Farmers Guardian articles from July 2005

Farmers Guardian archives from July 2005

FFA plan Europe-wide better farm prices deal.
July 1, 2005... A MASSIVE new campaign seeking better returns for all sectors of farming has been announced by Farmers For Action. It is a move the FFA had been planning for the autumn but has brought forward in the light of continuing pressure on milk...

TB proposal identifies cull as effective solution to outbreak.
July 1, 2005... INDUSTRY proposals outlining how culling badgers could curb the spread of bovine TB have been sent to Animal Health Minister Ben Bradshaw. The Minister has been given time to digest the NFU document before the detailed proposals are...

Dairy supply chain under review.
July 1, 2005... THE NFU dairy board is to carry out a fundamental review of the way the dairy supply chain operates. Board chairman Gwyn Jones is hoping to come up with a radical approach to the way producers market their milk. The review, which he intends...

Livestock coalition propose alternative to valuation tables.
July 1, 2005... A LIVESTOCK industry coalition has put forward an alternative solution to the proposed cattle disease compensation tables. In a written request to Ben Bradshaw, the Animal Health Minister, the coalition of 12 bodies representing farmers,...

Natural move to Sheffield.
July 1, 2005... NATURAL England, the new public body incorporating English Nature, parts of the Countryside Agency and the Rural Development Agency, will have its headquarters in Sheffield. The Sheffield headquarters would be a permanent base for around 25...

Optimism over OTMS rule change.
July 1, 2005... THERE is growing optimism that the timetable for allowing older cattle back into the food chain and lifting the beef export ban lifted may be back on track. The EU Food and Veterinary Office inspection of Britain's BSE controls is reported...

`Work as normal' as NBA heals divisions at annual meeting.
July 1, 2005... THE National Beef Association appears to have gone some way to healing its divisions. A potentially explosive annual meeting and board meeting on Wednesday ended with the appointment of Northumberland farmer Duff Burrell as the new chairman. He...

Shouting for sugar at Brussels rally.
July 1, 2005... FARMERS will be flying out to Brussels during the EU Council of Ministers meeting on July 18 as part of the NFU's `Shout for Sugar' campaign against the proposed reform of the sugar regime. It is expected more than 170 growers will join two...

Arla faces farmer fury over milk price cut.
July 1, 2005... ARLA has come under increasing fire for its refusal to rescind the `disgraceful' 0.35ppl cut in the milk price it introduced in June. As farmers continued their blockades of Arla's depots and customers' depots this week, tempers became...

Call for immediate Government action.
July 1, 2005... FARMING Minister Lord Bach has acknowledged the growing hardships being faced by UK dairy farmers - and recognised that the imbalanced relationship between milk producers and milk purchasers needs to be addressed. But while welcoming the...

New Bill protects common land.
July 1, 2005... LEGISLATION intended to protect common land in England and Wales from development was published on Tuesday. The Commons Bill was drafted with the aim of allowing common land to be managed in a more sustainable manner, improve protection...

Government should `lead by example'.
July 1, 2005... THE Rural Climate Change Forum (RCCF) met this week for the first time amid calls by its co-chairman for the Government to `lead by example' in supporting sustainable development. John Gilliland, former president of the Ulster Farmers Union...

Drug law clarified.
July 1, 2005... NEW regulations coming into force next month, which reclassify magic mushrooms as class A drugs will not penalise landowners who unwittingly have the hallucinogenic fungus growing on their property. Back in April, the CLA had been concerned...

Continuing loss of farm holdings shocks Jones.
July 1, 2005... THE continuing loss of farm holdings across Wales - detailed in the latest Welsh Assembly figures - have shocked Plaid Cymru's Shadow Countryside Minister, Helen Mary Jones. "While I welcome some of the findings in the report, I am...

Government's `more rational' reforms would result in subsidy cuts.
July 1, 2005... TONY Blair's drive to reform the CAP will almost certainly result in significant cuts in farm subsidies from the start of the next decade. The crucial issue to be resolved now is what form these cuts will take, NFU policy director Martin...

Concern that further reforms could jeopardize strategies.
July 1, 2005... SIR Don Curry, Government adviser, has written to Tony Blair expressing his `deep concern' at the Prime Minister's attempts push CAP reform to the top of the EU agenda. Sir Don believes further CAP reform, immediately following the current...

SPS tax implications welcomed.
July 1, 2005... THE views of HM Revenue and Customs on the main taxation implications arising from the Single Payment Scheme, contained in its Special Edition of Tax Bulletin, have been welcomed by the NFU. Union president Tim Bennett said: "The measures...

GM ban lift blocked by Ministers.
July 1, 2005... THE European Union is facing further problems over genetically modified crops, after Ministers blocked a ruling to lift national bans on crop approvals. These national bans are in place in Austria, France, Germany, Greece and Luxembourg,...

Apply welfare assurance `equally to home food and imports'.
July 1, 2005... WELFARE requirements applied to food produced at home should equally apply to imported livestock products, claimed Prof Christopher Wathes, chairman of the Farm Animal Welfare Council. He was speaking prior to yesterday's annual open...

SPS cheques in February `unlikely'.
July 1, 2005... FARMERS are highly unlikely to be receiving their first Single Payment Scheme cheques in February, despite Defra's insistence that this is still the most likely outcome, according to the NFU. The department is claiming there is an 80 per...

No change on levy rates.
July 1, 2005... CEREALS and oilseeds levy rates are to remain the same as last year, Defra announced this week. The HGCA levy rates payable by cereal and oilseed growers and cereal dealers and processors will apply from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006. The...

Double tagging decision soon.
July 1, 2005... A crucial decision from the EU is due soon on whether the UK is to be exempt from the requirement to double tag all sheep. NFU livestock chairman Richard Haddock told the NFU Council he was `quietly confident' the industry's work in persuading...

Partnership approach to the future of farming.
July 1, 2005... THE NFU and English Farming and Food Partnerships (EFFP) have announced a 10-year partnership to promote collaboration for the future profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of England's farming, food and related farm-based...

Red Tractor to make butter debut.
July 1, 2005... THE introduction of the Red Tractor logo onto packs of Country Life butter has been welcomed by NFU dairy board chairman Gwyn Jones.From August it will appear on packs of the butter and marketing materials when Dairy Crest re-launches the...

CURRIE'S VIEW: Capitalise on the current trend - do not fight it.
July 1, 2005... Back in the late eighties a group of high flyers from the world of arts realised they had to change radically if they were to continue to attract the essential funding which they could not survive without. They turned to agriculture to find a...

OPINION: FFA fired up to fight.
July 1, 2005... It is an ambitious plan but the scale of the task has never deterred Farmers For Action before. The organisation appeared fired up this week to drive through its intention to secure sustainable, fair returns for food-producing sectors of...

How much will farmers get and when?
July 1, 2005... How was it for you? It being the infernal but necessary preparation of the Single Farm Payment forms. Hopefully you got yours submitted in time, and in an error-free way! It would be wishful thinking to expect that everyone will have had a...

EU SUGAR REFORMS: Sugar reforms criticised as going `too far, too fast'.
July 1, 2005... SUGAR beet has served Britain's farmers well. There are currently about 7,000 domestic producers, the bulk of them, about 60 per cent, in East Anglia, with the rest dotted about the North and Midlands. They produce 1.3 million tonnes of...

Widespread fears over impact on beet producers.
July 1, 2005... SUGAR beet growers around the UK have expressed grave concern at the high level of price cuts proposed in the EU sugar reforms, announced last week. "Beet is an important crop for us but it really is getting to the point where it is...

MAIN POINTS OF EU SUGAR REFORM PROPOSAL.
July 1, 2005... * A 43 per cent cut for UK beet price over two years, beginning in 2006/07. * A 39 per cent price cut for white sugar over two years. * Compensation to farmers at 60 per cent of the price cut to be included in the Single Farm Payment....

NEWS IN BRIEF: Grass varieties.
July 1, 2005... Scientists from around the world will be in Wales next week (July 3-7) discussing the development of new grass varieties to meet the needs of the 21st century. Around 150 delegates from 14 countries are expected to attend the Institute of...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Pork product.
July 1, 2005... Marks and Spencer launched a new pork product - Muir Den Pork - at the Royal Highland Show. Working with its supplier, Grampian Country Food Group, the new initiative combined the development of a special breed of pig, with a strong Duroc...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Hedgelaying.
July 1, 2005... William Hodgeson from Kendal won the Memorial Trophy for the highest number of points at the Lancashire and Westmorland Hedgelaying Association's competition grand prix. He also won the overall prize for the Improvers class. Other winners...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Limestone.
July 1, 2005... The five-year Limestone Country environmental project in the Yorkshire Dales was established in 2002, not this year, as reported in last week's FG. Full details about the project are now available on the new website...

Arable profits? Look at return, risk and rotation.
July 1, 2005... THERE are currently no fortunes to be made from growing arable crops, and that trend is set to continue for several years with cereal prices likely to remain at close to current levels. However, if farmers use the correct technology,...

Student's supermarkets plea.
July 1, 2005... THE winner of a student dairy award has called supermarkets to show a greater understanding of the state of the dairy farming sector. Neil Brough, a final year HND farm management student at the University of Central Lancashire, Newton...

`Vulnerable to exploitation'.
July 1, 2005... THOUSANDS of temporary, mainly migrant workers would be left vulnerable to exploitation under the new licensing system for gangmasters and agencies, the Trades Union Congress has warned. That would be the case unless all individuals and...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: Limousins reign supreme.
July 1, 2005... THE Limousins reigned supreme on Saturday as they claimed many of the top awards. The supreme inter-breed title was won by the Limousin bull, Samy, an October 2001 son of Loriot out of Nova from Robert Graham, Bridge of Allan, Stirling....

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: Holstein takes dairy honours.
July 1, 2005... THE Holstein, Altona Lea Rudolph Summer, stormed to the inter-breed dairy title for Robert Steel and Son, of Balfron, Glasgow. This eight-year-old daughter of Startmore Rudolph, imported from Canada for their 130-cow herd, was fresh with...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: Texel gives breeder inter-breed award.
July 1, 2005... HE has won the breed championship in past years - 2004 was the last time - but it is 25 years since John Forsyth paraded the Royal Highland's supreme inter-breed sheep champion. With a Texel shearling ewe which breed judge David Houghton...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW: New five-year sponsorship deal worth #1million.
July 1, 2005... THE Royal Bank of Scotland, already the major sponsor of the Royal Highland Show, has agreed a new five-year package worth over #1m, taking its close association with the Royal Highland to at least 2010. In addition, the bank will be...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: More join Suffolk evaluation scheme.
July 1, 2005... A RECORD increase in the number of Suffolk sheep breeders joining the single cross-breed evaluation scheme has been prompted by more of the breed's top flocks taking part. Thirty-three members have signed up for the recording scheme this...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: Awards of excellence.
July 1, 2005... THE fifth NFU Scotland Excellence Awards were launched at the show by Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie. The awards have three categories: Farmland Biodiversity, sponsored by RSPB Scotland; Young Achiever, sponsored by the Royal Bank...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: Tackling wildlife crime.
July 1, 2005... WILDLIFE crime was highlighted at the show by PC Jim McGovern, of Lothian and Borders Constabulary, Scotland's first full-time wildlife officer. Speaking on the `Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime', he said other police forces...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW: Should restaurants tell customers beef origins?
July 1, 2005... THE question of whether restaurants should be required to tell customers where their beef comes from is to be put out to consultation by the Scottish Executive. Announcing the move at the show, Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie said...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: Answered.
July 1, 2005... EUROPEAN Farm Ministers had answered many of Scotland's demands in the Rural Development regulations announced last week. Scottish Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie told a press briefing that the agreement would boost moves to increase...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW: SFP calculation in euros now a fact of life.
July 1, 2005... THE fact that the Single Farm Payment will be calculated in euros, means that exposure to exchange rate risk was now an accepted fact of life for UK farmers, said Craig Wilson, senior manager of Clydesdale Bank Treasury Solutions. Speaking...

Blair `sacrificing' Scottish food for better EU deal.
July 1, 2005... PRIME Minister Tony Blair was accused of `attempting to sacrifice' the Scottish food industry to get a better EU budget deal. Speaking at the show, Jim Walker, chairman of Quality Meat Scotland, said he was `outraged' at the Prime...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: SILVER MEDAL WINNERS.
July 1, 2005... THIS year's Royal Highland Show silver medal winners included the Swing Arm Super Scoop, the Livestock Controller and the Hotrot Composter. The Super Scoop is from Perthshire-based BD Supplies and manufactured in Australia. It is fitted to...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: BOMBARDIER TWO-SEATER ATV.
July 1, 2005... BOMBARDIER has developed a two-seater version of the Outlander ATV using the same 400cc engine. The frame is 200mm longer to accommodate the extra seating area behind the driver and the passenger is perched slightly higher so they can see what...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: LEMKEN OFFER SOLITAIR CONVERSION.
July 1, 2005... LEMKEN is now offering the Solitair 8 with a split hopper and separate metering system for fertiliser. This conversion is carried out by a Scottish firm and uses the larger 1,800 litre hopper that is split in the middle. The metering unit...

AGROVECTOR TELEHANDLER - JOINT VENTURE FOR SIMPLICITY.
July 1, 2005... DEUTZ-FAHR had the Agrovector 30.7 telehandler on display, which has a lift capacity of 3,000kg to 7m. This is a new joint venture for the tractor and combine manufacturer with Belgium-based JLG who are producing the two-model line-up. The...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: SHAVER POST DRIVER PACKS EXTRA PUNCH.
July 1, 2005... THE Shaver post driver has a number of interesting features such as springs to give the weight an extra punch as well as an over-centre mechanism to hold the post in place. Manufactured in Iowa the three model range is being imported by...

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2005: POST DRIVER FOR TELEHANDLERS.
July 1, 2005... STRIMECH has added a post driver to its range of telehandler attachments. These use a 250kg or 300kg weight hoisted by a rope using hydraulic scissor system. Robin Normington of Strimech says that it is capable of sinking 300mm diameter...

LINCOLNSHIRE SHOW: Jersey's win an emotional moment.
July 1, 2005... BRACKENHURST College's five-year-old Jersey cow, Brackenhurst Triumph Borage, took the Lincolnshire Show dairy inter-breed title for the second year running, at Lincoln. Breed judge, P. Prior, of Ingatestone, described her as an...

LINCOLNSHIRE SHOW: `Outstanding Charollais takes inter-breed title.
July 1, 2005... Judge B. MacTaggart, from Castle Douglas, described his sheep inter- breed champion, Charles Sercombe's, Charollais ewe, Dalby Champagne as `outstanding'. "She is well balanced and a good mover and is full of breed characteristics," he...

LINCOLNSHIRE SHOW: Promoting agriculture.
July 1, 2005... AGRICULTURAL shows may be less important to the individual farmer's business, but they have key roles to play in the promotion and presentation of agriculture, according to officials and visitors to the Lincolnshire Show. The show, which...

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY SHOW: Limousin in the limelight.
July 1, 2005... LESS than a week after collecting the top beef accolade at Cheshire Show, a two-year-old Limousin heifer was in the limelight again at the Derbyshire event. Inter-breed judge David Winnington, of Church Broughton, near Derby, had the...

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY SHOW: Unique triumph for Ayrshire breeders.
July 1, 2005... AN "extremely well balanced" Holstein was chosen as top dairy animal, but Sunday's show also proved particularly special for an Ayrshire cow that won a possibly unique honour. The Holstein overall dairy winner, Dovetrent Progress Fay, had...

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY SHOW: Home-bred Charollais takes inter-breed title.
July 1, 2005... INTER-BREED sheep judge, Sam Mellor, chose a `good all round' Charollais ewe as his overall champion. The home-bred entry, from Charles Sercombe, Frisby on the Wreake, Leicestershire, has already been inter-breed champion at Lincoln,...

4X4 ROUND-UP: LEXUS OFFERS PETROL AND ELECTRIC MOTOR COMBINATION.
July 1, 2005... ELECTRIC motor technology can be found on Lexus' hybrid RX 400h. Using a combination of 3.3-litre V6 petrol engine with a 165hp electric motor on the front axle and a second electric motor on the rear axle, the RX400h has an all-electric...

4X4 ROUND-UP: New Navarra packs muscle with features.
July 1, 2005... ROAD TEST By Geoff Ashcroft THE battle for double-cab pickup truck supremacy rages on in the UK, and the latest contender for the top-spot is Nissan. It seems that the Japanese firm made a big effort to raise the bar with its last...

4X4 ROUND-UP: STYLISH ADDITION TO SSANGYONG SPORTS ACTIVITY RANGE.
July 1, 2005... KYRON is SsangYong's latest 4x4 sports activity vehicle that slots into the range below the Rexton. Combining European styling with Korean technology and pricing, the five-door five-seater is expected to get a 140hp common-rail diesel engine,...

4X4 ROUND-UP: PERFORMANCE PACK FOR ISUZU.
July 1, 2005... ISUZU is offering a Prodrive Performance Pack for its diesel-powered Rodeo Denver 3.0 litre pickup. Costing #760 the engine upgrade boosts power from 131hp at 3800rpm to 155hp at the same engine speed. Perhaps more importantly for towing,...

4X4 ROUND-UP: LATEST PASSAT STREAMLINED AND STYLISH.
July 1, 2005... VOLKSWAGEN'S latest Passat Estate shares its imposing `V' shaped chrome grille with the saloon, but from the B-post back, it's all new. But its streamlined appearance has not been achieved at the expense of luggage capacity, says the...

SHROPSHIRE AND WEST MIDLANDS SHOW: Attendance almost doubles.
July 1, 2005... ATTENDANCES at the two-day Shropshire and West Midlands Show at Shrewsbury at the weekend were almost double those of the previous year. The beef inter-breed title was won by the Hereford breed champion from R. and A. Shaw, South Wirral,...

ST CLEARS SHOW: Simmental supreme for a second year.
July 1, 2005... BEEF and dairy cattle entries were forward in equal numbers at the St Clears Show, Carmarthen, successfully promoted each year by past and present members of the local YFC. Winning the Simmental, Continental breeds and overall beef...

International Cheese Show.
July 1, 2005... THE 110th International Cheese Show takes place at Nantwich, Cheshire, on July 27. The world's biggest cheese show, this year sponsored by Cathedral City, will feature over 2,000 international exhibitors. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Looking ahead to a good beet crop.
July 1, 2005... FOLLOWING the EU's proposed savage cuts to the beet price, shocked growers are in desperate need of some good news to help ease the pain. In the short-term this comes with the prospect of another `good- average' crop to lift later in the...

`Two ways to deal with set aside'.
July 1, 2005... WITH the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme, farmers should be aware that there are now two distinct types of set aside land. The first, with which farmers are very familiar, is a compulsory production control mechanism, and the...

New group for dairy farmers.
July 1, 2005... THE Arable Group (TAG) is establishing a new agronomy group in Cumbria to help predominantly dairy farmers make the most of their combinable crops. With the increasing trend towards specialising in one area of livestock production and the...

Soil survey reveals hidden secrets.
July 1, 2005... UNDETECTED imbalances in their soils could be costing South Wales farmers significant amounts in lost crops yield and reduced quality. That is the view of Carmarthen-based agricultural adviser George John, who suggests that many farmers...

High temperatures puts crops at risk.
July 1, 2005... THE recent high temperatures have favoured some cereal diseases and virtually stopped others. Furthermore, the extreme temperatures and lack of rainfall are putting crops in the east under stress, says ADAS pathologist Bill Clark. Results...

Guide suggests best farm options.
July 1, 2005... A NEW HGCA guide to `Field Margins' will help growers choose the best options for their farms, balancing practical issues with maximising environmental benefits. "New arrangements for environmental stewardship in England means that farmers...

Plan ahead to avoid OSR harvest problems.
July 1, 2005... TALL, thick oilseed rape crops must be managed with great care and attention if a repeat of the difficulties and delays that proved so costly for many last year is to be avoided. "Unaffected by establishment problems or moisture shortages,...

Guard against mycotoxins with careful management.
July 1, 2005... Cereal growers in the UK can do much to guard against damaging mycotoxin contamination of their grain this summer by careful harvest management, according to Norfolk-based Agrovista technical manager, Mark Hemmant. "Fusarium ear infections...

Global warming resulting in new crop opportunities.
July 1, 2005... A NEW report on the impact of climate change on crop production and management describes a positive picture for the future, particularly for northern Europe and northern regions of North America in the period up to 2020 and beyond. Higher...

Decision trees to help assess slug damage risk.
July 1, 2005... GROWERS can assess the risk of slug damage and get the latest guidance on effective slug control by using two decisions trees available on HGCA's new topic sheets. "The aim is to devise a rational risk assessment system for the integrated...

Epona - systematic seed treatment for first wheat.
July 1, 2005... THE Advisory Committee on Pesticides has granted approval for BASF's new systemic seed treatment for first wheat crops. The fluquinconazole+prochloraz seed treatment, which will be marketed as Epona, targets the key disease concerns threatening...

Isolated blight outbreaks on the increase.
July 1, 2005... A SWING towards warmer, humid weather has increased the risk of potato blight infection in some regions, according to the British Potato Council (BPC). Several new outbreaks across Great Britain have been reported since mid-June. "Whilst...

Future of grassland to be discussed at Welsh conference.
July 1, 2005... THE future of grassland will come under the spotlight next week as scientists from around the world gather to discuss development of new grass varieties that meet the complex needs of farming in the 21st century. Grassland makes up about...

`Double' century ends an era.
July 1, 2005... BARRY ALSTON reports from a very remarkable Pembrokeshire farm facing its first major change in more than 100 years. THE Welsh Black Cattle Society has just completed its centenary year celebrations - but a `double' century will soon be...

Gate is still hanging after 100 years.
July 1, 2005... THERE is a very special wooden gate at Penlan Farm - also reckoned to be 100-years-old. "It was hung by my grandfather - who died in 1916 - and is used every day," says Mr Beynon. "It still has most of the original timber, including...

Student vets check bovine TB in Africa.
July 1, 2005... A GROUP of veterinary students is planning an ambitious research project to one of the world's poorest countries. An undergraduate research team from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), part of the University of London, is making...