Depends what we select when we order. I am always looking for what I think will be the best performance not just looks. Also 20 grain bats are getting less and less so I am always looking ahead at what will be the norm over the next few years. I must say though that all the bats I had as a pro were always between 8 and 10 grains also had a couple of great 1 day bats that were only about 5/6 grains.
Our suppliers have sent notification out for next year that the quality of the grade 1 bats are dropping too as the weather apparently has affected the growth. Here is the mail. This is why we should try and support the small hand made companies as it is getting harder by the year to get hold of the best willow as the big brands are dominating the market and therefore us minnows don't get the same choice to provide you the public with the best bats possible. Our supplier is fantastic with us and we are lucky that he looks after us as much as he can as a business but the more we can buy from him the better.
Dear Customer,
2014
We have just completed working out prices for this next year, 2014.
Unfortunately, there is going to be an increase again with more on the Grades 1, 2 and Hand Made Mens and less on the other grades, I can assure you we have done everything possible to keep rises to a minimum, especially on Grade 3 where the growth is in the production.
Price rises are due to ever increasing costs of transport, labour, tree felling and raw material , but most of it is due to the fact that we have invested over £424,000 in new tree planting, new nursery beds and maintenance of trees from May 2012 to April 2013, the most we have ever done. Over the last 8 years this has increased by a much higher percentage than in the past. This figure is only going to increase annually as no other willow supplier is doing anything like this number to ensure the future of the industry for English Cricket Bat Willow in the UK.
Competitors of ours are cutting trees we have planted and looked after, the willow tree grower is just taking the best price and not looking at what we have done for them over many years we have looked after them. I am afraid some of our customers are also to blame, buying clefts from untrustworthy suppliers who are cheaper but are not replanting as they should be. All English Willow suppliers must re plant at least two for one of good quality willow trees, if you only plant one for one you will not have enough trees as up to 1 in 3 will can die in their lifetime if not looked after correctly. We planted 22,000 in the winter of 2012 and are planning an annual planting of 25,000 within a few years, this all has to be paid for.
There are also only a couple of suppliers controlling the spread of watermark disease, which is being found in increasing amounts this year due to the warm and wet weather we have had. Some suppliers are just taking the best trees from farmers land and leaving the diseased ones, therefore after 2 or 3 years doing this all that is left is diseased trees. We travel to any of our growers sites and clear diseased trees as soon as we find them.
The Grading Specification has also changed slightly as we are getting more and more wide grain trees, a trend we have been advising you all about for many years, it is up to you all to educate the public. You need to explain that it is due to increasing wet and warm growing conditions in the UK, increasing amounts of fertiliser going into the land from farmers and their crops as well as farmers planting the trees in areas that encourage faster growth so that they can get their investment back quicker.
The % of specials available is being reduced to 2.5% from 5% and the Grade 3 percentage in a mix of Grades 1, 2 and 3 is increasing to 60% with Grade 1 remaining at 15% and Grade 2 reducing to 25%, merely because that is the mix from the production. I have taken out the bit about 20% more colour in a Grade 1 and 2 as I have not been doing this for the last 3 years anyway and no one has complained about too much colour with 7 or more grains.
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Topic: Clefts (Read 8292 times)