Archive Article: 2000/12/22
Alan Montgomery
Alan Montgomery runs
a 300ha (750-acre) mixed
farm near Downpatrick, Co
Down, Northern Ireland.
As well as cereals and
potatoes, the farm supports
a 130-cow suckler herd, 800
breeding ewes and
1000 store lambs
SINCE the middle of September, 850 store lambs averaging £26.90 and weighing about 35kg have arrived on the farm. Forward stock were sorted and moved to silage aftermaths with concentrate feeding.
Most forward lambs have been marketed, leaving a good margin as finished lamb prices have risen from 170p to 210p/kg deadweight plus bonuses since late October.
Remaining lambs have received a worm and fluke drench, before batching into males, females and others that need tender loving care in the form of extra concentrate.
As grass run-backs are not always available when strip grazing swedes, none are used. Therefore, to facilitate cleanliness at slaughter, we have sheared a sizeable area of wool from around the tail and bottom of lambs back legs. In a season such as this, when the area around feeding troughs has the consistency of mushy peas, and the grazed swedes are not much better, this has been a good management tool.
I recently attended a producers information evening organised by the Livestock and Meat Commission. Deflated by sustained financial losses and increased bureaucracy, the mood of the packed meeting was hostile. Strong criticism was made of meat plant cartels, carcass classification, low farmer numbers on the LMC board and lack of a farmers early retirement scheme.
In difficult circumstances the work of the LMC should not be decried. We have in place a meaningful Farm Quality Assurance Scheme which is the envy of the Republic of Ireland meat plant operators. FQAS had an initial entry fee with subsequent funding coming from carcass classification profits. But this reserve has been exhausted and one of the future proposals is to collect a processor/ farmer levy of £35 each a year.
Our ATV was in collision with a telephone pole and is damaged irreparably. The 10-year-old machine was only third party insured, so Santa, if you are out there, please do not forget me. On that note, I wish seasonal greetings to you all and a more prosperous 2001; which is asking a lot with key input costs set to rise significantly. *
Meat plant cartels and carcass classification were criticised at a Livestock and Meat Commission information meeting, says Alan Montgomery.