That could've been worse?

freedominacup

The year is more or less wrapped up now and despite the crap prices we have everyone paid and a few quid in the bank. If someone had offered me that when glanbia started cutting milk price hard and there was nothing but doom and gloom everywhere you looked I'd have taken the hand off them. There have certainly been easier years but for us at any rate it could've been worse. How was it for ye?

Timmaay

freedominacup wrote: »

The year is more or less wrapped up now and despite the crap prices we have everyone paid and a few quid in the bank. If someone had offered me that when glanbia started cutting milk price hard and there was nothing but doom and gloom everywhere you looked I'd have taken the hand off them. There have certainly been easier years but for us at any rate it could've been worse. How was it for ye?

I'd echo what you said, crap prices but improving efficiency here hasn't left us too far off last year's milk sales. Weather wise, aside from the late spring it was an incredible year here for both growth and grazing conditions.

Almost definitely has been my easiest year so far, but that's more down to taking abit of a breather this year, only afew extra cows, no real building work on the farm, ditching the autumn calvers etc, and then in general being utterly religious about applying KISS to almost every major decision on the farm ha.

Money wise obviously being lowly borrowed gave me a much bigger comfort zone than many other dairyfarmers, moving forward I still want to keep borrowings to under the grand a cow, to keep the business here as resilient as possible.

whelan2

Was a testing year on the Glanbia front alright. We were very lucky in my part of the country with the weather during the summer, April was pretty crap. Calf price was very good and that kept us afloat . 1 thing I found out is that little hand sprayers use alot less teat spray than a teat spray unit, 2 spray bottles are 1.50 in dealz. A 20 litre drum was lasting me a week before now I get 5 weeks from a 20 litre drum. On the health front it's good to talk.... and your health is your wealth

degetme

Average milk price for the year is .294cl
No milk suppiled in Jan or Dec this year. A fixed milk price scheme helped for the eight months it's in force.
had extra cattle sales in the year so that helped the bottom line.

Timmaay

degetme wrote: »

Average milk price for the year is .294cl
No milk suppiled in Jan or Dec this year. A fixed milk price scheme helped for the eight months it's in force.
had extra cattle sales in the year so that helped the bottom line.

I forgot about the stock sales, bred less replacements here (only ended up with 14 spring born), alongside very little expansion in cow numbers, so more calf and cull cow sales.

K.G.

Keep going here,just wishing everyone a happy christmas.i keep an eye on ye but no posting as those pointless arguments were doing my head and i felt it didnt sit well with other responsibilities.yeah 2016 worked out better than i thought with milk av price for year working out at 31.2 even though cash is tight at the minute due to a building project .usual ups and downs with weather but i hit my magic numb er of cows so expansion phase is finished and its all about doing things better.hope things go well for ye next year

Western Pomise

Was a very testing year along the western seaboard as land literally never got any kind of prolonged dry spell to 'dry out' this year.

A neighbour who has a lot of dry limestone land was saying how he noticed that any kind of rain shower left the ground extra wet in last few months as water table was so high.

Prices for weanlings well back on last year but onwards and upwards for the New Year.

Happy Christmas to all and a safe farming 2017.

alps

For some of us the weather for sure played it's part in keeping costs down. I understand it was quiet the reverse for much of the West and North West. Our milk sales went to budget, but stock sales were strained. We effectively closed to cheque book at the start of the year to all but vital expenditure. Costs were maintained to a minimum and profits are back just a little on 2015. Hired help was reduced to milking only on time off (about 2k). But the farm can't run without constant repair and maintenance....that bit extra needs to be done in the coming year...liming/fencing/roadways/cleaning all needs a budget for '17

It does go to show however that for a short period of time at least, we have the capability of digging in and riding out a storm. It would have been altogether different if the weather hadn't played ball....that is the one volatile component of our business that I'm not comfortable riding out..

Grueller

Agreed. Beef price fell as sunder but getting into glas and the bdgp scheme have been a help in keeping the thing going. Also getting the young farmer top up. Moral of the story, payments count.