British food, farming and animal welfare standards are among the best in the world, and we are right to be proud of them. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the importance of healthy local food has perhaps not been so appreciated since the Second World War – and while our lives may be unrecognisable since the pandemic, our farmers are still out, working hard to feed the nation in spite of numerous challenges.
For many, local farmers and farm shops have been a lifeline when the supermarket shelves were bare. And yet, despite these efforts, farmers could be facing another challenge as the government recently voted against measures to protect the industry from lower standard imports – a move which has prompted dismay, not only among farmers but animal welfare organisations, environmentalists, vets, MPs and even TV chef Jamie Oliver.
In the current crisis, Brexit seems an almost distant memory but the wheels are still turning, and the Agriculture Bill has now passed to the House of Lords. While the government has often promised to prevent imports of food that would be illegal to produce here, this has not yet been enshrined in law and a recent debate in the House of Commons saw Neil Parish MP table an amendment that would have prevented such imports. Despite much cross-party support, it was voted down by a margin of 51 votes.
There has been a great deal of concern that future trade deals – for example with the US – could see products including chlorinated chicken, hormone-injected beef and eggs from battery caged hens, making their way onto our supermarket shelves. As these products are far cheaper to produce, they could undercut British farmers who have to adhere to much higher standards.
So, what does this mean for agriculture, and should we be worried?
How do we compare?
Having spent decades working hard to improve food safety, animal welfare and antibiotic use, whilst lowering our impact on the environment, it is no surprise that the prospect of cheaper, lower quality imports are a source of huge concern.
Battery cages were banned in the UK in 2012, sow stalls in 1999 and growth hormones for beef across the EU in 1989. Antibiotic sales for livestock were cut by an impressive 53 per cent between 2014 and 2018 and only cold air and water can be used to wash chicken carcases.
Meanwhile in the US, there are no federal laws on animal welfare, sow stalls are legal in major pig producing states and growth hormones are widely used in beef production. Pathogen-reduction treatments such as chlorine dioxide are used to wash carcases for around 25-30 per cent of US poultry production at the lower end. BST hormones, which increase milk production in dairy cows, are also banned in the UK but remain legal in the US. The use of ractopamine (which promotes lean meat growth), again is still allowed in US pig production, but banned in the UK. This is without mentioning the stringent rules on space and enrichment, for example, that British farmers adhere to. US arable farmers also have access to numerous pesticides that UK farmers are not allowed to use.
The National Beef Association’s CEO Neil Shand has said the organisation is most troubled by the lack of provision in the Bill for food security and standards. “Food security – or the lack of it – has been harshly exposed in the current pandemic, and we are gravely concerned that there has been no food security study carried out by the Government prior to the introduction of the new Agriculture Bill.
“UK food standards, especially in regard to welfare and traceability of beef, are world class. Our rigorous system ensures that British beef is sourced from farms which have a responsibility both to the welfare of the animal, and to the documentation and recording of medication administered to that animal. Imported cheaper beef may not have the same governance of welfare and transparency, and clear labelling is imperative to ensure the consumer is aware of the choice they are making.”
Backing British farmers
Discussions over the Ag Bill have seen everyone from animal welfare and environmental groups to MPs, farming groups and vets speaking out in support of British farmers, and urging the government to reconsider its stance. The recent debate in the Commons saw a number of cross-party MPs give impassioned speeches backing British farmers.
Neil Parish MP, who tabled the amendment, said: “Let us not be frightened of putting clauses into the Bill that protect us, with the great environmental and welfare standards that we want the whole Bill to have, and that farmers want to have…
“I want great trade deals. I am not a little Englander who will defend our agriculture against all imports—quite the reverse. I think competition is good, but on a level playing field that allows us to produce great food and allows our consumers to have great food, and makes sure that we deliver good agriculture and environment for the future.”
MP for North Dorset Simon Hoare, who opened the debate, said we should “shun” cheap, poor quality imports and instead be “a beacon for excellence and high standards”. Similarly, Luke Pollard MP added: “What kind of country do we want to be—one where farm standards are a pawn in a trade deal with our values traded for market access, or a nation that says Britain is a force for good in the world and upholds our high standards for food grown locally and food imported alike? At a time of climate crisis, we must choose to rebuild a better, greener, more sustainable and fairer Britain than we had before.”
Deidre Brock, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, spoke with similar anger at the prospect of lower standard imports: “Save our farmers, save our cooking and save our families… Do not dump rubbish in our kitchens and on our plates. Let us have standards on imported food that are as high as the standards on food produced on these islands. I noted the Minister’s commitment in her speech to maintaining those standards, but I cannot understand why it is not on the face of the Bill.”
Some MPs, however, argued that accepting the amendment would make it difficult for the UK to make trade deals with other countries, while others said the Trade Bill was a more appropriate place for such a clause.
Many organisations outside of farming have voiced their concerns about the impact of lower standards foods on British farmers, including the RSPCA, RSPB, the Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust. The British Veterinary Association was among the veterinary organisations to stand up for farmers: “We stand with the farming community in questioning how the government now intends to honour its manifesto commitment to maintain and enhance animal welfare standards.”
Many organisations are now urging the House of Lords to reject the un-amended Bill and send it back to the Commons.
Support for farmers also appears to be growing among consumers and supermarkets, with a recent trend for announcing measures backing British food. The Co-op recently upped its supply of steak by 40 per cent across its stores, while Morrisons reopened steak and seafood bars and offered its farmers a 5 per cent discount on shopping. M&S launched a six-week campaign to support British farmers and continued to guarantee a leading and fair price for milk.
Jamie Oliver also penned an open letter to the Prime Minister, published in the Mail on Sunday, where he warns:
‘We could be about to open the floodgates to a whole raft of low-quality food that would normally be illegal in the UK. Chlorinated chicken is just the tip of the iceberg. We’re talking about genetically modified food, stuffing animals full of hormones and antibiotics, banned pesticides that kill our bees, and an avalanche of foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar.
‘What’s more, we’ll be threatening the future of our farmers and food producers who, despite extraordinary challenges, have worked so hard to keep us fed throughout the Covid-19 crisis.’
What do consumers want?
Talk of lower standard food imports begs the question, would consumers buy these products if they were available? Research carried out last year by ComRes, on behalf of the Guide of Agricultural Journalists, found that 84 per cent of the public who responded believed imports should match British standards. Around one in six (16 per cent) said they would buy food that they knew was produced to lower animal welfare standards, if it was cheaper. Meanwhile an RSPCA poll found that 67 per cent of people are concerned that cheap imports of lower welfare products could seriously undermine UK standards.
It may also be worth noting a change in some consumer habits in the current situation. If there are any positives to be found in the Covid-19 pandemic – and it can be hard to find a silver lining – it is that the value of local British food is more appreciated than ever. With the vegan movement gaining traction in recent years, and a decline in the understanding of where food comes from, it is fair to say that the farming industry was under-appreciated by many. Though it is saddening that it took a global pandemic for local food to be appreciated, many farm shops are now reporting booming sales. Consumers appear to be looking for an easier, safer solution to shopping for fresh food, as delivery or click and collect slots remain few and far between. Heath Farm in Suffolk says its sales have increased five-fold since the pandemic.
Lockdown has also offered valuable opportunities for children to learn more about where their food comes from, and many farms have used YouTube videos to offer a countryside classroom.
What does the future hold?
Although there has been a clear and welcome boost in support for British farmers, and despite assurances from the government that lower standard imports will not be allowed, there was clear disquiet among many MPs that this pledge has not been included in the Bill. It was evident in the debate that many MPs felt that verbal assurances are simply not enough. Our agricultural sector is something to be proud of and our standards are worth fighting for. As a society we all have a role to play in standing up for British farming and it appears that many sectors are backing British farmers.
To sign the petition calling on the government to send the Ag Bill back to the House of Commons for amendment, visit HERE.
As a specialist in professional arable farming, Lemken believes in knowledge, quality and innovation. Combined with a comprehensive customer service offering, farmers can choose from a wide range of high quality soil cultivation, drilling and crop care technology. Discussions around sustainable crop care as well as the constantly increasing regulatory requirements in the various markets have prompted the agricultural technology specialist to permanently discontinue its production of conventional field sprayers.
CEO Anthony van der Ley explains: “After over 10 years operating in this segment, we have not reached a market-relevant size. The legal requirements in each of our markets are increasing and becoming more and more disparate. This means that there is no single Lemken field spraying standard that can meet our quality standards and the variety of customer preferences, with which we could achieve a satisfactory production run. We are also seeing that, even from a consumer standpoint, the boundaries for chemical crop care products are becoming ever higher. Although we introduced several future-focused new models at the last Agritechnica, and our team is extremely motivated by the great reception, we are choosing this moment to break from our field spraying range in a responsible manner”.
As a family company, Lemken is taking this step to position itself strongly and independently for the future. This means that it intends to strengthen and expand its soil cultivation, drilling technology and crop care product areas in order to sustain its position as an innovative market leader. In doing so, “crop care” will be concentrated on sustainable crop care solutions (including the recently introduced fertiliser spreaders) in future. Lemken acquired the Dutch hoeing technology specialist Steketee two years ago for this reason. This creates the opportunity to combine mechanical weed control with precise, selective band spraying or spot spraying, thus contributing to environmentally sound solutions when compared to broadcast spraying. At the same time, the new process saves farmers time and money.
Van der Ley sees a trend to meet the increasing demand for mechanical weed control with intelligent controls. “Not only does Steketee offer a range of innovative hoeing technology, it also has the most intelligent camera technology on the market. We want to connect these machines to our digital solutions and make them adaptive. The environment is changing very fast right now. This is why farmers and contractors are now positioning themselves, whether they farm organically or conventionally, and are choosing the best model for them to be able to farm smartly and sustainably. It is a future theme for all of us, to ensure global food security despite environmental restrictions”.
The site in Haren (Emsland) where the field sprayers have been produced will be retained and in fact be expanded to assemble seed drills in the future. This step will enable future expansion to meet the steep rise in demand for these products and make space for future models planned in the seed drilling and precision seeding areas. It will also free up additional capacities at the main site in Alpen for the production of soil cultivation equipment. Farmers who own a Lemken field sprayer are guaranteed a continued supply of replacement parts as well as continued access to Lemken customer service. Customer orders will be accepted and fulfilled up until the end of the year.
After the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic left many supermarket shelves bare, and with home delivery slots still hard to come by, many people are now opting for their local farm shop as a more relaxed, socially distant way of getting supplies.
A number of farm shops that have remained open with social distancing are reporting a marked increase in business. Fielding Cottage in Norfolk has seen takings go up 35 times since the start of the pandemic.
Founder Sam Steggles says customers are now asking more questions about where the food comes from, with a notable preference for British food. The shop’s Norfolk-sourced strawberries were a hit over those sourced from Spain.
The shop sources its produce as locally as possible, with all meat coming from the nearby Swannington Farm. A variety of produce is on offer at the shop, which is adapting to meet changes in demand – it is now selling fresh fish, fruit and veg, Norfolk cheeses, meat, salad, popcorn, bread, potatoes, jams and chutneys as well as toilet roll, compost and plants, to name a few.
In line with social distancing rules the shop allows a maximum of six people in at a time, and offers benches outdoors for people to enjoy a coffee after their shopping is complete.
Similarly, Charlotte Gurney, who runs White House Farm in Norfolk, says the farm shop and particularly the butchery have been “unbelievably busy” as they adapt to a new way of life.
The business quickly introduced an online system early in the pandemic, so that customers can fill out their shopping list online and staff will pick it and pack it ready for safe collection in the car park.
Charlotte says the repeat business has been “fantastic” and they are packing around 70-100 orders on Saturdays, and 30-50 mid-week. The butchery is at around double the workload mid-week and 80 per cent of customers are also opting for the takeaway coffee service.
Essington Farm in Wolverhampton is enjoying similar success with director Will Simkin telling Birmingham Live that they are seeing hundreds of new customers flocking to their business.
“It would be nice to retain these new customers,” he said. “It would be nice to be remembered in a couple of months’ time, or when it has all blown over, for who fed them during the coronavirus crisis.
“It wasn’t Tesco or Sainsbury’s. It was their local farm shop. We believe in the quality of our product, which always brings people back.”
The NFU has launched a petition calling for the government to enshrine in law its promise to prevent food being imported to the UK that would be illegal to produce here.
So far, the petition has nearly 60,000 signatures.
A recent debate on the Agriculture Bill saw MPs vote to reject an amendment that would have prevented British farmers being undercut by lower standard food imports. The Bill has now passed to the House of Lords.
Concerns have been raised by numerous sectors that future trade deals could allow products such as chlorinated chicken, hormone-injected beef and eggs from battery caged hens. The government has pledged to prevent such imports, but has yet to enshrine its promise in law.
Such food would be cheaper to produce than British food and many fear that allowing lower standard imports would pave the way for a ‘race to the bottom,’ preventing farmers from having a level playing field with global competitors.
Some MPs who voted against the amendment argued that it could make it difficult for the UK to make trade deals, or that such provisions should be made in the Trade Bill, not the Ag Bill.
The NFU petition reads: ‘I want the food I eat to be produced to world leading standards.
‘Our Government should ensure that all food eaten in the UK – whether in our homes, schools, hospitals, restaurants or from shops – is produced in a way that matches the high standards of production expected of UK farmers. Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of food security and traceability.
‘I believe the UK Government should seize the opportunities of ‘Global Britain’ to promote sustainable models of production and consumption across the world.
‘Farming throughout the UK has high standards of safety and welfare with an ambition to be net zero in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. There are very strict controls on farming methods allowed in the UK and I expect the same of all food which is imported here so the food I eat is as safe, traceable and produced to high welfare and environmental standards.
Before the UK begins to negotiate trade deals with countries around the world, I call on the UK Government to put into law rules that prevent food being imported to the UK which is produced in ways that would be illegal here.’
Sign the petition here: https://www.nfuonline.com/news/latest-news/food-standards-petition/
“The future viability of the agricultural sector will depend on growers embracing more environmentally and financially sustainable crop production systems,” said farmer and strip seeding pioneer, Jeff Claydon, during the filming of a Virtual Open Day at the Claydon factory and 340-hectare arable enterprise at Wickhambrook, Suffolk, in May.
Innovative, family-owned company Claydon normally hosts a series of annual open days attended by hundreds of farmers from all over the UK and overseas. This year, however, the Covid-19 lockdown meant that the events planned for 22nd and 23rd April 2020 had to be cancelled, so another way had to be found to enable them to experience Claydon’s latest developments and innovations. Instead, it filmed a Virtual Open Day to enable farmers to experience the latest developments without travelling.
Themed around ‘Soil: its health, our future’, the event incorporated a range of soil, crop and machinery-related presentations, which are available to view online by going to www.claydondrill.com and clicking the ‘Claydon Open Days’ icon on the home page.
The event started with a presentation by Jeff Claydon on the importance of optimising soil health and how to achieve it. During a tour of the Claydon farm, Dick Neale, technical manager for leading agronomy company Hutchinsons, also emphasised the importance of soil health and soil structure, how to assess it, and the role of cover crops.
The Virtual Open Day also saw export sales manager Simon Revell discuss how worms are nature’s indicators of good soil health, while commercial director Spencer Claydon outlined how the company’s TerraBlade inter-row hoe provides a low-cost, mechanical method of controlling weeds in combinable, band-sown crops. Oliver Claydon, operations and manufacturing director, then talked through the key benefits of the Claydon Hybrid drill, the cornerstone of the Claydon Opti-Till System.
As a supplier of agricultural machinery and spare parts to farmers, Claydon is an essential business for helping to ensure that the agricultural industry can keep supplying food to consumers and processors.
The company has therefore been able to keep its design, manufacturing and service centre operating at capacity throughout the current crisis whilst following government guidelines on safe working during the pandemic. With support from its global dealer network the company continues to manufacture its range of tractor-mounted and trailed Hybrid seed drills, Straw Harrows, TerraStar light rotary cultivators and TerraBlade inter-row hoes which are marketed and sold by the company’s commercial team.
Adapting to the new normal
“The Covid-19 lockdown has given many people in society, including farmers, a lot more time to think about what is really important in life, re-evaluate how they work, and consider how they can operate more efficiently, effectively and sustainably,” Jeff stated.
“Consumers are now much more aware that good food and clean water are amongst life’s few basic requirements, what it takes to ensure that a continuous supply of high-quality products reaches retailers’ shelves and how easily and quickly that supply chain can be disrupted. It has also underlined the importance and value of the farming and food sectors, so there is a real opportunity for those with the Farm Assured standard and Red Tractor brand to better inform and educate the public on these critical topics.
“After a season of very erratic weather farmers have been in reflective mood as many who relied on conventional or min-till methods were often unable to establish their planned area of autumn- and spring-sown crops. To avoid being in that position again, many are reconsidering their approach and looking to adopt a more efficient, resilient system which reduces the weather-related, agronomic, environmental, and financial risks involved in crop production.
“Conventional full cultivations and min-till systems often over-work the soil and destroy its structure, with an adverse impact on worm populations and activity. This reduces the soil’s ability to drain water away in wet weather and increases moisture loss in dry conditions. Starving the crop’s roots of essential air and nutrients also reduces yield potential and increases the cost-per-tonne of production, whilst the risks from flooding and soil erosion are substantially higher. Similarly, min-till systems and disc-type direct drills can create soils which drain slowly, resulting in crops with poor rooting structures and low yield potential.
“The Opti-Till System does just enough cultivation in the seeding and rooting zone to provide the crop with the ideal growing environment, give it the strongest possible start and produce plants with strong rooting structures. The patented, leading tine, which is adjustable to operate from 0–150mm deep, lifts and aerates the soil whilst creating a drainage tract and space for roots to develop. The separate seeding tine then places seed within a band, batter boards cover it over and the following harrow levels the surface.
“Most worm burrows are left undisturbed, safeguarding their numbers and aiding drainage, whilst plant roots from the previous crop also remain largely undisturbed, adding to the soil bacteria, and improving the soil’s structure. Organic matter depletion is minimised due to nominal soil disturbance and soil moisture and nitrogen are preserved.”
Huge benefits from doing less
“On the Claydon farm we have seen huge benefits from using the Opti-Till System, the most important being the ability of the farm to produce higher-yielding crops more cost effectively and more profitably, even in a season such as this when the weather has been as extreme as I have seen in 52 years on the farm,” Jeff outlined.
“The Claydon System is simple. First, we harvest the crop, doing an excellent job of chopping and spreading the straw, then carry out a small amount of stubble management using the Straw Harrow. This is one of the most important but under-rated pieces of equipment, because it spreads the straw evenly and moves it onto the surface of the soil where the worms can harvest it as a food source. The Straw Harrow also helps to destroy slugs and slug eggs, while the shallow tilth it creates provides the perfect environment for volunteers and weeds to chit. Our 15m Straw Harrow covers 25ha an hour using 2 litres/ha of fuel, so it is a fast, economical operation.
“Where slightly more soil movement is required, we use the TerraStar light rotary cultivator to create up to 30mm of tilth, then drill the field, roll to consolidate the seedbed and treat the crop in the normal way.
“The Claydon System is simple, fast and very cost-effective but produces much stronger, quicker-establishing, healthier plants with enhanced rooting structures which help the crop to develop its full potential. To establish one hectare of crop using a conventional plough-based system requires 110 minutes/ha of reasonable weather conditions, min-till takes 42 min/ha and the Claydon Opti-Till System just 26min/ha, giving a wider window of opportunity and much less weather risk. .
“The Cost Calculator on the Claydon website shows that if a 1,000ha farm using min-till carried out one pass with a deep tine cultivator costing €62/ha, two passes with a spring tine at €42/ha, drilling with an 8m drill at €40 and rolling at €13.35, so the total cost of establishing the crop would be €141/ha. Using the Claydon System, one pass with a 15m Straw Harrow would cost €15.96/ha, drilling with an 8m Claydon Hybrid would add €38.40/ha and rolling €13.35, for a total cost of €67.71. That represents a saving of €73.29/ha, or €73,000 on a 1000ha farm, but the benefits do not end there.
“Ten years of independent trials by seed breeder Saaten-Union found that a plough-based system produced an average yield of 8.64t/ha, compared with 9.42t/ha for the Claydon System, a year-on-year yield increase of 9 per cent. In a very dry year such as 2011 this differential increased to 26 per cent in favour of the Claydon System, which yielded 9.2t/ha, compared with 7.3t/ha for the plough-based system.
“The combination of establishment cost savings and 9 per cent average yield increase would see the 1000ha example farm generate an additional €221,210 in annual revenue.”
Excellent results despite the weather
“This autumn on the Claydon farm we established all 280 hectares of winter wheat, beans and oilseed rape that were planned in just 70 hours using the Opti-Till System.
“After harvest we had plenty of time to carry out an effective stubble management programme with a 15m Claydon Straw Harrow and 6m TerraStar. All our winter wheat was in the ground by 31st October, somewhat later than normal, and the autumn establishment programme was completed on 19th November when the last of the winter beans went in using our 6m Hybrid T6c drill. Despite atrocious weather at the time, the crops established well and even headlands areas now look exceptional.
“Wider crop rotations, combined with a 50:50 split between wheat and break crops, have helped to spread the workload. After harvest we had plenty of time to carry out an effective stubble management programme with our 15m Straw Harrow and 6m TerraStar. This encouraged multiple flushes of volunteers and weeds, any remaining green material being killed off with a single application of full-rate glyphosate in October/November. For spring crops this left fields clean but with a shallow layer of surface tilth which provided ideal conditions over the winter and prevented the surface from capping.
“Between the end of September and mid-March we had only three consecutive dry days, but our soils remained in excellent health. When the rain finally stopped, we had almost the exact opposite situation: no rain, dry winds, and hot sunshine. Nevertheless, we were able to drill the remaining 46 hectares of spring crops directly into this perfect growing environment during the last week of March, then in the last week of April 30mm of rain arrived just at the right time.
“Our customers throughout the UK and overseas have reported that Opti-Till works reliably, even in the far-from-perfect conditions we have experienced this season. It greatly improves timeliness, reduces establishment costs by up to 80 per cent, creates well-structured, supportive soils, encourages high worm populations, promotes biodiversity, and ensures excellent drainage. This results in sustainable, high yields, greater resilience to extreme weather events, reduced agronomic and financial risks, numerous environmental benefits and improved profitability.”
Enormous benefits for the soil
Dick Neale, technical manager of Hutchinsons, who has surveyed soils on the Claydon farm and found them to be in optimum condition, with excellent structure and permeability, used coloured dye to highlight how worm burrows allow water to permeate the profile and root structures to develop. He stated:
“The Opti-Till System generates enormous benefits to soil biota, soil structure and crop performance, with only straw returned to the soil and no organic matter added from other sources such as manures or digestate.
“Conventional full cultivations and min-till systems can over-work the soil, while sunlight kills the bacteria in the inverted soil. These methods also reduce worm populations by up to 80 per cent, inhibiting the soil’s ability to drain water away in wet weather and increasing moisture losses in dry conditions. Starving the crop’s roots of essential air and nutrients reduces yield potential and increases the cost-per-tonne of production, whilst the risks from flooding and soil erosion are substantially higher. Similarly, the use of min-till systems and disc-type direct drills results in soils which drain poorly and flood easily, creating crops with poor rooting structures and low yield potential.
“With Opti-Till most worm burrows are left undisturbed, which safeguards their numbers and helps drainage. Roots from the previous crop are also left largely undisturbed, adding to the level of soil bacteria, and improving soil structure. Organic matter depletion is minimised due to nominal soil disturbance, whilst moisture and nitrogen are preserved.”
This spring Mr Neale’s work on the Claydon farm included taking 10 spade-sized soil samples from a field of winter wheat and in one he found up to 52 Epigeic, Anecic and Endogeic worms.
“That tells me that the soil is in good shape,” Dick Neale stated. “Worms burrow up to 2m deep and are fundamental to efficiently draining and oxygenating the soil, acting as pumps by pushing oxygen around the network of borrows as they move through the profile. If soil has 30 deep-working earthworms per square metre things really start to happen and the benefits quickly become apparent.”
Currently, over two thirds of CNH Industrial’s production sites around the world are operational, albeit at a reduced rate, and the vast majority are expected to reopen by the end of May.
According to the company, the resumption of manufacturing operations is proceeding according to plan, and follows all Covid-19 health and safety protocols on a global basis. Central to this process is employee health and safety and agreements with trade unions, to ensure full engagement with the resumption of activities.
More than two thirds of the company’s 67 plants are already operational, to varying degrees. On a regional basis, more than 75 per cent of production sites in Europe and some 60 per cent in North America, in South America and in the rest of the world are already operational; in the case of the latter, when considering joint ventures, this proportion approaches 90 per cent.
Priority was given to agricultural and powertrain manufacturing, considered essential industries by governments, and in response to local market demands. These were followed by commercial and specialty vehicle manufacturing, given the importance of the transportation and civil protection sectors at this time, and thereafter construction equipment production.
The company plans to return to full operation at most sites by the end of the month. Modifications may be necessary if local or regional situations deteriorate or in response to specific critical issues, such as end market conditions and supply chains.
From the beginning of the pandemic, the company has continuously maintained support and assistance to its sales networks and global spare parts and components supply. End customers, together with the dealer network, have been fully supported by CNH Industrial Aftermarket Solutions, and today, almost all of its 45 logistics hubs are operational, the majority of which are running at full capacity.
To guarantee future product innovation, CNH Industrial is maintaining its commitment to its most significant research and development programs.
Slovenian tipper body specialist Farmtech constructs high-quality equipment, which runs continuous transports with heavy loads. The heavy-duty dump tipper, Gravis 2000, features Hardox 450 wear plate throughout its body, which Farmtech says is its ‘recipe for success’.
As farmers haul not only grain but also heavy soil and rocks, machines require the highest level of quality to ensure the equipment is durable.
“Hardox is a material that corresponds to all our needs,” says Miro Hajdinjak, development manager at Farmtech. “We have been using Hardox steel for many years, so we knew that it would be the perfect fit for the Gravis 2000. We decided to design the tipper body entirely out of Hardox 450, which gave an extra advantage.”
The most critical part is the floor, which is subject to very big loads. But the sides of the tipper body also need to withstand a lot of wear and tear. “Having Hardox in our tippers means we can use a thinner wear plate because it is stronger than other steel materials. A thinner, yet stronger steel, means reduced weight of the tipper, so end customers can increase the loads they transport,” Hajdinjak explains.
Road regulations specify a maximum weight for vehicles, so the more material the tipper can carry, the fewer trips it needs to make. Even with a payload of 26 tonnes, the end customer complies with vehicle weight regulations, reducing fuel consumption. The productivity of the Gravis 2000 is also boosted by the longer life span that Hardox steel offers.
The conical shape of Farmtech’s Gravis 2000 dumper body is made exclusively out of Hardox 450 wear plate. This ensures endurance in the face of demanding agricultural work, transporting dirt and large rocks, both off-road and on-road.
Being a Hardox In My Body customer programme member gives Farmtech an advantage in the market, as it is a guarantee for customers that the dump tippers are made out of high-quality steel.
“Hardox 450 ensures durability of the tipper trailer,” Hajdinjak says. “Buying a trailer with a body made of Hardox has many advantages. The life span is longer due to less wear and tear, and there is a bigger marketability because of the customer knowledge of the material.”
Skipton Auction Mart, the UK’s leading working sheep dog sale venue, is forging ahead with pioneering plans to stage what is thought to be the nation’s – possibly even the world’s – first virtual timed sale, with real-time viewing.
Live working sheep dogs sales, which attract large crowds, cannot be held while Covid-19 restrictions remain in place and the North Yorkshire mart is well advanced with plans to organise and run the online initiative over a six-day period from Sunday to Friday, July 12–17th.
Following the forced cancellation of the spring sale earlier in May, in a letter to all potential entrants, Skipton Auction Mart’s general manager Jeremy Eaton wrote: “We deliberated long and hard about providing our regular customers with a substitute to ensure that dogs move into the right hands to keep sheep farmers farming and to provide succession on the trial field for trialists.
“Mindful of this, we propose to create a virtual sale following the form of conventional timed auctions, but introducing a semi-social element via pre-sale conference viewing the evening before each sale.”
Subject to Department of Health Covid-19 advice, the landmark fixture will feature standalone viewing and sale days for entries from three separate countries – Scotland, England and Wales.
These, it is hoped, will also be supplemented by two further standalone All-Ireland and European viewing and sale days, doubly dependant on both entry levels and access to transport facilities with the hoped-for resumption of freight crossings. “This really would give the sale a true international flavour,” said Mr Eaton.
Arrangements are already well in hand and moving forward. A final closing date for all entries has been set for Tuesday, June 16th, to be followed by pre-sale video catalogue viewing via the working sheep dog section of the mart’s www.ccmauctions.com website from Monday, June 29th.
Then, every evening between 5pm and 7.30pm immediately before each online sale day, vendors would be available for live conference viewing with Q&A sessions and live demos of individual entries.
On each sale day, there would be a 12-hour window between 11am and 11pm for online bidding, again to be streamed live via the mart’s website, with an inbuilt click-on bidding facility for potential purchasers.
The schedule would open with the viewing and sale of Scottish entries on July 12th/13th, followed by England on July 13th/14th, Wales July 14th/15th, All-Ireland July 15th/16th and European July 16th/17th.
In the interim, all entrants will be responsible for producing and submitting videos no later than Tuesday, June 23rd, showing individual dogs being put through their paces. This should not pose a problem for many handlers, who for some time have been recording their own videos and posting them on YouTube to effectively showcase the skills and attributes of their charges ahead of live working sheep dog sales.
However, Mr Eaton stressed: “It is important that videos are submitted in the correct format, with some simple minimum requirements to prove an entry’s authenticity against the dog shown working. We don’t want to have to reject entries if the videos are not in the required format.
“To this end, we are offering advice and guidance in video production to any entrants who feel they may require it. Within the working sheep dog section of our website we will have a video of best practice for the pre-sale video. We are also working with a provider who can do this for a vendor for a fee and is also able to film drone footage of both hill and top trial dogs.”
Mr Eaton further explained: “Our virtual sale will build on the usual pre-sale YouTube video channel, which has already added a depth to previous sales and will continue, but with the videos now watched in lot order in the online catalogue viewed directly from our website. We also hope that the timings may help potential international buyers and visitors to participate.
“Of course, the replacement of a regulated auction with a real time or timed auction based on just a vendor’s video does not provide a potential buyer with the opportunity to see the dog run on neutral ground with the chance to question the vendor. Any replacement must honestly reflect the ability and potential of the entry and, above all, we must try to protect the integrity of the sale.”
Each sale will include a section for unbroken entries under 12 months, an unbroken section for dogs 12-15 months and a fully broken section. All entries will be fully scrutinised and limited a maximum of three entries per vendor, with priority given to fully broken dogs. No pups will be allowed.
Potential buyers must pre-register their interest to receive an invitation via email to attend the conference, speak to the vendor and watch the live trial. Successful buyers must also organise their own transport through an official carrier.
The mart reiterated that all arrangements remain subject to Department of Health Covid-19 advice and that there may be some variations dependant on the number and geographical locations of entries received.
Potential entrants have already received advance details, instructions, conditions of sale and an entry form. These are also posted online at www.ccmauctions.com
Mr Eaton added: “This is clearly new territory for us all, but we are available to help and advise on any and all aspects of the sale, which we hope will not only prove informative, but also, who knows, probably a bit of fun as well!”
In a normal year, Skipton Auction Mart stages four seasonal working sheep dogs sales, which regularly attract over 100 entries from reputable breeders, handlers and trialists from all parts of the UK mainland and, in particular, Ireland, with some also from Northern Europe.
In turn, buyers from all these areas attend in person, while online phone bidders are also regularly in evidence, primarily from the United States.
Working sheep dog sales at Skipton are renowned for producing top-notch impeccably-bred dogs for both work and trial. Some astronomical prices have also been achieved, multiple world records among them.
At the last sale in February this year, the world record price for a working sheep dog at an official sale was annihilated when Northumberland shepherdess Emma Gray hit 18,000gns (£18,900) with her black and white bitch, Megan. She fell to a telephone bidder from Oklahoma in the United States, cattle farmer and businessman, Brian D. Stamps.
Yet, while Skipton sales continue to produce solid prices and averages, plenty of dogs at readily affordable prices to suit all tastes and pockets – both solid broken entries for work and up-and-coming youngsters to further bring on and run in trials – can still be purchased. The organisers say the July fixture is confidently expected to produce more of these types.
Consumers have returned to comforting food staples they know and love, including meat and dairy, during the Covid-19 crisis as they cook more home meals.
The number of people eating more meat has doubled from seven per cent to 14 per cent since February, while dairy has seen those increasing consumption leap from five per cent to 12 per cent over the same period, according to research commissioned by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and carried out by YouGov.
Figures also show that a massive 71 per cent of consumers trust farmers and agree they are doing a good job ensuring food production continues during the pandemic.
However, the industry’s push for people to buy British is currently impacting less than a quarter of shoppers, with only 22 per cent saying they would purchase home-grown options if they were more expensive than alternatives.
Christine Watts, Chief Officer for Communications and Market Development at AHDB, said: “The work shows that Britishness is often a secondary factor for consumers. Therefore, industry messages need to go further than the country of origin, towards key points of difference like traceability, sustainability and quality. Only half of consumers said they would proactively seek out British products post-pandemic. However, we have a great story to tell about what we produce in this country and the products for consumers to enjoy.
“What is heartening is that many people are returning to the familiar staples, like meat and dairy, that they know and love. There is more home cooking and baking going on. There is more cooking from scratch, so people are buying the ingredients they need rather than ready-cooked dishes. And, of course, the options for out-of-home have been severely limited, with millions more meals now being eaten at home every week. This means recipe inspiration is key.
“Our #makeit campaign, working with colleagues in Scotland and Wales, is building inspiration around steaks and other high-value beef cuts. Meanwhile, #milkyourmoments is really catching people’s imagination and helping them connect with each other in these unprecedented times.
“All the research points to the fact that people trust and appreciate farmers, perhaps more now than before because of their rugged determination to get food to the supermarket shelves during the current coronavirus crisis.”
Recent figures from AHDB showed an increase in households buying red meat, from 67 per cent in April 2019 to 71 per cent in April 2020.
The research also showed 48 per cent of shoppers are more price conscious or have allocated their shopping budgets differently.
Author of the AHDB report, Susie Stannard, Consumer Insight Manager, said: “There is much positivity in how consumers feel about farming, and a growing acknowledgement of the important role that meat and dairy play in the British diet.
“However, in the face of an impending recession, factors such as provenance, environment and welfare temporarily take a back seat to price and availability.
“Much valuable work has already been done but it is important that the industry continues to make demonstrable progress in areas such as welfare and the environment, alongside the very clear immediate focus on how best to continue to deliver safe, affordable and sustainable food.”
Growers in Norfolk have found a unique way to thank NHS workers for their bravery during the Covid-19 pandemic, by creating a rainbow out of radishes.
Scott Watson, who farms radishes at G’s Growers in Feltwell, worked with his team to create the masterpiece out of 15,000 radishes.
“We were trying to think of our own way to say thank you for the incredible work being done by everyone in the NHS,” he explains. “We harvest well over half a billion radishes each year at Feltwell so it seemed the logical medium to create our artwork with.”
The team spent around half a day to take the red, purple and French breakfast radish grade-outs and some of the leaves to create the rainbow outside G’s Love Radish processing unit.
“It was a fantastic team effort and a fun project to get everyone behind in these difficult times,” Scott says.
The radish grade-outs used were a small percentage of radishes that are damaged by pests, harvesting and washing and they cannot be sold. “They make great compost though, so they were taken back to the field to feed next year’s crop,” he adds.
Late last year, G’s Growers was also involved in a ‘Radish Push’ fundraiser for a prostate cancer charity, which saw participants pushing a fleet of wheelbarrows, containing 47,000 radishes for nearly five miles.
