A CLOSE-KNIT FAMILY IS TOP OF WOOL PILE
A CLOSE-KNIT FAMILY IS TOP OF WOOL PILE
An emphasis on good wool
production has paid off for
one Welsh family, winners of
the UK Wool Producer of
the Year award.
Robert Davies reports
FOR the second year running a family farm running Brecknock Hill Cheviots has taken the UK Wool Producer of the Year Award.
The Jamess hill unit, which beat off competition from the 85,000 other registered wool producing farms to take the accolade, is also in the Brecon Beacons National Park, and is located just a few miles from that of the previous winners.
The familys farm, Gelligron, Llanddeusant, extends to 137ha (340 acres) and has mountain grazing rights. With 900 ewes and 45 suckler cows grazing land rising to over 300m (1000ft), it is typical of many on the edge of Carmarthenshires Black Mount-ain area. But the three judges appointed by the British Wool Marketing Board said the way the family managed their traditional farming system was exemplary.
They praised their teamwork, conscientious attention to their sheep, their wool handling, and every other management aspect. The way they had improved the quality of the 2000kg annual wool clip also earned them high marks.
Brian and Shirley James and their daughter Melanie run the farm. Wool and replacements apart, the flock produces shearling lambs and breeding ewes for sale, Welsh halfbreds and finished lambs.
March lambing
Cheviot rams are put on 550 of the ewes. Lambing begins in early March and about half the ewes lamb indoors. Selected shearling rams are sold at Llandovery and Sennybridge, and some breeding ewes go to a breed society sale.
New tups are bought locally, with wool quality given a high priority. The aim is to get sires with tight fleeces that can withstand the harsh weather conditions, and have no sign of kemp. The partners have paid up to £2000 to get the type of ram they want.
Lambing percentage is 145-150%. Some 250 ewe lambs are weaned and clipped in August prior to away wintering. It is felt that this keeps their wool clean and free from thorns.
Around 150 of the remaining ewes are put to Border Leicester tups to produce ewe lambs for the breed associations annual Builth Wells sale, while the wethers produced are finished.
The remaining 200 ewes are scheduled for drafting, go to Suffolk tups. All their lambs are finished on the farm and sold with Farm Assured Welsh Livestock ear tags, which are beginning to attract price premiums from supermarket buyers.
Family interest in wool quality extends to clipping technique. Both Mrs James and Melanie are accomplished shearers. Great care is taken to keep fleeces clean, and packed wool sheets dry and off the floor.
Keeping it simple
Mr James says: "We keep the system simple, breed for wool that is free of kemp, and keep everything clean. In short we just try to do our best."
During a visit to the unit, Wool Board chairman Alun Evans said the annual award was designed to enhance the image of wool, which was too often regarded as a secondary product.
According to Mr Evans, if more flockmasters made wool quality a priority it would be easier to compete on the tough world market. While New Zealand spend £25m/year promoting wool sales, the UK spends only £500,000, or roughly 1p/kg. But customers demand quality and producers could contribute to promotion by providing exactly what the market wanted.
However, the huge stockpiles of wool around the world are beginning to disappear. The number of wool producing sheep has fallen by 500m head in five years, or the equivalent of 700m kg of wool.
"Because there are more people in the world, and standards of living are rising, demand for wool is increasing," Mr Evans said. "The expectation is that the price of wool will reflect that demand. Top grades and quality will produce the top prices." *
The James family (l to r); Brian, Melanie and Shirley, buy new tups locally, with wool quality given a high priority – tight fleeces which will withstand harsh weather conditions and have no sign of kemp are vital.
WOOL PRODUCTION
• Tups chosen for wool quality.
• Breed for wool free of kemp.
• Cleanliness vital.
This years UK Wool Producer of the Year Award goes to the James family, who run 900 Brecknock Hill Cheviots on land rising to over 300m (1000ft) at Gelligron, Llanddeusant, in the Brecon Beacons National Park.