Farm diary: possibly the smallest UK potato crop on record

PotatoesPotatoes
Potatoes
Given the wet weather this autumn, it’s good to see that the potato harvest has finished earlier than last year. In the appalling conditions of last year, potatoes on a number of farms remained in the ground until the spring, with many ploughed into the ground. This year they are all safely in the barn and it seems to have been an average yield. This may be the smallest crop on record though at around 250,000 acres planted, as the number of growers are diminishing at an alarming rate.

Given the wet weather this autumn, it’s good to see that the potato harvest has finished earlier than last year.

In the appalling conditions of last year, potatoes on a number of farms remained in the ground until the spring, with many ploughed into the ground. This year they are all safely in the barn and it seems to have been an average yield. This may be the smallest crop on record though at around 250,000 acres planted, as the number of growers are diminishing at an alarming rate. This means higher prices in the UK, whilst European prices are lower, and increased imports from Belgium and France has encouraged both countries to increase their potato processing plant capacity.

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This 16% increase in imports and 2% fall in our exports means that since 2014 our trade deficit has increased by 259%. Interestingly, the Canadians are very concerned about not only increased European expansion into North America, but the 60% increase in India’s frozen fry exports and also China’s rapid expansion and trade.

There was good news from Wales last week as the ridiculous demand that all farmers in Wales had to plant 10% of their land with trees has been scrapped. Good work by the unions and farmers combined over a long period, and the appointment of Huw Irranca Davies as secretary for Rural Affairs who has binned this mad policy.

It is good to see that following the previous incumbents, Wales now has someone with common sense at the helm.

The compulsory 10% tree planting scheme has been replaced with a hedgerow and tree management plan, and the 10% habitat scheme remains in place. An overall tree planting plan will be set, but no figure has been agreed as yet, and this might assist in achieving the woodland target set by Welsh government of 43,000 hectares by 2030. Mr Irranca Davies is confident that more will be achieved with this scheme than individual farmer targets; it has certainly taken the steam out of the debate. The focus now moves onto funding as the new Sustainable Farming Scheme takes over from the old EU scheme.

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It is now all about the money after the re-design which everyone has cautiously agreed to, the economic analysis and impact assessment next on the list. When the budget is announced this month, the industry will be wanting to see a scheme which is sustainable, not only for the environment, but food production and financially viable for farmers in Wales.

Whilst we wait for the report into farm assurance at the end of this month, Red Tractor is not the only scheme under pressure. Some farmers are very unhappy with the Red Tractor scheme as we know, but the RSPCA Assurance Scheme is arguably under more pressure.

Criticised by senior people at the RSPCA following underground pressure groups exposing welfare issues which resulted in Vice President Brian May resigning over allegations of poor animal welfare standards. Chris Packham, President of the RSPCA has remained in his position, although he has in the past called for the scheme to be suspended.

There are those in the RSPCA who think that they should police the farming industry and not go near farm assurance schemes. Others take the pragmatic view that the RSPCA can in fact work with the industry in order to improve things, and arguably, whilst the RSPCA is a very small scheme compared with Red Tractor, it has done some good work. The problem is that if undercover pressure groups have workers on farms, they can witness some misfortune or weather that catches the farmer and staff out, filming and making it look worse than it often is.

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The RSPCA is currently introducing a new laying hen welfare standards and unprecedented strength of feeling and feedback from the industry initially, prompted a re-think. More time was needed for members of the scheme, both barn and free-range, in order to prepare for the changes. This includes the refurbishment of sheds to meet greater veranda space and natural light requirement. The concern has been around the percentage provision of natural daylight, and whether there is a welfare benefit to the birds over 1%, 2% or 3% natural light with further research commissioned.

Farmers will be given time to comply with the new standards and talk will continue in the meantime the RSPCA stated.

Sheep farmers are the ones most troubled by the Red Tractor farm assurance scheme, claiming that only 12% of lambs produced in this country are slaughtered under the Red Tractor scheme.

This is due to the vast majority of lambs supplying export markets in Europe and the halal markets in the UK. Many in the industry are pleased to see a return to live markets as halal buyers prefer that to buying carcasses which are classified to supermarket specifications. Halal buyers are looking for quality and are not obsessed with minimal fat covering which ruins the cooking and taste of the meat, and the industry says that many supermarkets have now abandoned British lamb in favour of cheaper, poorer quality imported meat. There are over four million Muslims living in the UK today, and whilst that is only 6.5% of our population, it accounts for 20% of our lamb sales.

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Over 60% of Muslims consume lamb weekly, with more than 90% of our UK produced mutton also bought by the halal sector. Defra figures show that British consumption of red meat has been declining rapidly, but demand in Europe for our quality lamb has remained strong, despite increased costs post Brexit. Of all the sheep reared for the meat market in England and Wales, the vast majority goes to the halal market, and this has now become the lifeline for our sheep farmers. Great progress has been made over the years and the Islamic authorities in the UK now allow stunning at slaughter and processors comply with every aspect of the halal code.

Who is the most dangerous politician in this Labour government?

Without a shadow of doubt in my mind it is Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy. Increased farmland prices on the back of large corporations offsetting carbon and the projected increase in solar power on farmland, is of serious concern. We were reminded again last week of the costs of chasing environmental targets at breakneck speed, with the closure of a vehicle factory, leaving 1100 jobs at risk.

The financial penalties against car manufacturers for not reaching ambitious government targets on electric vehicles, whilst the market is just not there, is ridiculous. These are inherited targets, lest we forget, and successive governments have pursued the green agenda with vigour. Ed Miliband is convinced that if we pursue his policy of de-carbonising our energy production by 2030, our bills will be lower; a dodgy politician bearing gifts.

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His calculations according to experts are based on high gas prices today, and a 40% increase by 2030, making renewables cheaper. In fact, the International Energy Agency predicts that gas prices will fall as Trump and others turn on the taps. This will leave us with very high green energy costs, and I doubt that feeling virtuous about that will cut the mustard, as what is left of our manufacturing give up, leave or will be gone due to such high costs. Let us take stock now before it’s too late.

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