Successful launch event seen at Garstang

Wednesday 27 May 2009

LANCASHIRE farmers looking to improve productivity and performance can now benefit from a support programme available to North West livestock producers.

At a well-attended meeting held at Garstang Golf Club, farmers at the county launch for the RDPE Northwest Livestock Programme heard about the funding available to improve the efficiency of farm businesses throughout the region.

Performance grants, resource efficiency audits, nutrient management plans and animal health plans were discussed as the partners delivering the programme explained how the scheme will work.

This included the benefits of becoming a monitor farmer shared through the experiences of a Scottish dairy producer involved in a similar scheme north of the border.

Two monitor farms are being sought from within the Lancashire and Greater Manchester area, with a business group of local farmers from the same livestock sector attached to each. Myerscough College is also looking to work with farmer groups from across the county to host demonstration events beneficial to improving farm performance.

The monitor farmer will be asked what areas of his business he wants to improve and, with help from his business group and advisers, the farmer works towards reaching the optimum performance for his farm - while members of the business group (other local farmers) take away information they can successfully apply to their own businesses.

Robert Smith, from West Ayrshire in Scotland, highlighted the benefits of monitor farms. The dairy man found the soil sampling and break down on the structure of his land very useful, he’s seen his milk and calf yield improve and now has a live calf born from every cow.

He was also able to step back and look at improving the ventilation in his rearing shed, and, as he decided on the areas of the farm he wanted to improve, he had the final say on the demonstration events he wanted that would best benefit him and other farmers in his area.

A demonstration of aerators and slitters on his farm saw several of his neighbours buy machines off the back of it, and since he had 10 acres of land reseeded as part of a grass seed demo event, he hasn’t needed to apply any manure or fertiliser on those fields.

Asked whether he would be a monitor farmer again, he said: “I enjoyed it. I’m not computer minded but my son is and I enjoyed looking at the improvements in the business figures. They don’t want a high flying farm but a middle of the road farm, one that has room to improve.”

Monitor farms, discussion groups and demonstration events form just one part of the programme.

Technical animal health advice is provided by SAC Consulting, working with local vets and trained advisers to deliver targeted animal health and welfare planning to 2,000 farms across the Northwest. Cheshire-based consultants Promar is carrying out 2,000 nutrient management and resource efficiency audits across the region.

It is then, following the recommendations of these plans, that farmers can apply for performance grants from a separate £9.75 million fund to help turn ideas into practice.

Nancy Tweddell, RDPE Delivery Manager for the NWDA, said: “Where the Single Farm Payment is for basic farming needs, the RDPE funding is for items and initiatives over and above normal farm practice.

“It can’t fund the big stuff, such as slurry stores or buildings as these are core items, but it can look at efficiency and performance items, such as putting rooves on slurry stores and separating dirty water.”

Nancy gave examples of where money can be saved and the type of improvement items where funding can be spent. This is expected to be at a rate of up to 40%, with a limit of £8,000 per grant and a maximum of £12,000 per farming business.

She added: “Having someone in helps tighten you up as it makes you think differently about things than perhaps you normally would. We’re trying to develop a more encouraging outlook for farming in the Northwest by helping as many people as we can with the funding available.”

For further information about the RDPE Northwest Livestock Programme, visit the Support and Grants page on this site.