RIDDINGS LANE
HOUSING
FEASIBILITY STUDY
PREPARED BY G R SURTEES
AGRICULTURAL CONSULTANT
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Report prepared by
Graeme Surtees
The author gained his formal training at S.A.C, Edinburgh and at
Essex University where he gained a B.Sc. Degree in Agriculture.
The author is a member of the British Institute of Agricultural
Consultants.
The author advises on all aspects of Farm Management and
specialises in Dairy herd management. His time at present is split
between Farm Business Management Consultancy and managing
a large farmer controlled business across Lancashire and
Cumbria.
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Consultant’s report into Riddings Lane – Housing requirement
Contents:
A)
The farming Enterprise.
B)
Labour Requirements.
C)
Assessment of Labour required to reside on site.
D)
Summary and conclusion.
By Graeme R Surtees B.Sc. (Agric) M.B.I.A.C
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Farming:
Riddings Lane, Bentham, Lancaster, LA2 7AH
Area:
210 acres, 85 hectares
Livestock:
192 Dairy cows.
180 Dairy Young stock
Cropping:
210 acres of Grassland
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Report on the Farming Enterprise at Riddings Lane
A.
The Farming System
Riddings Lane is approximately 210 acres (85 hectares) of which
all 210 acres are farmable
The farm is purely a grassland farm
The livestock farming enterprise consists of the following numbers
of breeding stock: -
Dairy Cows
192 Dairy Cows
180 Followers
The cropping farm enterprise consists of: -
Grassland
210 acres
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Occupational Conditions
Riddings Lane
Tenants (60 years)
Lifetime tenancy, 2nd generation
120 acres
Showfield
Lifetime tenancy, 2nd generation
20 acres
Heifer rearing unit
5 year FBT
58 acres
Shirley’s
Annual FBT
12 acres
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Winter Management
The Dairy cows are housed all year round, and calve throughout
the year. The young stock is housed from early October until late
April, though often supplementary feed is required outside.
A “rota” system is currently operated to cover nights whilst calving
and breeding is in progress. At least one staff member is required
to be on site at any one time to complete “night duty”. It is not
practical for this to be left solely to one family member. If
additional assistance is required at calving or breeding then
additional members of staff may be called upon to help at any
time.
This can frequently lead to an individual travelling to the calving
pens on more than one occasion during a night to assist in a
calving if difficulties arise.
Summer Management
During the summer dry cows and in-calf heifers are managed in
groups according to condition. As grass is the cheapest feed a
great deal of attention is placed on grassland management for dry
cows and heifers.
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Fixed Cost Structure
The labour force on the farm consists of one full time managing
partner and one part time partner. In addition, there is one full time
employee on the farm, and one part time employee who are
employed on a regular basis to cover busy periods.
Other fixed costs and overheads (such as power and machinery
costs, depreciation of fixed equipment, property charges and
sundry overheads) are substantial.
As one might expect with a Dairy enterprise, particularly high input
as this is, the business is more labour intensive. Managing these
costs to optimise returns has become ever more important.
Attention to detail and greater management is being demanded at
all times.
More of the time is taken up with management tasks rather than
day-to-day physical tasks.
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B.
Labour Requirement
Livestock
Dairy Cows:
192 @ 35 hours/hd
6,720
0 – 6 months old
60 @ 18 hours/hd
1,080
6 – 12 months old
60 @ 6 hours/hd
360
12 – 24 months old
60 @ 10 hours/hd
600
Followers:
Livestock Total
8,760
Cropping
Grassland:
Cropping Total
85 ha @ 20 hours/hectare/annum
1,700
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Miscellaneous
Maintenance 10% of all other hours
1,046
TOTAL REQUIREMENTS
11,506
Hours expected of European man:
2,200
Staff Required:
5.23
Staff Available:
1 full time partner
1 part time partner
1 full time employee
1 part time employee
n.b. All figures quoted are from Agro Business Consultants, issue 52
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C.
Housing Development:
Riddings Lane
There is a need for additional housing on the site of Riddings Lane
to assist with the livestock and business management.
Over recent years the farming business at Riddings Lane has
expanded rapidly from 40 cows to the present 192 cows and will
increase further to over 200 cows.
All the additional livestock has been farmed from Riddings Lane
with non pregnant heifers being reared at the heifer rearing unit
which is 1.5 miles away.
Agriculture is a dynamic industry and individual businesses need
to react to situations as they are presented. The business was
sustainable with 40 cows but it now needs circa 200 cows to
remain profitable and sustain the families who rely on it. This has
led to the changing circumstances as regards housing
requirements at Riddings Lane.
Management of this unit continues to become more complex and
more demanding.
There is a need for: Constant Diet Formulation
Avoidance of Waste
Improved Margins
Cost Control
Pollution Control
Bio-security
High Herd Health
Cross Compliance
As part of the continued farm improvement programme Mr Mason
now feels the need for additional on-site housing. If all the above
management requirements are to be met then another member of
staff needs to be on site.
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This housing requirement has been required by the business for
some considerable time. However the recent crisis in agriculture
has made it necessary to focus on getting every issue right.
The substantial investment made at Riddings Lane demonstrates
Mr Mason’s commitment to Agriculture.
The current pressures being faced by agriculture will allow Mr
Mason to continue to expand the business as opportunities arise.
Labour requirements for the business demonstrate the need for a
minimum of a five-man team. At present only the full time partner
and part-time partner live on site and there is no service
accommodation attached to the business.
All other staff members reside away from the farm in their own
accommodation, which is some distance from the farm. There is
an urgent need, to continue the development of Riddings Lane, for
further on site service accommodation. Further business progress
can then be more easily attained.
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Riddings Lane
Summary of Report Prepared
By Graeme Surtees
1. Graeme Surtees is a Farm Management Consultant working
throughout the North of England, specialising in Dairy Herd
management.
2. The report analyses in depth the size of the herd, the farming
methods of Riddings Lane and farm labour requirements.
3. Size of Herd at present
Dairy Cows
192
Followers
180
4. Farming Methods
Riddings Lane specialises in milk production, with current yields
averaging 10,000 litres per cow. As a dairy unit with the difficulties
brought about by its location and land type, it needs to be better than
average to survive in an increasingly difficult market.
The business also sells surplus heifers to help in this respect.
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5.
Autumn
Labour Requirements: -
The herd is housed. Preparation and care of the calving
cows is the primary task.
Field work and harvesting is completed
Round the clock supervision is essential
Winter
The herd is housed. Feeding and health care are the primary
tasks.
The herd undergoes task such as foot trimming, vaccination,
tail clipping. Round the clock supervision is essential
Spring
The herd is housed. Preparation and care of the calving
cows is the primary task.
Spring work and grassland management is undertaken.
Round the clock supervision is essential
Summer
The herd is housed. The Dairy followers are managed at
grazing. This involves high input of labour and management.
Field fencing, fertilizing and grass conservation together with
general husbandry are principle tasks. Round the clock
supervision is essential
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6.
The writer/consultant considers
requirements to be as follows:
the
total
labour
Total labour hours required by the unit are 11,506
A European standard man-year is only 2,200 hours
Working time regulations, 1999
The farm business requires 11,506 / 2,200 = 5.23
employees/workers.
Labour at Riddings Lane has for sometime worked to a week
of 55 hours. (Agricultural Wages Act – June 1995).
One employee will undertake 2,500 hours of work, after
allowing for holidays and sickness, to match their industrial
counterparts.
The figures quoted are averages for a full calendar year’s
work.
The presence of at least one qualified person is necessary to
manage the Dairy Herd of such high calibre.
The danger of animal illness and animal losses are then
overcome.
Holiday entitlement per person is 28 working days. One
person needs to be present to cover each of these periods.
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Conclusion
With high value livestock it is imperative that the environment is
controlled and well managed so that the highest standards of animal
welfare can be achieved. This will only be achieved by the construction
of a second dwelling to provide 24-hour supervision for employee use.
This development is required to allow the continuing improvement of
Riddings Lane, as without it the future of the unit may become in doubt.
The unit must keep pace with the rest of the industry to allow it to
prosper in these increasingly difficult times.
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