Farmers Guardian
December 1st 2006

  • ‘Commercial Opportunities in Renewable Energy’ Conference

    December 1st 2006

    A capacity crowd of 450 attended the conference ‘Commercial Opportunities in Renewable Energy’ in Birmingham. Alison Lea reports.

  • ‘Home’ aspiration comes step closer

    December 1st 2006

    AFTER 20 years of searching, Essex Young Farmers are at last on the way to building themselves a permanent home. Now they just need £350,000 to finance the project – and fund raising is underway starting with the ‘Great Grain Campaign’. Members have written to more than 750 farmers in the county asking if each can donate a tonne of wheat which is being marketed and sold to boost funds.

  • ‘Look further afield’ the NBA advises South West finishers

    December 1st 2006

    GET organised and move your finished cattle out of the area if you want better prices – that is the advice to South West beef finishers from the National Beef Association.

  • ‘Rural opportunities’ conference

    December 1st 2006

    Setting up a successful business can be an incredibly daunting task, but also offers great satisfaction and a sustainable future in agriculture, as ANGELA CALVERT found out at a ‘rural opportunities’ conference.

  • ‘Texel Factor’ has 6,500gns price tag

    December 1st 2006

    BIDDING peaked at 6,500gns at the ‘Texel Factor’ sale at Carlisle where in-lamb Texel females from seven flocks were forward.

  • 1,600gns ‘double top’ at Lancaster

    December 1st 2006

    A TOP of 1,600gns was achieved twice at the Lancaster November dairy sale of pedigree Holstein cattle.

  • 1,800gns top at B&L Carlisle

    December 1st 2006

    PRICES peaked at 1,800gns at the Border and Lakeland Holstein show and sale at Carlisle.

  • A new storage solution from Covered Systems

    December 1st 2006

    A NEW concept in storage has been developed by Covered Systems – a sectionalised system that comes ready for on-site assembly with an optional bio filter to reduce odour emissions.

  • A scour treatment free of digestive upsets

    December 1st 2006

    ANIMAL nutritionist SCA NuTec is promising successful scour treatment free of digestive upsets and growth setbacks with its new product, Critical Care.

  • An hour in the December garden

    December 1st 2006

    December is a time of planning and presents. Although the garden might seem to be falling quickly into a stupor, there is still plenty to do and plenty to plan for next year. Paul Peacock takes a look at a few pressies for the garden, and how to keep green fingers exercised.

  • Anglesey Winter Show

    December 1st 2006

    When Anglesey Agricultural Society held their first winter show, they saw it as a ‘thank you’ to those who had supported their summer event. They also saw it as a relatively small, friendly, event where young people would be encouraged to take part. The success of this training ground was clear at Saturday’s Winter Show, as Neil Ryder found out.

  • Arla’s stronger second half

    December 1st 2006

    ARLA Foods UK achieved an improved second half year trading in the year to September 30, 2006, although the year as a whole showed underlying pre-tax profit on continuing operations down 3 per cent from £32.5 million to £31.5 million.

  • Beef ribs competition awards

    December 1st 2006

    LIMOUSIN crosses took the championship and reserve awards in the beef ribs competition. Out in front was a June 2005-born Limousin cross Limousin-Hereford steer from T.A. Hughes, of Cwmhendryd, Lampeter, Ceredigion, that had weighed in at 311 kg. Runner-up was a same aged Limousin cross heifer weighing 334kg from Owain’s Butchers, Aberaeron, Ceredigion.

  • Beltex crosses dominate lamb carcase entries

    December 1st 2006

    TRUE to form, Beltex crosses dominated the top awards in the lamb carcase competition – described by the judges Bryan George, from Talgarth, Brecon and Ray Holmes, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent – as ‘superb’.

  • Beltex ewe lambs bring a repeat supreme victory

    December 1st 2006

    TWO purebred Beltex ewe lambs brought a repeat supreme sheep judging ring victory of two years ago for the West Wales husband and wife team of Michael and Heulwen Owens in a sparkling multi-breed turnout of some pairs.

  • Best rural retailer battle

    December 1st 2006

    THE short-list for Scotland’s Best Rural Retailer 2006 has been unveiled, by the Countryside Alliance, with the top four businesses in each category set to be assessed by the judging panel and the winners going forward to the final of the UK-wide competition.

  • Bid to accredit South West ‘local food’

    December 1st 2006

    THE South West could be the first region in the country to have its very own accredited ‘local food’ brand.

  • Bids peak at 22,000gns for Charolais bulls at Carlisle

    December 1st 2006

    CHAROLAIS bulls sold to a top of 22,000gns and females to 7,000gns at the British Charolais Cattle Society’s autumn show and sale at Carlisle.

  • Biofuels debate is mirroring the GM saga

    December 1st 2006

    UK FARMERS are increasingly at risk of being left behind in the biofuels market.

  • BLACK CHERRY YOGHURT GATEAU

    December 1st 2006

    THIS recipe is from Kathleen Heathcote, of Brassington, Matlock, Derbyshire. “With dark chocolate and walnuts on top and black cherry conserve and/or cream in the centre it’s very good,” she says. Use the yoghurt pot to measure the main ingredients.

  • Bookworms

    December 1st 2006

    A TRIO of bookworms from Brawdy YFC, Pembrokeshire, has been awarded the federation’s junior reading trophy.

  • Brighter outlook for Scottish YFs

    December 1st 2006

    WITH increased membership and improved fin-ances, the future is looking good for Scottish Young Farmers.

  • British Free-Range Egg Producers’ Association’s annual conference

    December 1st 2006

  • Call for ‘urgent and real’ action on TB

    December 1st 2006

    OFFICIALLY opening the Winter Fair, well-known Montgomeryshire beef and sheep farmer Tom Tudor said that livestock farming had never been easy and producers seemed to have had their share of problems over the past 10 years.

  • CHAMPIONSHIP honours were awarded to S. and J. Hunter, Hunmanby

    December 1st 2006

    • CHAMPIONSHIP honours were awarded to S. and J. Hunter, Hunmanby, North Yorkshire, when the Yorkshire area of the Charollais Society held their annual flock competition. Leyburn farmer, Kenton Foster, picked up reserve honours and the award for the best stock ram, while judge Meilir Jones, Dyserth, Rhyl, won the best flock established in the last five years to C. Dougherty.

  • Children’s books inspired by inquisitive goat

    December 1st 2006

    WHEN one of her goats got stuck in a tree, Loraine Makowski-Heaton, decided to put the unusual event into print – and has just launched the first in a series of children’s books based on her own herd of goats.

  • Christmas stocking filler ideas

    December 1st 2006

    As Christmas creeps ever closer, SARAH CRIPPS finds a selection of stocking fillers under £20 for horse lovers.

  • Club leader is county president

    December 1st 2006

    ANNE Hebling, club leader of Canterbury YFC, has been elected county president of the Kent Federation of Young Farmers Clubs. She takes over from dairy farmer Nick Leggatt who has stepped down after five years in office and joins the county’s vice-presidents.

  • Comestar Stormatic daughter tops dispersal

    December 1st 2006

    A TOP of 8,000gns was realised when the entire Mikali and Excellence pedigree Holstein herds, the property of David and Pam Coombes and Peter Sherwen, were dispersed at Bristol sales centre.

  • Conference for organic producers

    December 1st 2006

    THE first Welsh Organic Dairy Producer Conference will be held on Tuesday at Rachel’s Organic, Aberystwyth .A partnership event between Calon Wen, Rachel’s Organic and Organic Centre Wales, it is open to all dairy producers in Wales.

  • Consultation on Levy Boards comes to an end

    December 1st 2006

    THE fundamental review of the UK Levy Boards by Defra and the consultation process with farmers and processors expired on Thursday.In June 2006 Defra announced the radical restructuring of the existing levy boards, with a new levy board structure set to come into place in April 2008, which will include a new single UK board and six sector commodity companies.

  • Cut costs with side knife says Spaldings after it buys up JT Engineering business

    December 1st 2006

    SPALDINGS now owns the JT Engineering combine side knife after buying the assets, design rights, works in progress and manufacturing rights from the Sheffield- based business.

  • DVD messagelinks profit to health plans

    December 1st 2006

    QUALITY Meat Scotland, SEERAD and SAC came together to launch a ‘unique’ DVD demonstrating how effective animal health planning can make a significant improvement to the profitability of a livestock business.

  • English Sheepdog Trials Results

    December 1st 2006

    BAMFORD, Shatton, Derbyshire, (52 ran) Nursery: 1, H. Loates (South Leverton) Sweep, 83 of 90; 2, J. Howard (Holme) Tim, 79, OLF; 3, C. Storey (Delph) Lark, 79; 4, S. Wilkinson (Thurgoland) Snow, 77; 5, S. Wilkinson Kate, 74; 6, J. Ellis (Whitchurch) Meg, 72. Nursery aggregate: L. Bone (Holmfirth) Ches, 226 of 270. Novice: 1, D. Hudson (Leek) Fly, 82 of 90; 2, H. Owen (Nantwich) Sam, 77; 3, E. Moore (Oxenhope) Roy, 76; 4, G. Lightfoot (Llandegla) Nan, 75. Novice aggregate: ...

  • Europe set to follow the UK lead on transparency

    December 1st 2006

    THE UK pioneered the way for making information about CAP payments public, and now the rest of the EU will follow suit.

  • Examples of renewable technologies

    December 1st 2006

    Ground Source heat pumps

  • Fay’s phobia plays ‘sheepish’ part in best speaker cup win

    December 1st 2006

    FAY Brickell’s entertaining account of how she put aside her sheep-phobia to make up a sheep stockjudging team won her the best speaker cup in Pembrokeshire Young Farmers’ junior public speaking competition.

  • Figures from QMS back NBA position

    December 1st 2006

    THE universal depth of loss confirmed by new figures from QMS, reinforced the National Beef Association’s (NBA) original position that only a market average of around 260p per kg deadweight for prime cattle could secure continued output at current levels, NBA chief executive, Robert Forster said at the Scottish Winter Fair.

  • Five newcomers on the peas recommended list

    December 1st 2006

    The 2007 Recommended Lists for field peas and beans were revealed at pulse specialists Dunns at Long Sutton, Lincolnshire. Teresa Rush reports.

  • Focus at the Mill on mix for quality beef finishing

    December 1st 2006

    Ditching grass in favour of potatoes and oranges may sound like a crazy idea, but it is exactly what beef farmer Bill Sabin has done. JOANNE PUGH went to meet a man whose radical diet changes have brought great results.

  • Footballer's wife is new patron of ex-racehorse rehabilitation centre

    4 December 2006

    LOUISE Owen, wife of England international footballer Michael, is to become a patron of the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre, the charity for the rehabilitation of racehorses. Louise joins a host of other celebrities including BBC TV's former 'Voice of Racing' Sir Peter O'Sullevan, Buffy The Vampire Slayer actor Tony Head and jockey Frankie Dettori in her new role.

  • Free range eggs ‘in danger of becoming just another commodity product on sale’

    December 1st 2006

    FREE range egg producers have been warned that winning back market share in the wake of recent adverse publicity may not be that easy.

  • Fuego and Ben make full list

    December 1st 2006

    SPRING beans may be the most widely grown pulse crop at present but here were no new varieties added to the Recommended List for 2007 and there is no new material progressing through the RL trials system.

  • Funnell demonstration at Myerscough College

    December 1st 2006

    Leading event rider Pippa Funnell and her husband, international show jumper William Funnell are holding a lecture demonstration at Myerscough College in the New Year.

  • Gloucestershire tenant farmers picket county council

    December 1st 2006

    THERE was finally some good news for concerned tenant farmers in Gloucestershire: the county council has agreed to set up a ‘policy committee’ which will scrutinise how its Estate is managed.

  • Half a century old and still winning awards

    December 1st 2006

    BARRY Gardiner, MP, Minister for Biodiversity, Landscape and Rural Affairs has paid tribute to the Northumberland National Park Authority in its efforts to combine care for the landscape with the encouragement of sustainable tourism during a visit to celebrate the National Park’s 50th Anniversary.

  • High-health production expands

    December 1st 2006

    TO meet the growing demand for high-health stock, both at home and abroad, international pig-breeding company ACMC is setting up fresh production facilities.

  • Husband and wife team take singles and pairs pig honours

    December 1st 2006

    Honours in the pig classes went to husband and wife team Gerallt and Joyce Owens, of Llannon, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire – taking not only the singles championship award but the trophy for pairs as well.

  • In love with the bird that everyone else hates

    December 1st 2006

    I have kept almost every sort of poultry over the years – I’ve even had one or two run-ins with ostriches, which were interesting to say the least – but the bird that I like most is the one that everyone else hates – the goose.

  • Investment in Northern Foods

    December 1st 2006

    THE arable sector received some potentially good news this week with the announcement of the proposed acquisition of four Northern Foods businesses by Vision Capital, an independent investment firm that says it wants to put money into the businesses that include Smiths Flour Mills.

  • Jim’s a cut above in ribs contest

    December 1st 2006

    WINNER of the Royal Smithfield Club’s beef ribs competition at the Scottish Winter Fair, was an entry from Jim Brown, of Airdrie. A former dairy farmer, Mr Brown dispersed his pedigree Holstein herd last year to concentrate on beef production.

  • John Gittins award winner

    December 1st 2006

    A LEADING figure in sheep farming for more than 50 years, Capt Nick Archdale, of Nannerch, Mold, Flintshire, is this year’s winner of the John Gittins Memorial Award in recognition of outstanding contribution to the Welsh sheep industry.

  • Julie is named Woman Farmer of the Year

    December 1st 2006

    THE new NFU Cymru-NatWest Wales Woman Farmer of the Year is Julie Davies, of Glwydcaenewydd Farm, Crai, near Brecon, Powys.

  • Kingshay produce new technical notes on Labour and water use

    December 1st 2006

    THE two latest technical notes from Kingshay are ‘Sourcing Labour’ and a ‘Water Use Checklist’.

  • Learning from the past for a British farming future

    December 1st 2006

    On a trip to the South East, David Miliband took some time out to talk to Dan Stewart about dairy farming, biofuels and delays to single payments, and rural developments.

  • Longhorn award winners

    December 1st 2006

    THE award for the best large herd in the 2006 Mid-West Longhorn Breeders annual herd competition was claimed by Prof. I. Craft, who runs the Logan herd at Okehampton, Devon.

  • Lower centre of gravity and new tank shape make new sprayer the Guardian of the field

    December 1st 2006

    Having launched the Sentry trailed sprayer earlier this year Chafer Machinery has used this experience to develop the Guardian range. Mervyn Bailey reports.

  • Maximising margins from renewable energy

    December 1st 2006

    OPPORTUNITIES in renewable energy were becoming large-scale. The challenge was how to maximise gross margin per hectare from it, said speaker Dr Anthony White of Climate Change Capital.

  • Milk analyser gives results in 60 seconds

    December 1st 2006

    LANCASHIRE-BASED Milk-Lab UK has developed a NEW analyser, capable of assessing the composition of milk in 60 seconds.

  • Milk supply deal for rural farming family

    December 1st 2006

    A Lancashire dairy farming family that has been producing organically since 2001 is to supply the milk for a new range under the Bowland Fresh brand, which will be sold by regional retailer Booths.

  • Ministers want new animal welfare supermarket labels

    December 1st 2006

    A LABEL denoting animal welfare standards could soon be appearing on supermarket food, if Ministers get their way.

  • Moss calms ‘speeding sheep’ in North Wales nursery win

    December 1st 2006

    NOT even the threat of the worst storms of the winter kept a large crowd away from the North Wales Nursery championship.

  • New association could ‘go its own way’ if support isn’t forthcoming

    December 1st 2006

    A PLEDGE that the newly-formed Scottish Beef Cattle Association would ‘go quietly its own way’ if its members and the Scottish beef industry did not believe it deserved their support, came from the Association’s president, John Cameron at a press briefing at the fair.

  • New scheme to give riding school clients the chance to join British Riding Clubs

    1 December 2006

    THOUSANDS of riders are to benefit from a scheme that allows those who ride at riding schools to join British Riding Clubs (BRC).

  • NEWS IN BRIEF

    December 1st 2006

    Improvement in resistance leads to cost savings

  • NEWS IN BRIEF

    December 1st 2006

    • SIR Ben Gill has urged students at Bishop Burton College, East Yorkshire to embrace technological advances in the industry and take part in next year’s Great North Meet.

  • No inspection or approval body for livestock haulage yet

    December 1st 2006

    DEFRA has not yet appointed any bodies to inspect and approve livestock transport vehicles in accordance with new EU rules, which come into force on January 5.

  • Not enough respect for food in UK, says Cameron

    6 December 2006

    CONSERVATIVE Party leader, David Cameron, has acknowledged that the difficulties forcing so many Welsh dairy farmers out of business amount to “a tragedy”.

  • Now illegal to use unlicensed gangmasters

    December 1st 2006

    FROM today, anybody who uses an unlicensed labour provider operating in farming and food processing sectors will be committing a criminal offence.Those who break the new law are facing penalties of up to 6 months imprisonment, a £5,000 fine, or both.It is already an offence for gangmasters to operate without a licence.

  • Nuffield Scholar and bursary

    December 1st 2006

    • WINNER of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s Nuffield Scholarship is Neil Perkins, of Dinas Island Farm, Dinas, near Newport, Pembrokeshire.• THE Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s bursary award to enable young people to attend the annual Oxford Farming Conference has been won by Dafydd Lewis, of Lampeter, Cardigan.

  • OCD Scheme hits problems in Wales

    6 December 2006

    FARMERS across Wales are finding it impossible to dispose of cattle aged over 10 years old due to a slaughtering backlog at abattoirs.

  • OCD Scheme hits problems in Wales

    6 December 2006

    FARMERS across Wales are finding it impossible to dispose of cattle aged over 10 years old due to a slaughtering backlog at abattoirs.

  • Only one new winter bean

    December 1st 2006

    JUST one new variety joins the Recommended List of winter beans for 2007, taking the number of varieties to five.

  • Optimism is crucial, advises NFU leader

    December 1st 2006

    WHILE farming faced its problems, it was important to be optimistic and to produce good products while working to get the business sustainable without the help of the SPS, NFU Scotland vice-president, Bob Howat, said at a fair ‘Question Time’ session.

  • Outwintering beef trials onto commercial farms

    December 1st 2006

    AFTER two years of college based trials, SAC’s work on extended outwintering of beef cattle has moved out on to the commercial farm situation for its third year.

  • Parasite pellet has the smallholder in mind

    December 1st 2006

    A NEW parasite control solution – via the use of pellets – has been designed by Verm-X for smallholders with sheep, goats and alpacas.

  • Pedigree Holsteins to 2,000gns at Beeston

    December 1st 2006

    A TOP of 2,000gns was realised when pedigree Holsteins from three Derbyshire herds came under the hammer at Beeston, Cheshire.

  • Peter plans a short sharp stint as chairman

    December 1st 2006

    Peter Clarke

  • Planning policy key to ‘greener’ buildings

    December 1st 2006

    CLAIRE Bonham-Carter of Faber Maunsell’s Sustainable Energy Group provided compelling evidence that planning policy was becoming a powerful driver for the generation of green energy and for developers to ensure that their buildings were ‘green’.

  • Profits can be made due to the undersupply of pulses

    December 1st 2006

    PEAS and beans have fallen out of favour in recent seasons as a result of disappointing yields, quality and price rises for other crops.

  • Reality of the rhetoric

    December 1st 2006

    EU member states and the European Commission have all announced ambitious plans for the development of biofuels, but an American researcher has warned that Europe is unlikely to even get close to its target of 5.75 per cent of vehicle fuels coming from renewable sources by 2010.

  • Red meat sales soar

    December 1st 2006

    RED meat sales are soaring in Wales, with lamb proving increasingly popular and showing an increase of 17 per cent on last year – compared to only a 1 per cent rise in the whole of Great Britain.

  • REGIONAL NEWS IN BRIEF

    December 1st 2006

    Project in Euro final

  • Registering land is important

    December 1st 2006

    THE Land Registry is launching a campaign to encourage farmers to register their land – a really important issue, it says, even if the land has been in a family for generations.

  • Reminder on NVZ limits

    December 1st 2006

    FARMERS are being reminded that the limits for spreading manure in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) are changing this month.

  • Review your sheep handling system

    December 1st 2006

    HANDLING sheep in ways which take advantage of their natural behaviour can markedly increase the speed, safety and efficiency of flock operations the English Beef and Lamb Executive (Eblex) is reminding flockmasters.

  • Royal Welsh Winter Fair

    December 1st 2006

    BARRY ALSTON reports from another record-breaking two-day Royal Welsh Winter Fair which, despite atrocious weather, saw the attendance climb to 26,996 – 1,329 higher than the 2004 previous best.

  • Safety first is right option for young Sweep in nursery trial

    December 1st 2006

    HAROLD Loates took the nursery title with Sweep and Dennis Hudson with Fly won the novice class at Bamford’s third and final trial this season.

  • School Milk Project reaches milestone through Tamzin

    December 1st 2006

    A FIVE-YEAR old from the West Midlands has become the 300,000th child in Great Britain to benefit from the Milk Development Council’s School Milk Project.

  • Scottish Sheepdog Trials Results

    December 1st 2006

    LOCHCARRON (Judge: A. MacDonald, Fearn) Nursery (19 ran): 1, E. MacKinnon (Lochcarron) Shep, 96 of 100; 2, S. Grant (Strathcannaird) Jen, 95; 3, H. MacLean (Culloden) Kim, 93; 4, M. Murray (Back) Jim, 87; 5, K.C. McKinnon (Bernisdale) Shene, 85; 6, R. Meikle (Black Isle) Lynne, 83. Older dogs (10): 1, J. Lamont (Portree) Kerry, 96; 2, E. Mackinnon, Roy, 94; 3, D. Ross (Achaillach) Gemma, 93; equal 4, H. Johnstone (Fyvie) Kylie, and P. Fullerton (Kingussie) Don, 92 outbye.

  • SCOTTISH WINTER FAIR

    December 1st 2006

    While the underlying problems facing both the beef and sheep industries were never far away, there remained a buoyant air to the Scottish Winter Fair at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh. NEIL RYDER reports.

  • SHEEPDOG TRIALS DIARY

    December 1st 2006

    ENGLAND

  • Single Payments start this week – except in England

    December 1st 2006

    SINGLE Payments were due to start arriving in bank accounts across the UK today (December 1) – except, of course, in England.

  • Smithfield livestock show will be annual

    6 December 2006

    THE Royal Smithfield will live on it was officially announced at the close of this year’s Royal Smithfield Christmas Fair that was attended by more than 15,600 visitors.

  • Speculation in City over bid for Sainsbury’s

    December 1st 2006

    JUST as J Sainsbury is firmly on the recovery track, rumours of a possible bid are gathering credence in the City.

  • Straights market led higher by cereals lift

    December 1st 2006

    CATTLE feed prices are increasing – mainly led by the increases seen in the cereals market.

  • Supreme Belgian Blue sells for £4,500

    December 1st 2006

    ROSEMARY Hamilton’s supreme champion, the heavyweight Belgian Blue cross Limousin heifer tipped the scales at 670kg and sold for £4,500 to judge, Billy Glazebrook on behalf of Highland Meats at the Scottish Winter Fair sale.

  • SW NFU elections

    December 1st 2006

    Last week Farmers Guardian took a look at the candidates running for NFU delegate in Somerset. This week the focus is in Cornwall, and the contest for county chairman. There were recurring issues – TB and retailer power – but communication both into and out of England’s southern-most county is also high on the agenda for both candidates.

  • Swaledale wool:Swaledale wool: Hand-knitter fears for future

    December 1st 2006

    SUPPLIES of Swaledale wool are under threat because of the demise of hill flocks from the uplands, according to one North Yorkshire farmer’s wife this week.

  • Taller bales help maximise straw loads for long distance haulage

    December 1st 2006

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.VICON has extended its LB big square baler range with the LB12290, which produces a 90cm high 120cm wide bale.

  • Tanker contamination insurance cost could rise

    December 1st 2006

    DAIRY UK expects the EU will lift infringement proceedings against the UK Government, following the Food and Veterinary Office’s inspection of various UK dairy processing plants last week.

  • Texels to 540gns at Llandovery

    December 1st 2006

    PRICES peaked at 540gns at the annual Texel Society show and sale of in-lamb ewes held at Llandovery Market on behalf of the South Wales Texel Breeders.

  • Three bulls die in Channel crossing

    December 1st 2006

    AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after three bulls died during a Channel crossing.

  • Tougher times ahead for fallen stock scheme

    December 1st 2006

    SO far, so good; but things are about to get tougher. That was the message from National Fallen Stock Company (NFSCo) chairman Michael Seals on the second anniversary of the carcase disposal scheme.

  • Two thirds don’t know milk production costs

    December 1st 2006

    SOME 62 per cent of dairy farmers surveyed at this year’s Dairy Event do not know their costs of production.

  • UK cow beef exports are ‘competitively priced’ in EU

    December 1st 2006

    SOME 22,000 tonnes of beef was exported from the UK between January and September 2006.

  • Visit to a farm planned for every schoolchild

    December 1st 2006

    EVERY schoolchild in England will be given the opportunity to visit a farm under ambitious plans to reconnect young people with where and how their food is produced.

  • Welsh flock scab review

    December 1st 2006

    WITH sheep scab regarded as one of the most contagious sheep diseases in Britain, Hybu Cig Cymru is carrying out a survey on the extent of parasites within the Welsh flock.

  • Welsh Sheepdog Trials Results

    December 1st 2006

    NORTH WALES NURSERY CHAMPIONSHIP. 1 and captain, G.Ll. Jones (Defaidty) Moss, 12; M.Ll. Evans (Llanfachreth) Meg, 15; 3, A. Staples (Bala) Taff, 18olf; 4, A.Ll. Jones (Defaidty) Max, 18; 5, E.P. Roberts (Ysbyty Ifan) Er.Jim, 19; 6, J.R. Griffith (Talysarn) Mali, 20; 7, P. Williams (Mold) Sweep, 23; 8, A. Owen (Corwen) Ben, 24; 9, R.V. Hughes (Llangefni) Nan, 25; 10, H. Lloyd (Trefeglwys) K.Midge, 27; 11, C. Humphreys (Pennal) Mirk, 29; 12, J. Lightfoot (Llandegla) Bill, ...

  • WestfaliaSurge claims new range of units will meet all your herd management requirements

    December 1st 2006

    A range of herd management functions as well as milk metering and cluster removal are incorporated in the top model in a new series of milking control units launched by WestfaliaSurge.

  • What makes a good farmer brand?

    December 1st 2006

    Consumers cannot seem to get enough of farmer own-label food produce. Whether from markets, stores or direct from farmers themselves, buyers are flocking to the brands. But what makes a good brand and how can farmers make a success of it in an increasingly competitive marketplace? TOM LEVITT investigates.

  • What the producers said…

    December 1st 2006

    Free-range egg producers attending the conference spoke out on the two big issues facing their industry – French imports and alleged labelling fraud.

  • Woodlands adding value

    December 1st 2006

    THREE Perthshire farmers have received a cash boost from Forestry Commission Scotland as part of its Adding Value to Farm Woodlands pilot grant scheme.

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