Farmers Guardian articles from July 2004

Farmers Guardian archives from July 2004

NFU drafts charter to protect producers.
July 2, 2004... THE NFU has unveiled plans for an industry-run and funded `Buyers' Charter' to protect producers from supermarket and processor power as an alternative to a legally-binding code of practice. The draft proposals that were presented to the...

BUYERS' CHARTER: Is voluntary regulation the answer?
July 2, 2004... THE NFU draft proposals have sparked a fierce debate over whether voluntary regulation of supermarkets is better than statutory regulation. YES Heading up the `yes' camp are the NFU officials behind the draft proposals. Another key...

Union in memo alert over Tesco allegations.
July 2, 2004... THE NFU was forced to circulate a memo warning staff across the organisation to distance themselves from views about supermarket power held by Derek Mead, it has emerged. Mr Mead, referred to merely as a Somerset NFU council delegate and...

Commission is stuck with GM `hot potato'.
July 2, 2004... EU environment ministers have again handed the hot potato of a GM crop approval back to the European Commission. At a meeting this week no vote was taken on a GM maize from Monsanto, despite a Commission proposal confirming it had met...

Irish caterers have to declare origin of beef.
July 2, 2004... IN a move likely to be envied by many farmers elsewhere the Irish government has confirmed it will introduce legislation making it compulsory for hotels, restaurants and other catering establishments to declare the country of origin of beef on...

Grants will help farmers manage risks and work together.
July 2, 2004... FOOD and Farming Minister Lord Whitty has announced two new grants to fund projects, which will help farmers manage risks and work together more efficiently. The grants were awarded to Farmcare and the Cereals Industry Forum under the...

Hungary fund.
July 2, 2004... The European Commission has agreed a programme funded by EU Structural Funds to support agriculture and rural development in Hungary for the period 2004-06. Worth over E400 million, this should give a significant boost to Hungary's ambition to...

Crucial SFP documents due in the next couple of weeks.
July 2, 2004... FARMERS in England and Wales should receive crucial documents within the next fortnight outlining details of their historic payment entitlements. However, farmers in England will only have 28 days to point out mistakes or ask for...

Milk campaign.
July 2, 2004... `Footballer's Wives' star Gary Lucy has been announced as the latest face to front Scotland's 'The White Stuff Milk Moustache' campaign. He is joining chart topping boy band Blue in launching the second phase of the campaign which goes live on...

Worm costs.
July 2, 2004... Worm infestation levels are probably costing UK pig producers millions of pounds annually in lost production and lower financial returns. The forecast follows an extensive abattoir survey carried out by Janssen Animal Health over the last 12...

New acquisition.
July 2, 2004... Farmway, the leading North East farmer-controlled business, has acquired Yorkshire Animal Health, a well-known health provider based in Boroughbridge. Peter Hull, chief executive said it was a strategic acquisition for Farmway as it added to...

Tenancy agreement at the forefront of surveyors' agenda.
July 2, 2004... THE Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors' CAP policy group is seeking to ensure farmers who receive entitlement will, wherever possible, be those in occupation in 2005. Spokesman Peter Fane said it was also keen to see the arrangements...

Access works.
July 2, 2004... Work is under way on the access road for the #4m, 26-acre Shrewsbury Food Enterprise Park, the West Midlands' first dedicated business park for food and drink companies. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Dairy Crest security measures.
July 2, 2004... DAIRY Crest this week stepped up security precautions at its Severnside plant, Gloucestershire, by obtaining fencing that could be assembled quickly in the event they were picketed by Farmers for Action. The firm said the measures were only...

NFU renews calls for abolition of the AWB.
July 2, 2004... THE NFU has renewed its calls for the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board after it agreed on a 5.1 per cent wage increases for farm workers that will add an estimated #55.8m to the annual wages bill. NFU president Tim Bennett said the...

Walks register.
July 2, 2004... Defra has published its Conservation Walks and Rides Register, the 2004 edition of this free county-by-county guide to more than 2,000 walks and rides, available to the public under the Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive...

Demand for firm action to control Bovine TB.
July 2, 2004... FARMERS in parts of the country that are being crippled by Bovine TB are refusing to support the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy unless firm action is taken to control the disease in badgers. NFU council members from the South West,...

Lasting improvement in health and welfare.
July 2, 2004... THE 10-year Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for Great Britain was launched simultaneously in England, Wales and Scotland last Thursday (June 24). The Implementation Plan for England was launched on the same day. It was a recommendation...

Wrekin auction.
July 2, 2004... One of Shropshire's most important landscapes, the Wrekin, thought by many to have been J.R.R. Tolkein's inspiration for Middle Earth, is on the market for offers over #500,000. It is being sold by FPDSavills on behalf of Peter Holt, who...

Action plan.
July 2, 2004... A new report entitled `Sustaining biodiversity: revitalising the biodiversity action plan', produced by a consortium of conservation organisations, challenges the Government to do more to tackle declines in wildlife species across the UK and...

Fuel efficiency.
July 2, 2004... Attleborough-based chicken processor Banham Poultry is collaborating with researchers at the University of East Anglia's Carbon Reduction Project and technical experts at Shipdham-based biodiesel manufacturers Global Commodities (UK) to run one...

NFU gold again.
July 2, 2004... The NFU, with the assistance of UK Horticulture, followed up its gold award at the Chelsea Flower Show, with another gold at the BBC Gardener's World Live exhibition at the NEC, Birmingham. The Royal Horticultural Society also awarded a silver...

Producer levy would help share cost of any future disease outbreaks.
July 2, 2004... THE Government will consult the industry this autumn on plans to introduce a producer levy to share the cost of disease outbreaks. Cost sharing is a key element of the long-awaited Animal Health and Welfare Strategy. The concept of a...

Rhug grant.
July 2, 2004... The award-winning House of Rhug farm shop at Corwen has been awarded a #70,000 processing and marketing grant from the Welsh Development Agency. It will use the money to develop a bespoke EU standard meat storage, maturation and cutting plant....

Mock FMD exercise tests readiness to act.
July 2, 2004... DEFRA's `Exercise Hornbeam' got under way this week with Ministers, senior officials and regional staff playing out days seven and eight of a `mock' foot-and-mouth outbreak designed to test just how prepared the Government is. In...

Mixed feelings on worth of Hornbeam.
July 2, 2004... THERE was a degree of scepticism about the Hornbeam Exercise among those that Farmers Guardian spoke to in Brockholes Arms mart, in Lancashire, on Tuesday this week. * Raymond Escolme, Bay Horse, Lancaster, said: "It would be worthwhile if...

Union's whole farm approach.
July 2, 2004... THE NFU has submitted its evidence in the consultation leading to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Strategic Plan 2005 - 2010. The strategic plan has three key focuses: food safety, eating for health, and choice. In its evidence the NFU...

British pig industry leaders to attend Dutch summit.
July 2, 2004... Two British pig industry leaders have been invited to attend a top- level summit on production standards in Holland next week to hear what the Dutch are doing to achieve UK levels. "We will be following up talks on our recent report on...

Economic value from single breed analysis.
July 2, 2004... COMMERCIAL lamb producers can expect up to #3.75 extra per lamb if they use a recorded Suffolk ram according to the results of the latest single sheep breed analysis. The Signet Suffolk sheep evaluation has looked at some 391,000 records...

Lord Whitty to launch pigmeat import guide.
July 2, 2004... DEFRA minister Lord Whitty is scheduled to launch the National Pig Association's new guide to best practice for buying imported pigmeat products for retailers in London on July 8. The initiative was launched following BPEX's recent report...

NFU Council meeting news in brief.
July 2, 2004... NFU dairy board chairman Gwyn Jones has given his backing to the proposed new industry body, Dairy UK. On Monday, he told the council it presented an opportunity to bring processors and producers closer together, improving communications and...

Consumers confused over egg labelling.
July 2, 2004... THE RSPCA has said ambiguous labelling on eggs is confusing consumers, and many may be either unaware if labels relate to battery-produced eggs or mistakenly believe they refer to free-range products. Recent Defra statistics showed...

Soil Association welcomes proposed ban on lasalocid.
July 2, 2004... THE Soil Association has welcomed a proposal by the British Egg Industry Council to ban the use of lasalocid for all chickens reared for egg production under the red lion logo. This is believed to account for 85 per cent of the eggs...

Study dismisses claims of any egg-cholesterol link.
July 2, 2004... A new study has thrown cold water on suggestions that eating eggs can raise the levels of cholesterol in the body. The study, by the University of Connecticut and supported by the American Egg Board, found that the dietary cholesterol in...

Target children to lift milk sales in `gulp and go' world.
July 2, 2004... CHALMERS' VIEW You may have heard the recent news about increases for milk, cheese and other dairy products, writes Douglas Chalmers, North West regional director for the Country Land and Business Association. The main reason for these...

OPINION: Time for advice.
July 2, 2004... THERE has been much talk over the past 12 months about the new-look CAP but we are about to reach the point where talking stops and things kick off for real. In the next couple of weeks a letter will hit most farmhouse doormats outlining...

Getting to grips with VAT problems.
July 2, 2004... Value Added Tax can pose numerous questions as people try to get to grips with it. Susan Shaw, tax director and head of the agricultural group at accountants, Smith & Williamson, answers some of the more usual queries. Question: Can...

Mixed views surround New Forest National Park status.
July 2, 2004... THE announcement by Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael that the New Forest is to be designated a National Park came as no surprise to many residents who saw it as a foregone conclusion after deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, said he was...

The Scottish Forestry Commission targets urban areas with new funding.
July 2, 2004... TOTAL funding of #1 million a year for the next four years is being made available to encourage the spread of woodland across Central Scotland. The money has been made available by Forestry Commission Scotland for anyone owning or...

No change for cereals levy.
July 2, 2004... THE Home-Grown Cereals Authority levy rates payable by cereal and oilseed growers and cereal dealers and processors are to remain the same as last year it was confirmed by Defra this week. The detailed rates with effect from yesterday are:...

Farm-saved seed payment rates.
July 2, 2004... BRITISH Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) and farming unions (NFU, NFUS and UFU) have agreed payment rates on farm-saved seed (FSS) for autumn 2004 and spring 2005 plantings. The revised payment rates are part of a three-year agreement...

Sudden closure for woodland grant.
July 2, 2004... THE Forestry Commission has announced the immediate closure of its Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS), citing exceptional demand for woodland grants this year. This demand has already reached the limit of funds available for the 2004/05 planting year....

Big changes for president.
July 2, 2004... BIG changes are under way at the 200-acre Derwen Deg all-grass farm Tim Bennett and his wife, Susan, run at Maesybont, near Llandeilo, in Carmarthenshire. The former dairy cattle cubicle housing has been flattened and the footings...

`There are still many milestones to be reached'.
July 2, 2004... TIM Bennett - who this weekend officially opens the Royal Show - likens next year's introduction of the Single Farm Payment to a revolution in the way food is produced. "There are many milestones still to be reached over the coming weeks...

FARMERS' MARKETS: Optimism and strong local support.
July 2, 2004... THE market town of Settle nestles between the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire and the Yorkshire Dales, attracting both tourists interested in the area and those travelling through to the Lake District. Predominantly a livestock area, Settle...

RSABI announces strategic changes.
July 2, 2004... THE Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution, one of the leading rural charities, has announced significant changes in its approach to helping individuals in the countryside who have fallen on difficult times and to attract greater...

Successful open day event may become regular feature.
July 2, 2004... A highly successful open day arranged by the Royal Northern Agricultural Society, presenting farming and food production to the general public may be repeated on a regular basis. Retiring president, Gavin Dick, suggested at the society's...

New award to honour young entrepreneurs' achievements.
July 2, 2004... THE Royal Northern Agricultural Society (RNAS) is now inviting nominations for a new award it is introducing for a young person under 35 years of age working in the farming industry. The award has been instigated by Fred Duncan, chairman...

Joining forces for local produce.
July 2, 2004... CHESHIRE County Council, its borough councils and local producers have joined together to form `Made in Cheshire', which aims to encourage new investment and increase local employment opportunities within Cheshire's food and drink sector. ...

`Tinkering' hill farming review.
July 2, 2004... THE Welsh Assembly's review of the Tir Mynydd hill farming support scheme has been described as `little more than tinkering at the edges' by the Farmers Union of Wales. "While we support a number of the proposals, the changes do little to...

Irish find Welsh inspiration for markets.
July 2, 2004... KNOWLEDGE and ideas gained from visits to Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire have been used to help establish the first ever farmers' market at Enniscorthy, in Co. Wexford, Republic of Ireland. Representatives from Ireland have made a number of...

A model of environmental management.
July 2, 2004... WITH the new entry and higher level environmental schemes and the likely requirements of cross-compliance on the horizon, the Cholderton Estate in Wiltshire is a model in environmental management for others to follow. At a recent farm walk...

Defra funding helps farmer create wildflower meadows.
July 2, 2004... A FARMER has created one of the largest wildflower meadows in Northamptonshire with the help of Defra funding. Sixteen hectares of Stuart Dunkley's farm, near Roade, are currently full of native blooms which he has cultivated using a Defra...

BIGGER, BETTER FASTRAC STILL IN TEST PHASE.
July 2, 2004... THE Fastrac flagship the 3220 is JCB's current king of the hill but there could be a new successor to this crown. A prototype was spotted near the Rocester plant in Staffordshire that has slightly larger diameter rear wheels compared to the...

Revolutionary high-speed, low-pressure tyre.
July 2, 2004... THE first tractor tyre to operate at under 1 bar pressure for both in- field and road operations has been launched for the UK market. The new development could be the biggest revolution in tyre technology since the introduction of the radial...

Impressive new tractor range from Landini and Zetor on display.
July 2, 2004... NEW tractors for the stockman were on display from Landini and Zetor at this years Royal Highland Show. The Landini Powerfarm offers farmers a basic package in both cab and platform versions. "Since the Blizzard was replaced we have...

Silver medals for innovative agri-engineering.
July 2, 2004... THE Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland awarded four silver medals for new implements at this year's Royal Highland Show. The award winning products included: * A triple rotor topper that uses three blades per rotor for...

Crimping and rolling with Kerr.
July 2, 2004... CRIMPING and rolling machinery is now available from Lothian based dealer John Kerr. The high capacity crimper has a split hopper feeding two sets of rollers. John Kerr points out that by using two rollers a more constant pressure can be...

Floor-mounted hydraulic press.
July 2, 2004... WORKSHOP specialist Spaldings have added a floor-mounted Truecraft 45- tonne hydraulic press to its range. The press, which is a useful tool refitting bearings and bushes as well straightening metal has a height adjustable table with a hand...

Tractors set to face `MOT testing' in the future.
July 2, 2004... Regular tractor testing could be a possibility in an effort to reduce agricultural vehicle accidents according to the Health and Safety Executive. There are no plans at the moment to introduce an MOT style test but the scheme would have...

CONTRACTOR SPECIAL: Single data cable cuts cab clutter.
July 2, 2004... When you order a tractor in two or three years' time you may be confronted with a new electronics standard. Known as ISO-Bus 11783, it means that, providing both tractor and machine meet the standard, up to 12 machines can be operated from a...

CONTRACTOR SPECIAL: Multi-function information terminal.
July 2, 2004... PLUG in and play, that is how the majority of suppliers describe the new technology. So how does it work? When an ISO implement is attached to an ISO tractor, the tractor gateway/job computer uploads the details from the implement. ...

CONTRACTOR SPECIAL: RETRO-FIT.
July 2, 2004... MULLER Elektronic offers a retrofit ISO kit for tractors, and, although the prime market is with OEM (Original Eqipment Manufacturer) suppliers, there is no reason why you cannot convert your existing tractor to the ISO standard. There is...

CONTRACTOR SPECIAL: COSTS.
July 2, 2004... AT this stage, all the manufacturers we spoke to say it is impossible to talk about exact costs for the technology. Although John Deere has yet to finalise prices for 6020 and 7020 tractors, at Agritechnica, the majority of tractor suppliers...

CONTRACTOR SPECIAL: What's being developed.
July 2, 2004... THE list of machine manufacturers which have agreed to work to the new standard includes Amazone, Claas, Hardi, Grimme, Krone, Kverneland, Lemken, Pottinger, and Rauch (Kuhn). Grimme UK managing director Michael Alsop confirms that the...

CONTRACTOR SPECIAL: ISO STANDARD - Increased awareness needed.
July 2, 2004... WHILE all the suppliers we contacted agreed that the new ISO standard is the future, most feel it could take many years to gain acceptance. John Deere' Gordon Day suspects progress will be slow, and suggests this is not helped by lack of...

Return beet contracts swiftly, growers urged.
July 2, 2004... SUGAR beet contracts are landing on doormats within ther next few days. Although growers have several weeks to complete and return both the contract and seed order, British Sugar hopes they will be sent back as soon as possible. By posting...

Grassweed product launched.
July 2, 2004... BAYER CropScience has added another cereals grassweed product to its herbicide portfolio. Liberator, a combination of flufenacet and diflufenican, will be positioned as an inclusion in programmes with the company's recently- launched...

Wheat: Lower seed rates could cut costs.
July 2, 2004... MORE nitrogen and lower seed rates could help wheat growers reduce costs, according to nationwide trials being run by United Agri Products. The general idea behind the trials is to develop a blueprint for different varieties grown in...

Resistant varieties the only sure midge control.
July 2, 2004... THE window of opportunity to control orange blossom wheat midge is so narrow that resistant varieties may be the only sure way to reduce the damage from the pest. Looking back over a season in which chemical control had proved largely...

Non-food uses for oil crops.
July 2, 2004... A NEW website, www.oilcrop.com, has been developed by the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) at the University of York to demonstrate the commercial benefits of non-food applications of oil crops. The project was funded by Defra...

Climate tolerance rises in importance.
July 2, 2004... WITH climatic change across the UK and Europe appearing to become more evident and at times extreme, climate tolerance and consistency of performance are becoming more critical in the development of new varieties, according to sugar beet...

All-round advice on minimising bruising.
July 2, 2004... FOR the majority of potato growers already convinced that the issue of bruising requires their attention, the BPC's Minimising Bruising kit pulls together the latest agronomic advice. A series of 13 advice guides cover the key factors that...

Impact of loss of area aid.
July 2, 2004... THE loss of area aid will have a far greater impact on choice of crop in 2005 than many people imagine and growers really need to get to grips with their rotations in the light of this, warns ProCam technical agronomist Nick Myers. ...

Troon gains distillers' approval.
July 2, 2004... TROON spring barley, bred by Nickerson Seeds, has received full approval from the Institute of Brewers for the northern region. This area encompasses, north Wales, Northern Ireland, Northumberland, Cumbria and all of Scotland. Troon joined...

Defra to fund plant breeding projects.
July 2, 2004... TWO new Defra-funded research projects led by Rothamsted Research could bring benefits to farmers and the environment in years to come. The projects, WGIN (Wheat Genetic Improvement Network), and OREGIN (Oilseed rape Genetic Improvement...

Naked oats contract opportunity.
July 2, 2004... CENTAUR Grain is on the look-out for farmers in East Anglia to grow naked oats on contract to supply Bernard Matthews' Bawsey poultry feed mill near Kings Lynn in Norfolk. Centaur will initially supply Bernard Matthews with 3,000 tonnes of...

Far from being `ornamental lawn mowers'.
July 2, 2004... Like many other British native breeds, the Longhorn was once seen as an `ornamental lawn mower', but the modern Longhorn has made a remarkable recovery proving itself as a valuable commercial beef animal. Neil Ryder met leading Longhorn breeder...

RURAL LIFE: Living the best job in the world.
July 2, 2004... "The other week someone wrote that I had a messy thatch of hair that makes me look as if the stuffing is coming out," says David Kennard. "I can live with that," he cheerfully adds. He can also live with his video `The Year of the Working...

Networking - for business and fun.
July 2, 2004... BUSINESS and pleasure can be combined as Cumbria Rural Women's Network annual dinner demonstrated. "Research indicates that up to 90 per cent of business can come from contacts made through networking - which means networking plays an...

Promoting role of rural administrator.
July 2, 2004... FIONA Ives. from Herriard, Hampshire, is the new chairman of IAgSA (Institute of Agricultural Secretaries and Administrators). She takes over from Sue Densley. Sally Wood, from Derbyshire, was elected vice- chairman. Fiona is a...

Attendance up at Yorkshire YFC show.
July 2, 2004... YORKSHIRE Young Farmers are celebrating the success of the federation's second county show. Attendance figures rose to more than 3,000 this year. There was also an increase in craft and trade exhibitors. The show, held at Nidderdale...

Berriew make it five in a row at county rally.
July 2, 2004... IT was five in a row for Berriew YFC as the club was again overall winner at Montgomeryshire Young Farmers' rally. Tregynon was runner-up with Trefeglwys third. Berriew's trophy tally included cups for its display, overall stockjudging and...

`Cumbria A' - a class act.
July 2, 2004... YOUNG Farmers from seven federations converged on Myerscough College, Lancashire, for the Northern Area YFC field day. The Cumbria A team was overall field day winner with Yorkshire A second and Cumbria B third. Cumbria A also topped the...