Latest news with #AHDB
Western Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Business
- Western Telegraph
West Wales dairy farmer breeds his way to better business
Breeding is the cheapest and most effective way to make permanent, long-term improvements to a wide cross-section of traits in dairy cows. Autumn milk producer Marcus Ferraro has historically only utilised milk recording to inform his drying off strategy but is now fully recording to build individual cow data and a herd genetic report. This will help identify 'passenger cows' in his 300-cow herd at Sychpant Farm, near Newcastle Emlyn, and allow him to breed from his best animals. Don't miss our next edition of Pembrokeshire Farmer, available free inside the Western Telegraph on July 30 During a recent AHDB strategic farm event at Sychpant Farm, farmers were told that Marcus was using breeding to transition the herd to a ProCross, a cow with a combination of Holstein, Montbeliarde and VikingRed genetics. Farm business consultant Anna Bowen, of The Andersons Centre, said the business is achieving considerable year-on-year improvements, making a comparable farm profit (CFP) of 14.58 pence per litre (ppl) in the year ending March 2025 - up 15.45ppl on the previous 12 months. This, she explained, had been helped by favourable market conditions but also by other actions, including more output per cow, up by an average of 837 litres/cow/year to 6,714, and an improvement in milk solids from 491kg/cow to 561kg. Milk is supplied to cheesemaker, Leprino. Making greater use of homegrown feed through actions such as measuring grass weekly and a greater focus on cow health, including through mobility scoring, had also reduced the farm's purchased feed and veterinary costs. The Ferraros farm 182ha (450 acres), of which 61ha (150 acres) are owned and form the grazing platform. Cows are wintered in sawdust-bedded cubicles and fed silage in central passageways but have access to pasture as soon as a pregnancy diagnosis confirms they are in calf. 'If it is dry and frosty they will be out in January to loaf and graze from February onwards,'' said Marcus, who farms with his wife, Vicki, and his father, Richard. Going forward, they have invested in weigh scales to regularly monitor heifers to ensure growth rates are on track to breed and calve at 24 months in the 12-week calving block. Despite improvements, Anna said there is further progress the business could make including the volume of milk produced from forage – currently 2,814 litres/cow/year. Steps taken so far to achieve this include mapping out paddocks for grazing, upgrading silage clamps, and increasing feed space at winter housing. Taking the guesswork out of genetics Many milk producers openly admit that genetics is a topic they struggle to get to grips with. AHDB genetics expert Victoria Ashmore said there are several actions farmers like Marcus can take to remove the guesswork from their breeding and management decisions, including genetically evaluating individual animals within the herd. Using milk recording data in combination with the levy-funded AHDB Dairy Herd Genetic Report service will provide a genetic evaluation on individual animals. The report will show where the herd's good genetics, and its weaknesses are, on traits like fertility or mastitis. 'The farm can then start to pinpoint more specifically their existing genetics and what they might need to do to improve these in the next generation,'' said Victoria. Sexed semen can simplify the route to genetic progress. Wider use of sexed semen means that dairy farms need to breed fewer animals to dairy sires to produce the required number of herd replacements. They can then be more specific on which cows they want to breed their next generation of milking cows from. 'This is where we really start to drill down into individual animals and rank the herd based firstly on the overall profit index but also the traits of interest so the next generation is being bred from the superior animals in the herd,'' Victoria explained. Genomics allow a broader genetic identification for each animal. Dairy farmers don't need to wait until a heifer calves and starts milking to establish her genetic merit as taking a DNA sample from her as a young animal will provide that. Using this information, certain heifers can be selected to breed future replacements that match a farm's own strategy. Breeding the best females will increase the genetic value of replacements and, as a consequence, fewer animals with a lower genetic merit will come into the herd.
Agriland
29-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
AHDB: International grain and oilseed prices on the rise
International grain and oilseed prices rises have risen in line with a strengthening oil market, according to analysts with the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB). There are also indications that crop concerns and short covering by speculative traders have supported cereal prices over recent days. In the US, heavy rain has delayed the winter wheat harvest, while spring wheat crops have improved after a dry start. Meanwhile, conditions continue to look generally positive for maize and soya bean crops with planting almost complete. Limited rainfall is also a concern in Canada. According to AHDB, planting is complete in the top grain and canola (rapeseed) growing province, Saskatchewan. However, rain will be needed to support crop development. In France, ongoing dry weather has meant declines in crop condition scores. The winter barley harvest is now underway in that country. Where spring barley is concerned, the proportion in 'good or very good' condition has fallen from 71% to 67% over recent days. Dry weather is also impacting Russia, particularly in the country's main winter wheat growing areas. However, the Russian government currently forecasts the 2025 crop at 90.0 megatonnes (Mt), up from last year's 82.6Mt. In addition, the grain harvest is also underway in southern Ukraine, which has likewise felt the effects of dry weather. The country's farm ministry expects a wheat crop of 20.0–22.0Mt, compared to almost 23.0Mt in 2024. Irish cereals harvest The Irish winter barley harvest is expected to kick-off in a few days' time. The forecast yields for all winter cereal crops grown in Ireland during 2024/25 remain strong. In contrast, many spring crops sown out in April came under considerable stress on the back of the very dry conditions across the country during the entire month of May. The winter oilseed rape harvest will follow on at the end of July. And here again, yields look to be promising despite the significant damage caused by pigeons grazing many crops back in February. Disease pressure on crops remains low at the present time. However, bucking this trend somewhat has been a late season impact of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus on spring barley crops. Teagasc research scientists are currently investigating the reasons for this. Meanwhile, Met Éireann is forecasting somewhat changeable weather for the first week of July. However, there is the prospect of drier and warmer conditions prevailing as the month progresses.
Agriland
28-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Avian flu, enhanced welfare standards impact UK poultry feed production
A decline in UK poultry feed production levels has been confirmed by the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB). Driving this trend has been a combination of factors including avian flu and the introduction of enhanced bird welfare standards, according to the board. Animal feed production accounts for over 50% of total domestic cereal usage in the UK, the AHDB said. Demand from the poultry sector continues to consume the largest share of this output. However, the percentage share that poultry feed demand has slightly this season (July 2024-April 2025) compared with the previous five-year average. Poultry feed production In overall terms, total GB poultry feed production up to this point in 2024/25 is down 2% on the same period last year. AHDB said there are a number of factors driving this decline. From a broiler perspective, a number of large UK supermarkets have committed to reducing bird stocking densities to improve welfare standards. This has led to a 21% reduction in stocking rates for some producers, down from 38kg/m² to 30kg/m², AHDB said. In addition, avian influenza outbreaks and higher energy costs have impacted producer margins. Feed typically represents around 50% of total broiler production costs. However, in 2023/24, feed accounted for 64.3% of total costs, according to data from the UK Farm Business Survey. According to the AHDB, while there have been reductions in costs recently, these have not returned to pre-war levels. Meanwhile, broiler chick placements within the UK poultry industry have fallen consistently since their peak in 2021 at just under 1.19 billion chicks. This is down 6.5% to 1.11 billion in 2024. However, the AHDB said from January to May 2025, there has been the first signs of growth since 2021, with placings up 4.6% (477.3 million) compared to the same point last year. Poultry meat Significantly, there is no projected slowing in demand for poultry meat, with UK consumption levels estimated to increase by 250g/person/year by 2028. For layers, 2020 was the peak of layer placings in the UK with 40.5 million head. Numbers dropped off after this to a nine-year-low in 2022 to 34.2 million chicks, the AHDB said. Reasons hold parallel to that of the broiler industry, as the Farm Business Survey found that fuel and heat costs were up 12% and 19% respectively, with prices being paid by retailers not matching the rise in costs. As for feed, layers make up a smaller proportion of total feed consumption compared with broilers, but still substantial, the AHDB said. Looking forward, according to the board, the laying sector still has room for growth and is not yet back to 2020 capacity. However, from January to May, UK layer chick placings were up 3% on year earlier levels, suggesting growth in the sector. Meanwhile, the anticipated rise in demand for poultry meat is likely to drive increases in feed usage. However, longer-term projections are complicated by external pressures, particularly the uncertainty surrounding future trade agreements and ongoing volatility in global energy and input markets.
BBC News
15-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Meat costs have rocketed, say Derby food business owners
Restaurants and butchers in Derby say increasing meat prices have resulted in the most challenging conditions since they Steakhouse, based in the city centre, has been running for 17 years but its bosses say they are having to adapt the business in response to soaring Butchers, in Alvaston, said the price of mince had risen by nearly a third comes after the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents supermarkets and other retailers, announced that higher beef and fresh produce prices had pushed UK food inflation to an annual high. As well as meat, food prices across the country have increased for business owners and for people doing their weekly prices rose 2.8% in the year to May, the highest annual rate since May 2024 when food inflation was 3.2%, according to the BRC. Farming industry experts said beef prices in particular had been rising due to high demand and low from the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) showed the total slaughter of cattle and calves from January to April 2025 was 4% lower than the same period in restaurants and butchers, a 350kg prime cattle carcass has also risen by an average of £738 compared to last year, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) to the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, the price rise across beef and lamb cuts was up 20.96% and 19.92% over the past 12 months. 'Trying to survive' Datsun Li, head chef at Emily's Steakhouse, said the price of beef had "rocketed" in recent months."Steaks are a premium product and our margins have always been quite narrow, but recently when the prices have gone up we have not been able to pass those forward," he said,This has affected the restaurant's business and it is now runnning a booking only service."If we have no bookings this evening we will not open," he said."If there is no other reservations it is not realistic for us to run the place. We are operating on a survival basis."Jack Bradley, director at Cleavers Butchers Ltd, said he had noticed beef is costing him more and more."I would say the price of mince has gone up about 25-30%," he told the BBC."It's one of the biggest increases we've since we've been in charge."Covid was quite bad - I think it was bad for everyone - but then it all came back down. "There doesn't really seem to be an end. Hopefully farmers can make their money, we can make our money and provide a good service for our customers."A Defra spokesperson said: "Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast."That's why this government is investing £5bn into farming, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country's history, and has appointed former National Farmers Union president Baroness Minette Batters to recommend new reforms to boost farmers profits."
Agriland
14-06-2025
- Science
- Agriland
The potential impact of yellow rust disease on Irish wheat production
The threat posed by yellow rust disease to Irish wheat crops has been characterised as both complex and evolving by Goldcrop cereal variety manager, John Dunne. He explained: 'Up to this point, yellow rust has been a disease with a very clear geographic footprint in Ireland. It impacts, for the most part, on crops grown along the eastern seaboard. 'And there is a very clear rational for this. The attacking fungus prefers regions that are slightly cooler with relatively higher humidity levels. 'In addition, crops grown on these coasts are more predisposed to windborne fungal spores coming across the Irish Sea form Great Britain. 'If sand can be carried by prevailing winds from the North Africa to Ireland then the challenge of fungal spores making their way across the Irish Sea can be put into perspective very easily.' Higher relative temperatures recorded over seven of the last eight months can also partly explain the rise in the threat posed by yellow rust to Irish wheat crops in 2025. Dunne said: 'I have been monitoring three weather Irish stations since last October, and the data generated clearly shows that – January apart – monthly temperatures have been on the rise, year-on-year. 'This set of circumstances has facilitated yellow rust. And it has also increased the Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) threat impacting on cereal crops.' Yellow rust-resistant genes Adding to all of this has been the confirmed breakdown of the Yr15 gene, which up to this point had been delivering a high degree of protection against yellow rust in a number of winter wheat varieties. The issue was first identified by Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) scientists in north-east England earlier this year. Dunne said he has been monitoring that 'fast-evolving situation' ever since, as Goldcrop grows a number of new crop varieties for AHDB at its Irish trial sites 'We now know that the issue of the Yr15 gene breakdown is now a reality in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, and The Netherlands,' Dunne said. 'But this is a very complex issue. Disease resistance can be provided by a single gene or a number of specific genes working in association with each other. 'Plant pathologists at the UK's National Institute of Agricultural Botany are striving to identify what has actually happened with regard to Yr15's interaction with new yellow rust variants.' According to the Goldcrop representative, these recent developments will be of direct interest to plant breeders and the wheat development programmes they follow into the future. 'The yellow rust issue was a major talking point at our recent open days,' he said. Dunne added that as the situation is still rapidly evolving, it is 'still too early to gauge' how it will impact on Irish wheat production. 'But one thing is already clear. There will be an elevated number of yellow rust spores in the Irish environment over the next two years. 'And Irish tillage farmers will have to take full note of this reality as they plan their future crop protection programmes,' the Goldcrop representative added.
