Farmers Guardian articles from August 2003

Farmers Guardian archives from August 2003

Start date for fallen stock plan.
August 1, 2003... MONTHS of uncertainty, confusion and bitter wrangling over the national fallen stock collection scheme have finally come to an end with an announcement that it should, after all, be in place from the start of next year. The voluntary...

DEFRA to pay interest to 1,000 arable farmers denied set-aside payments.
August 1, 2003... DEFRA has agreed pay out hundreds of thousands of pounds in interest to about 1,000 arable farmers who had been denied legitimate payments for set-aside over the past decade. The move follows a High Court ruling in November, which backed...

Bradshaw to hold an `OP summit'.
August 1, 2003... NEW Animal Health Minister Ben Bradshaw is planning to hold an `OP summit' in December, taking forward an idea originally proposed by former Environment Minister Michael Meacher. Mr Bradshaw has asked his officials at DEFRA to `urgently'...

Butcher's water content challenge to supermarkets.
August 1, 2003... ONE of Britain's leading independent butchers has claimed supermarkets selling adulterated meat are tarnishing the reputation of the entire industry. West Country-based Gerald David has called on multiple retailers to clean up their act by...

North west area map publish date.
August 1, 2003... THE Countryside Agency has confirmed August 19 as the date it will publish the latest version of the map to determine areas of land in the upper north west of England, registered common land and open country. It affects nearly all land in...

Supermarkets in `double standards' row over beef.
August 1, 2003... LEADING UK supermarkets are facing accusations of double standards after it emerged they are selling non-farm assured South American beef, while requiring domestic producers to be farm assured. Sainsbury's has been forced to defend its...

NFU denies claims from National Beef Association.
August 1, 2003... THE National Farmers' Union has denied claims from the National Beef Association that `blatantly self-interested' dairy farmers are in favour of a system that would average out the new decoupled subsidy payments across farmers from all sectors....

Taking action for a fairer milk price.
August 1, 2003... FARMERS For Action is gearing itself up to do battle with the processors in a bid to get a fairer share of the 2p/l retail price initiative that it agreed with retailers in July. The move follows announcements from some of the leading...

Beckett defends show record.
August 1, 2003... DEFRA Secretary Margaret Beckett has been forced to defend her poor attendance at agricultural shows and rural events. She was asked in a written Parliamentary question by Conservative MP James Gray how many shows and events she has...

CAP budget under strain from cost of weather aid.
August 1, 2003... THE European Commission has warned that the CAP budget could be under pressure this autumn. This is partly because the impact the higher value of the euro against the US dollar will have on the cost of export refunds, but also because of...

WTO negotiates agenda for Cancun.
August 1, 2003... TRADE ministers from around the world met this week in Montreal in a bid to hammer out a negotiating agenda for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks in Cancun in September. Armed with the recent CAP reform deal Agriculture Commissioner...

National envelope warning.
August 1, 2003... AGRICULTURE Commissioner Franz Fischler has warned that national envelopes are not an open sesame for member states to deduct decoupled CAP payments from farmers to fund favoured schemes, writes Richard Wright. Instead he said the rules,...

Calculating the true cost of milk production.
August 1, 2003... THE overwhelming majority of Britain's dairy farmers are failing to make any profits and most are actually operating at a loss, according to the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers. Speaking in London last Thursday at the launch of...

New code of practice to keep the `yellow peril' under control.
August 1, 2003... THE National Farmers' Union has welcomed the launch by DEFRA of a code of practice to help kept ragwort under control NFU environment chairman John Seymour said the prolific yellow-flowered weed maybe beautiful to the eye, but is deadly to...

Unilever to sell off Ambrosia business.
August 1, 2003... AMBROSIA is to be sold by its owners Unilever Bestfoods UK, it was announced this week. The brand, which has made Devon synonymous with rice puddings, rose-cheeked farmers and rolling countryside, has been put up for sale following the outcome...

Suckler Premium printouts refused.
August 1, 2003... A WELSH Assembly agriculture department refusal to accept farmer computer printouts to register for Suckler Cow Premium Scheme subsidy has been attacked by Montgomeryshire AM, Mick Bates. "Despite the Assembly saying that farmers could...

Scrapie Plan temporary changes for rare breeds.
August 1, 2003... TEMPORARY arrangements for keepers of rare breeds of sheep participating in the voluntary National Scrapie Plan have been announced by Carwyn Jones, the Welsh Assembly's Environment, Planning and Countryside Minister. Farmers will now be...

Marketing the key to organic lamb financial success.
August 1, 2003... Millions of pounds has been pumped into the organic sector by the Scottish Executive in recent years in an effort to encourage more farmers to switch production. The rewards for those who get it right can be rewarding. However, the large...

Electronic ID project involves 30,000 animals.
August 1, 2003... MORE than 30,000 Welsh farm animals are now being recorded by cutting- edge computer technology. The Welsh meat development body - Hybu Cig Cymru - introduced the electronic ID evaluation project through the Farming Connect sheep and beef...

New president of RHAS.
August 1, 2003... The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society has appointed Henry Keswick, Glenkiln, Shawhead, Dumfries. president for 2003/04. Mr Keswick, who has extensive farming interests in Galloway and Angus, is chairman of Jardine Matheson, the...

DEFRA addressing staff problems.
August 1, 2003... RURAL Affairs Minister Alun Michael has hit back at claims by a committee of MPs that DEFRA is struggling to find the right staff to manage its complex affairs. A report published by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee last...

Plans for `rapid response' vets in case of outbreaks.
August 1, 2003... THE Government is planning to set up a new `rapid response' corps of 100 private sector vets, who could be called upon at short notice in the event of a major disease outbreak. The proposal, announced by Animal Health Minister Ben Bradshaw...

Solidarity against dry weather in France.
August 1, 2003... FRENCH livestock farmers are pinning their hopes on government aid in the face of a drought-induced crisis. The present situation, rated as severe as the drought of 1976, promoted French farmers to launch a campaign to persuade the French...

Call for big cat inquiry.
August 1, 2003... AN inquiry into `big cat' sightings in Wales has been called for by Welsh Liberal Democrat countryside spokesman Mick Bates AM. His comments follow further reports of big cat sightings in north Pembrokeshire. "This is a serious issue for...

YATES' VIEW: Nothing is delivered but politicians' fat cat salaries.
August 1, 2003... One of the advantages of being reasonably house trained is that I occasionally get sent out alone on food shopping expeditions. Now for a man who lives to eat, supermarket shopping is a real pleasure but there are other benefits to these...

OPINION: Constable country.
August 1, 2003... The Tony Martin story is less an issue about vulnerable farmers + despite Mr Martin being described as "the most famous farmer in Britain" + than it is a parable of modern society. Rural villages and isolated communities have become the fag...

Value for money.
August 1, 2003... WE dislike increasing our cover price because we know that our readers are careful with their money. But we are subject to the same financial realities as customers and supporters. The 5p increase announced today represents an annual rise of...

Will dairy farms cope with changes ahead?
August 1, 2003... Derek Gardner National Dairy Consultant for Promar International, assesses what the mid-term review decisions may mean in terms of dairy farm income. The first payment of the dairy premium is based on milk quota held (leased in, or owned)...

Letter: Decision-making by the unelected.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... In the early seventies, the people of the UK voted in a referendum to join the Common Market believing that it only involved the sharing of trade. We were hoodwinked by Ted Heath and are now in a situation whereby our orders on most issues...

Letter: Theories of boffins.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... IN MARCH 1996 some boffin informed the then Minister of Health that there may be a connection between BSE and CJD. What a bombshell that created. We had Professor Richard Lacey prophesising a plague of CJD of epic proportions. It...

Letter: Future depends on working together.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... IT goes without saying that the future of the milk industry will, in part, depend on working together in the supply chain in order to ensure that we producers get a greater percentage of the retail price of milk and milk products. We are all in...

Letter: Exit the EU.(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... THE current stance of the NFU on the EU makes the NFU an irrelevance to the needs of UK farmers. The best that could happen for UK farmers would be for the UK to exit the EU. Why? The continental Europeans skew the rules to their own...

Letters: SMS Views.
August 1, 2003... * Your story on Francis Holmes (FG, July 25) Much sympathy for Judith his wife who suffered 19+ years of his illness. Support Brenda Sutcliffe's fight 4 truth. from Jan, Scotland. * NO to GM. There is no scientific proof they are safe...

From covering Berlin to taking the heat as junior minister at DEFRA.
August 1, 2003... PROFILE: BEN BRADSHAW Alistair Driver speaks to new junior minister at DEFRA Ben Bradshaw about his new wide-ranging brief at the department and his transition from the media into politics. IN 1989 Ben Bradshaw's career took him right...

Future strategy heads NPA's agenda.
August 1, 2003... THE future strategy of the National Pig Association (NPA) and the site of its headquarters will be top of the agenda when the organisation's leaders meet in London at the end of this month. The NPA board will be considering the...

Optimism for herd of birth identification.
August 1, 2003... UK pig industry leaders are optimistic that they will come up with a `sensible' option for the EU-required herd of birth identification soon. This follows long discussions between DEFRA and the National Pig Association (NPA). "We are...

Countryside Awards winners announced.
August 1, 2003... The winners of the annual NFU Countryside Awards were announced at a gala lunch in London. Designed to recognise excellence across the UK's rural communities the awards highlight the achievements of individuals, communities and companies...

National Ploughing Championships.
August 1, 2003... MORE than 150 ploughmen from all over Britain will compete this autumn in the 2003 National Ploughing Championships at Brougham, near Penrith, Cumbria, by permission of Hornby Hall Farms. The championship will be held on Saturday and Sunday,...

All farmers must agree to declare Wales GM-free, says Fischler.
August 1, 2003... FRANZ FISCHLER did make it clear during his visit that under forthcoming EU legislation it would be illegal for any member state or regional administration to ban genetically modified crops - but his comments did not take into account the...

Profitable farm industry required for future farmers.
August 1, 2003... FARMERS hoping to learn more of the finer details of the CAP reform being pushed through in the coming months were not much wiser after EU Agriculture Commissioner, Franz Fischler's flying Royal Welsh Show visit. A packed round of meetings...

Ulsterman takes BGS reins.
August 1, 2003... Ulster dairy farmer Will Taylor, of Kircubbin, County Down, was elected president of the British Grassland Society for 2003-2004 at the society's annual meeting at SAC, Auchincruive Ayr. Mr Taylor, who is a former Ulster NFU chairman and is...

Investing in dairying with efficient `high input high output' system.
August 1, 2003... At a time when many farmers were looking to sell stock on the lucrative marketing following the 2001 foot-and-mouth epidemic, David Yates, of Meikle Firthhead, Haugh of Urr, Castle Douglas, decided to embark on a major expansion of his Holstein...

Rape contamination threat for conventional crops.
August 1, 2003... ANTI-GM protestors have rounded on the Government with a cry of `we told you so' after DEFRA admitted that seed from GM oilseed rape (OSR) could `persist in greater quantities in the soil than had previously been thought'. And opposers to...

Prince in favour of GM-free.
August 1, 2003... PRINCE Charles has added his voice to those questioning whether there is a place for GM crops in this country. Speaking at an event in Wales on Tuesday, the Prince, a keen supporter of organic farming, said: "We need a GM-free Wales and a...

Calls for incident inquiry.
August 1, 2003... OPPOSERS to GM technology are calling for an inquiry into threats made against a member of the Government's review panel on GM crops. During the panel's meeting on June 24, Andrew Stirling of Sussex University claimed he had been targeted...

Survey shows we are undecided over GM foods and crops.
August 1, 2003... PUBLIC opinion is split 50-50 on GM foods according to a survey published by the London School of Economics (LSE) this week. The report, `Ambivalent GM Nation?', also shows a growing proportion of the public are becoming more optimistic...

Show shrugs off the rain.
August 1, 2003... RAIN both light and heavy is something the Royal Lancashire Show could have done without in the first year on its superb new site on the banks of the River Ribble outside Ribchester. Neither that nor the switch to a mid-week fixture...

Simmental double in the beef classes.
August 1, 2003... THERE were lighter than usual entries for what is normally a real beef showcase. Nevertheless, there was a tidy line-up in some of the sections, not least the Limousins. However, it was the Simmentals which came to the fore in the second...

Saddlebacks supreme.
August 1, 2003... British Saddlebacks took the pig inter-breed pairs championship for S.L. and A.L Booth of, Lymm, Cheshire. Reserve honours went to a pair of Gloucester Old Spots from G. and M. Kiddy of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire who also went on to win the...

Holstein win in Ayrshire dominated dairy lines.
August 1, 2003... THEY won the supreme dairy championship at Stoneleigh with a Jersey, and stood top of the line again at this week's Royal Lancashire Show - but this time with a Holstein. Ex-Lancastrians Paul and Gillian Rawcliffe who now farm at...

Charollais and Ryeland out on top.
August 1, 2003... It was the Charollais breed champion, a home-bred shearling ewe from Kenton Foster, that took supreme inter-breed honours in the accredited sheep section on the first day. The Charollais ewe is part of a flock of 30 that Mr Foster runs at...

Business travel aiding rural tourism revival.
August 1, 2003... BUSINESS travellers are helping to fuel the revival of rural tourism, particularly on-farm holyday operations, in the wake of the foot-and- mouth crisis. More and more of them are demanding the added security of a locked farm steading to...

PRODUCT NEWS: Lamness drug Metacam released.
August 1, 2003... A new drug to help UK pig producers combat lameness in their sows has been launched by the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica animal health company. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory preparation, Metacam, is claimed to help reduce pain and...

PRODUCT NEWS: Fearing distributers of foot gel.
August 1, 2003... Dutch animal-footcare company Intracare have appointed Fearing as UK distributors for their Hoof-fit gel. Developed in collaboration with dairy farmers, veterinarians and hoof trimmers, the product is highly concentrated and particularly suited...

PRODUCT NEWS: Biodegradable tree shelter.
August 1, 2003... What is believed to be the world's first totally biodegradable tree and shrub shelter is being developed by Biocycle. Biocycle will start manufacturing Biotube next year. With an estimated 200 million tree shelters per year sold in the northern...

PRODUCT NEWS: Silage innoculants reduce pH.
August 1, 2003... Triumph PS and Triumph RB are two new silage inoculants from Horizon Seeds, Finney/Lock. The first is for clamp silage and the other for round bales. Both contain two strains of lactic acid producing bacteria and an enzyme to break down grass...

PRODUCT NEWS: Bedding material with a bonus.
August 1, 2003... A low-cost, sterile and highly absorbent bedding material, suitable for most stock, has an in-built bonus in terms of fertiliser value. It is based on MDF production waste in the form of flakes and fibre from the fibreboard factory at Chirk,...

PRODUCTS NEWS: Twin-Trace supplements.
August 1, 2003... Twin-Trace are compressed pellet boluses from Brigg, Lincilnshire based Agrimin. They contain selenium and cobalt and for cattle and sheep and can maintain normal levels in the animals for up to 12 months. The cost of supplementing 100 ewes...

Forage costs review offers positive rewards.
August 1, 2003... HUGE variation in output per hectare between comparable yielding dairy herds highlights significant scope for improving profitability for many farms, according to Kingshay Farming Trust technical director James Hague. Commenting on the...

Walton exports.
August 1, 2003... Walton Supreme, sire of the Royal Show Shire champion Sladbrook Stewardess, is not in Australia as stated in FG on July 18. He is in fact in Cheshire at Philip Moss's Hillmoor Farm, Congleton. However, semen from him has been exported to...

Farm assurance.
August 1, 2003... First Milk and Quality Meat Scotland have announced a partnership to reduce the costs of farm assurance accreditation for their members. From this month, Scottish farmers who are members of both organisations' farm assurance schemes will...

Countrywide.
August 1, 2003... Countrywide Farmers are opening a new store at Malvern, Worcestershire on August 16. This brings the total number of Countrywide stores to 32, covering a trading area over 28 counties. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Landmark recognition for London farmers.
August 1, 2003... THE NFU has welcomed the Government Panel report on the draft Spatial Development Strategy for London (the draft London Plan) in its recognition of the important contribution farmers make to the capital. Following evidence submitted by the...

Slimmer size from the new Quadrant mid-size baler.
August 1, 2003... A new `mid-size' square baler should give Claas a significant increase in its share of the big baler market. Based on the Quadrant 2200 but with a narrower chamber, the new Quadrant 2100 produces 80 cm wide bales while retaining the 70 cm...

Securing loads of straw turned simple.
August 1, 2003... NORTH Yorkshire farmer John Hall has devised a quick method of retrieving and storing the ratchet straps he uses to secure loads of straw. With around 400 breeding sows and a similar number of cattle, he buys some 500 acres of straw behind...

An EUnormous opportunity.
August 1, 2003... AN additional 70 million tonnes of agricultural produce, including milk and beef, will result from the enlargement eastwards of the EU, believes German machinery manufacturer Claas. Countries like Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech...

Claas has eye set on Valtra.
August 1, 2003... ALTHOUGH it has now bought into Renault Tractors, German manufacturer Claas says it is still interested in Valtra now that the Kone Corporation has decided to sell off the Finnish tractor and forestry equipment business. It is believed...

New press ring.
August 1, 2003... CLAIMED to combine the benefits of a 30 degree cutting ring, the crushing ability of a 45 degree pressing ring and the consolidation of a Cambridge roller rings, a new `shouldered press ring' has been introduced by Farm Force. The...

Simmental pair takes overall title.
August 1, 2003... THE Simmental pair, both from Lindsay and Dorothy Moffat of Dunbar, took the overall beef championship beating the Galloway pair into reserve placing at the Border Union Show at Kelso on Saturday. Earlier Mr and Mrs Moffat had taken the...

Double triumph for second year running.
August 1, 2003... FOR the second year running a South Country Cheviot from T.G.O. Douglas and Co. of Camptown, Jedburgh took both the breed and inter-breed sheep trophies at the Border Union Show in Kelso on Saturday. A delighted shepherd, Craig Weir, said:...

Princess Royal opens show exhibition hall.
August 1, 2003... THE Princess Royal visited the two-day Border Union Show at Kelso on Friday to open the Border Union Agricultural Society's new exhibition hall on its Springwood Park, Kelso Showground. The hall measures 42 metres by 24 metres and can offer...

Four win top young handler awards.
August 1, 2003... TOP young handlers in the cattle section were Andrew Hunter Blair and Louise Moffat. In the sheep lines the young handler awards went to Ian Livesey and Gregor Hepburn. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Supply and demand prices determined by harvest quality.
August 1, 2003... With most of the winter barley harvest completed and wheat now on the way, FG arable specialist Joanna Baker talked to Grainfarmers, about the current harvest, price prospects and marketing options for this season's crops. SO far, although...

Early harvest.
August 1, 2003... Britain's wheat harvest is expected to start at least a week early according to the NFU. Combines usually start to roll on 7-10 August, but if weather conditions allow, the main wheat harvest this year is more likely to begin on August 1....

Seeds take over.
August 1, 2003... Crop protection business, United Agri Products (UAP), expanded its Scottish business by taking over the Aberdeenshire arable merchanting operation of Caledonian Seeds. The sales team consisting of George Farquhar, Gordon Stewart and Eric...

Nitrogen notes.
August 1, 2003... Guidance notes on new safety regulations for high nitrogen content ammonium nitrate can now be accessed on the Fertiliser Manufacturers Association website, www.fma.org.uk. Since May 1, 2003, manufacturers and importers of solid Ammonium...

Arable recruit.
August 1, 2003... Agronomy and arable inputs suppliers, Agrovista UK, have recruited, Tim Bullock to join their Amesbury-based agronomy team in Wiltshire. A graduate of Wye Agricultural College, Mr Bullock, had been arable manager for the 4,000-acre Sternberg...

Tight control necessary to minimise risk of tuber blight.
August 1, 2003... POTATO growers are being urged not to underestimate the importance of stem blight as a source of tuber blight infection this season. Speaking at a blight control briefing at a trials site near Melbourne in Derbyshire, SAC potato specialist...

GOT A SLUG PROBLEM?: Why not ask an expert?
August 1, 2003... FEEDBACK from agronomists and farmers is that slugs continue to be a widespread problem for many, particularly in winter wheat, oilseed rape and any rotation following set-aside. However, despite the prominence of the pest, control of slugs...

Risky times demand stability.
August 1, 2003... WHEN wheat prices are low and margins tight, year-on-year crop reliability is far more important than the promise of yield advantages from the latest new variety. Wheat Grower of the Year 2001, David Hinchliffe,together with his brother...

New disease control for sugar beet.
August 1, 2003... A NEWLY approved fungicide mix will enable sugar beet growers to combine all-round disease control with harvest flexibility, claims Rene Pollak of Dow AgroSciences. The company, together with Bayer CropScience, is now supportingFortress...

Managing harvest positively reduces grain quality risk.
August 1, 2003... MILLING wheat growers across the UK can markedly reduce the risk to grain quality this season by positively managing their harvest, according to Allied Grain Fishers' technical specialist, Jim Carswell. But they simply must plan harvest...

Sacrifice potato crops in fight against PCN proves promising.
August 1, 2003... Some of the latest research on control of potato cyst nematode was outlined to farmers at a crops open day at Harper Adams University College in Shropshire. KENNETH BOWE reports. POPULATIONS of potato cyst nematodes have been reduced by up...

Buzzing for better arable farmland.
August 1, 2003... The Buzz project is one year old, and is already celebrating results for improving biodiversity. ALISON LEA reports. BUMBLEBEE, Bombus ruderatus, and many other species are now being magnetised by the mix of pollen and nectar-rich legumes...