scholarly journals The only way is up: why hill farming is embracing technology

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davy McCracken
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
J. Hodgson ◽  
T.J. Maxwell

Studies in the UK on continuously stocked swards dominated by perennial ryegrass show that both net herbage production and lamb output per hectare are maximised when herbage mass is maintained at 1200-I 500 kg OM/ha (3-5 cm surface height) during the main season of growth. The use of this information to define sward management objectives is outlined, and the incorporation of these objectives into the spring and summer phases of a grassland sheep enterprise is illustrated


2016 ◽  
Vol 78 ◽  
pp. 73-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.G. Scrimgeour

This paper provides a stocktake of the status of hill country farming in New Zealand and addresses the challenges which will determine its future state and performance. It arises out of the Hill Country Symposium, held in Rotorua, New Zealand, 12-13 April 2016. This paper surveys people, policy, business and change, farming systems for hill country, soil nutrients and the environment, plants for hill country, animals, animal feeding and productivity, and strategies for achieving sustainable outcomes in the hill country. This paper concludes by identifying approaches to: support current and future hill country farmers and service providers, to effectively and efficiently deal with change; link hill farming businesses to effective value chains and new markets to achieve sufficient and stable profitability; reward farmers for the careful management of natural resources on their farm; ensure that new technologies which improve the efficient use of input resources are developed; and strategies to achieve vibrant rural communities which strengthen hill country farming businesses and their service providers. Keywords: farming systems, hill country, people, policy, productivity, profitability, sustainability


Author(s):  
G.W. Sheath

This paper is not a formal review of hill farming literature. Rather, it is my view on the critical challenges and changes that we need to deal with if mixed livestock farming on hill lands is to be successful over the next 20 years. It is my hope that industry leaders, policy makers and agribusiness managers will give consideration to these views. Some people say that it is not smart to look into the rear-vision mirror, but I do not agree. Having a better understanding of the consequences of past events can help guide future decisions and changes.


1984 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter F. Fonzen ◽  
Erich Oberholzer

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
G. F. Waters

AbstractThere has been a long history, nearly 50 years, of support by the government for farming in the upland areas and the modern schemes continue the essential features of support that have been developed over the years. However the justification for the support has changed with time, from maximizing production to more social issues. It is now being recognized that the hill farmer's efforts have helped create and maintain one of our most attractive national assets and it is this environmental benefit which increasingly provides much of the justification for continued public support for hill farming. So the government's policies are important in two respects: the vital rôle of economic support and the encouragement of farmers to manage their land with greater concern for the environment.On the economic front, one of the most important ways that support is provided to upland farming is through HLCAs. Also vitally important are the EC sheepmeat regime and the changes made to that regime and the EC beef regime in the recent CAP reform settlement.The government's encouragement of farmers to manage their land with greater concern for the environment is increasing in importance and there are a number of ways in which this encouragement is delivered. The government has built on the success of Environmentally Sensitive Areas. As well as ESAs, there are other schemes available to farmers such as the Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme. In addition, an opportunity to develop a coherent framework for the delivery of a number of environmental schemes has presented itself as a result of the CAP reform. However, Government support should not be thought of as the only source of extra income for hill farmers. The farmer and the farmer's family should use every opportunity open to them to maximize their income.


2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 96-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Morgan-Davies ◽  
Tony Waterhouse ◽  
Ron Wilson
Keyword(s):  

1992 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 179-182
Author(s):  
A. Waterhouse ◽  
L. C. Roger ◽  
S. W. Ashworth

Lamb mortality is high in hill farming systems. This is not a new phenomenon. Orr and Fraser (1932) reported losses of lambs between birth and weaning of over 30% and indeed an annual ewe death rate of up to 24%.Poor nutrition, of both macro- and micro-nutrients, is a prime cause of this problem exaggerated by difficult environmental conditions at the time of birth. Improved nutrition during late pregnancy was believed to be the most important (Wallace, 1948) and nutrition during mid pregnancy received scant attention. However, applied experiments with mid-pregnancy feeding of hill ewes (Milne, 1984; Waterhouse and McClelland, 1987) showed very significant effects of better nutrition during this period. The present paper summarizes the implementation of improved mid-pregnancy nutrition in a monitored systems study, associated with changes in management in late pregnancy made possible by assessment of foetal numbers from ultrasound pregnancy scanning.


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