Europe Intelligence Wire articles from September 2004, page 460

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from September 2004

It's too good, or too bad!
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Whenever people meet, one of the inevitable topics of conversation is the weather. You know how it goes: it's too cold; it's too warm; I wish this rain would stop; we badly need a shower of rain. Farmers are...

PEOPLEPLACES: The Longest of Briars.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Drumquin was first made famous By verses in a song Now we're famous once again When the threshers came along A lot of background planning And phone calls here and there Made Drumquin the record-breakers With twenty more...

Allister to meet with Minister.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) MEP Jim Allister is to meet the Agricultural Minister, Ian Pearson. "This is just the latest of a series of meetings that I am having with key players within the agricultural sector," the DUP man explained. At...

MAKE-A-DATE DIARY: Make a Date - Saturday September 4 - Friday September 24.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) SATURDAY, September 4: Car boot sale and poultry fair, Arnold Hall car park, Spa Presbyterian Church, noon (all welcome); 51st World Ploughing Match, Foyleview Farm, Station Road, Ballykelly; Co Londonderry YFC disco...

Cheese festival is tasty stuff.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Thousands of foodies and overseas food buyers will journey to Oxfordshire this autumn for the Great British Cheese Festival. The market development consultancy, Food from Britain (FFB), is again sponsoring this...

Helen takes top post at Soil Association.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) The Soil Association has appointed Helen Browning as its Food & Farming Director. Through this new post, Helen will direct the Soil Association's local food initiatives, and work closely with producers and regional...

Buffalo meat on the menu.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Saudi Arabia may become the second largest market for Indian buffalo meat, after Malaysia, following the removal of an import ban in March this year. Indian exports to Saudi Arabia were banned in 1982 following the...

Kemira buys Hungarian fertiliser plant.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) KEMIRA GrowHow has signed an agreement on the purchase of Transcenter Kft, a well-established Hungarian fertiliser factory. In addition to the local production capacity, the transaction also strengthens Kemira GrowHow's...

Auction signals softening milk price.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) The price of milk eased at this week's United Dairy Farmers' auction. The price of milk for October, November and December was down more than one pence per litre against last month to an average price of 21.12...

LMC appoints new senior economist.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Jelmer Hania (35) has been appointed as the Livestock and Meat Commission's new senior economist. Jelmer ( pictutred) is from a farming background in County Friesland, The Netherlands. The home farm had pedigree...

MP calls for action over 5% heifer rule.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) DUP leader, Dr Ian Paisley, MLA, MP, has called on the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to resolve problems arising from the five per cent minimum heifer rule for 2003 claims. Dr Paisley has claimed...

Blood test planned.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: RICHARD HALLORAN In June of last year, Farm Minister, Ian Pearson, the set up a working group to review the use of the Gamma Interferon blood test for TB in Northern Ireland, writes RICHARD HALLORAN. ...

New measures to control TB, brucellosis on the way.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) MINISTER, Ian Pearson, has committed an additional pounds 4 million, to be spent over the next three years, in an effort to deal more effectively with bovine brucellosis and TB in Northern Ireland. The new money...

Unionist spokesman urges clarity.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) ULSTER Unionist Assembly spokesman on agriculture, Tom Elliott, has welcomed measures that will help control tuberculosis and brucellosis. The MLA is, however, querying whether the DARD proposals announced this week...

Difficult challenges ahead, insists UFU.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) NEW TB and brucellosis controls will be very challenging for the farming industry, according to the Ulster Farmers' Union. The UFU said that moves to control the diseases had to be supported, but warned that some of...

More restrictions, says Poots.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) DUP Agricultural spokesperson, Edwin Poots, MLA, has expressed concerns about the effects that the new measures to control both TB and brucellosis will have on livestock producers within Northern Ireland. Commenting...

SAC bid to harness cow behaviour.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) FOLLOWING a review of cattle handling facilities available world -wide, the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) is supporting the uptake of an approach to cattle handling facilities, pioneered by Dr Temple Grandin in...

Border Leicester show for Ballymoney.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) THE first of the season's shows and sale of pedigree Border Leicester sheep takes place next week. Organised by the Ulster Ram Breeders' Association, the event takes place in Ballymoney Mart on Thursday (September...

Business as usual for Russian beef.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) A major loss in trade in animal products to Russia has been avoided by the introduction of uniform veterinary trade certificates, allowing European Union exports of live animals and animal products to continue from...

Greyface are simply the best.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) We have been breeding Greyface sheep on this farm for 71 years when out late father purchased the unit. In fact, he bred Greyfaces also. We find the Greyface to be very lively at birth and they have the ability to...

World Ploughing Organisation is praised by DARD official.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) PAT Toal, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, has commended the World Ploughing Organisation for effectively promoting, developing and delivering high quality match ploughing...

Machine that saves time labour and cash on farms.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: DAVID MCCOY OCCASIONALLY in agriculture, someone comes up with a really good idea that is practical and makes a useful contribution to the farm business. And, more often than not, that someone is a busy...

Pay up now urges Walsh.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: DAVID MCCOY IRISH Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh, has been urged to make an immediate 70 per cent advance Arable Aid payment to the country's grain farmers in order to alleviate severe cashflow...

Thumbs up for report.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) The Government of Canada has welcomed the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body report, which confirms the findings in an earlier WTO Panel report that the practices of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) are...

Farming newslines.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) * IN spite of the ongoing beef ban, Taiwan's pig production in 2004 is estimated to grow less than one per cent, to 9.5 million head, according to reports. Pork production continues to be limited by a persistent...

Unions meet to discuss potatoes.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Representatives from the Ulster Farmers' Union and Irish Farmers' Association Potato Committees met this week to discuss a variety of issues affecting the potato industry. High on the agenda was the joint...

EU funding for promotions up for grabs.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) EUROPEAN Union funding is available to trade organisations for promotional measures that are aimed at increasing the information on, and sales of, certain agricultural products of EU origin in specified non-EU...

Japan and US postpone talks on beef.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) The policy talks between Japan and the US on a resumption to beef trade, which were expected to take place in August, have now been delayed. The Japan Food Safety Commission is currently holding consumer seminars...

Nitrates red tape slammed.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: DAVID MCCOY A NITRATES action programme for the Republic of Ireland is tied up in red tape, it has been claimed. And the and costs were unacceptable, the Irish Farmers' Association said. A number...

LETTER: Time to tell the people what policy exists.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) IS it too much to ask for a consistent position from the Ulster Unionist Party? This problem has been highlighted by statements from David Trimble, Reg Empey, Dermot Nesbitt and Chris McGimpsey, and by the recent...

LIFESTYLE: Fancy some breakfast. . . Honey.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) MONDAY sees the start of Kellogg's National Breakfast Week. To many this is the most important meal of the day. Going without breakfast, especially for children, can lead to dips in energy levels and...

RUGBY: Ulster won't dwell on past.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: CELTIC LEAGUE RUGBY BY RICHARD MULLIGAN THOSE not in the know may be forgiven thinking Ulster's trip to Murrayfield today (3pm) is a case of points in the bag against Edinburgh. Either side of claiming...

Take care of your hedgerow trees.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: CHRISTINE BUTLER - COUNTRYSIDE MANAGEMENT BRANCH, DARD HEDGEROWS, and, in particular, hedgerow trees, are a traditional feature of our countryside. More than half of all the broadleaved trees in Northern...

Who concerns over flu.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) The World Health Organisation (WHO) is investigating evidence that pigs have contracted a highly infectious strain of bird flu, the first time such transmission has been noted. It has sent scientists to China's...

UFU WATCH: Beef price anger.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: BRUSSELS BRIEF The current annual deficit in beef production in Europe, estimated at up to one million tonnes, should be offering the beef industry great opportunities to take advantage of an under supplied...

UFU WATCH: Potato harvest looking good.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Feedback from UFU growers is that this years potato crop is in very good condition in terms of both yield and quality. The UFU says this has the potential to be a good year for growers if potatoes are well marketed and...

UFU WATCH: UFU members visit stand at World Championships.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Many UFU members have been visiting the Union stand at the World Ploughing Championships in Ballykelly. The stand is also open today ( Saturday). As well as enjoying the event and taking part in the UFU/Farming...

UFU WATCH: What do you want out of Rural Development.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: COMMODITY WATCH THE next round of Rural Development funding spanning from 2007 to 2013 is currently the hot debate in Brussels. Our current round of Rural Development funding is complicated and highly...

UFU WATCH: One-to-one CAP advice clinics.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) The Ulster Farmers' Union is to host onetoone clinics for farmers to assist them in planning for the new Single Farm Payment. This will be an exclusive service for Union members and more details will be published...

Farming Life Markets Ballyclare August 27 Dairy Cows (15) sold to: A Hoey, Glenwherry, Fr calved cow, pounds 840; R McCluggage, Larne, Fr calved cow, pounds 810; RJ and JA Wright, Stoneyford, Fr calved hfr, pounds 780; D Gillespie, Doagh, Fr calved cow, p.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Suckler Cows (30) sold to: VN Fleck, Broughshane, Lim cow and bull calf, pounds 950; RJ Millar, Aughafatten, Lim hfr and bull calf, pounds 850, Lim hfr and hfr calf, pounds 770; R McCurdy, Broughshane, Lim hfr and bull...

Farming Life Markets A large entry of 470 bullocks sold to a firm trade with quality again to the fore.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) P Conway, Drumnakilly 490k, pounds 690, 485k, pounds 675, 480k, pounds 668; T Elliot, Dungannon 545k, pounds 730, 520k, pounds 695; P Mullan, Beragh 455k, pounds 630; H McClure, Fivemiletown 400k, pounds 580, 505k,...

Firm trade for 1,500 ewes and ewe lambs at Enniskillen.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) THE future of sheep production looks encouraging, according to the annual autumn show and sale of breeding ewes and sale of rams at Enniskillen Mart on Monday. With an entry of more than 1,500 ewes and ewe lambs,...

Lancaster Holstein bull show champion makes 2,200gns.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) ALTHOUGH there was a wide choice of bulls available for sale a steady trade was seen at the Lancaster Holstein bull show and sale on Thursday. The judge, William Towers (Aldington), president of HUK, awarded the...

7,000 lots set for multi-breed sale.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: DAVID MCCOY ONE - if not the - biggest multi-breed ram sales in the world is being held in Scotland next week, writes DAVID McCOY. Almost 7,000 lots are entered for the annual ram sale at Kelso on...

Alpacas sell to 3,800gns at Borderway.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) LOCAL and distant Alpaca breeders filled the auction ring for the first collective sale to be held at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, on Monday. Leading the sale, at 3,800 guineas, was a homebred white stud male from...

Irish board increases butter price.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: DAVID MCCOY THE Irish Dairy Board this week adjusted its August butter price, increasing it by EUR75/tonne (pounds 50/tonne). This improvement was made in view of the better than expected performance of...

Oliver to inspect Texels at NI show and sale.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) GARETH Oliver has accepted an invitation from the Northern Ireland Texel Sheepbreeders' Club to inspect stock entered for its main show and sale in Dungannon. This event, on Saturday, September 11, takes places just...

Rare breeds show and sale in York.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) A TWO-DAY autumn show and sale of rare and minority breeds, on behalf of The Rare Breeds Survival Trust and York Centre Support Group, is being held in York Auction Centre next month. The event includes cattle,...

URBA Blackface Section gears up for annual sale.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) ANOTHER year and the Ulster Ram Breeders' Association (Blackface Section) is gearing up for its only show and sale, being held in Ballymoney Mart on Thursday and Friday, September 16 and 17. 17. This is the second...

Demand for potatoes remains low.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) DEMAND for potatoes is still poor in the Republic of Ireland, but an Irish Farmers' Association spokesman said that the expected lift should materialise as schools re-open. "Dublin wholesale market remains quiet,''...

Production of turkeys in the US slips back.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) THE United States Department of Agriculture estimates that the 263 million turkeys raised in the US in 2004 will be four per cent less than the number raised in 2003. USDA predicts that North Carolina, which ranks...

Texel tups top NI farm trails.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) PURE Blackface flocks only on the highest, hard hill land, but Blackface run with Texels tups elsewhere in the uplands to give more lambs, higher grades, bigger cheques and replacement ewes! How the hill sheep...

Farming briefs Bush - friend of US pork producers.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) President George W Bush is a friend of US pork producers - that's official! National Pork Producers Council president, Keith Berry, a pork producer from Greencastle, Indiana, announced that the NPPC was presenting...

Store lashed for 'reckless' pricing.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: DAVID MCCOY A leading supermarket come under fire for "reckless price-cutting on Irish vegetables''. Irish Farmers' Association Fresh Produce Co-ordinator, P J Jones, slammed Superquinn's latest fresh...

Think local, act global. . . Plea to rural businesses.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) COLLAGE (Coleraine Local Action Group for Enterprise) is actively seeking up to 20 rural businesses in the Coleraine Borough Council area to undertake an innovative and stimulating ICT training programme - which could...

Beef Shorthorns on the Antrim Coast.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: JIM WILSON LAST week, I visited Tommy Morton, who farms high above the Antrim coast roas overlooking the scenic countryside around the village of Ballygally. His farm, which extends to 500 acres, is...

Busy week for society.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) THE The Suffolk Sheep Society (Northern Ireland Branch) is holding three shows and sales this incoming week. The show at Enniskillen Mart on Monday (September 6) is being judged by Miss Elizabeth Gould from...

Suffolks Suffolks sell to Kilrea double.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) A large crowd attended the Suffolk Sheep Society (Northern Ireland Branch) show and sale in Kilrea Mart on Monday evening. "A super trade throughout the sale with quality stock realising quality prices,'' said a...

Breeders in charity mood.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) A group of Shropshire Holstein breeders have got together to organise a fund-raising evening to support People with Amylotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (PALS) Ireland, a newly-formed charity for research into this type of...

Limousins destined for Kilrea.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) SATURDAY, September 18, is an important date for the Limousin calendar as a quality selection of breeding females together with a few young bulls are due to come under the hammer in Kilrea Mart. A major reduction...

Spectacular planned.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) NORTHERN Ireland Young Limousin Breeders are rounding off yet another successful show season with their young handlers competition and calf spectacular in Moira Pedigree Sales Arena on Saturday, September 11. The...

Crossgar poised for big day.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) CROSSGAR and District Cross Community Vintage and Classic Club is staging its second annual threshing demonstration and vintage display on Saturday, September 25. Last year's event was a great success with pounds...

Pedigree Texels bound for Ballymoney.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) ROBERT Calvin, event senior convenor, has revealed 292 pedigree Texels are bound for the breed show and sale in Ballymoney Mart next Wednesday evening (September 8). Sponsored by Fort Dodge Animal Health, the...

Environment the topic in Pearson debate . . .
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) RSPB and WWF Northern Ireland met with Agricultural Minister, Ian Pearson, and senior Department of Agriculture and Rural Development officials on Wednesday as part of an on-going process during the reform of Common...

Shearling goes into record books.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: DAVID MCCOY A shearling ram from Devon breeder, Malcolm Yeo, broke the Berrichon du Cher record price when it fetched 2,400 guineas last Friday at the breed's annual show and sale at Borderway Mart,...

Zwartbles hold inaugural show and sale.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: DAVID MCCOY THE inaugural show and sale of Zwartble rams and females at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, last Friday achieved a top price of 1,050 guineas for an MV accredited shearling ewe from Malcolm Short, of...

FARMHOUSE CORNER: Time to make help save our Farm House.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: NIKI HILL IF YOU have visited Yorkshire, you will have noted the scattering of stone barns in the lush pastures where the sheep graze. They are a reminder of the glory days of wool production in this part of...

EQUESTRIAN WORLD: Emily and Vina book tickets for Birmingham.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) HILLSBOROUGH pony showjumper Emily Turkington, and Scarva pony owner Vina Buller have returned from Weston Lawn show near Birmingham with their 128cms ponies now qualified for the prestigious Horse of the Year show in...

EQUESTRIAN WORLD: Yvette in top form at Necarne Castle.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) YVETTE Truesdale showed just why she is Northern Ireland's leading dressage rider with a commanding performance at the summer finals at Necarne Castle last Saturday. The Newcastle, County Down resident started her...

EQUESTRIAN WORLD: Celebration time for Lady Blackwood.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) WHO celebrated a hectic birthday bash recently complete with 'bucking broncos' and skittles for the guests? None other than Lady Perdita Blackwood of Cavallo Farm, daughter of Maureen Marchioness of Ava and Dufferin....

EQUESTRIAN WORLD: Equestrian Briefs.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) THE former Ulster owned Flowing River which won two Dublin supreme titles with Willie and Ann Lyons of Ballynahinch before being sold back to her breeder Derry Rothwell two years ago won four titles at the recent...

EQUESTRIAN WORLD: Equestrian.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) TIFFCRUM Almighty by Fairman formerly owned by Liam McGarry from Ballycastle and now owned by Ronnie Hollinger of Ballybay, won the Equimax 1m 20 qualifier at the recent Limerick Show with Delyth Collins on board. ...

Armstrong calls for 'financial help'.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: DAVID MCCOY ULSTER Unionist Assembly Member for Mid-Ulster, Billy Armstrong yesterday demanded that Government "considers providing financial assistance for farmers hit by the 'abnormal weather' this...

John steps down.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) JOHN Beckett has retired as chairman of Genus after 10 years in office. John, a Cheshirebased agri-businessman, who is president elect of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, was appointed to Genus's...

Organic growth.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) THE organic food market in the United States will generate $5.3 billion (pounds 2.9 billion) in sales in 2004 - an 81 per cent increase over 2001 sales, according to a survey. The survey found that 44 per cent of US...

Australian Pork set to take stock.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) THE Australian pork industry's peak representative body, Australian Pork Ltd has welcomed the announcement by Treasurer, Peter Costello, and Minister for Agriculture, Warren Truss, of an inquiry by the Productivity...

Countess' Texel flock dispersed.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Byline: DAVID MCCOY THE Countess of Swinton, Masham, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, dispersed her Dykeshill Flock of Texels in Borderway Mart, Carlisle, last Friday, writes DAVID McCOY. The sale comprised 27...

Prioritising your house improvements.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) THE month of September usually sees livestock producers assessing the state of their housing stock and prioritising on what repairs and improvements can be made. But in the current climate of poor prices and an...

Strength to strength with Abbey diet feeder.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) While the machinery trade is going through a tough time at present, Abbey Farm Equipment, the well-known and respected manufacturer, continues to be very busy. This is due in no small way to the success of their...

Flexibility and comfort in new cubicle range.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Cubicle design is key in delivering the all-important "cow comfort" factor in any shed used to house dairy cows during the winter months. But Murphy's Law dictates that despite the closest inspections prior to...

DIAL backing for Bath and West Dairy Show.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) IN an exciting new initiative, DIAL (Dairy Industry Association Ltd), has teamed up with the Royal Bath & West of England Society to host a dairy trade exhibition at the Bath and West Dairy Show at Shepton Mallet on...

Slaughtering in Republic falls back 11%.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) THE number of cattle slaughtered in the Republic of Ireland during July 2004 was 11 per cent lower than in July 2003, according to the Central Statistics Offce. A comparison of July 2004 and 2003 figures shows that:...

Controllable heat for grain drying.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) Whatever your crop, Calor can provide clean, cost-effective and controllable power for both mobile and static grain dryers, Propane burns cleanly, producing no soot or sulphurous fumes. So your crops can be dried...

Disinfestation of grain using hot-air dryers.
September 4, 2004... (From Newsletter) WHEN grain has become infested in store, particularly when close to time of sale, there is a need for a rapid nonchemical means of making it fit for the market. Heat disinfestation has been shown to be a viable...