November is the month when evenings are short, nights are long, cattle are housed and income tax returns filed. Last Thursday was the deadline for the self employed, including farmers, to file their income tax returns for the year 2013. Many will have left it to the last minute and some will have missed the deadline despite having over ten months of the year to file the return.

There is a certain similarity between the above scenario and the beef forum which was held last week. Despite there being a crisis in beef farming and farm incomes since the beginning of the year, only after farmer protests and threats of withdrawal from the quality assurance scheme has some form of agreement being achieved. Much of the agreement seems to be “kicking the can down the road” and for issues to be discussed and agreed at the next forum. The specifics on issues such as bull beef production, age limits and a quality assurance payment to all steers and heifers still have to be finalised. Farmers require more certainty and sooner in order to adapt their farming systems to what the market requires.

I’ve made a slight change to my own farming system this autumn. Rather than using Belgian Blue and terminal Limousin straws from my AI company on a select number of cows, I have selected my straws based on a bull's ability to produce females suitable for inclusion in the suckler herd.

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The reasons for the change are to increase the amount of milk and fertility in my own herd and also target surplus females for sale at special breeding events. A price premium is required for suckler breeders of more muscular weanlings. This price premium is required in order to cover additional calving and feeding costs. Whether it was for the home market or the export market, I didn’t see that premium in evidence at weanling sales this autumn. Uncertainty surrounding issues like weight, age and the future of bull beef production led to buyers being more cautious at ringside.

All cattle have now being housed on the farm. Cows are housed on slats, with calves having access to a bedded creep area. Calves are only let suck twice a day and spend most of the day outside grazing in fields around the shed. This helps break the bond between cows and calves and results in cows showing heat sooner after calving.

I intend to weigh the calves next week to see what sort of progress they are making and try to plan ahead for 2015. Planning in an uncertain market is difficult, however if final agreement can be achieved at the January Beef Forum, then farmers can hopefully look forward to better farm incomes in 2015. Of course then the problem arises as to how to pay the tax bill. For now there is not too many beef farmers worrying about high tax bills.