Project to question whether it is possible to ‘have it all’ in farming
A NEW project, enlisting the support of Scottish farmers, is aiming to prove that productivity and environmental delivery can go hand in hand.
Sheep and beef specialists from SAC Consulting Poppy Frater and Lesley Wylie will be leading a project with four farmers across Scotland this year, looking at how they can combine efficient livestock production with biodiversity and climatechange benefits.
Poppy Frater said: “Often, environmentalbased approaches to farming come with a negative impact on agricultural production – we either leave land for biodiversity or might compromise production per hectare with lighter stocking rates or slower growth rates for environmental reasons.
“However, food production is still an important public service. We are running this project to question whether we can ‘have it all’, by using methods such as agroforestry, deferred grazing and diverse pasture swards.”
To help prove the point one of the four participating farms,
Oakwood Mill, run by Giles and Stuart Henry, has fantastic wildflower and insect populations on deferred grazing land, yet the cows are outwintered cost-effectively and the majority of youngstock sold finished at 19 months, off grass.
Market round-up
Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 439 prime and cast sheep at Newton Stewart yesterday.
There were 120 prime lambs sold to average 296p/kg or £137 per head. Top prices were £154 on four occasions for pens of Texels and 320p for a pair of Beltex.
The 160 prime hoggs were easily cashed if they were well fleshed and averaged 258p (+3p). Top in the hoggs was
£151 for heavyweight Texels and 288p for pens of Texels and Beltex.
Cast sheep peaked at £190 for Suffolk tups, while Suffolk ewes sold to £168. Mule ewes sold to £131 with Cheviots to £130.
C&D Auction Marts held its sale of prime stock in Dumfries yesterday where prime cattle sold easily to 295p/kg for Limousin cross heifers.
Beef type OTMS sold to 240p/kg and to £1,540 for Simmentals, while dairy cows peaked at 176p and £1,311.
Prime lambs were easily sold to average 320p/kg and peaked at £146 for Suffolks with Texels selling to £145.
Prime hoggs that were well fleshed sold well and peaked at £127.
Cast sheep sold to £161 for a Texel tup, while
Texel ewes cashed in at £160. Cheviot ewes sold to £145 with Blackfaces to £125.
Caledonian Marts Ltd sold 764 sheep at its annual sale of dry hoggets and hoggs with lambs at foot, in conjunction with its fortnightly sale of ewes and lambs.
Top price was for a pen of Texel hoggs with single lambs at £127 per life. Dry hoggs sold to £137 for Mules with Texels to
£134. Ewes with lambs at foot peaked at £119 per life for Texels.