The Farmers Mart Dec-Jan 2019 - Issue 60 | Page 14

14 FARM NEWS
DEC/JAN 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk
Extended ordering hours for same day tag despatch
ence to busy livestock farmers
who need to order replacement
ear tags in a hurry,” explains Ash-
ley Musgrave, General Manager of
Allflex UK.
“The majority of tag suppli-
ers in the UK have cut-off times
between 2pm and 3pm, or in
extreme circumstances 4:00pm.
Unfortunately these early dead-
lines can hamper the movement
of cattle, so we have extended
ALLFLEX has announced that
it has extended its cut-off time
for the same day despatch of
replacement cattle ear tags, with
all orders made before 4:30pm
guaranteed to be sent out by first
class post on the day they are
ordered.
“Feedback from our customers
tells us that the later deadline time
could make a significant differ-
‘ we have extended
our own cut-off
time to 4:30pm.
This will make
it easier for
farmers to aquire
replacement tags
at short notice
’
our own cut-off time to 4:30pm.
This will make it easier for farmers
to acquire replacement tags at
short notice.”
As long as the tags are success-
fully authorised by BCMS (British
Cattle Movement Service), Allflex
guarantees that any order placed
before 4:30pm will be despatched
on the same day.
www.allflex.co.uk
Driffield endurance athlete smashes
fundraising target despite injury
A Driffield runner who is raising money in memory of a colleague has smashed his
fundraising target despite having to retire from an endurance challenge through injury.
MARK Ireland, Area Farms Manager for
Soanes Poultry, completed 60 of the 80-
mile Hardwolds challenge at the weekend
before a fall in the rain and the dark caused
an ankle injury that forced him to retire.
Mark set himself a target of £500 for
Papworth Hospital Charity in memory of
Soanes Poultry’s technical manager Helen
Bettley, who passed away earlier this year.
His current total stands at £1,160, with more
donations welcome at www.papworthhos-
pitalcharity.org.uk/appeal/mark-ireland-
runs-the-hardwolds-80.
Although Mark only started running in
2015, he is no stranger to ultra-marathon
events having completed the Hardmoors
55, the Lakeland 50 mile and the 100k Race
to the Stones. Mark was one of over 200
athletes who took on the Hardwolds chal-
lenge from Hessle to Filey that was won by
Cees van der Land in a time of 12 hours and
24 minutes.
Mark’s fundraising initiative is the first in
a series of events that the Middleton on the
Wolds business has planned to raise money
for charitable causes in Helen’s memory.
Soanes Poultry is a family owned busi-
ness which has been rearing and preparing
chicken for 71 years. It currently employs
120 people and rears five million chickens
a year on its Yorkshire farms and sells its
chicken and game to butchers and inde-
pendent retailers in Yorkshire and to whole-
salers nationwide.
Don’t neglect field drain maintenance
IN some years, field drainage
can make the difference between
having a crop to harvest and a
complete loss, as well as being
able to travel the land or not.
Robert Cross, who runs Clifflane
Farm in partnership with his father
and hosts Warrington Monitor Farm,
said: “Drainage has often been
neglected in recent times since
grants have fallen. Also, soil health
and conditions have become much
bigger topical issues. So, we wanted
to analyse what’s cost-effective
and what type of system might
work best on my farm or on other
people’s farms nearby.”
Good drainage helps soil
management and reduces the
loss of nutrients and sediments to
watercourses.
But the loss of labour and
grants from farms has meant
maintenance has fallen by the
wayside, said Judith Stafford,
AHDB Knowledge Exchange
Manager. This in turn causes
problems for production and
the environment.
The session in Warrington was
led by independent drainage
consultant Neville Pearson
and Monitor Farm host Robert,
discussing drainage systems
suitable for Cheshire and Lan-
cashire soils and some practical
ideas for ongoing drain manage-
ment.
For Robert’s farm and oth-
ers nearby, Neville told the
group, mole drainage is a good
emergency technology but not
suitable as a long-term solution,
because of the soil types.
It’s important to keep drain
outfalls free from debris, the
group heard, but it’s a job that’s
often forgotten.
For more information on drainage,
download the AHDB Field drainage
guide; https://ahdb.org.uk/
knowledge-library/field-drainage-
guide