farmingscotland.com Issue 90

Farming CountryIssue ninety • January 2013

ANDREW STEVENSON– SEVEN YEARS ON

FREE CLASSIFIEDADVERTS FORFARMERS

NEW MARKETPRICES SECTION

FOX CONTROL –OZZIE STYLE

LAMBING

CASE CELEBRATE25 YEARS

£2.00

Eilidh MacPherson

3

Farming Country

EDITOR: Eilidh MacPherson Marbrack Farm, Carsphairn,Castle Douglas, DG7 3TE

Tel: 016444 60644Mobile: 07977897867

[email protected]

PUBLISHER - farmingscotland.com

ADVERTISING –Eilidh MacPherson – 016444 60644Alison Wood –Kirstin Norrie –

Cover - Andrew Stevenson by Rebecca LeeText and photography by Eilidh MacPhersonunless otherwise stated

Page 4/5 - Smiths Gore

Page 10/11 - Foxlights

Page 14 - Fullwood

Page 22/23 - Rebecca Lee

Page 25 - CASE IH

Page 27 - New Holland

Page 28 - Helen McLaren

0 /31 – Contributors’ own

We finally have a market analysispage, with beef, sheep and pig pricesfrom Scottish Auctions and Abattoirs.I’m hoping to expand this section tocrops in the next couple of issues.

Another new project, which Ilaunched at the end of September, isa facebook page for farmingscotland.com. Thanks toeveryone who has ‘liked’ us so far!

If you have anything to buy or sellplease either e-mail or give us a call.We are offering free classified advertsfor farmers. So if you have a bull orpups for sale, or looking a secondhand quad just let us know yourdetails. We’ve kicked off with a couple this month – an experiencedlamber looking for work in Perthshireand tri-coloured pups off BoredaleVic – see page 9 for details.

Thanks to everyone who enteredour ‘Cow’ photography competition –a huge entry from the UK and as faras Texas. ‘Sheep’ is the theme forJanuary.

This September we will be celebrating a decade of the magazine– hard to believe!

Happy New Year to one and all– here’s hoping that the 2013weather season is better that

2012. Our neighbouring farmer – Neil –

is in at the moment and says a weather station is on his Christmaswish list! Not sure I’d want one – butI have worked out that South WestScotland is much wetter than theNorth West – or has 2012 been acomplete fluke?

Talking of fluke – sheep, lambs,calves and even some cows have beendying from this invader this season.“Farmers in many parts of the countryhave been struggling to control liverfluke this autumn/ winter. The levelof infection has been high as a resultof consecutive wet summers. In somecases treatment has failed to prevent ongoing deaths and loss of condition,” says Heather Stevenson,SAC Vet Services, Dumfries, in herinformative article on pages 6 & 7.

Rhidian Jones, also SAC, has written a piece on ewe nutrition prelambing on the following double pagespread.

Farming CountryIssue ninety • January 2013

1 2 BeefShorthorns

1 3 QMSMarket Prices

1 41 5

DairySlurry, Nutrition

2 02 4

ArablePotates, Grain

61 1

SheepFluke, Health,Nutriton, Foxes

45

LandRents2012 Property Review

3 03 1

Rural Round -UpPhotography

2 82 9

Young FarmersEast AreaSara Sands

2 52 7

MachineryCASE IH &New Holland

1 8 Monitor Farm

Caithness

EDITORIAL

LAND PROPERTY

4 Farming Country – Issue eighty-five

The core market of cottages andfarmhouses has held up relatively well despite

difficulties in raising deposits at thefirst time buyer end.* There is much greater choice than

in previous years so it is even moreimportant to prepare early and well to achieve a sale.

* Price remains an issue, with those looking too expensive staying unsold for long periods of time, with the ultimate result being further price drops.

* Prime country houses at greater than £1,500,000 have suffered themost, with natural aspiration to

trade up curtailed by a lack of funding and general lack of confidence. Too many houses are being offered at prices commensurate with those of Southern England, which is simply unsustainable in a Scotland still in the grip of economic uncertainty 500 miles from London!

* However country houses offering good value for money are attractinginterest from cash buyers sensing an opportunity for a bargain.

* Across the board, deals have been taking longer to complete with evidence of ’chains’ being created with far greater regularity than we

have seen before in Scotland.* Home Reports, which are unique

to Scotland and which are designed to assist in the sales process are failing. They include a useful condition report, a helpful questionnaire about the property and the obligatory EPC. They alsoinclude a valuation report, which issupposed to assist the buyer in getting funding but lenders appear to be increasingly reluctant to accept them and deals are falling apart as a result.FFarms and Farms and Farmland Marketarmland Market

* The farms and farmland market has been a shining light this year with prices continuing to rise year on year. Demand continues to outstrip supply with the number ofacres offered for sale up only slightly on last year. Arable land prices have exceeded £10,000/acrefor the best ground in affordable packages up to about 100 acres,

and at the other end of the scale hill land values are being underpinned by forestry planting prices achieving over £1000/acre.

* Forestry too has been a solid performer with bio-fuels bringing anew player into the market to compete with timber merchants and saw millers as well as longer term investor drawn by tax incentives.

* 14 Highland and Sporting Estates have been openly offered for sale this year with more available privately. Values of stags shot, salmon caught and grouse killed have remained steady and with strong farming and forestry prices helping to supplement slight falls inthe residential values these unique properties are continuing to attract interest.

PREDICTIONS FOR 2013PREDICTIONS FOR 2013There is far too much property for

sale and much of it perceived to beoverpriced. If we are going to see anysignificant improvement in the marketnext year sellers/vendors will need toensure that their homes stand outfrom the competition by making surethey are presented in the best waythey can be and that they are pricedcorrectly, ahead of the market. Thereis definitely a desire to move the market forward and to get back tosomething of a more normal housingmarket place and we predict a morevibrant year ahead.• The prime Scottish country house

and estate market is under some pressure from the uncertainty created by the forthcoming referendum on Independence, which is concerning some overseas and Southern investors. There is little evidence that in the event of an Independent Scotland ‘foreign’ owners will be penalised, and expectations in some quarters are that there is more likely to be incentives to encourage inward investment, which will be much needed.

£4 800.00

Rural Property Round Up 2012

5

1991

Act

Rents

Up

12.5%

Outlook is forRents to

Continue toRise to Reflect

Profitability

“Rents rose by anaverage of 12%, alower increasethan in 2011,2010, 2009 and2008. Arable andlivestock rents arerising by aboutthe same per-centages, 13.4%and 12.4%respectively”,said Dr JasonBeedell, Head ofResearch atSmiths Gore.

Arable Dairy Livestock

Mixed Total

Number of rents settled 6 5 41 11 63Area (acres) 728 1,524 28,271 3,819 34,342Previous rent (£/acre;average)

£63 £37 £23 £37 £31

New rent (£/acre; average) £71 £40 £31 £41 £37% increase (average) 13.4% 6.9% 12.4% 13.7% 12.3%

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Number of rents settled 29 81 69 36 48Area (acres) 8,125 39,661 35,097 17,231 29,454Previous rent (£/acre;average) £24 £27 £28 £34 £27New rent (£/acre; average) £28 £31 £31 £37 £35% increase (average) 21.4% 15.5% 15.2% 15.1% 12.5%

NB This data for year ending 30 April 2012 and so will not exactly match the data for calendar years

NB This data is for calendar years and so will not exactly match the data for year ending 30 April

NB This data for year ending 30 April 2012 and so will not exactly match the data for calendar years

This analysis is based on 63 rent reviews, re-lettingsand new lettings in Scotland settled in the 12 monthsto 30 April 2012, carried out by Smiths Gore survey-ors, covering 34,000 acres.

1991 Act rents only ArableNumber of rents settled 52Area (acres) 29,251Previous rent (£/acre;average) £31New rent (£/acre; average) £35% increase (average) 12.5%

1991 Act rents only 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Number of rents settled 23 69 66 29 41Area (acres) 7,386 36,771 34,560 12,970 25,166Previous rent (£/acre;average) £24 £25 £28 £33 £29New rent (£/acre; average) £28 £28 £31 £37 £32% increase (average) 21.3% 14.6% 15.3% 16.1% 12.6%

LAND RENTS

Values have continued to rise onmore recently reviewed rents,said Robert Gladstone, lead

partner of Smiths Gore’s DumfriesOffice. “We have had a pretty shocking summer and autumn but alot of reviews were carried out beforethe full impact was felt. People alsotake a longer-term view and forwardprices for wheat look strong for thenext couple of seasons. I wouldexpect the upward trend to continueon arable rents.”

“Many livestock and dairy rentsalso had some headroom, though rising feed prices and a less certainprice outlook could prove a limitingfactor. The Scottish Tenant Farming

Forum has been asked by the ScottishGovernment to consider possiblechanges to the basis of farm rentreviews, and depending on the outcome of this, and other ScottishGovernment initiatives, there may benew legislation. Amongst other items,the Land Reform Review Group isconsidering extension of the Right toBuy. All this is very unsettling forLandlords.”

Our database now contains detailsof over 300 agreements since 2007,covering almost 150,000 acres inScotland. It is one of the most comprehensive databases available inScotland.

Please note that the rents shownare averages and that there can beconsiderable variation in rent eitherside of the average depending on thelocation and quality of the holding andits fixed equipment. Some rents havedropped, usually when properties aretaken out of the tenancy agreement,and others increased by well over100%.

Poor Response To Treatment For Liver Fluke?

6

SHEEP ANIMAL HEALTH

Farmers in many parts of thecountry have been struggling tocontrol liver fluke this autumn/

winter. The level of infection hasbeen high as a result of consecutivewet summers. In some cases treatment has failed to prevent ongoing deaths and loss of condition.There are many reasons that couldexplain why treatment appears not towork and it can be difficult to workout what the problem is. • Underdosing – If the dosing gun is

not dispensing the correct amount of medicine or the weight of the animal is underestimated.

• Incorrect storage/administration – if the medicine is out of date,

mixed with another product beforebeing given or the dose is not givenover the back of the tongue.

• Wrong product used – Not all fluke treatments kill all ages of fluke in the liver. In autumn and early winter products MUST be able to kill immature fluke. Triclabendazole is the best at this, (see later). Products that contain oxyclozanide, (e.g Levafas Diamond, Downland Fluke and Worm), albendazole, (e.g. Albex, Ovispec), or clorsulon, (e.g IvomecS) only kill adult fluke and are more suitable for use in late spring/early summer.

• Wrong type of fluke targeted –

Liver fluke is a massive welfare andeconomic problem particularly in sheep. In comparison rumen fluke is currently of minor importance. Oxyclozanide is the treatment for rumen fluke but will only kill adultliver fluke. Products containing oxyclozanide are NOT suitable for use in the autumn and early winter.

• Re-infection following treatment –Treatments for liver fluke are not long acting and stock can become re-infected with fluke the day afterdosing. This has been a problem in2012 because the level of infectionon pasture is so high. Deaths occurring from 2 or more weeks

post treatment can be due to high levels of re-infection. Some sheep have had to be housed because of this.

• Dosing intervals too long – Similar to the previous point. Extra doses should be given when the risk of disease is high. Fluke forecasts are based on the amount of summer rainfall. They are published in the press and can also be found at www.nadis.org.uk. In 2010 and 2011 some flocks that routinely dosed in mid October and late January started to lose sheep in December/early January due to re-infection during November and December. An

The information in the tables is taken from product datasheets. As these can change they should alwaysbe checked before a product is used. Not all available products are listed. Combination products shouldonly be used if there is a need to treat both worms and fluke.

FLUKE PRODUCTS FOR SHEEP

KILLSPRODUCT TYPE CONTAINS MEATWITHDRAWAL

(DAYS)EI LI A

NOTE

Fasinex 5% Drench Triclabendazole 56 � � � EIs from 2days

Fasinex 10010%

Drench Triclabendazole 35 � � � EIs from 2days

Triclacert 5% Drench Triclabendazole 56 � � � EIs from 2days

Triclafas 5% Drench Triclabendazole 56 � � � EIs from 2days

Flukiver Drench Closantel 42 � � Some effecton EIs

Trodax Injection Nitroxynil 49 � � Don’t re-treat within

7 weeksCOMBINATION FLUKE/WORMERS

Combinex Drench Triclabendazole andLevamisole

56 � � � EIs from 2days

CydectinTriclamox

Drench Triclabendazole andMoxidectin


Fasimec Duo Drench Triclabendazole andIvermectin


Closamectin Injection Closantel andIvermectin

28 � �

Supaverm Drench Closantel andMebendazole

65 � � Some effecton EIs

MebadownSuper

Drench Closantel andMebendazole

65 � � Some effecton EIs

DownlandFluke and

Worm

Drench Oxyclozanide andLevamisole

5 � Also killsrumen fluke

LevafasDiamond


5 � Also killsrumen fluke

* Do not use higher dose during tupping or for 1 month after tups are removed.

7

extra fluke dose in December 2012is advised for flocks that have issues with fluke.

• Severe liver damage – This may be a problem in some cases where products containing Triclabendazole have been used, (e.g. Fasinex, Combinex, Tribex, Triclfas, Triclamox). Severe destruction of the liver by large numbers of fluke may reduce the effectiveness of triclabendazole.

All these possibilities should beruled out as far as possible before thefinal point is considered:• Resistance –

Liver fluke that are resistant to a medicine will survive treatment with the correct dose of product. Their offspring will also be

resistant. Resistance to triclabendazole has been confirmedon some farms. This is a problem because, if working properly, triclabendazole is the best treatment for sheep in the autumn particularly following a wet summer. This is because it is the only medicine that will kill all ages of fluke in the liver.

It is important to know whether triclabendazole is effective on yourfarm. Carrying out some testing inthe first half of 2013* to checkwhether it is working correctly willprovide you with useful informationfor next autumn – particularly if wehave another wet summer. Testingshould be carried out as follows:1. Weigh and mark 6 to10 sheep. 2. Collect faeces from each animal

and place in INDIVIDUALLY labelled bags or pots.

3. Check that the dosing gun is dispensing the correct amount of medicine.

4. Administer the correct dose of product.

5. Deliver samples to your nearest SAC Veterinary Laboratory or to your vet for posting.

6. 3 weeks later collect faeces fromthe same animals as above.(If it is not possible to do all of theabove then only collecting 6-10 samples 3 weeks after treatment willprovide some information.)

The samples will be pooled at thelab and checked for fluke eggs. Adult

fluke need to be present in the liversfor the testing to be useful. If indoubt speak to your vet about thebest time to carry out sampling.

*Products containing triclabendazoleare not recommended for treatmentof the whole flock in late spring/earlysummer. They are best kept for whenthey are most needed in autumn.

FLUKE PRODUCTS FOR CATTLE

KILLSPRODUCT TYPE CONTAINS MEATWITHDRAWAL

(DAYS)EI LI A

NOTE

Fasinex 10% Drench Triclabendazole 56 � � � EIs from 2weeks

Fasinex 10010%

Drench Triclabendazole 56 � � � EIs from 2weeks

Fasinex 24024%

Drench Triclabendazole 52 � � � EIs from 2weeks

Trodax Injection Nitroxynil 60 � � Don’t re-treat

within 60days

COMBINATION FLUKE/WORMERSCombinex Drench Triclabendazole

and Levamisole56 � � � EIs from 2

weeksCydectinTriclamox

Pour on Triclabendazoleand Moxidectin

143 � �

Closamectin Injection Closantel andIvermectin

49 � �

Closamectin Pour on Closantel andIvermectin

28 � �

LevafasDiamond


5 � Also killsrumenfluke

Animec Super Injection Clorsulon andIvermectin

66 �

Ivomec Super Injection Clorsulon andIvermectin

66 �

VirbamecSuper

Injection Clorsulon andIvermectin

66 �

Allbex 10% Drench Albendazole 14 � Use higherdose

Ovispec 10% Drench Albendazole 14 � Use higher

EI – early immature fluke (around 0- 6 weeks after infection)LI = late immature fluke (from around 6 weeks after infection)A= adult fluke (from around 10-12 weeks after infection)

SHEEP ANIMAL HEALTH

byHeather

StevensonSAC Veterinary Services

Dumfries

8

Variable ewe condition score,and low quality/low intake forages mean farmers may

need to modify sheep diets and keepa closer watch on ewe condition scorethis winter.

Silage CompositionWith the weather conditions

prevailing this year silage making hasbeen challenging to say the least.Some producers were lucky andsnatched the crop during the fewgood periods but many had to cope asbest they could resulting in some verypoor silages.

Looking at all silages submitted tothe SRUC lab between 1st June and29th October for pit silage the drymatter, metabolisable energy andcrude protein values for the first cut

are 300g/kg, 10.4MJ/kgDM and121g/kgDM, respectively and for thesecond cut 200g/kg, 10.3MJ/kgDMand 128g/kgDM, respectively.Average values are similar for big balesilages, although the DM is a littlehigher. However, although these MEand CP contents are only slightly low,they hide a wide range. For example,the ME varies from 8.0 to 12.3MJ/kgDM and the CP from 66 to 168g/kgDM. So, it is essential that silagesare analysed so that they can be supplemented appropriately.

Meeting the Nutrient Needs of the Ewe

Energy and protein requirement ofthe ewe will be determined by herweight, condition score and numbersof lambs carried. With poor quality

forages ewes may need more supplementary feed but it is important to manage this to avoidoverfeeding starchy cereals or suddendietary changes that can cause metabolic upsets. Instead feed sugarbeet pulp where protein levels in theforage are adequate or dark grains orsoya hulls where protein is also deficient. Manage the use of bodyreserves to ensure ewes lamb in condition score 2 - 3 when lambing inMarch or condition score 2 – 2- forewes lambing at grass.

Using Condition Score in Management

The graph highlights how condition score can buffer the ewefrom the need for high levels of supplementary feeding in late

pregnancy. For example the graphshows that a fit ewe fed baled silage(green line on graph) gets about11MJ/day, which meets energyrequirements up to 6 weeks pre lambing. Fat reserves help keep concentrate requirement to a maximum of around 0.5 kg per day,which can be given as a single feedand will not have detrimental effectson forage intake or cause acidosis.

However 2012 was a difficult yearfor ewes due to stressful weather andparasite challenge, so condition scoreof ewes may be lower (red line). Thegraph shows feeding should start earlier at 9 weeks pre lambing andsupplementary feeding levels by lambing will need to be higher ataround 0.75kg compound /cereal perday requiring the ration to be split

SHEEP NUTRITION

Ewe Feeding: Forage Composition and

Ewe Condition Score

by Rhidian Jones, SAC Consultant

9

into two feeds Do not leave it too late, score your

ewes now and make planned changesto rations.

Supplementing Thin Twin BearingEwes in Mid to Late PregnancyImmediately after scanning

separate thin ewes out for extra feeding. Supplement with cereals orbeet pulp at 0.5 kg per day if theewes are on low quality silage. Try toat least maintain or improve conditionscore by up to half a score betweenscanning and the last three weeks ofpregnancy. Low bushel weight cerealsare excellent for this purpose and canbe a best buy. Feed thin grains wholeas less tends to come through in thedung than with plump grains. Notethat with 70% of normal bushelweight feeds you have to feed a 30%more volume than normal to get thesame weight.

Wheat can cause acidosis so theinclusion of a digestible fibre, such asmolassed sugar beet pulp at around20% is desirable. Oats should alwaysbe fed whole but barley and wheatcan be lightly processed when fedwith silage. The inclusion of molassesin home mixes will provide readilyavailable energy, aid palatability,reduce dust and carry minerals.

Feeds high in DUP such as soya orprotected soya need to be fed in latepregnancy as the supply of microbialprotein from the rumen is not sufficient when intakes are restricted,especially with low quality forage.Ideally compound feeds should contain 15% soya but this is unlikelydue to cost. Instead feed 100gsoya/day per lamb carried in additionto the compound feed.

Other issues to considerMake full use of other information

such as scanning data, raddle marksand blood testing in late pregnancy.Barren ewes can be sold and raddlemarks giving 7-10 day bands canmake feeding more accurate if youare able to segregate ewes differently.Blood testing 10 twin bearing ewes 4-6 weeks from lambing will cost ca£27 + blood sampling costs. Thiswill give you an indication of theenergy and protein status of yourewes at this crucial time. Speak toyour vet to arrange this.

It may be worthwhile consideringearly housing and winter shearing theflock to rest sodden pastures and provide correct nutrition. In additionto higher forage intakes and stronglambs there will be less work in summer at the usual shearing time.

Removing the sheep from grass orrotational grazing over the winter willallow productive grasses to rest andregrow so there will be more grass inspring at lambing time which canreduce concentrate requirements.

Sheep Scab High on Agenda

At the inaugural conference ofthe Sheep Health and WelfareGroup (SHAWG) recently a

clear mandate was given to the groupwhen the 224 attendees voted infavour of creating an industry-ledsheep scab control programme.

The success of the conference wasevidenced by the number of delegatesfrom all over GB, including sheepfarmers, vets, advisors and otherindustry representatives who had tobattle through severe flooding toreach Worcester Warriors Stadium,Worcester. The debate around sheepscab concluded a busy day and resulted in overwhelming support forSHAWG to initiate a control programme for England, workingclosely with existing projects in Walesand Scotland.

Peter Baber, a sheep farmer fromDevon and chairman of SHAWG,commented: “This is the first eventorganised by SHAWG and we weredelighted to see so many people andreally lively discussion about all thetopics covered, from Schmallenbergdisease to the development of newtechnology.

“The final session on sheep scabalso clearly showed what farmerswant SHAWG to be concentratingon. The majority of the sheep industry is acting extremely responsibly to control scab, butgreater understanding of treatmentoptions and timings and encouragement for farmers to workwith their neighbours to prevent re-infection, is clearly needed. Wealso need to address the small minority of the industry who are

ignoring the problem and act as areservoir of infection.

“SHAWG will take this mandateand work very hard to assess the situation and possible solutions.”

Other sessions at the conferenceincluded:- ∑ Phil Stocker, NSA chief executive,called on Government to encouragebest practice by creating an animalhealth and welfare option under PillarTwo of the Common AgriculturalPolicy (CAP), similar to the point-scoring approach that farmerscurrently use to implement agri-environment schemes.∑ Professor Neil Sargison (Edinburgh)and Chris Lewis (independent vetconsultant) agreed the responsibilityfor the control of endemic diseasesrests largely with sheep producers,with farmers needing to take properquarantine of in-coming stock seriously.∑ Piet Vellema, who travelled fromthe Netherlands, said Schmallenberg’shighly contagious and fast-spreadingnature meant it was so widespread inthe Netherlands that virtually allstock had been exposed to the virusand were likely to have natural immunity. Alex Cook of the UKagency AHVLA showed SBV surveillance data suggesting virtuallythe whole of England has now beenexposed. When questioned, he saidhe could saw no reason why the infection would not eventually coverthe whole of the UK. Both speakerssaid the risk for sheep producers wasewes 25-50 days in lamb and,although generally regarded as a lowimpact disease, SBV could lead to

high losses on individual farms.∑ Lesley Stubbings, independent consultant, said anthelmintic resistance was a reality on manyfarms in the UK and double or tripleresistance was a growing problem,meaning the two new drench groupsmust be used strategically to prolongboth their life and the life of thethree other groups. Gloucestershirefarmer Hilary Mann described howshe has embraced and implementedSCOPS principles, probably halvingthe number of times she drenchlambs, saving her time and money,slowing down the development ofresistance, yet still maintaining highperformance.∑ Professor Julie Fitzpatrick updatedfarmers on progress at Moredun indeveloping new vaccines, includingones to protect sheep from internalparasites and abortion. She explainedthe challenges and opportunities thatnew technologies offered the industry, and the importance of support for the development andimplementation of research andresearch institutes to facilitate sustainable development of the livestock sector, not just in GB butalso globally.

The sell-out success of this inaugu-ral event will ensure these issues andothers raised during the event willremain at the forefront of SHAWGduring the coming year. The groupwill decide when the next event willbe held and announce this in the NewYear; anyone wishing to register interest for that event should [email protected]

Experienced Lamber seeks

indoor lambing for February,

Perthshire regionTel:07970933590

Tri-coloured Border Collie Pups

for sale, off good working parents

Sire Boredale Vic, greathill and cattle dog. Pups ready now. Tel: Tom Ennion

07971510615

10

SHEEP PROTECTION

Aproduct using the simplestprinciple is proving to be veryeffective in keeping foxes away

from new born lambs, poultry andother vulnerable animals, by creatingthe impression of someone patrollingan area with a flash light.

Foxlights were developed by IanWhalan – an Australian fat lambfarmer – seven years ago when he wasforced to find a job away from hisfarm and was concerned with foxattacks against his newborn lambs.Prior to this he would have a 1080poison-baiting program and patrol hisfields at night with a gun and spotlight during his lambing season.

Foxes are not native to Australia,having been imported by early Englishsettlers for horse and hound hunting.Many small native species in Australiahave become endangered due to the

red fox. After 3 years of using prototypes

of these lights and seeing how wellthey worked Ian Whalan decided tohave them redesigned by professionalsand patented. The nifty lights feature9 LED bulbs to project light at 360degrees and most importantly, a computer chip to create a varyingflash so foxes can't get used to it. Astandard flashing light flashes at regular intervals and won't create thesame effect. This light is powered bya 6 volt battery that will give manymonths worth of flash. The best batteries are able to give 12 months ofoperation. A day / night light sensormakes it self operating – simply setand forget.

The lights can be placed on the topa 3 point steel post or hung on anexisting fence or tree.

This device was entered into a TVprogram in Australia called “The NewInventors” and won “The HomeViewers Choice” on the night.

The lights are manufactured inTaiwan from the highest-grade material and are now available in theUnited Kingdom.

Sales in Australia have been manythousand, with many farmers usingthem for the protection of varioustypes of animals from foxes and dingoes. Also people working for theprotection of endangered wild lifehave had success with the use ofthese lights.

Tests have been and are being carried out with coyotes in Canada,wolves in Switzerland and jackals inSouth Africa.

Mr. Whalan has the belief theselights would work in keeping badgers

out of fields where cattle graze andwould support an independent test toprove or disprove this theory. Hisclaim is based on the facts that badgers are nocturnal and have a fearof man.

These lights are proving to be themost economical and humane way toprotect vulnerable livestock fromfoxes in areas where continualpatrolling or shedding is not possible.

Mr. Whalan claims although hislights have changed the way to controlfoxes some attacks may still occur.

www.foxlight.com contains information on how they work alongwith testimonials received from farmers. For more information e-mailIan Whalan at [email protected]

Derek Lewis, UK agent – 0121552 8097 /07403204994 or [email protected]

Ufac-UK — the specialist feedsupplements manufacturer –has announced that it has

removed palm oil from over 90 percent of its products.

The UK government and commercial organisations have signedan agreement pledging to achieve 100per cent sourcing of ‘credibly certifiedsustainable palm oil’ by the end of2015.

“We at Ufac-UK have been awareof this situation for several years andhave been working towards removing

palm oil from the vast majority of ourproducts,” said Martin Smith, Ufac-UK’s national sales manager.“Instead, we focus on using EU-produced oils such as rape-seedand olive oil. We have even dispensedwith palm kernel meal preferring,instead, to use materials such as maizecob meal.”

Unsustainable production of palmoil – the world’s most used vegetableoil – can increase the risk of destruction of tropical rainforest anddrainage of peat land areas with a

major impact on the environment andbiodiversity. As a result some organisations, such as Marks andSpencer, avoid using products containing palm oil wherever possibleincluding those from livestock feddiets containing palm oil.

“Palm oil is cheap, but nutritionally there is little justificationfor its use for livestock, so we areusing locally-sourced, highly-digestiblevegetable oils which provide moreenergy per gram fed,” added Martin.

Turned OnOzzie!

Palm OilOff Menu

STOCKRIGHT SYSTEMSLIVESTOCK AGENCY & CONSULTANCY

Cattle and SheepCommercial and Pedigree

Government EID Tag Reading,selecting fat lambs, weighing.

Any other sheep work consideredAll stock sourced

Livestock Management

For more detailsvisit our website:

www.stockman.co.uk

pleased that Beef Shorthorn sired cattle are meeting with Morrisonsspecification. One of the breed’smajor attractions has been the abilityto produce a functional suckler cow:now that we have a premium schemefor Beef Shorthorn beef we are awarefrom registration trends that evenmore farmers are being encouraged touse the Beef Shorthorn bull in theircommercial suckler herds. We continue to have a win win situation.”

Morrisons exclusive partnershipwith the Beef Shorthorn Society promotes the use of registered andDNA recorded Beef Shorthorn bullsin the UK suckler herd. Under thescheme farmers, including those whoalready supply Woodheads, arerequired to apply for approval at least100 days before they send their firstnative breed cattle to one of thefirm’s three abattoirs in Lancashire,Lincolnshire and Aberdeenshire.

Eligible steer or heifers, must comefrom farm assured units and weighbetween 260kg and 380kg CCW.Bulls and OTMS cattle are not eligible. The company has developeda special carcase grid for the scheme,which includes O+ cattle within thetarget specification. To register, contact Woodhead Bros, Colne on01282 729117.

12

In return, finishers are beingrewarded with a 20p/kg premiumover base price or up to £75 a

head, while other eligible native breedcattle are paid a 10p/kg premium.

Since Wm Morrison Supermarketsand Woodheads officially launchedthe scheme 12 months ago, it hasachieved its initial target and sourcedover 18,000 British native breeds andtheir crosses. Initially, approximately25% of that total volume was BeefShorthorn sired, a figure that hasincreased to one third in recentmonths, explains Morrisons’ farmoperations manager, Andrew Loftus.

“These Beef Shorthorn sired cattleare being finished on a new feedingregime specifically designed toenhance the breed’s inherent eatingquality and produce a premium product. So far, they have achievedan average 334kg in 22 months, and60% graded R or better,” he says.

“Consequently, in view of the BeefShorthorn sired cattle’s commendableperformance, for the scheme’s secondyear we are forecasting their growthto be around 15%, equivalent to anadditional 3,000 head.”

Beef Shorthorn Society secretary,Frank Milnes commented: “We are

BEEF SHORTHORNS

Farming Country – Issue ninety

Shorthorns in Demand

Morrisons is seeking toincrease its weekly kill of BeefShorthorn siredcattle by 15% toover 400 head tosupply its nativebreeds’ scheme.The supermarketchain’s plansreflect its longstanding commitment tothe breed coupled with consumerdemand.

13Farming Country – Issue ninety

BEEF

Scottish Abattoirs Scottish Auctions

Average price in thefour weeks to:

8 December

Average price w/e:

8 December


5 December

Average price w/e:

5 December

p/kg dwt p/kg dwt p/kg lwt p/kg lwt

Steers 366.9 370.2 208.63 215.63

Heifers 364.2 367.3 211.40 216.32

Youngbulls

341.8 345.2 156.44 161.31

PIGS

GB Abattoirs

Average price in the four weeks to:

8 December

Average price w/e:

8 December

p/kg dwt p/kg dwt

DAPP 160.46 160.80

SHEEP

GB Abattoirs Scottish Auctions


8 December

Average price w/e:

8 December


5 December

Average price w/e:

5 December

NewSeasonSQQ

356.43 p/kg dwt 359.0 p/kg dwt 153.86 p/kg lwt 155.97 p/kg lwt

Ewes n/a n/a £44.20 /head £46.72 /head

QMS MARKET PRICES

SIDLAWSTEEL BUILDINGS

New Builds, Re-cladding and RepairsCompetitive Prices

Tel. Dave Simpson 07889911803 Mark Simpson 07725636349

[email protected]

To advertise in

FarmingCountry

please call01644460644

SNP MEP Alyn Smith has welcomed the advice that recommends an end to the

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy(BSE) testing regime that wasintroduced in the wake of the BSEcrisis. The Food Standards Agency(FSA) recommendation to the UKgovernment follows a EuropeanCommission proposal to allow someMember States, including the UK, todecide to stop testing cattle.

The FSA says that the regime is nolonger necessary as other safeguardsincluding the removal of the specifiedrisk material (SRM) at slaughter andbanning animal protein in cattle feedshould be sufficient to protect consumers. Nonetheless, testing willcontinue on animals that die for reasons other than being killed for

human consumption.Speaking from Strasbourg, Alyn

said: "I am glad to see that theEuropean Commission and subsequently the FSA, have concludedthat our industry is now safe enoughfor the stringent measures introducedon the back of the BSE crisis in the90s to be repealed.

"The BSE crisis was catastrophicfor our farming industry and it wasa lesson very hard learnt. But it hasbeen learnt. The food safety measuresnow in place are adequate to ensurethe safety of our food. This had beenunderlined by the recent opening upof foreign markets which had put inplace restrictions during and after thecrisis.

"I hope that the UK governmentwill now follow this advice."

14

SAC Consulting (a Division ofSRUC), and the ScottishEnvironment Protection Agency

(SEPA), Scotland’s environmental regulator, recently called on farmersin Scotland to continue with strictprotocols on how gypsum and slurriesare mixed and handled.

Recent reports have suggested alink between the use of gypsum, fromwaste plasterboard and other gypsum-containing wastes, in animalbedding and a number of livestockdeaths when mixed with slurries.

The agitation and mixing ofmanures and slurries in livestocksheds is already known to releasehydrogen sulphide (H2S). The toxicgas affects the nervous system causinga range of symptoms including discomfort, disorientation, collapse, orsudden death.

As gypsum contains sulphur, mixing it with slurries will increasethe total amount of hydrogen sulphidegas produced. Hydrogen sulphide willproduce an odour but at concentrations above 140 parts permillion, the human sense of smellbecomes unable to detect the odour.At concentrations of 700 parts permillion, hydrogen sulphide can belethal. Farmers are reminded that theuse of waste gypsum in slurry and drybedding systems for livestock is illegal.

To understand the potential levelsof hydrogen sulphide associated withthe use of gypsum in animal bedding,SAC Consulting Environment andDesign conducted an air qualityassessment in September 2012. Theassessment aimed to determinewhether detectable levels of hydrogensulphide gas could be found duringthe removal of farm yard manurefrom a site where gypsum had been

used.It was found that as soon as the

farm yard manure was disturbedhydrogen sulphide gas was detected atlevels up to 2705 parts per million,while carbon dioxide readings alsoincreased.

Gavin Hill from SAC Consulting’sFarm Rural Business Services said:“No matter what advantages are seenin using gypsum as animal bedding, itis simply not a risk worth taking.Recent tragedies have highlighted theissues that face us and we must takeall steps to eliminate the risks.”

Gary Walker, Principal PolicyOfficer (Waste), of the ScottishEnvironment Protection Agency(SEPA), said: “The results of thisstudy illustrate the dangers associatedwith the use of waste gypsum in animal bedding. The use of plasterboard, gypsum and gypsum-containing wastes can lead tothe production of the highly toxic gashydrogen sulphide (H2S).

“When used in animal bedding, itis likely waste gypsum will produceconsiderable levels of hydrogen sulphide due to the damp, non-ventilated conditions. In suchcircumstances, hydrogen sulphidepresents a significant risk to animaland human life, as well as the environment, and we would adviseagainst anyone using it for this purpose.”

Information from SAC Consultingand SEPA on the use of waste gypsumand slurry can be found at:http://www.sruc.ac.uk/gypsumSEPA's full position statement can befound at: http://www.sepa.org.uk/waste/waste_regulation/idoc.ashx?docid=f1b67502-d85d-4ffe-8c98-f6298cd4f428&version=-1

Slurry Worry


John Baines, Technical Director forFullwood Limited, recentlyannounced the launch of the

company’s latest out-of-parlour feeder, which offers milk producers arange of benefits aimed at improvingmilk production efficiency and profitability.

“Following a thorough programmeof on-farm testing, Fullwood ispleased to announce the launch of itsnext generation of out-of-parlourfeeder,” Mr Baines explained. “Thelatest model of our proven feedershas been developed with one key priority: to improve feeding precisionand efficiency.”

The new system, which waslaunched at Agriscot is available as astandalone unit, but can also beintegrated with Fullwood’s existingherd management software – Crystal.The new feeder benefits from a galvanized and stainless steel construction, with inlets for feedfrom up to three separate bins as wellas liquid feed such as molasses or glycol, thereby offering dairy farmersgreater control over each cow’s dailyfeed intake.

“The new Fullwood feeders arefully programmable, easy to installand simple to maintain,” Mr Bainesadded. “They are also fully adjustableto suit all breeds of dairy cow andoffer five different feed regimes,which enable producers to determinehow closely each cow’s individualdietary intake is controlled.”

The five feeding regimes are:1. Fixed Feeding – each cow

receives a fixed amount of feed;2. Target Feeding – the volume of

feed can be increased or decreased in fixed steps over a pre-determined number of days;

3. Feed Curve Feeding – daily feed allowances change over a number of days using rations that are formulated and pre-programmed by the herd manager;

4. Kgm + Curve Feeding – the amount of feed is automatically

adjusted to each individual cow’s current milk yield;

5. External Feeding – the out-of-parlour feeder is controlled

by Fullwood’s Crystal herd management software.

The feeders are retro-compatiblewith all existing Fullwood electronicidentification (EID) systems includingall of the company’s previous cow-collars and pedometers. “WithCrystal, dairy farmers are not onlyable to determine the exact type andquantity of feed received by each cow,but can also determine individualmeal times and sizes,” Mr Baines con-tinued.

“The ability to fine-tune eachcow’s diet not only offers previouslyunprecedented levels of precisionfeeding, but can also reduce feedcosts and wastage. The end result is abetter-fed and more profitable dairyanimal which will produce milk moreefficiently,” Mr Baines explained.

The new out-of-parlour feeder usesa simple bolt-together design forquick and easy assembly, and is madeusing fully galvanized and stainlesssteel parts for enhanced productlongevity and easy maintenance. Themodular design also allows additionalfeeders to be installed simply andquickly as the herd expands.

Fullwood out-of-parlour feeder – fact file:

• Feeder dimensions: 896 mm (width) by 703 mm (depth) by 1,861 mm (height)

• Total length including stall: 2,581 mm*

• Total width including stall: 1,000 mm*

• Construction: galvanised mild steel and robust tubular galvanised steelwork

• Modular design for ease of installation

• Easy to clean• Low maintenance requirements

Next Generation Out-of-Parlour Feeder

DAIRY NEWS

Farming Country – Issue ninety 15

Nutrition Warning for Dairy

Don’t let next year’s ‘glorioussummer’ be spoilt by thisyear’s awful one – that’s the

message to dairy farmers from Ufac-UKMuch nutritional advice directs

dairy farmers to cut back on nutrientinputs to reduce costs. “Up to a pointthis is correct but when that cuttingback adversely affects cow performance and longevity, it deservesscrutiny,” says Martin Smith, thecompany’s sales manager.

Energy is the major problem.Grass silage ME is 0.5 to 2.0 MJ/kgDM lower than last season with maizesilage suffering similarly. Cereals alsohave reduced energy.

“If one accepts the advice to avoid‘expensive’ supplementation then thecow will be under-supplied with energy. She will continue to milk,but at a reduced rate and use up bodyreserves, which can lead to suchmetabolic problems as ketosis, elevated BHB (ß-hydroxy butyrate)and NEFAs (non-esterified fattyacids) in the blood, fatty liver syndrome and, possibly, high bloodand milk urea levels. These are profitrobbers,” he says.

He points out that with an energydeficit situation a cow has to lose

0.5kg bodyweight to produce about2 l of milk. It will also mean that theliver has to process 500g of fat into aform that will provide the energyrequired – a process that places greatstrain on the liver and causes by-products such as BHB and NEFAsto escape into the blood stream.These metabolites are well known tohave a negative impact on fertility.

Every single day a cow is not incalf – over and above the expected370-day calving interval – costs £5.50.Loss of body condition contributesdirectly to an extended calving interval so a mere 30-day increase isgoing to cost £165 per cow, per cycle,before taking into consideration anyveterinary or culling costs, points outMartin Smith.

“All the evidence is that correctingthe energy deficit makes more economic sense than worsening it.One sure way of doing this is throughthe supply of a highly digestible fatsource, directly used by the liver, toalleviate some of the pressure on thiskey metabolic organ. This will ensurethat an energy deficit does not develop into a long-term fertilityproblem that will be haunting farmersnext summer,” he said.

16

Yara UK, the fertilizer and cropnutrition specialist, is investingin growth with a key

appointment to strengthen its positionin Scotland.

Gareth Flockhart, formerlyCommercial Manager of Scotherbs,joins as Area Manager for South East(Solids) and Central Scotland(Liquids) bringing many years experience from positions at HarbroFarm Sales, Mars UK & Molson Coors.

“I am delighted that Gareth has

joined Yara,” said Peter Smith, YaraBusiness Manager in Scotland. “Ibelieve his agricultural background,combined with his commercial andsales experience, will prove invaluablein his new role. I know that he willbe a valuable addition to our team.”

A former professional ScottishRugby Union player, now a keengolfer, Gareth – who is married toAntonia and has two daughters,Megan and Ruby – has strong familylinks throughout the Stirlingshire and

East Lothian area.“This is a great opportunity,” says

Gareth. “After such a difficult harvest, expertise and a robust cropnutrition programme are a top priority for farmers and Yara providesa unique level of support. The areathat I cover, Berwickshire, the BordersEast Lothian and Northumberland, isone of great scope and potential and Iam looking forward to building strongrelationships with existing and newcustomers.”

Yara Appointment Strengthens Scottish Team

NEWS MOVERS & SHAKERS

Katie Keiley is a familiar face tosheep farmers in the SouthWest having previously worked

for SAC Consultancy in the Stranraerand Dumfries Offices. She is currently treasurer and promotionalofficer for the Border Leicester SheepSociety, a role she will continue alongwith her part time work with theScottish Sheep Strategy. Mrs Keileyis married with two small childrenand is involved with the family farmon a daily basis.

Kathy Peebles, QMS LivestockDevelopment Manager said: “TheFocus Farm projects have shown benefits to all sectors of the Scottishsheep industry through the use ofgood performance recorded genetics.Now is the time to make the linkagesto ensure a joined-up approach.”

Ms Peebles added: “Only whensheep breeders and feeders monitorthe individual animals within theirflocks can the passengers (thosewhich are under-performing) be

identified. The role Katie and Stuartare undertaking will help the industryintroduce changes to take these pointsforward and to support farmers, andgroups, through the different stages.”

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS)has appointed Katie Keiley(below) and Stuart Annand

(left) as two part-time developmentofficers, responsible for the strategic development of the Scottish SheepStrategy.

Stuart Annand is a sheep farmerwho is married with a family andruns a hill farm near Newtonmore inPerthshire. He has also had experience of farming in New

Zealand and many of the issues theindustry in Scotland faces are not toodissimilar to those of the southernhemisphere. Mr Annand brings a different dynamic to the ScottishSheep Strategy and a very hands-onapproach. He is passionate about allthings “sheep” and will be looking atthe wider platform rather than justbreeding.

The pair were appointed following

an open tender process and take overthe reins from Rod McKenzie.

“Through EID (ElectronicIdentification), sheep farmers whoare interested in monitoring how individual animals within their flockare performing can do so in a relatively easy way rather than viewing the whole flock on a batchbasis,” said Kathy Peebles, QMSLivestock Development Manager.

Scottish Sheep Strategy Development Officers

Liam Condon (44) has beenappointed Chairman of theExecutive Committee of the

Bayer CropScience subgroup andChairman of the Board ofManagement of Bayer CropScienceeffective December 1, 2012. He succeeds Sandra E. Peterson, who leftthe company on November 30.

Condon has been ManagingDirector of Bayer Vital GmbH,Leverkusen and head of Bayer Pharma'sbusiness in Germany since January2010.

Bayer Vital is the business operations company for the BayerHealthCare subgroup in Germany.

"Safeguarding harvests and foodsupplies for people and animals aremajor issues of our time. I look forward to the opportunity to do mybest for our customers in the agricultural industry together with myCropScience colleagues – in tunewith our mission 'Bayer: Science ForA Better Life,'" said Liam Condon.

Liam was born in Dublin, Ireland,on February 27, 1968. He studied

International Business in Dublin and –as a scholarship holder of the GermanAcademic Exchange Service (DAAD)– at the Technical University ofBerlin. He holds a B.A. degree inInternational Marketing & Languagesfrom Dublin City University and anMBA from the Japan ManagementAssociation.

In the past 20 years, Condon hasheld positions of increasing responsibility in the PharmaceuticalsDivision in Europe and Asia. From2007 until 2010 he was Managing

Liam Condon to become Bayer CropScience CEO

Director of Bayer HealthCare Chinaand Bayer Pharma General Managerfor China. Condon served asManaging Director of Schering Chinastarting in 2005.

Before that he was RegionalMarketing and Medical Director forSchering's Asia-Pacific/Middle Eastregion, based in Berlin. He alsoserved for five years as head of a business unit in Japan, based inOsaka. Condon had previouslyworked in various marketing and salesfunctions at Schering in Germany.

17

NEWS MOVERS & SHAKERS


Rural & Industrial Design &Building Assocaition – RIDBA’scompetition to recognise

excellence in farm building has beenendorsed by countryside sweetheartKate Humble.

TV presenter and countryside darling Kate Humble is set to do thehonours at the first-ever Farm andAgricultural Buildings (FAB) awards.

Designed by the Rural andIndustrial Design and BuildingAssociation (RIDBA) to recogniseexcellence in the field, a total ofseven FAB awards will be presentedby Kate at a prestigious national ceremony in Bath in April 2013.

Her interest in the competitionwas won by Antony Lowther ofRIDBA corporate member AJLowther and Son who supplied materials to one of the buildings atthe ex-council farm that Kate and herhusband Ludo took over in the WyeValley in Monmouthshire.

From there, Kate combines her TVpresenting with running courses onsubjects as diverse as hedge-laying,orchard planning and planting, wildfood foraging, curing and salting meat,keeping sheep, poultry and pigs, andgeneral smallholding.

She said: “I am delighted to beinvolved with a competition thatrecognises the impact that farm buildings can have on the landscape

and all the various elements of theagricultural industry they house.”

The FAB awards aim to recogniseand reward contractors and clients,who have taken the time and effort toensure their new farm building issympathetic to and even complementsthe local landscape, while ensuring itis fit for purpose and has beendesigned with sustainability in mind.

Supplied by a RIDBA corporatemember, typically a contractor or fabricator of steel or timber framedbuildings, the building must be aworking one. The award excludesindustrial and commercial buildingsunless they are associated with agriculture, such as a farm shop orcafé, but has now been extended toequestrian buildings.

And although construction of thebuilding must have started afterJanuary 2010 the date for completionwas extended to December, with thedeadline for applications also put backto January 31st.

Judged by gold sponsor MarleyEternit and silver sponsors WedgeGalvanising, Kingspan InsulatedPanels, Brett Martin Daylight Systemsand Steadman’s, as well as RIDBAchairman Geoff Simpson, their decision will be based on 50% of themarks being allocated for aesthetics/design, 30% for functionality/fit forpurpose, and 20% for sustainability.

If you would like a monthly subscription to FarmingCountry so it is delivered to your door every monthplease fill out the form below and send a chequefor £35 to: Farming Country Subs, farmingscotland.com, Marbrack Farm, Carsphairn,Castle Douglas, DG73TE

Name:

Address:

Date of first copy required:

The NBA’s search for a newNational Director has broughtenthusiasm and broad ranging

supply chain experience to theAssociation.

Chris Mallon joins NBA to takeover as National Director, fromInterim Operations Manager AliMcKnight, who has been holding thefort on a temporary basis whilerecruitment for the right person tookplace.

Mr Mallon has a strong background, which will continue the

successful re-launch of the NBA thatbegan through 2012 including developing beef production projectsin Eastern Europe, working withnational animal feeds supplier BOCMPauls, managing the Scotland area forthe Tesco Producer Group Project,and a useful start in the industry as atrainee auctioneer.

Mr Mallon, who has a master’sdegree in Animal Production fromAberdeen University hails originallyfrom County Armagh, in NorthernIreland but currently lives in

Edinburgh having spent time workingin Scotland following his studies. Hewill now however be traveling thebreadth of the country for NBA torepresent beef producers and finishers and work with NBA’s partners throughout industry.

Commenting on his appointmentChris said “I am really looking forward to working with the newNBA Board and representing theinterests of beef producers on aregional and national basis.”

New Director appointed for NBA

As well as a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizethere will be awards for the most aesthetic building, the building that ismost fit for purpose, and the mostsustainable building as well as one forbuildings constructed by non-RIDBA

members. A shortlist will beannounced in the spring and all of theshortlisted entries will be visited by ajudges’ representative, ready for theprize giving on Friday 19th April inBath.

Humble Pie

£4 800.00

Ateam of scientists has beendemonstrating the benefits ofcattle producers having a

strategy in place to combat the consequences of Johne’s Disease.

Quality Meat Scotland is the leadindustry partner in the “Paraban”research initiative focussed on the disease, which is a major concern tothe Scottish cattle industry. The project involves scientists, led bySRUC (Scotland’s Rural College),working closely with industry partnersand is funded by the Scottish FundingCouncil in partnership with theScottish Government.

The keen interest from livestockproducers in the work the scientistsare undertaking was reflected in 40Caithness farmers turning up at lastweek’s meeting of Caithness monitorfarm at Westfield near Thurso, whichfocused solely on the issue.

Nine holdings from Caithness toCumbria are being put under themicroscope in a bid to shed more

light on the causes of the terminal,wasting disease and to advise on howto prevent it taking root.

In all of the herds, regular testingand prompt action to manage animals,which test positive have reduced theincidence of Johne’s. The team ofscientists is also following up evidencesuggesting that the bacteria tend tothrive on acidic soil.

An update on the study was provided at Westfield Farm, nearThurso, which became involved as aresult of its participation in the Monitor Farm programme, supportedby Quality Meat Scotland.

Tackling Johne’s was one of theobjectives monitor farmer JohnnieMackenzie set, with the local management group overseeing thethree year initiative. It is not thoughthis 300-cow herd has a higher-than-average incidence of the disease, withthe holding having one or two caseseach year.

Its involvement in the research was

to help give a representative spread oflarge and small beef and dairy herds.Over the past years, it has been supplying blood and dung samples tothe team of scientists behind the project – Paraban.

Vets and farmers view Johne’s asone of the most pernicious livestockdiseases as for every member of aherd displaying symptoms, another20 could be infected. Because theinfection is often picked up when thecow is a young calf, animals can carryit for years without developing symptoms while being able to infectothers.

The clinical signs of the diseaseinclude weight loss, diarrhoea andloss of milk output.

Johne’s, or Parartuberculosis, has ifunchecked, the potential to causeproblems throughout the herd.Concern about the toll it is taking isgrowing with the latest statisticsrevealing its incidence in Scotland hasalmost doubled over the past 10 years.

Seven members of the SRUC-ledParaban team made clear that doingnothing is simply not an option forproducers.

Speaking afterwards, Invernessbased SRUC epidemiologist SeleneHuntley said: “Our message is to testregularly and have a clear management strategy of isolating andculling members of the herd thathave positive tests.”

She said this is borne out by theexperience of Westfield and the otherholdings included in the research.“In the two years since we have been

18 Farming Country – Issue ninety

MONITOR FARM JOHNE’S DISEASE

Caithness Monitor Farm Focuses on Johne’s Disease

testing, we’ve seen a gradual decreasein the number of infected animals inthe herds.

“We advocate frequent testing ofthe whole herd and farmers agreeingwith their vets what long-term control strategies they need to implement.”

Ms Huntley clarified that a positive test indicates the presence ofthe infection that will lead to theonset of the disease. Once its prevalence in a herd is known, anaction plan can be worked out to prevent healthy members beinginfected.

This would feature biosecuritymeasures to segregate those known tobe infected and a culling programme.The soil link was picked up by scientists at James Hutton Institute,who are part of the Paraban initiative.

Ms Huntley said: “They found thatthe bacteria that cause the disease likeacidic soils, rich in organic matter andavailable iron.”

Following this up, the team aremonitoring how the application oflime to raise the pH of the soilimpacts on the incidence of the infection. Teams from Glasgow andEdinburgh Universities are also contributing towards the three yearresearch project.

Ms Huntley said too many producers are burying the heads in thesand. “We’re trying to raise awarenessamong cattle producers of the need totest and then decide what they needto do. We fear some are not testingor not testing frequently enough.”

Ms Huntley said Westfield’sJohne’s status is probably representative of cattle enterprises ofits size in the Highlands. “Theyhaven’t got a huge problem but it’ssomething they want to get on top of.”

She believes that there are majorgains for Scottish farming if producerstake the initiative and work to controlJohne’s Disease.

“One of the reasons we’re doingthis research is to help the industryincrease efficiency through improvinganimal health. We’d like Scotland tolead the way in terms of upholdingthe high health message.”

The impact of the CAP reforms isthe subject if the next Westfield monitor meeting being held in mid-January. The final meeting toreview Westfield’s three years as amonitor farm will take place onFebruary 20.

For further information, includingdetailed reports of meetings, pleasevisit www.qmscotland.co.uk/monitor-farms.

To advertise in

Farming Countryplease call

016444 60644


Assess Silage Stocks to be Aware of Shortfalls

With winter forage stocks under pres-sure on many farms it is vital to carryout an accurate assessment of silagestocks. DairyCo extension officerTom Goatman looks at how to do thisand some simple actions you can taketo help to minimise waste. For clamped silage the available stockis calculated by working out theclamp volume (m3) and then multi-plying this by the silage density(kg/m3).Calculating the volume (m3) of theclamped material can be done simplyby multiplying the length (m), width(m) and height (m) of the clamp, buttake account of any ramps or slopingsides as fofound in field clamps or Ag-bags.

Apply the same technique as used in the ramp assessment to calculate fieldor Ag-Bag clamp volumes.

Once you’ve calculated the volume of the clamp a good estimate of thedensity of the grass silage can be derived from the silage DM and clamp heightas set out in the table 1 below.

Figure 1: Ramp assessment

Figure 2: Field clamp assessment

Table 1: Silage density guide (kg/m3)

Silage Requirements

Table 2 Typical silage DM intakes

If a ramp is present on the clamp halve the length of the ramp and add this figure to the non-ramped clamp.

Select the table value nearest to your silage dry matter and clamp height andthen multiply this by the calculated clamp volume. This will give you thequantity of fresh weight material in the clamp in kg. To calculate the DMweight multiply the fresh weight by the silage DM and then divide by 100. Make sure any potential waste silage that will not be fed, on the top and shoulders of the clamp, is accounted for and this is taken off the total stockavailable to feed.

With silage reserves calculated the next step is to work out your herd’s currentdaily silage requirements. This calculation is the number of stock in each particular group being fed silage multiplied by the silage DM intake of thisgroup in kg/head/day. You can get an estimation of this from the table below.

The total of all the groups currently being fed silage will give you the current daily silage DM requirement. To calculate an estimate for the remaining days left in your silage stocks divide the total clamp silage dry matteravailable to feed (kg) by the current daily requirement (kg).

If there is pressure on forage stocks check some of the following areas: • Minimise waste in the clamp area by ensuring excellent clamp face

management.∑ • Utilise moist feeds if available and cost effective as a forage

substitute (take specialist advice to ensure the ration is correctly balanced and contains adequate structural fibre).

∑ • Ensure mixed rations are prepared as close to feed out time as possible – avoid preparing them the night/morning before to help avoid heating, spoilage and rejection.

∑ • Consider reducing the silage component in the diet of late lactation and far off dry and youngstock and replacing it with straw if available (again, get specialist advice to ensure a balanced ration is maintained).

∑ • Reducing the daily forage requirements by culling problem poor performing animals.

∑ Test individual clamps as you move through the clamp so you know whereyour best quality silage is. You can then target the best quality silage to freshcalved/higher yielding cows and youngstock.

It is vital to make accurate costings to make sure any changes to the feedingsystem are cost effective. Further information including worksheets to calculate forage stocks, requirements and feed costs are available from DairyCoFeeding+. To order a copy visit the Resources Library at www.dairyco.org.ukor call 024 7647 8702.

20

ARABLE CARBON / POTATOES


New tools from HGCA aim tohelp growers get to grips withgreenhouse gas emissions.

HGCA has launched a new publication and tool to help growersunderstand and better manage thecarbon footprint associated witharable crops.

The new resources will help theindustry to continue meeting agriculture’s UK greenhouse gas emissions commitments without regulatory measures and help satisfyincreasing requirements to provideinformation on a crop’s carbon footprint by the supply chain.

The publication Understandingcarbon footprinting for cereals andoilseeds introduces the topic of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions targets and the concept ofcarbon footprinting in cereals andoilseeds.

The HGCA carbon footprintingdecision support tool offers a straightforward and transparent wayto understand the carbon footprint ofa particular crop.

Dr Shamal Mohammed, HGCAResearch and Knowledge Transfer,said: “The publication and tool weredeveloped to help increase grower’sunderstanding of the process of calculating a carbon footprint andassist with decision-making.

“Growers can now quickly establish the carbon footprint associated with their crops and testhow improvement in crop management could influence farmefficiency and profitability associatedwith carbon footprint reduction.”

Most data required to run the toolshould be available from existing farmrecords but, in areas where data is notcurrently available, default values(based on average figures) can beselected.

The resources were developed following an HGCA-funded review ofexisting carbon footprinting protocolsand methodologies.

Visit HGCA’s new-look websitewww.hgca.com/tools orwww.hgca.com/publications for further information.

Understanding a Carbon Footprint

Crop storage

minimise risk in d

The countdown to Chip Weekhas begun! Running from 18 to24 February 2013, the annual

campaign to promote chips is a fantastic opportunity for growers,merchants and everyone involved insupplying chips to boost business.

Activity is ramping up for chipshops, pubs and restaurants to ensurethat the Week –now celebrating astaggering 22 years – is as prominentand profitable as possible. PotatoCouncil is urging the industry to getbehind its efforts to drive awarenessfor the campaign and get customerssigned up to participate.

Marketing manager for PotatoCouncil, Kate Cox, said: “Chipsaccount for such a large proportion ofthe national crop and this makes ChipWeek an important – and not to mention – popular platform.

“For chips shops, which use around13% of all potatoes grown in GB, thecampaign generates publicity at a relatively quiet time of year. ChipWeek 2013 will also be supported byour own research, which highlightsthat fish and chip shops are underincreasing pressure from competingtakeaways as well as the growingtrend for promotional deals across theQuick Service Restaurant (QSR) sector. We are in the process of sharing our findings with chips shopsand trialling incentives that can beused to help drive sales throughoutthe year, not just during Chip Week.”

As well as publicising the researchfindings, Potato Council is currentlydeveloping a high profile publicity

campaign to get as many people talking about Chip Week and enjoyinga portion of chips as possible.Supporting material will be availablefor chip shops and independent pubsand restaurants, plus when registeredthey will automatically be enteredinto the prestigious ‘Choice ChipAwards’, helping to put businessesand quality chips firmly in the spotlight.

Kate added: “Industry collaborationmakes a very real difference to theeffectiveness of Chip Week and canhelp to deliver a strong and consistentmessage. There are many ways to getinvolved with Chip Week 2013; forexample simply raising awareness ofChip Week with your customers oreven offering specific Chip Week promotions to the chip shop or foodservice sectors.”

If you supply potatoes for the chipping trade, encourage them toregister for Chip Week and the‘Choice Chip Awards’ and enjoy thebuzz and publicity that comes withbeing part of the quality chip supplychain. Registration literature is available for industry to send out andcan be requested by [email protected] orcalling 02476 478 789.

For processors and retailers, raisingawareness of the Week in-store andpromoting varieties that are suitablefor chipping will add to the campaign’s continued success.

Keep up to date with more ChipWeek news atwww.potato.org.uk/chipshops

This year’s storage event held atthe Potato Council’s worldleading research centre at

Sutton Bridge saw over 200 growers,suppliers and industry experts gatherto find out the latest in crop storageresearch.

The 2012 Storage Day, sponsoredby Crop Systems and Restrain, covered all aspects of the key issuesfacing crop storage.Workshops included:• Tips on making changes which

impact storage efficiency from Potato Council’s Adrian Cunnington, Head of Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research

• Advice on how to meet stewardship requirements for chlorpropham (CIPC) sprout suppressant from David Hudson, Technical Editor of the Red TractorFarm Assurance Potato Protocol

∑ A wider look at developmentopportunities for storage of field vegetables from Emma Garrod,Research Agronomist at leading grower and supplier Produce World.Mr Cunnington said: “Positive ventilation is the best way to dry outpotatoes in the weather conditionsexperienced this season. However,many stores are having to make dowith the non-positive systems theyhave in place. Whilst we can’t knockdown old box stores and start fromscratch, growers can convert them tosuction system or put in air dividers –these measures can greatly improvethe air movement in store.”

Concerns were raised over the levels of CIPC being used in potatostorage. Mr Hudson warned attendees: “If there are any moreMaximum Residue Level (MRL)exceedances detected, we will seegreater restrictions on CIPC use.Most refrigerated stores only needone application – even when keepingpotatoes to June.”

Mr Cunnington added: “CIPCworks best at temperatures of 7°C-10°C. At low temperature itvapourises less easily so it is importantto apply it uniformly to get good control as it won’t re-distribute roundthe store as well at 3.5°C. Fan assisted application has shown thebest results in trials but we needgrowers to change their stores to benefit from this.”

Two Q&A panels were held in collaboration with the PotatoProcessors’ Association (PPA), which

Get Ready for Chip Week 2013


ARABLE POTATOES

Ugly Veg now on Sale!

e event helps

difficult season

represents the potato interests ofmanufacturers of frozen and chilledpotato products and crisps in the UK,and the Fresh Potato Suppliers’Association (FPSA), which representsall nine major packers of potatoes tothe UK’s top five supermarkets.Richard Harris, director general of thePPA, said: “Now 57% of potatoes consumed in Britain are in theprocessed form. It was 52% last yearand the market is expanding. We’redoing extremely well and that’s goodfor farmers, for producers and thecountry.”

David Walker, chairman of theFPSA said: “The future use of CIPCis our hands. We must be more stringent in our application processincluding asking ourselves, is the storesuitable for CIPC?” He continued,“we are continuing R&D to find moreeffective application methods andalternative products used alone or incombination.

“To secure the sustainable supplyof fresh potatoes throughout the yearwe need to see a premium for themanagement and capital investment instorage.”

Simon Bowen, Agronomy Directorat Produce World, told attendeesabout the ways the company is looking to reduce CIPC usage throughinnovation. Produce World is usingethylene technology for sprout suppression and is testing it in pack asa sachet to extend control on to theretail shelf.

He said that the wet conditionsand very long storage could meanproblems with blackheart. “At onetime, I never thought it was a bigproblem for the industry but last season they were quite widespreadproblems with Maris Piper whenblackheart developed after packing,”said Mr Bowen.

The next dates for growers’ diariesare the Storage Forums in Scotland onFebruary 26, 2013 and on February28, 2013 at Sutton Bridge.

Over three hundred thousandtonnes of British produce,enough to fill 2,500 Boeing

747-400 freight planes, is estimatedto have reached supermarket shelvesthis year after retailers relaxed product specifications for fruit andvegetables following a difficult growing season.

The NFU says growers across thecountry have welcomed the effortsbeing shown by major supermarketsto make use of imperfect, weather-marked produce, includingpotatoes, parsnips, sprouts, swedesand apples, rather than rejecting themon the grounds of appearance.

So far this season, concessionsmade by the major retailers include:

An early move by Waitrose toaccept shorter carrots, thinnerparsnips and smaller strawberries; adecision by Morrisons to incorporate smaller than usual versions of broccoli, leeks, sprouts,swedes, apples and pears into its valueranges; a commitment fromSainsbury’s to use all fruit and vegthat meets regulations and stands upon taste, also incorporating them intoproducts such as ready-prepared salads, mash in ready meals and fillings in bakery products.

Walter Simon, a Pembrokeshirepotato grower and member of theNFU’s horticulture and potatoesboard, said: “I am delighted thatretailers have responded to an exceptional growing year by relaxingtheir specifications on potatoes andimportantly, telling consumers aboutthe reasons for any slight changes theymay notice in the potatoes they buy.

“The packing sector is workingextremely hard to market the Britishcrop and deliver the very best of whatwe have available, including potatoes

that might have been rejected on thegrounds of size, shape or colour in anyother year.”

Apple grower Ali Capper, fromWorcestershire, said she had benefitted from changes in specifications applied to apple colourand skin finish.

“It’s reassuring that retailers haverecognised what a challenging year ithas been for growing tree fruitthroughout Europe,” she added.

“Supply is very short so a sensibleapproach to specifications that allowsmore perfectly edible fruit throughsupermarket doors is welcomed. Thismore relaxed approach could beextended into future years to ensurethat the minimum amount of fruit iswasted at farm level.”

Earlier this year, the NFU called onretailers to adopt a more realisticapproach to sourcing ‘out of spec’fruit and vegetables in its Catalyst forChange report to prevent thousandsof tonnes of perfectly edible fruit andvegetables being wasted every yearand to reduce imports.

NFU chief horticulture and potatoes adviser Hayley Campbell-Gibbons said: “In acceptingto buy weather-blemished and wonky produce this season, shoppers aresending a very clear message that theyare happy to eat food that may not wina beauty contest, but still tastes great.

“Nobody wants consumers to compromise on quality, but justbecause a carrot is bent, or the skin ofan apple is marked, it’s perfectly useable, can offer great value andmost importantly reduces wastage inthe food chain. Let’s hope that retailers carry on with this sensibleapproach to sourcing so that more ofthe food we produce in Britain canactually make it onto the shelf.”

Council cannot control the weather;we cannot control planting levels; wecannot set prices; nor can we determine consumer demand.However, our corporate plan will support all our levy payers whateverour marketplace delivers for us.”

“I call upon industry leaders to joinPotato Council early in the New Yearat a summit where we will explorethe current challenges in more detailand commit to developing solutions,”he added.

The plan unveiled at Crieff captured the thoughts of over 90industry players from growers to supply chain CEOs who serve on PCLcommittees and develop PCL’s functional activities and focused onagreed priorities including addressingthe apparent yield plateau, developingbetter storage, securing plant health,supporting seed, countering freshdecline and supporting processing.

Dr Rob Clayton, Potato Council’sDirector summarized PCL’s approachto funding the plan, “when industryfeels pain then so does PotatoCouncil. We have seen a reduction inrevenue in 2012 with less area planted and fewer potatoes tradedand we have already made a commitment to peg levies at currentlevels. Our team has worked hard toensure we continue to attract thirdparty and match funding” he said.

“All PCL staff and board membershave responded well to the challengeand have identified efficiencies inboth the front line and support services. We’re confident that fromshowcasing GB through WPC2012,delivering against an agreed R&Dstrategy, addressing storage issues,working in partnership on new consumer signposting our currentbusiness plan remains on track and weare well placed to deliver in thefuture.

Challenging industry, Mr Stevensonconcluded “we have what we believeto be a well balanced and highlyfocused plan that takes industry on ajourney towards profitability and sustainability. But to succeed we willrequire everybody to reflect on theprevious two seasons and help usidentify what needs to change.”

Goals forPotatoSector

“Delivering greater sustainabilityand profitability will be very difficultif we allow ourselves to return tostructural over-production in 2013and beyond. Two extreme seasons ina row have created heightened tensions in our weaker supply chainsand big losses for many growers andpurchasers. These goals can only beachieved in a more balanced marketplace for GB potatoes” commented Mr. Stevenson. “Potato

Launching the consultation onPotato Council’s 2013-16 business plan amidst the most

challenging potato season in history,Chairman Allan Stevenson told delegates at the industry’s biennialseed event in Crieff that PotatoCouncil’s role was to keep an eye onthe horizon and deliver a plan thatdevelops a more sustainable and profitable sector than is the casetoday.

ARABLE FIFE


“Iheard about the competitionthrough word of mouth,friends were talking about it

and I thought I’d give it a shot. Wecompeted in regional heats where thewhittling down took place; the finalculminated at the Black Isle Showand eight of us had made it into thislast stage.

The competition covered a bit ofeverything including hands on

practical tasks, business accountsproblem solving and Public speaking.The judges scored each sections andpoints were tallied up to decide thewinner. I faced some stiff competition for the prize which wasan Isuzu Rodeo pick up truck, I wasdelighted to win.”

Bonerbo is an arable farm in theEast Neuk of Fife that Andrew farmsin partnership with his parents. The

Andrew Stevenson of Bonerbo Farm, Anstruther in Fifewon the farmingscotland.com Young Farmer of the Yearcompetition in 2005. What has he been up to in the pastseven years?

3, heavy clay loam. Bonerbo is only 10 miles from the

Quaker Oats factory at Cupar, so iswell placed to meet their increasingdemands for oats to turn into theirpopular new porridge and breakfastproducts. The oats are marketedthrough Oatco, which is part of theGrainco group who supply 55% of theScottish oats used by Quaker.

Responding to demand is only onepart of the management however –coping with the wet weather isbecoming of primary importance inthis traditionally dry area.

Andrew’s choice of combineturned a few heads when it arrived in2010. The New Holland CR 9080purchased from down south, cost halfthe price of a smaller brand newoption but it is a high output rotarycombine complete with 4wd.

Andrew commented, “It’s an

farming enterprise takes in approximately 283 hectares (700acres), half of which is owned andthe remainder farmed in a limited partnership, growing winter andspring oats and winter wheat.

The management of the farm nowlies mainly with Andrew, the rotationis two crops of wheat followed by acrop of oats, and this maximises thelands capacity, which is mainly grade

Farmer: Andrew Stevenson in partnership with his parents

Farming: Bonerbo Farm

Location: Anstruther, Fife

Area: 350 acres owned350 acres contracted

Cattle: 25 pedigree Charolais cows

Crops: Winter wheat, spring & winter oats

Soils: Grade 3, heavy clay loam

Staff: Andrew, his Dad & relief helpat harvest

Positions: NFU Scotland’s New Generation Panel

was Chair of East Fife YFCwhen he won the competitionin 2005.

FARM FACTS

2 New Holland Tractors, `– 160 Hp & 100 Hp

New Holland CR 9080 Combine Harvester

Kverneland Plough

24M Amazon Sprayer

Lely Centre Liner Fertiliser Spreader

Law-Denis 16 t/hour Grain Drier

All sowing is undertaken by contractors

IN HIS SHED

22

by Fiona Turnbull

Stevenson– SevenYears On


amazing machine and we now feel weare kitted up for coping with the harvest whatever the conditions.”

The final pieces in the harvest jigsaw are a 600 tonne outdoor grainpad and a Law-Denis continuous flowdrier which runs 24 hours a day overthe harvest period.

I’m curious at this point how successful an outdoor grain pit can begiven the wet conditions we’ve justdiscussed but Andrew assures me thatin a pile of wet grain, the centre isproducing heat which actually startsthe drying process and the outer sur-face can take 60 – 70 mm of rain dur-ing it’s time outside and have no moredamage than a top damp layer ofabout 25mm. He’s not the onlyfarmer to have adopted the concept –many of his neighbours now have outdoor pits that feed into the drier,some like Andrew having witnessedthem when working as harvest help inAustralia.

Unfortunately despite the bestattempts at harvest to bring in the

crops, the difficult growing conditionsthis year produced disappointingresults. “Our winter wheat yield fellby nearly 40%. The average yieldover 2008 to 2010 was 4.3 tonnes peracre and this year we only harvested2.7 tonnes per acre,” sighed Andrew.

Remaining as passionate aboutfarming today as in 2005, Andrew hasspent time on other ventures toosince winning the competition. Hewas one of the first to enter the bio-fuel market, collecting waste vegetable oil from local fish and chipshops to convert into bio-diesel with asmall plant at the farm steading.Primarily producing fuel for the farmtractors, the experiment went welluntil a large national company enteredthe market and snapped up the majority of supplies, leaving him withno raw material. He puts it down toa learning experience and it hasn’t puthim off the renewables industry as hehopes there will be a wind turbine onthe farm at some point soon –depending on planning permission, of

course. Andrew participated in valuable

learning experience of a differentnature when he travelled to Brazil in2008 with the Scottish Association ofYoung Farmers Clubs Agri Affairsgroup on a study tour of the SouthAmerican country. Supported by theCameron Travel Scholarship Trust, hestudied everything from beef cattleproduction to growing sugar cane forthe production of bio-ethanol.

He recalls noting their productioncosts are only a fraction of ours asland, labour and sunshine exist inabundance.

Andrew has also devoted considerable effort to improving theperformance of his herd of 25Pedigree Charolais. By operatingmainly with AI, and flushing the bestcows, it has allowed him to accesssome of the best genetics in thebreed. Bulls used include BalmyleBollinger, sire of the 70,000gnsBarnsford Fernie, and BalthayockEagle who is in the top 1% of the

breed for EBV’s. “Trying to get both the aesthetics

and EBV’s right is certainly a challenge but the buyers are nowbecoming more reliant on the figuresas well as the looks so it is the way weare having to go.”

Only a few years on from winningthe title of Young Farmer of the Year,Andrew is now in a position to provide opportunities to other youngfarmers. Each year he employs additional help to get through hisbusy harvest, he always looks for ayoung person and in the last 2 yearshas welcomed students from Australiato learn about farming in Scotland.

Andrew also serves on the NFUScotland’s New Generation group.Consisting of a mix of new entrantsand successor farmers, the groupmeets every six weeks to discuss policy changes and put across theviews of the industry – it’s a freshapproach that ensures that thosestarting out on their own have theirvoices heard.

New to the HGCARecommended Lists (RL)2013/14, are resistance ratings

for fusarium ear blight in spring wheatand ramularia in barley. These ratingshave been added as part of HGCA’songoing development of theRecommended Lists following a grower survey carried out at Cereals2011.

In total 41 new varieties have beenadded to this year’s Lists, while 24varieties have been removed. Newlyrecommended wheat varieties includea nabim Group 2 bread making variety, Chilton, which is also provisionally approved for ukp export,alongside four possible uks varietiesfor biscuit making.

For winter barley, four new varieties with malting potential haveperformed well agronomically –Talisman, KWS Joy, Mezmaar andSolomon.

The feed variety KWS Glacier, recommended for the UK, shows astep forward in yield over existingvarieties.

The East/West Oilseed Rape Listsees seven additions and the NorthList nine, with DK Imagine CL, thefirst variety with imidazolinone (IMI)tolerance, included in the OilseedRape Descriptive List.

Varieties are added to the HGCARecommended Lists when they areconsidered by the project’s industryconsortium to bring consistent economic benefits to the industry.Inclusion is based on their performance in a wide range of categories including grain quality, disease resistance and agronomic features.

Dr Simon Oxley, HGCA SeniorResearch and Knowledge TransferManager responsible for theRecommended Lists, said: “The largenumber of varieties added andremoved this year is due to breederssuccessfully bringing forward varietieswith high yields compared to currentvarieties. These new varieties havealso been tested in a very challengingseason as part of the RL system.“When using the Lists, in addition tolooking at yield, growers need to takeinto account regional factors such asdisease risk and markets for specifictypes of grain.”

HGCA is running a pilot CroppingSystems Platform project, which willsee live disease monitoring fromRecommended List trials inOxfordshire and Cornwall publishedon the HGCA website. This is partof HGCA’s future plans to providegrowers with more regional specificinformation for the RecommendedLists.

Summaries of the new HGCARecommended Lists are available onthe HGCA website at www.hgca.com/varieties. The full HGCARecommended Lists booklet will bedistributed in early 2013.Notes on new varieties:Wheat

There are ten new wheat varietieswhich include a new nabim Group 2breadmaking variety, three nabimGroup 3 soft varieties for biscuit-making, four soft feed varieties andtwo hard feed varieties.

Chilton is a nabim Group 2 varietywith a similar yield to KWS Sterling.It has a high specific weight and performed well in the difficult 2012

season. It is a stiff-strawed variety butattention to detail will be required tomanage brown rust, eyespot and septoria tritici. The variety is provisionally approved for ukpexport.KWS Croft was selected for the UK,meeting Group 3 biscuit requirements and is also provisionallyapproved for uks export. It achieveda very high yield but has a lowHagberg. It is less suitable for distilling and is weak-strawed. It hashigh resistance to yellow rust.Monterey was selected for the UK,meeting Group 3 requirements, andis also provisionally approved for uksexport. The variety is high yielding,has a high specific weight but is ratedas poor for distilling.Delphi was selected for the East,meeting Group 3 requirements and isalso provisionally approved for uksexport. The variety is high yielding,has high resistance to yellow rust andbrown rust and a rating of 7 for fusarium, but attention is required tocontrol eyespot. It is acceptable fordistilling.

The four soft feed varieties Leeds,Myriad, Revelation and Cougar allbring different characteristics forgrowers to choose from. Leeds wasthe highest yielding of the four varieties with a high specific weightand a rating of 7 for yellow rust andfusarium, but with attention requiredto manage its susceptibility tomildew. The variety is rated as goodfor distilling and its agronomic characteristics and high yield in theNorth will make it of interest in thatregion.

Myriad has a high yield and high

resistance to yellow rust. It is acceptable for distilling and has provisional approval for uks export.Revelation is a later maturing varietyrated as good for distilling. It is stiffstrawed and has a high yield bothtreated and untreated. It has highresistance to both yellow and brownrust and also eyespot, with a high rating of 8. It is also rated 7 forfusarium.

Cougar has a slightly lower treatedyield potential and has low specificweight but it has the highest untreated yield of all varieties on theRecommended List and an impressivearray of resistance to disease, including a 7 rating for septoria tritici.The variety is late-maturing and performed less well in 2012 trials. Itis unsuitable for distilling, and attention is required to control eyespot so may be of less interest inScotland.

Two hard feed varieties selectedare KWS Kielder and Dickens. KWSKielder is the higher-yielding of thetwo and is close to the top yieldingfeed variety, KWS Santiago. It isresistant to brown rust but susceptible to yellow rust, so attention to detail is required withfungicides to achieve the best yieldfrom the variety.

Dickens also has a very high yieldand is earlier maturing than KWSKielder with a high yield in the north.It has high resistance to yellow andbrown rust but attention is requiredto manage eyespot.Barley

Seven new winter barley varietieshave been added to the 2013/14Recommended List.

New info for HGCA Recommended Lists 2013/14

continued on page 25

24 Farming Country – Issue ninety

MACHINERY CASE IH

WWM ROSE & SONS LIMITED

Thomas Cairnie & Son LtdWA GEDDES

River StreetWick KW1 5EBtel: 01955 60 22 07

Croft Bank Garage, Brora, KW9 7LW

tel: 01408 62 12 20

LamanchaWest LIntonEH46 7BDtel: 01968 66 07 77 [email protected]

Duncow SmithyKirkmahoe, DG1 1TEtel: 01387 [email protected]

The final results from theAHDB/ HGCA 2012 CerealQuality Survey confirm that

GB wheat specific weights are thepoorest on record.

Results also confirm this as thebiggest domestic issue by far for the2012/13 season.

AHDB/HGCA Senior AnalystCharlotte Garbutt, said: “Poor wheatquality creates challenges across allsupply chains from growers to tradersand on to domestic and overseas flourmillers and feed compounders.

“In a typical year around 85% ofthe wheat that millers use is grown in

the UK but this proportion is expected to be lower in 2012 as only2% of nabim group 1 samples in oursurvey met a high quality breadmilling specification, compared with40% in 2011.”

“A poor harvest and bad autumnunderstandably does nothing forindustry confidence; but it is impor-tant not to base marketing decisionson recent memories and rememberthat every season has its own pricedrivers to monitor.”

Final GB quality figures are from99,546 wheat and 36,262 barley samples.

Poorest Specific GBWheat Weights on Record

www.farmingscotland.com

comfort for fatigue-free operation.”

Heavy duty and user-friendlyBut even the most innovative and

powerful technology cannot compensate for maintenance thatcompromises operating time, notesMs Hammerschmid.

“Case IH recognises that our customers earn money only whenthey can use their Magnums in thefield or for transport work, but whenthey are doing maintenance thosetractors aren’t paying their way. That’s why the latest Magnums areparticularly maintenance-friendly androbust. For example, oil changes arenecessary only every 600 hours ofoperation.”

In its anniversary year, theMagnum series is available in Europein five models ranging between 235and 340 hp (maximum power 273 to389 hp).

The current generation of Magnumtractors is equipped with the very latest SCR engine technology thatensures optimum power output withminimum consumption and emissions.An engine power management system makes an additional 49 hp(max) available on demand, whichtranslates into a power reserve of upto 14 per cent. Also standard is anautomatic productivity managementsystem that controls engine speed andgear selection depending on the work situation, for maximum efficiency.

To celebrate the 25-year anniversary, Case IH is producing alimited number of Magnum SilverEdition tractors. In Europe, just 25 ofthe Magnum 340 machines in a special silver livery will be available,making them a distinctive addition tothe tractor fleets of lucky purchasers.

The 1987 introduction of theMagnum series was one of themilestones in Case IH high

performance tractor development,and with a design aimed squarely atmeeting the needs of a new breed oflarge farming businesses, Magnumsoon became a byword for efficiency,durability, comfort and awesomepower. Case IH is now markingMagnum’s 25th anniversary in a special way.

Magnum has become the industrystandard in conventional high-hparable tractors, representing innovative technology, high performance, and reliability and thecustomer satisfaction and trust thatthose qualities create. While thename remains the same, the technology has advanced with eachnew generation – and the latest linenow includes a limited run of veryspecial Magnums.

"Technology can only lead the market long-term if it is high quality,high performance and highly reliable,"says Gabriele Hammerschmid,Marketing Director for Case IH tractors in Europe. "Celebrating 25years of Magnum tractors in 2012with a limited silver edition says agreat deal about how these qualitieshave found favour with farmers.

“One of the key reasons for thissuccess is that Magnum design anddevelopment have always been basedon the requirements of modern farming businesses,” suggests MsHammerschmid.

"Forward-looking farm managersknow what to expect from Magnumtractors: higher power to cope withdemanding jobs in difficult conditions,excellent fuel efficiency, higher working and road speeds, less maintenance, and the highest possiblereliability, as well as excellent driver

CASE IH Celebrate Silver Anniversary

Farming Country – Issue ninety26

The agronomic performance ofmalting varieties has taken a step forward in yield with four new varieties with malting potential addedto the Recommended List, Talisman,KWS Joy, Mezmaar and Soloman.Talisman is early maturing and has thehighest yield of the four varieties withhigh resistance to mildew and rhynchosporium. KWS Joy willrequire attention for rhynchosporium.Mezmaar has high resistance to rhynchosporium but attention will berequired to minimise lodging.Soloman has good resistance to brownrust and relatively good strawstrength.

Advances have also been made intwo-row feed varieties. KWS Glacierachieves recommendation for the UK.It is stiff-strawed and achieves the topyield of feed varieties, topplingRetriever from this position, but witha superior specific weight. Growerswill need to watch mildew but itscores 6 ratings for brown rust, rhynchosporium and net blotch. Thevariety has performed particularlywell in the East.

Two varieties achieved regional recommendation. Matros is recommended for the East region andCalifornia for the West. Matros isstiff-strawed and achieved 7 ratingsfor mildew, brown rust and rhynchosporium and has a gooduntreated yield. California is a stiff-strawed variety with a yield similar to KWS Cassia in the West.

There is a good advance in springbarley yields of both malting and feedvarieties. Sanette, which is potentiallya future malt brewing variety was recommended for the UK. It hasgood resistance to mildew but attention will be required to managebrown rust. New for the 2013/14Recommended List are ratings forRamularia and Sanette shows goodresistance to this disease.Glassel is potentially a future maltdistilling variety and achieved a higheryield than Shuffle and Concerto. Ithas good resistance to mildew butattention will be required to manageboth rhynchosporium and brown rust.Seven feed spring barley varietieswere added to the list. Tesla,Crooner, KWS Orphelia, Kelim,Natasia, Montoya and Rhyncostar.All have yields that match or betterthan existing varieties. All have highresistance to mildew with Tesla andKWS Orphelia having above averageresistance to rhynchosporium. Oilseed rapeEast/West regionThere are two new high-yielding openpollinated (conventional) winteroilseed rape varieties for the East/West region. Rivalda is the higher-yielding of the two and has goodresistance to lodging. Quartz is slightly lower yielding but has similarlodging resistance and excellent resistance to phoma stem canker with

a rating of 9.Three restored hybrids were

recommended for the East/West,Marathon, PT211 and Avatar.Marathon is the highest yielding ofthe three with good resistance tolodging and stem stiffness but it issusceptible to phoma stem canker.PT211 and Avatar both have goodlodging resistance and standing ability.Avatar is susceptible to phoma stemcanker.Troy is a semi-dwarf restored hybridvariety, which brings together a package of good yield, a short stem,stiff stem and good resistance to lodging.DK Imagine CL was added to theOilseed Rape Descriptive List for theEast/West and the North. This is aspecialist variety and is the first variety with tolerance to imidazolinoneherbicide (IMI tolerance). This variety will provide benefits to growers in giving greater flexibility tomanage weeds but growers should beaware that options for the future control of IMI tolerant volunteersmay be limited.North regionThere are three new open pollinated(conventional) varieties for the Northregion, Anastasia, Boheme andPendulum. All have high yields andgood resistance to lodging. Anastasiais the highest yielding of the threewith good resistance to lodging andstem stiffness.

Five new restored hybrid varietieswere added to the NorthRecommended List, PT208, Raptor,Shot, PT211 and DK Expower. Allare high yielding with good resistanceto lodging. The restored hybrid semi-dwarf variety Troy was added tothe North Recommended List. Troyachieves a high yield, sitting secondtop in yield of all the North varietieswith good resistance to lodging andstiff stems.Oats

No new winter or spring oat varieties have been added to the List.Varieties removed

Six wheat varieties have beenremoved from the HGCA List. Theseinclude casualties to new races of yellow and brown rust, which firstappeared in 2011. Torch fell belowthe minimum standard for yellow rustand Stigg for brown rust, as well asBattalion, Humber, Ketchum andWarrior.

Three winter barley (Element,Pelican, Purdey) and two spring barley (Oxbridge, Summit) varietieswere removed from the List and twowinter oat varieties (Hendon,Brochan) were also removed.

Eleven varieties were removedfrom the two Winter Oilseed RapeLists. These were Palace, Expert,Lioness, ES Astrid, Hammer,PR45D03, Castille and Mendel inthe East/ West region, whilst Lioness,Mendel and Palace were removedfrom the North region.

MACHINERY NEW HOLLAND

New Holland’s BigBaler range oflarge square balers has furthercemented its position as the

industry-leader with a coveted SIMASilver Innovation Medal. The international jury of agriculturalexperts were particularly impressedby the cutting-edge safety features,which enhance operator safety with azero-tools approach, whilst maintaining best-in-class outputs.Furthermore, the BigBaler is just thelatest product in the renewed, professional hay and forage productline up, which features the updatedFR range of forage harvesters and thenew Roll Baler, high density, fixedchamber round baler.

Guaranteed safe and secure operationThe BigBaler range was designed

with safety in mind, as New Hollandknows that safety is fundamental, andthat when operators are under pressure to bring the crop home inprime condition, short cuts can be

fatal. Furthermore, these advancedsafety systems have been engineeredby design to be tool free for swift,hassle free access.

A unique safety system has beendeveloped so that the front shield canonly be opened when the baler iscompletely stationary: when the PTOhas been deactivated and when theflywheel brake has been engaged.Only when these conditions havebeen met, can the operator unlatchthe front shield, using a dedicatedlever.

Side doors are opened in absolutesafety, and operator strain is reduced,as opening is assisted by powerful gasstruts, which also support the sideshields when they are open.Operator safety has been furtherenhanced, as there is no access to anymoving components via the twineboxes. The super flat service platform on top of the baler makesworking at height even safer, especially when combined with the

grab rails. A dedicated needle-lockingdevice is conveniently situated nearthe rear-access ladder and preventsaccess to the knotting system unlessthe lock has been engaged.

Industry leading productivity, efficiency and throughput: up to 110bales/hour

The BigBaler range has furtherraised the benchmark in the largesquare baling sector, and it hasbecome the default choice for professional baling operations, biomass contractors and power generation businesses. As the mostproductive large square baler in thesegment, the BigBaler can produce upto 110 bales/hour, for unsurpassedthroughput.

The MaxiSweep™ pickup ensuresconstant, smooth feeding of an evengreater volume of crop and has contributed to up to a 20% capacityincrease. Bale density has been further improved by up to 5%

courtesy of the enhanced pre-compression chamber which benefits from advanced SmartFill™technology, which uses a network ofsensors to guide the operator to maintain even flake formation for uniformly dense bales.

Advanced PLM solutions such asActiveWeigh™ on-the-go bale weighing technology, can be recordedtogether with moisture content, dateand time and the bale’s GPS locationto create precise yield and field mapping data, so that inputs can befine-tuned to increase productivityand profitability for future seasons.

The significant throughput andquality advantages of the BigBalerhave been further recognised with aprestigious AE50 award, conferred bythe American Society of Agriculturaland Biological Engineers. TheBigBaler range was regarded as one ofthe fifty most innovative productideas to enter the market in 2012.

•Best-in-class baler safety enhances the operator experience

• Industry-leading throughput of up to 110 bales/hour• Up to 20% capacity increase and up to 5% denser

bales for improved productivity

SIMASilver

forSafety


28

YOUNG FARMERS EAST AREA

Football FinalistsEast Area Rally

Winning RoyalThemed Entry

East Fife - SeniorSpeechmaking

Winners (below)

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Farming Country – Issue ninety 29

Interview with Sara Sands

Is agriculture exciting, does farmingoffer prospects?

“Yes” is the wholeheartedanswer from Sara Sands, the winnerof the recent AgriScot Business Skillscompetition. Sara (21) is a farmer’sdaughter from Southfield Farm byAbernyte, Perthshire where her family run a well-established livestockenterprise.

Since she was little, Sara hasalways wanted to be involved in farming, educated at AbernytePrimary she then moved to HarrisAcademy in Dundee. Sara admitsHigh School was a bit of an eye opener after attending a small ruralprimary but whilst confessing shewould have preferred to stay at homeand help her Dad most days she stuckin to secure the grades required andwas accepted to study for a BSc inAgriculture at SRUC, Aberdeen.

“Craibstone is a great campus –being out of town is really brilliant, Ihad heard about the respected academic reputation and friends toldme the social side was pretty goodtoo!”

It turns out that the advice wassound, as Sara has thoroughly enjoyedstudent life. Asked to pick out ahighlight, Sara comments, “In May2012, we travelled to Holland byferry from Newcastle on a study tourof the Netherlands, it was a fascinating trip and we covered a fairbit of this very flat country visitingdairy units and counting windmills.Much of the land has been reclaimedfrom the sea; we were shown thetechnology that keeps the water out.We also visited the flower marketwhere we witnessed trolleys of tulipsand other flowers coming and going, Ireally enjoyed the trip and look forward to seeing more of the worldonce I have finished my degree”

Now in her fourth and final year,Sara has elected to study mainly livestock modules and is currentlydrafting her dissertation, which is

investigating the influence ofEstimated Breeding Values (EBV’s)when buying stock rams and whetherthey are economically justified from abuyer’s perspective. The research isconducted through a survey of commercial breeders and questionsinclude; do you use EBV’s? Do theyinfluence the purchasing decision?What traits are looked for? Or whatare your reasons for not utilisingEBV’s?

The deadline for completion of theentire project is 22nd of April 2013.If you have not received a surveyalready and would like to contribute,Sara would be delighted to send out acopy, just get in contact using heremail – [email protected]

Sara’s interest in breeding rams ishardly surprising given her farmingbackground. Southfield is a 150 acreunit run by her Dad who finishes 60heifers annually, grows enough barleyto feed everything and runs two pedigree flocks. Grandpa Sandsestablished both flocks – the Suffolksin 1945, which are known as Kingstonand the flock of pedigree Charollaissheep that were introduced in 1981;it’s the longest established flock inScotland.

The ewes’ number 150 and lambin January inside – Sara helps out atweekends and so does her brotherand Mum. The flock is not performance recorded but the familyuse the information they record forthe breed society to select for lambing ease and lamb vigour, theseare the traits that attract commercialbuyers of shearling tups. Sara knowsmany of the buyers as they returnannually, keen to purchase morestock.

The Charollais are sold at Kelsoand both breeds are sold at Forfar andStirling.

The early lambing is done anddusted by February so Sara has beenfree to gain experience during herEaster holidays from University and

completed two lambings as an assistant on a 2000 ewe flock inNorthumberland before moving tohelp out with a 350 ewe flock at NewDeer where she hopes to return in2013.

It seems it has been a combinationof information accrued during thefirst three years at SRUC coupledwith sound practical experience thatstood Sara in good stead for the competition. To start with she sent inher CV with a 200-word report oncontinuous professional developmentfor a rural agri-business manager.

The semi-final stage involved afarm walk with questions on farmingand enterprises, Sara then became thefirst girl to reach the final and delivered a presentation on the meritsof a new product called AI24 heat-time vocal from Semex.

Feedback from the judges

suggested she had been listeningattentively and delivered her presentation with a wide range offacts and potential benefits. Sherecalls a few tricky questions onaccounts and the business side of agriculture but was delighted to hearshe had won the title and alsoreceived £1000 prize money.

So when I asked this enthusiasticyoung woman what advice she wouldoffer to someone interested in agriculture, her answer was simple“Go for it.” Sara points out the longterm prospects are good for today’sagricultural graduates and it’s onlyonce you get involved that you fullyunderstand the wide range of jobs andoptions available. The industry is certainly better off since Sara Sandschose to be part of it, I’m sure youwill join me in wishing her all the bestfor a great career in Agriculture.

YOUNG FARMERS BUSINESS SKILLS

by Fiona Turnbull

Photography Competition

COWS

30

RURAL ROUND-UP PHOTOGRAPHY

Jenny MacAskill, Woodhall Farm, Dunbar

1st prize winner Issue 89with her Simmental photo

wins a Cookery course atCourses for Cooks

2nd prize winner Redstroke Limousins

Baldarroch, Perthscoops a Highland Cow Rug

from www.ginalillycropdesigns.com

3rd prize winner Jean Gibbon,

Furmiston, Carsphairnwins a cookery book, apron

& beanie hat from QMS

1st

3rd

2nd

Theme for JanuarySHEEP

email your entries to [email protected]

by 15th January

judged by Rebecca Lee

31

RURAL ROUND-UP COMPETITION

4th= prize winner (left)Redstroke Limousins

Baldarroch, Perthreceives QMS goodies

4th= prize winner (below)Luigi & Katy MundayJohn Little Farmers

Rettendon, ChelmsfordEssex

receives QMS goodies

4th=

4th=

January Photo Competition –‘Sheep’

First Prize Winner Receives:a surprise package

2nd Prize Set of four Story of Wool Mugs &a dish towel from Herdy

3rd & 4th each receive a Wool Story dish towel

e-mail entries to [email protected] 15th January 2013

enter as many photos as you wish

farmingscotland.com Issue 90

Documents

Transcript of farmingscotland.com Issue 90