6 replies to this topic

[Piglet]

Can anyone please tell me if it is written down somewhere what the SMDs are for various animals, etc.  Piglet

[freeborn]

sorry no help i know, but what are SMD's please piglet

[Groundhog]

Piglet, on 11 January 2011 - 09:47 AM, said:

Can anyone please tell me if it is written down somewhere what the SMDs are for various animals, etc.  Piglet

remember only quote SMD's,codes of practice,animal welfare etc and John Nix figures if they add value to your plan.They can have a detrimental effect also when justifying stock no's,or financial returns.Profit on most enterprises is low unless you add value to you product.These can be used against you too !

[Piglet]

freeborn, on 11 January 2011 - 09:51 AM, said:

sorry no help i know, but what are SMD's please piglet

The Standard Man Days that planning allows per animal so that they can calculate if you need a worker or not.  There seems to be always dispute over how many man days are allowed per animal and especially difficult when unusual animals.  Piglet

[che]

Hi Piglet,

This book gives the calculations but they are based on modern intensive practiices and so like Groundhog states would be of little use to us.  There is nothing to stop you doing your own time & motion studies and include them making sure they are realistic.  Some of the planning cases give hints to the amount of time that can be allocated to marketing and direct sales.



http://www.thepocketbook.biz/

Dave C

[Piglet]

DAVE C, on 11 January 2011 - 06:44 PM, said:

Hi Piglet,

This book gives the calculations but they are based on modern intensive practiices and so like Groundhog states would be of little use to us.  There is nothing to stop you doing your own time & motion studies and include them making sure they are realistic.  Some of the planning cases give hints to the amount of time that can be allocated to marketing and direct sales.

Okay thanks for that info guys. x

http://www.thepocketbook.biz/

Dave C

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[helend]

I know this thread is old but I came across this as I am preparing a business plan for the bank and also to apply for a grant scheme and business support services available here in Wales.

The link takes you to the web page, or you can google 'YESS grant wales' click on the result for the welsh government, and on the right of the main page click on Explanatory Booklet.

http://wales.gov.uk/...1825548?lang=en

Go to the annexe at the end of the Explanatory Booklet for the table of hours.

Like Nix it relies on the modern intensive figures for farming as well, although the figures here, quoted in hours per annum, don't all equate to the same enterprises expressed in SMDs. Great!

I suppose I'm only putting this here to re-iterate previous points on how useless they are to us.

The Farm Connect service offered in Wales also uses this data to assess you; I asked where all hours for the other enterprises are - where are my alpacas? At present I am mainly horticultural but there are no hours for anything except early potatoes.

They took details of my current acreages for market garden, poly tunnel, orchard and plant nursery and told me they'd get back to me, it was a one off technical enquiry - still haven't heard - am I the only person in Wales with an orchard or poly tunnel then!!!!

It's all very confusing, I have a long slog ahead as I want the plan in the post tomorrow or Tuesday and this conflicting, basically irrelevant info doesn't help.

I might be able to use the F2F method for the planning side but when you need help with funding your projects you have nothing much else to go on than these published figures which are pants.

Is it possible for anyone to put some specific numbers based on their own enterprises, and see if they support the figures quoted in the book just to add a bit of substance? Or something like the time-motion info Che suggested above.

Maybe it could go with the 'Small is Successful' report, like a one stop shop? And also that Radio 4 piece with the pigs - that had some very good stats and quoted prices and profits that match the book and also match my own experience.

I will be taking the quote from the Nix book people's email, that those figures don't apply to our enterprises and see where that takes me.

I don't know why I'm worrying, the bank manager said he doesn't expect to see us turn a profit on 12 acres, and that my husband's wage will support the application and pay the mortgage. Very encouraging attitude, not!