As water runs low, funding is needed for on-farm reservoirs
IN much of Derbyshire we have a drought in every respect other than name.
According to the Environment Agency, nowhere in England is currently ‘in drought,’ whic is classed as ‘prolonged dry weather.’
The county is very much on the dividing line that runs south west to north east across Wales and England.
The north of the county saw some welcome rain at the beginning of August, however many south and east of the northern Peak District have seen precious little, apart from some isolated thundery showers.
To state the obvious, crops need rain to grow and it is always a fine line between too much and too little. Crops such as cereals that were sown in the autumn received enough water in the winter and early spring to get stablished – getting their longish roots down far enough to pick up moisture as the soils began to dry out in late spring and summer.
Most cereal crops are thus not a disaster, and some are actually yielding quite well.
Grass is shallower rooted and needs enough rain to keep growing during the summer. Away from the north of the county, many fields are just brown.
Many farms are feeding forage – hay or silage – that has been harvested this summer and was intended for feeding the cattle or sheep through the winter.
When coupled with the already high prices for concentrate feeds, which are made from second-grade cereals, plus by-products of the processing of cereals and oil seeds and can include waste bakery products, it will be an expensive winter for many cattle or sheep farmers as they eke out their depleted forage stocks.
With the likelihood of weather extremes becoming more common due to global warming, it is important Government helps farmers adapt.
Where high-value crops
such as potatoes need to be irrigated, for the sake of food security and shop food prices, irrigation needs to be allowed to continue.
If nature will suffer due to more extraction of water from rivers, funding needs to be available to build on-farm water storage, such as small reservoirs.
Agriculture needs to be recognised as an essential user of water. Water security is a vital
part of food security.
As the Government develops new support measures for agriculture, these need to be able to help food production to adapt to the effects of climate change. 45.6-52kg
Ave: 238.82p/kg 52kg+ To: 228p/kg Ave: 220.14p/kg
25 BARREN COWS CLEAN CATTLE 67 DAIRIES
DAIRIES TO £2160
To: 258p/kg
166 CULL SHEEP AVE £76/HEAD
A large proportion of plainer mules within the entry affecting the average accordingly, with a top price of £135.
Leek Market
A good show of stock this Tuesday and some excellent prices achieved throughout. The dairy section saw the dispersal on behalf of C Jackson &
Sons, Butley top at £2160 for a Dairy Shorthorn cow. An improved trade for lambs this week, seeing the best to 291p/kg and average of 242p/kg & £100.83 per head. Ewes sold well to top at £176. Barrens sold on a strong trade to top at 182p/kg for a Red Poll with black & whites to 179p/kg. A strong trade for fat pigs with bacon pigs to 181p/kg and plenty over 165p/kg.
Calves were a fantastic trade with some super quality sorts forward seeing a top price of £395 for
Blue bulls and heifers up to £385.
(Auctioneer Graham Watkins)
A strong trade for barrens this week with the best up to 182p/kg for a 705kg Red Poll cow from DA &LM Moss, Rushton Spencer and a 690kg Angus at 179p/kg from MK & DL Griffin, Alstonefield.
Black & whites sold to 179p/kg for a 705kg Holstein from KI & EL Matkin, Alderwasley, with a 655kg Holstein at 174p/kg from B N Capewell & Sons, Gratwich and 174p/kg for a 720kg Holstein from D & PW Kirkman, Alderwasley.
Top prices:
170p 565kg Friesian - J E Archer & Sons, Hilton
169p 685kg Simmental - J D Alcock,
Elkstones
167p 715kg British Blue - IE, M & A Wilson, Hollington
166p 680kg Simmental - J D Alcock,
Elkstones
166p 730kg Holstein - B N Capewell & Sons, Gratwich
Overall average of 150.86p/kg or £980.60 per head.
Top headage price of £1283.10 for the Red
Poll, with Holsteins to £1261.95; £1252.80 & £1232.40 with Anguses to £1235.10.
Top price today of 230p/kg twice for a 560kg Angus Heifer and a 620kg Angus heifer from Home Farm, Rushton who sold others at 225p/kg for a 580kg Angus. Friesian bulls sold well, to top at 208p/kg for a 595kg bull; 207p/kg for a 560kg bull and 197p/kg for a 620kg Friesian bull, all from J E Archer & Sons, Hilton.
(Auctioneers Meg Elliott & Mark Elliott)
A mixed quality in the commercial section met a mixed trade with buyers being more particular about their purchases. Top call went to Michael Wainwright of Buxton at
£1950 for a 30kg heifer, he also had a second to £1940.
The trade however for the herd dispersal on behalf of the Jackson family was swift with a large numbers of buyers in attendance. The Shorthorns in particular were keenly sought after with trade topping at £2160 for a fresh fourth calver giving 33kg going to Messrs Townsend of Sudbury.
A fresh Shorthorn third calver reached £2000. Giving 35kg she went to Messrs Beaver of Allport. Another fresh third calver giving 28kg reached £1920 to Messrs Hillard of Northwich.
134 PIGS
(Auctioneer Graham Watkins)
Another super trade for pigs this week, with the best to 181p/kg for bacon pigs.
Cutters topped the day at 179p/kg for 83kg gilts from Massie Farms who sold others at 174p/kg, 173p/ kg & 172p/kg. J &B Fentem sold cutters at 170p/kg, 168p/kg and 160p/kg and Bernard Minshull sold 79kg pigs at 165p/kg.
Bacon pigs topped at 181p/kg for 90kg pigs from David Goldstraw, Meerbrook with Massie Farms selling a run of pigs at 177p/kg x2, 175p/kg x2, 174p/kg and
172p/kg. Bernard Minshull sold 90kg pig at 171p/kg and 86kg pig at 170p/kg.
Heavy pigs sold to 154p/kg for a 141kg pig from Mileburne Charollais Ltd.
Cull sows topped at 124p/kg for a clean gilt from R T Wilson, Oldham an other sows at 93p/ kg for a 232p/kg from Messrs Spendlove & 53p/kg for a 184kg sow from Bernard Minshull. Averages:
Pork Pigs (9); av 145.09p/kg or £111.07/head
Cutting Pigs (31); av 162.28p/kg or £133.85/head
Bacon Pigs (84); av 156.26p/kg or £143.63/head
Heavy Pigs (3); av 128.45p/kg or £154.14/head
Cull Sows (4); av 58.31p/kg or £129.90/head
SHEEP SECTION Auctioneer Robert Watkins 538 LAMBS
An improved trade with lambs
15p - 20p up on the week! More numbers required each week to keep up with returning orders please!
Best lambs up to 291p/kg for 39kg lambs from the Williamsons, Wetley Rocks with the best quality a pleasure to sell, generally 255p+. Heavier lambs also well sought after, seeing 52kg lambs to 260p/ kg for Reg Critchlow, Grindon and top headage price of £137.76 Overall average of 242.24p/kg & SQQ 243.04p/kg.
Average headage price of £100.83 per head.
Sample prices:
268p 38.6kg J B Rowlinson & Son, Gawsworth 262p 36.7kg G M Brown, Leigh
291p 39.1kg RG &AS Williamson, Wetley Rocks 270p 40.2kg S & J Reeves, Grindley
262p 44.5kg S & J Reeves, Grindley
260p 42kg RG & AS Williamson, Wetley Rocks 260p 52kg R J Critchlow, Grindon
256p 49.5kg G Brown, Moddershall
258p 53kg ACA & TJ Ede, Stramshall
258p 52.5kg A L Turnock & Sons, Wincle 246p 56kg L Taylor, Knutsford
190 CULL SHEEP
A good entry forward sold on a solid trade to top at
£176 for Texel ewes. Meated ewes generally £140 - £170 and Mules £80 - £100, leaner ewes £50 - £80. Overall average of £102.01.
120 CALVES
Auctioneer Oliver Hiles
A fantastic show of calv es today with quality excellent throughout and trade very strong with buyers out in force.
41 CONTINENTAL BULLS
Quality good and trade fantastic. A superb run of Blue bulls from Messrs Matkin (10 - 15 days) sold at £395, £370, £350 etc. Chris Ball had £390 for his Blue; Messrs Cotton, Tean had £365 for a Blue; Andrew Hulme £380 for a Blue. 14 best topped £315; mediums
£270 - £300 with a handful of smaller calves under £200.
23 Blues av £274 to £395 - G Matkin & Sons 5 Sims av £277 to £378 - J Gould & Son 12 Lims av £252 to £318 - H Hodgkinson & Sons
1 Char to £330 - H Hodgkinson & Sons
30 CONTINENTAL HEIFERS
It was certainly a day to be a seller and a fantastic price for all calves on offer. Messrs Matkin had 3 Blueheifers (all stunners & 11-13 days) at £385, £380 & £355 with another trio from Messrs Cotton at £315, £315 & £305. Good calves today generally £240 - £285. Only a handful under £150.
25 Blues av £236 to £385 - G Matkin & Sons 2 Sims av £225 to £285 - TD & DA Higginson 3 Lims av £149 to £252 - F Yates & Son
21 NATIVES
Strong money today.
8 Hereford Bulls av £214 to £380, £340 & £295 - J & W Knight
3 AA Bulls av £186 to £205 - S M Mccleavy 9 Hereford Heifers av £161 to £310 - PN Holdcroft
5 AA Heifers av £114 to £150 - A & HM Hulme & Son
18 Black & White Bulls
Monty’s to £120; Friesians to £108 with smaller sorts generally £38 - £50 today.
10 REARED CALVES
British Blue x Heifer (5mths) £385 - S E Howe Hereford x Heifer (5mths) £230 - J Sharp British Blue x Bull (4mths) £105 - H A Smith