Farmers Guardian
David Boderke Editorial

My journalistic career started almost by accident in the 1960s. I was sitting in a coffee bar in town when I saw a goodly number of tasty young ladies walking into some offices and thought ‘that’s where I want to work’. Unfortunately I didn’t have the right qualifications, so I switched to journalism, for which the main attribute is being nosey! Started as sports reporter on a weekly, then switched to an evening paper covering its largest regional patch. Next to Reed International as northern news editor for its company mags, covering Nottingham to Aberdeen. When they closed, I joined a weekly group of newspapers and became group news editor. Finally, I joined Farmers Guardian later becoming poultry correspondent, before becoming deputy news editor. In my spare time I’m a season ticket holder at Blackburn Rovers and go walking in the Lake District and Peak District. When there’s no football I tend to sulk and make a lot of curries.

  • Dumped horses leave landowners with huge problem

    22 May 2012

    INCIDENTS of fly grazing, where horses are illegally dumped on private land, have increased dramatically in recent months, leaving farmers and landowners with the problem of what to do with them.

  • Agriculture in the news - May 21

    21 May 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the Uk and Ireland

  • Government must learn from its mistakes on coastal access

    13 May 2012

    THE Government should learn from the mistakes it made at Weymouth bay, Dorset, when rolling out a further 190 miles of coastal path around Cumbria, Dorset, Kent, Norfolk and in the North East.

  • Farmers let down by minority on CFE uptake

    12 May 2012

    WHILE many farmers were ‘doing good things’ through the Campaign for the Farmed Environment(CFE), they were being let down by others who appeared ‘unwilling or reluctant’ to take part.

  • Milk processors' behaviour under spotlight

    11 May 2012

    THE behaviour of milk processors was firmly under the spotlight when NFU Scotland officials sat down with Farming Minister Jim Paice at the Dairy Supply Chain Forum in London yesterday (Thursday, May 10).

  • Agriculture in the news - May 11

    11 May 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Celebrating Cheddar cheese in song

    11 May 2012

    BUDDING ‘cheesy’ songwriters are being invited to come up with a ‘fitting anthem’ to celebrate the UK’s most popular cheese, Cheddar.

  • Food giant claimed to be undermining producer group

    10 May 2012

    An organic livestock producer group has suspended trading with meat processing giant Vion because it says a new payments system undermines the status of producer groups.

  • Anaerobic digestion company fined for polluting stream

    10 May 2012

    ANAEROBIC digestion company Biogen UK has been fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £4,677 costs by Bedford magistrates after pleading guilty to polluting one mile of a Bedfordshire stream.

  • Farmers likely to face disruption from public sector strike

    10 May 2012

    FARMERS have been warned there is ‘likely to be some disruption’ to normal services today as Rural Payments Agency (RPA) staff join thousands of other public sector workers in a one-day strike over pensions.

  • Farming makes 'significant' progress to reduce GHGs

    10 May 2012

    THE agricultural industry in England is making significant progress in reducing its greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions, according to a new report published today.

  • Agriculture in the news - May 10

    10 May 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Consultation on food from cloned animals

    10 May 2012

    A PUBLIC consultation on the issue of food obtained from cloned animals and their offspring has been launched by the European Commission.

  • Scotland's new chief scientific adviser

    10 May 2012

    THE Scottish Government’s new chief scientific adviser will be Prof Louise Heathwaite.

  • Vital farm safety is top of the list

    10 May 2012

    IT was ‘so important’ to make all areas of the farm as safe as possible, visitors to a farm safety event in Wales were told.

  • Farm company hit with £200,000 fine following worker death

    9 May 2012

    THERE was ‘no hiding place’ for people who broke the law, said a Northern Ireland Police Service spokesman, after a farming company, prosecuted under corporate manslaughter law, was fined a record £187,500, plus £13,000 costs, over the death of an employee.

  • Agriculture in the news - May 9

    9 May 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Seven figure barley grant for James Hutton Institute

    9 May 2012

    THE Scottish leading plant research station, the James Hutton Institute, has been awarded £1.25 million for four research projects looking at the quality and reliability of malting barley.

  • Farmers will be hit by new TB measures, says legal expert

    9 May 2012

    A leading agricultural solicitor has hit out at tough new bovine TB measures to be imposed on the farming community.

  • Producers well represented on NI's Agri-Food Strategy Board

    9 May 2012

    BOTH the deputy president and past president of the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) have been appointed to Northern Ireland’s new Agri-Food Strategy Board.

  • Agriculture in the news - May 8

    8 May 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Scottish Land and Estates has new legal committee chairman

    8 May 2012

    SCOTTISH Land and Estates has appointed rural affairs solicitor Robert Scott-Dempster as the new chairman of its legal and taxation committee.

  • Joint efforts to develop dairy code of practice

    8 May 2012

    THE UK and Scottish Governments have agreed to work together with the dairy industry to develop a code of practice which will re-balance power and give greater protection to the dairy farm sector.

  • New milk contract rules should be in place in 2013

    7 May 2012

    LEGISLATION to implement the EU Dairy package in the UK was expected to be in force by spring 2013, Farming Minister Jim Paice said in a written answer in the Commons this week.

  • Deadline for Scottish college merger consultation looms

    6 May 2012

    THE public consultation for the merger of Scotland’s four leading land-based colleges officially closes in two days and college partners are urging those who have yet to add their views to do so without delay.

  • Agriculture in the news - May 4

    4 May 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Helping farmers produce more efficiently

    4 May 2012

    A new virtual institute to help farmers produce more efficiently and an updated software ‘tool’, which helps farming and food industries to calculate their carbon footprint, are being launched this week.

  • Agriculture in the news - May 3

    3 May 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Black grouse population boost

    2 May 2012

    THE population of rare black grouse has doubled in just two years in some parts of northern England following two successive breeding years, according to spring counts announced by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).

  • Agriculture in the news - May 1

    1 May 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Organic and non-organic under the spotlight

    1 May 2012

    THE organic versus non-organic farming argument is to be put under the spotlight at a special debate featuring high profile farmers and sector representatives at Harper Adams University College, Shropshire.

  • Beef sector has bright future

    30 April 2012

    THE UK’s beef sector has a bright future, according to Andy Foot, the new chairman of the NFU Beef Group.

  • Vets worldwide focus on antimicrobials

    30 April 2012

    THE importance of using antimicrobial medicines responsibly and concerns over resistance to them was raised during World Veterinary Day (Saturday, April 28).

  • Agriculture in the news - April 30

    30 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Future of Scottish farming at risk from CAP reform

    30 April 2012

    THE future of Scottish farming would be put at risk if past lessons on CAP reform were not learned, warned Scottish MSP Rob Gibson.

  • Dog owners warned to keep pets on leads

    29 April 2012

    FOLLOWING a recent spate of dog attacks on sheep and wildlife, Scottish Land and Estates and Ramblers Scotland have teamed up to urge dog-walkers to ensure their pets are kept under proper control when out and about in the countryside.

  • Agency's actions 'smack of KGB'

    29 April 2012

    A Staffordshire pig farmer has described the actions of the Environment Agency in ‘inciting’ people to complain about, and ‘score’ farming odours, as ‘smacking of the KGB’.

  • Scottish farmers in line for grants up to £20,000

    28 April 2012

    FARMERS and land managers in some parts of Scotland will be able to take advantage of grants of up to £20,000 per year to reduce pollution of drinking water sources.

  • Spelman welcomes new Defra Chief Scientific Adviser

    27 April 2012

    DEFRA Secretary Caroline Spelman has welcomed the appointment of Defra’s new Chief Scientific Adviser.

  • Marketing boost for producers at Pig and Poultry Fair

    27 April 2012

    AROUND 9,500 visitors are expected to attend the 2012 British Pig and Poultry Fair, to be staged at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on May 15 and 16.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 27

    27 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Dairy Crest drops milk price by 2p

    26 April 2012

    Dairy Crest has confirmed it is to cut the milk price for some liquid suppliers by 2p from May 1.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 26

    26 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Chinese delegation to look at Scottish agricultural research

    26 April 2012

    A Chinese delegation is due to visit Scotland next week to learn more about the country’s expertise in agricultural research.

  • Farm safety day in Somerset attracts the crowds

    25 April 2012

    THE number of fatal accidents on farms last year was more than three times higher than the UK industry average.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 25

    25 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Reading University top for agriculture

    25 April 2012

    THE University of Reading is the best in the country for agricultural education, according to a new independent university league table.

  • Norfolk estate manager receives top award

    25 April 2012

    NORTH Norfolk farmer Ross Haddow has been awarded the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association’s 2012 Timothy Colman Prize.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 24

    24 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up for the UK and Ireland

  • Red Tractor showcases link to Olympic Games

    24 April 2012

    A five-day, UK-wide initiative is being launched by Red Tractor on Monday (April 30) to celebrate its link to the 2012 Olympic Games.

  • Go ahead for £30 million Royal Highland masterplan

    24 April 2012

    THE Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) has been given the planning go-ahead for the first stage of a £30 million redevelopment at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh.

  • Sheep killings could be linked to dog fighting

    23 April 2012

    A SPATE of sheep killing and livestock thefts in North Worcestershire could be linked to ‘blooding’ dogs for poaching or illegal dog fights, according to the police.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 23

    23 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Reduce nitrogen dependency, says report

    23 April 2012

    THE Government is being urged to reduce the UK’s dependency on manufactured nitrogen and look at using it more efficiently.

  • Great British Beef Week launched

    23 April 2012

    A GROUP of female beef farmers is adding to the St George’s Day celebrations today (Monday) with the launch of the second Great British Beef Week (GBBW).

  • New head of Co-operative Farms

    21 April 2012

    THE new head of The Co-operative Farms, one of Britain’s biggest farming operations, is Kate Jones, previously head of commercial food product offer for The Co-operative Group.

  • Record number join food safety scheme

    21 April 2012

    A record number of businesses have joined the SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) scheme to gain a food safety certification recognised by leading national buyers.

  • LFA winners and losers in the UK

    20 April 2012

    WITHOUT further fine tuning of the European Parliament’s reclassification of Less Favoured Areas (LFA) there are bound to be ‘winners and losers’ across the UK, an MEP has warned.

  • RPA is 'picking on small farmers', smallholder alleges

    20 April 2012

    THE Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has been accused of picking on small farms to boost the recorded number of inspections it carries out.

  • EC 'shooting itself in the foot' over CAP greening

    20 April 2012

    THE European Commission is ‘shooting itself in the foot’ over already unpopular ‘greening’ proposals by making them as strict as possible, Scottish MEP Alyn Smith has claimed.

  • DARD told to 'straighten up its act' and pay farmers

    20 April 2012

    WITH up to 400 Northern Irish farmers yet to receive their Single Farm Payment, the Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill has been criticised for urging banks to be ‘more lenient’, rather than calling upon her own Department to solve the problem and make the over-due payments.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 20

    20 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Progress towards sustainable livestock farming 'inadequate'

    20 April 2012

    THE Government’s progress towards making UK livestock farming more sustainable had been ‘inadequate’ and ‘significant opportunities’ had been missed during the past year.

  • Upland vision abandoned

    19 April 2012

    NATURAL England’s decision to abandon its vision for the uplands – once heralded as a roadmap for hill farming - makes it vital the Government looks for new ways of funding conservation of the environment.  

  • Farmer's horror as 50 lambs drown in well

    19 April 2012

    A SHROPSHIRE farmer has told of his horror at finding 50 of his lambs had fallen down a well and drowned.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 19

    19 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Hope Show's new president is Bagshaws auction chief

    19 April 2012

    THE new president of Hope Show in Derbyshire is Alastair Sneddon, whose links with the area and the show go back 25 years.

  • Top politicians to attend NFU Scotland 'greening' seminar

    19 April 2012

    DEFRA Secretary Caroline Spelman, Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead and MEP George Lyon are to be among the speakers at a two-day international seminar organised by NFU Scotland.

  • Red Tractor crops scheme enters final stage

    18 April 2012

    THE updated Red Tractor farm assurance scheme for crops and sugar beet is on the verge of being officially accepted EU-wide in time for this year’s harvest.

  • CAP proposed changes too complex, NFU claims

    18 April 2012

    THE NFU has urged policy makers to take on board concerns raised by the European Court of Auditors that proposed changes to the CAP would be too complex as well as too difficult to administer.

  • Broadband roll-out on track, claims MP

    18 April 2012

    THE Government’s commitment to have the best broadband available across the country by 2015 was on track, Defra Under-Secretary of State Richard Benyon told MPs on Tuesday.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 18

    18 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Scottish youngsters to learn about food and farming

    18 April 2012

    THE Scottish Government’s drive to help youngsters learn more about food has been taken a step further with the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) outlining its planned initiatives.

  • Retired brigadier takes charge

    18 April 2012

    BRIGADIER (retired) Andrew Meek has been appointed general manager of the Shropshire and West Midlands Agricultural Society.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 17

    17 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Fourteen sheep killed by dogs in six weeks

    16 April 2012

    FOURTEEN sheep were killed and 10 injured during a series of dog attacks in central Scotland during a six-week period.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 16

    16 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up for the UK and Ireland

  • Organic farming laws to be evaluated

    16 April 2012

    ORGANIC farming laws will be scrutinised to ensure the sector remains competitive against its EU counterparts.

  • Campylobacter report 'scaremongering'

    16 April 2012

    A REPORT which claimed one in five supermarket chickens were contaminated by campylobacter has been been slammed as ‘scaremongering’ and ‘misleading’.

  • Sixty cattle slaughtered after bovine TB outbreak in Scotland

    13 April 2012

    SIXTY cattle from a fully closed dairy herd have been compulsory slaughtered following one of the worst outbreaks of bovine TB in Scotland for several years.

  • Landowners will learn about sports tourism

    13 April 2012

    RURAL landowners in Scotland will come together later this month to explore the growing trend in country sports tourism, an industry worth over £240 million per year to the Scottish economy.

  • Northern Ireland to speed up SFP payments

    13 April 2012

    NORTHERN Ireland Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill has outlined a range of measures to help speed up the Single Farm Payment (SFP) process to help farmers facing ‘difficult’ financial situations.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 13

    13 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up in the UK and Ireland

  • Uproar over plans to ban fertiliser spreading on slopes

    13 April 2012

    THE Scottish Government’s plans to ban the spreading of fertiliser, manure and slurry on farmland with a slope of 12 degrees or more have been slammed by farming leaders.

  • Farmers warned over illegal veterinary medicines

    12 April 2012

    ANIMAL health organisations have warned farmers about the serious risks they run if they are tempted to use illegal veterinary medicines on their livestock.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 12

    12 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Pick up a carrot and whistle

    12 April 2012

    THE British Carrot Growers’ Association (BGCA) is hoping to push home the message of healthy eating by encouraging consumers to ‘whistle a tune on a carrot’.

  • CAP should support young farmers - Scottish MEP

    12 April 2012

    THE allocation of special support to younger farmers in Scotland should be a priority in the final wording of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Scottish MEP Alyn Smith has claimed.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 11

    11 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Dying bees could cost £1.8 billion-a-year, charity claims

    11 April 2012

    IT would cost the UK £1.8 billion each year to hand-pollinate crops without bees – 20 per cent more than previously thought – according to new research launched today by Friends of the Earth (FoE).

  • Crofters would suffer if ferry changes go ahead

    10 April 2012

    CROFTERS would be faced with a 200-mile round trip to take their animals to the nearest abattoir if Scottish Government-proposed changes to the ferry service between West Ardnamurchan and Tobermory on the Isle of Mull go ahead.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 10

    10 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Farmers warned about fuel thefts

    10 April 2012

    FARMERS have been warned their heating oil and red diesel could be targeted by thieves due to the current cold snap, rising commodity prices and the threat of a tanker driver strike.

  • Three BWMB board members reappointed

    10 April 2012

    THREE members of the British Wool Marketing Board have been reappointed for a further three-year period.

  • Farmwatch scheme is launched to tackle rural crime

    9 April 2012

    A FARMWATCH scheme, aimed at reducing the level of rural crime in Fermanagh, has been welcomed by Irish Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Michelle O’Neill.

  • Water quality grants open for farmers

    7 April 2012

    FARMERS from 75 areas of England can now apply for grants of up to £10,000 from the Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) Capital Grants Scheme.

  • NFUS opposes diffuse pollution rule changes

    6 April 2012

    THE NFU Scotland has ‘strongly opposed’ some of the Scottish Government’s proposals for changes to the General Binding Rules covering diffuse pollution.

  • Hundreds of lambs lost as snow returns

    5 April 2012

    MANY farmers are counting the cost of the harsh wintry weather this week with hundreds of lambs being lost.

  • James Hutton Institute's first anniversary

    5 April 2012

    THE James Hutton Institute had ‘rapidly established’ itself as a major player both at home and abroad, said Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond in a message to celebrate the research organisation’s first anniversary.

  • Burke Trophy goes to Norfolk

    5 April 2012

    THE prestigious Burke Trophy, which used to be presented at the Royal Show, will be a feature of this summer’s Royal Norfolk Show.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 5

    5 April 2012

    Agricultural news from the UK and Ireland

  • Agriculture in the news - April 5

    5 April 2012

    Agricultural news from the UK and Ireland

  • Be responsible this Easter weekend, dog walkers urged

    5 April 2012

    FARMING and rural organisations are calling for people with dogs to take extra care when walking near livestock this Easter weekend.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 4

    4 April 2012

    Agricultural news from the UK and Ireland

  • Farmers can become police 'eyes and ears'

    4 April 2012

    POLICE in Cumbria are calling on farmers and their families to be their ‘eyes and ears’ in a bid to clamp down on the growth in cannabis farms in rural areas.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 3

    3 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Ashby Show has new home

    2 April 2012

    DOUBTS over the long-term availability of land at Measham Lodge Farm, Measham, where it had been staged for 26 years, has led to this year’s Ashby Show moving to a new site in Heather, Leicestershire.

  • Ashby Show has new home

    2 April 2012

    DOUBTS over the long-term availability of land at Measham Lodge Farm, Measham, where it had been staged for 26 years, has led to this year’s Ashby Show moving to a new site in Heather, Leicestershire.

  • Agriculture in the news - April 2

    2 April 2012

    Agricultural news round-up for the UK and Ireland

  • Agriculture in the news - March 29

    29 March 2012

    Agricultural news round-up for the UK and Ireland

  • Scottish farming takes EID battle to Europe

    29 March 2012

    A DELEGATION from Scotland is due to meet officials at the European Commission in Brussels today to discuss proposals which would allow sheep to be tagged only when they leave the farm.

  • Two prosecuted in pig cruelty case

    28 March 2012

    TWO former employees of Cheale Meats in Essex, are to be prosecuted for animal cruelty following the alleged mistreatment of pigs in incidents which made national headlines in July last year.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 28

    28 March 2012

    Agricultural news round-up from the UK and Ireland

  • Government unveils revised planning guidelines

    27 March 2012

    THE new planning guidelines for England will protect the countryside, give a shot in the arm to employment and help provide homes, Planning Minister Greg Clark told MPs today.

  • Record food and drink exports

    27 March 2012

    SCOTLAND’S food and drink industry exports reached a record £5.4 billion last year.

  • Change approach on biodiversity loss

    27 March 2012

    A CHANGE of approach was needed towards biodiversity loss, Prof Iain Gordon, chief executive of Scotland’s James Hutton Institute, told an international conference in London.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 27

    27 March 2012

    Agricultural news round-up for the UK and Ireland

  • Rural parliament in the offing for Scotland

    26 March 2012

    SCOTLAND is a step closer to having its own rural parliament, giving rural communities a stronger voice and genuine access to decision-making.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 26

    26 March 2012

    Agricultural news from the UK and Ireland

  • 'Anything on wheels' at risk from criminals, police warn

    26 March 2012

    THE countryside was facing targeted thefts by organised crime gangs, farmers were warned at a Lancashire Police conference on Thursday (March 22).

  • Agriculture in the news: March 23

    23 March 2012

    Agricultural news round-up for the UK and Ireland

  • Top speakers at WFU conference

    21 March 2012

    TIME is running out to book a place at the Women’s Farming Union’s annual national conference to be staged at Bicton College, East Budleigh, Devon, on Thursday and Friday, April 12 and 13.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 21

    21 March 2012

    A round-up of agriculture news from the UK and Ireland

  • BEIC hits back at claims

    20 March 2012

    THE British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) has ‘categorically rejected’ claims by an action group of free-range egg producers that it has ‘failed UK egg producers’.

  • Schmallenberg virus on 190 farms

    20 March 2012

    THE Schmallenberg virus has now been identified on 190 farms, according to latest figures released by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA).

  • Agriculture in the news - March 20

    20 March 2012

    A round-up of agriculture news from the UK and Ireland

  • Cornwall show to sends greeting to Queen on diamond jubilee

    19 March 2012

    THE Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association is to send a ‘loyal greeting’ to The Queen to mark her diamond jubilee.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 19

    19 March 2012

    A round-up of agriculture news from the UK and Ireland

  • RPA pays 72% of upland farmers in last two weeks

    16 March 2012

    THE Rural Payments Agency has already paid out around £4 million to more than 1,240 uplands farmers since the Uplands Transitional Payments (UTP) started at the end of last month.

  • Etihad commits to organic sourcing

    16 March 2012

    ETIHAD Airways has announced an exclusive partnership with Abu Dhabi Organics Farms, the first internationally certified organic farming initiative in the United Arab Emirates, to supply fresh organic produce for its in-flight first class dining menus.

  • Grouse benefit from funding package

    16 March 2012

    BLACK grouse in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park are set to benefit from a major funding package from the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP).

  • Beaver monitoring 'regrettable', says NFUS

    16 March 2012

    BEAVERS living on the River Tay are to stay and will be monitored for at least the next three years, Scotland’s Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson has announced.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 16

    16 March 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK.

  • RASE appoints new chief executive

    16 March 2012

    THE Royal Agricultural Society of England has appointed David Gardner, a trustee of the society since 2010, as its new chief executive.

  • Tenant farmers despondent over ruling

    16 March 2012

    THE mood among farm tenants was one of ‘despondency’, claimed the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (STFA) following the latest ruling by the Court of Session.

  • Mauled sheep found in Peak District

    15 March 2012

    MAULED bodies of sheep carrying unborn lambs found in the Peak District National Park have led to calls for dog walkers to keep their pets under control while near livestock.

  • CA appoints new campaign director

    15 March 2012

    THE former head of media at the Countryside Alliance, Tim Bonner, is returning to the organisation as director of campaigns.

  • NFUS pushes for new farmer tax breaks

    15 March 2012

    A TAX incentive scheme would encourage more land to be let to new entrants, NFU Scotland has told UK Chancellor George Osborne.

  • Raymond re-elected dairy chief

    14 March 2012

    MANSEL Raymond has been re-elected for a second term as NFU dairy board chairman, with Rob Harrison, a former chair of the Next Generation Dairy Board, who farms in partnership with his wife in Gloucestershire, as his vice-chairman.

  • Bird of prey poisonings cut by half

    14 March 2012

    THE number of incidents of bird of prey poisoning in Scotland during 2011 dropped by more than 50 per cent compared with the previous year.

  • Scottish farmers to recieve LFA payments soon

    14 March 2012

    FARMERS in Scotland are due to start receiving payments from the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme from tomorrow (Thursday, March 15) Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has confirmed.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 14

    14 March 2012

    A round-up of Agricultural news from across the UK and Ireland.

  • Scots farmers urged to enter future farmer awards

    13 March 2012

    THERE has been a ‘disappointing’ entry so far for this year’s Future Farmer Award in Scotland, with fewer than six weeks to go to the closing date.

  • Kenilworth Show gears up for Jubilee weekend

    13 March 2012

    THE organisers of the Kenilworth and District Agricultural Show, which is being staged on the weekend of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, are appealing for farming tools and machinery from the 1950s to the present day to help celebrate the occasion.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 13

    13 March 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Scottish told to deal with concerns over distillery by-products

    13 March 2012

    NFU Scotland has written to Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead reiterating farmers’ concerns over the future availability of distillery by-products for feeding to livestock.

  • Cumbrian farmers to shout about produce

    13 March 2012

    THE Farming Landscapes project, a joint initiative between Friends of the Lake District and the Cumbria Farmer Network, is organising a third season of events aimed at raising awareness of local produce and the link between farming, food and the landscape.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 12

    12 March 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK and Ireland.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 9

    9 March 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK and Ireland.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 8

    8 March 2012

    A round-up of agriculture news from across Ireland and the UK.

  • Education campaign to help kids get to know their food

    7 March 2012

    THE Scottish Government has pledged £2 million over three years to help schoolchildren understand more about food and how it impacts on their health and on the environment.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 7

    7 March 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 6

    6 March 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Giant fox shot in Scotland

    5 March 2012

    A FOX, believed to be the largest killed in the UK, has been shot on an Aberdeenshire farm after attacking lambs.

  • Organic market shrinks by 3.7 per cent

    5 March 2012

    THE organic food boom was over, claimed Crop Protection Association chief executive Dominic Dyer this week.

  • BBC to highlight wealthy CAP recipiants

    5 March 2012

    SOME of the wealthiest landowners in the UK, including the Queen and the Duke of Westminster, are receiving millions of pounds in EU subsidies.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 5

    5 March 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Pig group attacks Soil Association on animal welfare claims

    2 March 2012

    THE National Pig Association (NPA) has condemned two industry pressure groups for threatening the welfare of pigs and the future of the whole industry.

  • EA plans to help farmers deal with drought

    2 March 2012

    PLANS to help farmers fill irrigation reservoirs over the winter abstraction season could ease the stress on the farming industry if properly implemented, according to the NFU.

  • Farmers left out of islands fuel discount

    1 March 2012

    HAULIERS, including those carrying livestock, have been excluded from a pilot scheme giving a 5p/litre fuel discount to motorists on Scottish islands.

  • RASE lecture slams CAP reform plans

    1 March 2012

    THE new CAP reform proposals have been dismissed as ‘serving neither the agricultural industry nor the overall community’.

  • Agriculture in the news - March 1

    1 March 2012

    A round-up of agriculture in the news from across the UK.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 29

    29 February 2012

    A round-up of Agriculture in the news.

  • Agricultural in the news - February 28

    28 February 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Tennant farmers in Scotland welcome bill

    28 February 2012

    THE swift progress being made with the Scottish Government’s Agricultural Holdings Bill has been welcomed by industry bodies.

  • Nocton farmer in hot water over giant slurry lake

    28 February 2012

    THE Devon farmer, who was at the forefront of unsuccessful plans to build a large-scale dairy unit at Nocton, now faces another fight on his own doorstep.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 27

    27 February 2012

    As well as our round-up of UK agriculture news we have special coverage of the mainstream media response to the Schmallenberg virus which saw dozens of news stories written over the weekend.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 24

    24 February 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Sir Andrew Motion nominated as CPRE president

    23 February 2012

    FORMER Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion will be formally proposed as the new president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) in June.

  • Lancashire farmers invited to crime conference

    23 February 2012

    FARMERS in Lancashire are being invited to a special conference aimed at combating rural vehicle crime in the county.

  • RSPCA monitored food doubles

    23 February 2012

    THE number of animals farmed under the RSPCA’s Freedom Food scheme has increased by 52 per cent over the last five years.

  • Titchmarsh new president of New Forest Show Society

    23 February 2012

    TELEVISION and gardening celebrity Alan Titchmarsh has been elected as president of the New Forest Agricultural Show Society.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 23

    23 February 2012

    A round-up of agriculture news from across the UK.

  • Government urged to inspect farms to reduce worker deaths

    22 February 2012

    THE Government has been urged to introduce ‘roving safety reps’ to help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths which occur in the agriculture industry each year.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 22

    22 February 2012

    A round-up of agriculture in the news.

  • Farming minister promotes UK food in Dubai

    20 February 2012

    The UK had great opportunities to sell more food and drink to the Middle East, Food and Farming Minister Jim Paice said during a mission to promote UK produce there.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 20

    20 February 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 17

    17 February 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Derbyshire NFU votes for new chair

    16 February 2012

    HILL farmer, Peter Atkin from Rowlee Farm, Bamford, is Derbyshire NFU’s new county chairman.

  • NFU Holland appoints new branch chairman

    16 February 2012

    THE new chairman of the NFU’s Holland (Lincolnshire) county branch is Ian Stancer, who farms with his father at Dowsdale, near Crowland, on 323 hectares (800 acres) of tenanted arable land.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 16

    16 February 2012

    A round-up of agriculture news from across the UK.

  • EU gives dairy farmers greater power in milk sales

    15 February 2012

    NEW measures which could give dairy farmers greater bargaining power with processors were approved (today) Wednesday by the European Parliament.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 15

    15 February 2012

    A round-up of agricultural news from across the world.

  • Sheep slaughtered in field 'unfit to eat' - Police

    15 February 2012

    POLICE in Lincolnshire have warned that meat from an in-lamb Hebridean sheep which had been slaughtered in a field near Spalding, was unfit for human consumption.

  • Forestry group fights cuts to rangers

    14 February 2012

    ON the first anniversary of the Government’s decision to abandon plans to sell the nation’s public forests, campaigners in the Lake District have issued a new warning about the threat to these forests.

  • Foston 'human rights breach' is wrong - Farmers

    14 February 2012

    A number of pressure groups opposed to the proposed large-scale pig unit at Foston, have written to Derbyshire County Council calling for planning permission to be refused.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 14

    14 February 2012

    A round up of agricultural news from across the UK.

  • 'Integrated' arable better than organic

    14 February 2012

    FARMS aiming for high food production using environmentally-friendly practices could be better for the environment than both organic and conventional farms.

  • New chair of Organic Trade Board

    14 February 2012

    THE new chair of the Organic Trade Board (OTB) is Anna Rosier, managing director of the organic baby and toddler food company Organix. Her appointment, which started on February 6, is for three years.

  • Rare breeds watchlist flags credit crunch impact

    14 February 2012

    THE Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) has warned there could be ‘underlying trends’ indicating decreases in registered adult breeding females in a number of breeds they monitor.

  • Land court to reconsider 'Moonzie' case in Scotland

    11 February 2012

    THE Scottish Land Court has been told to reconsider its decision on the ‘Moonzie’ rent case in what has been seen as a landmark case in farm tenancies.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 10

    10 February 2012

    A round up of Agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 8

    8 February 2012

    A round up of the latest agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Midges actively carried bluetongue across Europe

    8 February 2012

    THE midges which spread bluetongue across Europe in 2006 were not blown on the wind but actively transported the disease, scientists have found.

  • Cornwall and Devon host farm safety workshops

    7 February 2012

    AROUND 60 farmers from across Cornwall and Devon are expected to take part in free practical workshops to help cut the number of deaths and serious injuries in agriculture.

  • SNP accused of manipulating budget figures

    7 February 2012

    THE SNP-controlled Scottish Government has been accused of ‘manipulating’ figures to justify cuts to Scotland’s agri-environment budget.

  • Lib Dems warn against scrapping CRC

    7 February 2012

    The countryside could become the ‘exclusive preserve’ of the rich if the Government scraps its rural watchdog, Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman has been warned.

  • Rare breeds farm appeals for council support

    7 February 2012

    THE Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) has appealed to Gateshead Council to reconsider its plans to review the future of Bill Quay Community Farm.

  • Top chefs push to boost egg sales

    7 February 2012

    FOUR of Britain’s leading chefs are joining forces to launch a new campaign to inspire home cooks to get creative and use more eggs.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 7

    7 February 2012

    A round up of agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Countryside threatened by planning changes - CPRE

    6 February 2012

    MORE than half of England’s countryside could be at increased risk from development as a consequence of the Government’s reforms of the planning system, a major report has warned.

  • Price and welfare most important when buying food

    6 February 2012

    A survey carried out by BBC’s Countryfile programme into what influenced people when buying food found that 92 per cent felt price was most important.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 6

    6 February 2012

    A round up of all the latest agricultural news from across the UK.

  • Perthshire farmer lauded for contribution livestock

    3 February 2012

    THE Scottish director of the National Fallen Stock Company and Perthshire farmer Ian Duncan Millar has been awarded the prestigious Ed Rainy Brown Memorial Award in recognition of his ‘exceptional’ contribution to agriculture.

  • NFUS group to air young farmers views

    2 February 2012

    REPRESENTATIVES of NFU Scotland’s New Generation group will lead the debate on what Scotland’s future farmers need when they take the platform at the union’s annual meeting and annual dinner in St Andrews later this month.

  • Un-BRIE-lievable! 'Ancient' cheese found in London fridge

    2 February 2012

    An eight-year-old Cheddar cheese found in a fridge in West London and opened last week was ‘completely delicious’ according to the householder.

  • Agriculture in the news - February 2

    2 February 2012

    A round of farming news from across the UK.

  • NFU next generation group elects leader

    1 February 2012

    WILLIAM Lawrence, who runs a dairy, beef and arable farm partnership with his parents in Wales, has been elected as the first chairman of the NFU’s Next Generation Policy Forum (NGPF).

  • Agriculture in the news - February 1

    1 February 2012

    A round up of the latest agriculture news from across the UK.

  • HS2 farmers to be given £1000 for granting access

    1 February 2012

    FARMERS and landowners who will be affected by the High Speed Two (HS2) rail line from London to the Midlands and North are to be offered an initial £1,000 access payment to allow contractors to enter private land in the initial stages of route development.

  • Scottish farm income rises by 4.1pc

    31 January 2012

    INCOME from farming in Scotland in 2011 has risen by £23 million compared with 2010, according to the latest statistics.

  • NFUS calls for more flexible SFP payments

    31 January 2012

    NFU Scotland has urged the Scottish Government to seriously consider a more flexible payment system to be factored into future support payment arrangements.

  • Defra flood management 'unstructured' say MPs

    31 January 2012

    DEFRA’S failure to accept ultimate responsibility for managing the risk of floods, has been criticised by a committee of MPs, who have also questioned the department’s spending plans.

  • 'Starter farms' to attract the next generation

    30 January 2012

    A NEW pilot initiative launched by Forestry Commission Scotland offering new entrants to farming the chance to lease part-time ‘starter farm’ units has been welcomed as a ‘positive step’.

  • Farmer 'wasted a week' applying for grant

    30 January 2012

    A YORKSHIRE farmer claims he has wasted ‘at least a week’ of his time applying for a grant after being given ‘conflicting’ information which meant only part of his application was eligible.

  • Move to European time fails in Commons

    27 January 2012

    A BID to consider moving UK time forward by an hour to Central European Time has faltered after a ‘small group’ of MPs talked out the Bill during its report stage, meaning it ran out of time.

  • Food and drink exports to become 'engine of growth'

    27 January 2012

    BRITISH food and drink could become an engine for growth for the UK’s economic recovery, claimed Farming Minister Jim Paice, as he announced a Government-backed drive to boost exports to ‘high growth’ markets.

  • Crackdown on scap metal theft outlined

    27 January 2012

    PROPOSED new legislation aimed at clamping down on scrap metal theft has been welcomed by farming organisations.

  • EC attacked by NFUS for poor cage-ban enforcement

    27 January 2012

    THE European Commission has been strongly criticised by NFU Scotland for the ‘weak’ way it is trying to enforce the ban on illegal cages.

  • Farming's role in a changed climate

    27 January 2012

    FARMING organisations have welcomed a new Government report into the impacts of climate change will help improve farming’s understanding of how agriculture can be part of the solution to a major problem.

  • Broads reed beds to return to commercial use

    26 January 2012

    A pioneering plan to increase the area of Broads reed beds used for commercial cutting in order to address the decline in the ancient industry, has been announced by The Broads Authority.

  • Agriculture in the news - January 26

    26 January 2012

    A round up of farming news from across the UK and the world.

  • NSA launches sheep worrying hotline

    25 January 2012

    The National Sheep Association (NSA) has put in place a new service to record incidents of sheep worrying by dogs. 

  • MPs citicise delays in establishing supermarket watchdog

    24 January 2012

    THE Government should not waste any more time in creating a supermarket watchdog to protect the interests of consumers and suppliers, MPs warned during a debate in the Commons on Monday.

  • Defra minister becomes show president

    20 January 2012

    DEFRA Minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach has been named as the next president of the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society.

  • Former head of Field Army takes up rural posting

    20 January 2012

    FORMER head of the UK Field Army, Lieutenant General Sir Barney White-Spunner, has been appointed executive chairman of the Countryside Alliance and director of the Countryside Alliance Foundation, taking on overall responsibility for the organisation.

  • Poultry farmer becomes NFU Cumbria chairman

    20 January 2012

    POULTRY farmer Alan Dickinson of North Netherscales Farm, Penrith, is Cumbria’s new NFU county chairman.

  • CAP flexibility 'crucial' for Scotland

    19 January 2012

    THE reformed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must be as flexible as possible to cater for the specific needs of Scotland’s farmers and crofters, claimed Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Jamie McGrigor.

  • Call for sheep shearing to become an Olympic sport

    19 January 2012

    THE humming of clippers and the bleating of sheep could be heard at a future Olympic Games – if the New Zealand Farmers Federation gets its way.

  • UK farming unions welcome EU animal welfare strategy

    19 January 2012

    THE UK farming unions have welcomed European Commission calls to introduce animal welfare elements into trade agreements in order to safeguard the competitiveness of EU farmers.

  • Trade in illegal pesticides worth billions of euros

    18 January 2012

    THE trade in illegal and counterfeit pesticides by ‘highly sophisticated’ criminal networks in Europe has reached such levels it is estimated to be worth billions of euros per year.

  • Badger culls will cause problems

    16 January 2012

    PRIME Minister David Cameron has acknowledged the two pilot badger culls are going to be controversial and will create ‘no end of difficulties’.

  • Cross compliance a serious issue for Scottish sheep farmers

    14 January 2012

    EUROPEAN Commission officials were ‘surprised and alarmed’ to learn Scottish sheep farmers were experiencing serious cross-compliance difficulties, claimed Jimmy Sinclair, chairman of the National Sheep Association Scotland.

  • Use of satellite locators now legal in the UK

    13 January 2012

    THE news that personal locater beacons (PLBs) can now be legally used throughout the UK has been welcomed by NFU Scotland as a ‘potentially lifesaving tool’ for farmers.

  • NFUS welcomes change in law over personal locator beacons

    12 January 2012

    THE news that personal locater beacons (PLBs) can now be legally used throughout the UK has been welcomed by NFU Scotland as a ‘potentially lifesaving tool’ for farmers.

  • Scots meet in Brussels on EID issues

    12 January 2012

    THE ongoing concerns over the impact of electronic identification (EID) of sheep on Scotland’s sheep farmers is being discussed at a meeting in Brussels today.

  • Scottish beef farmers decide on joint approach

    11 January 2012

    A joint meeting between National Beef Association Scotland (NBAS) and the Scottish Beef Cattle Association (SBCA) today has resulted in the formation of industry core group on CAP and a unanimous strategy for a single body in the future.

  • Farmers asked for views on National Park visitors

    11 January 2012

    LAND managers in the South Downs National Park are being asked to give their opinions on the impact visitors have on the management and ecology of the land they look after.

  • Sheep workshops help Scots deal with tagging

    11 January 2012

    A SERIES of short workshops aimed at helping sheep farmers avoid penalties for mistakes in sheep tagging and recording, is being organised by SAC.

  • Scots get red tape working group

    10 January 2012

    A MOVE to slash ‘needless’ bureaucracy’ facing Scottish farmers is underway with the setting up of a working group.

  • SAC appoints new chief executive

    9 January 2012

    THE new chief executive and principal of SAC is to be Prof Bob Webb, currently a pro-vice-chancellor of the University of Nottingham.

  • CLA Trust gives £52,000 to rural charities

    9 January 2012

    COUNTRYSIDE charities benefited by around £52,000 last year from grants provided by the CLA Charitable Trust.

  • New deer code roll out in Scotland

    6 January 2012

    A new Scottish deer code comes into effect this month, with a focus on co-operative and voluntary deer management across the country.

  • Scottish heritage staff awarded bonuses

    6 January 2012

    SCOTTISH Natural Heritage awarded ‘bonuses’ totalling £57,396 to 47 members of staff in 2011.

  • Scientists find cause of nitrate leaching

    6 January 2012

    SCIENTISTS at the University of Aberdeen have come up with an explanation how ammonia in fertilisers is converted to nitrate, which is then washed out of soils before reaching the intended crops.

  • MEPs urge EID review

    5 January 2012

    THE European Commission has been urged to carry out a full scale review into the legislation governing the electronic identification of sheep (EID).

  • Scotland fares worst in bad weather

    4 January 2012

    SCOTLAND bore the brunt of the bad weather this week, with rural insurers predicting claims for storm damage would total more than £5 million.

  • NFUS intent on better deal for dairy farmers

    2 January 2012

    AS well as working with dairy farmer co-operatives and processors, NFU Scotland is to explore whether there is a role for an umbrella organisation, such as Scotland Food and Drink, in establishing a dairy strategy for Scotland.

  • 'Tight' supplies worrying meat processors

    30 December 2011

    THE availability of prime cattle and sheep in the coming year, is a major concern for the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW).

  • Scottish upland beef farmers question their future

    30 December 2011

    MANY farmers in the Scottish uplands are considering whether there is a future for them in beef farming in view of the CAP proposals.

  • LFA support must be 'simplified' says NFUS

    29 December 2011

    THE future Less Favoured Area (LFA) support must be simplified and the existing historic component should be stripped out, NFU Scotland has claimed.

  • GM crops banned in Peru

    28 December 2011

    PERU has banned GM production for 10 years.

  • Sheep mown down in sickening attack

    22 December 2011

    FIFTEEN in-lamb sheep and a ram were left dead or dying in a field after a ‘sick’ joyrider deliberately mowed them down with a 4x4.

  • South West butcher fined for mis-labelling meat

    21 December 2011

    ONE of the South West’s best known butchers has been fined and ordered to pay a total of £15,000 over the mis-labelling of its meat.

  • Enforcing welfare regulations must be a priority

    21 December 2011

    THE UK and Europe must take a stronger stance on enforcing new welfare regulations if such legislation was to be taken seriously in future.

  • New entrants a priority for NFUS in 2012

    21 December 2011

    PROVIDING new entrants with an ‘accessible’ route into farming and giving them a platform on which to build a career, has been earmarked as a priority for 2012 by NFU Scotland.

  • Three-year cutting regime is optimum for hawthorn hedges

    20 December 2011

    SCIENTISTS have suggested that cutting hawthorn hedges every three years, or in late winter, can substantially benefit wildlife.

  • University of Reading leads £3.5m animal feed project

    19 December 2011

    THE University of Reading is taking a leading role in a new £3.5 million project to look into producing healthy and sustainable animal feeds as part of an EU programme to train a new generation of researchers.

  • Report highlights renewed confidence in Scottish hill farming

    15 December 2011

    AFTER a decade of decline there is renewed confidence in the beef and sheep sectors in Scotland’s hills, islands and uplands, a major new report has claimed.

  • Arson attacks destroy 66,000 tonnes of straw

    14 December 2011

    ARSONISTS are thought to be responsible for huge blazes which have destroyed more than 66,000 tonnes of straw in Cambridgeshire.

  • Spelman gives go-ahead to badger cull in England

    14 December 2011

    DEFRA Ministers have finally given the go-ahead to a badger cull in England.

  • New innovation centre opens at Reaseheath College farm

    14 December 2011

    A NEW education and innovation centre, forming part of a multi-million pound investment in the Reaseheath College farm, Nantwich, Cheshire, has been officially opened by Farming Minister Jim Paice.

  • EU food safety authority criticised over conflict of interest

    12 December 2011

    THE European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) failed to follow procedural rules when it allowed a senior member of staff to move to Syngenta, a company which produces genetically modified crops, according to a report by the European ombudsman.

  • Pig industry hits back at anti-Foston campaigners

    8 December 2011

    THE Soil Association has been told to ‘check its facts’ after information it quoted in its latest bid to halt the proposed large-scale pig farm development at Foston, Derbyshire, was disputed by an industry leader.

  • Quad bike fears allayed after vote by MEPs

    6 December 2011

    THE threat of ‘unnecessary’ European regulations on ATVs, which would have had a serious knock-on effect on farmers, has been deflected – at least for the time being – following a vote by MEPs.

  • Farming 'should not be blamed' for bird decline

    6 December 2011

    CHANGING farming practices should not be put forward as a reason for the decline in the house sparrow population, an independent researcher has claimed.

  • Snow and ice hit Scottish farms

    5 December 2011

    HARD on the heels of severe flooding which affected most areas, Scotland has now been hit by its first significant bout of wintry weather, with many roads affected by snow and ice.

  • Chicken liver pate caused many to fall ill

    2 December 2011

    UNDERCOOKED chicken liver pate has been blamed for more than 90 per cent of a common form of food poisoning at catering venues in 2011.

  • Norfolk FWAG takes forward steps

    2 December 2011

    THE Norfolk branch of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) has taken positive steps after its parent organisation went into administration by forming a company limited by guarantee.

  • Agriculture in the news – December 2

    2 December 2011

    A ROUND-UP of farming news from today’s newspapers.

  • £165m funding boost for rural business

    30 November 2011

    A NEW £165 million boost for rural businesses and communities has been announced by Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman.

  • Initiative will help new entrants enter sector

    28 November 2011

    A NEW joint initiative has been set up to help attract and accelerate the number of new entrants into Scotland’s agricultural and rural land-based businesses.

  • CAP must continue to support farming, Scottish inquiry told

    25 November 2011

    FARMING organisations in Scotland have stressed it is crucial any Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms should continue to underpin agricultural activity, but should not be too complex.

  • RABI helpline service extended

    25 November 2011

    THE Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) has linked up with Farm Crisis Network (FCN) to extend the operating hours of its confidential helpline.

  • EC should stop wasting farmers' time over EID

    24 November 2011

    THE European Commission should stop ‘wasting farmers’ time’ and say what will happen if they fail to comply with EID regulations.

  • Agriculture in the news - November 24

    24 November 2011

    A round-up of farming news from today’s newspapers.

  • Antimicrobials: Farming fights for a balance on the future use of antimicrobials

    24 November 2011

    AS the European Commission signals its intention to curb the use of antimicrobials, Olivia Midgley, Alistair Driver and David Boderke assess what a potential reduction could mean for UK agriculture. They consider arguments for and against a reduction and gather opinion from industry figures.

  • Cattle scab cause for concern

    22 November 2011

    CATTLE scab, which was eradicated from the UK almost half a century ago, is again rearing its head, with imports from Europe the likely source of the outbreak in around 30 herds.

  • 'Countryside Experience' set to educate public about farming

    17 November 2011

    THE Royal Lancashire Show, which closed in 2009, may not be rising from the ashes just yet, but a team of volunteers have taken the first steps to realising their dream.

  • 'Focus on productivity not bio-diversity' - Kendall

    17 November 2011

    THE Government should switch its focus from bio-diversity and concentrate on farm productivity if it wants to take full advantage of British agriculture’s potential as an ‘engine for growth’.

  • Cumbrian organic focus group established

    15 November 2011

    THE SAC has set up a new group in Cumbria to help local organic enterprises become more efficient.

  • Lancashire MP calls for metal theft clampdown

    15 November 2011

    THE Country Land and Business Association has thrown its weight behind a Private Member’s Bill, aimed at clamping down on theft and sale of metal.

  • Livestock transport moves welcomed by industry

    11 November 2011

    THE enforcement of livestock transport regulations should be tightened up, a European Commission report has recommended.

  • NFU calls for support to improve 'damaging' CAP proposals

    11 November 2011

    NFU leaders have spent two days in Brussels meeting members of all major European parties calling for support to improve the ‘potentially damaging’ CAP reform proposals drawn up by the European Commission.

  • Harry Cotterell is new CLA president

    11 November 2011

    HARRY Cotterell, who owns and manages a traditional family estate in Herefordshire, has been elected as the new president of the Country Land and Business Association to succeed William Worsley.

  • Scotland has 'frightening' record on health and safety

    10 November 2011

    SCOTTISH agriculture had a ‘frightening’ record on health and safety incidents and making it safe was a ‘real challenge’, warned NFU Scotland president Nigel Miller.

  • Agriculture in the news – November 10

    10 November 2011

    A ROUND-UP of farming news from today’s newspapers.

  • Safety training needed in 'most dangerous workplace'

    10 November 2011

    MANDATORY training is needed to give more legal protection to staff and employers working in the UK’s agriculture industry - acknowledged as the most dangerous workplace - according to health and safety experts.

  • Call for ag vehicles to be banned on roads during peak hours

    9 November 2011

    NFU Scotland has reacted swiftly and comprehensively to an e-petition on the Government website calling for agricultural vehicles to be banned from main roads during peak hours.

  • Proposals for Scottish animal disease surveillance published

    9 November 2011

    PROPOSALS to improve the way vital information on animal disease is gathered, analysed and shared have been been published by the Scottish Government.

  • Paice pledges 'strong support' for UK egg industry

    8 November 2011

    FARMING Minister James Paice has pledged ‘strong Government support’ for the UK egg industry to ensure ‘illegal’ eggs are not used by UK food manufacturers and retailers after the EU ban on battery cages comes into force on January 1.

  • Scottish rent review system in need of 'overhaul'

    8 November 2011

    THERE is still evidence of some land agents in Scotland using strong arm tactics with demands for ‘eye watering’ rents, the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (STFA) has warned.

  • Agriculture still most dangerous industry

    3 November 2011

    THOUGH there were fewer fatalities and major injuries in agriculture between April 2010 and March 2011, compared with the previous year, the industry is still classed as the most dangerous in which to work by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

  • Farmers praised for their support of CFE

    2 November 2011

    FARMERS have placed land equating to around 73,000 football pitches into environmental schemes in the two years since the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) was launched.

  • NFU proposes a new SAWS strategy

    2 November 2011

    THE NFU is proposing a new Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) arrangement to help ensure the ‘vitally important’ supply of labour needed by UK farmers and growers to run their businesses.

  • Bill should not close door on tenancy reform

    1 November 2011

    THE draft Agricultural Holdings Bill, published by the Scottish Government today (Tuesday, November 1), should not be seen as closing the door on tenancy reform, the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (STFA) has warned.

  • Environment Agency drops objection to Foston pig farm

    28 October 2011

    THE proposed large-scale pig farm at Foston, Derbyshire, took a step forward this week as the Environment Agency withdrew its objections to the controversial development.

  • New beer shows commitment to Scottish barley farmers

    28 October 2011

    THE launch of Caledonian Best, a new beer brewed exclusively from Scottish barley and produced in partnership with Scottish growers, has been described by NFU Scotland Crops Committee chairman, Andrew Moir as ‘a hugely exciting time’ for food and drink production in Scotland.

  • NFUS voices concerns over proposed college merger

    27 October 2011

    NFU Scotland has called for reassurances that the merger between SAC and three agricultural colleges is to improve education facilities and not just to save money.

  • EU quad bike proposal is a concern for farmers

    27 October 2011

    THE farming industry has joined Scottish Liberal Democrat MEP George Lyon in warning proposed European legislation on motorbikes and quads could have a serious knock-on effect on farmers.

  • EID updates being issued

    26 October 2011

    NFU Scotland and the Scottish Government are to stage a series of public meetings, starting in November, to discuss sheep identification and movement recording.

  • Steps towards new vaccine for coccidiosis

    13 October 2011

    SCIENTISTS have taken the first steps in developing a new type of vaccine to protect chickens against coccidiosis - the most important parasite of poultry globally.

  • Tough action needed on imported ‘illegal’ eggs

    13 October 2011

    PRIME Minister David Cameron has been urged to take tough action and ban UK imports of ‘illegal’ eggs from European battery hens from January 1, 2012 - or risk crippling the UK egg industry.

  • Co-operation with farming industry essential says Defra vet

    29 September 2011

    CO-OPERATION and understanding between the farming industry and Defra are key to moving forward, deputy chief veterinary officer Alick Simmons has stressed.

  • Modernisation plans for Scottish crofters

    23 September 2011

    THE modernisation of Scotland’s crofting sector has taken an ‘important step forward’ with the second phase of the Crofting Reform Act coming into operation.

  • Safety event for Scottish farmers

    23 September 2011

    SCOTTISH farmers are being encouraged to attend a free safety training event, organised by the Health and Safety Executive, and staged at Inverurie on Tuesday, October 4.

  • Wind turbine manufacturer in administration

    23 September 2011

    FARMERS have been left with major uncertainties after a wind turbine manufacturer went into administration.

  • Research could lead to salmonella breakthrough

    22 September 2011

    THE number of salmonella outbreaks could be drastically reduced as a result of major EU research into eggshell quality.

  • Bracken control agent asulam is banned

    20 September 2011

    FARMING leaders in Scotland will press the Government for an emergency authorisation for bracken control agent Asulam, following a decision in Brussels to uphold a proposed ban on the product.

  • GM honey must get EU thumbs up

    19 September 2011

    HONEY containing even small traces of pollen from GM plants must now receive prior EU authorisation before it can be sold as food, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

  • Farmers warned of turbine 'defects'

    16 September 2011

    FARMERS throughout Scotland who have installed Proven 12kW wind turbines (P35-2 model) have been advised to apply the turbines’ brakes as soon as it is safe to do so following the discovery of ‘potential manufacturing defects’.

  • Scotland faces uphill battle on EID

    15 September 2011

    THE Scottish Government has failed in its bid to persuade the European Commission (EC) it would be virtually impossible for sheep farmers on extensive hill farms to guarantee 100 per cent compliance with EID regulations.

  • Illegal killing of birds of prey threatens their survival

    14 September 2011

    FOUR golden eagles, the most recorded in a single year, were amongst 29 birds illegally poisoned last year, according to the latest annual report by RSPB Scotland.

  • Livestock bodies lobby Scottish Government

    14 September 2011

    SCOTTISH livestock farming leaders have written to the Scottish Government calling for a balanced approach to ensure priorities such as food production are not adversely affected by policies promoting bio-energy and emission reduction.

  • Stones family take sixth sheep title in seven years at Westmorland

    13 September 2011

    FOR the sixth time in seven years, the upland inter-breed sheep title at Westmorland Show, near Kendal, went to Keith and Elaine Stones, who run 350 North Country Cheviots at Marrick, near Richmond, North Yorkshire.

  • Bee disease discovered in Scotland

    9 September 2011

    AN outbreak of  the highly contagious American Foulbrood (AFB) disease, which affects colonies of honeybees, has been found in an apiary in Inverness-shire.

  • Scottish food and drink industry worth £11.9 billion

    8 September 2011

    TURNOVER in Scotland’s food and drink sector has reached a new high of £11.9 billion, according to figures published during the Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight.

  • John Mercer is new NFU regional director

    7 September 2011

    THE new regional director for the NFU’s West Midlands branch is John Mercer, formerly chief livestock adviser at the union’s Stoneleigh Park headquarters.

  • Vibrant tenanted sector is key

    2 September 2011

    A VIBRANT tenanted sector in Scotland was key if the farming industry was to attract new lifeblood into the sector, said NFU Scotland president, Nigel Miller.

  • Potato Week aims to educate and inspire consumers

    31 August 2011

    THE first ever Potato Week, organised by the Potato Council, is to take place from October 1-7.

  • £1m project to help farming families in Cornwall

    31 August 2011

    A £1 million-plus project to provide affordable housing and workspace for farming families in Cornwall is being planned by farming charity The Addington Fund.

  • Yields vary as harvest starts amid tough conditions

    August 19, 2011

    THE anticipated ‘very early’ harvest has not come to fruition across England but, according to the NFU’s chief arable adviser Guy Gagen, it is better than initially feared in May.

  • Frustration for start of Scotland's harvest

    August 19, 2011

    UNSETTLED weather continues to cause problems for the harvest throughout the UK, and in Scotland in particular.

  • Scott Walker appointed new NFUS chief exec

    18 August 2011

    THE new chief executive of NFU Scotland is Scott Walker, who has served as policy director, heading up the union’s policy team, since 2004.

  • Bad weather dampens the Highlands' grouse season

    10 August 2011

    PERSISTENTLY bad weather and prolonged periods of rain earlier in the summer have weakened the outlook in the Highlands for this year’s grouse season, which starts on Friday (August 12).

  • Farm fire causing £2m of damage treated as deliberate

    10 August 2011

    AROUND £2 million worth of damage is estimated to have been caused at a farm fire in South Yorkshire over the weekend, which police think was caused deliberately.

  • Retailers doing a 'very good job' for Scottish food

    10 August 2011

    FOOD retailers in Scotland have received a pat on the back from NFU Scotland for the way they promote and brand Scottish produce on shop shelves.

  • GLA sets the record straight

    August 5, 2011

    THE Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) has taken the unusual step of issuing a statement following an investigation of a company in light of claims and counter claims made in statements by the company and the union Unite.

  • On-farm energy gets major boost in Scotland

    August 5, 2011

    RENEWABLE projects in Scotland’s agriculture sector have been given a major boost with the announcement of a new Agri-Renewables Strategy.

  • Research cuts a blow to agriculture

    4 August 2011

    THE proposed restructuring of Rothamsted Research will severely weaken the UK’s ability to develop sustainable agricultural systems, Prospect, the union representing agricultural and environmental scientists, has warned.

  • CLA 'frustrated' as unspent money returned to Government

    4 August 2011

    THE CLA is ‘frustrated’ that rules affecting the closure of the North West Development Agency have led to hundreds of thousands of pounds, intended to be spent in the region, being returned to Central Government.

  • NFUS tackles cattle death reporting

    4 August 2011

    NFU Scotland has taken steps to help Scottish livestock farms comply with the most common regulatory breach – failing to report the deaths of all cattle on farm and returning the dead animals’ passports to the authorities.

  • Ragwort concern for Cheshire farmers

    3 August 2011

    AUTHORITIES in Cheshire are being urged by farming leaders to get to grips with ragwort – a toxic plant which poses serious risks to animal health.

  • Scottish politicians on-farm visits

    2 August 2011

    MORE than 30 Scottish MPs and MSPs have accepted an invitation from NFU Scotland to visit farms up and down the country during their summer recess.

  • Aberdeen-Angus retains beef title at Border Union Show

    2 August 2011

    FOR the second year in succession, the beef inter-breed trophy at the Border Union Show, Kelso, went to the Aberdeen-Angus champion.

  • Borders abattoir to stop killing cattle

    2 August 2011

    NFU Scotland is to set up a development group to look into further options for livestock slaughtering and processing in the Scottish Borders, following the announcement that the abattoir in Galashiels is to cease killing cattle and sheep.

  • Yorkshire sausage officially launched

    1 August 2011

    THE official Yorkshire Sausage has been unveiled by celebrity TV chef Rosemary Shrager at a special Yorkshire Day celebration in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, home town of David Lishman, the butcher who has led the three month-long campaign.

  • E.coli compensation reaches €227m

    29 July 2011

    THE emergency aid package agreed by the European Commission for those vegetable growers affected by the recent E.coli crisis in Germany is to be increased to €227 million.

  • New awards launched at Border Union Show

    29 July 2011

    NEW agriculture awards are being launched today (Friday) at the Border Union Show, Kelso, to celebrate best of Scottish Borders

  • Conservation project set to double red kite numbers

    July 29, 2011

    A landmark Forestry Commission conservation project is set to double the number of red kites in the Lake District’s Grizedale Forest.

  • Agriculture is second most dangerous industry

    28 July 2011

    AGRICULTURE is the second most dangerous industry to work in, with 34 fatal accidents in the 12 months to March 2011 – only the construction industry with 50 deaths had more work-related fatal incidents.

  • Restricting trailer heights would be 'devastating'

    28 July 2011

    A PROPOSAL to restrict the height of artic-trailers in the EU to under 4 metres would have a ‘devastating’ effect on the agricultural industry, critics have warned.

  • Development plan will penalise genuine crofters

    26 July 2011

    THE proposed Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan will penalise genuine crofters and prevent the creation of new woodland crofts in the county, the Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) has warned.

  • Project launched to create 200ha woodland habitat

    25 July 2011

    ONE of the biggest habitat creation schemes of its kind in England is to be carried out in Northumberland on one of the country’s most remote farms.

  • Scotland 'asleep on the job' over EID

    25 July 2011

    SCOTLAND was ‘asleep on the job’ when the controversial EU regulations on the electronic identification of sheep came into being and were incorporated into Scottish law.

  • Salmonella found in Spanish eggs

    July 22, 2011

    THE British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) has warned caterers to look for the British Lion mark in light of new Health Protection Agency reports of salmonella associated with Spanish eggs.

  • Ramsgate live exports set to continue

    18 July 2011

    LIVE animal exports are set to continue from the Port of Ramsgate after Thanet District Council was told there was no legal way to prevent the trade from the port.

  • Keep milk production low to improve price – Handley

    July 15, 2011

    NOW was not the time for dairy farmers across the UK and Ireland to increase milk production, warned Farmers For Action chairman David Handley.

  • Campaign to save Agricultural Wages Board

    July 15, 2011

    SHADOW Defra Secretary Mary Creagh is leading a Labour Party campaign to save the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB).

  • Tesco to stock Yorkshire peas

    11 July 2011

    A CONSORTIUM of 40 Yorkshire pea farmers has signed a major contract to put the UK’s first fully farmer-owned brand of peas into Britain’s biggest supermarket.

  • MPs back industry on supermarket complaints

    24 June 2011

    THE legislation covering the proposed groceries code adjudicator should be amended to allow trade organisations to make complaints for farmers and food producers who fear jeopardising their commercial relationships with retailers, say MPs.

  • RHS 2011: Government launches food education initiative

    23 June 2011

    UNIQUE guidelines for partnership working between schools and food and drink organisations were launched at the Royal Highland Show by Scottish Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson.

  • RHS 2011: Lochhead confirms £1.1m food and drink fund

    23 June 2011

    A £1.1 million funding package for Scotland’s food and drink industry has been announced by Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead prior to the start of today’s Royal Highland Show.

  • Farm security team set up to deal with travellers

    21 June 2011

    A specialist farm protection team has been launched to help deter thefts from farms and evict travellers illegally camped on farmland, particularly in the South East.

  • Shropshire farmers face huge bill to clear dumped tyres

    17 June 2011

    PEDIGREE beef farmers Graham and Jane Brindley are counting the cost after a lorry load of tyres was dumped at the end of the farm drive some time overnight on Wednesday, completing blocking access.

  • Further water margin regulations should be avoided - NFU Scotland

    June 17, 2011

    THE Scottish Government has been urged to avoid further regulations around the protection of water margins and to recognise the work joint industry initiatives are doing to tackle diffuse pollution.

  • Dairy farmers to lobby MPs

    June 17, 2011

    TEN dairy farmers from across Yorkshire and the North East are heading to Westminster on Tuesday (June 21) to highlight the crisis facing the sector and seek the support of MPs.

  • UK continues to raise concerns over EID

    16 June 2011

    THE UK is to submit a further proposal to Europe over the electronic identification of sheep, reflecting the differing circumstances throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

  • NFUS calls for psoroptic mange action

    14 June 2011

    NFU Scotland has called for cattle psoroptic mange – the bovine equivalent of sheep scab – to be made a notifiable disease.

  • Farming well represented in Queen's Birthday Honours

    14 June 2011

    FARMING and its associated organisations were well represented in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, with Prof Bill McKelvey, chief executive and principal of SAC, receiving the OBE.

  • Scottish farm workers in line for 2.5 per cent wage increase

    10 June 2011

    FARM workers in Scotland are in line for a 2.5 per cent increase in wages, plus an extra day’s holiday under proposals, put forward by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB).

  • Bird-friendly measures help stop decline

    June 10, 2011

    FARMERS are playing their part in helping to halt the decline in farmland bird populations by managing more land than ever before to provide winter food and habitats.

  • Victory for Old Spots pigs

    June 10, 2011

    THE breeders of Gloucestershire Old Spots pigs have won a trademark battle to prevent a Scottish meat marketing company using the name ‘Old Spot’ on one of its products.

  • New surveillance zone to prevent TB spread in Cumbria

    June 10, 2011

    AN ‘enhanced surveillance zone’ near Penrith has been announced by Animal Health in a bid to prevent bovine TB from spreading across Cumbria.

  • WI continues to push for food labelling

    June 10, 2011

    THE National Federation of Women’s Institutes will continue to push for mandatory country of origin labelling of food, its annual meeting in Liverpool was told.

  • Charities 'not doing enough' on food and farming

    8 June 2011

    THE fact that the UK’s voluntary and charitable sectors spend so little on food and farming issues was deeply worrying, claimed Dr Tom MacMillan, executive director of the Food Ethics Council.

  • Government urged to act quickly on ombudsman

    6 June 2011

    EVERY day the Government delays setting up a supermarket watchdog risks putting more farmers and growers out of business, the chairman of the national Grocery Market Action Group has warned.

  • New e.coli strain suspected as Britons fall ill

    3 June 2011

    THE e.coli outbreak in Germany, which by Thursday (June 2) had led to 17 deaths and infected more than 1,500 people, has highlighted the need for a ‘joined-up’ public health response in Europe, a UK expert has claimed.

  • Farmers granted derogations to cope with dry weather

    2 June 2011

    DEROGATIONS are being made available by Natural England (NE) to help farmers and growers in agri-environment schemes cope with the intense spell of dry weather.

  • National park and police join forces to tackle wildfires

    2 June 2011

    DYFED Powys Police and the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority have joined forces in a bid to tackle wild fire crime in the national park.

  • James Withers to leave NFUS

    31 May 2011

    NFU Scotland stalwart James Withers is leaving his post as chief executive to take up a similar position with Scotland Food & Drink.

  • Food industry 'taken the initiative' on labelling

    27 May 2011

    MOST meat and dairy products now feature information on where their ingredients came from or where they were produced, according to new survey results.

  • Voting underway on National Trust's MyFarm

    27 May 2011

    VOTING on the first major decision of the National Trust’s MyFarm experiment is now underway.

  • TFA warns Government not to delay wildlife control

    25 May 2011

    THE Government should not delay any further plans to implement a range of decisions affecting livestock farmers, the Tenant Farmers Association has warned.

  • MEPs call for responsible use of farm antibiotics

    13 May 2011

    THE European Parliament has adopted a resolution from MEPs calling for the responsible and prudent use of antimicrobial medicines in food animals.

  • Wool board elects new chairman

    13 May 2011

    MALCOLM Corbett has been elected as chairman of the British Wool Marketing Board to succeed Frank Langrish, who has held the post for 11 years.

  • Green subsidy review could cost businesses millions

    13 May 2011

    SOME rural businesses could lose more than £1 million following proposals to change the way the Government pays subsidies for renewable energy, the Country Land and Business Association has warned.

  • Limited farming opportunities available - TFA

    12 May 2011

    A SUSTAINABLE farming ladder in British agriculture is still some way off becoming a reality, Jeremy Walker, national chairman of the Tenant Farmers Association has warned.

  • Newton Rigg ag course future confirmed

    9 May 2011

    THE transfer of further education courses from the University of Cumbria’s Newton Rigg campus, Penrith, to Askham Bryan College, York, will take place from July 31, following a final agreement signed by the two institutions.  

  • Upland farm payments on track

    9 May 2011

    NINETY-FIVE per cent of eligible hill farmers in England who applied for the Uplands Transitional Payment (UTP) have now been paid, the Rural Payments Agency has revealed.

  • Three-legged dog wins farm award

    5 May 2011

    A Welsh sheepdog, forced to have a leg amputated after a serious accident, has been crowned the NFU’s Farm Dog of the Year.

  • Government must do more for uplands - TFA

    5 May 2011

    THERE is a very real danger of losing the impetus for establishing a sustainable future for upland areas in England, the Tenant Farmers Association has warned.

  • Scottish farmers to receive new scab rules

    4 May 2011

    DETAILS of the new rules regarding the reporting of sheep scab, which is endemic in parts of Scotland, are being sent out to all Scottish sheep farmers in the next few days.

  • Wind farms paid £800k for a few hours work

    3 May 2011

    SIX wind farms in Scotland were paid almost £890,000 over a few hours for effectively disposing of the electricity they had generated.

  • £30m centre of excellence for Ingliston

    29 April 2011

    THE Royal Highland and Agricultural Society (RHASS) has been given the green light for a £30 million improvement scheme to transform the Royal Highland Centre into a world class exhibition venue.

  • Ongoing CAP support key for Scots

    29 April 2011

    REDUCING red tape and CAP reform are among the common threads running through the list of priorities the new administration in Scotland has been urged to tackle.

  • Scottish Green Party promise to boost rural economy

    28 April 2011

    AN £80 million annual fund for small farms, crofters and new entrants is being promised by the Scottish Green Party as part of its plans to boost the country’s rural economy.

  • Scottish farmers needed to host school visits

    28 April 2011

    A NEW campaign to recruit an additional 50 Scottish livestock farmers to host school visits was launched this week.

  • SAC report highlights challenges facing rural areas

    27 April 2011

    A ‘one size fits all’ approach will not work in trying to solve problems faced by rural areas, Scotland’s policymakers have been told by researchers at SAC.

  • Balloon death bullock farmer receives compensation

    24 April 2011

    THE Kent farmer, who lost one of his bullocks after it choked to death on a string attached to a helium-filled balloon, has received compensation after the insurers had initially refused to pay out.

  • Compulsory labelling comes a step closer

    20 April 2011

    MANDATORY rules for country of origin labelling moved a step closer this week following a unanimous vote in a European Parliament committee.

  • Scottish farmers favour BVD screening

    19 April 2011

    THOUGH Scottish farmers are in favour of mandatory herd screening for bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), they believe it should not be brought in until the end of the year.

  • Scotland meat inspection plan gathers pace

    19 April 2011

    SCOTTISH meat wholesalers are aiming to have plans for a devolved meat inspection service placed with the Scottish Government ‘within weeks, if not days’ of the new administration taking office.

  • Farmer granted £33,000 record scholarship

    19 April 2011

    LEICESTERSHIRE farmer Paul Eggerton has been awarded a £33,000 scholarship - believed to be a record for the industry - by agricultural charity, the MBA Agri-Farm Scholarship Trust.

  • NFUS calls for tighter controls on illegal imports

    15 April 2011

    THE alarming spread of diseases, such as African swine fever and foot-and-mouth, in other countries has led to NFU Scotland calling for tighter border controls to help prevent illegal imports of food into the UK.

  • Farmers warned over tail docking

    15 April 2011

    WITH lambing season in full swing, NFU Scotland has reminded sheep producers of the rules around tail docking, warning that enforcement action could be taken if tails are docked too short.

  • Bid to restrict antimicrobials rejected

    13 April 2011

    A BID by MEPs to restrict vets from selling veterinary medicines directly to farmers and other animal owners in ‘non-acute cases’ has been defeated.

  • Farmers urged to improve water quality

    12 April 2011

    NATURAL Environment Minister Richard Beynon visited Bicton College, Devon, to speak to farmers and others taking part in a scheme to improve water quality in the South West.

  • Green light for Reaseheath AD project

    12 April 2011

    A demonstration farm-scale anaerobic digestion plant has been commissioned at Reaseheath College Cheshire. Based on two small scale, low capital systems, it can be replicated commercially on farms or in horticultural businesses.

  • Study calls for farmers to reduce fertilisers

    11 April 2011

    THE annual cost of damage caused by nitrogen pollution across Europe is more than double the extra income gained from using nitrogen fertilisers in agriculture, a new study has revealed.

  • UK and Brazil call for action on food prices

    8 April 2011

    DEFRA Secretary Caroline Spelman has joined with her Brazilian counterpart to call for the G20 Agriculture Ministers to take action to tackle food price volatility.

  • Campaign launched to reduce farm fires

    8 April 2011

    A new campaign and partnership has been launched in Cornwall to help reduce the risk of potentially dangerous farm fires in the county.

  • Reminder for renewable energy loan fund

    7 April 2011

    FARMERS in Scotland who are considering investing in renewable energy have been reminded that applications for the Communities and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) Loan Fund close on April 30.

  • Scotland appeals to Ciolos over £100m fine threat

    4 April 2011

    EUROPEAN Commissioner Dacian Ciolos has been urged to clarify whether Scotland still has the threat of a £100 million fine for misinterpretation of the rules on eligible acres hanging over its head.

  • Police crackdown on Pennines moors

    4 April 2011

    POLICE have warned that people caught driving motor vehicles, motorbikes or 4x4s on footpaths, bridleways or open moorland in the South Pennines risk having their vehicles seized and crushed.

  • Rise in Beef Calf Scheme claims

    31 March 2011

    THERE have been around 422,500 claims under the Scottish Beef Calf Scheme, about 16,500 more than in 2009.

  • Making progress as NFUS meets Defra Secretary

    31 March 2011

    SENIOR figures from NFU Scotland met Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman and Scottish Secretary Michael Moore in Westminster yesterday (Wednesday, March 30), in what the union delegation described as a ‘milestone’ meeting.

  • CLA hits out at BBC cuts

    31 March 2011

    THE BBC’s proposals to cut its local radio output to two shows a day – breakfast and drive time – have been sharply criticised by the Country Land and Business Association.

  • 'Milestone' meeting for Spelman and NFU Scotland

    30 March 2011

    SENIOR figures from NFU Scotland met Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman and Scottish Secretary Michael Moore in Westminster today (Wednesday) in what the union delegation described as a ‘milestone’ meeting.

  • UK farming leaders raise concerns over EID

    30 March 2011

    CONCERNS over the implementation of the electronic tagging (EID) rules for sheep have been raised by UK farming leaders during meetings with delegates from the EU Food and Veterinary Office.

  • Changing diets could reduce livestock emissions

    30 March 2011

    BURPING cows have long since been blamed for adding to greenhouse gas emissions, but, according to Defra-funded research, this could be reduced by changing their diets.

  • Plant trees to reduce flooding, farmers told

    30 March 2011

    A GRANT scheme has been launched by the Forestry Commission aimed at getting landowners to plant trees to reduce flood risk in Yorkshire and Humberside.

  • Scottish estates launch pioneering wildlife initiative

    30 March 2011

    THREE Scottish estates in the Cairngorms National Park have been named as the first to pilot the pioneering Wildlife Estates Scotland (WES) initiative.

  • Man dies in forklift truck accident

    29 March 2011

    A man has died in a forklift truck accident on a farm in Aberdeenshire.

  • Land Army memorial set for Moray

    28 March 2011

    A memorial to commemorate the work undertaken by thousands of women during World War 2 is to be sited in Moray, Scotland.

  • Watercress farmers apply for EU protection

    28 March 2011

    BRITISH watercress farmers have passed the first stage of their battle to gain EU protected status for the age-old method of growing watercress in pure, mineral rich flowing water. 

  • Yorkshire Dales housing plan launched

    28 March 2011

    THE Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) has launched its new Housing Development Plan with the aim of delivering sites for affordable housing over the next 15 years.

  • Scottish farmers still waiting for 2010 LFA payments

    25 March 2011

    AROUND 1,300 Scottish farmers are still awaiting payment through the 2010 Less Favoured Area Support Scheme, because they may not have completed paperwork which should have been returned in 2009.

  • New entrants have voice heard in Europe

    March 25, 2011

    THE disadvantages faced by new entrants to farming and ways of helping them were discussed by Scottish MEP Alyn Smith during a meeting with senior European Commission officials responsible for the future of the Single Farm Payment.

  • QMS reappoints board members for a second term

    24 March 2011

    SIX members of the board of Quality Meat Scotland, the Scottish red meat marketing and promotional body, have been reappointed for a second two-year term of office.

  • RSPB announces 'groundbreaking' Fens project

    24 March 2011

    THE RSPB has announced a ‘groundbreaking’ landscape-scale conservation project in The Fens today (Thursday, March 24).

  • Pig producer confidence at an all-time low

    24 March 2011

    PIG producer confidence is at an all-time low, though this is not reflected in other areas of the sector, a survey conducted by BPEX has revealed.

  • Scottish Government launches tenancy consultation

    23 March 2011

    THE Scottish Government has launched a three-month consultation on proposals to remove barriers to farm lets and improve tenant security  in Scotland.

  • New Yorkshire county branch chairmen

    22 March 2011

    TWO new county branch chairmen in Yorkshire have been announced by the NFU.

  • NSA has concerns after UK EID trials

    22 March 2011

    FIELD trials of EID tags in the UK sheep flock have highlighted the ‘critical’ importance of having ‘tolerance’ within the regulations, the National Sheep Association has claimed.

  • Osborne urged to tackle fuel prices

    21 March 2011

    FARMERS and hauliers in Scotland have called on the UK Government to act now to reduce the burden imposed on their industries by record fuel prices and associated taxation.

  • Fraud and corruption key causes of food scares

    21 March 2011

    A ‘significant’ number of food scares in the UK, Ireland and the USA during the past 10 years have been down to food fraud and corruption, a leading scientist has claimed.

  • Forestry panel urged to consider staff

    18 March 2011

    THE professionals’ union Prospect has urged the Government’s newly formed Forestry Expert Panel to take on board the expertise of specialist Forestry Commission employees before making recommendations on the future of England’s forests.

  • Lochhead accused over milk prices

    18 March 2011

    SCOTLAND’S Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has been accused of getting himself into a ‘real mess’ over milk prices.

  • Farmers facing pressures on credit

    18 March 2011

    AS the recession continues to bite, Scottish farmers are being asked about their relationships with their banks and the costs in obtaining or maintaining credit and overdraft facilities.

  • Charities warn pesticides may harm wildlife

    17 March 2011

    BEES and other wildlife may still be damaged by neonicotinoid pesticides, despite a newly released Government report claiming that field studies show ‘no gross effects’ on honey bees.

  • Jeremy Walker is new TFA chairman

    17 March 2011

    THE new national chairman of The Tenant Farmers Association is Jeremy Walker, who farms 650 acres leased from The Crown Estate near Bridgwater, Somerset.

  • £7.5m in grants available to reduce diffuse pollution

    15 March 2011

    GRANTS of up to £10,000 each are available for farmers in 50 priority catchment areas across England to help reduce diffuse pollution from agriculture.

  • Scottish organic plan launched

    14 March 2011

    THE organic sector in Scotland has been given a boost with today’s launch of the Scottish Organic Action Plan, aimed at increasing production and helping to meet consumer demands.

  • SNP launches website for farmers

    14 March 2011

    SCOTLAND owes a ‘huge debt’ to its farmers and crofters, with the industry underpinning a lot of the country’s economy, said Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead.

  • Lochhead assures farmers over late payments

    14 March 2011

    THE Scottish Government is confident that 90 per cent of Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS) payments will be paid by the end of March.

  • CAP 'unfair' on Scottish farmers

    11 March 2011

    SCOTTISH farming has much to offer in helping to tackle the huge challenges faced by the world, but it is not receiving a fair share of CAP funding which recognises that contribution.

  • Report 'hijacked' by GM lobby

    8 March 2011

    THE ‘hijacking’ of a report to the European Parliament by the GM lobby has been criticised by Scottish MEP Alyn Smith.

  • Industry anger as RPA set to miss target

    7 March 2011

    FARMING leaders have reacted with anger at the news the Rural Payments Agency will fail to meet its target of paying 95 per cent of single farm payments by the end of March.

  • Couple fined £130,000 over farm fly tipping

    7 March 2011

    A couple whose company illegally dumped building waste on Green Belt land in Staffordshire has been ordered to pay a total of £132,470 in fines and costs following the county council’s biggest tipping prosecution.

  • Crofting grants deadline extended

    7 March 2011

    THE deadline for small farmers in crofting areas to submit final applications to the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme (CCAGS) has been extended until the end of this month.

  • R&D gets £4.5m boost

    7 March 2011

    MORE than £4.5 million is to be jointly invested by the Technology Strategy Board and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council in 11 innovative research and development projects using genomics-based technologies.

  • Single payments target will be missed

    4 March 2011

    THE Rural Payments Agency will fail to meet its target of paying 95 per cent of single farm payments by the end of March.

  • Police look to reduce off-roading damage

    4 March 2011

    RANGERS from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) have joined forces with North Yorkshire Police to try to reduce the damage to the landscape caused by illegal off-roading.

  • NFUS launches consultation on CAP future

    4 March 2011

    SCOTTISH farmers are being asked for their views on the future direction of the single farm payment.

  • Scottish landowners want a fairer treament

    3 March 2011

    A NUMBER of politicians are ‘unwilling to move on from their prejudice’ against landowners, despite clear evidence of the role they fulfil in rural land management, some Scottish landowning organisations have claimed.

  • CLA slams move to centralise development budget

    2 March 2011

    DEFRA’S decision to centralise its budget for the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) for 2007-13 could adversely affect the chances of some ‘strong’ proposals attracting funding, the CLA has warned.

  • High Speed Rail could hit farm businesses

    2 March 2011

    IF the controversial high speed rail link between London and the Midlands goes ahead, its impact on farm businesses must be recognised by the Government.

  • Sheep worth up to £15,000 stolen from Lancashire farm

    1 March 2011

    IN-LAMB sheep with an estimated value of between £10,000 and £15,000 were stolen from a Lancashire farm.

  • £3m anaerobic digestor planned for Cumbria

    25 February 2011

    CUMBRIA could have its third £3 million farm-based rural electricity generating plant under plans by energy farming specialists Farmgen.

  • Government urged not to delay renewables proposals

    24 February 2011

    THE Government is in danger of ‘undermining’ its own good intentions through repeated delays in publishing its proposals for renewable heating.

  • Scotland's goose management scheme under review

    24 February 2011

    THE Scottish Government is considering ways of adapting Scotland’s goose management schemes to make them more responsive to conservation needs.

  • Cameron backs Spelman despite forest U-turn

    24 February 2011

    DEFRA Secretary Caroline Spelman has been given a vote of confidence by Prime Minister David Cameron despite her ‘humiliating’ climb-down over forest sell-off plans.

  • Council cuts threaten rare breeds

    21 February 2011

    BUDGET cutbacks at Leeds City Council have put conservation efforts to save some of the world’s rarest animals under threat.

  • New hen harrier report 'misleading'

    17 February 2011

    A NEW report in Scotland on hen harriers has been dismissed as ‘out of date and misleading’ by five organisations at the forefront of conservation of the Scottish countryside.

  • Government shock U-turn over forest plans

    17 February 2011

    THE Government has done a shock U-turn on its controversial plans to sell off thousands of acres of England’s public forests.

  • Plans to sell forest estate temporarily suspended

    16 February 2011

    GOVERNMENT plans to sell off 15 per cent of the public forestry estate, involving lower public benefit woodland, have been temporarily suspended.

  • Unite urges NFU to work with them

    16 February 2011

    UNITE, the union which represents 154,000 agricultural workers, wants to work side-by-side with the NFU to address the ‘serious’ problems facing the industry.

  • Police recover £130,000 in stolen machinery

    14 February 2011

    MORE than £130,000 worth of stolen farm equipment has been recovered in Solihull, West Midlands by the UK’s dedicated vehicle crime unit, the police’s Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (AVCIS).

  • Bitter blow as GM feed vote is delayed

    11 February 2011

    THE ongoing delay in introducing ‘sensible’ tolerance levels for the detection of non-EU approved GM varieties in animal feed imports has been described as  ‘a blow against scientific evidence and common sense’.

  • Crofting reforms 'will hurt small farmers'

    11 February 2011

    PROPOSED changes to the Scottish Government’s grant scheme for crofters has been described as ‘disappointing for many small farmers’ by NFU Scotland.

  • Kendall's warning for organic sector

    10 February 2011

    THE organic sector should be careful what it wished for, NFU president Peter Kendall warned the Soil Association’s annual conference yesterday (Wednesday, February 9).

  • UK 'lazy' with support for organic

    9 February 2011

    THE UK is the worst in Europe for providing support for organic food and farming and should ‘wake up’ to what is happening elsewhere, the Soil Association has claimed.

  • Unions will fight to save forestry jobs

    8 February 2011

    TRADE unions representing Forestry Commission employees in England have pledged to fight ‘tooth and nail’ against proposed job cuts of 29 per cent of the workforce – more than 300 jobs - in England’s forests.

  • Upland farmers 'vital' to conservation effort

    7 February 2011

    THE contribution of upland livestock farming still fails to be recognised nationally and internationally, David Butterworth, chief executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, has claimed.

  • Farmers asked to back Apprenticeship Week

    4 February 2011

    FARMING businesses are being asked to support Apprenticeship Week, which runs until February 14, by completing a new survey about apprenticeships in farming.

  • Farmer wins £50,000 RPA court case

    4 February 2011

    A FARMER hit with more than £50,000 in penalties and withheld payments because of a simple administrative error on a claim form has won his case in the High Court.

  • Unite slams NFU over farm wages

    4 February 2011

    THE NFU has come under fire after describing a pay claim submitted by Unite, the union which represents 154,000 agricultural workers, as ‘looking on the surface like an outrageous demand’.

  • 'Worrying' increase in thefts from farms

    2 February 2011

    RISING fuel costs have led to ‘noticeable’ increase in thefts of diesel and heating oil from farms throughout the UK.

  • Ptarmigan study could help poultry yields

    2 February 2011

    STUDIES of an arctic relative of the grouse could eventually lead to the improvement of welfare and meat yield within the poultry industry.

  • Farm incomes plummet as feed bills rise

    28 January 2011

    HUGE hikes in animal feed bills are being blamed for the predicted dramatic fall in farm incomes England’s livestock and dairy farmers are likely to face in 2010-11.

  • Scottish farm incomes fall

    28 January 2011

    AVERAGE farm business incomes (FBI) in Scotland dropped £4,900 to £34,400, representing a fall of 12 per cent, in 2009-10, according to figures released by the Scottish Government.

  • Efra consider implications of new egg rules

    27 January 2011

    THE implications of the EU’s Welfare of Laying Hens Directive on the English egg industry are to be examined by the Government’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.

  • Lords sub-committee calls for CAP overhaul

    27 January 2011

    A RADICAL reform of the CAP, with innovation as a central part of the whole reform agenda, has been urged by a House of Lords sub-committee.

  • Tesco and Asda shun sourcing local in Scotland

    27 January 2011

    AN investigation of supermarket shelves carried out by NFU Scotland has shown major retailers Tesco and Asda shunning home produced pork and chicken in favour of cheap imports.

  • Full judicial review for farmer of champion bull

    27 January 2011

    THE Yorkshire farmer who is fighting to overturn a Defra notice to slaughter his champion British Blonde bull following a positive test for bTB, has been awarded the right for a full judicial review in the High Court.

  • Access SPS service online before maintenance

    25 January 2011

    THE whole of Rural Payments Agency’s SPS Online service will be unavailable from February 7 to March 1 to allow essential updates to be carried out for 2011 applications.

  • Askham Bryan leads race for Newton Rigg

    24 January 2011

    ASKHAM Bryan College, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, has been chosen by a selection panel as the ‘preferred’ bidder to provide further education courses in land-based skills presently offered at the Newton Rigg campus of the University of Cumbria.

  • Struggling farmers given faster payments

    21 January 2011

    THE Scottish Government has announced ‘significant’ efforts are being made to get vital Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS) payments into farmers’ bank accounts as soon as possible in the wake of severe weather conditions.

  • Irish report warns against 'shoddy' operators

    20 January 2011

    SUBSTANDARD practices and illegal activity should not be tolerated in assuring food safety, a major report has warned.

  • Localism Bill must do more to deliver economic growth

    19 January 2011

    THE Coalition Government’s proposed Localism Bill needs a few amendments to help sustain the rural economy, the Country Land and Business Association has claimed.

  • Biofuels blamed for dioxin contamination

    18 January 2011

    THE European Union’s ‘obsession’ with biofuels has been blamed for the recent discovery of dioxin in animal feed produced in Germany.

  • TFA criticises review to sell Gloucestershire county farms

    13 January 2011

    THE Tenant Farmers Association has criticised a review carried out by Gloucestershire County Council to consider the potential disposal of a third of its farms estate as lacking the ‘necessary depth and analysis’.

  • Apply for Scotland's Future Farmer Award 2011

    12 January 2011

    FARMERS, crofters and land managers in Scotland are being invited to apply for the 2011 Future Farmer Award, which aims to promote practical innovative ideas for improving sustainability.

  • RASE secures £50m investment

    January 7, 2011

    The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) has secured a £50 million investment deal with property experts LaSalle Investment Management to safeguard the future of Stoneleigh Park as a centre of rural excellence.

  • RPA meets deadline for SPS payments

    6 January 2011

    THE Rural Payments Agency has met its first 2010 Single Payment Scheme target of making payments to 90,194 English farmers, representing 85 per cent of the total claimant benchmark figure of 105,500.

  • Take action now to avoid food shortage - NFU

    31 December 2010

    NFU President Peter Kendall has used his New Year’s message to warn that the UK’s food gap is set to widen further unless the Government takes action to reverse the trend.

  • Lochhead warns against dairy pressures

    30 December 2010

    THE UK dairy sector is being ‘so badly pressed’ that some producers are finding it difficult to survive, Scotland’s Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has warned.

  • Defra confirms £21m flood grants

    29 December 2010

    DEFRA Secretary Caroline Spelman has confirmed that £21 million worth of grants will be available to help councils protect and support their own community when managing flood risk.

  • Farm schemes are boosting birdlife

    23 December 2010

    A SCIENTIFIC survey of environmental schemes has shown Government-funded measures to help birds in winter are working.

  • Honey bee's deadly enemy will self-destruct

    23 December 2010

    SCIENTISTS may be able to halt global honey bee losses by forcing the deadly varroa mite - lethal in the freezing weather - to self-destruct.

  • Defra creates £21 million council flood fund

    23 December 2010

    DEFRA Secretary Caroline Spelman has confirmed that £21 million worth of grants will be available to help councils protect and support their own community when managing flood risk.

  • Farm insurers join police to tackle rural crime

    21 December 2010

    A SHARP rise in farm machinery thefts has prompted rural insurers NFU Mutual to join forces with the police.

  • Agricultural land use up 1% in Scotland

    20 December 2010

    THE area of land used for agriculture in Scotland now stands at 5.64 million hectares (13.94 million acres), an increase of 1 per cent compared with 2009, according to the final results from the 2010 June Agricultural Census.

  • Upland farms still under threat

    20 December 2010

    THE viability of much upland farming remains at best slender and, all too frequently, heavily dependent for survival on public money, William Worsley, president of the Country Land and Business Association, has warned.

  • Hundreds turn out for FFA protests

    16 December 2010

    FARMERS For Action’s planned milk price protests went ahead outside three Asda distribution depots last night, despite the supermarket group taking legal action in a bid to halt them.

  • Wildfowl shooting suspended

    15 December 2010

    THE shooting of certain species of wildfowl in Scotland has been suspended by the Scottish Government due to the severe weather conditions.

  • SAC highlights key issues facing Scotland

    15 December 2010

    THE top 25 key issues which could affect rural Scotland, but are also relevant to all communities, have been highlighted in a booklet and website by SAC.

  • Scottish farmers praised for snow efforts

    9 December 2010

    THE efforts of farmers in Scotland helping to keep things running during the severe weather conditions have been praised by Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead.

  • County Council boost for tenant farmers

    8 December 2010

    AT a time when several county councils are selling off their farms estate, Warwickshire is bucking the trend and is determined to retain and enhance its smallholdings portfolio.

  • Livestock feeding rules relaxed

    3 December 2010

    WITH the arctic weather showing no signs of abating, the NFU has successfully lobbied for livestock feeding rules to be relaxed.

  • Relaxing drivers’hours to help farmers

    3 December 2010

    THE Scottish Government has secured a relaxation in drivers’ hours regulations to enable feed supplies to reach the country’s poultry farms during the prolonged severe conditions.

  • RSPB issues appeal during big freeze

    3 December 2010

    THE RSPB is calling on birdwatchers, walkers, anglers and water sports enthusiasts across the UK to minimise disturbance to groups of ducks, geese, swans and wading birds until conditions improve.

  • EU slammed over South American trade talks

    2 December 2010

    THE EU has been strongly criticised for its ‘naive’ negotiations with South American countries on agricultural trade

  • German court upholds GM ban

    29 November 2010

    THE restrictive provisions for the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops in Germany have been upheld by the country’s Federal Constitutional Court.

  • Soil protection costs farmers in SPS inspections

    29 November 2010

    ONE in every 14 farmers inspected this year had not completed the current version of the Soil Protection Review and most will now lose 5 per cent of their support payments.

  • Row erupts over Irish food

    25 November 2010

    THE Republic of Ireland should be reported to the European Commission and face action in the European Court of Justice for discriminating against food products from Northern Ireland.

  • £100m fine claims slammed as 'scaremongering'

    25 November 2010

    A CLAIM that Scotland could face fines of up to £100 million after ‘wrongly interpreting’ EU land eligibility rules has been dismissed as ‘scaremongering’ by the Scottish Government.

  • Nominations open for NFUS elections

    24 November 2010

    THERE will be a new face at the helm of NFU Scotland in February when president Jim McLaren stands down after four years in the post, while the offices of vice-president are also open for nominations.

  • Scottish conservation project launched

    23 November 2010

    WILDLIFE Estates Scotland, an initiative which aims to highlight conservation of habitat and wildlife, has been launched by Scottish Environment Minister, Roseanna Cunningham.

  • Restoration project to boost Kinder Scout

    23 November 2010

    KINDER Scout, in the Peak District, one of the key sites in the fight to gain public access to the countryside, is to get a £2.5 million restoration.

  • Charity launches new farm support network

    22 November 2010

    A NEW confidential listening and support telephone helpline service for Scotland’s farming community has been launched by the charity RSABI.

  • EU Commissioner meets Ministers for EID talks

    22 November 2010

    THE UK’S Farming and Rural Affairs Ministers had a ‘very useful and encouraging’ meeting with EU Commissioner Dalli to discuss the implementation of EU rules on electronic identification (EID) of sheep.

  • Supermarket installs CCTV to root out slaughterhouse cruelty

    19 November 2010

    MORRISONS will have CCTV cameras in all its abattoirs by the end of December to root out any abuse of animal welfare.

  • McLaren warns EU over transport rules

    November 19, 2010

    EUROPE should ensure it enforced its existing animal transport laws before considering new rules which could seriously affect Scotland’s ability to move livestock, NFU Scotland president Jim McLaren told a conference in Brussels yesterday (Thursday, November 18).

  • Hen harriers under threat, warns RSPB

    November 19, 2010

    THE future of the hen harrier hangs by a thread in England and all measures to prevent its extinction in the uplands must be considered, the RSPB has warned.

  • LFA support survives Scottish budget cuts

    18 November 2010

    THOUGH Scotland’s Rural Affairs and Environment budget has been slashed by £55 million year-on-year to £539.4m for 2011-2012, agricultural support in the country’s less favoured areas remains unchanged.

  • Jim McLaren to lead QMS

    17 November 2010

    THE president of NFU Scotland, Jim McLaren has been named as the next chairman of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and will take up his new post in April 2011.

  • Livestock industry facing £21m bill over FSA cuts

    17 November 2010

    THE proposal by the Food Standards Agency to pass a £21 million bill for meat inspection charges onto the livestock industry has been universally condemned by farming and industry organisations.

  • RPA reports rise in online movement reports

    17 November 2010

    MORE than 80 per cent of cattle movements were reported using the Rural Payments Agency’s electronic services in October – the highest figure ever recorded.

  • Danny Alexander discusses opportunities for rural broadband

    15 November 2010

    LANDOWNERS and rural businesses in the Scottish Highlands were joined by Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, at Kingussie today (Friday) to discuss business opportunities that super fast broadband for the Highlands will bring in the light of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR).

  • Royal Veterinary College appoints new head

    15 November 2010

    THE Royal Veterinary College has appointed Prof Stuart Reid, formerly Professor of Veterinary Informatics and Epidemiology and head of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow.

  • TFA slams move to sell Gloucestershire county farms

    15 November 2010

    THE decision of Gloucestershire County Council to reduce the number of its county farms from 88 to 50 over the next four years has ‘dealt a major blow’ to the farming ladder, the Tenant Farmers Association has claimed.

  • NFUS slams FSA move to pass on costs

    12 November 2010

    NFU Scotland has added its weight to the opposition to the Food Standards Agency’s plans to pass a £21 million bill for meat inspection charges onto the UK farming industry.

  • 100 questions on the future of farming

    11 November 2010

    A LIST of the top 100 questions which need to be answered for the future of global agriculture has been compiled by 55 agricultural and food experts.

  • £37.5m boost to Scotland's rural businesses

    8 November 2010

    A YOUNG farmer’s cattle business in Gartocharn, in the Clyde Valley, is one of 300 projects to share funding totalling £35.7 million in the latest round of Rural Priorities in Scotland.

  • SAC praised for 'influential' contribution to Defra

    3 November 2010

    THE Science Advisory Council (SAC) has been praised for its ‘influential’ contribution to Defra policy-making, in a review published on Monday

  • Farm vandalism expected to rise

    2 November 2010

    THE NFU Mutual is warning that malicious damage claims could rise by 50 per cent following the end of British Summertime.

  • Carl Lis appointed National Parks chairman

    29 October 2010

    THE new chairman of the UK Association of National Park Authorities, which represents the country’s 15 national parks, is Carl Lis, chairman of the Yorkshire Dales authority.

  • Defra defends plans to sell off forests

    29 October 2010

    SPECULATION over the future of England’s public woodlands has prompted Defra to write to MPs outlining its plans for reforming the forestry estate, including reducing public ownership and a greater role for private and civil society partners.

  • Farmers to hear Pack reform details

    29 October 2010

    SCOTTISH farmers will be given the first chance to hear first hand the vision for future support arrangements for Scottish agriculture at NFU Scotland’s annual council meeting on Monday, November 8.

  • Search launched for farming ambassadors

    29 October 2010

    THE search is on to find the North West’s first farming ambassadors.

  • Major research to cut pesticide use

    29 October 2010

    SCIENTISTS at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) are involved in a major European project to reduce pesticide residues on crops and the types of agro-chemicals available to farmers.

  • Bee colonies boost over summer

    29 October 2010

    THE number of bee colonies have increased by 50 per cent in the last six months, while amateur beekeepers harvested some 3.5 million pounds of honey this summer.

  • Farming 'not recognised' by new Government enterprise groups

    29 October 2010

    ONLY a handful of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) which have replaced Regional development Agencies, recognise food and farming as key sectors, farming bodies have warned.

  • Europe told to 'stop fooling sround' on science

    28 October 2010

    EUROPE’S politicians have been urged to ‘stop fooling around’ on organic farming, climate change and biotechnology and allow scientists to do their jobs properly.

  • Helen Browning appointed Soil Association director

    27 October 2010

    ORGANIC livestock and arable farmer Helen Browning has been appointed as the new director of the Soil Association and will take up her new post in early spring.

  • Co-op commits to ELS scheme

    27 October 2010

    BRITAIN’S  biggest farmer, The Co-operative Farms, has signed up to the Entry Level Stewardship scheme with Natural England for a further five years and increased the amount of land in the environmental agreement on farms it manages to more than 6,500 hectares (16,061 acres).

  • Government to run foot-and-mouth exercise

    27 October 2010

    A MAJOR national exercise to test the Government’s ability to deal with a significant outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease will take place on November 9 and 10.

  • Ray Jones joins Scotland Food and Drink

    26 October 2010

    THE chief executive of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland for 12 years, Ray Jones, has been named as the new chairman of Scotland Food & Drink.

  • Asian poultry giant in bid for Blackburn Rovers

    26 October 2010

    ASIAN poultry giants Venky’s could be the new owners of Blackburn Rovers by the end of November.

  • NFUS to record cattle clipping injury cases

    25 October 2010

    REPORTS of injuries sustained by farmers while clipping cattle ahead of sending the animals to market or abattoir for slaughter are to be collated by NFU Scotland.

  • Control rats properly or face 'heavy restrictions' farmers told

    8 October 2010

    FARMERS, game-keepers and rural pest controllers have been urged to ensure they apply rodent control products properly if they want to avoid ‘heavy restrictions’ in their use.

  • New scheme will open up woodlands

    8 October 2010

    A NEW scheme aiming to give the public greater access to private woodlands has been launched by the family firm of woodlands.co.uk.

  • Confusion reigns over food origins

    8 October 2010

    WHILE the majority of people want to see more local food available in shops and two out of three would be willing to pay more for it, there is still a distinct lack of knowledge about where the food actually comes from.

  • Top judges announced for Royal Highland Show

    8 October 2010

    THE organisers of the Royal Highland Show have announced the main cattle, sheep and horse judges for next year’s event which takes place at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, on June 23-26. 

  • £2 million helmet sparks farmland treasure hunt

    8 October 2010

    THE Country Land and Business Association is warning landowners to prepare for an increase in metal detecting enthusiasts following the £2 million sale at auction of the Crosby Garrett Roman helmet, found on farmland in Cumbria in May.

  • Calls for early SFP to ease harvest woes

    6 October 2010

    RICHARD Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, has been urged to consider making an early payment of the Single Farm Payment to those north eastern farmers facing extreme harvesting difficulties.

  • New figures show farmers using medicines responsibly

    6 October 2010

    WHILE the majority of British farmers are using veterinary medicines responsibly, there are still some areas of concern within the industry.

  • Government urged to tackle MRSA

    6 October 2010

    THE Government should pay attention to the possibility that farm-animal MRSA could emerge as a major new reservoir of human infections in Britain.

  • No change on animal transport until 2012, says EU

    6 October 2010

    THERE are no new rules in the offing from Europe for animal transport legislation and no decision on whether new regulations are needed is likely to be taken before 2012 at the earliest.

  • Thousands back 2012 Olympic wool campaign

    4 October 2010

    NORTH East sheep farmers are celebrating the success of a campaign to raise the profile of wool with a special sheep and shepherds event at York Minster on October 12.

  • Horse owners on alert after bizzare attacks

    4 October 2010

    A pagan ritual or the work of a steal-to-order gang. Those are the vastly different possibilities put forward to explain a bizarre series of attacks on horses in Cheshire.

  • Soil Association to run community farm workshops

    1 October 2010

    THE Soil Association is running a series of free training opportunities at Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms this autumn, to introduce people to the projects to give them the incentive to set one up in their own community.

  • Less than 20 per cent of Brits celebrate harvest festival

    1 October 2010

    FEWER than 20 per cent of people in the UK still celebrate at a Harvest Festival, and of those who do, more than half mark the occasion by taking dried or tinned food gifts to school or church, a survey has revealed.

  • BT to roll out super fast broadband in Cornwall

    30 September 2010

    CORNWALL could become one of the best connected rural areas in the world following BT’s announcement it is to provide super-fast broadband for up to 90 per cent of homes and businesses in the county and the Isles of Scilly.

  • Smithfield finds new home after AgriLive demise

    29 September 2010

    THE Royal Smithfield championships will go ahead after all – as part of the East of England Winter Stock Festival at the Peterborough showground.

  • £6.5m scheme targets water pollution from farms

    28 September 2010

    A five-year, £6.5 million project to tackle water pollution from agriculture has been launched by Defra, the Environment Agency and the Welsh Assembly.

  • New chief exec for Countryside Alliance

    20 September 2010

    THE new chief executive of the Countryside Alliance and The Countryside Alliance Foundation is Alice Barnard, the alliance’s regional director for the past three years.

  • Charolais heifer heads up competitive beef lines

    September 17, 2010

    THE Charolais heifer Edenhurst Dallas took the beef inter-breed championship at last Thursday’s Westmorland County Show at Crooklands, Kendal, ahead of a strong final line-up.

  • No change to NFUS election rules

    18 August 2010

    NFU Scotland will not be proposing any changes to the rules concerning how long its president or vice-presidents can serve in office.

  • Scottish farms 'efficient, but could improve' says new report

    17 August 2010

    SCOTTISH farming performs well when compared with the rest of the UK and the EU, but there is still scope for some improvement, especially in the cereal sector, research carried out by SAC has revealed.

  • Grouse shooting brings 'huge' economic benefit

    6 August 2010

    THE annual cost of managing grouse moors in England and Wales is now in excess of £52.2 million, according to new figures from a survey undertaken for the Moorland Association to mark its 25th anniversary.

  • Scheme launched to stop badger abuse

    5 August 2010

    A UK-WIDE project has been launched to try to achieve consistency in recording and reporting crime against, and persecution of, badgers.

  • Industry launches dairy welfare strategy

    5 August 2010

    An innovative industry-led strategy for dairy cow welfare in the UK is to be launched today (Thursday).

  • Farmers welcome Rural Priorities commitment

    4 August 2010

    FARMING organisations in Scotland have welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment to consider introducing new processes to deal more quickly with smaller scale projects under its Rural Priorities scheme.

  • Norfolk river clean-up begins

    15 July 2010

    A MAJOR new £2 million project to improve water quality in the River Wensum, Norfolk, is being launched today (July 15) by environmental scientists at the University of East Anglia.

  • Scottish Government extends BVD consultation

    12 July 2010

    CATTLE producers in Scotland have been given a few more days to have their say on Scottish Government plans to eradicate bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD).

  • Costwold grant scheme launched

    25 June 2010

    A NEW £300,000 grant scheme available for landowners, farmers, tenant farmers and local communities has been announced for part of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

  • Police learn new skills at farm academy

    24 June 2010

    A UNIQUE rural skills event, which saw police officers driving tractors, handling horses and herding cattle, has been held on a farm near Wareham, Dorset.

  • MEPs compromise over rat poison ban

    22 June 2010

    FEARS that rat poison could be banned by Europe’s politicians have been allayed by the EU’s Environment Committee reaching what has been described as a ‘sensible compromise’.

  • UKIP slam new EU labelling rules

    17 June 2010

    THE new food labelling rules approved by Euro MPs this week, have been slammed as a ‘complete shambles’ which will mislead consumers.

  • Dai Davies awarded OBE in Queen's birthday honours

    14 June 2010

    THE former president of NFU Cymru Dai Davies, who stepped down in February, has been awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his services to the agricultural industry in Wales.

  • New event to promote food and farming

    14 June 2010

    A NEW two-day event to promote farming, food production and the countryside to the general public is being planned for next year by the Royal Northern Agricultural Society.

  • Lib Dems 'will block crofting bill'

    11 June 2010

    THE Liberal Democrats in Scotland have warned they will vote to bring down the Crofters Bill unless Ministers rethink proposals to create a map-based crofting register.

  • UK unions seek way forward on CAP

    11 June 2010

    LIVESTOCK representatives from the UK and Irish farming unions have agreed to continue to work together to secure a strong a fully-funded CAP following a meeting in Edinburgh.

  • Scots hand out £60 million of RDP funds

    10 June 2010

    TWO grants of more than £1 million have been awarded to businesses as part of a £60m hand-out of Scottish Rural Development Programme funds.

  • Scots to improve badger protection

    10 June 2010

    IMPROVED protection for badgers and more robust deer management policies are included in a proposed Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill presented to the Scottish Parliament this week.

  • David Bellamy praises farmers

    3 June 2010

    THE beneficial work which many farmers do towards conserving Britain’s natural environment deserves to be better recognised, according to natural historian David Bellamy.

  • Scotland looks ahead to BVD-free future

    2 June 2010

    SCOTLAND could be officially declared BVD-free in a few years if a ground-breaking eradication scheme announced by the Scottish Government this week is implemented.

  • Celebrity chef to front Egg Week

    28 May 2010

    CELEBRITY TV chef Paul Merrett will be encouraging consumers to find ‘Time for Eggs’ as he heads up a major marketing programme for British Egg Week 2010.

  • Lantra joins forces with Scottish tennants

    27 May 2010

    LANTRA Sector Skills Council and the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (STFA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to encourage businesses and individuals to invest in skills.

  • New support service for Scottish farmers

    11 May 2010

    PLANS for the creation of a new confidential listening and support service for Scotland’s farming community have been announced by RSABI (formerly the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution).

  • Sea eagles kill fewer than 2 per cent of Scottish lambs

    10 May 2010

    THE re-introduction of sea eagles in parts of Scotland has had a ‘minimum’ impact lambs’ survival chances in those areas, according to a study commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). 

  • Shoppers not responding to climate change

    10 May 2010

    THE threat of climate change has not influenced the majority of people in the way they buy their food, a survey carried out for BPEX and EBLEX has revealed.

  • Brecon Beacons off-roaders prosecuted

    10 May 2010

    BRECON Beacons National Park Authority’s new online reporting system has led to its first successful prosecution of illegal off-roaders using a restricted byway in the National Park.

  • Digital divide 'costing rural jobs'

    6 May 2010

    THE digital divide between those businesses which have broadband and those without, is costing rural jobs, David Collier, the NFU’s West Midlands regional director has warned. 

  • Farmers seek assurances over Asian FMD risk

    5 May 2010

    NFU Scotland has sought reassurances from the Scottish Government that appropriate measures are in place to minimise the risk of foot-and-mouth disease entering the country from Asia.

  • NFUS considers constitutional reform

    4 May 2010

    NFU SCOTLAND is to consult its members regarding the length of terms its presidential team is permitted to serve.

  • Directors sought for Oxford Farming Conference

    30 April 2010

    THE Oxford Farming Conference is inviting applications for three new directors to join the nine-strong team from January 2011 for a three-year term.

  • Sheep rustling on the rise in Scotland

    28 April 2010

    NFU Scotland is working with Lothian and Borders police to tackle a ‘significant increase’ in livestock thefts in the area, which has seen around 300 sheep reported stolen from a number of farms recently.  

  • MEP sets out CAP reform vision

    28 April 2010

    A VISION for the future of the Common Agricultural Policy, which places the active production of food by farmers, and the wider goal of food security for Europe, at its heart, has been set out by Scottish MEP Alyn Smith.

  • UK needs to be stronger in Europe - NSA

    28 April 2010

    THE UK should be pressing for a much stronger voice in Brussels, where much of the regulations governing agriculture, and the sheep sector in particular, have their beginnings, the National Sheep Association has warned.

  • Lochhead launches food procurement guide

    27 April 2010

    FOOD producers in Scotland are being given advice, in a newly-launched guide, on how to bid for public sector catering contracts.

  • Ex-schools chief is next RASE president

    27 April 2010

    THE next president of the Royal Agricultural Society of England is to be Sir Mike Tomlinson, a former chief inspector of schools.

  • Countryside Alliance sets out election manifesto

    21 April 2010

    FARMERS and land managers have a huge role in helping Britain meet the key challenges of this century, says the Countryside Alliance in its election manifesto.

  • SNP to oppose Westminster CAP reform plans

    20 April 2010

    THE Scottish National Party will oppose UK plans for CAP reform, which will see the removal of the First Pillar funding, in a bid to protect the incomes of many of Scotland’s farm businesses.

  • Green party launches election manifesto

    15 April 2010

    DRASTIC changes to the Common Agricultural Policy, support for a supermarket ombudsman, banning live animal exports and the sale and production of battery eggs are among the key points of the Green Party’s election manifesto.

  • Quitting EU is best for farmers - UKIP

    14 April 2010

    THE UK Independence Party (UKIP) would withdraw from the EU and retain Britain’s seat at the World Trade Organisation so the UK could pursue agricultural trade policies directly in the national interest.

  • Plaid Cymru acknowledges vital role of farming

    14 April 2010

    FARMING is central to the prosperity and sustainability of rural communities in Wales, Plaid Cymru has stressed.

  • Government must allow farmers to flourish - NFUS

    13 April 2010

    THE next Government must create a policy that allows farming and food production to flourish, NFU Scotland has warned.

  • Egg industry calls for better labeling

    6 April 2010

    THE British egg industry is calling for caterers to show the country of origin of eggs on menus, following a new survey which revealed that more than 60 per cent of consumers were in favour of the move.

  • Sheep rustling on the rise in Cumbria

    31 March 2010

    POLICE are increasing patrols in rural areas around Penrith, Cumbria, after receiving increased reports of sheep going missing from the East Fell Side area.

  • Stolen machinery found in farm raids

    31 March 2010

    STOLEN farm machinery including tractors, trailers and mini-diggers were recovered when police from Staffordshire and Cheshire raided a number of farms.

  • Deer Commission to merge with SNH

    26 March 2010

    THE Deer Commission for Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage are to merge from July 1.

  • Wanted: World leading scientist for Scotland

    26 March 2010

    THE search has begun for a world-leading scientist to fill the role of chief executive at the new scientific research institute to be formed from the SCRI (Scottish Crop Research Institute), Invergowrie, and the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen.

  • Wonky fruit survives EU vote

    26 March 2010

    EUROPE’S politicians have thrown out plans to reintroduce a ban on ‘wonky fruit’ and have also voted to amend and strengthen labelling regulations.

  • GM approvals top NFU Scotland wish list

    26 March 2010

    THE same thinking that led to the cultivation of a new GM potato should be applied to GM tolerance thresholds, GM authorisations and animal transport laws.

  • Tensions rise as Scotland and Defra clash over animal health

    26 March 2010

    DEFRA has confirmed it will delay plans to hand over control of animal health budgets to the Scottish Government, sparking a furious reaction from Holyrood.

  • Former WWF man to take helm at new research institute

    23 March 2010

    THE first chairman of the new scientific research institute, which will be created by bringing together the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen, and the Invergowrie-based Scottish Crop Research Institute in April 2011, will be former chairman of WWF Scotland, Ray Perman.

  • Newton Rigg applies for centre of excellence status

    23 March 2010

    AS uncertainty over the future of the Newton Rigg Campus rumbles on, a proposal has been put forward to create a centre of excellence in upland management and landbased studies at the Penrith, Cumbria-based college.

  • EFRA backs National Forest

    23 March 2010

    THE National Forest deserved strong commitment from the Government for many years to come in view of its success so far, said Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee chairman Michael Jack.

  • Royal Highland begins hunt for new chief

    23 March 2010

    THE Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland is to get a new chief executive following the decision of Ray Jones to retire from the post at the end of this year.

  • Farmer fined as slurry floods neighbour

    19 March 2010

    A NORTH Yorkshire farmer, who was found to have manure up to 10 feet deep in some places on his smallholding, was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £10,000 at York Crown Court yesterday (Thursday, March 18).

  • Crofters to receive £100,000 to help map boundaries

    16 March 2010

    THE Scottish crofting industry is to be given a £100,000 boost to help crofters map out the boundaries of their land and secure ownership for future generations.

  • Bird poisoning on the rise in Scotland

    16 March 2010

    THE number of bird poisoning incidents in Scotland has increased, according to new figures published today (Tuesday, March 16).

  • Businessman jailed for role in egg scam

    12 March 2010

    THE UK egg industry has welcomed the stiff penalties imposed on the Worcestershire businessman who masterminded a scam which saw millions of battery eggs sold as free-range or organic.

  • Scientists to focus on boosting legume crops

    12 March 2010

    SCIENTISTS representing 12 other EU countries will be in Edinburgh next week to discuss better ways to use legume crops.

  • Eggs are the latest superfood

    9 March 2010

    EGGS should be considered a ‘superfood’, thanks to their ability to boost health and even help tackle obesity, according to a new report.

  • Co-op turkeys get welfare boost

    5 March 2010

    THE Co-operative is rolling out its higher-welfare Elmwood standard to all its fresh plain own-brand turkey products, as part of its ongoing commitment to animal welfare.

  • Broadband campaign reaches out to UK’s ‘final third’

    5 March 2010

    A NATIONAL broadband campaign has been launched to lobby the Government to provide adequate and effective broadband access for the ‘final third’ of the UK which is still without a proper service.

  • Have your say on National Park extension plan

    4 March 2010

    WITH just two weeks to go to the end of the three-month consultation on proposals to extend the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, Natural England is encouraging people from across the country to voice their views.

  • CAP must stay in place - Hume

    26 February 2010

    WHILE the existing Common Agricultural Policy system must change, it was critical for agriculture that it should continue, warned Jim Hume, Scottish Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs spokesperson.

  • Ag Council accepts proposal on ‘wonky’ fruit

    23 February 2010

    TIME may be running out once again for ‘wonky’ fruit and vegetables, after Spanish MEPs saw their call for a reintroduction of the ban on odd-shaped produce pass through the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee.

  • Morrisons awarded Red Tractor across the board

    22 February 2010

    MORRISONS has become the first major UK supermarket to be awarded Red Tractor certification across its entire fresh meat range.

  • Scientists sequence extinct cattle genome

    19 February 2010

    SCIENTISTS have sequenced the genome of an extinct ancient breed of cattle.

  • MSPs call for urgent cold weather payments

    18 February 2010

    COLD weather payments for farmers should be introduced ‘as soon as possible’, Scottish Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has been urged.

  • Ciolos 'ready and willing' to listen to view on CAP reform

    12 February 2010

    THE new EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos has told EU farm leaders he is ready and willing to listen to their views before making any decisions on the future of CAP.

  • Industry accused of 'misleading the public' over cancer claims

    12 February 2010

    A NUMBER of industry organisations have found themselves in the firing line after they reacted furiously to suggestions a high-profile report, claiming possible links between red and processed meat consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer, was flawed..

  • 'Wonky fruit' back on EU agenda

    11 February 2010

    CURVY bananas, twisted carrots and knobbly lemons are once again under threat after Spanish MEPs tabled amendments in the European Parliament calling for the EU to reimpose its ban on wonky fruit and veg.

  • Tenant farmers 'losing out' on Single Payments

    9 February 2010

    SOME tenant farmers are being deprived of their Single Payment Scheme entitlements after their landlords used ‘unfair clauses’ in tenancy agreements, the Tenant Farmers Association has claimed.

  • Mixed reaction to Crofting reforms

    8 February 2010

    THE proposals put forward by the redrafted Crofting Reform (Scotland) Bill have been met with a mixed response by NFU Scotland.

  • Council on the hunt for 'Potato Ambassadors'

    3 February 2010

    THE Potato Council is on the look-out for growers passionate about their crop to become ‘Potato Ambassadors’ to take part in marketing activities and help boost potatoes, particularly among younger consumers.

  • Yorkshire Dales farmers offered free water advice

    2 February 2010

    FARMERS are being offered free advice and support for action to help reduce the risk of water pollution in two areas of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

  • Government's green scheme 'not enough' to attract farmers

    2 February 2010

    THE Government’s Feed-in Tariffs or ‘Clean Energy Cashback’ scheme, announced on Monday (February 1), does not go far enough to attract farmers and growers, the NFU has claimed.

  • Eggs come from sheep, claim confused children

    2 February 2010

    EGGS come from sheep, bacon comes from horses and cheese comes from butterflies, rats or mice - just some of the responses when children were asked where food comes from.

  • Dairy farmers urged to engage in CAP talks

    1 February 2010

    SCOTTISH dairy farmers have been urged to take part in the debate surrounding the future delivery of farm support in Scotland.

  • Confusion over Scots EID aid package

    29 January 2010

    THE Scottish Government’s announcement of an aid package to support farmers taking on full electronic identification (EID) was ‘long overdue’ and left many key questions unanswered, the Liberal Democrats have claimed.

  • Farmers must benefit from processor profits

    17 November 2009

    DAIRY processors enjoying a period of strong profitability should pass on those better prices to their suppliers to avoid frustration at farm level, NFU Scotland has warned

  • Meat plant staff threaten Christmas walk-out

    2 November 2009

    MEAT plants could be hit by strikes in the run-up to Christmas following a row over union recognition at one of the biggest suppliers of vets to the Meat Hygiene Service.

  • End of the road for the Royal Lancashire Show

    26 October 2009

    THE Royal Lancashire Show, thought to be one of the oldest shows in the country, has reached the end of the road.

  • Scots to safeguard imports with winter bluetongue code

    15 October 2009

    SCOTLAND’S livestock bodies have agreed a winter import code for producers who feel they must source livestock from bluetongue-infected areas of continental Europe, when the lower risk period begins next month.

  • Judges award top marks to dairy champion Rose at Westmorland County Show

    18 September 2009

    The Holstein champion, Saxelby Goldwyn Rose, scored maximum marks after being given 10 by all of the breed judges.

  • Doubts remain over Brazilian beef imports

    3 September 2009

    CONTINUED doubts over the traceability of Brazilian beef imports to the European Union have been raised with the European Commission’s Foreign and Veterinary Office (FVO) by MEP Alyn Smith.

  • Police investigate pesticide death on Surrey farm

    29 May 2009

    POLICE investigations are continuing after a man died and seven police officers were taken to hospital after an incident involving a noxious substance at a farm near Guildford, Surrey.

  • French farmers dump milk in streets

    19 May 2009

    FRENCH dairy farmers have taken their protest about low milk prices to the streets, dumping gallons of milk and piles of manure in front of Government offices.

  • Decision delayed on Scottish wages

    8 May 2009

    THE Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB) has delayed any decision on agricultural wages until the national situation has been announced.

  • Dutch cows to be sent home after bluetongue rules breach

    15 April 2009

    THE two in-calf Dutch cows which had been left stranded at Stranraer after breaching European bluetongue rules, are to be sent back to the Netherlands ‘as a matter of urgency’.

  • Red Poll cattle stolen from North Lincolnshire farm

    17 March 2009

    THREE in-calf cows and six yearlings from a pedigree suckler herd of Red Polls have been stolen from a farm in North Lincolnshire.

  • Royal Lancashire Show cancelled

    20 February 2009

    THE future of the Royal Lancashire Show has been thrown into doubt following the decision by its organisers to cancel this year’s event.

  • Doubts over Royal Lancashire Show

    4 February 2009

    THE Royal Lancashire Show, which was cancelled in 2007 and 2008 due to bad weather, could be hit by further problems this year.

  • Doubts over Royal Lancashire Show

    4 February 2009

    THE Royal Lancashire Show, which was cancelled in 2007 and 2008 due to bad weather, could be hit by further problems this year.

  • Co-op to switch to all British bacon

    22 January 2009

    THE Co-operative Group is converting its entire range of own-brand bacon, gammon and fresh pork to British in an initiative to support UK farmers and to raise animal welfare standards.

  • Farming figures to be recognised in New Years honours

    31 December 2008

    THE principal of Harper Adams University College since 1996, Prof Wynne Jones, has been awarded the OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.

  • SRDP:'Time to take stock'

    12 November 2008

    A REVIEW is to be carried out into the Scottish Rural Development Programme only a matter of months after the funding scheme was introduced.

  • Research threatening health of UK soil warns RASE

    23 October 2008

    THE health of UK soil is being threatened by the reduced amount of research being carried out, a report published by the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) has warned.

  • Scottish farmers in £4m food boost

    20 October 2008

    THE Scottish Government has made a major £4 million commitment to the country’s food and drink industry.

  • Agencies to come together to aid flood hit sheep farmers

    19 September 2008

    NORTHUMBERLAND farmers are to get emergency help to dispose of hundreds of sheep drowned in the recent floods.

  • Wind generation proposal is more than just hot air

    September 19th 2008

    AMBITIOUS proposals for a renewable energy company, with £10 million of initial start-up funding, owned by farmers, landowners and other rural dwellers, has been announced by Aberdeenshire farmer and agri-businessman Dr Maitland Mackie.

  • NFU withdraws involvement in Dairy UK

    10 September 2008

    THE NFU has reacted to the replacement of David Curry as independent chairman of Dairy UK by withdrawing its support for and involvement with the body.

  • NFUS unveils plan to protect future of hill livestock farming

    1 September 2008

    A THREE-point plan to halt the decline of hill livestock farming was unveiled today (Monday, September 1) by NFU Scotland.

  • NFUS unveils plan to protect future of hill livestock farming

    1 September 2008

    A THREE-point plan to halt the decline of hill livestock farming was unveiled today (Monday, September 1) by NFU Scotland.

  • ‘Regional’ disease control recommended for Scotland

    July 4th 2008

    CONSIDERING whether Scotland could be isolated from certain disease controls to protect export markets is one of the recommendations made in the review of how the country handled the 2007 foot-and-mouth outbreak.

  • Wages Board in Scotland under threat

    26 June 2008

    THE future of the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board is under threat after the Scottish Government announced its role is to be re-considered.

  • Pay rise 'out of step' with the agricultural economy

    June 20th 2008

    FARM workers are to receive a 4.3 per cent pay rise, but while employers slammed the move as being ‘out of step', union leaders warned it was too little to stop a labour crisis leading to a ‘full blown' food crisis.

  • Benefits will follow changes to Moorland Line

    2 April 2008

    ABOUT 3,000 farmers in England will be affected by changes to the Environmental Stewardship scheme, which will now incorporate the Moorland Line.

  • Effectiveness of UK bluetongue strategy questioned by European veterinary group

    March 14th 2008

    A WAR of words has broken out over Defra’s bluetongue strategy, with a leading association of European vets claiming it would not be sufficient to halt the spread of disease.

  • Effectiveness of UK bluetongue strategy questioned by European veterinary group

    March 14th 2008

    A WAR of words has broken out over Defra’s bluetongue strategy, with a leading association of European vets claiming it would not be sufficient to halt the spread of disease.

  • Government urged to look at hill farming’s long-term future

    March 7th 2008

    THE Government has been urged to consider establishing a commission on the future of hill farming to determine how such areas could be managed in the future.

  • ‘The shows go on’, say the societies

    February 22nd 2008

    THE agricultural show societies appear determined not to let bluetongue throw a shadow over this year’s shows.

  • Food wastage is an ever-growing threat, warns Lord Haskins

    February 1st 2008

    FOOD security could be under threat with the risk of a global food shortage exacerbated by excessive wastage of food products, the Government’s food and farming adviser Lord Haskins warned this week.

  • Royal Lancashire Show plans meet with objections

    2 January 2008

    CONTROVERSIAL plans for the Royal Lancashire Show to move onto a 220-acre rural park on Duchy of Lancaster land at Myerscough, near Garstang, have met with more than 100 objections, including one from two other shows staged nearby.

  • Rejection of Soils Directive draft is welcomed by NFU

    21 December 2007

    EUROPEAN Ministers have rejected draft proposals for an EU Soils Directive – a move that has been welcomed by the NFU.

  • Rejection of Soils Directive draft is welcomed by NFU

    21 December 2007

    EUROPEAN Ministers have rejected draft proposals for an EU Soils Directive – a move that has been welcomed by the NFU.

  • New Lib Dem Environment spokesman

    20 December 2007

    NEW Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has appointed Northavon MP Steve Webb as the party’s new Shadow Secretary for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs.

  • Bluetongue detected near Middlesbrough

    14 December 2007

    BLUETONGUE has been detected in an imported cow on a premises near Middlesbrough which is outside the existing Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones.

  • Calls for immediate ban on Brazilian beef imports

    9 November 2007

    FURTHER calls for an immediate European ban on Brazilian beef imports have been voiced following the publication of a report by the EU Food and Veterinary Office.

  • BMPA deciding on legal action

    9 November 2007

    THE British Meat Processors Association is seeking Counsel advice on whether to take legal action in a bid to recover the £16 million-plus costs incurred by its members following the latest foot-and-mouth outbreak.

  • Reasons to extend Bluetongue Control Zone to be outlined on Monday

    6 October 2007

    REASONS why the Bluetongue Control Zone should be extended to cover the whole of the country are expected to be outlined to the NFU Council on Monday by Suffolk county chairman John Collen.

  • Royal Show dates anger Great Yorks organisers

    August 10th 2007

    THE Royal Show is changing its dates next year, but the move has angered organisers of the Great Yorkshire Show, who have described the decision as ‘divisive to the industry’.

  • Letter leads to resignation of Levy Board sector head

    May 4th 2007

    THE man due to take charge of the horticultural sector company on Levy Board UK has resigned after an anonymous letter questioning his appointment was circulated within the industry.

  • Early Day motion banning TV ‘junk food’ adverts before the watershed receives support

    April 27th 2007

    MORE than 200 cross-party MPs have signed an Early Day Motion calling for television adverts of ‘junk food’, which includes cheese, to be banned before the 9pm watershed.

  • Farmers ‘would be forced to quit’ over new Scottish NVZ rules

    February 23rd 2007

    FARMERS would be forced to quit the industry if the Scottish Executive pressed ahead with proposed new restrictions in Scotland’s Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, the NFU Scotland has warned.

  • About-turn by RPA over cross compliance regulations

    7 September 2006

    THE Rural Payments Agency has made a turnaround over its cross compliance regulations for landowners who provide land for grazing – a move that has been welcomed by the Country Land and Business Association.

  • Risk of avian flu to be taken seriously

    August 26th 2005

    While there was no need to take ‘panic’ measures at this stage, the risk of avian flu spreading to Europe and possibly the UK should be taken seriously, industry leaders said this week.

  • Blockades cause milk standstill in Scotland

    August 12th 2005

    With no movement on prices, more action is promised

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