Microchips prove much more viable than spuds
28 January 2000
Microchips prove much more viable than spuds
Big changes are afoot on
the Leics arable unit which
is farmers weeklys Midlands
barometer farm for 2000.
Andrew Blake reports
DISILLUSIONMENT with potatoes and more attractive alternative uses for some of the farms assets are transforming the business at Frolesworth Farms, near Lutterworth.
Robert Talliss family has farmed in the Leics village of Frolesworth for nearly a century. But with a derogatory £30/t the best offer for 1000t of maincrop potatoes still in store, and with father Bill due to retire in two years, a serious re-think has been under way.
The 164ha (405 acres) of sandy clay loam yields plenty of wheat, oats and potatoes. Wheat has averaged over 10t/ha (4t/acre) for the past two years, says Robert. "We have no problem with potato yields but just cant get the quality that supermarkets demand.
"We usually get over 20t/acre of Nadine and Maris Piper and did very well last year. But after 10 years of trying to grow quality potatoes, they are virtually unmarketable this season. We are fed up with the job and need to go in a new direction."
"The latest excuse is that our Nadines eyes are too deep," says Bill. "We are staring at a loss of £40-60,000. We cant afford to go on taking that sort of risk."
Six years ago some redundant livestock buildings were converted to offices for an expanding local computing firm. Now the Talliss plan to use capital released by selling the potato equipment to create more office space within a disused Dutch barn. "The demand is there. When the firm started it employed four people. Now it has 30," says Robert.
Looking further ahead the 1000t on-floor grain-cum-potato store, which is near the M1 motorway and a major distribution centre, could become a warehouse, he says.
"We might end up drying grain and taking co-op storage off-farm. The problem is that there isnt much available locally."
Some potatoes, probably about 20ha (50 acres), will be grown this spring. "We had 130 acres last year. But this time we are letting the ground to an East Anglian processor keen to grow its own supplies. Growing for processing wouldnt be a realistic proposition for us."
The move will retain the crop as a break and continue to make good use of the 18m gallon reservoir installed seven years ago. "We shall charge for irrigation."
FROLESWORTH FARMS
• 136ha arable.
• Cropping
• Wheat 94ha
• Potatoes (let) 20ha
• Oats 11ha
• Spring beans 11ha
• Sandy clay loams.
• High P, low K.
• Irrigation available.