Farmers Guardian articles from May 2003

Farmers Guardian archives from May 2003

GM decision could weaken organic push.
May 2, 2003... THE Government's push to promote organic farming could be seriously undermined if it proceeds with plans to introduce genetically modified crops into the United Kingdom, supporters of organic farming have warned. Serious concerns were...

Confusion as fallen stock burial ban turns into farce.
May 2, 2003... CONFUSION surrounds the introduction of the `ban' on burying fallen stock, which came in yesterday (May 1), but cannot be enforced by the UK Government until the end of the month. This bizarre situation has arisen because the EU Animal...

FMD vaccination vote.
May 2, 2003... EURO MPs have backed Green Party proposals to force European member states to vaccinate rather than slaughter healthy livestock in any future outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. The decision was taken by the European Parliament's...

Sterling and euro gap benefiting farmers.
May 2, 2003... THE war in Iraq may be over as a political issue, but fears this would re-open the gap between the euro and sterling have proved wrong. This week the euro briefly crossed the 69p barrier, adding weight to claims that current values should...

Dutch eggs on sale in UK despite Avian influenza outbreak.
May 2, 2003... FARMERS were shocked this week to discover eggs on sale in the United Kingdom that had been imported from Holland, which is currently gripped by a devastating outbreak of the poultry virus Avian influenza. Holland announced in February that...

Bid to relax movement ban for shows.
May 2, 2003... AGRICULTURAL show organisers were due to meet DEFRA Minister Lord Whitty yesterday in an all-out effort to have the six-day movement restrictions lifted. They believe the ruling is having a marked effect on entries for shows across the...

Call for tough action to curb gangmaster system abuse.
May 2, 2003... THE Government is coming under increasing pressure to introduce new legislation to control the illegal activities of gangmasters who supply part-time labour to the agricultural industry. The horticulture and farming industries, trade...

Prevent beef price collapse - NBA.
May 2, 2003... THE Government has been asked to ensure appropriate measures are in place to prevent the collapse of beef prices if the Over-Thirty Months Scheme is relaxed next year. Hundreds of thousands of cattle could come on to the market next year...

Still the top sire.
May 2, 2003... FIGURES from the British Cattle Movement Service for 2002, have confirmed Limousin continues to be the most popular sire breed in Britain, beef or dairy, with 682,000 passports issued to Limousin-sired cattle. Copyright: CMP Information...

Happy with response.
May 2, 2003... THE organisers of the `c/o British Farming' campaign to boost the image of agriculture say they are happy with the response from farmers so far. "We have had a lot of calls from people ordering materials, expressing support for the...

Labour saving dairy systems in action.
May 2, 2003... Farmers Guardians' sister publication Dairy Farmer will be hosting an open day on May 13 in North Yorkshire. Visitors will be able to see labour saving dairy systems in operation and get the latest dairy industry views and advice from a number...

Future outlook for farmland prices is pessimistic - RICS.
May 2, 2003... WHILE the average price of farmland increased `strongly' during the first quarter of 2003, the general outlook for future prices was the weakest for two years, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. The RICS rural land...

Fallen stock scheme depends on take up.
May 2, 2003... LIVESTOCK farmers across the United Kingdom are being urged to pledge their support for the new subscription scheme for the collection and disposal of fallen stock, agreed between Ministers and the main farming unions last week. They are...

No farmer support for takeover that cuts competition - NFU.
May 2, 2003... THE interests of both farmers and consumers would be best served by a broad-based competitive food retail industry, a Competition Commission meeting into the proposed takeover of Safeway, was told. National Farmers' Union head of marketing...

Brussels silent on mid-term review.
May 2, 2003... THE post-Easter holiday week it may be, but the silence from Brussels on the mid-term review in nonetheless surprising. This suggests European Commission and member state officials who make up the special committee on agriculture (SCA) are...

Workers' leaders slam skilled pay `injustice'.
May 2, 2003... Farmworkers' representatives have criticised members of the Agricultural Wages Board, claiming the inflation-only imposed pay rise for skilled workers will make it much more difficult to recruit and keep key staff. In a hard-hitting letter...

Compensation for delays.
May 2, 2003... THE Rural Payments Agency says it will be making compensation payments this month to producers who suffered delays in receiving 2001 bovine payments. It has set a trigger total of #50 across all bovine schemes for interest to be paid as...

Agency check on pesticides and sheep dip disposal.
May 2, 2003... THE Environment Agency is to carry out inspections of farms in Lancashire and Cumbria to ensure that sheep dip and pesticides are being safely disposed of. Anyone wanting to dispose of toxic substances like sheep dip on to their land can only...

New Assembly is urged to maintain its rural policies.
May 2, 2003... WITH the final results of voting in the Welsh Assembly elections being declared today, the new administration is being urged to maintain a proven strength of commitment to agriculture and the countryside which has become the envy of many rural...

All-Wales silage winner.
May 2, 2003... WINNERS of this year's All-Wales silage competition, jointly organised by the Federation of Welsh Grassland Societies and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, are John and Gaenor Harries, from Velindre, St Nicholas, near Goodwick,...

Mistakes on maps cause concern.
May 2, 2003... WITH two weeks to go to the deadline for the return of 2003 Integrated Administration Control System forms, major difficulties are being reported across Wales. At the root of the problems, says the Farmers' Union of Wales, is a Welsh...

Suffolk agri-college invests to practice what it preaches.
May 2, 2003... A Suffolk agricultural college has announced plans to practice what it is teaching many of the county's hard-pressed arable and pig farmers - invest and diversify. Otley College, near Ipswich, is asking for planning permission to spend #8m...

Still deep divisions between landowners and access seekers.
May 2, 2003... THE presumption of responsible access to the countryside is a key element of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act which was passed earlier this year by the Scottish Parliament. However, it is clear there is still a divide between those who own...

GRASSWATCH 2003.
May 2, 2003... GRASSWATCH 2003 Week commencing April 28, 2003 DM Yield Crude Sugar `D' ME (%) (t/acre Protein (%) FW Value (MJ/kg Site 20% DM) (% DM) ...

NUTHALL'S VIEW: Into orbit for a precise future - even in India.
May 2, 2003... Farming may be becoming increasingly high-tech, but somehow, it still seems rather odd to couple digging potatoes with launching shiny satellites into orbit around the Earth. But, in fact - as many British farmers well know - space...

OPINION: Into the underworld.
May 2, 2003... PART-TIME labour is not easy to find. Ask anyone who has tried to find people to pluck his Christmas turkeys, pick his strawberries in the summer or pack his lettuces when the supermarket suddenly decides it's time for a promotion. UK...

Insurers may challenge TB link assertion.
May 2, 2003... The British livestock industry could face a possible disaster if the Government makes proposed changes to notifiable disease compensation, forcing some of the burden of payments onto unwilling insurers, warns agricultural insurance broker...

Letter: Owner legally responsible when horse bolts.(Letter to the Editor)
May 2, 2003... A landmark judgment by the House of Lords on March 20, 2003 regarding section 2(2)(b) of the Animals Act 1971 has serious implications for horse-owners throughout the United Kingdom. Five Law Lords decided by a majority 3:2 decision that...

Letter: Rise in vets' fees will be self-financing.(Letter to the Editor)
May 2, 2003... I FEEL I have to disagree with the British Veterinary Association's president's comments on the Competition Commission's Report on Veterinary Medicines (FG, April 18). Responsible use of veterinary medicines on farms requires a totally...

Letter: British Farming campaign.(Letter to the Editor)
May 2, 2003... I HAVE just read in the Farmers Guardian that the 'c/o British Farming' campaign was launched in a Tesco carpark. Do the people behind this campaign not understand that the concentration of market share in food retailing - i.e. the power of...

Letter: Hybu Cig Cymru.(Letter to the Editor)
May 2, 2003... It is optimistic to suggest that the new meat marketing body, Hybu Cig Cymru, now has full industry backing. It would appear a lightweight structure in terms of expertise in sheep production and marketing. I recently attended an interesting...

GANGMASTERS: Meeting the challenge to restore industry's image.
May 2, 2003... THE agricultural industry cannot live without gangmasters. But neither can it live with them in their current form for much longer, given the level of corruption, dishonesty and fraud that blights the system and casts a dark shadow over the...

One gangmaster's battle to bring quality and credibility to the job.
May 2, 2003... FOR most people the term `reputable gangmaster' could be questioned. The term `gangmaster' is more commonly associated with some unscrupulous people making a living out of abusing the labour they provide and sometimes defrauding the state in...

Probing the benefits of a new arable way.
May 2, 2003... TWO of Britain's biggest `farmers' are getting into bed with a Government department and agency to thrash out a new approach to arable farming, which will bring both profits and environmental gains. The project, codenamed PROBE, after...

Changing role in a `brave new world'.
May 2, 2003... WITHIN the next decade or two the countryside will no longer be equated with farming and food production, particularly by politicians and policy makers, a leading landowner has predicted. But farmers and land managers will probably remain...

The Buzz Project: Six sites monitored.
May 2, 2003... THE Buzz Project has been developed by the Farmed Environment Company and is based on previous work at its headquarters at Manor Farm, Malton, North Yorkshire. The six arable sites sown in 2001 were: the FEC's Manor Farm and sites at...

Rapid result from new green project creates a buzz.
May 2, 2003... Agri-environment schemes can have a rapid and dramatic impact on wildlife numbers on farms, according to new research hailed as a ringing endorsement of Government policy on green farming. The three-year Buzz Project, which is examining the...

`Wow, it works!' is the reaction of David Bellamy.
May 2, 2003... PROFESSOR David Bellamy, one of the UK's great environmental enthusiasts of the past few decades, could not contain his enthusiasm for the project. He said the findings offered real hope for the future recovery of a countryside ravaged by...

Meacher confident of entry-level launch.
May 2, 2003... ENVIRONMENT Minister Michael Meacher says DEFRA is confident it will be able to launch its much-vaunted entry-level agri-environment scheme in 2005, despite a huge cloud hanging over the funding of the initiative. The scheme, offering...

Teaching video.
May 2, 2003... An insight into how the high quality of British beef is honed through use of a sensory laboratory is contained in a new teaching video and booklet, Meat Video Magazine, published by Meat and Livestock Commission's British Meat Education...

`Inevitable losses' force closure of Brandons' Dalton processing plant.
May 2, 2003... THE North Yorkshire processing plant of the United Kingdom's second largest turkey producer and processor, Brandons, is being closed `with immediate effect' by the joint administrative receivers in view of continued `inevitable losses'. In...

Roman fort.
May 2, 2003... A previously unknown Roman fort has been found by the National Trust on parkland at Dinefwr, near Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. The fort was found by a geophysical survey after Cambria Archaeology was commissioned by the Trust to undertake...

Crops at risk from suspected blight case.
May 2, 2003... A SUSPECTED case of potato blight in Norfolk has put the country's potato crops in immediate danger of attack from the devastating disease. The blight infection was identified by a British Potato Council `blight scout' and the suspected...

Research buy.
May 2, 2003... Precision Prospecting, owners of the National Farm Research Unit, has bought Promar International's market research operation. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

British will be at World Pork Expo.
May 2, 2003... PLANS to promote the British pig industry at the World Pork Expo in the USA in June are going ahead, even though DEFRA has closed down the department that was organising the UK presence there. DEFRA has handed over responsibility for export...

Beat tough targets - and tax.
May 2, 2003... A major publicity campaign to persuade farmers to beat tough targets in order to avoid a possible pesticide tax is being co-ordinated by the Crop Protection Association along with supporters of the Voluntary Initiative. The campaign was...

Rustons new chopper-baler.
May 2, 2003... A new silage baler from RECO has a 2.2 m wide floating pick-up and a 25 knife-cutting unit. The Gallignani 3300 although designed for silage, will work in hay and straw. High density is achieved by the steel rollers in the front section of...

More Catros models.
May 2, 2003... Following the introduction of the Catros 6000 compact disc cultivator to the UK market, Amazone has launched a number of new working widths - both rigid and foldable. The foldable, three-point linkage Catros is now at 4m, 5m and 6m. All...

Post knocker better for hill.
May 2, 2003... IMPROVEMENTS to the Bryce Suma Profi post driver include a double-slide side shift arrangement which gives increased stability for the telescopic mast and reduced wear. The mast tilt ram has also been given an increased stroke for greater mast...

B-Series springs into action.
May 2, 2003... MAZDA'S new B-Series pick-up is in the showrooms this spring. The pick-up sector is the fastest growing within the UK vehicle market and grew by some 50 per cent last year to almost 20,000 units. Mazda's new range comprises six models...

Black, round and new.
May 2, 2003... STRENGTHENED sidewalls and the ability to run at up to 40 mph are among features of a new tyre for self propelled sprayers. From Nordic Tyres (UK) the Nokian TRS 600/55 R 26.5 radial will be launched officially at Cereals 2003 in June. ...

Front buckrakes can match big foragers.
May 2, 2003... THE telehandler on many farms can struggle to keep up with today's 350 hp and bigger forage harvesters yet the cost of a big loading shovel can be hard to justify for clamp work. But a large front mounted buckrake on a decent sized tractor...

Smaller addition to rake range.
May 2, 2003... Krone has launched a new line of single rotary rakes for tractors under 35 hp. The Swadro 355 and 395 models have working widths of 3.5m and 3.9m respectively. The 355 has 10 tine arms and three double tines while the 395 has 11 tine arms...

Easier barrowing.
May 2, 2003... IF you can think of better ways of keeping fit than pushing a wheelbarrow, a new powered model from a British company might be of interest. It will cost you from #615 plus VAT to let an electric motor take the strain and the three-model...

From fighting vehicle to handy multi-purpose farm machine.
May 2, 2003... An ex-army vehicle spreading fertiliser on a crop of Siberia winter barley on R.E. and P.W. Stephenson's White Cross Farm, Piercebridge, Darlington, County Durham. The vehicle, which saw service on the Falkland Island as a forklift truck...

Harvesting highlight of British Potato 2003.
May 2, 2003... PREPARATIONS for a large-scale potato harvesting and handling demonstration at British Potato 2003 on September 3 and 4 are well under way. The 32-acre crop has been planted in preparation for the early September lift where Europe's...

Machinery inspection service.
May 2, 2003... A new inspection service for agricultural machinery on farms has been set up by a Scottish independent insurance broking service. The JW Group says it has identified a gap in the market for such a service which deals with equipment that...

Fast answer to handling.
May 2, 2003... A large vegetable growing operation near Spalding has eliminated the need for two-wheel drive loader tractors and improved efficiency by fitting four of its six Fastbacks with loaders. The 9,000 acre Lincolnshire Field Products - formed...

Not all big stuff at Simba.
May 2, 2003... Simba International generated almost half of its 2001/02 turnover from drills, cultivators and presses designed to be used with tractors of around 150hp. But the company claims the vast majority of the high-horse power crawlers in the UK...

Brushcutters `first' for Stihl.
May 2, 2003... TWO new brushcutters from Stihl are the company's first new machines with the 4-Mix engine announced recently. The FS100 and FS100R are fitted with tap-n-go line heads with the bike- handled FS100 also having an additional metal blade for...

Reducing environmental impact of pesticides.
May 2, 2003... THE Voluntary Initiative is only voluntary in the sense that, when presented with the choice, the farming industry opted for a voluntary approach over a pesticide tax. But it is time limited and farmers must not otherwise regard it as voluntary...

Cereal herbicides are the main culprit, says water company boss.
May 2, 2003... AS far as the incidence of pesticides in water goes, lowland rivers are the worse, with regular spikes of pesticide pollution and at high levels, due to their sluggish flow and surrounding arable farming activity, according to Dr Bob Breach of...

Indirect effects on birds.
May 2, 2003... ALTHOUGH the vision of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is not for the whole country to be organic, as it appreciates that agrochemicals have achieved a great deal in raising yields, it does want the use of chemicals to be refined....

CROP MONITOR: Crops look up as drought breaks.
May 2, 2003... Independent agronomists from FG's specialist six-strong nationwide panel report on the progress and performance of combinable crops across the country and advise on management opportunities, threats and priorities. SLOWED wheat development...

Training package target.
May 2, 2003... A new training package, BETA, as part of the Voluntary Initiative, is available for agronomists, according to Clare Bend, technical manager with Masstock Arable. Standing for Biodiversity and Environment Training for Advisers, it will be...

Good sprayer saves money.
May 2, 2003... A well-maintained sprayer saved money, Mike Huntington, of Knight Farm Machinery, told delegates. "If different rates are applied across the boom this will cost money, sprayer nozzles only need to be 5 per cent inaccurate to add #500 to a...

Blight alert to keep growers ahead of outbreaks.
May 2, 2003... A NEW hi-tech blight warning service from Syngenta aims to keep potato growers ahead of impending disease outbreaks. Blight Alert is a free service, available to growers, agronomists, advisers, packers and processors registered on the...

New angled spray nozzle for greater chemical uptake.
May 2, 2003... THE performance of potato blight fungicides, insecticides and crop desiccants can be significantly improved with a new angled design spray nozzle, claims Syngenta. The angled design of the nozzle is said to increase retention of blight...

A flexible approach to blight control.
May 2, 2003... POTATO growers could achieve better long-term control of blight by making more use of product mixes and matching product strengths to specific blight risk situations and/or crop growth stages. That was the view of Syngenta potato technical...

Major boost for management of GM and non-GM crops.
May 2, 2003... PROSPECTS for managing genetically modified and non-GM crops at a practical farm level have received a major boost following the publication of two new reports from the United Kingdom farm industry body SCIMAC (The Supply Chain Initiative on...

Scheme will help justify nematicide use.
May 2, 2003... INCREASING restrictions on a number of supermarket potato protocols regarding the use of nematicides, means safeguarding remaining potato cyst nematode (PCN) products and demonstrating responsible use of them, must be a key priority for all the...

Avoid pesticide tax by taking Voluntary Initiative action.
May 2, 2003... IT is time to take action with the Voluntary Initiative if there is to be any hope of avoiding a pesticide tax in the future - equivalent to a #5/tonne increase in cost of production. By the end of this year 5,000 sprayers must be tested...

Resolving to unmask an `invisible killer'.
May 2, 2003... Following in the footsteps of the Shetland Isles, Orkney is fast moving towards Bovine Viral Diarrhoea-free status with 95 per cent of the breeding cattle now signed up for membership of the eradication scheme. LIZ FALKINGHAM reports. When...

BVD: CASE STUDIES.
May 2, 2003... 1. Although the OLA scheme came too late to prevent a catastrophic BVD breakdown at Duncan Gaudie's unit, he is a keen supporter of the scheme and is now free of the disease. Craebreck Farm, Holm, was hit by BVD in late 1998, with the...

OLA could play a national role.
May 2, 2003... It is hoped that, after the success of the BVD eradication scheme on Orkney, there will probably be a role to play for OLA in extending the scheme across mainland Scotland, says Michael Cursiter. "The scheme does address the vision posed by...

Standing ovation for Lancs WI speaker.
May 2, 2003... An inspirational speaker was given a standing ovation by Lancashire WI members at the federation's spring council meeting. Paul Whittaker has been profoundly deaf since the age of eight yet has become an accomplished pianist and organist...

Margaret's best blue enterprise.
May 2, 2003... When her son decided to look at cheese production as part of his degree course in management, baking and finance, Anglesey farmer's wife Margaret Davies, never imagined it would lead to her starting a cheese making enterprise. Son Huw had...

East Devon stockjudging.
May 2, 2003... EAST Devon group of Young Farmers have held their first stockjudging day since 2000. Culm Valley YFC won the club points prize and club member, Anita Williams was overall individual winner. The Rich family, of Broadley Farm, Yarcombe,...

Bakers in demand.
May 2, 2003... BAKERS are sought by Westmorland WI Markets Society. In the past year one of the society's markets, Kirkby Stephen, closed, mainly because of a shortage of producers. The remaining five (Ambleside, Eden Valley, Kirkby Lonsdale, Milnthorpe and...

Shropshire success.
May 2, 2003... THREE firsts places plus three seconds and three thirds added up to the overall winner's title for Shropshire at the West Midlands area YFC competitions day. Second place was shared by host county, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire. ...

Juniors show off their skills.
May 2, 2003... JUNIOR Young Farmers from Northumberland demonstrated their driving proficiency on earth moving machinery, skid-steers and all terrain vehicles during an `away day' at Diggerland, Durham. "They were able to show off their skills at hooking the...

Top member.
May 2, 2003... CHARLOTTE Richardson, of Bainton YFC, is East Riding YFCs' member of the year. Junior member of the year is Hollie Harris, of Patrington. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Recipes for a long, healthy life.
May 2, 2003... More than 600 delegates gathered at the Royal Welsh Showground for the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI)-Wales 79th annual conference. The theme was healthy living and speakers covered topics including living to be 100, the myths...

Membership up 540 per cent.
May 2, 2003... THREE Crosses WI, Glamorgan, has won the NFWI-Wales award for membership increase for small WIs. In the past year its membership has grown from five to 32, a 540 per cent increase, largely due to a new-look promotional leaflet drop in the...