EU farmers cannot work or survive under these terms. We cannot continue to produce high quality food at first world costs while being paid third world prices. Our bureaucrats really need to assess their true priorities and address honestly the question as to whether they want an indigenous industry which produces a top quality product to feed its people or whether they intend to allow supermarkets to continue to dictate the prices paid to producers. If this is indeed the situation then we might as well all quit now while we are still ahead.

We were told that two thirds of farmers left farming in Germany last year and a similar figure is expected again this coming year. To my mind this is a sad reflection on modern times and raises questions about efficiencies in policy making. The figures are similar for Ireland with more farmers quitting every week. And as the headlines in the farming press scream at us about beef finishers losing money on every beast, it is hard to know where to turn for the best just now.

On the farms we visited the calf rearing system was a little different to our own insofar as calves were reared away from the general farm area in hutches which housed eight to ten calves. This system falls in with the theory that fresh air and plenty of it is the healthiest way to rear calves and I would go so far as to say that it is the best way to rear and feed any animal from calves to beef instead of keeping them indoors in housing, especially now as our winters are getting milder. However, convincing the powers that be could be another story.

Anyway back home and the first port of call was to view the two new bulls who had arrived and taken up residence on the home farm. These new bulls have excellent bloodlines incorporating the best of breeding over the past few years. They are a more square type Holstein which is just the type the lads prefer because progeny results in a stronger calf both to sell if it is a bull and to rear if it is a female. And of course milk yield history is first rate. One is a bit young yet to run with the cows so he will be held over for a few months until he is older.

Well the lads are very busy these days both with calving which is going well thank God although they currently have a very low percentage of female calves born to date. I think the last count was less than 30pc. They need at least another 10pc to allow them plenty of flexibility two years hence but it is not looking good with the majority of the herd calved at this stage. So we are hoping that most calves born from now on will be female.

The other job which is keeping them on their toes at the moment is the dismantling of the two tunnels. These tunnels if you remember were originally used to house sheep and then after the sheep departed the farm forevermore were then used to house calves once they became six weeks old and were ready to leave their individual pens. Now I must say that these tunnels had long survived their sell-by date with just a few small maintenance jobs done to keep them in good order but the recent winds of December and January played havoc with them and really blew them asunder. We will be picking up bits of plastic for the next six months - it is everywhere.

Source: Business Xtra