It’s hard to believe that applications are open for the 2025 area aid payments. I presume our maps and other details will be with us over the next few days.

This is the first full year when the fertiliser register system is fully in operation. One aspect that I was unaware of is the inclusion of lime in the compilation of the details of fertiliser use.

I was surprised to be contacted by our regular lime supplier for our herd number so that he could complete his form filling. Obviously we didn’t have any problem in supplying the details but I am not sure of the value of or need for individual farmers to supply details of their lime usage when the figures are correlated on a national basis.

From our own point of view, we don’t use that much lime, but it’s noticeable that even on just one farm that pH levels vary from one field with a pH of over 7.5 while a small grass paddock was analysed at 5.5.

At that level, growth and productivity is definitely curtailed.

At this stage, everything in tillage is from 6.8 to around 7 so it’s simply a matter of keeping it topped up.

Over the last week, we got the first dressing out on the oilseed rape – straight ammonium sulphate, while on the winter barley we put out a full NPK blend.

Looking at the oilseed rape, it is noticeable that the crop is entering stem extension with the areas grazed by crows rapidly greening over and visibly growing.

As planned, we got the Roundup on the fields intended for the spring beans.

Already they are yellowing so they should be fit for ploughing and sowing over the next few days.

The beans are ordered though I gather this year that the 1,000 grain weights vary significantly so we will have to wait and see the beans as they are delivered before setting the seeding rate.

Meanwhile, the dry weather has let us restart grazing by day the cattle that will go to grass. The ones over 500kg we will keep in and aim to finish out of the shed and hope that the price stays up.

We are mostly feeding our own silage and barley supplemented by soya and maize to improve kill out and speed up finishing.

These are extraordinary times in the cattle business with beef at an historic high and cereals relatively cheap. The present price relationship is unlikely to last indefinitely.