Farmers Guardian articles from March 2002

Farmers Guardian archives from March 2002

Spain pushing for farming risk insurance cover.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... THE EU's Spanish presidency is again pushing the issue of risk insurance for farmers, despite the EC having already rejected this as unworkable. Spain has included this in its policy document for the mid- term review of the CAP, claiming it...

Pressing the case for `degressivity'.(Germany remains opposed to compulsory modulation)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... GERMANY has confirmed that it remains opposed to compulsory modulation, but in a document to be presented at the March Farm Council meeting Agriculture Minister Renate Kunast presses the case for degressivity. This approach might win...

Morley backs call to ban live exports.(wants an export trade in meat to replace live animal movements)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... ANIMAL Welfare Minister Elliot Morley emphasised this week that he wants an export trade in meat to replace live animal movements. Mr Morley met representatives from Compassion in World Farming to receive a petition calling for live exports...

On the move in FUW.(FUW county office)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Sian Llwyd, former administrative assistant at the FUW county office, has succeeded Mel Williams as county officer for Denbigh and Flint. Copright: CMP Information Ltd.

Licensing call.(launch of the Food Standards Agency's hygiene campaign)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Consumers' Association has welcomed the launch of the Food Standards Agency's hygiene campaign, but reiterated its call for the mandatory licensing of all food premises. Copright: CMP Information Ltd.

Sheep tags in demand.(livestock identification manufacturer Ritchey Tagg)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Last year's introduction of compulsory sheep tagging in the USA is proving a boost for livestock identification manufacturer Ritchey Tagg, which has exported more than six million sheep tags to the States. To meet demand, tags are being printed...

NZ milk co-op accused of risking market stability.(New Zealand )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A SENIOR European Commission official has used a visit to New Zealand to launch a blistering attack on its drive to increase milk production, accusing it of risking the stability of the international dairy market. The comments were made by...

Arla ends takeover talks with Express Dairies.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... TAKEOVER plans at Express Dairies came to an abrupt halt earlier this week when the firm revealed that it was no longer in talks. At the same time Arla, who were believed to have originally put forward a 35p/share offer for the UK...

MMP issues welfare policy guide.(Midland Meat Packers )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... LEADING British processor Midland Meat Packers is taking a major post- foot-and-mouth initiative this spring to promote the high welfare standards employed in the production and handling of home-produced beef. Central to the initiative is a...

`We must adapt' says Paske.(shaping the future after foot-and-mouth disease)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Shaping the future after foot-and-mouth disease was the main theme of a joint Environment Agency and Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management conference on Wednesday. Timed to coincide with the agency's report into the...

Student's California trip.(laboratory technician wins trip to California)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A free trip to California awaits a young food safety student from Gwynedd's Lleyn Peninsula who has been named as the UK's top laboratory technician of the year. As part of the award, 20-year-old Sera Roberts, from Llanbedrog, will be...

Haskins sees `a sound future' for British dairy farming.
March 1, 2002... A panel of farmers who described how they are tackling marketing opportunities proved a popular feature of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers' annual conference at Malvern, Worcestershire. Other speakers looked in detail at a wide...

Going organic `not always the answer'.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... COWS on a Midlands farming estate are producing milk for two different market places, the conference heard. Northamptonshire-based Ashby St Ledgers Farms runs 500 milkers split between conventional farming - which remains the mainstay of...

Casuals beat labour shortage.(dairy farms seek staff to milk cows)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... AMERICAN-STYLE farming goes beyond the way cattle are kept on David Harden's North Wales farm. It applies also to the staff who milk his 600 cows. Mr Harden, former director of Lord Rayleigh Estates and Strutt and Parker Farms, owns the...

Need to plan animal health.(Dairy farms urged to manage animal health)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... DAIRY farmers were urged to take a strategic approach to the management of animal health in the herds. "Unfortunately," Lancashire vet Carl Padgett told the conference, "a lot of people are not doing that." Mr Padgett, who is also...

Pig sector wipe out - unless prices rally.
March 1, 2002... THE pig sector could be virtually wiped out unless prices improve in the immediate future, according to Peter Stewart, a vice-president of NFU Scotland. Speaking in Perth at a conference organised by the union, Quality Meat Scotland, the...

`Increased awareness of fragile state of producers'.
March 1, 2002... WITH the British pig price at last starting to even out, UK industry leaders are hoping that a rise in Danish exports to Japan will help it recover further. And, National Pig Association (NPA) chief executive Stuart Royston said on Tuesday...

Bowland award.(Royal Town Planning Institute presents award to Bowland Initiative)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Bowland Initiative, co-ordinated by Lancashire County Council and providing assistance to farmers in the upland areas in the north of the county, has won the Royal Town Planning Institute's National Award for Planning for Business for 2001....

South East markets.
March 1, 2002... Improving Farmers' Markets in the South East for farmers and consumers was the aim of a meeting organised by the Countryside Agency and the South East Food Group held at Merrist Wood College. The Countryside Agency is supporting the sector...

`Help at Hand'.(student helps with study at Rural Stress Information Network)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Harper Adams College student Katy Mann, on a six-month placement, was a vital team member at the Rural Stress Information Network, taking on a project to investigate the importance and value of the RSIN `Help at Hand' video. depicting a farming...

Guidelines for farm visits by schoolchildren.(Royal Highland Education Trust)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... THE Royal Highland Education Trust has celebrated its third anniversary by publishing `Guidelines for Farm Visits' which contains advice and information regarding schoolchildren visiting farms. The guide was prepared with support from...

#100m revamp of NAC, Stoneleigh.(National Agricultural Centre)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Aim is to turn it into an international centre of excellence for the whole rural scene Mike Calvert - RASE chief executive. By Vic Robertson A major revamp of the National Agricultural Centre at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, at a cost of...

`Law change' needed to fight food imports.(production efficiency of British farmers and food processors among worst in Europe)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... BRITISH farmers and food processors are among the worst in Europe in terms of production efficiency and are in part to blame for increasing volumes of food imports. That is the view of Safeway director of communications, Kevin Hawkins, who...

Regional ministers oppose phasing out of farm subsidies.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Government is no longer committed to producing British food for British people, but surely it is wrong to think farmers should be looking after the countryside while the UK imports its food, said chairman David Richardson, opening the...

Call for `radical' efforts to improve farming's image.
March 1, 2002... A CALL for a new public relations body to help farmers fight back against single-issue pressure groups received a rapturous welcome from delegates. Essex farmer Guy Smith told the conference that radical steps were needed to regain the...

Anger over sugar problems.(British Sugar)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... THE head of the company that owns British Sugar was forced on to the back foot over the fiasco at one of its factories that has caused huge problems for sugar beet growers. Problems with its filtration system have massively reduced...

Letter: The `ethics' of exporting.
March 1, 2002... Thank you for printing my letter on live exports last month. I only hope the typographical error in paragraph two - `ethnics' instead of `ethics' - does not land me in trouble with the Race Relations Board! Elizabeth Burton, The Church...

Letter: Input costs will fall.
March 1, 2002... I read with interest the two articles by John Thorley and Ian Howie (Farmers Guardian, February 15) just as I departed to Heathrow, with a group of progressive farmers to face the long journey to New Zealand - my 15th visit in the past 15...

Testing time for calm Fischler.(Franz Fischler)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Franz Fischler exudes an air of stolid calm. A thickset man with closely trimmed beard matching short grey hair he has been a stubbornly competent member of the Brussels Commission. If the Commission is to recover from its low repute of...

Now there's Welsh Red Mustard to accompany Welsh fayre.(from Blindings and Food Centre Wales)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... FROM today's St David's Day it will no longer be a case of asking for the English or French mustard - a brand new Welsh Red Mustard hits the dinner table. The recipe for the new product has been developed by the West Wales- based Food...

Initiative helps set up modern, multi-species local abattoir.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A modern, local multi-species slaughtering facility is a key factor in the development of direct meat sales through outlets such as farm shops and independent butchers as well as for the future of initiatives such as Wensleydale Fine Foods. ...

McCormick on track.(McCormick Tractors International )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... LITTLE more than 12 months on from the formation of the company, McCormick Tractors International can, it seems, justify the last part of its title. Marketing operations have been established in many of the major markets worldwide and from...

All-in-one silage acid and inoculant.
March 1, 2002... Ecosyl Products have introduced DoubleAction Ecobale, an acid and inoculant in one, for the preservation of baled silage. Designed for use on baled grass, legume and cereal/legume bi-crop silages it is available for liquid application and has...

Tackling eyespot early is key.(wheat disease management)
March 1, 2002... EARLY drilled wheats and mild autumn conditions have created a perfect environment for eyespot this spring. And it is not just second wheats that are at risk. Tackling eyespot early is key according to the JSR Farming Group who farm around...

Monitor and Arma combine to rescue crop.
March 1, 2002... HEAVY couch grass infestation is something Essex arable farmer, Jim Wallis has come to accept and tackle with the greatest possible economy. But the wet autumn of 2000 saw him having to replace his normal stale seedbed-based programme with a...

Tailored marketing plan to solve buildings use.
March 1, 2002... FARMERS living away from major roads or urban centres may be losing out on additional income if they cannot attract people to rent their buildings for business use, according to planning specialist Richard Wain. He said Government policy...

To plough for principality.
March 1, 2002... OVERALL winner in the Llandygwydd YFC Ploughing Society's world qualifying match at Penparc, near Cardigan, was Clive Nixon, of Llandrindod Wells, who qualified to represent Wales for a record ninth time when he travels to Switzerland in...

5,000gns for Limousin bull.(sales of pedigree bulls)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... PEDIGREE bulls sold to a top of 5,000gns at the Royal Northern Spring Multi-breed show and sale at Thainstone, Inverurie, with Keam Farms of Hopeman, Elgin, paying that price to secure the day's overall and Limousin breed champion,...

Scotch beef premium markets `put at risk'.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... SCOTLAND'S hard-won premium markets for Scotch beef are being put at risk by continuing imports of finishing beef cattle from south of the border, it was claimed this week. Calling for a `protection order' for Scottish beef, Michael Durno...

Right-to-buy plan is backed.
March 1, 2002... THE membership of NFU Scotland has given its backing for a proposal that fully secure tenants should have a pre-emptive right to buy their farms. Following a survey of the 11,000 union members, 82 per cent of the 2,560 respondents voted in...

Where costs savings find their way to the farmgate price.
March 1, 2002... The recent round of milk price reductions coupled with bleak prospects for any lift in basic commodity prices, makes looking for profitability from income alone a tough task for dairy producers. Many bankers and accountants have already...

First Jersey cross Holstein-Friesians are looking good.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... COMING up to 12 months old, Gelli Aur's first Jersey cross Holstein- Friesians are looking well. Though a new Zealand Jersey bull was mated with 70 cows, only 16 calves turned out to be heifers. They will be served in May for calving down at...

Food and drink guides.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Food From Britain is launching two new definitive guides to British regional food and drink, The 2002 British Regional Food and Drink Guide and The British Cheese Directory, at a reception at Food and Drink Expo, Birmingham NEC, on March 18....

Evan Wilson.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
March 1, 2002... Founder of one of the country's best known pedigree black and white herds, Evan Wilson, has died, aged 91. His Tregibby herd won numerous awards and following the retirement of his son Jimmy is now being run by grandson Hefin at its West Wales...

Woodshavings drop.(bedding products)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A survey by The National Association of Woodshaving and Sawdust Merchants and Contractors has revealed the likelihood of a significant drop in demand for woodshaving bedding products throughout 2002 due to higher than average sales prices. ...

Top sales award.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Freddie French, senior territory manager for Merial Animal Health's farm livestock business, has been named sales professional of the year for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Copright: CMP Information Ltd.

Non-food arable crops potential.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NON-FOOD arable crops are expected to offer increasing opportunities for arable farmers both in Britain and in the EU over coming years, Melvyn Askew of the Central Science Laboratory, York, told the Dundee Crop Protection conference. Dr...

Organic markets alarm.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... ORGANIC arable farmers, and those in conversion, should be extremely alarmed at their future prospects in the light of falling premiums and lack of sustainable markets, Alastair Leake of the Allerton Trust, Loddington, Leicester, told the...

Repeat win at Fylde Society trial.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... SHEEPDOGS By Elaine Hill FOR Keith Salisbury and Clifton Rob, Walmsley Fold Farm, at Brindle, Lancashire, is proving to be a lucky venue. On Saturday the Fylde Society held a second nursery trial there and after winning the first one three...

Aussie lends a hand at Rugby.(Edward Cox at re-opening of Rugby Cattle Market)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... ONE of Australia's leading livestock auctioneers, Edward Cox, was guest auctioneer at the grand re-opening sale at Rugby Cattle Market on Monday, when hundreds of Midlands farmers turned out to give their support. Better known as an...

Increase in H&H half year profits.(H and H Group PLC)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... DESPITE a reduced turnover, the H&H Group in Carlisle has reported an increase in half-yearly profits. Group results for the six months ended December 2001 show a consolidated profit of #179,000, up 22 per cent on the same period in 2000, on...

Group sees future in co-op route.(West Country Milk Producers alliance joins Milk Link)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A group of South West dairy farmers, who have decided to join milk co- operative Milk Link will bring with them over 25 million litres of milk to the co-operative from April 1, 2002. Under the co-operative's rules this large volume of milk...

Co-op marketing deal boosts cereals sector.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... IN a major development for the Scottish cereals sector Border Grain, the Berwickshire-based farmer-owned co-operative, has announced that its members' production will now be marketed through United Cereals of Scotland. The move will bring...

WLBP in bid to win back markets.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... BOARD members of the farmer-owned Welsh Lamb and Beef Promotions co- operative are pressing ahead in finding the best deal for producers in the proposed Antur Cig Cymru all-Wales red meat marketing and development body. They have had a...

4,200gns top as Welsh Blacks return to sale ring.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Bidding peaked at 4,200gns for the August 2000 born bull, Graig-Goch Twm 34 from Llanrwst breeder Emyr Jones, when the Welsh Black Cattle Society held its first sale for over a year at Dolgellau, Gwynedd, on Tuesday. Twm 34 is a son of the...

Pitreuchie Lady Ellie takes champion Clydesdale award at Thainstone.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... CHAMPION Clydesdale at the Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, was Alan and Carol Drummond's yearling Pitreuchie Lady Ellie, from Forfar, Angus. A daughter of Greendykes Footprint and Hillhouse Lady Marion, she had been champion foal at the...

Action vet Barbara.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Farmer's wife runs a veterinary practice from the barn and competes in cyclo-cross and triathlon By Jean Alcorn Veterinary surgeon Barbara Bennett is looking forward to being a `grand vet'. Five years after that she will be a `master...

Winning way with words.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... CROSSROADS YFC members from Ayrshire demonstrated a winning way with words in the keenly contested national final of Scottish Young Farmers' speechmaking competition. Alistair Dale, Stuart Mitch-ell, John Kerr and Jennifer Dale, took top...

More of what you can't eat.(recipes for those with food allergies and intolerances)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... UNA Davies is allergic to sugar but she has no qualms about tucking into coffee sponge cake or gingerbread. Similarly, Pam Gross enjoys trout with leek and mustard sauce and maple syrup pie although she has an intolerance of gluten, dairy...

Threat to liveweight auctions.(prices of sheep and cattle)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... CATTLE and sheep prices could plummet for farmers if abattoir and supermarket pressure on the liveweight markets continues to threaten their future existence. That is the view of the Livestock Auctioneers' Association which is calling for...

Reviving exports will be slow despite demand for UK meat.(meat exports, Meat and Livestock Commission)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 8, 2002... MOVES are underway in earnest to kick-start British meat exports after the lifting of the foot-and-mouth export ban. The Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) says there is a real demand out there for British meat but is warning producers...

EU help for Argentina by increasing beef imports.(European Union)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... DESPITE the crisis in the EU beef industry, with production running ahead of demand in most member states other than Britain, the European Commission has agreed to increase imports of beef from Argentina. This decision was confirmed by...

Court action vow on spinal cord threat.(UK action to take France to court)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 8, 2002... THE UK Government has vowed to take France to court if it proceeds with plans to implement a rule requiring the removal of spinal cord from all sheep over six months old. France is planning to take the unilateral action in July despite the...

Store plans to cut price of organic milk.(Tesco markets organic milk)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... TESCO has announced plans to cut the price customers pay for organic milk in a move designed to increase sales and reduce the surplus that has dogged the industry for many months. The supermarket says the plan is a significant step towards...

EU ruling `may cost 431m pounds.'(European Union Welfare of Laying Hens Directive to be debated)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... EGG producers are being urged by the NFU to take part in a concerted drive to ensure damaging EU legislation is not further `gold plated' when it becomes UK law. The EU Welfare of Laying Hens Directive will be debated in the House of...

BSE checks will focus on abnormal mutation link.(as possible explanation for BSE in animals)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... ABNORMAL mutation is being considered by the Government's Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) as a possible explanation for the latest BSE cases in animals born after the feed ban, following the Wilesmith report findings that...

Royal presentation.(for farmers affected by foot-and-mouth disease)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... Herdsman at Walford and North Shropshire College, Mike Lutman and his wife Molly were among those presented to the Prince of Wales at a luncheon at St James's Palace. given for those deeply affected by foot- and-mouth disease. Copyright:...

Call for fewer live sheep imports angers FUW.(Farmers' Union of Wales upset at announcement)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... THE Farmers' Union of Wales has demanded assurances from a DEFRA Minister that he is committed to British farming, following his call for fewer live sheep exports. "I am amazed that Animal Welfare Minister Elliot Morley has demanded meat...

NFU seeks backing for bid to stop illegal meat.(National Farmers Union fighting for legal meat trading)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... FARMING and wildlife groups campaigning against the illegal trade in bushmeat are planning to join forces to increase pressure on the Government to act. The National Farmers' Union is inviting leading members of the recently- launched UK...

FMD fundraiser.(foot-and-mouth disease; Kathron Sturrock, Jonathan Carney, and Ruth Carver performance)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... Three of the country's leading musicians, Kathron Sturrock (piano), Jonathan Carney (violin) and Ruth Carver (flute) will play at St Cuthbert's Church, Lorton, Cockermouth on Easter Saturday in aid of people in Cumbria affected by...

Organic `red tape' plea.(Organic Farmers and Growers)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... ORGANIC food production in the UK has no chance of fulfilling its potential unless the red tape burden is eased, according to the chairman of Organic Farmers and Growers, Charles Peers. In a letter to DEFRA Secretary of State Margaret...

Adding stock `clout'.(North Wales Holstein Society moving calf show to Gwalchamai showground)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... To add `clout' to the return of livestock classes at the two-day Anglesey Show on August 13 and 14, the North Wales Holstein Society is moving its annual calf show from Ruthin to the Gwalchamai showground. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Day off for David.(Farmers Union of Wales)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... The Farmers Union of Wales has added its support to making St David's Day a national holiday - setting the ball rolling by giving its entire staff the day off. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Launch of `right to roam' maps in Wales.(law goes into effect in 2005)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... A small group of protesters greeted the launch of the first maps showing where people could have access to open countryside under the new `right to roam' rules in Wales. The maps, which were officially unveiled for public consultation at...

Plan aims to revive red meat fortunes.(more equitable and transparent food chain)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... A TEN-point plan aimed at reviving the fortunes of the red meat industry through a more equitable and transparent food chain was launched in London yesterday. Meat and Livestock Commission chairman Peter Barr said at the Meat Industry...

Be first to market with right product.(vegetarianism not on rise; meat products must be right for consumers)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... VEGETARIANISM is not on the increase and 96 per cent of the population are still eating meat, according to the findings of The Meat Industry Forum. But changing consumer profiles coupled with increased import penetration means producers...

Resurfacing a public road costs farmer #3,300.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... A FARMER paid for a public road to be fixed after waiting 17 years in vain for Wiltshire County Council to repair the pot-holed road. Neville Meeker, 60, of Kilmington, near Mere, Wiltshire, forked out #3,300 for a private contractor to...

Differing approach to changes.(Jim Walker and Sean Rickard)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... THE farming industry will have to change and adapt to meet the challenges which lie ahead, but two differing lines of approach were aired at a conference in St Boswells, staged by Scottish Enterprise Borders. The more gradualistic avenue...

Dairy industry facts and figures not all bleak.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 8, 2002... THE number of UK dairy farms in production dropped 6.8 per cent last year, the biggest fall in the last five years, according to the 2001 edition of Dairy Facts and Figures which has just been published. Almost 600,000 cattle were culled...

Freedom Food logo.(Brades Farm gains accreditation)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... Lancashire dairy business Brades Farm has gained Freedom Food accreditation. The Farleton milk and cream producer can now label its products with the Freedom Foods logo. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Support for 1.3 mil pounds sterling investments on road to recovery in Wensleydale.(DEFRA)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... DEFRA Animal Health Minister Elliot Morley was in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, this week to announce DEFRA support for investments totalling #1.3m to assist in the area's recovery in the wake of foot- and-mouth disease. From the left after a...

Lancashire Rural Action Plan launched.(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... THE Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan, which sets out proposals for co-ordinated rural regeneration throughout the county, including the farming industry, was officially launched on Wednesday. Part of the Rural Recovery Plan developed...

`Secondary' clue to reduce `wasting' deaths.(pig farms and disease)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... ACTION against serious secondary infections is helping reduce the mortality rate caused by the wasting disease PMWS on many English pig farms. East Anglian vet Roger Harvey believes this could be one of the keys to fighting the disease,...

Signs of hope emerging.(pig prices)(Brief Article)
March 8, 2002... IN a message of hope for the beleaguered UK pig industry, the National Pig Association (NPA) at last believes its appeal to retailers to support British product is being picked up by more receptive ears as the EU pig price started to rise. ...