GCA’s Monitor Farm programme is expanding this autumn to include eight more arable farms across England and Wales, bringing the total to 20.

It is a UK-wide scheme run by HGCA –the cereals and oilseeds division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board – which aims to help farms stay successful despite current challenging circumstances – falling grain prices and increasing costs of production among them.

Current monitor farmer Rob Fox, from Squab Hall near Leamington Spa, said: “With UK arable farms again under pressure from low prices and a large world harvest it is now as important as ever to really know your cost of production. Through the use of benchmarking and knowledge sharing the Monitor Farm programme is helping us to do this, and helping us to farm more efficiently.”

HGCA Monitor Farms are normal commercial farms, representative of enterprises and conditions in their area, where the host farmer is prepared to allow neighbouring farms access to the farm and to their decision-making process. Monitor Farms are a proven, effective method of knowledge transfer with a farmer-led, farmer-centred and farmer-driven agenda.

Each monitor farmer will be in the scheme for three years, hosting meetings of local growers to share best practice and knowledge. The monitor farmers, their steering group and associated HGCA Arable Business Groups will deliver benchmarking activity and peer review of decision-making on farm. While highlighting cost of production and efficiency, this will also bring a new focus on day-to-day farm decision-making.

The eight new Monitor Farms launching this autumn are:

• York: David Blacker, launch event: 31 October 2014.

• Bath: Rob Addicott, launch event: 4 November 2014.

• Winchester: Ian Cammack, launch event: 6 November 2014.

• Stowmarket: Brian Barker, launch event: 14 November 2014.

• Berwick-upon-Tweed: Richard Reed, launch event: 18 November 2014.

• Newport, Shropshire: Sam Watson-Jones, launch event: 2 December 2014.

• Cardiff: Julian Radcliffe, launch event 4 December 2014.

• Huntingdon: Russell McKenzie, launch event: 11 December 2014.

ichard Laverick, HGCA Head of Regional Development, said: “The whole Monitor Farm concept represents a rare opportunity for the industry and has the potential to be a powerful knowledge transfer tool – peer review and learning from each other are critical aspects. This is a major initiative for HGCA, demonstrating a regional shift in our approach to engaging with cereals growers and a significant investment in order to deliver it.

“It is farmer participation, collaboration and review of decision taking that makes this a successful approach. Grower participation at each event will be important; at the launch events, for example, break-out groups deliver their own SWOT analysis of the monitor farm with the aim to inform the programme of activity and development on-site.

“Business improvement is a crucial part of the Monitor Farm programme,” he added. “With grain at prices not seen for four years, it has become even more important for farmers to understand their costs of production. A survey carried out by HGCA in 2013 indicated that, of growers questioned, only 13% knew their costs per tonne.

“Benchmarking business performance in a facilitated group setting, based around the Monitor Farm and using HGCA’s CropBench+ tool is a powerful mechanism to build understanding and spread best practice,” said Mr Laverick.

To attend one of these launch meetings, interested arable farmers should contact their HGCA Regional Manager.

• Berwick-upon-Tweed and York – north@hgca.ahdb.org.uk.

• Winchester and Bath – south@hgca.ahdb.org.uk.

• Huntingdon and Stowmarket – east@hgca.ahdb.org.uk.

• Cardiff and Newport, Shropshire – west@hgcab.ahdb.org.uk