Agriculture in the national news - January 8

The abolition of the Milk Marketing Board did not help us dairy farmers
Thousands of farmers were ruined by Mrs Thatcher and rising supermarket power.

Your leader column was an interesting if rose-tinted take on the last 30 years of the British dairy industry (In praise of…British cheeses, 31 December).

The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/08/milk-marketing-board-dairy-farmers

Million Scottish sheep at risk of freezing to death, say farmers
Many flocks ‘on a real knife edge’ says union after weeks of snow and sub-zero temperatures

Scottish farmers fear that up to a million sheep face being starved or frozen to death after being caught out on exposed hillsides.

The National Farmers’ Union in Scotland said about a third of the country’s sheep were on hills and warned that many flocks were “on a real knife edge”.

The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/07/cold-weather-scottish-sheep-deaths

Monsanto hopes the grass will be greener with new crop of products
Monsanto, the world’s biggest seed maker, is pinning its hopes on a string of “game-changing” products as its long-time moneyspinner, Roundup weed killer, comes under sustained attack from cheaper generic versions.

Hugh Grant, the US company’s Scottish chairman and chief executive, said this week that the new products should help Monsanto to fulfil its promise to double 2007’s gross profit to $7.5 billion (£4.7 billion) by 2012.

Times Online
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/industrials/article6980023.ece

Plans for British ‘GM food revolution’ come under fire
Hi-tech vision of food production advocated by the UK government’s chief scientific adviser is unnecessary and potentially damaging, says conference of farmers, academics and environmental groups.

The vision of hi-tech British farming outlined this week by the UK government’s chief scientific advisor, Sir John Beddington has been dismissed as unnecessary and potentially damaging by environmental groups and organic farmers.

The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jan/07/gm-food-revolution-plans-dismissed

Snow creates tough times for milk deliveries
The icy weather has been causing big problems for milk deliveries and despite major efforts to get supplies through some stock has been dumped.

Dairy farms rely on collections every day or every other day in order to ensure fresh milk reaches the shops.

But country roads, made hazardous by snow and ice, have left some drivers having to put down salt themselves.

BBC Online
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8446695.stm

Dung saves life of farm worker as snow causes cowshed to collapse
A FARM manager was said to be the “luckiest man alive” last night after he escaped with only minor injuries when he was buried alive beneath tonnes of mangled metal and snow when a barn roof collapsed.

Willie Auchnie probably owes his life to the one foot thick layer of animal dung which covered the floor of the collapsed building – it cushioned him from serious injury as the cattle shed fell on top of him.

The Scotsman
http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Dung-saves-life-of-.5965822.jp

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