Downsizing due to Brexit and the cost of Machinary.

TWF

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Peterborough
Hi this is a bit of an advert really but we are giving up a 1600ac contracting farming agreement because with 25%+ increase in machinery costs since 2010 its hard to make any money.It would have needed a very large spend to keep going. The big JD tractor and Case Combine both being six years old.
So the big 300hp tractor has gone and I have a 6m Claydon Hybrid drill with front fertilizer tank for sale. We used it mainly for drilling OSR and blew DAP down the front legs. The Paddle boards left it a bit open so we used to follow it with a Tilso Rake and Roll with a Vaderstad 360 bio-Drill putting on slug pellets. The rake leveled the ground and the roll patted it down. This is also for sale.

So we are now down sizing to one less tractor. A JD 6215 now will be my big tractor. More DDing with the Amazone Cayanna 6001c that I will keep . I am hoping to replace the rake with a Vaderstad Carrier with the new zig zag cutting disc and straw harrow on it, to hopefully chop up cover crops and keep the Cayanna tine drill working. Trying not to go to a disc drill yet. Have a very old Moore drill in reserve.
Here's hoping we have done the right thing. TWF
https://www.agriaffaires.co.uk/used/no-till-seed-drill/20819381/amazone-cayenna-6001.html
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
Hi this is a bit of an advert really but we are giving up a 1600ac contracting farming agreement because with 25%+ increase in machinery costs since 2010 its hard to make any money.It would have needed a very large spend to keep going. The big JD tractor and Case Combine both being six years old.
So the big 300hp tractor has gone and I have a 6m Claydon Hybrid drill with front fertilizer tank for sale. We used it mainly for drilling OSR and blew DAP down the front legs. The Paddle boards left it a bit open so we used to follow it with a Tilso Rake and Roll with a Vaderstad 360 bio-Drill putting on slug pellets. The rake leveled the ground and the roll patted it down. This is also for sale.

So we are now down sizing to one less tractor. A JD 6215 now will be my big tractor. More DDing with the Amazone Cayanna 6001c that I will keep . I am hoping to replace the rake with a Vaderstad Carrier with the new zig zag cutting disc and straw harrow on it, to hopefully chop up cover crops and keep the Cayanna tine drill working. Trying not to go to a disc drill yet. Have a very old Moore drill in reserve.
Here's hoping we have done the right thing. TWF
Good luck. Hope it works for you. Its done now.
 
Hi this is a bit of an advert really but we are giving up a 1600ac contracting farming agreement because with 25%+ increase in machinery costs since 2010 its hard to make any money.It would have needed a very large spend to keep going. The big JD tractor and Case Combine both being six years old.
So the big 300hp tractor has gone and I have a 6m Claydon Hybrid drill with front fertilizer tank for sale. We used it mainly for drilling OSR and blew DAP down the front legs. The Paddle boards left it a bit open so we used to follow it with a Tilso Rake and Roll with a Vaderstad 360 bio-Drill putting on slug pellets. The rake leveled the ground and the roll patted it down. This is also for sale.

So we are now down sizing to one less tractor. A JD 6215 now will be my big tractor. More DDing with the Amazone Cayanna 6001c that I will keep . I am hoping to replace the rake with a Vaderstad Carrier with the new zig zag cutting disc and straw harrow on it, to hopefully chop up cover crops and keep the Cayanna tine drill working. Trying not to go to a disc drill yet. Have a very old Moore drill in reserve.
Here's hoping we have done the right thing. TWF

The person taking that 1600 ac on now in the lead up to brexit must be bonkers because if he/she already has 1600 ac of surplus capacity then they are set up wrong already, but likewise if they are reequipping to do the extra work then they are mad ...... completely mad. There are to many variables in BPS, potential food imports, machinery price hikes due to unfavourable trade agreements all underlined by the fact the government want the UK to be an organic producer and gardening haven rather than a commercial producer. Now is the time to consolidate and prepare for the potential future, and not take risks.
 

Tom H

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Vale of Belvoir
The person taking that 1600 ac on now in the lead up to brexit must be bonkers because if he/she already has 1600 ac of surplus capacity then they are set up wrong already, but likewise if they are reequipping to do the extra work then they are mad ...... completely mad. There are to many variables in BPS, potential food imports, machinery price hikes due to unfavourable trade agreements all underlined by the fact the government want the UK to be an organic producer and gardening haven rather than a commercial producer. Now is the time to consolidate and prepare for the potential future, and not take risks.

Thing is that a very big 3000ha farm can swallow that without any re-equipping. I'm not saying they are making any real cash though! Fair play to @TWF though. It take some level headedness, the ability to know you cost and hold back the emotion to give up a big chunk. Best of luck.
 

TWF

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Peterborough
The person taking that 1600 ac on now in the lead up to brexit must be bonkers because if he/she already has 1600 ac of surplus capacity then they are set up wrong already, but likewise if they are reequipping to do the extra work then they are mad ...... completely mad. There are to many variables in BPS, potential food imports, machinery price hikes due to unfavourable trade agreements all underlined by the fact the government want the UK to be an organic producer and gardening haven rather than a commercial producer. Now is the time to consolidate and prepare for the potential future, and not take risks.
To be fair 250 ac of it is waist ground and just topped. But there was no BPS involved. So the profit share was heavily weighted in my favor. The trouble being a large shoot and wet harvests tended to leave little profit to top up the contractors first fee.
 
Spring Barley caused a bit of hart ache this year, 900 ac of it late drilled. Trying to put half of it into winter OSR in August is going to be another challenge.
Depends on many things and land is the most important. Our late drilled SB looks ok but the WW is rubbish (1/2 sprayed off rest should have been). My point is that SB is a low input crop whereas WW generally isn't. I know some smart arse will grow 5ta with one herbicide but generally it is selling for not much above the price of production so that's a lot of work for nothing as you can draw your sub by sitting on your arse. Without a sub your knackered really.
 
Funny really, on those acres could you not have grassed 500 acre down and taken in dairy heifers, or grown turnips for winter sheep keep?
Why the fascination with combinables only?
Not a single chance I would give up that kind of area without at least looking at something different.
 

TWF

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Peterborough
Heavy hanslope clay. When wet not much would move on it. The 250 ac s of fallow is best left as it isn't drained and some is flood plane. No fences.

Funny really, on those acres could you not have grassed 500 acre down and taken in dairy heifers, or grown turnips for winter sheep keep?
Why the fascination with combinables only?
Not a single chance I would give up that kind of area without at least looking at something different.
 
if Brexit suits the rest of the economy after 2022
the £ increases in value
no ag subs
enviromentle payment similar to mid tier
free trade import of grains

there will be a lot more acres available for the lowest cost per tonne contractors
the biggest issue will be the quality of the land drainage on deeper soils and the depth of soil on thinner soils

the target
one pass with the drill controlled traffic
2 passes with the fert spreader
4 passes with the sprayer
harvest
moles drain every 4 years if properly drained and enough clay

or top once every 3 years collect environmentle payment
 
if Brexit suits the rest of the economy after 2022
the £ increases in value
no ag subs
enviromentle payment similar to mid tier
free trade import of grains

there will be a lot more acres available for the lowest cost per tonne contractors
the biggest issue will be the quality of the land drainage on deeper soils and the depth of soil on thinner soils

the target
one pass with the drill controlled traffic
2 passes with the fert spreader
4 passes with the sprayer
harvest
moles drain every 4 years if properly drained and enough clay

or top once every 3 years collect environmentle payment


This above but with an organic slant. The vegans are coming ......
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
Hi this is a bit of an advert really but we are giving up a 1600ac contracting farming agreement because with 25%+ increase in machinery costs since 2010 its hard to make any money.It would have needed a very large spend to keep going. The big JD tractor and Case Combine both being six years old.
So the big 300hp tractor has gone and I have a 6m Claydon Hybrid drill with front fertilizer tank for sale. We used it mainly for drilling OSR and blew DAP down the front legs. The Paddle boards left it a bit open so we used to follow it with a Tilso Rake and Roll with a Vaderstad 360 bio-Drill putting on slug pellets. The rake leveled the ground and the roll patted it down. This is also for sale.

So we are now down sizing to one less tractor. A JD 6215 now will be my big tractor. More DDing with the Amazone Cayanna 6001c that I will keep . I am hoping to replace the rake with a Vaderstad Carrier with the new zig zag cutting disc and straw harrow on it, to hopefully chop up cover crops and keep the Cayanna tine drill working. Trying not to go to a disc drill yet. Have a very old Moore drill in reserve.
Here's hoping we have done the right thing. TWF

A brave and well though out move. Good to see the effective use of a calculator to drive a major business decision. I think there will be opportunities post Brexit so never say never again.

I have a 6m Hybrid, rake & rolls with Biodrill. I've never raked after drilling but accepted the furrows may need an extra dose of sluggies.
 

TWF

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Peterborough
A brave and well though out move. Good to see the effective use of a calculator to drive a major business decision. I think there will be opportunities post Brexit so never say never again.

I have a 6m Hybrid, rake & rolls with Biodrill. I've never raked after drilling but accepted the furrows may need an extra dose of sluggies.

Yes we used to go at about 15 degree angle and it did a really good job. We were only using the Claydon to drill the osr the last few years as I prefer to use an Amozone Cayenna with it closser row spacing and narrow tine to drill the wheat and S.Barley. The packer works so well we don't roll after it.
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
To be fair 250 ac of it is waist ground and just topped. But there was no BPS involved. So the profit share was heavily weighted in my favor. The trouble being a large shoot and wet harvests tended to leave little profit to top up the contractors first fee.
So your profit feeds the landowners pheasants? got that t shirt.
 

TWF

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Peterborough
So your profit feeds the landowners pheasants? got that t shirt.
Yes it certainly makes it quite difficult to farm around a shoot. You need a good relationship with the keeper with lots of give and take. In the early days it wasn't to bad as we were drilled up by the end of September. Agromanist had the hardest job trying to walk crops with out moving too many birds off the place.
 

TWF

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Peterborough
It's usually the 'keeper taking & the grower giving in my experience
Your proberley right but we kept talking to him and he would clear a field of partridges just before dark for drilling. We have a small shoot at home so there is a bit of sympathy. There are parts of the farm not shot by the in hand shoot that we saved for nighttime 24hr drilling. I am also a tenant to the Estate so can also just move through the hegde and be off the centre core of the shoot. But it is all pita and it all adds up to not being worth all the hassle for very little.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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    Votes: 77 43.5%
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    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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