Upper Pendre is situated on the edge of the village of Llangorse near Brecon. It is a mixed dairy, beef and arable farm of 180 hectares (450 acres) of which half the ground is suitable for cropping. The farm rises to 700 feet and has 30 inches of rainfall per annum. The soils are mainly red sandstone loams which are generally quite robust but can be prone to compaction and poaching.
The arable crops grown are all winter sown and usually comprise 40 ha of wheat, 20ha of barley and 16 ha of triticale. However, difficulty in sourcing quality triticale seed has resulted in the farm growing 6 ha of rye in 2017 as a trial crop.
While the rye has been grown and harvested, this project will continue as the grain quality and feed value needs to be determined, as well as evaluating livestock performance. Enterprise production margins are given below, together with comparison with other cereals grown on the farm.
Crop costings
Gross Margin data has been provided for the 2016 and 2017 harvest years while Net Margin data is only available for the most recent year. Comparative data has been provided by AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, using data from the 2016 harvest year. In addition, results of a triticale trial on an AHDB arable monitor farm in Herefordshire for the 2015 harvest year are provided.
Winter wheat data £/ha
|
|
Upper Pendre 2015-16 |
AHDB 2016 average |
Upper Pendre 2016-17 |
|
Grain yield t/ha |
8.75 |
8.49 |
9.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Output/ha |
1327.50 |
1138.72 |
1497.50 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Variable costs |
|
|
|
|
Seed |
73.77 |
62.00 |
82.30 |
|
Fertiliser |
190.50 |
210.00 |
155.00 |
|
Sprays & chemicals |
292.00 |
205.00 |
192.00 |
|
Other costs |
21.88 |
15.00 |
23.75 |
|
Total |
578.15 |
492.00 |
453.05 |
|
Gross Margin/ha |
749.36 |
646.72 |
1044.45 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overheads |
|
|
|
|
Labour |
|
|
266.76 |
|
Mach dep |
|
|
65.51 |
|
Mach rep |
|
|
133.38 |
|
Fuel & power |
|
|
58.73 |
|
Contractors/hire |
|
|
32.71 |
|
Property/admin |
|
|
15.72 |
|
Rent & Finance |
|
|
158.89 |
|
Total |
|
|
731.70 |
|
Net Margin/ha |
|
|
312.75 |
Assumptions (applicable for all crops)
• Grain has been valued at what the farm could sell it for (or what it would have cost to buy in)
• Triticale has been valued at wheat price, rye at barley price
• Straw has been valued at £75/tonne
• Grain drying is £2.50/tonne (usually 2% drying from 16% to 14% is required @£1.25/1%/tonne
• Overheads allocated by % of each crop grown. All cereals are winter sown with similar establishment methods and cultivations.
Winter barley data £/ha
|
|
Upper Pendre 2015-16 |
AHDB 2016 average |
Upper Pendre 2016-17 |
|
Grain yield t/ha |
7.8 |
6.7 |
8 |
|
Output/ha |
1209.60 |
847.00 |
1284.25 |
|
Variable costs |
|
|
|
|
Seed |
50.31 |
69.00 |
81.07 |
|
Fertiliser |
148.00 |
146.00 |
123.00 |
|
Sprays & chemicals |
130.00 |
133.00 |
215.00 |
|
Other costs |
19.50 |
12.00 |
20.00 |
|
Total |
347.81 |
360.00 |
439.07 |
|
Gross Margin/ha |
861.79 |
487.00 |
845.18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overheads |
|
|
|
|
Labour |
|
|
268.29 |
|
Mach dep |
|
|
60.85 |
|
Mach rep |
|
|
134.14 |
|
Fuel & power |
|
|
59.07 |
|
Contractors/hire |
|
|
32.90 |
|
Property/admin |
|
|
15.80 |
|
Rent & Finance |
|
|
159.80 |
|
Total |
|
|
730.85 |
|
Net Margin/ha |
|
|
114.33 |
Winter triticale data £/ha
|
|
Hereford 2015 |
|
Upper Pendre 2016-17 |
|
Grain yield t/ha |
8.5 |
|
7.75 |
|
Output/ha |
1395.00 |
|
1326.25 |
|
Variable costs |
|
|
|
|
Seed |
70.74 |
|
69.69 |
|
Fertiliser |
190.50 |
|
155.00 |
|
Sprays & chemicals |
140.00 |
|
76.00 |
|
Other costs |
21.25 |
|
19.38 |
|
Total |
422.49 |
|
320.07 |
|
Gross Margin/ha |
972.51 |
|
1006.19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overheads |
|
|
|
|
Labour |
|
|
269.94 |
|
Mach dep |
|
|
61.27 |
|
Mach rep |
|
|
134.97 |
|
Fuel & power |
|
|
59.43 |
|
Contractors/hire |
|
|
33.10 |
|
Property/admin |
|
|
15.91 |
|
Rent & Finance |
|
|
160.78 |
|
Total |
|
|
735.40 |
|
Net Margin/ha |
|
|
270.79 |
Winter rye data £/ha
|
|
Upper Pendre 2015-16 |
|
Upper Pendre 2016-17 |
|
Grain yield t/ha |
|
|
6.9 |
|
Output/ha |
|
|
1055.40 |
|
Variable costs |
|
|
|
|
Seed |
|
|
52.29 |
|
Fertiliser |
|
|
123.00 |
|
Sprays & chemicals |
|
|
243.00 |
|
Other costs |
|
|
17.25 |
|
Total |
|
|
435.54 |
|
Gross Margin/ha |
|
|
619.86 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overheads |
|
|
|
|
Labour |
|
|
276.29 |
|
Mach dep |
|
|
62.69 |
|
Mach rep |
|
|
138.15 |
|
Fuel & power |
|
|
60.83 |
|
Contractors/hire |
|
|
33.88 |
|
Property/admin |
|
|
16.28 |
|
Rent & Finance |
|
|
164.57 |
|
Total |
|
|
752.69 |
|
Net Margin/ha |
|
|
-132.83 |
Summary
- Wheat and triticale are the most profitable crops
- All crops have an above average Gross Margin per hectare
- All crops except rye have a positive Net Margin
- In 2017 rye has not been as successful as triticale due to lower output and higher variable costs
- Analysis of the feed value of and livestock performance on the rye has yet to be determined