Crops articles from July 2005

Crops archives from July 2005

Beating the deluge.(VIEWPOINT)
July 2, 2005... Beating the deluge. Robin Groves sprays 150ha of Synchro winter beans for aphid and Bruchid beetle control late last week, on the Velcourt-managed J Goodley & Sons Aylmer Hall Farm, Tilney St Lawrence, Norfolk. End-of-season sprays were a...

Vive la France--UK farming's greatest hope.(VIEWPOINT)
July 2, 2005... TONY Blair's true colours are clear for all to see. As the world's top leaders gather for the G8 summit in Edinburgh, and Britain takes on the EU presidency, the message is clear--farming industry, what farming industry? Despite a good...

Bitter taste as [pounds sterling]17/t beet proposed.(VIEWPOINT)
July 2, 2005... [pounds sterling]17/t! That's the beet price suggested in the latest proposals for EU sugar reform. It is derisory, it is based on politics and it is unlikely to benefit the struggling producers in the developing world that it is meant to. ...

Biofuels bottleneck.(VIEWPOINT)
July 2, 2005... NFU efforts to shame the UK government into acting more decisively on biofuels are welcome. They have highlighted this country's dual standards--trumpeting the need to tackle climate change on the world stage, but delivering a derisory 0.3%...

Heard the one about the farm worker and the sun-cream?(VIEWPOINT)
July 2, 2005... HEARD the one about the farm worker and the sun-cream? A proposed EU directive could force employers to monitor the risk of strong sunlight to their workers, daily, and adopt action plans to cut exposure. Nobody denies the sun can be a health...

It is interesting to note just how little this government is doing to tell consumers exactly what they do get for the funds they invest in the industry every year.(VIEWPOINT)
July 2, 2005... AS FARMING support structures come in for another round of political bashing it is interesting to note just how little this government is doing to tell consumers exactly what they do get for the funds they invest in the industry every year....

Co-operate to accumulate is the mantra.(VIEWPOINT)
July 2, 2005... CO-OPERATE to accumulate is the mantra. So a [pounds sterling]300,000 grant to help 250 fresh produce growers better meet supermarket chain Asda's needs would seem sensible. The initiative aims to provide skills in supply chain management,...

Wimbledon.(VIEWPOINT)(Cartoon)
July 2, 2005... "Shame Jim can't keep within the tramlines like his Wimbledon heroes."

Supply chain issues need more care: just how much will benchmarking the food chain achieve for growers, asks Marie Skinner.(FARMERFORUM)
July 2, 2005... TO ME, the emperor has no clothes, but no one else seems to have noticed. Am I wrong? It all began with the Curry report into food and farming and one of its outcomes, the Food Chain Centre, set up to help develop a more efficient UK food...

Grappling with a new agenda: freedom to farm is the new EU policy for the industry, so embrace it to your advantage, urges Steve Ellwood.(FARMERFORUM)
July 2, 2005... IN THE run-up to this year's Cereals event, HSBC conducted a survey of growers to establish what the impact of the single payment will be on the industry. The results surprised us--farmers are anticipating more change to their businesses...

Arnaud Vecten: farming in France.(WORLDFARMING)
July 2, 2005... AS WE come to the end of the third week in June I'm just finishing spraying magnesium and boron on the sugar beet. With the foliage already meeting across the rows, the crop is looking extremely well, but at this time every year it just hasn't...

[pounds sterling]70/t wheat sets agenda: the Cereals event is always a time to celebrate the quality of UK arable agriculture. But no-one who attended will have missed the concern among growers this year. Crops considers some of the key issues.(CEREALS REPORT)
July 2, 2005... THE MARKETS are not expected to move much in the next 12 months, growers have not committed much of the 2005 crop, and few are expected to significantly reduce drilled areas this autumn. Those are the key market messages coming from the...

Caught on a weed spray treadmill.(CEREALS REPORT)
July 2, 2005... ARE high grass weed herbicide spends justifiable within the new single farm payment framework or should growers consider taking land out of production to get on top of heavy infestations before returning to cropping? Most growers should be...

Seeds set to hit slugs: new seed treatments are around the corner. Mike Abram takes a look at what's coming through, while Andrew Blake talks to the plant breeders about their plans.(CEREALS REPORT)
July 2, 2005... THE NEW insecticidal seed treatments will grab the attention of growers, trade sources suggest. But with limited quantities of Bayer CropScience's Deter range this autumn, and Syngenta's thiamethoxam still in the registration process, the...

Mixed views on variety needs under CAP reform.(CEREALS REPORT)
July 2, 2005... OPINION ON the way ahead for crop varieties under the single payment system is divided. Leading pathologist Bill Clark of ADAS suggests safer-to-grow varieties with better disease resistance to permit lower inputs will be growers' chief...

Biofuels accelerate.(CEREALS REPORT)
July 2, 2005... BIOFUELS specialist Greenergy has diversified into the short-rotation (SRC) coppice market thanks to a deal with Teesside-based, SembCorp. Greenergy is underwriting a 10-year contract with SembCorp which is building its Wilton 10 project,...

Enviro upsides.(CEREALS REPORT)
July 2, 2005... CARBON savings from bioethanol can now be calculated precisely thanks to a computer model developed by Imperial College as part of the HGCA-sponsored Bioethanol Accreditation Scheme. The model, launched at the Cereals event, works on "real...

Elephant grass energy.(CEREALS REPORT)
July 2, 2005... MISCANTHUS promoter BICAL is looking for 10,000ha of the crop to supply biomass to cofire in the Drax power plant, near Goole in East Yorkshire. With the potential to earn a net margin of [pounds sterling]150/ha, the company has already...

Oilseeds for electricity.(CEREALS REPORT)
July 2, 2005... SPRINGDALE Energy Limited will be offering growers, via merchants, [pounds sterling]150 a tonne plus bonuses to grow rapeseed to be whole-seed burned in gas turbines to produce electricity. The rapeseed is fluidised with recycled vegetable...

HLS a real challenge.(CEREALS REPORT)
July 2, 2005... GROWERS CONSIDERING joining the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme (HLS) must be prepared to put in extra effort above and beyond the entry-level scheme and old countryside stewardship arrangements. There may be potential for CSS agreements to...

Autumn seeds special: what will you drill for 2006? Gilly Johnson talks to the breeders and the trade and susses out what the options are for wheat, barley and oilseed rape this autumn.
July 2, 2005... WINTER WHEAT Variety Yield rating Breeder/ Profile (Recommended (% of agent List status) treated control) GROUP 1 -- BREADMAKING Hereward (UK) 92 ...

Establishment in action: cross-compliance demands for better soil management will be a key feature at this year's Go-Till Event on Thurs 14 July at the Velcourt-managed Haverholme Park Farm, Sleaford, Lincs.(EVENT)
July 2, 2005... THE GO-TILL Event provides a fresh opportunity to see cultivations and establishment equipment in action ahead of the busy harvest period. Organised by Fusion Events, in association with Crops magazine, this year's field-based working...

Efficency and less compaction is goal: more efficient cultivations are the goal, not just cost cutting, says the host of this year's demo.(EVENT)
July 2, 2005... FIRST WHEAT is the only crop to really stack up under the single farm payment, so the entire rotation and its accompanying cultivations are geared to that at the Velcourt managed Haverholme Park Farm near Sleaford, Lincs. A rotation of...

Go-till exhibitor list.(EVENT)(Directory)
July 2, 2005... Claydon Yeildometer Gaines Hall, Wickhambrook, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8YA Tel: 01440 820 327 Fax: 01440 820 642 info@claydondrill.com www.claydondrill.com Claydon Drill--the most versatile, robust drill on the...

Problems in the milling chain.(FARMDIARY)
July 2, 2005... I WAS delighted to receive an invitation to attend the HGCA/NABIM Milling Wheat Conference at Chilford Hall in May. I was looking forward to hearing about stimulating and active initiatives for growers, merchants, millers and bakers. But not a...

Shift to 36m now a reality: big growers need big kit--and machinery manufacturers can oblige, judging by the wide-working equipment seen in the sprayer arena and cultivation plots at Cereals 2005. Peter Hill reports.(MACHINERY)
July 2, 2005... WHAT'S the quickest and cheapest way for a 1000ha arable farmer to gain an extra 17ha of cropping land? By scrapping his 24m tram-lining system and moving out to 36m. It may cost a chunk of money initially in terms of machinery investment...

Spray days made easier.(MACHINERY)
July 2, 2005... YORKSHIRE grower Tom Banks urged visitors to the Cereals 2005 event to think of simple ways of eliminating or controlling sources of sprayer pollution before spending thousands on biobeds and other expensive measures. "We're being advised...

Front 'n' rear trend.(MACHINERY)
July 2, 2005... MAKING best use of available tractor power by carrying implements up-front as well as behind was one of the themes of the machinery exhibits and demonstrations at Cereals 2005. "It's obviously not a new concept but I think that having got...

Welcome to Cotswold Seeds.
July 2, 2005... "Once again we have pleasure in sending you our latest guide. We provide information for those entering Environmental Stewardship, detailing our seed mixtures for both entry and higher level options. In addition we offer advice for land...

Environmental stewardship: environmental stewardship doesn't just provide environmental benefits it also enables farmers to get back some of the money lost through modulation.
July 2, 2005... CAP Reform redirects money to Agri-Environment The CAP budget is to be cut, most farms will now receive the Single Farm Payment as subsidies have been decoupled from production. In addition, modulation will redirect part of the CAP budget...

Set-aside.
July 2, 2005... Four Green Cover Options As part of your set-aside obligation a green cover must be established through sowing grass, sowing a wild bird cover, sowing another acceptable cover or allowing natural regeneration. Grass Cover For land...

Cross Compliance.
July 2, 2005... Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition Finally, in this guide we deal with seed requirements that you may have to meet Cross Compliance. In return for the Single Farm Payment we are now required to demonstrate that land is kept in...

Catalogues.
July 2, 2005... Alternative Catalogues We deal in grasses, clovers and green manures. If you would like further copies of this catalogue or details of our other seeds please telephone 0800 252211 Our Main Catalogue includes Grass leys for sheep,...

Trials ground.
July 2, 2005... Cotswold Seeds trials ground here at Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire provides a great opportunity to see a wide range of mixtures for Stewardship, forage and green manures. We welcome interested individuals or groups. If you would like to...

Equipping you for farming's future: arable and grassland farmers need a different sort of support from their agronomists and farm input providers now SFP is reality.
July 2, 2005... Proof that farming has made a fundamental change can be found in the business pages of the national press. City investors are talking of the volatility that the new support system has introduced to agricultural markets and the "billions" of...

Taking the whole farm view: the Single Farm Payment (SFP) gives growers the flexibility to reconsider how to employ their essential resources of time and capital. Masstock's in-house team of farm business consultants, with over ten years' experience, ensures field advisers are well-placed to help explore the opportunities.(Business advice)
July 2, 2005... Now that farmers are freed from the obligation of production to qualify for subsidy, there's an opportunity to examine other income streams alongside their cropping options, says Masstock Farm Consultancy (MFC) consultant Adrian Matthews. ...

New varieties for a new era: a more flexible subsidy regime means identifying the markets and varieties that will allow you to prosper. We check out the ingredients for the new recipe.(Varieties and markets)
July 2, 2005... What do you see when you look over your waving ears of wheat? Job well done or gamble just beginning? Is it a good, tidy crop that will hopefully fill the barn, or is this an x-tonnes per hectare crop going to y market, which will give you a...

Crop marketing boost for harvest 2005.(Cereals and oilseeds marketing)
July 2, 2005... Masstock grain deals to be done this harvest will deliver solid returns to growers and crop quality and service assurances to processors and end-users. The Mid Term Review called for greater integration and co-operation throughout the food...

New market dynamics: new opportunities for growers; There's every reason to be confident in the future, believes David Neale of Masstock, who predicts that demand for energy, health and food crops will create competition for acreages before too long.(Cereals and oilseeds marketing)
July 2, 2005... Take a look at what's happened in Europe and America in recent years, where governments are committed to finding alternative sources of energy and progress has been rapid, urges Mr Neale. "There's been huge growth in biodiesel in countries...

Innovation ... the key to the future: an unprecedented R & D programme lies at the heart of Masstock's leading advice on optimum crop production. Clare Bend and Colin Lloyd highlight the benefits this brings to farmers.(Agronomy research)
July 2, 2005... Now, more than ever, research and technical innovation is essential for the future survival and prosperity of UK arable farming under the new subsidy system. Increased investment in the Masstock R & D programme will help growers find their way...

A strong start is essential: Masstock trials put various oilseed rape establishment techniques through their paces. We highlight some of the secrets to a successful crop.(Agronomy research)
July 2, 2005... There's no place for hit-and-miss establishment when as much as 30% of the farm is in oilseed rape, says Cleanacres agronomist Andrew Richards, who is conducting trials with different cultivation systems at Masstock's Northamptonshire...

Getting the balance right: soil nutrition takes some planning; Soil nutrition is the foundation for profitable crops. Performance can be enhanced by some simple changes to traditional practice, while staying cross-compliant.(Nutrition)
July 2, 2005... Getting your fertiliser strategy right means striking a balance between good farming practice, optimum crop production and environmental protection, says Masstock's Steve Arthurton. "As well as meeting NVZ regulations, growers now have to...

Don't forget the grass crop! Entry Level Stewardship offers growers the chance to make more money from marginal areas. Dalgety's Brendan Paul looks at the ingredients for success.(Nutrition)
July 2, 2005... Choosing the right seed mixture for margins, set-aside and other farm features depends on the environmental benefits you want to achieve, notes Dalgety forage manager Brendan Paul. County biodiversity targets are a good place to start if...

Entering a new level: the ELS offers farmers new opportunities to claim back lost income and continue their good work with improving the environment. We look at how to apply the scheme on farm.(Entry-level stewardship)
July 2, 2005... There's something for everyone in Entry Level Stewardship (ELS), believes Dave Wild of Yorkshire-based Ryehill Farmservice, one of the local business teams in the Masstock Group. It's just a question of selecting the options that complement...

Get set for 2006 cropping: companies throughout the Masstock Group will be hosting crop planning workshops this summer. David Langton discusses the programme.(Training workshops)
July 2, 2005... Whether you're considering a major restructure of your whole farm business following the introduction of SFP, or simply wondering how to reduce establishment costs this autumn, there's good reason to visit a Masstock event in your area. ...

We do it on farm, too.(Training workshops)
July 2, 2005... A seed testing service with a turn-around of as little as 24 hours is part of the offering to Masstock Group customers from Dalgety On-Farm Seed Processing. The company has a nationwide network of labs, set up to back its leading Master Seeds...

Preserving Princess pea potential.(VIEWPOINT)
July 16, 2005... Preserving Princess pea potential. Plenty of moisture has been a mixed blessing on the sand land at Michael Harvey's Wood Farm, Congham, Norfolk. The 120cm-tall crop is full of promise, says AICC agronomist Bill Baines, but the rain has made...

Seizing the local opportunity.(VIEWPOINT)
July 16, 2005... CONSUMER habits are changing fast. And nobody knows that more than McDonald's. Gone are the days of Big Macs and "supersize-me" portions of French fries dominating its promotions. In their place come new menu items tailored to health conscious...

I'll scrap mine if you'll scrap yours.(VIEWPOINT)
July 16, 2005... GEORGE BUSH is offering to scrap farming subsidies in the US if Europe agrees to scrap theirs. On the face of it, it seems a magnanimous offer--perhaps there is a way to truly free markets after all. But the gesture is a little hollow...

How good is farming image?(VIEWPOINT)
July 16, 2005... How good is farming's image? In Germany a nationwide survey finds 70% of those questioned have a positive impression of farmers. Within this group, 16% feel that home-produced foods can now be trusted more than before. The study shows that...

More fuel for the CAP row.(VIEWPOINT)
July 16, 2005... More fuel for the CAP row. Seventy-five percent of all state aid payments in Finland go straight into the farming sector--the most paid by any EU country, according to the EU Commission. For The Netherlands and Austria, the figure is 65%, while...

Harvest Highlights on FWi hits the web this week, thanks to sponsors Monsanto.(VIEWPOINT)
July 16, 2005... Harvest Highlights on FWi hits the web this week, thanks to sponsors Monsanto. Every day, reports with growers around the UK will give an up-to-the-minute picture of progress--how much has been cut, and how varieties are performing. It's the...

Janet.(VIEWPOINT)(Cartoon)
July 16, 2005... "It's his new diversification, Janet--printing emissions trading certificates."

Thank you, Mr Mandelson: Stephen Carr finds the EU trade commissioner is an unlikely ally.(FARMERFORUM)
July 16, 2005... For some time now, the Farm Assurance Resistance Movement (FARM), of which I am the self-appointed leader, has been a little quiet. To be honest we have been bludgeoned into acquiescence by a mighty combination of government, NFU and...

Out of tune with US on biotech: biotechnology offers a future that could deliver world-wide benefits, argues David McGuire.(FARMERFORUM)
July 16, 2005... THIS year, the billionth acre of genetically modified crops will be harvested. It's been 10 years since the first commercial seeds were planted, and in that time uptake has been dramatic. There are now over 8m farmers growing biotech crops...

Harald Isermeyer: farming in Germany.(WORLDFARMING)
July 16, 2005... STORMY weather in more ways than one hangs over German agriculture at the moment. After a drought in June, which has certainly knocked a few tonnes per hectare off our prospective wheat yields, we have now been hit by thunderstorms with hail...

Biotech bullies or robust rationale? This year, the billionth acre of genetically modified crops will be harvested. In the first of a series from the US, Julian Gairdner says biotechnology has acquired a stigma in Europe the Americans cannot understand.(AMERICA)(Cover Story)
July 16, 2005... I CAN'T help feeling I'm being suckered. Listening to American farmers talk about biotechnology and what it can deliver makes it all seem so matter of fact. "You have a love for the past," they tell me. "We have a love for the future." It...

Discussions with my accountant become more surreal each year.(JUSTIN MCDONALD'SDIARY)
July 16, 2005... Monday My grain merchant has been on the phone again. Ever since he saw me at the 2005 Cereals event he has been pestering me to sign a malting barley contract for next season. He is offering [pounds sterling]82 a tonne for October 2006...

New agronomy service for Scotland.(AGRONOMYUPDATE)
July 16, 2005... SCOTTISH combinable crop growers now have access to a new independent consultancy service from SAC. SAC Agronomy Select provides integrated technical, agronomic, economic and environmental advice, backed by the latest SAC and HGCA R & D,...

New standards for slug pellets.(AGRONOMYUPDATE)
July 16, 2005... NEW standards for meta-metaldehyde slug pellets have been introduced by active ingredient manufacturer Lonza and UK pellet makers De Sangosse and Luxan. The latest changes have fine-tuned the spreadability, palatability and durability of...

Mexican variety is bigger by far.(AGRONOMYUPDATE)
July 16, 2005... SCIENTISTS in the UK and Mexico are joining forces to develop new wheat varieties that could produce significantly higher yields. They are looking at crossing novel Central American varieties which have bigger and more fertile ears, with...

Green light for Amistar in brassicas.(AGRONOMYUPDATE)
July 16, 2005... AMISTAR (azoxystrobin) now has full label approval for use in a wider range of outdoor brassica crops, according to Syngenta. The product was previously only available to use under Specific Off-Label Approval on a limited number of brassica...

Dressed to kill: the pressure is on this autumn to make every seed perform to its maximum potential. Loiuse Impey takes a look at the treatment options for wheat and barley.(SEED TREATMENTS)
July 16, 2005... Active Price* Product Ingredient Crop ([pounds sterling]/t) Anchor carboxin+ wheat 42 thiram barley...

Ear wash leaves us primed for harvest.(FARMDIARY)
July 16, 2005... EARLY in June we were faced with having to spray for orange blossom midge. I had hoped the cool and unusually dry conditions at the end of May and beginning of June would have delayed the emergence of the midge. Nightly forays into our wheat...

Nitrogen model attacked: our round-up of the open days around the UK. First, nitrogen use was a key focus at Farmacy's Barr Farm and ADAS's Boxworth events, as Mike Abram and Julian Gairdner report.(OPEN DAYS)
July 16, 2005... IS DEFRA'S fertiliser bible RB209 underestimating the nitrogen requirements of modern feed wheat varieties? That is what a new HGCA-funded project hopes to find out. RB209 is the standard the Environment Agency is using to judge whether...

Environment service.(OPEN DAYS)
July 16, 2005... GROWERS TICKING boxes to complete cross-compliance forms may not be fully realising the implications of what each one might mean in any future Environment Agency audit, suggests Farmacy's Mike Young. "I'm convinced there will be big...

Modern response.(OPEN DAYS)
July 16, 2005... HOW DO modern varieties respond to nitrogen? That's the question an ADAS project hopes to answer, says the consultancy's Peter Dampney. "The indications are that modern varieties might need more N than the older ones," Mr Dampney says....

Lowering pollution risk.(OPEN DAYS)
July 16, 2005... DECREASING the chance of nitrogen leaching into water courses is the focus of ADAS's 'Green Grain' project. "It's all about producing a variety with half the amount of nitrogen," says Daniel Kindred. There are two key markets that...

Protein prediction.(OPEN DAYS)
July 16, 2005... WHO can predict the protein content of their grain at harvest? Not many, but perhaps a near-infra-red test being developed by ADAS could help. "NIR allows us to analyse ear samples prior to making the late foliar nitrogen decision," says Mr...

Better application: nozzle choices caught Mike Abram's eye at Agrovista's open day in Northants, while Andrew Blake gets some help with seed treatment choices from Masstock.(OPEN DAYS)
July 16, 2005... ARE you changing nozzles depending on whether you are applying residual or contact acting grassweed herbicides? Switching to the most effective nozzles could increase control by up to 10%, according to Agrovista trials. Optimising the...

Charting the ideal seed treatment.(OPEN DAYS)
July 16, 2005... SEED TREATMENT choices should always reflect risks, according to Masstock which has produced a flow chart decision-making guide for its customers. "There have been quite a few new products coming onto the market lately and we reckon...

One cut too many: sugar beet profitability is being closely scrutinised in the light of impending reform, as Mike Abram and Edward Long hear at Morley and Broom's Barn.(OPEN DAYS)
July 16, 2005... MAXIMUM yield must be the main priority for all sugar beet growers who plan to remain loyal to the crop after the proposed price cuts are implemented. Even then, [pounds sterling]17 a tonne for beet could be a cut too far. "Yields have...

Lobby hard for beet future.(OPEN DAYS)
July 16, 2005... GROWERS must lobby hard for a higher sugar beet base price than the [pounds sterling]17/t proposed under the sugar beet reforms, or face losing the lynch-pin holding many of their businesses together. That is the stark advice from TAG sugar...

Ploughing fits on Wilts unit: a wide variation in soil types can make it more difficult to formulate a common minimum tillage system that should work reliably from one season to the next. Hence the decision on one Wiltshire farm to keep ploughing. Peter Hill reports.(MACHINERY)
July 16, 2005... MINIMUM tillage would appear to be an obvious candidate for seedbed preparation across the 700ha of arable land managed from H N Hooper & Sons' Cornbury Farm at West Lavington on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. But at present, the Hooper...

Mounted is way to go: big tractors designed to pull trailed equipment are not always the best when it comes to handling a mounted implement. But Dowdeswell reckons its biggest mounted plough works just fine behind the most powerful tractors. Peter Hill reports.(MACHINERY)
July 16, 2005... GROWERS who have land or cropping that keeps them faithful to ploughing but find today's big semimounted implements unwieldy and too complex are the farmers Dowdeswell Engineering had in mind when it started developing the fully-mounted 170...

Shallow plough revamp.(MACHINERY)
July 16, 2005... KVERNELAND has bowed to customer demand by making its Ecomat shallow plough available without the Packomat furrow press system, which has been a non-optional fitment since the implement was introduced. "We still feel this is an integral...

Fresh approach to UK market.(MACHINERY)
July 16, 2005... AUSTRIAN plough maker Vogel & Noot is building its presence in Britain once more following a break in distribution arrangements. A number of dealers continued to sell and service the ploughs after the GB importer closed two years ago. Now,...

70% saving on parts.(MACHINERY)
July 16, 2005... RE-ORGANISING production into a more efficient process is partly behind a substantial cut in prices for Rabe wearing parts--in some cases by 70%. "Users of Rabe equipment can now enjoy the performance advantage of original replacements at...

Keeping on top of the costs: the direct costs of producing a tonne of wheat are under closer scrutiny than ever across Sentry Farms, as Suzie Horne discovers.(BUSINESS)
July 16, 2005... WHEAT should be grown for no more than [pounds sterling]50/tonne in direct costs. Margin, not yield, is the focus, says technical director Trevor Atkinson. But with varying soil types on farms from Dorset, through Kent and East Anglia to East...

A fair exchange? Only a handful of growers have elected to receive the single payment in euros. But could others be missing out? Suzie Horne looks at the options.(BUSINESS)
July 16, 2005... ALL UK Single Payment Scheme claimants are exposed to currency exchange rate risk. That risk is increased by having a single date (Sept 30) to set the [euro]/[pounds sterling] exchange rate for single payment conversion. "When the pound...

Stay focused on VI targets.(LASTWORD)
July 16, 2005... DON'T RELAX your Voluntary Initiatives. That's the plea from VI manager Patrick Goldsworthy. Although much has been achieved, it is up to everyone to stay focused on preventing pesticides getting into water in the VI's final year, he...

Grainfarmers/UAP extend alliance.(LASTWORD)
July 16, 2005... GRAINFARMERS plc and United Agri Products (UAP) have extended their nationwide seed fertiliser and crop protection inputs distribution alliance for a further five years. The move means growers will continue to benefit from the alliance's...

Go-ahead for bioethanol.(LASTWORD)
July 16, 2005... A NEW company has been set up to produce and market bioethanol in the UK. Green Spirit Fuels has been founded initially through its subsidiary Wessex Biofuels, which is in the process of obtaining planning permission for a new bioethanol plant...

Sun diesel shines.(LASTWORD)
July 16, 2005... A NEW fuel made from whole maize or oilseed plants could cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional diesel. The first tests of the so-called Biomass-to-liquid (BTL) fuel have been carried out by Volkswagen and...