IndexMinister’s Foreword 2Food Matters 3Advisory 3FHIS update 4Cattle Passports Centre 5The use of Pesticides 5Active Farmer 6The Story of Isle of Man Food & Drink 6Japanese Knotweed 7Manx Breakfast 7Royal Manx Agricultural Show 8DEFA at Agricultural Shows 8IOM Chef of the Year competition 8Southern Agricultural Show 9Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival 9

Shoprite challenge to Local Food Enrepreneurs 9

Laxey Glen Mills 10Nabim 11Isle of Man Meats 12Challenges ahead - Ean Parsons 13Tomorrow’s Farmer Awards 13Isle of Man Creamery 14Aalin Dairy 15Young Limousin Breeders’ Club 15Market Trends 16

Agri-NewsJuly 2015

Published by Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture“Our Island, Our Environment, Our Future”

DEFA is pleased to announce thelaunch of the 5th edition of theGuide to Isle of Man Food &Drink. The guide has grown with23 new producers now takingentries to over 100, a significantincrease since the first one waslaunched in 2009. The new Guidefeatures sections on bakers/flour,dairy, drinks, eggs, farm shops,farmers’ markets, hampers,honey, ice cream, jams/sauces,meat and poultry, seafood, storesand supermarkets, sweat treats,wools and other products. A newsection has also been introducedto welcome visitors behind thescenes. This new Guide to Isle of Man

Food & Drink is an important partof our ‘Food Matters’ strategy. Itis an excellent way to helpeveryone source fresh Manxproduce, whether for theirbuisness or to enjoy at home. The launch will take place atDEFA on the 20th July and thenew guide which celebrateseveryone involved in the Isle ofMan Food & Drink industry can bedownloaded atwww.gov.im/foodanddrink andhard copies can be obtained atthe Welcome Centre, AgriculturalShows, Isle of Man Food & DrinkFesitival and other outlets aroundthe Island.

Food Matters: Your Guide to Isle of Man Food & Drink

to be launched

2 DEFA News

Agri-News July 2015

Aerial view of last year’s Royal Manx Agricultural Show at Knockaloe

A great deal has happened politicallyin respects of agriculture sincewriting my last introduction to Agri-News.Most significantly, the CountrysideCare Scheme has been renamed theAgricultural Development Scheme tobetter reflect the focus of the supportand the scheme changes that wereapproved at Tynwald in March. Whilst not altering the main focus ofthe scheme, to support farmingthrough a period of transition to awholly market-led industry, theamendments will improve thedelivery of the Department’s policy

objective. Young farmer paymentshave been introduced to recognisethe costs associated with establishinga new enterprise and in some casesto provide an incentive forsuccession. ‘Front-loading’, aredistribution of the payments torecognise the added costs of smalland medium farmers, will improvethe equitability of the scheme andthe introduction of an ‘active farmer’definition will ensure that support isdirected to those engaging incommercial farming activity.Other changes, which support theaims of the ‘Food Matters’ strategy,include reducing the eligibilityacreage from 20 to 12.5 toacknowledge the role of smallerholdings, particularly those engagingin high-value agriculture, and addingorchards to the definition of eligibleland in recognition of the recentgrowth in juice and cider production.Whilst I am extremely pleased withthe outcome, the process ofreviewing the Scheme has taken wellover a year, and certainly in the latterstages, occupied a significantproportion of time for both me andmy officers, to the detriment of other

important work programmes that willpotentially have much bigger benefitsto the industry. These include a BVDeradication programme, businesssupport for the food and drink sector,a new advisory scheme, an appraisalof ‘equivalency’ at the Meat plant andamendments to improve the Farmand Horticultural ImprovementScheme.The summer months will also be abusy time, and I look forward tojudging the ‘Tomorrow’s Farmer’award and seeing many of you at theSouthern and Royal shows, as well asthe 7th Isle of Man Food and DrinkFestival in September. These eventsprovide the opportunity to showcaseand celebrate the best of Manxagriculture. The Food and DrinkFestival, in particular, highlights theincreasing range of high quality foodand drink that is being made usingIsle of Man produce. This increaseddemand for the raw materials thatwe produce and the added value thatit generates is key to the futuresuccess of the industry.

Minister’s Foreword

Minister Richard Ronan MHK

DEFA News 3

Food Matters By Peter McEvoy, Director of Agriculture

The Food Matters strategy has beenin existence for around 6 months andall of the Directorate activities arebecoming clearly aligned to the 3 keythemes of the strategy: Resilience through increased diversityCompetitiveness through improvedefficiency and skillProfitability through market andcustomer focusWhilst the appointment of a FoodBusiness Development Manager isstill pending, following anunsuccessful tender exercise, anumber of activities, particularlyaround the marketing and promotionof Isle of Man produce, have beeninstigated or refreshed.The marketing and communicationsaspect of the project is in full swing,

with regular liaison withDED’s marketing, tourism andbusiness officers ensuring that allopportunities to enhance thereputation of the sector areidentified. The Isle of Man Food and DrinkFacebook page has now attractednearly 2,000 followers, with the@iomfoodanddrink Twitter feed alsogrowing. These social mediachannels are proving to be animportant tool in delivering keymessages to consumers.An updated ‘Guide to Isle of ManFood and Drink’ is nearing publicationand an interactive online map insupport of the guide is beingdeveloped. In the last few months theDepartment has provided advice and

support to around 20 food and drinkbusinesses and we have seen somestart-up businesses establish in thistime as well as a number of excitingnew developments in the pipeline. Asa first step in getting advice, theDepartment, in conjunction withDED, have developed a factsheet fornew businesses. This can bedownloaded athttp://www.whereyoucan.com/ibweb/res/pdf/pdf/Food-and-Drink.pdfA demonstration of the increasingprofile of Isle of Man produce wasthe coverage aired as part of theITV4 TT broadcast. This piece,fronted by Craig Doyle and 2 TTriders, showcased a 4 course meal ofthe finest of Manx food and drink toa potential audience of 26 millionpeople worldwide.

After taking some considerable time to speak to farmersand advisory service providers, the Department hasdecided in favour of operating a funding scheme tosupport the industry in acquiring its own advice.This approach was felt to offer the best value to theindustry as a wide range of specialist expertise can beutilised which would not be possible were theDepartment to provide the service through oneindividual. Whilst the Department is still working on the final detailsof the scheme, it is hoped that it will be open forapplications before the end of the summer and it isintended to run continuously until the budget is spent.The overall purpose of the grant scheme will be toprovide support for businesses seeking to improve theirprofitability through business restructuring and/ordiversification.

The scheme will be designed to specifically rewardactivities that focus on co-operative working, knowledgetransfer and a focus on the entire supply chain, fromfarm to consumer. It is proposed to offer grant aid to individuals and groupsof farmers to obtain professional on-farm business andtechnical advice. In acknowledgement of the benefits ofcollaborative working in the industry and the improvedefficiency of sharing resources, the amount of fundingavailable is proposed to be weighted in favour of largergroups and recognised organisations.

Advisory By Peter McEvoy, Director of Agriculture

Agri-News July 2015

4 DEFA News

Farm and Horticultural Improvement Scheme (FHIS) UpdateBy Jo Brew, Field Service Delivery Manager

Total Investment Grant Approval

£450,133.82 £159,187.13

Item Grant Approved

Applications

Livestock handling equipment / EID 59

Concreting yard / floor 34

Livestock building internal fixtures only 32

Livestock building 27

Dairy farm equipment 16

Boundary fencing 14

Agricultural Produce / Machinery storage building 10

Purchase of packaging material / egg boxes 7

Water connection / pipes / troughs 6

Purchase of pullets 5

Improvement to slurry stores/manure disposal 4

Grain Store / improvements 3

Horticultural improvements 1

Snow damaged boundary fencing 39

Total Approved Applications FHIS 1 - 7 257

Since December 2012, we have held seven rounds of FHIS; we have approved 69% of applications received duringthis time.The most recent round was in FHIS 7 in January 201564 applications were received, 62 were ranked for approval – 2 were ineligible because they were for less than theminimum amount.43 applications gained approval, which represents the following:

The following table is a summary of the items which have been grant approved in FHIS 1 - 7:

Reminder: your approval document is only valid for 12 or 18 months from the date of the approval document(depending on what you specified at the time of application). Each and every round to date has seen some approvals unclaimed and these are now void. In summary, 30 (over10% of) applications have been unclaimed, equating to £100,000 which has been returned to Treasury. We can extend the approval period and we are happy to work with you on this, however, an extension can only begiven before the claim deadline.

The next round of FHIS, round 8, will open on Monday10 August 2015 and close when the £340,000 of capitalfunding has been allocated, or on 18 March 2016,whichever is the earliest.We are trialling this new format for a number of reasons:- to shorten the time between application and outcome – you should learn much sooner whether the applicationis successful or not;

- to lessen the administrative burden on the Field Delivery team;

- streamlining the eligible items in line with Agricultural and Departmental policy – managingthe expectations of applicants.

Application forms andguidance notes will beavailable on the websiteand at DEFA in duecourse. There will also bea farm text remindernearer the time.

Farm and Horticultural Improvement Scheme (FHIS) Round 8

DEFA News 5

As at 22/5/2015 Online Total Online %

Holdings 143 279 51%

Births registered: Jan Dec 2014 5,174 9,659 53%

Cattle Passports Centre

Cattle Passports Online has been available for 8 years and hasproved to be very successful. The current take-up levels are shown below:

However, the Department would like to further encourage theuse of online services to reduce our admin costs. If required, we are able to offer some 1:1 assistance to guide youthrough the system.The aim of the online cattle passports service is to simplify thecompliance process for cattle keepers to register, notify and keepcattle records.

If you would like to get online access to cattle passports and have not already been issued with an activation codethen please contact:Cattle Passport CentreTelephone: 685616 Email: Agriculture@gov.im

Changes to the regulation of pesticide use in the UKhave been triggered through the implementation of theSustainable Use Directive, 2009/128/EC.The Isle of Man is not part of the EU and theSustainable Use Directive doesn’t apply here. However,the regulations derived from it could be interpreted as‘best practice’ should an incident occur which ultimatelyresults in legal proceedings. Farm assurance schemeshave revised their standards making compliance withthe new regulations a requirement.What this means in practice:Anyone applying pesticides after 26 November 2015must hold the appropriate certificate (PA2 PA6 etc). After 26 November 2015 anyone can buy pesticides butthey must ensure that the pesticides will be applied by asuitably qualified person.

All sprayers over 5 years oldon 26 November 2016 musthave been tested in the last 5years and retested at leastonce every 5 years.After 2020 all sprayers mustbe tested every 3 years Isle of Man College have taken over the provision of thepesticide training that used to be organised by DEFA.Anyone who needs to undertake pesticide trainingshould contact: Mrs Carole Collister, Isle of Man College,Tel 648206 E-mail carole.collister@college.doe.gov.im

The use of Pesticides By John Harrison, Agricultural Policy Manager

Agri-News July 2015

6 DEFA News

Active Farmer By John Harrison, Agricultural Policy ManagerThere has been much debate and speculation over what‘active farmer’ means in relation to people being eligibleto claim Agricultural Development Scheme (ADS)payments in the next scheme year. Basically those of youwho are running a business which is carrying out farmingactivities (buying and selling farming related goods) willhave nothing to be concerned about with thisdevelopment.The purpose of the active farmer criteria is to ensure thatthe person claiming support under the ADS is actuallyfarming the land they are claiming against; to ensure thatthey:are undertaking an activity or activities listed in thedefinition of “agriculture” in this scheme; and are responsible for the decision making power, benefitsand financial risks in relation to the agricultural activityand are in possession of records of agricultural typeexpenses and receipts on which they are the namedrecipient, and which are readily available for inspectionby the Department.To qualify automatically as an active farmer, an applicantwill be expected to meet one or both of the followingeligibility requirements, as calculated from their censusreturn:Their declared stocking/cropping would generate 520standard hours of labour requirement per annum(standard hours will be from a recognised, independentsource and published on the DEFA website) and/orthe livestock stock numbers declared would achieve aminimum stocking level of 0.45LU/BML acre on therelevant forage area as outlined in GC 02/13 CountrysideCare Scheme - National Reserve Policy.

Where these criteria are not met, the Department mayrequest that additional evidence of farm business activityis supplied by the claimant that demonstrates that theywould normally fulfil the ‘active farmer’ criteria.Such additional evidence may include for:Predominantly stock farmers:Current movement records for stock.Current medicine stock and use records.Relevant invoices for feed, fertiliser and pesticides ifappropriate.Evidence of sales of produce and/or livestock.Predominantly arable farmers:Relevant invoices for inputs seeds, fertilizers, sprays, etc.Evidence of returns from the agricultural activity (salesreceipts, etc).Mixed farms will be required to provide an appropriateselection from the examples above.It is important that the claimant can demonstrate thatthe active farmer requirements are being met on all theland they declare. Attempting to gain ADS payments onland on which the claimant undertakes no agriculturalactivity i.e. where the activity is carried out under thecontrol of another farmer is not allowed, even if theclaimant is clearly farming other areas of land which theydeclare. If crops are being grown on the land, theclaimant may need to be able to demonstrate that theythemselves are actively involved with the growing andharvesting of the crops.

DEFA commissioned the Centre for Manx Studies,University of Liverpool, to carry out research into localfood and its role in Manx culture, from 1800 to the1930s. The report yielded a great deal of fascinatinginformation and the report can now be downloaded fromwww.gov.im/foodanddrink Here are some highlights: - Herrings were an important part of the local diet butwere salted – kippers, that is smoked herrings, were notproduced until the late 1800s- The Island had a wild pig, called Purs – it wasconsidered to be excellent eating – so not surprising thatit was extinct by the early 1800s - Kid goats were more often eaten than lamb- There were differences in the diets of the poor and themore affluent and between rural and urban populations –the latter were often from other parts of the British Isles.

They moved here to enjoy a better standard of living,bought local produce but cooked recipes from theirhomelands rather than in local ways- As visitor numbers increased from the late 1800s, and aregular steamship service began, a greater variety offood was imported to meet their needs- More food was also produced locally to meet visitors’needs –especially milk, butter and meat plus oats for thehorses required to transport visitors around the Island.Strawberry Teas became a popular visitor attraction- The Island exported food throughout the researchperiod including honey, kelp, bacon, cheese, livestock,kippers – and it still doesA new exhibition is being prepared to tell the Story ofIsle of Man Food & Drink - in the near future you can seethis at DEFA reception, at Shows and at the Isle of ManFood & Drink Festival.

The Story of Isle of Man Food & Drink

DEFA News 7

Remember to look out for Japanese Knotweed By Sophie Costain, Biodiversity Officer (Designations)

Supporting Local Manx Produce for Breakfast By Nikki Salmon, DED Business Development Manager The use of local Manx produce in theIsland’s accommodation, restaurantsand bars is growing as the use oftraceable and high quality produce isbecoming more and more importantto both locals and visitors to theIsland. Isle of Man Tourism, in partnershipwith DEFA and G4S Quality inTourism, are continuing to promotethe use of local produce through abrand new initiative for the ‘BreakfastAward’ Guest Accommodationproperties. This is a new award forproperties that use and promote localManx produce as a vital part of theirbusiness and are proud to chooseand serve local wherever possible.The new scheme looks to encourageindustry support for the localeconomy and locally produced foodas businesses who qualify for theaccolade can show their commitmentto providing fresh and quality food totheir guests. Local Manx produce is

defined, for the purpose of theaccreditation scheme, as ‘producewhich is grown, reared, caught,pickled, baked or processed on theIsland or from its territorial waters.’This covers the great diversity oflocal food and drink grown andproduced on the Isle of Man.As part of the scheme,accommodation providers will provideevidence of the use of local produceas well as be assessed on the itemsavailable, staff knowledge, menusand supplier information at the timeof the assessment visit.It is hoped that this scheme willsupport the successful ‘HarvestAward’ which was originallyintroduced as an additional accoladefor the ‘Taste Isle of Man’ accreditedrestaurants. The award is quitedifficult to attain as it is designed torecognise partners who reallychampion the use and promotion oflocal produce and see this as an

important part of the business ethos. Supporting the continued productionand use of quality local produce is anessential part of growing the Isle ofMan economy. By supportingbusinesses to reliably supply locallyproduce staple and artisanalproducts, the Island can not onlycreate a thriving local food culturebut also create a profitable exportbusiness and further grow the Isle ofMan economy. The new ‘BreakfastAward’ looks to fully ingrain thisethos within industry and continuethe success of authentic andidentifiable Manx produce.

Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is a rapidlygrowing non-native invasive plant that first appears as ared shoot with reddish leaves but quickly shoots up anddevelops bamboo-like hollow stems with lime green –mid green leaves. In the summer, Knotweed can reach upto 3m in height.It is the responsibility of the landowner or tenanton the land to control Japanese Knotweed. Iif itbecomes established it quickly spreads and therefore ismuch harder and more time-consuming to treat, so catchit early on.Careful management and disposal is needed as Knotweedcan quickly re-establish itself from leftover shoots,crowns, stems and fragments of rhizomes (roots). It canalso easily spread to other areas through these cuttings,especially around watercourses. Why should you control it?Once established Japanese Knotweed can damagehabitats by shading out native species and can causedamage to structural work and buildings because of itsextremely tough stems and rhizomes. For those within the Agricultural Development Scheme,

Knotweed needs to be controlled tocomply with GAEC Standard. No.17 – Encroachment ofunwanted vegetation.You must not allow the encroachment of unwantedvegetation which degrades the agricultural andenvironmental value of the land to the extent that theland is not capable of returning to agricultural productionby any time during the growing season in the followingcalendar year.There are strict financial penalties for any landowner inthe scheme who fails to control Knotweed on their land,depending on the amount present on the land and thelength of time the land is found in breach of conditions.More information about Japanese Knotweed and theAgricultural Development Scheme can be found in TheFarmers’ Handbook, found online on the Isle of ManGovernment website. What can you do?Check your land regularly for Knotweed presence. If found, fill out a Japanese Knotweed Recording Sheet(found online) and return to DEFA. Manage itappropriately.

DEFA has recently launched a campaign to encourage people toprovide a Manx Breakfast to guests, giving them an authentic taste ofthe Isle of Man. A typical Manx cooked breakfast could cost as littleas £2.67p. Follow Isle of Man Food and Drink on Facebook!

Agri-News July 2015

8 INDUSTRY & DEFA News

The Royal Manx Agricultural Show2015 is once again taking shapeunder the leadership of SocietyPresident, Gordon Clague, and aslightly new layout is in the capablehands of Show Director, John Quayle.In order to allow livestock in theGrand Parade and SupremeChampionship to be shown at theirbest, the main entertainment ring isbeing pivoted by 90 degrees – whichwill mean that the Island’s finestlivestock stands proud on an equalfooting. The entertainment ring will also bethe venue for Steve Colley’sspectacular new motorcycle show(thanks to our principle sponsor,Manx Telecom), and a first for theIsle of Man - a magnificent ‘Six inHand’ from Northern Ireland willmake a stirring sight. RidgesideFalconry and the Stihl Timbersportsteam will also be on the showfieldagain, together with a host of localtalent including the always popularsheepshearing demonstration withDaniel Creer.

This year the RMAS is placing specialemphasis on activities for childrenand one of the most exciting newprojects will be Noah’s Ark, a placewhere our younger visitors can seesmall animals; have their facespainted and join in other craftactivities all for free. Our thanks toFiona Anderson and her team ofhelpers for overseeing this. Therewill also be a children’s TreasureHunt over both days of the Show. Livestock remains the backbone ofthe Royal Manx Agricultural Showand entry numbers have held up wellagain this year. For exhibitors,preparing animals for exhibition is abig commitment in both time andeffort, but their reward is thepleasure of being part of this oldestof Manx countryside events andproudly showing off their bestlivestock to their peers and thepublic. The possibility of going on towin the Supreme Championship is aworthy goal at the back of everyone’smind. Don’t forget that Arts & Crafts, and

Farm & Garden entries can be madealmost up to showtime itself. Detailsof all classes and entry forms areavailable on the Society websitewww.royalmanx.comDates for your diary: Friday 7th andSaturday 8th August – fingerstightly crossed for fine weather andgood crowds.

Royal Manx Agricultural Show By Christine Pain, Secretary

DEFA at Agricultural Shows By Audrey Fowler, Marketing OfficerDEFA will again be represented at this year’s Agricultural Shows and their marquee will illustrate thevarious ways in which the Department’s work contributes to so many aspects of people’s lives. There willbe two invited guests from other Government departments taking stands within our marquee and these willbe DED’s promoting business support schemes and Nobles Hospital’s promoting healthy eating. The WildlifePark will also be attending to show off their beautiful barn owls and snakes. Manx Food Court at RMASDEFA has received a record number of entry forms from producers wishing to promote and sell theirproduce in the Manx Food Court. There will be 18 producers to include 5 new ones. So don’t forget tomake this marquee a special visit at the RMAS.

The Chef of the Year competition is now in its 6thyear and is gaining momentum among the cateringestablishments. This competition provides afanastic opportunity for chefs to demonstrate theirskills and gain valuable publicity for themselves andthier place of work.This year we are pleased to announce a newcompetition for the Hospitality and CateringStudents of the Isle of Man College of Further and

Higher Education. They have the opportunity toshowcase their skills and talent in the first ever Isleof Man Student Chef of the Year competition. The four finalists of both the above competitions willbattle it out at the Queenie Festival on the 16thAugust. Finalists will then compete for the Isle ofMan Food & Drink Festival on Sunday 20thSeptember. Our thanks to Robinson’s for sponsoringboth these competitions.

Isle of Man Chef of the Year competition By Audrey Fowler, Marketing Officer

9iNDUSTRY & DEFA News

Southern Agricultural Show By Sarah Comish, SecretaryThe Southern AgriculturalShow will be on Saturday 25thand Sunday 26th July this year.President, Mrs Sheila Gawne andVice-President, Mr Steven Ennett,will be heading the officials andhuge list of volunteers who work allthe hours they can spare despite abusy time on the farm.For 2015 we have the privilege ofrevealing of one of the best worksof art the Island has ever seen. Following last year’s competition tocreate a sculpture to commemorateour Centenary, Darren Jackson’simpressive design won the vote.This has now been completed andwill be on display for all to see.Created out of farm implements,and based on the Centenary ShowSupreme Champion, PasturefieldTurbo Tommy, a Simmental bullowned by Peter Quayle, thesculpture is a truly magnificenttribute to Manx agriculture. The Heritage Tent will be back bypopular demand, and anyone whowould like to exhibit past Showphotos or memorabilia shouldcontact the secretary. We have hadgreat interest again from primaryschools who wish to take part inthe School Art Competition working

to the theme of ‘Where FoodComes From’, and look forward tothe children’s interpretations ofthis.We would love to see even moreexhibitors taking part at the Southernto help us celebrate the best fromour Manx producers and breeders.We hope to see the Islands goatbreeders continue to exhibit in theever increasing Goat Section, and theMeg Lamb and the Donkeycompetitions will be held on Sundayonce again, as will the Horses inHarness. The Vintage Machinery Displayalways attracts a lot of interest andthe Produce Tent provides displaysof home baking, produce, flowers,arts and crafts. The Fur andFeather Tent has everything fromrabbits to ducks, and on Sundaythe Produce Tent will transforminto a Country Crafts area, and inthe Fur and Feather Tent there’s afun pet show raising funds for theMSPCA.

Children’s entertainment, tradestands and the very best in local foodwill be there to enjoy and the BeerTent is a welcome regular attraction.

The Society is very pleased to havethe support of the Young Farmersand we are looking forward to theentertainment they will be providing.The Lawnmower team will be backwith a new twist on their pioneeringevent. The Southern Show guarantees agreat traditional day out for all thefamily, come rain or shine. TheHistory of the Southern Show will beavailable to purchase on the field sobuy your copy if you haven’t already.For all information regarding theShow, visit our websitewww.southernshow.org or contactthe secretary, Sarah Comish, on07624 494497, email sdas@manx.net

2014 Supreme Champion Simmental bull Pasturefield Turbo Tommy, owned by

Peter Quayle and shown by Darren Jackson.

The Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival committee arepleased to announce that they have received a recordnumber of entries from producers wishing to attend theFestival on the 19th & 20th September at the VillaMarina Gardens. More than 40 exhibitors, including 7new to the Festival, will be attending.The guest Chef this year will be Colin Clague, who wasborn in Ballabeg and now runs a restaurant in Dubai.

Colin will give 3cookerydemonstrations,judge the Chef finalsand present the beststand award.Please see our website for regular updateswww.gov.im/food

Isle of Man Food & Drink FestivalBy Audrey Fowler, Marketing Officer

Shoprite challenge to Local Food Enrepreneurs The ‘Manx Startisan’ challenge is an exciting opportunity for budding food and drinkentrepreneurs to win business support, a guaranteed listing in Shoprite stores and businesspremises for 6 months. The winning entrant will be revealed at the Isle of Man Food & DrinkFestival. Why wait, get your thinking caps on and your applications in! For further informationor help and advice on creating your proposal, please contact Simon Crellin - email:simon@redpointpr.co.uk

Agri-News July 2015

Laxey Glen Mills is the Island’sflour mill with more than 150years of history supplying theManx people with flour mainlyfor the production of bread,small artisan bakers andrestaurants.

The last harvest was the best ever, demonstrating theskills and experience of our growers with good weatheradding a helping hand. This year, two new growers arecontributing; the continuity of supply for the future isvery encouraging. In a difficult market, the Mill is holding sales at a similarlevel to the previous year and is working even harder tomaintain the supply chain to all its customers.Wheatings is a by-product which is available to allFarmers as a foodstuff for their animals. Due to anumber of factors which were out of our control, salesof Wheatings were down on the previous year. I wouldlike to appeal to all farmers to continue to support theMill by buying this excellent product and those whohave not tried this food for their animals please contactthe Mill for further details on 01624 861202. These are times of austerity for a lot of people on ourIsland and a real threat to the economic and social wayof life as the farming sector is eroded. Each year wecontinue to import more and cheaper food productsfrom the UK.There is an abundance of cheap alternatives to localflour and bread in the supermarkets of the Isle of Man.Driven by UK promotions, these cheaper alternativesare not the same and these promotions are notsustainable. All Isle of Man flour is free from additives. Thetraceability of wheat grown on the Island a shortdistance away from the Mill is unique; Isle of Man flourand bread is good for you. Every time you put an itemin your shopping basket think… is this local, because it’sgood for you and also the Isle of Man.Many of you have supported Laxey Glen Mills fordecades and we are all very thankful for your support.The future of the Isle of Man food industries, thoseestablished for generations and those beginning theirjourneys need everyone to shout loud and clear for ahealthier, better way of life. Continue supporting theIsle of Man food industries for this generation and thosegenerations to come.For more information please telephone 861202 or emailcustomer.services@laxeyglenmills.com orwww.laxeyglenmills.com

Range of Laxey FlourUsing the finest quality Manx milling wheat,Laxey Glen Flour Mills produce 16 traditionaland speciality flours including the new stone-

ground flour. Choose from:Manx QueenManx KingFlavoSunrise

Manx SemolinaManx wholemealManx GranaryManx Pioneer

Manx Coarse PioneerManx Pizza

Manx Soda bread Manx mixed seed

Manx sun-dried tomatoFlavo wholemealSunrise wholemealManx Stone-ground

10 INDUSTRY News

How the Industry sees the future... Laxey Glen Mills By Anthony Allen, Director

Sad loss of Mike HenthornBy Colin Brown, previous Chairman of Laxey Glen Mills

St George’s Church, Douglas, was packed in earlyJune for the “Celebration of the Life” of probably themost charismatic Chairman ever to have headed upLaxey Glen Mills.Mike Henthorn, who had held the post since 2010,lost his battle with cancer - a battle which he hadfought with determination and a pragmatic attitudeso typical of his approach to life.Mike was an excellent ambassador for the wholeManx milling wheat industry and was certainlypassionate about the Mill, its past, its present and itsfuture and never missed an opportunity to endorseit.Friends with growers and customers alike, Mike’sability to create business and friendly relationshipswas legendary throughout the Island’s businessworld. The Mill staff were particularlyappreciative of his keenness to involve them in theMill’s progression at every opportunity.Undoubtedly Mike Henthorn will be sorely missed.

The Isle of Man is unique in the British Isles in manyways. In terms of flour production from local wheat, thestory is not only interesting but is special in severalaspects.As someone working in the food industry, I am morethan aware of local supply chains and the benefits theybring to the consumer. The relationship that existsbetween Manx wheat farmers and Laxey Glen Mill are agreat example of how this works in practice. The milloperation is very efficient and a good example of a well-run small flour mill with a dedicated team that takespride in its product. Each year the mill usesapproximately 2,000 tonnes of Manx wheat to produce1,500 tonnes of white and wholemeal flour. In total 16types of flour are produced.Before my recent visit to the Island, I understood thatManx farmers produce milling wheat of consistently goodquality but the challenge was to understand how theyproduce high levels of protein whilst maintaining overallyields. The Manx production of milling wheat is relativelysmall compared to the UK where wheat is the largestarable crop. My organisation, nabim, represents virtuallyall flour millers in the UK and Ireland with 30 membercompanies operating 51 mills ranging from larger mills tothe smaller operations.Milling wheat is a specialist crop which requires greatercare and inputs than wheat grown for animal feed. Keyto this is the selection of varieties that produce consistentdough functionality, good control of plant diseases andensuring that the crop has appropriate levels of nutrition.During my recent visit I was able to visit two millingwheat growers and to speak to a third. My first visit wasto Alan Martin, where I also met one of his neighbouringfarmers, David Brew. Together they gave me a clearunderstanding of the local climate, and the husbandry ofmilling wheat varieties. Milling wheat production isconfined to a relatively small area in the north of theIsland which obviously experiences a relatively temperate

climate with cool summers and mild winters. Annualrainfall is slightly greater (800mm) in contrast to a drier650mm in the wheat growing areas of Essex. The Manxclimate appears to provide even growing conditionswhere the crop is neither limited by low temperature norprolonged dry periods.Soil types seem to vary quite a lot and appear to berelatively light compared with the heavier soils of theEssex wheat heartland where clays dominate.I am confident that this combination of climate, soil type,variety selection and good husbandry results in therelatively high yields (often 9.0 tonnes/ha compared tothe UK average of 8.0t/ha) whilst maintaining proteinlevels in excess of 14%. This protein level appears to befairly constant whereas the UK crop is more variable. In2014 only 15% of the national milling wheat cropachieved the full specification of 13%. The real puzzle ishow this is achieved but nitrogen inputs appear to be atan appropriate level for these soils often approaching240 units/acre. There is also a good understanding of therole of sulphur in producing high protein quality. My visit provided an interesting insight into Manx wheatproduction and introduced me to a beautiful Island with awarm welcome to visitors. In particular, I would like tothank Sandra Donnelly and her team at Laxey Glen Millsand farmers Alan Martin, David Brew and Will McMillin forallowing me to visit their farms.

More information about milling and flourproducts can be found at www.nabim.org.ukor www.fabflour.co.uk andwww.grainchain.com.

How the Industry sees the future... Manx Milling Wheat

Milling wheat stored at Smeale Farm, Andreas

National Association of British and Irish Millers

11INDUSTRY News

By Martin Savage, Trade Policy Manager, Nabim

Agri-News July 2015

12 INDUSTRY News

How the Industry sees the future...Isle of Man Meats By Mike Owen, Chief Executive

Isle of Man Meats has been at theheart of meat production on theIsland for more than 80 yearsformally set-up as the Meat andDairy Marketing Organisation in1934. It has been on its present siteat Ballafletcher Road, Tromode, for20 years. The Isle of ManGovernment-owned facility is run bya Chief Executive Officer who setsthe operational and marketingstrategy of the business. This isoverseen by the board of directors

and government specialists. Thebuilding is a three species plantprocessing cattle, sheep and pigsreared by local stock producers onthe Isle of Man.

The Isle of Man Government havejust invested over £2 million in acomplete refurbishment of the plant.This includes updates to the laraigeto improve animal welfare and newstate of the art equipment in the

abattoir to enhance microbiologicalstands and efficiency. The plant has a complete new chillerand boiler plants, both with over100% redundancy builtin for further expansion and backup.Plans are underway to bring thedeboning and packing area up todate with the rest of the plant. Thenet result will be a Meat Plantcapable of producing thehighest quality meat possible,something families and businesseswhen purchasing Manxmeat can be proud of. The new plantwill enable us to target high endquality markets in the UK that arelooking for something special tomarket. Our Manx meat has thepedigree of quality and traceability.Future plansWe intend next year to look at thepossibilities of using the plant as aTraining Academy of Excellence forMeat industry skills. It would providean excellent opportunity forapprentice butchers, chefsand young farmers. This would be afurther enhancement of the servicethe plant provides for thelocal community.For more information please contact674346 or info@iommeats.com orwww.iommeats.com

Staff at Isle of Man Meats

13INDUSTRY News

One of the greatest challenges I seeahead for agriculture and, mostspecifically, the red meat sector isreducing its reliance on Governmentfunding and getting more from themarket place. With the ongoing CAPreform and the likely referendum inthe UK on EU membership, there is avery high chance in years to comewe will see an even greater reductionin agricultural support. The red meatsector relies heavily on this as we aregenerally selling our produce belowthe costs of production. During the early months of 2013 asthe ‘horse meat scandal’ broke, wethen saw a rise in the beef price toover £4/ kg in UK and about £3.70 inthe Isle of Man. During this time youcould see the positive effect it had onyour business, increased turnoverand more importantly greaterprofits. This resulted in governmentsupport being a smaller percentageof income. Since then, theimportance of the origin of food hasagain become less relevant over priceto the consumer. Consequently thishas allowed processers, with thebenefit from a strong pound, to usecheap imports to make the supply ofbeef outstrip demand and as a resultwe are now back to around £3/ kg.

In the last twelve months we seemto also be seeing more volatility inthe market place for both beef andlamb. Some of this is driven byexchange rates, and the lack ofmoney in certain European countriesdepressing lamb price, but I am surea greater factor is the power of theprocessors/supermarket. SinceFebruary we have seen the beef pricefall by 25% and lamb also back 90p/kg on last year, but is it any cheaperin the shops? All the experts suggestthat the volatility in the market wehave seen in all sectors is going to be

normal from now on through theforces of a world market. So the onlyway the industry will be able tosurvive with any more reduction insupport, is for the farmer to receive agreater percentage of what theconsumer pays. As an industry wehave to work hard to get themessage to the consumer to supportlocal, and put pressure on theprocessors and retailers that thefarmer needs a greater return for itsproduce to enable them to survivelong term.

How the Industry sees the future... Challenges ahead By Ean Parsons, Baljean Farm, Laxey

Ean ParsonsLast year’s winner of the Tomorrow’s Farmer Award

Now in its 7th year, these awards aim to showcase thatTomorrow’s Farmers are maintaining a keen interest inthe market place, diversifying to meet consumers’demand and creating products the Isle of Man can beproud of.We would like to congratulate the following 4 finalists ongetting to the shortlisted stage:David Collister, Southampton Farm, Port Soderick. Tim Johnston, Ballavarry Farm, Andreas.Carl Huxham, Cronk Aalin Dairy, Sulby. Bryan Radcliffe, Rye Hill Farm, Andreas.

The winners will be announced at the Tomorrow’s FarmerCeremony at the Royal Manx Agricultural Show, on Friday7th August, when the Awards will be presented.

Tomorrow’s Farmer Awards 2015 - the final selection By Audrey Fowler, Marketing Officer

Agri-News July 2015

14 INDUSTRY News

How the Industry sees the future...Isle of Man Creamery - Outlook for 2015 By Findlay Macleod, Chief Executive

Over the last 12 months I am surewe have all read about the majorchallenges faced by the dairyindustry in the dairy industry andfarming press. The Russian ban onEU dairy imports isn’t likely to endany time soon, the Chinese haven’tyet returned to the market insignificant fashion and we havealready seen the impact of the end ofEU quotas in the level of milkproduction across Europe.However, there appears to be a fewgreen shoots of recovery, albeit verysmall. An early peak in the UK inApril has seen spot prices move fromaround 10 ppl in April to around 16ppl in May. Other commodities suchas cream, butter, skimmed milkpowder and skimmed milk have alsoshown small increases in price. Thecommodity closest to our heart atIsle of Man Creamery, cheddar, isshowing mixed fortunes, with mildcheddar weakening slightly andmature cheddar remaining strong. Looking towards the end of this year,some traders who were previouslytalking the market down are nowbeing more optimistic, especiallyabout the direction of dairy prices.This is a view shared by John Allen ofKite Consulting, who recently visitedthe Creamery. His view was that ifdairy markets didn’t recoversignificantly by the end of this year,

they will certainly recover early nextyear, although not quite to theheights seen in 2013 / 2014. This market background promptedIsle of Man Creamery to secureseveral pieces of contractedcommodity and branded pieces ofbusiness last year to see us throughwhat was always going to be achallenging year in 2015. I believewe have managed to cushion theIsland’s dairy industry from the worstimpact of the fall in dairy marketsseen in the last six months bysecuring this business. This year we have a greatopportunity to recapture some of thelocal liquid milk market that we havelost to imported milk over the lastfew years. This opportunity arisesthrough the installation of our newmilk carton-filling line. This has beena major capital investment and wehave been delighted at theperformance of the equipment andthe suppliers. The mainmanufacturer of the equipment is anItalian company called Galdi. Theyare by far the market leader acrossEurope for our scale of milk packing.The new equipment improves theintegrity of our packs and givesconsumers the convenience of acarton with a re-sealable cap. It hasalso enabled us to launch a 189ml

(third pint) carton, aimed at thesandwich and snacking market, and a950ml carton which can be sold at anattractive price of £1.00. A newdesign for our cartons and poly-bottles reinforced with prominentpoint of sale materials will also assistour focus on local milk sales thisyear.The other two main areas we will beconcentrating our efforts on in 2015are increasing the number ofhouseholds using our milk roundsservice and continuing to grow ourbranded cheese sales, both involume and profitability. We haveidentified opportunities and methodsto achieve both of these objectives. In summary, 2015 will undoubtedlythrow challenges at the Island’s dairyindustry but I believe that as anindustry we have the resilience,knowledge, relationships and skillsthroughout the supply chain to getthrough this market downturn andposition ourselves strongly for thefuture.For more information please contact632000 orcustomerservices@isleofmancreamery.com or www.isleofmancreamery.com

15INDUSTRY News

At the recent Young LimousinBreeders’ Club AGM held at Carlislelast December, Kirree Kermode ofOrridale Farm, Ballasalla, was electedClub Chairman.Commenting on her election, Kirreesaid: “I am delighted to have theprivilege of taking on theChairperson’s role in the YLBC andlook forward to my time in office. Ifeel that the YLBC has a vital role toplay as a stepping stone in theyounger generation’s progressionthrough their chosen breed. Being amember of a Club like YLBC helpsforge links which can last an entirelife – both professionally and socially. “I will continue to encourage youngpeople to get involved through variedevents and fun activities such as

open days, social events andbarbecues held with the co-operationfrom established breeders, anddevelop practical skills through thestock judging competitions and showpreparation workshops. “Youngsters can then take theseskills not only into the show ring butalso back to their farms. I’dencourage all interested youngpeople to join YLBC as it gives thema great opportunity to travel both tocompete and socialise in Britain andIreland and also overseas.”For more information please contactKirree Kermode - emailkiki@manx.net or telephone 823534

Young Limousin Breeders’ Club (YLBC)

Swapping the comfort of an office fora challenging hillside wouldn’t beeveryone’s idea of a career move butCarl Huxham is as happy as a cow inclover.A chartered accountant, he traded asuit, tie and spreadsheets to follow inhis grandfather’s footsteps and run adairy farm – and recently begandelivering milk to a round coveringthe whole of the north.Carl and wife Sarah farm 100 acresof their own, plus 50 additionalacres, in Narradale, high aboveSulby. Up a largely unmade road andon bare fields, they have turnedwhat were once cattle sheds into astate of the art dairy – one of justtwo private operations in the Island –and are constructing a home forthemselves and their three children. It may not be traditional dairyfarming terrain but their view overthe northern plain is enviable.The location means the dairy isn’t onmains water and Carl’s happy herdare reared on grass and water from aspring the Huxhams tap into.

Carl’s day starts at 5.30amwith milking, then cleaningand washing down, then from11am begins thepasteurisation and bottling.The delivery driversdespatched, it’s then back tomilking and finally all theother jobs associated withrunning a business.A lively Facebook presence, plusword of mouth, meant Carl had abulging order book even before hebegan delivering.His milk comes in old-fashioned glassbottles with foil tops and is deliveredwhen customers are at home in theevening, so it doesn’t sit unattendedon doorsteps. The Huxhams’ biggest investment isin equipment that enables them toprocess the milk and will enable thecreation of Manx yoghurt, a productnot currently available. The yoghurt-making process involves milk beingpasteurised and reduced intemperature for seven hours. ‘We have to look to the future,’ Carl

said. ‘We are no longer solelyfarmers. We are food processors.’ Does Carl have any regrets aboutturning his back on the financialworld for such a hands-on life? ‘Not achance,’ he says. ‘At least when Iturn up for work I am in charge ofmy own day, decisions are mine andI will hopefully see the rewards.‘My grandfather was a dairy farmer.My mum and dad farmed here. It’s away of life.’If you would like your milk andcream delivered to your doorstep inthe north of the Island then pleasecontact Carl Huxham telephone01724 469708 or email:chuxham@hotmail.com orwww.facebook.com/aalindairy

Aalin Dairy

Carl Huxham at Cronk Aalin Dairy Farm, Sulby

Kirree Kermode

Cattle. The beef market in both theIoM and the UK has been in declinesince the turn of the year, mirroringwhat happened in the first quarter of2014; is this becoming a seasonaltrend? But, as forecasted, we are nowseeing supplies beginning to tightenand the last two weeks of May hasseen the deadweight cattle tradeincrease. For the week ending 30thMay, the GB all prime average pricewas up almost 2p per kg on the week,as prime cattle supplies wereestimated to be back by about 3,000head compared to week-earlier levels.Although reports suggest buyers arestill managing their stocks cautiously.Looking ahead, supplies are expectedto tighten further in the second half ofthe year in both the UK and Ireland,which should have a positive impacton farmgate prices, but if the Poundcontinues to strengthen against theEuro there will be increasedcompetition from imports. Lamb. After starting 2015 higher thanthe previous year, farmgate prices inboth the IoM and UK fell below year-earlier levels around mid-March asvolumes coming onto the marketincreased. Prices have beenstruggling since. The second half of

April saw a significant drop in the GBdeadweight prices and, although therewas a slight upturn in early May. Thishas not been sustained. Lookingforward, it is difficult to see pricesimproving, especially in the shortterm, as numbers coming to themarket are expected to start theirseasonal increase as more lambs startto reach their finished weights.Pigs. The pig price in both the IoMand the UK has been in decline sinceJuly last year. However there aresigns that it may now be stabilising,with prices only seeing smallfluctuations either way since mid-March. Even so, prices are in theregion of 30p per kg less than yearearlier levels. An increase in demandis required to lift farmgate prices, butreports show sales in the UK over thelast 12 weeks have suffered asconsumers switch to chicken and lambwhich have been heavily promoted bythe supermarkets. Once againpigmeat producers will be keeping aneye on the weather, hoping for a BBQsummer to increase demand and goodweather across the globe to keep feedcosts down.Milk. There is little cheer in the milk

market. Prices in the UK and NI havebeen falling for over a year now;prices in the UK have fallen by 26% onaverage over the last year. IoM pricesbucked the trend over the second halfof 2014, but prices fell significantlyduring December although appear tohave stabilised over the first quarter of2015. But there doesn’t look likemuch respite going forward. At thelatest Global Dairy Trade (GDT)auction on the 2nd June, pricesfollowed the recent downwards trendwith a further drop of 4.3% on thevalues seen a fortnight earlier. Thismeans the market has fallen by a totalof 33% since mid-March. Theweighted average price is now downto $2,412 per tonne. This is thelowest it has been since 2009. Asrecently as February 2014 the pricewas over $5,000 per tonne.Production doesn’t look like slowingdown much either, in the UK deliveriesin April were 1.5% more than in thesame month in 2014 and with quotasnow removed, Irish milk production issurging ahead. Figures from the IrishCentral Statistics Office (CSO) showthat output in April was 14.5% higherthan the same month last year. Anyrecovery in farmgate prices seemsunlikely before the end of the year.

Agri-News July 2015

16

Contact InformationDepartment of Environment, Food and Agriculture, Thie Slieau Whallian, Foxdale Road, St John’s, Isle of Man, IM4 3ASTelephone: 685835 Fax@ 685851 e-mail: defa@gov.im Web: www.gov.im/defa

Market Trends

250

270

290

310

330

350

370

390

A M J J A S O N D J F M A

p/kg

IoM R3 Beef Price Vs UK & NI comparison

IoM DW price R3L NI R3 GB Central R3

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

A M J J A S O N D J F M A

p/kg

IoM R3 Lamb price Vs UK LW price converted

Last Year IoM UK

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

A M J J A S O N D J F M A

p/kg

IoM Pigs Vs UK DAPP

Previous yr UK DAPP IoM

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

M A M J J A S O N D J15 F M

Farmgate Milk Price IoM v UK

IoM Previous UK IoM NI

This independent commentary has been supplied by Richard King, Business Research Consultant from Andersons. Details of howthe graphs have been calculated can be found at: www.gov.im/daff/News/agricultural.xml