Farmers Guardian articles from January 2005

Farmers Guardian archives from January 2005

Little Red Tractor under fire.
January 7, 2005... THE Little Red Tractor scheme came under fire from a key Government adviser on food and the environment at the Oxford Farming Conference, on Wednesday. Jonathon Porritt, chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), pulled...

Cost-driven milk price rise progress.
January 7, 2005... DAIRY co-operatives and processors are beginning to drive forward the initiative for a cost-driven increase in the price of milk - and there is optimism it will succeed. Most of the major players in the supply chain are in favour and...

Scottish vining peas and veg farmers `disadvantaged'.
January 7, 2005... SPECIALIST growers of vining peas and vegetables in Scotland are set to be increasingly penalised as a result of the manner in which the Scottish Executive's Environment and Rural Affairs Department has chosen to implement the CAP reforms. ...

Information Act may force subsidy disclosures.
January 7, 2005... LORD Whitty sprung a surprise at the start of the Oxford Farming Conference when he revealed farmers may be forced to disclose their individual subsidy payments under the Freedom of Information Act that came into force at the start of this...

Further `fundamental' CAP reforms on the way, warns Whitty.
January 7, 2005... FOOD and Farming Minister Lord Whitty has warned farmers to expect further `fundamental' reform of the Common Agricultural Policy over the next few years. Opening the Oxford Farming Conference, on Wednesday, he said the new Single Farm...

Fundraising event.
January 7, 2005... THE farming community in Suffolk is staging a fundraising event on January 15 in aid of the tsunami disaster. Chris Clements of Lawshall, Bury St Edmunds, hopes the event, on a neighbour's farm at Stanningfield, will be the start of a...

Farmers urged to back FMD court action.
January 7, 2005... THERE is no reason why every farmer, who lost income and has not already received compensation following the foot-and-mouth epidemic, should not get involved with a proposed High Court action against the Government. Stephen Alexander, a...

Top milk producers continue to increase production.
January 7, 2005... WITH many dairy farms unable to cut costs any further, their only recourse has been to produce more milk. Latest figures from Kite Consulting show that their `average' farms over the last three years have put on an additional 31 cows and...

Feed rules: Action plan for organic farmers.
January 7, 2005... A SEVEN-POINT plan for organic farmers is due to be revealed by the Red Meat Industry Forum (RMIF) at the Soil Association annual conference, being staged in Newcastle-upon-Tyne until Sunday. Farmers need to take action to plan for the...

Agri-post for ex-footballer.
January 7, 2005... FORMER international footballer turned actor Vinnie Jones has been elected president of the Hertfordshire Agricultural Society for 2005. The former Wimbledon, Leeds United and Wales footballer is one of the youngest presidents in the...

Cost-driven push for price rise.
January 7, 2005... THE wheels are well and truly in motion to achieve a milk price increase that will help cover the production cost increases which both producers and processors have been facing. While the last retail price increase initiative on milk was...

Making potatoes appealing.
January 7, 2005... THE fight is on to change consumers' perceptions of the potato in line with changing buying and consumption habits, according to Chris Brown, Asda's agriculture manager. Some of these changes emerged in the 1980s with a move from buying...

Pig producers urged to spell out their demands to researchers.
January 7, 2005... BRITAIN'S pig producers need to speak up and spell out their demands more clearly to researchers so they know exactly what is needed, according to south east Yorkshire producer Richard Longthorp. He has called on the research and...

Simple way to raise `good' omega-3 fats in beef.
January 7, 2005... NEW research by an international team of scientists has uncovered a simple way of producing beef with a more attractive fat content. As part of a major investigation aimed at enhancing the nutritional value of beef, Wales-based researcher...

Successor for retiring NSA chief executive.
January 7, 2005... THE chief executive of the National Sheep Association John Thorley is due to retire early in 2006 and is expected to be succeeded by Peter Morris, who took up the new post of deputy chief executive this week. Mr Thorley has been in charge...

Agriculture figures recognised in New Year Honours List.
January 7, 2005... NATIONAL Farmers' Union vice-president Meurig Raymond and his twin brother Mansel, NFU Cymru's dairy board chairman, have been made MBEs in the New Year Honours List. Another NFU figure mentioned in the honours is horticulture board...

Lord Whitty acknowledges challenging times ahead.
January 7, 2005... IN his New Year message to readers of Farmers Guardian, Food and Farming Minister Lord Whitty, acknowledges 2004 was a `challenging' year for farmers. He says: "We've seen the start of the biggest change in farming since the early 70s with...

NBA checklist warns against wasting SFP.
January 7, 2005... THE National Beef Association has kicked off the New Year by listing 10 reasons why farmers should not waste their new Single Farm Payment. In doing so it has re-kindled debate with slaughterers, and other downstream interests, who are...

Bid to make venison a festive favourite.
January 7, 2005... DEER farmers have been making a determined bid for a bigger share of the festive dinner table as well as increased trade throughout the rest of the year. This is being reflected in improved sales by the Waitrose group, leaders of the...

YATES'S VIEW: Back to basics on silage, moles and the milk price.
January 7, 2005... Like many other dairy farmers I don't think my cows are milking very well this winter but when I sit down and analyse it, I'm not so sure. Recently I received my herd annual averages from CIS and I noticed that the girls out there have put...

OPINION: Stick with it, please.
January 7, 2005... For the whole dairy industry to be in favour a minimum 3p/l increase on the sale price of milk is one thing. Achieving it is another - but there were real signs this week that it could well happen. One thing is for sure, it has to...

Limited role of national reserve in future.
January 7, 2005... After months of waiting we finally have some definition and detail to the format of the national reserve. However, not all of our questions have been answered, and rural experts like Jonathan Smith at BK are warning those answers we do have...

Sheep breed research could lead to new drug.
January 7, 2005... SCIENTISTS have begun research into a rare breed of sheep which could yield clues for the development of a drug to treat a medical condition which affects one in 30,000 people worldwide. The three-year study, which begins this month, will...

Fellowship award for FG's Barry Alston.
January 7, 2005... FARMERS Guardian's Wales-based regional correspondent Barry Alston has been awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Societies. The FRAgS award, which recognises `outstanding personal achievements and meritorious service to the...

Fellowships and Associates.
January 7, 2005... THREE other Fellowships have also been awarded. They go to: * Gareth Owen, of Fron, Talerddig, Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire - a director of Wynnstay Farmers and member of the executive committee of the Welsh Mule Sheep Breeders'...

Winter chill effect on fruit crops.
January 7, 2005... Case study: fruit production AFTER growers of a range of fruit crops expressed concern that rising winter temperatures were detrimentally affecting the production and quality of fruit in the UK, Defra commissioned a study on the affects of...

Climate change offers opportunities for a greater range of crops.
January 7, 2005... Scientists tell us it poses a bigger threat to the world than terrorism and ministers insist it is high up on the list of Government priorities. But how significant will climate change be to agriculture? And how is it already affecting farming...

Defra pinpoints threats most certain to face agriculture.
January 7, 2005... Defra has identified the most certain threats agriculture will face in the years ahead and the farming sectors most at risk: * Inundation and salinisation of coastal lowlands due to increased frequency of storms combined with rising sea...

Action farmers can take to adapt.
January 7, 2005... FARMERS GUARDIAN took the opportunity to put some of its questions to Defra: Q: How is UK agriculture already affected by climate change? A: The impact of the hot, dry summer of 1995: For the agricultural industry as a whole, it...

Hill farmer wins Otter Trophy.
January 7, 2005... AN Exmoor hill farmer is the winner of the Otter Trophy, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group's annual Farming and Wildlife Competition, now in its 23rd year, awarded to Somerset's top conservation farm. Oliver Edwards's Westermill...

FUW hits out over transport system.
January 7, 2005... THE Welsh Assembly has been accused of ignoring the needs of large parts of rural Wales in its #8bn, 15-year transport programme. Farmers Union of Wales president Gareth Vaughan, who farms at Dolfor, Newtown, cllaimed that the Transport...

Environment lessons at new farm centre.
January 7, 2005... A NORTHUMBERLAND farmer has transformed a redundant farm building into a hi-tech environmental education centre. Dedicated conservationists Simon Henderson and his wife Helen, of West Fenton Farm, Wooler, have already carried out many...

Mountain lamb is packaged in boxes made from fleece.
January 7, 2005... WELSH Mountain lamb from the National Trust's Hafod-y-Llan farm on the slopes of Snowdonia is now being sent out in pioneering eco-friendly boxes. A mixture of washed Welsh Mountain, Herdwick, and Swaledale fleece has replaced polystyrene...

Sixth victory for Logie herd.
January 7, 2005... THE Logie Aberdeen-Angus herd at Ellon has come out top in the North East Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Club annual Herd of the Year competition for the sixth successive year. The award, sponsored by the Clydesdale Bank, is based on points...

Cairngorms land management forum launched.
January 7, 2005... A NEW group has been set up by the Cairngorms National Park Authority to help the organisation in the development and implementation of land management policies and strategies. The Integrated Land Management Forum, which will cover...

Balance conventional crops against energy alternatives.
January 7, 2005... REVIEW the performance of conventional arable crops over the next couple of years and compare markets with those of biomass and energy crops. That's the advice from ADAS, which says that some organisations are already laying plans for the...

Project aims to increase beneficial insect use.
January 7, 2005... A #1 million scientific study aims to investigate the best way of boosting friendly insect numbers in crops in a bid to reduce pesticides. The new study is being undertaken by The Game Conservancy Trust, Rothamsted Research, and Imperial...

`Assess cashflow impact of subsidy changes'.
January 7, 2005... UK FARMERS urgently need to assess the cashflow impact of imminent changes to the subsidies given to them by Europe, warns ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Currently, farmers receive a series of subsidies via the...

Spring crops area predicted to increase.
January 7, 2005... THE area sown to spring crops is set to increase this season, according to Gleadell. "With some farmers having experienced delays in sowing winter crops this autumn we are expecting an increased area to be sown with spring crops," says...

Two-row out-yields six-rows.
January 7, 2005... FOR the first time the SAC Cereal Recommended List shows a two-row winter barley variety, Saffron, out-yielding all three fully recommended six-row varieties. `Market Use' lists replace the old-style `Malting Approval' lists, which were...

Census shows decrease in set-aside area.
January 7, 2005... RESULTS from the June 2004 Agricultural and Horticultural Census for England comparing June 2004 and June 2003, show that the total crops area has increased by 2.6 per cent since June 2003, largely due to a fall of 19 per cent in the amount of...

Wet weather leads to rise in wheat bulb fly risk.
January 7, 2005... RELATIVELY large areas of late-sown wheat combined with poor early winter growing conditions mean many wheat crops across the country are at particular risk from wheat bulb fly damage this year, warns RAGT agronomy specialist Dr Cathy Hooper....

YOUNGSTOCK: Dairying dedication leads to investment in future.
January 7, 2005... BARRY ALSTON reports from a West Wales farm where the enthusiasm of youth is being encouraged to blossom. WHILE still at school Daniel James wanted little else but to be a farmer. Now at 24 such a career dedication has become a reality. ...

Competitors battle with weather and sheep as #1,470 is raised.
January 7, 2005... AT the New Year's Day Charity Trial, Carol Mellin took the Nursery title with Nan, while Ralph Swainson and Gail won the Novice class. After a calm start at the elevated venue of Moorlodge Farm, near Oakworth, West Yorkshire, the wind...

Barking dog saves the day at Brecknock and Radnorshire Challenge Trial.
January 7, 2005... TEAMS from two neighbouring counties, Brecknock and Radnorshire, met at the turn of the year for their annual Challenge Trial. The Brecknock Team scraped home by just three points. When announced on the field the result given out was that...

Travel opportunities through Discovery programme 2005.
January 7, 2005... ANNA Gilbert and Jennifer Ottewell will be heading for Strasbourg at the end of the month to attend the Rural Youth Europe spring seminar on the theme `European Youth against racism and xenophobia'. Anna, of Market Bosworth YFC,...

Essex personality title for Drummond.
January 7, 2005... DRUMMOND Scrase, a student at Writtle College, Essex, has been crowned Essex Young Farmers' personality of 2004. The runner-up was Ross Davies of Ongar YFC. The title was awarded following two rounds of interviews, the second in front of...

NEW PRESIDENT.
January 7, 2005... CLIVE Richards, of Ullingswick, has been re-elected president of the Herefordshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs. The vice-presidents are former Orleton YFC member Geoff Crofts, ex-Dilwyn member, Daintree Griffiths, Andrew Layton, Eardisley...

Speechmaking awards.
January 7, 2005... GAVIN Ireland, Claire Guthrie and Ailsa Kerr of Crossroads YFC, Ayrshire, took first place in the west region round of Scottish Young Farmers' national junior speechmaking competition with their presentation `To infinity and beyond'. ...

`Call My Bluff' competition.
January 7, 2005... TWO dozen logophiles gathered in Penrith for the county final of Cumbria Young Farmers `Call My Bluff' competition. In addition to revealing that a logophile is a lover of words - not as the bluffers would have them believe, a lover of logs or...

Safeguarding animal health and welfare.
January 7, 2005... BARRY ALSTON takes a behind-the-scenes look at a vital element of farming's well-being. PUT on the white overalls, the surgical gloves and take in that all too obvious clinical atmosphere - and there can be little doubt as to where you...

Combatting the spread of hydatid.
January 7, 2005... THE two veterinary investigation centres in Wales have played key roles in helping combat what was once becoming a serious problem in both animal and human health terms. For the first time in 50 years Mid Wales has not had a recorded case...

Keeping faith with future of dairying.
January 7, 2005... A Cumbrian farm has undergone a major expansion programme including the upgrading of milk storage and handling facilities. Neil Ryder reports. Additional and modified buildings plus a new 30,000 litre outside bulk milk tank have been part...

Suzuki Eigers receive facelift.
January 7, 2005... ALONGSIDE the new 700 KingQuad, Suzuki has also given the 376cc Eigers a facelift, with some styling and other detail changes. Manual and automatic versions of the selectable four-wheel drive models continue but the range now also includes...

High clearance Gator.
January 7, 2005... JOHN DEERE has introduced a high clearance version of its Gator ATV that uses a 20hp Yanmar diesel. The HPX High Performance Series models are offered in two and four-wheel drive and with all wheel suspension. Front and rear hydraulic disc...

Diablo resurrected.
January 7, 2005... THE Diablo is back - but not as before. The name belonged to the diesel ATV produced by GHL and indeed Gifford Langley is still the man behind the latest version, which he is producing under his new company DQL - Diesel Quads Ltd. Now...

DAIRY FARMER OF THE FUTURE 2005: Are you ready to face the future?
January 7, 2005... Time to take a leaf from Sir Clive's book? In the second of a short series of articles the sponsors of the Dairy Farmer of the Future 2005 explore how management on dairy farms must change to meet the challenges of the future. Dairy...

Maintaining a sustainable beef enterprise.
January 7, 2005... The Beef Improvement Group (BIG) in conjunction with Farmers Guardian is staging a technical conference at Askham Bryan College, York, on January 27. The one-day event is designed to offer suckler beef producers solutions on how to re-establish...

First phase of pig health scheme.
January 7, 2005... GRANTS and sponsorship of #750,000 have been agreed to get the first phase of a pig health scheme off the ground. The abattoir monitoring scheme, being managed by the British Pig Executive (BPEX), is being championed by the newly-formed British...

Four in the running for top job in World Trade Organisation.
January 7, 2005... FOUR people are in the running for the top job in the World Trade Organisation - and one of them would deliver a major boost for European farmers when the talks on a new global trade deal peak in Hong Kong next December Predictably for an...

Raising money for tsunami appeal.
January 7, 2005... NEXT week, January 10 to 14, Harrison and Hetherington auctioneers are giving their customers the chance to make voluntary contributions towards the relief effort for victims of the tsunami that devastated south-east Asia. At each of their...

Sheep tagging inspection.
January 7, 2005... THE NFU is urging sheep farmers to ensure they are up to date on the current rules on tagging sheep ahead of an EU inspection of the UK tagging system. If the UK is unable to show accurate traceability and farmers do not show accurate...

Irish pledge on export ban.
January 7, 2005... IRISH Government sources have confirmed that they will support the UK case in Brussels for ending the beef export ban. This could be a key factor in the political process, since support from Ireland as a major beef exporter to mainland...

Stability for farmgate milk price until summer?
January 7, 2005... MARKET returns for milk appear to have peaked, says Nick Holt-Martyn, director of The Dairy Group. "While sterling has strengthened in the last month the commodity prices in the EU have begun to weaken. "The milk utilisation figures...

UK well-placed to reinforce role as top EU sheep producer.
January 7, 2005... THE UK is well-placed to reinforce its position as Europe's largest sheepmeat producer and supplier despite bearing the full impact of CAP reform a year earlier than most of its EU neighbours. The latest intelligence from the English Beef...

Producers' on-line fight-back.
January 7, 2005... FARMERS around Europe are starting to fight back against the low prices offered by supermarkets. In France, the idea of selling directly to consumers via the Internet, offering fresh produce at a fair price for both the farmer and the...

Low margins forcing pig producers out.
January 7, 2005... The UK pig industry has shrunk by more than a third in the past six years, with farmers making at best just two pence profit per kilo for bacon pigs. Researchers at Essex University's Centre for Rural Research have issued two new reports...

Dunswell mart to continue.
January 7, 2005... THE future of Dunswell cattle market, near Hull, is assured for the foreseeable future, say the auctioneers. Dunswell is the only livestock auction remaining in the East Riding and, although still awaiting the results of a diversification...

Surveyors of choice.
January 7, 2005... Chartered surveyors group Berrys, of Northamptonshire, has been chosen by English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency in England, to manage its agricultural holdings in the central and south of England. Project director for the...

If you don't know the sale price, know the cost of production.
January 7, 2005... As virtually all information on the implementation of the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy has now been made available, how are you responding in terms of planning your business for change, asks Euryn Jones, Barclays national...

Milk production for 2004/5 quota year.
January 7, 2005... Milk production in November was estimated to be 1,042 million litres. This compares to 1,074.1 million litres in October 2004 and 1,071 million litres in November 2003. Butterfat levels were estimated to be 4.15 per cent compared to 4.16 per...

MILK QUOTA BULLETIN.
January 7, 2005... MARKET COMMENT: (For week ending Jan 5, 2005) * SALES COMMENT: The start of the new calendar year has seen little activity on the sales market as producers are continuing to wait for production figures to push prices down. Vendors are...

Successful year for Mole Valley co-op.
January 7, 2005... A HIGHEST ever turnover has been reported by farm supplies and rural retailer Mole Valley Farmers. In the year to September 30, 2004, the group, which operates 27 MVF and SCATS retail outlets throughout the South of England, saw turnover...

LAMMA 2005: Join the crowds at this year's record breaking show.
January 7, 2005... With well over 300 stands, this year's LAMMA Show, which is organised by the Lincolnshire Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers' Association, has set yet another record, both for the number and diversity of stands and the extent of the...

LAMMA 2005: LAMMA backs biobed research.
January 7, 2005... Research work saved from closure by the support of the Lincolnshire Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers' Association (LAMMA) is continuing to yield valuable data that could help farmers avoid a pesticides tax and keep IPUs in the chemical...

LAMMA 2005: Front-mounted cultivator saves time, manpower and money.
January 7, 2005... The combination of a four-metre front-mounted cultivator and a trailed drill has proved very effective in allowing one Essex farm to reduce the amount of labour and machinery required to establish their crops. Julian Cooksley reports. For...

LAMMA 2005: Demand increases for multi-disc saw heads.
January 7, 2005... Saw heads mounted on hedgecutters, once popular for chopping old hedgerows that had got out of control, may enjoy a revival spurred by Countryside Stewardship Scheme encouragement for farmers to cut back only every three years. Mervyn Bailey...

LAMMA 2005: Firm gets to root of its market with a novel sales approach.
January 7, 2005... A novel way of marketing sugar beet harvesting equipment was established last year by Grimme UK when the German-owned company set-up Root Systems, a retail division, to sell direct to growers across the country. It is also acting as a...

Badger cull row looms over Irish TB findings.
January 14, 2005... THE Government's leading adviser on bovine TB has cast doubt over the scientific validity of a study in Ireland indicating that large-scale badger culling can dramatically reduce disease incidence in cattle. Professor John Bourne, chairman...

Single farm payments could be made public.
January 14, 2005... THE Country Land and Business Association is seeking answers over claims that farmers will be forced to disclose their Single Farm Payments under the new Freedom of Information Act. It has written to the Information Commissioner, Richard...

Seminars on CAP reforms take to the road.
January 14, 2005... FARMERS throughout England will be able to find out directly how to apply for the Single Payment Scheme when a Defra/Rural Payments Agency roadshow visits 16 locations up and down the country. The tour, which will get underway on Tuesday,...

Green trailer addition to Little Red Tractor logo under discussion.
January 14, 2005... DISCUSSIONS are taking place about the possible addition of a green trailer to the Little Red Tractor to denote food produced to high environmental standards. This could be linked to the LEAF (Linking Farming and Environment) marque. ...

Broad support for Government plans over compulsory ram genotyping.
January 14, 2005... THE Government has announced plans to launch a compulsory ram genotyping scheme following last autumn's public consultation on the National Scrapie Plan (NSP). Response to the consultation showed broad support for the creation of the new...

Farms hit by `strongest gales in living memory'.
January 14, 2005... SEVERE gales and flooding across Northern Britain have led to widespread disruption on many farms, according to insurance brokers in the region. The NFU Mutual now estimates that the claims bill from last weekend's stormy weather will top...