SHEEP have provided the backbone of Stewart Pearman's farming career since his early days as a Young Farmer in 1969, when he started grazing sheep on rented land.

All but 100 ewes and lambs were slaughtered last year in the foot-and-mouth epidemic and, since then, Stewart has had to restock the farm.

The ewes lamb in March and April, half outside, weather permitting, and the rest in yards well bedded with good straw. The majority of home-bred lambs are fattened.

By extending the available grass acreage with short-term rented grazing land, Stewart farms something just over a thousand acres.

Three hundred of those acres are under arable and a further 300 to 400 acres of stubble turnips are grown for winter grazing, supplemented with some surplus sugar beet tops and winter grass keep. Three full-time men are employed, with extra help at lambing time.

"The majority of our lambs are sold direct to the abattoir, but we also sell some through the livestock market," Stewart said.

"Trade has been disappointing this year after the high hogget prices at the end of last season. and with higher imports of chilled New Zealand lamb. UK exports to Europe of carcasses are competing with Ireland, Spain and Poland for the French market.

"The supermarkets dictate the home market through the abattoirs and buying power in livestock markets. It is essential to keep our livestock markets alive, to give farmers an alternative place to sell stock, creating a base price for the abattoirs.

"Slaughter markets put the farmer at a disadvantage because he does not have the alternative of taking his stock home from a bad trade and can be held to ransom. Livestock markets also are a meeting place for farmers to exchange information, knowledge and moral support when needed."

This was born out when the livestock markets were, at last, able to reopen after foot-and-mouth restrictions were lifted, resulting in an immediate lift in deadweight prices at abattoirs.

Looking at some of the problems and frustrations for farmers, Stewart said: "There will be less labour available in future on the farm in competition with other jobs where the opportunities may seem more attractive.

For example, it is difficult to get sheep shearers, with fewer now coming over from Australia and New Zealand. We shall have to rely more on the limited number of young UK sheep shearers in the future.

"The wool trade continues to be so depressed that the labour cost of shearing is barely covered by the sale of wool.

"We need to be more professional in producing what the market wants. We are seeing more lamb on the menu in restaurants and we need to keep reminding the housewife that lamb is the most naturally-produced meat she can buy.

Hay! This is our earliest ever...

A WET April and a sunny May have brought the earliest hay crop in Worcestershire for almost half a century.

"I've been making hay for 45 years and I've never known it so early," said agricultural contractor Roger Thomas, who cut and baled 20 acres of seed hay at Alfrick early this week.

"Tradition has it you cut your first hay on the first day of the Three Counties Show (in the middle of June) and bale it on the last, but not this year.

"We put fertiliser on the grass in early March and there was plenty of rain to bring it on, then the last few weeks have been warm and dry. The conditions have been just right."

Roger made 94 bales to the acre off the field, which he was happy with.

"They were small bales and they'll go to the horsy people," he added.

His hay-making equipment includes a special device to catch the bales so they don't drag across the field and take up dirt and dust.

Other farmers like Jim Partridge, of Cotheridge, another supplier of quality horse forage, have also been out hay making this week. A case of making hay while the sun shines.