AMC supports the next generation gearing up to take the reins in Pembroke

Mansel and Meurig Raymond own a large mixed farming business in South Pembrokeshire but as they both now take key roles on the national agri-political stage – Mansel as a director of First Milk and Chairman of Welsh NFU Milk Board and Vice Chairman of England and Wales Milk Board, and Meurig as Deputy President of the NFU – they have structured their management so that the next generation is running things at home.

The brothers are very conscious that for family succession to work effectively the following generation has to have equal measure of space to do the job and access to the experience the family has gathered through generations of farming. “It’s very important to encourage youngsters to stay in the business,” commented Mansel. “For the last six or seven years young people have not wanted to come into farming, and who can blame them? For some time, the sector offered poor returns linked to a lifestyle consisting of little more than hard work. If this had continued, the lack of new talent would have been a real threat to the future of British farming. But thankfully, in cereals, dairy and potatoes, our main enterprises, things have improved and we are really pleased that our children have decided to stick with the business.”

A lifetime of farming

It was very different when Mansel and Meurig started farming. The twins’ father died when they were 14, leaving them to manage a mixed farm of 290 acres, of which 200 were farmable, with 30 dairy cows, beef cattle, sheep and grain. Fortunately, two older brothers were already farming within a ten mile radius of the home farm, and on hand to provide support and advice to the teenagers. Now, 40 years later with the help of their wives and thanks to a life-long working relationship with AMC and Lloyds TSB Agriculture, the Raymond brothers’ business runs to 2,700 acres, 1,400 owner-occupied and 1,300 rented or contract farmed. The business farms two herds of 300 Holstein Friesian dairy cows, 150 acres of potatoes, 1,700 acres of cereals and oilseed rape plus a beef and fat lamb enterprise. In 2004, they began investing heavily in their dairy enterprise which has turned out to be money well spent.

Investing in the dairy enterprise

“The original buildings were out of date and rundown and couldn’t cope with the number of cows, nor offer a modern working environment. They certainly didn’t provide us with any room to expand. We either had to sell the cows or commit to new buildings and equipment. We eventually took the decision to invest,” said Mansel. At Jordanston Hall Farm the original parlour had been built in 1970 and, despite a revamp in 1977, was still in desperate need of modernisation. The brothers invested in a new 24:48 herringbone parlour, allowing them to accommodate another 100 dairy cows.

The second dairy farm, Trenewydd–Fawr, was bought in 1982 from a local farmer who had started, but not completed, building a new dairy unit which the brothers then finished. In 2004 this became a 20:40 herringbone parlour, which again provided room to increase the herd by 50 cows. The new facilities have reduced the time it takes to milk the same amount of cows by two hours on each site. The milk is sold to First Milk’s Haverfordwest creamery for cheese making. None of this growth, and the improvements that have driven it, would have been possible without AMC support. Mansel has always been a customer of AMC and has a good working relationship with his Regional Agricultural Manager, Martin Waite which, he says, is essential to running a successful business.

Strong banking relationship

“We have made a lot of investments since taking over the business in the early 1960s, and AMC has supported us by providing good advice and continued interest in our business at all times. With their help we have purchased land, grown the dairy herd and increased our crop production over the years, culminating in a £100,000 grain dryer installation in 2004 to improve size, scale, efficiency and cleanliness.”

Martin Waite, AMC Regional Agricultural Manager for Wales & West Midlands, said: “I rate the Raymond brothers’ business highly. Supported by their family, they have a very impressive set up and work hard to keep their business going in challenging times, whilst striving to do their best for others in farming through their important industry roles. AMC has a long standing relationship with the family and has developed a very good understanding of their business, which has in turn enabled us to provide the right support and advice to aid their continued growth.”

Keeping it in the family

Strong professional management and an unswerving work ethic has seen the family farm grow successfully over the last 40 years and Mansel and Meurig are not averse to picking the brains of their children. “My niece, Nicola, is in marketing and communications, currently working in the agripolitical sector in Australia; my daughter Jenny is a trainee solicitor in London and my nephew, Jonathan, works in the City as a stockbroker – everything we may need within the family to successfully run a business,” said Mansel. Mansel’s nephew Paul and son Nigel now run the farm on a day-to-day basis supported by a first class team, with the two brothers providing strategic advice. The young men are keen to develop the potato business by adding value. Currently 150 acres are dedicated to this crop, sold through Puffin Produce, a West Wales co-operative, and pre-packed for Asda. In addition to arable crops, 2,500 lambs are bought in for the winter to fatten on stubble turnips after spring barley.

What does the future hold

With other commodities on the up, there is a question mark on the future of the beef enterprise. Soaring grain prices have put the pressure on all red meats and Mansel says that consumers are going to have to pay for these increases to ensure the future viability of the sector. “Agriculture needs sustained profitability to support the continued investment necessary for farmers to meet all the regulations and enjoy a decent living. Now, finally, the outlook for certain sectors is looking better, which will hopefully encourage the younger generation to stick with farming,” he said.