A group of 15 farmers crossed the channel to visit French farmers – and discovered the grass isn’t greener on the other side.
Farmers in the AHDB Monitor Farm programme, from the west of England and Wales, toured cereal growers and co-operatives in the northern French wheat belt to find out about their challenges and share experiences.
Martin Williams, one of the hosts of the Hereford Monitor Farm, said: “If you feel the issues are easier or the profits greater on the other side of the channel then think again. Apart from language, the conversations held could have been in any farming group in Britain.
“The costs of production on a 10t/ha wheat crop are identical, the cost of chemicals too are near identical, which was surprising when we are told the pound/euro situation is the cause of our prices.”
AHDB Knowledge Exchange Manager Richard Meredith led the Monitor Farm group visit to Normandy and Picardy.
He said: “After the poor harvests of recent years the farming community seemed to be looking for answers and quickly. We wanted to find out what the similarities with our own farming were.”
Huge change
The group heard how French cereal production is undergoing huge change.
In particular, farmers are facing reduction in chemical availability, more greening and environmental work coupled with recent low yields and low quality harvests.
Black-grass is a huge problem in France and new legislation means that chemical use in agriculture must be reduced by 50 per cent.
The group visited two co-ops, Cap Seine in Normandy, and Noriap in Picardy. They were shown the beginnings of precision farming software by both companies, which is already fairly commonplace in the UK.
Yield maps, variable rate fertiliser and soil scanning were all relatively new to the country.
Glyphosate
Glyphosate, a hot topic in the UK, is also under debate and French farmers are already unable to use it pre-harvest.
Mr Williams said: “We were particularly keen to find out how French farmers were tackling their challenges and whether there was anything we could learn from their co-operatives.
“It was hard to see a conclusive answer, however. They were working to achieve profits and although they returned dividend to the members it felt as if there was not quite the ‘entente cordiale’ between parties we were expecting.
“It seemed as if the co-ops were looking to add value in-house through chemical supply and upgrading of grain – we felt that there had been some recent transition from the original ideals of the co-op to a new commercialism.”
Cash injection
One of the co-ops, Noriap, however, had a provision for new entrant farmers, which the group found interesting.
Under the scheme, fledgling businesses get a cash injection and extended credit, as well as links to the local tractor factory.
Mr Williams added: “If you are sitting at home bemoaning your lot thinking our French neighbours are having it so much better, then please think again.
“After our trip the feeling is that we are so close as people. We met truly friendly, honest welcoming farmers, we have huge amounts in common as farmers and we are living the same life.”
AHDB Monitor Farms bring together groups of farmers who want to improve their businesses by sharing performance information and best practice around a nationwide network of more than 30 host farms.
Monitor Farms are part of AHDB’s wider Farm Excellence Platform, which works with the industry to improve performance through knowledge exchange and benchmarking.
