Farmers Guardian articles from June 2008

Farmers Guardian archives from June 2008

Government vets gagged over badger culling views.
June 6, 2008... * Government is accused of paranoia * Staff told not to disagree with policy By Alistair Driver GOVERNMENT vets have been gagged from expressing their views on whether badgers should be culled to control bovine TB. In what has...

Bluetongue vaccine roll-out delay.
June 6, 2008... * No extension to Protection Zones * Vaccine requires further testing changing tactics By Alistair Driver THE roll-out of a further four million doses of bluetongue vaccine was delayed this week because further testing was required...

Events hit by delay to status changes.
June 6, 2008... THE unexpected delay this week in extending the Protection Zones further, has impacted at least two scheduled events - the Royal Cornwall Show and the official opening of Rugby Farmers Mart's new Royal showground site. With Cornwall and...

Farmer fury at lack of advice.
June 6, 2008... FARMERS who were given insufficient information about the bluetongue vaccine have been forced to revaccinate after being told the initial dose would not work. Complaints were made this week after some farmers vaccinated against bluetongue...

Badger cull working in Ireland - NFU.
June 6, 2008... CULLING badgers is helping to reduce the incidence of bovine TB in Ireland, claims the NFU. During a recent fact-finding mission, NFU leaders witnessed Ireland's interim culling strategy that removes badgers in areas of high bTB incidence...

Perturbation disappears.
June 6, 2008... THE negative impacts of perturbation experienced during the Randomised Badger Culling Trials disappeared after one year, a new report has revealed. The benefits of culling badgers on disease incidence in cattle persisted for over a year,...

`No' to disease cost sharing until any liability is admitted.
June 6, 2008... ANY meaningful debate on animal disease cost sharing in Wales has been ruled out until the Government admits liability for last year's foot- and-mouth disease outbreak. NFU Cymru has set out five conditions that must be met if the farming...

Union to continue FMD battle for compensation.
June 6, 2008... * Surrey County Council case dropped * Questions over accountability By Alistair Driver THE NFU will continue its legal battle for foot-and-mouth compensation for farmers despite the collapse of a case being pursued by Surrey...

Investigation finds `no risk' from contaminated feed.
June 6, 2008... ANIMAL Health has completed its investigation into contaminated feed, concluding that there was no risk to human health. The agency collected 13 positive samples after animal feed containing meat and bone meal was distributed across the...

Irish Government veto deal.
June 6, 2008... Hopes of blocking a bad World Trade Organisation deal for agriculture have been boosted, after the Irish Government agreed to veto any deal that undermines Irish agriculture. This concession on the use of the veto was secured by the Irish...

UK is on alert as avian flu returns.
June 6, 2008... * A 10km control zone is implemented * H7 strain of the virus detected By Alistair Driver THE UK poultry industry has gone on high alert once again for avian flu after the highly pathogenic H7 strain of the virus was discovered at...

Defra Ministers missing from talks.
June 6, 2008... THE British Government has been accused of allowing the rest of Europe to shape the future of agriculture after a no-show from Defra Ministers in recent negotiations on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy health check. Despite...

Farmers ideally placed to combat global food crisis.
June 6, 2008... ROCKETING food prices and climate change were on the agenda this week as world leaders met in Rome as part of a UN summit to tackle the global food crisis. Demand for food is greater than ever with the world population expected to exceed 9...

Animal-borne MRSA increases risk to humans.
June 6, 2008... CALLS for the Government to establish the full extent of a potentially life-threatening bacteria in livestock after three patients in Scotland have been identified as suffering from a type of MRSA infection originating in farm animals. ...

Global food crisis - Britain's perspective.
June 6, 2008... Professor of food policy at City University, Tim Lang, was encouraged that world leaders were gathered in Rome to look at the global crisis but he said that the British perspective must not be forgotten as a consequence. * Britain...

RPA issues new guidance on cross-compliance.
June 6, 2008... * Eligibility rules and statutory work * Farmers advised to look at contracts THE Rural Payments Agency has provided further guidance regarding the powers of statutory authorities, including utility companies, to access land and to...

Moverley steps down at RASE.
June 6, 2008... THE Royal Agricultural Society of England has lost its chief executive just a month before the Royal Show. Last week the society announced that Prof John Moverley was on special leave but has now confirmed the ex-Myerscough College head has...

Climate change and action.
June 6, 2008... THE Scottish agriculture sector should be more aware of the need for action on climate change, a new report has claimed. Other recommendations in the report of the Agriculture and Climate Change Stakeholder Group include the need for better...

Defending targets.
June 6, 2008... THE Government will continue to enforce its biofuels targets despite claims they are harming the environment. Responding to a cross-party Environmental Audit Committee report calling for a moratorium on the 5 per cent target for transport fuel...

Farmer involvement to remain central to water pollution initiative.
June 6, 2008... * Funding for farmer investment THE more farmers and the Government could work together to reduce water pollution, the less need there would be for regulation, said Environment Minister Phil Woolas. Announcing the next phase of the...

Wool Board strength.
June 6, 2008... IF the Wool Board was undermined it would be to the detriment of producers' returns, said John Wescott, new member for Devon on the board's English South Western regional committee. The Tiverton sheep farmer believes the more wool handled...

Ruling expected on landmark Scottish livestock subsidy case.
June 6, 2008... A landmark appeal case, which could have implications for more than 250 Scottish farmers penalised four years ago for unintentionally breaching a livestock support scheme rule, was due to be concluded on Wednesday. The case involved...

Government diverts rural cash for urban strongholds.
June 6, 2008... THE Government has diverted 20 per cent of rural finances to urban areas over the last decade in order to shore up traditional Labour strongholds. The news will make unhappy reading for rural people who already feel the pinch from...

M&S raises provenance.
June 6, 2008... Marks and Spencer has announced it will integrate its supply chains `more closely than ever before' in order to create synergy in its food business, make better use of regional produce and give customers more information on the provenance of...

RASE award for Buckwell.
June 6, 2008... THE CLA's policy director, Prof Allan Buckwell, has been awarded the National Agricultural Award by the Royal Agricultural Society of England, to recognise his `exceptional commitment' to the advancement of the agricultural industry in the UK....

Food security should be a political priority.
June 6, 2008... * UK self-sufficiency deficit set to widen By Barry Alston EUROPEAN and UK politicians were urged yesterday (Thursday) to get rid of their outdated concepts and make food security a priority. The call came from Farmers Union of...

Scottish lamb sales up 11pc.
June 6, 2008... LAMB sales in Scotland have jumped by 11 per cent, or #3million, over a 52-week period with consumers spending nearly #30m on lamb in shops over the year. The sales boost was reported by Quality Meat Scotland at NSA's Scotsheep, at...

Unions unite over sheep EID.
June 6, 2008... THE UK farming unions have joined forces against the introduction of the new electronic identification for sheep, saying the current ID and batch recording delivers everything it needs to, including protection against the spread of animal...

LETTER: Is effect of wheelings being ignored?(Letter to the editor)
June 6, 2008... Your tips on how to make fuel savings are timely, but it seems to me that there is a fundamental issue that is being ignored - that is the effect of wheelings in crop production. I know we cannot avoid wheelings altogether, but,...

LETTER: Achieving a balance on TB.(Letter to the editor)
June 6, 2008... REPORTS of distressing losses of irreplaceable cattle genetics as a result of TB testing procedures help to spotlight further the unbalanced position of culling only cattle. It seems to me that, in the current political climate, it will be...

LETTER: Milk dividends.(Letter to the editor)
June 6, 2008... OF particular interest to me in your paper (FG, May 23) was the `Milk Link Delivers' story. At last a dividend, but how good is it really? Say you are a member for 20 years and then retire/semi-retire or go to another purchaser, you are...

LETTER: Sheep dips.(Letter to the editor)
June 6, 2008... AM I asking the impossible when I ask the people who are asking for the return of SP sheep dips to read the scientific data on the compounds being used? The symptoms of this sort of poisoning are the same as those of vCJD. More to the...

EDITORIAL: Addressing issue of food security.(Editorial)
June 6, 2008... BAN Ki-moon, the UN's Secretary General, this week told an international food summit in Rome that food production needs to rise by 50 per cent by 2030 to meet demand. It was the clearest statement yet of the extent to which the balance...

OPINION: Times they are a-changing.
June 6, 2008... IS it not time for a big rethink about the infrastructure of this great industry of ours? Times they are a-changing fast and if we don't get up to speed we will miss out. Anyway that's my opinion and I can already hear the anguished cries...

Views sought on the EU's LFA proposals.
June 6, 2008... WITH 80 per cent of Wales classified as a Less Favoured Area, NFU Cymru has launched a major initiative seeking views on the EU's proposals over the future criteria of the crucial LFA support scheme. Four different options have been set out...

Uplands need to adapt to threat of climate change.
June 6, 2008... * Uplands are not adequately protected * Need to create a sustainable future A MORE concerted effort was needed to tackle the threat of climate change facing the uplands, warned Tricia Henton, director of environment protection at the...

Response from hill farmers.
June 6, 2008... SCOTLAND'S only full member of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee, Alyn Smith, has called on Scottish farmers and crofters to respond to a draft report before the committee on `the situation and outlook for hill and mountain...

Police warn of diesel thieves.
June 6, 2008... LANCASHIRE police and motoring organisations have warned farmers to be on their guard after thieves targeted a 10,000-litre diesel tank on a farm near Preston. Farmer Eddie Cowpe, who runs Huntleys of Samlesbury farm shop, is also faced...

Greater need for added value products in era of price volatility.(Conference notes)
June 6, 2008... Adding value to meat was more vital now than ever before, the 11th annual Langford Food Industry Conference, was told. Sara Gregson reports from Bristol. * Incredible appetite for novel food in UK KEEP finding ways of adding value and...

Eating quality research.
June 6, 2008... TASTE testing research at the University of Bristol has shown that meat from breeds such as the Beef Shorthorn and traditional Hereford can be more tender and juicy, and have more beef flavour when cooked than meat from modern breeds. "The...

Holstein bull calves `are a viable option for meat'.
June 6, 2008... REARING Holstein bull calves for meat could be a viable economic option, suggested David Evans of Huntingdon-based Beef Production Systems. "While there are disadvantages to producing meat from this type of animal, such as a lower yield of...

Understanding of farming's effects.
June 6, 2008... FARMERS had to appreciate they were having an effect on the environment, particularly via diffuse water pollution, and prove they were taking responsibility for it. That was the only way to reduce the burden of legislation, according to...

Little change is expected after consultation period.
June 6, 2008... Environmental challenges facing dairy farmers in the next year was the topic of a Dairy UK organised conference at the National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh, on Tuesday. Joanne Pugh reports. * Final decision expected next month *...

Assess the slurry storage options.
June 6, 2008... IT would be unwise for dairy farmers in the proposed new NVZ to automatically assume they needed new slurry storage - yet sometimes that kind of investment could actually work out cheaper than adjusting current infrastructure. Ian Powell,...

BUSINESS: Fears of British pork shortage as sow cull rises 40pc.
June 6, 2008... * Weekly cullings of 4,000 sows * Farmers losing #22 on every pig By Jack Davies THE latest sow culling figures show a 40 per cent rise in the last six months, prompting new fears over the future of the British pork industry. ...

BUSINESS: UK farm income figures reveal mixed fortunes.
June 6, 2008... THE latest Farm Business Income figures paint a mixed picture for the industry with arable returns predictably improving while profits for much of the livestock sector have been placed under extreme pressure. The 2006/7 figures show general...

BUSINESS: Concentrate on business, not politics, says NBA.
June 6, 2008... FARMERS should concentrate on business survival, rather than being distracted by talk of CAP reforms, claim the National Beef Association. Chairman, Duff Burrell, said talk of re-introducing coupled cow support is distracting farmers from...

BUSINESS: Milk Link increases bonus.
June 6, 2008... MILK Link has increased the production bonus paid to members by 0.5 ppl to stimulate increases in milk production. It means that from July 1, members will be paid a total bonus of 0.8ppl on all litres produced provided production is at...

BUSINESS: Farm shops a retail success.
June 6, 2008... FARM shops have become the fastest growing retail sector in the UK, a new report showed this week. Research shows the farm shop sector has grown 15 per cent in the past year, with the number of farm shops now 1,796. Experts predict the...

BUSINESS: Dairy cattle trade on fire despite production costs.
June 6, 2008... DESPITE the rising costs of milk production, trade for newly calved and in-calf dairy cattle continues upwards as demand outstrips supply. At Borderway mart, Carlisle, dairy auctioneer Andrew Templeton said the trade for commercial cattle...

BUSINESS: Producers back German milk strike.
June 6, 2008... UNITED Kingdom producers have given their support to the German milk strike, which spread across Europe this week causing milk supplies to run short in many supermarkets. Industry groups in the UK offered their European counterparts their...

BUSINESS: European milk strike - the story so far.
June 6, 2008... Germany: Thirteen dairies have now been blockaded, with almost 90 per cent of milk supplies disrupted. Netherlands: Nine dairies have been blockaded - seven of Friesland Foods, one of Campina and one of the private firm Farm Dairy. The...

BUSINESS: DFB adds 0.5ppl in June.
June 6, 2008... DAIRY Farmers of Britain has announced an across the board price rise for its members of 0.5ppl for milk delivered in June. The rise will take its industry standard prices to between 25.4 ppl and 26.4 ppl with the Tesco localchoice premium...

BUSINESS: Positive outlook as input prices start to fall.
June 6, 2008... * Pressure on producers to ease BEEF and pigmeat prices are set to rise by 20 per cent over the next decade as production increases to meet growing demand, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in its latest...

BUSINESS: Milk costs passed on to shoppers.
June 6, 2008... THE four major supermarkets have all increased their retail liquid milk prices. There is evidence that this should have left scope for processors to recover some of their own cost increases as well as passing back money to producers,...

BUSINESS: New mart feasibility study.
June 6, 2008... A council-owned site has been earmarked for the development of a livestock market and agricultural centre in east Staffordshire. Since the closure of Uttoxeter cattle market in 2005, East Staffordshire Borough Council has wanted to re-establish...

BUSINESS: Congress overrides `bloated' Bill veto.
June 6, 2008... CONFUSION has capped off more than two years of tumultuous United States Farm Bill negotiations. The President was calling for more reform, lower subsidies and payment limitations, but Republicans and Democrats worked together to pass a...

BUSINESS: Larger safety net in US Farm Bill.
June 6, 2008... THE Bill limits eligibility for farm subsidies to individuals with an adjusted gross farm income of less than $750,000 (#380,000); $1.5 (#760,000) million for couples. That is down from the $2.5 million for couples under current law, but...

MACHINERY: Tillage Event 2008.
June 6, 2008... THE first Tillage Event, organised by the Agricultural Engineers' Association with Farmers Guardian as the media partner, will be held at Desborough, Northamptonshire, on September 11, by permission of Co- operative Farms and Rockingham Castle...

MACHINERY: Kosran immobiliser set to fight against thefts.
June 6, 2008... * Tightening up agricultural security * Features Thatcham P2 certification With an increasing number of tractor and loader thefts, is it time to fight back? The agricultural market is somewhat lacking in securing its equipment when...

MACHINERY: Krone tests electric drive on BiG X forager.
June 6, 2008... Details are limited but we can reveal the German Technical University in Munich has been working closely with Krone to develop a prototype electric drive mechanism for a BiG X self-propelled forager. The main benifit is to increase...

MACHINERY: Shelton launch trencher.
June 6, 2008... Shelton have introduced a tractor mounted chain trencher aimed at the agricultural market. The Lincolnshire based firm has introduced the #11,450 model after demand from the LAMMA show in January. Suitable for tractors over 45hp and fitted...

MACHINERY: New colour options from Valtra.
June 6, 2008... Valtra owners now have the choice of having their N and T series tractors painted in black or orange or one of the other six popular colours the manufacturer had offered. Metallic black has been introduced due to popular demand while...

MACHINERY: Steering front linkage helps cut corners.
June 6, 2008... Improving the relationship between front and rear mounted equipment is the main benefit of a front linkage that can steer. In an agricultural application, this could minimise the amount of overlap between front and rear mounted mowers and...

ARABLE: Six new candidate varieties on offer.
June 6, 2008... Nickerson has revealed six new winter wheat candidate varieties up for recommendation this autumn, including the first bread quality wheat with resistance to orange wheat blossom midge. The six include a bread-making Group 1 variety, two...

ARABLE: Blight spraying a priority in early planted crops.
June 6, 2008... * Most planting is now complete By Joanna Baker. WITH potato planting virtually completed and crops growing rapidly, pre- emergence and blight spraying is now a priority in many regions, says the Potato Council. "Planting is...

ARABLE: Septoria tritici warning.
June 6, 2008... GROWERS should look at consistency in their winter wheat variety for drilling this autumn and resistance to septoria should also be a key objective, says Nickerson senior wheat breeder, Bill Angus. "Farmers must avoid inconsistencies from...

What should I ask my agronomist: Nitrogen planning for 2008/09.
June 6, 2008... MANY TAG members are planning their nitrogen requirements for next year with a view to forward purchases before the price gets any higher," says TAG agronomist Richard Overthrow. "With an estimated bagged N price for next season at...

ARABLE: Using a T3 spray could be worth up to #17.50 per day.
June 6, 2008... THERE is a long way to go between T2 sprays and harvest and a T3 spray can make a big difference to yield and specific weight, according two leading technical experts. In addition to controlling disease, some T3 fungicides also give...

ARABLE: High prices justify the investment.
June 6, 2008... THE high value of wheat crops makes it easier to justify a T3 spray to increase yield, according to the Arable Group (TAG) and Syngenta. "You have invested quite a lot of money up to this point in a crop that is worth quite a lot of money,"...

ARABLE: Duxford `ideal' for maximising yields.
June 6, 2008... HIGH prices for feed wheat mean that farmers are looking to maximise yield. Sygenta believes it has got the ideal answer with Duxford, a new high-yielding Group 4 variety that can also be grown for the bread wheat market. "Farmers want...

ARABLE: Tackling malting barley grower problems head on.
June 6, 2008... With malting and distilling industries buoyant the demand for top quality malting barley is increasing. Yet, growers say the industry has faced real problems often linked to uncertainty on prices. A group of Angus farmers are tackling the...

ARABLE: Economy of scale in shared facility.
June 6, 2008... WHILE many farms in Angus have existing storage and drying facilities, many of these are now outdated. This means farmers will be able to decide whether to invest in their own modern facilities or to take up the opportunity to invest in...

Wise words on breeding ring true.
June 6, 2008... Breeding high quality females for the commercial prime lamb producer is the aim of the Thomson family who provided last year's Royal Highland inter-breed sheep champion. William Thomson showed Neil Ryder round their upland farm. A few...

FARM FEATURE: `F' word on most farmers' lips - and fertiliser, not food.
June 6, 2008... IT is not just celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay who is using the `F' word this spring. It is also on most farmers' lips - except it is fertiliser rather than fine food that is on their minds, say Wooler-based SAC consultants Ian Cairns and Simon...

FARM FEATURE: Tackling the input costs challenge.
June 6, 2008... While cereal prices have rocketed over the past year, so have input costs. Neil Ryder talks to the Scottish Agricultural College's North East England team and arable farmer David Armstrong about the situation. We managed to save about 50...

YOUNGSTOCK: Charity muck haul raises over #1,000.
June 6, 2008... DORRINGTON YFC held a charity Muck Haul in Shrewsbury to raise money for a local children's charity. Over 400 bags were delivered and sold at #2 a bag, while further down the road at a garden centre a tractor and trailer helped sell more...

YOUNGSTOCK: Mule lamb race raises the YFC's profile.
June 6, 2008... A DAY at the races with a twist is perhaps the best way to describe the recent event held by Settle Young Farmers to promote the YFC movement. Around 400 people gathered outside the village of Austwick to watch a group of Mule lambs race...

YOUNGSTOCK: Anniversary dinner.
June 6, 2008... PAST and present members from across Wales shared their travelling experiences at a special dinner dance that was organised to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rural Youth Europe. The dinner was arranged for all those who have participated...

YOUNGSTOCK: Money for good causes.
June 6, 2008... PEMBROKESHIRE'S young farmers strutted their stuff on the catwalk in a bid to raise money for their club. Eleven members modelled a range of work and leisure clothes and provided a cheese and wine buffet after the show. The evening's...

YOUNGSTOCK: Scottish rugby winners.
June 6, 2008... AYRSHIRE A team took first place in the national finals of the YFC Scotland rugby competition. Eight teams from across Scotland competed for the trophy but Ayrshire A beat Angus Tayside District and Ayrshire B who were placed second and...

YOUNGSTOCK: Anniversary YFC event.
June 6, 2008... HORNCASTLE YFC will celebrate its 65th anniversary by holding an event at the English Golf Union in Woodhall Spa. The event will take place on Saturday, September 20 and past members are welcome. For more info please contact Helen...

YOUNGSTOCK: Calendar raises #400.
June 6, 2008... MEMBERS of East Riding YFC have presented a cheque for #400 to Cancer Research UK from the sale of their Charity Calendar. Around 250 calendars have been sold at a range of events and functions. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

YOUNGSTOCK: Pig producers' dinner.
June 6, 2008... YOUNG pig producers gained an insight into what influences consumers when they buy pork and where the burgeoning markets are likely to be in the future at the first West Country young pig producers' dinner, held in Exeter. Around 20 young...