FARMERFOCUS
FARMERFOCUS
Peter Delbridge
Peter Delbridge farms
162ha (400 acres) in the
Exmoor National Park, near
South Molton, Devon. The
farm is mostly permanent
grass, classed as less
favoured and environmentally
sensitive, and all above
300m (1000ft). It is stocked
with 800 ewes, replacement
ewe lambs, 60 spring calving
sucklers and their followers
FEBRUARY has certainly lived up to its fill dyke reputation -despite a dry early winter, any fields still carrying stock have quickly become a mess.
While trudging around in waterproofs, one has to remind oneself that it is better to have the rain now than during lambing and rain is better than snow. Also, it only takes one dry day at this time of year to do a lot of good.
All our hearts sank when fears of a new foot-and-mouth outbreak in Yorks coincided with the anniversary of the original cases.
It must have given New Labour a welcome chance to bury the bad Press concerning Messrs Byers and Mittal, with the announcement regarding a ban on hunting completing the task.
It is probably highly unfashionable to still feed housed ewes hay. But with this years extortionate straw prices, I am pleased ewes have only required bedding four times since housing in the first week of the year.
The downside is increased concentrate use. The concentrate is 22% protein and includes relatively cheap urea. This works well with high fibre forage, which has a high sugar content but poor protein levels.
In recent years, the Valentines Day postal delivery has caused me little excitement. But this year a letter from DEFRA/RPA, or whatever they like to be called, bucked the trend. It informed me that, according to the 2001 IACS form, I had insufficient hectares and would not receive any HFA payment – about £9000 – this year.
Having checked the photocopy of last years form, the poor girl answering the phone received both barrels of a verbal barrage before she had a chance to apologise.
Apparently an errant computer had sent several similar letters to other producers in south-west England. One can only imagine the anguish caused to families everywhere, thinking their cashflow would be so adversely affected.
I notice that when the ministry makes an error, all we receive is an apology. Yet when we make one, it invariably ends with a financial penalty. *