Flexibility and resilience

Out on the farm, producers who have demonstrated they are nimble on their feet are also better placed to respond to market as well as climatic changes. This could be by growing legumes to displace soya or adding catch-crops to increase profits, improve soil structure, and avoid bare soil and run-off. The Bean family from Northumberland are just such producers, and through their vision and agility, they have removed every bought-in feed ingredient (except minerals) from their beef and sheep rations. This has had a dramatic effect on their input costs.

Many other customers have also shown a willingness to embrace change, and crimping grain maize is another example of how they have done so. We know of many who switched to crimped maize as a salvage option when they were struggling to harvest their maize as forage, and many have been so impressed with the way this high energy concentrate is feeding that they’re now planning to plant more of the crop specifically for crimping. This could be an option for others to consider, especially in areas where winter cereals were not drilled, or have failed.

Daniel Ritch from Orkney is a dairy producer who has focussed his attention on improving his already high-quality, home-grown forage and has found that he now has a more nutrient-rich grass silage than he ever imagined. This is both cutting his concentrate use and improving the performance and

health of his herd, and he was handed an unexpected bonus when his silage won the keenly contested AgriScot Silage Competition. Now, his advocacy of Kelvin Cave’s acclaimed Safesil range of silage preservatives is spreading the products’ reputation across this Scottish island, where two more converts have joined this most northerly prize-winner to also enjoy competition success.