Following our blog piece New Climate Show the Need for New Marketing Models it seems that drought may effect production in eastern Europe. Reports coming out of Kazakhstan indicate dry conditions for spring planting that will reduce yields.
Agricultural meteorologist Bryce Anderson.commented "Considering that Kazakhstan is already down on soil moisture, I think planting will quite likely be done with less than desirable soil moisture." This comment was backed up by specialist consultants IKAR which tracks grain output in the former Soviet Union. “There are many indirect signs that Kazakhstan will have a problematic crop in the next season,” said Dmitry Rylko, their general director, "exports will most likely decline in the next season."
It could be beneficial for UK livestock producers to seek to secure supplies of UK grain for at least a proportion of their requirements to protect themselves from possible price spikes should exports from eastern Europe become unreliable.
Let us know what you requirements might be and using our web-form. We can then contact you with an offer.
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Friday 24 February 2012
Organic Research Centre Conference Proceedings
Proceedings of Organic Research Centre's excellent Producer conference now available on their website.
This was an excellent event and one for all producers to put in their diary for next year.
Organic Arable proud to be part of it!
This was an excellent event and one for all producers to put in their diary for next year.
Organic Arable proud to be part of it!
Wednesday 22 February 2012
New Climate Show the Need for New Marketing Models
Research by the Environmental Change Institute of Oxford University and reported by the American Geophysical Union has shown that whilst the 2010 Russian wheat harvest failure was not due to man-made climate change the naturally occurring climatic conditions that led to the drought and fires are 3 times more likely to happen. Previous studies had been contradictory in that some concluded that the occurrence was within the expected severity of climate for the region whilst others indicated that the cause was man-made climate change. This study concludes both views are correct. The severity of the weather is not outside the expected limits for the region but the liklihood of these conditions occurring has trebled due to man-made climate change.
Whilst the niceties of these arguments bare little relevance to the grain markets the result of the weather seen in Russia in 2010 had significant consequences with organic wheat prices rising by £100 per tonne in 6 months. This causes disruption to the market as both buyers and sellers seem uncertain how to proceed and the results of this are still seen in the market today with demand down due to high feed costs and buyer uncertainty resulting in significant spot buying rather than forward cover being bought.
However there is a more significant underlying issue that requires consideration by the whole organic sector. Germany the largest organic market in Europe and one of the largest producers has reported that in 2009 (when it had a larger than average harvest) imported approximately 15% of its cereal demand. For the UK this figure is closer to 50%. Other Northern European countries are also importers of cereals as their markets continue to grow.
This demand has largely been satisfied by imports from Central and Eastern European states particularly Ukraine, Russia, Romania and Khazakstan. All of these are likely to be effected by the conditions seen in Russia in 2010 which will impact upon their production. If this production is likely to be effected 3 times more often than has previously been the case this is likely to put severe supply pressure Western and Northern European states that have a reliance upon these supplies.
There are also proposals from the EU to require that organic animal feeds have a minimum 20% sourced from the region in which they are consumed. Whilst the definition of region is unclear it will possibly be the members state which would place additional demand on UK production.
For livestock farming businesses or livestock feed companies should be seeking to secure their grain supplies going forward by developing links with cereal producers to ensure they have supply available to them. This would help to buffer them against the potential shock to their supplies of grain imported from these states were the potential for damaging weather events is reported to be increasing.
Cereal producers should be seek to link into these opportunities if and when they emerge and work with their customers. See example here.
However there is a more significant underlying issue that requires consideration by the whole organic sector. Germany the largest organic market in Europe and one of the largest producers has reported that in 2009 (when it had a larger than average harvest) imported approximately 15% of its cereal demand. For the UK this figure is closer to 50%. Other Northern European countries are also importers of cereals as their markets continue to grow.
This demand has largely been satisfied by imports from Central and Eastern European states particularly Ukraine, Russia, Romania and Khazakstan. All of these are likely to be effected by the conditions seen in Russia in 2010 which will impact upon their production. If this production is likely to be effected 3 times more often than has previously been the case this is likely to put severe supply pressure Western and Northern European states that have a reliance upon these supplies.
There are also proposals from the EU to require that organic animal feeds have a minimum 20% sourced from the region in which they are consumed. Whilst the definition of region is unclear it will possibly be the members state which would place additional demand on UK production.
For livestock farming businesses or livestock feed companies should be seeking to secure their grain supplies going forward by developing links with cereal producers to ensure they have supply available to them. This would help to buffer them against the potential shock to their supplies of grain imported from these states were the potential for damaging weather events is reported to be increasing.
Cereal producers should be seek to link into these opportunities if and when they emerge and work with their customers. See example here.
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Come on Defra take a lead from other governments
Juern Sanders reported the feeble support UK organic producers receive compared to other EU states at the ORC conference and the Soil Association's report "The Lazy Man of Europe" highlights how Defra lag behind in giving a lead to industry to help develop the sector. Not just Europe it seems. The Canadians are at it too and supporting their organic sector. Not through direct payments but through investment in the supply chain. Government of Canada Supports the Organic Grain Industry in Quebec.
Come on Defra you have an industry which is delivering sustainable food production, environmental benefit and a high animal welfare and yet you don't seem to want to nurture its development.
Tuesday 7 February 2012
IOTA, ORC & TILLMAN_ORG
Hurrah to IOTA and Organic Research Centre! And thanks to both for their interest in non-inversion tillage.
The session at the ORC conference recently was both interesting and challenging and brought together some organic non-inversion tillage researchers and practitioners to give us some insight into their work. We were also introduced to TILLMAN-ORG a new EU project on the subject.
There is focus on non-inversion tillage systems at present and it is great to see that new projects like TILLMAN-ORG and others in the USA are starting and will I'm sure help inform farmers about the technique.
It feels as if this is a confluence of the farming community with the research world and producers coming together to explore and learn more about the topic with neither side either leading or pushing the other. Organically it is a topic about which there is little knowledge or experience and so we set out (to a greater extent) on a journey of discovery together. IOTA and now TILLMAN-ORG are seeking to draw on and learn from farmer experience both to share with other farmers and to help influence and develop research.
And you can help. TILLMAN-ORG are asking for your experience and would like to hear from you if you have undertaken any non-inversion tillage establishment on your farm. Yes, we've heard of Richard Gantlett's fantastic work at Yatesbury and David Wilson's new Ecodyn project at Duchy Home Farm. But there are many others out there doing bits that need to be learned from too.
You probably have some nuggets of golden information that can help everyone learn and hopefully as you've not ploughed them down they're on the surface waiting to be discovered.
Find out more about the TILLMAN-ORG project and please complete the TILLMAN-ORG questionnaire CLICK HERE and let them and hopefully the world know of your ground breaking work. [That's enough puns -Ed.]
The session at the ORC conference recently was both interesting and challenging and brought together some organic non-inversion tillage researchers and practitioners to give us some insight into their work. We were also introduced to TILLMAN-ORG a new EU project on the subject.
There is focus on non-inversion tillage systems at present and it is great to see that new projects like TILLMAN-ORG and others in the USA are starting and will I'm sure help inform farmers about the technique.
It feels as if this is a confluence of the farming community with the research world and producers coming together to explore and learn more about the topic with neither side either leading or pushing the other. Organically it is a topic about which there is little knowledge or experience and so we set out (to a greater extent) on a journey of discovery together. IOTA and now TILLMAN-ORG are seeking to draw on and learn from farmer experience both to share with other farmers and to help influence and develop research.
And you can help. TILLMAN-ORG are asking for your experience and would like to hear from you if you have undertaken any non-inversion tillage establishment on your farm. Yes, we've heard of Richard Gantlett's fantastic work at Yatesbury and David Wilson's new Ecodyn project at Duchy Home Farm. But there are many others out there doing bits that need to be learned from too.
You probably have some nuggets of golden information that can help everyone learn and hopefully as you've not ploughed them down they're on the surface waiting to be discovered.
Find out more about the TILLMAN-ORG project and please complete the TILLMAN-ORG questionnaire CLICK HERE and let them and hopefully the world know of your ground breaking work. [That's enough puns -Ed.]
BBC Countryfile - The Organic Sector 20 Years On
Countryfile presented a fair reflection on the organic market on Sunday evening but unfortunately missed an opportunity to explore some of the fundamental benefits that the organic sector can provide.
The programme seemed to highlight that single issue branding was gaining popularity at the expense of the multi-faceted appeal and benefits that organic food can provide. This is nothing new and has been reported widely within the organic sector. Indeed much thought has been given to how these multiple benefits can be promoted to consumers in a simple message that can be understood and appreciated. This is the main thrust of the Why I love Organic campaign.
There was a very interesting comment made as part of the piece by the dairy farmer, Richard Park. He indicated he "has taken a lot of what I've learned into how I farm now".
20 years ago (when Countryfile first featured organic systems on the programme) to find a conventional farmer who admitted using organic techniques on national TV would have been newsworthy and here is an acknowledgement that organic farming systems work and indeed can improve conventional farming. For Mr Park it is the organic market that has not performed not the method of production.
So the opportunity missed by Countryfile was to look at how organic farming has influenced the conventional sector. To explore how some organic farming techniques can be used to improve soil health, reduce use of scarce resources and focus on holistic, systems based approaches rather than reductive interventions.
The programme seemed to highlight that single issue branding was gaining popularity at the expense of the multi-faceted appeal and benefits that organic food can provide. This is nothing new and has been reported widely within the organic sector. Indeed much thought has been given to how these multiple benefits can be promoted to consumers in a simple message that can be understood and appreciated. This is the main thrust of the Why I love Organic campaign.
There was a very interesting comment made as part of the piece by the dairy farmer, Richard Park. He indicated he "has taken a lot of what I've learned into how I farm now".
20 years ago (when Countryfile first featured organic systems on the programme) to find a conventional farmer who admitted using organic techniques on national TV would have been newsworthy and here is an acknowledgement that organic farming systems work and indeed can improve conventional farming. For Mr Park it is the organic market that has not performed not the method of production.
So the opportunity missed by Countryfile was to look at how organic farming has influenced the conventional sector. To explore how some organic farming techniques can be used to improve soil health, reduce use of scarce resources and focus on holistic, systems based approaches rather than reductive interventions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)