Farmers Guardian articles from January 2003

Farmers Guardian archives from January 2003

A new year, a new CAP [Counterpart Alliance for Partnership grants].
January 3, 2003... THE first leaks of European Agriculture Commission Franz Fischler's Mid- Term Review proposals have emerged, confirming that decoupling and modulation are still very much alive. Also moving up the Brussels agenda are reforms of the dairy...

French back down on spinal cord rules.(Sheep sales.)
January 3, 2003... SUGGESTIONS that new French rules on the removal of spinal cord from sheep should not cause any major disruption to trade, have been greeted with relief by the NFU. From March 1, 2003, the French authorities will require that spinal cord...

Workforce and incomes down.(European Union.)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... THE European Union will spend just under 45billion euro on agriculture next year. The 2003 budget has now been formally approved and is well within the spending limits set by EU Heads of State. Of the CAP budget 40bn euro will go to market...

Haskins to seek views on delivery of rural policies.
January 3, 2003... THE views of local people on how the Government can improve delivery of rural policies will play a central part in the Rural Delivery Review of Lord Haskins, the Prime Minister's adviser on rural affairs and farming. A detailed `scoping...

36 producers could quit First Milk to supply Robert Wiseman Dairies.
January 3, 2003... FIRST Milk, the farmer-owned co-op to which the majority of Scottish dairy farmers sell their milk, is in danger of losing 36 producers with a total weekly output of 85,000 litres to Robert Wiseman Dairies. The farmers, who operate in...

Queen's New Year Honours.
January 3, 2003... THE Government's rural advocate and the first chairman of the Countryside Agency, Ewen Cameron, has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen's New Year Honours List. A former president of the CLA and chairman of the Countryside Agency since 1999,...

Jonathan's delight at Suffolk ram win.(Photograph of the youngest winner of the FG Suffolk ram lamb judging competition, 10- year-old Jonathan Bowe.)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... Youngest winner of the FG Suffolk ram lamb judging competition was 10- year-old Jonathan Bowe, Blennerhasset, Wigton, Cumbria. Pictured here with his father Eddie, Jonathan was delighted with his win. He already has a few crossbred sheep which...

33 farms accepted for new scheme to address over-grazing in uplands.
January 3, 2003... JUST 33 farms have been accepted to the Government's first Sheep Quota Purchase Scheme (SQPS) 2002. The tender-based scheme is designed to address problems of historic over-grazing in the uplands of England. A total of 270 holdings applied...

GM [genetically modified] crops report `cock-up'.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... ENVIRONMENT Minister Michael Meacher has denied trying to `bury' a Government report on cross-contamination from GM crops, claiming its publication on Christmas Eve was a `cock-up' rather than a `conspiracy'. The report confirmed that GM crops...

European Commission's upbeat assessment of cereals prospects.
January 3, 2003... THE European Commission has published an upbeat assessment of prospects for cereals. This overturns previous warnings about the impact the new United States Farm Bill would have on world prices and suggests the EC believes the damage to markets...

Asda Group to review Midland Meat Packer's decision.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... THE New Year has brought some hope for meat processor Midland Meat Packers, whose future has been uncertain since Asda announced it would cease trading with MMP at the end of January. Protests by Farmers For Action has led to assurances...

See how tomorrow's food chain develops.
January 3, 2003... The Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) and DEFRA are giving five Farmer's Guardian readers the chance to get an insight into how the whole food chain is reacting to the key issues affecting UK producers and preparing for future challenges....

Secretary is guest down on the farm.(Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Secretary Margaret Beckett visits farm)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... DEFRA Secretary of State Margaret Beckett visited NFU president Ben Gill on his farm near Easingwold in the Vale of York to discuss a range of farming policy issues. During the five-hour visit, Mr Gill demonstrated the high level of...

Project pledges fair returns.
January 3, 2003... A one-year project to increase the range of organic products that can carry an independent consumer label which helps ensure farmers get a fair price for their products, was due to be launched today. The joint project, between the Soil...

Budgeting and costing book forecasts tough times ahead.(crop farm forecasts )(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... A typical medium-sized combinable crop farm will struggle to make a profit in 2003. That warning is given in the 55th edition of the Agricultural Budgeting and Costing Book, which, using forecasts on arable crop gross margins and overhead costs...

Two further SRM breaches.(Specified risk material )(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... SPECIFIED risk material has been found in two separate consignments of beef from Spain and the Republic of Ireland. In the first case, the SRM breach was discovered during an inspection on December 10. The consignment contained 18...

NVZ landlords to help out.(Nitrate Vulnerable Zones restrictions)
January 3, 2003... LANDLORDS must be prepared to help their tenant farmers to comply with the statutory restrictions imposed on land newly designated as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, according to the Tenant Farmers' Association. The widening of the NVZ area will...

Hereford society president.(George Thorne )(Brief Article)(Illustration)
January 3, 2003... Welsh Hereford breeder George Thorne (right), of Studdolph Hall, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, has been elected breed president for 2003. The family's herd was established in 1946 but dispersed in 1979, with one British Polled cow being...

Action plan drawn up to tackle sow infertility.
January 3, 2003... VETS, researchers and pig producers have met DEFRA officials in London to draw up an action plan to tackle the problems causing sow infertility nationally. Farmers who are experiencing fertility problems among sows on their units have been...

New strategy just an international `food swap' claim Farm.
January 3, 2003... THE Government's strategy for the future of farming amounts to little more than an international `food swap' that will damage domestic and foreign producers and the environment, according to the UK's new farm lobbying organisation. Farm,...

Loop accommodation search.(Accomodations for horses and riders.)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... ACCOMMODATION for riders and their horses is being sought in the south Pennines. The Pennine Farm Holiday Group is looking for farmers to join a unique new network that offers holiday accommodation for horses and their riders, along with...

20-day rule top of the hate list.(Livestock standstil rule.)
January 3, 2003... THE most pressing issue facing survey respondents was the 20-day livestock standstill rule. Almost half - 45 per cent - put the rule at the top of their hate list. It was followed by excessive bureaucracy and red tape at 31 per cent and the low...

Farming confidence returns.
January 3, 2003... FARMERS are more confident in the future than they were a year ago and more young people are keen to enter the industry - according to two key findings in a new survey carried out by the FUW at last month's Royal Welsh Winter Fair. It also...

Investing in buildings, machinery.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... JUST how confident farmers said they were feeling was reflected in the survey's questions on future investment plans. In all, 41 per cent said they felt confident while a further 7 per cent felt very confident - compared with 28 per cent...

OSBORN'S VIEW: Yes! The EU could actually be moving away from CAP.
January 3, 2003... Don't hold your breath, but it looks as if the EU may soon be moving away from the worst features of CAP. Yes, this has been said many times since Britain joined what we once called the European Economic Community, and critics say every...

OPINION: Times are a changin'.(Editorial)
January 3, 2003... A New Year always begins with an air of optimism and, once the hangover's worn off, noble thoughts of a fresh start. Drink less, eat more healthily, get round to mending that dilapidated old barn. Invariably a few weeks into January you are...

Don't blame the big boys - work together.
January 3, 2003... Farmers should not put all the blame for their current problems on to the major retailers, members of Suffolk co-operative Framlingham Farmers were told by Christine Tacon, general manager of the Co- operative Group subsidiary `Farmcare'. ...

Bred and fed to boost protein.(Claire and Paul Summers's Alminstone herd )
January 3, 2003... Milk protein, longevity, a good temperament and a robust constitution are the four key characteristics Claire and Paul Summers have built into their Alminstone herd with great success at Devon Council-owned Cross Farm, near Woolsery over the...

Needed to produce mature farmhouse cheddar.(Parkhams Farms)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
January 3, 2003... From producing a modest 250 tonnes in its first year, Parkhams Farms, Bideford, now produces more than 10 times that amount of mature farmhouse cheddar. David Willes, who makes the cheese along with his son Peter, began farming in his own...

Gads, broaches and liggers - all in a day's work for Michael.(Michael Reeve thatches rooves)
January 3, 2003... You might think, when viewing a thatched roof, of the vast quantity of straw or reed used or of the thatcher's skill. The chances are that the spars or broaches - the lengths of hazel which hold it all in place - don't get a second thought, let...

Food extravaganza.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... A four-evening celebration of speciality food and drink organised by Heart of England Fine Foods ad held at Lord Lichfield's family home, Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire, attracted more than 10,000 visitors and generated thousands of pounds for...

First nursery triumph for Jim Fyall and Tibbie.
January 3, 2003... JIM Fyall took his first nursery win with Tibbie at Debdon, at the last Northumberland League nursery trial held before Christmas. A good course was set over gently rising rough ground strewn with rushes and clumps of long coarse grass....

Cardiganshire take SW championship.
January 3, 2003... THE reconvened South Wales Nursery Championship was held at Trefilli Farm, St Davids, where the Hope Family acted as hosts on behalf of the organising county Pembrokeshire Nurseries. What an excellent day it was for the Cardiganshire team....

Assess fields for wireworm risk and use bait trapping.
January 3, 2003... POTATO growers should assess all fields for the risk of damaging wireworm attacks, including previous cropping and the farm's history of persistent wireworm activity, according to Bill Parker of ADAS, an expert on the pest. "This should be...

`Significant' rise in winter OSR and set-aside forecast.(oilseed rape)
January 3, 2003... A `very significant' increase in the amount of winter oilseed rape and set-aside has been predicted for harvest 2003, but a decline of the area of winter wheat and winter barley across Great Britain is also likely, according to the National...

NIAB buy expands range.(National Institute of Agricultural Botany)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... NIAB has revealed that it has agreed terms for buying Westcrop, the contract-based crop trials company based in Wiltshire. Simon Draper, NIAB's director of crop performance and improvement said: "The purchase of Westcrop will provide NIAB...

Trial points up need to tailor fungicide choice to variety.
January 3, 2003... THE need to tailor agrochemical input to variety and current disease pressures, in order to maximise margins, has been highlighted in a trial carried out by Spunhill Farm Sales. The trial, aimed at assessing the input costs and yields of...

What future for UK agriculture?
January 3, 2003... This conference has gained a reputation over the years of: being positive; looking at ways to cut production costs and add value; and seeking how to identify how farming can prosper, even in times of adversity. This year, the theme is more...

Dangers of using medicines without professional advice.
January 3, 2003... WHILE accepting there is a case for competition in the sale of veterinary medicines, there are real dangers from the use of many of these medicines without veterinary or other professional advice, Professor Quintin McKellar, scientific director...

Fallen stock and aid delay.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... PEMBROKESHIRE NFU members have double trouble worries - the proposed ban on fallen stock burial and delays in support payments. In a letter to local MPs, Nick Ainger and Jackie Lawrence, they have expressed concerns over the implementation...

Amazing 2002.(Amazone Ltd.)
January 3, 2003... GERMAN equipment manufacturer Amazone says turnover in 2002 was higher than ever. In the UK alone, where it has had its daughter company established for 20 years, turnover increased by 19 per cent. Harworth, Doncaster based Amazone Ltd also now...

Innovation.(agricultural equipment )(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... AN electronic hose reel management system with GSM control won best new innovation at the Smithfield Show. The Irridoseur III also won the class for root crop machinery and storage equipment. The Louth, Lincolnshire company received...

On your guard.(Green-Guard)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... FURTHER improvements to Leicestershire manufacturer Green-Guard's pto safety guard include a new wide-angle cone option that allows greater manoeuvrability, and a spring-loaded cone which allows easier access to the universal joints and shaft,...

Proven CVT will feature on next MF tractor range.(continuously variable transmission)(Massey Ferguson)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... IMPORTANT developments including CVT and a unique dual-stage suspended cab will be featured on a Massey Ferguson tractor at February's SIMA show, in Paris in February. It will give taste of a new range of MF tractors currently under...

Self-propelled forage harvesters.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... Self-propelled forage harvesters come in all shapes and sizes, but you are unlikely to come across many like this one. Developed by the Dutrieux contracting brothers in Belgium, and called the Pro-DX (Professional Dutrieux), a feature of the...

Mechanical couch grass control.(From CMN Maskintec A/S)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... THE CMN couch grass-killer, KK300, is one of the new Items to be launched at Agromek 2003. From CMN Maskintec A/S, the machine consists of a stubble harrow, on which each tine has a reversible tip, plus an edge share to ensure total...

Field robot finds weeds.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... DANISH researchers have developed a gps-controlled, self-propelled field robot which, with the help of digital colour photographs, can register the amounts and species of weeds in a field. By means of computer processing, weed maps can be...

Slurry injector works to 12m.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... THE Star Slurry Injector 8/12 has an operating width of 12 m with 48 outlets - or 8m with 32 outlets. This machine can operate on both grassfield or soil. The disc shares are angled so that the soil or turf is lifted up over the injected...

#1,500 `welfare' grant for mart.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... THE Devils Bridge auction mart - tucked away in the hills above Aberystwyth in West Wales and in business for 100 years - has been given a #1,500 development grant by the Humane Slaughter Association. It will go towards the cost of...

Shrewsbury dairy show.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... SHREWSBURY Livestock Auction's Christmas dairy show and sale of Holsteins attracted `phenomenal' interest with an entry of 54 animals. Overall champion was a Holdry Leadership heifer from David Powell, of Rochford, Tenbury Wells, which sold at...

UK beef supply shortage feared.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... THE beef industry is heading for a supply shortage this year and there could easily be a repeat performance in 2004 unless steps are taken early in the New Year to stimulate production. The warning was given by Neil Stoddart, the president of...

Carcase champion.(Brian Lear's Limousin cross Belgian Blue wins)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... SUPREME championship at the annual carcase competition at the Dawn Cardington Food Plant, Bedford, was won by a Limousin cross Belgian Blue from Brian Lear, Whitchurch, Aylesbury. Reserve was a Limousin cross Charolais from Bill Murchie,...

Price disparities will keep tension high in pig industry.
January 3, 2003... TENSION between pig producers and the major retailers appears likely to remain a frustrating problem for the industry, despite recent conciliatory initiatives on both sides, as latest supply forecasts from the European Commission suggest the...

Positive outlook as FFB figures show exports up on 2001.(Food From Britain)
January 3, 2003... BRITISH food and drink exports are up 2 per cent on the same period in 2001, according to latest figures released by Food From Britain. The marketing agency states the figures demonstrate at last a more positive outlook for British food and...

Edrington deal is `ground-breaking'.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... BRANDED malting barley contracts are offering Scottish growers a ground- breaking supply chain partnership with one leading distiller which is committed to sourcing only home-grown barley. The Glasgow-based Edrington Group, makers of The...

2002 REVIEW: The long and rocky road for GM.(genetically modified foods)
January 3, 2003... One story that won't go away in 2003 despite massive media exposure in 2002 is the debate over the introduction of genetically modified crops into European farming. Labelled by popular newspapers as "Frankenstein Food" and the subject of a...

2002 REVIEW: Tough year for the industry.
January 3, 2003... THE year got off to a bad start when more than six weeks after the January 31 deadline for arable subsidy payments, some farmers had still not been paid due to 'continuing chaos' at the Rural Payments Agency. It wasn't until November that...

2002 REVIEW: Oilseed leads the search for a star.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2003... OILSEED rape could be the highlight of the arable sector during 2003, according to John Garstang, ADAS Boxworth. "The bright spot for 2003 has to be with rape, as conventional oilseed rape for harvest movement is seeing prices of over...

2002 REVIEW: Why the end is far from nigh.
January 3, 2003... As 2002 slips into memory let us turn to the distant future, the year 2030, when some of us will be dead and many infirm. What then? I mention it, because in the interests of seriously long-term planning, the United Nations Food and...

2002 REVIEW: Farmers ring in the new.
January 3, 2003... ESTIMATES suggest just over half of all UK farmers are now involved in some of form of diversification and that the numbers are still growing. Information on diversification throughout the industry is limited. DEFRA records farmers who...

2002 REVIEW: Power of the local brands.
January 3, 2003... Consumption of most of the main food groups has declined over the past decade and major areas of growth are amongst convenience, regionally branded and speciality products. Total carcase meat consumption fell by 22 per cent between 1990 and...

2002 REVIEW: Our manifestos for 2003.(key ag industry figures give their views on farm events in 2002)(Industry Overview)
January 3, 2003... 2002 has been a watershed year for UK agriculture, ending with the publication of the Government strategy for the future of the industry in England. It has also seen the publication of the various foot-and- mouth reports, radical proposals to...

2002 REVIEW: Nations under devolution.(Welsh Assembly elections, Scotish elections, & more)
January 3, 2003... Welsh farmers share the same concerns as their colleagues on the other side of Offa's Dyke, but have one unique 'significant' event to look forward to in 2003. In May they will have the chance to cast their votes in the Welsh Assembly...

2002 REVIEW: Policy imprisoned by errors of yesterday.(Industry Overview)
January 3, 2003... THE Government was desperate to focus the attention of the farming community on the future in 2002, but ultimately was unable to shake off the past. At the end of the year it unveiled its long-awaited strategy for the future of food and...

2002 REVIEW: Farewell to the last of old Europe.(Industry Overview)
January 3, 2003... THE author C.S. Lewis said the future approached at 60 minutes every hour, no matter who someone was and no matter what they did. All farmers hope the New Year will bring a narrowing of the sterling/euro gap with a potentially enormous...

Protests planned over 20-day rule.
January 10, 2003... FARMERS are set to vent their anger at the 20-day rule in a series of protests outside Government offices today, as a Farmers Guardian poll reveals the overwhelming extent of industry opposition to animal movement controls. Peaceful...

Curry [Sir Conald Curry] favours council pilot plan.(Buy British.)
January 10, 2003... THE Government's sustainable food and farming strategy supremo is urging Ministers to set up pilot schemes in local authorities to increase the consumption of domestic food by public bodies. Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference on...

Call for set-aside crops dispensation due to wet weather.
January 10, 2003... THE current cold snap saw the number of flood warnings issued across England and Wales reduced from 140 at its peak to just 37. At the beginning of this week just one severe warning remained in place on the River Thames. River levels had...

Dairy reforms to come in 12 months early.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2003... THE EUROPEAN Commission has confirmed that it wants to bring in the Agenda 2000 reforms of the dairy regime a year earlier than planned. If this is agreed by farm ministers it would mean the intervention price cuts and dairy cow premium would...

Vital answers still needed on meat body.(Welsh Lamb and Beef Promotions )
January 10, 2003... BOARD members of the 7,500-strong Welsh Lamb and Beef Promotions producer co-operative will be meeting next week to review the latest developments in the setting up of the proposed new all-Wales red meat development body. Before them will...

Be ready to adjust business plans to suit OTMS changes.(Over Thirty Month Scheme)(Over Thirty Month Scheme)
January 10, 2003... BEEF farmers should be ready to adjust their business plans to take best advantage of any changes announced following the review of the Over Thirty Month Scheme, the National Beef Association has warned. NBA vice-chairman Keith Redpath said...

SRM in Irish beef.(specified risk material)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2003... SPECIFIED risk material has been found in a consignment of beef from the Irish Republic. The Meat Hygiene Service discovered vertebral column still present in 70 cartons of beef foreribs unloaded at Gordon Meats, Smithfield Market, London....

Cost cutting plan approved.(United Milk )(Brief Article)
January 10, 2003... Securing the long term future of United Milk will require a reduction in the cost base, the negotiation of a refinancing package with its bank and all the other major stakeholders in the business says the company. In a statement issued on...

Relaunch by Prince.(Gloucestershire Farming Friends)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2003... A Gloucestershire farming support group was re-launched at a reception at Highgrove House, hosted by the Prince of Wales. The aim of the event was to raise awareness of the support services offered by the group, Gloucestershire Farming...

Kinnaird and Stewart in NFUS president battle.(National Farmers Union of Scotland)
January 10, 2003... WITH Jim Walker standing down as president of NFU Scotland, having completed his term of office, there have been two nominations for the post in the union's forthcoming elections. There have also been five nominations for the two...

Controversial knighthood.(David King, advisor on foot and mouth control policy)
January 10, 2003... CRITICS of the FMD cull policy, which led to the slaughter of an estimated 10 million animals in 2001, have attacked the decision to award a knighthood to the man behind it, Professor David King. Tony Blair's chief scientific adviser took...

Raising the risk of disease.(British Cattle Veterinary Association )(Brief Article)
January 10, 2003... ANY outcome from the Competition Commission inquiry into veterinary medicines that substantially reduces the veterinary presence on farms would simply increase the risk of disease. That was the view of David Harwood, president of the...

Govt ability to police new EC food rules is called into question.
January 10, 2003... THE NFU has questioned the UK Government's ability to effectively implement new Europe-wide rules on personal imports of food. A new European Commission rule introduced on January 1 bans travellers entering the EU from carrying any meat or...

Informed decisions on nitrogen management.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2003... A three-year project has been devised to help organic farmers in the UK make better informed decisions regarding the important issues of nitrogen management and the use of fertility building crops in their rotations. The DEFRA-funded...

Consumers should be willing to spend.(Soil Association meeting)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2003... While most of the organic farmers at the Soil Association conference enjoyed farming organically, many were struggling to survive economically admitted the Soil Association's director, Patrick Holden. They faced competition from global...

The Soil Association and Fairtrade `can work well together'.
January 10, 2003... Farmers and organisations requiring inspections for both organic status under the Soil Association and to qualify under the Fairtrade scheme should be able to undergo a single inspection for both organisations. That was the clear message...

KEEBLE'S VIEW: This nightmare is for real.(agricultural policy )
January 10, 2003... FARM profits are down across the board. For cereals, milk, meat or potatoes today is gloomy and tomorrow is even more so. A glossary of 21st Century agriculture needs to be produced so that we can start to fully appreciate what is going on. ...

OPINION: Second thoughts.(United Kingdom. Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' 20 day rule)
January 10, 2003... IF the DEFRA Ministers and officials did not know exactly what the industry thinks of their animal movement regulations this morning, they will be in no doubt by lunchtime. At 11am farmers from all over England and Wales are due to converge...

RABI: Busy year with more to come.(Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution)
January 10, 2003... As British agriculture changes at a seemingly ever increasing pace, so the organisations that service the farming industry are having to adapt to cope with new demands - arguably none more so that the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution....