A Carmarthenshire suckler farm is exceeding the performance of Wales’ top third upland herds with a gross margin of £639 a cow.

In 10 years, Philip Jones has shaved 36 days off his calving index, cut heifer age at first calving to 24 months and eliminated BVD from his herd.

Year on year gains in breeding, herd health and grassland management have helped the business make a profit from suckler beef at Lan Farm, near Cynwyl Elfed.

The most recent data from the Wales Farm Business Survey reveals that the top third of upland suckler farms are making a gross margin of £531 a cow, the average £347.

By adopting a low input-high output system – the farm is organic – and getting to grips with fertility, nutrition and cost control, the performance of Mr Jones’ herd is nearly twice the average.

In 2020 every cow generated an average of £960 in calf sales and in 2021 the cows achieved a 100% conception rate.

Mr Jones farms with support from his wife, Shân, a secondary school teacher, and their son, Gwion, who is studying agriculture and also works in the business.

They run a herd of 100 Black Limousins and 20 followers, a breed they favour for its maternal traits, notably calving ease, and because the stock are good at converting forage to meat and milk.

The farm has been organic for 13 years.

The nudge to convert came when he took on more land - they did that but didn’t increase stock numbers; the land is stocked at an average of 0.98 livestock units per hectare.

“We cut out inputs and captured the organic premium,’’ Mr Jones explains.

Among the key areas that make his suckler herd profitable are block calving, over 10 weeks from March to May, and calving heifers at 24 months.

Heifers that don’t get in calf in the seven-week breeding window are sold as stores.

Mr Jones says it can be a struggle to get enough in calf in that period but sticking rigidly to the policy underpins future herd fertility.

In 2021, 20 of the 38 heifers were in calf after seven weeks – a 53% conception rate.

An animal health plan, which is reviewed annually, has been crucial in eradicating and preventing disease at Lan Farm.

“This is where we went wrong 15 years ago, we didn’t vaccinate, we were firefighting diseases rather than preventing them,’’ Mr Jones recalls.

He joined the Premium Cattle Health Scheme in 2009 and the herd has been BVD accredited since 2013.

The herd is screened for BVD. “I would encourage every farmer to get involved in Gwaredu BVD,’’ he says.

All calves have been tag and tested for the disease since 2013.

Breeding stock are vaccinated for BVD and leptospirosis and youngstock are vaccinated for pneumonia two months before housing.

The farm vet is closely involved in herd health decisions.

The relationship between a farm business and vet is an important one, Mr Jones reckons.

“Once you do down the disease prevention route you see and talk more to your vet, it stops you getting complacent.

“We see more of our vet than ever but at the same time our bills have come down.’’

Being highly organised means that the day to day running of the farm can be done by one person, allowing the family opportunities to earn off-farm.

Mr Jones works for up to two days a week as a farmer mentor for the Gwaredu BVD, a Welsh initiative that helps farmers address BVD in their herds, and is also a relief milker, off-farm work that enables him to diversify without capital outlay.

Contractors are used for harvesting.

Last year the business replaced its tractor for the first time in 18 years.

“It makes better use of labour now that Gwion is working in the business,’’ says Mr Jones.

“There is room for kit if you use it properly, a quad and a telehandler we couldn’t live without, but a new tractor wasn’t needed until recently – now that we have it we have more control in how we use our time because we can fit farm jobs in around our other work.’’