe greatestenvironmental benefit.

It will coverapproximately50per cent of currentmarketcosts.

“Theschemehas been in thepipeline foralongtime,andisthefirstinthefourmonthDefra logjam to be released,” said Mr Moody.

“It’sthe first roundofamulti-annual scheme,soifyou don’tqualifythisyear, don’tdespair –but do your research and apply when eligible.”

Formore information visitwww.caav. org.uk

Guy Martin with Adrian Hill, Morris Lubricants’ technology manager

Conference looks at key challenges which await

Eightper centoffarmers produce57per cent of food from only33per cent of land

This statistic, of whereUK agriculture hasbeen,was shared by Will Gemmill, executive partner at CeresRural,atthe Institute of AgriculturalManagement’s (IAgrM)NationalFarm Management Conference.

With this levelofuntapped potential, theconference, attendedbyover400 delegates, wasa reminder of the opportunities availableacrossthe industrytoembraceinnovation to help improve both theUK’s environmentaland foodsecurity Opening theconference, Minette Batters, presidentofthe National FarmersUnionwas joinedby Professor TimLang, Emeritus ProfessorofFoodPolicy at the City UniversityofLondon, and Lord Deben, chairofthe Climate Change Committee,tounpick thedebatearound howthe agriculturalsectoriscurrently balancingfood andenvironmental security

They agreed 21st century food security hastodeal with multicriteriachallenges. It’s no longer just about waterand biodiversity, for example, butmustaddress social criteria,suchasaffordability andsocial structures.

Ms Battersaddedthatthese challenges cannotbeaddressed by government alone.“Greater localprocurement in food contracts, awhole-government approachtoreduceinflation, and anet zero policy areneeded to align theindustry.

“Wehavetoallow thepublic sector to work with theprivate sector –publicmoneyhas to delivera multi-faceted return,” shesaid. While speakersatthe conference acknowledgedthe numerouschallengesfacing farmersoverthe next decade,one solution to providefood security maylie in adopting innovative farmingsystems that reduce wastethroughmore efficient growing environments.

Speaking laterinthe day, James Lloyd-Jones, CEOof JonesFoodCompany, saidhe believes ‘landless agriculture’has thepotential to putUKproducers at theforefront of production and innovation.With a55,000sq. ft vertical farm in Scunthorpe and an R&DsiteinBristol, Mr LloydJones’scompanyhas ambitions for thetechnologytosupply 70 percentofthe UK’s leafygreens andsoftfruit.

Althoughverticalfarmingmay, to some,seem at odds with notionsofsustainable production, Mr Lloyd-Jonesbelievesthe model is part of amuch-needed foodsupply change.“Technology helpsusfarmbetter. We still believeinagronomyand highqualityproduct,but automation throughinnovation canhelp.

Complementing traditional agriculture with innovative technology could create shorter, moreresilientsupply chains and greater self-sufficiency –crucial elements for bolstering food security.”

Enterprise in new flat winebottle trial

CotswoldHills, theRoyal Agricultural University’saward-winningwineand socialenterprisebased in Gloucestershire, has become the first UK vineyard to trial theuse of Packamama’smulti-award-winning flat wine bottles.

Asmall runofthe 2021English white wine willbeavailableinthe newsustainable eco-flat bottles as part of an ongoing, student-led, projectundertaken at the RoyalAgriculturalUniversity(RAU) and acelebration of howcollaboration in the

English wine industry canhelpcreatea more sustainablefuture

Acorepremise of theproject is to give students theopportunity to gain firsthand enterprise andemployability skills, learningabout vineyard management, grapevarieties, wine production, marketingand finances.

Hugo Sain-Ley-Berry-Gray, theRAU’s studentleadonthe projectwho is studyingfor adegreeinappliedfarmmanagement at theCirencesteruniversity, said:

“Asstudents of food andagriculture,we areconscious of thecarbonfootprint associatedwiththe industry.For thewine sector,glass bottles accountfor ahigh percentage of theseemissions

“Eco-flat wine bottles offer Cotswold Hillsaproduct thataligns with our sustainability objectives. Reducingthe weight andchangingthe material of our bottles is astepinthe rightdirection to solve an existingproblem. As newentrants into theindustry,thiswas an op-

Milk business is expanding

Afamilybusinesshassetupanewbase

offeringfresh,local,and sustainablecow andbuffalomilk

Chrisand Suzie Waterfall alreadyrun

TheMilk Stop,ashopinSeighfordvillage,Staffordshire, whichstocksfresh cowand buffalomilk alongwitha variety of milkshakes.

Nowtheyhaveset up anew vending machineatBaddeleyCourtatNewportin Shropshirewiththeir businesssupportinglocal dairyfarmers

Thepairoriginallyfarmedthemselves anddiversified into waterbuffaloin2011 as an opportunity to supply aniche market. Nowtheyare purely into theprocessingand retail of milk but continue to follow thesamevisionofsustainable produce

“Webuy themilk from otherlocal farmssowesit true to that ideaoflocal,fresh andsustainableproduce,” said Chris. “Westill usebuffalomilk as a unique sellingpoint too, that’s ourspeciality. At ourNewport base,you canbuy a litre,glass,reusablebottle,sothat’spartof thesustainability side of things.

“You cantakeithome, wash it outand bringitbacktouse next time so youhave gotthatcontinuity.

“Sofar,the vendingbusinesshas been well receivedand we are quitehappy with theinitial response

“Aswellasfresh cowand buffalomilk, we runsix flavours of milkshake at any-

onetimeand it is all restocked daily. We havestrawberry,banana,chocolate,white chocolateand vanilla whichare always availableand then we have a flavourof theday.Wehave42different flavours of milkshake to switch between. Thebusi-

ness is all about lowfood miles, local food,lesspackaging and waste –that’s very much theidea. When we starteddoingit, it felt worthwhile,agood avenue to go down forus. It’s been apositive shift from farming.”

portunity we were keen to explore.Packamama’seco-flat wine bottles provide an exciting opportunitytoinnovateand reduce theemissions of ourproduct.Being theUK’s first vineyard to trial this format is exciting andwehopetoinspire others to explore this option.”

Thanks to space,weight,and energy savings, Packamama’sinnovative packagingformatenables emissions savingsof around 50 percentcomparedtotypical, round, glassbottles.

Apprentices get awards

Twelve young agricultural engineer apprentices received cash awards at theMidlands MachineryShowinrecognition of theirtalentand dedication

Each received a£500award, paid in £250 instalmentsovera two-year period,with most looking to spendthe moneyontools

TheNewarkand NottinghamshireAgricultural Society(NNAS)launchedthe MidlandsAgriculturalEngineering ApprenticeshipAwards, ledby formervicepresidentGeoffrey Bond,inabid to supportyoung people as they develop their skillswithin theagricultural engineering sector.NNAS deputy presidentPat White,who presented theawardsalongside farming YouTuber Olly Harrison, likened agriculturalengineers to NHSdoctors.“Withoutthem, everythinggrindstoa halt,” he said. “Theyare vitally important We need skilled craftsmenwho arenot worriedabout gettingtheir hands dirty.These youngsterswill be huge assets for theindustryfor yearstocome.”

Stark warning is given over food production

Home-grown food production andsecuring domestic supplies cannot be overlooked at anycost, aShropshirefarming representative has said.

Farmer andNFU West Midlands regional boardchairmanDavid Brookes, whorepresentsShropshire, Staffordshire andWarwickshire, spokeafter theGovernmentwas tolditfaceda starkchoice –backBritish food productioninorder to secure ahome-grown supply of sustainable food or risk seeingmore empty shelvesinthe nation’s supermarkets in thefuture

That warningcameatanemergency pressconferenceconvenedbythe NFU on thesameday as horticulture board membersgatheredfor an extraordinary meetingabout ongoingshortages in its workforce.

BY IAIN ST JOHN

Mr Brookesoutlined some of theseriouschallengesfacedbyall sectorsinthe agriculturalindustry.

He said: “Withthe bleak global picture andthe devastationcausedbythe Russian invasionofUkraine,wehaveseen immense pressure putonenergyand global food supplies.

“Wehaveseenfoodsecurityriseupthe politicalagendadomestically

“Affordable,traceable,climate-friendly British food does need to be made apolitical priority

“Our farms, large and small, continue to deliverinthe toughest global circumstances andwehavethe backingofthe British public.

“They have made it cleartheywantthe food they eattocontinuetobeproduced to ourworld leadingstandards.”

He said: “I wouldurge ourpoliticians

andthe wider supply chain to back our calls.”

UK fruit andveg growersare coming under massive pressure duetosoaring energy costs andworkforceshortages.

Thereare fearsother farmingsectors couldsoonbeunderthreatfromimmediatesupply issues caused by alackoffairness forfarmers and growersthroughout thesupply chain.

NFU presidentMinette Battershas urgedthe PrimeMinister RishiSunak to honour thecommitments he made to supportBritishfarmersthroughtheenergy crisis andtoset atargetfor thenation’s food security, with astatutory dutytoreport on domestic food levels

MrsBatters said: “Shoppersupand down thecountry have fordecadeshad aguaranteedsupply of high-qualityaffordable food producedtosomeofthe highest animal welfare,environmental andfood safety standardsinthe world.

“That food,producedwithcareby British farmers, is critical to ournation’s security andsuccess.

“But British food is under threat

“TheformerDirectorGeneralofMI5, TheBaronessManningham-Buller,said that food is part of ourcritical national infrastructureand that government needstobeconsistentinplanning for our food supply.Icouldn’tagree more,particularlyatatimewhenglobal volatility is threateningthe stabilityofthe world’s food production,food security andenergy security

“Wehaveseenthe eggsupply chain crippledunder thepressure caused by theseissues andIfearthe countryis sleepwalking into furtherfood supply crises, with thefuture of British fruitand vegetablesupplies in trouble. We need government andthe wider supply chain to actnow –tomorrowcould well be too late.”

Chris and Suzie Waterfall

Following the2018launchofthe OptiDuofeed pushing robot, DeLaval haslaunchedanew modelclaiming thetechnologycan add up to three litres percow perday

Datafromover1,500 OptiDuos has been collated to demonstrate thetime andlabour savingsmade by users. It also showsmultipleimprovementsin cowhealth

“Constantly refreshing feed encourages cows to eatmore,which resultsinamorestablerumen and more milk.OptiDuo will runupto10 timesaday andcustomers tell us,

that on everyoccasion,theysee the cows returntothe fence to eatmore,” explained Ludo Bols,DeLavalfeeding specialist.

TheOptiDuo remixesforage to make it more palatableand reduce waste. Atwin-spiralled rotating auger andadaptivedrive function enablesa varietyofforagetypestobemixed and made available to cows 24 hoursa day.

Feeding concentrates is also an option with thelatest model. A concentrate dispenserinside the OptiDuocan be filled whilst the machine is charging

Advice is given about peatland

In lightofthe renewedfocus on peatland restoration, hill andfenland farmersare being urgedtomeasure andmanage theirfarm’s naturalcapital now.

Butwithmismanagementofpeatland having thepotential to derail theindustry’s netzeroambitions,farmers must be given theright toolstodoso, said Trinity AgTech’s directorofbusinessdevelopmentAnna Woodley.

“Peatlandisincredibly important forimprovingthe ruraleconomy,domesticfood security,and reachingour netzeroambitions,”explained Ms Woodley. “Yet many first-generation carbon calculatorsdonot take peatland into account.Where itdoes exist,the methodologylacks sophistication andaccuracyand bulkspeatinthe Fens as thesameas theWelshuplands,whichit clearlyisn’t

“Farmers cannot be expectedtobeeffective stewardsofthe land if they arenot given theright insightsand reliable analytics.”

Ms Woodleyexplained anew peatland module within next generation natural capital navigatorSandy has recentlybeen launched to supportfarmers to credibly and accurately measure their carbon andbiodiversityfootprintsfor thevery first time

Developedbya team of scientistsand engineers, thesystem’sfoundationisbuilt to accurately capture andreflectthe specific features of afarm, includingamethodology forcategorisingpeatlandthatincludes 16

combinationsofpeattypeand land use. The latter is alignedwiththe UK’s greenhouse gasemissions inventoryand thePeatland Code andwater levelmanagementisconsidered at the fieldorhabitat scale. This thoroughness reduces thenumberofassumptionsmadeduringthe calculation; this reduces uncertainty andimprovesaccuracy.

“Farmers want andneed to make sure all aspects of their farmareaccountedforwhen doingafull carbon assessment,” she adds. “Somesectors,suchaslivestock, have been unfairly scrutinisedhistorically, partly due to theinability of existingtools to report in GWP (global warmingpotential)ortake proper accountofpeatland andsoilcarbon sequestration.”

Winterwheat is added to Recommended List

DSV Oxford becomesthe company’slatestBritish-bredhardGroup4 winter wheat to join theAHDBRecommended List with a performanceveryclosetothe highest yielder in theclass DSV Champion,saidDSV UK’s SarahHawthorne

Ms Hawthornesaid: “DSV Oxford is anothersuccessofour Wardington-based breedingprogramme combininghightreated anduntreated yields with arobustdisease package borneout ofour breedingstation’s relatively westerlylocation.

“Our focusinrecentyears has been on balancinghighoutrightyield potential with consistencyofproductionand robust agronomics focusedongivingUK producers an addedlayer of security in an increasingly difficult production environment

“Recommended forthe east andwestregion,DSV Oxford followsDSV Theodore, still thecleanestwheat on thenew 2023/24 AHDBRL, andthe highest yieldinghard Group4winterwheat DSV Champion sitting neatly betweentheminterms of performanceand agronomics.”

As well as toptier yieldperformance, DSV Oxford is also avarietythatexcels when it comestograin qualityand in-field reliability, shepointed out.

“Its yieldof104 percentofcontrolssits just behindDSV Champion’s 106 percent with particularly strong performanceseen in thewestat105 percentand averystrong overall untreated yieldof89per cent. Protein contentis11.3per centwhichisexceptional fora such ahighyieldingGroup 4.”

Anna Woodley

Company announces further appointments

Leadingagriculturalsciences company FMChas appointedthree newteammembers followingaperiodofcompany growth

The firm says itsnew appointments –MichaelFarr, Alex Borthwickand MatHutchings –all bringawealthofexperience from differentagronomy-basedroles acrossthe industry

Michael Farr,who holdsbothBASIS and FACTSqualificationsaswellas astrong background in newproduct development, joinstheFMCteamaskeyaccountmanager

In hisnew role,MrFarrwill be managingcommercial distribution accounts and working alongside FMC’stechnical team

Meanwhile, Alex Borthwickhas joined FMCas commercial technical managerfor theLincolnshireand NorthYorkshirere-

gion.MrBorthwick,who holds theBASIS DiplomainAgronomyand FACTS, has a background in independentagronomyand farm management,and brings awealth of both practicalon-farm andscientificknowledge

The finalnew recruitatFMC is afurther commercial technical manager–Mat Hutchings –who willbebased in theSouth of England.

Followingonfrom workinginanagronomy businessfor thelastsix years,MrHutchings has an extensive understandingofthe arable sector,and good experienceofacustomer-facingrole.

Heislookingforwardtoworkingwiththe team to delivertechnical briefingsand provide effective solutions forgrowers

Firm wins prize for nature work

Severn Trent has been crownedBiodiversity Champion at the2022 Responsible BusinessAwards.

Thewinwaslargelyattributedtothecompany’s £1.2billioninvestmentinthe Great BigNatureBoost (GBNB).

JasonRogers, head of waterquality and environment at Severn Trent, said theaim of theGBNBistomakethe catchment area abetterplace forthe public, andwildlife, whilesupporting farm productivityand cutting carbon emissions

“Tobethe standout winner from awide range of leadingbusinessesisatruecreditto ourambitionsand delivery,” he said

Theaward judges were particularly impressed with Severn Trent’sworkwithpartners andthird-party collaborators,who not only benefitfrom thework, butare also helping to go aboveand beyondoriginal plansand Severn Trentwas described as ‘an outright winner forthiscategory’

Mr Rogers said theGBNBkickedoff in 2020 with a10-yearplantoenhance biodiversityonover5,000haand improveover 2,000 km of rivers by 2027, as well as plant 1.3 milliontrees by 2030.

Part of this wasdeliveredthrough Severn Trent’sEnvironmental Protection Scheme (STEPS), agrant scheme in whichthe company helps farmsacrossthe region protect their local environment,local watercourses andimprove farm infrastructureand river health

He addedthe hard work of thecompany’s

employees,partnersandthirdpartycontributorshas meantitisalready well on itsway to meetingtargets.

He said: “Currently over 4,600haofland has been improved and466,745 treeshave been planted, with theriverstarget already exceeded by over 1,200km.

“Ontop of this successwithGBNB, we’ve also launched an extracommitmentto‘Get RiverPositive’, whichaddstoour original promisestoinclude supportfor farmers, businessesand thecommunity to care for rivers.”

Thewindowfor farmstoapply forSTEPS grants closes on January31.

Formore information,farmers canvisit stwater.co.uk

It has been managed with sustainable grazing by hardycattle, effortstorestore nativetrees and woods, restoringmore natural river processesand planting juniper.The newsuper NNR will protectmorethan 3,000 hectares of Ennerdale

Severn Trent’s Jason Rogers and Dr Jodie Rettino with the award

Committee role honour for Mhairi

Mhairi Dawson,Barenbrug UK’s productmanager for agriculture, hasbeen appointed to the committee responsiblefor the RecommendedGrass &Clover Lists(RGCL)for Englandand Wales.

Oneof12votingmembers on theherbage committee, including farmers, retailers,wholesalers, plant scientists andbreeders, Ms Dawson will draw on her ownexperience–asa livestock breederand grassland adviser–to contribute to decision-making on varietyselection forthe RGCL, overa two-year term

“The RGCL is an invaluable resourcefor grasslandfarmers throughoutEnglandand Wales,” shesaid, “allowing farmersto make evidence-led decisions aboutthe varietiesthat aremost suitedtotheir farm –enterprise, farming system,soil andregion.

“It’sa tremendousundertaking to organiseand produce the RGCL each year,ensuring the independence andvalidityof testing.Itsoundslikeacliché, butit’struetosay onlythe best varietiesmakeitontothe list.

“Bychoosing alisted variety, you’re notonlygetting reassurance about howthat varietywill perform butan understandingofits performance that will allowyou to getthe most from your grass.”

Welsh Leeks are given key protection status

BY IAIN ST JOHN

Wales’snationalvegetable andemblem, theWelsh Leek,isnow officially protected afteritgainedPGI (ProtectedGeographical

Indication)UKGIstatus

It becomesthe thirdnew Welsh producttoachieve thehighlysought-after UK GI status,following on from GowerSalt MarshLamband Cambrian Mountains Lamb Welsh Leeksalsobecomes the19th member of theWelshGIfamilyofproducts, joiningthe likesof othergreat produce such as Anglesey SeaSalt, Welsh Lamb,WelshBeefand Pembrokeshire Earlies.

Each family member is Welsh to the core anduniquely linkedtothe landscapes andseascapes whichnurture them.

TheUKGIschemewas established at thebeginningof2021, followingthe UK’s withdrawalfrom theEU.

Theschemeensures certain food and drinkproductscan continue to receive legalprotection againstimitationand misuse

From nowon, Welsh Leekssoldwith theUKGIlogowillpromotethe heritageand culture of Walesand provide the

Theapplication forWelshLeeks

CLAAS CMATIC –Geared for Growth.

The CLAAS CMATIC has proved to be brilliant. The tractor itself feels to have moregoinit, presumably because its effectively always in the right gear and is never struggling.

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Call MORRIS CORFIELD today for ademonstration. Read the full article

Broseley Tel: 01952 881000

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Tarvin Tel: 01829 749391 www.morriscorfield.co.uk facebook.com/morriscorfield

hugely important to promotethe quality andheritagebehindthismajesticcrop.”

TheWelshGovernment’s Minister for RuralAffairs Lesley Griffithssaid: “This is great news andI congratulate allthose involvedingainingthisprestigiousaward forWelsh Leeks.

“Leeks area historic symbol of Wales, knownacrossthe world, andI’m very pleasedtosee thisproduct gain therecognition andprestigeitdeserves.”

Welsh Leeksare grownand harvested in Wales andare aproduct of several hybrid varieties, rather than onespecific variety.

Thehybridvarieties used to produce ‘Welsh Leeks’ arethose most suited to Welsh growingconditions.

They produce a finalproduct which has itsown specificcharacteristics, such as thepredominant long distinctive dark green flag whichcomprises over 40 per centofthe overall lengthofthe leek

‘Welsh Leeks’ arenormallyplanted from late February throughtoMay

They areharvested from August throughuntil April/May,withsome cropsremaininginthe ground forupto 12 months

Theleeks canbeleft in theground withoutaffecting their quality, leadingto slower maturation providingmore time forthe peppery flavourand butteryaroma to fully develop.

Charity gives out areminder help is availablevia service

Following theintroduction of Defra’s AvianInfluenza(AI)mandatory housing order, farming charityRABI is reminding poultryproducers of the supportservices availableduring this worrying time

RABI’s services managerHelen Sisksaidany farmer canaccessthe charity’s free confidential helpline and arrange professional in-personmental health counselling

“These housing measures have been introduced to safeguardanimal welfare,yet RABI knows that this

mandatoryorder placesadditional stressesonan alreadypressured poultrysector,”saidMrs Sisk.

“Weprovide easilyaccessible, round-the-clockservicesthat canhelp farmersduring difficult times,”saidMrs Sisk

“Ifanyone is struggling,pleasecall our farming-trainedteam whocan help youget thesupport youneed.”

Anyone feeling they couldbenefit from talking to aprofessional can access help viaRABI’s24/7helpline on 0800188 4444

Family’slink to show continuing

ApopularShropshireshowhas anew events co-ordinator, with astrongfamilyconnectiontothe occasion

EmmaHaselwood is lookingtouse herpreviousexperienceindevelopingsponsorshipopportunitiestobuildonthe successofNewport Show

Emmahasalong-standinghistorywiththeNewportShow andthe Newportand District AgriculturalSociety.

Sheexplained:“My great-great grandfatherJM Belcher wasone of theoriginal30foundingcommittee membersin 1889. Subsequentlymygreat grandfather,grandfather and fatherhaveallservedonthecommitteeandallheldtheoffice of president. My great-great aunt Mary Borough,nee Belcher,was married to Burton Boroughwho ownedChetwynd DeerParkbeforethe showsocietypurchased thedeerpark.

“Mygrandfather PM Belcherwas presidentfor thecentenary show andwas instrumental alongwithothersin purchasingChetwyndDeerParkin 1988.

“Mymotherwas showmanager from 1991-2003 andmy step mother,CarolineBelcher,is thecurrent president.”

Before taking up herroleatthe endof October,Emma hadbeenworking forGrainlinksince 2013 as agrain buyer.

product andconsumers with certification of qualityand uniqueness.

PGI status wasled by Pembrokeshire’sPuffin Produce,who alreadyhavePembrokesh-

ireEarliesPGIunderitsbelt.HuwThomas,CEOatPuffinProduce,said:“Theleek is an iconic emblem of Wales.

“Weare incredibly proud to be able to grow Welsh Leeksand theGIstatusis

Matthew Thomas of PuffinProduce and the Welsh Government’s Lesley Griffiths celebrate thenews Welsh Leeks have been given official protection status