They are pro rehashing old systems information and farming practices in such a way as certain people think its new and original..... they are pro farmers and a type of system .......... until there boss whistles and then they will change tack and ding that line like it was the only thing they ever said........ I did a dero course a couple of years ago and just to be a bit pissy I pulled them on a particular point saying that wasn't what farmers were being advised before. The reply was quick and to the point ........ the advise has changed........ take from that what you will
How much teagasc research levy do we all pay each year
Anywhere good for second-hand PVC dairy doors? Gap is about 3m wide
i was of the sane opinion when I saw it first but I’m considering it now tbh
it’s only one year and 10% of your milk. It’s a good offer imo. Coop price will need to be 40c by June to match it …….
futures are looking like an average of 43c/l at 3.3pr and 3.6bf for 2024, 40c jan rising to 45c/l in May, fert and meal rising too
had over 85% fixed last year and it almost broke us, it has been 2 very difficult years, being in the minority in a coop is not advisable but each to their own
fixed schemes only come out when price is rising customer would not fix at end of contracts even after making 100m, fixed milk has been loss making each of the last 3 years, the customer doesnt deserve the stability in price especially when 3c off futures
meal offer is only on 2 specific nuts, and not based on the volume you use
the coop sells 3 months in advance, they know where the price is for feb
they have a waiver in the small print no force majure allowed even if fertiliser and concentrates stop coming into country.....it will be a hard contract to fill if either of the shipments get held up by pirates/insurance issues...could be a costly 10%
credit to tirlan though they did take every point/issue raised by the ifa tirlan fixed price group into account when writing this contract, except for the dirty waiver included thats a backwards step and makes the contract one sided again
How did u ever manage to get 85 percent fixed
Forward Price Scheme 32 (incl Adjuster) Offer confirmed at 48.5cpl (MAR-OCT 2023) @3.30 Prot/3.60 Bfat incl VAT. Application open at 2pm today until 2pm Wed
The above was on offer by kerry September 2022. So it just shows how no one can predict what will happen regards price
Used for what?
I think you put in a superflous w
This section here is really open-ended and open to interpretation, been cynical I reckon the scheme is to tie lads up for another year, before handing in their 2 year notice to quit, the gentleman's agreement re not poaching each others suppliers between co-ops will surely be null and void form next spring on especially with Tirlain taking back all their milk in-house for the new plant
I hope ye are out or close to out the other side now. You've been very open about on here I think that is commendable. And it serves as a warning to people.
These mikey mouse shiny looking cost of production etc figures ….tegasc get most of this data …..I ve never took part in national survey surveys nor would I and it’s 10 plus years since I’ve done a pm and I don’t loose sleep nor need it to make decisions …..if this Data was kept totally inside tegasc ….within disscusion groups and real figures put on labour etc there would be more buy in ……it’s constantly been brought up re how tegasc misrepresent us with these figures and that land charge and labour need inclusion …..they don’t listen but still try yearly to get lads to do them
Used for what though?
I’m still generally ok with fixed schemes as long as they index link key inputs like meal and fertiliser in with milk price
personally I wouldn’t be fixing 10% of my milk at 40 cent next year …..40 cent should and will be achieved within first 4/5 months
Data churned out implying what it costs us to produce milk
And what is that used for?
They get plenty of information about losses in the beef system and it makes f@@k all difference, Larry still pays what Larry likes.
I am really an agnostics on a 'Labour charge'' after all larger operators are advertising ''Farm Managers'' @ 30k. This is there target pay for non EU nationals as farm workers.
Makey up labour figures are not worth the paper they are written on. Unless a load of farmers are willing to sell up and walk away ( many have little other skill than as a tractor jockey) then a labour charge is a figment of peoples imagination
Shur it common knowledge why lads are looking for those 30 k /year labour units …..
Mod: Cute George, perhaps you'd rephrase that, please.
I’m sorry, I looked at some previous posts from you and seen that you are a dairy farmer, didn’t mean to insult you. Thought you were a beef farmer with an axe to grind, seen you on the YouTuber thread but can’t remember seeing you on here. I’ve met them, normally board Bia inspectors, part time beef farmers, love to do ya. I have just found this particular year extremely difficult physically and mentally. I just took offence to your sarcastic comment which I didn’t know at the time. I know what work I put in this year that’s all, I don’t honestly know what position I will be in 12 months time from now. I had a thermoduric problem but honestly did feck all about it. My final one after drying off was over 700, I was delighted lol. I rang this crowd twice from Wexford, ark something. They never rang back. Apparently they call and clean your milk line. I’m getting tired phoning people to do jobs anymore and I’m a good payer.
Yes it is it's monotonous repetitive work and you can catch the Asian or South American workers for accommodation costs( preferably in cash) which again put the labour cost into focus.
Unfortunately the truth is still the truth. Is it a harsh reality. When it comes to machinery most lads have no problem investing. Whether its a slurry tanker or a zero grazer. I could add a few more but it's time in the saddle or the maintenance of it where's the margin is.
Beef is similar. Lads will buy a smaller tanker, cut there own silage, get the hay bob before the baler, rather than pay a bit extra for a mower Conditioner or a rake.
Farming is a small-lower medium margin game its about protecting your inheritance especially where its over 3-4+ generations. I am absolved from that issue. I am a starter, @wrangler seems at the end of a farm lineage of 6+generations. Mine will never achieve that I expect even though reaching back through 4× generations of where I came from there is farming In the background. After all I probably come from Calf Rustlers. Cryptic.
Sorry you got offended CG. Look after yourself never realised until now the edge when I replied to a post.
Get a drum of detergent with choline and give it a good hot washing with it, once a week,double rinse with water after. Change your rubbers for the year. That works for me. Make sure the milk tank is shiny inside, not dull.
Anyways could be worse, my bloody lastose is below 4.2 these times. And I was moaning to a guy down the road. I shut up when he told me that 27 cows of his had gone with TB.
So their is always a worst story
Get a bucket of detergent in powder form and run the whole bucket through the machine in the one wash. Melt it down in 2 buckets of warm water (don’t melt it it hot water ) and add it into a hot wash
be careful melting it, make sure you’ve someone with you stirring the bucket you’re pouring the detergent into and you both have good gloves, apron and face mask on. It’s dangerous when mixed at such a concentration, it’ll be red hot itself from being so concentrated and it’ll cause savage burns if you get any in your skin
any way, melt the full bucket down and add it to a hot wash and run it for 10 minutes through the plant- make sure you have a new filter in aswell
give the machine a good rinse then
when you’ve dumped that rinse do the same with a 20 l drum of acid, put in a new filter again
that’s exactly what arc farm do to clear out youre machine
change all the rubber ware on the machine aswell
don’t leave it sit over the winter with out doing anything because the machine will be red rotten with bacteria and it’ll be a massive job to shift it
We had to do that with our machine last year bang no bother since, the milk filter game out yellow with all the bio -film that was stuck on the plastic
using arc farm stuff now with s cold wash twice a day and no issues this year
That's a fair slur on farmers now in fairness. I have 2 third level qualifications and can go back to reskill anytime I feel like it. I know several farmers my age that are carpenters, civil engineers, electricians and so on.
Is your thermoduric seasonal,if so the problem is probably teat cleaniness. If it's constant it's often the air lines and pulsaters that need cleaning. Another tip is a paracetric bomb.put a couple of litres of parametric acid in a hot wash and leave the parlour.that stuff is not good for the lungs
Advice I got is that if you have hard water you need to descale alot more regularly. I mostly descale now Vs detergent.
I only have second level qualifications, howe6I worked in a very technical area during my career with virtually degree level education at the end. Howe6by my fifties I found it harder and harder to keep a rest if technical changes in that industry. I taught it was only me, however I have friend now around the same age working in IT saying the same to me. I retired now nearly 5 years and would find it impossible to re enter that area of expertise, I might manage an administrative position but the cutband trust of the technology had left me
While you have two third level qualifications many farming have only the green certificate. Even if lads had trades and are away from it for 5+ years beyond 40 years of age its would be hard to return and be at a decent wage level in there sector.
I see people that have retrained and they are retiring my the time they really get up to speed in the new work area
Well I retired from IT 8 years ago and they would have me back in the morning. I think your talking about a different generation. Most farmers I know gave their children a great education.
Only 12 more years now before I retire from dairy farming.
Ya I'd agree straight I'd say nearly all farmers under 50 have a trade or college qualification or have worked in another fairly skilled job at some point in their careers. Some of the older lads are some of the best fellas on the go ....talk about well able and Intelligent people. Bass has a chip the size of a football on his shoulder .
Just keep an eye on your rubberware as the acid is way harder on that stuff. It will need changing more regularly
