Enhancing levels of sustainability within the beef sector has been recognised as a key climate change target for agriculture across the island of Ireland.

In addition, the significant numbers of cattle maintained on Irish farms means that the total volume of methane emissions represents the greatest environmental challenge facing Ireland’s red meat industry.

These were two of the key messages delivered at the recent Agri-Food and Biosciences’ Institute (AFBI) beef and sheep open day.

Approximately, 500 farmers from across the island of Ireland attended the event.

Reducing age at slaughter

According to AFBI’s Dr. Francis Lively, reducing slaughter age is a very practical and achievable method to reduce methane production and optimise profit.

This can be achieved by setting growth targets throughout the life of the animal. Having accurate feed analysis is also critical to develop a nutritional plan to meet a good slaughter weight at a lower age.

Regular monitoring of performance is necessary to ensure targets are being achieved, improving forage.

According to Francis Lively, maintaining a liveweight gain figure of 0.6kg/day throughout an animal’s life will deliver significant reductions in slaughter age, while still maintaining carcass weight and shape.

“This figure relates to heifers and steers of all breed types. Essentially the days of putting cattle through a store period are over,” Lively explained.

“Meeting these targets will entail beef farmers providing top quality grazing opportunities for stock and making silage of a similar quality, which can be fed during the winter months.”

The AFBI scientist admitted that achieving a reduced age at slaughter will be a more straightforward challenge with native breed cattle.

Nutrient managemant

Making best use of the nutrients already available on livestock farms was another of the key themes addressed over the two days.

“Slurries represent valuable sources of organic nitrogen and phosphorous,” AFBI director, Prof. Elizabeth Magowan, explained.

“So ensuring that these nutrients are made available at those times when plant uptake is optimal delivers two critically important end results.

“These are – a reduction in nutrient run-off into streams and other water courses plus a reduction in the amounts of chemical fertilisers required to secure optimal crop yields.

“So we end up with a win/win scenario for farmers. AFBI research is also looking at ways of reducing nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions to the atmosphere, two issues that must be actively addressed by agriculture as a whole,” she added.

She also said that bespoke research and development work is delivering tangible responses to these challenges, the use of low emission slurry spreading (LESS) equipment being a case in point.

“But the AFBI research teams realise that one-size-fits-all solutions will not work across the networks of farms that make up agriculture in Northern Ireland,” she continued.

“And, again, our programmes has been developed to reflect this situation.”

Delivering change at least cost

The AFBI director cited the use of the Bovine Information System (BovIS) management tool as an example of how beef farmers can secure real change within their businesses at the least cost.

This ‘decision support tool’ was funded by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and AgriSearch and the application was developed by AFBI to provide Northern Ireland beef producers a facility to view, analyse and rank the performance of slaughtered animals.

BovIS holds carcass information from Northern Ireland’s processors and farmers historic and current herd information.

Farmers can log into BovIS via the Government Gateway and view information relating to animals they have killed.

DAERA recently introduced a new Beef Carbon Reduction Scheme (BCRS) aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving efficiency in the beef sector.

The new measure rewards farmers with a £75/head payment from April 2024 for animals slaughtered at, or below, the target age of 30 months in year 1 of the scheme reducing to 26 months in year 4.

According to Elizabeth Magowan, BovIS has a pivotal role to play in helping farmers benefit from the BCRS through understanding their historic and current herd performance.

BovIS support tools include: Herd of Origin Report; Carcass Benchmarking; and the Growth Rate Calculator.

“Bovis is currently telling us that 33% of cattle slaughtered in NI are achieving carcass weights of 280kg and over at, or before, 24 months-of-age,” Prof. Magowan said.

“Making best use of BovIS requires access to a weighbridge on farm. If these are not available, they can be accessed at reasonable cost.”

A specific, least-cost development option for dairy farmers is the adoption of lower phosphorus diets.

This approach has been shown to reduce phosphorus excretion in manure by up to 45%.

A further reduction in the phosphorus content of dairy cow concentrates, from the agreed target of 5.7g/kg to 5.2g/kg (fresh) could reduce quantities of excess phosphorus on local dairy farms by approximately 350t per year.

Reducing the crude protein content of the diet can reduce nitrogen excretion in manure by around 15%, and ammonia emissions from the resultant slurry by up to 30%.

Breeding for the future

Cattle and sheep are highly efficient in converting grass and other forages into beef, milk and lamb. The drawback is their production of methane, an important GHG, as a by-product.

However, under the same farm conditions, there will be variations in relation to the amount of methane produced by animals within the same group.

These were the key messages delivered by Sam Boone, who heads up the Signet sheep breeding programme at Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), as part of his presentation to the AFBI beef and sheep open day.

“Some of the differences in methane production levels achieved by ruminant livestock can be attributed to genetic factors,” Boone stated.

“The beauty of genetics is that, unlike health and nutrition, it delivers a cumulative benefit across the generations.

“And it’s locked in. So, where health is concerned, we do a treatment this year and it impacts on the animals. But we have to do the same thing again next year in order to keep this going.

“But with genetics we can build on the process; it delivers a cumulative impact which is sustainable into the future within a population.”

According to Boone, the benefit of genetic improvement, secured over the past 40 years, is now worth about £14 million on an annual basis.

“The equivalent figure for the beef sector works out at £7 million to the beef industry,” Boone further explained.

There are two ways of reducing methane output within the ruminant livestock sectors. One is through direct selection.

“The other is through a process of indirect selection,” Boone commented.

Direct selection involves the actual measurement of the methane emissions produced by livestock. Where sheep are concerned, this work is carried out under the auspices of the ‘Breed for Change’ programme.

“We are measuring methane production levels under commercial production environments, courtesy of sheep within an actual grazing environment,” Boone continued.

“This is the gold standard approach. The approach is also allowing us to CT scan the sheep involved in the trial. This allows us to measure rumen volumes. It should be possible to gauge how this relates to actual methane production levels.”

The AHDB representative admitted that it is harder to measure methane emission levels with cattle.

“Cattle are that much bigger,” he added.

“The way around this challenge is to measure the feed efficiency of the animals. We know there is a high degree of correlation between the efficiency with which animals convert feed intake into meat or milk, and the associated levels of methane that are produced.”

Indirect selection involves the assessment of efficiency-related indices.

“Where dairy sires are concerned, the availability of an enviro index is now available,” Boone commented.

“So we also know that there is a more general association between growth rates, feed conversion and maternal traits, linked to the overall efficiency secured within a beef and sheep enterprise.

“The higher the levels of efficiency secured, then the lower will be the levels of associated methane that are produced.”

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It is perhaps Ireland’s worst kept agricultural secret, that there is hardly the capacity to store the slurry produced by the national dairy herd.

The rapid expansion of herds has often left the storage facilities behind, with farmers desperate to make room in their tanks just as soon the the deadline in their area is reached.

This often means that tractors and tankers will be sent to the field long before ground conditions are suitable, especially in wet springs as we have experienced this year.

Bigger tanks or separation

Fundamentally, there are two different ways to manage this situation.

The first is to build more, expensive storage, while the second is to separate the solids from the water and so reduce the overall volume of material that needs to be kept in the tanks.

The idea is far from new and the practice is well understood and utilised on the continent, and has been for many years.

In Ireland, the idea is slowly catching on with all the major slurry equipment manufacturers offering to install separation systems based on the particular pumps and separators they sell.

These, however, are all fixed systems and so, generally speaking, there is one separator to a tank, which can be expensive for farms with multiple lagoons, or a rather too large investment for a small farm with only limited use for this type of machine.

XSplit to share

One answer to this conundrum is to share the press with other farms through the use of a mobile separator.

Again, this is something that is common on the continent, but the concept is now available in Ireland thanks to Vogelsang’s new mobile unit.

Taking a separator to farms makes a good deal of sense, for it will spread the cost of the machine around the holdings and makes itself a worthwhile new service for contractors to offer at times of the year when they may well not have much work on otherwise.

Vogelsang has been touring the UK and Ireland with a demonstration unit for the past couple of years.

It has now taken the concept one step further, by designing and building a purpose-made trailer unit that is intended as a mobile working separator that has already found a contractor customer in Munster.

Rather than adapting a standard flat bed trailer, this new product is made by Vogelsang from the ground up to purposefully fill a role which it sees as a potential new market, further expanding its product range in doing so.

The trailer itself has no deck, it is now a purpose-built galvanised frame with the various components bolted to it.

This arrangement has two major advantages – first, it makes cleaning a great deal easier as any residue can be hosed off with it falling directly on to the ground rather than accumulating on a flat deck.

The second is that it makes for a more rigid structure that sits between the wheels rather than above them, lowering the centre of gravity and increasing towing stability in doing so.

Easily towed

The all-up weight is just under 3,500kg, making it towable between jobs behind a pick-up or van at legal road speeds.

There are stowage racks attached for both rigid suction pipes and lay-flat discharge hoses.

There are four major fluid handling components to the unit, plus an additional boom that raises the height of the discharge to accommodate larger trailers, plus a control panel.

These four items are arranged so that the slurry is drawn from the tank or lagoon through a combined macerator and stone trap, known as a rotorcut, by the first positive displacement lobe pump.

The pump can draw liquid from 3m and having pulled it through the rotorcut, it sends the now more consistent fluid to the XSplit separator itself, which sits upon its own boom that is raised hydraulically for trailer loading.

Vogelsang claims that the XSplit unit can produce material of up to 40% dry matter (DM), leaving the liquid faction to return to the discharge pump which can return the fluid to a second tank by lay-flat hose.

All the motors are three phase, so the unit will require a suitable electricity supply, if none is available a 50kW generator is recommended to power it.

Vogelsang appears to have created a well thought-out and robust unit that will enable the benefits of slurry separation to be brought to many farms that would otherwise be unable to afford the ability to reduce the liquid slurry that needs to be stored.

Much larger, lorry-mounted units are available on the continent, but the beauty of this design is that it is small, lightweight and easily transportable, making it suitable for more modest-sized farms which need a hand to get through the winter, rather than be an integral part of their slurry management system.

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The lack of recognition for agriculture on the part of political parties in the UK has been highlighted by a leading agricultural commentator.

Former National Farmers’ Union (NFU) president, Peter Kendall, was in Northern Ireland recently, attending the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) ‘Farming and the Future’ Open Day.

Speaking at a breakfast, hosted to launch the two-day event, he expressed concern over the lack of seeming commitment on the part of the main political parties in the UK to recognise the needs of production agriculture.

He based this assessment on the content of the general election manifestos, produced by the Conservative and Labour parties.

Looking ahead, Kendall expressed the view that production agriculture had a key role to play in delivering both food security and environmental sustainability.

He also highlighted the integrated nature of farming and food in Northern Ireland, citing the key role played by research bodies in making this happen.

Kendall further explained: “Agriculture must come forward with solutions to government in order for the industry to secure the support it needs into the future.”

AFBI director, Prof. Elizabeth Magowan also spoke at the launch of the ‘Farming for the Future’ event.

Significantly, she is not recommending a specific carbon calculator, of which there are numerous options available, at the present time.

However, Magowan is strongly recommending farmers to calculate the carbon footprint of their businesses on a regular basis.

“Once a farmer finds a calculator that suits the particular need of the business in question, then it’s a case of sticking consistently with this option,” she stated.

“Only in this way will consistent results and trends be secured.”

Approximately 1,000 farmers visited the AFBI research farm at Hillsborough in Co. Down over a two day-period.

Data in agriculture

According to Prof. Magowan, the securing of performance-related data across the widest possible range of farming activities is the only way to secure a sustainable future for the dairy industry.

“And information sharing in an open and transparent manner at farm level will be part of this process,” she further explained.    

Securing holistic sustainability is the key driver for the various research programmes currently in train at AFBI.

“Sustainability can be a very over used word. But in terms of developing the dairy sector, the following themes come into play – our economy has to be healthy, our society has to be healthy and our environment has to be healthy,” she continued.

“And when these three priorities are working in harmony, sustainability will be delivered in its truest form.”

The AFBI representative highlighted the specific challenges confronting the dairy sector in the way it interfaces with the environment.

Air and water quality

At one level, the news is extremely positive. Northern Ireland’s milk sector is in the top 10% when it comes to the lowest carbon intensity figures produced by dairy industries around the world.

However, a number of important environmental challenges remain to be addressed.

Production agriculture is the largest contributor to the ammonia emissions, which are the heart of the very significant deterioration in air quality that has been witnessed in Northern Ireland over recent years.

“The dairy sector is a significant source of ammonia emissions. The gas is produced when dung and urine are mixed together in slurry tanks,” Magowan said.

“Subsequent to this, ammonia can be emitted when slurry is spread on to land. Once this happens, the gas will alight on the ground some distance away from the point of spreading.

“And it is in this context that ammonia can damage our most sensitive habitats.”

However, technologies are now coming on stream, which can significantly reduce ammonia emission levels.

These include the use of low emission slurry spreading equipment (LESS), including trailing shoe and dribble bar system.

The use of extended grazing techniques at the shoulders of the grass-growing season is another way of helping to reduce ammonia emission levels.

Water quality near agriculture

Improving water quality is the other key sustainability challenge confronting Northern Ireland’s dairy sector.

“Phosphate run-off into water courses in the key contributor to this problem,” the AFBI representative commented.

“Soil testing to assess the levels of available phosphorous in fields is an important starting point, when it comes to developing mitigation strategies.

“Acting to reduce the levels of phosphate coming out of animals is also important. On average the phosphorous balance being generated by many farms across Northern Ireland is between 11 and 12kg/ha.

“We want to get this figure down to around 5kg. Securing this level of surplus will deliver sustainable improvements in our water quality levels. And this can be achieved by reducing the levels of phosphate included in dairy rations,” Magowan added.

The AFBI research programmes have been developed to deliver solutions that can be utilised on commercial farms at minimal cost and if the environmental impact of dairy systems within Northern Ireland is to be reduced, a number of mitigations will have to be introduced.

“AFBI research teams realise that one-size-fits-all solutions will not work across the networks of farms that make up Northern Ireland’s dairy farming sector,” Magowan said.

“And, again, our programmes have been developed to reflect this situation.”

Improved genetic selection

Improved genetics has served to secure a very efficient dairy industry across the UK.

This was one of the key messages delivered by Marco Winters, head of Animal Genetics at the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB), courtesy of his presentation to the open day event.

“Genetics will be used to improve sustainability and efficiency within the dairy sector. The cows we have today are very different to those that would have been our farms even 20 years ago,” he said.

“And the application of improved genetics has made this possible.

“We also know that the selection of heritable traits can also help drive the carbon agenda from a milk production perspective.”

Winters pointed out that the power of genetics is extreme. He cited the growing use of genomics in this context.

The AHDB cattle breeding specialist added: “The last decade has seen tremendous changes introduced within the UK dairy sector, from a breeding point of view. And the growing use of genomics has brought much of this about.

“What’s more, the UK has been to the fore in adopting many of these new technologies.

“The latest figures confirm that 84% of the semen used within the UK dairy sector is sexed. No other country in the world comes near this figure.”

According to Winters, milk producers can now be much more selective in terms of the heifers they want to breed from.

“Currently 70% of the bulls available through artificial insemination are sexed. Adding to this is the fact that 20% of the calves born today in the UK are genotyped. And this figure is set to increase significantly over the coming years,” he said.

“This specific technology is no longer a novelty on farms. It is allowing for the identification of the very best heifers within a herd, which can then be bred to sexed sires.”

Up to 20 years ago, most British dairy farmers were selecting for production traits. However, the introduction of a new breeding index in 2005 allowed them to breed for both performance and improved fertility at the same time.

“Calving index figures on UK dairy farms are now starting to reduce. In about five years’ time herds will be averaging 385 days,” Winters commented.

“A number of breeding tools are now available to milk producers. These include the use of specific breeding indices for both autumn and spring calving herds.

“Production and health traits can also be combined in ways that allow milk producers to take herd breeding decisions in a more effective manner.”

Winters explained that genetic progress is taking place at twice the rate than would have been the case 10 years ago.

“Farmers not using the new genetic technologies will find themselves left behind very quickly. The other alternative is that their businesses will be moving in the wrong direction very quickly,” he said.

“Farmers setting relevant breeding goals is the all-important starting point when it comes to them assessing the use of the new breeding technologies.”   

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Agriland travelled to Germany this week where Claas was keen to show off its latest mower developments which took the form of five new machines with augers being used for the first time. 

It is the Disco 3900 Direct Swather that represents the biggest departure from the company’s normal practice because it is the first machine from the company that relies on augers to transfer the crop across the width of the mower rather than a belt.

The augers can be raised out of work independently of each other and by doing so, Claas suggests that the combination can fulfil four distinct mowing strategies.

The first is full width deposition for the fastest wilting, while the second is integrated central swathing where wilting is not required and the forage harvester will follow on directly from the cutting.

This was demonstrated in the field on a crop of direct cut triticale which was left in a high swath by the action of the augers, greatly facilitating drying by the wind.

The third strategy is to combine the two actions and so consolidate an 18m cut to a 12m swath, while number four is clearing the field margin with the outer unit while swathing with the inner.

Hidden engineering

There has been some subtle engineering undertaken to improve the driveline, which sits above the mower, as well as the crop flow, the auger being tapered, to provide a larger diameter at the inner end.

This might seem counterintuitive at first, but the larger diameter will mean a greater amount of material can be wrapped around it and the corresponding shape of the housing means that volume increases as the crop moves inwards collecting more material on the way.

This then would appear to be a versatile machine that requires less power and a lighter tractor than a belt equipped mower, but the lack of any conditioning will limit its appeal in Ireland or any other region with heavy crops.

Belt grouping

For these more challenging situations, Claas has introduced the Disco 9300 C Auto Swather, a more traditional belt type machine that has conditioners fitted as standard.

This mowing set is at the top end of the range and can cope with power inputs in excess of 400hp, marking it down as a heavy-duty tool for the serious farmer or contractor.

The conditioner is fully integrated into the machine’s design rather than a bolt-on extra, as are the groupers, which are laser welded to reduce weight where it matters, right at the rear where the leverage effect would be greatest.

To help reduce fuel consumption, the mower is intended to work with the PTO running at 850rpm, 1000rpm being kept in reserve for tougher patches within the main crop.

The company claims that this results in an average fuel saving of 22%, a figure derived from tests at Kiel University.

From a digital technology perspective the most noticeable innovation is the slope compensation sensor which is available as part of Claas’ Smart Mowing suite.

This sensor detects gradients enabling the system to control belt speed and the ground pressure of each mower unit; the belt on the lower side being accelerated while the higher unit is slowed down, helping to ensure a tidy and uniform swath.

Entry level trends

In addition to these two new mowers, Claas also introduced the Disco 8500 C Trend and the Disco 8500 RC Trend.

These are lighter mowers intended for smaller tractors of 160hp upwards. The design emphasis is on keeping the centre of gravity low and as close to the tractor as possible. Once again they are intended to run at 850rpm to save fuel.

All the mowers share the company’s Max Cut mower bed which has its upper and lower halves bolted together rather than welded.

By doing so, Claas claims that there is a small degree of flexibility built in which can absorb stress rather than have welds, or even the mower bed itself, cracking over time.

Each unit is pressure tested in the factory before assembly into a mower and the company claims that despite the lack of welding, the combination rivet bolts that are used produce a seal that oil does not escape from.

Claas is aware, as any other company, that with an increase in power availability and the growing variation in farming systems, more specialist machines tailored to specific needs will be required, and the expanded lin- up of mowers is said to fulfil that demand.

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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has clarified that there is no “clear proof” of fertiliser being purchased in Northern Ireland (NI) that is not being registered on the National Fertiliser Database (NFD).

However, the department has called upon stakeholders to provide details of fertiliser imports that are breaching legislation.

A DAFM spokesperson confirmed that: “There have been previous complaints made by the fertiliser trade that have been based on anecdotal evidence without any clear proof being provided of product being purchased in NI and not being declared as an import.

“The department will again be inviting stakeholders to provide specific details of any case where there is an alleged breach of the legislation, thereby providing a stronger basis for action by the department.”

Last week Agriland spoke with chief inspector at the DAFM, Bill Callanan regarding purchases of fertiliser from NI.

Callanan said the NFD was introduced to better nutrient movement in a way to help farmers in terms of how they can report, how they can contribute to their own sustainability metrics.

There has always been a legitimate trade of fertiliser from NI, and this trade will continue but there should be appropriate reporting under the NFD, according to Callanan.

The chief inspector went on to say that if there is proof of clear and deliberate avoidance of the requirements of the database, you will be deemed ineligible for derogation.

That will also include the second year, meaning for a few years you will not be able to get a derogation and there are legislative provisions in term of fines is somebody is somebody is deliberately circumventing.

“We don’t do a check of the fertiliser database for every farmer in the country – it was never designed that way,” Callanan added.

The aims of the NFD are as follows:

• Provide accurate tracking of sales of fertiliser (incl. lime) throughout the supply chain;
• Achieve better compliance with water quality and environmental ambitions;
• Provide data for monitoring climate targets;
• Fulfils a commitment to the European Commission and key to securing any future nitrates derogation;
• In time, simplify and provide reliable data to farmers for private sustainability schemes and department schemes.

There has been 61,833t of fertiliser products imported to the Republic of Ireland from NI since the introduction of the NFD.

The DAFM confirmed to Agriland that since the NFD was established in September 2023, there have been 34 fertiliser economic operators who registered these imports as of June 2024.

25 of these operators were registered as fertiliser end users.

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The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) is set to host a farm walk just outside Caledon, Co. Tyrone, on David and Joanne Wright’s suckler farm.

The event will take place from 7:30p.m on Wednesday, July 3, with CAFRE advisers on hand to discuss the technologies and targets of the business.

The Caledon farm walk is one of a series of CAFRE farm walks under the theme of ‘Profit from Pasture – Striving for Sustainability’, highlighting best practice on beef and sheep farms.

The walks aim to highlight and showcase good grazing management, cow fertility and cattle performance to help maximise farm margins and reduce carbon emissions.

The Wrights work with a herd of 50 Sim X Lim cows with all the progeny being finished at 24 months or less.

CAFRE said the couple’s impressive calving index of 369 days reinforces the focus on good cow fertility.

“An efficient paddock grazing system is in place with an emphasis placed on achieving maximum animal growth from grass and silage with minimum meal consumption,” CAFRE said.

“David is a firm advocate of calving heifers down at two years old and breeding his own replacements.”

CAFRE beef and sheep adviser, Brian Hanthorn, said the event will be a great opportunity to see a “very efficient suckler system”.

Farm walks

The remaining beef farm walks will take place on sites in Co. Tyrone and Co. Down.

Oliver McKenna will welcome visitors to his farm at 12 Tulnafoile Road, Eskra, Omagh, Co. Tyrone on Friday, July 5, from 7:30p.m.

On Friday, July 19, Michael Griffith will host a CAFRE farm walk at Saintfield House Est, 71 Old Belfast Road, Ballynahinch, Co. Down.

A sheep farm walk will take place at William Egerton’s farm at 64 Dernavilt Road, Mullaghlass, Rosslea, Co. Fermanagh, on Wednesday, July 3.

On Monday, July 8, Clement Lynch will host a CAFRE sheep farm walk at 42 Tireighter Road, Co. Derry, and on Wednesday, July 10, Paraic McNeill will host at 20 Millvale Road, Annaclone, Banbridge, Co. Down.

The post CAFRE to host farm walk on Co. Tyrone suckler enterprise appeared first on Agriland.ie.

There has been 61,833t of fertiliser products imported to the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland (NI) since the introduction of the National Fertiliser Database (NFD).

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) confirmed to Agriland that since the NFD was established in September 2023, there have been 34 fertiliser economic operators who registered these imports as of June 2024.

25 of these operators were registered as fertiliser end users.

The DAFM stated that there is no prohibition on cross-border trade in fertilisers and it was made clear to stakeholders, during the introduction of the database, that the NFD “would not be an impediment to trade on the island of Ireland”.

All fertiliser stakeholders have been “clearly advised” that the provisions under S.I. 378 of 2023 require importers of fertiliser into the state to log such imports on the NFD within 72 hours of their importation, a DAFM spokesperson said.

Spreading fertiliser

Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA) president, Michael Ryan has said that consequences for spreading fertiliser are “greater” this year, with all sales now being recorded on the NFD.

The database has been running since September 2023 and makes it is an offence to sell or purchase fertiliser without being registered.

“The department now have the information on purchases by farmers, and are obviously in a better position to see who has and has not purchased.

“It can see what was marginal, which increases the risk for targeted inspections” Ryan said.

The ACA has been in touch with the DAFM to update its penalty schedule.

At the moment, penalties under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme would typically be up to around 3% in a first case scenario, according to Ryan.

Penalties could be multiplied to potentially 15% if the incident re-occurs.

Ryan added that farmers could risk losing the derogation or 100% of the Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) if phosphorus limits were exceeded.

Advice

Ryan said that farmers should have up to date soil analysis to “effectively prove that they require phosphorus”.

“Particularly if farms are stocked at over 130kg of organic nitrogen in 2023,” Ryan said.

“For farmers stocked under that, they are allowed to assume index three, but the allowances are actually quite small.

“Yet, we have a cohort of farmers who every year spread the same amount of fertiliser, irrespective of whether or not they have a soil test result,” he added.

He advised that if farmers do not already have soil samples taken, then they should put out straight nitrogen until results have been acquired.

Ryan reminded all farmers that while awaiting results, slurry can not be spread.

If farmers are unsure on how to receive results, Ryan recommended contacting an advisor for support.

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The Australian House of Representatives has passed legislation aimed at banning live sheep exports by sea from May 1, 2028.

The move, as part of the Export Control Amendment (ending live sheep exports by sea) Bill 2024, now advances to the senate for further debate and a vote.

The bill passed in the lower house, by a margin of 89 to 54.

The federal government has highlighted the economic context and welfare considerations driving the ban.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in Australia, Murray Watt pointed out that while the live sheep export industry contributes $77 million to the national economy, sheep meat exports are valued at $4.5 billion annually, with domestic demand for sheep products reaching $3.5 billion.

Live sheep exports

The transition from live exports is also supported by a $107 million package intended to help farmers and the supply chain in Western Australia, according to the government.

Minister Watt stated: “The transition plan strikes a balance between improving sheep welfare and providing time for a sustainable pathway for sheep farmers, the supply chain participants and communities in Western Australia, and for our trading partners to adjust.”

However, the bill still faced significant scrutiny.

Nationals leader, David Littleproud previously criticised the plan as being “senseless”, arguing that it would merely shift the market to other countries with lower animal welfare standards.

CEO of the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council, Mark Harvey-Sutton said the passage of the sheep ban bill through the House of Representatives was an act of “political bastardry”.

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Catherine King said she acknowledged the industry’s concerns but insisted that the ban was necessary to end uncertainty for sheep producers and related businesses.

The bill still has to be passed in the senate and the decision may significantly influence the future trajectory of Australia’s sheep industry depending on the result.

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A farmer in Northern Ireland has been fined in court for unlawful possession of veterinary medicines and failure to keep records.

Kevin McGrade of Aghnamoe Road Dromore, Omagh was sentenced at Omagh Magistrates Court in relation to a number of breaches of veterinary medicines legislation, including the unlawful possession of prescription-only veterinary medicines.

The 53-year-old was also charged with failing to keep statutory farm medicines records.

The farmer received fines totalling £1,500 plus an offender levy, having pleaded guilty to ten charges before the court.

Court

On October 24, 2022 enforcement officers from the Department of Health’s Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) conducted a search under warrant at a farm on Aghnamoe Road, Dromore, Omagh.

During the search, a quantity of veterinary medicines, including antibiotics, were found in unlawful possession of the defendant without necessary prescriptions and were seized.

The court heard that MRG enforcement officers also established that McGrade breached veterinary medicines legislation in failing to keep statutory records pertaining to the receipt and supply of veterinary medicines over a two-year period between 2020-2022.

Peter Moore, senior medicines enforcement officer with the Department of Health who directed the investigation, said:

“This conviction underscores that there are significant consequences if anyone is tempted to ignore the regulated system and legal controls which are in place to ensure public and animal safety, and the integrity of the veterinary medicines supply chain.”

Canice Ward, head of the department’s Medicines Regulatory Group, added: “The unlawful use of veterinary antibiotics in this manner could have serious consequences for human and animal health, increase the risk of harmful residues in the food chain and contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

“The public can have confidence that the department’s Medicines Regulatory Group and its statutory partner agencies will take decisive action to prevent and detect those engaged in unlawful use of veterinary medicines.”

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A 14-year old boy has died in hospital following a collision involving a quad that occurred outside Eglinton, Co. Derry, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said.

Isaac Roxborough, from Burnfoot, Dungiven, who was riding the quad, died yesterday (Wednesday, June 26) from injuries he sustained following the single-vehicle collision on the Ballygudden Road, Eglinton.

Commenting on the incident, inspector Cherith Adair from the PSNI’s Collision Investigation Unit said: “Our thoughts are very much with the family at this incredibly sad time. Isaac was just 14 years old.

Inspector Adair said an investigation is now being conducted into the incident, and appealed for information from the public.

“A meticulous investigation to establish the circumstances is underway and we would ask anyone who noticed the red Honda quad on the Ballygudden Road on Tuesday morning (June 25), shortly before 11:30a.m or who witnessed the collision to contact us,” the inspector said.

The PSNI is appealing to anyone with information or dash-cam footage that may help the investigation to contact the service.

Commenting on the incident, East Derry/Londonderry MLA Claire Sugden said: “This is an unspeakable tragedy – one that will devastate Isaac’s family.

“The number of tributes that have been paid to Isaac since his passing show just how loved he was and how valued he had already become within the local community,” Sugden added.

The MLA urged anyone who may have information on the incident, or anyone who witnessed it, to get in touch with the PSNI.

In the Republic of Ireland, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said this week that almost three-quarters of work related deaths in 2023 were in the agriculture sector.

The HSA carried out a total of 1,348 farm inspections in Ireland in 2023, with almost half of these being carried out during targeted inspection campaigns.

In its 2023 Annual Report, the authority said that four risk-specific inspection campaigns were carried out in the farming sector, one of which was focused on tractor and quad bike safety. The other three were livestock safety, working at height, and farmer health and wellbeing.

The annual report states that farmers were encouraged to consider the risks associated with these issues and to prepare to manage these risks prior to encountering them during this farming year.

Farmers were also encouraged to make proper use of the Farm Safety Code of Practice as a means of managing risk and injury prevention throughout the year.

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Until round bales arrived on the scene, the major decision when it came to silage systems was whether to go for an open pit or tower silo, with the latter becoming fashionable for a while in the 70s.

That was half a century ago, yet the advantages of the tower have never been fully replicated since.

This was mainly the ability to seal the tower from the atmosphere and so promote anaerobic fermentation, without the need for rolling or the involvement of plastic sheets and film.

They could also be opened easily for second, third or opportune cuts and then resealed without the need to disturb sheeting, which is one large benefit of bale silage. Silage quality was also considered to be superior.

However, they were not without their problems, speed of unloading and loading could be an issue and should the unloading mechanism break down repairs tended to be expensive, especially on the bottom unloading type.

Turning the idea on its head

Having enjoyed a brief moment in the sun, silos faded from the scene over on this side of the Atlantic, yet the idea is not forgotten and one farm in Austria has rekindled the idea, but with a major modification to the concept.

The Hutthaler Model Farm, situated in Upper Austria, is part of a group that grows, processes and sells its produce to supermarket chains and individual shops.

As the name suggests, it is the showpiece of the group and may not experience the same budgetary constraints as other units.

However, it has taken the concept of the tower silos and instead of pointing them into the air, it has buried them in the ground.

The farm has eight vertical silos, each 7m in depth and 3.5m in diameter, giving a total storage volume of 192m³ – equivalent to approximately 250 round bales.

Silo filling

Each circular pit is concrete lined and has drain at the base with lip above the surface of around 0.8 of a metre.

Filling them is a simple task of reversing a forage wagon up to the edge and letting the floor chains feed the silage out of the end of the trailer and into the silo, no loaders or blowers are required.

Crop in the lower part of the silo is compressed by the weight of the grass above it but that at the top needs a little help, and this is provided by the gantry crane which can push down upon it.

It is this gantry crane which is the secret to the whole operation, for not only does it help with compressing the silage, but it is also used to empty the silos in the winter.

It hangs from a frame which runs along tracks suspended from the roof, and is therefore free to run the whole length of the building, taking silage from each silo as required.

The system looks impressive and while Agriland was there, the silos were being topped up with grass being bought in by the Pottinger 5000 Jumbo forage wagon that had been used in the afternoons demonstrations.

The silage was being used to feed a Charolais cross suckler herd and weanlings housed in a nearby shed which, having ample room to move around in, still sported their horns.

Not for everyone

Although the method appears to be perfectly logical and easy to operate, it might not be suitable for a busy dairy herd.

Filling and emptying the silos is still a slow process compared to modern pit silage and craning out the silage at the base of the tubes will take a good deal longer than using a loading shovel in an open pit.

Building costs are likely to be high, but unfortunately, they were not revealed in the rather brief visit to the installation. There appears to be a lot of work undertaken for a modest capacity.

Leaving 7m deep holes open would be frowned upon here in Ireland, yet over in Austria, people are expected to take greater responsibility for themselves, which may be no bad thing.

It is an interesting concept, but whether it has the potential to gain acceptance in more commercial applications is very much open to question.

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Farmers have the ability to create carbon sinks with livestock by employing a system known as Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing according to research that features in a documentary released today (Wednesday, June 26).

The ‘Roots So Deep’ documentary, followed the lives of farmers on 10 farms across Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, and saw a team of 20 scientists from seven universities compare the impact of AMP with conventional style grazing.

The docu-series examined if different types of grazing methods could help “depleted” soils, rebuild wildlife habitat, remove carbon from the atmosphere and help farmers get out of debt.

The researchers also measured what was happening on all the farms to see if AMP grazing could possibly slow down climate change, by reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.

The director of ‘Roots so Deep’ Peter Byck, professor of Practice at the School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, wanted to primarily find out if AMP grazing is better for the land and if “old school” farmers could change their ways?

It took the team five years to design and fundraise for the research project, and they took to the fields in spring 2018, according to director of the documentary.

The oil and gas company, Shell had previously provided funding for the University of Exeter to install towers that measure CO2 going in and out of the soil. This benefitted the research by Byck and the science team.

McDonalds funded $4.5 million as a matching grant. Of the $4.5 million, $3.75 million went into the research in the south-east of America.

The remaining $750,000 was put towards the northern great plains, where the research team is replicating the same research, but in a different ecosystem.

Byck told Agriland what he set out to do:

“It was about finding individuals at these companies who believed in what we were trying to do, and have the same concern for climate change that we had.

“I want folks to be conscious of the farmer who grew that food, and a lot of times it is small farmers who grow a lot of the food that we eat.”

Byck had previously made a movie about solutions to climate change called ‘Carbon Nation’ and if poorly treated soils were a big part of the problem.

This movie sparked his interest in soil health and how it affects climate change, and Byck questioned if a certain type of grazing could “flip farms” from unhealthy to healthy.

‘Roots so Deep’ (you can see the devil down there) will be available for screening in Ireland and the UK from today.

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Dairy Concepts, headquartered at Moorepark dairy research and development campus in Fermoy, Co. Cork, has clinched a significant international contract with leading retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S).

The deal includes the launch of a new high-protein, gluten-free, dairy snack range, developed in collaboration with Marks & Spencer, under the brand name M&S Cheese Clouds.

It will be sold in 580 M&S stores throughout the UK and Ireland.

The Cork company said that the collaboration with M&S has resulted in a significant increase in production volume for Dairy Concepts at its Fermoy manufacturing facility.

This growth has necessitated the hiring of five additional production staff, bringing the total number of employees to 24.

Dairy Concepts

M&S Cheese Clouds are a high protein snack – 8g protein per 20g pack – developed as a healthy crunchy alternative to traditional snacks like crisps and nuts.

Leveraging its product research and development expertise, and state-of-the-art technology at its manufacturing facility in Fermoy, Dairy Concepts crafts the snacks by combining premium Irish Cheddar with a unique vacuum-cooking process.

The snacks have been developed in such a way as to not require refrigeration or special storage conditions and can be stored at room temperature, remaining fresh for an extended period.

The dairy manufacturer has said that this characteristic ensures an extended shelf life and reduced storage requirements for retailers, facilitating seamless exports and appealing to a broader customer base.

CEO of Dairy Concepts, Tom Brennan said: “For Dairy Concepts, becoming a supplier for M&S signifies a significant endorsement of our innovative product development, operational standards, and product quality.

“With value-added dairy snack products made from a minimum of 98% cheese, this domestic and export partnership really supports Irish farmers and contributes to the growth of the wider Irish dairy industry.”

Country director for Marks & Spencer Ireland and Northern Ireland, Eddie Murphy commented: “At M&S, we’re growing our partnerships with Irish suppliers to offer our customers quality Irish products, sourced locally and sold across the UK and Ireland.

“The launch of the innovative M&S Cheese Clouds range in partnership with Dairy Concepts marks a real milestone for both companies and shows the potential for more opportunities across our Irish supply chain.”

The Fermoy-based companyand M&S are planning further expansion in the partnership with plans for new product development, including a new flavour variant and larger pack sizes scheduled for launch in early 2025.

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Farmers for Action (FFA) is endorsing calls made by the European Milk Board (EMB) to have ‘fair farmgate prices’ introduced across Europe.

At its recent annual general meeting (AGM), the board called for the introduction of legislation that makes farmgate prices that are higher than production costs obligatory.

The organisation is also seeking the availability of suitable market crisis instruments across the EU and an assurance from Brussels to the effect that agriculture and food will not be included within the remit of future free trade deals.

FFA spokesperson, William Taylor, said:

“These are the exact same principles that we have been endorsing for many years in Northern Ireland.

“Whereas EMB has a specific remit within the dairy sector, FFA wants these principles endorsed across agriculture as a whole.”

Meanwhile, the FFA has claimed that £8.50/kg is the price that farmers in Northern Ireland should be getting for their finished cattle right now.

Taylor added: “The equivalent price for milk should be in the range 55 to 60 pence per litre.

“These returns will cover all relevant production costs while also allowing farmers to invest in the future of their businesses.”

FFA

According to the FFA representative, farmgate returns of this magnitude will not put consumers off buying beef and dairy products in the shops.

“Shoppers did not reduce their dairy purchases on the back of the significant rise in producer milk prices witnessed in 2022. So, there is genuine scope to increase farmgate milk prices with immediate effect.

“Beef price trends are easier to monitor. Traditionally, beef and lamb returns tracked each other. But that link was broken, for no good reason, a number of years ago.

“Today, sheep farmers are receiving £8.50/kg for their lambs – farm gate beef prices should be coming in at the same level,” Taylor added.

The FFA has claimed that corporate food retailers, food wholesalers and food processors are wreaking havoc on the rural economy of Northern Ireland.

This is due solely to the very poor prices that farmers continue to receive for their produce.

“These organisations are behaving completely without regard for whether family farmers have enough money to pay their bills or even buy their groceries on a weekly basis. 

“What’s more, government subsidies are now only worth half of what they were 20 years ago in real terms,” the spokesperson added.

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Northern Ireland-headquartered co-op, Dale Farm, has reported a £96.6 million drop in group turnover to £631.4 million for the financial year ending March 2024.

Dale Farm, which is owned by 1,300 dairy farmers across Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, had previously reported a group turnover of £728 million for the financial year ending March 2023.

Despite the drop in turnover, the latest financial results highlight that the co-op’s profit performance continued to improve for the third year in a row.

Its net profit before tax rose by 11% to £29.8 million in the 12 months to March 2024 – up from £26.8 million in the previous financial year.

Dale Farm co-op’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) also increased to £44.9 million – up from £43 million a year earlier.

The chair of the co-op, Fred Allen, today (Tuesday, June 25) acknowledged that the dairy market had “experienced volatility” last year.

He also warned that “inflation continues to affect input costs for producers”.

Allen added: “Against this backdrop, over the past year we were still in a position to pay a competitive milk price, with the average price paid totalling 35.2p/L in 2023/24.

“It is more important than ever that we continue to invest in those parts of the business that deliver the highest returns for our farmers.

“The profitability of the cooperative and continued investment is key to securing farm businesses for future generations.”

Dale Farm

According to Dale Farm’s group chief executive, Nick Whelan, the improved profit result is down to “strategic decision making, the collective efforts of the 1,200 people employed by Dale Farm, and the farmers who supply the business with high quality milk”.

He said that every decision the co-op takes “is about ensuring the profitability and sustainability of our members’ farm businesses”.

Whelan added: “Through strategic investment we are delivering growth while paying a competitive milk price to the 1,300 farmers who own the business and supply us with healthy, nutritious, quality milk.

“Through our strategy – a focus on research and development and investing in the strongest areas of our business – we are growing, and these results show that strategy is working”.

.

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There are deep feelings of “sadness, anger, disbelief, fear and anxiety” over the Lough Neagh blue-green algae ecological crisis, according to a new report published today (Monday, June 24).

The report is based on a series of interviews conducted by researchers from Queen’s University Belfast, with local communities, including those involved in fishing and farming, who are most directly affected by the “environmental crisis” in Lough Neagh.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has previously stated that excess nutrients from agricultural activities and wastewater pressures are “primarily” to blame for the growth of the blue-green algae in Northern Ireland’s waters.

Many of the people interviewed by the Queen’s University research team for the report described Lough Neagh as a “natural resource” but also identified too much “nutrient” entering the lough as a key reason for the blue-green algae.

According to the report interviewees understood ‘nutrient’ to mean animal slurry or human waste.

Lough Neagh

The Queen’s University report also highlighted that many people around Lough Neagh have “strong links” to farming and while some blamed a “slurry-pollution problem” they were also reluctant to solely blame the algae crisis on farmers.

“We shouldn’t be demonising the farmer, we need the farmer on our side, they are part of our community,” one interviewee told researchers.

Other people who spoke to researchers also highlighted that most famers complied with environmental regulations.

But some blamed “intensive dairy and beef production” as a major reason for the issues currently affecting the lough.

Interviewees pointed to “slurry being spread right up to the edge of the lough and also entering the lough via sheuchs, streams and rivers”.

Other people who the researchers spoke to also raised the issue of climate change as another factor to be considered as a contributory cause of the blue-green algae crisis.

John Barry, Professor of Green Political Economy at Queen’s and one of the authors of the new report, said there is “a clear emotional dimension of people’s connection to and attachment to the lough”.

The research team from Queen’s also got a sense of “affection, reverence and deep concern” for Lough Neagh from the people they interviewed.

“One of the main findings of the report is the need for more research into the crisis, ecological, epidemiological and economic.

“It is also suggested that this research needs to be more collaborative, involving all members of the community and stakeholders, on the appropriate modes of governance and policy development needed for the restoration and ecologically sustainable management of the lough,” he added.

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A Co. Tyrone farmer has been convicted and fined at Omagh Magistrates’ Court today (Monday, June 24) in relation to farm effluent pollution.

38-year-old David Kenwell of Killyliss Road, Fintona, pleaded guilty and was fined £1,000 with a £15 Offenders Levy for an offence under the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999, as amended.

The court heard that on August 2, 2022, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) Water Quality Inspectors (WQIs) received a report of a farm effluent entering an unnamed tributary of the Owenreagh River. 

When they visited the farm, the inspectors discovered that an unlined sump had been constructed from permeable gravel.

Court

The court was told that this construction was allowing silage effluent to escape and enter the waterway via a concrete pipe. 

This pollution incident was classified as of medium severity where 1.5km of waterway was impacted by this discharge of silage effluent.

A tripartite statutory sample was collected from the discharge pipe and analysed.

The material represented by the sample contained poisonous, noxious or polluting matter which would have been potentially harmful to aquatic life in a receiving waterway.

Anyone wishing to report a pollution incident can call the 24-hour Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) said that it is an offence under the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 to make a polluting discharge to a waterway and to make a discharge of trade or sewage effluent into a waterway.

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The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has issued an appeal for information regarding the theft of 15 cattle from Lisbellaw, Co. Fermanagh.

The cattle were taken from the Lough Shale Road area between the hours of 10:30p.m on Sunday, June 9 and 7:10a.m on Tuesday, June 11.

The majority of the cattle stolen were Aberdeen Angus, with some other breeds including Limousin, Shetland, Belted Galloway, Belgian Blue and Charlois.

Police have appealed to anyone who may have CCTV within the area or may have witnessed the incident to get in touch.

Alternatively, information can be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers, which is completely anonymous.

PSNI appeals

The PSNI has also issued an appeal to make people more aware of rural crime prevention.

The police stated that they seen an increase in travelling criminals targeting the elderly in counties Fermanagh and Tyrone.

The traders appear to be offering to sell items, spray paint buildings and road surfaces or repair or clean properties, according to the police.

“They seem to agree a ‘reasonable’ price and then once the job is carried out, several thousand pounds are added on to the price.

“They will then try to pressurise the vulnerable in to paying the full extortionate amount,” the PSNI stated.

If anyone has any further information regarding the whereabouts of these individuals or their vehicles, they should report the information to the PSNI by quote referencing 1422.

‘Rogue’ traders

The same reminder has been issued by gardaí in Co. Meath for family members who may be susceptible to dealing with these “rogue traders”.

“Don’t open your door to anyone before you are confident that they are known to you or that they have a genuine reason to be there.

“Use a chain lock for added security. These callers can be intimidating and often refuse to take no for an answer,” Gardaí stated.

Gardaí should be contacted immediately if such an encounter occurs with as much description as possible.

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Genotyping Northern Ireland’s entire cattle population will help revolutionise its dairy and beef sectors, according to the chair of the Sustainable Ruminant Genetics (SRG) programme, Victor Chestnutt.

Chestnutt said: “Securing genetic information on this scale is an approach that will help deliver improvements in the levels of performance and efficiency achieved across our cattle sectors.

“In the first instance, the significant impact on the carbon footprint generated by both the dairy and beef industries will be immense, once farmers are armed with this specific information.”

Chestnutt went on to confirm a number of specific benefits, which the work of SRG will deliver.

“At a very fundamental level, identifying the parentage of individual calves becomes a very straightforward task.

“Where dairy is concerned, once all milking cows within a herd have been genotyped, the taking of a bulk milk tank sample should allow the identification of each individual cow’s cell count figure on an almost real time basis,” he explained.

Turning to the beef sector, the former Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) president highlighted the significant level of DNA testing already carried out by the meat plants.

“A lot of this work is undertaken to verify carcases’ eligibility for the various beef schemes. This information can also be used to relate various aspects of animal performance and final meat quality.

“But, surely it would be much more effective to secure this information at time of birth, rather than waiting until the animals are dead.”

Chestnutt stressed the need for the beef industry to get serious about quantifying the levels of performance achieved at farm level.

“This is all about the data and making this information available to farmers in a meaningful way.

“It doesn’t take significant investment in new technology to make this happen. For example, the installation of weigh bridges in meat plants would allow liveweights to be accurately recorded prior to slaughter.

“Armed with this information and the accompanying kill weights, farmers would be able to quickly work out the exact kill-out percentage of every animal they send for slaughter,” the SRG programme chair said.

SRG

Meanwhile, work continues apace on the part of SRG to identify the best way of securing the tissues sample required for DNA analysis and, subsequent to this, having them accurately assessed.

“Using appropriate ear tags would seem to be the best way of securing the tissue samples that will be needed.

“We are also in discussion with a number of laboratories, which would be in a position to carry out the accompanying analysis work.

“The jury is still out as to whether we go with a single organisation or bring a number of companies on board.

“There are two priorities to be met: delivering a service at least cost to farmers and ensuring that the interpretation of the genetic data generated from the tissue samples is carried out to a uniform standard,” he added.

The tissue sampling campaign gets under way the beginning of 2026.

Chestnutt continued: “The first 12 months will see the sampling of all breeding females and male animals within the beef and dairy herds.

“Looking ahead, I see no reason why the beef processing sector would not want to contribute to the costs involved with the ongoing roll-out of the SRG programme.

“After all, the plants are already committed to the DNA sampling of cattle in large numbers. Committing to the SRG programme would mean they would ensure that they getting the required genetic information at a much earlier stage in an animals’ lives.”

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Farmers in north Tyrone and Co. Derry are invited to register for Zone 3 of the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS) from today (Monday, June 24).

Registration for the scheme will close on Saturday, August 31, 2024.

Participation in the SNHS will be a requirement to receive payments under future farm support schemes, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has confirmed.

This conditionality requires participation in the SNHS and completion of the College of Agriculture Food and Rural Enterprise’s (CAFRE) SNHS training when it is offered to farmers.

Farm businesses in Zone 3 of the SNHS will be written to by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).

To date, over 6,000 farmers in Zone 1 and 6,000 farmers in Zone 2 have received soil analysis results for their farms, including pH, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca) and sulphur (S), together with organic matter estimation and crop specific lime and fertiliser recommendations.

Soil Nutrient Health Scheme

Registration for Zone 1 of the scheme, which covers Co. Down as well as parts of Co. Antrim and Co. Armagh, opened in May 2022 and closed in September of the same year.

Zone 2, which covers Co. Fermanagh, west Armagh and south Tyrone, opened for registrations in June 2023 and closed in August 2023.

There was over 90% uptake in both Zone 1 and Zone 2.

Farmers in Zone 1 and Zone 2 who have not yet registered can apply from June 24 to August 31, 2024 as well.

CAFRE’s SNHS training and provides advice on the interpretation of the analysis reports, preparation of nutrient management plans and the role of carbon on farms.

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The latest models and developments from Pottinger were introduced to the press, and the world in general, by the company in Upper Austria this week, as the sun came out after four weeks of rain.

For the Irish market, it was the rakes and latest forage wagon which will generate the most interest, yet the mowers, including the front mounted Opticurve, also underlined the latest approach to the market, although not all the new models were at the event.

The new Jumbo 5000 has already been covered by Agriland, but it was typical of the latest offerings in that it was based on present models, but with certain amount of complexity and cost removed.

Trickle down effect

Pottinger is keen to point out that these more budget orientated versions are a natural development of the premium machines already in service, and so bring the latest machinery formats to more modest sized farms.

This is a time honoured practice in the machinery industry, but it has been given an extra boost lately due to the reduced sales levels this year and the need to keep business turning over.

Yet, the company is by no means despondent, far from it, for although it admits that sales are 15-20% down this year, sales and marketing director, Gregor Dietachmay, also pointed out that over the last three years, it has enjoyed annual double digit increases in turnover and appreciates that such a situation was not sustainable.

Neither is the lull in sales growth expected to continue to indefinitely. The company considers itself crossing a valley between peaks, but quite how broad that valley is cannot be judged at present.

It will, Gregor explains, depend on economic factors such as interest rates and inflation, especially of energy costs, which have had a significant impact on margins, although some stability is returning.

Dealer stocks

Another major concern is dealer stock levels, which remain stubbornly high, once they start to decline and the general discounting, which is common to all brands, starts to fade from the scene the worst will be over and growth will resume.

In the meantime, Gregor said that the company now has the opportunity to step back and consolidate its business, while taking a good look at farming trends and deciding where to invest its development funds.

Over the past three years, the focus has been mainly on increasing production and coping with component shortages and rising material costs, that frantic period has come to an end and so there is now the space in which to consider the future.

Now that the pressure is off company resources can be switched back to streamlining production and creating new designs and products that it feels will best serve its customer base.

Trending towards mower simplicity

Taking the complexity out of machines in which sophistication had been built in might not appear to be too great a task, but it does involve adopting a philosophy, which has not been to the fore of late.

However, the company is not randomly deleting features in a bid to cut prices, each new product retains the core components from the current range which have robustness and reliability as the major design criteria, neither are they applying the ethos to the whole range.

Asked as to whether this move is a consequence of wishing to reduce machinery prices in a bid to promote sales, the company stresses that they are meeting a changing demand, certainly in the dairy sector where there is some room for machinery investment.

Large farms are now looking to to buy large items of equipment, but the staff who are expected to operate it might not have the time to absorb all the tricks and features of the top end models, so are unlikely to make full use of them.

Pottinger has the answer

The Novacat H series of mowers typifies Pottinger’s answer to the issue. The two models are the H9500 with a working width of 9.46m and the wider 11.15m wide H11200.

These are large mowers and are designed to work with tractors of at least 130hp and 160hp respectively, yet they have neither conditioners nor groupers and fold behind the tractor – like a wasps wings, rather than a butterfly.

Not being burdened by these two additions, they are also light in weight, the H11200 tipping the scales at 2,040kg.

The result is a productive and and fuel efficient mowing combination to match the new Novacat F3100 Opticurve front mower, which can be operated with minimal training.

The lack of a conditioner will not help their adoption in Ireland, but although important, Ireland is still only a small part of Pottinger’s business – it is a question of serving a much larger market than the one we experience daily.

The Novacat Opticurve itself does tend towards a little complexity as in its automatic form it relies on the tractor’s ISOBUS system to shift its position when cornering or on steep slopes.

Rather than move from side to side, it moves in an arc to ensure the tractor rear does not run over cut grass nor are there no strips of standing crop left at corners or when working across gradients.

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Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture in Northern Ireland, Declan McAleer, wants a more flexible ammonia strategy introduced, one which all farmers can buy into 

The Co. Tyrone-based politician said:

“While we support the goal of addressing the impacts of air pollution on the natural environment, we have a number of concerns around some proposed methods of evaluating and reducing ammonia emissions in a future operational protocol.

“We are concerned that a one-size-fits-all approach to ammonia reduction on farms would not be fair, effective or sustainable.

“Farms here vary in size, stock and type of land, and any evaluation of their emissions and sequestrations must consider that.”

McAleer added that farmers have raised concerns about the parts of the ammonia operational protocol that relate in-combination assessments of emissions:

“It appears that, by adopting an in-combination approach, farmers who may have invested in reducing their emissions and taken steps to do that may still not get planning permission, perhaps because neighbouring farms still have high emissions.

“There are situations where, perhaps, a proposed new development is treated as additional to, as opposed to a replacement for, something that may have had high emissions.”

According to the Sinn Féin representative, it is important to note that virtually the whole of Northern Ireland will be impacted by the 7·5km limit contained within the ammonia management measures currently on the table.

He added: “We believe that the proposed approach could fail to achieve some of its intended outcomes in reducing ammonia, as farmers are deterred from upgrading or replacing old buildings.”

McAleer also pointed out that not all the measures in the draft ammonia strategy are practical. He made the suggestion that low emission slurry spreading equipment is not a practical option where farmers are operating in a hill environment.

“We need to look at all the different land types and types of farm across the North,” he further explained.

McAleer is also calling for ammonia thresholds to be consistent across the island, given the trans-boundary location of a number of affected sites.

He continued: “A lot of our bogs and protected areas straddle the border, and they are key to achieving a reduction in emissions across the island.

“The agri-food strategy in the South offers a number of possibilities for increased cooperation on an all-island basis, and that should be considered.”

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Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland, Andrew Muir has received criticism over his support for a ban on the use of e-collars on dogs.

Muir told the Assembly that he is “keen” to ban e-collars and he encouraged Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue to do the same.

In response to this, a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) member from west Tyrone, Thomas Buchanan said:

“Muir should look long and hard at the scientific evidence, as he risks making life even tougher for Northern Ireland’s sheep farmers.

“Across the water in Wales, a ban on e-collar training has led to a huge increase in not just savaged sheep, but shot dogs. That double tragedy should be avoided at all costs.”

In support of Buchanan’s criticism, the National Sheep Association (NSA) in NI’s development officer, Edward Adamson added that the use of e-collars on dogs is effective in preventing attacks on sheep.

Adamson continued that if the minister for agriculture had witnessed first-hand the devastation and damage caused in a dog attack, he might “better understand” the reason for effective training.

“If they were banned, it would cause fury around the countryside,” the NSA’s development officer said.

Dog attacks

Earlier this year, NFU Mutual stated that there was double the amount of dog attacks on livestock in NI in 2023, due to dog owners “inability to control their pets”.

The insurance company added that farm animals worth an estimated £147,000 were severely injured or killed in NI in 2023.

The e-collar ban in England failed after a campaign by dog owners and a letter from 441 sheep farmers to the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.

The campaign and the letters insisted that a ban on e-collars would increase the occurrence of dog attacks on livestock.

“Politicians who want cheap publicity think that they can win votes by banning e-collars. They should read the science before they pontificate,” the Association of Responsible Dog Owners (ARDO), Jamie Penrith said.

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The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) must “rethink” the transition period for the new XI livestock tags, as the current period is not substantial enough.

This is according to the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), which said that the launch date for the new tags being June 24, 2024, and the final switchover date occurring in January 2025, does not give farmers enough time to use existing stocks of UK tags.

DAERA recently announced that, from June 24, new XI prefix livestock tags will be available to purchase from tag suppliers, with UK tags becoming unavailable for purchase from that date.

DAERA said it is currently finalising plans for the final switchover and the date, provisionally expected to be January 27, 2025, will be confirmed to livestock keepers in due course.

UFU deputy president, Glenn Cuddy, said the transition period will not benefit farmers who have already bought UK tags and spring calf from January to May.

“They cannot simply change calving dates to suit DAERA’s tag transition,” he said.

‘Sufficient time’

“From the outset, the UFU urged DAERA to manage this change with caution, stressing that our farmers need sufficient time that would work alongside the farming calendar causing minimal disruption, and that clear communication to notify farmers would be essential,” Cuddy said.

“At this late stage, DAERA are only now advising farmers not to order large quantities of UK tags that cannot be used from January 2025.

“DAERA must allow a longer period to enable farmers to use up existing tags otherwise it will be a significant financial loss for their farm businesses.”

Cuddy said there has been an “ongoing distinct lack of engagement” with farmers on this matter, and that DAERA must rethink its January 2025 deadline urgently.

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Swatragh Livestock Market has said it will close for over a week following the death of its general manager, Paul Coyle.

The farmer-owned co-op in Co. Derry will be closed for its sheep sale on Saturday, June 22, and for the cattle sale on Monday, June 24.

The mart will reopen next week on Friday, June 28.

Its country store closed at 1:00p.m today (Tuesday, June 18) and will not reopen until further noticed.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Coyle family and friends at this time, may he rest in peace,” Swatragh Livestock Market said.

Paul Coyle passed away yesterday (Monday, June 17) according to McCusker Bros Funeral Directors.

In the notice he is described as the beloved husband of Sally and loving father of Aoife, Peadar, Niall, Emer, Meabh and Fergal, son of Breege and the late Paul and dear brother of Patsy, Caroline, Sharon, Adrian, Declan and Kevin.

His funeral arrangements will be made public at a later time, McCusker Bros Funeral Directors said, and his wake has not yet commenced.

Tributes have been paid to him under the McCusker Bros funeral notice, with many describing him as “one in a million”, “a complete gentleman” and “a very fine man”.

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Agriculture was Northern Ireland’s largest emitting sector in 2022, responsible for 29.1% of emissions, the Northern Ireland greenhouse gas inventory has revealed.

In the 1990-2022 inventory published by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) today (Tuesday, June 18), domestic transport was shown to be in second place for overall emissions at 18.1%.

Buildings and product uses and electricity supply sectors contributed 15.3% and 14% respectively.

In 2022, Northern Ireland’s net greenhouse gas emissions were estimated to be 21.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e).

This net figure is a result of an estimated 23.2 MtCO2e total emissions, offset by 1.9 MtCO2e of emissions removed through sequestration.

The net figure of 21.3 MtCO2e in 2022 represents a decrease of 3.0% compared with 2021.  The longer-term trend showed a decrease of 26.4% compared with emissions in 1990.

Decrease in emissions

The statistical bulletin on greenhouse gas emissions for Northern Ireland showed that, between 2021 and 2022, all sectors except domestic transport showed a decrease in emissions.

The largest decreases in terms of tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent were in the buildings and product uses (0.4 MtCO2e), agriculture (0.1 MtCO2e) and electricity supply (0.1 MtCO2e) sectors.

In 2022, Northern Ireland contributed 5.3% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions, which stood at 406.2 MtCO2e.

In the UK there has been a 50.2% reduction in emissions between 1990 and 2022.

During the same period, the reduction in emissions in Northern Ireland was 26.4%, compared to 52.6% in England, 51.2% in Scotland and 36.4% in Wales.

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The ABP Angus Youth Challenge has been recognised for developing the skills of young people in Northern Ireland with a corporate social responsibility award.

The accolade was announced at the recent Irish News 2024 Workplace and Employment Awards ceremony in Belfast.

The awards, which are now in their 16th year, reward companies and organisations by recognising excellence in the workplace.

The award for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme of the Year, claimed by ABP, recognises the contribution of a company to the welfare of local communities in which they operate.

ABP Angus Youth Challenge

Since its introduction in 2017, the ABP Angus Youth Challenge has been providing a ‘farm-to-fork’ learning experience for 14 and 15-year-olds from schools, clubs or societies.

The programme provides successful participants with knowledge, hands-on experience in farming and beef production, and employability skills.

Following a selection process involving industry and education representatives, finalist teams have the opportunity to rear Angus calves, benefiting financially from their eventual sale to ABP.

One of the key requirements of the finalist programme is on sustainability practices.

The teams guided by mentors from the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) to utilise technology that can reduce emissions and enhance efficiency in farming.

The schools that have reached this year’s final are Aughnacloy College; Dromore High School Co. Down; the Royal School Armagh and St. Colmcille’s in Crossgar.

The first leg of this year’s tour will commence at a sustainable beef open day in Co. Meath followed by an interactive steak cookery demonstration at Lismullin Cookery School with ABP Ireland.

The pupils and their teachers will then be flown on to Belgium for visits to an ABP retail packing facility; the EU Parliament and for meetings with the NI Executive Office and the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU).

Some 110 schools have participated in the ABP Angus Youth Challenge to date.

Award

ABP said that the award acknowledges the company’s approach to addressing issues, such as the sustainability of red meat production, occupational perceptions of farming and meat manufacturing, and the employability skills deficit among young people

“The ABP Angus Youth Challenge is inspiring the next generation of leaders in sustainable farming and food production practices,” George Mullan, managing director of ABP in Northern Ireland, said.

“Its success demonstrates the transformative power of education, experiential learning, and community engagement in creating a more resilient and responsible agrifood industry,” he added.

The ABP Angus Youth Challenge will open for new entries from 11-14 year olds in Year 11 on September 1, 2024.

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Ballymena Show always attracts a fantastic turnout of sheep, and 2024 did not disappoint in this regard.

The man charged with the responsibility of judging the inter-breed classes was Johnny Aiken from Cumbria, who is a native of Banbridge in Co. Down.

He selected a Suffolk shearling ewe, exhibited by the Watson family, as his champion of the show.

Also catching the eye on the day was a marvellous Border Leicester shearling ewe, shown by the Dickey family, from Ballymena.

Aiken described his champion as a “very balanced young animal”, adding:

“The ewe caught my eye as soon as she entered the ring, but she was up against some very stiff competition. The overall standard of the sheep entered for the event was brilliant.”

Aiken paid particular tribute to all those taking part in the sheep young handlers’ competitions.

“It was great to see so many young people getting involved in such a proactive manner,” he said.

Aiken confirmed that farmgate prices are strong at the present time, “but they need to be at these levels, given the costs confronting farmers right now”.

Ballymena Show was also marked by the largest turnout of pedigree dairy stock at any event held in Northern Ireland this year.

Making this happen was the tremendous number of Ayrshire cattle entered for the various competition classes.

The inter-breed championship class was a close run thing involving the top Holstein and Ayrshire cows from the event.

But, it was George and Jason Booth, from Stewartstown in Co. Tyrone, who came away with the main silverware.

His Holstein fourth calver – Beechview Doorman Bridget – looked an absolute picture in the ring. She calved back in March and is currently giving 50 plus litres of milk per day.

Judge Andrew Patton described his champion as a great example of the Holstein breed: “She has scope, an excellent udder and all-round dairy character.”

The reserve inter-breed rosette was awarded to another outstanding Holstein cow, exhibited by Geoffrey Patton from Carrowdore in Co. Down.

George and Jason Booth are having a summer to remember in 2024. They picked up the dairy inter-breed title at last week’s Armagh Show. The pair also had a very successful Balmoral Show back in May.

Meanwhile, competition was equally strong within the beef classes, held at Ballymena Show 2024.

The inter-breed championship was picked up by Alan Wilson with his Simmental heifer, Ballinlare Farm Nikita.

Judge, John Moore, described his champion as a heifer with “fantastic breeding potential”.

Ballymena saw a reversing of roles relative to Armagh Show seven days earlier, where the Limousin heifer of Kilkeel breeder, Trevor Shields – Glenmarshal Theduchess carried the day.

“I am aware that the Limousin heifer took the inter-breed at Armagh. In my opinion both animals are great examples of their respective breeds, and there really is only the toss of a coin between them.

“However, I thought the Simmental had that little bit of extra show presence when she came into the ring,” Moore said.

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Farmers for Action (FFA) has called for a doubling of the farm support budget in Northern Ireland, from £300 million to £600 million per year.

“This has to be a key driver of the general election debate over the coming weeks,” FFA spokesperson, William Taylor commented.

“Farm support budgets have not been changed since 2003, 20 years ago. If one factors in the impact of inflation over the subsequent two decades, this brings the farm budget for Northern Ireland up to £600 million on an annual basis.

“It is also critically important that all future farm support budgets are inflation proofed.”

In addition, Taylor wants to see food security put firmly on the agenda as a key debating point up to the July 4 polling date for the UK.

“Food security and climate change are the biggest challenges facing society as a whole today. Both issues are joined at the hip from a production agriculture and food perspective,” he continued.

“Making this a reality will require two things – farmers to be adequately supported by government with primary producers also receiving prices that take full account of their production costs.

“Farmers must have the opportunity to develop a margin within their businesses, which allows them to invest for the future.

Taylor cited the relevance of FFA’s Farm Welfare Bill in this context.

“It is the only form of proposed legislation that reflects the genuine needs of farmers. And the sooner it is introduced by the Stormont Assembly, the better.”

bTB in Northern Ireland

Turning to bovine Tuberculosis (bTB), Taylor confirmed an FFA delegation recently met with Northern Ireland chief veterinary officer, Brian Dooher, on this matter.

The FFA is expecting Northern Ireland’s agriculture minister, Andrew Muir, to make a major statement on a range of issues linked to bTB later in the autumn.

This may well include a formal announcement regarding the outcome of the recent public consultation on bTB compensation values.

As part of this process, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) officials referenced the possibility of compensation payments being reduced to 75% of a reactor animal’s market value.

“FFA will not accept any attempt on the part of DAERA to reduce bTB compensation values,” Taylor stressed.

Farming organisations in Northern Ireland believe that even the current bTB compensation measures are inadequate.

Specifically, they do not take account of the negative impact that reactor removals have on farm cash flows, according to FFA.

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A cow stuck in mud near Kircubbin, Co. Down has been saved after a two hour operation involving many firefighters, coastguard rescue teams, and a group of farmers.

The cow wandered from Rowreagh farm to water connected to the land last night (Saturday, June 15), where the animal then entered a marshy area and sank down up to its neck.

A passer-by happened to see the cow in trouble and contacted the farmer, Thomas Steele.

Steele said that he initially tried to save the 500kg cow himself, by walking out to her, about 30 metres from the shoreline.

However, Steele said that he had began sinking in the mud and knew “it wasn’t worth the risk”.

He then contacted the emergency services, who dispatched the fire brigade and contacted animal rescue teams.

The Portaferry Coastguard Rescue Team; the Bangor Coastguard Rescue Team; and a specialist rescue team from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Services (NIFRS) all attended the scene.

The teams came together and used a floating bridge to reach the cow and try to calm her down initially.

They then attached a rope and harness to her and “used a lifter to hoist her straight up”, according to Steele.

“It is hard to say exactly how long she was there, but I’d say about four or five hours. She was just exhausted and had kind of given up the fight,” Steele told Agriland.

Despite pure exhaustion, the cow suffered no injuries and “is back to herself today”, Steele said.

“I want to thank the fire services and the animal rescue team from Newcastle, they were so quick to respond,” Steele said.

He also thanked his father, William and brother, Samuel for coming to his help.

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The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has said the next UK general election, which takes place on July 4, is the “most important Westminster election in generations”.

The union said the next UK parliamentary term will be “pivotal” for Northern Ireland‘s farmers and is calling on politicians to provide what is needed to ensure that economic, environmental and social outcomes are delivered in Northern Ireland.

The UFU has put forward three asks of the next UK government:

• That the ring-fenced annual farm support and development budget for Northern Ireland is increased to match inflation, increased from £330 million to £389 million, with commitments made beyond a parliamentary term to a minimum of 10 years that are also adjusted to match the future rate of inflation.
• That the next UK government urgently seeks a sanitary and phytosanitary/veterinary agreement between the entire UK and EU.
• That legislative targets are introduced to safeguard current domestic food production in the UK, including Northern Ireland’s role in feeding over 10 million people, whilst achieving UK net zero and realising the potential for on-farm renewables to assist in providing energy.

UFU president William Irvine said: “With 670,000 people living in rural NI, and the agri-food sector being the backbone of the rural economy, politicians cannot afford to dismiss the importance of our vote.

“The general election has the power to change the direction of UK politics, ultimately determining the future of agriculture and we all have an influence on the outcome.

“As farmers we must produce enough food to feed a growing population whilst addressing climate change, and we need 18 members of parliament who will help us deliver a sustainable and profitable future for all UK farmers.”

Irvine said this will not only provide farmers with confidence in their family farm, but politicians will be ensuring that the UK population has access to healthy, nutritious food produced locally.

It will also ensure that the environment is looked after by “the caring hands of men and women who farm the land”, he said.

“The future of the family farm structure is at a crossroads, producing sustainable produce and energy but with a poor reward.

“Now, it is time for our politicians to do what is right by our farm families and help our agri-industry to thrive in the next parliamentary term.”

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United Feeds has confirmed that protected urea accounted for 50% of all nitrogen (N) sold by the business over the past three years.

“We have grown the protected urea business from a standing start in 10 years,” general manager, Clarence Calderwood told Agriland.

“The first trial was kicked-off during July 2014, in the middle of a heat wave. You could have called it a baptism of fire. I could not have conceived of a tougher test for a urea-based fertiliser.

“The new product passed with flying colours, which is why we have actively promoted the use of protected urea from the outset.”

United Feeds had been actively looking for a fertiliser N source as reliable as calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) throughout the growing season but which also delivered real value for money to the farmer.

SustaiN (or as it was known then, KaN) was the protected urea option, which the company committed to at the outset.

KaN was chosen as the urease inhibitor it was treated with was ‘agrotain’, the most widely tried and tested in the marketplace globally.

“We were aware of the fact that the urease inhibitor, which coats the urea granules, acts to reduce nitrous oxide volatilisation levels from the fertiliser,” Calderwood continued.

“It is this technology that ensures that protected urea can be used effectively even in the hottest weather conditions. But back in 2014, the real driver for the product was the grass output-related benefits that it can genuinely deliver.

“It is only in recent years that the environmental benefits associated with protected urea have become a major selling point.”

Use of protected urea

Significantly, a number of milk processers in Northern Ireland now offer milk price-related sustainability bonuses, based on the use of protected urea.

Results from a study carried out by the Agri-Food and Biosciences’ Institute (AFBI) in tandem with Teagasc have confirmed that considerable benefits can be accrued from using urea in combination with the urease inhibitor NBPT (N-(n-butyl) thiophosphorictriamide).

The work shows that urea + NBPT offers a reduction in ammonia losses of up to 84% compared with straight urea, while maintaining similar agronomic yields to CAN and reducing nitrous oxide emissions by up to 73%.

Total annual grass yields are comparable between CAN, urea or protected urea coated with an inhibitor.

However, protected urea can deliver a significant financial saving per unit of N when compared to CAN.

All of this confirms that comparable levels of productivity, as well as reduced volatile N losses, are achievable.

“SustaiN is available with potash and sulphur added. However, the addition of phosphate is not an option at the present time as the phosphorous-based chemical acts to erode the coating around the urea granules,” Calderwood continued.

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Ulster Grassland Society (UGS) president, John Egerton, has confirmed the key role that soil management will play on farms in delivering a more sustainable future for agriculture.

The Co. Fermanagh suckler beef and sheep farmer spoke at the recent Northern Ireland Institute of Agricultural Science (NIIAS) conference.

Egerton said: “Science will play a key role in shaping the future of farming, and, yes, climate change is a reality.

“In my own case, I have been measuring rainfall levels for almost a decade. The figures show that total precipitation levels across a 12-month period have remained the same. But, the pattern of rainfall is changing.

“Last year, July was the wettest month on the farm – it should have been the driest.”   

Survey work carried out on the Egerton farm has confirmed the vast stores of carbon that are contained within the soils, relative to those making up the inventory for the trees and hedgerows.

“We now know that heavier clay soils are very significant repositories of carbon. So, managing our soils effectively will be crucially important as we look to the future,” the president continued.

According to Egerton, soil carbon levels must be accurately assessed on a five yearly basis in order to quantify the actual levels of carbon dioxide they are actually sequestering from the atmosphere.

“Getting a base line figure for coil carbon stocks is important. The real game changer for farmers will be that of knowing how much additional carbon their soils are removing from the atmosphere.

“These figures can then be included within an accurate carbon inventory for individual farming business. I will be fully committing to have my own soil carbon levels accurately assessed on a regular basis,” he added.

Teagasc director, Prof. Frank O’Mara, also spoke at the conference. He indicated that mineral grassland soils have the capacity to sequester up to 0.6t of carbon/ha/annum.

“This figure is a working estimate. Research is ongoing, aimed at finding out just how much carbon is sequestered on an annual basis.

“The actual figure may be above the current estimate. However, we do know that the carbon sequestration impact of soil is cumulative in nature,” O’Meara said.

However, this principle is only relevant to mineral soils.

“In the case of peat soils, their degradation can lead to significant quantities of carbon dioxide being returned to the atmosphere. And, in this context, we can be talking up to 20t of carbon per hectare.

“So, yes, managing our soils effectively will be critically important as agriculture faces up to the challenge of climate change,” the Teagasc director added.   

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Methane inhibitors must work in both a confined feeding and grazing scenario if ruminant agriculture is to meet its climate change targets.

This was one of the key points highlighted at the recent Northern Ireland Institute of Agricultural Science (NIIAS) annual conference.

The event addressed the role of science in delivering a more sustainable farming and food sector.

Dr. Alistair Carson, chief scientist with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) confirmed that the feed additives currently available will deliver up to 30% reduction in methane emission levels within feed bunk environment.

He went to on to highlight ongoing research, involving both the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and Teagasc, looking at the development of effective methane reduction options within a grazing context.

“But we must see a very large uptake in this technology, across the entire sector, if methane inhibiting technology is to make a meaningful difference in helping agriculture to secure its climate change targets,” Carson further explained.

Developing methane inhibition technology is one thing, incentivising famers to use it is another, equally important challenge.

Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) policy officer, Aileen Lawson spoke at the conference. She confirmed that some European Union (EU) member states are proposing to subsidise farmers by up to €60/ha linked to the confirmed use of methane inhibitors.

UFU president, William Irvine stressed the importance for the investment made by farmers in new technologies, including the use of methane inhibitors, to be fully recognised.

“Farmers must be properly reimbursed. So either the state supports the adaption of these new systems or the markets deliver sustainable prices back to the primary producer,” he explained.

“If this does not happen, then the very future of the farming and food sectors will be put at risk.”

Alistair Carson confirmed that science can deliver enhanced levels of food security and sustainability in equal measure.

“Global population increase is a reality, as is the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide that has been generated over the past century,” he commented.

“Agriculture must be allowed to enhance its food production capacity.

“But the emission targets laid down within climate change are fixed. These are absolute figures, which are very unlikely to be changed over the coming years.

“So the farming sectors must manage to increase food output while still securing significant reductions in total greenhouse gas emission levels.”   

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Northern Ireland’s minister of agriculture, environment and rural affairs, Andrew Muir, will speak at this year’s Northern Ireland Waste & Resource Management Conference in Belfast.

The conference, which is organised by Recycle NI and the Chartered Institution of Waste Management Northern Ireland (CIWM NI), will take place on Thursday, June 20, at the Europa Hotel in Belfast.

Minister Muir will speak to over 200 delegates from both the public and private sectors on the theme of ‘Ever Increasing Circles – Circular Economy: Engagement, Action & Impact’.

Other keynote speakers include Mark Shayler, who has worked with brands like Nike, Samsung and Audi, and Tom Burke of Coca Cola Ireland.

Other confirmed national and international speakers include:

• Chief executive of RiverRidge, Brett Ross;
• President of CIWM, Dan Cooke;
• Professional services director of CIWM, Katie Cockburn;
• Director of insights and innovation for WRAP UK, Claire Shrewsbury;
• Sustainability engineer at Queens University and Somerville, Grainne Rose Murphy;
• Partner at A&l Goodbody, Michaela Diver;
• Secretary of Recycle NI, Conor Walsh;
• Head of circular economy at Irish Manufacturing Research, Dr. Geraldine Brennan.

Waste management conference

This year’s conference will discuss waste policy and how it can be used to help implement the circular economy.

Other themes that will be discussed include:

• ‘Skills for the Circular Economy’;
• ‘Circular Economy More Than Just Recycling’;
• ‘Coca-Cola’s Journey to a World without Waste on the Island of Ireland’;
• ‘A NI Business Embracing the Circular Economy’;
• ‘Northern Irish Waste Sector Legal Updates’;
• ‘Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in Ireland – Some Observations’;
• ‘Waste Management with Purpose: An update on our ESG Strategy’;
• ‘How we can make the Circular Economy a Reality in Northern Ireland’.

Conference tickets are on sale for £156 for CIWM NI and Recycle NI members and £195 to the general public.

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New ‘XI’ prefix livestock tags will be available to purchase from tag suppliers and can be used immediately from June 24, 2024.

From that date, ‘UK’ tags will no longer be available for purchase, Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has said announced today (Thursday, June 13).

Existing stocks of UK tags held by livestock keepers can continue to be used alongside the new XI prefix tags until the final switchover date expected in January 2025. 

DAERA said it is currently finalising plans for the final switchover and the date, provisionally expected to be January 27, 2025, will be confirmed to livestock keepers in due course.

The department recommends that XI prefixed tags are applied to all newborn animals when available, particularly if it is likely that the animal will be exported in the future.

This is because the animal may have to be re-identified prior to export.

In advance of the rollout of the new XI tags, keepers are advised that they should not order large quantities of UK tags that cannot be used from January 2025.

All new cattle tags issued in Northern Ireland will begin with ‘XI 0’, replacing the current UK 9. 

This will allow the whole tag number to be encoded on electronic identification devices in future, DAERA said.

All new sheep tags issued in Northern Ireland will begin with ‘XI 17’ replacing the current UK 17.

New XI prefix

DAERA said the prefix change is a legal requirement under EU Animal Health Law and will ensure “continued unfettered access” to both EU and UK internal markets for livestock and agri-food products.

The department said it will also help prepare for the introduction of bovine electronic identification in the future.

“Following the necessary amendments to the Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System (NIFAIS), and appropriate testing by industry, including tag suppliers, tag software providers, markets and abattoirs, roll out of the new ‘XI’ prefix livestock tags will begin week commencing June 24, 2024,” DAERA said. 

“Tags bearing the new ‘XI’ prefix will be available to purchase from then and can be used immediately, and ‘UK’ prefix tags will no longer be available for purchase.

“Existing stocks of ‘UK’ tags held by livestock keepers can continue to be used alongside the new ‘XI’ prefix tags until the final switchover date expected in January 2025.”

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Dale Farm has said the expansion of its cheddar processing facility in Dunmanbridge, Co. Tyrone, will create 30 jobs.

The co-op announced an investment of £70 million into the cheese processing plant last month and said construction work was underway with completion expected by February 2025.

The team at the Dale Farm facility is set to grow as a result of the investment, with some 30 new operative, technical and engineering jobs created at the site.

The expansion project for the site, which exports cheddar to 40 countries worldwide, includes:

• Upgrades and improvements to existing site-wide services and utilities;
• The installation of a high-speed automated cheese slicing line;
• A larger warehouse space;
• Investments in new patented products and processes.

The co-op said the site, situated outside Cookstown, directly supports over 1,100 local families, employing 345 people with 760 local farmers supplying milk.

Group HR director at Dale Farm, Karen Gaw, said the investment builds on the cooperative’s expertise to position Dale Farm as a leading European cheddar manufacturer.

“Thanks to our innovative and dedicated people at Dunmanbridge and across the business, Dale Farm is growing into a leading cheddar manufacturer across Europe,” she said.

“From this facility in mid-Ulster, we are exporting quality cheddar worldwide, and we are really excited to expand our team further as a result of this latest investment.

“There has never been a better time to build a career in the food industry. We want to continue to lead the sector and cement Northern Ireland as a global leader in quality, sustainable food production.”

Recruitment and investment

Gaw said Dale Farm has ambitious plans for the future and it has opportunities across multiple disciplines for “talented people” to be part of that journey.

General manager at Dale Farm Dunmanbridge , Jon Young, said: “Dale Farm is setting new standards for the industry in Northern Ireland and across Europe, integrating state of the art technology at the site to increase our capacity while also addressing our carbon footprint.

“This major investment will future proof our operation locally for decades to come.

“We’re proud to have such a world class team at Dunmanbridge, and of our role as a strong employer in the area, supporting the local families and farm businesses that are at the heart of our rural economy.”

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Almost 300 head of breeding commercial cattle were on offer in Randalstown, Co. Antrim on Saturday, June 8, for the Jalex Select sale.

The sale was described by the organisers as “the biggest on-farm sale ever staged by James Alexander and the team at Jalex Livestock”.

The sale took place in conjunction with Harrison and Hetherington with online bidding available through MartEye.

James Little was on the rostrum taking the bids for 60 first-calving heifers, 140 in-calf heifers and a select offering of service-age bulls and show-potential maiden heifers.

The calves on offer were described by the organisers as “all naturally born” and sired by “top performing Limousin bulls such as The Grove Farm P381 and Corcamore Romeo, both of which carry two copies of the F94L gene”.

There were some impressive statististics from the sale including:

• Eight lots sold over £8,000;
• 12 lots sold over £7,000;
• 24 lots sold over £6,000;
• 44 lots sold over £5,000.

Taking the top price on the day was lot 110, a black Limousin 2021-born heifer scanned carrying a heifer calf sired by The Grove Farm- P381 with a due date this September.

The heifer weighed almost 890kg and was an embryo transfer (ET) calf bred by Okanes of Carnlough.

Her sire was Ampertaine Foreman and her dam was sired by Imperial. This lot sold for the top price on the day of £18,000.

The second-top price of the sale went to Lot 95, a March 2022-born maiden heifer weighing just under 750kg.

This heifer was bred by Harrisons at Grange Hall Farm. Her sire was Nobel madness (Fieldsons Alfie) and her dam was sired by a hybrid Belgian Blue X Limousin bull.

This maiden heifer changed hands in the sale for £14,000.

Lot 111, a 2021-born in-calf heifer sold for £10,000. This heifer weighed just under 820kg and was sired by Imperial De L’Ecluse.

The heifer is scanned carrying a heifer calf sired by Corcamore Romeo with a due date in October this year.

The sale also saw strong demand for cows with calves at foot and it was lot 10, that took the top price of the cow-calf pairings in the sale.

The Blonde D’Aquitaine X Belgian Blue heifer with a March-born heifer calf at foot sired by Corcamore Romeo sold for £11,000.

Lot 44 took the second-top price in the cow-calf section. This Belgian Blue heifer with a February-born bull calf at foot sired by Corcamore Romeo weighed 640kg and sold for £9,200.

The sale also featured a selection of bulls which sold to impressive prices and the top-priced bull in the sale was Lot 90, a Foreman x Tidy Dancer hybrid bull selling for £14,000.

This March-2023-born bulls’ dam was described as “full of the best of breeding” sired by Wilodge LJ, out of a Powerhouse Elite ex-show heifer that goes back to a Ronick Hawk-sired hybrid heifer from a Pedigree Belgian Blue cow.

At the Jalex Select sale, 78 of the heifers with calves at foot sold to an average price of £4,561 while the 135 in-calf heifers in the sale sold to an average sale price of £3,755 and the four cross-bred bulls sold to an average of £6,700.

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Agritechnica 2023 saw New Holland launch its new flagship CR11 combine harvester which has now been joined by a slightly smaller CR10 companion model.

The company claims that both harvesters – built at its factory in Zedelgem, Belgium – feature innovative new technology designed to help the large farming enterprises maximise output, minimise losses and reduce total cost of harvesting.

The primary difference between the two models is in power and grain tank size, to ensure the new combines match the needs of a broad range of large farm enterprises.

The CR11 features a 20,000L grain tank and a 15.9L FPT Cursor 16 engine producing 775hp, while the CR10 engine is a 12.9L FPT Cursor 13 generating 635hp, and its grain tank holds 16,000L.

Beyond additional power and grain capacity, the key features that take these combines into a new league in terms of output, sample quality and loss minimisation include longer twin rotors and the new Twin-Clean cleaning system.

High capacity built in

These new flagship CR combines are designed to handle greater volumes of crop all the way through the threshing operation.

Cutterbar widths of 10.6-15m (35-50ft) are available in fixed, flexible knife, movable knife and draper formats.

Feeder/header reversing is achieved via with a hydraulic motor on the fixed speed driveline, and with the CVT drive on the variable speed driveline.

New Holland was the first to launch a combine featuring two longitudinal rotors at its heart, pioneering its Twin Rotor threshing and separation technology almost 50 years ago, in 1975.

In the new CR10 and CR11, the two 600mm (24″) rotors are of increased diameter and length, providing greater capacity for the crop to circulate and the grain be be threshed and separated.

Unloading at 210L/second

The CR11 grain tank holds 20,000L, with an unloading rate of 210L/sec, while the CR10 tank holds 16,000L and has a 159L/sec unloading rate.

Cross-auger shut-off allows the unloading auger to be fully emptied even when the grain tank still holds grain.

The CR10 cab, which sits beneath new roof styling, has a 25L handwash tank with integrated soap dispenser located by its access steps.

Other changes include new-style brake pedals and foot pegs, a luxury steering wheel and premium cloth or leather seats, plus new multi-zone climate control with floor level air ducts.

A new bluetooth radio allows operation of the radio and a mobile phone via the radio control panel in the roof liner, or one of the IntelliView 12 touchscreens.

Precision Land Management

A Core PLM Intelligence package covers the most commonly-specified requirements, such as IntelliSense, where automatic adjustments occur according to the harvest strategy chosen by the operator.

The second option is an Advanced PLM Intelligence bundle, aimed at those with more advanced requirements.

Correction signal packages for IntelliSteer automated steering and other functions such as yield and moisture mapping are available from the factory in two accuracy levels with three delivery options.

Tracks or wheels on CR10

The CR10 and CR11 feature a two-speed hydrostatic transmission and TerraLock semi-automatic diff lock which is engaged manually and disengaged automatically depending on steering angle and forward speed.

Models specified with SmartTrax are available with three track belt width options of 660mm/26″, 810mm/32″ and 910mm/36″, with rubber or hydraulic cushioning.

All drives are taken via a transmission connected directly to the rear of the engine, minimising power loss.

The engine oil filter is sited on the engine’s right, for easy accessibility, while the air filter is located conveniently at the left side of the combine frame, and can be removed while at ground level.

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While attending the 2024 International Horticultural Exhibition which is taking place Sichuan Provence, China, Agriland visited a Blueberry farm located in the Xinjin District of Chengdu.

The farm business is called ’58 Blueberry Garden’ and is owned by Mr. Bai who has been in the business of producing blueberries for the past 11 years.

The blueberry production site in Xinjin covers 47ac with approximately 20 staff working on the site.

The business also has a 5,000ac blueberry farm in Yunnan province which is located to the south of Sichuan province.

The site in Xinjin offers people the opportunity to come and pick their own blueberries and also sells produce direct to customers.

The yields on the farm vary from 2-3t of blueberries/ac and the produce is sold via online stores and supermarkets.

The picking season in Xinjin lasts from April to July but at the larger farm in Yunnan, there are blueberries available all year round.

A warmer, more tropical climate here coupled with the use of a variety of species, facilitates this.

Speaking through a translator, Mr. Bai explained that his business currently has “no major challenges” but said more land is needed for blueberry production to fill the domestic demand in China.

Through the use of ag-technology, Mr. Bai is improving the efficiency of his production systems. He has adapted soil, species, and planth-growth technologies at the site in Xinjin to improve the output from the site.

New selling techniques such as online marketing and ‘pick your own’ blueberries are further helping the performance of the business.

The time period from when a plant is propagated on site to picking the blueberries is 1.5 years in Xinjin. In Yunnan province, it can take from three to five years for plants to produce ripe berries.

The use of smart soil technology at the Xinjin facility has contributed to this reduced plant maturity time.

The business does not export any produce and all sales are targeted at the domestic market. China is a net importer of blueberries and so he outlined that “there is great potential for growth” in the sector.

He explained that the key elements of producing “great tasting blueberries” is to firstly ensure plant conditions and nutrition are correct, and secondly to ensure the correct species are being grown, based on the climate in the region.

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At this time of the year, it can be difficult to stay on top of lameness issues and foot bathing in your herd because with breeding, grassland management and second-cut fertiliser application, there is a lot of work going on.

However, during the breeding season especially, it is crucial to limit any lameness problems as it could hinder a cow’s chances of going back in calf.

Lameness will affect a cow’s behaviour as she will show less signs of oestrus making it difficult to detect her heat.

This may disrupt your breeding plan – with lower submission rates, delayed ovarian cyclicity, reduced conception rates, increased calving interval and higher chance of ovarian cysts forming.

A single case of lameness could potentially cost €350 – from loss in production, to reduced fertility, to the cost of treating and culling.

Prevention through grazing infrastructure is the best practice, however, foot bathing is a key part of the prevention and control of infectious lameness-causing diseases.

Foot bathing

Foot bathing is particularly important to manage digital dermatitis, also known as mortellaro’s disease, which is a painful and infectious.

This disease can spread rapidly through a herd and and can disrupt a herd’s lameness status.

A Teagasc study took place place in 2023, which identified that 44% of farmers reported having digital dermatitis issues on their farm and yet only 31% had a regular foot bathing.

Foot bathing will allow for a disinfectant solution to be applied to each cow’s hooves at milking time, killing infectious agents and improving hoof hygiene.

Foot bathing could prove to be a waste of time if it is done incorrectly, or worse still, it may actually contribute to the spread of the disease, thus emphasising the importance of correctly doing it.

Ensuring results

It is essential to make sure that there is good cow flow through the foot bath and ideally, the foot bath should be close to the exit of the milking parlour.

The foot bath should be level with the ground with no steps up or down to further ensure that there is a good cow flow and that the cows are not damaging their feet going into the bath.

To allow for further ease, the bath should be wide enough – a minimum of 700-800mm wide and 3m in length will be adequate for a herd of up to 250 cows.

For herds of over 250 cows, a foot bath should be at least 2m wide to allow for two cows to pass through simultaneously, allowing for better cow flow.

The length of your foot bath is crucial as an adequate size (2.5-3m) will allow for each foot to be sufficiently immersed in the solution, as per guidance from Animal Health Ireland (AHI).

In order for this to be effective, your solution depth should be 100-125mm with the volume of solution equating to 1L/cow, meaning in a 120-cow herd, you will need 120L of solution to do the whole herd at once.

It is important to change your solution regularly. The 1L of solution should be used and changed after one cow goes through.

By multiplying the length by the width by the depth of the solution, measured in metres, will give you the volume of your foot bath in cubic metres and by knowing this information you can get the right concentrations.

You should consult your vet to get the most appropriate solution for your herd. Formalin, copper sulphate, or other commercial products containing peracetic or organic acids are all options.

The frequency with which cows need to be foot bathed depends on how common or severe the disease is within your herd.

Herd’s where digital dermatitis (DD) is a major problem should be foot bathed after every milking until the disease is under control.

It’s important to not substitute good management practices with foot bathing – a foot bathing programme will not solve a DD problem if your yard and facilities are not in good order.

The post Dairy advice: Regular foot bathing to limit lameness appeared first on Agriland.ie.

A farmer who suffered “serious injuries” following a quad accident earlier today (Monday, June 10) and his dog have been rescued from Slieve Muck in the Mourne Mountains.

According to the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) requested their assistance just after noon today to rescue the farmer and his dog.

Local PSNI officers were first on the scene and were able to confirm the exact location; they were then followed by an ambulance team and members of the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team.

The organisation said on social media: “Given the location and potential injuries we requested Search and Rescue (SAR) air support with Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) deploying Rescue 116 from Dublin”.

According to the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team, after the farmer was stabilised he was then “packaged and carried to a lifting zone and airlifted to roadside/ambulance for onward journey to hospital”.

“The dog which was uninjured was evacuated on foot by police,” it added.

The Mourne Mountain Rescue Team also detailed that it had nine members respond to the emergency together with members from the local police, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the Irish Coastguard and Rescue 116.

The team also said on social media that it wished “the casualty well”.

Mourne Mountain Rescue Team

The Mourne Mountain Rescue Team was established in 1962 and was the first mountain rescue team in Ireland.

According to the organisation the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team and An Óige Mountain Rescue Team were later founded in 1966.

The team is made up of volunteers “who turn out in all weather, day or night, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year”.

Its 36 volunteers live in and around the Mourne area and the rescue service depends on donations from the public.

The rescue team is currently fund raising to develop a new base in Newcastle, Co. Down. It has said it needs to raise a total of £400,000.

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Trioliet, the Dutch manufacturer of feeder wagons has just added three new models to its Solomix 2 feed mixer range.

These machines are the 2200, the 2600 and the 2800 with the name indicating the capacity in cubic metres, being 22m³, 26m³ and 28m³ respectively.

The main feature of these new models is their minimal overall length which enables their use around tight yards and buildings.

This is achieved by having a short distance between the towing eye and and the front chassis while also being low in overall height.

Confined spaces

The reduced height enables it to be operated in low buildings and makes it easier and quicker to load as the materials do not need to be lifted to the height of other mixers of similar capacity.

All three of the new models are twin auger and are available with side discharge doors at the front or rear, or a front or rear discharge unit with a cross conveyor belt or cross conveyor chain.

Models with side discharge are equipped as standard with two discharge doors – at the front left and front right – for optimum visibility during the discharge process.

The discharge doors are considered to be robust with two opening rams located on the side of the vehicle instead of in the curvature, which, Trioliet claims, guarantees even discharge.

Shifttronic option from Trioliet

Running gear and suspension comes as a single axle or there is the option of a tandem pendulum axle.

The new Solomix 2 models are available with a wide range of other options which include the Shifttronic two-speed automatic reduction gearbox which is controlled remotely by an app.

The system ensures that the feed mixer automatically switches gears based on the weight in the mixing tub, ensuring that the auger speed is always at an optimum. This results in a shorter mixing time and lower power requirement.

With the addition of these new models to the range, Trioliet has said that it can offer the right solution for every stable and farm set-up with the machines now being available for delivery. 

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The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) is urging its members to be prepared for an “incursion” at any time, claiming that there is a “significant threat” of protests by activists on Northern Irish farms during the summer.

Activist incursions, the union said, refer to unauthorised entry by individuals or groups onto private farmland with the aim of protesting, documenting or disrupting agricultural practices.

UFU policy officer David McClure said incursions on Northern Irish farms have historically take place during the summer months.

Following stakeholder engagement with farming unions in the UK in recent weeks, McClure said it is fair to say that a “significant threat of such events currently exists”.

“Therefore, our members must keep at the forefront of their minds, the possibility of an incursion occurring at any time. Such events cause great distress and concern for all farmers,” he said.

‘The edge of legality’

McClure said activist groups often operate on the “edge of legality”, and use tactics designed to garner public sympathy and media attention, which then complicates the legal response.

“From previous experience, typically these extremists will survey potential targets for weeks or months in advance of an incursion. Once they have gathered enough information, they arrange an incursion,” he said.

“Alternatively, it is possible that activists will visit a site during the cover of darkness and position a surveillance camera which is collected at a later date.

“Farmers should make conscious observations as to the possibility of any such cameras being on their premises.”

Activists often utilise social media platforms to reach a wide audience and secure funding for their initiatives, McClure explained.

“This allows them to circumvent traditional media channels and broadcast their activities in real-time to a global audience.”

McClure has advised farmers to make sure their farm is in order, as it is “impossible to defend the indefensible” and farmers need to ensure they are complying with legal requirements and assurance scheme standards at all times.

Being prepared

“During unexpected visits, activists may choose to film instances of sick or injured animals and deceased livestock, as this type of content tends to evoke strong emotions,” McClure said.

“It is important for farmers to carefully consider how the visual representation of any sick or injured animals on their property may be perceived if captured on camera.

“Sick animals should be isolated in a clean and comfortable hospital pen. In the case of deceased animals, it is recommended to promptly move them to a secure storage area until they can be properly disposed of.”

Additionally, McClure said it is advisable to use a spray marker to clearly label fallen stock before placing them in the designated storage area.

Marking the animals eliminates the possibility of activists falsely claiming that the deceased animal was neglected on the property, he said.

Issues concerning biosecurity risks and breaches of privacy arise when an incursion occurs, McClure said, so it is recommended that each farmer assesses their current security measures and ensures that they adequately meet their requirements.

“This may include ensuring that CCTV systems are operational and have adequate storage capacity for footage,” he said.

“Visible signage should also be utilised, although it may not deter protestors, it can aid in their prompt removal from the premises with the assistance of the PSNI.”

Security measures

Farmers are encouraged to lock buildings and remove keys at night, because if forcible entry has been used by the activists to gain access, prosecution will be more easily achieved.

“Where protestors have entered your property and are intentionally preventing you from carrying out your daily routine of feeding and caring for animals, this trespass can be elevated to aggravated trespass which is a criminal offence,” McClure said.

“In these instances, police officers can order individuals to leave the premises and if they refuse or return, this is an additional offence.

“If you do come across these extremists on your farm, calmly and politely ask them to leave before calling the police.

“You should consider gathering your own photo or video evidence of car registrations, and any damage caused,” he added explaining that this will be useful if farmers wish to attempt to prosecute.

“It would be prudent to check the site for hidden cameras. Do not permit any intruders to take any livestock with them when leaving the site. 

“In the absence of permission, any livestock removed can be treated as theft and will warrant further prosecution.”

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Back in April it was announced by New Holland that it was to sell the Overum plough business to FairCap, a Munich-based investment company which already has interests in agriculture through ownership of S&P Federnwerk, a manufacturer of spring tines among other products.

As was suggested at the time of sale, Overum is once again to operate under its own name, producing implements in the well known blue livery as well as continue to supply ploughs and parts for sale by New Holland.

The company will now be known as Overum Industries AB and will continue to operate out of its Swedish factory and head office in Overum.

It is also planned that the Argolux brand of implements is reintroduced.

According to the latest company statement, Overum Industries and CNH are “committed to ensuring a soft transition and continuous support to all New Holland dealers” who will be able to order New Holland ploughs, granting brand continuity during the transition period.

Overum name returns

As yet, there is no indication as to whether Overum will be seeking to set up a new dealership network of its own or whether it will continue to provide New Holland dealers with Overum-branded ploughs as a separate company.

However, it has been stated that after the transition period, the company will focus on manufacturing ploughs branded as Overum and Agrolux.

The company is planning to accelerate its investment in research and development, evolving its products to enhance their efficiency and sustainability.

The new CEO of the company will be Stefano Scalarandis who has a background in leading consulting companies and as a chief operating officer within a manufacturing business.

His vision for the company is that it will continue to manufacture quality ploughs while exploring further innovative products for the agricultural market.

Allan Hansson has been appointed as head of sales and marketing at Overum Industries AB. Allan has more than 25 years of experience in the plough market and was previously the product manager for the Plough Division at CNH Industrial.

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Fertiliser company Yara International has today (Monday, June 10) officially opened its renewable hydrogen plant located in Norway.

The facility in Heroya Industrial Park, in the south of the country, is now producing renewable hydrogen and ammonia.

Yara said it has already delivered the first tonnes of fertilisers made from renewable ammonia produced at this plant.

The hydrogen is produced with electrolysis of water and renewable energy, replacing natural gas as feedstock and annually cutting 41,000t of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the site.

Yara

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store inaugurated the 24 megawatt (MW) renewable hydrogen plant, the largest of its kind currently in operation in Europe

Svein Tore Holsether, president and chief executive of Yara, said that the facility is “a major milestone” for the company and for “the decarbonisation of the food value chain, shipping fuel and other energy intensive industries”.

“This is a ground-breaking project and a testament to our mission to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet,” he said.

Yara said that the first tonnes of “low-carbon footprint fertilisers” were delivered to Lantmannen, a Swedish agricultural co-op owned by 19,000 Swedish farmers.

The company added that the fertilisers will be part of a new portfolio called “Yara Climate Choice”.

“Renewable ammonia is an important part of the decarbonisation puzzle, however developing it at scale takes time,” Hans Olav Raen, chief executive of Yara Clean Ammonia, said.

“As the world is rapidly approaching 2030, we are also working to produce low-carbon ammonia with carbon capture storage (CCS) to enable the hydrogen economy and develop the emerging markets for low-emission ammonia,” he added.

Yara previously reported that first-quarter (Q1) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) in 2024 were $435 million compared to $487 million in first quarter of 2023, a decrease of 11%.

Net income was $16 million ($0.07 per share) compared with $105 million ($0.41 per share) a year earlier.

Total deliveries however were up 12% with European deliveries up 37% from Q1 2023.

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Sinn Féin’s agriculture spokesperson at the Stormont Assembly is calling for the new farm sustainability payment to be put on hold until such time as a new farm support budget is agreed.

Declan McAleer is the vice-chairman of the Stormont agriculture committee.

He believes that the introduction of a new farm sustainability payment, which will replace the existing single payment, cannot take place until such time as a new agriculture support budget for Northern Ireland is agreed with Westminster.

Most political parties in Northern Ireland, as well as all the farm stakeholder bodies, want to see farm support budgets increased and benchmarked against inflation into the future.

The current single payment fund is set at just over £300 million per year. An industry-wide campaign to have this farm support figure increased to £400 million is already underway.

McAleer explained: “The absolute priority is to get the support funding levels made available to agriculture in Northern Ireland significantly increased.

“Only then, can we get into the detail of introducing the new sustainability payment and the other support changes that will accompany it.”

According to the Sinn Fein representative the members of the agriculture committee at Stormont have met Northern Ireland’s new DAERA minister, Andrew Muir, on a number of occasions.

“All the parties represented on the committee are in agreement that the proposal to increase the minimum farmed area that is eligible for support from the current 3ha up to 5ha would be a retrograde step,” McAleer told Agriland.

“And I sense that Minister Muir is now coming around to this perspective.

“The proposed changes would take 1,400 farmers out of the support net altogether. All these small businesses are major contributors to the food output generated in Northern Ireland, when taken as a group.

“They also play a vital role in maintaining the highest environmental and conservation standards in the countryside. This commitment and continuing level of investment must always be recognised.”

The last 12 months have seen a number of new farm support measures fleshed out by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) officials.

These include the introduction of the aforementioned farm sustainability payment in tandem with new age-at-slaughter and suckler cow schemes.

All of these new programmes need to be legislated for. However, the jury is still out on whether such a development will require a full debate on the floor of the Stormont Assembly.

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Armagh Show 2024 boasted, possibly, its largest cattle entry of all time. Judging of the various classes went on well into the afternoon.

The interbreed beef championship was awarded to Kilkeel Limousin breeder, Trevor Shields with a tremendous 22-month-old heifer, Glenmarshal Theduchess.

She looked an absolute picture in the ring.

John Kingham, from Tateetra Farms in Co. Louth, judged the beef interbreed class. He described his champion as an elite heifer.

“She just stood out that little bit on the day,” he said.

“For me she had everything that a elite beef breeding heifer should have – tremendous presence, scope and an all-round quality that only top animals possess.

“I was very impressed with the overall quality of the cattle taking part in the classes that were herd throughout the day.”

Tateetra Farm is home to the largest herd of sucklers  in Ireland.

John Kingham continued: “We will be calving in excess of 500 cows this year.”

The winning beef interbreed connections were the inaugural recipients of the Charlotte Crowe Perpetual Cup, named after a former patron of Armagh Show, who passed away in December 2023.

Sheep classes at Armagh Show

Meanwhile, the summer of 2024 just keeps on improving for Co. Down Suffolk sheep breeder, Mark Priestly.

He started off this year’s showing season with an emphatic Balmoral interbreed championship victory, showing a truly elite shearling ewe.

And then, just for good measure, he secured the interbreed sheep championship at last weekend’s Armagh Show with another shearling ewe.

The commitment of the Downpatrick man to breed Suffolk sheep of the highest quality is immense. This was his third Armagh interbreed sheep victory on the spin.

Alison Crabbe, from Raphoe in Co. Donegal, judged the final sheep class of the day at Armagh Show 2024. She farms a mix of Beltex and Badger sheep in tandem with Hereford cattle.

The judge described her champion as a tremendous example of the Suffolk breed. “She has tremendous length and balance. It’s almost as if she had an extra rib. The shearling has tremendous breeding potential for the future,” she said.

The winning ewe will be put to the ram in September, in preparation for lambing next January.

Dairy champions

The dairy interbreed championship at Armagh Show 2024 was won by George and Jason Booth, from Stewartstown in Co. Tyrone, with their impressive Holstein third calver, Brookroad Satrin 185.

The reserve went to the Fleming family, from Seaforde in Co. Down with their Jersey third calver, Potterswalls Impression Lady 6.

The Holstein judge – Andrea Rafferty, from Co. Monaghan – described her champion as a tremendous dairy cow.

“She is very silky, very dairy and has tremendous feet and legs,” she said.

“Her mammary system is excellent. The cow also has tremendous balance. Both the winning cow and the reserve could win a lot of classes around the country.”

Sathrin is currently giving 55L of milk per day.

“She calved for the third time back in February,” Jason Booth explained.

“She was second in the four-year-old class at this year’s Balmoral Show. Hopefully she is back in calf to the Candain bull, Logic PP.

“We used a sexed straw, so hopefully we can look forward to the arrival of a heifer calf in a few months’ time.” 

The Jersey interbreed reserve is also performing extremely well at the present time.

According to Lindsay Fleming, she is giving 33L of milk at the present at 5.6% butterfat and 3.89% protein.

The post Results: Beef, dairy and sheep champions at Armagh Show appeared first on Agriland.ie.

With the arrival of winter in June in New Zealand, farmers are being encouraged to prepare adverse weather plans which can be implemented if the weather turns bad.

Will Halliday, a senior advisor with Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s recommends that farmers should consider how they will deal with heavy snow falls or prolonged periods of wet weather and put together an action plan.

He advised that factors such as electricity (availability of back-up generators) and water supplies, supplementary feed, access, shelter, stand-off areas and priority stock classes should all be considered by New Zealand farmers when putting a plan together for the winter.

June to August are winter months in New Zealand and bring colder weather to much of the country and more rain to most areas in the North Island.

“Having a plan takes the stress out of decision-making during adverse events and ensures the whole farm team knows what is required,” Halliday said.

Ideally, Halliday said farmers in snow-prone areas should have two to three weeks’ worth of supplements on hand in case of heavy snow. This supplement could make up 100% of an animal’s diet.

Feeding supplements to young stock early in winter will get them used to the feed if it is needed during an adverse weather event.

The advisor said if snow is forecasted, farmers should feed up to 50% more before it snows as stock typically eat more before a storm and less during it.

The initial requirement of stock is to keep warm, so where possible, Halliday said they should be offered 20% above their maintenance requirements.

Water

The advisor said water needs to be available to stock for at least six hours per day, particularly if they are being fed large volumes of dry supplement.

“Stock will die of dehydration well before they die of malnutrition, so it is important to use a generator for the water pump if the power is off or move stock so they can access water.”

New Zealand farmers will this winter will have to bear in mind that ice on troughs will need to be broken and removed to stop re-freezing and checked to ensure stock have access to clean water.

Forage crops

To minimise damage to winter forage crops in New Zealand during snow or prolonged wet weather, Halliday said providing a sheltered, well-drained stand-off area with access to water and feed supplements will help protect soils and crops and maintain animal welfare.

If snow has broken kale and rape off at ground level, then these crops will need to be fed before they rot.

“If they are just bent, they will keep growing. Bulb crops typically won’t be affected by snow and fodder beet is particularly valuable as stock can get back onto it quicker than other crops.

Cattle can also dig into snow to uncover the bulbs, Halliday added.

If oat crops are flattened, the advisor said they should be fed as soon as possible. Oats will rot and go slimy within a couple of weeks. Freezing bursts the cell walls increasing the rate of deterioration.

Supplementary feed

To minimise wastage when feeding grain or nuts, Halliday suggests feeding out on top of silage, against fence lines, under a back-fence electric wire or on frosted ground.

Cattle can be held on straw if necessary and straw can be fed with brassicas or silage to help balance their diet.

Halliday said once transitioned onto grain, which should be done gradually starting with 50g/ewe and building by 50g/head/week, ewes can be fed up to 300g/head/day.

“Watch for signs of grain overload or acidosis which include grey scour. If this occurs immediately drop back the quantity of grain being fed,” he added.

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The inclusion of red clover in grass swards can help maintain silage yields without the application of chemical nitrogen (N).

In addition, forages containing significant levels of red clover will contain higher levels of protein than would be the case if a grass monoculture was harvested.

Work has also confirmed that the quality of the protein in red clover exceeds that, which is available in grass.

These were a number of the key points communicated at a farm walk hosted by AgriSearch on the Co. Tyrone dairy farm of Philip and David Clarke earlier this week.

The father and son team are taking part in a ‘ZeroNSile’ project, designed to look at the potential impact of red clover and lucerne within dairy and beef production systems.

Red clover

Last June saw them establish a perennial ryegrass: red clover: white clover sward on a 12ac field, close to the village of Augher.

This followed on from trials carried out by Agri-Food and Biosciences’ Institute (AFBI) scientists, indicating that red clover swards can produce up to 14t of dry mater (DM)/ha/annum over a four-year period.

Clarke said: “We have been impressed with the way in which the sward has performed up to this point.

“The field was sown out at the end of June. While the weather was holding up at that stage, the continuous rain soon followed.

“However, we did manage to get two cuts of silage baled in 2024. The first was very much a clean-up operation as it allowed us to deal with the fat hen and fumitory that had quickly grown up after the new ley was sown out.”

“Our plan is to graze out the sward out with replacement heifers at the shoulder ends of the growing season. And this was achieved last autumn and during the early spring weeks of this year.

“I am fully aware that high clover swards can predispose cattle to bloat. With this in mind, we have made sure that the cattle are not hungry when put out on to the new ley.

“There is also a bloat preventative treatment that can be put directly into the water supply.”

From a silage making perspective, the Clarkes intend taking a multi-cut approach with their red clover sward in 2024 and beyond.

Clarke continued: “All of this will be weather-dependent. We took a first cut at the beginning of May and will be pushing ahead with six-week cropping intervals during the weeks ahead.

“At some stage we will give the crop an opportunity to flower. This is a critically important phase within its annual growing cycle. The plan is to put all this year’s red clover silages into the clamp.

“One issue now apparent relates to the fragility of the clover plants, post cutting. They are prone to shattering as they dry out. The decision was also taken to use an additive on the red clover silages.

“Yes, we will go with a 24-hour wilt. We decided against tedding the crop. Where cutting is concerned, we asked the contractor to keep the mower blades three inches above ground level. This was to protect the crown of the red clover.

 “The crowns are the growing points of the plants. If these are destroyed, then the clover dies out. This is an issue that must be addressed from both a silage making and grazing perspective.”

Establishing a red clover sward

AFBI grassland agronomist, Dr. David Patterson, attended the farm walk.

He confirmed that plans to established are clover based sward should kick-in twelve months, or even 24 months before the new ley is actually sown out.

“This approach gives sufficient time to sort out any weed related issues that may be apparent within the existing sward.

“Dock control is a case in point.  Getting soil pH up to a value of 6.5 is also critically important. Red clover will not meet its growth targets in acid soils,” he added.

According to Patterson, red clover swards must be established in the late spring / early summer period.

“This approach ensures that soil temperatures are sufficiently high so asto encourage clover growth from the outset.

“A firm, fine seed bed must be established. Red clover seeds are extremely small. So a very shallow sowing depth must be achieved.

“Another key advantage of a late spring sowing date is the opportunity it provides of creating stale seed beds.

“Taking this approach allows many of the weed seeds already in the soil to germinate before the new ley is established. These weeds can then be effectively killed-off using a suitable herbicide prior to sowing.

“This approach significantly reduces the weed challenge confronting the newly established swards.”

The AFBI also agronomist confirmed that red clovers are very sensitive to most herbicides.

“Annual weeds, such as fat hen and fumitory, can be physically dealt with by taking a first cut of silage.

“Seedling docks, however, represent a challenge of a different magnitude. There is only a very selective range of herbicides now available in the UK that can be safely used to deal with this specific weed challenge in red clover swards.

“Farmers should get bespoke advice on this issue.”

Patterson specifically highlighted the strong root structure of red clovers and the benefits this can deliver in terms of improved soil structure.    

Courtesy of his presentation on the day, Clarke highlighted the need to supply red clover swards with adequate potash and sulphur.

“To date we have applied significant volumes of cattle slurry to the swards at the appropriate times. This was supplemented with muriate of potash.

“On reflection, I should have used potassium sulphate, as a means of also boosting available sulphur levels to the crop,” he said.

Possible drawbacks of red clover

Red clover has the ability to fix 250kg of plant available N from the air on an annual basis. It also builds soil fertility for subsequent crops – typically providing 40 to 50kg of N/ha.

Red clover can be grown on a number of soil types. The silages produced from the crop, are in the main, more palatable than those made from grass alone.

However there are a number of challenges associated with the growing of red clover/grass swards crops. Persistency is one of these. Red clover will remain active within a grass crop for a maximum of four years.

In addition, a five-year break is needed between the establishment of successive red clover crops in the same ground. This is because of plant disease-related issues.

Clarke again: “We are fully away of this issue. The 12ac filed sown out last year is part of 30ac block. Our plan is to let the current red clover sward run its course over the coming three to four years.

“After that, we will establish a red clover sward on a rotational basis around the block. This should allow us to come back to the original field in about 10 years time.”

It was also confirmed at the farm walk that no grant aid is available towards the creation of red clover swards in Northern Ireland.

This contrasts with the situation south of the border, where specific government support is available towards the establishment of these leys.

It was estimated that red clover accounted for 20% of the DM currently within he sward established by Philip and David this week.

Dr. Patterson indicated that the figure would rise to 40% by the end of the summer period.    

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As a result of the good weather in recent weeks, many farmers were able to get in their first-cut silage, which means that preparation for second-cut is now underway and slurry safety must be considered.

The majority of farmers and contractors have been under pressure to catch up on work due to unfavourable weather conditions, and during these busy periods, safety can be compromised.

The wet spring also meant that a lot of slurry was not applied to the land for first-cut silage, meaning there will be a lot of high quality slurry waiting to be applied for second-cut.

The danger of slurry

Once the slurry begins to become agitated, the bacterial decomposition of the slurry releases toxic gasses, such as phydrogen sulphide, ammonia, methane and carbon dioxide.

Hydrogen (H) sulphide is lethal. It is highly poisonous to both people and animals as it affects the nervous system – even small concentrations can cause death.

Gases are odourless, which means that if you can’t smell anything, it doesn’t mean that you are safe. At low levels, hydrogen sulphide has a ‘rotten egg’ smell, but at high levels, it will be odourless.

This is particularly important as when slurry is agitated, it will release high levels of hydrogen sulphide which means that smell is no indicator for its presence.

Slurry safety

Slurry should never be agitated in still air conditions and should be mixed on a windy day while keeping children away at all times during any slurry work. Your family and those around the house should be informed that agitation is taking place.

Even though this might not apply during the summer months, it is important to keep in mind that all animals should be kept out of the building before starting to mix slurry.

It is also easy to forget the affect the slurry fumes can have on other farm animals or pets, so, making sure any dogs are kept away during agitation is essential.

Make sure all doors and outlets in the shed are open, as they will provide a draught, and avoid vigorous agitation in confined spaces. Smoking or using a naked fame should be avoided as slurry gases are highly flammable.

Once agitating commences, stay out of the building for as long as possible and avoid standing over slats or near tank access points.

You should avoid going back near the tank for at least 30 minutes or longer depending on the size of the tank – if you need to return to adjust the agitator, leave the shed as soon as it is done.

There should never be a need to enter the slurry tank unless you are wearing suitable gear including a breathing apparatus and a harness attached to a lifeline and controlled by at least two adults up above the tank.

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The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) will host two workshops on blight this month to help growers better plan their blight control programmes.

The blight workshops will be hosted in conjunction with Teagasc and will take place on June 17 and June 18.

The first will be held in the Roepark Resort, Limavady, on June 17, and the second will be in the Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch, on June 18. Both meetings start at 7:45p.m.

The workshops aim to update growers on the problem and help them identify good integrated pest management (IPM) and spray application practices effective in controlling the disease.

Attendees will also be taught to identify the most effective strategies when compiling a fungicide programme to protect against blight and protect the long-term efficacy of blight fungicides.

Several pressures are converging with potential to make blight control more challenging for Northern Irish potato growers during this and in subsequent seasons, CAFRE said.

Blight

“Last summer’s weather characterised by seemingly persistent daily rainfall, heat and humidity, provided near perfect conditions for blight to develop whilst also limiting spray opportunities,” CAFRE said.

“Some climate change predictions suggest we may see warmer and wetter summers more frequently, increasing blight pressure.

“Combined with this there has also been a discovery of new more virulent blight strains and the spread of strains with resistance to several fungicide groups have emerged in Europe.”

Examples from different countries have shown that, where not managed carefully, severe blight outbreaks can emerge, the college said.

“The good news is in countries such as Denmark with a reduced number of effective fungicide groups if the correct strategies are employed it is possible to maintain good blight control in these conditions. 

“The reduction in the availability of some active ingredients most notably Mancozeb which has been a key part of blight programmes for years will also add to the challenge.”

Basis and Nroso points have been applied for and the workshops are open to all potato growers and agronomists.

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A Co. Down farmer is celebrating six years of giving barn owls a home, with Ulster Wildlife declaring his farm as “one of the most successful breeding sites in Northern Ireland” for the birds.

David Sandford, of Strangford, strives to run a wildlife-friendly farm to attract the owls, of which there are fewer than 30 breeding pairs estimated to remain in Northern Ireland.

Sandford first encountered a barn owl during an evening walk across his fields, and said it was the first time he had seen one in 30 years.

He contacted Ulster Wildlife to install some nest boxes and, after four years, a pair of barn owls took up residence.

Sandford said: “At first, nothing seemed to happen, until four years later my late wife Alison and I saw a pair one evening on our driveway near one of the boxes – we were thrilled.

“Shortly after, we heard loud snoring noises and screeches from the chicks begging to be fed.”

Now, six years on, Sandford’s 185ac arable farm has provided a home for 15 owlets and other dwindling farmland wildlife like the yellowhammer and the Irish hare.

His crafted habitats are supported by local nature conservation charities Ulster Wildlife and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Northern Ireland (RSPBNI).

Barn owls

The habitats consist of rough grass margins, uncultivated stubbles, dense hedgerows and woodland to provide a steady supply of prey such as mice, pygmy shrews and young rats to feed the owls.

Grain feeders are kept going all year round, away from farm buildings, to ensure the survival of the birds by attracting rodents.

Sandford said they are a “negligible cost” compared to the satisfaction and enjoyment of helping the endangered species.

“Knowing that we have provided a safe and productive home for barn owls is a huge privilege and a barometer that we are doing some things right on our farm,” he said.         

Nine nest boxes have been erected to provide a network of safe places for the birds to nest and roost.

Ulster Wildlife said barn owl populations have plummeted in the UK and Ireland over the past century due to agricultural intensification, habitat loss, a lack of nest sites and increased use of rodenticides.

Senior conservation officer at Ulster Wildlife, Katy Bell, commended Sandford’s passion and dedication to securing the future of the barn owl, emphasising the vital role farmers play in helping nature recover, given the right support.

“Nature is in trouble across Northern Ireland, with one in nine species at risk of extinction, but farmers can be part of the solution,” she said.  

“David’s farm shows how targeted management options such as wild bird cover and winter stubble, delivered through agri-environment schemes, have been effective in helping barn owls by ensuring a year-round supply of food.

“Alongside a network of safe nesting sites, barn owls are thriving on his farm, making it the most successful breeding site in Northern Ireland.

“The recovery of local wildlife depends on proactive measures like these.”

Agri-environment schemes

Sandford said he would like to see future agri-environment schemes strengthened, properly funded and more accessible to help farmers in their conservation efforts for barn owls and other wildlife.

“Leaving farmers high and dry with no support for the majority of farmland in Northern Ireland is highly regrettable,” he said. 

“Wildlife is not something that can be turned off and on like a tap; however, given the chance it is remarkably resilient and with the right habitats and long-term support, farmers can really make a difference.”

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A United Kingdom (UK) based external maintenance and biodiversity company has announced 150 Irish-based roles as part of a €5 million expansion into the Irish market.

The company, Ground Control, undertakes external maintenance and energy solution services including grounds maintenance, arboriculture (management of trees), solar, and electric vehicle charging point installation, amongst other products and services.

In doing so, the company utilises its technology-enabled approach to guides clients to carbon reduction and biodiversity gains.

Its new Irish operations will be headquartered in Dublin, with a second office in Belfast.

In addition, it will be recruiting for new roles and field team partnerships across the island of Ireland in 2024.

The company has an all-island presence and has already secured more than €2 million in Irish-based contracts in the year to date.

The 150 new roles will include a blend of employees and local field-based teams across the island of Ireland.

The company will look to collaborate with local companies and micro-businesses to deliver a sustainability-led product offering and one that supports public and private sector clients on their decarbonisation journeys. 

Ground Control currently offers grounds and winter maintenance, pothole repair services and arboricultural services across Ireland in both the public and private sectors.

Ground Control’s country director for Ireland, Declan O’Gorman said: “Ground Control is a leading external maintenance, energy and biodiversity expert, committed to enhancing and improving the physical environment.

“Our decision to launch the business in Ireland is an informed and strategic one, supported by the renewed commitment to sustainability on the part of both the Irish public and private sector.

“Irish organisations, ranging from local councils to major retailers, large manufacturing companies, and property and facility management companies, are actively seeking partners who share their dedication to delivering upon their sustainability targets through an evidence-based approach,” O’Gorman added.

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Unite, the union confronting CNH at the company’s Basildon assembly plant has issued an update on the situation and indicated that industrial action is set to continue.

The dispute arose as New Holland offered a 4% pay rise as opposed to a 7.4% increase the union claims is due under a formula agreed in 2022 that linked the level of pay to annual inflation.

Three days of strike action per week are planned for June, amounting to 12 days of stoppage for the month which will, Unite has claimed, severely compromise the supply of New Holland tractors across the world.

Full support for Basildon workforce

The union said that it is determined to ensure that the company sticks to its promise.

General secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham said: “CNH will not get away with its broken pay promises. It is making massive profits and the only reason the company is reneging on the deal is out and out corporate greed.

“No amount of double-dealing or attempts to undermine the strikes will work; CNH Basildon workforce will not back down and they have the full power of Unite supporting them.”

There appears to be little common ground emerging between the two sides; Unite said it is determined to ensure that CNH keeps to its side of the agreement.

It claimed that CNH has done little to ease the situation other than putting together a deal which will not be revealed to the union until the action is called off.

Investors remain unconcerned

Meanwhile, at board level no reference to the the dispute was made at the latest earnings call where Scott Wine was making his last appearance as CEO before handing over to Gerrit Marx this summer.

However, the departing CEO did have this to say about stock levels within the overall delivery chain: “Despite somewhat significant production cuts, we still did not decrease dealer inventory at the levels we wanted to. So we’ve got work to do.”

Scott Wine also spoke of further actions such as combining and rationalising the commercial back office operations to reduce costs within the company’s organisation.

CNH does maintain that it continues to negotiate with the striking production staff in ‘good faith’.

There were no questions concerning the dispute at Basildon from the institutional investors invited to participate in the conference.

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Heat stress is a challenge that is set to become more significant as the impact of climate change gathers pace, veterinary consultant, Dr. Tom Chamberlain has warned.

According to Chamberlain, the symptoms of heat stress include a fall-off in milk yield, reduced fertility and enhanced lameness problems.

He warned: “Significant reductions in milk yield can be discerned quite quickly, once temperatures exceed 20°C. In some cases, the fall-off in output can exceed 20% of what would be expected on a daily basis.

“Assuming all input costs remain unchanged while this is happening, the net loss to the businesses concerned is significant. Food wastage levels will go through the roof.

“Cows impacted by heat stress will stand up and start puffing as a way of trying to lose heat. In doing this, their metabolism, particularly in regard to the functioning of the rumen becomes unbalanced.

“They are fundamentally changing their physiology. This is reflected in the fact that impacted animals will stop chewing their cud.”

Heat stress

Other symptoms of heat stress include a reduction in fertility and conception rates and an increase in problems linked to lameness.

Chamberlain added: “Studies carried out on a farm in South Wales, where the cows are robotically milked, have confirmed a fall-off in conception rates during heat wave events.

“On the farm in question, the management objective is to have a flat line production profile the year round. The calving policy has been developed to meet this requirement.”

He also detailed that enhanced rates of lameness in dairy herds constitute a longer-term impact of heat stress.

“Cows impacted by heat stress will stand up in an attempt to cool themselves.

“In turn, this puts more pressure on their hooves, which will manifest itself in the form of enhanced lameness problem some three months later,” he added.

Research

The challenge of dealing with heat stress was one of the one of the key points discussed during a briefing to members of Guild of Agricultural Journalists by Chamberlain in Northern Ireland.

The briefing was hosted by Brett Martin at the plastic sheet manufacturer’s factory at Newtownabbey in Co. Antrim.

The business specialises in the development of bespoke roofing and cladding systems for use within agriculture.

Chamberlain is working with Brett Martin to assess the impact of the company’s specifically developed Marlon CST Heatguard roofing material.

His work indicates that the use of the new material produces a 70% reduction in the predicted loss of milk yield caused by heat stress in cows, when compared to traditional fibre cement roofing.

According to Brett Martin’s head of strategic development, Robin Black, the benefit of the roofing for farmers will increasingly become important in relation to climate change.

Martin is also launching a low carbon version of the Marlon sheets, which is produced from a bio-based, carbon neutral polymer which replaces 89% of the fossil content.

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In it’s latest quarterly report to shareholders, John Deere promised a swath of new product launches for 2024 and 2025, and the first fruits of this pledge have just appeared in the form of a eight new combine harvesters.

The new machines are all of the straw walker type and are split into two groups, the T5 range which have five walkers and the T6 combines which have six.

The smallest machine of all, the T5 400, is powered by a 6.8L, six cylinder John Deere engine providing 305hp, while the rest of the machines have a 9L unit starting at 348hp and offering up to 466hp in the range topping T6 800.

The models fitted with the larger engine are equipped with intelligent speed management which reduces engine rpm during road transport, and when the vehicle is stationary at lights or junctions.

Wide choice from John Deere

There is a degree of overlap in engine power between the two ranges, as well as grain tank capacity, although fuel capacity remains constant throughout, at 800L.

Unloading the grain via an adjustable spout can reach up to 150L/second at peak performance, equating to 10t in around 90 seconds.

Working its way down, John Deere’s full range of combines in the cab originally fitted to the X9, which offers the company’s state of the art comfort for the operator.

Integrated into the cab, is a Starfire 7500 receiver, a G5 CommandCenter display and JD link for connectivity and data management.

Precise trailer filling

As an optional extra, the standard G5 unit can be upgraded to G5Plus, allowing operators to control more functions simultaneously, such as viewing vehicle control functions on the primary display and precision farming applications, such as AutoPath, Machine Sync or Grain Sensing on the extended monitor.

Machine Sync enables the combine driver to control the speed, direction, and position of the receiving tractor while underway, facilitating precise spill-free filling of the trailer.

Grain sensing technology offers real-time measurements of moisture, protein and starch, in wheat and barley and oil levels in rape and soya beans, facilitating the separation of higher value, higher protein grain during harvest.

John Deere believes that the introduction of these two new ranges represent a significant step forward in straw walker harvesting technology and will further enhance productivity and efficiency in the field.

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Members of Northern Ireland’s Sheep Industry Taskforce are set to meet with the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, in the near future.

In tandem with this, taskforce representatives are expecting to take part in further meetings, with representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), with the aim of agreeing future sheep support measures.

Co. Antrim EasyCare flock owner, Campbell Tweed, is a member of the taskforce.

Tweed told Agriland: “We will be pressing the need for effective support measures to be made available to the sheep sector.

“There is no provision for specific schemes of this type at the present time. However, future funding has been ringfenced within the scope of the reform measures to be introduced across agriculture in Northern Ireland over the coming 24 months.”

Sheep industry

According to the taskforce member, future support measures will be designed to deliver improved performance and matching genetic gains at individual flock level.

“Schemes of this nature already operate in the Republic of Ireland. Delivering improved genetic merit across Northern Ireland’s sheep sector represents a win-win scenario for farmers,” Tweed continued.

“Better performing sheep are inherently more efficient. They are also more likely to secure better market prices.

“Delivering improved performance and efficiency levels will also act to reduce the carbon footprint of the sheep sector.

“However, it should be pointed out that flock owners are already securing very high levels of environmental sustainability.”

The taskforce published its initial report, looking at the future of Northern Ireland’s sheep sector, in February 2023.

It underlined the importance of sheep production to Northern Ireland’s economy and identified how it could be supported to deliver much more.

Support for sheep sector

The report specifically called for collaboration between government, meat processors and farmers, so as to ensure the sheep industry has a stable and sustainable future at the heart of the rural economy.

The work of the taskforce has specifically identified the need to maintain a ‘critical mass’ within the sheep sector.

This will be required to secure the infrastructure needed to develop the industry and secure a level of future profitability.

According to the report, the starting point for this process is retaining the current level of meat and wool output.

Longer term perspectives would be better secured if productivity was increased and output grew. 

Securing extra output can come from extra breeding animals or greater yield from existing breeding animals. Taskforce members believe the latter option can deliver the best outcomes.

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The impact of heat stress has been identified on a Co. Antrim dairy farm, as a result of recent research work carried out by veterinary consultant, Dr. Tom Chamberlain.

Farmer and son team, Robin and George Bingham milk 900 cows at the Seven Mile Straight in south Antrim.

The herd is housed the year round with the cows split between a shed that features a traditional roofing material and a second, newer facility, which features the new Marlon Heatguard roofing sheets.

Dr. Chamberlain commented: “The summer of 2023 was extremely wet. However, there was a heatwave event at the beginning of September for a number of days.

“It was significant that the temperature in the new shed on the Bingham farm was 2°C lower than was the case in the older building.

“In addition, milk production held up much better with the cows housed under the new roof.”

Antrim farm

George Bingham explained that he is extremely happy with the conditions created for the cows and all the workers on the farm, from the new roofing system.

“The cows are happier and healthier. Their coats are in tremendous condition. Conception rates are better, milk yields are up and replacement rates have improved,” he explained.

Meanwhile the 2024 silage season is already underway on the Bingham farms.

“We made first cut at the end of April,” George confirmed. “In fact we are using some of it now in fresh cow rations.

“We didn’t run out of silage last winter but ended up using stock that has been built up from two years ago.

“Our plan is to take five cuts of grass silage in 2024. All the forage is destined for a clamp.”

George Bingham is also growing 50ac of forage maize in 2024.

“We haven’t grown the crop for a number of years,” he said.

“Since then there have been significant improvements in the seed varieties available and the plastic under which the crop is grown.

“It won’t take long to find out if we can secure these improvements on our own farm.”

It is estimated that Northern Ireland’s forage maize acreage is up by around 50%, year-on-year.

Driving this trend has been a number of factors such as: the very poor cereal planting conditions earlier in the spring; the very high cost of spring barley seed in 2024; and the fact that many farmers want to build up silage stocks in the wake of the very long 2023/2024 feeding season.  

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The sheep inter-breed championship at this year’s Ballymoney Show was won by a Suffolk shearling ewe, owned by the Watson family, from Rasharkin in Co. Antrim.

Also catching the eye on the day was a marvellous Border Leicester shearling, shown by the Dickey family from Ballymena.

The sheep championship classes at Ballymoney were judged by David Sloan, from Dumfries in Scotland.

He described his champion as a very balanced young animal, adding:

“The ewe caught my eye as soon as she entered the ring, but, she was up against some very stiff competition. The overall standard of the sheep entered for the event was brilliant.”

Sloan runs a 500-strong flock of Scotch Mule ewes, which are crossed with a selection of Charolais rams.

He recognises the growing demand for elite breeding stock within Irish flocks.

However the current export ban on sheep from Great Britain, in the wake of the recent bluetongue disease outbreaks in England and Wales, will stymie trade across the Irish Sea over the coming months.

Ballymoney Show

This year’s Ballymoney Show also saw Mostragee Holsteins securing the event’s ‘Champion of Champions’ accolade with their cow, Mostragee Bomber Louise.

This followed-on from her recent Balmoral Show success, where she won the dairy inter-breed championship.

Louise calved back in January for the fourth time and is currently producing 60L of milk/day.

The cow is owned by the Henry family, who farm just outside the village of Stranocum in north Antrim. She was led by Mark Henry at Ballymoney.

“Louise is back in calf to the Holstein sire: Cogent Arrow. So, if everything goes according to plan, we can look forward to the arrival of a heifer calf in a few months time,” Henry said.

Co. Down Friesian breeder, Jim Morrison, judged the dairy classes at Ballymoney. He also took part in the adjudication of the Champion of Champions class, joining his beef counterpart on the day, Andy Patterson from Cookstown, Co. Tyrone.

Morrison described his Holstein champion as an “excellent example of the breed”.

“She has everything – tremendous class and a significant potential to produce large volumes of high quality milk,” he said.

The final class of the day at Ballymoney saw the inter-breed dairy and beef champions go head to head in the show ring.

It turned out to be a very close affair, given the significant amount of time required by the judges to arrive at a final decision.

The beef inter breed championship at Ballymoney was secured by a magnificent 19-month-old Charolais bull – Crossane4 Unique ET.

He is owned by the Chestnutt family, who farm close to Bushmills in Co. Antrim.

Patterson described the animal as a “young bull with great breeding potential”.

“He has scope for his age, but is not over fleshed. The fact that he is already covering cows adds to his attraction as a tremendous Charolais sire in the making,” he added.

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Controlling weeds when they are at the most manageable stage is crucial, particularly now as grass growth has improved over the last number of weeks.

Firstly, you must identify which weeds need to be dealt with and then have the discussion with an advisor or agronomist on which products will rectify your problems.

It may not be the case where one product will cover all, as you may have paddocks that have different issues and may require different products to be used.

Controlling weeds

Knowing your fertility status is important, as it will indicate whether or not your soil needs lime, phosphorus (P), or potassium (K) which will allow you to grow more grass, limiting space for weeds.

Dock control at this time of the year is vital as they are at the rosette stage (measuring 150-200mm in diameter), which is the easiest stage to kill the weed.

Best practice is to spray docks shortly after a reseed which will stop them from establishing due to competition in the sward. A well established reseed will also limit and suppress weeds.

Thistles should also be sprayed now, as now they will begin to develop stolons, branch out and cover the grass which will kill what is underneath.

As you may know, the products used to target weeds are not cheap, so application must be precise and accurate to get optimal results.

To make sure of this precise spraying, it is important to read the label of the product carefully to make sure you are applying at the correct rate.

Tips for spraying:

• Make sure the product is suited for killing the weed;
• Read the label carefully, adhering to buffer zones and rates;
• Keep record of the product being used;
• Spray in suitable conditions – not windy or wet;
• Wear protective gear;
• Wash spraying equipment after use;
• Adhere to recommended time between spraying and grazing, or cutting of silage ( around seven days after);
• In the case of ragwort, animals should not be allowed in until the weed is completely rotten and unpalatable.

Managing clover

There are a few product options for the control of docks in your clover swards, however, for the treatment of chickweed, nettles, thistles or dandelions, there are limited options.

If clover is present in your swards, you must select a clover safe product, but, a lot of your conventional products are not clover safe.

In this scenario, if the seed and stem are present, the weeds should be topped first and then sprayed a couple of weeks later.

Farmers, however, should target the non clover paddocks first and get the weeds completely under control and then look to establish clover in these paddocks next April or May of 2025.

Getting the weeds under control prior to clover establishment will prevent issues further down the line, as weed control can be difficult when clover is present.

Controlling weeds in your paddocks this summer will maximise grass yield, improve silage quality, increase grass utilisation and will eliminate any health risks to livestock caused by certain weeds.

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Fly control around your cows during this time of the year is crucial in preventing cases of summer mastitis. Quite often, it affects the same farms every year, with certain fields being the source of the problem.

It is an acute disease of the non-lactating mammary gland and is mainly caused by the bacterium Trueperella pyogenes.

You will see frequent kicking as the number of flies increase and gather around the teat causing irritation to the animal.

Summer mastitis

The disease is a serious condition and can be fatal if it is not treated promptly. The first clinical signs can be stiffness when the animal is walking.

This form of mastitis is very severe and causes udder damage and high temperatures leading to abortion if in-calf. The udder will become swollen and painful.

When the infected quarter is stripped, it will be foul smelling. Further signs of illness include swelling of the hind legs, lethargy and separation from the herd.

The extract may appear to be clear with soft to cheese-like curds and as it becomes more severe, traces of blood may be found and the quarter may eventually burst.

Treatment

If the condition is not as advanced, the infected quarter should be treated with intramammary tubes and the cow should be placed on a course of antibiotics.

In more severe cases the cow should be placed on a course of anti-inflammatory drugs and in some cases, the vet will opt to amputate the teat to allow it to drain freely.

In all cases, the cows affected quarter should be frequently stripped out to reduce toxin build up and isolated from the group.

Prevention

As we know, prevention is always better than cure and there are a number of different methods that can be taken to prevent summer mastitis from occurring.

Using pour-on or other products to control flies near or around stock is important and these products should be used as instructed to ensure maximum effectiveness.

Fields that are well kept, with tight residuals and topping reduce habitat where flies can thrive in, therefore reducing the risk.

Also, it is important to avoid letting grazing cows and in-calf heifers in fields that have a history of summer mastitis, typically where there is marshy ground, near a river, or has large quantity of trees and hedges.

At drying-off, good hygiene is crucial as the last thing you want, is to introduce dirt or damage the teat canal. Using dry cow tubes for more susceptible heifers might be an option.

The use of teat sealers are essential to minimise the disease as the teat seal plugs the teat, preventing bacterial transfer from the environment and flies.

Using Stockholm tar around the teats and udder at least once a week will help prevent flies, but in order for it to be effective, it has to be applied regularly.

If their is heifers on the home block, there is an opportunity to start parlour training them and getting them used to the environment.

Prevention is crucial, especially around the drying-off period as most animals that are affected by summer mastitis end up losing a quarter, upsetting production.

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Research is still ongoing around the relatively new condition of summer scour syndrome, with many herds experiencing the condition in recent years.

The exact cause of summer scour is still unknown, however, there are a number of risk factors that are likely to cause the illness.

The disease is thought to be related to nutritional issues, such as the grass quality being offered to calves and an excessive intake of nitrogen (N), which leads to ammonia toxicity.

The rumen may be insufficiently developed to digest grass, as a calve’s grazing diet in the first year is a common denominator in all cases.

Summer scour syndrome

The condition sees calves experiencing dehydration, rapid weight loss, scour, lethargy, lack of rumination and weakness, which can ultimately, lead to death.

This can happen only a few weeks after turnout to grass, resulting in calves falling behind targets, which can be difficult to regain.

The disease often occurs when calves are grazing lush pastures with a high crude protein (CP) content (>20%) and a low fibre content (<40%).

If their rumen is not properly developed and they continue grazing the leafier parts of the grass which contain more nitrates and non-protein nitrogen (NPN), a large quantity of ammonia may build-up in the rumen.

Unstable pH is another knock-on effect of inadequate rumen development, which may lead to the calf getting summer scour.

Prevention

There needs to be a gradual weaning for calves, with an appropriate transition from milk to grass.

In order to allow for rapid rumen development, concentrates should be added to the diet within the first week of life.

At four-weeks-of-age, the gradual weaning should begin, and prior to milk being stripped from the diet completely, calves should be eating 1kg of concentrates/day.

Making any dietary changes should be avoided as it will only cause stress on the calf and take the animal longer to adjust.

As calves are unable to handle high quality grass, it may be better for them to have access to more fibre, as calves that are grazing on more fibrous grass rarely suffer from the disease.

A practical way of correcting the fibre deficit for your calves, is to introduce hay or straw into the diet while the calves are out at grass.

It is important to keep this hay or straw fresh and to keep it in their diet for the first number of months out at grass.

Strip grazing calves is another possible method to prevent the onset of summer scour as it will encourage them to graze both the leaf and the stem of the grass.

It is crucial in the first four to six weeks after turnout to grass, to closely monitor your calves for any evidence of scour and weight loss so you can detect the condition early and treat accordingly.

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A good milking routine is hugely important, particularly when it comes to milking efficiency and hygiene standards.

Cows are creatures of habit, so having every day similar to the previous and to the next is essential in order to have the cows at ease.

The benefits of a good milking routine are threefold:

• Maximum product quality;
• Safety for milker and cows;
• Efficient time spent milking.

Milking routine – preparation

It is important to make sure that the milking parlour is ready before the cows are gathered, as doing so will avoid causing any unnecessary stress on the cows waiting to be milked.

A clean milking apron should be used with disposable nitrile gloves to help stop the spread of mastitis during milking. Doing so will also protect against any zoonotic diseases, such as leptospirosis.

Preparing the cows before milking is crucial – clusters should be attached to clean, dry teats. Ideally, each quarter should should be stripped to check for mastitis and to stimulate milk let down.

Keep the pulse and milk tubes on the cow exit side when attaching the cluster, as doing so will allow for quick movement along the pit from one cluster to the other.

Post-milking routine

Manual cluster removal should happen when there is only a single stream of milk visible in the claw piece, in order to minimise the risk of over milking.

Avoid causing air blasts when removing – turn off the vacuum by kinking the milk tube or by using the button on the claw piece.

If you have automatic cluster removers (ACRs), ensure that they are in operating order.

Teat spraying or dipping should be done as soon as possible after cluster removal, ensuring at least 10-15ml of the spray is applied evenly, covering all the teats, from top to bottom.

Cow flow

Cow flow begins in the paddock or cubicle, to the collecting yard, through the parlour and back out to the paddock or cubicles.

Cow flow has a massive impact on milking efficiency and time spent in the parlour and is dictated by: cow roadways, facilities (collecting yard and parlour) and the milker.

Roadways need to be wide enough for the number of cows with a good surface. The table below outlines the width required for various her sizes:

As well as having the appropriate width, it is also important to make sure that there are no pinch points or restrictions along the roadway.

A farmer needs to ensure that the gathering yard can fit all of the herd (1.52m²/cow)

Where there is a backing gate in the gathering yard, ensure it is used solely to decrease the size of the gathering yard, rather than forcing cows into the parlour.

Washing down

Washing down should commence as soon as the last row of cows have left – having a standard operating procedure in place for both milking and washing down is essential in maintaining a clean, hygienic parlour.

It must not be forgotten that the milker is producing food and that the quality of this food is essential in sustaining and creating markets.

Milk quality and creating a safe environment for both milkers and cow is achieved through a good milking routine.

The post Dairy advice: Do you have a good milking routine? appeared first on Agriland.ie.

As calves have been slowly getting out to pasture in recent weeks, it is important to protect them against Johne’s disease and the exposure to mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP), which is the bacteria that causes the disease.

When it comes to risk, newborn calves are very susceptible to MAP infection, which is why the Irish Johne’s Control Programme (IJCP) places such an emphasis on clean calving areas and hygienic husbandry, particularly when feeding.

The two crucial factors to consider when determining the risk of the disease are the susceptibility of the animals and the infective dose in which they are exposed to.

This means that the susceptibility of calves at pasture falls between those of new-born calves and adult cattle, meaning good grazing management and decision-making is vital.

Grazing

In terms of infective dose, MAP is a tough organism which may be found in slurry or manure a year after it has been applied – pasture may be contaminated by grazing cattle also.

When contamination occurs, grazing the pasture becomes a risk as it can potentially infect other cattle, and particularly your younger stock.

For the MAP bacteria to be reduced to minor levels, it will gradually decline within 12 months in the cool, Irish climate.

From this information, the spreading of slurry from other farms should be avoided, especially on pasture that young stock will graze.

If controlling Johne’s disease was the sole purpose, not allowing calves graze ground that has been applied with slurry or that has been grazed by older cattle in the preceding 12 months would be the procedure.

However, this is not practical for many farms, so, a farmer must consider how they run their stock during grazing to minimise the risk of MAP bacteria and parasites.

When paddocks are solely left for calves, this opens up the risk to parasites, such as the gut worm and coccidiosis in these areas.

Even though it seems like it’s a win-lose situation no matter what you do, the best practice is the leader/follower grazing system.

In this system, calves graze fresh paddocks of grass first, but are moved quickly on, followed by older stock grazing the remaining grass.

This will minimise the risk of exposure to high levels of parasites and to MAP, especially earlier in the year when parasites and MAP will be at low levels after the winter.

When yearlings or older cattle graze the paddock, they further reduce the levels of worm larvae as they are more susceptible to parasites and MAP – calves can rotate back to these paddocks, which will have a reduced parasite load at a more resistant and older age.

Johne’s disease control

You can control the spread of Johne’s and other parasites in different ways. It can be done by rotating through multiple pastures to delay re-grazing.

You can also follow the calves yearlings rather than the older herd because in general, yearlings are too young to shed infective loads of MAP, even if infected.

Using reseeded fields, or land that was used for silage last season can be beneficial as this will provide an even greater reduction of MAP and worms.

Herds that are registered for the IJCP can make use of the of the results to identify test-positive cows.

The programme does not require immediate culling, but advises that they are removed as soon as possible – early removal will minimise contamination of fields and stop the spread of the disease.

It also eliminates the possibility of those cows being present during the next calving season, limiting contamination in calf-rearing areas, high-risk calves, colostrum or milk to replacements.

This creates an even greater control of the spread and impacts of Johne’s disease.

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Although we had a very wet spring, a number of farmers were still able to get their paddocks reseeded.

A spring reseed can produce as much, if not more grass in the year of reseeding as the old permanent pasture.

Reseeding paddocks will rejuvenate swards by increasing the dry matter (DM) production, allow for weed control and allow also for the introduction of clover into swards.

The concern of many farmers now, is getting paddocks back into the grazing rotation. Paddocks that were reseeded this spring must be closely monitored.

You cannot afford to get the management of these swards wrong, as it can have serious implications on the production capability of the reseed.

Grazing reseeded paddocks

The reseed should be grazed as soon as the new grass roots are strong enough to withstand grazing – this is tested through the ‘pull test’.

Grazing as soon as its fit will also allow for light to reach the base of the plant, which will encourage tillering and clover establishment.

The first grazing of your reseed can generally commence at a pre-grazing yield of 600 – 1,000kg dry matter (DM)/ha.

The first grazing should be done in dry conditions to avoid poaching the paddock. Cutting silage off this paddock should be avoided in the first year, as this will inhibit tillering of grass and clover.

Frequent grazing at low covers during the first year of establishment will allow for further tillering and will bulk up the sward.

Managing clover

The management of clover post-reseeding is essential, as allowing covers to get too high will shade out the clover seedlings.

The management of clover is similar to grass, except grazing should continue at low covers for the first five to six weeks post-sowing.

These paddocks should not be allowed to exceed covers of 1,000kg DM/ha for at least five to six grazings.

Spreading around 2,000 – 3,000 gal/ac of watery cattle slurry will aid in germination and seeding establishment post-sowing, as well as supplying nutrient for plant growth.

Applying chemical nitrogen (N) at the same rate for the first eight to 12 months after sowing is essential as the the clover will not uptake N until then.

Managing your reseeded paddocks is just as important as the timing and methods of reseeding and should not be overlooked.

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Good grazing infrastructure plays a vital role in grazing management on farms. As well as that, a well designed farm roadway and collecting yard can contribute to preventing lameness on your farm.

As the silage season is underway, the likelihood is that heavy machinery will be up and down these roadways, causing large stones to surface and the roadways to be neglected.

A single case of lameness could potentially cost €350 – from loss in production, to reduced fertility, to the cost of treating and culling.

At this time of the breeding season, it is crucial that roadways and collecting yards are kept in good condition, as lameness will affect fertility performance and milk production.

Lameness severely compromises cow welfare, and is quite often a common cause of culling animals from the herd.

Lameness affecting fertility

The pain associated with lameness has a direct impact on cows’ behaviour, as they will show less signs of oestrus – making it difficult to detect when a cow is in heat.

When a cow is lame, they will eat less, and have longer periods of negative energy balance, decreasing reproductive performance.

The knock-on affect of this is detrimental to your breeding plan – with lower submission rates, delayed ovarian cyclicity, reduced conception rates, increased calving interval and higher chance of ovarian cysts forming.

Lame cows will also be more prone to uterine infections after calving and have higher pregnancy losses.

Preventing lameness through roadways

The prevention and management of lameness in your herd starts off by maintaining the quality of the cow roadways.

In order for cows to be able to move at their own pace, stress-free and unpressurised, roadways need to be sufficiently wide enough for the number of cows in the herd – 120 cows require 5m width, with extra 0.5m for every 100 cows thereafter.

The road surface has to be kept in good order as it will help limit the cases of hoof trauma and white line damage.

A 3-5% fall for a camber or slope in the middle of the roadway to the edge is recommended to allow the water on the roadways to get away resulting in a comfortable surface for cows.

To reduce bottlenecks, the entrances into paddocks should be wider than the roadway. Avoid any distractions on roadways such as water troughs as they will upset cow flow.

Although it is sometimes impossible, the use of heavy machinery on roadways should be kept to a minimum. Where possible, the wire should be dropped at the top of the paddock for heavy machinery to access.

In the case of lame cows, if possible, keep them in a paddock close to the milking parlour, to minimise the walking distance and stress for the cows.

The collecting yard

Likewise, ensuring your collecting yard is well designed and properly maintained will play a key role in preventing lameness in your herd.

The entrance into your collecting yard should be as wide as the roadway leading into it, to avoid any cramming, damage or hoof trauma.

The collecting yard should be an appropriate size for your herd with the requirement being 1.5m_²/cow – sharp turns in the yard should also be avoided.

The surface of the yard needs to be non-abrasive but not slippery and should be constantly washed down, cleaning off any loose stones or slurry.

Cows should be calmly brought into the parlour, and if there is a backing gate in place, it should be used to gently push the cows into the parlour and not used to push them in.

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Tyre choice for loaders has recently widened still further with a hybrid tyre from Nokian that represents a half way house between industrial and agricultural tyres.

Called the ‘Ground King Loader’, it is said to handle diverse terrains, from soft mud to hard surfaces, equally well.

Its design is based on utilising what Nokian call Hybrilug technology, which it developed itself.

Its advantages are claimed to be comfort, silent driving, increased productivity, and predictable handling for the occasions when agility is required.

Nokian points out that loader work involves a multitude of tasks performed under diverse conditions, therefore, the choice of tyre can enhance productivity by offering targeted support for the job being undertaken.

Off roading with Nokian

The company also notes that up until now, a lug patterned traction tyre used to be the only option when working on soft and sticky soil, but that has now changed thanks to its latest product.

Kimmo Kekki, product manager at Nokian Tyres, explained that the Hybrilug blocks provide stability, even wear and smooth driving, but the tread pattern also incorporates lugs to enhance grip in mud and loose terrain, ensuring competence and confidence in a wider variety of conditions.

When handling gravel, compost and dirt, the tyre tackles heavy loads easily, providing stability and traction on gravel roads and construction sites.

It is also said to be well-suited for material handling on farm, from crop handling to loading silage into a pit, as its versatility enables it to adapt to the changing demands of agricultural work.

Fast road transits

Wheeled loaders can be called upon to perform a wide variety of tasks and so accurate, safe and confident working is essential.

Nokian claims to have achieved this by use of a strong radial carcass with tough shoulders, enabling stability, comfort and a broad contact area.

Another key feature of this design, is said to be that manoeuvring the loader in tight areas is precise and predictable

Originating in Finland, the Nokian Tyres Ground King Loader is now available for order in size 20.5R25, which makes it a drop-in replacement for many wheel loaders.

The post Hybrid tyre from Nokian at home in field and yard appeared first on Agriland.ie.

A Northern Ireland Farm Welfare Bill would “ensure realistic prices for dairy, beef and sheep farmers,” according to the Farmers for Action (FFA) group.

The proposed legislation seeks to secure guaranteed prices for farmers that cover all costs of production.

An additional margin would also be built into the returns on offer, which would then allow primary producers to invest in the future of their businesses according to the FFA.

William Taylor, spokesperson for the FFA, said: “We have seen fast escalating egg and potato rise prices increases take effect over recent months – way above the market returns that are envisaged within the farm welfare bill model.

“This is a direct result of Westminster’s cheap food policy. Egg and poultry farmers found themselves with no option but to walk away from their business in very significant numbers.

“The end result is dramatic shortages in these basic food commodities and the market responses this has generated.”

“Had the principles enshrined within the farm welfare bill been previously adopted by government, egg and potato farmers would have received adequate support when they needed it”.

According to the FFA the prices of these of these staple foods would not then have risen in retail aisles to the extent that has been seen over recent months.

Farm Welfare Bill

Taylor also claimed that the proposed bill would have ensured realistic prices for dairy, beef and sheep farmers up to this point.

“On that basis we would be talking of farmgate milk prices in the region of 55p to 60p per litre. Beef prices today would be coming in at £8.50 per kilo,” he said.

FFA has said that it now plans to meet with the NI Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister’s team in the future.

“We will be taking the opportunity to highlight the principles that are contained within the proposed legislation and its relevance for the farming and food sectors in Northern Ireland,” Taylor added.

But, securing the passage of the Farm Welfare Bill through the Northern Ireland Assembly will require its endorsement by the NI Agriculture Minister, Andrew Muir, and the support of other elected politicians, and the FFA is conscious of the fact that a summer recess is around the corner.

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There is strong demand for wool shedding sheep across the UK and Ireland, with the continuing growth in Easycare numbers a case in point.

This, in turn, is a response to the poor wool prices that have been available to farmers for the past number of years.

Given this backdrop, scientists from the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh are currently investigating the genetic basis upon which certain breeds of sheep voluntarily shed their wool.

Wool shedding, however, is not a simple switch-on / switch-off process. Individual sheep can demonstrate a range of abilities, where shedding is concerned.

Some are able to shed all their wool: others none at all. In between these two extremes, sheep will demonstrate the complete range of shedding capabilities.

The members of the Roslin team have come up with a scoring system, which takes full account of this reality.

The scale starts at the figure ‘zero’, reflecting animals that do not shed at all, up to the figure ‘nine’ for animals that will lose all of their fleeces. Scores are determined courtesy of a visual assessment process.  

Wool shedding normally begins at the end of April and continues through the rest of the spring and early summer months.

The Easycare breed has been developed with a strong focus on the ability of the sheep to shed their wool.

The Roslin Institute’s Dr. Emily Clark was a recent visitor to the Easycare flock of Campbell Tweed, who farms at Cairncastle, in Co. Antrim.

While there, she took nasal swabs from 160 young rams, all born in 2023. A shedding score was recorded for each animal as the swab was taken.

These yearling rams had been retained as potential flock sires and the sampling was carried out at the next stage of selection when they were physically assessed.

As part of the critical evaluation process carried out by former Co. Antrim Easycare flock owner, Campbell Tweed, any animal that was not deemed suitable for breeding at that stage, was culled.

All lambs within the Tweed flock are electronically tagged at birth. This makes their individual identification at any stage a straightforward process, using an electronic reader.  

Dr. Clark said: “My visit to Northern Ireland follows-on from work carried out by my Roslin colleague, Denis Headon, 10 years ago.

“We have already carried out a lot of work to identify the specific part of the Easycare genome that is responsible for wool shedding.

“It’s now a case of fine tuning this, in order to identify the exact genetic sequencing that drives the wool shedding process. The nasal swab sample taken from Campbell’s rams will help significantly in this process.”

Tweed, said: “The end game, from a commercial point of view, is to develop a test that will identify the wool shedding ability of individual sheep at a very early age.

“In our own case, we physically score the wool shedding ability, alongside with the physical performance of all the breeding sheep that we make available for sale.”

The current sheep shedding research at the Roslin Institute has been funded by the Biotechnology and Biosciences Research Council (BBSRC) under the aegis of UK Reserach and Innovation.

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Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) president, William Irvine, believes the war in Ukraine is an immense food security threat for many countries across Europe.

“This is a wake-up call for governments to make the issue of their own national security an absolute priority,” Irvine said.

The Co. Armagh man was the guest speaker at the launch of Newry Show 2024.

He specifically highlighted the opportunities that exist to increase the levels of food security generated within the UK and the role that agriculture here in Northern Ireland can play in this context.

Irvine also views the upcoming general election in the UK as a potential game changer for agriculture in Northern Ireland.

“The post-Brexit support arrangements that were made available to agriculture in NI end now – it’s time to look to the future.”

Priority number one in this regard for the UFU leader will be the securing of higher levels of farm support.

Irvine said: “The current budget is slightly in excess of £300 million. In order to reflect the current needs of the farming sectors, this annual figure must rise to around £400 million.

“It must be increased on an annual basis, thereafter, in order to keep pace with inflation.”

Courtesy of his presentation, William Irvine highlighted the other UFU policy priority areas.

These are: the necessity to push forward with a realistic bovine tuberculosis (bTB) eradication policy and the requirement for the Environment Agency, in tandem with the Office of Environmental Protection, to review the regulations relating to ammonia emissions from livestock farms.

On the issue of bTB, Irvine is deeply concerned that policy decisions on this matter have been transferred to the office of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and, possibly, Westminster.

“This state-of-affairs has only come to light over recent days.

“The UFU wants to see control of bTB remain within the remit of Andrew Muir. This is the only sensible way forward,” the president added.

UFU

Regarding the outcome of the recent public consultation on bTB compensation values and a formal proposal from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to cut funding budgets by 25%, the UFU representative made it clear that farmers will not countenance such a change.

This perspective is echoed by all of Northern Ireland’s farm lobby groups.

Where ammonia emission levels within agriculture are concerned, the UFU president is asking for common sense to be brought to bear on the matter.

“New technologies will be developed to tackle this issue. But, they are prohibitively expensive to procure in the first place and then to operate thereafter.

“It’s imperative that the capital grant schemes made available to farmers take full account of this reality.

“Investment projects on many farms have now ground to a halt. This is a direct result of the severe interpretation of the ammonia-related criteria being applied by planning officials.

“One obvious way forward is to allow farmers push ahead with the repair or the replacement of buildings.

“Many of these structures have been in place for 50 years and more. Replacing them with new facilities that are inherently more ammonia efficient makes sense from all perspectives.”

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The Dairy Council for Northern Ireland (DCNI) has said it will “raise a glass” to the dairy sector this World Milk Day, which takes place tomorrow (Saturday, June 1).

The theme of this year’s World Milk Day is nutrition, with the sector highlighting dairy as a nutrient-rich food and an essential part of balanced diets, the DCNI said.

Chief executive of the DCNI, Ian Stevenson, said farming families work all year to produce high-quality milk.

He said the Catherwood family, who manage the farm of John A Rankin & Son outside of Newtownards, Co. Down, are one of these families.

“Dairy farming is a cornerstone of our rural communities here and today we raise a glass to the sector’s role in providing healthy, nutritious foods and livelihoods across Northern Ireland,” Stevenson said.

“Farming families like the Catherwoods work all year round to produce high-quality milk that’s enjoyed as part of a balanced diet by consumers at home and overseas.”

World Milk Day

World Milk Day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in 2001 to recognize the importance of milk as a global food, and to celebrate the dairy sector.

Each year since, the benefits of milk and dairy products have been actively promoted around the world.

World Milk Day organisers said this year’s theme of nutrition will celebrate the vital role that dairy plays in delivering quality nutrition to nourish the world.

“Dairy is an accessible, affordable, and nutrient-dense food, and an essential part of balanced diets across the world,” they said.

Farmers are encouraged to shoot short videos to showcase sustainability practices in place on their farm or at their company for this year’s event.

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Peak water intake generally coincides with peak grazing periods. Cows should have easy access to water, particularly now that temperatures have increased over the past number of weeks.

During wet weather conditions, demand for water is not as high, as the dry matter (DM) content of the grass is lower. During drier spells, the DM of the grass is higher, meaning water intake will increase.

Peak water demands occur after evening milking, and to a lesser extent after morning milking – a trough space of 450mm/cow should be allowed.

In an ideal situation, the water trough should be located in the middle of the paddock in order for the cows to access water from all angles.

Milk is almost 90% water and cows drink 4-4.5L of water/kg of milk produced – daily drinking requirements vary but can be 60-140L/cow.

Making sure that cows have access to clean water is extremely important for the production, health and welfare of the cow, particularly during summer months.

Access to water

On an average day, a 150-cow herd could drink up to 10,000L (65L/cow) – the water system must be sufficient to ensure that this quantity of water is delivered to the paddock.

For your trough size, there should also be a reserve of water in your paddocks of about 9L/cow, which is the equivalent of 1,350L (300gal) for a 150-cow herd.

An appropriate size pipe will allow for a good flow rate. If a trough is empty after cows use it, it is likely that the flow of water is lower than the demand.

A wider pipe is often required to increase the amount of water that can flow through the system. For the main waterline, a 38-42mm internal diameter is required for a 150-cow herd.

In situations where the cows have a long walking distance, it may be useful to install a trough along a highly trafficked area.

However, you don’t want these troughs causing delays, so where possible, it is advisable to place these troughs in an area that can only be accessed after milking, or while cows are in the collecting yard.

Troughs should be regularly monitored to ensure they are in good working order and that they are not leaking- these checks should be done before and after grazing.

Troughs should be regularly cleaned out – remove any algae or foreign objects that are present in the water trough, as they can potentially reduce a cow’s water intake.

The key performance indicators should be:

• No queuing at water trough;
• Trough always filled after milking;
• No leakage;
• No cow tracks to water trough as it indicates a long walk to troughs;
• Water system drained over the winter.

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Rural primary school pupils will have the chance to win a One4All voucher through the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland’s (HSENI’s) child farm safety poster competition.

The competition, which was launched by the HSENI alongside the Farm Safety Partnership NI, encourages rural primary pupils and special educational needs schools’ students to enter by illustrating a farm safety message.

12 winners will be selected and each will receive a £50 One4all voucher and have their entry considered for inclusion in a 2025 safety calendar.

Entries should be related to one of the four categories which reflect four different dangers on farms. These are slurry, animals, falls and equipment.

However, drawings of other dangers children may see on the farm are also welcome.

Head of the HSENI agri-food team, Camilla Mackey, said: “We are delighted to be able to launch our Child Safety on Farms poster competition this year again.

“The calibre of the artwork we receive year on year is absolutely fantastic. It is important that every poster depicts a critical farm safety message.

“Many children will become our future farmers and it is essential that we encourage them to think and work safely.”

Putting safety at the ‘heart of rural homes’

Through play, colouring and producing farm safety posters, Mackey said children can learn about farm safety in a fun and imaginative way.

“Children are important influencers, and by creating our Farm Safety Calendar from 12 winning entries we can get our farm safety messages into the heart of rural homes,” she said.

“We are confident that our safety messages will help farmers and their families to stop and think SAFE.”

The HSENI has thanked rural primary schools for their support of and participation in the competition.

It said the poster competition remains an excellent way to raise awareness of the farm dangers children may face.

Further information on the competition and how to enter can be found on the HSENI website.

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The government has hosted a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) on agriculture and rural development.

The government was represented by the two Irish ministers responsible for those policy areas, namely Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue and Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys.

The meeting allowed the Irish ministers to discuss areas of mutual interest and cooperation with their counterparts in the Northern Irish executive.

They met with Northern Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir, Junior Minister Pam Cameron; and Junior Minister Aisling Reilly.

This was the first North South Ministerial Council sectoral meeting on agriculture and rural development since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive in February.

The council meeting discussed cooperation on issues including animal and plant health, farm safety, rural development, research and innovation.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the council agreed that engagement on these issues should be progressed, as well as agreeing that further opportunities for collaboration on climate change and biodiversity challenges should be explored before the next meeting of the council later this year.

The council also considered and agreed conclusions in respect of rural development issues.

Commenting after the meeting, Minister McConalogue said: “I and my department are fully committed to further enhancing engagement with our Northern Irish counterparts on a wide range of policy areas which present common challenges and opportunities for farmers, food producers and communities across the island.

On the issues of climate change and biodiversity, Minister McConalogue said: “Our farming communities stand ready to continue to play their important role in contributing to the achievement of positive change in these areas.

“The council meeting today recognised these challenges and has tasked our officials to explore and identify how we can improve cooperation in addressing these issues, supporting our farmers and agriculture producers in contributing to solutions which benefit them and the environment across the island,” Minister McConalogue added.

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The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has extended the deadline for applications for the position of chair of the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).

The original closing date for applications was Thursday, May 23. The new deadline is noon on Thursday, June 6.

The total time commitment for the chair of the AFBI board is 40 days per annum and is remunerated at £28,049 per annum.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be appointed for a three-year period from September 1, 2024.

AFBI, an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by DAERA, undertakes scientific work in the fields of agriculture, animal health and welfare, food, fisheries, forestry, the natural environment and rural development and enterprise.

The work of AFBI helps to enable the Northern Ireland agri-food industry to market products nationally and internationally and helps protect animal and plant health.

AFBI also works to ensure the safety of Northern Ireland’s food, contributes to the protection of its terrestrial and marine environments and is important to its long-term economic and environmental sustainability, DAERA said.

AFBI chair

In the job description for the position of AFBI chair, Northern Ireland’s agriculture minister Andrew Muir said the chosen candidate will take the organisation through “significant challenges” in the coming years.

“As AFBI chair you will lead the board to deliver its statutory functions and lead AFBI in its research and scientific services and services to government, non-governmental organisations and commercial organisations,” he said.

“You will establish and maintain effective governance and oversight of the AFBI, ensuring the proper stewardship of public funds and accounting for how AFBI’s resources are used to best effect.

“If you have a record of accomplishment of leadership and senior management achievement; the ability to demonstrate innovation and deliver successful change; and want to make a purposeful contribution to scientific services and to our environment, I hope that you will apply.”

The board of AFBI currently comprises of a chair, deputy chair and 11 members appointed by Minister Muir. 

The board meets a minimum of 10 times per annum and members may also be nominated to serve on sub-committees that also meet regularly.  

The AFBI board currently has five sub-committees:

• Audit and Risk Assurance Committee;
• Organisational Development and Human Resources Committee;
• Finance and Business Strategy Committee;
• Science Strategy Committee;
• Oversight & Governance Committee.

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Tillage farmers in Northern Ireland are reporting excellent germination rates and plant counts in spring cereal crops that were established over the past month.

For the most part, crops were sown out into well prepared seed beds.

The germinating plants received rain when they needed it and the accompanying warmer temperatures have driven growth rates forward at a more than acceptable rate.

Many crops have pushed through the four leaf stage, with the majority of growers applying a herbicide over the past few days.

Spring cereal crops

There is strong evidence to suggest that a significant proportion of spring barley and wheat crops have been rolled in order to boost tillering rates.  

A fundamental question now confronts cereal growers with spring barley and wheat crops – should plant growth regulator be applied to manage straw length and reduce the risk of lodging?

The jury is out, however, on whether spring cereals should be treated with an insecticide.

Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is not normally that big of a challenge in Northern Ireland.

However, given the significant incidence of the problem further south this year, it really is a case of growers walking individual crops and checking for the presence of aphids.

It is now predicted that, assuming weather patterns hold to a more seasonal norm, it should be possible to get most late planted spring cereal crops harvested before the end of August.

While yields will not be much to write home about, such an eventuality would allow cereal growers to get their 2024/25 planting season off to a positive start.

Meanwhile, most of Northern Ireland’s winter cereal crops have improved dramatically, in response to the warmer and drier conditions of recent weeks.

In many instances, it will be a case of breaking even at best, and this is the scenario facing cereal growers who drilled crops on their own land.

Those who rented ground last autumn are, almost certainly, looking at the prospect of significant losses.

The option of whole cropping winter wheat and barley is one that many cereal growers in Northern Ireland may look at seriously over the coming weeks.

Given the shortfall in silage stocks that impacted across the entire island of Ireland last winter, all forage sources should be worth real money throughout the 2024/25 feeding season.

The only factor that might make cereal farmers with thin crops of winter wheat and/or barley push on to the combine, is the price of straw.

Recent years have seen straw significantly outstrip grass silage prices on a dry matter (DM) basis. It is now regarded as a vital component in all total mixed rations (TMR), as well as remaining an important livestock bedding material. 

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Sky Agriculture has announced a major expansion of its Methys HDS disc based stubble cultivator range, a suite of implements that is designed for shallow to ultra shallow cultivation.

The extension of the range includes the introduction of three new roller types for consolidation at the rear, but what may be of greater interest to farmers here in Ireland, is that they are now available as smaller mounted versions.

The company has developed the new mounted machines of 3m, 4m and 5m, with the smallest being of fixed frame type, while the two larger models fold to achieve a transport width of less than 3m.

These models will appeal to more modest sized farms, a sector which had been neglected previously, with the smallest model up to now being a 5m unit.

The machines are designed for conservation farming or in situations where shallow incorporation is desirable, such the destruction of cover crops or the creation of false stale seedbeds.

Optimal working depth is said to be between four to 7cm, although the design of the disc elements allow a working depth of one to 12cm.

New rollers for the Methys

In addition to the tyre roller already available there are two new double rollers, one a cage type and the other of U channel construction.

Sky Agriculture has added the double cage roller for effective reconsolidation in light soil conditions, while the double U roller design is said to offer a good levelling capacity in a wide variety of conditions.

These two are in addition to the existing pneumatic roller which is said to give an optimal surface finish and uniform reconsolidation, considered particularly suitable for use in conjunction with the seed applicator that is also available as an option.

The overall design ethos of the Methys HDS stubble cultivator range is to provide rapid ground coverage with minimum power requirement, for the smaller the tractor and the less draught that needs to be applied, the less damage is done to the soil.

To help maintain a constant and even depth across the working width the two disc rows can be independently adjusted enabling the required precision when working soil at such shallow depths.

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Forestry development companies are calling for clarification on future tree planting schemes that will be made available in Northern Ireland.

The current measures – the Forestry Expansion Scheme (FES) and the Small Woodland Grant Scheme (SWGS), have now run their course.

As of yet, neither the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) or Northern Ireland’s Forest Service, have given any public indication as to the type of support measures that will be available to support tree planting into the future.

Managing director of Premier Woodlands, John Hetherington, said:

“We need to see a fundamental commitment from Forest Service to deliver new support schemes that will deliver a sustainable short, medium and long-term expansion of the forestry sector in Northern Ireland.

“This objective is a strategic commitment, already referenced within Northern Ireland’s climate change regulations, NI Government Forest Policy and the previous Agricultural Minister’s Forests of the Future initiative.

“Specific tree planting targets are already in place – we need to see real policies and a financial commitment to match from Forest Service in order to make all of this happen.

“The clock is ticking. Simply rolling over FES, or some form of comparable scheme for a 12-month period, won’t suffice. Woodland creation decisions are long-term decisions.”

Development policies

Hetherington stressed the importance of “getting the basics right as well”.

He continued: “Forest Service is currently committed to forest-to-bog restoration on significant parts of its estate, again under the new climate change regulations.

“In light of these developments, it should be made mandatory for the agency to compensatory plant new areas equivalent to those lost in this way, simply to keep our overall woodland cover maintained at current levels.

“The same principle should hold in cases of any development removing NI`s woodland cover.

“This principle has been followed in Scotland since 2009/2010, I see no reason why the same approach cannot be taken here in Northern Ireland.”

Meanwhile, tree planting under the 2023/24 FES measure continues apace, after what can only be described as one of the most difficult woodland establishment seasons in living memory.

“We should be able to work through until about the middle of June. After that it’s a case of taking a break during the summer and finishing the projects later in the autumn/winter,” the managing director added.

Premier Woodlands is confirming that Forest Service has agreed grant claim extensions where requested, for either individual forest operations or complete FES planting contracts.

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The slow down in tractor sales is now starting to bite deep, with John Deere declaring that it is not only underproducing tractors, but has also made lay offs among its staff at its North American plants, with more redundancies to come.

In the company’s latest earnings call, president of the Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division; Production and Precision Ag, Americas and Australia, Deere & Co, Cory J. Reed, said:

“This is probably best exemplified by our decision to underproduce large tractor retail demand in North America in the back half of the year.

“We ended 2023 with really low levels of large tractor inventory, but we think it’s prudent to drive those levels even lower as we close out our 2024.

“The key here, is that by staying ahead of demand changes, we’re giving ourselves the optionality to react most efficiently to whichever way the market moves in the next year.”

According to various reports published in the United States, the lay-offs involve between 700 and 1,000 staff at Waterloo, Des Moins and Illonois.

No direct mention of these were made in the earnings call, although there was much emphasis placed on cost control measures.

Waterloo, in Iowa, is the company’s major production facility manufacturing some of the Deere’s largest tractors. These include the 7, 8 and 9 series models, along with engines and drive trains.

Glum outlook from John Deere

This action is being taken as the company reviews its outlook for the rest of the year, with sales now forecast to be down between 15% and 25%, depending on segment and region.

John Deere has taken on board the issue of primary crop margins being forecast to drop further, with stocks being higher than average thanks to several years of good growing conditions and record yields globally.

It also points out that used inventories are high, and high interest rates are discouraging farmers from investing in new machinery at present.

However, management boards of large American corporations are not known for their pessimism.

While 2024 may be looking a little rough, it is believed an elevated fleet age, stable land values and strong farmer balance sheets will restore sales to a more agreeable level.

New products for 2025

Two further points of interest that arose in the question and answer session were that the company is planning a large product launch for 2025, which will involve new tractors and combines.

The second is that over the last 10 years, the number of 300hp+ tractors in dealers yards has increased from 30% to 70%, with a slight reduction in the number of units.

The higher power demand from implements such as seed drills, will, the company feels, ensure a healthy demand for large used tractors.

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