Since involving the next generation on the farm (the daughter and son-in-law are now in the partnership), we have now changed most of our suppliers, with some amazing cost savings.

This started with the accountant, the current one is cheaper, but has yet to prove he is more efficient. Then we changed milk recording from National Milk Records to Cattle Information Service. The other end of the table is delighted with this move, as it provides so much more information for her breeding programme, fractionally cheaper.

Next, the service and maintenance on the bulk tank and milking parlour; this was cheaper. I began to realise that, as a family farm over the years, we had developed a relationship with our suppliers, based on friendship rather than business. The next change was the feed supplier. This resulted in a potential saving of £3,000 a year. It was beginning to look like the next generation was going to do a better job than us. Still we can console ourselves that they were bred and trained right.

Vet dilemma

The thorniest subject of all is the vets. When I was a boy we didn’t have monthly fertility sessions. We just sold a few barreners a year, and that was how we kept the herd fertile - by getting rid of the difficult breeders. As the years went on, herds got bigger, yields increased and the cows were subject to more stress. In days of old they were tied up by the neck all winter. As the intrusion of vets with drugs to assist fertility becomes more prevalent, are we breeding less fertile cows?

The biggest cost with the vets is the drugs. We can buy drugs elsewhere at half the price, but the vets will not issue a prescription. The biggest contention of all is teat sealant and why this needs a prescription. This is a paste containing no drugs whatsoever. After all, we can treat animals with wormers which contain drugs and don’t need a prescription.

Time for Boris to change tact

Are the rats abandoning the sinking ship, afraid that the popularity and tenure of Boris is on the wane? Or is it the results of the blame game – "it’s your fault that Brexit failed".

It’s interesting that Boris was quickly on the phone to Brussels as the American election results become clear and he realised that his special relationship with Donald Trump would likely disadvantage his relationship with Joe Biden.

The opposition does not win elections, sitting governments lose them. The playground bully has gone, replaced by 'good old Joe'.

We are assured and reassured he will honour his Irish roots and do everything is his power to ensure that Irish agriculture is not disadvantaged by Brexit, whereas Trump was anxious to do a trade deal with Boris to export cheap American food.

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