Sue and Andy Guy
Sue and Andy Guy
Sue and Andy Guy farm
79ha (196 acres) on an
FBT in Notts. They are
expanding their 76-cow
pedigree high health status
Holstein herd which
averages 6900 litres
APRIL brings the end of the milk year and our financial year too.
We have been reviewing our performance against budgets for 2001/02 and analysing what we have achieved. Taking a "look back in anger" you may say.
Our average milk price rose to 18.46p/litre, a significant improvement on the year before. We started the year unable to move from Glos to Notts because of foot-and-mouth, consequently renting 24ha (60 acres) more than we had expected.
In fact, there were nearly £10,500 in costs directly attributable to F&M. These included a fat freemartin heifer, which went over 30 months before the movement restrictions were lifted and having to buy in extra forage. Haulage cost us more than £600 for disinfecting lorries when we were granted a movement licence and we also had to make silage for the incoming tenant.
When we broke costs down into p/litre, F&M cost us more then 2p/litre. That easily absorbed the income we had gained from the improved milk price.
Vet and med, NMR and AI was an interesting category. It cost 1.77p/litre, including heifer rearing and dogs. In fact our two dogs are something of a liability, costing more than all the heifers put together. We will have to take a closer look at that.
Agrimonetary compensation from the EU would be a small step in the right direction, but it seems DEFRA thinks we do not need it. It is hard to understand where livestock fits into the governments view of the rural economy.
After nearly one month without rain, we were beginning to get concerned that the grass was suffering from drought. Grass analysis shows nitrogen is all but used and the advice is cut now. But it is raining, so our contractors are on standby.
Calving has recommenced, after the spring lull in the pattern. One heifer due to calve has an awful looking udder and a nasty case of E coli mastitis. Should we lose the quarter she will have to be added to the culling list. It is always disappointing to lose a young heifer, but the bag will not be pleasing to look at in a year or two anyway. *
Last years foot-and-mouth restrictions cost Sue and Andy Guy more than £10,000.