to MVFFREE Members October 2014 The Newsletter No. 605 molevalleyfarmers.com £1.75 4 9 10 14-15 28 Nutritional excellence Red Meat Team Maize Focus on Holsworthy Chutney recipe Fertiliser Planning for spring 11 Barley beef systems Fluke Making a profit 8 Treating fluke in sheep and cattle 16-17 Farming essentials 4 pages of savings on farming products Autumn styles Winter clothing and Jordan Manning of Withleigh YFC in the reversible novice class at the club’s first accessories 26-27 Annual Ploughing Match Mole Valley Farmers - part of the countryside FARMING Contact us Head Offi ce MVF Branches Branch Farm Sales Open Mon-Sat 8.00am-5.30pm Billingshurst (SCATS) Mole Valley Farmers Ltd *Open Sunday 10am-4pm Exmoor House, South Molton N. Rebecca Moore 07917 097751 Devon EX36 3LH Bridgwater TA7 8PE Richard Lane 07581 003180 Telephone - 01769 573431 Bath Road, Bawdrip T 01278 424240 Nicky Steer 01403 783730 Fax - 01769 573821 Manager: Steve Noall F 01278 726119 Bridgend (SCATS) www.molevalleyfarmers.com Cullompton EX15 1NU Gareth Evans 07813 988910 email [email protected] Honiton Road, Stoneyford T 01884 34333 Stewart Edwards 07970 550436 Manager: Mark Brown F 01884 35209 Rhian Ellis 01656 656637 Bridgwater (MVF) Directors Frome BA11 2PN Standerwick, Frome T 01373 831114 Nick Reed 07805 816949 Chairman - Graeme Cock Manager: Nick Powell F 01373 831016 Cullompton (MVF) Stephen Bone, Peter Delbridge, MoleCare FarmVets T 01373 852360 Jeremy Kivell 07891 761771 Steve Edmunds, Brian Jennings, Tim Wall, Suzie Peters 01884 836204 Holsworthy EX22 6BL Gaynor Wellwood, Peter Winstone Dorchester (SCATS) Underlane, Holsworthy T 01409 253014 Chief Executive - Andrew Jackson Yasmin Goring / Rose Hicks 01305 753914 Manager: David Nias F 01409 254510 Company Secretary - Andrew Chapple A.C.A Frome (MVF) Liskeard PL14 4LN Lisa Seviour 01373 852352 Customer Accounts Moorswater I/E, Liskeard T 01579 340034 Holsworthy (MVF) Manager: James Stiles F 01579 348263 Eric Boundy 01409 259502 Sales Ledger 01769 576204 Newton Abbot* TQ12 6RY Liskeard (MVF) Credit Control 01769 576266 Battle Road, Newton Abbot T 01626 836555 Jem Marshall 07785 354243 [email protected] Manager: Jason McCoy F 01626 836444 Joy Allen 01579 340010 St. Columb TR9 6SF Newton Abbot (MVF) Membership advice St Columb I/E T 01637 881115 Greg Warren 07979 708310 Manager: Paul Tippett F 01637 881148 Karen Ayliffe 01626 837813 AdviceLine 01769 576198 South Molton EX36 3LH Redruth (MVFarmSelect) [email protected] Pathfields I/E T 01769 574477 David Worledge 07879 623534 Manager: Shaun Carter F 01769 574787 St Columb (MVF) MoleCare FarmVets T 01769 575618 Carolyn Hollow 07525 867236 Small ads Charlie Reeves 07794 001485 Yeovil* BA21 5BJ Kimberley Burton 01637 881827 Sherborne Road T 01935 420971 Salisbury (SCATS) Next deadline Manager: Bruce Williams F 01935 434901 Tracy Pomeroy 01722 336886 Redruth farmselect TR16 4AX Please submit your small ad South Molton (MVF) Treleigh I/E, Redruth 01209 340044 by Friday 10th October Brian Clements 01769 575603 Yeovil (MVF) Charges: £3.50 per line + VAT* MV Feed Solutions Lesley Curle 01935 848201 Adverts only accepted and printed at editor’s FeedLine 01278 444829 discretion. Seeds and Additives 01769 576232 To submit your small ad, contact: Alternative Feeds 0845 602 7321 Tel: 01769 576243 Minerals 01278 420481 Fax: 01769 576262 [email protected] MV Forage Services Please remember to quote your membership Fertiliser sales desk 01769 576405 number when placing an advert. MVF Engineering The Newsletter team Witheridge (EX16 8AP) T 01884 860478 Manager: Kim Turner F 01884 860769 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Mole Valley Plus VAT and pricing All enquiries 01769 576201 [email protected] Unless stated, prices in this Newsletter DO NOT include VAT. Prices are correct at the moleenergy time of going to press, but may subsequently be changed without notice. E&OE All enquiries 01769 575674 [email protected] Please recycle this newsletter or give it to a friend Company Founder - John James MBE 2 MVF Newsletter 605 FARMING OCTOBER 2014 Chairman’s letter We all know what K.I.S.S. stands for. It hedge cutting delay to 1st September from occurred to me recently that even in this 2015. I would imagine on very wet land the vibrant, developing, technologically advanced, available hedge trimming days in any given yet volatile period we fi nd ourselves in, year would be substantially reduced. To grow sometimes the very simple things still a good strong hedge a late cutting in January have a part to play. Two such experiences can help but some years the amount of hedge recently; the fi rst example was a piece of trimming days in January and February can be machinery which we used to move straw very limited. This year it was close to zero. windrows behind a combine. Ground- The rationale seems to be to protect later breaking revelation. Historically, in the last nesting bird species. The wood pigeon is Graeme Cock century, a ‘Cock Pheasant’ or ‘Wuffl er’ were listed, but they seem to breed all year. Other Chairman commonplace (undoubtedly some will still be more vulnerable species such as the yellow in use). This style of machine was generally hammer is also listed. A slightly more worthy Every day a different infl uence affects the superseded by ‘tedder’ type machines such candidate for some help, but how many chicks market. It might be the Chinese holding as haybobs and the like, which have evolved born and reared in August will survive the off dairy product procurement for the time into very large 10 meter tedders. These were winter? being, coupled with Russian/Ukraine events deemed better for drying than their gentler There are some suggestions that in order to and geo political events. The supply and counterpart. The revelation came, for me comply with the three crop rule and lower demand roulette wheel is currently centre anyway, this summer when I enquired from a cereal prices, fallow may return to some stage. Trying to evaluate what really has an friend as to how his new generation ‘Wuffl er’ rotations. It is sometimes useful to remind impact is not always straight forward; even was. This was not meant to be a euphemism. ourselves what CAP stands for - Common the suggestion by one poll that Scottish A topic of polite conversation, I’m sure you Agricultural Policy. When the length and devolution may happen, seemed to shock the will agree. He informed me that it was fi ne breadth of these fair isles are considered markets. The current situation globally for and thanked me for asking. Having shown, the diverse geographical, topographical and the supply of most grain and milk products in what was probably more than a healthy agricultural variations can be stark, some is high which is impacting negatively. The interest in someone else’s ‘Wuffl er’, eventually areas bearing no comparison to others. domestic situation is largely unchanged. a loan of the aforementioned tool was agreed. Having driven through a few of the more Farming incomes will inevitably suffer some The simple unsophisticated gentle action remote farming villages in other parts of short term setbacks, despite a promising - Majestic. A few tines bolted to a number Europe, it can be a world apart from anything longer term view. Investing in businesses may of bars, rotating around on a shaft under a in the UK. Then one starts to question the be deferred as people evaluate their options, hood. This fl uffs up the crop to allow air to true meaning of CAP. though many seem to be looking to grow and pass through for the purpose of drying. No drive volumes. Seasonal calvers may be more stones, very little fuel, limited crop losses and Looking to the spring, for those businesses affected as spring blocks are getting closer to effective. Crop drying doesn’t get any better which haven’t already done so, one issue drying off and will have reaped the rewards than this. which may need some consideration is planning fertiliser requirements allowing of a generally great season, while the autumn Just to prove I do need to get out a little for delivery in an appropriate time frame. calving fraternity will be slightly less buoyant more, another example of a simple piece of (December – January) The markets are as peak production hits a falling milk price. equipment to fulfi l a meaningful role is, wait unsettled with far less early order business Incidentally, while away in one part of for it, a ‘snacker feeder’. Let’s proceed on the being done to date. The factors which have Europe this summer, I noticed it must be basis its better late than never to recognise contributed to this are fairly fl at market compulsory to use a hand held mobile phone the usefulness of such a machine. For feeding conditions and the view that ‘early’ prices while driving, be it car driver, bus driver or groups of grazing stock to lengthen rotations were not suffi ciently attractive to encourage local constabulary. Perhaps we need a CPP. or raise growth rates it’s a revolution. A buyers. A signifi cant volume of urea was Common Phone Policy. number of farms have been using this traded some time ago at very cost effective approach for many years with great success. values and as of today, all eyes are on In times when the need to adapt is as strong production facilities in the Middle East. as ever, simple cost effective options which Will they open and produce more urea this give great rewards with limited investment year or not. Values have moved up more can have some appeal. Flexibility. than 15% in recent weeks.