Farmers Guardian articles from October 2005

Farmers Guardian archives from October 2005

Threat of new delays to the SPS.
October 7, 2005... FURTHER delays in the delivery of Single Payments Scheme in England are feared after the European Commission proposed a change to the way the payment is made. The change due to be put to the EU's Direct Payments Management Committee next...

2006 SINGLE PAYMENT SCHEME: AT-A-GLANCE.
October 7, 2005... Set-aside: For the 2006 scheme year, farmers will be required to set- aside the same amount of land they were obliged to in 2005 irrespective of whether the amount of eligible land on their holding has changed. Ten-month rule: Farmers will...

2006 SINGLE PAYMENT SCHEME: Hopes of a set-aside rate cut are dashed.
October 7, 2005... Three crucial announcements have been made affecting the 2006 Single Payment Scheme. ALISTAIR DRIVER reports. FARMERS in England will be required to set-aside the same area of land for 2006 as they did in 2005, Defra has announced, dashing...

2006 SINGLE PAYMENT SCHEME: Ten-month rule's two start dates.
October 7, 2005... FARMERS in England and Wales will be able to set two different starting dates for the 10-month rule on different parcels of land on their holding for the 2006 Single Payment Scheme. Both dates must fall within the 10-month rule window of...

2006 SINGLE PAYMENT SCHEME: Exchange rate is an `OK' result.
October 7, 2005... SINGLE Farm Payments in the UK will be based on an exchange rate of E1 = 68.2p, which has been described as an `OK' result for farmers. CAP support is expressed in euros and the rate to convert the SFP into sterling is determined on...

TFA's snub because of Tesco's involvement.
October 7, 2005... ONE notable absentee from the `Reconnecting the Public' conference was the Tenant Farmers' Association. The association said it would snub the event because of the involvement of Tesco who partly funded, along with six other organisations,...

Plugging the gap between farmers and customers.
October 7, 2005... REPRESENTATIVES from across the food chain were due to come together yesterday to launch a new drive to `reconnect the public' with farming, food and the countryside. The initiative is being driven by Sir Don Curry, concerned farmers are...

YOUR FARMERS GUARDIAN.
October 7, 2005... TODAY the cover price of Farmers Guardian increases by 10p. We are acutely aware of the hardships being faced by many of our readers and it is for this reason we strive to keep the cover price as low as possible. However, along with...

Claims QMS chief is being forced out.
October 7, 2005... THE leadership of Quality Meat Scotland has been shrouded in uncertainty this week with two emergency board meetings being forced. Leaked documents concerning the re-election of chairman Jim Walker have thrown the company into conflict and...

Minister is to host beef crisis talks.
October 7, 2005... LORD Bach has stepped in to co-ordinate talks intended to resolve the beef price crisis. The Food and Farming Minister will host a special beef summit at Defra's London headquarters next Friday. He has invited 25 leading...

Don't rush to buy.
October 7, 2005... A PIG buildings specialist, AM Warkup, has urged people not to rush into purchasing accommodation for their herd. They say that in a significant number of cases advice is sought too late in terms of what particular solution would be best for a...

Business guide.
October 7, 2005... THE new edition of SAC's Farm Management Handbook is now available. The UK reference guide for farm business managers costs #21, with an education rate of #15 available to appropriate purchasers. Contact SAC on 0131 535 4305 or email...

Tests prove inferior Brazilian beef is still on supermarket shelves.
October 7, 2005... MORE beef has been found on supermarket shelves from a native species of Brazilian cattle which is proven to be of inferior eating quality. Five Brazilian rump steaks bought at a Tesco store in Carmarthen tested positive under `Zebu'...

Origins of BSE likely to remain unknown.
October 7, 2005... BSE could have originated from the Indian subcontinent but scientists will never be able to prove it, a BSE advisory body has said. The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) met last week to consider the theory that imported...

SFP transfer takes place.
October 7, 2005... THE first transfer of Single Farm Payments with land from one farmer to another has gone ahead in Scotland with the approval of the Scottish Executive. The new system of income support for farmers has only been active since January 1, 2005...

School dinners to create opportunities for farmers.
October 7, 2005... FARMERS need to work together to tap into the `huge opportunities' presented by the drive to improve school meals, according to Sir Donald Curry. The chairman of the Government's sustainable food and farming implementation group welcomed...

Deadline extended by RPA.
October 7, 2005... A HIGH proportion of National Reserve applicants have not supplied enough supporting information and are at risk of not qualifying under the Single Payment Scheme. The Rural Payments Agency has therefore extended their deadline and will...

Gangmaster licensing loophole exposed.
October 7, 2005... GOVERNMENT plans to crack down on illegal gangmasters could be threatened by possible loopholes in its new licensing scheme, it has been claimed. There is a degree of confusion over whether loopholes in the current regulations, due to come...

Vehicle safety crackdown.
October 7, 2005... A NEW initiative to reduce the number of accidents involving agricultural vehicles has been launched in the Midlands. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) will carry out vehicle safety...

NSA wants support from Government against protesters.
October 7, 2005... THE National Sheep Association (NSA) is asking the Government to protect the `legitimate trade in live sheep'. Live sheep exports to France resumed this week but there are fears that protesters could once again jeopardise the trade. ...

Biomass blow: Crops not viable, says report.
October 7, 2005... GROWING crops for biomass is not economically viable and would have to be heavily subsidised, says an unpublished study commissioned by Defra. The damning conclusions come just two weeks before the Government's Biomass Task Force, headed...

Farmers to protest against milk prices.
October 7, 2005... A GROUP of South East farmers will be protesting about milk prices in the centre of Lewes, East Sussex, on Wednesday. They are due to be joined by local MP and the Liberal Democrats Shadow Agriculture Secretary Norman Baker, who accused...

Meat adviser.
October 7, 2005... THE Meat and Livestock Commission has appointed a new policy adviser - Mark Topliff. He will be taking over some of the economic forecasting work for the sheep industry and also helping out on the beef side. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd....

YATES'S VIEW: Follow Continental example - or sell them our quota.
October 7, 2005... Considering it is a showcase for an industry that is about as deep in the financial clart as it is possible to get, this year's Dairy Event had a remarkably positive buzz to it - what looked like a big attendance and many stallholders doing...

OPINION: The good news story.
October 7, 2005... THERE are many good stories to tell about the contribution British farmers make to the environment and society at large. Take trees. Since 1992 farmers in England and Wales have planted over 70 million trees. There also are 1,200 more ponds...

Be energy efficient by backing ECAs.
October 7, 2005... The environment was not a hot topic during the 2005 General Election but it is still an important issue on the Government's agenda, writes chartered accountant, Susan Shaw. The Kyoto agreement, for example, requires that CO2 emissions are...

GANGMASTERS: Will the new licensing laws work?
October 7, 2005... The Government's new licensing scheme for gangmasters is designed to clamp down on illegal labour providers. However, with evidence of loopholes, people are already questioning whether it will make a difference. TOM LEVITT reports. CHEAP...

Government forced to act against rogue labour traders.
October 7, 2005... EVER since 23 cocklers drowned off Hest Bank, Morecambe Bay, in February last year, labour providers have been under the spotlight. The low pay, long hours, appalling and sometimes dangerous conditions endured by many workers were finally...

Letwin's vision: Farmer as environment's friend.
October 7, 2005... THERE was a revolution going on in farming, brought about by some `enlightened' people in the industry, claimed Shadow Environment Secretary Oliver Letwin. He told the NFU/Environment Agency fringe meeting on Monday that farming should not...

CONSERVATIVE PARTY CONFERENCE: IN BRIEF.
October 7, 2005... * "Back gardens are now brownfield sites and fast-tracked for development, farmland is being downgraded to make it easier to build on, and every year 2,500 acres of green belt are buried under concrete," Caroline Spelman, Shadow Secretary of...

TB levels `outrageous' says Young.
October 7, 2005... THERE was an `outrageous' level of bovine TB in the countryside and something had to be done, said Baroness Barbara Young, chief executive of the Environment Agency. She was speaking at the NFU/Environment Agency fringe meeting, at which...

Government failing on first rule of farming - to feed the nation.
October 7, 2005... THE Government was far too complacent about UK food security, claimed Shadow Minister for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Owen Paterson, during a fringe meeting on Wednesday morning. Mr Paterson, chairman of Conservative Rural Action...

Farming would thrive on a better balance of power & consensus on safety.
October 7, 2005... THERE was a future for farming in the world economy, though it needed the Government to understand that farmers needed help in adjusting to the challenges and to operate in future markets, claimed Shadow Agriculture Minister James Paice. ...

Work still to do on dairying.
October 7, 2005... THERE had to be another look at the power structure within the dairy market place, suggested Shadow Environment Secretary Oliver Letwin. "I still think there is an obsessive amount of power at the retail end and producers have not made...

Cut the red tape on soil.
October 7, 2005... IT was patronising to tell farmers they were not looking after their soils properly, said NFU deputy president Peter Kendall at the NFU/Environment Agency joint fringe meeting on Monday. He was responding to complaints from a Milton Keynes...

Preventative approach to herd health works.
October 7, 2005... LEICESTERSHIRE farmer Eddie Herrick is already realising the value of biosecurity in its broadest definition. He is, however, in a minority, according to the other speakers at the British Veterinary Association Congress, held in London. ...

Shake-up of vet profession flagged up at congress.
October 7, 2005... A COMPREHENSIVE shake-up of the veterinary profession in both educational and practice terms was flagged up on the second day of the BVA Congress. This will be driven by a combination of tight educational curricula and even tighter farm...

Managing change is essential to match varying demands.
October 7, 2005... THE BVA's new president, Dr Freda Scott-Park, said the profession would have to start managing changes to match up to changing demands. "There are plenty of vets prepared to deal with companion animals, but even on urban fringes there is a...

Grampian in talks over pension row.
October 7, 2005... TALKS were due to begin on Wednesday at ACAS between the Grampian Country Foods and the Transport and General Workers' Union to try and resolve the ongoing dispute over pensions. The T&G suspended strike action was due to take place...

Bovine TB `cowardice'.
October 7, 2005... THE Government has been accused of `catastrophic cowardice' in its response to the growing problem of bovine TB in Britain. The Tenant Farmers' Association (TFA) claims recent research proves the major source of TB infection in the...

New name for badger group.
October 7, 2005... THE National Federation of Badger Groups, which is leading the campaign to prevent badgers being culled to control TB, has changed its name to the Badger Trust. "The new identity reflects our success in promoting the conservation and...

Cancellation creates accommodation hitch.
October 7, 2005... YOUNG dairy farmers and their families attending the All-Britain All- Breeds calf show this weekend have had to seek alternative accommodation after their original booking on the showground at Stoneleigh was suddenly cancelled. Event...

Altitude challenge.
October 7, 2005... A maize variety has been successful despite a high altitude challenge. At Home Farm, near Calne, Wiltshire, around 400 acres of maize is grown by dairy farmer Nick Tyler to feed his 600-strong dairy herd. This year early maturing Bonapart maize...

Advice for beef farmers on how to maintain `profit without subsidy'.
October 7, 2005... The loss of production-based subsidies means many farmers are considering how to change their farm management. Duchy College, Cornwall, and St Merryn Foods Producer Club have some practical advice for beef farmers wanting a viable and...

Robots create an efficient business.
October 7, 2005... Farming that suits their lifestyle - that's the ruling principle for three farmers on the Isle of Man who have all found systems that best suit them and their island. JOANNE PUGH went to find out more. WITH unemployment virtually...

Farm manager likes to keep things simple with his selection of stock.
October 7, 2005... WILLIE Kermeen is renowned for his prize-winning stock all over the Isle of Man, but he likes to keep things simple. He manages Kiondroughad Farm, on the north of the island, for Dick Ponton, and runs a selection of pedigree and cross-bred...

Taking tips from NZ to create a hassle-free system.
October 7, 2005... PAUL Fargher has taken some tips from dairy farmers on the other side of the world to establish a hassle-free system at Baldromma Farm, Lonan. He has `adopted a New Zealand philosophy' to suit him and the physical conditions on his...

Organic production increase.
October 7, 2005... ORGANIC production on the Isle of Man is hoped to increase due to a new partnership with Organic Farmers and Growers. The nationwide certification body has been working with the Manx Organic Network to increase the number of companies...

Great Fen Project - recreating the original wetland.
October 7, 2005... Alison Lea visits an area of the Fens where the clock is being wound back to the pre-drainage days of the Waterland. Until Charles I commissioned the skills of Dutch engineers in the 17th century, the Fens existed largely, as they had...

HOW WAS FENLAND PEAT CREATED?
October 7, 2005... * The peat formed 6,000 years ago in a clay basin where an oak forest once grew. As sea levels rose, and conditions in Britain became wetter, the trees - which now come to the surface as 'bog oaks' where the peat shrinks on arable land - died...

FEN FACTS.
October 7, 2005... * The Romans tried but failed to drain the Fens. * Queen Boudicca's territory extended into the Great Fen Project area. Her camp was at Stonea, 15 miles away. * Oliver Cromwell was known as 'Lord of the Fens', as he helped the...

Ee by gum - it's Yorkshire sweetcorn.
October 7, 2005... FRESH produce grower and marketeer Greyfriars has successfully harvested its first commercial crop of Yorkshire-grown sweetcorn for Morrisons. It is the first time that sweetcorn for human consumption has been successfully grown so far...

Phoma resistance alarm.
October 7, 2005... DO not be lured into a false sense of security with the promise of phoma resistant varieties. The warning comes from leading disease expert Dr Jon West, of Rothamsted Research, who says that while varietal resistance can slow down disease...

Resistance research.
October 7, 2005... SCIENTISTS from the Scottish Crop Research Institute and Dundee University have been jointly awarded #1.25m from the EU to investigate the natural resistance of several important crop plants to potentially devastating plant diseases. The...

Late wheats should be faster growing and early maturing.
October 7, 2005... GROWERS looking to late drill wheats after root or vegetable crops should plant faster growing, early maturing varieties with premium potential, according to James Wallace, director of JE and VM Dalton. Seed sales to date suggest growers...

Phoma leaf spotting alert for OSR growers.
October 7, 2005... OILSEED rape growers must be on the look out for phoma leaf spotting over coming days, with rapidly increasing numbers of aerial spores being picked up by SPAWS (Syngenta Phoma Advance Warning System). In mild conditions growers have seven to...

Disease levels lower in the long-term.
October 7, 2005... DISEASE levels in commercial oilseed rape crops increased in 2005 but were lower than the long-term average, according to Defra-funded CropMonitor. Although the incidence of light leaf spot on the pods and stems was higher than in 2004,...

Study to solve mystery of how soil works.
October 7, 2005... SCIENTISTS at the University of Abertay, Dundee, are taking part in a #1 million project to investigate soil. Prof Iain Young, director of the university's SIMBIOS centre, is heading a team of specialists collaborating with the Institute of...

Deep anchor offers more resistance against lodging.
October 7, 2005... WINTER wheat crops treated with a fluqinconazole +prochloraz seed treatment are better anchored and could be less prone to lodging, according to new research findings from ADAS. Work by researcher Dr Pete Berry has discovered that the point...

Market standard rapeseed storage will result in heavy mite infestations.
October 7, 2005... New HGCA report says below 7.5 per cent is best practice for rapeseed HEAVY mite infestations will occur throughout the grain bulk if rapeseed is stored at the market standard of 9 per cent, according to a new report from HGCA. Best...

PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF MITE INFESTATION IN STORED RAPESEED.
October 7, 2005... 1 Storage of rapeseed, even if aerated, at or above the market MC of 9 per cent will result in mite infestations throughout the bulk. 2 Surface application of diatomaceous earths (DE) will not be effective where the bulk is at about 9 per...

Scope for improvement in store management practice - survey report.
October 7, 2005... RESULTS from an HGCA-funded survey into oilseed rape drying and storage practice reveal that there is scope for improvement in store management practice. The survey of crushers and 101 growers ran for 24 months between July 2003 and July...

UK ahead of Europe for acting on research.
October 7, 2005... THE UK is well ahead of other European countries in ensuring that findings from research into grain storage are readily available for industry to use, according to Dean Cook of the Central Science Laboratory. "For example, while some...

Side effects take centre stage in future of storage.
October 7, 2005... THE indirect effects of storage pests, issues such as pesticide residues and legislation will all continue to drive the development of grain storage practices on UK farms in the future, according to crop storage expert Dean Cook of the Central...

Online tool identifies grain in need of attention.
October 7, 2005... THE Safe Storage Time Calculator from HGCA aims to help growers keep on top of drying and cooling at harvest to protect the quality and safety of their grain in store. "The targets for drying and cooling grain set out in the HGCA Grain...

Fresh start in Canada for a top 10 producer.
October 7, 2005... One of Britain's top 10 performing dairy herds will soon be no more - heralding a fresh start for its owners. BARRY ALSTON talked to the family about their future in Canada. Milking comes to an end later this month on a Pembrokeshire farm,...

Hoping for a repeat of calf show success.
October 7, 2005... A GROUP of youngsters from Scotland South are aiming to repeat last year's triumph at the 2005 All-Breeds All-Britain Calf Show. Last year they had double success by winning the trophy for best calves in the competition and the top...

Voyage to view wind farm possibilities.
October 7, 2005... MEMBERS of Wales YFC Rural Affairs committee braved a choppy Irish Sea for a close look at wind farming five miles off the Prestatyn coast. From a maintenance tug organised by npower Renewables they viewed the 70-metre high turbines that...

Record charity ploughing marathon.
October 7, 2005... A 48-HOUR, record-breaking ploughing marathon organised by Bury St Edmunds YFC, Suffolk, has raised around #4,000 for charity. This is the 16th year the club, currently celebrating its golden anniversary, has ploughed for charity. "We were...

Top Mr and Miss.
October 7, 2005... FARMER Alan Smith, of Crossroads YFC, and Joanne Gemmell, of Mauchline YFC, took the top titles in Ayrshire Young Farmers Mr and Miss competition. Runners-up in the event held at the Grand Hall, Kilmarnock, were Ian Gilmour (Ayr) and Louise...

In the groove.
October 7, 2005... A PLOUGHING marathon by Meriden YFC, Warwickshire, has raised #1,700 for Macmillan Nurses. Twenty club members ploughed a total of 150 acres at two farms - Alton Hall Farm, Allesley, courtesy of Martin Faulconbridge, and Hollyfast Farm, Corley,...

Gardening tips.
October 7, 2005... HORSE hair, egg boxes and roofing felt can work wonders in the garden Lincolnshire North WI members learnt at their half-yearly council meeting. Federation chairman Jackie Cheetham welcomed 400 members and guest speaker, television and...

Ninety-six acres.
October 7, 2005... STAFFORDSHIRE Young Farmers braved the wet and cold throughout their county ploughing marathon held at Swynnerton Park courtesy of Lord Stafford. Four teams ploughed a total of 96 acres in under 24 hours. With marks awarded for neatness,...

Nursery trials get off to a high-scoring start at Ryedale.
October 7, 2005... THE nursery season is upon us, with the Ryedale and Northern societies holding their first trials at the weekend, while Hayfield ran its second. Windy Hill Farm, Hutton Rudby, North Yorkshire, was the venue for the Ryedale nursery where...

Busy end to the Open season sees Meg win at Nantmel.
October 7, 2005... THE Open season ended with large entries at trials. At Nantmel the day was not long enough for all the dogs that entered the trials to have their runs. As it was, 85 dogs ran on a day when Novice and Open runs were combined. It took...

Good quality, but barley straw shortage a possibility.
October 7, 2005... WHEAT and barley straw is generally of good quality following this year's reasonable harvest, but the latter could run short during the winter, according to the British Hay and Straw Merchants Association (BHSMA) this week. "Straw...

East Anglia wheat yields ahead of national picture.
October 7, 2005... WHEAT yields have increased in East Anglia according to estimates published by the NFU this week. However, other parts of the country have seen significant reductions. Total tonnage for oilseed rape has risen across the country, but...

Sheep profit proves possible without subsidy.
October 7, 2005... SHEEP farmers who are paying attention to detail are already showing their businesses to be viable in the post-subsidy era. For the second year in a row, top-performing English flocks in both the lowlands and the Less Favoured Areas made a...

Experimenting with over-seeding for maximum growth.
October 7, 2005... THE fact that one of the cheapest and most cost efficient feeds for cows is grass, is not lost on dairy farmer Martin Evans. Running a herd of 280 Friesians and followers on his 460 acre farm based at Llangedwyn near Oswestry Mr Evans puts...

Vicon update fixed-chamber balers in order to improve bale quality.
October 7, 2005... WITH a large share of the round baler market being accounted for by contractors, Vicon has updated its range of fixed-chamber machines with particular emphasis on reliability and quality of bale produced. The RF235 replaces the RF135 range...

Diesel-powered Diablo aiming for agriculture and military use.
October 7, 2005... A 2005 version Yanmar 854cc diesel engine is at the heart of the new Diablo 4x4 ATV being produced by Diesel Quads, of Amlwch, Anglesey. Like previous ATV built by Gifford Langley, the new Diablo has both frame and panelwork fabricated...

Record entries at Cheshire ploughing match.
October 7, 2005... THERE were record entries in the Cheshire Ploughing and Hedgecutting Society's annual ploughing match at Little Heath Farm, Dunham Massey, Altrincham. Eighty-five competitors entered the tractor classes, with the horse- drawn ploughing...

Linking up to advertise the benefits of drinking milk.
October 7, 2005... `The children of today are the customers of tomorrow' is never more true than in the dairy sector. The School Milk Project, backed by the Milk Development Council, was set up to promote and market milk to children in schools. NEIL RYDER found...

OPENING UP FARMS FOR VISITS.
October 7, 2005... IF a farmer is looking to host school trips or visits, the following guidelines/areas need to be taken into consideration, says the Milk Development Council. * Animals need to be fully up to date with vaccinations. * Disabled access if...