Increased lamb price softens blow of feed costs

Sitting here writing my first column, there seems to be no shortage of topics to comment on. Farming in the uplands of mid-Wales, with ground peaking at 1,000ft, this winter has been hard on the stock.

Ground conditions are best described as saturated, but with a recent spell of colder, drier weather it is starting to dry out, coinciding with the arrival of the first lambs. These poor weather conditions forced ewes to be housed earlier than normal to ensure body condition was maintained throughout lambing.

The home farm consists predominantly of Texel cross ewes and Limousin cross cattle. All lambs are sold deadweight through the Vion group, but with recent changes to their UK operation we may have to consider other options. A welcome rise in the lamb price as the last lambs leave the farm has helped soften the blow of this year’s increased feed costs. Cattle are all sold as stores through the local market at around 20 months. While the trade didn’t reach the highs of last year, prices were nonetheless pleasing.

The recent revelation concerning the contents of processed foods has drawn attention to the traceability of produce once it leaves the farm gate. I find it shocking there was so much uncertainty over where and how products were contaminated. With farmers forced to comply with ever-increasing red tape, the spotlight must now surely be placed on supermarkets and processors to comply with similar standards. We hope Tesco keeps its recent promises about the sourcing of its meat.

We must take advantage of the current situation to promote our produce, especially with consumers looking to buy more British food and supermarkets pledging to work closer with British farmers. This could be a turning point for British agriculture, but I won’t hold my breath.

Tom Jones lives on a 110ha upland beef and sheep farm near Lake Vyrnwy, Montgomeryshire. He also has a contract shepherding business looking after ewes locally.

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