Help farmers by reducing fuel costs, says Andrew Burleigh

All Fermanagh breeders came home from the Perth Bull Sales happy; we averaged £8,667 for two Simmentals and one Charolais. Alan described the atmosphere in the sale ring, when he led the bulls in, as electric.
Weather has been very mild for the last month and grass growth has been phenomonal for this time of year. A few light heifers have gone out – it’s lovely to see them kicking up their heels after a long winter indoors. Tanks were getting full again and we hired a contractor to put them out with a pipe system. The low ground pressure tyres on his tractor have done no ground damage at all.
Plenty of cheaper cuts are selling in the shop. The NBA and NFU want to see finished cattle prices go to more than £4/kg. But if this materialises the housewife will not be able to buy beef and the red meat sector will lose its market share to other products. I think the NBA and NFU should be lobbying the government to reduce the tax on fuel, as this would reduce everybody’s costs.
We have plenty of silage at present and should have enough to see us through until May Day. The issue of badger baiting is making the headlines in Northern Ireland. I am totally against cruelty to animals in any shape or form; my late father once said always be kind to animals and the return will be good. Our local district vet officers are testing deer that are being culled for TB; this pilot scheme is to see if deer that roam freely spread TB.