Natural England and the NFU have today released reports aimed at supporting cattle farmers. The Natural England report looks at funding and support available for dairy farmers, while the NFU report presents the union’s view of the future of the beef industry.

Natural England’s industry-backed guide to funding and support available for dairy farmers was launched at Livestock 2012, which is taking place this week at the NEC Birmingham. The booklet, which was produced by Natural England in consultation with The National Farmers’ Union, the RABDF (The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers), DairyCo and the Environment Agency, provides clear and helpful information on how environmental management through Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) and Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) can complement farming practices and provide business benefits.

The Funding and support for dairy farmers leaflet provides information on new scheme developments relevant to dairy farmers, which could provide support or lead to environmental benefits. Natural England said the booklet promises to cover “key sources of grant aid, incentive schemes and advice available to help the economic viability and environmental sustainability of this important agricultural sector.”

Geoff Sansome, Natural England’s Director of Land Management (South), said upon the booklet’s release, “We wanted to make it easier for farmers to get the appropriate assistance and guidance they need and to provide advice in an integrated way that is endorsed by the industry.

“This year’s wet weather and milk pricing concerns have presented significant challenges for the dairy sector and it’s important that we support our milk producers by ensuring they have the latest information they need to help take informed decisions when making their environmental and business plans. For example, there are a wide range of Environmental Stewardship options available to dairy farmers and this leaflet highlights those which can be of best value and most readily integrated into dairy units.”

The potential benefits of environmental considerations are supported on the ground by milk producers such as Michael Oakes of Beacon Hill Farm. Mr Oakes manages a dairy herd at his farm at Rednal near Birmingham. He brought the farm into Natural England’s Entry Level Scheme in 2005 and today commented, "We need a profitable dairy business but are also aware of the importance of environmental sustainability. The ELS very low input grassland option fits really well with our system, saving fertiliser costs while still being available for young stock to graze."

Chris Duller of DairyCo has said of the schemes, "While the primary focus of these schemes is to benefit the environment, there are clear financial and production gains to be had from better nutrient use and soil management. The funding will help improve efficiencies and reduce costs, and send a clear message to consumers that dairy farmers are taking positive steps to protect and enhance the countryside."

The booklet aims to facilitate the transition nito Entry Level Stewardship for farmers with current Environmentally Sensitive Area agreements. Other farmers and land managers in the sector will be renewing their ELS agreements and the leaflet will help them understand what priority options should be included to maximise benefits for both their farming businesses and the environment.

It also contains information about changes to the ELS scheme options that are being introduced as part of the Defra-led programme, Making Environmental Stewardship More Effective (MESME). The changes come into effect from 1st January 2013, and Natural England said farmers need to be informed now to help them plan for the future.

The leaflet can be downloaded from the Natural England publications website here

NFU beef sector report

Also timed to coincide with the Livestock 2012 event, the NFU has released a new report in which it sets out its vision for the UK beef sector. The sector currently generates £2.8billion fand employs 440,000 people in England alone.

However, the NFU claims the sector still faces significant challenges to its future security, despite receiving support from Defra’s exports drive, from which many UK food producers stand to benefit. Nevertheless, the Bullish Prospects report identifies areas where beef farming could become more sustainable and viable in the long-term.

Speaking ahead of the launch, NFU livestock board chairman Charles Sercombe commented,  “I firmly believe that UK beef production has a positive future. This is our vision for a profitable, economically sustainable and internationally competitive industry but we hope that others would share this aspiration and we look forward to working towards this with partners throughout the chain in the future.

“If businesses in the processing and retail industries are concerned about future beef supply, and the indications are that they are, then we must start to work together to look about the signals being given to farmers.”

Mr Sercombe acknowledged that prices have improved recently for farmers, as global supplies of beef have tightened. However, he said that increased production costs have offset many of these benefits.  He added, “Any move to increase production inevitably depends on the belief that farmgate margins will rise to profitable levels. The situation in dairy has amply demonstrated that the consumer values British produce and wants their supermarket to deal with their suppliers ethically - ensuring everyone in the chain receives a fair return on their investment is a fundamental part of this.”

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