We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.Rodney Down: Reflecting on good dairy contract decisions
Never assume anything. The assumption is that mycotoxin levels are low this year, but solid dung and average performance resulted in us testing for those dreaded toxins.
Amazingly, with the best clamp management for years and dry wheat going into the ration, we thought we were okay, but it was not to be.
Rock salt was made available and yields jumped two litres per cow in the highs, and now yeast and a mycotoxin binder have also been added.
It is now the time of year to reflect. On the plus side, I am glad to have sold wheat for this November at more than £120/tonne, but as greed struck in, we never sold enough.
I am glad to have secured next year’s nitrogen before the suppliers shut the books for all of December in a bid to try to hike the price. It will be interesting to see if they succeed.
The best decision, however, spans from the year before - our decision to join the Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group.
In a year that has seen the farmgate price fall below the costs of production, Tesco has stuck to its contract and added stability to mine and many other dairy farms.
They might not be everybody’s cup of tea, and I cannot speak for other food categories, but the Tesco fresh milk sector has truly delivered on the contract signed.
I await the New Year price negotiations with anticipation of a rise on the back of ever rising straights prices, which have increased our costs and a rising dairy commodity market.
Coming on to the straights market, what experts advised us all not to do was buy forward as prices are sure to fall.
They are off my Christmas card list as I cannot afford the cards due to soya now trading at more than £300/tonne.
I must be into the boring winter routine as I am off to have a go at duck shooting. I don’t think the ducks have got too much to worry about though! Season’s greetings to you all.