Archive Article: 1997/10/18
NONE of the minority crops are a comprehensive answer to a maidens prayer; some are easy to grow, some are well supported by Brussels, some have ready markets. None enjoy all of these advantages, although high erucic acid rape (HEAR) and the edible linseed Linola, come close.
These two are likely to be the most attractive. Both are easily grown under UK conditions, neither needs anything additional in the way of machinery or management skills, and both come to harvest early enough to ensure a good entry for a subsequent crop.
The UK is already the largest producer of HEAR in the EU, exporting more than 80% of production onto a market which is continuing to expand. The primary use of the oil is in the manufacture of polythene film.
One of the attractions of this crop is that it can be grown on setaside land without compromising area aid payment, although the arrangements involve a certain amount of bureaucracy.
In addition, HEAR attracts premiums of up to £40/t over the price of the conventional double-low varieties grown for edible oil, which more than compensates for yields which tend to be between 6 and 10% less.
Some potential growers may be concerned about contamination of double-lows following HEAR in a rotation (HEAR varieties contain around 50% erucic acid compared with 2% for double-lows). Trial work suggests the risk is slight but a minimum five year rotation gap is recommended.
Linola enjoys the same EU support as linseed (£495/ha in England, rather less in other parts of the UK) plus production aid for seed crops, for which contracts are quite readily available.
Market prices are tied to oilseed rape, running at a premium of around £15/t and, seed rates apart, the agronomy is the same as for linseed. (The thousand grain weight being on the low side, seed rates are also low at around 20kg/ha).
Potential
Another potentially profitable oilseed rape crop is sunflower. There is a well established market for human consumption, bolstered by the "healthy" image created by a good spectrum of polyunsaturated fatty acids, with premiums over oilseed rape at from £10 to £20/t. There are additional premium markets for such outlets as bird seed which can bring a further £30/t plus oil bonuses.
Sunflower gets the same support as oilseed rape, but only on eligible land – which could cause problems in those years when high oilseed rape plantings trigger reduction of the rape payment. Agronomy is relatively simple and earlier maturing varieties are now available.
The main problem is bird damage as the crop approaches maturity. Flocks of finches are likely to descend upon it and small fields (with large headland areas relative to total field size) should be avoided. High rainfall areas are also bad news because there are no fungicides available.
Although borage and evening primrose are niche crops much discussed in recent years, they are just that – niche crops. Their markets – mainly in the pharmaceutical sector – are limited. Buyers impose very high quality standards for the end product and there is no support element for either crop.
Both crops appear very profitable, as illustrated in the table, but yields and therefore margins can vary considerably. Yields of evening primrose can range from 0.15 to 0.9t/ha; borage frrom 0.25 to 0.75t/ha.
Borage is perhaps the better bet as it is well suited to UK soil and climatic conditions but both crops can be difficult to harvest because the small seed sheds at the smallest provocation.
Vetches – grown for inclusion in arable silage mixes – are easier to manage and, although they attract no area payment, growers can claim seed aid because all crops are grown from basic seed. This works out at around £221/t at present but is dependent upon achieving certification; without that, and because of a very volatile market, vetches are a high risk crop only to be grown on contract.
Lupins, navy beans (baked beans), crambe (another form of oil seed), honesty and meadowfoam (both used in lubricants) may have potential as alternatives in the medium to long term but are still largely in the experimental stage.
The breeders are currently working on improved dwarf winter types of lupin which may increase the lowish yields of existing varieties, but the availability of these is still some way down the road; despite some hype in recent years, navy beans do not seem best suited to UK production conditions.
Two further crops are worthy of closer examination – hemp and flax. For the former, the grower needs a Home Office licence (£240, regardless of the area being grown) and is restricted to those varieties which have no noticeable effect when smoked! Regrettably, seekers after such solace are often unaware of this, which means that the crop is better grown on well isolated fields.
Hemp is easily grown, particularly on lighter soils, and inputs are low. It also has the advantage of being able to use land ineligible for area aid and still receive full subsidy – £575/ha this year. The markets are mainly for textile and paper manufacture but there is at present only one end buyer.
The biggest objection to hemp is the delay in clearing the crop after harvest. This usually takes place towards the middle of August but the crop must then be left to ret, or cure, in the swath for up to four weeks before baling, with consequent effects upon any following autumn drilled crop.
Crop support
Flax has the same crop support advantages as hemp but a change in the timing of subsidy payments means that as from this year 25% is paid at harvest and the balance after the fibre has been processed, which might take some time.
There is also a possibility that the EU will introduce a minimum yield requirement from 1998, the intention being to ensure that the crop is not grown solely for the subsidy payment. If pitched too high, many UK growers could be disqualified from aid.
On the credit side, flax is much the same as linseed in agronomic terms and both the seed and the fibre have markets. But it must also be retted in the field, which poses the same difficulties as hemp for the arable farmer.
With the pressure on main arable crops increasing, is it time to reconsider minority crops? George Chichester reviews everything from borage to baked beans.