Issue 141 farmingscotland.com February 2021

Cont en ts

In-Lamb Ewe Compound 14/15 Whitehead Smashes Womens World Record 54/55

REGIONS

54 42

Editor

AEilidh MacPherson

nother year, another issue. Happy New Year to one and all –lets hope it is more social than 2020!

We have a bit of an Irish theme in the beef special; I interviewed Fred Connolly who fattens 2000 beasts a year, (pages 22-30) Chris McCullough visited Willie McElroy, chair of the Blonde Cattle Society and vice Chair of RUAS, Balmoral Show (16-21) and the Hereford Cattle Society provided copy from the Faith Family at Inverbervie (32-35).

Having spent six years as a professional sheep year when I was younger, I take my hat off to Kiwi lass, Megan Whitehead, who has broken the 9-hour lamb shearing record, pushing a staggering 661 lambs down the porthole!

Over the past couple of decades there has been a surge of women taking to the shearing boards. Back in the nineties, you could count in single figures the number of females, here in the UK and in New Zealand shearing full time.

Cornish lass Marie Prebble had

Eilidh

MacPherson Editor/publisher

farmingscotland.com

Magazine

Marbrack Farm

Carsphairn

Castle Douglas DG7 3TE

planned to attempt an 8 hour sole ewe record in the UK last year but due to Covid it was cancelled. She hopes to try this year.

My personal best was shearing over 350 sheep a day (top of 356) for six days in a row in 7 hours each day. We always ran out of sheep for me to get the 400 in 8 hours! These days we just shear our own, pen about, with Richard squeezing as many into my pen as possible.

Potato and Broccoli farmer Jim Orr of Milton of Blebo, Pitscottie in Fife has written a thought-provoking column on pages 10 & 11, while regular writer, Donald Ross of Rhynie, near Tain, tells us of how Covid is affecting whisky sales and having a knock-on effect on malting barley production.

New tractors, including electric ones, telehandlers, intelligent tyres and self propelled feed mixers are all the go in the machinery section by Chris, while Petra enlightens us with Snow in the Desert near Mount Moses. Eilidh

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British Wool –Major Cost Saving Initiative

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant detrimental impact on the global wool market and despite the fact that British Wool has cleared the 11million kg of unsold wool they had at the end of April the market remains extremely challenging.

Andrew Hogley, Acting CEO explains “British Wool has managed to sell wool in decent volumes since August, which has allowed us to clear last season’s unsold stock but prices are still severely depressed. The global market faces an oversupply of cross-bred wool, this is mainly from New Zealand but also from other European markets. Although we have seen some more positive signs in recent auctions on some wool types, carpet wools remain under a great deal of pressure. The contract carpet market which serves hotels, offices, cinemas, restaurants, airports, cruise ships, and the like, remains extremely depressed due to the closure of the hospitality trade due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

In order to ensure producers receive

maximum value for their wool in these unprecedented times British Wool has launched a major restructuring programme. Mr. Hogley explains “In order for us to maximise the value of producer’s wool it is critical that we re-shape the business in-line with current market conditions. Next season we will be reducing the number of grading depots that we operate from twelve to eight. This will result in the closure of our grading depots in Irvine, Porthmadog, Stamford and Liskeard and the wool from these areas will be reallocated to other grading depots within our network. The annual savings from these measures are estimated to be £1.5 million per annum. Based on our current level of wool intake this equates to a saving of 6p to 7p per kg.”

He continued “It is critical that we make the changes to the grading network but I want to stress that we will not changing our service levels to producers. Where we close a Grading

Depot we intend to replace this with a new Intermediate Depot in the nearby area. This will ensure producers still have a local drop point for their wool with no onward haulage charges. We will contact all affected producers ahead of next season to let them know where the new drop off points will be. We will also continue to take all types of wool from any producer. The sites we are closing are still open for producers to deliver this season’s wool and will remain so until the middle of February.”

Mr. Hogley concluded, “We urge producers to stick with us and remember that British Wool is YOUR organisation working on YOUR behalf. Without British Wool returns for wool would be permanently low and many producers would have no market for their wool. Rest assured things will improve and British Wool will be working hard to support the recovery of the wool trade in order to maximise the value of your wool.”

Chewing the Cud at Rotational Grazing Event

All things grass will come under the spotlight at a conference organised by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) to look at the science and practice of rotational grazing.

The Graze Debate will bring together farmers and experts to discuss the use of rotational grazing in different environments; how to plan, start and monitor this form of grazing; and the science behind the practice.

The virtual event, which takes place over four evenings from Monday 15 February, is aimed at those wishing to start rotational grazing and follows on from the first successful event held in November 2019.

On the first evening, farmers Tom Stobart from Penrith, James Drummond from Northumberland and Colina Humphrey from Stirling, will talk about how they got started with rotational grazing, their different approaches to suit their land and objectives and the challenges they have faced.

It will be followed by a session on

Tuesday 16 February, led by consultants

Poppy Frater, Daniel Stout and Lorna Galloway from SAC Consulting –part of SRUC, looking at setting up rotational grazing systems; sourcing and planning the infrastructure; and how to monitor, manage and adapt to the system.

The third evening on Wednesday 17 February will feature four experts talking about the science behind rotational grazing.

Dr Aurelie Aubry, a senior sheep researcher at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland (AFBINI) will present some trial data comparing sheep performance on different paddock systems; Dr Sarah Morgan, from Rothamstead, will compare rotational grazing with set stocking; Dr Claire Morgan-Davies, from SRUC’s Hill and Mountain Research Centre, will discuss the use of virtual fencing collars in cattle; and Dr Katherine Tozer, from AgResearch in New Zealand, will talk about the value of deferred grazing to pasture

productivity.

The final evening on Thursday 18 February will offer a chance to talk about all things grass with the SAC Consulting team.

Each session will run from 7-9pm with time for questions and answers at the end of the evening.

Poppy Frater, Sheep and Grassland Specialist at SAC Consulting, said: “Rotational Grazing has proven benefits to reduce the feeding and fertiliser costs for livestock and maximise production per hectare.

“It is great to have the opportunity to bring together this wealth of experience and practical knowledge to help farmers apply rotational grazing with confidence.

“The sessions, which will be delivered through Zoom, are designed to provide ample time for speaker interactions.”

For more information or to register visit: bit.ly/3nPKiq1

Rural Scots Landowners Shouldn't Overlook Community Land Law Change

Rural landowners across Scotland are being urged not to overlook the impact of potential changes to laws surrounding vacant land.

Edinburgh-based legal firm Lindsays, which has landowner and agricultural clients across the country, says owners need to be more aware of recommendations, which hold the power to be a game-changer in terms of Community Right To Buy (CRTB) laws.

And they are encouraging them to consider whether a proactive approach to looking at deals that may bring land back into use could yield positive results on a number of fronts.

Susan Law, a Partner in the Rural team at Lindsays, said: "Scotland's goals on climate change and economic growth clearly require imagination, innovation and investment.

"The way that politicians, legislators, communities and businesses think about land use is changing fast. More partnerships are being seen –notably on a voluntary basis –benefiting both parties."

The CRTB laws in this context are different to those which have seen community land purchases including those recently from Buccleuch Estates in Eskdale and Liddesdale.

Communities already have the power to take charge of derelict or unused sites. Legislation through the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act allows community bodies to apply to buy land – including buildings – which is either wholly or mainly abandoned, neglected or is being used or managed in a way that is harmful to a community's environmental wellbeing. If an application is successful, the landowner can be made to sell the land to the community body.

However, even where communities have the financial means to make the purchase and the determination and expertise to succeed, the legislation is demanding. Since this element of CRTB came into force in 2018, the number of purchases does not appear to have reached double figures.

But changes with the potential to broaden interest are looming. Scotland's Vacant and Derelict Land Taskforce, co-founded by the Scottish Land Commission and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), recently published a report on Transforming Scotland's Approach to Vacant and Derelict Land.

And while its focus was on urban land and brownfield sites, landowners

need to be aware that, if pursued, the recommendations could also be used in rural or semi-rural areas.

Recommendations included mapping vacant and derelict sites on a national register to make it easier for people to find information, as well as granting local authorities compulsory sale powers and potentially removing the ability for a landowner to leave land to see if its value improves. There could end up being a question about what is vacant or derelict land, which in a rural context, would not be easy to ascertain.

Susan Law added: "Landowners will be aware of the risk that, in remote or inaccessible areas, land which may be perceived by some as 'abandoned or derelict' may to the landowner be regarded as having value to them, whether now or in the future. If this is the case, an element of stepping up of estate management may be prudent –such as looking at possible landscaping or fencing.

"However, landowners could also view the recommendations in terms of opportunity. It may be better both financially and reputationally to reach agreed deals with communities rather than waiting for less favourable provisions to be enacted."

Horse enthusiasts, students and the Scottish equine industry will benefit from a new centre for equine skills at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

SRUC is investing £310 000 to create new stables for up to six horses, a ménage, equipment storage and supporting facilities for students, at its Craibstone campus in Aberdeen. The SRUC Aberdeen Equine Centre will create new opportunities for students to learn practical skills.

SRUC will be seeking planning permission for the project in the next couple of months. It is expected that most of the centre will be completed by the end of this summer, in time for the arrival of the first cohort of students on the HNC/HND Equine Studies courses at Craibstone. The ménage will be completed later in the autumn.

The new HNC course gives students practical experience and knowledge of horse care and riding, while the new HND course provides additional experience and knowledge in management within the equine industry.

Both courses are open to students with no prior riding experience and can be studied on a full or part-time basis. Equine studies students will have the opportunity to progress on to degree courses such as Veterinary Nursing or Rural Business Management.

The new equine centre will also offer additional opportunities for Animal Care students.

Teaching at the new equine facilities will supplement practical teaching delivered by Aberdeen Riding Club through its partnership with SRUC. SRUC also offers Equine Studies courses at its campus in Oatridge, in West Lothian, which is the home of the Scottish National Equestrian Centre.

Caroline Argo, Dean of SRUC’s North Faculty, said: “Horse husbandry, training and business management skills

Photos this Issue:

Cover – MacGregor Photo.

Page 4 – BWMB

Page 5 – SRUC

Page 7 – SRUC

Page 8 – SRUC

Page 9 – H&H

Page 10 – istock

Page 12 – provided

Page 13 – EQ

Page 14– Davidsons

Page 15/20 –William McElroy

Hands on with Horses

are in high demand. We’re delighted to be able to offer more opportunities for students to help them enter and flourish within the equine industry. We’re looking forward to our role as an integral part of the equine community across the North of Scotland.”

In December 2020, SRUC announced a £50 000 upgrade to a cottage on its Tulloch Farm to support agriculture students. SRUC has also recently engaged in a community consultation on future concepts for its campus in Aberdeen.

Page 32/34 –MacGregor Photo.

Page 35 – Easycare

Page 36/38 –Mike Massie

Page 40 – SRUC

Page 41 – AHDB

Page 42/44 –Massey Ferguson

Page 46 – JCB

Page 50 – Trioliet

Page 52 – Farmtrac

Page 54 – Barbara Newton

Page 56/59 –Petra Jacob

Digital Potential of a Sustainable Natural Economy

The role of digital in securing a green rural economy is the focus of a joint virtual conference being held by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and Teagasc.

The potential of digitalisation to achieve a sustainable natural economy, which is the third in a series of annual events, will take place via a webinar on Tuesday 9 February.

It will bring perspectives and insights on the role of digital technologies to secure a green recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC and Professor Gerry Boyle, Teagasc Director, will jointly chair the event which will include four 15-minute sessions delivered by researchers from both institutions and an open discussion.

In the first session, Professor Donagh Berry, from Teagasc and VistaMilk, will talk about value-creating decision support tools. This will be followed by a presentation on the digitalisation of the Dairy Value Chain by Professor Richard Dewhurst, Head of the Dairy Research Centre at SRUC.

Dr Hannah Rudman, Senior Challenge Research Fellow and Data Policy Lead at SRUC, will show how new technology is being deployed in the natural economy sector and the real benefits it achieves and Dr John Hyland, from Teagasc, will talk about delivering farm advisory services in the digital age.

Professor Powell said: “We are living in a time of immense technological transformation, which is changing how we live our lives.

“Science and technology are unearthing solutions that can help tackle food security, energy shortages and climate change.

“This virtual webinar conference provides an opportunity for Scotland and Ireland to showcase how digital solutions can be used to secure a sustainable natural economy – which is part of our vision for the future.”

Professor Boyle said: “The challenge of our times for organisations like SRUC and Teagasc is to support the creation of ‘sustainable food systems.’Every node of the food system, right from the production of food to its digestion in our gut and the valorisation of waste

streams, has to be the focus of our research and innovation.

“Data creation and its management is a critical platform to realise this goal and we hope this conference will help to clarify how digitisation can help us to achieve our vision.”

Teagasc and SRUC have collaborated on issues of mutual interest and concern for many years. This process culminated in 2018 with the first of a series of annual conferences aimed at identifying solutions and helping create new opportunities for rural economies.

This Edinburgh-based conference examined the potential of rural areas and resources to deliver on a wide range of economic, social and environmental challenges and opportunities benefitting all citizens of Ireland and Scotland.

The 2019 conference, held in Dublin, addressed the major environmental, consumer and economic challenges facing pasture-based livestock systems in Scotland and Ireland.

The 2021 virtual conference will take place on Tuesday 9 February from 11am to 12.30pm. For more information and to register, visit: www.teagasc.ie/sruc

H&H Appoint MD

After over ten years with Harrison & Hetherington (H&H), the last two as joint Managing Director, it has been announced that Scott Donaldson will take on the role of Managing Director of the company. In taking up this position, Scott will be assuming what is undoubtedly one of the key roles within the UK’s livestock industry.

Operating nine auction marts across the north of England and Scottish Borders and hosting regular digital sales, H&H is at the core of H&H Group PLC’s Agri-business operations. With an annual turnover in the region of £180 million, this internationally recognised livestock business sees a throughput of in excess 850,000 head of livestock across its auction marts and online trading platforms.

In making this announcement, Richard Rankin, H&H Group Plc Chief Executive said: “Scott is the perfect man for the job. He has the right skill set and experience carried through from his previous roles. His career path has demonstrated continuous professional development and in working alongside David Pritchard for the last ten years he has developed an in-depth understanding of the business and its needs for the future. Now is the time for him to step up and take overall responsibility.

Aged 53, Scott has worked within the livestock industry his entire career and has an in-depth understating of the sector at all levels. Aged 17 he joined Perthshire’s Macdonald Fraser and Company Ltd part of the United Auctions Group as a trainee auctioneer. He quickly progressed and in 1988 –aged only 21 – became the youngest auctioneer at the time, to take the Rostrum at the Perth Bull Sales to sell pedigree Simmental cattle. He joined H&H in 2010 and has moved steadily upwards. Well known and a former President of the IAAS, Scott is highly respected across both the commercial and pedigree sectors and in recent years has played a major role in the company’s growth and expansion.

Commenting on his new position and looking to the future, Scott said: “We

live in a very fast-moving world now, far removed from what worked 10 or 20 years ago. As such, we have to keep reacting and responding to new challenges. So, in taking up this role, my main aim is to make sure that both Harrison & Hetherington and the team behind it are well equipped to move forward into the next decade and beyond, grasping the full potential of innovation.

“The great strengths of our team are its youth, enthusiasm and broad understanding of the livestock industry across the UK. I want to future-proof the longevity of our operations and management and aim to challenge our company’s next generation of leaders to step up. I plan to do so by always listening to their ideas and giving them responsibility early on, within structured and supported roles. Our team has great passion and is committed to building on our very strong foundations and setting benchmarks, and my aim is to enable this happen.”

Scott adds: “It is absolutely vital now that livestock producers can work with us in a far more modern and digital fashion. However, I do not want to undermine the importance of the personal contact that comes through our network of auction mart centres across the North of England and Scottish Borders.

“Yes, in recent months major strides have been made and thanks to online timed auctions, we are moving forward, but that is not enough. We are living in a digital world and now the industry and our customer base demands more. We need to give them this by streamlining processes and making certain that both buyers and sellers can access the information they require to streamline their own business, instantly.

“When things start to return to

whatever the new normal will look like, we want to ensure we swiftly create environments that are as welcoming and protected as they can be. Our aim is for farmers to feel safe, and for that sense of camaraderie to return to our marts as quickly as we can.”

Richard Rankin says: “A team player, Scott’s approach is all encompassing. He encourages internal peer support and development, which are aspects that really are key for managing and mentoring such a large team of staff.”

Since the initial coronavirus lockdown, Scott and the wider H&H team have been key figures in altering the focus of traditional auctioneering. Almost overnight new platforms were investigated for selling stock and pioneering online digital auction systems were created to ensure that the vital breeding sales would continue. Going forward, a major objective for Scott is to maintain H&H’s position as market leaders and continue its rapid development.

“As Managing Director of H&H, I know that Scott will become a major voice of the livestock marketing business. He will be an opinion maker both up and downstream of his role and a driver of change from a broader industry perspective.”

Married and living in Bardon Mill in Northumberland, Scott’s spare time involves skiing, rugby, anything to do with the horse and the countryside – if only to go for a walk. He is committed to the great outdoors.

In saying what he is looking forward to most, over and above working with a tremendous team to support livestock farmers, breeders and customers, Scott adds: “I am so looking forward to the COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, so we can all meet and talk face to face again.”

Per haps I Sho u ld be

Musical theatre is a wonderful thing. It can take you on emotional journeys and land you in unexpected places.

A few years ago, my wife thought it would be good to take the family to see the stage production of Billy Elliot at the Edinburgh Playhouse. Great idea, I thought, however the date clashed with potato lifting on the farm. I somewhat grudgingly agreed and as I sat down in the theatre for the afternoon matinee and switched off my phone, 101 farming potato problems were going through my head. I was totally unaware of the change that was about to happen to me.

Many of you will know the story of a young boy from a mining community who wanted to become a ballet dancer during the bitter miners strike of the 80’s, breaking family tradition of father like son. Growing up myself in the 80’s I was well aware of the history and the ugly scenes and the political battle between Arthur Scargill, NUM General Secretary and the then PM, Maggie Thatcher. From what the large part of the public were led to believe, the mines were heavily subsidised and their industry had to be reformed and ultimately closed. A view that I felt strongly as the orchestra fired up and the show opened.

traditional thinking. As it turned out, my wife’s timing of our “bit of culture” was spot on. The Brexit vote happened the following summer – an unexpected shock for many.

Two hours later, after a magical performance, I saw the situation from a totally different perspective. Here were a bunch of men trying to keep their industry alive at all costs, believing they were right, resisting change and when one of their ilk breaks ranks and wants to become a ballet dancer of all things, all hell breaks loose.

When I rose from my cramped stall seat in the Playhouse I started to see so many parallels with the farming industry – male dominated, rough, earthy, heavily subsidised, family tradition, resistant to change. It made me realise what had happened to the miners could well happen, or is indeed happening, to farming. The lesson that day was perhaps I should be more open minded and to embrace change and challenge

grown in the world and what should be grown.”

The outcome of Brexit and the ramifications for many industries are ongoing but for agriculture it of course means a new agricultural policy. Political advisors and NGOs are having a field day with ambiguous phrases like –‘public money for public goods’, ‘carbon sequestration’, ‘rewilding’, ‘climate change reduction theories’. All of these ideas may be worthy of debate as other functions the rural environment can provide. However, the question I ask myself is are they all missing something? Surely farming’s primary function is to provide food for the mass population. Our industry, up until now, like the miners, has been propped up by subsidy worth circa £3.5bn to UK farmers annually. Politically and publicly, this is seen as wrong – why pay farmers an area payment for just having the land? –a statement that is very hard to defend, hence the reason for ‘public money for public goods’ debate, potentially with dubious outcomes. But are we missing an opportunity here? Should we not be positioning ourselves underneath another much larger UK government budget than the one Fergus Ewing currently holds the purse strings for? A budget no politician would ever dare to cut and indeed is more likely to increase….. the NHS budget.

The NHS is all about making peoples health better. If we want to improve the health of the population, where else better to start than by improving their diet. So many of the common ailments treated by our NHS could be avoided by better nutrition and of course farming is the foundation stone of that process. It’s a point that was picked up on by Prof Tim Benton who heads up the Energy, Environment and Resources Programme at Independent Policy Institute, Chatham House, recently at the Oxford Farming Conference when he said: “there is a mismatch between what is

“Health and wellbeing is the key thing we have forgotten,” he added.

In addition to this, back in February 2017, Melbourne School of Health published research that concluded by developing a package of food taxes on unhealthy food and subsidies on healthy food, it could save Australia $3.4bn in healthcare costs without affecting family food budgets. Their simulations also concluded another 1.2 additional years of healthy life per 100 people alive in 2010, which resulted in the large healthcare savings.

Using my crude maths when you translate these figures to the UK population, the savings are around £5.1bn – almost 50% more than we are currently spending supporting UK agriculture. It is a win/win for all and the “unhealthy foods did not include fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and many dairy products,” which would support Scottish Agriculture.

So, perhaps the focus of our industry should change from the status quo and

be bolder. Yes, looking after our environment and climate is important. But as we have seen with Covid-19, nothing is more important than the nation’s health. Billions can be spent on vaccines to try to give people immunity, but the best immunity of all may be to start with a healthy population who eat well and an agricultural policy designed and financed to do so.

I sincerely hope our industry does not face the same fate as that of the miners. But maybe collectively we need to be a bit more like Billy Elliot and take an alternative approach.

Perhaps you would like to be a ballet dancer too!

a Ballet Dancer?

In the not so grim North, the days are very slowly lengthening. We are having a nice bit of frost allowing us to clear muck from the cattle courts, whilst not damaging the soil when we make the midden.

Spring cropping will change a bit this year I have almost halved our Malting Barley acreage as my 5 yr average tonnage to Highland Grain is at a stage I will need to buy more space or reduce tonnage produced, with the world in flux I have chosen to reduce. However being a preferred supplier Highland Grain should not struggle to sell its barley and with almost all contracted this bodes well for 2021.

Changes in Malting Barley buying with fewer buyers due to recent amalgamations, is not in my opinion good for the producer. Hearing the Scotch Whisky Association telling us whisky consumption is down worldwide due to the pandemic also sent alarm bells ringing. With 85 bottles of whisky per minute sold in airports you don’t have to be Rishi Sunak to realise turnover will be back and warehouses filling. The last time this happened in 2008/9 it took until the barley was almost being harvested before distillers realised they may have to slow the taps down. Thus having a contract will probably be more advantageous than chancing the spot market.

To take up the slack I have sown more Second Wheat, Oilseed Rape and Oats. Muck will be spread at 35t/ha on the oat ground and we will knock our fertiliser back by approximately 20% aiming for an 8t/ha crop. The last 2 years our cattle numbers have risen and I have more muck, I am using a little and often approach over our arable area to keep the bugs in the soil going. Oilseed Rape and Second wheat as well as the oat crop

Scanning & Cropping in Easter Ross

getting muck, spreading of pig slurry after oats to help break down the straw.

It’s good to see Scotgov forming an Arable Climate Change Group, Andrew Moir is an enthusiastic arable ambassador. As chair I hope he will point Scot Gov in the right direction. It would be good to see farmers being rewarded for stewardship of the soil as well as being rewarded for the biproducts others now claim Carbon credits on.

2020 will go down as not a great year for me personally, we lost dad in August. I have to say I miss his guidance and enthusiasm. A boot up the bum to get me going would be handy at the moment, as the January blues seem to be dragging me down. However as the longer days come in, enthusiasm shall surely return.

Farming wise, 2020 will go down as one of my best, whatever anyone says yield is king. Even with relatively poor prices. Cattle prices were poor to start with but worked away and pulling the lambing back to the Easter Holidays made use of child labour and my wife’s veterinary degree. We got more than half fat off grass and all cleared by mid-August gave us more space for the cows and calves as we kept the ewes tight to stop them getting too fat.

We scanned in the middle of January, Dan our scanner of 20 years couldn’t make it over from New Zealand this year. We had Ryan Maclean who proved equally adept with the probe, it’s great to see such a clued up young bloke coming into the industry. He knows what he wants but what made me think was the way he has a team of confidents he is in touch with worldwide. They act as mentors to him and point him in the right direction. I found it quite inspirational his method rather than

normal “Aye been” mentality we see so often. It must be working, he has a large clipping round, a good sized scanning business as well as an improving hill sheep flock. Scanning went well 206% with 5% empty, which is down to me cutting the time the tups were out so in my mind acceptable.

When I am doing tractor work I get too much time to think. Thoughts turn to retail therapy –our Forklift is 7, has 6000hrs and has been very reliable, however we started to see what was available and had various demonstrations. The new model of what we had was taller and I felt I needed a parachute to get out of it especially as I can be in and out 30 times a morning when feeding. We ended up buying a JCB from Fraser at Scot JCB. I suppose I could say it was because of Brexit but as a Europhile nothing could be further from the truth.

I need a couple of new bulls, fortunately we have some good local breeders. I have bought our first Shorthorn in 70 years from over the march fence he has a nice shape and good milk figures . I had a good look at Fearn Farms pedigrees when they chose to have a wander through my Oilseed Rape in the Autumn! A locally sourced Angus will come home too.

In the volatile world we currently live in here’s to it improving throughout 2021!

Annual Investment Allowance Spending Reprieve

2020 was a difficult year for all businesses, with COVID-19 restrictions meaning the closure of pubs, restaurants and the near wipe out of any large gatherings such as agricultural shows, weddings etc. This had led to many farmers being very concerned over the demand for their produce as much of this would be consumed at these locations/events. Due to several factors, including bad weather for winter sowing in 2019, many farmgate prices are in a much better position than they were in 2019 and this will lead to some businesses facing large tax liabilities in 2021.

With future subsidy levels being unknown, although I would expect them to be at a much lower level than they currently are, is now the right time to replace aging equipment and place your business on a forward footing? Whilst it is never a good idea to buy equipment if it is not needed, there will be tax advantages to those who need to update equipment.

The Government recently extended the temporary increase of the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) until 1 January 2022. It had been due to revert to £200 000 at the end of 2020, but it will now remain at £1m for another year to help stimulate investment.

The AIA provides 100% tax relief on qualifying capital expenditure up to £1m in the year of purchase, which can be used to invest in plant and machinery. It can potentially also be claimed on the construction of certain types of agricultural buildings that provide a function, such as a temporary grain store or a cold store.

It would be beneficial to consider effective tax planning for the year ahead in order to maximise the full tax relief available before the limit is reduced and perhaps when there is additional pressure on cashflow. However, businesses with a year end that straddles 31 December 2021 should be aware that transitional rules apply, which can have unexpected consequences.

If any expenditure is incurred in the period falling on or after 1 January 2022, once the AIA has reverted to £200 000, there will be a cap on the amount that can be claimed. This can result in you missing out on vital tax relief, so it is important that the timing of any capital expenditure is calculated in advance.

It's worth noting that hire purchase can also be used to acquire assets, allowing the cost to be spread over several years but the same tax relief is available as if it had been acquired

outright. Purchasing through HP can result in a cashflow boost in the short term, but consideration should be made based on the business’ other financial commitments as in later years, the hire purchase payments will still have to be made and no further tax relief is available.

With certain investments requiring planning permission, getting the timing right is critical as getting it wrong even by a day could prove costly. Any qualifying spend not covered by the AIA will be subject to writing down allowances at either 6% or 18% or the structures and buildings allowance of 2% (increasing to 3% from 1 April 2021).

It would be very worthwhile to sit down with your accountant/tax advisor and plan for your capital expenditure over the year ahead to ensure that you maximise the tax reliefs that are available.

If you would like further information or advice, our EQ Agriculture team would be more than happy to discuss your circumstances and offer support. You can contact our team via agriculture@eqaccountants.co.uk or by calling our Forfar (01307 474274) or Cupar (01334 654044) offices.

Sourcing a Suitable In-lamb Ewe Compound

As another year passes and we head into the new year, sheep farms will be looking at scanning in the coming weeks. The autumn weather this year does not seem to have been as kind to the ewes as previous, however sheep seem to be in relatively good condition, which would suggest that ewes came into the rams quick and settled well.

The countdown to lambing is once again under way. Currently the lamb and cast ewe trade is at virtually record levels so it is vital to ensure sheep are well cared for to achieve optimal output at lambing time.

Forage stocks seem plentiful but of variable quality. With such variability, forage analysis is essential to ensure the correct ration is fed to compliment on farm forage. We have found many are low in energy due to the initial dry spell followed by a lot of wet weather causing grass to shoot and head quickly. Protein levels are inconsistent partly due to age of grass, variety of the grass type and when it was cut. The optimal dry matter (DM) being around 30%, the forages we have seen again have a wide range with some very wet and others on the dry side which will inhibit intakes either way.

To maximise your sheep outputs and profit, it is vitally important to select a complimentary compound feed that will enhance your forages and system.

So what should we be looking out for?

Energy is the most important nutrient an animal needs to function and is often the limiting factor in sheep diets. A formulation with good levels of barley and wheat is desirable, however maize would be the preferred choice. Maize provides the highest energy from a starch source and also bypass starch for optimum rumen absorption.

Protein is derived from two sources that is required by the in-lamb ewe, rumen degradable (RDP) and digestible undegradable protein (DUP). Ewes have a daily requirement for RDP, which is readily found in forages, it is used by the rumen microflora to reproduce and then some of them are swept out into the small intestine for digestion. This is called microbial protein and is vital for ruminants. It is imperative that the microflora has sufficient degradable protein in the diet, forages low in protein require supplementary quality RDP which can come from the compound to meet the animals requirements.

It is also essential, especially as we get closer to lambing that the ewes diet contains high levels of DUP, which passes through the rumen unaltered and is absorbed in the intestine.

Soya bean meal and a protected soya, like Scotsoy provides the highest levels

of DUP on the market and are essential that they have a high inclusion in the ration to ensure quality colostrum and milk quantity is produced by the ewe.

With rising costs being seen across all raw materials but in particularly proteins, Soya well over £400 p/t, many formulations may reduce or remove the inclusion of Soya to reduce cost. Particular attention should be paid to where soya is placed on the list of raw materials on a feed spec label.

The high price of protein sources may lead to some feed companies using urea as a protein source. Urea is around 300% crude protein, but importantly compared to soya and other protein sources, contains no DUP, energy, starch, sugars, fibre, minerals or vitamins.

A tiny inclusion can result in a huge % of the crude protein in the diet coming from this unpalatable, man made protein source. The Feeds Directory states that only 0.01% of protein in a ewes diet from the feed should come from this source, so urea and starches that have been treated with a urea substance should be used with great caution. (Wesley N. Ewing, The Feeds Directory, 1997)

A ewes ration should contain a quality fibre source to aid in slow digestion, which is vital for rumen function. Sugar beet pulp would be the

finest fibre, which also brings high levels of sugar in the diet, sugar beet has also has been found to reduce prolapse incidence in the in-lamb ewe as the slow rumen digestion keeps her content and less need to gorge on forage.

When we find ourselves in a period of high feed prices as currently, low nutritional value raw materials may start to find their way into ewe diets. For example oat feed/husks, while they do have a feeding value although be it very low (NB: Can be used as bedding for cattle), do your ewes really get the nutrients from a compound feed containing these type of ingredients? The nutrient value of raw materials does not increase just because the alternatives are more expensive than normal.

Steven Turnbull Davidsons

Finally, a good quality vitamin and mineral package should be included in the compound. High levels of Vitamin E and Selenium are important for health and immunity. Protected Selenium in the form of highly bioavailable seleno yeast Alkosel, is included in all Davidsons Ewe feeds along with high levels of Vitamin E.

Alkosel improves Selenium transfer into milk and colostrum, leading to higher Selenium intake by lambs. B vitamins B1 and B12 are important especially in the pre-lambing ewe when rumen function is often not optimal.

Davidsons Super Ewe

Formulated in conjunction with SRUC, ensuring only the best sources of protein, starch, sugars and fibre to produce our 20% crude protein ‘top of the range’ ewe feed.

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS

“Since using Davidsons Super Ewe I have seen a noticeable difference in the quantity and quality of colostrum and milk produced.” – Peter Hedley, Swinside Townfoot, Jedburgh

“My ewes have been milking extremely well since using Davidsons Super Ewe and their next day delivery service gives me peace of mind.” – Derek Hall, Lilyburn, Penicuik

“My ewes are milking like dairy cows after moving to Davidsons Super Ewe.” – Jack Wight, Townfoot Farm, Biggar

They are involved in energy metabolism and are therefore vital to the ewe and lamb for survivability and growth.

In summary, for the health and performance of your flock, great attention and detail should be taken. Study the diet being offered to you for your in-lamb ewe, no one should purchase the product without looking at its makeup, lambing is a once a year event, condition of ewes and their performance at this crucial time will be the difference between a profitable sheep enterprise or a loss making operation.

Davidsons Ewelac

High energy 18% ewe compound designed to maintain ewe condition during pregnancy for better ewe and lamb performance after birth.

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS

“Using Davidsons Ewelac Rolls my ewes are always in great condition and have plenty of quality milk for the lambs.” – David Baillie, Calla Farm, Carnwath

“Since using Ewelac rolls we have found to have fewer prolapses and the ewes are very milky.” – Robert Rennie, Attonburn, Kelso

“We feed our twin bearing hill ewes Davidsons Ewelac nuts to ensure ewes are lambing in great condition with plenty colostrum and strong lambs.” – Robert McNee, Over Finlarg, Dundee

All formulations are only sourced from natural, quality raw materials including Certified Responsible Soya, guaranteeing ZERO deforestation, responsibly cultivated and 100% responsible, traceable soya.

A Hist ory of Success for Ivani skey Blo ndes

by Chris McCullough

Ivaniskey Blondes is one of Northern Ireland’s best known pedigree cattle herds and living proof that being small is not a barrier to success.

IVANISKEY Blondes is one of Northern Ireland’s best known pedigree cattle herds and living proof that being small is not a barrier to success.Based near Dromara in County Down, the herd is run by William McElroy in partnership with his parents Ruth and Ivan.

William works off the farm as an AI technician for Cogent Precision, which has boosted his knowledge and skill set, also benefitting the breeding on his own farm.

“I farm a small herd of mainly pedigree British Blonde cattle, with some commercial cattle and the odd Limousin,” said William.

“The Blonde breed has adopted well to meet the needs of today’s market and is well-known for easy calving, calf vigour and excellent growth rates. Easy calving is a must for us as both my Dad and I have jobs outside of the farm.

“We don’t finish any commercial cattle on the farm with most sold as calves coming off the cows at the back end of the year prior to housing at around 350kgs to 400kgs. They regularly achieve some of the top prices in the local mart.”

The Ivaniskey herd dates back to 1996 when the first Blonde heifer entered the farm where the McElroys had only started farming three years earlier.

William said: “The following year we

exhibited at Balmoral Show and were placed last soon realising we had loads to learn in the world of cattle showing and breeding.

“Since then we have bred most of our own cattle only buying in a few females and a stock bull from time to time. We have won many championships over the years, which include the reserve overall interbreed champion at the RUAS, the supreme Blonde champion at the RUAS, the Royal Highland Show, Carlisle, Perth and Dungannon and the pedigree calf fair and championships at many local shows.

“My homebred cow Ivaniskey Denise

(whose dam was a gift for his 21st Birthday –pictured page 18 along with Denise) did extremely well winning nine breed championships, six interbreed champion of champions titles and three interbreed female championships all in the one year, which is thought to be a record for any of the breeds.

“We have also won the NISA beef cow of the year and been judged best small herd of Blonde cattle on quite a few occasions, going on to take overall reserve best herd in the UK,” he said.

The McElroy’s farm is a small traditional family unit, which involves a

Farmer: Wiliam McElroy in partnership with his parents –Ivan & Ruth

Farming: Ivanisky

Location: Dromara, County Down Northern Ireland

Area: 36acres

Cattle: 20 pedigree Blonde cows and followers

15 commercial cows and followers

Other: AI Technician for Cogent Vice Chair of RUAS

lot of hard work and where animal health and welfare is of paramount importance.

“Herd health is very important to us and each animal is treated as an individual,” William said. “I believe this work and effort has got the herd where it is today.

“We promote our herd where we can, and have exported our genetics around the world, which brings in extra income for the farm. One of my greatest achievements was to export the first ever consignment of Blonde embryos to Australia, which resulted in over 90% of them producing a live calf. Many of them went on to become herd sires and breeding stock for top herds.

“We have also exported semen to various parts of the world including Canada, Australia and Estonia,” he said.

William has used a variety of sires on his herd over the years, which have produced prize winning cattle and a new stock bull has recently entered the herd.

“ A range of bulls have been used over the years,” said William, “one being the noted Doncombe Aga Khan, which we purchased in Carlisle. He has been a consistent breeder within the herd and we continue to use him over some of the females that are not related to him.

“Aga Khan won numerous

championships for us and his progeny, including Ivaniskey Denise, have followed in his footsteps. His semen has been exported worldwide and AI Services NI also purchased a quantity of semen from him. He is currently available on Semen Store too.

“Just recently we purchased a new stock bull from a local herd. Our new bull, Nigransha Paddy Power, is sired by Baltra Iceman and is out of Ivaniskey Hilda Matilda, a daughter of the noted Aga Khan.

“Hilda was bought from us to establish a new herd only a few miles from our doorstep.

“We had been looking for a new sire for some time and I spied Paddy Power as a calf in the field on his mother. From

a young age he impressed me. He shows plenty of length, width and depth in the hindquarter and is square over the plates, which we like, so we bought him at the end of 2020 at one year old.

“We are looking forward to putting him to some of the cattle within the herd to see what he produces. We have also used a few old lines within the herd over the past few years, Tudor Neptune being one of them who was a very consistent breeder back in 1977 and bred numerous champions and topped the sales at Carlisle for a number of years,” added William.

Cattle on the McElroy farm are housed from October onwards with the early born calves weaned prior to housing. All cattle are housed on bedded pens, some on straw and others on peat or sawdust.

“We believe cattle perform better on this type of environment compared to slatted pens,” William said. “All cattle receive Animax Tracesure boluses at housing time and again at spring turnout. This gives us peace of mind that our cattle have all the essential trace elements they need all year round to optimise fertility and growth rates.

“Pedigree calves are creep fed in the autumn and through the winter with a 18% protein ration produced by Frazer Animal Feeds. The rest are on 17% protein rations,” he said.

William currently has a number of stock for sale but regulations enforced by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and from Brexit are stirring up challenges in terms of attending the pedigree sales in England and Scotland.

William said: “There are a number of year old heifers here for sale as we have enough breeding females in the herd at present. They are a consistent batch of heifers sired by Stonelea Kaden that we purchased in the Republic of Ireland a few years ago.

“We also have a young bull called Ivaniskey Rocky who is out of our Balmoral champion 2018 and 2019, Classic Missy Belle. He is a very correct young bull who is a year old in February, again sired by Doncombe Aga Khan.

“Our young bull has great potential and is one that I wouldn’t mind keeping, but he is too closely bred to the female lines within the herd so he will have to be sold in the spring.

“Our plan was to take the young bull to Carlisle or Worcester in the spring time, and possibly a heifer or two with him, but I’m not really sure how that’s going to pan out going forward with the

current Covid restrictions and new regulations after Brexit.

“We will also consider taking some of them to the local society sale in Dungannon in March, which is run in conjunction with the NI Blonde club. I have certainly missed being out and about catching up with friends at the various livestock events during last year, something we all look forward to every year after a long winter period when cattle are housed.

“The main challenges we face after Brexit is a six month restriction on animals moving back from a show and sale outside of Northern Ireland, plus the additional paper work.

“I suppose our biggest threat to the beef industry is the importation of beef from foreign countries being brought in and sold at a cheaper price. We pride ourselves with the quality of stock we produce and follow strict regulations in order for the end product to be of the highest standards possible.

“Some of the large supermarkets really haven’t helped this matter, but at last it’s good to see that a number of them are now starting to support local by sourcing a higher percentage of meat

that’s produced in their own country. Maybe one of the positives to come from Brexit,” he added.

Outside of the farm William keeps busy sitting in a number of key positions including as chairman of the British Blonde Cattle Society.

“It’s a challenging role in our ever changing agricultural industry but one that I am thoroughly enjoying,” he said.

“The Blonde is a breed I believe that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

“I am also a council member of the RUAS, where I hold the post of vice chairman of the livestock committee and also sit on the beef and lamb committee.

“In my spare time I’m a keen photographer, a skill which I intend on developing further. Over the past few months I have been assisting various breeders to photograph and video their bulls and females so they can promote their stock via online social media platforms and the web.

“This is something that has really taken off during the Covid restrictions. It’s also nice to be on the other side of the halter to see some of the top quality cattle that are bred here,” he added.

Beefing it up at Dalrusc an

While some pass the silver spoon and title deeds down the generations, Fred Connolly has worked hard to increase his acreage from the initial 40acre family holding in Ireland to farming 1000acres of ploughable land in South West Scotland.

by Eilidh MacPherson

Buying and selling farmland to progress has been part and parcel of Fred Connolly’s life from an early age. Brought up on 42 acres near Ballymena in Northern Ireland, with two brothers, the Connolly family ethos was to expand

After leaving school in 1980, the purchase of 80 acres and growing tatties on it was a sound decision as it enabled the Connolly family to pay off half their £130 000 investment the following year

Fred was the eldest and his brothers followed him home to farm So the acreage of tatties grew from 80 to 250acres all over the surrounding area

The 40 dairy cow herd expanded to 100 with milk quota purchased

“Buying land is always a learning curve, ” shared Fred “It’s not the bank that matters, it’s the banker who believes in you. ”

With a ‘ wee Scottish Granny’ from Glasgow, Fred had heard all about Alba, when he was growing up and was intrigued “I always wondered about Scotland, as the land was so much cheaper, but it seemed so far away ” But the seed was sown and in November 1996, when the brothers decided to go

their separate ways, Fred decided to buy Stenrieshill, a 600 acre stock farm at Wamphray, near Moffat and moved across the water with wife Sharon and two small children.

“Stenrieshill was run down and in poor heart when we bought it ” Over a seventeen year period Fred completely modernised the farm steading, erected cattle sheds and improved the soil fertility, increasing the value more than four-fold by 2013 Photographic evidence is at the bottom of page 26

While farming Strenrieshill, Foot & Mouth struck and the family lost their 300-cow suckler herd “It was like a death in the family The money received in compensation was taxable, so we changed to a different enterprise, then back into cows ”

At that juncture, Fred also had a short assured tenancy on Saughtrees, part of the Crown Estate, but a more secure 15 year tenancy came up on Crown Estates, Bridgemuir – near Lochmaben in 2006

“Bridgemuir is a good dry farm covering 355 acres bounded by Kinnel Water, the River Annan and the B7020, with only one neighbouring farm We kept it on when we decided to sell

Stenrieshill,”shared Fred

The Kingdom of Fife was the next destination for this progressive farming family – the acquisition of five hundred and sixty arable acres at Easter Kincaple, near St Andrews Links off the A91.

The property, which is all grade 2 and 3 land, ranging from sandy loam to heavy clay, had previously just been cropped with cereals and potatoes

“Growing crops in Fife was much easier than in the south west,” said Fred, who rented land out for potatoes and broccoli as a break crop for a couple of years

New sheds were built and old sheds were converted to cattle sheds Store cattle, numbering 1700-1800 a year, some had grazed and been wintered at Bridgemuir but were all brought up for finishing on grass and inside at Easter Kincaple – a first having livestock on this East coast property

Three years ago the opportunity arose to purchase Bridgemuir and the Connolly’s jumped at the chance and bought it.

Shortly after the purchase, of Bridgemuir they started contemplating selling up in Fife and finding one large farm in Scotland “It was over two and

a half hours from farm to farm and 124 miles door to door We would have sold Bridgemuir too if we had found the right property, but Allan Paterson from Threave Rural called me and said that the ideal farm was coming on the market and it was only five miles from Bridgemuir ”

Dalruscan, near Parkgate, Dumfries, is situated on a hill above the Barony College, on the Dumfries side, and covers some 560 acres of prime land The deal was sealed on Christmas Eve 2019 “It was the first time we were cash buyers, having sold Easter Kincaple just before ”

Since then Fred and his son James (27) have been flat out converting and adding to the farm buildings, doing as much of the prep work and concreting themselves to save costs Sharon in the meantime has had the farmhouse

re-plumbed; double-glazing inserted and revamped The work was done by Broatch Construction (their son-in-law)

A garage adjoining the house has been converted into a farm office and local company Advanced Aerials has installed TV points and cameras throughout the house, office and steading The resolution of the CCTV is the second to none

A new 200ft by 75ft purpose built cattle fattening shed, housing 500 and 1 1million slurry storage capacity has been erected on a green-field site adjacent to the original yard Sticking to their native roots Fred and James used many products and inventions from Irish companies in its construction; Woolsey concrete slats, Teemore Engineering’s adjustable gates, Cow Comfort mats and Biggar based BHC for the actual building

FARM FACTS

Farmer: Fred Connolly, farms in partnership with his wife Sharon and their son James

Farm: Dalruscan & Bridgemuir

Area: Dalruscan 400 acres owned rent 265 acres rented Bridgemuir 335acres owned

Business: A & S Connolly & Son

Location: Parkgate, Dumfries & Lochmaben

Cattle: Fattens 2000 cattle a year

Sheep: winter grazes lambs

Crops: 350 acres cereals, used in house

Other: £600 000 investment in new shed and updating older farm buildings

“My eye is my judge and my pocket is my master. That determines what I buy,” laughs Fred.

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Fred, who frequents markets at Stirling, Lanark and Dumfries. He also buys some privately.

His preferred breed is Aberdeen Angus and he buys as many as he can, “but I will buy anything as long as it is at the right price – but that doesn’t always happen!”

On arrival from the market, cattle are vaccinated for IBR and pneumonia with Bovilisl and dosed with Fasinex 240 and a wormer They are then sized and penned accordingly 1200 cattle are kept year round, with 2000 being finished per annum – on average 38 a week

“We grow 350-acres of cereals – barley and wheat with 100acres of that rented locally ”

The Dalruscan ration includes feed barley, bread from For Farmers, maize and KW moist supergrains The brewers grains, which are 27% protein are bought in e summer – and ensiled with whole beet pulp Minerals and yeast are procured from Britmilk

Cattle are grazed from early April until the end of October and are brought in when they are the right size for feeding. With muck and slurry aplenty, the grass was still growing in December!

Fred and James admit to being pretty much certified workaholics and do everything in-house, apart from hedge cutting and bruising They are currently looking for a full time man to lessen the load

James attended a block release, one week a month agricultural course at the Barony on leaving school “I obtained my sprayer and tele-handler licences there We covered First Aid, livestock transporting and practical skills ” He is now the on farm technical and computer whizz and has all the facts and figures at his fingertips on his phone

“The cattle are on farm for 163 days on average with 97% meeting market spec, weighing an average 362kg dwt,” James informed 56 7% were R grade, 38 3% graded U,” James informed

“This past year 21% were Aberdeen Angus, 67% Continental and 12% other breeds In 2020 the bought in heifers weighed 324kgs and the steers 362 7kgs,” added James, who works on the farm paperwork two nights a week

Most of the cattle are slaughtered at Scotbeef, hauled by Stewarts of Boness. In the past they have helped with promotions with supermarkets and celebrity chefs

Before moving to Dalruscan, the Connolly’s considered immigrating to New Zealand “PGG Wrightson’s organised a tour of 12 farms across both North and South Islands I was keen on the 2400 acre Bushey Park, near Palmerston South, but Sharon thought it was too isolated, being an hour from Dunedin, with some of that on gravel roads It was a beef, sheep and deer property, had a colonial house and two miles of beach.”

Bushey Park is one of Otago's most notable farms. It was home to one of the province's first Merino Studs, in 1861, and in 1871 six deer calves imported from

Scotland were kept on the farm to build up a hunting herd Over the years, stud

Corriedale sheep and Shorthorn cattle were also farmed at Bushey

Fred liked the thought of heading to farm in New Zealand, but in reality it frightened him that it was a one-way ticket.

“You can invest your money out there, but can’t take it all back. It was a great experience and I have brought some ideas home from there ”

But for the time being the Connolly family have settled in to Dalruscan and don’t see themselves moving anywhere else anytime soon!

Herefords Impress in Commercial Set-up

A chance purchase of a Hereford bull led to impressive results, with the breed now playing a key role both as a suckler cow and terminal sire at Faith Farms, Inverbervie.

It was a spur of the moment decision that led the Faith family to buy their first Hereford bull at a Stirling sale 10 years ago, but it’s one that they’ve been glad of ever since

Brothers Robert and Richard Faith farm in partnership with their parents William and Isabel, at Peattie Farm, Inverbervie, Aberdeenshire The Faiths made the move from Co Londonderry in Northern Ireland in 2003, trading in a few small farms across the water for this one larger unit, which has allowed them to focus on building an efficient, low input system.

The Faiths say: “When we were building up the cattle herd, we went to Stirling looking for an Angus bull to go onto continental heifers and ended up coming home with a Hereford We just really liked the look of the Panmure bull

and thought we’d give him a try

“Very quickly, we could see the difference in the calves We were really impressed with them; they were easy calving, with good growth rates ”

That decision paved the way for the system, which is in place today The suckler herd is made up of Hereford and Angus crosses, with heifers calving at two years old to the Angus, producing Black Baldy calves and the rest to the Hereford The best of the heifers are kept as replacements and everything else is finished at home.

The family says: “The Hereford crosses are perfect suckler cows being easily maintained, great temperaments, plenty of milk and all-round good mothers, which calve easily Compared to our original continental cattle, the cows are now smaller, easier fed, easier

FARM FACTS

Farmer: Richard & Robert Faith in partnership with their parents, William & Isabel

Interviewing: The Faith Family

Farm: Peattie Farm

Location: Inverbervie, Aberdeenshire

Area: 700 acres owned 200 acres rented

Cattle: 200 suckler cows

Sheep: 500 Easycare sheep

Crops: 300 acres crops: fodder beet, winter & spring barley & winter wheat

handled and more docile, but just as productive Our calving percentage is the same, but we can carry more cows on our land, so we get more calves per acre

“We are very selective when it comes to heifers being retained in the herd and cull hard anything that’s not producing as it should be Temperament plays a big part, along with length and depth of rib We’re looking for a good, solid foundation for a cow ”

Bulls are normally purchased at sales, with three Hereford and two Angus

bulls normally needed at any one time However, the lock-down this spring forced the family into a different style of buying, having turned to online shopping They bought Bennachie 1 Rooster from Ian Skea, through Aberdeen and Northern Marts, an April 2018-born son of the show-winning £9000 bull, Bennachie 1 Masterman, which they’re very pleased with The other purchase was the September 2017-born Richmount 1 Rockafella, the 2019 NI bull of the year, privately from James Graham in

by Lynsey Clark

Northern Ireland This three-year-old show winner, sired by Grousehall 1 Premier and out of Richmount 1 Lady Gaga, had stood out to the Faiths in photographs online, so when they heard he was for sale, they grabbed the chance to own him He was brought over by a haulier and picked up at Stirling by Robert

“With Rockafella, it was a risk for us, buying a bull that we hadn’t actually seen in the flesh, but we were really impressed with him from pictures and thought it was a risk worth taking. It’s certainly paid off; we ’ re delighted with him at home in the flesh and have recently had 40 heifers scanned in-calf to him, so we ’ re really looking forward to seeing the calves off him in the spring

“Although we ’ re a commercial herd, we do think that a good bull is always worth its money – a cheap bull can end up very expensive in the long-run In the time that we ’ ve been buying Hereford bulls, they’ve improved a lot, with better length and growth now We can’t imagine another breed doing as well for us and producing the same returns on our system ”

The majority of the herd (80 per cent)

calve in the spring, mainly inside, for management purposes, having been brought in through October and November, depending on the weather They calve from the beginning of March and are tagged and put back out to set grazing as quickly as the weather will allow

“We do have some back-end calvers, but we ’ re working towards having everything calve in the spring. The in-calf cows are very easily kept through the winter, on homegrown fodder beet, straw and a bit of silage, with straw-based bedding too Cows are bolused at the end of the year, which covers them through to the summer, for going back to the bull again

“On the whole, they are very easily calved, with very few assisted The Black Baldy calves are good, strong, square calves, easily finished and work well in our low input system ”

Bull calves were previously kept entire, but, again for ease of management, they are now all castrated, and the Faiths say they thrive just as well Calves are weaned around October and brought inside at that point, to be finished on silage and

homegrown cereal mix

“The majority of heifers and bullocks are finished from between 18-24 months, although some bullocks are away as young as 16 months We aim to get them away as quick as possible, at 350-380kg deadweight, through McIntosh Donald at Portlethen and they normally average R4 and U4 grades

“Prices are very strong at the moment, with the last batch of six a veraging just over £4 per kg or £1349 per head.”

A similar system works with the sheep Of the 500 Easycare ewes, half are put to Easycare tups for replacements and the rest go to Texel, Texel cross Suffolk and Charollais rams, with those lambs finished at home on minimal concentrates and sold through McIntosh Donald

The livestock system runs hand in hand with the arable on the farm

Winter barley is crimped in early July, and the Faiths bale and wrap straw for feeding cattle through the winter They then min-till in kale, for the ewes and lambs, and the ewes also graze on fodder beet

“We’re always looking to make best

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use of the land that we have and for the farm to be as profitable as possible – and we ’ re never too proud to make changes accordingly When we first came here, there was an established pig herd, which we took on and ran for around 13 years

“After making the decision to put the pigs away, we ’ ve been able to increase the cattle and sheep numbers and with livestock making better returns, we ’ ve recently reduced our arable acreage from 450 to 300 acres, to enable us to up the numbers further We’re planning to increase the ewes to 800 and keep a further 50 cows, ” they say

The philosophy at Faith Farms is to be as self-sufficient as possible, growing all their own cereals, straw and silage, with minimal input and labour costs. Herefords have played a big part in building such a future-proof system, which, they hope, will ready them for any volatility that may come with Brexit

“With all that’s been going on this year, we ’ ve been lucky that beef and lamb prices have remained so strong Who knows what the coming years will bring, but hopefully by improving efficiency on the farm and cutting back on input costs, we ’ ve done all we can to be prepared ”

Sales 2021

Tuesday 9 February

Dungannon Farmers’ Mart

Friday 5 March

Borderway Mart, Carlisle

Saturday 10 April

Shrewsbury Auction Centre

Tuesday 20 April

Dungannon Farmers’ Mart

investing in a dozen foundation females from the Peasley and Crownhead dispersals and what proved to be a good breeding heifer from the Goldie’s herd, we have grown by retaining females rather than buying in. It takes time but it’s the way we want to do it.”

That steady and selective build-up has also proved to be successful in bringing his Charolais herd to the fore, as Mike explains: “I have always really liked them and their performance is good – they are still the main terminal sire here in the North East. There is still a huge demand for them and they really can’t be beaten in the store ring. They’re also hard to beat as far as weight gain goes and there have been lots of improvements in calving where management is better and that makes them consistently attractive.

“For us, it’s taken a long time to build up the numbers because we are so selective. The main exhibiting we do is at sales so, in normal times, we are always working towards having everything at its peak for sale time.”

That peak has brought considerable success for Mike and his family, who also won the Charolais Society’s first Scottish large herd competition in 2011. In 2014, he realised a life-long ambition when he won his first Overall Championship at Stirling with the home-bred Elrick Malt sired by the 16 000gn co-owned Thrunton Fearless.

Elrick Malt sold for 8500gn to a commercial herd in Aberdeenshire where his results are reportedly excellent.

Last February, at Stirling, Mike was delighted to achieve his highest ever price at 25 000gn, selling to Sportsmans Herd for the Reserve Overall, Elrick Outlaw by the impressive French import Maerdy Gouvernor. The Coolnaslee herd form Northern Ireland also invested 15 000gns for Elrick Oxygen. At the same sale, Mike lifted the prize for the best group of three – by the same sire – bringing his first win in that section of the competition and achieving an average of 14 500gn. He also lifted the Harman award for the most genetic improvement. The year 2020 saw, another Maerdy Gouvernor son – Elrick Paragon – sell for 15 000gn as a yearling bull to the Balthayock herd in Perth, owned by Major David Walter and managed by Davie and Tracey Nicol. Elrick Paragon was out of the Thrunton Fearless-sired Elrick Jossie.

Other notable successes include the Stirling sale at 17 000gn of Elrick Highlander in October 2013. Sired by Maerdy Dublin, he went to a fellow pedigree herd – Midlock – at Biggar.

Mike has also been able to put expertise and knowledge to good use as a judge and he has been in the decision-making role during prestigious events at Stirling and Carlisle in the

past. He hopes to judge at the Royal Highland Show and Great Yorkshire Show this year, Covid-19 restrictions notwithstanding.

Those restrictions, however, do not prevent Mike from looking ahead to a time when shows and sales return to their traditional format. He adds: “Life on the farm has continued as it always does, but being able to get out and about to shows and sales is something I, like many others, miss. Fortunately for us, some private and online selling has been possible during these unusual times and that has been achieved on the back of the reputation we have built in the showring. Buyers have enough confidence in what we produce to buy in that way, but live events remain very important in setting the price and taking forward good animals.”

He adds: “Farmers often work in a very isolated way so these are also important social events where you can meet and interact with people from all over the country who share a common interest and that’s very valuable.”

Looking ahead to the future of the Elrick herds, Mike notes: “It’s crucial to evolve a herd in step with what the market wants – you can’t take your eye off that ball. You have to stay on top of things and be relevant to the market. I’m always looking for the next stock bull and hoping he will be as good, or better, than the last one.”

MUSHROOMING OPPORTUNITIES

Farmers in the South of Scotland are being encouraged to look at novel crops such as mushrooms, cut flowers and cannabis.

Medicinal cannabis, mushrooms and cut flowers are among three alternative crops, which could be grown successfully in the South of Scotland, a new report published by SRUC has revealed.

Farmers in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway diversifying from the traditional land uses of beef, sheep, arable and forestry, could also move into producing bark for tannin extraction, sugar beet or ancient cereals, which have higher protein and fibre and less gluten.

The report, written by Anna Sellars, Rural Business Consultant with SAC Consulting – part of SRUC and Professor Dave Roberts, Head of Agriculture and Business Management in SRUC’s South and West Faculty, highlights some of the key opportunities for alternative crops in the South of Scotland, including the availability and suitability of land, and the processing facilities and market conditions needed to foster their development.

Funded by the South of Scotland Economic Partnership (SOSEP) for the new South of Scotland Enterprise agency (SOSE), the study includes a set of ten factsheets with advice for producers on novel crops with the most potential for successful growing and marketing.

It also provides decision support tools to help growers evaluate the potential market for alternative crops and the potential yield given their growing conditions and links to existing technical and market information on production of these crops.

With post-Brexit trade arrangements challenging the status quo of current food supply chains, mushrooms –which have largely been produced in Europe –could instead be grown in Scotland, which has a comparable growing environment to Ireland.

Medicinal cannabis, which is now prescribed by the NHS for various conditions such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis and opium poppies, whose seedpods contain codeine and morphine among other substances, both offer opportunities to expand pharmaceutical crop production in the UK.

Consumers are increasingly interested in the sustainability and provenance of what they buy, but although flowers such as roses, lilies, tulips, daffodils and sunflowers can be grown in the UK, currently 86 per cent of cut flowers are imported. These, together with freesia, iris, delphiniums, pinks, carnations, chrysanthemums and peonies, have recently seen a resurgence in popularity, offering another opportunity for farmers.

Other crops include nutraceuticals –products used as nutritional supplements, food additives or in alternative medicines and therapies; energy and fibre crops such as hemp, miscanthus and reed canary grass; soft fruits; and short rotation forestry crops.

Professor Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of South of SOSE, said: “We welcome the findings of this SRUC report. The South of Scotland has a wide range of topography, weather conditions and soil types. While typical land uses have long

been beef, sheep, arable and forestry; changing markets and subsidy systems, environmental change and technological advancement in production has shown an increasing potential for assessing the viability of growing alternative crops in the South of Scotland.

“The report shows that medicinal cannabis is among the alternative crops, which could be grown successfully in the South of Scotland. This ties in with SOSE’s recent announcement of support to Hilltop Leaf Limited, a private medicinal cannabis cultivation and extraction business, which aims to provide an alternative plant-based clinical treatment to synthetic pharmaceuticals in the South of Scotland.”

Anna Sellars said: “The full range of alternative crops is massive –for example there are over 300 species of clover alone –and new methods of agronomy and processing are enabling more crops to reach market viability, such as the first UK lentil harvest in 2018.

“From consultation with stake holders, the project has selected a small number of alternative crops considered to be of most interest and potential for the South of Scotland, and in the report we provide an overview of the opportunities, steps for further development, and appraisals for each of the crops.”

To view the report and access the factsheets, visit: www.sruc.ac.uk/ LandUseReport

New Brassica Trials to Help Reduce Food Waste

New treatments are being tested by AHDB to help reduce the number of cabbages lost in storage from diseases caused by extreme wet weather. Up to 50% of the harvested crop can be lost.

The trials were set up by AHDB in response to concerns raised by the Brassica Growers Association. The aim is to find alternative storage treatments to prevent disease and the results of the trials will be shared with the industry in summer 2021.

The annual value of cabbages lost in storage in the UK due to disease can be around £4.5m.

James Rome, Agronomist at East of Scotland Growers, said: “In a wet harvest year like 2019, wastage levels can be in excess of 50% amongst long-term stored white cabbage due to Botrytis and Phytophthora.

“AHDB trials to find alternative storage treatments to reduce wastage are essential to the long term economic success of this crop in the UK.”

Dawn Teverson, AHDB Knowledge

Due to Covid restrictions the Castle Douglas Sale is rescheduled from Friday 12th February 2021 to Saturday 6th March 2021.

The sale will be livestreamed with an online bidding facility and the final programme of events will be available nearer the time.

Carlisle Sale to be held on Friday 5th March, 2021.

Please see our Web Site and Facebook pages for more details

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Exchange Manager said: “This research is part of our work with our Strategic Centre for Field Vegetables where, through discussion with growers, we set up trials in rapid response to critical issues facing the industry.

“We previously secured Serenade ASO, a bioprotectant, through our SCEPTREplus programme, which is a useful product to prevent losses in storage for ‘normal’ seasons. But the extreme disease pressure last season means we now need to look at additional options for growers.”

The trials are taking place in Lincolnshire and ten different treatments are being tested. The crop went into storage in late November and will be assessed in April/May 2021.

Simon Jackson, Specialist Agronomist at the Allium & Brassica Centre, who is leading the trials, said: “The loss of iprodione in 2018 and metalaxyl-m in 2019 as post-harvest drenches proved devastating to the UK storage cabbage industry last season.

“The Allium & Brassica Centre are

excited to be involved in research to look at alternative storage strategies. Previous research undertaken by us under the AHDB SCEPTREplus programme should lead to a new post-harvest treatment being approved in time for the autumn 2021 harvest.”

AHDB’s SCEPTREplus programme aims to support the approval of sustainable plant protection products and develop integrated pest management programmes for key pest, weeds and diseases on horticultural crops.

For further information about the trials and the Strategic Centres for Field Vegetables, visit ahdb.org.uk/farm -excellence/strategic-centre-for-field -vegetables-brassicas

In 2020, trials were conducted to look at how to prevent downy mildew in cauliflower, weed control and the impact of bio-stimulants on growth at AHDB’s new Strategic Centre for Field Vegetables – Brassicas hosted by East of Scotland Growers in Fife, Scotland.

Five Tractors Launched in Massey Ferguson’s Brand New 5S Series

MASSEY Ferguson has just unwrapped a brand new series of tractors ranging from 105hp to 145hp suitable for most farm types

Available with three different specification options the new MF 5S Series models are: MF 5S.105, MF 5S.115, MF 5S.125, MF 5S.135, MF 5S.145, with the last three numbers referring to the power of that model

Under the hood this latest tractor series is powered by AGCO Power 4 4 litre four-cylinder engines and come with a number of new features and the latest in-cab technology

The three specification packages for each model are Essential, Efficient or Exclusive, which include a range of performance and comfort enhancing features to suit a range of applications

Exclusive models are ‘fully loaded’ including, among other options, 110 litre/min hydraulics with up to eight electric spool valves, hydraulic joystick, Multipad control, AutoDrive transmission, auto air-con, cab suspension, Superluxe air suspended seat and Datatronic 5 touch-screen terminal.

by Chris McCullough

Efficient specification is similar, but has two electric and two mechanical spools at the rear, standard air-con and an air-suspended seat, while the Datatronic 5 terminal becomes an option

Essential models switch to using a T-lever gear control in place of the Multipad, with the hydraulic joystick an option and AutoDrive replaced by Speedmatching on the Dyna-4 transmission It has a 58 litre/min hydraulic pump and two rear mechanical spool valves, up to four as an option

Po wer Wit h Ec onomy

Latest AGCO Power 4.4 litre, four-cylinder engines meet Stage V emissions regulations with straight forward MF All-in-One technology

Developed by AGCO Power, it contains the SCR system, DOC and soot catalyst in one compact unit, all neatly housed under the cab, maintaining the industry-leading forward visibility over the low, slim bonnet

Longer service intervals now extend oil and fuel filter changes to 600hr, which further helps reduce running costs

All MF 5S Series tractors are available with a choice of Massey Ferguson’s 16x16 speed, Dyna-4 or 24x24 Dyna-6, semi-powershift transmissions. Highly efficient and easy to use, both come with the useful Brake-to-Neutral function. Creeper gears are an option on all models, offering speeds down to 70m/hr with 34” tyres or 80m/hr on 38” tyres.

Perfect loader tractor

A new, stronger suspended front axle offers a 4m turning radius. Working with the new 3t capacity front linkage, which can now lift an extra 500kg, it helps improve efficiency, enabling the tractors to use larger front-mounted equipment.

Extra comfort is offered by the electronically-controlled hydraulic suspension, which uses two longer stroke cylinders and three accumulators to absorb shocks.

Redesigned to handle heavier loads, three-point linkage lift capacity is increased to 5700kg, which is 7% more than its predecessor. In certain circumstances, it can lift up to 6000kg.

SMART T ECH

With excellent visibility over the slim, steep nosed bonnet and efficient high-flow hydraulics the new MF5S is a perfect loader tractor with operations made easy using the transmission controls as well as Brake-to-Neutral and joystick. Visio roof options also provide a clear view of the attachment through the whole lifting range.

As well as being supplied loader ready, the MF 5S is available complete with a factory-fitted loader. A new quick coupler now connects both the hydraulics and electrics together, which eases attaching and removing the loader in the farmyard or field.

MF Connect telemetry is an option on all MF 5S Series, allowing users to monitor their entire machinery fleet, showing the machines’ current positions, routes travelled as well as a range of operating information.

Datatronic 5 offers intuitive operation and is standard on Exclusive models and an option on others. This ISOBUS compatible touch-screen operator information station monitors all the tractor functions and controls any ISOBUS compliant implement.

MF 5S SERIES KEY FEATURE S

All the elements in the MF Technologies/Smart Farming Suite run through Datatronic 5. These include MF Guide automatic steering, as well as MF Section Control and MF Rate Control, which can now handle up to 36 sections and five products. Datatronic 5 is pre-installed with MF TaskDoc software to create field records, as applied maps, log fuel use, make job reports as well as keep an accurate account of all inputs to every hectare.

Further easing operations is MF TaskDoc Pro that enables this data to be transferred, via Agrirouter, to the user’s farm management software or Next Machinery Management. Alternatively these functions can also be controlled on an optional Fieldstar 5 touch-screen terminal.

Francesco Murro, director of marketing, Massey Ferguson Europe & Middle East, said: “The versatile MF 5S Series combine high performance, comfort and agility with best in class visibility and special features that make them the ultimate loader tractors.

“True multi-purpose tractors, the MF 5S Series offers the right choice of power and specifications to suit all applications. Building on the success of the MF 5700 S Series, these modern tractors deliver straightforward

operation and enhanced features with low ownership costs.

“The MF 5S blends together the compact dimensions required by livestock and mixed farmers with the performance and power needed for arable work,” he added.

• Straightforward choice of three specifications – Essential, Efficient and Exclusive to meet all requirements and different applications. Further options tailor tractors to specific needs

• A new factory-fitted loader specification includes a wide range of features to enhance ease of fitting, operation and control

• Industry-leading visibility and manoeuvrability

• Quiet, cooler cab improves operator comfort, with new ergonomic armrest and controls and suspension options

• Latest AGCO Power 4.4 litre, four cylinder engine meets Stage V emissions regulations with straightforward ‘ All-In-One’ technology designed for the life of the tractor. Optimised airflow improves cooling along with a new reversible fan option

• Choice of renowned Dyna-4 or Dyna-6 transmissions with standard Brake-to-Neutral functions and Speedmatching or AutoDrive automatic changing options

• New higher capacity suspended front axle design

• Stronger three-point linkage provides 5700kg lift capacity across the range, while the optional front linkage handles up to 3000kg. Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) increased to 9500kg

• New intuitive Datatronic 5 and Fieldstar 5 touch-screen terminals with Smart Farming technology helps optimise operations and improve accuracy and profit

THE SECTOR BENCHMARK

Advanced, economical engine sets power and torque

PROVEN EFFICIENT TRANSMISSIONS

With fully automatic shifting and Brake-to-Neutral

THE BEST-IN-CLASS VISIBILITY

Down to just 4m ahead of the tractor

UNRIVALLED MANOEUVRABILITY

Tight 4m turning radius

With continual focus on improving the environment JCB has just launched its first ever – electric Loadall adding to the growing list of the UK manufacturer’s zero emissions machines.

It’s been over 43 years since JCB first pioneered the concept of telescopic handlers, but now the new electric 525-60E has been unveiled marking another step in the history of this popular telehandler.

Designed to deliver the same performance as the conventional diesel-powered machine, the 525-60E offers a zero-emissions load handling solution for use in agriculture and commercial horticulture, as well as for groundscare, landscaping, construction and industrial applications.

The 525-60E uses two proven electric motors, one for the driveline and the second to power the hydraulic system. The 17kW traction motor drives through a permanent four-wheel drive dropbox, to proven JCB drive/steer axles.

The 22kW hydraulic system motor powers a fixed displacement gear pump, delivering a maximum 80 litres/min of flow. Flow is proportional to joystick position and the lift end is controlled by an electro-hydraulic valve block, with hydraulic regeneration on boom lower and retract.

The electric motors are 85% efficient, which compares well with the 45% efficiency of a diesel engine. Extensive analysis of customer duty cycles, through JCB’s LiveLink telematics

JCB Launches Inaugural Electric Loadall

system and on-site studies, tests and evaluation, has allowed JCB engineers to optimise the machine’s battery to meet customer requirements. The 96V Lithium-ion battery is capable of providing full-shift operation.

The traction drive motor utilises regenerative braking, instead of a traditional braking system, topping up the battery in the process. The hydraulic system also regenerates flow whilst lowering the boom, reducing the power requirement and extending operating hours. The brake regen function automatically turns off when the battery is fully charged.

The machine has the same on-board charger as other JCB E-TECH products, capable of recharging the battery in eight hours using a standard 240V, 16A electrical supply. An optional JCB Universal charger can be used for a rapid top-up during breaks, in as little as 35 minutes.

JCB chief innovation officer Tim Burnhope said: “JCB has taken a pioneering lead in the move to electric propulsion in construction, agricultural and industrial machinery, having successfully introduced the 19C-1E mini excavator and the 30-19E Teletruk to the market.

“As world market leader for telescopic handlers, the launch of the JCB 525-60E Loadall takes equipment electrification further into general construction, industrial and agricultural markets, offering a zero emissions load handling solution with no compromise in performance or productivity. We are very excited about the prospects for this machine.”

The 525-60E has been designed to meet the current and future needs of customers in a variety of industry sectors, providing zero-emissions operation for working inside livestock buildings, crop grading and storage sheds, glasshouses and polytunnels, while also complementing the growing use of battery powered professional groundscare machinery used by golf courses and specialist contractors. In addition, the new telehandler can draw

by Chris McCullough

on low-cost renewable energy on farms and other rural enterprises that generate their own ‘green’ electricity.

A secondary benefit of electric operation is a significant reduction in noise levels, making the Loadall an attractive machine for operators behind the wheel, as well as for use in situations when working close to other people, such as in vegetable grading sheds and glasshouses.

The 525-60E delivers an in-cab noise level of just 66.7dB, while the external level is 92.2dB. A white noise reversing alarm is available as an option, to warn site workers of machine movement.

JCB has not compromised on operator comfort. The full-size ROPS/ FOPS cab is well laid out and designed for fatigue-free operation, with easily located controls.

The fully glazed cab has a 2.2kW heater, heated front, rear and side screens for rapid defrosting and demisting and a heated suspension seat, ensuring the operator is comfortable regardless of outside temperature. The 525-60E also uses JCB’s well-proven and patented Load Control System, ensuring optimum safe load handling.

External dimensions are unchanged from the diesel model and the 525-60E offers the same 3.7m outside turn radius. Maximum lift capacity is 2500kg, with a 2000kg maximum load at the full six-metre lift height.

The machine has been designed to deliver similar cycle times as the diesel telescopic, with no loss of performance. It can be used with forks, a range of buckets and many other JCB Loadall attachments.

Key features of the new Loadall include:

•Dual electric motors for drive and lift deliver increased efficiency

• Brake regeneration boosts battery charge

• Regenerative hydraulics increase efficiency

• Full shift operation capability

• Range of charging options, including on-board and rapid charging

Running the wrong pressures in a set of tyres can be damaging to soil, crops and the tyres themselves.

New technology may be everywhere in agricultural machinery itself but it’s not often found in tyres. For the first time in the UK a self-propelled sprayer has been fitted with a new tyre that hosts the latest sensor technology to help monitor tyre pressure and its temperature.

The Continental VF tyres have been fitted to a SAM Horizon 4000 self-propelled sprayer on a farm in Norfolk.

Continental agricultural tyre specialist Richard Hutchins said: “This is the first time the new VF tyres with pressure sensors have been fitted to a sprayer in the UK and we hope that other sprayer operators will want to introduce this technology to help reduce soil compaction.”

The new system, ContiPressure Check, monitors the pressure and temperature of tyres to provide the operator with the information to prevent tyre related issues such as under inflation or overloading.

Mr Hutchins added: “VF tyres with sensors are the future for farming. On the road these tyres enable the vehicle to

carry forty percent more load than a standard tyre at the same pressure.

“Alternatively, in the field, the pressure of VF tyres can be lowered by forty percent compared to standard tyres, even when carrying the same load. This spreads the weight of the vehicle over a larger surface area and reduces soil compaction,” he said.

James Goodley who runs an arable farm in Norfolk, owns the sprayer. The tyres are helping him to adapt his farming methods as part of a move to a zero till system. James said: “I want my sprayer tyre pressures as low as possible to maximise the footprint and minimise

New Intelligent Tyres with Sensors Fitted to Sprayer in UK First

compaction. My concern has always been to not run them too low, and that is where the tyre monitor comes in, because it can tell the operator if the pressure is safe and correct.”

The Continental VF TractorMaster 600/60R30 162D/159E tyres are part of a larger range that is now available in the UK.

“Demands to reduce the impact of heavy machinery on our soil are being met with new technology. Our hope is that others will choose to invest, in the way that Mr Goodley has, to help improve farming methods in the future,” concluded Mr Hutchins.

Efficient use of Straw Necessary This Winter

Ashortage of straw across the country has left many livestock farmers wondering how to make the best use of their available stocks this winter.

Paul Mardell, technical manager at Carr’s Billington encourages farmers to consider how they can make straw go further. “This year is all about preserving stocks. One way this can be achieved is using mechanised straw spreaders for bedding down, as opposed to manual spreading, which can help reduce straw usage by up to 50%.

“Using these machines means you don’t have to commit to using a whole bale to keep cattle clean and content and those, such as the Teagle Tomahawk, which chop and blow bales, produce a fluffier bedding layer that is more absorbent and stays in good shape for longer.

“Altogether, the result is that less straw is consumed through the housing period,” explains Mr Mardell.

“However, it’s worth thinking about the condition of your straw spreader when eking out tight supplies. The contrast between a well-used machine and one in tip-top condition can be an extra 15ft in the distance that the straw is blown and a third off the time taken to get the job done,” he adds.

“Machines with a dual chop facility that produce a finer cut have a role in making efficient use of straw in cattle diets too.

“Pre-chopped straw loaded into a diet mixer incorporates into the ration more easily and consistently than dropping in a whole bale. The short straw length is also increasingly recognised as the way to go in using the feed material to stimulate rumen

function and improving nutritional value,” says Mr Mardell.

He notes that less costly investments that will make your bales go further include ensuring housing is watertight and well ventilated to sustain dry bedding conditions, while a diet that firms up loose muck will also reduce straw consumption.

“Avoiding overstocking by optimising growth rates to reduce time animals are on the farm, culling cows with health or poor production issues and minimising movement between different groups to minimise aggressive or disruptive behaviour that churns up the bedding are other techniques that could be considered.

“Dressing the clean straw layer little and often is generally the best approach and modern machinery helps to do that,” concludes Mr Mardell.

Trioliet Unveil new Triotrac M

Self-propelled Feed Mixer

With labour availability on farms a major issue these days farmers are switching to new technology to fill the void particularly so when it comes to feeding livestock

With this in mind, Dutch feeding machinery manufacturer Trioliet has just launched its latest high tech self-propelled diet feeder, the Triotrac M

The main advantage of a self-propelled feed mixer is that it is actually a four-in-one machine carrying out the loading, mixing, transport and dispensing by the one unit and one operator saving time and labour

If a farmer uses a trailed feed mixer he or she also requires a tractor, shovel, telescopic handler or tractor with front-end loader along with a silage extraction system.

Powered by a diesel engine the new Triotrac M, has a 14m3 load capacity and incorporates one vertical auger and a cutting-loading system with rotor to load the feed into the mixing tub

by Chris McCullough

This unique system ensures that the feed is processed cleanly and without losing any during the loading process. The Triotrac M can extract silage from the storage pits at heights of up to 4 5 metres

As it is a compact machine, the Trotrac M is extremely agile, making it suitable for low buildings in cramped yards

Trioliet says the Triotrac M can be fitted with a cross conveyor belt at the rear or discharge doors on both sides It can process round or square bales, loose by-products, mineral feed and even fodder beet or potatoes

The loading arm pushes the feed into the mixing tub via the loading platform, where the built-in weighing system calculates the quantity of feed in the mixing tub and therefore knows immediately how much has been loaded

The rotor transports the feed to the mixing tub, where the mixing auger

mixes the feed in the same direction. Once the feed is in the mixing tub, it is cut to a smaller size (as required) by the Trioform auger knives and mixed into a uniform ration

Referring to the operator ’ s comfort, the spacious cabin’s height can be adjusted to ensure it is always optimal

A single joystick on the armrest is used to control the machine and all the settings for loading, mixing and discharging the feed can be adjusted with this joystick

For the Triotrac M, the diesel engine is located at the rear of the machine, ensuring it is easily accessible for maintenance

The machine has a small turning circle paired with four-wheel steering, which makes the Triotrac M especially easy to manoeuvre between the livestock houses and the silos.

It can travel at speeds up to 35km per hour and has a hydraulic front axle suspension for greater operator comfort

by Chris McCullough

Sark leads the charge with first electric tractor in GB

THE tiny island of Sark has become the first customer in Great Britain to purchase an all-electric tractor for use on La Seigneurie estate.

Sark is the fourth smallest of the Channel Islands and nestles in the English Channel just off the Normandy coast. It is famous for having no cars on its roads and tractors are the preferred mode of transport.

However, with the advances in technology, Major Christopher Beaumont, the 23rd Seigneur of Sark, has become the first customer in Great Britain to purchase an all-electric tractor.

After trawling many websites researching electric tractors Christopher found the Farmtrac 25G model powered by a 21 kWh battery.

Made in India, this unique tractor has all-wheel drive, and can work for six to seven hours before needing recharged for five hours from a normal domestic electric socket.

Zero emissions, oil-immersed brakes, power steering and position control hydraulic linkage are also part the features on the Farmtrac 25G.

Christopher bought the tractor from the Farmtrac UK distributer, Reesink Agriculture UK Ltd.

He said: “I decided to purchase this model because I think it’s the only one available at the moment. I certainly couldn't find any alternatives. It was featured on TV, which is how it came to my attention.

“I was looking for a small estate machine and as we had recently made the leap to come off our grid, which currently costs 56p/unit, it seemed to be a natural progression to keep pushing the green agenda.

“Someone has to take the first steps and we were in the market, so it seemed sensible to be seen to be leading from the front. I have also been banging on about renewable energy publicly for some time, so it seemed right to be doing what I had been preaching,” he said.

Christopher plans to use solar energy created on the island from his own solar panels to charge the tractor, which he wants to use on his own estate.

“Sark certainly has enough sunshine

to create the energy, but I might need to increase the number of solar panels I have to collect it. On a normal day here in mid-Winter my system collects 16kWh, even with the sun being low.

“In the summer the system can be making more than 45kWh per day, easily enough to fill the 21kWh battery,” he said.

On La Seigneurie estate, Christopher has lined up a number of jobs for the new electric tractor once it arrives from the distributor via Guernsey Island.

“It will be used for estate management work including mowing, moving things, topping grass and log-splitting I also hope to get a front loader for it making it even more versatile.

“I had been looking at the possibility of an electric quad-bike instead but they simply do not have the utility that comes with a tractor such as the universal utility of PTO at the rear and centre of the machine, and the standard three point linkage at the rear,” concluded Christopher.

Whitehead Smashes Womens

Tipping the scales at just 60kg, standing just 1 7m tall and shearing and despatching the average 34-36kg lambs at an average of less than 50 seconds each, 24-year-old Megan Whitehead was chasing the previous record of 644 set in 2007 by Waikato shearer Emily Welch

Welch and fellow female shearing legend Jills Angus Burney, who first established the record with 541 in 1989, were both among the hundreds who urged the new star on during the day, in temperatures rising close to 30deg late in the day But perhaps the highest accolades came from one who wasn't there – World Shearing great – Sir David Fagan, who watched live-streaming at his home in Te Kuiti

Reaching for the superlatives, Sir

David said the lambs weren't small and it was a superb effort for Team Whitehead, with the lady on the board at a young age with the shearing World at her feet.

Sir David Fagan was the first male to shear over 700 lambs in an official World Shearing Records Society nine-hour record He shore 748 in 1985 and added over 100 to a previous men's record of 626 He predicts Whitehead will one-day be the first woman to shear more than 700

Speaking from Te Kuiti mid afternoon, with a new record imminent, Sir David said: "She's going to break it And if anyone's going to break it again, it'll be her "

Having exposed her potential when shearing 608 during a four-stand

women's record in January last year, Whitehead was ahead of the required pace of at least 72 an hour from the start, shearing 153 in the first two hours from 5am to breakfast – already nine ahead of the 144 that Welch opened her big day 13 years ago

She then backed-it up with successive 1hr 45min runs of 132, 126, 125 and 125, hitting the goal amid rapturous applause about with just under 10 minutes to go to knock-off at 5pm

Welch had shorn runs of 144, 125, 123, 127 and 129 when she did her record 31 years ago Angus Burney shore runs of 128, 105, 105, 103 and 100, and remembers thinking that with the wave of women starting to work and compete as shearers a tally over 700 would not be beyond reach

An Aberdeenshire businessman ended 2020 on a high note by announcing the launch of a new business venture.

Investment worth in excess of £170 000 enabled the establishment of the Fordoun-based Grampian Trailer Centre Scotland, which stocks top quality Cheval Liberte horse trailers, Debon box trailers including motorcycle trailers and Wessex general-purpose trailers. Offering features such as Pullman suspension, onboard tack rooms and front unloading ramps the sleek Cheval Liberte range is designed to offer the smoothest journey possible, and early demand from equestrian customers has already sparked the decision to add three new models in 2021.

Trailer Blazing

Meanwhile Grampian Trailer Centre Scotland’s Debon box trailers feature a unique two-in-one door, which can open horizontally or vertically. UK-built, covered or mesh sided general-purpose trailers from Wessex complete the current portfolio and there are plans to add plant trailers to the range in 2021.

With enquiry levels already ahead of expectations, the creation of the new business is giving cause for added optimism at the end of a challenging year for founder Ruari McLachlan who also heads inshore workboat operator McLachlan Marine from the same site.

Commenting on the launch of the Grampian Trailer Centre Scotland, Ruari McLachlan said: “Through sister company McLachlan Marine, we already have a lot of experience in

selling boat trailers across many years so this was a natural progression for our business and an important diversification at the end of a turbulent year. Our existing headquarters at the old airfield at Fordoun give us an abundance of space from which to operate – not only are we able to display our wide range of trailers across a quarter of an acre but we can also let clients try them out to make sure they are buying exactly what they need.

“Another huge bonus is that we will be able to stock more than 30 trailers at any given time, meaning that people can drive away with their trailer on the day of purchase rather than waiting through frustrating and long manufacture lead-times.”

www.grampiantrailercentre.com

World Record - 661 in 9 hours

There was a huge support crew, headed by father Quentin Whitehead who monitored the clock closely throughout as his daughter worked alone on the Grant Brother's shearing board at Croydon Bush, north of Gore Former National Circuit Champion, 2017 World Teams Champion, multiple New Zealand Team Member and fellow Southland shearer Nathan Stratford took care of the shearing gear, with Whitehead changed cutters every quarter-hour and combs at at least one each run

Despite attending almost every record attempt since her own successes, Angus Burney, now a barrister, was in awe as much of the shearing as with the attention to strategic detail That included the breeding of a line of

Snowline over Romney and planning through the Covid-19 dilemma to enable the required overseas judge to be able to adjudicate via an AVL feed.

The judge, Mark Baldwin, watching from his bus company office in Tocumwal, NSW, Australia, was one of four judges appointed by the World Shearing Records Society to ensure the quality of the shear and that all rules were adhered to, including an average of over 0 9kg of wool per lamb as assessed when a sample of 20 lambs produced 21kg on Wednesday

While the athleticism of Whitehead impressed and amazed throughout, it was not all plain-sailing The record could have been higher, but for judging rejection of at least three lambs during the day, although the quality generally

was reported to be of a high standard Quentin Whitehead, who like record-breaker's mother Tina McColl was a shearer, estimated 70 people were in the crew, both in the woolshed and other roles It also took substantial sponsorship and a big financial input, starting with a fee of $US2500 to the records society

It was the second women's solo lambs record in just over 13 months, with Canadian shearer Pauline Bolay having shorn 510 in eight hours in a day masterminded by now shearing contractor Welch in December 2019

The men's nine hours strongwool record is 867, set by Irish shearer Ivan Scott in England in mid-2016, breaking by one a record held by Hawke's Bay shearer Dion King for about nine years

Sno w in the Deser t

On the foot of Mount Moses in the Sinai Desert of Egypt, Bedouins tend their gardens with knowledge from Byzantine times. The irrigation water comes from springs, which regenerate from melting snow.

by Petra Jacob

The green patches and greenhouses shimmering in the desert look quite surreal. “We tap into underground water sources,” reveals the young man in a red-brown robe. Salem El Hinaney is a Bedouin and runs an orchard and vegetable garden with his father on the outskirts of St. Catherine in the South of the Sinai Peninsula. He sits in the shade, under a roof of palm branches and drinks a cup of sage tea. It is November and the temperatures are still hot. “In summer, we have 50 qqqdegrees and more here,” admits Salem.

His garden looks like a large sandpit. Trees and plants stick out of the barren sand. In the winter months it is time to harvest figs, almonds, apples, pomegranates and quinces, also herbs such as spearmint, mint and rosemary –and sage for Salem's tea. He proudly points to a tree, hanging full of olive fruits. An olive tree has been grafted to a hawthorn. On another tree, quinces and almonds grow on the same branches.

The establishing of gardens and the knowledge of, for example, grafting up to three different types of fruits onto one tree, goes back to the Byzantine times. When thousands of hermits, monks and settlers moved from the Mediterranean region to Southern Sinai. In the 6th century, it was the Byzantine emperor Justinian, who was the founder of the famous St. Catherine Monastery at the foot of what is now Mount Moses. It was set up for Sinai pilgrims to find shelter and accommodation. To this day Bedouins from the Djebillan tribe live around the monastery, their ancestors immigrated from southeastern Europe

(today's Macedonia) in the 6th century. They were originally Christians, but later converted to Islam, the predominant religion in Egypt today. Through marriage they have mixed with the Bedouin tribes of Sinai.

In Egypt the Bedouins are referred to as the 'true sons and daughters' of the desert. They live almost exclusively on the Sinai Peninsula and are divided into family lines, so-called tribes. Some live on the coast from tourism and fishing, others wander through the desert with their goats and sheep in search of food and water. Only the Djebillan Bedouins made it their task, in addition to looking after their goat herds, to establish desert gardens. They obtained the knowledge and ideas through their special relationship with St. Catherine's Monastery and its monks. Many Bedouins still work in the monastery and its gardens today.

The Sinai is best known for its herbs. In South Sinai alone there are 472 different medicinal and aromatic herbs. They are grow in the greenhouses of St. Catherine for marketing in the Egyptian capital Cairo or on the coast with its many hotels. The main herbs are oregano, rosemary, mint, myrrh, and sage. Many of the herbs are also grown in mountain gardens.

St. Catherine lies on a 1600 m high plateau, surrounded by rugged mountains, which in turn are criss-crossed by valleys. Along these arid valleys there are hundreds of. often ancient, gardens.

Typically, the gardens are surrounded by high stone walls. These walls protect from animals, like goats and from flash floods in the winter. “Three to four

times every year it rains really hard in winter,” says Salem El Hinaney. It can rain four to ten times more than anywhere else in the country. Sometimes it can rain so hard, that a year's worth of rain can fall in just a few hours. Since 75 to 85% of the Sinai region consists of red granite rock, the water flows off very quickly. Through these torrential rains, torrents are formed in the valleys and gorges. To make good use of these occasional masses of water, the gardens are laid out in the valleys, these are so to speak dry river beds for the rest of the year. The water flows into the gardens via canals and what is not needed into tanks. The rest seeps into the sand and fills the underground springs. In the mountains these springs are 6 to 7 m deep, down in St. Catherine 15 to 20 m deep.

Another important water source is the melting snow. "Many of the mountains here are over 2000m high and it can get very cold in winter and even snow," explains Salem. Garden owners in the mountains prefer snow to heavy rainfall, because snow seeps into the ground slowly, replenishing the underground water sources. Garden owners rely on it for most of the year, when it is hot and dry.

“You won't find this type of garden anywhere else in Egypt,” says Zoltan Matrahazi. “A lot grows here that is virtually unknown in the rest of Egypt, like almonds, apples, peaches and plums.” Zoltan mapped hiking trails for an EU development aid project and trained local hiking guides to make the gardens accessible to tourism. He made it his mission to bring these valuable gardens to the public and wrote the book

“Sinai Gardens.”

Mountain guides Abdul El Mineme and Mohammed Saed Saleh lead the way in search of these – for outsiders –hidden gardens. From a hill behind St. Catherine the first breathtaking views into this magnificant mountain landscape unfold. “St. Catherine Protectorate,” is a nature reserve and with 4300 km² territory covers the entire mountain range of the South Sinai. In it's center lies St. Catherine Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After an hour's walk along a dusty path: El Freish garden. Here grow figs, almonds, olives, dates, herbs and tobacco. Abdul picks fresh almonds and dates for a snack. After 40 more minutes up and down rocks and boulders another garden appears. It is well hidden behind high stone walles. It belongs to St. Catherine Monastery, and is “particularly well managed,” as Abdul explains. There is quite a sophisticated irrigation system: channels criss-cross the sandy soil and are lovingly protected by tiny stones. The olive and apricot trees are planted in indentations and surrounded by a circle of stones – to not loose even one drop of precious

irrigation water. Mohammed lights a fire from dry palm fronds and puts on the kettle to brew some tea. From dried tobacco leaves he rolls himself a cigarette. Back walking, he points at wild herbs. "This is za'atar and that oregano, this is for toothache and that for stomach ache. Nineteen of our herbs don't grow anywhere else in the world,” he proudly explains. The 24-year-old Mohamed has learned a lot from his uncle, in the Sinai well-known Dr. Ahmed Mansour. His large medicinal herb garden is another hour walk at the End of Wadi Itlah. “Wadi” is the Bedouin word for a dry river bed, that only carries water during heavy rainfall. Dr. Ahmed’s garden is open for visitors as well, also for overnight stays. These days many of the Bedouin gardens have developed into simple lodges. Visitors can stay as long as they like, maybe even help with gardening or harvesting. “Tourism is an opportunity for our gardens,” says Abdul El Mineme. It not only gives garden owners a welcome income, it also keeps the gardening knowledge alive. It can also provide jobs for the younger generation and prevents them from migrating to the hotels on the Red Sea in search for work.

www.wilderness-venturesegypt.com or the Bedouin Cooperative “Yalla Jabaleya”: www.facebook.com/yallajabaleya.

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