Speculation that Chancellor Rishi Sunak is set to scrap the red diesel subsidy in next week’s Budget has prompted serious concerns among farmers.
According to a report in Financial Times, Sunak will end freezes on fuel duty as part of a raft of measures to help Britain meet its climate change targets, whilst raising an additional £2.4 billion for the government.
‘More expensive diesel will be a blow to farmers – also braced for cuts to subsidies after Brexit – who have no options yet available to switch to alternative fuel vehicles,’ wrote FT’s political editor George Parker and Whitehall correspondent Sebastian Payne.
If the subsidy is scrapped, it will cost farmers nearly 50p per litre more in fuel.
Red diesel is the primary fuel used to run the majority of agricultural vehicles and accounts for 15 per cent of all diesel sales. It attracts a duty of 11.1p/l, compared to 57.7p for standard diesel used by motorists and hauliers. Agriculture accounts for around seven per cent of the UK’s total lower rate fuel usage.
NFU president Minette Batters said red diesel is “absolutely crucial” to farm businesses and food production, and warned that changes to the duty could make farmers immediately uncompetitive with many countries – including EU member states, the US and Canada – which all provide a lower fuel duty on red diesel for their agricultural sectors.
“Removing this from British farmers would leave them at an immediate competitive disadvantage, coming at a time when farmers are already dealing with ongoing uncertainty over our future trading relationship with the EU and rest of the world,” she added.
“While agricultural vehicles have become more efficient, it is impossible for farmers to move away from using red diesel as there are currently no commercially viable alternative fuels.”
RABDF chairman Peter Alvis said removing the levy would hit farmers and contractors hard, affecting not only their own fuel costs, but also resulting in other fuel-related price hikes, for example for fertilisers or contractors. Consumers and the rest of the supply chain will also be faced with meeting increasing costs, he added.
“UK agriculture is already making great strides in reducing emissions and is on course to meet the net-zero targets 10 years ahead of schedule. Adding in yet another cost for dairy farmers will only hamper the good work they are already doing.”
The rumours have triggered a social media storm, with many farmers sharing their concerns and astonishment over the possibility.
Headys Farm tweeted that doubling the fuel bill would ‘cripple’ farmers, while arable farmer James Akrill said: ‘Even if small farmers like myself could keep going with doubling fuel prices I’d like to know where the money would come from to change to a viable alternative if one existed in the 1st place. Punitive carbon taxation for net zero will probably push many out of farming.’
Meanwhile the National Association for Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) wrote: ‘In times of huge uncertainty, alongside a wet autumn, the contracting industry is struggling with financial reserves and the removal of the lower fuel duty would be a devastating blow that could push many contracting businesses to fail.’
The March 11 Budget has also faced strong opposition from Conservative MPs, led by Harlow MP Robert Halfon, who is quoted in FT as saying that scrapping the freeze on fuel duty ‘could put a severe brake on growth’.
Concerned about the possible scrapping of the red diesel subsidy? Share your views with us on editor@farmersguide.co.uk
Ireland’s Farm Machinery Ltd, a family run machinery dealership with 3 depots in Lincolnshire, Carrington, Sutterton and Market Rasen, held an open evening to celebrate the launch of their new purpose-built premises on their 8-acre site at Carrington near Boston. The opening attracted more than 300 customers and suppliers from across the country. Guests were treated to canapes and drinks and the new depot was officially opened by Arthur Johnson of AJ Builders, and Tom Bailey of Bailey Trailers Ltd who presented the directors Jonathan and Fiona Ireland with an official plaque to commemorate the opening. David Hart, Managing Director of Kubota UK also took the opportunity to present Ireland’s Farm Machinery Ltd with their Gold Service Dealer award.
Guests were then invited to look around the new workshops, stores, showroom and offices, with many interested in browsing the new well-stocked parts and clothing store.
The building has been purpose built for the products that Ireland’s Farm Machinery Ltd sell and the new ‘state of the art’ workshop provides many new services now available to customers ranging from a mobile rolling road and weighbridge brake testing centre to in house and mobile rotor balancing.
This new depot is now home to the expanded hire fleet, Irelands Farm Machinery Ltd having recently purchased AJ Saul Hire. The whole hire fleet now has over 170 machines comprising an impressive range of tractors, trailers, cultivation and grass equipment.
The new stores department stock a great range of parts, consumables and wearing metal as well as supplying their new showroom with a large range of clothing, children’s toys, tools, lighting equipment and workshop consumables.
Managing Director Jonathan Ireland said ‘it was always our ambition to create a purpose-built depot with everything under one roof, to provide our customers with a professional service. Our friendly experienced staff are all inspired by their new workplace and we are all very much looking forward to the future’.
Extreme winter weather has left fields extremely wet or waterlogged. Using heavy machinery in wet conditions increases the risk of soil compaction so farmers are being advised to adjust tyre pressures or risk causing irreparable damage.
Richard Hutchins, agricultural tyre specialist for Continental, warns of widespread soil damage if farmers do not set the correct tyre pressures for wet ground. “Farmers should be looking to set the lowest possible pressures for field work. The severe winter has waterlogged many fields which will take weeks or months to dry out fully. If heavy machinery needs to be used for cultivation or drilling then farmers can reduce the risk of soil compaction by choosing the correct tyre pressures,” he says.
Establishing the load of the vehicle is critical to establishing the correct tyre pressure. Technical data sheets are available from most major manufacturer websites, but Continental has also introduced a new mobile app. The ‘Agriculture TyreTech’ App is now available for iOS and Android. Using a database of all available Continental tyres, the app is able to cross reference the properties of the tyre with the load of the vehicle and recommend the best tyre pressure. “The app is an easy way for farmers in the field to see what pressure their tyres should be based on the axle load of their machine,” says Mr Hutchins.
Adjusting the pressure of a tyre changes the footprint which allows the weight of the vehicle to be spread over a larger surface area. “If the tyre pressure is lowered in wet conditions, the operator will achieve greater grip, be able to operate more efficiently and the tyres will travel over the land with less resistance, which will reduce the risk of soil compaction,” explains Mr Hutchins.
Soil compaction and damage can be alleviated by running tyres at lower pressures, says Richard Hutchins.
The correct pressure for tractor tyres is dependent on the load and speed required to carry out the required task. Not using the correct pressure is a major cause of soil compaction. It can also damage the tyre, lower work rates and increase fuel consumption. “Government pressures and environmental concerns about soil health can, in part, be addressed by accurate use of machinery to reduce compaction. Continental has invested €2.5 million in an agriculture-focussed research and evaluation centre to develop tyres that help meet these concerns,” concludes Mr Hutchins.
Featured image source – Twitter, @SimonBrowning4
Severe flooding across the country in recent weeks formed a key part of discussions at the NFU Conference this week, with particular concerns raised about the three-crop rule.
Under the EU, the three-crop rule requires farmers with more than 30 hectares of arable land to have three different crops in the ground between 1 May and 30 June. But recent flooding has prompted calls for a derogation, as many farmers are unable to get onto their land to get crop in the ground.
In an on-stage conversation with environment secretary George Eustice, NFU president Minette Batters asked if there will be a derogation of the rule, or whether we will simply bypass it now that the UK is no longer part of the EU.
Mr Eustice said Defra will look closely at the issue but the withdrawal agreement means the UK is required to have equivalent schemes to the EU this year, so the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has effectively been brought over “warts and all”.
If farmers are unable to get crop in the ground it would be considered a force majeure, he explained, but Mrs Batters questioned whether Defra will be able to process thousands of claims.
Mr Eustice described it as a “barking, bonkers rule”, adding “I’ve never agreed with the three-crop rule… it won’t be staying for long”, to which Mrs Batters replied: “Now that we’ve left the EU, I’m amazed you haven’t shredded it.”
Moving on to flooding, audience member Mark Leggatt, who farms in Lincolnshire, said his area had suffered significantly with flooding, with over 3m of water in November over a large area.
The county produces 27 per cent of the nation’s vegetables, he said, as he pressed Mr Eustice for an inquiry into the recent flooding, as well as a “complete rethink of water management”, and reassurance on how promised funding will be made available for farmers.
Mr Eustice said the government plans to spend more than £4.5 billion on flood defences in the next five years, with a focus on nature-based solutions such as using natural flood plains, holding water upstream and planting more trees.
Responding, Mrs Batters said nature-friendly solutions “just don’t mean anything” when there is a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours, adding: “You have to be able to store water. We are wasting one of the world’s most precious natural resources. You look around the world at where we source our vegetables from – they are water scarce areas. We are not a water scarce area; we just fail to manage our water and we are calling for absolute critical infrastructure change in order to be able to store water.”
Using natural flood plains or even retention of water in flooding events downstream, as well as paying farmers to store water is “absolutely” part of what the government is looking at, Mr Eustice confirmed.
Responding to questions about why so many farmers are not being covered by the Farming Recovery Fund, he said whether or not it is deployed will depend on the nature of the damage but this will be difficult to assess until after flood waters have receded. However, he noted that the funds are top-sliced out of the pillar 2 or BPS budget, so it’s not ‘new money’.
Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson invited fans to the first opening of his farm shop on Saturday, where he sold produce grown on his 1000-acre farm, Diddly Squat, in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
Signs distributed around the shop were indicative of Clarkson’s trademark sense of humour, with messages such as ‘Diddly Squat vegetables drizzled in fungicide’; ‘Everything guaranteed non organic’; and drinks with ‘no s**t in [them]’.
Produce for sale included eggs, horseradish and potatoes – which, according to a sign were cheaper than Aldi at £1.02 per kilogram.
Clarkson turned his hand to farming a year ago, an endeavour that is set to be the subject of an Amazon Prime TV show. He announced the opening of the ‘Squat Shop’ on Twitter last week, with an open invitation to followers.
According to media reports, around 100 people turned up, creating very muddy conditions in the car park and preventing some from attending. One twitter user said: ‘We’re gutted, pulled up outside but too muddy for an 8-month-old and a pushchair. But we’ll be back one day’ – to which Clarkson replied: ‘I know. Bloody nightmare. Sorry.’
County councillor Liam Walker, who attended the opening, said: “It was great to visit Jeremy at his new farm shop and see so many fans also turn out to meet him. I’m pleased to hear he plans to sell local produce from here in West Oxfordshire and this was actually a condition for granting the planning permission for this new shop.
“The agricultural industry is really important to us here and I’m hoping his new Amazon Prime documentary on buying a farm will help to encourage more people to buy local produce and raise the profile of farming amongst an audience who wouldn’t normally be engaged. I wish him every success in this new venture.”
Despite a seemingly successful opening overall, anyone wanting to visit the Squat Shop may have to wait. Responding to questions on Twitter about when it would next open, Clarkson said: ‘I need to grow more stuff before I can reopen it I’m afraid’, adding in a separate tweet later: ‘Shop NOT open Sunday as it’s a day for the baby Jesus. Also, because I’m going to Tanzania.’
Since buying Diddly Squat Farm around a year ago, Clarkson has regaled followers on social media with the highs and lows of his farming experience, and last year told the Jonathan Ross Show that he had unsuccessfully tried to herd sheep using a ‘barking drone’.
Despite highlighting the hard work and challenges involved in farming, Clarkson has also frequently spoken of his passion for agriculture, saying in an interview with the Sunday Times last year: “It does fill me with joy, the notion of spending large chunks of the year up here farming.”
When you think of a farmer’s vehicles, the first ones that come to mind are tractors and all-terrain vehicles (ATV). These are the cornerstone of any farm. However, what an ATV can offer compared to other vehicles is increased versatility in terms of towing and hauling capacity and the capability to handle multiple terrains with ease, from steep inclines to boggy fields. These benefits have led to ATVs becoming the workhorse vehicles that are relied upon on a day to day basis.
With that in mind, always remember that the farm is a potentially dangerous work environment, so it is important that when using an ATV, safe riding is at the forefront of the user’s mind when out in the field.
Here are some Can-Am top tips when it comes to rider safety:
- Make sure that the loads carried on the racks are secure and evenly balanced and do not exceed the capacity of the ATV (check the manufacturers’ recommendations).
- Always be aware of your surroundings and keep your eyes peeled for any pedestrians, livestock, obstructions or other vehicles.
- Inspect the ATV before use to ensure that it is in good working order.
- Avoid sudden increases in speed as this is one of the common causes for an overturned vehicle.
- Always wear the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) such as a helmet, boots, long sleeve shirt and trousers when out riding.
- When riding across a slope, keep your weight forward. When going downhill, slide your weight backwards, select a low gear and use engine braking, which leads to the reduction in the need to use the brakes.
- When working a new area, make sure you walk the route before riding through it. This will give you a better perspective of the dangers or obstacles that you could come across.
- You cannot predict the British weather as one minute it could be bright sunshine and the next it could be pouring with rain, so be aware of changes in ground conditions as these could affect the loads you are carrying or the attachments you are pulling.
- Always read the owner’s manual.
With thousands of farmers across the country battling floods after Storm Dennis and unable to get onto their land to plant crops, farming organisations from across the UK have asked for an urgent relaxation of the three crop rule.
The UK Farming Roundtable, which met yesterday, has called for the government to grant a derogation from the rule and to broaden the extent of the Farming Recovery Fund to help flood-hit farmers with any uninsurable losses as a result of flooding.
A joint statement from members of the UK Farming Roundtable said: “We are facing an unprecedented situation. Relentless rain has meant some farmers won’t have been able to get on their land since the Autumn.
“A significant area of farmland is currently underwater following two storms in two weeks, compounding the already wet ground conditions from this winter. Many farmers were unable to plant winter crops and are now facing great difficulty planting spring crops.
“There will be many farmers out there really struggling; not just with the immediate impacts of the current flood water but the knock-on effects of damage to farmland and buildings, as well as significant impacts to this season’s cropping.
“They will be looking to the Government to be practical and we are urging them to grant a derogation from the three crop rule, which is completely unworkable for farmers across the country this year. We are also urging the government to broaden the Farming Recovery Fund for flood-hit areas to help with any losses they have had from this difficult situation.”
(Image source – news.sky.com)
Waste products from farms could be used to produce a high-energy, low-cost and environmentally-friendly feed for livestock.
Scientists from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University are working with colleagues from University College Cork in Ireland to investigate how slurry and wastewater from the dairy industry could be put to better use.
In a £1.375m project funded by the Interreg Ireland-Wales EU programme, the aim is to use farm waste to grow duckweed – a fast-growing plant biomass which can then be used as a protein source for feeding livestock.
If successful, the project will enhance the competitiveness of the beef and dairy industry in Wales and Ireland by generating an economically valuable feed as well as reducing farmers’ reliance on importing protein-rich feed such as soy.
There are potential environmental benefits too as using the waste products on the farm could lead to improved water quality in rivers and coastal areas off Wales and Ireland.
Dr Dylan Gwynn-Jones, who is leading the project at IBERS, said: “We are very excited by the potential of this research which aims to help the agricultural industry in both countries by developing technology to produce valuable green protein from waste. It will effectively allow farmers to ‘make money from muck’.
“Working in partnership with University College Cork, we will be developing native common duckweed (Lemna minor) as a novel crop for Irish and Welsh farms. Duckweeds are amongst the fastest growing plants, they are tolerant of ammonium (which is found in slurry), and they produce valuable essential amino acids that make it a promising feed-stock.”
Announcing the funding in February 2020, the Counsel General and Brexit Minister Jeremy Miles, who is responsible for EU funding in Wales, said: “This is a great way to help the transition to a sustainable, circular economy. Through cross-border collaboration, Wales and Ireland are taking a novel, innovative approach to preserving resources, creating local jobs – and treating waste water as a resource and an opportunity to create something good.
“This is another shining example of European Territorial Co-operation programme (ETC) funding supporting collaborative projects which seek to find answers to major issues. We are pressing the UK Government to make sure we can continue to invest funds like this in the regions of Wales which need it most.”
The project will apply the teams’ knowledge of hydroponics and waste management to develop plant growth systems supplied with nutrients sourced from animal waste.
Entitled Brainwaves (Bilateral Regional Accord between Ireland and Wales for Agricultural Valorisation and Environmental Sustainability), the project builds on previously successful collaborations between Aberystwyth and Cork universities.
Led by Dr Gwynn-Jones, the team at IBERS also includes Dr Paul Robson who has expertise on plant production and photobiology, Dr John Scullion an expert soil scientist and Dr Sarah Dalesman who is a freshwater biologist.
Representatives from farming communities and industry in both countries will also be consulted as part of the research project.
Unaware that her post would soon create a media storm, 20-year-old Ffion Hooson of Denbighshire, Wales, wrote a heart-felt plea on Twitter regarding her on-going struggles with farming.
‘I’m 20 years old and farming alone and I am constantly putting a brave hard face on… yet deep down I’m pretty much breaking inside… it’s the most I’ve struggled and no one really understands but I have no choice but to carry on.’
After her father suffered from a stroke, Ffion has run her family’s 180-acre beef and sheep farm by herself for the last two years. She has had intermittent help from her mother and friends, but thought it would be unfair to rely on them, leaving the young shepherdess feeling ‘crushed by the responsibility’ of unrelenting work, often in grim weather.
The tweet quickly gained over 2,000 retweets and almost 25,000 likes, sparking an online debate about mental health, with many fellow farmers offering their advice and attention. One said, “You are not alone. I hope you see people from all over the world are pulling for you. And that is something very special.” Yorkshire Shepherdess and entrepreneur, Alison O’Neill, directed Ffion to a page in her book ‘One Woman Farm’ to highlight the similarities in their situations – ‘This homestead, this farm represents a special kind of devotion and as challenging, dirty and exhausting as it is some days, I adore it all the same,’ she writes.
Ffion was unaware that she had posted her statement during a month where various charities are also highlighting the top problem facing UK farmers today (according to a recent survey by the Farm Safety Foundation (FSF)). Organisations such as Yellow Wellies (FSF), the Farming Community Network (FCN) and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) are all stressing the importance of reaching out for help if you are struggling, and their helplines are always a channel for support.
Praised as an inspiration to others for having the courage to highlight the pressures facing UK farmers today, Ffion has commented: ‘People don’t talk enough. I hope that, by doing this, I can get people to open up about how they are feeling.’
With the added stresses of Brexit, the rise of vegan activism and the threat of climate change bringing harsh weather conditions to the UK, farmers are finding that isolation and financial uncertainty are now just the tip of the iceberg.
The FSF believes a combination of these factors has produced an industry under immense pressure, contributing to 83 people in farming and related trades taking their own lives in 2018.
‘I didn’t expect my Tweet to produce such a response but the replies have really cheered me up. I haven’t been through them all yet, but I know that a few people have offered to help on the farm, for which I am very grateful,’ said Ffion in response to her viral post.
We commend Ffion for coming forward with her struggles. May she inspire more rural workers to speak out and seek help regarding their own mental health, farming issues and/or financial problems. Here are just a few examples of the organisations available to help :
FCN – fcn.org.uk/
03000 111 999
RABI – rabi.org.uk/
0808 281 9490
The YANA Project – You Are Not Alone – yanahelp.org
0300 323 0400
(Photo credited to Ffion Hooson)
Grain marketing is a key aspect of any arable business, yet getting the best out of it can be tricky. That’s why the Cereals Event has introduced a new feature for 2020.
The Grain Exchange is a platform covering every element of grain markets, from innovative crops and new market opportunities, to budgeting and risk management. “The Grain Exchange is an incredibly useful new element and we are really looking forward to the seminars we have lined up,” says event director, Alli McEntyre. “They will provide growers with all the grain market information they need to drive profitability and stability in the years ahead.”
Running across both days of the event, the seminar programme will feature a number of industry experts, including Amy Reynolds from the International Grains Council, who will take visitors through the outlook for the grain markets.
“The UK is now a market of its own, so price relationships are going to be important,” she says. “There is every possibility that its output could be impacted by this season’s plantings – certainly for wheat, which could be a relatively small crop – meaning imports will likely be higher. So watching global markets is certainly something for UK farmers to do.”
Now Brexit is a reality, trade patterns will probably change markedly, particularly given the likely impact on the livestock sector and therefore feed consumption, adds Ms McEntyre. “So getting an overview of how grain markets are going to work will be incredibly useful for growers.”
A risk management strategy is essential for UK agri-businesses, especially as they begin to expand into global markets, explains Martin Boshell, senior business development manager at Cambridge FX, which is sponsoring the risk management session. “A pro-active approach with the right counter-party can protect profit margins and give the flexibility that a modern business needs.”
Other sessions will include ‘Beyond the farmgate – meet the end users’, and ‘Innovative crops and how to market them’.
In addition, visitors can pit themselves against the market in an interactive game which puts their skills as a trader to the test.
There is also an opportunity to get involved before the event by entering a competition to predict the price of wheat on the day. There will be a prize for the closest entries, making for both a fun and informative day out, says Ms McEntyre.
“The information and knowledge available in the Grain Exchange will be useful to any farmer and could help them implement vital changes to their businesses for the future.”
The Cereals Event will be held on 10-11 June 2020 at Chrishall Grange, Duxford, Cambridgeshire. For more information visit cerealsevent.co.uk.
