This is the ex National Chairman’s terminal blog! The TFA have come a long way very quickly over the last three years. I remember thinking that three years was a long term, it has not seemed so. It has been both an honour and a pleasure to be the TFA National Chairman. This has been because as an organisation we are blessed with such good people. I am grateful for the help and support I have received from the National Executive and particularly my Vice-Chairman Stephen Wyrill. The strength of the operation at Head Office and the calibre of the staff both past and present so ably led by George Dunn have made my term so much easier. I am proud that our offering to members is so much stronger now and that we can provide so much more with an extra adviser. Thank you all for your support and friendship and to the many friends of the association who attended the reception on Thursday night.
As I fed the sheep and contemplated jobs for the day the morning after I joked with Rosemary that I would not know what to do now my term has finish. She has since produced a list of jobs backdated three years! I am still going to be busy.
It looks like arable tenants with a pending review will be served notice to increase rent with the current wheat prices. Be aware of the risks of such great volatility when producing your budgets. Be the prudent tenant. There is the risk of double jeopardy in selling produce short and buying inputs long. Diesel and fertiliser prices are unlikely to come down.
We have had a successful lambing and sold the last store lambs. Prices have been good. Crops are starting to move ahead and we have applied ammonium sulphate to Warburtons wheat and the OSR, followed by extra urea on the rape to requirement. The temperature differential and the sharp frosts at the moment are holding us back from drilling our brown mustard. Actually the drill falling off the tractor and destroying two units is not helping. (Anyone got a stanhay rallye 592 we could buy for spares?) By the time the repair is complete the land should be good and ready.
We have finished tidying up blackgrass at Ermine, and T0 time is approaching. Potato seed will soon arrive. We are not growing beet this year as we took the opportunity of the out goers scheme, we will watch the margins and may grow again when the price is right. One less job but we still have plenty to do.
Thank you all for your support over the last three years. It really has been a pleasurable and interesting experience. I will miss the shows but intend to attend as a punter so I can have a proper look round! I wish Jeremy Walker the very best for his term. I am proud the TFA is in good heart and safe hands.
Best wishes to you all.
Greg
