Morrisons report answers farmers questions
Morrisons has collaborated with dairy farmers to develop a unique report style that provides swift and concise answers to their questions in farmer-friendly language.
The new format is featured in the latest publication from the Morrisons Farming Programme: Grassland soils and fertilisers digging out the answers
Morrisons commissioned the British Grassland Society to produce a guide answering 54 key questions.
These include: “Ploughing to improve soil condition – what are the pros and cons?”; “How much N,P,K and Lime to use for different soil types and production targets and how to match this to milk yield and meat liveweight gain?” and “What are the economics of applying more N against using alternative products?”
Each answer comes in a short and longer version and most give an economic context to show cost implications for farm businesses along with a series of action points to help farmers make improvements on the ground.
Morrisons Head of Agriculture David Evans said: “We know that over 60% of fields in Britain are in a poor or moderate condition so there’s huge scope for farmers to improve the mainstay of any livestock farm.
“Although a lot of the information is already out there, what farmers told us is it’s not easy to find it, and even harder to cut through all the paperwork to find the answers you really want.
“By working together we’ve come up with what we believe is a unique format that has real potential to help farmers take the necessary steps to get even more out of their grass on farm. That’s good news for them and for the environment.”
The report is based on knowledge gained from conventional science but it also includes information on alternative products and advice, often called “muck and magic”, that are offering good results on some farms.
Arla dairy farmer John Cook, from Scarborough, said: “This report will help farmers enhance their most sustainable asset; soil and its fertility. But all too often farmers are given reports or documents which are just too long and academically focussed. Farmers simply don’t have time to read them and therefore much valuable information is missed.
“However, the format and layout of this report has been done in such a way that farmers can find the information they need quickly and easily, without having to wade through pages and pages of information. Real issues are addressed with concise answers in plain English.”
He added: “The report gives a short answer to each of the questions that farmers asked of us. For some farmers this will be enough to answer their query or to check their grassland and soil management is on track, but if they want to know more or need the information to make changes, they can find that in the more detailed answers.
“All the answers, written and reviewed by some of the experts from our network of members, focus on giving research and science backed information, and we point out occasionally where this doesn’t exist. This independent information will be valuable in helping farmers make the right decisions on products and field treatments to achieve optimum production for their grass and forage and to protect the environment.”
The idea for Grassland soils and fertilisers – digging out the answers came from farmers at a meeting of the Morrisons/Arla Producer Group. The report will now be distributed free to all dairy farmers who supply milk to Morrisons through Arla Foods and to the wider farming community.
The Morrisons Farming Programme is a GB wide initiative where we work with farmers to develop applied research and activities that can help build a sustainable British farming industry. Ideas come from active Farmer Groups across a range of sectors including beef, dairy and poultry.
The MFP is investing 1million over the next four years on a broad range of projects, drawing on the knowledge and expertise of leading British scientists and the farming industry itself.
About Morrisons:
Morrisons is the UKs fourth largest food retailer with 459 stores and our business is mainly food and grocery – the weekly shop. Uniquely we source and process most of the fresh food that we sell through our own manufacturing facilities, giving us close control over provenance and quality. We only sell 100% British fresh beef, lamb, pork and poultry and we have more people preparing more food in store than any other retailer including butchers, bakers and fishmongers. Every week, 11.5 million customers pass through our doors and more than 132,000 colleagues across the business work hard each day to deliver great service to them. With competitive prices and hundreds of special offers, we are proud to save our customers money every day.