We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.Agriculture in the national news - November 12
A DAILY look at how agriculture has hit the headlines across the country (Thursday, November 12)
Farm companies put sustainability on the menu
Global food companies are coming up with their own solutions to avoid a repetition of last year’s food shortages and record-high prices, in many cases moving ahead of government initiatives.
“Last year’s food crisis was a wake-up call,” says Bill Lesher, of Global Harvest Initiative in Washington, a group involving some of the world’s biggest farming companies, such as Archer Daniel Midlands, DuPont, John Deere and Monsanto. “Our members want to avoid a repetition.”
Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4758293a-cf2a-11de-8a4b-00144feabdc0.html
GM gaining in popularity among growers and consumers, experts claim
Controversial genetic modification is gaining more widespread acceptability among growers and consumers, according to some of the UK’s leading experts.
Dr Julian Little, chair of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council, told a conference on 21-century farming that 125 million hectares of land was used for GM crops last year. “That’s equivalent in area to the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium and Germany. Around 13 million farmers grow GM crops globally; 13 million of them in developing countries.”
Fresh Plaza
http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=53845
Supermarkets react angrily to green credentials report
Sustainable retail business survey ‘misleading’, say Asda, Tesco and The Co-op.
Asda and Tesco have slammed a “poor quality, misleading and inconsistent” consumer report for oversimplifying what it means to be a sustainable retail business.
Marketing Week
Row after Lucky the sheep is found dead ‘after being hit with golf ball’
A pensioner is embroiled in a row with a golf club after her pet sheep ‘Lucky’ was killed by a wayward ball.
Retired businesswoman Jane Blaik is lobbying the Whiteleaf Gold Club near Chiltern Hills to change its course layout, arguing that an existing fence erected to protect her countryside cottage was doing nothing to stop stray shots.
Farm disease roadshow launched
Scotland’s Moredun, a world leading institute for animal research, is taking to the road this month with strong messages on how livestock producers can help their profitability through better control of several major pernicious diseases.
Liver fluke, Johne’s disease and bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD) have all been highlighted as significant concerns by Scottish livestock farmers.
The Scotsman
http://business.scotsman.com/fooddrinkagriculture/Farm-disease-roadshow-launched.5816818.jp
Go on the lamb with TV’s Kate
Kate Humble is to front a Springwatch spin-off in March about the lambing season.
BBC2’s Lambing Live will follow the life-and-death drama on a 900-ewe farm in South Wales.
Humble, 41, will be joined by Countryfile host Adam Henson, who is a sheep farmer. The show will also look at the breeding process, which starts in the autumn.
The Mirror
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/11/12/go-on-the-lamb-with-tv-s-kate-115875-21815381/
Farm fire death ‘not suspicious’
A 57-year-old man who died in a fire at a Pembrokeshire farm has been named by police.
Terence Keith Jones died in the blaze at Ciliau West Farm in Llanwnda, near Goodwick.
BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/8354453.stm
Welsh woman farmer of the year to be announced
Next month’s Royal Welsh Agricultural Winter Fair will be the venue for the final of one of Wales’ most prestigious farming titles NFU Cymru / NatWest Wales Woman Farmer of the Year.
Now in its 13th year, the competition aims to celebrate the often forgotten contribution that women make to Welsh farming. Previous winners have gone on to hold key roles in the industry and win other awards.
News Wales
http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Agriculture&F=1&id=18027
It’s un-herd of, but a herd of cows went for a swim on Monday
A stampeding herd of heifers ran amok in Nunney on Monday evening, with one unfortunate animal ending up in a private swimming pool.
Annie Wigzell, 84, returned to her home at Combe Farm to find members of the Masters family clearing up after many of the frightened cows had raced through her garden.
Somerset Guardian
MP urges people to Send a Cow
Ledbury MP Bill Wiggin is supporting the Send A Cow charity, which runs sustainable agricultural programmes in Africa.
Mr Wiggin, who recently met Send A Cow ambassador and Colwall resident Jenny Houghton, said: “Even in these difficult economic times, it is important that we do what we can to help people in the developing world.
Ledbury Reporter
http://www.ledburyreporter.co.uk/news/4732194.MP_urges_people_to_Send_a_Cow/
Savaged sheep put down
A sheep which was savaged by a dog at Pimhole Community Farm in Bury has been put down.
The animal was one of two attacked at a field in School Street nearly a fortnight ago.
Bury Times
http://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/4732635.Savaged_sheep_put_down/
