Farmers Guardian articles from June 2004

Farmers Guardian archives from June 2004

23 million sheep could be culled if BSE strikes.
June 4, 2004... UP to 23 million sheep could be slaughtered if a single case of BSE is found in the national flock, the Government revealed at the launch of its new contingency plan for possible outbreaks of the disease in sheep. Although Defra stressed an...

WTO threat to beef, dairy products and sugar.
June 4, 2004... KEY European agricultural commodities could be in the firing line if new proposals put forward by developing countries are accepted by the World Trade Organisation. Beef, dairy products and sugar would all be threatened by increased...

Bioethanol imports `a blow to UK industry'.
June 4, 2004... HOPES for a successful UK biofuel industry could be shattered if proposals to increase the amount of bioethanol imported from Brazil go ahead, eastern region MEP Robert Sturdy has warned. He said EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy planned to...

1.4m new homes could devastate the countryside.
June 4, 2004... PLANS to build 1.4m new homes over the next 10 years could have a devastating impact on the British countryside, according to a Defra- commissioned report, which has emerged this week. The report has added to the concerns of farming and...

Fuel price hike already hitting haulage rates.
June 4, 2004... FUEL price rises already having a significant effect on farmers' transport costs. Henry Budgen, regional co-ordinator for the Farmers For Action (FFA) group, who farms in the Lowestoft area, said: "At this time of year, the impact is...

Workers' wage demands.
June 4, 2004... A NEW basic hourly rate of #6.15 and a minimum #7.26 an hour for the craft rate form the central demands to the Agricultural Wages Board this year from the Transport and General Workers Union. Chris Kaufman, lead negotiator for the T&G and...

No majority for ban on hunting.
June 4, 2004... THE Advertising Standards Authority has accepted that a poll commissioned by the Countryside Alliance shows there is no majority of public opinion for a total ban on hunting. It has, however, criticised the Alliance for using advertisements...

New non-invasive BSE diagnostic testing developed.
June 4, 2004... A reliable, non-invasive method to help diagnose the early signs of BSE in cattle and other transmissible spongiform encep-halopathies has been developed by researchers in Manchester. Dr Chris Pomfrett and his colleagues at the Manchester...

Exposing the true value of milk.
June 4, 2004... A SURVEY to determine the true value of milk producers' own labour is being organised by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers. Farmers are being invited to participate in the national survey which RABDF says could help them...

Support grows for national milk agency.
June 4, 2004... SUPPORT is growing for the formation of a national agency to strengthen milk producers' position in the market place in light of the current downward pressure on milk prices. Dairy Crest has cut the prices it pays producers and the industry...

MDC backs claims of unjustifiable pressure on UK milk prices.
June 4, 2004... THE Milk Development Council has added weight to claims that the state of the EU dairy market does not justify the current pressure on UK milk prices. In its Dairy Markets Update it says there are a number of factors in place which should...

Meeting sought over concerns about `right to roam'.
June 4, 2004... THE Country, Land and Business Association (CLA) is seeking an urgent meeting with Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael, over concerns that the Government and Countryside Agency are pushing through the start date of September 19 for new access...

A SAINSBURY'S `SPECIAL' OFFER.
June 4, 2004... An FG reader was horrified last week to note their local Sainsbury's advertising a free trial of Alpro soya milk on its four-pint bottles of semi-skimmed milk. The `Try me free' coupon claimed the soya milk `lowers cholesterol,' was `dairy...

Proposals to benefit council farm tenants.
June 4, 2004... COUNTY council farm tenants could progress to larger farms more quickly and access co-ordinated training if a proposal for a new strategy is adopted. The proposal, to help halt the decline in the overall area of County Council tenanted...

Low-carb potato `no different from salad type'.
June 4, 2004... THE low-carbohydrate potato which has been developed by scientists in America is no different to early or salad varieties already grown in the UK, according to Dr Mike Storey, British Potato Council, research and development director. ...

Feed wheat down amid grain price volatility.
June 4, 2004... GRAIN prices, and especially the value of wheat, are experiencing a period of unparalleled volatility. The Home-Grown Cereals Authority reports that feed wheat last week dropped by #6 per tonne, while the futures market suffered a #5 per...

Climbdown on Polish plans to release wheat reserves.
June 4, 2004... THE European Commission and other member states have backed down over Poland's plans to dampen down domestic prices by releasing 300,000 tonnes of wheat from its strategic reserves. The cereals management committee confirmed this week the...

BOVINE TB CONTROL STRATEGY: Extra culling must wait.
June 4, 2004... THE message could hardly have been clearer. The Government is extremely unwilling to sanction any additional culling of badgers until the Randomised Badger Culling Trials are complete. This will be 2006 at the earliest. Even then, there is a...

BOVINE TB CONTROL STRATEGY: Slow progress in disease diagnosis.
June 4, 2004... EFFORTS to improve diagnosis of bovine TB in cattle are being hampered by the slow progress of trials of the gamma interferon test. The gamma interferon blood test is seen by many as a potentially crucial weapon in the battle against TB. In...

BOVINE TB CONTROL STRATEGY: Politics and `a decade of indecision'.
June 4, 2004... LIKE dozens of other organisations, the National Beef Association has spent months preparing its TB consultation response for response today, but its chief executive Robert Forster has voiced concerns it could have been `a waste of time'. ...

BOVINE TB CONTROL STRATEGY: Vaccines field trials planned.
June 4, 2004... DEFRA is planning to begin field trials of badger and cattle vaccines, said Mr Bradshaw. He was keen to reassure MPs that progress was being made after a cautious analysis from Defra's TB vaccine adviser Prof Doug Young, of Imperial College....

BOVINE TB CONTROL STRATEGY: LATEST FIGURES.
June 4, 2004... In the first four months of 2004: 1. The number of new TB incidents was down 14.2 per cent - 1,264 against 1,473 during the same period last year. 2. 601 cases were confirmed, compared with 773 last year, although a number of this...

BOVINE TB CONTROL STRATEGY: Closer links with European producers.
June 4, 2004... SEVERAL National Pig Association leaders are attending a top-level European pig producers' meeting in Denmark this weekend in a new bid to cement relationships with their Continental counterparts. They are also keen to build up...

BOVINE TB CONTROL STRATEGY: Farmers could do more on prevention.
June 4, 2004... THERE is a lot more farmers could do to halt the spread of bovine TB, the Minister and his adviser told MPs. The disease is increasingly being spread by the movement of cattle, which is why Defra has put measures like compulsory...

BOVINE TB CONTROL STRATEGY: `Get in there and cull the sick badgers'.
June 4, 2004... FARMERS are prepared to work with the Government on the problem of bovine TB, provided it will take action, said the NFU's national livestock chairman Richard Haddock. "In this we mean we want TB stopped. We want circles around the...

WEBSTER'S VIEW: Agriculture has its share of head-scratching problems.
June 4, 2004... It is amazing just how complicated and different people's lives are, especially when they get involved with agriculture. So I thought I would explore with you all some examples of problems that have arisen and try to work out what will...

OPINION: Housing dilemma.
June 4, 2004... Everyone knows a story about someone who bought a house five years ago for X and now finds it is worth Y - often a sum 50, 60 or even 100 per cent up on the original purchase price. That's the reality of the housing boom and it's a nationwide...

Your farm business tax queries answered.
June 4, 2004... Dealing with the Inland Revenue and the redefinition of small and medium sized enterprises can throw up numerous queries. Susan Shaw, tax director and head of the Agricultural Group at accountants Smith & Williamson provides some answers. ...

Top packer.
June 4, 2004... Greyfriars UK, of Wath, Ripon, North Yorkshire, has won the Packer of the Year category in the first Re:Fresh Awards which recognise excellence in fresh food produce nationally. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Red meat push.
June 4, 2004... Welsh red meat promotional body Hybu Cig Cymru marked National Barbecue Week by supplying independent retail butchers with a new promotional kit designed to boost sales of Welsh lamb and beef. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Enterprise.
June 4, 2004... The deadline is approaching for applications in the current round of the HGCA Enterprise Awards scheme. Businesses using home grown grain have until June 30 to apply for an award of between #5,000 and #50,000. Forms are on...

One-stop bid.
June 4, 2004... The RSPB has called on the Government to provide a `one-stop shop' for farmers to access advice and information about grants and conservation opportunities available. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Call for simpler approach to SFP measures.
June 4, 2004... NFU Cymru has told the Welsh Assembly of anxiety among its 15,000 members that in practice the CAP reform cross-compliance element could re-instate the bureaucracy and gold-plating of standards that it had been fighting long and hard to free...

Tan Hill successes.
June 4, 2004... Overall champion at the Tan Hill Show, North Yorkshire, on the site of England's highest pub at over 1,700ft, was a Paul Hallam-bred Swaledale shearling ram from John Porter and Sons, Low Oxnop. Taking the reserve championship for the...

Charolais and Ayrshire take the supreme awards.
June 4, 2004... THE Golden Jubilee Surrey County Show, staged at Guildford, on Bank Holiday Monday, attracted a slightly increased crowd of around 40,000. There was a `very good' beef entry and, while the dairy entries were the best for about four years,...

New site for Aberystwyth.
June 4, 2004... CATTLE and sheep judging returns for the first time since 2000 at next Saturday's (June 12) Aberystwyth and Ceredigion County Show being staged on its new site adjacent to the A44 - A4159 roundabout junction to the east of the town. Sheep...

Four-year old Simmental bull tops beef entries.
June 4, 2004... THE first of the new season of agricultural shows in South Wales was the 98th annual event held at Cothi Bridge, near Carmarthen, which was staged at the weekend. There was an excellent gate and livestock entries totalling around 150 beef...

Charollais champion heads up sheep lines.
June 4, 2004... THOUGH the dairy classes at Herts County Show at the weekend were cancelled due to lack of entries, there was a very good turnout in the beef section, according to the organisers of the Redbourn, Hertfordshire-based event. The attendance...

Herts stage lively debate.
June 4, 2004... A LIVELY `Question Time' debate encompassing food farming, the food chain and the impact of supermarket dominance, was staged by the Herts Agricultural Society on the eve of the two-day county show. The panel composed Robert Rees, former...

Planning to beat rogue soil dealers.
June 4, 2004... LANDOWNERS and farmers in Staffordshire are being helped to guard against rogue dealers trying to sell contaminated waste material disguised as high-quality soil. There have been around 50 cases in the last 12 months where landowners, who...

`Suburban' objection to new build scheme.
June 4, 2004... TWO planning applications to the same local authority have highlighted the hurdles that farm businesses still have to overcome to be able to diversify. One application to convert redundant farm buildings into houses from the Duchy of...

Alpacas provide fibre for spinning venture.
June 4, 2004... A whole new cottage industry has been created in rural North Wales - spinning luxurious and exotic fleeces from alpacas. They are being farmed at Sodom, on the slopes above Bodfari, in Denbighshire, by Michael and Celia Berry. Now the...

Prove `innocence' on appeal - or be walked over - CLA.
June 4, 2004... THE Government has been accused of effectively forcing landowners across the country to `prove their own innocence' under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. Land in Derbyshire's Peak District, which the Countryside Agency has marked...

Circuits to curb off-road biking.
June 4, 2004... A network of professionally designed motorcycle circuits could be created in the forests of Wales as part of a new national strategy to tackle the rising problems of uncontrolled off-road biking in the countryside. The idea of setting up...

Free managerial skills programme.
June 4, 2004... FARMER'S daughter, Catrin Jones, is on a mission to recruit members of farming families in Meirionnydd for a free programme designed to develop their managerial and entrepreneurial skills. A graduate of Bangor and Edinburgh Universities, she...

Farmers' markets: Producers double profits.
June 4, 2004... SHAFTESBURY Farmers' Market was started around three years ago by North Dorset District Council. The town hall is a good central site for the market though parking is very limited outside which can make unloading and reloading difficult....

PRODUCERS' VIEWS.
June 4, 2004... The Rev. Mark Zammit was, appropriately, in charge of the Vicarage Kitchen stall, selling free-range eggs, preserves and cakes made by his wife, Amanda, at the Vicarage in Brittles Green near Shaftesbury. Mrs Zammit started selling at...

Violet tops dominant Holsteins in dairy sector.
June 4, 2004... HOLSTEINS dominated the dairy section with one breeder taking both the supreme and reserve inter-breed dairy awards as well as the surpeme and reserve breed awards at Northumberland Show at Corbridge on Monday. The top placing went to...

`Princely' Limousin takes top beef title.
June 4, 2004... A five-year-old Limousin bull bought in Perth as a young bull took the supreme overall beef and pedigree beef championships for York-based Millington Grange Estate at Northumberland Show. The bull, Woodhouse Prince, comes from a 10-breeding...

Suffolk gimmer is supreme winner.
June 4, 2004... A home-bred gimmer by Strathisla Supreme Champion took the Suffolk breed and supreme inter-breed sheep championships for Keith Denby, of Moat, Longtown, at Northumberland Show. Mr Denby, who is primarily a dairy farmer, runs a flock of...

Adam takes showmanship title.
June 4, 2004... Heading the dairy showmanship classes at Northumberland Show was Adam Liddle, of I.R. and J.M. Walton, East Layton, Richmond, with Victoria Harrison, of P. and C.A. Harrison, East Heddon, Newcastle-upon-Tyne as reserve. Adam also won the...

Horses `double'.
June 4, 2004... Escrick, York, exhibitors, P. and W. Bedford took both supreme and reserve awards in the heavy horse section at Northumberland Show. They took the trophy with mare, Deighton Miranda, then reserve with gelding Deighton, Monty. The judge was R....

A full-scale redesign for rural Europe.
June 4, 2004... THE reform of the Common Agricultural Policy represents the biggest changes farming has seen since the UK joined the EU, according to Ian Grant, a former president of NFU Scotland and the current chairman of the Crown Estate Commissioners....

Traditions `die hard' as industry pulled up on consistency.
June 4, 2004... THE sheep industry has been frequently accused of a lack of uniformity and consistency in the lamb which is presented first to the trade, and then to consumers in supermarkets and butchers' shops. That assertion seemed well founded, given...

Drawing in the crowds at Scotsheep.
June 4, 2004... SCOTSHEEP 2004 was rated as the best ever event of its kind by Robin Anderson, the chairman of the organising committee. He said: "It's been a fantastic event and pulled in a record crowd of over 8,000 through the gates. The feed back from the...

Advent of electronic identification looms overhead.
June 4, 2004... THE sheep industry will have to prepare itself for the advent of electronic identification, according to Peter Morris, the development executive with the NSA. He said: "This is a big issue in Brussels and represents a strong challenge to...

Staying in fashion takes dedication.
June 4, 2004... THE Suffolk was for many years regarded as the UK's number one terminal sire breed. It can still boast of holding that title, but in recent years the breed has seen its market share eroded by several rivals, most notably the Texel and the...

Honing your grading skills.
June 4, 2004... SCOTTISH sheep farmers are to be given a new opportunity to hone their grading skills with a view to them achieving better returns from the marketing of prime lambs. Working in conjunction with the Scottish region of the NSA together with...

FG YOUNGSTOCK SPECIAL: Happy cows = happy farmer.
June 4, 2004... This month, our FG Youngstock feature looks at five agricultural students from Harper Adams University College, Shropshire. They are the winner and runners-up in the DeLaval studentship award, held in association with Farmers Guardian and...

The Whiteface Dartmoor delivers even on the toughest of terrains.
June 4, 2004... Breeders of the Whiteface Dartmoor have remained somewhat reserved and never actively promoted the breed due to its current classification as a `rare breed'. DAVID BURROWS talks to one breeder from Hatherleigh, Devon, who is keen to publicise...

Time to make the seed order decisions.
June 4, 2004... WITH seed order decisions needed over the course of the next few weeks, variety choice was high on the agenda for most of the growers attending a recent British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO) open day at Joseph Camm Farms, at Babworth, near...

Notification needed over imported Polish potatoes.
June 4, 2004... ALL imports of potatoes from Poland must be notified to the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate at least two days before arriving in the UK in a bid to increase protection against the risk of potato ring rot entering this country. It will...

Blight warnings go on-line.
June 4, 2004... BRITAIN'S potato blight infections are now being recorded on the British Potato Council's blight mapping website in a continuation of the service offered to potato growers last year. The improved site highlights the source of suspected...

Fusarium - a single grain and the wheat is rejected.
June 4, 2004... WHEAT growers in the disease cauldron of South West England are having to come to terms with the fact that the bright pink presence of fusarium on a single grain is enough to get a load of wheat rejected. The `nil tolerance' spec for...

Orange blossom midge threat.
June 4, 2004... LATEST orange blossom midge counts confirm increased risks from the pest this year, says Makhteshim Agan. Results from the company's Bug-Watch, show more pupae in the surface- layers of soil than this time last year and that adults are...

Need for potato blight protection.
June 4, 2004... THE Scottish Agricultural College is advising potato growers to step up their potato blight protection programmes with two applications of highly systemic phenylamide-based fungicides. "The use of phenylamides should ideally start when the...

Bruising proves costly.
June 4, 2004... BRUISING is estimated to cost potato growers around #200/hectare each year but there are still no procedures in place to manage the problem. Presenting the results of BPC's 2004 National Bruising Survey, Fraser Milne of SAC said last...

Assess stores properly.
June 4, 2004... USE the weeks after planting to make a thorough assessment of stores, looking out particularly for damage caused by unloading, potato growers were advised at the event. Visitors to the event were shown the practical steps required to...

Reducing the risk of CIPC contamination.
June 4, 2004... RESEARCH at the University of Glasgow is aiming to reduce the risk of CIPC (chlorpropham) contamination of untreated crops. Contamination can occur when untreated crops are stored in CIPC-treated buildings, held in treated boxes, washed in...

Sprout suppression.
June 4, 2004... ETHYLENE has joined CIPC and maleic hydrazide as an option for sprout suppression in stored potatoes. The EU has determined that use of CIPC (chlorpropham) continues to be acceptable on health and environmental grounds and it has been Annex...

Technique for tuber testing.
June 4, 2004... A NEW technique for testing the susceptibility of potato tubers to bruising is allowing investigation of the influence of agronomic practices on the disorder, say its developers. The `Blackspot Protect' system developed by researchers at...

The diversification that's being hunted down.
June 4, 2004... The future of point-to-point - one of the main areas where hunting and farming join forces - could be under threat, following pressure on Government from a 200-strong group of MPs to allow another vote on legislation to outlaw hunting. Giselle...

RURAL LIFE: British food - they've covered all the angles.
June 4, 2004... If you live near Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, but cannot get to Colin and Di Dawes' farm shop to buy Colin's home produced, home butchered meat and other local-grown produce, he has the solution - his new home delivery service. If cooking is...

Conducting the galaxies.
June 4, 2004... FARMER'S wife Dorothy Bowling will see the culmination of three years' work tomorrow when she conducts a choir of 250 schoolchildren and the Northern Chamber Orchestra in a concert at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. The event has entailed...

Emma takes second title in a row.
June 4, 2004... FOR the second year in a row, Emma James of Llysyfran YFC has won Pembrokeshire Young Farmers senior stockman of the year title. Fellow club member, Caroline Lewis won the junior title at the federation's field day held at Lower House,...

From tug-of-war to punture mending.
June 4, 2004... CHALLENGES ranging from puncture mending to tractor driving to tug-of- war were tackled by Hampshire Young Farmers' Club members during their annual rally day and horse show. More than 1,500 spectators attended the event held at New Park...

LOCAL PRODUCE AND TRADITION.
June 4, 2004... The emphasis was on local produce and tradition when Cumbria North Young Farmers held their annual field day. A crowd of 1,000 competitors, spectators and judges gathered at Millstone Moor, Redmain, for the event hosted by Edward and Margaret...

Rural bowling.
June 4, 2004... RENFREWSHIRE WRI members are national stadium bowling champions following their victory in the Scottish Women's Rural Institutes' final. Runner-up in the event, hosted in Prestwick by Ayrshire Federation, was Lanarkshire. Renfrewshire's...

On their way to Zambia.
June 4, 2004... TWO YFC members have been selected to represent the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs on an exchange with the National Farmers' Union in Zambia. Caroline Tout of Wilton YFC, Somerset and Emma Goodwin, vice-chairman of Radnor...

TESTING THE SKILLS AT STAFFORDSHIRE RALLY.
June 4, 2004... Forty-one competitions tested the skills and talents of Staffordshire Young Farmers on their county rally day. Leek was overall winner with Eccleshall second and Uttoxeter, who also received the `most improved club' title, taking third place....

Hodgkinson and Liz take the Trawden title.
June 4, 2004... IN the wet and murky weather conditions of Saturday on the heights of Twiston Moor, Ron Hodgkinson and Liz had an outstanding trial to take the title at the Trawden Summer Open. In the shadow of Pendle Hill, near Clitheroe, Lancashire, the...

Kingsland doubles up.
June 4, 2004... THE decision by the organisers of the Kingsland trials in Gatley Park to split entrants and have two separate competitions was clearly popular with competitors for 100 dogs were entered. Other factors combined to make this an attractive event....

Eleven to demonstrate best practice farming.
June 4, 2004... ELEVEN farms from across the UK are to help the Voluntary Initiative demonstrate how best practice can deliver environmental improvements. Progress will be helped by the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) who will be preparing...

Alpaca hobby farming set to grow into an industry.
June 4, 2004... ALPACA farming is set to move from a hobby farming activity to a full- blown industry in Britain, say breed supporters. Commercial interest has been stimulated largely by farmers cleaned out in the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak anxious to...