NFU Mutual has launched a checklist to help farmers keep themselves, their families and workers safe through what could be one of the most challenging harvests since the Second World War.

“Harvest time can be one of the most dangerous periods of the farming year,” said Ian Jewitt, Managing Director of NFU Mutual Risk Management Services Ltd, which runs pre-harvest safety courses.

“Safety is critical during harvest. Figures published by the Health and Safety Executive show 39 people were killed as a result of farming and other agriculture-related activities last year. Overturning vehicles – or being struck by moving vehicles – caused most deaths.

“It’s a sobering fact that agriculture has the worst rate of worker fatal injury of the main industry sectors – it is eighteen times as high as the average rate across all industries.

“This year, the additional challenges of working with COVID-19 restrictions, inexperienced staff perhaps working on farms for the first time and recent very dry conditions have combined to present an even bigger challenge than normal for the nation’s farmers.

“A major concern this year is that the COVID-19 pandemic means that childcare and school arrangements for many farming families have been disrupted and younger and school age children could be on farms during the very busy harvest period. Tragically, two children were among last year’s farming death toll.

“Fire is another major threat during harvest – particularly during drought conditions.  NFU Mutual claims figures show that the cost of farm fires in the UK hit a four-year peak at £46.4m in 2018 – largely due to the year’s hot dry summer.”

The increased scale of farm fires has prompted a call to farmers to check their fire prevention methods and evacuation procedures.

“To protect themselves and their workforces, we have compiled a safety checklist to help farmers plan a safe and smooth harvest. We also offer a pre-harvest training package for farmers to deliver to their employees, with discounts available to qualifying farming union members. To find out more, call 0800 132029.”

NFU Mutual Harvest Safety Checklist

Before harvest

• Put in place arrangements to enable social distancing, provision of PPE and regular hand washing to protect against COVID-19.
• Check your tractors, trailers, combines, balers and other harvest equipment, making sure they are safe, roadworthy and that you are up to date with maintenance schedules.
• Train your staff, especially new staff, to ensure they are aware of all safety hazards, emergency procedures and company and highway rules, especially in relation to harvest risks.
• Share detailed field and yard plans with staff and contractors, showing all risks and land features such as location of overhead powerlines, steep gradients, public rights of way, obscured field entrances, ditches etc.
• Remind staff to follow SAFE STOP before leaving cabs, ensuring parts have stopped before clearing blockages or carrying out maintenance, and to wear seat belts at all times, whether on highways or in fields / yards.

During harvest

• Regularly check that everyone complies with COVID-19 safety measures and other safety rules.
• Carry out daily vehicle/ machinery safety checks, regularly clean out dust and chaff from hot spots e.g. in combines and balers.
• Continue to remind staff to always practice SAFE STOP.
• In very dry conditions, keep a bowser filled with water on hand, and be prepared to create a fire break in the event of a crop fire.
• Remind staff to keep well-hydrated, take sufficient rest breaks and monitor for fatigue, stress and mental ill health symptoms. Look after and check in on lone workers.

In the yard 

• • Minimise non-essential visitors or contractors on site where possible and agree how you will manage social distancing etc. for those who need to be there.
  • Instruct drivers to keep to safe speeds in the yard and segregate pedestrians from vehicles where possible.
  • Keep children away from working areas.
  • Regularly clean dust from grain dryers and ensure that staff are fully trained and know what to do if a fire breaks out.
  • Make sure ladders and platforms are in good condition and a safe system of work is in operation for all work at height and other higher risk tasks (e.g. confined space entry).

NFU Mutual has also launched a free Coronavirus safety service to help farmers with information to protect themselves and farm workers from COVID-19. More information about safe working during the coronavirus outbreak and free online resources are available from NFU Mutual’s website: www.nfumutual.co.uk/business-service or to find out more about Harvest Safety courses call 0800 132029.

Information about farm safety and mental health is also available from the Farm Safety Foundation, founded and funded by NFU Mutual. Visit www.yellowwellies.org  or follow @yellowwelliesuk on Twitter to support the campaign.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson MP, calling for the Countryside Code to be taught in schools.

It comes following reports of worrying incidents taking place in rural areas as the country emerges from the Covid-19 crisis. These include fly-tipping, littering, trespassing, country lanes being blocked, gates being left open, dogs chasing livestock and a lack of social distancing.

There has been a spike in these types of actions occurring as more people have flocked to the countryside to enjoy the hot weather since lockdown rules were eased.

CLA President Mark Bridgeman said: “The countryside is a wonderful place and we want to see everybody enjoy it.  But we also want them to be safe, and respect the countryside as a place of work.

“A lack of education on how to treat the countryside has left a generation without a basic understanding of what is an acceptable and indeed necessary standard of behaviour in a rural, working environment which produces food for the nation. We all have a part of to play in improving that understanding, but help in the classroom would be a great start.

“With the recent problems arising, including the tragic death of another walker attacked by cattle, we strongly believe this is the right time to get the Countryside Code into classrooms.  There is an opportunity for lessons to be learned from the crisis.

“It is imperative we set standards and expectations, while promoting an ethos of respect for the countryside in schools up and down the country emphasising the impact it plays in children’s health, wellbeing and attainment.”

Furthermore, there have been reports of disposable barbecues in rural areas catching fire and destroying land and habitat. Reducing the risk of wildfires is key at this time of the year, and raising awareness is one way in which the risk can be reduced.

The Countryside Code, which applies to all parts of the countryside in England and Wales, aims to help everyone respect, protect and enjoy the outdoors.

To read the letter sent to Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson MP, click here

Willows Vet Group have launched a VetTech service to support with essential tasks to improve animal health, welfare and productivity on-farm.

Matt Haslam, farm director at the practice, explains that the VetTech team are working closely with farmers and their routine vet to undertake some of the little tasks that are often forgotten on farm, and also gather information to help build a wider picture of the health of the farm.

“I’ve seen VetTech services make a really valuable difference on farm. Undertaking the tasks that often get delayed or forgotten drives health and welfare.

“For example, our VetTechs will be scheduled in to disbud calves at the correct age, with the utmost skill and care, meaning that any negative impact on health and growth rates is minimised.”

By collecting reliable data, the VetTech team can also support the farmer and their routine vet in making management decisions on farm.

“Data collection really helps the vet and farm team build up a reliable picture of what is going on. This could be about colostrum administration, how the milking cows are transitioning or providing mobility scoring data.”

Matt explains that as part of VetPartners, Willows Vet Group team have been able to draw on the expertise and experience from other practices with VetTechs within the group, which has supported with the launch of the service.

“VetTechs from other practices have supported with upskilling our team, to ensure we can offer the best possible service for our farm clients,” he says.

“We’re offering a free trial of the service, to give farmers a first-hand opportunity to see how the VetTech team can support and contribute to their farm business.”

Get in touch with Matt to find out more, or to request a free trial of the service: matthaslam@willowsvetgroup.co.uk or 07502994708

Cereals LIVE – the online version of the arable event – has been a resounding success, attracting over 10,000 visitors from all over the world.

Having postponed the physical event due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the organisers decided to deliver as much content as possible online to support the industry during lockdown. The result was a two-day online event on 10th-11th June featuring a comprehensive seminar programme packed with top speakers, video demonstrations of machinery and new kit, crop plot tours and interactive chat with exhibitors.

“We have been overwhelmed at the reaction from the farming industry,” said event director Alli McEntyre. “Everyone has been really keen to get involved – and the response to the live webinars far exceeded our expectation. We had more than 9,000 live viewers, with the top session drawing over 800 attendees and every session producing some excellent questions from the audience.”

NFU president Minette Batters and Defra minister Victoria Prentis went head-to-head on the topic of food security and imports, with the NFU’s recent petition on maintaining high food standards having received nearly 900,000 signatories in just two weeks. “We’ve seen 72,000 emails going from members of the public to MPs – it just shows how strongly people feel; we’ve got to get this right,” said Ms Batters.

Mrs Prentis insisted that the Government was committed to high standards in agriculture and food safety. “In all of our trade negotiations we will not compromise on high environmental protection, animal welfare protection or food standards,” she said.

Other seminar topics included adapting to and mitigating climate change, precision farming technology, routes into farming, and the arable market outlook. In total there were 18 live webinars which averaged an audience of 487 each, plus two webinars available on demand.

“It was nice to see a really global reach, with 15% of the attendees joining from outside of the UK – from a total of 78 different countries,” said Ms McEntyre.

Visitors were also able to view plenty of machinery in action in the Syngenta Sprays & Sprayers Arena – where the Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year presentation took place. Scooping the top spot was Matt Fuller, who works at Heathcote Farms, Toddington, Bedfordshire. Making the presentation was NFU vice president Tom Bradshaw: “There’s going to be ever more scrutiny on the way we use plant protection products,” he said. “It’s absolutely critical that we can demonstrate professionalism right throughout the industry.”

The event offered a valuable opportunity for visitors to collect BASIS and NRoSO points, as well as a plethora of technical advice from exhibitors and through the NIAB virtual event hub. There were even virtual crop walks and video from crop plots at the original Cambridgeshire site.

Closing the event on each day was a virtual beer tent, where visitors could relax with friends, request live music from the resident DJ and pledge money to the charity partner RABI.

“Nothing can quite replace seeing friends, machinery and crops in person, but going online has enabled us to deliver a wide range of content and to reach a totally new audience,” said Ms McEntyre. “I’d like to thank all of our exhibitors, sponsors, speakers and visitors for contributing to such a successful event, and look forward to meeting you face-to-face next year.”

Key figures

• 10,812 attendees over the two days
• 67,166 page views
• 78 countries
• 9,260 webinar viewers
• 813 top webinar attendance
• 568 questions asked in webinars
• 114,100 impressions on Twitter over two days (@CerealsEvent)

Farmers are being urged to submit claims for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2020 as the deadline is looming.

The government announced in April that it wold extend the deadline from 15^th May to 15^th June in light of disruptions caused by Covid-19.

Speaking at Cereals LIVE, farming minister Victoria Prentis said: “I understand how important the payments for these schemes are to you all so I would urge you to get your applications claims into the Rural Payments Agency before the window closes on 15^th June.

“Any new applicants for the Countryside Stewardship Scheme have to be in by the 31^st July in order to be processed. We’ve also extended deadline to the end of July for submitting claims to the Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme.”

NFU BPS adviser Richard Wordsworth is advising farmers to get the application in ahead of the deadline and give yourself time to check the details are correct:

“I would urge you to get your BPS claim submitted as soon as possible if you have not done so to date. This will benefit both you and other claimants as the simple fact is it gives the RPA more time to process your claim this year ahead of the payment window opening in December.”

To help support farmers in the lead up to the 15^th June deadline, the RPA helpline (03000 200 301) will be open on Saturday 13^th and Sunday 14^th June from 8.30am-2pm.

For further information on:

BPS scheme: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bps-2020

Countryside Stewardship: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/countryside-stewardship

Environmental Stewardship: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/environmental-stewardship-guidance-and-forms-for-existing-agreement-holders

Matt Fuller has been named this year’s winner of the Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year (FSOOTY) award at the Cereals LIVE virtual event.

After leaving university four years ago, Matt began work at Heathcote Farms in Bedfordshire, where he is now the main sprayer operator.

He operates a 4,000-litre Bateman RB35 with 32m wide VG boom – one of the first in the UK to be equipped with the Capstan Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), which became the subject of his BASIS project.

First-time FSOOTY applicant Matt commented: “We saw the main benefits in investing in PWM is the improved accuracy from individual nozzle control, as well as the turn compensation to maintain consistent application rates.

“I’ve only been spraying for five years, but in that time I have seen big changes. I feel it’s so important to keep up to date with training – anything that increases my knowledge is worthwhile.”

Judges were impressed by how quickly Matt has progressed in his relatively short career, as well as his interest in his work and efforts to increase his knowledge.

Scott Cockburn, business manager and application specialist for FSOOTY organiser Syngenta, explained: “This year, judging the contestants by Zoom interviews and questioning, we have been hugely impressed by their knowledge and passion the job entails. Delving into the details, has revealed their professional approach to every application.

“Syngenta recognises that the skills of the sprayer operator are paramount in achieving the full potential from all our crop protection products. Matt has proved a worthy winner by demonstrating that best practice can deliver efficient, cost effective and, above all, safe crop spraying.”

Matt’s top tip was to use an old milk crate to hold 1-litre cans, so the lids can be unscrewed and kept ready for filling without the cans falling over.

As he announced the winner, NFU vice president Tom Bradshaw said: “We know that there’s going to be ever-more scrutiny on the way we use the plant protection products that are available to us.

“And it’s absolutely critical that we can demonstrate professionalism right the way through our industry. We know that the products are absolutely vital in delivering affordable food for society. It is also critical that we look after the environment at the same time.”

Mr Cockburn noted that the FSOOTY awards ceremony has only been cancelled once in its history – in 2001 due to the Foot and Mouth outbreak. In this most unusual year, finalists had to rise to the challenge of the final judging process remotely, via video conferencing.

Runners up this year were: Peter Dennis of Sentry, R Stenberg Farms in Kent; Luke Haynes from Montreal Estate in Kent; Steven Keal of Thelveton Farms in Diss; Michael Knight of A J Middleton in Kettering; and Tristan Newens of Windmill Down Farm in Hampshire.

Syngenta’s Harry Fordham said previous contestants for the award have noted that even if they didn’t win, the opportunity to share knowledge has been “invaluable”, as he encouraged people to enter and nominate others next year.

As we face a global pandemic that is unprecedented in most of our lifetimes, there has been much in the press about utilising the ‘blitz spirit’ to get us through these challenging times. And it appears that one thing is certainly comparable to war time – farm shops are reporting a dramatic increase in business as many consumers switch to buying local.

One farm in Suffolk has returned to ‘post-war’ methods of animal rearing, and since the Covid-19 pandemic, business is booming. Farmers Guide caught up with them to find out more.

Suffolk farmers Katie Mitcham-Henry and Mike Phillips are passionate about using traditional husbandry methods to rear their rare native breeds, which include English Longhorn cattle and Oxford Sandy and Black pigs. Such slow-rearing breeds were selected, not just because of their superior flavour, but also the conservation benefits they offer.

While ordinarily, a commercial pig could get to weight in 16-20 weeks, for Heath Farm Suffolk’s pigs, it takes around 30 weeks. “Our animals go to slaughter when they’re ready, we don’t push for time, they’re ready when they’re ready,” Katie explains.

Herds are 100 per cent grass-fed and medications are used only when needed, most commonly in breeding animals after difficult births. “Because we have low stocking densities and all our animals are free range, we don’t have that problem of, if one sow gets pneumonia it will spread through the whole shed. We keep closed flocks and herds so our animals build up their own natural immunity,” she adds.

“I don’t think we have ever given a meat animal any form of antibiotic and we don’t do vaccinations either, but we’ve never had a disease problem.”

Heath Farm Suffolk, which spans around 100 acres, provides a true ‘farm to fork’ experience, as Katie and Mike complete the entire process themselves – from rearing the animals, to taking them to slaughter, butchering and selling produce in the farm shop. For them, conservation, education and using the entire animal to avoid waste, are key to their vision.

Katie says: “Food, sadly, has become a throwaway commodity. Food is the only commodity in the UK where people don’t pay the true value of what it’s worth. You go to the hairdresser’s, you pay £100; people buy say half a lamb for £70 – that’s half a year’s work.

“We are rearing animals how our fathers reared them, using slow rearing breeds… We know that for every single one of our animals, the whole animal is used.

“We know food waste in this country is through the roof. People go to the supermarket and buy three packs for £10 and if it goes out of date, because it’s a throwaway commodity, they throw it in the bin.”

As the farm sells everything it rears in the farm shop, Katie says they are in control of where their meat goes, and can rear according to demand. Using all of the animal means they do not need to rear large numbers of animals, she adds.

Katie makes all of the ready meals sold in the shop, including steak and kidney puddings and liver and bacon casseroles, to ensure the entire animal is used. Leftover vegetables are also made into sauces and chutneys.

On paper, the farm is carbon neutral, but in reality, Katie says, it is carbon negative.

Heath Farm makes its own winter feed and this is the first year that pregnant cows were brought inside to calve, owing to the exceptionally wet winter. All breeding stock live their entire lives outside on grass and haylage, and ex-breeding stock are given a free-range retirement on the farm.

Building up the farm

Katie and Mike have built up their farm over the years without any financial help, from just 12 acres when Mike started, to around 100 acres today.

“We get no subsidies, no grants no loans, we have done it ourselves,” Katie says. “Even though we’ve always been full time on the farm, we have had other jobs to pay our feed bills. We can turn around at the end of the day and say all those livestock in the field, we own. The bank is not going to turn up and take our farm away. “

Before Heath Farm, Katie was a highly successful professional chef but came back to run her family’s arable farm in Suffolk when her father was left paralysed by a car crash. She and Mike went into business together after finding they had a shared vision.

Backing British farming

Commenting on criticisms often levelled at farmers in the media, Katie says farmers do their work “for the love of it”, not for profit, and that given the choice “wouldn’t farmers like to be able to rear less animals with a higher welfare, working with the environment, rather than having to force mass production to meet demand for cheap food?”

She also points out: “If we had to give up our 100 acres because we weren’t supported, I’d say 80 per cent of our land would be turned into housing. So for me, if people supported British farming then hopefully we will be preserving land. The more our business grows and develops, the more green land we can retain.”

Katie believes that the pandemic has prompted more people to source locally, and the farm shop has seen a five-fold increase in business.

“Everyone puts a value on cigarettes, alcohol, hairdressing, but when it comes to something that’s meant to sustain you, keep you healthy – obviously what you put in your body determines how your body will work – I think we’ve somehow lost over time actually valuing where food comes from because it’s become a throwaway commodity.

“With what’s been happening lately with Covid, people are starting to source locally and want better food – and it actually doesn’t cost much different.”

Customers shopping at Heath Farm during the pandemic can park in a nearby meadow, handwashing facilities must be used before entering the shop and only one person is allowed in at a time. Different sections of the shop also help to allow for social distancing when paying.

Children are given educational packs and Katie says she tries to educate new customers on what their farm does, and the value of British food, when they come into the shop.

Heath Farm are not alone in seeing a spike in customers since the pandemic. After panic buying left many supermarkets with empty shelves back in March, many turned to their local farm to get supplies. Even now, delivery slots are hard to come by and many prefer the stress-free shopping experience provided by a rural shop, to socially-distanced queues and one-way systems in the supermarket.

Let’s hope that when the pandemic is over, consumers remember the value of British food, and the local farm shops that supplied them with healthy nutritious food during a global crisis.

ADAMA has today announced the launch of a new ferric phosphate-based professional molluscicide aimed specifically at controlling slug populations in UK growing conditions.

Gusto IRON is a 3% ferric phosphate molluscicide for use in cereals, oilseed rape, potatoes and a wide range of horticultural crops. The new slug pellets offer several key advantages over other ferric-based molluscicides, in particular excellent palatability and extended durability during wet weather.

“ADAMA’s new ferric phosphate slug pellets have been developed using the same Desidro technology that made our outgoing Gusto 3 metaldehyde pellets the market-leader,” explains Melanie Wardle, Molluscicide Product Manager for ADAMA.

The Desidro manufacturing system uses a two-stage drying technique which microwaves the wet-processed pellets to dry them from the inside before using a convection heater to gently dry the exterior. This ensures an ideal balance between persistence and palatability, with ADAMA’s pellets proving hard enough to ensure good weather resistance, but also remaining palatable to slugs even when first applied.

The Desidro process also ensures excellent ballistic characteristics and minimal pellet shattering for an accurate spreading pattern and baiting point density, even when applying across wide working widths.

“According to the AHDB, slug damage costs UK farmers an estimated £100m per year,” Ms. Wardle continues. “Unfortunately, despite the recent dry conditions, the excessively wet start to the year is predicted to have intensified the challenge by significantly boosting slug populations. On top of this, the impending loss of metaldehyde means that, until new active ingredients are developed and approved for professional use, ferric phosphate will be the only molluscicide active ingredient available to UK growers.”

Chemicals Registration Division (CRD) registration for Gusto IRON was officially received on 21^st May 2020, with the first shipment of pellets expected to be available via UK distributors in July.

“ADAMA’s technical and regulatory teams worked tirelessly to ensure Gusto IRON was available ahead of the new cropping season so that UK growers have access to a molluscicide they know will provide long-lasting and effective levels of protection even in wet conditions, thereby allowing them to apply the right pellet at the right time and at the right dose,” Ms. Wardle continues.

Gusto IRON is supplied in 20kg bags. The maximum inclusion rate per dose is 7kg/ha. The maximum total dose is 28kg/ha/year. VIEW PRODUCT HERE.

Novel molluscicide in development

ADAMA has also started to develop a second new molluscicide which uses a novel active ingredient. This molluscicide will also use the Desidro process to produce palatable, long-lasting slug pellets. No further details are available at present, but more information will be made available as soon as possible.

BASIS members joining this year’s Cereals LIVE event, taking place digitally on 10th and 11th June, can still collect the BASIS points they would ordinarily pick up at the show.

Stephen Jacob, BASIS CEO, explains that the organisation has been working hard to continue to support members keep up-to-date with the latest developments and industry issues, despite the current situation.

“A huge number of BASIS points are earned at Cereals each year, and we don’t want our members to miss out on the opportunity to advance their knowledge,” he says.

“So, we’re offering up to six BASIS CPD points per day, for completing a series of webinars and the online Knowledge Trail that the Cereals organisers are developing.

“There’s a fantastic line up of thought-provoking webinars on offer during the two days, including everything from climate change and ELMS, to sustainable crop health, soils and skills for the future.”

Stephen explains that each webinar will end with a short questionnaire before participants are required to input their membership number (starting with 20…) to be allocated with one BASIS CPD point per session.

For further information, please visit www.basis-reg.co.uk or contact help@basis-reg.co.uk.

The National Sheep Association has said it is disappointed to see that Covid-19 has had a serious impact on wool prices in the UK.

While February to May is usually the busiest selling period of the year, the global market for cross bred wool has been shut since February and remains closed. As a result British Wool says there is circa 9 million kgs of unsold stock, out of a total 2019-20 clip of 27 million kgs.

The average price paid to wool producers for the 2019/20 clip will be 32p/kg, compared to 60p/kg in 2018, the cooperative says.

Some mountain wools will achieve 15p/kg and some finer white wools more than 70p/kg.

By way of comparison, British Wool says this year’s payment is in line with those paid in the late 2000s at the time of the financial crisis.

Balances will be paid as normal upon receipt of this season’s wool. If the 2019/20 unsold stock is sold at a higher price than British Wool’s assumed value, a further payment will be made later this year, depending on the economic outlook at the time.

British Wool said in a statement: ‘The hard fact is that the global cross bred wool market will be extremely challenging for the foreseeable future…

‘We are asking producers to support us through this very difficult season by bringing their wool into us so that we can preserve the volume use of British wool downstream, further develop our new British wool rich product ranges and emerge from the Covid-19 slump ready to exploit a strengthening market.

‘Without the consolidation of wool into commercial volumes through British Wool and our continuing to market it more and more effectively, the prospect will be for lower prices indefinitely.’

Commenting, NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said: “It’s not fully clear how the reduced value of the remainder of the 2019/20 clip will affect the overall value of a farmers wool delivered last year, but it would be easy to assume total fleece values might be down by 50 per cent.

“Cash flows will be affected, and many farmers will be faced with a bill from their shearing contractors but with no income to offset that. Although there are plenty of sheep farmers who do get real value from their wool most will at least expect it to cover shearing and wool handling costs. A fall of 50 per cent of total value would, for most, mean total income not clearing costs.”

Mr Stocker said the NSA is “disappointed” that British Wool has reportedly been unable to access the government’s Covid-19 support schemes.