FARMER FOCUS: Stance on CAP is concerning

NEW WRITER: Having just returned home from the annual NFU conference, I feel encouraged by the fact our Secretary of State was adamant that the badger cull would go ahead. I was a little more concerned on his stance on CAP and his willingness to increase modulation regardless of what the other member states do, surely leaving us unfairly disadvantaged.

On a positive note, the land has started to dry up and a definite feel of spring is in the air, albeit a bit chilly. The stubble turnips are lasting well with the ewes almost looking a bit too fit, but I suppose its better that way round considering the amount of rain they’ve had on their backs over the last 12 months. At this time of year it is like the calm before the storm with lambing and calving starting on 20 March.

With the help of a local contract shepherd, and his amazing sheep conveyor, 900 ewes and 200 ewe lambs were bellied, tailed out, vaccinated and fluked over two days. It made me realise that we often make hard work out of sheep handling. Hopefully I have seen the future without the backache, and the sheep seemed to like it, too.

We have our annual TB test next week, which as on many farms is make or break week for the whole year. With breeding stock and store cattle to sell we can only keep our fingers crossed and remain optimistic. Although I never look forward to the test, especially so close to calving, it will at least give me chance to test run my new cattle EID reader and touchscreen computer, and hopefully put an end to the wonderful mix of paperwork and cattle muck.

James Evans farms 300 Stabiliser suckler cows and 1,110 Llen cross ewes across two units in Shropshire, totalling 825ha. He was last years’ Farmers Weekly Beef Farmer of the Year.