Livestock top stories FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Could lucerne thrive in wet Wales year round?We have taken full advantage of the sun and made a start on our harvest. Generally, we are pleased with the first cut in terms of quality and quantity, but… SHEEPHow a resilient sheep dairy farm overcame multiple setbacksBuilding a resilient farm system, along with strategies for improving mental health and resilience, have helped a Cumbrian business overcome multiple hurdles. Faced with a whirlwind of challenges, Cumbrian farmers… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Silage plans go out of the window under pressureBack in the days before silage, one of Orkney’s machinery dealers used to say he never sold many hay turner tines in a dry year. If that’s still the case,… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTWhy low stocking rates are working for two Irish dairiesAchieving the optimum stocking rate means finding a balance between feeding cows for peak production and effective utilisation – without putting too much pressure on grass supplies or resorting to… TAKING STOCKBeef supply key as factories target 420p/kg deadweightCattle supplies may be too tight to allow base price cuts to reach the 420p/kg-mark processors have targeted later this summer, Farmers Weekly has learned. Plans to gouge 25p/kg off… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Controlling costs in services and labourUK pig producers are, sadly, accustomed to being hit by a crisis. Often these are unique to our sector and make us feel isolated from the wider farming industry. But… LIVESTOCKBenefits of soil mapping for forage productionSoil-mapping grassland at a north Yorkshire dairy farm and using the data to vary lime applications within fields has captured cost savings on liming of £35/ha. The Pratt family want… Livestock news PIGSBetter contracts for pig producers may come from consultationThe government is considering intervening in pig sector contracts, using powers contained in the 2020 Agriculture Act, to address possible unfair trading practices. In a consultation on contractual practices launched… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTFarmers plan smarter grassland strategies as costs soarIncreased rotational grazing, lower fertiliser use, and growing high-performing varieties of grass and clover are among the chosen strategies of Welsh farmers looking to counter rising input costs, according to… WEATHERHot, dry weather puts pressure on UK livestock farmersLivestock and dairy farmers in much of the country are becoming increasingly concerned about the ongoing spate of hot, dry weather, which is affecting both current and future production. Rhys… LIVESTOCKFunding for cryptosporidium catchment watercourse fencingFunding from the Severn Trent Protection Scheme (Steps) is offering 75% of the cost of watercourse fencing in cryptosporidium catchments to improve water quality. The funding covers a range of… More articles
