Save Time & Straw
14/07/2014
Two main pressures are persuading livestock farmers to consider using Thos Storey’s Spread-a-Bale machine, says Richard Gillett, a director of the company’s Yorkshire-based dealer Wilfred Scruton Ltd.
Scrutons will be exhibiting the machine at Driffield Show (Stand B24), which is being held at Driffield Showground, Kelleythorpe on Wednesday 16th July.
“Firstly, many farmers are trying to run livestock units with fewer staff, and if they are going to run units on their own then they need to speed up operations like bedding down livestock.
“Secondly, they are also looking to reduce their straw usage. More of them now view straw as a commodity, because fresh markets are emerging for it, like power generation. Consequently they are thinking more carefully about how much they use for beddingâ€.
Tom Robinson, Thos Storey’s Sales Manager for Spread-a-Bale, says there are other pressures on straw supplies:
“Many more farmers are using non-inversion cultivations and fitting straw choppers to their combine harvesters, before incorporating it to supply nutrients to the following crop. Consequently supplies of bedding straw can be expected to become tighter in some areas of the country, which – in turn – could open up valuable sales for those who reduce their own usage and have spare straw for saleâ€.