livestock 1
Member
It was the big push in the 70’s and 80’s then it came to a stop around 2000 all the stewardship forms were ready printed.
Now that stop has gone up a gear
I would love to know what they are up to
Reduction in arable acreages
- Thread starter Kevtherev
- Start date
Now that stop has gone up a gear
I would love to know what they are up to
livestock 1
Member
Father used to say that
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
This ain’t going to help
livestock 1
Member
Obviously the Hooti rebels haven’t had to buy much
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
They need some mixed with diesel dropping over them
hoyboy
Member
This whole insurance thing really p*sses me off. The whole industry based on gambling risk and the odds are always in favour of the house. Mine is around 8k a year for everything fully covered. And what do I see from it? They gave me a hat last year. 8 grand for a f*cking hat. Tempted just to tell them to stick it and I'll take the risk myself. They just add it to next year's premium if you happen to have a decent claim anyway so what's the point in any of it?
betternextyear
Member
- Location
- salop
Mine is still at claim validation.
- Location
- Cheltenham
Yup, all those farmers will need something else to do Kev’ maybe they’ll go and buy a drot and a digger and start a new industry!
kfpben
Member
- Location
- Mid Hampshire
Be a fair algal bloom from that!
Punch
Member
- Location
- Warwickshire
A few mp’s are understanding. Quite a debate in House of Commons last night and biggest message was a fair return for our circumstances.
Shame that there was only about 30 mp’s in the commons making similar points.
- Location
- Essex
Turns out some farmers have been breaking even or even making a loss while living off the BPS.
Who is going to take responsibility for that?
The farmer?
Another wet day....A few mp’s are understanding. Quite a debate in House of Commons last night and biggest message was a fair return for our circumstances.
Shame that there was only about 30 mp’s in the commons making similar points.
YELROM
Member
- Location
- North Yorkshire
@Pottersfarm has it been confirmed that you can do ahl1 and ahl2 in the same parcel of land in one cropping year.
Spoke to the person filling in our SFI claim the other day and he thought you couldn’t
livestock 1
Member
I can remember the arable farmer in Scotland on Panarama saying that without the bps ‘it wouldn’t be worth doing’
- Location
- Essex
Isn't that the point?
I'd be interested in a NZ perspective on that, my nephew milked out there 7 yrs ago and it didn't seem that lax to me. In fact I was surprised. They've ve had a fairly anti-ag government in the intervening years too.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
My relatives are sheep farmers out there and they say things have tightened up a lot on welfare and enviro regs.
I’d say bulk commodity growers have an easier time of it not so much in NZ and Oz or Western Europe but in Eastern Europe, South America etc.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I haven’t applied for SFI yet and I’m having my doubts.
What I might do instead is cut back the arable (combinables) a bit and just put more clover leys in as the breakcrop. And we’ll have a few more sheep. Neither arable crops nor SFI beats sheep at the moment though a herbal ley could work with the sheep and that might be all we apply for SFI wise.
I’m unsure whether pollinator mix and birdseed will work here. I suspect both will get badly rubbished up and with the birdseed there’ll be a hell of seed return of fat hen and bindweed over winter. I’m also concerned about rats. And while applying for SFI is easy enough, the devil is in the detail of what is expected to be delivered and recorded. I could feel the treacle slowly rising round my ankles as I read the 158 page manual. And I’ve got exclamation marks against all my business partners names and it says I have to phone the RPA about that. I hung on for 15 minutes listening to somebody who sounds like Jim Broadbent telling me my call is important to them (but obviously not important enough to have enough folks available to answer it) before giving up. I’ve left a message but they never ring back. If this is it at the start what’s it going to be like when it really gets going? Do I want the grief?
I’ve been very impressed by a two year IRG ley we sowed last spring. I reckon it could serve as a breakcrop though something with clover in it is better.
So I don’t know, but my gut says keep on farming doing what you know works tidily. Stubble turnips are an ideal profitable winter cover for us without needing a fancy SFI over wintered cover. Follow with spring barley and repeat. That’s the light land sorted out. Tempted to just go 2 yr wheat with IRG breaks on the heavy land. I reckon I could do as well as SFI. But I’m still mulling it over.
What I might do instead is cut back the arable (combinables) a bit and just put more clover leys in as the breakcrop. And we’ll have a few more sheep. Neither arable crops nor SFI beats sheep at the moment though a herbal ley could work with the sheep and that might be all we apply for SFI wise.
I’m unsure whether pollinator mix and birdseed will work here. I suspect both will get badly rubbished up and with the birdseed there’ll be a hell of seed return of fat hen and bindweed over winter. I’m also concerned about rats. And while applying for SFI is easy enough, the devil is in the detail of what is expected to be delivered and recorded. I could feel the treacle slowly rising round my ankles as I read the 158 page manual. And I’ve got exclamation marks against all my business partners names and it says I have to phone the RPA about that. I hung on for 15 minutes listening to somebody who sounds like Jim Broadbent telling me my call is important to them (but obviously not important enough to have enough folks available to answer it) before giving up. I’ve left a message but they never ring back. If this is it at the start what’s it going to be like when it really gets going? Do I want the grief?
I’ve been very impressed by a two year IRG ley we sowed last spring. I reckon it could serve as a breakcrop though something with clover in it is better.
So I don’t know, but my gut says keep on farming doing what you know works tidily. Stubble turnips are an ideal profitable winter cover for us without needing a fancy SFI over wintered cover. Follow with spring barley and repeat. That’s the light land sorted out. Tempted to just go 2 yr wheat with IRG breaks on the heavy land. I reckon I could do as well as SFI. But I’m still mulling it over.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Really it comes down to the lack of profitable low risk break crops nowadays. That’s where SFI will fit in for many.