News & Updates 2000
This is where we'll announce the most recent additions to our web site. If you've visited us before and want to know what's changed, take a look here first.
December 2000
 | Relative Value of DUP feeds ( fish replacers ) |
| Fishmeal
Ban: EU ministers voted to ban Fishmeal to ruminants - with the ban
possibly in force January 1st 2001. Alternative are discussed. Long Range Weather from University College London - more of the same through Dec-Feb. |
| Wheat Latest Safe Sowing with little planted and some to replant check latest safe sow. |
| November
Quota Update under production by 44 million - 1 day -
quota unlikely to be reached but leasing at 0.7ppl is worthwhile insurance and helps get the cheques in on time ( processors will normally withhold payment until the final position on quota is known in July/Aug. |
| Maize & Grass Silage Density Calculator updated- thanks to Ed Paull for spotting the error |
| Straights
Price Update Soya approx £190 - fish £430 - time to revisit
rations now that many herds are settled on good maize silage Just maybe switching on those lights is far more cost effective than fish or soya? Urea is considered for damp wheat, unharvested maize or added to the maize based / low protein silage TMR |
November 2000
| Straights prices update |
| Free Beef & Heifer Ration Calculator Recent ('98) intake work with grass silage is incorporated. |
| Heifer Pre Puberty UK results from Bridgets Research show 0.65kgLWG at 100-200kg yields + 500L Milk |
| Milk Price 12 month projections for Milk Link, Dairy Crest, Unigate and Peninsula 10-11-2000 |
| Lighten up your profits by £40 per cow this winter at the flick of a switch - not for late winter calvers & dry cows |
| Quota: production drops further |
| Late
maize harvest at high dry matter will cause high clamp losses - but
steps can be taken to prevent this. Still no news from Milk Link on Octobers price. |
October 2000
| SBC Costings Files Updated 23-10-2000 - new report feature |
| Free Mortgage Loan Calculator in MS Excel Download Now Preview |
| Diet Feeding the 3-400 cow herd - costs examined Oct 18 |
| Milk Price - October 12th D Crest increase confirmed at 2ppl. |
| Milk Price - October 11th situation is still fluid - a revised offer from D.Crest & Unigate may be forthcoming - my guess nearer 2ppl. Milklink - still have yet to announce a price. It will be nearer the end of the month when a league table will be published. For Cornwall I anticipate differences between companies will further narrow. |
| Quota: 6th Oct Provisional Intervention board figures show fat adjusted to profile production at -25 million L (38 million = 1 day) below profile for September. Milk and lease price will ease a tad as the country now has to exceed profile by 1 day each month to reach a threshold similar to last year. Poorly fermented silages mean higher butterfats. Mature silages mean higher butterfats - I expect this winters butterfats to be higher than last year - with obvious implications for quota - although it will still be a struggle to achieve quota and a low threshold. Current advisory flutter ( not gamble) threshold is 2.5%. |
| Milk Price No price announcements yet from Milklink - negotiations with processors were still ongoing as of Wednesday 4th October - there will be a price increase - but the situation is "fluid". |
| Aid for business management advise: DTI aid for business management advise will be launched this month. This may mean for existing clients requiring a business review. I am going to meet Gary Ensor - ex ADAS colleague now with Prosper on the 11th and will advise clients soon after. |
| Maize Eyespot 2nd year or more sown crops now showing advanced symptoms - look to cultural control measures, sowing 3 or more varieties mixed pre drilling & or consider the Irish approved variety - Speedy. |
| 6th October Maize Harvest Assess ALL crops by walking 100ft into crop and randomly strip six of the top cobs. Ignore crop colour - concentrate on the COB. Estimate the average maturity colour in ALL crops as follows. Harvest should start immediately for mature golden yellow grain full of white floury starch. If the grain is yellow with white starch to 1/4 - 1/2 the grain - the remainder yellow with little milk harvesting can commence over the next week or so. Delay pale yellow sweet corn stage cobs for a further 2-3 weeks. Crops with white cobs - little starch - consider end October and MAX Maize acid additive at high ( expensive) rate. Wet white kernel crops are prone to an alcoholic fermentation. I do not recommend any additive in crops at 28-30% dry matter as these are stable for summer feeding. Crops above 32% DM are unlikely to be stable and will heat. In these situations a fast feed out rate (1ft per cow per day) is required to avoid toxins produced from moulding. |
September
| Friday 29th Crest
and Unigate announce 1.35 & 1.4ppl respectively - for 3 months -
time for the producer group chairman to join the FFA methinks. Try david@goddard30.freeserve.co.uk - Tel: 01684 294737 Fax: 01684 297197 for news of local "visits" or go to FFA Website |
| |
| Milk Price Update September - UP 2ppl from October? Safeway and maybe Tesco follow ASDA - following the Fuel stoppages and this being EDFE day - is this just a coincidence? |
| Milk
Price Monday 18.9.00 statement from Farmers For Action
Following the announcement by ASDAWalmart at 6 am on 18.9.00 that they intend to pay their processors 2p a litre extra for milk from 1.10.00 on the condition that this gets passed back to the producer, FFA have this morning spoken to ASDAWalmart. We have expressed our disappointment it is not the 3p we require but will discuss with them in the next 24 hours how the extra 1p will be put in place by the end of this year. Editors comment: GO for it FFA - for details of your nearest contact ring 01162 771008 Want to ring a supermarket? ASDAWallmart 0113 2435435 |
| 20yr Herd Costings updated - no technical faults - Quota page updated to include Used quota transactions. |
| Express announces 1ppl rise, D.Crest 0.8ppl. A parsimonious rise if ever there was one. Definitely due a visit from FFA - for details of your nearest contact ring 01162 771008. Or go to our links page for details of FFA's website |
| Intervention Board production to August versus profile - 1st time this year production exceeds profile by 0.6%. Country 148 million L under cumulatively - NOT A LOT |
August 2000
| Grass Seed Prices - customized mixes without clover should not cost more than £17/ac. This offering from an On Line farmers buying group Go Farm Supplies Ltd |
| Straights Prices & Feeding end August 2000 update |
| Milk Price: Milklink puts down the gauntlet for the large dairy unit. |
| Preferred Spring Wheat Varieties for Cornwall |
| Mr. DISGUSTED OF FALMOUTH HAS HIS SAY - about seeds mixtures |
| GRASS SEEDS MIXTURES for sowing this month plus variety descriptions |
| OFF SITE LINKS as of left to Local Weather sources, International Agricultural news, Grass growth Monitoring in S Ireland, and S Irish grass seed choice - note up coming varieties Millennium & Cornwall - yet to be fully evaluated by NIAB |
| BUY ENERGY ONLINE - a new dot.com that does not take a life long % for obtaining energy quotes. You get a top 3 quotation. It is important that you seek clarification about the effects on service if disrupted, and extent of introductory fee. There is a free advise line |
| MALE ONLY Are you a Penzance Viking - The BBC wants to Know & so do I!! Print out the from by clicking on this down load to contribute to this genetic DNA survey. It is important that they do not include any two people that are directly related in the survey. You need to confirm that, to the best of your knowledge, none of your brothers, father, grandfathers or sons are taking part. - ed. Bit difficult that far west! |
| Quota & Production Update 7 2000 |
| Straights Prices & Feeding 8 2000 |
July 2000
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|  View
Harvest 2000 Genghis Claire & Shamrock |
| Fusarium Ear Blight in Wheat - be careful if saving seed. |
| Genghis Winter Wheat costings for Cornish dairy producers - NIAB untreated Yield at 3.6t/ac in SW Trials over the last 4 years is 0.5t over that of any other variety. Assuming farm yields 20% less than NIAB trials - thats 3t/ac with no fungicide treatment. |
| Quota & Production Update 6 2000 |
| Increase Yields by 3-5% with Brewers Yeast at 1/4 the cost of Diamond VXP / Yeasac |
| Free 20 yr Dairy Herd Costings & Quota Monitor now available for download to work on your computer. Requires WINZIP and Microsoft Excel 95-2000 to function. Quotations given for corporate "White Copy" or "Own Brand" versions |
| With Quota to Purchase at the cost of a litre of milk, now is the time to secure quota for the next 8 years. 16.5ppl is 4.1ppl for a 5 year loan. |
| Life's a beach for Cornish Dairy cows - find out how £20-100 per cow savings are possible for bedding cows on deep sand beds. |
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website has been compiled with considerable care. Notwithstanding, neither SBConsultancy not the Authors can accept responsibility for any losses associated with using this information. The circumstances to which the information may apply can vary from production unit to production unit, from region to region and from country to country. Producers are strongly recommended to discuss this information as it may apply to their business with an impartial professional consultant.
Lets Not Be to Serious
Cow crazy? Turn the speakers up, open the office door, click the cow
wait and listen very very carefully 