An independent specialist has said that half of all grass on British farms is wasted as a result of poor grassland management. Improving this is just one of the ways in which livestock farms can become more efficient and reduce input costs. image expired

Charlie Morgan, a grassland specialist who works closely with Innovis, Aberystwyth, said good soil management and using the correct seed mixtures are key to increasing feed quality and animal performance.

He said, "Fifty per cent of grass is wasted in the UK as a result of poor grassland management. The aim at Mynydd Gorddu is to achieve 70-75% efficiency from grass which will allow the sheep flock to increase from 1,300 ewes to 2,000. This can be achieved through better use of soil testing and improving grass leys on this farm without compromising livestock performance."

Innovis, having established its own sheep flock several years ago, last year leased an additional 500 acre farm near Aberystwyth. Enticed by the promise of increasing profits in spite of recent rises in input costs, NFU Brecon and Radnor members paid a visit to Mynydd Gorddu farm to learn about sheep productivity.

The NFU Cymru members examined methods of reducing production costs, the implications of good versus poor soil management and the use of improved grasses and clovers to reduce the reliance upon artificial fertiliser usage. They were told they could easily boost output by investing in new grass leys rather than having to rely on fertiliser and compound feeds.

 Dewi Jones, Innovis Managing Director said, "Innovis was formed to look at ways of improving the productivity of sheep flocks. Increasing lambing percentages, improving rates of growth whilst reducing the cost of running a sheep flock were our main aims. Through breeding programmes and effective grassland management we have come a long way in achieving these goals."