Breaking point as costs hit £1000 a week
Breaking point as costs hit £1000 a week
JOHN Yeomans farms near Newtown in mid-Wales.
He had a form D slapped on his farm five weeks ago. Since then no animals have been allowed off his holding.
Now his farm is near breaking point with 1200 sheep and 190 cattle on just 36ha (90 acres) of ground. He reckons it is costing him £1000 a week to feed and look after his stock, which would normally be sold or out grazing the hill.
By summer all his store cattle would normally have been sold through Bishops Castle auction ring. So he has 50-60 extra animals on farm and his cattle are still in yards.
Cash flow
Last year, store steers averaged 128p/kg, topping at 170p/kg or £600. His best 10 bulls made £2000 a head. A conservative estimate suggests cash flow is £45,000-£50,000 shy of normal. He reckons he might recoup half of this at most.
As he sells most of his cattle as stores the new rule allowing animals to go direct to slaughter does not help much. So he has to re-organise his business.
"I have not got any forage stocks left. I did manage to buy in another 40 bales of silage, but at the peak of this, I was spending a £1000 a week in extra feed."
Mr Yeomans only option is to move animals on to the welfare scheme, a difficult decision.
He applied for this four weeks ago, but is still waiting. "It is farcical," he says.
Following the tightening of welfare payments by MAFF, his bank balance will suffer further. Store cattle are paid out to £365, below market value.
Restrictions
Other farms under form D notices are facing similar problems. Geoffrey Gibbens, who farms at Hethenhill, Clyst Hydon, Devon, has suffered movement restrictions first through the nationwide movement ban and then by two form Ds for four weeks.
He has suffered piglet losses on his 350 sow breeding/finishing unit, because sows had to farrow and wean outside as no stock could be brought home.
"We lost about 100 piglets in the mud and another 70 through weaning and then moving again two weeks later, which makes wasting disease worse."
He estimates he lost 170 pigs worth £22 each, costing £3740. Extra labour making up pens has cost another £1000; additional feed the same again. Including time dealing with license applications, manure handling and more bedding the overall cost of form D notices and restrictions has topped £6800.
George Hill, of Tavistock in Devon, was left with 190 hoggs when his farm was caught up in an infected area and then a form D.
He kept feeding the lambs finishing pellets and grass, hoping they would enter the food chain. Then they were approved for the welfare disposal scheme, but they have never been collected. The hogget value has slipped from £38 to just £30 and soon they will be worth nothing, once the seasonal trade ends.
"At one point we were spending £200 a week on pellets and they have eaten 10 acres of spring grass that would have been cut for silage. We think it has cost us £2600 to keep them."
Infected area
Organic farmers Tim and Jo Budden of north Devon, have had a three-month ban on livestock movements. They are located in an infected area and have suffered two form D notices.
"Apart from a fortune in extra straw, silage and grain, we have had to keep our cows a bit short of grass when they could have been on our away ground where there is plenty of grass. I hope they get in-calf again," they say.
They still have 100 hoggs left which will soon spring teeth and will cost more to kill. Their direct sales business which accounts for most of their stock has been at a complete standstill.
Apart from lack of income, the cattle and sheep which would have been killed each week are backing up waiting for the day when the form D is lifted. Which they hope is next Monday.
"We just hope the quality has not suffered and that all our customers will continue where we left off in February. It is impossible to quantify what we have lost at this stage, but it is several thousand £s." *
John Yeomans reckons his form D status has been costing him £1000 a week in feed and he is still waiting to hear from the welfare scheme.