Agriculture in the national news

Sweden's EU farm stint to focus on rural spending
Sweden, which takes over the EU's rotating presidency in July, will focus on overhauling rural development policy within a wider EU farm reform due in 2013, its agriculture minister said on Monday.

EU farm ministers are slowly turning to a debate on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the next seven-year budget period starting in 2013. At present, farm policy eats up some 40 percent of the entire EU annual budget.

The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/8535785

EU may abandon subsidy system using old farm data
Europe should ditch a system that uses old production data to calculate how much a farmer gets in subsidies, to iron out huge payment disparities between countries, the EU's farm chief said on Monday.

Backed by several European Union ministers at an informal meeting, EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel defended the idea of direct payments but called for a more level playing field across the 27 member countries.

The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/8535683

Agriculture index is food for thought as population grows
In May, commodities staged their biggest monthly rally since July 1974, with the CRB Reuters/Jeffries index up 14pc over the month.

The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/questor/5423184/Agriculture-index-is-food-for-thought-as-population-grows.html

Hi-tech tagging goes down to wire
The battle may not yet be lost, but it will come down to the wire as Scottish sheep farmers take their argument against the compulsory electronic identification of every animal to what will be a close call.

Surveys have indicted that if the proposal becomes law, up to 30 per cent of Scotland's greatly reduced breeding flock would disappear with huge social and economic consequences.

The Scotsman
http://business.scotsman.com/fooddrinkagriculture/Hitech-tagging-goes-down-to.5323014.jp

Farmer branded racist for telling the truth about travellers
Having lived next to a community of travellers for 30 years, Bryan Lee thought he had valuable insight into plans to give them a permanent home.

But when he objected to transforming a field into a new settlement, his input was ignored - and he was even branded a racist.

Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1190073/Farmer-opposed-traveller-site-branded-racist-council-threatened-prosecution.html

Strawberry sales fall as price rises
Sales of strawberries have fallen over the last year, as consumers look for cheaper fruit, trade figures have indicated.

According to market research firm TNS, the volume of strawberries fell 9.2 per cent in the 12 months to April 20, prompting fears that the quintessential summer fruit has fallen from favour.

The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/5424133/Strawberry-sales-fall-as-price-rises.html

Beekeepers stung by hive rustlers
The British countryside is being menaced by a new type of criminal - bee rustlers.

Beekeepers say the increasing shortage of bees and the rising price of honey have made hives, complete with their inhabitants, a target for thieves.

BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8077303.stm