Farmers Guardian articles from June 2009

Farmers Guardian archives from June 2009

Dairy industry rocked by DFB receivership crisis.
June 5, 2009... * No obligation to fulfil contracts * PWC to issue new contracts By Jack Davies DAIRY Farmers of Britain (DFB) producers were left facing a crisis this week when they were told they would not be receiving their May milk cheques...

What's next for DFB members?
June 5, 2009... * Meetings to be held with producers DAIRY Farmers of Britain (DFB) has come to the end of the line and its producers will now be wondering what will happen to their milk and their supply contracts. The co-op will continue to operate...

DFB receivership - industry reaction.
June 5, 2009... * Chairman of the Board of DFB Lord Grantchester "Clearly, the decision to invite receivers is not an easy one, but the board was unfortunately left with no alternative. What is most important now is that the supply chain is maintained...

Milk industry unites in call for action to secure future supplies.
June 5, 2009... THE developments at DFB came the day after farming organisations from across Britain joined forces to call on retailers and the food service sector to take steps to secure the future supply of British milk. In a letter to all the major...

Trouble at cheese plant?
June 5, 2009... FARMERS who supply the West Wales-based Saputo-owned mozzarella cheese plant at Newcastle Emlyn were meeting as Farmers Guardian went to press to decide whether to pull the plug on their contracts. They are angry the price for their milk...

Lords committee gives backing to controversial Brussels reform.
June 5, 2009... A HOUSE of Lords committee has backed controversial European Commission proposals to reform the definition of Less Favoured Areas (LFAs). Brussels is proposing to establish a new set of EU-wide `biophysical indicators' to identify...

Huge exodus over NVZ, says survey.
June 5, 2009... MORE than a third of dairy farmers in south east England said this week they would quit the industry because they couldn't afford to meet NVZ requirements. In a survey carried out by the NFU's regional office, just over 40 per cent of...

Improve slaughter treatment for 800m birds, Defra is told.
June 5, 2009... * Report sets out six humane principles * `Phase out live shackling': FAWC aim By William Surman DEFRA has been urged to implement a range of new measures to improve the welfare of millions of poultry before slaughter. More...

FAWC humane slaughter principles.
June 5, 2009... * Slaughter personnel must be trained, competent and caring * Only animals that are fit should be slaughtered * Handling of animals prior to slaughter must be done with consideration * Slaughterhouse equipment must fit the purpose...

Relaxation of Welsh criteria.
June 5, 2009... INDUSTRY lobbying has led to Farming Connect - the Welsh Assembly's flagship support service for farm and forestry businesses - relaxing the qualifying criteria for `young entrants' status and its higher support rate. As of June 1, only one...

RPA to send out updated maps.
June 5, 2009... THE RPA will send every farmer in England an updated map of their farm over the next four months. The new maps combine aerial photography with updated Ordnance Survey information to provide clearer, more accurate information. Farmers and land...

Benn calls for softer tagging rules.
June 5, 2009... * Minister hopes to gain more support By William Surman HILARY Benn, Defra secretary, has promised to call on his European counterparts to soften electronic tagging regulations before they come into force next January. Under the...

Hill farmers will pick up a large tab.
June 5, 2009... JIM Paice, shadow agriculture minister, has worked out the average hill farm in England will be #1,000 worse off due to `unnecessary' cost sharing and EID regulation. Speaking ahead of the North Sheep Event in Lancashire on Wednesday (June...

Tagging company is against EID regulation.
June 5, 2009... YOU might expect livestock tagging companies to welcome the new EID regulation and all the business it will bring, yet Animalcare, a company set to provide electronic tags to around 20 per cent of the British sheep industry, has actively...

Government backs down.
June 5, 2009... THE UK farm lobby, led by the CLA and NFU, has claimed victory after a Government U-turn on the right to appeal procedure for farmers affected by proposed new coastal access rules. The Government has tabled amendments to the Marine and...

Farm subsidies to remain post 2013 CAP reforms.
June 5, 2009... * Direct payments - an income safety net By William Surman MARIANN Fischer Boel, the EU agriculture commissioner, has told farmers to prepare for further CAP reform after 2013. Speaking to EU agricultural ministers in Brno, Czech...

Welsh Animal Health has reduced bTB test backlog.
June 5, 2009... BOVINE TB has now hit 1,150 of the 13,500 cattle herds in Wales and is "dominating" the work of the Welsh Assembly's Animal Health division - with pockets of the disease having surfaced in previously unaffected areas of North Wales. Animal...

Reintroduced The short-haired bumblebee.
June 5, 2009... THE short-haired bumblebee is to be re-introduced to the British countryside, from New Zealand, a decade after it became extinct, Natural England has announced. A spokesman for Natural England said bumblebee numbers had declined so...

Dead farmer was facing eviction.
June 5, 2009... A FARMER who died last week had been embroiled in a long-running dispute with the National Trust and the local borough council over his farm. Bob Dearnley, of Burpham Court Farm, near Guildford, in Surrey, was facing eviction from the farm...

NFU urges `gold-plated' restraint.
June 5, 2009... THE NFU has urged Defra to refrain from `gold-plating' cross-compliance regulations in response to the consultation on the subject. Defra's recently-closed consultation on a new policy to replace set- aside also included proposed changes...

Natural England attacks Option B.
June 5, 2009... * Industry-led policy rejected by agency By Alistair Driver NATURAL England (NE) has joined the RSPB in rejecting the industry-led proposals for a voluntary post set-aside policy. In its response to Defra's consultation on a policy...

Kendall faces critics at Cereals Event forums.
June 5, 2009... NFU president Peter Kendall has arranged two special forums at next week's Cereals Event to address membership concerns about union policy, particularly on crop spraying. Mr Kendall has been stung by criticism from some quarters about the...

LETTER: Don't let importers hold us to ransom.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2009... THE extremely worrying decline in livestock numbers this last decade (FG, May 29) ought to be ringing loud alarm bells in Defra. Our incompetent and discredited Government should also be seriously concerned about how the importation of more...

LETTER: Correcting a misconception.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2009... TOM Rigby's letter (FG, May 22) applauding the paper for highlighting OP research findings contained a piece of misinformation I would like to correct. Your readers may be concerned that Mr Rigby wrongly suggested glyphosate is an...

LETTER: Badgers do have their place.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2009... I HAVE gone through five years of TB (except a six-month clear period) with 60-day testing. I now know that no badgers means no TB, but I don't want to see the countryside without badgers. It is politically unacceptable, no matter...

LETTER: More cows to the slaughter.(Letter to the editor)
June 5, 2009... THE proposed badger vaccination programme is not only doomed, but should it be implemented, would be a complete catastrophe (FG, May 29). At least it acknowledges that bTB infected badgers are responsible for the current TB crisis in our...

EDITORIAL: Dairy industry at tipping point?(Editorial)
June 5, 2009... So, the saga of Dairy Farmers of Britain has come to a sad and sorry end. And for all the producers who stuck with the co-op through thick and thin, believing that things would get better, it is a tragedy. Not only do producers look set to...

OPINION: GM is no Frankenstein folly.
June 5, 2009... IF European agriculture is to contribute to the global challenge of feeding another three billion people within the next 40 years, off the same amount of land, without using more artificial fertiliser, oil, or water, it is going to have to open...

TARGET TB: Low levels of TB on the badger-free Isle of Man.
June 5, 2009... The Isle of Man is keen to retain its low bTB-level status and eventually eradicate the disease once again. Howard Walsh reports as part of FG's Target TB series. Bovine tuberculosis had essentially been eradicated from the Isle of Man for...

TARGET TB: Island approach is the right one.
June 5, 2009... Fingan pedigree Holstein herd owners Brian and Fiona Brumby, who at one time would have thought nothing of buying a string of heifers from pedigree auctions in England, say they would now need to think long and hard about any importations. ...

TARGET TB: Case study: "Infection came out of the blue".
June 5, 2009... With TB cases a comparative rarity on the Isle of Man, when one does crop up it can carry something of a stigma. Consequently, one milk producer who was happy to talk to FG about his one and only TB experience preferred to remain anonymous....

TARGET TB: One brush with bovine TB is enough for pedigree breeder.
June 5, 2009... Pedigree Limousin breeder and suckler herd owner Roger Chadwick frequently imports cattle onto the Isle of Man and accepts he must have an annual TB test. Maintaining a high health status on the island he feels is paramount - but at the...

French buck trend as organic sales rocket.
June 5, 2009... * Consumers `yes' to premium price goods * Sharp contrast to slump-hit home sales By William Surman SALES of organic food in France rocketed by 25 per cent last year despite the economic downturn hitting markets elsewhere. In...

Contribute to `exorbitant' water testing fee debate.
June 5, 2009... FARMERS and anyone else with private water supplies are urged not to miss out on the chance to air their views on little known EU-derived legislation which could have major consequences. Though currently the subject of a Welsh Assembly...

Greenpeace beef attack.
June 5, 2009... ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners at Greenpeace have hit out at UK supermarkets for sourcing beef from Brazil - they claim it is destroying the rainforest. The group singles out supermarkets Tesco, Lidl and US giant Wal-Mart as retailers which...

EU plans protected food labels to show `commitment to excellence'.
June 5, 2009... NEW European labelling plans could pave the way for a flood of protected food names to help British farmers reconnect with the consumer. Mariann Fischer Boel, the EU agriculture commissioner, has revealed fresh policy to introduce food...

BUSINESS: Act now to ensure future viability of beef industry.
June 5, 2009... A new report from Eblex warns the UK beef industry is in danger of `sleepwalking towards irretrievable decline'. Highlighting the decline in the breeding herd since 1990, it warns action must be taken now to avoid further damage. ...

BUSINESS: Feed costs set to increase as US soybean price rockets.
June 5, 2009... * Price has risen 28pc in two months By William Surman BRITISH livestock farmers can expect feed prices to increase sharply after a soybean shortage in the Americas. British farmers import around a fifth of their feed from the...

BUSINESS: GrowHow announces lower price schedule.
June 5, 2009... FARMERS waiting to hear new season fertiliser prices were given welcome news this week as the UK's only fertiliser manufacturer GrowHow announced its Nitrogen prices at lower levels than last year. The July price for Nitram of between #175...

BUSINESS: Mutual defends #7m pension for former CEO.
June 5, 2009... NFU Mutual has defended the decision to award former chief executive Ian Geden, who retired early at the end of last year, a #7 million pension pot. The award has angered some NFU Mutual members, coming on the back of a post-tax loss for...

BUSINESS: Growth in volume is main target for ANM new chief.
June 5, 2009... * Opportunity there for greater efficiency By Emma Penny BUILDING on a well-run business, exploiting its history, and running its constituent businesses in a more integrated way are the challenges facing the new chief executive of...

BUSINESS: Consumption of liquid milk will rise says report.
June 5, 2009... THE balance of milk supply and demand remains an issue in the EU, but global consumption of milk and other liquid dairy products is going to increase for the foreseeable future. Emerging markets like India, China and the Middle East will...

BUSINESS: Welsh dairy Political insight.
June 5, 2009... THREE Welsh politicians met farmers from dairy co-op First Milk as part of a fact-finding mission on the challenges facing the Welsh dairy industry. Welsh rural affairs Minister Elin Jones AM, Carmarthen MP Adam Price and Welsh MEP Jill...

ARABLE: Irrigation prospects `good' for summer.
June 5, 2009... DESPITE little rain recently and forecasters predicting a long, hot summer, growers in the east of England have no reason to fear irrigation restrictions in the near future. However, according to the NFU, things can change quickly if dry...

ARABLE: Orange alert in wheat crops.
June 5, 2009... THE latest Pestwatch report from Dow AgroSciences show hotspots for orange wheat blossom midge activity could occur in areas not covered by the survey as adults have been reported flying as far afield as Kent, the Midlands, Cornwall and...

ARABLE: TuYV in OSR surprisingly high - expert.
June 5, 2009... * Survey highlights UK hotspot areas By Dominic Kilburn A NATIONWIDE survey of oilseed rape fields this spring has found high levels of turnip yellows virus (TuYV) in crops, despite lower levels of migrating aphids - the virus vector -...

ARABLE: Septoria unease ongoing.
June 5, 2009... SEPTORIA continues to be the main disease present in winter wheat crops, with symptoms increasing most rapidly at high-risk sites, says Crop Monitor. Most areas had enough recent rainfall for further spread of septoria on to the top two...

WHAT SHOULD I ASK MY AGRONOMIST?: T3 fungicides on wheat.
June 5, 2009... YIELD responses to ear spray, or `T3' fungicides have traditionally been unpredictable, but after two wet summers, growers are getting used to the idea of routine application, says Richard Overthrow, of TAG. In particular, mycotoxins and the...

ARABLE: Mix and match cereals for yield success.
June 5, 2009... Ahead of the Royal Northern Agricultural Society's Crop Tech 2009 event in Aberdeenshire this month, Emma Penny talks to host farmer Ian Davidson about why growing a wheat/barley blend helps achieve bumper yields of almost 10t/ha. Few...

ARABLE: Seed care to maximise nutrients.
June 5, 2009... A NEW seed treatment available this autumn is designed to maximise cereal crops' ability to utilise nutrients available to it in the soil in the early growth stages. Take Off ST contains the plant metabolite pyro-glutamic acid combined...

ARABLE: Working around metaldehyde curbs.
June 5, 2009... RESTRICTIONS on the use of metaldehyde in potatoes effectively rule out the `little and often' approach of applying mini metaldehyde pellets with every blight spray. However, according to one agronomist, growers can improve results by switching...

ARABLE: Pheromone traps gauge OWBM threat.
June 5, 2009... PHEROMONE traps provide the earliest warning of orange wheat blossom midge activity growers are being advised. According to Dow AgroSciences technical expert David Roberts, the best approach is to place traps in fields that have suffered...

ARABLE: Growing concerns over Ritz' poor performance.
June 5, 2009... * Problems include a lack of plant vigour NFU Scotland is to take up members' concerns over the poor performance of a spring oilseed rape variety this season. The union says a number of members have been in contact to highlight...

ARABLE: Technology can help feed world's growing population.
June 5, 2009... THE world needs industrial agriculture in order to feed a rising population, says one of the industry's best-known economists. Speaking at the GrowHow conference in Peterborough, Cranfield University's Sean Rickard said industrialisation...

MACHINERY: Steel track units for skid steer loaders.
June 5, 2009... BOBCAT now has a steel track unit for its three largest tracked compact loaders. The T250, T300 and T320 can be fitted with the 340mm steel tracks as an alternative to the rubber version for tougher working conditions. Track life is...

MACHINERY: New seed roller table gives better coverage.
June 5, 2009... * Three passes gives fuller coverage TEAM Sprayers has developed a new roller table for more even application of liquid seed treatments for potatoes. The unit uses a unique rotating nozzle working with air flow fans to ensure better...

MACHINERY: Multi-brand diagnostic tool.
June 5, 2009... DIAGNOSTICS tool specialist Texa has developed a unit for agriculture. The Navigator TXT Agri allows mechanics to carry out tests and repairs on the main electronic system for a number of agricultural machines. The unit is connected...

MACHINERY: Self-propelled cubicle bedder.
June 5, 2009... IMPORTED from Holland by DP Nutrition, the three-wheeled Cubicle Manager cleans cubicles and dispenses fresh material. It uses a single-cylinder diesel engine with a hydrostatic transmission while the self-loading hopper holds enough...

MACHINERY: Simple plain disc mower saving fuel for Wiltshire farm.
June 5, 2009... Mower conditioners have been widely adopted as an efficient method of cutting grass and encouraging wilting to make good quality silage. But a plain mower can offer significant improvements in output at a keen price, reports Jane Carley. ...

MACHINERY: Trike slurry tankers get more power and output.
June 5, 2009... Dutch self-propelled slurry tanker-maker Vervaet has given its Hydro Trike a new lease, while Agco is adding a CVT to its Terra-Gator. Steven Vale takes the lid off the two trikes. * More output and better comfort Vervaet is no...

MACHINERY: Latest version of the Vicon BIO is put through its paces.
June 5, 2009... The Vicon BIO has been upgraded for this season and we decided to take a closer look at this compact combined baler wrapper. Mervyn Bailey reports. Vicon BIO spec Bale size 1.2m wide by 1.2m diameter Pick-up ...

MACHINERY: Compact package.
June 5, 2009... WEIGHING just 250kg more than a standard fixed chamber round baler we found the Vicon BIO does not need a big tractor up front. We had no problems handling it with a 90hp Deutz Argofarm. Like other wrapper balers a constant hydraulic feed...

MACHINERY: Pick-up and chopping.
June 5, 2009... THE pick-up measures 2.1m and has five tine rows to gather the crop. Our light silage crop had been cut by a 3m mower conditioner and left in the swath to wilt. The baler did a good job of gathering the crop and feeding it into the 14 knife...

GRAZING MONITOR: Manage grass to preserve quality.
June 5, 2009... THE last week has seen significant changes in grazing swards. Following a period of extremely variable and generally low growth rates, it looks as if most dairy farmers can look forward to more typical grazing and the objective now must be...

LIVESTOCK: Vets hit out after vaccine price cuts cost thousands.
June 5, 2009... * Vets not given prior notice of price cuts By Jack Davies VET practices which were forced to sell bluetongue vaccines at a loss following Defra's decision to cut the price of vaccine have lost thousands of pounds as a result. A...

LIVESTOCK: Combating fluke with additional treatments.
June 5, 2009... ADDITIONAL summer treatments for fluke are being advised as a way to combat the rise in fluke numbers and the spread of the parasite into traditionally dry areas. Summer dosing This need for further treatments has been highlighted by...

LIVESTOCK: It pays to get to know your forage mineral levels well.
June 5, 2009... DEVELOPING a better understanding of forage mineral status could help many sheep producers cut feed supplementation costs, says David Thornton from Rumenco. Mr Thornton says although hundreds of farmers submit forage samples for testing...

LIVESTOCK: Precast concrete solutions for cattle.
June 5, 2009... * Slurry stores to cubicle end walls NORTHERN Ireland company Moore Concrete has launched into mainland Britain at the same time as expanding its product range. Wilbert Moore started the precast concrete company in 1978 when he bought...

LIVESTOCK: Constant access to feed with Cow Pow.
June 5, 2009... ANOTHER Irish company wanting to make its mark in the UK is O'Donovan Engineering, which produces a range of handling systems. One product it will be selling in this country is the Cow Pow feeding system which reduces the number of times...

NEW TO THE MARKET: Ryegrass varieties.
June 5, 2009... THREE ryegrass varieties have been added to the 2009 NIAB Herbage Recommended List following an appeals procedure. Contrast from Limagrain is a diploid intermediate perennial ryegrass provisionally recommended for special use as a grazing...

NEW TO THE MARKET: Bar Forage mixture.
June 5, 2009... BARENBRUG'S Bar Forage mixtures are now available in a new, fully recyclable bag that has been designed to be more robust and make storage simpler. The tough coated and woven polypropylene packaging reduces the risk of damage from forklift...

NEW TO THE MARKET: Diazinon-based sheep dip.
June 5, 2009... A HIGHER concentration of Animax's diazinon-based sheep dip is now available. Paracide 62 is effective against sheep scab and lice infestation and requires one-litre of product per 1,500 litres of water, with top ups after every 20 sheep....

NEW TO THE MARKET: BedCide bedding conditioner.
June 5, 2009... A BEDDING conditioner from BouMatic - called BedCide - can be used for cubicles, loose housing and slatted floors. Once in contact with organic matter, the powder develops an active formula which helps eradicate environmental pathogens by...

NEW TO THE MARKET: Pocket Guide.
June 5, 2009... A FREE English-Polish Dairy Health Pocket Guide is available from Pfizer Animal Health. Topics including milking routines, causes and control of clinical mastitis, intramammary tube infusion and dry cow therapy appear in English and Polish...

LIVESTOCK: RMS can cut gap between calving and conception.
June 5, 2009... ASSESSING the effectiveness of its Reproductive Management Systems (RMS) service, Genus ABS has looked from tail chalking to activity monitors as a way to detect cows in heat. The trial, covering several thousand cows, showed both activity...

LIVESTOCK: Beating yeast and mould.
June 5, 2009... COVERING `black' bales with a purpose-made tarpaulin could reduce the yeast and moulds which grow as a result of the sun's heat absorbed by the black silage film. Trials by the Profitable Farming Company and Kingshay Farming Trust have...

LIVESTOCK: Grainbeet provides higher feed values.
June 5, 2009... A TRIAL involved grainbeet (sugar beet feed ensiled with brewers' grains or draff at a ratio of 5:1) has shown an increased feed value compared to storing the two feeds separately. Research by SAC revealed that 9kg of fresh grainbeet could...

LIVESTOCK: Robot milker is good news for cows.
June 5, 2009... Gregory Smyth is so impressed with his new milking set-up he is considering doubling cow numbers - but only if the milk price increases. Joanne Pugh reports from County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Robotic milking suits the herd at...

BREEDING & CALVES: Rotavirus and cryptosporidia problems.
June 5, 2009... Rotavirus is recognised as a common cause of infectious calf scour problems in UK dairy and beef herds - but new diagnostic data and vet feedback suggests cryptosporidia infections are now more prevalent. Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal...

BREEDING & CALVES: Advantages for early calvers.
June 5, 2009... Heifers calving at 22 to 23 months of age live longer and give more milk, compared to those calving at 26 months or older with poorer fertility, production and longevity. That is according to DairyCo and Defra-funded research into heifer...

BREEDING & CALVES: Brian Lindsay's heifer rearing checklist.
June 5, 2009... * Monitor growth during the rearing period to ensure heifers have achieved an adequate size to be served at 15 months of age and aim for calving by 24 months. * Pregnant heifers in late gestation must be fed and monitored carefully so they...

KEY ISSUES: Respiratory disease in calves.
June 5, 2009... with Pfizer Animal Health The subject covered in the week's key issues sponsored series is respiratory disease in calves, with advice from large animal vet Matt Williams. One of the most common pathogens involved in respiratory disease...

BREEDING & CALVES: Two-year-old calvers demand attention in early weeks.
June 5, 2009... Getting heifers to calve at two years of age requires close attention to the first 12 weeks of her life, says NWF calf specialist, Leigh Berrisford. "The first few weeks of a calf's life have an enormous bearing on subsequent growth as a...

BREEDING & CALVES: Trials show higher growth rates from a milk replacer.
June 5, 2009... DAIRY calves achieve higher growth rates more cost effectively if they are reared on a high quality calf milk replacer, according to results from trials carried out at Teagasc Moorepark Research Centre, Ireland. Compared with calves...