Livestock Farmer Focus: Iain Green is hoping to build a finishing shed
I was fortunate to have a week away which included a trip to Hexham for Beef Expo.
It was a great exhibition, with a huge crowd attending. The general conversations were about the lack of grass and the down turn in finished cattle price.
I could not resist phoning home to see if there had been any rain or warmth, much to my delight both had happened. On my return the amount of growth in both cereals and grass was tremendous.
The recent rain knocked the grass over leaving the docks standing proud. Docks are becoming a much bigger problem and trying to kill them in grassland is expensive and not clover friendly.
We are still waiting to hear if we have been successful in our application for grant aid under the Scottish Rural Development Scheme to build a new slurry store and pig finishing shed. Hopefully this reinvestment will be made without sow numbers increasing, creating more efficiency within the Scottish pig sector.
The last time there was major investment, sow numbers increased dramatically. But if numbers stay constant and the Euro stays strong against the pound thus limiting imports, we may get a welcomed prolonged period of buoyancy.
The Scottish pig industry and Quality Meat Scotland was recently awarded the Scottish Food and Drink Excellence Awards 2010 for its collaboration with the Scottish SPCA. The SSPCA has been has part of the quality schemes for more than 20 years offering support to the pig industry. This means most Scottish pork is now eligible to carry the “Approved by the Scottish SPCA label”.
Scotland’s agricultural shop window The Royal Highland Show is approaching and our stockmen have been busy preparing our team of Simmentals. I just hope the weather is kind.