Mon, 13 Mar 2017 Ffermio

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-Further effects of bird flu

-on free range egg producers.

-The situation is deteriorating.

-Also, the story of one farmer

-who prepares cows...

-..for others to exhibit in shows.

-We sold the first calf

-in the 2015 Winter Show.

-It fetched the highest price

-that day.

-We then started selling calves

-from home.

-A successful year

-for one young farmer...

-..who believes strongly

-that farming has a future.

-Always take advantage of the

-opportunities that you're given.

-There's no point saying,

-"Oh, no, we can't do that."

-If you say can't, there's no hope.

-December 2016.

-Over three months ago, news broke

-that the H5N8 strain of bird flu...

-..had been discovered in Europe,

-in France and Germany.

-The Government's

-veterinary department...

-..created flu prevention zones

-with restrictions across Wales.

-More cases were discovered

-in England and Wales.

-There is great danger when the

-disease is carried by wild birds.

-The Welsh Government

-asked all poultry owners...

-..to keep their birds indoors...

-..to safeguard them from this

-infectious strain of the disease.

-These restrictions

-caused problems for many owners.

-It can affect the status

-of the poultry's free range produce.

-On February 28, a new bird flu

-prevention zone was announced...

-..which allowed owners

-to keep their poultry indoors...

-..or give them controlled access

-to outdoor areas.

-The current situation is we have

-a new prevention zone in place...

-..across the whole of Wales.

-Everyone owning poultry

-is required to consider the risk...

-..of those birds

-becoming infected with avian flu...

-..to carry out a self-assessment

-on the bio-security of their unit...

-..and to put measures in place

-to keep their birds safe.

-Because of concerns

-for the lamb and beef markets...

-..Llyr Jones, like many

-Welsh farmers, has diversified.

-He keeps poultry

-to sell free range eggs.

-We have strict

-biosecurity measures in place.

-Everyone is disinfected

-before accessing the site...

-..and entering the building.

-We supply everyone

-with suitable clothing.

-The biosecurity measures

-are strictly followed.

-The birds arrived

-in the middle of January.

-The 12-week ban

-doesn't affect us at the moment...

-..because the ban

-came into force in December.

-The 12-week ban

-doesn't affect me with free range.

-By April,

-I hope the weather's improves...

-..and when the avian flu has gone,

-I can get insurance for the hens...

-..which allows me to let them out.

-If we had avian flu now,

-it would put me under.

-Initially, the cost of the hens...

-..and then the cost

-of cleaning the shed out.

-It would cost thousands

-and it would put me out of business.

-Because of that, I won't let

-them out until I have insurance.

-There are 16,000 here

-at the moment.

-We have plans to increase that

-to 32,000 next year, hopefully.

-The hens are enclosed...

-..but they have

-a natural environment for hens.

-There's an area

-where they can scratch and fly...

-..and all this happens

-in a controlled environment.

-We can make sure they stay safe

-from avian flu...

-..and they can have

-everything they need.

-On the other hand,

-it's a natural environment...

-..where they can enjoy themselves.

-Since so many wild birds

-are attracted to the wetlands...

-..free range egg producers

-who live nearby...

-..are still worried about

-leaving their poultry out or not.

-How does this affect Llyr?

-I have lakes

-either side of the farm.

-They're owned by my neighbours.

-They run their own businesses

-and I can't influence them.

-There's also the

-16,000-acre Clocaenog Forest nearby.

-Birds are everywhere.

-It's too much of a risk

-to leave them out at the moment.

-The flu prevention zone

-will be in place until April 30.

-Wales has 339

-free range egg producers.

-The threat is a cause for concern

-with a danger of losing markets.

-Anyone with a free range contract,

-particularly for eggs...

-..needs to talk

-to their retailer customers...

-..to make sure they understand what

-they require under the arrangements.

-As far as we understand...

-..once birds have been kept indoors

-for 12 weeks...

-..they lose that free range status.

-Some will have to keep their birds

-indoors to meet our requirements.

-Others may well be able

-to let their birds outdoors...

-..under special protective measures.

-Under those circumstances, it's

-likely they can keep that status.

-It is a matter

-for each poultry producer...

-..to talk

-to their retailer customer.

-Some farmers will be

-in franchise with others...

-..but I deal directly with Tesco.

-After discussions with Tesco...

-..they're placing a sticker

-on cartons...

-..saying,

-"These hens may have gone out."

-Some people with insurance

-can leave them out.

-Some people like me,

-without insurance, can't.

-Tesco have been very fair

-with their price structure.

-They've helped us out greatly.

-The English Government have noted

-areas with a high risk of bird flu.

-Within those areas,

-poultry must be kept indoors.

-What about producers who live on the

-border between England and Wales?

-People living on the border who

-keep poultry need to make sure...

-..they understand whether

-they are in England or Wales.

-In Wales, they need to follow

-Welsh Government requirements...

-..to complete

-this bio-security self-assessment.

-I'm happy with what

-the Assembly has done.

-It shows that they understand

-the situation.

-It shows that they've taken

-advice from farmers...

-..and it's a good decision

-from my point of view.

-Over the next month, I'm hoping

-the avian flu will disappear.

-We can then get some insurance

-and the hens can go outside.

-I've spent money

-on the range and the fences...

-..so I need them to go out.

-Next, we join Alun in Lampeter.

-Berwyn Hughes and his family

-are rearing calves...

-..to sell from the farmyard.

-These calves have the potential

-to win red rosettes.

-The show season is over for now...

-..but that doesn't mean

-you can't buy a calf...

-..ready for the summer shows.

-One farm that specialises

-in selling stock for shows...

-..straight from the farmyard...

-..is Cwmhenrhyd Farm

-in Lampeter, Ceredigion.

-Berwyn Hughes

-and his father, Aeron...

-..farm 300 acres

-of scattered land...

-..within three miles

-of their home, Cwmhenrhyd.

-The family produce

-high-quality beef cattle.

-They've been successful

-in numerous shows.

-Did you teach Berwyn

-everything he knows?

-I've taught him a lot.

-You can learn lots of new tricks

-and I learn new things every day.

-I started showing

-when I was 14 in 1969.

-I bought a heifer

-in Llanybydder mart...

-..and everyone said, "What on earth

-have you seen in that?"

-The following year, she was

-reserve champion in Lampeter Mart.

-That's when I caught the bug.

-That's when I caught the bug.

-

-Berwyn, I'll turn to you.

-You've been in the business

-for years.

-Have you changed the way

-you're farming?

-I don't think we've changed a lot.

-We've tweaked some things

-here and there.

-Rearing calves

-has always been my delight.

-It's not an easy job

-or everyone would be doing it.

-Shows were your delight too.

-That's all come from my

-father and grandfather before me.

-I target

-seven or eight shows a year.

-You can be proud that you've managed

-to get the breeding right.

-What breeds do you keep here?

-Limousin bulls mostly.

-There are some

-British Blue bulls here.

-We like crossing the Limousin with

-the British Blue back and forth.

-If we have a British Blue cow,

-we give her a Limousin bull.

-If we have a Limousin cow,

-we give her a British Blue bull.

-That gives you a more uniform calf.

-Today, the business' focus has

-shifted from rearing and showing...

-..to rearing calves and selling them

-young for others to show.

-Well, Berwyn, this one's quiet.

-It's pretty good on the whole,

-fair play.

-It's only been tied up

-about four times before.

-I think it's something to do

-with your nature, as farmers.

-I've noticed that most of the cattle

-on the farm are quiet.

-They're quite good.

-One of the advantages

-of selling from the farm...

-..is that they see people

-coming and going often.

-When people are buying a calf,

-they can see its mother and father.

-Tell me more about this one.

-Are you preparing this one

-for something special?

-I sold this one two days ago.

-A lady came up from Bath to buy it.

-It was quite a journey for her.

-It's been sold, it's been TB tested.

-She'll be picking the calf up

-next weekend, on Saturday.

-You keep 140 suckler cows.

-How many calves turn out

-to have the potential for showing?

-We try and sell about

-30-40 calves every year.

-You had to find a way to attract

-attention to the new business.

-How did you do that?

-Yes, to some extent.

-We sold the first calf

-in the Winter Fair in 2015.

-It fetched the highest price

-on that day.

-We entertained the ideas

-of selling calves from the farm.

-It's different.

-When the calves are born, do you

-instinctively know what will happen?

-Will they be fattened as rearing

-stock or will they be shown?

-We have a fairly good idea

-when a calf is born...

-..whether it has show potential.

-If the calf has two lumps of muscle

-on its hips when it's born...

-Right here. When the calf is born,

-you look at this part.

-That's when you can see

-if it has show potential.

-You search the pin bones

-for these two muscles here...

-..on top of the plates.

-If you can see them, the rest

-of the muscles tend to fill out...

-..in the same way.

-In terms of the front end...

-..you want consistency

-running through the body.

-You don't want too much depth...

-..you don't want them too heavy

-at the front.

-You're looking for a smart animal.

-Dad taught me as a youngster to

-look at the animal like a matchbox.

-It's the same width

-all the way down.

-The top and bottom line

-needs to be the same.

-Whatever the end product, quality

-is the constant factor throughout.

-With three children following

-in their father's footsteps...

-..there will be plenty of help

-in the future.

-What are you plans for the future?

-Will you continue to sell

-from the farm?

-It's working out great for us

-at the moment.

-We started out a year ago.

-We're fortunate that we have

-seven or eight stock bulls.

-A lot of the bulls

-are clicking at the moment.

-We've placed a lot of emphasis...

-..on the breeding

-of the bulls and cattle.

-The breeding is more important

-than the shape.

-There might come a time when the

-boys will want to show the animals.

-Do you think you'll be back

-on the showgrounds in the future?

-One day, down the line.

-I won't stop them.

-If they choose that path,

-I'll be with them all the way.

-I'll be helping them out.

-For someone like you,

-seeing your father still going...

-..after some difficult times

-in the past...

-..it should give you hope

-for the future.

-I enjoy what I'm doing.

-That's the most important part.

-It's a business and a hobby

-at the same time.

-It's a way of life.

-Join us after the break

-as Meinir joins a young farmer...

-..who's making a name for himself

-in the world of agriculture.

-.

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-Welcome back.

-2016 was a year to forget

-for many...

-..with so many

-unexpected events in the world.

-For one young man from Llangadog,

-it was a great year...

-..with many significant successes.

-Meinir went to meet him.

-Cwmcowddu, Llangadog,

-is Aled Davies' home.

-Last year was an incredible year

-for him.

-With his friends, Jack and Carys...

-..he won the Fferm Ffactor

-competition.

-He was also

-the RWAS Student of the Year...

-..and secured the Gwili Jones and

-Gareth Raw Rees Travel Scholarships.

-Another highlight was being crowned

-Wales YFC junior member of the year.

-He then went on to win

-the national title.

-Huge congratulations to you, Aled.

-What a year you've had.

-I've been very lucky this year. Some

-things have been better than others.

-Of all the experiences you had,

-which one was the best?

-Stockman of the year, definite.

-I've competed as a stockman with

-the YFC since I was ten years old.

-I've spent many hours

-travelling around the country...

-..competing

-in different competitions.

-It's a competition that allows you

-to show different skills...

-..across the whole sector.

-It was a real honour to win it.

-Of all the experiences you had...

-..being crowned the national

-junior member of the year.

-That was quite an achievement.

-It was an honour being named

-junior member of the year.

-A lot of young farmers

-deserved that title.

-I'm just lucky

-they chose me on the day.

-We're all the same really.

-How difficult was that competition?

-You had people

-from across the country.

-There were farmers

-from across England.

-It was quite a job

-to understand them!

-And speak English.

-That was the most difficult part,

-trying to translate.

-On a county level and Welsh level,

-I spoke Welsh all the way.

-To try and translate it

-into English was difficult.

-It went well

-and I was lucky on the day.

-On top of everything, at the end

-of the year, you won Fferm Ffactor.

-What was that like?

-It was an incredible experience.

-There were a number of young teams.

-Our team had members

-who had different specialities.

-It was a good job.

-This isn't Aled's

-first appearance on Ffermio.

-I visited him as a schoolboy

-and as a student in Coleg Sir Gar.

-One thing is certain, he has

-an old head on young shoulders.

-All his focus is on agriculture.

-Aled, there's a variety of breeds

-in this shed.

-It's like a bit of a zoo.

-We mostly have Beulah and Cheviot.

-We give them a Bluefaced ram

-and sell the mules up in Builth.

-That's a popular cross.

-That's a popular cross.

-

-Many farmers are doing it right now.

-A mule sheep,

-from a Beulah or Cheviot...

-..she works hard and produces

-two lambs most of the time.

-She lives longer too.

-You've seen a lot

-during your lifetime...

-..even though you're still young.

-How much have you benefitted

-from going to college?

-Quite a lot -

-more than just the practical side...

-..we learn about

-the technical side of farming.

-Making sure we have the right diets

-and the different vaccines...

-..to avoid the need for treatment

-after the event.

-The new venture on the farm is

-the poultry shed. How's that going?

-It's going well.

-What inspired you to build the shed?

-The family's always

-been interested in poultry.

-Hens have been part of Mam's life

-since she was younger.

-We all pulled together and spoke

-to people in the poultry industry.

-That's how the interest developed.

-It's important to look at other

-sources of income on the farm.

-In a few years' time, keeping sheep

-might not be as profitable.

-You never know. You don't know

-what's around the corner.

-Having a variety of different stock

-will always help.

-You're not putting all your eggs

-in one basket!

-Quite right.

-As a result of being in Gelli Aur...

-..you had the chance

-to travel to New Zealand.

-That was good. 50 of us

-visited New Zealand last autumn.

-It was an eye opener.

-We visited a different farm

-every day for three weeks.

-We saw the ins and outs

-of New Zealand in a nutshell.

-It's a different way

-to look at things.

-You can't bring

-what they have out there to Wales...

-..but you can learn a lot from them.

-They can also learn from us.

-Aled has also secured a scholarship

-from Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol...

-..for an Agriculture degree

-through the medium of Welsh...

-..in Coleg Sir Gar.

-The greatest pleasure for him is

-working with his family on the farm.

-Here, in Cwmcowddu,

-you've made a lot of recent changes.

-How will you move the farm on

-in the future?

-My brother and I are trying to make

-things as efficient as possible.

-At the end of the day,

-however much land you have...

-..you need to maximise every acre.

-We need to use the skills

-we learn at college...

-..on the farm and try and produce

-as much as we can from the land...

-..without needing to add

-to the farm.

-We must also ensure that we produce

-what the market demands...

-..and not what Dad and Tad-cu

-have always produced.

-I'm not saying what they did

-is no good to us now...

-..but things move on and we

-have to move with the times...

-..or we'll have to change a lot

-at the same time.

-Moving on,

-we must keep our eyes open...

-..and not be too blinkered

-with what's gone on in the past.

-Is there room for more technology

-in Cwmcowddu?

-There's room

-for new technology everywhere.

-It will make farming more efficient.

-Technology gives you precision.

-Knowing how to use it properly

-is the trick.

-At the end of the day,

-this is a real family farm.

-We're all trying to do our best...

-..but Mam and Dad ultimately

-keep everything going.

-Everyone tries to do what they can.

-You've visited Europe

-to see how agriculture works...

-..in the European Union.

-What's the most important aspect

-you've learnt?

-The most important aspect

-I've learnt...

-..is taking advantage

-of the opportunities you're given.

-There's no point saying,

-"Oh, no, we can't do that."

-If you say can't, there's no hope.

-Keep your eyes open - who knows what

-we'll face in five years' time...

-..especially with Brexit.

-We must keep an open mind as we move

-forward and challenge the future.

-Aled Davies,

-we'll be keeping our eye on him.

-Good luck to him in the future.

-That's it from another episode

-of Ffermio.

-We hope you'll join us again

-next week.

-Goodbye.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

-.