Disappointed

[Clive]

Is it just me or does anyone else feel like screaming if they read of just one more poor farmer who is 'disappointed' by his 4t/ac average wheat and 2t/ac osr this year ? Both terrible in such a 'tricky season' below the farms 5 year average of course

I don't doubt some can do and have done that but they must be in a serious minority this year surely ? We see this every year but this year particularly it has very little credibility, where have all these 'disappointing' crops been hiding the last 12 months as most of what I have seen of the UK has looked terrible

Why are farmers such natural born bullshitters ? And not bright enough to see all they do is talk rent and input prices up and commodity prices down with their pointless bragging ?

The farming press is getting close to loosing the tiny bit of credibility it might have left but I guess they have little choice than to justify all the sponsored articles promoting wonder inputs clearly have worked !

 

[Daniel]

Is it just me or does anyone else feel like screaming if they read of just one more poor farmer who is 'disappointed' by his 4t/ac average wheat and 2t/ac osr this year ? Both terrible in such a 'tricky season' below the farms 5 year average of course

I don't doubt some can do and have done that but they must be in a serious minority this year surely ? We see this every year but this year particularly it has very little credibility, where have all these 'disappointing' crops been hiding the last 12 months as most of what I have seen of the UK has looked terrible

Why are farmers such natural born bullshitters ? And not bright enough to see all they do is talk rent and input prices up and commodity prices down with their pointless bragging ?

The farming press is getting close to loosing the tiny bit of credibility it might have left but I guess they have little choice than to justify all the sponsored articles promoting wonder inputs clearly have worked !

You've got it all a!se about face, it's that you and I are terrible farmers with our 3ish t/ac averages and that they and their agronomists can tell us how to do it better if only we'd follow their immense wisdom.

 

[Northdowns Martin]

I believe that there is an image of not wishing to appear to have failed against fellow farmers if we and I include myself don't exaggerate yields slightly, and to be honest unless you have a weighbridge which I believe you have, it will only be a combine yield figure or a guesstimate

 

[Clive]

Where does the HGCA get their average yield figures from ?

Who actually ever knows what a farm really yields other than the farmer himself ? Who knows all usage (on farm and at mills ?) who knows how much gets carried over in stores on farm etc ?

 

[Old Spot]

Well i have resisted putting my yields and especially margins on because they are crap. We farm heavy clay and or wet meadows which have not done well due to last winter and the cold late spring. If other people wish to comment on the fantastic year they are having best of luck to them but we are distinctly average at best.
I am a farm manager here most of the farm has just been let to another rose tinted man who thinks he can do better. I sincerely hope he succeeds. There is something in human nature that wants all of us to show that we are better than the next man. Rant over back to drying spring planted winter wheat that still is not truely fit.

 

[Jon]

I live in my own bubble this time of year, refuse to read harvest results, and just concentrate on getting mine and my neighbours harvest in, then attempt to establish next year's crop economically, I do find however talking to some of my neighbours and being honest with them about my yields reveals a sheepish grin, and refreshing honesty !

 

[franklin]

Farming Press prints any old sh1t which is why I dont bother to read any of it.

 

[Robigus]

I have a couple of good mates who are happy to tell it straight, warts and all. Everyone else I ignore.

 

[ianw]

Next door could grow 6t acre wheat on a beach with the tide coming over it twice a day,its that simple

 

[exmoor dave]

Bit like the sheep farmer that says he never has ewes die......but when you mention this to the knackerman he rolls round laughing and tells you the bloke has more die than anyone but the knackerman is only aloud to pick up early in the morning or takes the deadstock in to the depo his self so the neighbours don't see

I'm a sheep monitor farm for ADAS and part of that is supplying facts and figures for my flock and then giving talks about my flock, what's good &bad &what I'm going to do about it. It's best just to honest and most people will be open with you about there flock problems and are happy to ask for advice.

Of course some will leave my talk and run around saying "that exmoor Dave is losing sheep to that, this &that", but more likely than not they are performing worse and are in denial!

 

[exmoor dave]

I have a couple of good mates who are happy to tell it straight, warts and all. Everyone else I ignore.

same here.

Next door could grow 6t acre wheat on a beach with the tide coming over it twice a day,its that simple

know some folk, never lose a ewe or lamb, 200% plus lambs sold. Easy peasey......yes right!

 

[MrNoo]

First year we`ve done some contract combining, very interesting, slightly better soil than ours and plenty of muck, some did very well, some did average and some did rubbish, just like ours. I am pretty pleased with ours, nothing grand but we all seem to forget the conditions the crop had to endure through it`s life. I would think we average 3 on WW, 2.5 on SW (had some very good fields and some crap ones) and the mess that was OSR lucky to see a 1 out of it. All in the shed now (or will be in 4 hrs time!) plenty of straw and only dried 4 loads so can`t complain.
FW et all seem to always overstate yields and yes it does make you fell like a crap farmer at times but it`s only you the farmer who knows what`s good and what`s bad. I never budget for 4t/ac because I know we can never get that on our dirt.

 

[Daniel]

Farming Press prints any old sh1t which is why I dont bother to read any of it.

I thought you read the Farmers Guide whilst your quadtracs on autosteer?!

 

[DRC]

Talking to local merchants, they don't get out in the fields and see for themselves what the reality is.
One said only last week that, surely your having good yields of wheat after all that nice weather?
No, that hot July put paid to that, with mine and neighbours wheat going black and shrivelled as it died off.
Did 40 acs of Relay this week that didn't look much better than last years crap, and will have to be carefully blended onto a lorry.
It only yielded about 2.5 t/acre and had had the full treatment.
Barley, winter and spring has been the best so far, both around the 3 ton/acre mark.
I'm hoping the wheat left to do on better land will be an improvement.

 

[nick...]

We all strive for massive yields and I'm sure the weather is responsible for 50% of the yields anyway and soil type and conditions play a major part.in my first year back farming I averaged 1.2 ton osr.partridges an pigeons destroyed 3 acres.3.2 ton cassia barley and 3.7 ton wheat but that's still to be confirmed.wish I could say 2 tons rape,4 barley and 5 wheat but it not on a happen.i disregard most of what I read aswell.if the trade and press talk up yields the price no doubt falls.
Nick.....

 

[franklin]

I thought you read the Farmers Guide whilst your quadtracs on autosteer?!

Oh yes, forgot that one. 'tis my fathers and I only read the grain / fert gossip and to see if they have a 4m rigid unidrill in the for sale section.
And today I read something called "Northern Farmer" (?) but only to check it was suitable for lining my cat boxes to take the kittens to be nutered.

 

[Baker9]

same here.



know some folk, never lose a ewe or lamb, 200% plus lambs sold. Easy peasey......yes right!

I know some dickheads and slabbers who are the same, only I have seen the knacker lorry after leaving their places and it arrives with me. I know their ewes markings in the back of the lorry and there are plenty of them. Any of you perfect sheep and cattle farmers out there make sure you are the last call on the run or make sure you have a truck load to pick up.

 

[Y Fan Wen]

same here.
know some folk, never lose a ewe or lamb, 200% plus lambs sold. Easy peasey......yes right!

Here in the mountains of course, I have to put up with my neighbours talking 100% when I am really pleased to get to 80. I budget for 66, (1 ram, 1 ewe, 1 barren) which is about the mark most years. Not to mention losing 4% of the flock every year. That's as in, disappeared, never to be seen again. Fallen stock is on top of that!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

To keep the straw theme going people have said they have never seen crops so good

 

[Derrick Hughes]

No point hiding your head under a bushel