Price Watch
FROM the Chelford Review, w/c August 29 CATTLE A superb show of Beef Breeding Cattle and some great headline prices to report. Messrs Hassall sold a selection of Pedigree Simmentals from their Fishpool Herd, topping the section with a Pedigree Cow and Heifer Calf at 1950gns (£2047.50), Mark Twelves sold a Beef Shorthorn Cow and Calf to achieve £1460. Another Pedigree Simmental Cow with Limousin Cross Calf at foot made £1430 for John Gosmore and Martin Wright sold a cracking Blonde Cow with Calf at £1400. POULTRY The stars of the sale were a trio of Bearded Painter Silkies at £50 per head, followed by a trio of Light Sussex Bantams at £34, two trios of Point of Lay Light Sussex Bantams up to £26, with a Bourbon Turkey Hen Poult at £24, three Buff Orpington Point of Lay £20. Families followed with a gold top hen and five pekin chocolate chicks £30, silkie with two chicks £20, brahma hen and five chicks £20 and a game hen and seven chicks £20. PIGS Porker £98.24 average, cutter £106.20 average, baconer £96.85 average. FRESH CALVES Heifers an unstoppable trade, Blues to £340, for a Buxton client, £310 again for DR Shuker, Simmentals £310 for CW Gibson, two Herefords to £240 for Stelin Ltd. A show of Dairy Calves dominated by 10-20 day old Friesian Cross Calves topped at £70 with many sold from £20-£40. EGGS Medium barn 80p, free range small 70p, barn xl £1, duck £3.10, quail 60p, bantam 70p. FRUIT AND VEG Carrot bunched 70p, dirty parsnip £2, cabbage x 12 £3, kale £3, red cabbage x 6 £2.25, leeks x 5kg £3.75, roman cauliflower x 6 £3.25, dwarf beans x 4lb £2.50, bunched beetroot 40p, tomatoes £5, webb x 6 £1.50, cos x 12 £3, savoy x 6 £3.75, primo x 6 £3.75, washed carrot £3.50, runner beans x 8lb £4, cucumber £2.75. PRODUCE Eight loads of produce forward on the final bank holiday was offered before the usual large company of prospective buyers and lookers. Trade was satisfactory all through with round bale hay £52-£76 per tonne, big square bale hay £74 per tonne, big bale barley straw £70, small bale barley straw £100 per tonne. Big bale wheat straw £54.
APPLICATIONS have ben rolling in for the NFU’s Cereals Development Programme. The programme offers a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in combinable crops to improve their understanding about how the industry works and how they can get the most from it.
Pembrokeshire farmer Tom Rees said he has gained new skills and knowledge from being a participant during the 2014-15 scheme.
He said: “The course provided a brilliant range of events.
“For me, highlights included the media training and trips to Brussels and Westminster.
“Media training provided not just a great opportunity to develop our skills as a group but also really helped us to get to know each other.
“Likewise having the Brussels trip close to the end of the course meant we really knew each other and as a result got the most from the trip both professionally and socially.
“I really felt the importance of paying my yearly NFU subscription when we left Brussels, the importance the NFU play in political lobbying was obvious and this was further galvanised when we visited Westminster and the Houses of Parliament.
“I also particularly enjoyed the session on how the NFU works from branch through to county level, right through to national level.
“This was particularly relevant to someone like myself who doesn’t have any close family involved in the organisation.
“The course also gave me the confidence to push on with my own business aspirations.
“Being part of a group of young people who took everything as a challenge rather than a punishment has helped me be clear what I’m doing, even with farm gate prices the way they are today!
“It also gave me the confidence to be involved in my local NFU and since completing the course I have become strongly involved in my local branch and hope that as time progresses I can do more.
“The great diversity of members in the group brought a great range of skills and experience, but above all I think as a group we have made friends for life.
We came from many different backgrounds but overall shared a passion for shaping the future of the British Combinable Crops industry and I’m sure that you will see many of the group go on to greater things.
“I am very proud of my involvement in the group and would encourage any NFU members thinking about it to get on and apply.”
Successful applicants for the new programme will be told in due cousse.