Co-Operative Members 'Facing a Bright Future'
Posted on: Thursday, 24 April 2008, 00:00 CDT
T here is a positive future - at least in the short term - for Westcountry livestock producers, with realistic returns and a far higher public profile for British agriculture than in recent years.
But unity is strength, members of the specialist livestock group Cornwall Quality Livestock Producers (CQLP) were told at their annual general meeting.
Highlighting the vastly improved state of the industry, Rose Barnecut, the chairman of Organic Livestock Farmers of Cornwall and Devon, the organic arm of the group, said: "The last year has shown a dynamic shift. Food and food prices are now on the political agenda, partly because of demand from emerging economies like China, but also because of the issues of climate change and energy depletion and the use of land for energy crops instead of food production.
"Predicting the cumulative impact on us as producers is difficult. We are in uncharted waters and being part of a collective is the best way to make sure we are resilient and adaptable to change."
The benefits of membership of her organic organisation were being enjoyed by increasing numbers of farmers in Cornwall and Devon and the success of the group was delivering great value to members, she said. There was a 350 per cent growth in cattle and lamb throughput in the five years since the group formed, and that was enabling commission paid by producers to be reduced to 1.5 per cent.
"The 15 per cent annual incremental increase in organic lamb throughput, coupled with the 22 per cent increase in beef numbers last year, means that not only can we maximise returns to our members by placing stock to a wide range of independent local outlets as well as the supermarkets, but we can reduce commission levels to what we believe are the lowest rates of any co-operative in the country," she added.
Liskeard farmer James Moon, secretary for the organic group and a former NFU county chairman, commented: "Returns are improving, and there is potential to flatten the effect of seasonality in the sheep sector, by increasing hogget marketing during the late-winter period, possibly by reducing sales in early autumn, when demand is low."
Several organic auctions had been held, which were useful for creating a baseline for values.
"There are opportunities for farmers to purchase cattle from these sales, with potential to add value from finishing these cattle to maximise returns," he added.
Colin Alford, chairman of CQLP, reported: "Despite the difficulties caused by bluetongue and foot and mouth diseases, the group has traded very successfully during the past year. A new partnership with Milk Link has allowed the group to continue maximising returns for mature cattle, with increasing throughput allowing more outlets to be accessed."
He also reported on the group's successful bid for Devon Renaissance funding to promote the growth of co-operative marketing among Devon beef and lamb producers - with a particular focus on organic producers.
Guest speaker was Charley Walker, a Nuffield Scholar from Duns, in the Scottish Borders. He had been to farms around the world looking at easy-care livestock systems, but in his travels had also picked up a wealth of new perspectives on animals, farmers, government bodies and the delicacies on offer in China's restaurants.
He contrasted Irish farmers, constantly trying to access state support, with their Australian and New Zealand counterparts, who accepted that only their own endeavours would save their businesses from natural disasters or worldwide economic pressures. For instance, in New Zealand, higher worldwide prices for dairy products were putting pressure on land used by sheep and beef, but farmers saw it as an opportunity rather than a threat and became dairy farmers.
Labour shortages, requiring highly efficient, well- managed units, were a common feature during his tour. Easy calving and lambing were pre-requisites in these large units, especially in Canada and the US, with poor-quality grazing used for rearing store sheep and lamb, and intensive highly mechanised farming on better land providing huge feedlots with maize, cereals and other crops.
In Nebraska, feedlots with capacity of 7,000 cattle and 90,000 sheep were competing with ethanol refineries for maize, although some use was being made of the by-product of these biofuel processes.
New Zealand and Australia also featured huge units, with one man managing 5,000 ewes. The secret of success was in recording to identify productivity and traits enabling easy management such as worm resistance, easy birthing, good mothering and woolless breeds of sheep. This needed to be complemented by a rigorous culling policy.
On his own farm, Mr Walker said he marked for culling any sheep which required individual attention from him. His farming wisdom was summed up in the memorable phrases, "you don't have to like the look of your sheep, so long as your ram does" and "don't just do things right, do the right things".
(c) 2008 Western Morning News, The Plymouth (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: Western Morning News, The Plymouth (UK)
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