This week, we feature part two of the benchmarking analysis on the programme farms, looking at how they performed in 2013

John Milligan,

Castlewellan, Co Down

Gross margin

Gross margin per hectare (GM/ha) decreased by £22 in 2013. This is down to reduced sheep numbers in 2013, resulting in a larger land area being apportioned to the suckler enterprise, thereby diluting the GM/ha.

Output

John’s ability to maintain output was the foundation for maintaining a gross margin above the target of £750/ha. An extra 101kg of liveweight was produced per hectare, 774kg/ha in 2013 compared to 673kg/ha in 2012. Increased beef prices played a role, but so too did management. Selecting cows for culling before the mating season, and weaning calves earlier, allowed cows to be marketed at peak prices. Improved summer grassland management allowed cattle to be finished in November and December after a short housing period.

Variable Costs

A longer housing period over the 2012/13 winter led to purchasing silage, hay and concentrates. This increased grassland costs to £247/cow, a rise of £60/cow. Additional purchased meal increased concentrate costs to £318, an increase of £51/cow from 2012. Increased meal feeding in spring 2013 was offset to some degree by increased performance at grass in summer and autumn, reducing meal feeding when finishing cattle.

Trevor Wilson, Parkgate, Antrim

Gross margin

Gross margin per hectare decreased substantially in 2013. Extra land rented automatically diluted the gross margin on a per hectare basis. Weather in 2013 delayed turnout of stock and reduced the grazing days required from rented land to make it viable. An additional 37 cattle were carried over into the 2014 calendar year. These were valued below their true market value, which should be reflected in the 2014 benchmarking.

Output

Poor weights at housing in 2012, combined with later turnout of bulls in 2013, left bulls playing catch-up.

Carcase weight of bulls killed in 2013 was 357kg, a reduction of 32kg compared to an average carcase weight of 389kg in 2012. With more replacement heifers retained from within the herd, reduced sales of heifers also impacted on output.

Variable costs

Increased purchases of silage throughout spring 2013, along with extra reseeding increased grassland costs by £24/cow. An additional 463kg of meal was fed per cow, largely on the back of later turnout of cows and calves along with the necessity for extra concentrates fed to finishing bulls. Concentrate costs totalled £528/cow. Going forward calves are being castrated to be finished as steers. These should require lower inputs, in particular concentrate feeding.

Eamonn McKeating,

Ballykinlar, Down

Gross margin

Reduced land area from less conacre contributed significantly to increasing overall farm stocking rate and GM/ha. The reduced land area has shown what is achievable on a dry farm when resources are utilised fully, even though it requires higher levels of inputs.

Output

Output per cow has increased by 93% over the three years of the programme. Reduced mortality and improved fertility has helped increase the number of calves produced per cow, as well as implementing a health plan based on a targeted vaccination programme.

A general rise in beef prices has also contributed as well as more Angus sired cattle being finished, which benefitted from bonus payments.

Variable costs

Concentrate costs increased substantially, amounting to £416/cow in 2013 compared to £192/cow in 2012.

Delayed grass growth in spring 2013 required freshly calved cows to be supplemented with concentrates. This was a first on this farm, but worthwhile to maintain cow condition and calf performance.

A high stocking rate also required feeding beef cattle at grass to finish during August and September.

An investment in grassland, through liming and reseeding, also pushed grassland costs up by £30/cow from £108/cow in 2012 to £138/cow in 2013.

Stephen Maguire, Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh

Gross Margin