This Week in Farming: Schmallenberg, NFU and Welsh SFS shock
© georgeheap/Adobe Stock Welcome back to This Week in Farming, your guide to the very best Farmers Weekly content from the past seven days.
But first, do you know a farmer in their 90s? Send a direct message to our social media team or write to me directly at the link below. It might have something to do with our 90th anniversary in June…
Now, on with the show.
Fury over Welsh farm policy direction
The Welsh government has been accused of pursuing a “destocking agenda” after its own analysis showed the introduction of the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) risks a reduction of 122,000 livestock units – equivalent to 122,000 adult cattle or more than 800,000 sheep.
The research, carried out by Adas, SRUC and the University of Dublin and published alongside the latest SFS consultation, also found the introduction of the new scheme could lead to a cut of £199m in farm business income.
Labelled “worst-case” scenarios, you can read more about what has been forecast and union reaction to it in this week’s print lead story here.
NFU hustings
The race to be the next NFU president is sown up, with only Tom Bradshaw in the running to replace Minette Batters, but the fight to be the next deputy and vice-president is very much on.
Chief reporter Phil Case sat in on an online hustings this week to find out who the candidates for each role are and hear what they had to say for themselves.
In my editorial this week, I ponder why no one challenged Mr Bradshaw for the top job and what it says about our industry.
More Lamma goodness
Machinery buffs will have spotted that I flagged some Lamma stories in last week’s bulletin, but the machinery desk has kept on ticking them out.
My pick goes to this interesting innovation – biodegradable baler twine. Now, I could have sworn we already had that with sisal…
You can view a rundown of all the coverage here.
From prills to poo
Switching to using manures can be difficult for arable farmers without ready access to the brown stuff, but for those with an opportunity, it can represent a significant saving.
Compared with bagged fertiliser, manure can also increase soil organic matter, which will help improve soil structure, resilience in dry weather, and lead to an increase in yields.
Check out this deep dive on the topic here, as well as this broader look on how to build climate resilience into business plans.
Who’s up and who’s down?
Dairy farmers should be giving themselves a big pat on the back this week after a fresh study revealed the sector’s use of antimicrobials has plummeted again.
Analyst Kingshay said two-thirds of farms showed usage below the national target for 2024, while use of critically important microbials has continued to fall and is now at its lowest level, with just 5.7% of herds using them.
The livestock team also supply this week’s sobering story about the Schmallenberg outbreak. Owners of early lambing flocks are likely to be the ones feeling glum after farms across the south of England, Wales and the Midlands all reported cases.
Vets are urging farmers with deformed lambs to send them for post-mortem so they can be tested for the virus. This can be done free of charge through the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Apha).