Farmers Guardian articles from January 2006

Farmers Guardian archives from January 2006

New moves to restart UK live export trade.
January 6, 2006... UK-WIDE, industry-led plans for live shipments of calves, sheep and cattle are being drawn up in readiness for the hoped-for lifting of Britain's export ban. Given the go-ahead the proposal will see a return of a farmer-operated...

Hopes of effective bTB control hit as gassing is rejected.
January 6, 2006... GASSING will not be used as a method to cull badgers initially if a control policy is introduced this year, Defra officials have told industry stakeholders. This is a significant blow to industry hopes of an effective bovine TB control...

Badger cull plan `doomed' warns Defra insider.
January 6, 2006... GOVERNMENT plans to make farmers responsible for culling badgers to control bovine TB are doomed to failure, a Defra insider has warned. Ministers, who are consulting on the principles and methods of a badger cull, have already decided it...

Farmer refuses to have `TB' calf slaughtered.
January 6, 2006... A farmer is refusing to have a bull calf slaughtered after it was found to be a TB reactor following the farm's latest TB test. Sheilagh Kremers, who farms at New Park Farm, near Newton Abbot, South Devon, is locked in a dispute with Defra...

Government urged to scrap `waste of money' milk scheme.
January 6, 2006... THE Government has been urged to consider scrapping milk subsidies for 1.2 million primary school children in England, as the current system was a `waste of money'. However, the recommendations in a report commissioned by Defra and...

Peter Morris named as new NSA chief.
January 6, 2006... THE National Sheep Association has appointed Peter Morris as its new chief executive, following John Thorley's decision to stand down and work for the organisation as a policy advisor on a part-time basis. Mr Morris has worked for the NSA...

CAP `difficult to defend' says Bach.
January 6, 2006... THE Government would continue its drive to remove subsidies paid to farmers - but any change would be gradual to give farmers time to adapt, said Food and Farming Minister Lord Bach. "Despite the significance of the 2003 reforms, the CAP is...

Bennett admits Charter failings.
January 6, 2006... NFU President Tim Bennett admitted the failure of his organisation's Buyers' Charter and said the treatment of suppliers had got worse over the past 12 months. Mr Bennett told delegates he had failed to get the major suppliers to take up...

NFU president hits out at Government farming policy.
January 6, 2006... UNDER-pressure NFU president Tim Bennett chose the Oxford Farming Conference to launch a scathing attack on Government farm policy. In a hard-hitting speech that also contained strident criticism of opposition MPs and the media, Mr Bennett...

Soil Association tactics attacked.
January 6, 2006... THE Soil Association (SA) was accused of `black marketing tactics' at the conference on Wednesday. Alex Avery, director of research at the Hudson Institute, USA, accused the organic farming organisation of `deliberately attacking'...

Last chance to show industry can work together?
January 6, 2006... BARRY ALSTON takes a closer look at some of the thinking behind industry moves to set up a major livestock export marketing project. "TO provide improved income for the livestock farmers of the UK and ensuring that at all times the animals...

Points of view: Support business clubs - as `path to our salvation'.
January 6, 2006... I spend quite a lot of my working life with beef and sheep farmers in the six northern counties on behalf of the Red Meat Industry Forum. Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire - between them probably one of the...

OPINION: Trade vs terrorism.
January 6, 2006... One of the iconic, if unwelcome, images of the 1990s is lorry-loads of calves and sheep caught up in animal export demonstrations at various English ports. Foot-and-mouth brought an end to the conflict, and the animal rights' extremists...

Meetings will get to `route' of path problems.
January 6, 2006... The consultation period for the development of core path networks as set out in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, is just getting under way and like the course of the Act itself, it is likely that the process will not be smooth. ...

Agriculture's top 25 movers and shakers.
January 6, 2006... As an industry made up of many different sectors, some competing, it is not surprising that agriculture has a wide range of influencing factors. Whether it is politicians out to make their mark, or farmers determined to raise their voice in...

OBE for Hughes and Thorley in New Year's Honours.
January 6, 2006... THE president of NFU Cymru Peredeur Hughes, who farms beef and sheep at Llandeusant, near Holyhead, Anglesey, and the recently-retired chief executive of the National Sheep Association, John Thorley, have both received the OBE in the New Year's...

Dispelling `new start' myths.
January 6, 2006... THE myth that most new businesses fail within the first year deters many hard-pressed farmers from starting up alternative rural enterprises, says the Country Land and Business Association. New research just published by the Government has...

EA inquiry `orals'.
January 6, 2006... THE Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is to hold oral evidence sessions in relation to its inquiry into the Environment Agency. On January 17 it will be the CBI, the manufacturers' organisation EEF, and Water UK on the stand,...

Campaign targets health message.
January 6, 2006... THE Milk Development Council is working with the six major dairy companies on a new awareness campaign targeting health professionals. Research will be carried out to find out why, as anecdotal evidence suggests, health professionals often...

Sheep identification reminder.
January 6, 2006... THE NFU has reminded members of regulations that came into force from January 1 for all sheep to be identified with a UK or S tag when entering a slaughterhouse. It will become the slaughterhouse operators' responsibility to guarantee all...

Wild boar - in the wild?
January 6, 2006... A PUBLIC consultation on the way wild boar are managed in England was due to close today. Rural Affairs Minister Jim Knight said that, for the first time since they became extinct in Britain more than three centuries ago, wild boar had...

Hunt used in boar round-up.
January 6, 2006... A LOCAL hunt has been enlisted to help round up more than 60 boar running loose in Devon after being released from a farm. Dulverton Farmers' Hunt has been called in by Allan Dedames, who owns Woodland Wild Boar Farm, West Anstey, from which...

Producer views on dairying in Wales.
January 6, 2006... WELSH dairy farmers are being offered the opportunity to have a real say in the future of their industry. As part of the Welsh Development Agency's Agri-Food Partnership Dairy Strategy Group's review of the sector, producers are being...

`File online tax returns early'.
January 6, 2006... THE number of tax returns filed online in the last weeks before the January 31 deadline are likely to reach record figures. As farming has been identified as one industry requiring greater encouragement to ensure self-assessment tax returns...

Podcast voted Bayer's best.
January 6, 2006... BAYER CropScience has won a gold medal for its podcasting service `Four Seasons Live!' The service, launched in September, was awarded gold in Bayer's Global Awards for Excellence, beating entries from Bayer's other global divisions -...

Tests improve performance.
January 6, 2006... ONE thing is for sure, says Agrispray director Michael Monk, there are a lot less sprayer breakdowns in the field following the onset of sprayer testing. "In pre-test days sprayers with worn hoses would more often than not breakdown during...

Testing is here to stay... and targets are achievable.
January 6, 2006... With target deadlines rapidly approaching, DOMINIC KILBURN gets an update on one of the key elements of the Voluntary Initiative - the National Sprayer Testing Scheme. IT was a close run thing, admits the Agricultural Engineers'...

Workshops focus on challenging times ahead.
January 6, 2006... THE HGCA'S 2006 winter workshops will focus on `managing cereals in challenging times'. In England the half-day events will focus on wheat; in Scotland the focus will be on malting barley. The workshops will include presentations and...

`Strip subsidy out of contract'.
January 6, 2006... ARABLE businesses are being advised to strip the subsidy out of contract farming agreements and calculate returns on a crop-by-crop basis. "Many existing whole farm arrangements will not work and need to be redrafted. Landowners need to...

Environmentally active farmers can benefit from VI - new FWAG study.
January 6, 2006... EVEN farmers who are already keen to improve the environmental aspects of their land can benefit from applying the Voluntary Initiative's recommended best practice, according to research conducted by the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group...

Improvements to company website.
January 6, 2006... AGRONOMY supply company Agrovista has improved its website. The changes allow users to click-through to the most popular parts of the site straight from the home page rather than resorting to menu buttons. Nick Rainsley, marketing manager...

High wheat bulb fly risk.
January 6, 2006... THE wheat bulb fly risk is high for the second season running, according to ADAS and DowAgroSciences. Field sampling in eastern England shows that 50 per cent of fields sampled are at `high' or `very high' risk of attack from wheat bulb...

FARM FEATURE: The organic hill farmers with a talent for topiary.
January 6, 2006... Skills in forestry and organic hill farming come together for the Herdman family of Blanchland, Co. Durham, as Neil Ryder found out when he paid a visit. Organic hill farming and landscape gardening focussing on large scale mature tree...

An a-maize-ing African experience.
January 6, 2006... Last autumn University of East Anglia plant scientist graduate Zoe Rutterford undertook an internship at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre's Kenyan head office. Here she tells of her African experience. I remember...

Collaboration and calves help students qualify.
January 6, 2006... A UNIQUE collaboration between a Staffordshire college and a countryside retailer is set to enable students to obtain qualifications that previously may have proved to costly to acquire. Rodbaston College and CWG countryside stores have...

Country View: Calendar for a good cause.
January 6, 2006... PEOPLE are being given the chance to buy a collector's item and help out the farming community by buying a new calendar. The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution's calendar for 2006 features original animal caricatures by West Country...

Country View: Peak District award aims to recognise young people.
January 6, 2006... THE search is on to find this year's top young achiever in tourism in the Peak District. The Tourism Young Achievers Award will recognise a young person who has made a contribution to maintaining or improving tourism in the region. ...

Country View: Catwalk call for Britain's tastiest chippies.
January 6, 2006... THE British Potato Council (BPC) is looking for Britain's hottest new sensation - The Chippie Dales - to celebrate 15 years of National Chip Week (February 13-19, 2006). The BPC is calling for nominations for the UK's cheekiest chip shop...

COUNTRY VIEW: Therapeutic solution to diversity problem.
January 6, 2006... AS small family farms in the South West struggle to remain profitable in the wake of decoupling, more and more choose diversification to provide an alternative income stream. Diversifying into tourism may have been considered a niche 20...

COUNTRY VIEW: An hour in the garden in January.
January 6, 2006... Weather permitting, January can be one of the most wonderful months in the garden, anything growing at all comes as a wonderful surprise. PAUL PEACOCK suggests how to take advantage of fleeting times in the garden. You are often lucky if...

COUNTRY VIEW: Instead of Ascot think `Mascot' at Wetherby.
January 6, 2006... WHEN it comes to racing, instead of Ascot, think Mascot! Yorkshire Young Farmers have a tradition of promoting YFC in a big way - first touring with a giant Yorkshire pudding, then going on the road with an enormous teapot. This year they...

Country View: Montgomeryshire county team.
January 6, 2006... JONATHAN Pryce, of Tregynon YFC has been elected chairman of the Montgomeryshire Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs. Jonathan, who lives on the family farm at Aberbechan, is a computer technician for Laura Ashley. He is immediate past...

Country View: New president takes the reins.
January 6, 2006... SANDRA Davies of Trelan, Cilcain, has taken over from Phil Davies of Bank Farm, Llangollen, as president of the Clwyd Federation of YFCs. At the federation's annual meeting she was presented with a #1,000 cheque for the Meningitis Wales...

Country View: Cornwall post.
January 6, 2006... ANDREW Nicholls, a farmer and member of Lostwithiel YFC, has been elected chairman of the Cornwall Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs, taking over from Sharon Ham. Rachael Webber, a Liskeard member who works in tourism, is the vice-...

Country View: Carlisle are `best bluffers'.
January 6, 2006... CARLISLE'S team of Jonny Reed, Ian Hodgson and Richard Hodgson are Cumbria Young Farmers' best bluffers. The team told the truth - but not the whole truth - to take the top title in the county final of `Call my bluff' held at Penrith Rugby...

COUNTRY VIEW: Speechmakers tackle topics.
January 6, 2006... TOPICS of 24-hour drinking and private or state schools were tackled by Scottish Young Farmers East Region members during their junior speechmaking competition at Ingliston. The Bell Baxter ADS team of Melissa Hutcheon, Jane Orr and...

Country View: Easing shopping stress.
January 6, 2006... BAG-PACKING Young Farmers in Worcestershire raised #312 for a local hospice and made life easier for shoppers. Thirteen members of Bromsgrove YFC packed bags for customers at Webbs of Wychbold Garden Centre and received donations for St...

Staffordshire YFC county chairman elected.
January 6, 2006... BRYCE Mackellar, 23, of Home Farm, Chartley, has been elected county chairman of the Staffordshire Federation of YFCs. Bryce, who works on the family farm, is a past chairman and secretary and current leader of Stone YFC. Trevor Shelley,...

Highcliff Tom and Fizz trade places in busy festive period.
January 6, 2006... WITH trials taking place almost every day between Christmas and the New Year there has been little respite for competitors over the festive period. On Boxing Day a charity nursery trial was held at Clough Head, off Grane Road, near...

Jock and Sally set the pace at Tynwern trials.
January 6, 2006... THREE days after Christmas competitors gathered at Tynwern, Llanrhystud, Ceredigion, for a competition at which entry was on the field. For those who came as late as midday there was very little hope of getting a run either in the morning or in...

Innovation in incineration matter of survival for family business.
January 6, 2006... BARRY ALSTON takes a look at the `other' side of fallen stock disposal - and the major problems that the industry faces. WORRIED about rising costs? Then how would you feel about a fuel bill of more than #61,000 for just one month's supply?...

Scheme improved.
January 6, 2006... WITH the peak lambing period fast approaching there are hopes across Wales that improvements to the National Fallen Stock Scheme will prevent a repeat of last year's collection `shambles'. "The situation in some parts of Wales -...

Get lamb feeding right for growth boost.
January 6, 2006... THE sooner lambs can be encouraged to eat dry feed, the quicker the rumen develops and the faster they grow. According to Trident nutritionist Dr Richard Wynn, the financial benefit produced by finishing better quality lambs faster should...

Breed secretary.
January 6, 2006... THE Zwartbles Sheep Association has appointed Rebecca Evans, who farms at South Molton, North Devon, to the new post of breed secretary. She was introduced to association members at the annual meeting, at which the guest speaker was John...

Bumper entry at Oswestry's new year sale.
January 6, 2006... A BUMPER entry of nearly 7,500 sheep ushered in the new year at Oswestry market, Shropshire, on Wednesday. This week has seen trading at auctions return to normal after the Christmas break with buyers able to obtain the first offerings of...

Cardona is Herd of the Year.
January 6, 2006... THE Cardona herd of Robbie Galloway is the Aberdeen-Angus Show Herd of the Year for 2005. Based at Cardona, Doune, Perthshire, it is the second time it has scooped the award. The competition is based on points gained for exhibitor-bred...

FFA thanks consumers for their `local' support.
January 6, 2006... MEMBERS of Farmers For Action staged a lobby outside Belfast City Hall publicising their ongoing campaign for better produce prices. The Northern Ireland FFA branch also used the event to thank consumers for their support during its recent...

Huddlesford champions.
January 6, 2006... THE overall championship in the Staffordshire 2005 herd competition went to the Huddlesford herd of T.H. Cope and Son, with S. and P. Hill's Hydaways herd in reserve. Results Large herds, 1, S.W. Holdcroft, Dovetrent herd; 2, A.R. Cox...

New Dairy Council director.
January 6, 2006... NUTRITIONIST Dr Judith Bryans has been appointed a director of The Dairy Council. She gained a PhD in nutrition at King's College London, subsequently working as a post-doctorate scientist before joining The Dairy Council as nutrition scientist...

Farmers asked to consider if fattening culls is worthwhile.
January 6, 2006... PUTTING weight on dry OTM cows is unlikely to pay unless the cows are at grass, farmers were told at a meeting in Cornwall. Nik Bertholdt of Duchy College suggested that, alternatively, if cows could be fattened while milking, the milk...

Orderly marketing will help cull cow values.
January 6, 2006... CULL cow prices will hold up after January 23 if everyone does their best to try and even out the supply. This positive outlook, which some dairy farmers will not share, comes from National Beef Association chief executive Robert Forster...

Milk sales continue upwards.
January 6, 2006... MILK sales are increasing by one per cent and there have been significant increases in the utilisation of milk for yoghurt and cheese at the expense of lower value powders and creams. The MDC says latest available data for the 52 weeks...

Cost of nitrogen remains high.
January 6, 2006... RUSSIA's spat with the Ukraine over gas prices this week would not have adversely affected nitrogen fertiliser prices or supplies in the UK, manufacturers have said. But that is cold comfort for farmers who are already looking at a minimum of...

Meat brands take large market share.
January 6, 2006... SOME 44 per cent of total fresh meat value sales are accounted for by Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons' `standard' brands - those which fall between the supermarkets' low-cost and premium brands. Massive growth in own-label brands...

Wiseman holds January price.
January 6, 2006... MILK producers supplying two of the three major processors know their current milk price is safe until the end of January at least. Robert Wiseman confirmed last week that its producer price would remain unchanged for January while Dairy...

Voluntary liquidation.
January 6, 2006... LANCASHIRE-based North West Dairy Engineers was expected to go into voluntary liquidation this week. A spokesman for the Longridge company said customers had been notified by letter and their requirements would be covered if required, by...

Yorkshire pigs destined for Italy as herd replacements.
January 6, 2006... EAST Yorkshire pig breeding company ACMC has secured an order worth over #126,000 for 800 replacement gilts and boars for a 1,000 sow commercial herd in Italy. The Italian company Silos E Mangimi Martini Spa, has just taken the first of...

One-to-one tutoring provides confidence booster.
January 6, 2006... TRAINING sheepdogs to round up ducks was child's play for farmer Hywel Davies compared to mastering his new computer. But one-to-one mentoring support from Link Wales means he has been able to harness the power of information and...

Computers prove an essential farm tool.
January 6, 2006... A COMPUTER is now an essential farm management tool and likely to play an even bigger role in the future, according to award-winning North Wales farmer and college lecturer Martin Sands. He farms 260-acres in partnership with his father,...

Be pro-active to reduce insurance costs.
January 6, 2006... GOOD housekeeping around the farm can pay dividends with your insurance, says a national insurance specialist. Taking steps to reduce the likelihood of accidents and establishing a good claims record can cut the cost of premiums, advises...

Doubts over February Single Payment date.
January 13, 2006... FARMERS in England still have no guarantees they will receive their full Single Payment in February and March, or even just a portion of it. Continuing problems within the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), including the threat of strike action,...

NFU nominations.
January 13, 2006... President: Tim Bennett, Peter Kendall and David Handley. Deputy President: Peter Kendall, Meurig Raymond and Derek Mead. Vice-President: Meurig Raymond, Richard Haddock, Gwyn Jones, Michael Seals, Paul Temple. After nomination it...

Bennett defends style of leadership in face of mounting pressure.
January 13, 2006... The National Farmers Union has this week announced the nominations for NFU officeholders. Alistair Driver reports. NFU president Tim Bennett has defended criticism of his leadership style and record, which is coming under intense scrutiny...

NFU failing farmers says Dairy Board chairman.
January 13, 2006... DAIRY board chairman Gwyn Jones launched his bid for a senior NFU post this week with a no-holds-barred attack on the current leadership. Mr Jones, who will stand for vice-president at the February elections, said the NFU was too close to...

Commission to propose lifting of UK beef export ban.
January 13, 2006... THE UK's beef industry was due to receive a welcome boost today with the European Commission expected to table a proposal to lift the beef export ban. If all goes according to plan, a decision could emerge by late February or the first...

Fertiliser scheme in force.
January 13, 2006... THE voluntary Fertiliser Industry Assurance Scheme, devised by the fertiliser industry and supported by Defra funding, came into force this week. Set up and being managed by AIC Services, part of the Agricultural Industries Confederation,...

Positive response to live exports.
January 13, 2006... THE industry-wide response to moves to restart live exports - exclusively reported in last week's Farmers Guardian - has been so positive that organisers are forging ahead with plans to set the ball rolling. Indications are that with...

Disease cost sharing plans `good for farmers'.
January 13, 2006... GOVERNMENT plans to share the cost and responsibility of livestock disease outbreaks represent more of an opportunity than a threat to farmers, according to one of the key architects of the policy. The Defra-livestock industry working...

Industry campaign to tackle #60m problem of bovine viral diarrhoea.
January 13, 2006... Great Britain must join Europe in getting to grips with costly disease By Joanna Baker CONTROLLING and eradicating bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) throughout Britain is the aim of an industry-led campaign launched this week. The...

Brazilian beef `slave labour' claims.
January 13, 2006... NUFFIELD scholar David Ismail has grabbed national headlines with claims that Brazilian beef farmers are using slave labour and clearing massive chunks of rainforest. Mr Ismail, an organic beef and sheep farmer from Glenfarg, Perthshire,...

Politicians briefed on Welsh beef fears.
January 13, 2006... WELSH politicians were being warned this week of the threat facing beef producers if the removal of the Over Thirty Month Scheme is not handled properly by the Government. The scheme is due to end on January 22 but the Farmers Union of...

No price impact from cull cows ... for the moment.
January 13, 2006... THE fledgling market for cull cows has produced little of the feared disruption to prime cattle prices. The English Beef and Lamb Executive says price reporting from auction markets - through which the majority have been traded so far -...

RBST under fire for `one size fits all' breed policy.
January 13, 2006... THE Rare Breeds Survival Trust has come under fire from a minority sheep association after reclassifying its breed as `at risk' under a new recording system. Tony Baldwin, president of the Shropshire Sheep Breeders' Association, claimed...

Deadlock in TB calf dispute.
January 13, 2006... A DISPUTE between a South Devon livestock farmer and Defra over the proposed slaughter of a TB reactor calf is ongoing this week. South Devon farmer, Sheilagh Kremers refused to have her five-month-old pedigree Dexter bull calf, Mousles...