Ian Pigott
Ian Pigott
Ian Pigott farms 690ha
(1700 acres) of owned,
rented, share-farmed and
contract-farmed land in
partnership with his father
from Thrales End,
Harpenden, Herts. Wheat,
oilseed rape, spring barley,
beans and peas are the
main crops on the flinty,
medium clay soils
MY annual jaunt to the Royal Show revealed several stark messages. Sadly, the most blatant was the decision by many of the larger machinery manufacturers to give it a miss.
I have commented before on the demise of our local county show. Less and less of an agricultural agenda saw it all too soon became a horse show come outdoor car showroom and upmarket car boot sale.
The downward spiral was very quick. No machinery dealers therefore no arable farmers. No dairy lines therefore no dairy farmers.
I will never know how much business was ever done at the Hertfordshire Show, but the shiny machinery provided an excuse to go along and chat to other farmers. It is a sorry reflection on the state of our industry and I hope that that the Royal Show does not become yet another casualty.
On a brighter note, I have been awarded a Nuffield Scholarship to study how agriculture and environmental issues are incorporated into the school curricula of other countries and how that affects long-term consumer loyalties and purchasing trends.
Trawling the Royal Show for yet more information – Ive done a lot of research already – I was overwhelmed by the amount of work that is being done by individuals and organisations such as Farming And Countryside Education and The Countryside Agency to try to get our message across. It is an uphill struggle but I believe we should all try to promote our industry, taking every opportunity to educate the wider audience.
Back home, we desiccated some oilseed rape last weekend but the majority ripened evenly and has little weed infestation so will be left alone until harvest.
Take-all is widespread in wheat in the county and the sooner agronomists can offer more insight into this disease the better. Telling me this is a bad year for take-all once wheat goes white does not help my rotation planning! *