NEW ERA.

This has been the first year we have had the full use of the new buildings which were erected in 2009. It has also been the coldest winter that we can remember here and has been more than a test for our new water facilties and bedding arrangements; we are generally very pleased with the results which means that there is little that we would have altered other than making windbreaks to keep out the North East wind.

AUTUMN 2009.

Calving went well. We produced eighteen calves of which nine were females. All males were notified to the Society and we will make a decision as to whether to fully register at weaning. Whilst the beef price is so high we feel that the minimum price for a registered bull should be £2500 - a steer of 550kilos is fetching nearly £1000 at 22months old which makes selling registerd bulls at £1200 look rather ridiculous. We are concerned that the uplift in native breed sale prices, and in particular, Aberdeen Angus and Shorthorn has not been seen with the Hereford. Is it not something the Council of our Society should be debating? There has to be a reason.

Sadly TB revisited our herd last autumn. A young cow proved twice to be an inconclusive reactor but tested positive to blood test. She was slaughtered but proved negative on post mortem and morphology. Under the new DEFRA rules this animal is classed as a reactor and we were put onto a six month testing regime.The last test in December was clear but the whole system is doing little to stop the spread of the disease.

FATSTOCK SHOWS

We entered two steers for Birmingham and the Welsh Winter Fair. The standard was high and we were placed down the line at both events.In our view both events served the breed well because the cattle were uniform and met the necessary commercial criteria. The classes for Herefords remain in jeopardy at both events and, if we are to retain separate classes, then more breeders must start to enter. Apart from the events themselves it was nice to meet many old friends we had not seen for sometime.

SPRING 2010.

Most people will remember this early part of the year for the weather. Calving started in early January and is now in full swing.So far we have had eight calves. We were very lucky to acquire a quality Potency heifer from Keith Siddorn at Meadow Bank Farm. She was the first to calve - a bull by Heritage Nathan. This is a good calf with the outcross we may require in the future.

We have also sold Llandianbo Escort to Robert & Chrissy Fraser of Turnastone Court Farm. We used him successfully here and I hope he will continue to breed well for them.

Last week three in/calf cows went to Mr Richard Jones Montgomery to add to his original puchases; we wish him every success.

CONCLUSION

The beef price is perhaps the most significant factor for cattle breeders today.It has made life more difficult for those who run Llandinabo Farm Shop in Ledbury because it is so difficult to pass on the recent rises to consumers. We do not discount the price to the shop because the farm needs to be making better returns and we are in it to make a living. Our major concern still remains the future of this great breed. The Journal paints a picture of unrivalled success. Registrations are up, tranfers are up and membership is booming. The big question still remains unanswered and that is why are we not competing successfully with the other native breeds? It is no use the Council sitting on its laurels and glowing; the fact is that we are only competing among ourselves. The commercial market is not open to us at all born out by the fact that we don't bother with the Perth sales but concentrate on Hereford as our centre. We are still debating what to us has become a very serious matter because the herd needs to be profitable and we need to be selling breeding stock for high prices to justify keeping pedigree cows. We see commercial men in Perth paying £5000 plus for bulls for crossing purposes and wonder what has gone wrong!