RADAnews - Reaseheath College€¦ · ‘Where there’s muck, there’s brass’ is an old adage, but one which has rarely been as apt as it is now. And the opportunity in slurries

RADAnewsTHE REASEHEATH AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY NEWSLETTER issue 2 - SEPTEMBER 2011

Three pages of RDPE Skills Training

OpportunitiesPAGE 7

Managing Transition Cows

PAGE 11

Focus on Farm ADPAGE 12

Market MonitorPAGE 18

Part funded through the RDPE Skills Programme

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Editorial‘Where there’s muck, there’s brass’ is an old adage, but one which has rarely been as apt as it is now. And the opportunity in slurries and manures comes from three directions - to save money, to make money and to avoid losing money; so it’s time to stop looking at organic manures as a waste that occasionally ‘hit the fan’ to cause a problem, and time to start using them to make brass.

Save money with muck: We often see articles in the

agricultural press on how much the nutrients in slurries and manures are worth in fertiliser value, and these are sometimes confusing. Are we talking about total nutrient content, or plant available nutrient content? Of course it depends on your farming situation, but let’s cut to the chase…

You have a field of grass in the middle of Cheshire and you want to take two cuts of silage from it and then graze it. Let’s assume your soil pH is fine and soil phosphate and potash index levels are at 2 (you do of course take regular soil samples to check on what you’ve got!) To make good use of the nitrogen content of your cattle slurry, you use a dribble bar applicator and apply 30m3/ha slurry in February, another 30m3/ha four weeks later

in March and a final 30m3/ha on the first cut aftermath. That’s going to give you around 85 kg of nitrogen, 55 kg of phosphate and 260 kg of potash per ha to grow the grass. With UK AN at £345/t, TSP at £395/t and MOP at £330/t, then what you have applied is worth £275/ha (£110/acre). Take that off the fertiliser bill!

Make money with muck: The carbon in slurry can be

used as a feed stock for bugs to make methane, which can then be used to generate heat and electricity. The by-product after the bugs make the methane is a slurry called digestate, which contains N, P and K that can be used to grow grass and crops. The process is called anaerobic digestion (AD) and it is set to take dairy farmers into the brave new world of renewable energy.

AD might not be for you, but you won’t know until you have taken a look. Reaseheath College Farm has a demonstration AD plant that is being used to help farmers with all the planning, practical, financial and regulatory issues around on-farm AD. It’s a unique opportunity for farmers to engage with the technology hands-on. The current situation is that AD, using our low capex ‘plug and play’ model, could make you an annual return on investment over 25 years of up to 20%. A return of 20% is difficult to find on any investment in the current economic climate, but every case

is different; every farm unique. The articles on AD in this issue and the meetings and courses detailed will give you all you need to make your own decision on the technology, so get in touch and weigh it up for yourself.

Avoid losing money with muck: Much of the North West of

England is designated as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ). Now, debating the science on which NVZs are based (will they improve water quality?) or the reasons why the regulations are ‘gold-plated’ in the UK compared to some of our EU counterparts (why more strict in The Netherlands and Denmark, much less strict in France?) is not going to get us very far. If we are not compliant with the regulations, then we risk financial sanctions, which is folly when the muck is worth cash (see above) and most of the rules simply make the existing Code of Good Agricultural Practice an obligation.

So if you are not up to speed with the NVZ regulations (there are certain things you need to do by 1st January 2012 if you farm in an NVZ), then read on and get involved in the help that is going to be provided by local consultants working with RADA and the Northwest Development Agency.

‘in it or with it?’ - Another old adage on muck and slurries. Make sure you are with it!

Annette McDonald, Head of Skills, Innovation and Enterprise Solutions, Reaseheath College.

hub.reaseheath.ac.uk/agriculture/

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is AD an NVZ Opportunity?emma Penny, editor of the Farmers Guardian, believes that renewable energy can provide an opportunity to all farmers. Following her visit to Reaseheath’s Demonstration Anaerobic Digestion Plant, she commented:

The AD alternative could be explored as a collaboration between farmers in similar situations, and with government incentives available for the production of renewable energy, the opportunity can not only be environmentally sound, but financially viable as well.

For most farmers, the idea of AD is a good one, but the cost and practicality of it can put off all but the keenest. So it will be very interesting to see how Reaseheath’s new plug and play AD plant performs.

On first visit, it seems a much more cost effective option than conventional AD plants. And, as it is fuelled by slurry alone, it’s also a much easier and less controversial option than plants which demand energy crops as a feedstock too.

But, like most things in farming, its true worth will only become apparent over time. There will be many farmers keen to see whether the Reaseheath plant lives up to its initial promise. If it does, the plug and play AD system could be a much more familiar sight on UK farms.

Don’t forget to send in your opinions and thoughts.

About RADAOur aim at the Reaseheath Agricultural Development Academy (RADA) is to improve the profitability and resource use efficiency of farms in North West england by delivering high quality knowledge transfer that is focussed on the needs of farmers.

The philosophy of RADA is to view ‘sustainability’ and ‘profitability’ as inextricably linked. Based at Reaseheath College, we use government and European funding to provide training, advice and knowledge transfer which meets the needs of our region’s farmers and their employees. We also inform the rural sector and those that develop policy for it.

The RADA Team and partner organisations are professional, accessible, farmer focussed and flexible in their dedication to filling the skills and knowledge gaps that the farming community needs in order to be profitable and sustainable.

Our programmes are continually evolving and aim to provide skills and knowledge in all areas of managing businesses and people, technical farming issues and environmental matters.The newsletter will keep you up to date with what is on offer. if there is anything that you need that is not in our training programmes, then please contact the team on 01270 613 195 or at [email protected] and we will endeavour to help.

industry Comments and Letters to the editor - An invitationWelcome to the second RADA Newsletter. The aim of the newsletter is to provide useful technical and market information and insight for the farmers and rural businesses of Cheshire on a bimonthly basis. We will also be featuring different activities, demonstration events and skills training courses that are available, and we hope that these will be of interest to all involved with farming and rural businesses in the county.

Mark Tripney of Matrix Ag Farming Consultants contacted us following the first RADA News to point out the importance of farmers applying for their NVZ derogation to be able to have a farm loading of 250 kg total organic manure nitrogen per ha, rather than the standard 170 kg/ha. Mark is going to explain more in the next RADA News in November.

You can send us your comments and opinions on any issues and we will print some of these in future issues. Contact us at:

RADA, enterprise Delivery Hub, Reaseheath College, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 6DF.

Tel: 01270 613 195

email: [email protected]

hub.reaseheath.ac.uk/agriculture/ Tel: 01270 613 195 email: [email protected]

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RADA Newsslurry on beef and sheep farms and lameness on dairy farms have been the recent focus for Livestock Northwest…

Above: Lesley Innes, RDPE Livestock Northwest Facilitator.

Correct slurry application can slash fertiliser cost

Making the most efficient use of the nutrient value of slurry is directly linked to the way it’s applied. Getting it wrong can mean losing up to 65% of its nitrogen value - and that’s a very costly mistake.

That was the message given to farmers at the latest Livestock Northwest open discussion meeting held at the Monitor Farm of Cheshire beef and sheep producer John Gate at his Langford Farm, Lostock Green, near Knutsford where four systems

of slurry application were evaluated - splash-plate, dribble-bar, trailing shoe and injection.

The Monitor Farm provides a focal point for interested farmers and industry experts to work together and share their knowledge and expertise covering a range of farm management practices with the aim of increasing the levels of performance and improving profitability.

The current cost of nitrogen fertiliser is around £350 a tonne, while the value of N in 30m3 of cattle slurry - before spreading - is around £79/ha (£32/acre). But depending on the mode of application, the real “cash” value of slurry is at the point of spread - a value that can vary significantly ranging from a minimal 5% loss using an injection system to around 50% loss when using a splash-plate.

Method of application makes the difference

“The method of slurry application has a huge impact on how much of its nutrient value you actually deliver to the land - and it will directly affect how much money you save on bought-in bagged fertiliser,” said Fred Percival of Cheshire-based slurry consultants and equipment manufacturers Spreadwise.

“It’s important to remember that if you can smell the fertiliser when you’re spreading it, the operation is costing you money because ammonia going into the atmosphere means nitrogen is being lost. The aim is to achieve the minimum loss of nutrient value between the slurry store and the field.

“Slurry being sprayed into the air when it’s being applied by a vacuum tanker is losing at least 50% of its

nutrient value. Surface spreading may be the cheapest way of getting slurry on to the land, but it also creates the most expensive level of financial loss in terms of wasting the nutrients that should be made available to the grass,” he added.

The trial at Langford Farm saw around 3,000 gallons an acre (34,000 litres/ha) applied to grass fields that had been “bared” by overwintering sheep. The consistency of the slurry was “thick” at around 8% dry matter and it delivered 1.1kg nitrogen per m3 and 1.75kg m3 phosphate.

Slurry that was surface spread using a splash plate was estimated to have lost 50% of its nutrient value - primarily because the slurry was “thrown into the air” and its cash value as a fertiliser was severely reduced, Fred Percival told farmers at the Livestock North West event. The value of the nutrient delivered was estimated at £8.75/ha (£3.50/acre).

The second and third areas of evaluation in the trial used dribble-bar and trailing-shoe methods of application. Both delivered the slurry more efficiently and showed an improvement in nutrient retention compared with the splash-plate system. Both the dribble-bar and the trailing-shoe applied an estimated nutrient value of £13.10/ha (5.25/acre).

“The dribble-bar, simply because it’s not throwing slurry into the air as the splash-plate did, achieves a much greater reduction in nitrogen losses. Compared with 50% of nutrient loss when applying slurry using a splash-plate, the dribble bar loss is around 20%. That can mean saving £4.35/ha (£1.75/acre) of nutrient value simply by using a more efficient method of application,” said Fred Percival.

Commenting on the “thickness” of slurry, farmers were told that the application of “thick” slurry with a high dry matter of around 8% - and which contains small-sized solid


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particles within it - can kill lines of grass where it’s applied using a dribble-bar or trailing-shoe if it is not washed in by rain soon after application. “The slurry we used in this trial had an unusually high dry matter of 8%. Slurry in-store would normally be around 4-5%,” said Fred Percival.

The land at Langford Farm that had been treated by slurry injection saw just a 10% loss of the slurry’s nutrient value and was estimated to have delivered £15.75/ha (£7.90/acre) in fertiliser cash terms to the grassland - by far the highest in the trial.

Right: John Gate of Langford Farm, Livestock Northwest Beef and Sheep Monitor farm in Cheshire.

Financial loss from lameness is more than just treatment cost

Four months of depressed yield before a cow is showing any clinical signs of foot problems - coupled with poor fertility and mastitis - means a lame cow can generate a loss of £500 in terms of treatment and milk income.

And at the current rate of lameness in UK herds that could be costing individual dairy farmers as much as 1p for every litre of milk produced.

Those were the stark facts presented to farmers at a Livestock Northwest event at Winsford, Cheshire where DairyCo mobility specialist Jo Speed explained the importance of early detection of lameness by adopting regular mobility scoring as part of routine herd management.

The event was held at Clive Hall Farm, a Livestock Northwest Dairy Monitor Farm.

“Identifying lameness at the earliest stage, well before a cow shows obvious mobility problems, can mean avoiding substantial and unnecessary losses caused by

associated health problems.

“A cow’s yield can be adversely affected by lameness for four months before it’s actually identified - and during that time many of the associated health issues have already started to take effect and have a compounded impact on the animal’s performance,” said Jo.

She told dairy farmers that veterinary research had shown that a cow with a lameness problem in her heifer lactation was three-times more likely to be lame in her second lactation.

“A cow with a sole ulcer - which is like walking around with a stone in your shoe - is the most serious in terms of welfare, as well as resulting in lost revenue. “Research has shown that a cow with a sole ulcer can cause losses totalling £519; cows with white-line disease and digital dermatitis are more treatable but can still rack up costs of £323 - and 83% of that figure is caused by lost yield.

“Other costs are incurred including veterinary treatment, increased labour and

higher culling and replacement costs. And lame cows are also more susceptible to other infections simply because their immune system is being challenged,” said Jo.

Lame cows have a longer interval between calving to first service and data from monitored herds has shown there’s a 100-day interval between calving and conception where cows are suffering from foot problems. Pregnancy rate to first service is also 10.4 days longer in lame cows.

Below: Phil Astbury of Clive Hall Farm, Livestock Northwest Dairy Monitor Farm in Cheshire.


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Mobility scoring and early treatment keep costs down

“The aim should not only be to reduce the number of lame cows in a herd but also to improve the herd’s overall mobility and to identify lameness as early as possible and take effective action,” said Jo Speed.

“Undertaking routine mobility scoring not only improves welfare but is also having a direct impact on margins by avoiding losses associated with lameness. “Mobility scoring is easy to apply to any herd. There are four scores. The ‘zero’ and ‘one’ score applies to cows that are perfectly sound and showing no signs of lameness. Score ‘two’ cows are the ones that really need to be identified.

“These are the ones that may appear a little stiff or show some abnormality of movement. They may also demonstrate untrue tracking - which refers to them failing to show correct and level movement where the back feet ‘track’ or land in the same place as the front feet.

“Another indicator is the arched back or a nodding head associated with pain from the foot. An arched back isn’t always a sign of lameness and may be linked to some other form of trauma or calving damage.”

Jo Speed said farmers had to ask themselves if the cows they considered fell into the score ‘two’ category would benefit from treatment? “In most cases these cows do need treatment and it’s the most critical stage in order to prevent further deterioration of the problem with cows falling into the score ‘three’ category.

Farmers were urged not to regard mobility scoring as “another industry gimmick”.

“It really can have a major effect by lowering a herd’s incidence of lameness simply by prioritising cows with mobility issues. As well as treatment there are preventative measures such as regular foot-bathing which should become part of routine lameness management.

To get involved in the LNW programme you can contact Lesley innes at Reaseheath or you can use the following contacts:

Farmer Groups, Monitor farms and Demonstration events in Cheshire and Merseyside: Lesley Innes at RADA on 01270 625131 ext 308

Animal Health and Welfare Planning: SAC Consulting on 08456 040535

Nutrient/Manure Management Planning: Promar International on 01270 616800

Resource efficiency Auditing: Promar International on 01270 616800

Performance Grants: The RDPE Team at Defra on 01228 640311

iCT Network: Visit the LNW website at www.livestocknw.co.uk

Below: Jo Speed, DairyCo Extension Officer and lameness expert.

Training boosts Cheshire’s egg production

A training programme to help commercial egg producers increase their production and profitability is being held in Cheshire for the first time.

The programme is being run at Reaseheath College by RADA at the college’s Enterprise Delivery Hub, funded by RDPE Skills Cheshire, and is aimed at giving producers skills which

are directly applicable to their own businesses.

Run over six half day sessions led by Alastair Johnston of the Minster Veterinary Practice, national specialists in poultry health, the training is delivered through a mix of seminars and laboratory practicals. Topics include the recognition, treatment and prevention of disease, bio-security, welfare and legislation.

The programme has attracted commercial producers from throughout Cheshire and has been specifically designed to be applicable to their free range and enriched colony systems.

Training fees are part funded through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) for Cheshire-based businesses. The programme is supported by Defra and has been promoted by the NFU through its Poultry Board. It is just one of a range of workshops and seminars being delivered to farmers and rural businesses in Cheshire.

Egg producers who attend the course receive a certificate as evidence of their training. Such evidence will be a future requirement for producing birds under award schemes such as Freedom Foods.

Take up for the training has been so successful that there are plans to repeat the full programme later in the year. There are also follow-on sessions in development to cover humane slaughter, housing and ventilation, egg production and handling, health and safety and insect and pest control.

Said RADA RDPE Cheshire Skills Customer Relationship Manager, Lisa Forbes: “We launched this programme in Cheshire to meet industry demand and have been delighted with the response. Our aim was to deliver very realistic commercial training which would give attendees skills which were applicable to their businesses.

“Commercial egg production is a growing industry in the country and producers are obviously keen to keep up to date with best practice and new approaches which will help them maintain the highest standards of welfare while increasing their profitability.”


Ben Wharfe, who is setting up a free range egg unit for 12,000 birds as a diversification business at Peover Fields Farm near Knutsford, has attended the training programme along with his farm stockman, Philip Pollard. Reaseheath’s HUB has helped Ben gain financial support for elements of his new enterprise as well as funding for the training through RDPE.

He said: “Attending these sessions has helped me to build up my knowledge and understanding of commercial egg production and has enabled me to develop necessary skills. It has been a wise investment of my time and money and will reap many benefits over the long term.”

NFU Food and Farming Adviser Aarun Naik commented: “It‘s great

to see that such training is available for egg producers in Cheshire. I’m pleased to hear it’s being taken up by those looking to enter the egg sector as well as businesses who have been established for some time but have not yet had the opportunity to undertake specific training.

“The NFU wants to ensure that farming in Cheshire and the North West is a dynamic and progressive industry with an image to match. Skills and training investment are fundamental in helping business achieve the productivity, innovation and profitability needed to compete effectively. A sustainable agricultural industry will only be achieved with a highly skilled, motivated and dynamic workforce”.

For details of further courses contact Lisa Forbes at 01270 613195 email [email protected]

Below: Lisa Forbes, RADA RDPE Cheshire Skills Customer Relationship Manager.

RADA Events & SupportOpportunities from the RDPe skills Programme.In most cases 70% of the cost of training is provided by the RDPE Skills Programme, with only a 30% contribution from the farm business.

Lameness control programmes

Two lameness control programmes are available to farmers in Cheshire under support from the RDPE Skills Programme:

The DairyCo healthy Feet Programme is being launched at the Dairy Event in the first week of September. The Programme is a step-wise approach which will train and help dairy farmers make important progress towards diagnosing the problems, devising an action plan, and develop the skills necessary for long-term lameness control. Trained providers (vets or foot trimmers who have attended a specialist

course) facilitate the whole process and act as one-to-one advisers, or ‘mobility mentors’.

FirstStep® provides a comprehensive assessment of overall lameness risk factors on a dairy farm. Using data gathered from up to 20 different models, the programme helps identify factors that increase the risk of cows becoming lame.

The system provides a comprehensive resource to help the training and mentoring process including visual tools and assessment videos of problem areas at farm level, designed to educate dairy personnel about lameness, its causes and effects, and treatment options.

For further details of how to get a lameness control plan on your farm with the support of the RDPe skills Programme, contact Lisa Forbes on 01270 613195 or email [email protected] partnership with:

7hub.reaseheath.ac.uk/agriculture/ Tel: 01270 613 195 email: [email protected]

8 hub.reaseheath.ac.uk/agriculture/

Mastitis Control Programme

The DairyCo Mastitis Control plan is a really effective, holistic new approach to mastitis control in the UK dairy herd. It’s a complete farm approach to the problem. It is implemented by a vet or advisor, working with the farmer to provide training, collect herd data, and answer a detailed questionnaire. The results are fed into the system which then provides a bespoke, prioritised plan of action for that individual farm, which will, if followed, lead to a substantial reduction in mastitis.For further details of how to get the mastitis control plan on your farm with the support of the RDPe skills Programme, contact Lisa Forbes on 01270 613195 or email [email protected]

In partnership with:

Dairy Animal Health and Welfare - training for skills to improve performance

Profitable milk production means implementing high standards of animal health and welfare. The RDPE Skills Programme is arranging for a comprehensive series of training workshops for Cheshire farmers and farm staff to support them in developing knowledge and skills to make improvements to their business. Separate workshops will cover:

Foot trimming - bespoke training for your specific needs from routine trimming to trimming lame cows Managing mastitis - including milking routines, parlour hygiene and environmental mastitis

Feet on the farm - considering risk factors and the cost of lameness - Session available for 26th October Healthy feet - focusing on lesion recognition, foot anatomy and function - Session available for 12th October The young calf - from birth to weaning - Workshop available for 23rd November Heifer rearing - from weaning to calving - Workshop available for 14th December improving fertility - why don’t my cows get in calf? DIY AI - bespoke training for your specific needs The transition cow - management 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after calving The calving cow - the calving process, minimising risks and taking action Practical nutrition - assessing rumen health infectious diseases - control and prevention for the ‘big four’: BVD, Leptospirosis, IBR and Johnes What’s in your medicine cabinet? - What, when and how to use medicines safely and responsibly Discussion Group Support - groups of farmers (up to 10) can come together to receive training on any topic area as a closed meeting workshop.

Both practical on-farm and indoor workshops are available for most topic areas, delivered by trained vet and consultant facilitators. Training will be arranged according to demand from september 2011 onwards. To register and receive support contact Lisa Forbes on 01270 613195 or email [email protected] partnership with:

Beef and Sheep Animal Health and Welfare - training for skills to improve performance

Keeping on top of animal health and maintaining high standards is key to profitable meat production. The RDPE Skills Programme is arranging for a comprehensive series of training workshops for Cheshire farmers and farm staff to support them in developing knowledge and skills to make improvements to their business. Separate workshops will cover:

sheep practical lambing skills - anticipating and managing problems, including abortion control Sheep lameness control and foot trimming - assessing and controlling risk, effective foot trimming and costs to the business Sheep parasite control - prevention and cure Basic sheep skills - tagging; drenching; injecting; examination of sheep ewe fertility ewe nutrition infectious disease control for beef cattle - including BVD, IBR and Johnes Beef cow fertility - including heat detection and management Lameness and foot trimming for beef cattle - including mobility scoring, lameness control and functional foot trimming Beef youngstock rearing - from birth to weaning and from weaning to first service suckler cow weaning and nutrition Managing the pregnant beef cow Discussion Group Support - groups of farmers (up to 10) can come together to receive training on any topic area as a closed meeting workshop.

Both practical on-farm and indoor workshops are available for most topic areas, delivered by trained vet and consultant facilitators. Training will be arranged according to demand from september 2011 onwards. To register and receive support contact Lisa Forbes on 01270 613195 or email [email protected] partnership with:

NVZ awareness and compliance

The new NVZ regulations come into effect on 1st January 2012 and Cheshire farmers can get training and help to draw up the farm nutrient management plan and records that are part of compliance. This resource is available to individual farm businesses in Cheshire. To find out more contact Lisa Forbes on 01270 613195 or email [email protected] partnership with:

Focus on the Family Farm - Planning for the Future

Dates: Tues 4th and Weds 26th October & Thurs 17th November Time: 10:30 - 14:30 Venue: Willington Hall Hotel, Tarporley, CW6 0NB

All aspects of succession planning will be addressed. Seminars will be chaired by Graham Gigg, Head of Agriculture and Rural at SAS Daniels and he will be joined by industry professionals from Rostons Land & Property Specialists, Jenson Jones, McLintocks Chartered Accountants and major banking organisations.To register for the course contact Lisa Forbes on 01270 613195 or email [email protected]

Dairy Nutrition Workshop

Struggling to cope with high feed prices? Come and discuss how to feed cost effectively and supply more home-grown energy and protein for your TMR. Free workshop - Thursday 22nd september at Reaseheath College Farm - 10:30 to 15:00 (with lunch).

improving feed conversion efficiency - Advanced Nutrition Alternative feeds for your TMR - Tony Blackburn (independent nutrition consultant) improving profits by growing more energy and protein on your farm - John Bax (Biotal)

Places are limited, so book early by ‘phoning the Enterprise Deliver Hub on 01270 613195.

In partnership with RDPE Skills programme and Biotal

Open AD Tours2 Hour tour and discussion of the operation and lessons learnt from Reaseheath’s AD plant.Admission: Free

Time: 10 am - 12 pm Dates (all on a Tuesday): 4th October 2011, 1st November 2011, 6th December 2011, 10th January 2012, 7th February 2012, 6th March 2012

AD clinic: Becoming a smart AD customer

Date to be confirmed. RDPE eligible candidates can spend the day learning about the requirements for building and operating an AD plant. Industry

professionals will outline the procedure for building an AD plant, the practical implications on farm and sources for further support.Further information can be found on the Hub’s website, hub.reaseheath.ac.uk/renewable-energy, or by calling Daniel Galloway on (01270) 613 195.

Skills for Rural BusinessesFind out how the Rural Development Programme for england (RDPe) can help you.The enterprise Delivery Hub at Reaseheath College can organise different training events to help meet your requirements. Below are some of the courses currently available (30% contribution from the farm business; 70% from RDPe skills Programme):

Managing your Rural Family Businesses - inspiring owner managers to improve their management capabilities and providing confidence to ‘build a better business’. Six half day sessions -15th & 29th Sept, 13th & 27th Oct, 10th & 24th Nov at Granary Conferencing, Hollins Farm, Hermitage Lane, Cranage CW4 8DP, 9.30am -1.30pm Finance for Non-Financial Managers - To enable you to deal more confidently with finance as it impacts on your role in the business and business financial planning. 2 half day sessions (6th & 13th October at Reaseheath College, 9.30am - 1.30pm) Book-keeping & Tax - key information regarding the information you need to know to manage your business effectively day to day and what records you need to keep. 2 half day sessions (22nd & 29th September at Reaseheath College, 9.30am - 1.30pm) Hands-on social Media - Delegates will be actively encouraged to utilise different social media channels within the context of their own business (starting with Facebook on 28th September at Granary Conferencing, Hollins Farm, Hermitage Lane, Cranage, CW4 8DP, 9.30am -1.30pm).

Also, coming up soon: How to do your own PR, Marketing & Branding, sales and Tele-salesFor further details contact Anne sharrott on 01270 613 195 and at [email protected]


A second chance - for farmers to planis it human nature to defer decisions until it is too late? Well, it is certainly something best avoided, particularly when it comes to planning for your retirement, succession within a business or death. This was the general consensus of opinion reached by those attending a series of seminars under the heading ‘Passing on the Family Farm’, delivered by RADA earlier this year in partnership with Graham Gigg of sAs Daniels LLP.

It is, of course, essential to plan in relation to both the known and against the unforeseen to achieve security for the future, and then to periodically review your changing circumstances. Reduced to its constituent parts, the following needs to be considered:

Is the structure of your farm business satisfactory and certain, or simply how it has always been? Is the business operating in an effective manner, or is there scope for improvement? Is diversification something to be considered and what effect would this have on the business as a whole? Do you understand the financial and fiscal elements of running your business? How do the plans of your children or other close family members feature in the running of the business or its future? Have you planned for retirement adequately or a forced retirement brought about by accident or ill-health? Have you a valid Will reflecting your wishes or are you simply not intending to die?! Are your affairs sufficiently robust or would the tax consequences of an untimely demise cause difficulties? Are you going to remain in control of your own future or are you going to allow someone else to shape it for you?

If you experience some twinge of doubt having thought about these issues (and others personal to you) then perhaps it is time to sit down and consider them in greater detail.

Perhaps it is time to speak to your closest family or seek professional advice to understand what is desired and what is possible.

Help is at hand however. RADA has decided that the seminars should be repeated and you can have the opportunity to attend all three Planning for the Future sessions, to be held on 4th October, 26th October and 17th November at Willington Hall Hotel. Experienced professionals including Tony Rimmer of Rostons Limited and Cathryn Jones of Jones Jenson Limited from the first series, along with chartered accountants, bank managers and a farm consultant will deliver training to deal with the issues. The charge (£99) for three sessions pale into insignificance against the cost you might otherwise pay for wise advice that is primarily intended to assist you in structuring

your future.Last summer, Reaseheath

College undertook an analysis which pinpointed a need to inform farmers of the importance of succession planning as well as ensuring the sustainability of the family business. The fact that farmers eat, breathe and sleep what they do is no justification for some ignoring what are many of the most difficult decisions of all. A tractor is just a tractor; other issues of a more significant calibre can have an effect for a lifetime.

As the adage goes, never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

To register for the Planning for the Future course contact Lisa Forbes on 01270 613195 email [email protected]

Below: Graham Gigg Head of Rural and Agriculture at SAS Daniels.


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GuesT ARTiCLe

The Transition Period: Are your cows set up to fail?stuart Russell of Nantwich Farm Vets tells RADA what to consider and what to do.What is a calving cow’s priority? - producing milk (to feed the calf). What should be your priority? - producing milk efficiently. To keep her efficient, she has to calve again. Your cow has programmed herself to look after her calf and forget about fertility until there is enough energy to support it. Why are we surprised when we can’t get her pregnant?

The TrickMinimise negative energy balance

and condition score loss. The less condition a cow loses, the more energy there is for reproduction. She gets bulling and back in calf faster, has much better immunity, and is less likely to get postpartum diseases like metritis, whites and mastitis. The key is to realise that the cow PREDICTS how much energy will be available for lactation & fertility based on the last few days of the dry period.

Although maximising intakes in fresh cows is essential, it is almost impossible to reduce condition loss this way - the cow has already decided that there is not enough energy in the late dry period, so has programmed herself to milk off her back. She just doesn’t eat as much as she should. The real trick is to maximise intakes before calving, convincing her that there will be plenty of energy available to support her lactation and future fertility.

The TrapHOWEVER, there is a very large trap

that most people fall into. You MUST keep dry cow condition under control. Not only that, you must keep energy intakes under control. Whether she gets fat or not, a cow that eats too much energy in the far-off period will not eat as much in the near-tos. This cow then tricks herself that there’s no food about and will lose too much weight postcalving. Feed her ad-lib grass silage in the far-offs and all you’re doing is fattening up the cow and unborn calf nicely so you can help the vet pay for his fancy new Navara. Even if this excessive energy intake only happens in the far-offs, the damage has already been done.

The Truth‘Fatty liver’ is otherwise known as

‘Type II ketosis’ because it is like Type II Diabetes in humans. Worryingly, it is most often subclinical, can even affect skinny cows and is caused by a big drop in intakes before calving. Excessive negative energy balance follows as well

as increased susceptibility to metritis, whites, mastitis, twisted stomachs (LDAs) and milk fever. A warning flag for a herd with fatty liver/Type II ketosis is if too many cows are having problems or are dying in the first 60 days.

Anything you do to reduce intakes in the last week or so of the dry period will cause type II ketosis. Feeding too much to the far-offs, overstocking, fat cows, lame cows, stale silage, mouldy feed troughs, heating silage, dirty drinking troughs, locking head rails etc. It’s the simple things, but they’ll do a lot of damage.

The TicketThe ideal dry cow and transition period:1. Sort cow condition before they’re

dry. You’ll have no chance afterwards. Run a fat (& pregnant) cow group on a higher protein diet and they’ll milk off their backs.

2. Limit dry period energy intake to around 105 MJ/day. This can be raised to 115 MJ/day in the last week or so.

3. Maximise dry period dry matter intakes. Lots of good quality straw, well chopped and mixed in a tasty TMR ad lib.

4. Plenty of feed space - At least 0.7m per cow in the group, ideally more.

5. Provide plenty of clean, fresh water. If you don’t, food intakes will suffer.

6. Control Milk Fever - keep off the grass! Plenty of straw/long fibre, dry cow rolls with or without extra DCAB minerals.

7. Minimise Stress - Stable social groups, no lameness, no techno music.

8. Provide essential nutrients. Choline, methionine, and cobalt reduce liver fat accumulation, as may glycerol, glycol and certain sugars. Antioxidants reduce liver damage and

may help maintain intakes. Selenium is very important for immunity around calving.

9. Give the cows a 3-week rest after calving - a small group separate from the main herd with the best beds, the tastiest food with extra fibre, at least 0.7m feed space per cow, and a short walk to the parlour.

10. Don’t let them get fat in the first place - heat detection, quality nutrition advice and monitoring from the herd manager, nutritionist and vet.

Next time you have trouble with fertility, held cleansings, or LDAs, take a proper look at the dry period. Even a nasty e.coli mastitis is no excuse for an LDA if she got mastitis because her immunity was poor! Are your near-tos eating at least 13-14kg dry matter a day? If not, why not? If the near-tos are being looked after like princesses, my bet is that you’re overfeeding your far-offs. Set them up for success. If you get the transition period right, they’ll all milk well, hold condition and get back in calf. Now that’s an efficient herd.

Stuart Russell of Nantwich Farm Vets.



information HubThink twice about how AD can add value to your businessAD presents the farming community with a real opportunity to create income, reduce costs and explore diversification opportunities. Now is the time to explore how AD can be integrated into your business to ensure that you can take advantage of any associated business opportunity. Daniel Galloway, Renewable energy expert at Reaseheath College tells us more.

Now is the time to explore the possibilities and practical implications of AD with the support of The Enterprise Delivery Hub at Reaseheath College. Through the operation of Reaseheath’s demonstration AD plant the Hub will publish plant data and the practical lessons that have been learnt. The aim of the project is to inform everyone in the industry about the opportunities that exist with on farm AD. Farmers need to decide if AD is a viable option for now or in the future. To quote DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change) in their latest press release regarding electricity market reform,

“business as usual is not an option.”

With the energy market seemingly evolving on a day by day basis there is widespread agreement that energy prices are only going up. The economics of on farm AD can be delicately balanced with incomes and cost benefits coming from a variety of output streams (heat, electricity and digestate). As the value of the outputs change over time, so will the economics of on farm AD and overall plant viability.

economic viability is unique to each farm

I am often asked the question, do you expect targets of 1,000 AD plants on farm by 2020 to be reached? And I always respond by saying, “it’s not a question of setting targets but applying AD appropriately in each situation and assessing the viability on a case by case basis.” The day to day operation and management of an AD plant is a key parameter when exploring viability, because unlike other renewable technologies, AD has a reasonable labour

input. In this respect it is impossible to set targets as each farming situation is unique.

Large amounts of theoretical work have and are being conducted on the economic viability of farm scale AD; however reports quickly become out of date due to changes in commodity prices. A 20% increase in the cost of gas will quickly alter the economics of any industrial process, including farming.

With commodity prices increasing and new entrants offering innovative technologies around AD, ‘when will AD be viable for me?’ is a key question. Technology exhibited at the recent ADBA conference included elemental Sulphur recovery, tri-generation (heating, cooling and electricity) and integration of AD and horticulture. These are all examples for adding value to the AD process and reducing costs to the integrated business. As these technologies develop so will the economics of on-farm AD. AD may well be viable now or in five years time, however the critical point is to work it out for your own farm and recognise a business opportunity.

every potential must be realised

When exploring the viability of smaller scale AD it is important to realise any potential for utilising heat and digestate on site. If the output from these two parameters can be optimised then smaller scale projects become more viable. An important aspect when utilising the digestate is the method by which it is applied and the time of year it is spread on land. Understanding how to obtain the greatest use out of the digestate is very much within the remit of the project and can provide real cost savings on purchased fertiliser, which all affects the bottom line of the business.

Reaseheath’s demonstration AD plant provides your business with an opportunity to understand the requirements for successfully building and operating an AD plant. So now is the time to come along to our programme of events to touch, to feel and to see what AD can do for you and your business.

Below: Reaseheath College AD Plant.

Daniel Galloway, Renewable Energy Officer, Reaseheath College.


Following the recent launch of the Reaseheath College AD plant as a demonstration facility for all stakeholders (from farmers and advisers, to planners and bankers), there will a series of tours and discussion forums:

Open Tours2 hour tour and discussion of the operation and lessons learnt from Reaseheath’s AD plant.

Admission: Free Time: 10 am - 12 pm Dates (all on a Tuesday): 4th October 2011, 1st November 2011, 6th December 2011, 10th January 2012, 7th February 2012, 6th March 2012

AD clinic: Becoming a smart AD customer

Date to be confirmed. RDPE eligible candidates can spend the day learning about the requirements for building and operating an AD plant. Industry professionals will outline the procedure for building an AD plant, the practical implications on farm and sources for further support.Further information can be found on the Hub’s website, hub.reaseheath.ac.uk/renewable-energy, or by calling Daniel Galloway on (01270) 613 195.

Health and safety thoughts about buying into Anaerobic Digestion

Purchasing an anaerobic digestion (AD) system for use on farm is a financial commitment. Whilst it may solve many problems, for it to work safely and efficiently there needs to be careful planning. One worker has already been killed on an AD plant in the UK.

Inspections at some plants have suggested that though there are safety problems, most are not unique to AD. They have included poor machinery guarding, a lack of understanding of the toxicity of some gases within the plant and no planning for emergencies including fire or rupture of pipes.

Therefore, factors you should consider in setting up and running an AD plant include:

Do you fully understand the plant and the risks involved? Have you carried out a risk assessment? Will the construction phase be notifiable under Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007 [CDM]? Does the plant operate under pressure? If so will it need a written scheme of examination? Are you buying the right equipment? Where can you get appropriate advice? Will your staff be operating the plant? Are they experienced, trained and competent to make the necessary safety decisions?

Will you have written procedures and what steps will you need to take to ensure your staff follow them?

Is training available? What will happen if key staff leave? Do you know where new staff can be trained?

What information and advice is available from your supplier? For how long will any support continue to be provided after commissioning?

If you think you might want to expand the plant in future, is it in the right position or will you need new buildings?

Will the plant be positioned or protected from damage by farm vehicles? What about any vulnerable pipework?

If you can’t use the gas generated yourself, how will you manage it safely?

What safety problems/challenges will changes in feedstock quality or delivery pose?

Although on-farm AD plants have been in use across Europe for many years, they are a relatively new development in the UK. Trade Associations such as the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association [ADBA] and the Renewable Energy Association [REA] provide information for both members and non-members.

The Health & safety executive [Hse] also has information on its web site at: http://www.hse.gov.uk

Overcoming the hurdles to successful Anaerobic Digestion on the farm A consultant’s view from stephen Locke at Berrys Brothers

With world energy consumption set to rise significantly by 2030 there is a growing need for local, reliable and renewable energy sources such as on-farm anaerobic digestion producing biogas.

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a natural biological process in which the use of the biofertiliser produced is as important as the biogas and an increasing number of farmers in the area are seriously considering adopting the latest proven technology from both the UK and Europe to make AD work on their farms.

“Both arable and livestock farmers have the resources to provide the feedstock for the production of biogas,” said Stephen Locke, planning and environment specialist with Berrys who has recently obtained planning consent for a number of on-farm AD plants.

“Arable farmers can add value to crops grown on the farm and livestock farmers can generate income from waste manures whilst producing a non-odorous fertiliser. The process also has environmental benefits, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, producing renewable energy to replace fossil fuels, reducing the need for artificial fertilisers and helping to minimise nitrogen and phosphate leakage from soils.”

A combination of technical, political and regulatory factors in the UK is steadily starting to propel AD technology forwards. Income will be generated through a combination of rebalanced Feed in Tariffs and the introduction of the new Renewable Heat Incentive which promises additional payments guaranteed for 20 years over and above the Feed in Tariffs. There are also

opportunities to process and market digestate.

While commercial viability will be the key consideration for those contemplating AD, planning is another potential barrier to be overcome and it is wise to seek professional help with the planning from the outset.

continued overleaf >>

Stephen Locke, planning and environment specialist with Berrys.


“From my experience in dealing with a number of planning applications for AD plants, it is clear that local authorities are becoming more aware of the benefits of AD but it is crucial when submitting a planning application that the process and the long term management of the facility is fully set out,” he said.

“Issues such as noise, odour and traffic are often misunderstood and need to be carefully presented to local communities early on.

“The reality is that noise is minimal, odours are low and traffic generally is low as feedstock is mainly coming

from adjacent land. In circumstances where perhaps there is a lack of trust in the developer it is important to try and gain the trust of the community by undertaking meaningful engagement and extolling the benefits both to the wider environment and the local area by, for example, providing a source of heat for local use”.

“Getting through the planning issues and dealing with the environmental permitting regulations can be a long and lengthy process. The secret is to plan ahead, consult early and keep everyone informed; it is only then that everyone

can come to realise the important benefits that this technology can provide for both the agricultural industry and the environment,” he added. Stephen Locke can be contacted at Berrys on 01743 267062 or email [email protected]

Making the most of AD digestate as a fertiliserReaseheath’s AD plant is already producing plenty of digestate and the Reaseheath College Farm has started to use it as a fertiliser and comparing it against cattle slurry. We will continue this demonstration work and report on the initial results in the next RADA Newsletter. There is also a detailed set of experiments being run across the country, which in the coming years will provide knowledge to help farmers integrate AD digestate into their farm nutrient management plans. Here we introduce the work, which covers three areas of relevance to grassland farmers.

A series of replicated scientific field experiments, recently commissioned by WRAP, Defra, and Zero Waste Scotland and funded by Defra and the governments of Scotland and Wales, will help farmers maximise the potential of anaerobic digestate (biofertiliser) to grow quality crops whilst helping to meet our 2020 climate change and waste reduction commitments.

The first area of research will quantify the crop available nitrogen supply characteristics of digestate. Digestate is an excellent source of readily available nitrogen, and the information generated through this aspect of the project will enable farmers to understand how much nitrogen will be available and when, helping

to reduce reliance on manufactured nitrogen fertilisers, whilst maintaining crop yields. The research will be carried out at 12 sites in total, reflecting different soil types, climatic conditions and cropping rotations. Six treatments will be compared against an untreated control and comprise two types of food-based and manure/crop residue-based digestates (applied in autumn and spring on separate plots), and livestock slurry (again applied in autumn and spring on separate plots). These treatments will then be compared against manufactured fertiliser nitrogen plots to assess the nitrogen efficiency and fertiliser nitrogen replacement value of the contrasting digestate/slurry applications.

Spreading digestateThe second area of research at

seven sites across Britain with varying soil types, climatic conditions and cropping rotations, will quantify the effects of repeated digestate and compost applications on soil and crop quality. Against the control plots of farm standard fertiliser, six treatments will comprise quality green and green/food composts, quality food-based digestate, farmyard manure, livestock slurry and manure-based digestate. Crops to be grown include grass, winter and spring wheat, winter and spring barley, oilseed rape, potatoes and linseed.

The third area of research will obtain robust data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and emissions of other potential pollutants to air (e.g. ammonia) and to water (e.g. nitrate), resulting from the use of the various materials. This will contribute to the Defra funded “Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Platform”. At three sites, nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide emissions will be measured following the land application of quality digestate and compost. Static chambers will measure GHG emissions compared to untreated control plots. There are six treatments: surface broadcast and bandspread livestock slurry; farmyard manure; surface broadcast and bandspread digestate; and compost.


Helping to solve the mastitis puzzleLarge herds, high outputs and staff - the modern dairy farm has a greater potential for loss with mastitis, but also the most to gain when following a structured approach to controlling it, as DairyCo’s Mastitis Control Plan has shown. Dairy farmers in Cheshire can get financial support for access to this service through the RDPe skills Programme.

Here is how one Sussex farmer used the mastitis plan to solve the puzzle. If you farm in Cheshire and want to do the same, contact us on 01270 613 195 or at [email protected] to find out more.

Having a structured approach to mastitis control allows both herd owner and staff to focus on the little details that have the biggest impact. And in Peter Appleton’s case, as well as cutting cell counts and clinical cases, it also prevented him from spending well over £12,000 on a cluster dipping system for his parlour.

“The DairyCo Mastitis Control Plan (DMCP) showed that we didn’t need it because our problem wasn’t caused by cross contamination at milking,” says Peter, whose 360 Holsteins are based at Parkwood Farm at Upper Dicker, Sussex. “Instead, we improved our attention to detail in the housing, made some changes in the parlour routine, and learned to use a spreadsheet to get a logical and consistent decision as to whether or not to treat a high SCC cow.”

Above: The Parkwood Farm herd was fully housed but returned to grazing last year.

The dairy herd block calves in autumn and spring, with youngstock reared on another farm. Averaging 9000 litres, cows are fed a TMR all year round plus grazing from late April until October.

Twelve months before using the plan, this herd was sitting at 55-60 cases/100 cows/year, rising to a peak of 80 cases in September 2009. The rolling cell count was 240,000 cells/ml - and the seasonal emphasis in the herd was contributing to the SCC problem.

Consultant vet, Ben Brearley of The Livestock Partnership, took Peter and his staff through the mastitis plan. “Ben and I agreed on the initial investment and I gave permission for him to access our NMR milk and SCC records and our mastitis records. Ben then arrived at 5am for morning milking and spent the day on site speaking to everyone and looking at everything. He caught us with cubicles at their dirtiest before we had bedded up, yards before we had scraped out, and saw our typical morning routine. We got a comprehensive report back within 10 days.”

What struck Peter most was the clarity of advice: “We had spent hours debating cluster flushing. Ben’s report cut through it and said that while it may help, our milking routines were good and cross contamination at milking was negligible, so we could save our money.” Measures taken to improve mastitis control at Parkwood Farm included:

Implementing a culling decision protocol to reach data based decisions, rather than culling based on gut feelings. Using the available data to put cows through a treatment decision tool to target cure actions. Acting on bacteriology reports to target problem areas around the whole farm, not just the parlour. Changing preparation lag time and shortening ACR take-off time to reduce over-milking. Increasing the amount and frequency of straw bedding in the loose straw calving yard.

A key part is Ben’s time spent on farm. “This is a full investigation,

to look at every nook and cranny and ask questions. I can also bounce ideas off the vets who developed the plan. The advantage of the DMCP is that it identifies lots of things that are potentially having an impact on mastitis, but prioritises them into what’s important, what gives quick results and shows what changes are necessary in the more long term,” Ben says.

Six months after starting the plan, Peter saw the number of mastitis cases drop to 25 cases/100 cows/year and the rolling SCC fall to 150,000 cells/ml. However, Ben has continued to produce monthly reports (emailed to all farm staff) to monitor results and any changes, following-up where necessary with a phone call. “Part of the success of the DMCP is that the vet consultant is on our case,” says Peter. “It’s an extra helping hand.”

“I’m not going to say that we have cracked our mastitis problem in 12 months. The scheme has been easy to do and given us a good return on our investment. It recognises that to get a response it has to work with what/who is on farm, so it doesn’t make impossible suggestions. We are all busy which means every action has to be sure of a return.”Cheshire dairy farmers can access financial support for implementing the DMCP by contacting the Reaseheath College enterprise Delivery Hub on 01270 613 195 or at [email protected]

Below: The amount and frequency of straw bedding was increased as part

of the mastitis control plan.


Environment AdviceNicky Hall, Farm Conservation Officer for Cheshire FWAG

Plan ahead for next year’s nutrient budget

The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group are encouraging all farmers to use this winter period to undertake soil sampling.

FWAG believe that soil sampling and nutrient analysis are key tools in helping farmers to cut costs and improve farm efficiency, as well as environmental performance. Fertilizer prices remain high and if anything may increase further in 2012. Soil sampling coupled with a nutrient management plan will help the farmer save money on purchased fertilizers, aid better crop management and help meet the requirements of the Nitrates Directive (NVZ requirements).

A soil test every two to three years is usually adequate. Sample more frequently if you desire a closer monitoring of the fertility levels, or if you grow plants that are known to be heavy feeders. Soil sampling involves taking soil ‘cores’ across each field. The cores should then be mixed in a bucket and a sample should be taken from this mix. The sample should amount to about a mug full of soil. The sample must then be correctly labelled and

sent off to a laboratory for analysis.FWAG can provide this analysis

service and we can either undertake the sampling, or if you are a FWAG member, you can borrow our soil augers.

It is important to take care to make sure that you have sampled a representative area and that you have taken sufficient cores. Eight to twelve cores per acre are recommended. Core depth should range from four inches for grassland to six inches for arable. Avoid taking cores from around field entrances and feeding areas.

Using up-to-date soil analysis helps to generate a nutrient management plan to address any deficiencies or surpluses in the most effective way possible, guiding the targeting of available livestock manures or other organic amendments, and the application interval to optimise short and long-term productivity. The value of livestock manures is often underestimated, and in many cases opportunities for precision nutrient planning are missed. Targeting not only

saves money, it also aids the current objective to maintain and protect our waterways from nitrate and phosphate pollution.

It is also essential that every farm business completes their Nutrient Management Plan as required under the Nitrates Directive, demonstrating that applications are planned before any nitrogen is applied for the year and that the plan takes account of the soil nitrogen reserves and the crop nitrogen limit (Nmax). FWAG farmers can benefit from the advice of our FACTS qualified advisors who are available to set up and maintain good nutrient accounting systems for your farm. Our services are tailored to the farm’s requirements, whether it be support with the farm’s current systems or completion of full Nutrient Management Plans for farms.

If you require further advice on soil sampling and completing your Nutrient and Manure Management Plan, FWAG staff are on hand to provide help. Please see our website to find your local FWAG contact.

Looking ahead to autumn Summer will soon be fading into autumn days, which are an important time for environmental management. Action taken now will not only help wildlife through the winter, but also give it the best start next spring!

HEDGESIt’s never too early to start thinking about hedgerows; planning

where you want to plant new ones or identifying the hedges that need work done. By August many birds have stopped breeding (though it’s best to remain on the look out until September) so after that, carrying out work is less likely to be disruptive. When you do engage in September hedge trimming, you should do it on a ‘rotational’ basis - sections of the hedge at a time and on a cycle of several years, so there are always berries for birds (this is particularly true of hawthorn and brambles). When you are tackling hedges, it’s a good time to identify potential hedgerow trees and tag suitable saplings - these can be of huge landscape importance, and homes to many farmland birds. A bushy hedge with a flower rich margin. © FWAG.


MARGINSThis is also a good time to be

thinking about margins, both on arable land and on grassland. Margins offer good wildlife ‘corridors’ - a way for animals to move about the farm, as well as a habitat for insects, birds and small mammals such as dormice. Placed next to watercourses, they can prevent sediment and pesticide run-off. Buffers strips under Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) can boost farm incomes, and as a CFE voluntary measure offer flexibility.

To enhance the wildlife benefit of your margins (any help to control any weed areas), you could consider preparing the ground to set them down to a seed or pollen mix. These are an important food source for animals all year round, as well as being valuable refuge for many mammals. These mixes, if they are of sufficient size and distribution, provide food for bees and butterflies and other pollinating insects. This in turn is great news for insect-eating birds and also for bats. There are two optimum times of year to sow pollen and nectar mixes: early spring and late summer.

PONDSPonds are alive with wildlife during

summer, from bright dragonflies emerging from their larval skins in June to exuberant Pipistrelle bats which feed over the water at dusk. Come autumn, the smaller animals in the ponds have finished their egg-laying, frogs and newts may be preparing to over-winter and the dense pond foliage is starting to die back. Careful plant removal or thinning can be beneficial at this time.

If you’re satisfied that plants are not providing cover for animals, you can consider removing non-natives (such as Canadian waterweed) or skimming off unwanted duckweed (do not leave on the bank however, as the nutrients will leach back into the water - instead wash gently in a tub to remove any animals and dispose of on a compost heap). Some invasive aquatic species affecting Cheshire ponds need special consideration, for example the Australian Swamp Stonecrop (Latin name: Crassula), which should not be cleared mechanically as this causes it to spread further. Leaf litter can be partially removed when it builds up in September, but often this is beneficial to pond wildlife as a food source.

Below: Typical Cheshire yard pond.

Above: A wood plantation.

WOODLANDAutumn is actually a good time

for planting native trees. The earth is warm and damp and the young saplings can root well. It’s worth remembering when you plant a tree, that the good it does will not be confined to this year, or the year after. There is no telling, generations from now, how many thousands of creatures will have benefitted. Oaks, for example, can stand for hundreds of years, and the mature oaks we find in our Cheshire hedges are a really distinctive part of the Cheshire landscape. Oak and mixed broadleaved woodlands support more biodiversity than any other type of woodland. There are grants available for tree planting, such as the Woodland Creation Grant.

There are also many grants available for woodland management, so acquiring arboreal nirvana has never been easier, or made better financial sense. Your FWAG advisor will be happy to go through the available grants, whether it is for a new woodland project, or more likely for any plans you have to carry out works or develop the woodfuel potential for your woodland.

Talk to FWAG today... Tel: 01270 627938 or email: [email protected] WWW.FWAG.ORG.uK


Market Monitor

Above: Percentage of retail milk price going to farmers, processors and retailers.

‘Who got the cream from improved dairy markets?’ asks DairyCo report

The 2010/11 milk year was characterised by strong commodity markets although this was not fully reflected in farmgate prices, says the DairyCo Supply Chain Margins report published recently.

“The prices farmers received for their milk increased by 5% compared to the previous year,” says DairyCo analyst Patty Clayton. “In comparison the market indicator AMPE, which reflects returns from butter and powder commodity markets, showed a 31% rise.”

“With the expectation that farm input costs will continue to rise in the short to medium term, the fact that farmgate milk prices have not responded to the same degree as commodity markets has caused great concern in the industry,” says Mrs Clayton.

The report looks at the events of 2010/11 within the liquid and cheese markets and how these have affected gross margins along the supply chain for the year.

The liquid milk market was a year of two distinct halves, with the first half of the year seeing prices and margins remain essentially unchanged from 2009/10. In the second half of the year the retail price war led to events which dramatically reduced wholesale selling prices, leaving processors squeezed when farmgate prices also increased.

In Cheddar markets, processors were able to increase gross margins as a result of the combination of strong commodity markets and strong demand for Cheddar, while retailer margins fell.

“The report highlights that there was some short term disconnection between price movements on commodity markets and at the farmgate in 2010/11,” says Mrs Clayton.

“For a sustainable dairy farming industry to exist, the key issue is that conditions within the supply chain do not disadvantage farmers in the long term. This means it is vital that the industry gains an understanding of how prices adjust along the supply chain. Our Price Transmission report, coming out at the end of the month, examines this issue in more detail.”

The DairyCo supply Chain Margins report can be downloaded from www.dairyco.org.uk


Seasonal fall in milk production slower than 2010

Latest DairyCo provisional data for daily milk deliveries shows the expected seasonal fall in production is slower than last year despite the earlier peak. For the two weeks ending 30 July 2011, UK daily production averaged 37.0m litres/day, a fall of 1.1m litres/day (2.8%), compared to the previous two week period ending 16 July 2011. However, UK daily deliveries for the two week period ending 30 July 2011 are still 0.6m litres/day (1.6%) more than the previous year and 1.2m litres/day (3.5%) higher than the three year average.

The latest provisional figures from the RPA support these findings, with UK total deliveries for July, falling by 1.5% on the previous month to stand at 1,163m litres. However, this is an increase of 22m litres (2.0%) compared to the corresponding month in 2010/11 and the highest level seen in July since 2004/05 milk year.

In context: Daily milk deliveries have been volatile in recent weeks, possibly as a result of hugely changeable weather conditions throughout July with significant variations regionally. However, better conditions for grass growth over the last couple of months has enabled milk production to be stronger despite an early peak in milk production seen as a result of dry conditions in April and May this year.

uK farmgate priceDefra’s provisional UK average farmgate price stood at

26.34ppl in May, the highest May price on record. Although a marginal price decrease (0.3%) on the previous month; it was 2.7ppl (11.4%) higher than May 2010. The provisional GB farmgate price stands at 26.46ppl; this is 0.74ppl (2.9%) above the NI figure of 25.72ppl.

One of the main reasons identified for the strong farmgate prices seen in recent months has been historically high values on World, European and UK wholesale markets. UK wholesale prices have been on average 10.5% above last years’ prices, with cream reaching £1,800/tonne, mature Cheddar up to £3,200/tonne, mild Cheddar up to

£2,950/tonne and SMP increasing to £2,950/tonne. In the last month, butter has seen the largest increase, rising by £350/tonne (10.1%) to £3,800/tonne between May and June.

In context: Dairy products are achieving good returns with processors having to compete for milk used in products for domestic and export markets. This has been reflected in the AGM statement by the chairman of Robert Wiseman Dairies, who cited strong wholesale markets and increases in prices paid for raw milk by cheese manufacturers; as factors for anticipating further increases to its farmgate price in the autumn. In addition, the DairyCo milk price league table shows further price increases announced in June and July. If farmgate prices follow their historic trend, current factors suggest that levels will be maintained and could increase further.

Have wholesale markets peaked?

Latest information suggests that the recent upsurge in wholesale markets may have peaked. UK wholesale prices showed a £200/t fall for butter between June and July to £3,600/t, with bulk cream also falling by the same amount to £1,600/t. SMP eased by £50/t to £2,200/t but there was a slight increase in mild Cheddar, up £25/t to £2,975/t. The fall in butter price has been attributed to buyer resistance in response to increasing prices earlier in 2011.

As a result of these falls, market indicators AMPE and MCVE fell from their June levels, by 1.5ppl and 0.25ppl respectively.

In context: Despite AMPE and MCVE falling, they remain approximately 7.4 and 6.6ppl more than the UK average farmgate price. It is too early to tell whether the falls seen this month are the start of a prolonged easing in markets or whether prices will stabilise at historically higher levels. With EU production now declining seasonally, it is possible that prices will firm up for some commodities towards the autumn although latest figures suggest that private storage aid butter stocks have now reached sufficient levels to ease potential shortages which may reduce any further upward pressure.

20 Published by: RADA, enterprise Delivery Hub, Reaseheath College, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 6DF. Tel: 01270 613 195 email: [email protected]

The Reaseheath anaerobic digester and the RDPE Skills Programme is supported by:

Non-domestic energy pricesQuarterly energy prices are supplied from DeCC, decc.gov.uk

electricity

ScaleQ4 2010 price (p/

kWh)

Q1 2011 price

(p/kWh)Change (%)

Very Small 12.23 11.54 - 5.6

Small 9.99 10.13 + 1.4

Small/Medium 8.43 8.46 + 0.4

Medium 7.58 7.77 + 2.5

Scale Annual Consumption (MWh)

Very Small 0-20

Small 20-499

Small/Medium 500-1,999

Medium 2,000-1,9999

Gas

ScaleQ4 2010 price (p/

kWh)

Q1 2011 price

(p/kWh)Change (%)

Very Small 2.927 3.253 + 11.1

Small 2.218 2.393 + 7.9

Medium 1.948 2.098 + 7.7

Scale Annual Consumption (MWh)

Very Small < 278

Small 279-2,777

Medium 2,778-27,777

Note; 1 MWh = 1,000 KWh = 1 unit

Chart of Fuel Price indices (including Climate Change Levy) in Real Terms Q1 2009 to Q1 2011

Brent Crude OilMonth Price ($/barrel) Change (%)

July 116.46

August 109.24 - 6.2

Brent crude oil is sourced from the North Sea and is used to price 2/3 of the world’s internationally traded oil supplies. It is therefore a good indicator for future energy and commodity prices.

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RADAnews - Reaseheath College€¦ · ‘Where there’s muck, there’s brass’ is an old adage, but one which has rarely been as apt as it is now. And the opportunity in slurries