Be creative when you plan for farm succession
Making creative plans for the short- and long-term is key to helping farming families tackle the issue of succession and plan for the future of their businesses, an audience of cattle breeders heard yesterday.
Heather Wildman, an expert in this often difficult field, told the British Cattle Breeders’ annual conference that regardless of the type of farm, understanding the goals and ambitions of all associated with the business would help everyone understand what steps needed to be taken.
And she said it was important all involved understood the financial and operational reality of any enterprises being considered before decisions were made. Wildman said there were key questions everyone in a business needed to ask themselves to ensure that a farm’s hand-over went smoothly, adding: “Don’t assume everything is in order. Check deeds for the business, property entitlements, mortgage and loan information and what any debt liabilities are.
She said that it was also important to remember that succession planning wasn’t just about handing a business over to the next generation, but also recognising the needs of older family members.
On a more technical note
0 Battle continues to beat Cryptosporidiosis in cattle the conference was told that improving calf management and tackling shed hygiene were vital to tackling the impacts of one of the biggest causes of diarrhoea in beef and dairy calves – Cryptosporidiosis.
Hannah Shaw, a PHD student at the Moredun Institute, told the conference that the disease could have a significant impact on herd profitability thanks in part to the costs of treating diarrhoea in calves.
But the long-term impacts of the virus could cost farmers as much as £200 per animal over their lifetime thanks to its impact on long-term growth rates.
Shaw said the impacts of the protozoan parasite, which had symptoms including watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and weight loss, should not be underestimated.
As well as causing fatalities in 30 per cent of infectedcalves,thedamagetogut cells could have long-term effects in cattle growth, hitting herd profits.
She said that in one case studied, as well as a 38kg weight difference between infected and non-infected animals, the farmer faced costs of £200 on vet call outs, tests and treatment.
However, Shaw added that by taking steps to ensure a plentiful supply of good colostrum in the first hours of life, the impact of the disease could be severely reduced.
Irish academic Prof. David Kenny highlighted the fact that herd fertility and health were two of the main factors determining output and ultimately the profitability of suckler cow herds. Warning that the sector’s current poor fertility record did not bode well for the future, he said that this was a major area which producers should target for improvement.