Welsh Border Farms to feature in Beef Expo 2005 Tour
15/03/05

Two well-known Welsh Border beef farms and IGER's Bronydd Mawr Research Station will be the venues for a farm tour to be held as part of this year's Beef Expo 2005 in Wales.

The farm visits, limited to 300 delegates, will take place on Tuesday, June 7, and will be followed by a pre-event beef conference and dinner at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells. As previously announced, the UK's annual national beef event, organised by the National Beef Association, willbe held the following day, Wednesday, June 8.

An integrated beef and sheep breeding and finishing enterprise will be the subject of interest on visits to the Trebarried and Upper Court units, both farmed by E A Davies and Son as part of a 726 ha farming enterprise on five farms straddling the Welsh border.

The major feature of interest at the IGER research station will be the development of management systems for beef cattle and sheep in the hills and uplands to meet environmental, market and economic objectives.

“We are extremely fortunate to be able to visit two excellent commercial farms which are noted for their highly quality beef and sheep enterprises and also the IGER farm where so much valuable research work into beef management systems is being conducted,” said Robin Gibson Watt, chairman of the Beef Expo 2005 organising committee.

“These farms are bound to create a great deal of interest among delegates attending Beef Expo. As numbers are limited, delegates attending Beef Expo who wish to go on the farm tour should book now to avoid disappointment.”

Coaches for the tour will leave from the Royal Welsh Showground and the cost of £11.75 (inclusive of VAT) covers morning coffee, lunch and coach hire. Applications should be sent, with the appropriate remittance, to Euan Emslie, Organiser, Beef Expo 2005, 3 Briar Close, Newport, Brough, East Yorkshire. HU15 2QY. Tel: 01430 441870. Fax: 01430 448432. Mobile: 07718 908523. E-mail: euan@eemslie.fsnet.co.uk

Additional information on farms to be visited

TREBARRIED/UPPER COURT

The Davies family became tenants of Upper Court in 1944 and the business has now expanded to 726 ha which is run by William and Carol Davis and their son, Tom. The tenancy of Trebarried was acquired in 1998 when it was decided to establish a beef suckler herd with the progeny finished at Upper Court.

A herd of 95 South Devon cows with calves at foot was purchased initially and has now been expanded to 190 South Devon and Limousin x South Devon cows which are crossed with Limousin and Belgian Blue bulls. A South Devon bull is also used to maintain the South Devon strain.

Two-thirds of the cows calve February-May with the balance in the September-December period. Calves are weaned at 8-9 months and moved to Upper Court for finishing in yards.

The sheep flock of 550 Welsh Mule ewes are crossed with Texel and Beltex rams. Ewes are housed for four weeks before lambing in January.

Cropping extends to 479 ha and this year is predominantly milling wheat and a small acreage of winter barley. Oil seed rape, potatoes and maize are grown as break crops. A feature of the arable enterprise is the introduction three years ago of minimal tillage.

IGER BRONYDD MAWR RESEARCH STATION

Bronydd Mawr Research Station was established in 1983 to conduct research into sustainable beef and sheep systems. The farm extends to 230 ha of enclosed land, all of which is classified Less Favoured Area A (severely disadvantaged). Almost half of the land is devoted to trials and the other half used to maintain the extra animals required.

The farm currently carries 1400 Beulah, cross-bred and Cheviot ewes and a recently-established, spring-calving beef suckler herd of 30 Limousin cross and 12 pedigree Belted Galloway cows.

Two major DEFRA-funded research projects, “Beef suckler systems for the management of the hills and uplands,” and “A comparison of mainstream and at-risk cattle breeds for the management of the hills and uplands,” are being conducted over the next four years utilising the two breeds of suckler cows.

Both projects will study the impact of mixed cattle and sheep grazing on pasture productivity and conservation value as well as animal performance and output. A comprehensive economic assessment will be carried out comparing systems designed to integrate the use of improved pasture with semi-natural rough grazings.