We are looking for four farms toeach produce a 29t truck of Beetleblocker winter OSR on a buy-back contract withCope Seeds and Grain.

Seed will cost 80 per pack for untreatedRGTBeetleblocker(therefore a derogation will be needed). Each pack drills 1ha.

The price for the harvested crop is 630 per tonne ex farm and will be movedbyDecemberandBased on 1.3t/ha. We would be looking for areas of approximately 22ha.

RGTBeetleblockeris an OSR varietywhich hasBlackmillionmixed with Fenugreek to deterfleabeetle,and Berseem Clover to help fixnitrogen and suppress weeds. The seeds come in 1ha packs and can be drilled together.

The breeder claims a 70% reduction in thefleabeetlewhen sown with Fenugreek. Click herefor the factsheet.

It has been apparent for a number of years but never more so than now, thatthe UK doesntproduce enough home protein organically.

At Cope Seeds, weve been working hard to find alternatives for organic growers and after a meeting with a UK breeder, we are able to offerthisorganic oilseed rape contractopportunitybased on their new RGTBeetleblockerOSR and companion crop mixture.

The ideal drilling window is early-mid August.

We understand the issues surrounding oilseed rape conventionally which is why the area has shrunk to half of what it used to be but this method of companion cropping looks extremely interesting and positive. This is very early days andisa risk which is why we would only be looking for 1 truck from 4 farms as we do not want a grower to take on all of the area.

The potential in yield is variable but based on achieving 1.3t/ha the contract is competitive to winter beans. There is potential for the crop to yield much more than this, but equally we cannot ensure a guaranteed yield of 1.3t/ha either. We have managed to get an interest in this from the poultry market and if successful,itcould help replace some of the organic rapeseed that is currently imported into the UK.

If you would like to express interest in this opportunity, please contact GemmaClarke e:GemmaC@copeseeds.co.ukor Taylor Mooree:Taylor@copeseeds.co.ukor call01529 421081.