Farmers Guardian articles from May 2008

Farmers Guardian archives from May 2008

Bluetongue vaccination set to begin.
May 2, 2008... FARMERS in the south of England can start protecting their stock against the spread of bluetongue disease after the first batch of vaccine was sent out to vets this week. Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced the first batch of one...

Supermarket ombudsman proposal is a welcome move.
May 2, 2008... FARMERS celebrated victory this week as the Competition Commission published a raft of proposals that would see a major shake-up of Britain's supermarkets. Chief amongst those proposals is a move to establish a supermarket ombudsman to...

OFT investigators put the big retailers back under the microscope.
May 2, 2008... BRITAIN'S biggest supermarkets are under further investigation for price-fixing after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) visited retailers' offices last week. The watchdog and lawyers visited the offices of Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury and...

Tesco extending its local strawberry net.
May 2, 2008... TESCO has announced plans to source more local strawberries this summer. Following last summer's successful pilot scheme in Kent, the initiative is to be extended to cover Hereford and Worcester, Avon, Hampshire, Norfolk, Staffordshire,...

Tesco's carbon label `green revolution'.
May 2, 2008... FOR Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy it is the start of a `revolution in green consumption'. For farmers, Tesco's decision to launch carbon footprint labelling may also mark a revolutionary moment in terms of how they produce food....

`Too simplistic' and `misleading' says NFU's Hirst.
May 2, 2008... THE chairman of the NFU's horticulture board has attacked Tesco's carbon labels for being `too simplistic' and potentially misleading consumers. The NFU's official line is that it will `watch with interest' Tesco's `important' carbon...

Competition rules hamper retail response to pig crisis.
May 2, 2008... A SENIOR Tesco director has expressed sympathy for the plight of pig producers but has warned that UK competition rules are making it hard for retailers to respond. Lucy Neville-Rolfe, corporate and legal affairs director, said 20 years...

Dairy Road Map outlines target for greenhouse gas cut.
May 2, 2008... DAIRY farmers have been set a target of improving greenhouse gas balance 20 to 30 per cent by 2020, compared with 1990 levels. The target is part of a Milk Road Map published today (Friday, May 2) that sets out short, medium and long-term...

Cross compliance breaches.
May 2, 2008... THREE-QUARTERS of cross compliance failures in England in 2007 were related to cattle and sheep identification. New figures published by the Rural Payments Agency showed there were around 1,850 cross compliance breaches identified on farms...

Fuel supplies to return to normal as Grangemouth workers return.
May 2, 2008... STRIKE action at Scottish oil refinery, which cost the economy #50million a day and led to a surge in fuel prices, came to an end this week, raising hopes that fuel supplies will return to normal in the coming days. Workers at the...

Furey is new UFU president.
May 2, 2008... THE Ulster Farmers' Union elected County Down farmer Graham Furey as its new president at the UFU Annual General Meeting, held this week at the Greenmount Campus, Antrim. Mr Furey replaces Kenneth Sharkey, who steps down after his two-year...

`Keep slaughterhouse meat inspection a Government responsibility'.
May 2, 2008... MORE than three-quarters of the public want meat inspection in slaughterhouses to remain a Government responsibility rather than the service be privatised. The figures have been revealed in a survey carried out on behalf of UNISON, the...

1,600 OELS agreements checked for overpayment.
May 2, 2008... MORE than 1,500 payments made to farmers under Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS) are being reviewed after Natural England found that some had been overpaid by up to #25,000. Natural England is reviewing 1,600 OELS conversion agreements...

`Carry on wool marketing'.
May 2, 2008... THE British Wool Marketing Board continues to provide an `effective mechanism' for marketing wool in the UK, a new review has found. The two-year review, carried out by Defra and the devolved administrations found that the board continued...

`Lower yields and higher prices from pesticide cut deepen food crisis'.
May 2, 2008... EU plans to dramatically slash the use of pesticides in farming could lead to lower crop yields and higher food prices, scientists have warned. European ministers look set to agree to legislation that would significantly cut the number of...

Meat and bone contaminated feed gets into food chain after mix-up.
May 2, 2008... Government officials have admitted that a wheat product containing banned meat and bone meal has been mistakenly distributed across the country for use in animal feed. The Government's Animal Health agency has launched an investigation...

Agricultural red tape now `more demanding'.
May 2, 2008... FARMERS still have to deal with too much red tape, according to a survey carried out by the NFU. In response to the Red Tape survey, completed by nearly 200 NFU members, 77 per cent said they felt red tape was now more demanding than last...

New role for Attenborough at the AHDB.
May 2, 2008... THE Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has appointed Guy Attenborough to the position of interim head of communications with immediate effect. He was previously head of communications for the Meat and Livestock Commission....

Fly-tipping waste disposal.
May 2, 2008... FARMERS and landowners may soon find it easier to have fly-tipped waste accepted at their local tips, following a meeting between the Country Land and Business Association and Defra minister Joan Ruddock. While the minister agreed to a CLA...

IN BRIEF: More funding.
May 2, 2008... Regarded as an agricultural success story, the Bassenthwaite Lake Catchment Sensitive Farming project in Cumbria has been given a further three years' funding by Defra. Since 2005, 95 per cent of farmers around Bassenthwaite have taken part in...

IN BRIEF: Calendar cash.
May 2, 2008... Farm Crisis Network has been presented with a cheque for #1,500 from AI company Dairy Daughters. The money was raised from the proceeds of a 2008 calendar featuring scantily-clad staff members. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

We all need the CAP, says French Farm Minister.
May 2, 2008... THE Common Agricultural Policy should not be dismantled and instead other economic blocks around the world should adopt its principles to solve the current food crisis. That was the message from French Farming Minister Michel Barnier this...

TFA action to retain county farms estate.
May 2, 2008... THE Tenant Farmers' Association has written to every county councillor in Herefordshire urging them to reverse a policy, which could see some 20 per cent of its county farms sold over the next few years. The move follows a `barrage of...

Brazilian beef under scrutiny.
May 2, 2008... A DELEGATION from the European Parliament's agriculture committee has been in Brazil this week, as part of an investigation into standards in its beef industry. The delegation included the arch critics from the UK and Ireland, but also had...

Is it time for the EU to end their GM isolation?
May 2, 2008... Soaring global hunger for food, and equally stratospheric commodity price rises, demand that the EU's policies on GM food are reappraised. UK cereal farmers are among those keen to use new varieties to help them harvest bigger crops, off...

OPINION: Time to vaccinate.
May 2, 2008... After an uneasy winter ceasefire, the imminent warmer weather has had the livestock industry holding its breath for the bluetongue vaccine. That wait is now over, after Defra gave the green light for the vaccination programme to begin in...

LETTER: Working together on male dairy calves `a must'.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... Am I the only person to challenge the report and recommendations of the Beyond Calf Export Stakeholders Forum from earlier this year. I thought spin went out with Tony Blair. If I deliberately set out to manipulate market terms and...

LETTER: Double dip policy on biofuels.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... THE main reason for the rise in imported biofuel and the collapse in European refining is separate, unco-ordinated ludicrous US and European subsidy policy, leading to what is known as `splash and dash' and `double dipping' in the industry. ...

LETTER: RSPCA involvement with farming needs questioning.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... THE article `RSPCA -Is the charity moving away from its core principles?' (FG, April 4) contains some issues which certainly require questioning. The main issue of contention appears to be the RSPCA's involvement with the farming industry....

LETTER: Commonsense prevails amongst some.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... WHAT pleasant reading it made to see the commonsense of Donald Piper and that of Peter Clarke (FG, April 25). I agree with most of what was said, but not with some of the timing and facts. History shows that the British Government of...

LETTER: Prices dictated.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... OFT should contact all suppliers to supermarkets and ascertain if the price paid for produce is `discussed', `debated', and `agreed' with producers prior to start of supply - in our case it is only ever, `dictated'! In spite of all the...

LETTER: PCR test would prove useful.(Letter to the editor)
May 2, 2008... Why not get a PCR test on the so-called reactors? This will show if the bacteria are present or not, will cost approx #6-10 and show Defra the results. If they slaughter when the PCR test shows negative and a culture test also shows...

Farmers warn food security at risk due to `outdated principles' of CAP.
May 2, 2008... EUROPE'S Farm Commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, was given a stark warning by Welsh farmers this week that EU food security could be severely threatened by the outdated principles underpinning Common Agricultural Policy and World Trade...

NFUS issues comment on Scottish food policy.
May 2, 2008... THE development of a national food policy for Scotland was one of the `most exciting and potentially beneficial' Government initiatives to have emerged for a while, but its success would depend on securing the future of agricultural production,...

Call for Welsh Assembly to take action over IACS forms.
May 2, 2008... THE Welsh Assembly is being urged to take urgent action to prevent farmers being penalised for making genuine errors on their IACS forms due to confusion regarding common land. The call has followed an emergency meeting of Farmers Union of...

Suspected illegal badger cull.
May 2, 2008... THE RSPCA has called in the police to investigate whether some farmers have taken a proposed Welsh cull of badgers into their own hands after four of the animals were found dead in a West Wales field. A member of the public discovered the...

BIOFUELS CONFERENCE: Fuel, not food, top of the agenda.
May 2, 2008... This week high level experts from around the country gathered at London's Olympia Conference Centre to discuss the hot topic of biofuels - threats and opportunities. WILLIAM SURMAN reports. THE food versus fuel debate has been turned on its...

Criticism of today's biofuels could hold back tomorrow's.
May 2, 2008... CRITICISM of the current crop of biofuels has become so vociferous that the Government is considering a dramatic U-turn on mandatory renewable fuel targets, threatening the development of a new generation of biofuels. Green campaigners...

Biofuel targets will `probably' remain, says Transport Minister.
May 2, 2008... INVESTORS into the UK biofuel industry fear for the long-term prosperity of the industry. Mandatory targets to add 2.5 per cent renewables to all transport fuel, rising to 5 per cent in 2010, were introduced by the Government on April 15...

Q&A - BLUETONGUE VACCINATION: All your questions are put to the experts.
May 2, 2008... Over the past two weeks FG has been talking to the key players preparing to begin the UK's first vaccination programme against bluetongue disease. From the decision makers at Defra to vaccine manufacturer Intervet, we have been putting your...

Concern over availability of vaccine outside the zones.
May 2, 2008... BRITISH farmers are being prevented from stopping the spread of bluetongue because of strict European Union rules outlawing vaccination outside of a Protection Zone. The criticism comes from UK Independence Party's Eastern Counties MEP...

Welsh farmers urged to register with vets.
May 2, 2008... FARMERS across Wales are being urged to register with their local vets now for the bluetongue vaccine. The call has come from both within the industry and the Welsh Assembly Government following a meeting chaired by the chief veterinary...

Enhanced dairy unit and teaching facility opens at Wood Park Farm.
May 2, 2008... Liverpool University's Leahurst veterinary field station has just completed a major rebuilding and upgrading of its Wood Park Farm dairy unit. NEIL RYDER joined vets, farmers, and consultants for the official opening. INVESTING #1million...

FARM ANIMAL PRACTICE.
May 2, 2008... PART of the role of the new unit is to show students studying for farm animal practice what they could expect on clients' farms. This will include helping students to learn how to communicate with farmers. Dr Agnes Winter, head of...

Stability remains vital but farmers urged to look at the bigger picture.
May 2, 2008... WHILE welcoming the EU Commissioner's comments on historically-based SFP payments, Welsh Assembly Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones urged farmers to take a look at their role and even change their way of thinking. Following a closed...

CAP health check to help farmers respond to global needs of products.
May 2, 2008... BARRY ALSTON reports from the Women's Food and Farming Union national conference - hosted this year by its branches in Wales, with two politicians as the keynote speakers. WITH just over two weeks to go before the EU releases full details...

Moving food security up the political agenda.
May 2, 2008... A challenge to the Government to stop `pussy-footing' around the food security issue and raise it to national priority status rang out at the conference opening session from WFU president, Ionwen Lewis. The Ceredigion beef and sheep farmer...

TB CRISIS: Rebuilding prize dairy herd after disease devastation.
May 2, 2008... BARRY ALSTON talks exclusively with a West Wales farming family at the heart of what could be Britain's worst case of bovine TB. THE Vaughan family has every right to be proud of its prize-winning Cilast pedigree Holstein herd. Last year it...

Jim Cropper doubles up through Dan and Fleet at Lindley Moor trials.
May 2, 2008... TWICE the victor, Jim Cropper won both the morning and the afternoon open trials held on Sunday at Peat Ponds Farm, Lindley Moor, near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. A large pasture provided ample room for a sizeable course. After...

Robert Ellis's Mirk comes of age with Open win.
May 2, 2008... IT is very rare that everyone comes away from a sheep dog trial so full of praise, but Saturday's trials at Llangadog in Carmarthenshire was one such event. Not only had every dog that had come forward and entered had a run but also the...

MACHINERY: Pottinger launches new tedder range.
May 2, 2008... Pottinger has introduced a completely new range of mounted tedders. Seven models are available in the Eurohit 100 series, spanning 5.40m to 8.86m using four, six or eight rotors depending on the working width. The range is designed for...

MACHINERY: JCB sales rise by 30pc.
May 2, 2008... JCB told customers at its recent Power in Agriculture event that it had increased its turnover in 2007 to #2.25billion compared to #1.75billion the previous year. More than 72,000 machines were sold last year, an increase of 30 per cent. ...

MACHINERY: MORE NEWS ON THE FASTRAC 7000.
May 2, 2008... For many UK operators, the JCB Power in Agriculture event was the first chance to see the Fastrac 7000 series tractors and updated 8250 that were launched at Agritechnica. Visitors to the Grassland event later this month will also be able...

MACHINERY: Rapid growth for Zuidberg.
May 2, 2008... Rising fuel and labour costs are behind a rapid growth in sales of front tractor linkage and PTOs. Steven Vale discovers that Dutch manufacturer Zuidberg plans to make a record 19,000 front linkages and 9,200 PTOs this year. Currently...

MACHINERY: Deere B100 biodiesel approval.
May 2, 2008... JOHN DEERE has now approved the use of B100 biodiesel or fuel that meets the EN14214 standard for its PowerTech and PowerTech Plus Stage IIIa engines, as well as earlier designs. Operators must follow the instructions in the service manual...

MACHINERY: GOLD VALUE PARTS.
May 2, 2008... The Gold value parts range provided by New Holland seems to be ever increasing. By the end of 2008 there will be over 3,000 products available in the catalogue that can be obtained from franchised dealers or ordered from the New Holland...

MACHINERY: INCREASED PRECISION.
May 2, 2008... Amazone has increased the precision of the metering system on the D9 mounted seed drills and AD3 pack top drills. The Vario-Control uses a larger 80mm diameter metering wheel which is said to be more accurate due to its slower rotating speed...

MACHINERY: LOADER WEIGHING SYSTEM.
May 2, 2008... David King electronics now have a telescopic handler weighing system available for automatically calculating the load that the machine is handling. The system uses a pressure sensor linked to the hydraulic circuit of the machine that is...

ARABLE: Field walker - 02/05/08.
May 2, 2008... Your weekly update on crop developments and pest and disease risk Winter wheat Crop development - Wheat crops range from GS30-32. Some varieties, such as Einstein and Cordiale, are noticeably more forward. Disease - Septoria...

ARABLE: Seven new beet varieties make Recommended List.
May 2, 2008... THERE are seven new additions to the BBRO-funded Recommended List of sugar beet varieties for 2009, taking the total number to 23. The newcomers are Carissima, Mandella, Sophia, Topper, Tempest, Belize and Levi. Carissima, Sophia and...

ARABLE: New group 3 varieties `sold out' as seeds in short supply.
May 2, 2008... THE market share of group 3 wheat varieties is likely to slip back further, from 19 per cent in 2007/08 to 16 per cent for 2008/09, according to Grainfarmers. New varieties, including Cassius, Viscount and Scout, are on the horizon, but...

ARABLE: Be vigilant on potato blight.
May 2, 2008... POTATO growers should be extra vigilant for signs of blight early in the season. Potato Council's combined Fight Against Blight (FAB) and Blightwatch service (www.potato.org.uk/blight) will monitor the disease from early May to ensure...

ARABLE: Subsidised biofuel imports hit EU margins.
May 2, 2008... EUROPEAN biodiesel margins are poor and the sector could stagnate unless subsidised imports are halted. Describing the biofuel industry in Europe as being in "a very bad state at the moment," Grainfarmers oilseeds director Andrew Barnard,...

ARABLE: Demand for better quality wheat drives higher prices.
May 2, 2008... THE availability of quality wheat has ensured that the UK's exportable surplus has not traded at feed values this season. Grainfarmers head of feed wheat Mark Worrell, also warned growers that demand for better quality wheat has been a key...

ARABLE: What should i ask my agronomist?
May 2, 2008... The clock is ticking on growth regulation, TAG is advising. "Many chlormequat applications to winter wheat crops have been delayed by recent poor weather conditions," says TAG agronomist, Richard Overthrow. If treatments are still to be...

ARABLE: More aphids posing a disease threat.
May 2, 2008... BE on the lookout for a wider range of aphid species in order to avoid the spread of virus in seed crops this season, seed potato growers are being advised. Up to 15 species of aphids pose a risk of transmitting viruses in the early stages...

ARABLE: Beet fungicide approved.
May 2, 2008... ESCOLTA, the new sugar beet fungicide from Bayer CropScience, has gained regulatory approval. Product manager Neil Thompson said that the company was keen to make the new fungicide available for 2008 as a number of cases of cercospora leaf...

ARABLE NEWS IN BRIEF: UKIA annual spring seminar.
May 2, 2008... THIS year's UKIA annual spring seminar takes the theme `Thinking about an irrigation reservoir?' "Building a reservoir can provide water security, a strong market advantage, and add capital value to your business. Without one you are...

ARABLE NEWS IN BRIEF: United Oilseeds appointments.
May 2, 2008... OILSEED rape marketing company United Oilseeds has announced the appointment of three new area managers to strengthen its local support team. Ray Pennock joins the company as area manager for Northumberland, Durham and North Yorkshire. Ray...

ARABLE: Loss of effective herbicides reduces options for pulses.
May 2, 2008... WITH the increased area for beans in the ground plus fewer pulse herbicides now available as a result of reregistration issues, there could well be more crops that will require a post-emergence herbicide this year, says BASF. This year,...

ARABLE: Improved practices help with farm biodiversity.
May 2, 2008... FARMING techniques, promoted as part of the Voluntary Initiative (VI), can improve habitats and so enhance biodiversity, according to the final report from the VI Indicator Farms Project for the Crop Protection Association (CPA). ...

ARABLE: Natural fungus could reduce use of chemicals on potatoes.
May 2, 2008... A TEAM of UK researchers say they have made a breakthrough in pest control in potatoes by proving a naturally-occurring fungus can be used to combat potato cyst nematode. Use of this natural method of pest control could reduce the use of...

Assuming blight is in crop from day one is good start point for control.
May 2, 2008... THE quality of the potatoes still coming out of storage that resulted from a blight-ridden crop 10 months before is testimony to a blight control strategy that delivers, according to a Masstock agronomist. Describing the West Midlands...

ARABLE: Blue 13 blight strain is set to dominate.
May 2, 2008... PHENYLAMIDE resistance will be the main blight control challenge this season and to tackle it effectively programmes need to be constructed in two distinct phases. Last year the frequency of A2 mating types increased dramatically and the...

ARABLE PRODUCT NEWS: Propamocarb+cymoxamil.
May 2, 2008... A NEW liquid formulation of propamocarb+cymoxanil offers curative and preventative activity against potato blight. Proxanil from Sipcam combines 400g/litre propamocarb and 50g cymoxanil. "This double whammy provides the grower with...

ARABLE PRODUCT NEWS: ZinZan.
May 2, 2008... A LABEL restriction limiting the application timing of the spray adjuvant ZinZan up to tuber initiation only, for applications with blight spray Valbon (benthiavalicarb + mancozeb), has been lifted. ZinZan has been developed by Certis following...

FARM FEATURE: Triumphing over adversity to build thriving pig business.
May 2, 2008... Tracy Mackness was sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug offences. A job looking after the prison farm's rare breed pigs provided the catalyst to change her life around, overcome desperately hard times and set up a booming pig business...

COUNTRY VIEW: Wonderwool out to stimulate the demand for wool.
May 2, 2008... WITH producer prices for wool at rock bottom and a new shearing season looming, any initiative that can stimulate increased market demand must be welcome. Wonderwool Wales, a two-day festival staged over the weekend at the Royal Welsh...

COUNTRY VIEW: Two bees or not two bees? Defra's health strategy.
May 2, 2008... HONEY bee numbers are declining at such an alarming rate that honey production and pollination could fall dramatically, with serious economic and environmental consequences. Beekeepers have warned that diseases are putting the honey bee and...

COUNTRY VIEW: Melton Mowbray pork pie `protection'.
May 2, 2008... THE Melton Mowbray pork pie is to be registered as a protected product by receiving the protected geographical status (PGI) by the European Commission. Following the European Commission's procedures, if no objections are received by...

COUNTRY VIEW: Squirrelpox found on estate.
May 2, 2008... TESTS on grey squirrels have revealed that the squirrelpox virus, the disease deadly to red squirrels but harmless to greys, has been found on the Queensberry Estate, north of Dumfries. Analysis carried out at The Moredun Research...

COUNTRY VIEW: Farmer's wife's first novel.
May 2, 2008... LOVE, loss and betrayal - all the ingredients are there for a highly enthralling first novel from a Mid Wales farmer's wife. Mother-of-four Tia Jones, in fact, juggles her writing with working alongside her husband, John, on the family's...

BEEF EXPO: Ensuring a viable future for UK beef production.
May 2, 2008... Beef Expo is returning to Scotland for the first time since 2004 and will be held at one of the region's major centres for pedigree sales. Visitors from across the UK and Europe will gather for the National Beef Association's annual event...

BEEF EXPO: EBVs Made Easy demonstration.
May 2, 2008... Working demonstrations of breeding cattle adopting sustainable systems will be a key theme at this year's Beef Expo. One of the main features to run throughout the day will be a practical demonstration of estimated breeding values on the...