Farmcare unveils mixed farming ambitions for former Co-op land

摘要

A move to mixed farming is part of a 10-year plan for Farmcare, the 20,000ha arable business formerly owned by the Co-op.The plan includes ￡10m of investment in buildings, equipment, drainage and a change in rotation and enterprise mix.Grassland and cattle will be introduced over the next 18 months on three farms run by Britain's biggest lowland farmer.Where catde are not part of the plan, rotations will be extended with triticale, grass or other alternative cropping to tackle pests, including blackgrass, and to improve soil health, said chief executive officer Richard Quinn.There were issues with the short planting rotations of recent times, he said. "We need to improve the soil structure and start to build up reserves."