Farmers Guardian articles from August 2007

Farmers Guardian archives from August 2007

Shortages hitting First Milk's retail contracts.
August 3, 2007... THE country's largest dairy farmer co-operative, First Milk, has admitted it is unable to meet its contractual commitments in full due to milk production shortages. No other milk buyers have yet admitted to being in the same position but...

Has the Environment Agency got its priorities wrong on defences?
August 3, 2007... FOOD and Farming Minister Jeff Rooker has suggested the Environment Agency (EA) has got its priorities wrong when it comes to its flood protection work. The agency has been accused by farmers and flood victims of failing to dredge or clean...

Flood insurance claims spiral.
August 3, 2007... FLOOD insurance claims from farmers in the Midlands have spiralled into tens of millions of pounds to add to a similar bill from the North of England, say rural insurers NFU Mutual. More than 1,500 claims from customers hit in the Midlands...

Agency bosses criticised over bonuses.
August 3, 2007... ENVIRONMENT Agency bosses came in for renewed criticism this week when it emerged that nine directors received five-figure bonuses just prior to the floods. Its chief executive Barbara Young, who on Saturday warned that water rates might...

Guidance for livestock farmers on how to deal with current situation.
August 3, 2007... THE Environment Agency has issued guidance to help livestock farmers dealing with the aftermath of last week's flooding. The advice applies particularly to farmers who are forced to dispose of milk they were unable to get away from the...

Positive TB breakdown confirmed in Shambo herd.
August 3, 2007... POST-MORTEM findings on Shambo, the `sacred' bullock finally slaughtered after a controversial three-month legal fight, have identified lesions described as `typical of TB'. According to the Welsh Assembly Government the examination results...

Union plea to Welsh Assembly for early cull action.
August 3, 2007... THE Farmers Union of Wales has made a plea for badger culling to be introduced in Wales as soon as possible. Giving evidence to the Welsh Assembly's rural development sub- committee, union vice-president, Brian Walters, said it would make a...

Rooker hint at autumn decision on badger cull.
August 3, 2007... THE Government will make a decision on badger culling before the end of October, Food and Farming Minister Jeff Rooker has indicated. Lord Rooker said he wanted a decision in place by the time he appears before the Environment, Food and...

Farmer fury at Dutch Freedom Food imports.
August 3, 2007... EGGS from Holland are being imported into the UK under the RSPCA's Freedom Food label in a move that has been condemned by the NFU as a `betrayal' of British egg producers. Dutch egg giant, Kwetters, received accreditation under the animal...

Forster steps down after nine years at the helm of NBA.
August 3, 2007... ROBERT Forster, one of farming's most recognisable figures, has stepped down from the National Beef Association (NBA) after nine years at the helm. Mr Forster was the Association's first chief executive when it was established in 1998 and...

Welsh assembly extend suspension.
August 3, 2007... THE Welsh Assembly has extended its suspension of the cross compliance regulation prohibiting the use of mechanical equipment on waterlogged soil until August 31. "We are pleased the Assembly has taken heed of our representations and...

Study concludes milk is the best sports drink.
August 3, 2007... MILK is set to challenge established sports drinks as the choice beverage for athletes after researchers found it may be better at promoting recovery after sport. Isotonic sports drinks are the preferred option after exercise but the study...

Scientists to spend #11.5m on livestock disease research.
August 3, 2007... SCIENTISTS are to spend #11.5 million over three years on new research to tackle livestock diseases that cost UK farmers hundreds of millions of pounds per year. Some of the most devastating diseases include bovine TB that costs the...

Council to review sell-off proposal for county farms.
August 3, 2007... STAFFORDSHIRE County Council is to carry out a more detailed review of its proposal to sell off its county farms. Following a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the council insisted the review would look at a range of options, including...

Awarded Associateship of Royal Agricultural Societies.
August 3, 2007... FORMER national president of the Country Landowners Association, Mark Hudson, of Rhewl, Ruthin, Denbighshire, has been awarded an Associateship of the Royal Agricultural Societies in recognition of services to the farming industry. He...

RASE chairman resigns due to business commitments.
August 3, 2007... THOMAS Wheatley-Hubbard has resigned as chairman of the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE). He stepped down at a meeting of RASE trustees last week and will be replaced as chairman by Hugh Oliver-Bellasis, who steps up from vice-...

Royal Lancs exhibitors to get half their entry fees.
August 3, 2007... EXHIBITORS hoping for refunds for the cancelled Royal Lancashire Show can only expect half of their entry fees. Last week, FG was told that exhibitors would be refunded their livestock entry fees, after severe weather conditions and flash...

Consumers want to buy local to help cut world `food miles'.
August 3, 2007... MORE than half of British consumers want more locally-produced food available on supermarket shelves, according to a survey by market analysts Mintel. The new figures reveal that 53 per cent of consumers believe retailers need to do more...

Farmers have poorer health and quality of life - Finnish survey.
August 3, 2007... A STUDY, published by the British Medical Journal, has found farmers have poorer health, quality of life and lower productivity, compared to workers in other industries. `Quality Of Life, Work Ability, And Self Employment: A Population...

Shareholders back move to save mart.
August 3, 2007... CRAVEN Cattle Marts' board has been given extra powers to help protect the mart against would-be developers. At an extraordinary general meeting in Skipton, shareholders voted 86 per cent in favour of a resolution to enable directors to...

Above-inflation rise expected in EU.
August 3, 2007... A REPORT from the European Commission on market prospects says the good times will stay for key sectors of agriculture, with EU farm incomes expected to rise by more than the rate of inflation from now until 2014. The report predicts...

`Urgent debate' call for UK's uplands.
August 3, 2007... NEGLECT, apathy and a lack of vision has meant the UK's uplands are failing to deliver for people and for wildlife, despite the efforts of landowners and policymakers, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has warned. It is calling...

Check tax implications of contract farming.
August 3, 2007... FARMERS are being urged to check contract farming agreements to make sure they are not penalised by the taxman. Shaun Jones, of Shrewsbury-based Halls, says he is concerned that some farmers could potentially be heading for problems unless...

Biofuels will not conflict with food production.
August 3, 2007... THE European Union target for 10 per cent of all transport fuel to be derived from biofuels by 2020 can be obtained without causing food shortages, according to a European Commission assessment. The new 10 per cent minimum target has...

Will the new broom at Number 10 sweep clean?
August 3, 2007... Out with the old in with the new, or perhaps it should be, out with new Labour and in with the old. It will be interesting to see if the changes to political leadership will make any change to life in the countryside. Looking back on...

OPINION: Prioritise.
August 3, 2007... There has, unsurprisingly, been a deluge of criticism for both Government and the Environment Agency on the theme of flood defences. This week, Lord Rooker added his voice to the debate, wondering aloud if perhaps the latter hadn't got...

LETTER: Dairy: Position of bargaining strength?(Letter to the editor)
August 3, 2007... No dairy producer in the country should be receiving anything less than 25p per litre by Christmas 2007, and maybe 30p per litre by Christmas '08. The reason being that the worldwide shortage of dairy products will take a minimum of five...

LETTER: Caution needed on set aside.(Letter to the editor)
August 3, 2007... With the clamour for an end to permanent set-aside there needs to be urgent action to assess the likely impact of farmers rushing to get the ploughs out. In the long run if there are major losses of biodiversity, in particular farmland...

LETTER: Lord Rooker.(Letter to the editor)
August 3, 2007... IN February this year you published in your news columns an article on comments made by Lord Rooker on easing planning regulations for farmers. I have written to Lord Rooker's Defra office twice to get confirmation of these comments, but...

LETTER: Transporting animals.(Letter to the editor)
August 3, 2007... FROM the beginning of 2008 anyone who transports animals in a farm vehicle or trailer will supposedly need to undertake a certificate of competence, which involves attending a training course and taking an exam. What do Defra think we are?...

LETTER: Avoncroft Genetics.(Letter to the editor)
August 3, 2007... AVONCROFT Genetics would like to make it clear that the public notice that appeared in FG on July 20, 2007, concerning the insolvency of ACB (Stoke Prior) Formerly Avoncroft Cattle Breeders is in no way connected to Avoncroft Genetics or our...

After the floods.
August 3, 2007... The weather may have brightened up this week, bringing relief to farmers and the nation at a large, but the impact of the torrential rain and devastating floods will be felt for a long time to come. ALISTAIR DRIVER and WILLIAM SURMAN report on...

Food inflation will get worse.
August 3, 2007... RETAILERS have acknowledged that food prices will have to rise as a result of the floods and persistent rain that has fallen throughout the summer. Supermarkets have warned, however, that while domestic producers will be getting high...

Why all the bad weather in summer?
August 3, 2007... CLIMATE experts are attributing the recent spate of bucketing rain to the unusual positioning of the jet stream that carries weather into the UK. The jet stream is a band of high altitude and high-speed wind and the kind of weather we...

Davidstow Cheddar beats its international rivals.
August 3, 2007... With 2,250 entries from 24 countries, split into 150 classes and placed by 60 judges, Nantwich International Cheese Show, Cheshire, lived up to its reputation as one of the largest cheese events in the world. Even though its companion event,...

Two breed stalwarts dominate show wins.
August 3, 2007... THE second annual National Progeny Show for Beltex sheep staged at Craven Cattle Marts', Skipton Auction Mart, had 186 entries of pedigree and commercial sheep - up 25 per cent on the previous year. The day was dominated by two breed...

Near-record breaker at Lampeter Shears event.
August 3, 2007... MORE than 180 competitors and over 700 spectators braved the weather and turned out for this year's Lampeter Shears event at Cribyn. They witnessed Kiwi, Dion King, shear 20 lambs in a time of 11 minutes 13 seconds - just one second off...

Ballygrange herd wins NI Belgian Blue competition.
August 3, 2007... THE 2007 Northern Ireland Belgian Blue herd competition was won by Jim Sloan's Ballygrange herd, Kikeel, Co Down. The herd was praised by judge Jim Barber, Astbury, Cheshire as being `a very good cow herd in every way with not a bad animal...

Cant family take fourth Hereford Show title with Panmure 1 Plum C8.
August 3, 2007... After a week which saw many events cancelled due to wet conditions, the sun shone on Border Union Show at Kelso on Saturday. NEIL RYDER reports. FOR the fourth time the Cant family of Arbroath stepped forward to collect the overall trophy...

Aberdeen Angus take pairs.
August 3, 2007... THE inter-breed beef awards at Border Union Show are based on pairs of the same breed, one male and one female, as selected by breed judges. This means that animals selected to represent each breed are normally, but may not be, among the top...

Garff Valde is champion.
August 3, 2007... TAKING the Clydesdale Horse championship was the brood mare with foal at foot, Garff Valde from T. Tennant of Selkirk. Standing under the champion in its class and taking the reserve overall was Stobilee Xena from R. Morton of Lanark. There...

Shows entries `excellent'.
August 3, 2007... ENTRIES overall were excellent with good numbers forward in all sections - especially the recently revived horse shoeing section where entries - about 15 - exceeded those at the Highland Show, said Border Union Agricultural Society secretary,...

North Country Cheviot adds Border Union to its trophy list.
August 3, 2007... FRESH from success at the Royal Highland and Great Yorkshire Shows, a three-crop North Country Cheviot ewe from William and Jim Thomson of Kelso added the Border Union breed and inter-breed sheep awards to its trophy list. Inter-breed...

New show hopes to bring community and agriculture together.
August 3, 2007... WHILE many agricultural shows are finding it a struggle to survive, a band of farmers in South Powys have been working hard to get a new one off the ground. Plans are well advanced to stage the first Llangynidr Agricultural Show and Fun...

Trophy triumphs over difficult conditions for inter-breed honours.
August 3, 2007... CONDITIONS at the New Forest and Hampshire County Show were difficult as the beef cattle sank into the mud, but it did not hamper Limousin bull, Goldies Trophy, which claimed the inter-breed honours. Owned by Colin Hutchings, the...

Charollais adds inter-breed title to her list of show wins.
August 3, 2007... THE sheep inter-breed champion from the first day of the show was a two- year-old Charollais ewe from John and Anne Griffiths' Chestnut Park flock, based at Middleyard Farm, Wootton-under Edge, Gloucester. They run 27 ewes on 27 acres and...

Aldingham Stormatic Clarissa 5 wins supreme as class is held in tent.
August 3, 2007... IMPROVISATION on the final day ensured the cattle show went on after heavy rain the previous afternoon left the rings unusable. In a first for the New Forest Show, judging of the cattle classes took place inside the cattle tents, where...

McLarens make it two years in a row with top award win.
August 3, 2007... Banchory Show, Aberdeenshire proved a triumph for Angus exhibitor Willie McLaren and his daughter, Lesley, Muirhouses, Kirriemuir, who won the `champion of champions' award for the second year running with their Limousin and overall beef cattle...

MacLean family take a hat-trick at Tiree Show.
August 3, 2007... It was a MacLean family hat-trick at Tiree Show, with the Heylipol livestock taking three of the major championships. Archie John won the cross-bred cattle with an April-born Charolais x bullock calf by Forglen Topshot. Fraser won the...

Young exhibitor takes beef title.
August 3, 2007... Despite having the equivalent of two months' normal rainfall 24 hours before it was due to be held, the 134th Tivyside Show in West Wales went ahead as planned. The championship in the beef cattle section went to young exhibitor Berwyn...

ARABLE: Brown rust impact a major factor.
August 3, 2007... WINTER barley varieties with a weakness to brown rust have not performed as well as varieties with good resistance to the disease in the HGCA Recommended List trials harvested so far this season, according to RL trials consultant, Peter Hanson....

Consistent oilseed rape varieties continue to perform in TAG trials.
August 3, 2007... OILSEED rape varieties that have performed well in the past couple of seasons have continued to produce good yields this year at The Arable Group (TAG) trials site at Marr near Doncaster, said TAG northern contracts manager Christine Lilly this...

ARABLE: New approval for desiccant.
August 3, 2007... POTATO growers can now use up to five litres of Reglone (diquat) to desiccate crops this season - a 25 per cent increase over the previously available rate. The new total dose should enable complete desiccation of strong growing ware crop...

ARABLE: Take-all infections high this summer.
August 3, 2007... TAKE-ALL tracking at HGCA Recommended List second cereal trial sites across the country has revealed infections taking off in a major way this summer. So much so that the average disease level ahead of this year's harvest has reached its...

ARABLE: Latvian system undergoes trials.
August 3, 2007... AN agronomy system, dubbed `extreme', that works well in Latvia - part of Europe's `bread basket' - is now being trialled at TAG's Sutton Scotney national agronomy centre in order to find out more about the controversial practice. `Extreme...

ARABLE: Yield main factor in OSR variety choice.
August 3, 2007... HIGH yield is the main consideration amongst oilseed rape growers when it comes to variety choice, according to the latest survey information for NK Seeds. The next most important considerations are standing power and shortness. The...

ARABLE: Herbicide launched for grass and broad-leaved weed control.
August 3, 2007... WINTER wheat growers have a new option for grass and broad-leaved weed control this autumn, following the launch into the UK market of the active ingredient flumioxazin. Suppliers Interfarm are claiming very high levels of control -...

ARABLE: Role of lower IPU rate ahead of herbicide's withdrawal.
August 3, 2007... THE 1.5 kilograms per hectare rate of isoproturon approved for use ahead of the complete withdrawal of the herbicide in 2009 continues to have a role to play in grass-weed and broad-leaved weed control, according to Nufarm. The company,...

ARABLE - NEW PRODUCTS: Mission desiccant.
August 3, 2007... Interfarm UK is now supplying the desiccant Mission for use on potatoes, oilseed rape, beans, peas and a number of other crops. Mission contains 200 g/l diquat and is formulated as a water- soluble concentrate for use on potatoes, oilseed...

ARABLE - NEW PRODUCTS: Herbicide and fungicide registrations.
August 3, 2007... Crop protection trading company AgChemAccess has announced five more registrations - three new herbicides, Aoraki (pinoxaden), Conform (propyzamide) and Dian (prosulfocarb) and two new fungicides, Kurdi (fluoxastrobin and prothioconazole) and...

ARABLE: Fusarium wheats should be stored separately after harvest.
August 3, 2007... WITH ear wash fungicides running out of steam, the wet weather is fuelling fusarium risks in wheats. Growers are being advised, once they can get in to harvest them, to store badly affected crops separately - especially if they are...

ARABLE: Gene research into texture and flavour.
August 3, 2007... NEW British Potato Council-funded research is seeking to understand the mechanisms that underpin texture and flavour in potatoes. These two factors have a significant influence on consumer repeat purchases, says the BPC. The study,...

ARABLE: Control weeds before drilling.
August 3, 2007... TAKE advantage of opportunities to control arable weeds ahead of planting this autumn to keep on top of escalating problems compounded by the wet summer, advises Monsanto. Speaking at the launch of a guide to tackling arable weeds,...

FARM FEATURE: Brackenborough revisited - a much brighter future.
August 3, 2007... When Farmers Guardian spoke to Paul Bennett just over two years ago he was, like many other farmers, taking a long, hard look at his business. With the imminent end of direct subsidies and the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme, it was...

Time to vote for the final three.
August 3, 2007... The Farmers Guardian Dairy Farmer of the Future 2007 has reached the shortlisting stage and the entries have finally been squeezed down to a list of seven. Last week, FG introduced the first three entrants from the shortlist, but before you...

Fund-raising walk proves a challenge.
August 3, 2007... A SPONSORED walk from Shrewsbury to the showground turned into quite a challenge for members of Shropshire FYFC when torrential rain flooded parts of their route. But it paid to persevere, even if meant wading through 3ft of water at one...

Competitions are hotly contested.
August 3, 2007... THE Royal Welsh show kicked off with the Wales YFC Club Promotion Challenge, one of the most hotly contested competitions of the day. Teams were required to submit a portfolio to promote the club, take part in a promotional presentation, design...

Livery Guild award winner.
August 3, 2007... EURIG Jenkins from Talsarn, Ceredigion, has won the Welsh Livery Guild Young Farmers Award and a cash prize of #1,000. He will use the cash reward to support his newly acquired farm tenancy after impressing judges with a `thoughtful and well...

COUNTRY VIEW: New game recipes.
August 3, 2007... THE Game-to-Eat campaign, now in its sixth year, has published a new recipe booklet to tempt newcomers and game lovers alike to try the great taste of game. Almost 100,000 booklets are being sent to butchers, farmers' markets, game dealers...

COUNTRY VIEW: #12m rural boost for the East Midlands.
August 3, 2007... THE East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) is to breathe new life into the region's rural communities with a new #12million funding initiative. Local action groups - public, private, voluntary or community sector partnerships - are...

COUNTRY VIEW: Just Ask takes to streets.
August 3, 2007... AS part of the CLA's ongoing Just Ask campaign, the organisation's rural economy adviser, Dr Charles Trotman, took to the streets of Darlington to encourage people to `just ask' where the food on their plate comes from when they eat out. ...

COUNTRY VIEW: `Behind the Scenery' in Cumbria.
August 3, 2007... THE Cumbria Farmer Network is making a series of short films depicting everyday life on two hill farms across the four seasons. The first two (`winter' and `spring') were launched along with the network's website at Brockhole Visitors...

COUNTRY VIEW: An hour in the August garden.
August 3, 2007... The garden in August should be a sanctuary of repose; instead it's a soggy mess even for those who have had no flooding, writes PAUL PEACOCK. We should be pruning and deadheading, enjoying home-produced new potatoes and strawberries...

James McGee and Becca regain their Irish crowns.
August 3, 2007... THE 2007 Irish National Sheepdog Trial, at Toolerstrane, Aclare, Co. Sligo, attracted 150 of the top sheepdogs in Ireland competing for a place on the Irish National Team to compete against England, Scotland and Wales at the International...

Dalziel and Joe's `immaculate' run.
August 3, 2007... "AN immaculate run," was how the judge described Bobby Dalziel and Joe's winning trial at Shirlawhope, Northumberland, on Saturday. Mike Northwood, of East Woodburn, judged 31 dogs as they competed over a national style course. Rising very...

Mother beats daughter in championship.
August 3, 2007... Traditionally the sheepdog trial on the first day of the Royal Welsh Show is that of the Champion of Champions. It is held in the Main Ring and the four national captains run twice and their scores are aggregated. From Scotland the winner came...

MACHINERY: Intelligent tyre inflation.
August 3, 2007... Automatic tyre inflation systems already allow tractor operators to pump more air into the tyres for road work and then let air escape when in the field as a way to improve grip and reduce compaction problems. However, engineers at CNH...

MACHINERY: Applying slurry to maize crops.
August 3, 2007... THE growing interest in applying slurry to growing crops of maize across mainland Europe has tempted Vredo and Challenger to modify a couple of its machines. First up is Dutch-firm Vredo, which has fitted a number of its Trac...

MACHINERY: Integrated square bale wrapper.
August 3, 2007... THE details are limited but FG can reveal that Kverneland is working on an integrated bale wrapper for square bales. While such machines have existed for round bales for several years, it is thought the limiting factor with a machine for square...

MACHINERY: Terra Variant 500 autumn start.
August 3, 2007... Readers may recall that German-firm Holmer launched a revamped version of its self-propelled Terra Variant drive unit at the French SIMA Show earlier this year. Called the Terra Variant 500, in addition to a 21cu.m slurry tanker and rear...

MACHINERY: KUBOTA REVAMP ON THE WAY.
August 3, 2007... Kubota appears to be in the process of updating its tractor range judging by the appearance of the M105 replacement at a recent German trade fair. Called the M108S it is powered by a brand new 3.8 litre Kubota four- cylinder common rail...

MACHINERY: JF-Stoll trailed chopper.
August 3, 2007... With farmers putting more power in front of trailed foragers JF-Stoll has introduced the 955. Set to replace the 900 for next season the new trailed chopper has a beefed up driveline, reverse mechanism, bigger feed roller area and improved 1.8m...

MACHINERY: Crimpers given an update.
August 3, 2007... THE Korte and Murska crimpers have been updated for the coming season. The 1400 series Korte gets a strengthened chassis, adjustable pneumatic suspension and there is the option of extra heavy-duty temper hardened roller,s which importer...

MACHINERY: Lol and Lordswood.
August 3, 2007... LOL tractors are now selling the Lordswood Ground Care range of harrows and levellers to go with their Stockman Compact tractors. Laurence Cook, managing director for Lol, said they were pleased to be involved with a local company. ...