Farmer Focus: Red Tractor not delivering a premium on lambs

For a small island we have a remarkably wide variety of weather. Currently, some areas are having wonderful end of season grass growing conditions. However, we are still in drought.

The reseed after the maize germinated well, but three weeks of hot and dry weather has killed the clover seedlings and the grass is only 3cm high.

It is not the strong winter cover we need ready for the ewes and lambs in the spring. 

See also: Mike Neaverson: Seeing red at Red Tractor’s red tape

To make intelligent decisions we need as much information as possible, so I have looked back at a few figures.

About the author

James and Belinda Kimber

Livestock Farmer Focus writers James and Belinda farm 850 commercial and pedigree sheep and 30 pedigree Simmental and Charolais cattle in Wiltshire across 95ha (45ha owned). James also runs a foottrimming business and Belinda has a B&B.

Read more articles by James and Belinda Kimber

Lamb prices at the live market indicate that there is no premium for farm assurance. Quality lambs have sold regardless.

I believe in Red Tractor and all it entails, I just think the scheme should be about animal welfare and food safety and what ends up on the plate, rather than box-ticking.

We failed our inspection because we didn’t have a fire plan on the door.

Inspections should be about going out and finding things that Extinction Rebellion would be filming. Would vegan extremists be interested in a fire exit plan?

With a new government and possibly a new plan made up by the new experts, our Reading University costings are as interesting as ever.

Our subsidy income is down to 2.7% of our total income, against a group average of 32%. As a proportion of profit, it is 21% against 160% group average.

There won’t be much food unless someone links production to subsidies.

Hidden in the full-year financial report from Tesco was a profit warning following difficulties sourcing fresh products.

The tups have been in with the pedigree ewes and a bunch of fit commercial ewes. The idea is to fill a cashflow hole in May. We only have six breeding bulls to sell next spring.  

The new tups have been active and haven’t died like they did last year.

The main bunch of commercial ewes are being prepared for their turn with the tups. They are out on stewardship ground and a couple of hay farms locally.

Hopefully there will not be any broken legs in the cavernous cracks we still have in the ground.