Be cautious of phone calls around Single payment time, claiming there is a problem with bank details and asking you to reconfirm them. There were a few cases last year, where SFP was diverted and stolen. If you do get a phone call, hang up and phone your divisional office to confirm if there is a problem. NEVER GIVE BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS OVER THE PHONE.

It looks like winter is here, so most people will be gearing up winter rations based around good silage quality. As always, it is important to remember that good silage doesn’t compensate for getting the basics right.

1. Make sure feed is fresh every day
2. Ad lib feeding is essential to optimise intake
3. Push feed up regularly, remove refusals
4. Measure usage and intakes – and record the information
5. Target the best facilities to the highest yielders

With weather starting to get a bit cooler and wetter, attention should be turned towards looking after fresh calved dairy cows. Dry matter intake is the key to keeping energy balance positive, and lush wet grass won’t help. Try separating cows calved in the last 45 days and giving some silage and extra concentrates. This will aid both milk yield and fertility, and reduce potential body condition losses.

Don’t forget to fill in your waste exemptions to ensure you pass your farm assurance. Go to Natural Resources Wales website or phone the office for more details.

Some of the industry experts are predicting that feed pricing is close to the bottom of the market. They suggest that now may be a good time to book a decent level of forward cover.
It would be prudent to assess forage stocks and analyse quality first. Bear in mind it will be far easier to buy on a falling market than a rising one!!

Now most silages are clamped, attention should turn to the aftermaths. If you wish to graze, aim for 50 units of nitrogen and 30 units of potash. 3,000 gallon per acre of slurry will more than meet the potash requirements, so if applied opt for straight nitrogen to reduce staggers risk.

If the fields are to be utilised for second cut, aim for 75 units of nitrogen and 45 units of potash. If you can avoid grazing these fields, regrowth will be quicker and cleaner. Allowing these fields to be shut off, will help see clamps fill again after last years shortage.

We produce benchmark data for all categories of farm, and customers find it to be one of the most useful pieces of data produced. The results of benchmarking allow farm businesses to identify areas of weakness and opportunity.

If you are interested in becoming part of the benchmark, contact us. All data is collected by our own farm recorders, using Farmplan software. An annual report is given, with the benchmark data and advice on areas to examine. The cost of this service depends on enterprise size, but offers fantastic value for money, and a proper business MOT.

As many clients are saying, this is the most difficult spring in living memory – low grass growth, low temperature and low forage stocks. Cashflow is under pressure, and many are struggling.

There is no easy answers, but try and take some easy practical steps to aid the pressure:

Cull any unproductive animals – reduce the grazing pressure
Bring some youngsters in and feed straw and concentrates
Use the electric fence to ration grass
Back fence where possible to prevent back grazing
Take silage off sooner rather than later – bring some silage land back to grazing rotation
Speak to your bank earlier and present a plan clearly showing requirements and plan of repayment

Each situation is different, but doing nothing will not help!

For reliable fertiliser planning it is essential that the nutrient content, rate and time of application of manures are known. The nutrient content of animal excreta is greatly influenced by factors such as diet and water dilution. Slurry nutrient content may vary from one year to the next on the same holding. CARA recommends that the nutrient content of a representative sample be determined by analysis at least once per annum. Interim assessments of slurry can be made by using a slurry hydrometer. CARA are able to provide a lab analysis service, interim assessment via hydrometer and give a report on crop nutrient planning based on results.

CARA slurry/manure analysis = £42 + VAT. Analysis gives levels of Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potash, Magnesium and dry matter. This would allow you to carry out a manure management plan and accurately plan fertiliser requirements. This in turn would:

·improve crop nutrient management

·result in potential savings on fertiliser inputs

·meet farm assurance criteria

·gain environmental agency approval

·benefit the environment

You may have read the article in the Farmers Weekly recently about locking in your Single Farm Payment at the current Euro/Sterling conversion

rate. This e-mail attempts to explain the issue and to make you aware of the options available.

Your Single Farm Payment is calculated in Euros by the Welsh Assembly Government. You can then choose on your Single Application Form whether to receive the payment in Euros or Sterling. The vast majority of farmers usually elect to receive their payments in Sterling. The payment is therefore converted to Sterling by the Assembly on the conversion rate on the 30^th of September in that calendar year. (0.79 conversion rate in 2008)

The farmers who elect to receive their payment in Euros are paid in Euros into a Euro bank account which they have set up with the bank. They can then convert these Euros back to Sterling at any time they wish, (most would do so when they received the payment – 1^st of Dec for majority). This effectively means that these farmers can choose to play with the exchange rate if they wish.

The article in the farmers weekly by World First, highlighted the option of forward booking a conversion of your euros into sterling at today’s conversion rate, which is 0.94. They required a deposit of 10% from farmers for this service, however the main banks are offering this service without a deposit.

SO WHAT WOULD YOU GAIN?

The conversion rate in 2007 was 0.69

The conversion rate in 2008 was 0.79

The conversion rate today is 0.94

On a payment of say €40,000 you would have received (before modulation) :-

2007 £27,600

2008 £31,600

2009 £37,600 (at today’s rate)

All you are doing is therefore eliminating the risk that the exchange rate falls back between today and the 30^th of September when the Assembly converts the money.

SO WHAT WOULD YOU LOSE?

The gamble you would take by forward booking a conversion rate is that the pound weakened further and that the conversion rate would improve by the 30^th of September. (Barclays Chief Economist is however indicating that the exchange rate will fall back towards 0.85 towards the end of the year. )

By pre-booking this conversion rate you are entering into a contract to convert your Euros in a certain payment window e.g. 1/1/10 to 31/03/10. If your payment was late for any reason, you would then be in breach of contract. However, the contracts can be extended for a fee.