Farmers Guardian articles from July 2006

Farmers Guardian archives from July 2006

Sugar factories closure `a kick in the teeth'.
July 7, 2006... BEET growers in Yorkshire and the West Midlands may become the first UK casualties of the EU sugar regime reform after British Sugar announced its intention to close its factories at Allscott and York. Reform of the regime was driving a...

Government just misses the legal Single Payment deadline date.
July 7, 2006... THE Government narrowly missed the legal June 30 Single Payment deadline, Defra Secretary David Miliband admitted this week. Defra is now bracing itself for further discussions with the European Commission in a bid to avoid being fined. ...

Bach and Whitty to give evidence.
July 7, 2006... FORMER Defra Ministers Lord Bach and Lord Whitty will appear before MPs investigating failings at the Rural Payments Agency - but not until October. Lord Whitty, architect of the shambolic Single Payment system in England, initially...

Treasury will not match-fund voluntary.
July 7, 2006... THE Treasury will not agree to match-fund voluntary UK modulation unless cuts can be made elsewhere in the Defra budget, Defra Secretary David Miliband told farmers at the Royal Show this week. He said talks between Defra and Treasury about...

Associa's problems behind it, says chief executive.
July 7, 2006... THE head of Associa has insisted the company's problems are behind it. Chief executive Ian Dalzell described the accounting anomalies that resulted in the company overstating its profits by #1 million between 2002 and 2004 as an `unfortunate...

More options for environmental scheme entrants.
July 7, 2006... MORE options for new entrants to environmental schemes were confirmed by Food and Farming Minister Lord Rooker at the Royal Show. They involve keeping the traditional farm buildings option and the points for mixed stocking, which allows greater...

Westminster duo vie for farmers' support.
July 7, 2006... TWO of Westminster's rising stars went head to head at the Royal Show, vying with each other to be seen as the champion of the progressive, green farming industry of the future. Defra Secretary David Miliband and Conservative leader David...

Hot weather `a mixed blessing for farmers'.
July 7, 2006... THE soaring temperatures over the past week have been mixed news for farmers - while some cereal growers have welcomed the warm weather, livestock farmers have been struggling to keep their animals cool. Chairman of the NFU combinable crops...

Defra at odds with EU over vet drug decision.
July 7, 2006... DEFRA is at loggerheads with the European Commission over a decision to restrict the use of a veterinary drug for cattle. Following a number of deaths in the USA from farmers accidentally administering the drug to themselves, the EU...

Safety fears as UK fails to carry out hormone tests on imported meat.
July 7, 2006... FURTHER doubts about the safety of imported beef were raised this week after Defra admitted the UK had failed to carry out any tests for hormones in imported meat since 2004. The admission followed allegations of attempts to block a...

Semen analysis to improve production on farms.
July 7, 2006... A MAJOR investment has been made by the British Pig Executive (BPEX) as part of a two-stage plan to improve productivity on Britain's pig farms. State of the art equipment - CASA (Computer Assisted Semen Analysis) - is now up and running...

Hill Farm Allowance extended to end of 2007.
July 7, 2006... THE Hill Farm Allowance has been extended for one year, bringing much- needed stability to upland farmers. The HFA, worth #27million a year, will now continue until the end of 2007, bridging the gap between the introduction of new upland...

Miliband wavers on `irresponsible' badger cull moves.
July 7, 2006... THE decision on whether to cull badgers has been delayed yet again. In his first major speech to the industry, David Miliband appeared to admit that, after years of prevarication and delay on this issue, the Government was still no nearer...

`Sheep breeds approaching extinction'.
July 7, 2006... THE trend towards fewer, yet larger sheep flocks in the UK is threatening the survival of some breeds, says a Government report published this week. A report on the state of the sheep industry, commissioned by Defra, predicted a future...

Ear tag dispensation call.
July 7, 2006... NFU Cymru is urging the Welsh Assembly to follow the lead of the Scottish Executive and provide producers with a 28-day window from the date of an inspection to replace missing livestock ear tags. Currently Welsh farmers face hefty fines if...

Beef labelling leader.
July 7, 2006... RENEWED calls for a UK-wide country of origin label for beef have been made after the introduction of a similar law in the Republic of Ireland this week. As of July 3, restaurants, pubs and catering outlets across the Republic are required...

David Miliband's partnership challenge to FG readers.
July 7, 2006... `One of my aims in this job is help farming regain its rightful place as a great British success story' I'VE learned many things about farming in the short time since I took up my new job - from the ups and downs of crop prices to the time...

Coastal access delay.
July 7, 2006... A PUBLIC consultation on extending the rights of way legislation to coastal areas is expected to be delayed until 2007. Defra is committed under The Labour Party's 2005 election manifesto and the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CRoW)...

Biomass heat for community.
July 7, 2006... THE first community biomass heating scheme in Wales, supplying the local school, community centre and 30 houses with both heat and hot water, is being officially opened today in a small Mid Wales village by Welsh Assembly Regeneration Minister,...

Call for a stiffer child safety regime on farms.
July 7, 2006... THE Prime Minister has been urged to give his backing to a campaign to increase the safety of children on farms. Making the plea, the Transport and General Workers Union's national secretary for agriculture Chris Kaufman highlighted...

Waste exemptions.
July 7, 2006... YOU can now apply online for exemptions from the new waste regulations. Defra's new internet service for farmers, the Whole Farm Approach, at www.wholefarm.defra.gov.uk, offers an alternative route for applying for a licence to the paper...

Farming - the last refuge for sexual stereotyping?
July 7, 2006... Pay attention everyone. This is a quiz. Look round your farm and decide which creature gets the least respect. The old dog, possibly? He can't do much these days, but he was good once. Or it could be the latest batch of calves, scouring...

OPINION: Day of the Davids.
July 7, 2006... It was the day the Davids came to Stoneleigh to commence battle for the soul of farming. First David (youthful, ambitious, charismatic, with tie) outlined his plans to turn British farming into a dynamic, green, profitable sector whose...

Wild boar wallowing in perfect harmony.
July 7, 2006... BARRY ALSTON takes a look at a unique West Wales venture with a `wild' side to its growing success. IF you go down to the woods today on a certain Cardiganshire holding you really will be in for a big surprise - there are wild boar cross...

Go west, says guide, for a fresh approach to Cornish hospitality.
July 7, 2006... HAVING sold their traditionally-reared meats via farmers' markets for years, Gill and Kim Courtauld of Helston, Cornwall, witnessed the increasing levels of public demand for local foods first hand. It seemed a natural progression for them...

Farming hand-in-glove with wildlife and conservation.
July 7, 2006... Already involved with Countryside Stewardship Schemes, Simon Henderson is looking at ELS and largely HLS schemes for his Northumberland arable farm. Philip Bull of ADAS used the farm to illustrate farming practices that could score highly in an...

High yield and fast regrowth.
July 7, 2006... EXPERIMENTS at Reaseheath College, Cheshire, suggest that using newly developed, top performance varieties of grass and clover can offer higher yields and faster regrowth rates after first cut silage. At a six-hectare field that was...

TB survey must be resumed says FUW.
July 7, 2006... AN immediate resumption of a `found dead' badger TB survey has been urged by the Farmers Union of Wales after it was revealed that dead badgers testing positive for the disease have triggered tests in cattle throughout Wales. Many farms in...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Home-grown.
July 7, 2006... Cornish food company Ginsters is now sourcing a large portion of its milling wheat from local farms. The company promoted the concept to South West farmers and now 3,000 of the 8,000 tonnes of wheat used by Ginsters every year comes from...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Devon olives?
July 7, 2006... A Devon smallholder has taken advantage of climate change by going into partnership with an Italian olive specialist to plant a grove of 120 olive trees on the banks of the River Otter near Honiton. Mark Diacono, a 39-year-old environmental...

`Oscar' nominations.
July 7, 2006... NOMINATIONS for this year's Royal Northern Awards - the `Oscars' of the North-East Scotland farming industry - close on July 14. The Royal Northern Agricultural Society is inviting nominations for three awards - for outstanding service to...

Economic report to help farmers plan for future.
July 7, 2006... THE NFU has launched a new quarterly economic report intended to help farmers plan for their future. The document provides data on production, consumption and prices for the cereals, oilseeds, horticulture, sugar, beef, sheep, dairy,...

`A fair deal is needed if subsidies are scrapped'.
July 7, 2006... The Royal Show 2006 was hot, hot, hot and, appropriately, one of its first events was a conference on global warming. The heat created some problems in the livestock rings and did not make life easy for those on two legs. The public still...

Chances rife for producers.
July 7, 2006... INCREDIBLE marketing opportunities remain for food producers in the public procurement and food service sectors, together worth well over #30billion. The NFU's head of food and farming, Robin Tapper, told a briefing at the Royal Show that...

ABP's core focus with strong demand for high quality cattle.
July 7, 2006... DESPITE having regained an export toe-hold in Italy, which 10 years ago was its most important market, Anglo Beef Processors says the domestic market remains very much its main focus. Just 12 months ago, managing director Richard Cracknell...

Suffolk gene improvement.
July 7, 2006... THE possibility of introducing `outside' genetics into Suffolk sheep is being explored by the breed society - and for those breeders who want it, New Zealand semen will be easier to get hold of. Talking at the Royal Show, the society's...

`Positive feel for rural businesses amid challenges'.
July 7, 2006... INVESTING in alternative complementary enterprises in order to `support' the core farm business - if it was that which you enjoyed - was a perfectly valid business reason for going ahead as far as one relatively optimistic banker was concerned....

`More focused approach' to promotion funds needed.
July 7, 2006... THE Tenant Farmers' Association is calling for a change of emphasis in the way levy boards help market farm produce. The TFA is hoping the `Fresh Start' review of the levy boards will bring about a more focused approach to the use of levy...

Onion and sage cheese launched.
July 7, 2006... WHEN your domestic market is a comparatively small island, exports are even more important. Isle of Man Creameries launched their new roast onion and sage mature cheddar at the Royal. The IOM Creameries' mature cheddars are now listed in...

Nitrate controls for dairy.
July 7, 2006... WAKE up to the nitrates issue was the advice to dairy farmers from the NFU. With more stringent controls on storage, application rates and timings highly likely, a lot of milk producers might find they need to seriously upgrade their...

Maid calendar raises #1,400.(Calendar)
July 7, 2006... LAST year's Royal saw the launch of the Derbyshire Daring Maids Calendar for 2006, put together by the Ayrshire Cattle Society. Twelve months on, and the ladies' collective show of femininity and firmness of udder managed to raise #1,400, which...

Simmental ends her show career on top.
July 7, 2006... IN her showring swansong the Simmental cow Atlow Rhians Valentine went out on top, taking the beef inter-breed title. Owned and bred by David Donnelly, this eight-year-old cow will now retire from the showring and return to the 26-head herd...

Limousins win Burke trophy.
July 7, 2006... LIMOUSINS swept to the Burke Trophy title beating the Charolais team into reserve. The Limousins were made up of the female and overall champion, Kaprico Ultimate, an in-calf heifer from husband and wife team Keith and Carole Stafford, while...

Father and son team reign supreme again.
July 7, 2006... MORE than a decade after their last dairy inter-breed victory at the Royal, the father and son team of Tom and Andy Cope once again reigned supreme. The Copes farm 200 cows at Lichfield, Staffordshire and this was the first time since 1995...

Holsteins take Burke trophy.
July 7, 2006... THE Burke Trophy for the dairy section capped a great show for the Holsteins as they took the title. Leading the team was Tom and Andy Cope's supreme champion, Shanael Gelpro Melody, who was joined by Indianhead Durham Roxan from S.L. and P.S....

Big benefits from improved nutrition.
July 7, 2006... THE massive gap in efficiency and profitability between the best and poorer performing dairy farms can be reduced markedly by improved nutrition, claims Keenan. Releasing the results of a trial carried out in conjunction with a group of...

A sweltering success for Welsh contingent.
July 7, 2006... THE pig classes were plunged into disarray by the searing heat but after a rejig of the judging schedule the Welsh exhibitors came out on top. Things started badly on the first day of the show when the high temperature caused the death of...

Dexters show of class.
July 7, 2006... IN the awards for best kept breed lines, sponsored by Farmers Guardian, it was the Dexters who won the prize for the best numerically large dairy breed. The award was presented by FG's Ben Briggs. This marked a good day for the Dexters with...

Successful show in flock's centenary.
July 7, 2006... IT was a case of centenary celebrations in the sheep pairs as the Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset were crowned champions. Owned and bred by the Fooks Brothers, North Poorton, Dorset, this success represented the first time they had been at the...

British Rouge's clean up.
July 7, 2006... THERE was double success for the British Rouge in the Royal Show sheep lines on Tuesday. First David Jane's homebred ram took the inter-breed title and then a group from Percy Tait took top place in the first ever Royal Show Group of Three...

Flying high Holstein Airfield Rox Ring enjoys a first victory.
July 7, 2006... A NORFOLK-BRED Holstein cow took top honours at this year's Royal Norfolk Show. Airfield Rox Ring, who gave birth to her second calf a month ago, was bred by the Proctor family, trading as R. Paterson, at Shipdham. She was sired by the...

Prince and Duchess will visit Great Yorkshire Show.
July 7, 2006... PRINCE Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are to visit the Great Yorkshire Show on its final day, Thursday, July 13. They are expected to tour the show, meeting visitors, exhibitors and staff. The prince is patron of the Great Yorkshire...

Ronick Tanita takes inter-breed.
July 7, 2006... THE Limousin champion, Ronick Tanita from Ronald Dick's Ronick herd at Mains of Throsk, in the Carse of Stirling, took the beef inter-breed honours at Doune and Dunblane Show at the weekend. Taking the top dairy honours was the...

New commercial suckled calves class is planned for Ingliston.
July 7, 2006... A NEW class for commercial suckled calves is to be introduced to the Scottish Winter Fair, which takes place in the Highland Hall at Ingliston on November 22. The new section is for calves born from January 1, 2006 and will be split into...

Border to feature Cumbrian event as TV documentary.
July 7, 2006... CARTMEL Show in Cumbria will be featured in a half hour documentary to be shown on Border TV on the evening of Sunday, August 20. Filming on local farms has already taken place and the TV crew will spend two days filming preparations for...

Sitlow Summit hits heights.
July 7, 2006... KEITH Denby's Carnforth flock took the overall championship and reserve at the North West Suffolk Breeders' Club's annual show at Lancaster Auction Mart. His champion was the two-shear stock ram Sitlow Summit by Perrinpit High Peak, and...

Improving grassland quality to save money.
July 7, 2006... Soil testing the entire farm every year, changing from set stocking to paddock grazing and volunteering as a guinea-pig for a new grassland management group - the green stuff is a real priority for dairy farmer Clive Gurney. JOANNE PUGH went to...

Launceston YFC pull off fourth tug victory.
July 7, 2006... THERE was plenty of YFC action on all four days of the Royal Show with members competing in a number of important national finals. Things kicked off early on the first day with the tug-of-war qualifiers. This culminated with a showdown in...

Top spot for Old Spot handler.
July 7, 2006... There was plenty on offer at the Royal Show for young people, including award presentations, a large YFC area and some hotly competed young handlers' classes. JOANNE PUGH reports YOUNG exhibitors made their presence felt in the pig classes...

Top RASE students.
July 7, 2006... THE Royal Agricultural Society of England has announced its 2006 top students. Each of the winners was presented with a certificate and five- year membership package by Helen Ghosh, Defra permanent secretary. RESULTS Top NDA student:...

Tough challenge for beef exhibitors.
July 7, 2006... THE South Devon Herd Book Society provided a tough challenge for young beef exhibitors on Monday evening with competitors having to impress the judge in four different categories. Each of the six entrants were allocated a South Devon heifer...

Sheep milk producer takes FG/Waitrose Best Young Farmer Producer Award.
July 7, 2006... THE Lancashire farmer behind a co-operative venture to add value to sheep's milk has scooped the title of Farmers Guardian/Waitrose Best Young Farmer Producer 2006 and a cheque for #4,000, in the Waitrose Small Producers Awards. Sheep Milk...

Scotland the top shearers.
July 7, 2006... Scotland won the Five Nations championship and had its individual winner staged during the sheep shearing championships at the Royal Highland Show. The individual title went to Hamish Mitchell, whose Scotland team members were John Lamb...

New outlet for pedigree Southdown breeders.
July 7, 2006... PEDIGREE Southdown breeders are to have a new outlet for their stock. The NSA Wales and Border Early Ram Sale will for the first time this year be promoting a special section for the breed. Organising committee chairman George Hughes, of...

Rock bottom wool price a `hammer blow'.
July 7, 2006... THE `rock bottom' wool price is being seen as the latest hammer blow to less favoured area farmers in Wales by NFU Cymru's LFA board chairman John Owen. "We have already been hard hit by the Welsh Assembly decision to slash the Tir Mynydd...

Frank Noble and Moss take Farleton title.
July 7, 2006... OUTSTANDING outfield work over a testing course at Farleton, Lancashire, earned Frank Noble and Moss the title at this new location. With a fetch of over 350 metres, the course was on rough rising ground littered with rushes. Dogs were...

COUNTRY VIEW: Hot, hot, hot.
July 7, 2006... If you've been at the Royal Show this week, chances are you're lying down in a darkened roon at the moment, getting your temperature back down to normal. Last year's cold and rain was replaced by weather at the opposite end of the...

COUNTRY VIEW: Fears over equine microchips.
July 7, 2006... PLANS to microchip every horse in the country have provoked an angry response from the Farmers Union of Wales, who warned the new identification proposals were `unworkable' and that they could have `severe consequences' for the future of many...

COUNTRY VIEW: It's high-fives all round.
July 7, 2006... LLAWHADEN YFC members have showed they definitely know how to promote the young farmers' movement, winning the annual Club Promotion competition in Pembrokeshire for a record fifth time. The team of Alice James, Becky James, Rhiannon...

COUNTRY VIEW: Pupils get big lift-off.
July 7, 2006... BURY St Edmunds Young Farmers Club has donated #827 to the St Louis Catholic Middle School, Bury St Edmunds towards the installation of a lift for disabled pupils. The club, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, donated the cash at a...

COUNTRY VIEW People: Senior Brains Trust competition.
July 7, 2006... FOUR teams battled it out in a Senior Brains Trust competition organised by the East Devon Group of Young Farmers' Clubs and held at Honiton. Judged by Les Heywood and Jennifer Rabjohns, discussions for the evening ranged from badgers...

COUNTRY VIEW: Llawhaden YFs take county sevens crown.
July 7, 2006... TEAMS from eight Pembrokeshire YFC clubs tackled each other in a bid to be crowned county sevens rugby champions. An excellent turnout of clubs at PembrokeRFC saw two pools of four teams ruck, maul and scrummage to try and force their way...

COUNTRY VIEW People: Sheep shearing competition.
July 7, 2006... THE annual sheep shearing competition 2006, organised by the Lancashire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, and staged at Higher Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge, Clitheroe, was won by Dave Parkinson of Slaidburn YFC, with Thomas Whitwell...

COUNTRY VIEW People: County rally winners.
July 7, 2006... THE 2006 Clwyd Young Farmers' county rally winners, for the second year running, was Cilcain YFC. Their team was: Dan Griffiths, Gwyn Worthington, Sam Griffiths, Shaun Edwards, Alan Roberts, Edward Morgan and Gareth Worthington. ...

COUNTRY VIEW: An hour in the July garden.
July 7, 2006... There is a difference between the peak of the July garden and the maturity of August, writes PAUL PEACOCK. SOME time in July, the garden will look its best, a fleeting hour when all is well; but it will not be mature. There are still...

MACHINERY: Simplicity is key to Fendt's Vario 312.
July 7, 2006... FENDT has unveiled the 300 Vario line-up, following a flavour of the range when they showed the 312 at the end of last year. Control of the continuously variable speed transmission has been simplified for the lower spec four model 95hp to...

MACHINERY: Sportsman's superior comfort makes a lasting impression.
July 7, 2006... SOME 12 months and 3,260 miles after it was delivered, our Polaris Sportsman 400 has been returned and we have been suddenly reminded what a solid rear axle and swing arm suspension feels like compared to the Sportsman's truly independent...

MACHINERY: McConnel telescopic reach mower PA65T.
July 7, 2006... McConnel has introduced the PA65T telescopic reach mower that can be mounted on the three point linkage of tractors over 110hp, or onto the axle of smaller tractors to 70hp. Its main feature is a new rocker post that allows the flail to be used...

MACHINERY: John Deere Gator is overall winner.
July 7, 2006... The overall winner of the Royal Show New Equipment Awards was the John Deere HPX Diesel Gator. This revised version has a new look and gets a Stage II diesel engine coupled to a two speed transmission. The specialist category was won...

MACHINERY: Simba Spread-A-Bale.
July 7, 2006... Simba has taken on the marketing of the Spread-A-Bale, which will continue to be made by CHK of Crewe, Cheshire. It was invented by farmer Michael Hughes, who has so far sold around 250 machines in the UK, Europe and Australia. This straw...

MACHINERY: No skimping on metal for INO range of flail toppers.
July 7, 2006... Zetor UK is the official importer for the INO range of equipment from Slovenia. Sales manager Peter Ayres says that these are seen as the professional range of flail toppers that they offer, with no skimping on the metal. The Elite models...

MACHINERY: Knuth enters tractor market.
July 7, 2006... German engineering machinery manufacturer Knuth is dipping its toe in the tractor sector. The two tractors on show were the 23hp Terra Trac 23 and the 35hp Terra Trac 35, both made in China. Both use a three-cylinder diesel engine with 15...

MACHINERY: More fixed chamber balers join the McHale line-up.
July 7, 2006... McHale has extended its baler line-up with the F530 and F540 joining the F550. These standalone fixed chamber balers are aimed at the farmer end of the market. The F530 does not have a drop floor or chopper unit but retains the double...

MACHINERY: New features for the Glenside aerator.
July 7, 2006... Glenside has updated its 3m grass aerator, borrowing features from the wider 5m model. These features include longer skids for better travel and the 220 litres drums that can be filled with ballast, mounted across the frame allowing more weight...