Agriculture Flashcards
(42 cards)
What are the common agricultural practices in your area?
Beef Sheep & Dairy
Mixed farming livestock & arable
What are common Crop Rotations?
Spring barley, winter wheat, maize or oil seed rape, then a winter or spring crop
reduce disease
reduce pest burden
each crop takes different nutrients from the soil, so help maintain productivity
What is a break crop?
A secondary crop grown to interrupt the repeated sowing of cereals. It is used to break the cycle of pests, diseases & weeds. Tilled & harvested at different times to the cereals.
for example Kale or rape
forage rape - green crop & is ploughed back in to increase organic matter
What are the timings for crops harvest to harvest?
Spring sown Crop - Tilled mid feb - end march fert may time & sprayed as and when required - harvested end july & august
Winter sown crops - tilled october - end of Jan (ground conditions will dictate) - fert may time and sprayed as and when required - harvested end of june july.
Maize - Tilled begining may - harvested end sept/oct.
Why are crop rotations used?
To improve soil health, control pests and diseases
How is agriculture affected in your area affected by:
Rainfall
NVZ
Topography
NVZ
Specific designations
Rainfall - the relatively wet climate and steep slopes and sensitive soils which are prone to compaction and runoff
NVZ - Restrictions on use of nitrogen fertilisers, with closed periods where fert cannot be spread at all.
Restrictions on storing organic manure.
Topography - The diverse topography influences factors like soil type, drainage, exposure to weather eg. the Red Devon Standstone supports fertile soil ideal for arable cropping while the steeper rougher areas of Dartmoor are more suited to livestock farming.
Specific Designations - this can restrict land use, spreading of fertilisers, stocking density, eg. NE dictate how many cattle can be grazed on SSSI sites across Dartmoor.
What is a gross margin?
Total Farm Output less Total Variable Costs
What goes into a gross margin?
Total Output - represents total revenue from the farms activities e.g. value of crops, livestock or other produce
Variable costs -
seed, fertiliser sprays
Feed for livestock
Fuel, machinery repairs
Harvesting costs
Why is a Gross Margin Used?
It is a useful tool for budgeting, benchmarking and identifying areas where production strategies could be improved.
What are current prices for commodities?
Wheat - £162/t
Barley - £151/t
Rape - £428/t
Hay - £73/t
Straw - £90/t barley £80/t wheat
Clamp Silage - £35/t
What are current prices for livestock?
Forward Store Cattle - £2200 - £2800
Fat/Prime Cattle - 3.80/4.20ppk LW
Bucket calves - £100 -£200 BW £500-£800 Continental cross
Cull Ewes - £180 - £250
Fat Hogs -317ppk LW
Lambs - 380/4 ppk
What are the key factors affecting markets and commodity prices at the moment?
According AHDB UK beef production is expected to decrease by 5% while domestic beef consumption is expected to rise by 1%. National herd has decreased by 1.5% - supply & demand
Sheep - supply & demand, import strategies
Cereals - Both the cereal and oilseed markets are being impacted by global weather patterns, with production concerns in major exporting countries. EU and Black Sea region production of cereals and oilseeds is expected to remain below typical levels due to adverse weather conditions and geopolitical instability. This could lead to some support in global prices in the short to medium term, which will likely filter through to domestic prices
How are livestock identified?
Cattle Ear Tags - DEFRA/ BCMS
Sheep ear tags - DEFRA/LIS
How are livestock movements undertaken / governed?
The Cattle Identification Regulations 2007
The Sheep and Goats (Records, Identification and Movement) (England) Order 2009
What is ELM?
Environmental Land Management Schemes which comprises a system of payments to pay farmers/land managers to farm & produce food in an environmentally friendly/sustainable way.
What is countryside Stewardship?
No longer exists with the last year for applications being 2023 with those agreements commencing 1st Janaury 2024
Lasting for 5 years with capital items being completed within 3 years
Comprised Revenue and Capital items in the one agreement
Two options:
Higher Tier - used for most environmentally important sites that need complex management eg creating or restoring habitats.
Mid-Tier - Improve diversity of wildlife, water quality, air quality and natural floor management.
What is CSF?
Catchment Sensitive Farming
Joint initiative between Defra, NE & EA which aims to provide free one-to-one advice to farmer to help them produce water and air pollution
There are certain items under the Capital Grants that require support from CSF Advisors - such as:
RP28: Roofing (sprayer washdown area, manure storage area, livestock gathering area, slurry stores, silage stores)
RP15 Concrete Yard Renewal
RP4: Livestock and machinery hardcore tracks
What is SFI?
Sustainable Farming Incentive - 3 year agreement
Currently suspended with details of revised SFI expected this summer
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) gives farmers a choice of actions that reward and support sustainable food production while protecting and enhancing nature
offers 102 actions
What is BPS?
Basic Payment Scheme - payment providing financial support for farmers - component of the EU’s CAP requiring cross compliance
Based on number of entitlements - 1 entitlement/hectare.
Minimum area to apply for BPS - 5 hectares with each land parcel being at least 0.1 ha
Last year to claim BPS was 2023 with payments becoming delinked.
Delinked payments based on a reference amount calculated from 2020, 2021 & 2020 payment data.
Paid on reducing scale and ceasing in 2027.
After the Autumn budget the government announced all delinked payments would be capped at £7,200 for 2025.
What is the current situation for BPS? Why is this important?
After the Autumn budget the government announced all delinked payments would be capped at £7,200 for 2025.
With the first £30,000 being subject to a 76% reduction with any amount above this being subject to a 100% reduction
BPS has provided an financial safety net for farmers since 2015 and as the level of support has continued on a reducing nature farmers are having to fins other sources of income or way to reduce costs
Dunsford Grazing License, what did you do?
I wrote to the Licensor in on 2nd January to establish if he wanted to renew the Grazing License with the grazier for the coming year.
He contact me via phone to confirm he wished to continue on the same basis as last if the grazier was in agreement and I confirmed the conversation via email.
I contacted the grazier via email to establish if they wanted to renew the License for 2025 confirming that it would be on the same basis as previous years.
The grazier confirmed his acceptance via email.
I then drafted the Agreements including plans. Sending 3 copies to to be signed by each party. once signed by the parties we returned a signed copy to each party and retained one for our records.
why was the licensor contacted first?
The licensor was contact first as if they did not wish to continue with the agreement then there would be no agreement.
How you determine appropriate terms for the coming year?
