Farmer Profile: Neville and Margeret Stacey

Margaret and Neville Stacey

The Aberdeen-Angus breed is playing a key role in the switch to organic farming at Garth Fach, Llidiartywaen, Llanidloes, Powys, where Neville and Margaret Stacey have been breeding Aberdeen-Angus cattle commercially for 19 years.

Mr and Mrs Stacey decided in 1990 to switch from Continental to Aberdeen-Angus cross cows on their high-lying 320-acre all-grass hill unit because of the breed’s easy calving advantages and low-cost maintenance. Aberdeen-Angus also gave them the opportunity of breeding their own female replacements and benefiting from the premium prices available for Aberdeen-Angus prime cattle.

“We wanted to move away from “ever hungry” Continental crosses to a breed more suitable for a grass-based system,” says Mr Stacey.

“It is the best move we have ever made and the breed has fully lived up to our expectations. The Aberdeen-Angus cattle are easily maintained on a low-cost system in fairly harsh conditions – the land goes up to 1300ft – and the cows calve unassisted which is a big plus point.”

Mr and Mrs Stacey also appreciated the stability which the Aberdeen-Angus brought to their farming enterprise as a result of the stable pricing policy adopted by Dovecote Park and high premiums available for Aberdeen-Angus finished cattle.

“We wanted a breed that would keep us – rather than the other way around – and we got that with the Aberdeen-Angus,” says Mr Stacey.

The herd has been expanded to 60 cows and breeding heifers, two thirds of which are now pure-bred Aberdeen-Angus, and it has now been decided to switch from finishing to selling stores and breeding heifers following the loss of the Beef Special Premium – which was previously the profit – and to take advantage of the grants available for environmental schemes and organic conversion.

“We sell our steers at 14-16 months at around 460kg and our heifers for bulling at 18-24 months and the ‘phone never stops ringing from people looking to buy Aberdeen-Angus stores or breeding heifers,” Mr Stacey says. “Our calves are not pushed and receive very little concentrates.

“We sell the cattle straight off the farm on a weight basis and have been very happy with the returns.”

The farm reached organic status last June and has benefited from a £150/ha payment under the Organic Aid Scheme during the two-year conversion period and will receive an annual £40/ha payment for the next three years.

The farm is also in the third year of a five-year programme under the Tir Gofal Agricultural Environmental Scheme which pays a grant of £165/ha for the maintenance of hay meadows – plus a 10% supplement for keeping cattle.

“The Aberdeen-Angus is about the only breed which can thrive on the lower quality fodder from the hay meadows,” Mr Stacey maintains. “We are not allowed to fertilise the grass and we can’t cut it for hay until July.”

The Aberdeen-Angus herd has been expanded at the expense of the sheep flock because Mr Stacey found the cattle were more easily managed and more profitable.

Cows calve in April/May, mostly outdoors, and calves are weaned in January after housing in November. The longevity of the cows is another benefit Mr Stacey has found from using Aberdeen-Angus. Outwintering is not an option because of the 50 inch rainfall.

Steers are sold off grass in August/September and bulling heifers over the winter.

Mr and Mrs Stacey are now becoming a couple familiar to shoppers in Wales with their photograph adorning the Aberdeen-Angus service counters as part of the supermarket’s Welsh beef promotion.