Farmer Focus: Welsh farming scheme is at least workable
Edward Evans © Richard Stanton On a recent train journey to Birmingham, the whole countryside looked picture perfect: good grass covers in fields, cattle and sheep grazing, fields harvested and being drilled.
To the urban traveller munching on their sandwich, all looked well in the countryside.
See also: Bluetongue hits ram fertility hard in hotspot areas
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It was a far cry from the shambles farmers were experiencing as they tried to complete their Sustainable Farming Incentive applications.
It’s shameful that families were reduced to such a situation.
In addition to the financial stress, nature and the environment will surely suffer.
I therefore find it quite annoying when I hear Welsh farmers criticising the Sustainable Farming Scheme.
It’s new, it will evolve and although it may not be to everybody’s liking, at least we do have a scheme, and Welsh government money will be landing in Welsh farmers’ bank accounts during October.
So let’s be grateful for what we have here in Wales – a workable scheme and a farm minister that is willing to listen.
Since the drought, grass recovery has been quite spectacular. With topping and muckspreading completed, we have good grass covers going into the autumn.
The weanlings that arrived early September took about a week to settle and are now grazing a heavy cover of an old ley.
After a couple of breakouts, they have now learned to respect the electric fence.
It will be grazed quite hard as they will only graze it once – the idea being a “reset” before a rest period.
A small amount of concentrate is being fed each day also.
Some new bluetongue-vaccinated rams have been bought and are now out with the ewes, along with our own non-vaccinated rams.
They are fit and healthy in appearance and fully fertile, I hope. Scanning may be an anxious day.
Some dung samples have been taken from the March-lambing ewes and tested independently and by the vet.
Both returned the same results of low worm counts, and although it felt strange not to dose pre-tupping, no dose has been given.
Blood samples were also taken to get an idea of their trace element status, with results showing all levels to be correct, so no bolus either.
We will test dung samples again later in the autumn and will treat accordingly.