Benchmarking is key to hit unreachable targets

Monitor farm meeting in Moray will offer wide range of cattle breeding insights

The value of benchmarking in beef farming will be the focus of a monitor farm meeting in Moray next week.

The local group based at Corskie Farm will be addressed by Orcadian farmer Steven Sanderson who used benchmarking as a way to help him attain previously unreachable management targets. He has since completed a Nuffield scholarship on the subject.

“I used to go to these meetings where we were told we should be meeting certain targets, for example 92% weaning in a nine-week breeding period. At the time, that for me seemed nigh on impossible,” he said.

“So, I set out to find out if it was possible and, if so, how the farmers achieving it were doing so, and that’s where benchmarking came in.

“It’s only through having a clear idea of how you are doing in terms of inputs and outputs, and then comparing that to others, that you can see where changes can be made.”

The meeting will also hear more about the Beef Monitor system that automatically weighs the cattle every time they go to take a drink, which offers the Green family who farm Corskie scope to monitor the effectiveness of their breeding and feeding programmes to improve cattle performance.

Monitor farmer Laura Green said: “It’s a really useful system for measuring daily liveweight gains which we can then trace back to our genetics and use the information to make our system even more efficient.

“It will also flag up if any of the livestock are suffering from poor health before there are any clinical signs, or if we need to make any changes to the ration.”

The farm open day will also demonstrate how winter and spring barley varieties in trial sites are coping with the recent hot, dry weather.

The meeting will take place on Corskie Farm, Garmouth, IV32 7NN, on July 10 from 2pm–5pm.

The event is free of charge, but anyone interested in attending the open day should contact Samantha Stewart by phone on 01343 548787.