Herbal leys helping suckler beef farm finish cattle at pasture
17 May 2021 |
Herbal leys are helping the Jones suckler beef farm finish cattle at pasture
Growing herbal leys is helping a Welsh suckler beef farm grow and finish cattle at pasture while reducing its nitrogen use.
At Bryn Farm, Huw and Meinir Jones grow 6.5 hectares of a seed mix incorporating deep rooting plantain and chicory and nitrogen-fixing clover.
During a recent webinar hosted by the Welsh government-funded Farming Connect, they said they had opted to include ryegrass in a mix rich in minerals to improve the longevity of the ley.
“If the chicory and plantain fade out after four or five years we will still have clover and ryegrass, explained Meinir Jones.
Dr Gillian Richardson, senior responsible officer for Wales’ Covid-19 vaccination programme, said: “Just four weeks since the first Covid-19 vaccine was approved for use in the UK and almost 50,000 people have received a vaccine.
“This is the first mass vaccination programme of its kind in Wales and the efforts by NHS Wales and Public Health Wales have been exceptional.
“The number of doses unable to be used have been incredibly low – at around 1% – and significantly below anticipated levels, thanks to the robust appointment planning and reserve lists.
“The recent approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is a real game-changer and will help us speed up our vaccination programme considerably.