Farmers Guardian articles from October 2007

Farmers Guardian archives from October 2007

Meat exports to resume from Oct 12.
October 5, 2007... EXPORTS of fresh meat and meat products to Europe, from Scotland, Wales and low risk parts of England, can resume from October 12, albeit with strings attached to the decision by EU vets. They have given the green light for exports from...

Whole country may be Bluetongue Zone.
October 5, 2007... THE Government and livestock industry are discussing the possibility of turning the whole of England or Great Britain into one Bluetongue Protection Zone. There is a belief that, particularly if the virus spreads to new areas, this might...

Government to unveil disease recovery package next week.
October 5, 2007... THE Government is set to unveil a recovery package next week to help farmers hit by the foot-and-mouth and bluetongue outbreaks. The package is likely to contain measures to cut red tape, while there maybe an assurance on early payment of...

Prince's boost to farming charities.
October 5, 2007... COUNTRYWIDE floods, foot-and-mouth disease and bluetongue have come hand-in-hand with record high feed prices and poor farmgate returns this summer leaving many farmers on the brink - both economically and emotionally. "This has...

Fallen stock arrangements remain in place for now.
October 5, 2007... THE arrangements for the collection of fallen stock remained unchanged this week - no entry into farmyards by collectors, and hunt kennels are unable to feed carcases. Vice chairman of the Licensed Animal Salvage and Slaughterers...

Drivers' hours rules are relaxed to allow animal movements.
October 5, 2007... RULES limiting drivers' hours have been relaxed in areas outside the foot-and-mouth disease Risk Area to allow vital movements of animals to and from markets. The relaxation announced by Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, on Wednesday,...

English Winter Fair is cancelled.
October 5, 2007... THIS year's English Winter Fair has been cancelled due to the foot-and- mouth and bluetongue disease outbreaks. The event - formerly the National Primestock Show and Sale - was due to be held at the Staffordshire County Showground, on...

Perth bulls sales put back three weeks.
October 5, 2007... THE date of the autumn bull sales at Perth has been put back by three weeks in the hope that movement restrictions will have eased by then and farmers will be in a better position to buy bulls. The annual sale will now take place on...

Zero set-aside impact to be monitored.
October 5, 2007... THE Government will monitor the environmental impact of the decision to set a zero set-aside rate for 2008, after its key green advisors warned of the `serious consequences' of the decision. Defra Secretary Hilary Benn said he `shared'...

FMD dominates NFU Cymru council meeting.
October 5, 2007... THE NFU Cymru autumn council meeting was dominated by foot-and-mouth with the union promising to continue to press the Welsh Assembly for urgent action on requirements to help farmers cope. "At last there may be some light at what seems to...

Benn `ignoring coastal access concerns'.
October 5, 2007... DEFRA Secretary Hilary Benn has been accused of `ignoring' those affected by the decision to introduce a statutory right of access all around the coast, which he announced last week. Mr Benn chose his speech to the Labour Party Conference...

Preparing for the healthcheck.
October 5, 2007... THE European Commission document, `Preparing for the Health Check of the CAP Reform', outlines Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel's thinking on the review process. The leaked document forms the basis of proposals that will be...

Subsidy cap will impact co-ops and larger farms.
October 5, 2007... PLANS to redistribute Single Payment money within member states have been described as `potentially divisive' and `unjustified' by UK farming organisations. EU Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel wants a debate on capping Single Payments as...

NEWS IN BRIEF: Deadweight prices must rise.
October 5, 2007... DEADWEIGHT prices for beef and lamb need to increase by 60 per cent and 40 per cent respectively from current values if these sectors in Northern Ireland are to maintain true viability without farmers subsidising food production from their CAP...

NEWS IN BRIEF: France received the largest share.
October 5, 2007... FRANCE again received the lion's share of CAP funds in 2006 - around #7 billion in Single Farm and other payments - confirming why it makes sound economic sense for its Government to be the EU's most staunch defender of the CAP status quo....

NEWS IN BRIEF: New powers for National Park.
October 5, 2007... NATIONAL Park Authorities have been given new powers to ban off-road vehicles from rights of way and unsurfaced roads within their boundaries. The new measures, which came into force on Monday, are part of a package designed to curb excessive...

Ainsworth praises farmers' courage and determination.
October 5, 2007... PETER Ainsworth, Shadow Defra Secretary, praised farmers for their `courage and determination' in the face of this summer's horrors of foot-and-mouth disease, bluetongue and the widespread flooding. Speaking on the main stage on Wednesday,...

Minister of Agriculture role needed.
October 5, 2007... THE latest foot-and-mouth outbreak would not have happened if there was a ministerial role devoted to agriculture, according to former Agriculture Minister John Gummer. Speaking at an NFU fringe meeting he criticised the reorganisation of...

Food security at the heart of policy.
October 5, 2007... David Cameron was under pressure this week to wow the electorate with promises for life under a Conservative Government. For farmers that included pledges of reduced bureaucracy, a more trusting leadership and better protection from imported...

Bluetongue and climate change.
October 5, 2007... BLUETONGUE was one of many symptoms of climate change, suggested Peter Ainsworth. Speaking at an Environment Agency fringe meeting, he said the arrival of bluetongue in England, brought by midges, was an effect of the general warming of...

Rural voters `ignored, neglected'.
October 5, 2007... RURAL voters were being ignored or neglected by the Government which had an `urban agenda and urban attitudes', claimed Shadow Agriculture Minister James Paice. Rural communities accounted for 7.5 million votes and had different concerns...

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones: Totting up the costs.
October 5, 2007... DEFRA released its proposals for the revision of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and the Action Programmes that implement them in England, along with a consultation on the proposals, just over six weeks ago on August 21. The consultation will...

Regulation for the sake of it.
October 5, 2007... An ill-conceived, potentially damaging, ill-timed example of regulation for the sake of it The NFU has arranged a number of regional meetings throughout October to discuss the NVZ consultation. Here the union's Dairy Board chairman GWYN...

Demise of set-aside is a chance to look forward.
October 5, 2007... When Defra announced last week it would follow the EU Commissions plans to reduce set-aside to zero per cent for the 2007-2008 season, a huge cheer could be heard among the farmers of Britain. Set aside runs against our instinct. We like to...

OPINION: In need of help.
October 5, 2007... It is always an interesting, if not altogether comfortable, experience reading posts on public on-line forums which touch on the subject of farming and compensation. There is no doubt that many people are genuinely sympathetic to the...

LETTER: Honourable price call for British Sugar.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2007... The price of sugar beet to growers for not only this season but the forthcoming season is an absolute disgrace and an insult to the farming and allied industries. British Sugar seems intent in grinding down the price to not only farmers...

LETTER: Need for bottom in lamb market.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2007... PERHAPS I'm an idealist, prone to conjure up all sorts of hair-brained ideas at times like this, but I cannot get it out of my head that we livestock farmers are somehow blind to the big picture while we wrestle with the massive problems...

LETTER: Appalling hardship.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2007... In view of the appalling hardship suffered by the farming community at the moment I would draw your attention to the articles of the Treaty of Rome, particularly the five objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy. I refer in particular...

LETTER: Article on bluetongue.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2007... Regarding the article on bluetongue (FG, Sept 28), this has got to be a joke - large sticky nets to stop the midges. How high do we put them and do they go the whole way round the field of livestock? At this rate we will all be on You've...

LETTER: Official report into foot-and-mouth.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2007... It is no surprise that the official report into the source of the foot- and-mouth outbreak has blamed faulty drains as one of many possible breaches in bio-security at Pirbright. A major breach in bio-security concerns the source of...

LETTER: Moving stock.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2007... I was pleased to hear the rest of Britain can now move their stock. This nightmare still continues for us we have pedigree rams for sale, which will now have to be slaughtered, no one will want them now the tupping season has started. So,...

LETTER: Midge population.(Letter to the editor)
October 5, 2007... Controls on the midge population? Swatting with DEFRA leaflets about biosecurity and vigilance? Of course no one in their right mind is suggesting using the South African vaccine - nor indeed any other inappropriate vaccine. In our case it...

ANALYSIS: BLUETONGUE.
October 5, 2007... Following the confirmation of a bluetongue outbreak JACK DAVIES answers farmers' concerns. What is bluetongue disease? Bluetongue is a virus which affects all ruminants including sheep, cattle, goats, deer, buffalo and camels but does...

Experience of bluetongue virus reveals it can survive the winter.
October 5, 2007... IN June this year, bluetongue virus was confirmed in an animal in Germany and the disease nightmare was again a reality. This was the first indication the virus strain responsible for the 2006 bluetongue outbreak in Northern Europe had...

Bluetongue vaccine is pushed to the fore by EU scientists.
October 5, 2007... EUropean Union scientists have pushed vaccination to the fore of future bluetongue control policy. The EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCOFCAH) proposed on Wednesday to change the rules so animals that have been...

Jackie is NI vintage ploughing champion.
October 5, 2007... THE 12th annual Northern Ireland Vintage Tractor Ploughing Championships at Hillsborough, were won by Jackie Moore, of Bangor, Co Down. In near perfect conditions, dry under foot and rain staying off until mid-afternoon, the event drew...

Asda plans local food markets.
October 5, 2007... ASDA is set to launch in-store farmers' markets across its stores in Yorkshire, offering fresh, local produce to customers. The initiative, run in conjunction with Yorkshire Farmers' Market, will see local fresh and seasonal products...

Welfare of lambs stranded on hills.
October 5, 2007... THE Scottish Crofting Foundation has welcomed the efforts being made by the Scottish Government to address the welfare situation of lambs stranded on hills where there is little or no grazing left. SCF chairman Norman Leask said: "Proposals...

Cheshire crumbly campaign.
October 5, 2007... A CAMPAIGN to promote traditional crumbly farmhouse Cheshire cheese was launched at the Nantwich Food and Drink Festival at the weekend. Three major producers of the traditional farmhouse Cheshire cheese - Belton Cheese of Whitchurch;...

QMS board members deadline nears.
October 5, 2007... TIME is running out for applications from potential new board members for Quality Meat Scotland. The new board will take over on April 1 next year when QMS becomes a non-departmental public body. It will be made up of a maximum of 12 members,...

Winning business in Wales.
October 5, 2007... FOOD and drink producers across Wales are taking part in training sessions aimed at getting their products on to supermarket shelves. The `Winning New Business' programme has been developed under the Welsh Assembly's Going For Growth programme...

Former vice-president is elected FUW life member.
October 5, 2007... FORMER Farmers Union of Wales vice-president, Swancott Pugh, of Henblas, Llwyngwril, near Tywyn, Gwynedd, has been elected a life member of the union in recognition of her outstanding contribution over many years. She fills the vacancy...

Farm-fresh produce direct to the door.
October 5, 2007... Selling good food on-line is the basis of a freshly launched Liverpool- based business, goodfoodstore. The business plans to make maximum use of food produced in the North West, preferably in and around Merseyside and delivered by van to homes...

Complementing a solid business.
October 5, 2007... RUNNING the family's own farm shop and supplying a local on-line retail food business would, in theory, be a conflict of interest but in practice they complement each other and raise the overall profile of good food. That is the view of...

British tomatoes on the doorstep.
October 5, 2007... BRITISH tomatoes have a major advantage over imported competition in that they can be in retail outlets within two days of picking, whereas imports can take seven to 10 days to reach retail shelves, said Ray Plummer of Flavourfresh, Banks,...

JAPAN - where the consumer is committed to home-grown food.
October 5, 2007... Clemmie Gleeson was one of four young agricultural journalists from Europe and North America to receive this year's International Federation of Agricultural Journalists/Alltech Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism Award. Clemmie,...

Small-scale farmers working together to get the best price.
October 5, 2007... COOPERATION is central to the marketing of all Japanese agricultural products with the vast majority of farmers being members of a co- operative for buying and/or selling. As most farmers operate on a very small-scale, organising contracts...

MACHINERY: Telescopic tractor.
October 5, 2007... It is quite likely that the Manitou stand will contain the most unusual telehandler on display at the show. Dubbed the Manitrac, and billed as a sort of telescopic tractor, although the full technical details remain a closely guarded...

MACHINERY: LEMKEN DURAMAXX RANGE.
October 5, 2007... Lemken will unveil a brand new range of plough bodies. Known as the DuraMaxx, and billed as a plough revolution, the main feature is that all wearing parts can be simply hooked onto the frame and secured with a simple clip mechanism. ...

MACHINERY: NEW SPREADING TECHNIQUE FOR FERTILISERS.
October 5, 2007... French-firm Sulky will launch a new range of fertiliser spreaders to replace the current Expert and Magnum versions. Called the X36 (1,900-3,000 litres) and X44 (2,400-4,000 litres) a feature is the patented spreading vane technique. ...

MACHINERY: THREE NEWCOMERS IN PUMA RANGE.
October 5, 2007... Although the new top end Magnum 335 and Steiger Quadtrac 530 are likely to be the major crowd-pullers at the Case IH stand, the company will use the German show to launch four smaller Puma models to fill the gap between the Maxxum tractors and...

MACHINERY: FORAGE WAGON WITH A DUAL PURPOSE.
October 5, 2007... Strautmann will unveil a new Giga Vitesse forage wagon, the first that also doubles as a trailer for forage maize work. Called the Giga Vitesse DUO/DUO Plus, another feature is the vertical moveable wall positioned horizontally inside the...

MACHINERY: MOWER WIDTH HITS 14.6M.
October 5, 2007... Trailed mower cutting widths are about to get a good deal wider at this year's show as JF-Stoll will premiere a version that offers a working width of 14.6m! Called the GXT 1500SM, and billed as the world's widest mower, the company claims...

MACHINERY: 8M ULTIMA DRILL WITH 4,000-LITRE CAPACITY.
October 5, 2007... Kockerling will launch a brand new 8m Ultima universal drill to support the current 3m and 6m versions already available in the UK. Known as the Ultima 800, it features a new hopper design which offers a capacity of 4,000 litres. Other...

MACHINERY: FELLA 15M AND 18M TEDDERS.
October 5, 2007... Fella highlights include new 15m and 18m tedders and an impact protection system for its latest triple mower. Despite the wide working widths of the TH1500 and TH1800 rakes, the company says that a wheel for each rotor ensures good ground...

MACHINERY: TIP/RETRACT HYDRAULIC OPTION.
October 5, 2007... Swedish tractor loader ALO will reveal a new self-contained hydraulic cylinder/valve option, which allows the attachment to tip/retract without drawing on the oil supply to the main lift rams. Known as the Electrical Speed Valve (ESV) and...

MACHINERY: ELECTRIC SPREADER.
October 5, 2007... Elsewhere on these pages there is news of John Deere's electric tractor. However, while it is suggested that this electric power could be used to power the tractor's air-conditioning system and other items such as water pumps, etc, the big...

MACHINERY: HIGH GROUND CLEARANCE.
October 5, 2007... Ground clearance is an issue with any sprayer, but a version that offers a clearance of 2m is somewhat unusual. That is exactly what Damman's latest self-propelled sprayer offers, allowing it to tackle even tall crops of forage maize. ...

MACHINERY: NOVOCAT T8 TRIPLE MOWER HIGHLIGHT ON POTTINGER STAND.
October 5, 2007... A new 8.4m triple mower will be the main highlight on the Pottinger stand. Called the Novacat T8, it differs to all other triple systems in that the three mowers have been taken off the tractor and fitted to a frame. What's more, this frame is...

MACHINERY: BIG GRAB FROM TRIOLIET.
October 5, 2007... Big mixer wagons need a big grab to fill them. That is the message from Dutch-firm Trioliet, which will launch a 2cu.m version at the show. Called the Triomaster S200, the larger-than-average grab can cut a block of silage measuring 2.5m...

MACHINERY: NEW AGROTRON M SERIES.
October 5, 2007... Same Deutz-Fahr will replace the current Agrotron 120, 130, 150, 150.7, 165.7 and 180.7 with new Agrotron M series versions. Powered by new Stage IIIa Deutz Common Rail engines and spanning 131 to 191hp, the new versions are known as the M600,...

MACHINERY: 15 NEW PRODUCTS TO GO ON SHOW FROM KVERNELAND.
October 5, 2007... The Kverneland Group says that in addition to dancing girls and a free E250 spare parts voucher for show visitors, it will reveal no fewer than 15 new products. The list includes a new generation of fixed and variable chamber Vicon round...

MACHINERY: KUHN LAUNCHES 17.2M TEDDER.
October 5, 2007... Kuhn is set to launch the widest working tedder on the market with the introduction of the GF17002. It has a working width of 17.2m uses 16 rotors and has an output of 12ha/hr. There is also a smaller GF13002 - working width 13m using 12 rotors...

MACHINERY: E PREMIUM JOHN DEERE.
October 5, 2007... The full details remain under wraps but John Deere will reveal a special version of its 7430 and 7530 tractors. Known as E Premium versions, they feature an innovative electrical system, which provides electrical power of up to 20kW. The...

MACHINERY: Sat-nav to aid busy harvests.
October 5, 2007... Satellite navigation systems have made huge inroads in the motor industry and these days there can be few car users that do not possess such a system. The tractor looks set to be the next machine to get the navigation treatment with a system...

MACHINERY: Computer-controlled fertiliser spreading.
October 5, 2007... Amazone will reveal the prototype of a fertiliser spreader fitted with an infra-red camera above one of the spreading discs. The idea is to measure the spread pattern as the fertiliser leaves the disc and determine the throw off speed,...

MACHINERY: Handy for bigger jobs but tough going on softer, wet ground.
October 5, 2007... This is the second instalment of our long-term test featuring an RTV 900 from Kubota. Cathal McCarron examines how the utility vehicle has handled life on a working dairy farm in Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and looks to see if it is a worthy...

MACHINERY: An alternative to skid-steer loading.
October 5, 2007... JCB is set to unveil a new compact loader next month - the 403 Agri. Ian Sayers, director and general manager for JCB Agriculture, says the new machine has expanded their range of agricultural materials handling products, offering a...

MACHINERY: JCB makes best profit last year.(Financial report)
October 5, 2007... JCB has announced its best profits to date. Pre-tax profits for were up 35 per cent on 2005 from #110million to #149million for last year. Its world market share increased from 9.6 per cent to 10.4 per cent and it became the third...

Improving quality and increasing efficiency of carrot and onion growers.
October 5, 2007... New harvesters featured prominently at the Dutch Carrot and Onion demonstration. While the emphasis is on increased output and quality, manufacturers are looking to simplify the task of the operator. STEVEN VALE reports. When all crops are...

MACHINERY: Rear-steer axle for carrot lifter.
October 5, 2007... A steered rear axle option is a feature of Asa-Lift's new two-row self- propelled carrot harvester. The system not only leads to quicker headland turns, but also reduces the turning circle to just 6m, allowing more crop to be grown in the...

MACHINERY: BETTER DRILLING.
October 5, 2007... Precision drill operators will need no reminding of the difficulty in ensuring the number of doubles and missed seeds is kept to a minimum. A vision-based system from Dutch-firm Kramer Bant Mechanisatie (KBM) is available initially for fitting...

MACHINERY: V-SHAPED SEED COULTER FOR ONION DRILLS.
October 5, 2007... Kramer Bant has also developed a new seed coulter system option for Gaspardo onion drills. Drill operators are may already be aware that as standard the drills are fitted with a V-shaped design where the seed is placed on to the ground at the...

MACHINERY: Holaras depth control.
October 5, 2007... An electro-hydraulic depth control of the lifting system is a feature of the UR205 trailed onion harvester from Dutchfirm Holaras. Already offered on the front-mounted topper, the rear-mounted system uses sensor technology to constantly...

MACHINERY: PROTOTYPE MECHANICAL HOE FOR FASTER SPEEDS.
October 5, 2007... The Dutch Arable Research Institute (PPO) revealed the prototype of an in-the-row mechanical hoe. Designed for any row crop where plants are spaced at a minimum distance of 20cm, the technique relies on air pressure to power the cutting...

MACHINERY: CARROT HARVESTER GETS HYDRAULIC DRAWBAR.
October 5, 2007... Simon used the Dutch event to reveal a new hydraulically pivoting drawbar on its two-row T2NK trailed carrot harvester. The idea is that the concept allows the tractor operator to position the drawbar so that he can see the side of the carrot...

ARABLE: EU legislation may cause trouble for the oat industry.
October 5, 2007... FURTHER EU legislation governing fusarium mycotoxin levels in cereals destined for human consumption could pose problems for the UK oat industry. Levels of the fusarium species fusarium langsethiae, thought to be responsible for the...

ARABLE: Fungicides alone cannot be relied on.
October 5, 2007... A CCFRA-organised seminar, in association with Bayer CropScience, brought together growers, grain end users and scientists at the East of England showground, Peterborough, to discuss new developments in managing mycotoxins. TERESA RUSH reports....

ARABLE: HT2 and T2 mycotoxins.
October 5, 2007... `Discussion limits' exist currently. Legal limits timetabled for July 2008. Produced by different fusarium species - probably fusarium langsethiae. Potential problem for UK oat production. Large reduction during de-hulling for...

ARABLE: Farm standard for fusarium control.
October 5, 2007... A MYCOTOXIN Certification Standard launched at the meeting is designed to be the farm standard for fusarium control with respect to legal compliance and market expectations, according to the company responsible for its development. The...

ARABLE: Processor levels must have a lower limit than regulations.
October 5, 2007... FOOD processors will have no choice but to set mycotoxin specification levels below regulatory limits to ensure that final product regulations are met. This is because mycotoxins are generally quite stable and survive many processes....

ARABLE: Robust approach required at T3.
October 5, 2007... EAR or T3 fungicide sprays are currently a compromise between foliar disease top up and ear disease control, according to Dr Alison Daniels of Bayer CropScience. Describing current T3 practice in the UK , she said that a single spray,...

ARABLE: How to effectively minimise mycotoxins.
October 5, 2007... Minimise agronomic risk factors where practical. Use seed treatments and T1 fungicides with additional fusarium activity. Invest widely and time sprays well to keep on top of foliar disease control early and maintain T2 activity. ...

ARABLE: Variable drilling progress some wait for seedbed improvements.
October 5, 2007... CEREAL drilling progress has been variable across the country with some growers now way ahead, while others have hardly started. It is difficult to estimate exactly how much drilling has been done because of that variability in progress,...