Agriculture is a natural part of the environment in which we live. It surrounds us in the Vale and on the hills. We may, for example, become frustrated at the number of tractors slowing us down. Yet, how many of us look or glance yet do not see? How many take farming for granted?
Yesterday's talk for the Friends of the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley AONB gave some insights. It was by Bodfari farmer Gwyn Rowlands who also farms on land at Plas Towerbridge near Caerfallen. The decisions a farmer takes are not simple or straightforward. What I came away with was a sense that there are as many challenges as any other industry.
Sheep
Five million of Britain's 15 million sheep are in Wales. Foot and mouth, which last visited Wales in 2001, and changes to the subsidy regime has reduced the total from seven million.
It goes without saying that sheep play a critical part in the management of the Clwydian Range. Welsh mountain sheep's wool is not in favour and all are reared for meat. Supermarkets dictate the acceptable size and fat content but not all farmers can provide what the market requires. Where there is a good supply of grass (as in the lowlands), then farmers can fulfil the market. These specific breeds of sheep require more grass that simply isn't available to them at higher altitudes. Another important difference between lowlands and uplands is that, each season, a lowland breed will produce on average 1¾ lambs, whereas those this reduces to one only for upland breeds and conditions.
In North East Wales, the upland sheep have had some of their hardiness bred out of them. They tend to be crosses between pure Welsh mountain sheep and texels & Leicesters. Those further west, in Gwynedd, are purer, as they live in harder conditions on less food.
All local sheep find their way to Rhuthun/Ruthin, Yr Wyddgrug/Mold or Llanelwy/St Asaph marts.
Cattle
In recent times, the UK's dairy herd has almost halved from 17,000 to 9,500 but it actually produces more milk. It's markedly more efficient than it once was, with larger herds, fewer staff and more mechanisation.
Again, it is the supermarket which dictates matters. It's easy to blame them for the farmer's ills but most people reading this will be consumers, not producers, and we all therefore benefit from keen prices.
The three markets for local milk are Tomlinson's at Coedpoeth/Minera, Arla (Llandyrnog) and Muller Wiseman in Cheshire. They all either sell on to the liquid market or process for cheese. A fourth, Meadow Foods, tend to break milk down into fats and act as brokers.
The current average price as paid for milk contracts is 27½ppl when in 2014 it was 32ppl. The average cow yields 7,500l p.a. over a four year average life (though cross-breeds last longer). Meadow Foods pays the least. Rowlands said that we need to be fair to Tesco who, through their contractor Muller Wiseman, has in turn been fair to farmers. The Co-op, too, has protected prices. The higher-priced contracts nevertheless come with higher management costs. There also continues to be downward price pressure from what is an over-supply and changes to the market thanks to Russia, once a keen importer of milk powder & cheese, having stockpiled and affected by an embargo. Organic suppliers get 42ppl but yields are lower and the market has plateaued.
The choice of cow is again important. A larger cow will have a higher yield but she has a higher depreciation and overhead, through higher feed costs and vet's bills. There is a balance, therefore, in terms of factors such as size and a large cow is not necessarily the cheapest. Cattle do not fit well with upland pasture.
Jerseys or Jersey Frisian crosses are coming back into fashion. These produce fattier milk. Whole milk, marketed as "full fat milk" is still a low fat product, at four per cent fat. This mis-perception of a fatty product will now never change.
Over half of the UK's beef comes from the dairy heard directly or indirectly from a dairy cow's bull calf. Even here, the supermarket dictates the carcass size. Steak trays for pre-packing are getting smaller. Holsteins have little meet to offer. Older dairy cows will tend to find their way into beefburgers or dog food.
An important market it Ireland. Ireland imports as much as it exports. Ireland imports good quality cuts from the UK while exporting poorer cuts back to us.
Arable
North East Wales' most important crop by far is grass. It needs management and controlling the same way as a front lawn. Farmers can over-graze. Re-seeding costs £150 an acre. Farmers have nevertheless become more efficient. The bailer—with its ubiquitous black bail output—now requires one day's worth of work whereas grass cutting previously required five dry days.
Other than grass, arable crops include wheat, barley and oats, virtually all of which in North East Wakes goes to feed livestock.
Yesterday's talk for the Friends of the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley AONB gave some insights. It was by Bodfari farmer Gwyn Rowlands who also farms on land at Plas Towerbridge near Caerfallen. The decisions a farmer takes are not simple or straightforward. What I came away with was a sense that there are as many challenges as any other industry.
Sheep
Five million of Britain's 15 million sheep are in Wales. Foot and mouth, which last visited Wales in 2001, and changes to the subsidy regime has reduced the total from seven million.
It goes without saying that sheep play a critical part in the management of the Clwydian Range. Welsh mountain sheep's wool is not in favour and all are reared for meat. Supermarkets dictate the acceptable size and fat content but not all farmers can provide what the market requires. Where there is a good supply of grass (as in the lowlands), then farmers can fulfil the market. These specific breeds of sheep require more grass that simply isn't available to them at higher altitudes. Another important difference between lowlands and uplands is that, each season, a lowland breed will produce on average 1¾ lambs, whereas those this reduces to one only for upland breeds and conditions.
In North East Wales, the upland sheep have had some of their hardiness bred out of them. They tend to be crosses between pure Welsh mountain sheep and texels & Leicesters. Those further west, in Gwynedd, are purer, as they live in harder conditions on less food.
All local sheep find their way to Rhuthun/Ruthin, Yr Wyddgrug/Mold or Llanelwy/St Asaph marts.
Cattle
In recent times, the UK's dairy herd has almost halved from 17,000 to 9,500 but it actually produces more milk. It's markedly more efficient than it once was, with larger herds, fewer staff and more mechanisation.
Again, it is the supermarket which dictates matters. It's easy to blame them for the farmer's ills but most people reading this will be consumers, not producers, and we all therefore benefit from keen prices.
The three markets for local milk are Tomlinson's at Coedpoeth/Minera, Arla (Llandyrnog) and Muller Wiseman in Cheshire. They all either sell on to the liquid market or process for cheese. A fourth, Meadow Foods, tend to break milk down into fats and act as brokers.
The current average price as paid for milk contracts is 27½ppl when in 2014 it was 32ppl. The average cow yields 7,500l p.a. over a four year average life (though cross-breeds last longer). Meadow Foods pays the least. Rowlands said that we need to be fair to Tesco who, through their contractor Muller Wiseman, has in turn been fair to farmers. The Co-op, too, has protected prices. The higher-priced contracts nevertheless come with higher management costs. There also continues to be downward price pressure from what is an over-supply and changes to the market thanks to Russia, once a keen importer of milk powder & cheese, having stockpiled and affected by an embargo. Organic suppliers get 42ppl but yields are lower and the market has plateaued.
The choice of cow is again important. A larger cow will have a higher yield but she has a higher depreciation and overhead, through higher feed costs and vet's bills. There is a balance, therefore, in terms of factors such as size and a large cow is not necessarily the cheapest. Cattle do not fit well with upland pasture.
Jerseys or Jersey Frisian crosses are coming back into fashion. These produce fattier milk. Whole milk, marketed as "full fat milk" is still a low fat product, at four per cent fat. This mis-perception of a fatty product will now never change.
Over half of the UK's beef comes from the dairy heard directly or indirectly from a dairy cow's bull calf. Even here, the supermarket dictates the carcass size. Steak trays for pre-packing are getting smaller. Holsteins have little meet to offer. Older dairy cows will tend to find their way into beefburgers or dog food.
An important market it Ireland. Ireland imports as much as it exports. Ireland imports good quality cuts from the UK while exporting poorer cuts back to us.
Arable
North East Wales' most important crop by far is grass. It needs management and controlling the same way as a front lawn. Farmers can over-graze. Re-seeding costs £150 an acre. Farmers have nevertheless become more efficient. The bailer—with its ubiquitous black bail output—now requires one day's worth of work whereas grass cutting previously required five dry days.
Other than grass, arable crops include wheat, barley and oats, virtually all of which in North East Wakes goes to feed livestock.
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