This year's lesson is big is not always best
I am sure you are all aware, but it keeps raining - we managed to miss the snow as we headed off to Malta for a week!
It is a very interesting country and the most bombed place on earth with a massive 16,500 tonnes dropped on it during World War Two.
The grain markets have had a reasonable rise over the last few weeks with the forward months of this season now approaching £150 for wheat. Barley has gone as scarce as an English Six Nations win (this is written by a Welshman before this weekend’s games.) So if anybody has any please give me a ring.
Oil Seed Rape was creeping up nicely but has now returned to about £290. New crop wheat looks to me as if it could well be worth selling some with prices in the mid £140s for November. The other point on grain marketing that is worth mentioning is that I think the large differential that we have had for the last couple of years between wheat and barley will become a thing of the past.
Talking of the past it is very interesting how much of the agricultural supply scene has changed over the last 30 years. As I think back the names of Farmore, Staffs Farmer’s, G&S, Barker Hickman, MSF, Kleenseed and a host of others come to mind and they have all disappeared.
In fact when my father was with ICI (another one) in the 70s and 80s he was dealing with 29 merchants selling ICI fertiliser alone in Shropshire. Nationally we have seen another five merchants disappear either through bankruptcy or merger and three larger ones publishing very large losses this year.
It appears that we are heading back into a time where we must be careful who we all deal with. To that end I rest easy at night knowing that we have all the companies we deal with covered with credit insurance, which means if they go down our debt is covered. As we have seen from published accounts already, this year big is not always best, or from my rugby playing days “the bigger they are the harder they fall”.
I am pleased to say that Mrs Roberts has now finished the main part of lambing which has definitely had its up and downs. We have just got the hogs to look forward to…blimey!
David Roberts, G.O Davies (Westbury) Ltd grain merchants
