Price Watch
FROM the Beeston Review, w/e June 23 CATTLE Great to see numbers about once again, over 100 head, proving the worth of a thriving weekly sale. All classes of cattle selling on a phenomenal trade, buyers for everything. Out in front was a run of fantastic forward steers from RW Heath selling to £1370 and recording the day’s top four prices of ALL OVER £1300. Great to see Jake Bourne selling at Beeston, his Sim x at £1295 and a Hereford x top native at £1230. Longer keep steers looked extremely well sold, Messrs Boden selling Sim x to £855 and 10mo Blues off the isle of Anglesey to £850. POULTRY Over a hundred P.O.L pullets fully vaccinated and salmonella tested, Rhode Rock, Sussex Ranger, Speckledy, Beechwood Blue and Amberlink sold up to £8 (all prices per head). This week top price was a pair of American Game Bantam Hens £18. Two Ganders £13. Two Goslings £12. A Welsummer Pullet £10 and an Sussex hen £10. Families sold well with a Gold Top Broody hen and eight cross bred chicks £11 and a Broody hen and six Lavender Pekin Chicks £10. Three Light Sussex Bantams £9. The variety of stock was complete with a pair of Ghost Pheasants £9. PIGS Less pigs around this week due to the Cheshire show also this weather, as they say make hay while the sun shines and it did affect the number of pigs in Beeston. Many entries expected for Thursday June 29. Top 5 Prices: 168 ppk (£147.84), 164 ppk (£142.68), 160 ppk (£136.00), 160 ppk (£131.20), 146 ppk (£129.05). Store Pigs: £50 per head, £36 per head. Get your pigs into Beeston for this topping price. SHEEP 645 New Season Butchers Lambs followed by 94 Old Season Lambs at 11.30am *Top Spots: New: 272.0p/kg(twice) 38.0kg Texel Crosses-Jordan Nield, Betchton – Old: 200.0p/kg 54.3 kg Texel Crosses – Mark Saxton, Great Gate – Overall Averages: New Season 227.9p/kg – Old Season 152.2p/kg. A great turn out of ewes this week and another strong trade there were some topping ewes forward, yet again topping the £100+ mark. Top price was £120 from Mr Barnett. PRODUCE A small entry on offer on a rainy morning! Winter Barley Straw £85 per tonne. A load of new season Big Bale Hay made £27 per bale equivalent to £100 per tonne.
NATIONAL Farming Union members across the country are pledging to make 30 changes in 30 days to improve safety.
NFU expert Tom Price has urged farmers from all sectors and regions to join them by considering the small but important improvements to working practices which can reduce farm risks.
The call came in the run up to this week’s Farm Safety Week and follows a social media campaign in which farmers have shared their improvements. What can I do? A wealth of advice can be found on the NFU farm safety pages, including recent blogs on the risks for older workers, health and safety during farm visits and farm vehicles and children.
NFU member? You can access business guides on farm safety ranging from the safe use of ATVs and vehicle health checks to risk assessments, fire safety and working with chemicals. Health and Safety Principles for Farmers and Growers offers a thorough grounding on the responsibilities of farm businesses.
Find out about the NFU Mutual SafetyHub, which offers new tools to help farmers assess risks.
Speaking at the hub launch during the recent Royal Cornwall Show, Tom said: “Smaller farms often face some of the highest risks in agriculture as their workers are carrying out a wider range of tasks, often on their own.
“Their attention can easily become distracted, so we would recommend having a risk assessment tool to help them assess threats, mitigate dangers and comply with legislation.”
The NFU was a founder member of the Farm Safety Partnership.
Visit the site for advice, farm safety news and case studies to inspire a renewed focus on your farm. Stop! Think! Slurry Gas Slurry and the toxic gases that it can release are the cause of a number of deaths each year in agriculture. Safe Stop The Farm Safety Partnership’s ‘Safe Stop’ Campaign focusses on the importance of following the ‘Safe Stop’ procedure: handbrake on; controls in neutral; engine off; and keys out, before leaving the cab. On social media Farmers on Twitter are demonstrating their 30 changes in 30 days using the unusual hashtag #LensLeg.
Actions so far include servicing machinery, putting up safety posters, getting an early night and buying a phone for anyone out on their own.
The 30 days challenge was posed by Stuart Roberts, NFU Council member for East Anglia.
Then, at last week’s NFU Council meeting, Cheshire county chairman Phil Latham displayed his grandfather’s prosthetic limb and told the meeting how his relative was trampled by a shire horse on farm.
A hashtag was born…