Farmers Guardian articles from October 2004

Farmers Guardian archives from October 2004

No need for milk price cut - Asda.
October 1, 2004... ASDA has given a welcome signal to British farmers this week in confirming that it sees no justification for a reduction in farmgate milk prices. The statement now puts pressure on the other major retailers to follow suit and come up with...

Five years on protesters still as committed.
October 1, 2004... Hunting was the topic on most people's lips at the Labour Party Conference, highlighted by a 8,000-strong protest march, but Defra Secretary Margaret Beckett only mentioned it in passing, and the Prime Minister, though he was interrupted by...

Alliance stand `trashed'.
October 1, 2004... THE Countryside Alliance stand in the main exhibition hall at the Labour Party Conference was `trashed', and cleaning fluid poured all over it on Tuesday night. The attack - the third to the stand this week - followed hard on the heels of the...

Hunt issue will be resolved, says Beckett.
October 1, 2004... IT was concern about `unnecessary and unjustified' cruelty which led MPs of all parties to vote for the Hunting Bill, said Defra Secretary Margaret Beckett in her speech to the conference. "We keep being told that hunting is not an issue...

Dairy Crest's healthy first half.
October 1, 2004... DAIRY Crest has posted a favourable trading result for the first half of the year and says its loss of the Tesco contract will not impact until next year's first half. A statement says: `We expect adjusted group profit before tax (before...

Dairy UK wants `clout'.
October 1, 2004... DAIRY UK already has in excess of 90 per cent of all milk produced represented by its membership. New chief executive Jim Begg said very few organisations had yet to decide on membership of the organisation, which includes a considerable...

Portuguese beef export restrictions are lifted.
October 1, 2004... THE European Commission has confirmed it is ending all beef and live cattle export restrictions for Portugal, which has a higher incidence of BSE than the UK. This will only increase farmers' frustration over the Department of Health's...

Don't fuel the increase - NFU plea.
October 1, 2004... THERE appears little immediate hope of fuel costs falling as oil prices reached a record high of just over $50 a barrel for US light crude earlier this week. North Sea Brent crude also topped $46 a barrel although both had eased back...

Berkshire Show Angus champion.
October 1, 2004... IN our report of the Royal County of Berkshire Show, the overall champion Aberdeen Angus should have been shown as Dacre Princess X11 from one of the furthest travelled exhibitors, Mrs P.A. Holliday from Dacre, Harrogate. Copyright: CMP...

No need to grub up.
October 1, 2004... TRADITIONAL orchard owners do not need to grub up their trees following the harvest of this year's fruit crop, says the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). The uncertainty over whether traditional orchards would receive the new Single...

IACS forms dispatched.
October 1, 2004... GROWERS concerned over the non-arrival of the IACS 9 form for non-food crops do not need to worry, according to the Rural Payments Agency, as the forms will be dispatched within the next fortnight. There had been concern among farmers that...

Priority payments U-turn from Defra.
October 1, 2004... NORFOLK and the whole of Lincolnshire have been added to the list of counties to be given priority when arable area payments are sent out, Farmers Guardian can exclusively reveal. It comes after Defra announced last week that the RPA would...

FSA appoint new veterinary director.
October 1, 2004... THE Food Standards Agency has appointed Alick Simmons, who took up post on August 31, as its new veterinary director. Mr Simmons has been a practicing vet for 26 years. Most recently he was head of a division within Defra, dealing with advice...

TB creates a new problem for UK dairy producers.
October 1, 2004... RUSSIA has fired a warning of the potential problems the burgeoning TB crisis could create for UK dairy producers in selling their milk in future. It is insisting on herd freedom from Bovine TB for any milk imports from the EU and has...

Third edition for NDFAS.
October 1, 2004... THE third edition of the National Dairy Farm Assured Scheme (NDFAS) comes into place today (Friday). Milk purchaser members of the scheme should by now have provided their supplying producers with details of these latest standards and...

Warning as `niche market' beckons for British beef.
October 1, 2004... BRITISH beef is destined to become a niche market, according to an association that speaks on behalf of 5,000 catering and restaurant businesses. The British Hospitality Association says the trend away from domestic beef is being driven by...

Mince misconceptions.
October 1, 2004... MINCED meat often contains more fat than is claimed on the label. In some cases products that claim to be `extra lean' or `super lean' in fact contain as much, if not more, fat than `lean' mince. These are the of a Food Standards Agency...

Entitlements.
October 1, 2004... Farmers wanting to apply for free entitlements on their land from 2005 are being offered assistance by Duncan Clark Farm Management (DCFM). From 2005 farmers will have the opportunity to apply for free entitlements on their land and DCFM are...

New English brand to fight Scottish and Welsh products.
October 1, 2004... A multi-million pound television advertising campaign funded by English beef and sheep levy money will kick-start an English brand for red meat to be launched early next year. Alistair Driver reports. THE new brand, intended to help the...

Maximising.
October 1, 2004... The NFU's livestock board is encouraging farmers to maximise the opportunities available under the calf passport scheme. It warns the number of calves still missing passport deadlines is adding a significant cost to the industry. It has been 12...

Blackface sires.
October 1, 2004... Two new reference sires have been chosen by the Blackface Sire Reference Scheme to be used across flocks for the 2004-5 season. Remony 110 Per Cent and North Amulree Billy Boy were chosen by Blackface Sire Reference Company members at their Ram...

NFU appointee.
October 1, 2004... Richard Hirst has been elected vice chairman (horticulture) of the NFU's horticulture board. Mr Hirst has a remit to promote the image of horticulture as part of his role with the NFU. Mr Hirst farms 380 hectares at Ormesby, near Great...

COPA chairman.
October 1, 2004... The NFU is delighted at the election of Paul Temple as chairman of the Cereals, Oilseeds and Proteins Working Group of COPA-COGECA, the representatives of farming unions in the enlarged EU-25. COPA is the Committee of Agricultural Organisations...

`Quietly confident' of backing from meat industry.
October 1, 2004... EBLEX is `quietly confident' that the red meat supply chain will unite behind its new Quality Standard for beef and lamb. Its chairman John Cross told representatives from the red meat chain gathered for the launch that EBLEX wanted the...

YATES'S VIEW: Better to lose something in the field than the barn.
October 1, 2004... Undoubtedly, the best thing I heard at the Dairy Event was David Handley saying that Farmers For Action are about to visit some of Asda's premises, although why he doesn't go the whole hog and cuff their bed mates Arla around the ear as well, I...

OPINION: Red meat TV boost.
October 1, 2004... British beef producers are struggling on many levels and the industry is facing a desperate battle to maintain market share. This week the catering industry admitted that UK beef could become a niche product in the future simply because...

Flood maps leave farmers disadvantaged.
October 1, 2004... As flood waters encroach across the UK so too are the maps being redrawn by the Environment Agency to define the flood plane and areas at risk. This could leave many more farmers and landowners disadvantaged as their sites are labelled at risk...

Practical implications of a ban on fox hunting.
October 1, 2004... While the emotive issues surrounding the hunting debate have been well publicised, there are practical issues related to the ban becoming law; a potential increase in the number of firearms, the removal of fallen stock and countryside...

CONSERVATION.
October 1, 2004... A two-year study by the Game Conservancy Trust, a game and wildlife conservation charity, has revealed those involved in fox hunting contributed more to conservation than nature reserves. Around 23,000 hectares of woodland in England and...

Firearms and gun licences.
October 1, 2004... Without the support of hunts, farmers and landowners will have to take the burden of responsibility for controlling foxes on their land. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has said that if a particular fox posed a problem to a...

Draghunting not feasible.
October 1, 2004... CALLS for a switch to draghunting in the event of a hunt ban are `a nonsense' according to Charles Finney, master with the Cheshire Farmers Draghunt, Wilmslow. "Our hounds are taught to draghunt, they follow a scent laid by a runner. It is...

Government told to get the labelling laws right.
October 1, 2004... FARMERS have to focus on making sure they deliver on food safety, Tim Bennett, NFU president, told the union's fringe meeting. "But one thing that concerns me is labelling," he said. "If we develop the best produce in the world and the...

Farmers need to reconnect to the food chain, says Whitty.
October 1, 2004... SOME farmers still have problems recognising the enormity of the changes facing the industry, Food and Farming Minister Lord Whitty told an NFU fringe meeting on Sunday evening. "Farmers can reconnect with the rest of the food chain, but...

McDonald's man bites back with firm's buy British food policy.
October 1, 2004... KEITH Kenny, head of the supply chain and quality assurance for McDonald's Restaurants, had a mixed reception when he spoke at the NFU fringe meeting. Initially, during the question and answer session, he came under fire from Ivan Monkton,...

To burn not bury is `slightly crazy'.
October 1, 2004... IT was `slightly crazy' in a sustainable world that farmers who used to bury fallen stock at no cost, will now have to use fossil fuels to burn them at great cost and harm to the environment, said NFU president Tim Bennett, responding to a...

Lack of information on rural areas.
October 1, 2004... ONE of the things that shocked Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael, having been involved with urban regeneration, was the dearth of information on rural areas. "We have got to put that right and try to find out exactly what happens in...

Celebrating Right to Roam `success'.
October 1, 2004... THE Ramblers' Association fringe meeting on Monday afternoon proved to be a celebratory affair with glasses of champagne handed round to mark the opening of two areas under the Countryside Right of Way Act. Nick Barrett, the association's...

Distorted landscapes.
October 1, 2004... Lord Whitty conceded that changes in farming practice had led to distorted landscapes in the countryside, but he said those changes were here to stay. Answering a question at an NFU fringe meeting, he said that although the changes had...

Rural issues well to the fore.
October 1, 2004... Rural issues were well to the fore in the round of fringe meetings and receptions at the Labour Party conference, with country sports high on the agenda of several of the 15 or so rural-linked meetings. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

NFU Countryside Awards winners.
October 1, 2004... THE 10 winners of the NFU Countryside 2004 Awards for Excellence were announced this week at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Top award in the country person of the year category went to Christine Hope, who runs the...

Suicide-related farm deaths are declining.
October 1, 2004... SUICIDE rates for farmers and farm workers in England and Wales are declining. Figures released by the Office of National Statistics show suicide numbers had fallen from 75 in 1999 to 54 in 2003. Of the 54 deaths where the person was registered...

Successful appeals over open countryside maps.
October 1, 2004... LANDOWNERS are successfully appealing against their land being mapped as open countryside with a public right to roam, says the Country Land and Business Association (CLA). More than three-quarters of landowners' appeals were partly or...

Catching up with the latest diet feeder developments.
October 1, 2004... An extended Dairy Event incorporating the National Forage Maize demonstration gave visitors the chance to catch up with the latest dairy equipment and machinery trends. Geoff Ashcroft reports from the machinery lines. DIET feeders remain...

Glora is everyone's `perfect' choice.
October 1, 2004... AS far as the cattle judges at the Dairy Event at the NAC, Warwickshire, were concerned, Joylan Durham Glora was the `perfect' cow - confirmed by their points scoring in not one, but two inter-breed supreme line-ups featuring some star-studded...

Quality Milk Award winner.
October 1, 2004... MICHAEL Milligan, of Culvennan Farm, Castle Douglas, won the Quality Milk Award 2004, receiving #7,000 worth of parlour equipment or housing upgrade of his choice. The remainder of the #10,000 prize money went to runner-up, Nick Cobb, of...

Sally shows spirit of a champion.
October 1, 2004... THE Holstein lines made it a clean sweep of the inter-breed judging competitions by also taking the heifer and exhibitor-bred heifer championships - in the shape of the almost three-year-old Styche Spirit Sally. The Hanoverhill Spirit...

Forum still working hard for farmers, say Defra.
October 1, 2004... THE Dairy Supply Chain Forum is working. That was the message Defra was pushing at the Dairy Event through a barrage of leaflets updating its progress. "Many people wondered if it would last but it's endured for two years so far and I...

Couple take the Jersey Society's top accolade.
October 1, 2004... A combination of production and pedigree breeding won Barry and Jenny Daw the Jersey Cattle Society's national herds championship. Judges Roger Derryman and Roger Trewhella reviewed 10 herds across the country before announcing them as the...

Teat washer takes prize.
October 1, 2004... NORTHERN Dairy Supplies won this year's Prince Philip Award for the best technical exhibit at the event. The Preston, Lancashire, based company's F50 Puli-System teat washer is a plumbed in system with a hand-held unit containing three...

What farmers think about the launch of Dairy UK.
October 1, 2004... MANY industry figures have had their chance to comment on the launch of the new dairy industry body Dairy UK. Joanne Pugh asked farmers at the Dairy Event for their views about the organisation and what they hoped would be achieved. * Nick...

Ingleview herd is 2004 winner.
October 1, 2004... Premier Holstein Herd of 2004 is Robert and Elaine Butterfield's Ingleview herd from Bentham. The award was announced at the event, the Butterfields having carried off the Northern region prize for the second year in succession. The...

RUMA guidelines.
October 1, 2004... A set of guidelines designed to help dairy farmers demonstrate best practice of antimicrobials has been launched by the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA). They provide advice on all aspects of antimicrobial use...

Short and long term challenges to sheep profitability.
October 1, 2004... I much prefer to talk about the `opportunities' for profitability that exist in the sheep sector rather than the `challenges'. I know this may sound like playing with words but it is vitally important that we do all we can to be positive...

Agricultural education's `secure' future.
October 1, 2004... THE future of agricultural and rural-related education in the North East and South West of Scotland has been secured. The Scottish Agricultural College, with the full approval of Ross Finnie, the rural development Minister, has announced...

Water saving trust could become a reality by 2005.
October 1, 2004... A WATER saving trust for England and Wales could be established by early 2005. The Environment Agency has asked Environmental Resources Management (ERM) to investigate the feasibility of a trust to promote water preservation. The demand...

National forestry partnership.
October 1, 2004... A newly formed national partnership between the public and private sector has appointed Mardi MacGregor as their project manager. The England Forest Industries Partnership (EFIP) has been established to develop the competitiveness of England's...

`Family' aspect of farming is `biggest single incentive'.
October 1, 2004... JUST over eight years ago Galston, Ayrshire, farmer Willie Campbell hosted an NFU Scotland open day highlighting the then crisis in dairy farming. In spite of his pessimism, Mr Campbell still believes that there is a good future for the...

End of an era as Ireland's Farm Minister steps down.
October 1, 2004... AN agricultural era ended this week in Ireland and Europe, with the departure of Irish Farm Minister Joe Walsh. As a junior and full minister Mr Walsh has been in his department for almost 18 years - with the exception of a break in the...

Broadening role for milk co-ops?
October 1, 2004... WHILE adding value to members' milk through vertical integration will continue to be a primary role of the milk co-operatives, they could become much more involved in `adding value' and reducing costs on the inside of the farm gate. One...

Fast-track for dip disposal.
October 1, 2004... THE Scottish Environmental Protection Agency's (SEPA) has agreed to fast-track applications to dispose of used sheep dip where a case of sheep scab is identified or when farmers wish to treat at-risk flocks. SEPA's decision came after NFU...

FUW fallen stock warning.
October 1, 2004... THE Farmers Union of Wales warned this week that the launch of the new national fallen stock scheme means that prosecutions could swiftly follow for any farmers caught illegally burying livestock. Since there has been no legal alternative...

Guidance on Johne's disease is distributed.
October 1, 2004... GUIDANCE to the dairy industry on the control of Johne's disease in dairy herds is being distributed to all diary farmers and veterinarians in practice. The guidance, issued by Defra, sets out ten main principles to alert farmers to the...

Leading veterinarian dies.
October 1, 2004... ONE of the country's leading veterinary surgeons with wide-ranging links to numerous farming, rural and public organisations has died suddenly. Aged 70, John Alderson Parry, of Cradoc Road, Brecon, Powys, was awarded the CBE and made a Fellow...

CAP reform: Complexities clarified for potato growers.
October 1, 2004... CAP reform is not straightforward at the best of times but if you grow potatoes, particularly on rented land, you are likely to be more confused than most. The BRITISH POTATO COUNCIL has issued the following advice to potato growers to clarify...

Making the most of rising sugar contents.
October 1, 2004... BEET sugar contents are expected to rise over the next few weeks and with heavy root weights a long campaign is a real prospect. Factories could stay open well into February, so anything that is done now to reduce storability could have a...

Sprout suppressant.
October 1, 2004... Potato growers now have greater flexibility to respond to the needs of their final market following the approval of a new in-store sprout suppressant. Gro-Stop 100, from Luxan UK, is the first chlorpropham (CIPC) formulation to be released...

Poor skin proves expensive.
October 1, 2004... LOSSES as a result of poor skin quality could be costing the potato industry in excess of #8 millions per annum according to the British Potato Council. By far the most economically damaging storage disease is silver scurf, which can account...

First UK bacterial plant genome is sequenced.
October 1, 2004... SCIENTISTS at the Scottish Crop Research Institute in Dundee and the Sanger Institute in Cambridge have sequenced and analysed the five million DNA subunits that make up the genome of the potato pathogen Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica...

Dairy farm's expansion is showcased.
October 1, 2004... Belief that there will be a long-term market for liquid milk has given the firm of R. Paterson the confidence to invest in its dairy enterprise. Not only have cow numbers in the Airfield herd of pedigree black and whites doubled to 200, a new...

Calf show victory for Airfield herd.
October 1, 2004... IT was a double victory for the Deane family at the Norfolk Holstein Young Breeders' Club's calf show when daughter Victoria won champion handler honours and their calf Ingham Champion Lana 3 won the champion calf award. The 13-month-old...

RURAL LIFE: Building futures for rural women.
October 1, 2004... A rural community in Lancashire has taken a major step to overcoming the problem of local people leaving the area or having to travel long distances to find or to further employment by creating an attractive working environment at the heart of...

Testing their stamina to help the Air Ambulance.
October 1, 2004... PEDAL-pushing, mountain-climbing, boat-rowing Young Farmers in Cumbria enjoyed stamina-testing success to raise funds for the Great Northern Air Ambulance. Six clubs from the Cumbria federation's southern district rose to the challenge...

Food Festival.
October 1, 2004... NORTH Lincolnshire producers, chefs and farm shops have joined forces to stage North Lincolnshire's first festival of food. Taking place today and tomorrow (October 1 and 2) and organised as part of British Food Fortnight, it is being hosted by...

Bowling win.
October 1, 2004... AYRSHIRE Federation won the national final of the Scottish Women's Rural Institutes outdoor bowling competition. Hosted by Moray and Nairn, 24 federations took part. Stewartry of Kirkcudbright was runner- up; Dumfriesshire and Renfrewshire the...

Sheila welcomes presidents galore.
October 1, 2004... THIRTY presidents of the Lancashire Holstein Club gathered at the home of the club's secretary of 25 years to reminisce and celebrate. At a summer luncheon for club members, a presentation was made to mark Sheila Robinson's quarter century...

Milk fixture.
October 1, 2004... YEAR five pupils at Manor Primary School, Reading, teamed up with Reading Football Club's football in the community scheme for a special fixture organised by Dairy Crest in support of the milk industry's campaign: Milk, the drink of the...

Nigel Watkins and Peg win again.
October 1, 2004... Having been the best dog from Wales at the International Championships where Peg had not only been placed third in the Supreme Championship but also won the Ifor Owen Memorial Trophy, she continued her winning form for Nigel Watkins at the...

Timothy and Jake take titles at the double.
October 1, 2004... Timothy Longton and Jake were on top form on Saturday when they took two open trial titles. They competed first at the Northumberland League trial at Slaggyford, where Scot Anderson, of Waterbeck, judged 35 dogs. Unsettled by blustery...

He's top of the ploughing world.
October 1, 2004... Simon Whitty reveals some of his secrets behind becoming a champion plougher SIMON Witty from North Yorkshire has recently been crowned the 2004 World Reversible Ploughing Champion. He lives at Holme Farm, a 660 acre arable farm at...

Outputs boosted by rotary combine with variable cutter knife.
October 1, 2004... By being able to alter the position of the cutter knife has helped increase combine outputs for one Berkshire family. Mervyn Bailey reports. USUALLY wet weather and rotary combines do not go well together but Mike and Trevor Cooper have...

Capitalise on strengths to grow pig industry.
October 1, 2004... THE British pig industry has been urged to adapt and `reach out' to the end-consumer. It should `de-commoditise' its products to achieve sector growth and improve margins by adding value, Roland Bonney, of the Food Animal Initiative, told the...

Young UK dairy talent on show at calf event.
October 1, 2004... THE pick of young British dairy breeders and stock from across the UK will come together at the NAC, Stoneleigh, at the end of next week in a display of enthusiasm and commitment to the future of British dairying. The third annual...

Youthful enthusiasm reaps positive dividends for club.
October 1, 2004... The Holstein Young Breeders' Club is now leading the way among similar organisations in Europe. Ben Briggs met national co-ordinator, Helen Wilson. Youthful enthusiasm is an attribute that, when given direction and purpose, can reap...

Rising to the challenge of change.
October 1, 2004... Champion handler at last year's All-Breeds All-Britain Calf Show, James Tomlinson, has already started passing on his showmanship expertise to other Holstein Young Breeders through the judging ring. At the same time, having returned from a...