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As phase three of the BETTER farm beef programme gathers momentum, the team is beginning to set out four-year farm plans for the 27 participant farmers. At this point, the BETTER farm advisers have developed a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each farm and built concrete relationships with the farmers.
What is a farm plan?
The farm plan document is an outline of where the farm is in 2017 from a performance point of view, where it needs to be in 2021 and how it will get there. All farms are looking to drive output and margins, optimise cashflow and streamline farm labour requirement.
The planning meeting involves all parties – the farmer, the BETTER farm adviser, Teagasc beef specialists, the Irish Farmers Journal and the local B&T adviser. However, it is the farmer who makes the call on the system that they aim for and the extent to which output is pushed.
Initially, the team weighs up all options around calving dates and potential production systems, taking into account the farmer’s own circumstances, and when a happy medium is reached they look at the following farm elements:
Financial performance
The farm’s finances are examined in detail, with areas for improvement, targets and anomalies identified. Is the variable cost/gross output ratio greater than 55%? Are concentrate feed bills too high relative to the farming system? Where are the holes in cashflow and how can they be plugged? What output levels are needed to cover overhead costs now and in the future? Is capital investment needed in infrastructure, machinery or drainage? Sales and cost projections are made for the four years.
Physical performance
Output has been the principal driver of profitability in nine years of the BETTER farm programme. However, the “push, push, push” mentality alone won’t guarantee big margins and our farmers will look to get more beef out their gates as efficiently as possible.
This might mean keeping more suckler cows, buying in drystock, selling a mature animal, rearing calves or opting to finish their own cattle.
Any plan to increase numbers must take into account access to capital and forgone receipts.
Grassland management
To date, individual success stories in the BETTER farm programme can be attributed to getting grassland right. All farmers will be aiming to lengthen their grazing seasons and get as much high-quality forage into their animals’ diets as possible. There will be a focus on making top-quality silage – particularly crucial for autumn-calving and finishing farms. With longer grazing seasons and bigger numbers, more grass will be needed. Most farms have a lot to do from a soil fertility point of view in order to hit targets.
Breeding performance
All of our farmers keep suckler herds and the team’s aim is to ensure that these herds are fit for purpose. Is the breeding strategy right for what the farmer is trying to produce? Is the herd a fertile one? Is there enough milk in the herd? Are the cows manageable (docile)? Are there enough quality replacements coming into the herd every year? What sires are being used and are they up to scratch?
Winter feeding
This is quite a niche are area, introduced given that winter accommodation is one of the biggest constraints on beef farm stocking rates. Already, a number of producers have expressed interest in the idea of out-wintering.
Health issues
A vital area on each and every farm. At this point, the participants are in the process of completing their herd health plans. The big question thus far concerns vaccinations.
Many of our farmers are not using a lot of vaccinations at present, but plan to increase numbers. From past experience, this can often lead to trouble. Building ventilation, weaning strategy, parasite control and newborn calf management are some of the other areas up for discussion.
The final part of the planning meeting involves assigning challenges to the farm. This is a new aspect of the BETTER farm programme, introduced to afford the reader or viewer a more concise package and easily follow progress in areas of interest to themselves.
There are 10 challenges, of which three are mandatory on each farm. Essentially, all of the farms will be undertaking any challenge that is applicable to them, but for the purpose of the BETTER farm programme, challenges will be assigned to farms that require the most work and/or are representative of prevailing issues nationally.
The Two-Tonne Grass Growth Challenge (mandatory)
To drive performance from grassland, culminating in the production and utilisation of an extra 2t of grass dry matter per ha at the end of the three- to four-year period, relative to year one. Where possible, we want to use the extra production to extend the grazing season by two weeks in spring and two weeks in winter to reduce feed costs and drive cheap animal performance.
The Farm Finance Challenge (mandatory)
To keep 100% of the farm’s direct payment and increase the farm’s return into a positive gross margin in each year of the programme. Gross margin targets are based on principal farm enterprise, with initial targets as follows: U16-month bull finishers €1,650/ha, weanling/store producers €850/ha, steer/U20-month bull finishers €1,250/ha – the overall target is for a group average of €1,250/ha. Farmers will also follow the programme’s cashflow planner – updating every two months – and be in a position to plan ahead and better manage finances.
Farm Safety Challenge (mandatory)
To complete a farm safety risk assessment on an annual basis and implement two positive changes annually, physical or otherwise. This will be communicated to the industry as a whole.
The Breeding Challenge
To increase the average replacement value of suckler cow herd by €20 over the four years of the programme. In addition, as an expansion on current BDGP targets (20% and 50%), participants will target 75% of their eligible females having at least four stars on the replacement index by year four of the programme.
The Herd Health 20% Challenge
To establish what the main diseases/ailments requiring antibiotic use at farm level are, and typical usage rates across different enterprises. A robust herd health plan that favours the targeted use of vaccines and optimum herd/flock management and husbandry practices to cut down on high-risk diseases will be implemented, with the aim of reducing input costs by 20%.
The Soil Health Challenge
To encourage a greater national uptake in soil fertility testing. Participants will be selected to represent prevailing regional soil types and nutrient statuses and detailed play-by-play accounts of relevant inputs will be documented in the Irish Farmers Journal such that readers can emulate. Participants must have 70% of soils index 3 for P and K, or greater, in year four. Average soil pH on farm to be at least 6.3 by year four (5.5 for peat soils).
The Green Farming Challenge
To demonstrate practical ways of incorporating clover into 20% of the farm’s grassland swards and disseminate best-practice advice on how to manage swards to ensure high establishment rates and grazing practices to avoid issues such as bloat.
Meet the Markets Challenge
To demonstrate the importance and value of complying with relevant carcase specifications, including age, weight, fat class, conformation, breed and organic/conventional status.
The Mixed-Grazing Challenge
To establish a blueprint for operating a mixed-grazing system (cattle and sheep), providing concrete guidelines for factors such as autumn closing dates to allow for early spring turnout, low-cost fencing options for mixed grazing in a rotational manner and housing/winter feeding options
The Farm Structures and Labour Challenge
To show that successful family and non-family partnerships can become established businesses that – with planning and structure – can provide a viable future for young farmers.
We will also attempt to quantify labour requirements on participant farms and demonstrate how a productive, streamlined suckler/beef enterprise can provide a worthwhile return on time invested.
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