Farmers Guardian
January 18th 2008

  • ‘Soft landing’ for milk quotas is unlikely to benefit UK

    17 January 2008

    A REPORT for the European Commission has advocated a radical annual increase in milk quotas as the best way to ensure a soft landing for farmers when they end in 2015.

  • 2,000gns top for Western Holstein sale

    January 18th 2008

    A small entry of 52 cows and calved heifers for members of the Western Holstein Club were entered for their early January sale at Beeston Castle, Cheshire, and selling was confined to those who reside outside the bluetongue restricted zone.

  • A Holistic approach to horsey benefits

    January 18th 2008

    Combining her passion for racing with a way to offer stressed out ‘townies’ and horse lovers from all disciplines the chance to relax and have fun led to Lisa Venables establishing Holistic Horses. LIZ FALKINGHAM tries out the racehorse experience on a rainy day in Kingston Lisle, Oxfordshire

  • A record number of trade stands

    14 January 2008

    THE Dairy Show will go ahead on Wednesday, January 30, without cattle, but with more trade stands than ever before.

  • A whole world away from his dairy roots

    January 18th 2008

    Diversity holds no bounds on a Vale of Glamorgan farm, as BARRY ALSTON discovered during an NFU Cymru-arranged, fact-finding visit.

  • Advantages of collaboration

    January 18th 2008

    THE Red Meat Industry Forum (RMIF) has been touring the country demonstrating to groups of independent pig producers the advantages of collaboration through joining a club.

  • Agromek January 2008

    January 18th 2008

    NEW milk, feed and slurry robot techniques dominates the machinery news at this week’s Agromek show. Steven Vale takes a closer look at these and some of the other highlights from the Danish event.

  • Air spray boom

    January 18th 2008

    A section of the Telescopic-Air fibreglass air spray boom could be seen on the stand of Kyndestoft Maskinfabrik. A feature of the new 50cm diameter design is the extra strength and low weight of just 10kg/sq.m. Suitable for fitting to all makes of sprayer, a further feature of the new technique is that the boom sections retract inside one another for transport.

  • Animalcare Group formed from four firms

    January 18th 2008

    ANIMALCARE Group is the new name for the combined operations of Ritchey, Travik, Fearing and Animalcare.

  • Appeal for support to help fund horse rescue

    January 18th 2008

    WHILE the horses, ponies and donkeys rescued last week from appalling conditions on a Buckinghamshire farm settle into their new homes with various equine welfare charities, their hosts are appealing for additional public support to fund their rehabilitation.

  • Appeal for support to help fund horse rescue

    January 18th 2008

    WHILE the horses, ponies and donkeys rescued last week from appalling conditions on a Buckinghamshire farm settle into their new homes with various equine welfare charities, their hosts are appealing for additional public support to fund their rehabilitation.

  • Applying N early can lead to oversized OSR canopies

    January 18th 2008

    LARGE oilseed rape crops benefit from delayed applications of nitrogen in the spring, HGCA-funded research has demonstrated.

  • Argentina will not take up slack in the market 

    January 18th 2008

    WITH Brazilian beef exports to Europe likely to fall, because of the new restrictions on traceability imposed by the European Commission, Argentina has confirmed it will not be taking up any of the slack created in the market.

  • Automatic dairy feeding system

    January 18th 2008

    Feeding is another area where Danish dairy farms are looking to make labour savings and many have already installed some form of automatic system.

  • Award for highest price per kilogram

    January 18th 2008

    A NEW award – created following the cancellation of the livestock classes at Countryside Live – has been won jointly by two Yorkshire farmers.

  • Beef and lamb prices up

    January 18th 2008

    BEEF prices are on the way up in a demand-led market and many people in the industry believe there is more to come.

  • Beef bulls’ eligibility for Perth sales

    January 18th 2008

    BEEF bulls from within the bluetongue control zones will be able to go to the February Perth sales, provided they have had a clear blood test and have the necessary documentation.

  • Beef market driven by euro rate and tight Irish supplies

    January 18th 2008

    BEEF prices are on the way up and many believe they are some way off peaking.

  • Benn defends avian flu surveillance strategy after Dorset delays

    16 January 2008

    DEFRA Secretary Hilary Benn defended the Government’s avian flu surveillance programme, after it emerged that it took nearly two weeks to confirm the disease in dead and ill wild birds in Dorset.

  • Benn warning to 'remain vigilant' as heavy rain continues

    18 January 2008

    SECRETARY of state Hilary Benn has warned people to ‘remain vigilant’ as heavy rain continued to fall across the UK, putting many areas at risk of flooding.

  • Best peas and beans ‘five’

    January 18th 2008

    FIVE farmers from the same county have won national awards for growing the best dried peas and beans in the country. All the winners in the competition run by the British Edible Pulse Association (BEPA) farm in Essex.

  • BRAISED OXTAIL WITH STAR ANISE

    January 18th 2008

    Serves 6

  • Brassica Bulletin

    January 18th 2008

    THE rising value of cereals along with a reluctance to incur the cost of housing cattle unnecessarily has prompted Phillip Walters to extend the scope of out-wintering this season.

  • Breaking down barriers for electricity generation from farm and food waste

    January 18th 2008

    A pioneer of co-operative organic milk marketing in Wales is now aiming to be at the forefront of on-farm power generation.

  • Brecknock beat Glamorgan in inter-county trial

    January 18th 2008

    THE last outing for the teams from Brecknock and Glamorgan was at an inter-county trial. Each team was made up of 18 dogs and there was a nursery class, novice and an open. Each team ran six dogs in each class.

  • Bull rankings show stability in top two sires

    18 January 2008

    THE latest Holstein bull rankings, released by MDC breeding+, have shown stability in the top two placed sires.

  • BUSINESS IN BRIEF

    January 18th 2008

    Vivartia fined for price fixing

  • Cameron and Leahy to address union conference

    January 18th 2008

    CONSERVATIVE leader David Cameron and Tesco chief Sir Terry Leahy head an impressive list of speakers at the NFU’s centenary conference at the Hilton London Metropole on February 18 and 19.

  • Castlecairn Lion Heart shearling ewe makes 480gns at Newark

    January 18th 2008

    BIDDING peaked at 480gns for a Castlecairn Lion Heart shearling ewe at the Texel Sheep Society’s New Year sale of in-lamb females at Newark Livestock Market, Nottinghamshire.

  • Cattle judging competition

    January 18th 2008

    THE Herefordshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs held their annual Hereford Cattle Judging competition.

  • Changing slurry from a negative into a positive

    January 18th 2008

    BARRY ALSTON reports on a forthcoming West Wales on-farm research project which could change the face of farming and put the industry at the forefront of tackling climate change.

  • Channel Island milk sales up 6.6pc in 2007

    January 18th 2008

    JERSEY and Guernsey milk sales totalled 8.1 million litres in the 52 weeks ending December 2.

  • Checking fertiliser distribution

    January 18th 2008

    Any savings from astute fertiliser buying could be lost if users fail to check the distribution pattern with a tray test. Mick Roberts reports.

  • Chicory and plantain are viable in Scotland

    January 18th 2008

    THE trial at Sunnyside Farm had also revealed that chicory and plantain could be grown successfully in Scottish upland conditions.

  • Clincs, speakers and videos at The Dairy Show

    13 January 2008

    FARMERS Guardian and its sister publication Dairy Farmer will be running a lively stand at The Dairy Show. Situated in the showering pavilion, there will be a full programme of speakers, videos and complimentary refreshments. It is free and open to all.

  • COARSE LIVER PÂTÉ

    January 18th 2008

    Serves 6-8

  • Co-ordinating Rural Hub

    January 18th 2008

    FORMER Country Land and Business Association director Frances Beatty has been appointed to run Staffordshire’s Rural Hub network of rural businesses, as its co-ordinator. 

  • Criminal gang targeting John Deere tractors

    15 January 2008

    A CRIMINAL gang, stealing tractors from across Europe and selling them on around the world, has been linked to recent thefts in Somerset leading to fears they will now begin targeting machinery dealerships in the south west.

  • Criminal gang targeting John Deere tractors

    15 January 2008

    A CRIMINAL gang, stealing tractors from across Europe and selling them on around the world, has been linked to recent thefts in Somerset leading to fears they will now begin targeting machinery dealerships in the south west.

  • Crops and grass nutrition

    16 January 2008

    READ our special feature on crops and grass nutrition, including a look at how to make better use of the nitrogen in animal slurry in crops such as forage maize, cereals and even potatoes.

  • Dairy cow numbers must rise to maintain supply

    January 18th 2008

    A REPORT for the European Commission says Europe will need a big increase in dairy cow numbers to maintain milk production and to take full advantage of the likely two per cent increase in quotas from next April.

  • Danish students learn from their Scottish peers

    January 18th 2008

    More than 60 Danish agriculture students are to visit Scotland during January to study farming methods.

  • Demand and poor harvest drives rapid food price rise

    17 January 2008

    POOR global harvests, turning land to biofuel production and rising demand from India and China are seen as key catalysts for the fastest rise in food prices since records began in 1992.

  • Demand and poor harvest drives rapid food price rise

    January 18th 2008

    POOR global harvests, turning land to biofuel production and rising demand from India and China are seen as key catalysts for the fastest rise in food prices since records began in 1992.

  • Demand for beef pushes China production forward

    January 18th 2008

    CHINA looks set to overtake the EU as the world’s third largest beef producer.

  • Despite TV campaigns for poultry welfare, cheap chicken sales are on the up

    17 January 2008

    SALES of free-range and organic chickens rose this week following high profile campaigns on poultry welfare from TV chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

  • DEVILLED LAMB’S KIDNEYS ON TOAST

    January 18th 2008

    Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a brunch dish

  • Digital dermatitis control

    January 18th 2008

    Present on some 80 per cent of Danish dairy farms, digital dermatitis is a rapidly growing problem and one that it difficult to control now that there are no available chemicals. Not surprisingly, the race is on to develop new ways to control the problem a couple of which were on display.

  • Diversification Awards competition is launched

    January 18th 2008

    THE Devon Diversification Award, which aims to find the best diversification business in the county, has been launched with a first prize of £600.

  • Dunwoody conquers new route to South Pole

    18 January 2008

    AT approximately 10.30 this morning, three-time champion jockey Richard Dunwoody and his team mate, the American explorer, Doug Stoup, reached the Geographic South Pole.

  • Early results from trials show forage crops are cost effective

    January 18th 2008

    The low prices experience by the hogget market in early 2007 highlighted the need for minimised production costs. Could forage crops be one answer? NEIL RYDER reports on some SAC trial work in Peebleshire, Scotland.

  • Eblex advises greater precision

    January 18th 2008

    THE current advice from the English Beef and Lamb Executive (Eblex) is that while most sheep farmers can make ‘worthwhile economies’ on feed this should be achieved through ‘greater precision’ rather than across-the-board reductions in late pregnancy supplementation.

  • English sheepdog trial results

    January 18th 2008

    RYEDALE, Nursery (27 ran): 1, D. Bristow (Murton) Floss, 80 of 90; 2, T. Bell (Selby) Daz, 78; 3, D. Lumley (Pateley Bridge) Meg, 73; 4, M. Petyt (Scotton) Ben, 73; 5, I. Murdoch (Sheriff Hutton) Jill, 72; 6, B. Bradley (Hamsterley) Shep, 71.

  • EPIC centre

    January 18th 2008

    LINCOLNSHIRE Agricultural Society is to unveil its £7 million ‘green’ conference centre at the 2008 county show. According to the society, work on the EPIC Centre is on schedule. The centre hopes to host a green exhibition during the Lincolnshire show on June 18 and 19, 2008.

  • Estimated UK crop yields down

    January 18th 2008

    DEFRA has revised UK 2007 wheat production down by 0.25 million tonnes, following final 2007 UK June survey results.

  • EU animal health strategy is ratified

    January 18th 2008

    A NEW EU animal health strategy, which focuses on the prevention of animal disease, is set to be adopted after it was ratified by a consultation committee this week.

  • EU frees cash for bluetongue vaccinations

    January 18th 2008

    EUROPEAN Union countries are being urged to put bluetongue vaccination programmes in place after commissioners confirmed this week the EU would cover the costs of the vaccine.

  • Farm business growth from co-op’s investment

    15 January 2008

    A FARMERS' co-operative in Cambridgeshire is set to increase its processing and storage capacity of combinable crops by 90,000 tonnes.

  • Farm business growth from co-op’s investment

    15 January 2008

    A FARMERS' co-operative in Cambridgeshire is set to increase its processing and storage capacity of combinable crops by 90,000 tonnes.

  • Farmers braced for more flooding

    15 January 2008

    FARMERS are bracing themselves for a repeat of the flooding that devastated vast areas of the country in June and July last year.

  • Farmers should not dismiss feed alternatives out of hand

    January 18th 2008

    ADVOCATING the use of buckets and blocks to provide pregnant ewes with the nutrition they needed, Alison Bond of Rumenco initiated a debate over supplementary feeding versus compounds.

  • Farmers urged to complete CPMP

    14 January 2008

    THE NFU is urging all farmers who use pesticides on their farm to complete a Crop Protection Management Plan (CPMP) and show their continued support for the Voluntary Initiative (VI).

  • Farmers urged to complete CPMP

    14 January 2008

    THE NFU is urging all farmers who use pesticides on their farm to complete a Crop Protection Management Plan (CPMP) and show their continued support for the Voluntary Initiative (VI).

  • Farmhouse Breakfast Week

    January 18th 2008

    FARMHOUSE Breakfast Week, an annual campaign that emphasises the importance of eating a healthy breakfast every day, is being staged next week (January 20-26). The theme is ‘A Great Start’. All stages of the food chain from farmers to food producers and retailers to consumers are being encouraged to hold events. For more information, visit www.farmhousebreakfast.com.

  • Farming investment opportunity

    15 January 2008

    THE public, alongside pension funds, trusts etc, can now invest directly in farming with the creation of a new enterprise, Braemar UK Agricultural Land.

  • Farming investment opportunity

    15 January 2008

    THE public, alongside pension funds, trusts etc, can now invest directly in farming with the creation of a new enterprise, Braemar UK Agricultural Land.

  • Fewer tested under HGCA’s new performance project

    January 18th 2008

    FEWER fungicides will be tested under HGCA’s new ‘Fungicide performance on winter wheat’ project, than were tested under the Appropriate Fungicide Dose project that it replaces.

  • Fifth swan suspected of H5N1

    18 January 2008

    DEFRA will confirm this afternoon that a fifth mute swan at Abbotsbury Swannery, in Dorset, has tested positive for H5N1 avian flu.

  • Food policy ‘had potential’

    January 18th 2008

    A NATIONAL food policy for Scotland had ‘massive potential’ to boost the nation’s health, environment and rural communities, NFU Scotland has claimed.

  • Foot-and-mouth help call

    January 18th 2008

    A FRESH call for Wales to follow the example of Scotland in providing desperately needed help for the livestock industry came ahead of yesterday’s meeting of the Welsh Assembly’s finance committee.

  • Fourth swan confirmed with H5N1 at Dorset swannery

    16 January 2008

    A FOURTH mute swan has tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu at the Abbotsbury Swannery, in Dorset, Defra has announced.

  • Fuel alternatives in preparation for future

    January 18th 2008

    A South West initiative, aimed at helping farmers and growers provide working alternatives for when oil becomes harder to extract and more expensive, has taken another step forward.

  • Glanbia still going strong

    14 January 2008

    INTERNATIONAL dairy foods and nutritional ingredients group Glanbia reports a strong performance in 2007 with earnings per share expected at the upper end of market expectations.

  • Government told to wake up over biofuels

    January 18th 2008

    BIOFUELS will deliver a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport but only if the Government gets its act together, warns a new Royal Society report.

  • Graig Goch Berwyn 59 makes 12,200gns top at Dolgellau

    January 18th 2008

    THE New Year got off to a good start for the Welsh Black Cattle Society at their first sale at Dolgellau, with prices peaking at 12,200gns.

  • Great North Meet tickets

    January 18th 2008

    With just over two weeks to go, there are just a few tickets left for the Great North Meet Conference, to be held at Newton Rigg Campus in Penrith.

  • Hardi brand continues

    January 18th 2008

    THE purchase of the Hardi sprayer business by French-firm Exel Industries has no effect on the Danish sprayer company.

  • Helping Tanzanian farmers

    January 18th 2008

    ELEVEN members of the Devon Federation of Young Farmers Clubs will travel to Tanzania to help the country’s undeveloped agriculture infrastructure.

  • HGCA workshop

    18 January 2008

    DISEASE control experts tackled a range of issues, from fungicide choice to optimum dose rates at the first HGCA/Farmers Guardian wheat disease management workshop at Peterborough this week. Teresa Rush reports.

  • Holyrood committee calls for evidence on rural housing

    16 January 2008

    WHY is housing in certain rural areas beyond the financial reach of those who need it most? This is just one of the questions which will be posed by the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Environment Committee as it launches an inquiry into rural housing.

  • Huntworth mart

    January 18th 2008

    THE new Livestock Centre at Huntworth, Bridgwater, Somerset, will be operational from Monday, January 21.

  • INDIVIDUAL STEAK AND KIDNEY PIES

    January 18th 2008

    Serves 4

  • Intensive cattle finishing – good technical management and cost control is key

    January 18th 2008

    In the fifth in the series of articles, where Farmers Guardian has teamed up with the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) to examine the findings in the recently-published Business Pointers – an overview of the financial performance of the English beef and lamb sectors for the 12 months to March 31, 2007, we look at intensive cattle finishing.

  • Intervet’s Barren EweCheck returns

    January 18th 2008

    BACK for another year, Intervet Animal Health’s Barren EweCheck free blood testing service is now available.

  • Irish Food Processors acquire Kent-based producer

    15 January 2008

    IRISH Food Processors, one of Europe's leading beef processors, has acquired W. A. Turner, an established Kent-based producer of chilled and frozen sausages, and savoury bakery products.

  • Jamie apologises to Sainsbury’s staff

    14 January 2008

    JAMIE Oliver has written to staff at Sainsbury's to apologise for comments made in the press last week, criticising the supermarket.

  • Jamie disappointed over restaurant fowl up

    18 January 2008

    JAMIE Oliver has been left with egg on his face after it was revealed that one of his restaurants was serving battery eggs to customers.

  • Jatropha’s biodiesel industry potential

    January 18th 2008

    AGROCHEMICALS manufacturer Bayer CropScience has announced plans to jointly explore the potential for a biodiesel industry based on jatropha with agribusiness Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) and Daimler.

  • LAMMA Show 2008 pulls in the crowds

    18 January 2008

    THERE were visitors galore at this week’s LAMMA ‘08 Show at the Newark showground, Nottinghamshire.

  • Legal challenge mounted after test results anomalies

    January 18th 2008

    A LEGAL battle is underway in a bid to force Defra to retest cattle for bovine TB on farms across the country where the use of the gamma interferon (gIFN) test alongside the skin test has thrown up spurious results.

  • Less corn could cause shortage

    14 January 2008

    WITH increased ethanol demand and fewer corn acres grown in 2008, corn prices could hit record highs around the world this year.

  • Less corn could cause shortage

    14 January 2008

    WITH increased ethanol demand and fewer corn acres grown in 2008, corn prices could hit record highs around the world this year.

  • Live auction marts still the best for prime sheep prices

    16 January 2008

    THE live auction system for prime sheep must continue say industry bodies and, not surprisingly, auctioneers.

  • Live auction marts still the best for prime sheep prices

    16 January 2008

    THE live auction system for prime sheep must continue say industry bodies and, not surprisingly, auctioneers.

  • Live auction marts still the best for prime sheep prices

    16 January 2008

    THE live auction system for prime sheep must continue say industry bodies and, not surprisingly, auctioneers.

  • Livestock news in brief

    January 18th 2008

    High genetic merit rams investigation

  • Livestock producers must also comply with the law

    January 18th 2008

    LIVESTOCK farmers do not always think of themselves as pesticide users, but in reality they are, according to Voluntary Initiative manager Patrick Goldsworthy.

  • Low level of locally-produced food bought by public sector ‘appalling’

    January 18th 2008

    COUNTRY Land and Business Association president Henry Aubrey-Fletcher has said the low level of local food purchased by the public sector was appalling.

  • Made in Britain awards

    14 January 2008

    THE search is on to find and reward the producers of the best British food and drink with the launch of the Made in Britain awards this week.

  • Make better use of slurry

    January 18th 2008

    There is growing interest in Holland to make better use of the nitrogen in animal slurry in crops such as forage maize, cereals and even potatoes. Steven Vale takes a look at a number of innovative application techniques.

  • Managing supplies can limit volatility

    January 18th 2008

    WHILE there will be some settling down of milk prices after the peaks of last year, the prospects for British dairy farming remain good.

  • MCPA levels high in the Wyre

    January 18th 2008

    PESTICIDES have been recorded at high levels in the River Wyre, with the grassland weed control product MCPA particularly noticeable at certain times of the year.

  • Meadow Foods completes Akkerman dairy deal

    15 January 2008

    MEADOW Foods completed the acquisition of West Lakes Dairy Park on Monday almost doubling the Chester-based company's milk field.

  • Meadow Foods completes Akkerman dairy deal

    15 January 2008

    MEADOW Foods completed the acquisition of West Lakes Dairy Park on Monday almost doubling the Chester-based company's milk field.

  • Meat and milk from cloned animals ‘safe for consumption’

    14 January 2008

    BRITISH consumers could be able to buy food produced from cloned animals in the future after EU scientists gave the technology the green light this week.

  • Meat demand soars as farming’s image rockets

    January 18th 2008

    THE image of farmers was higher than it had been in the past 20-30 years, MLC chairman Peter Barr told the East Midlands Farm Management Association Conference at the University of Nottingham.

  • Meeting organic bread demand

    17 January 2008

    A NEW Defra LINK project is seeking to enable bakers to produce good quality bread using the maximum amount of sustainably-produced UK organic wheat.

  • More herbicides expected to be axed

    18 January 2008

    THE restrictions on use, and loss of crop protection products seen to date under the EU’s review of pesticides could just be the tip of the iceberg, field vegetable growers are being warned.

  • New Chief Executive takes the reins at ILPH

    18 January 2008

    THE International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH), recently in the public eye as part of the Amersham case, has appointed a new ehief executive.

  • New chief scientist’s advice to Defra

    January 18th 2008

    Defra’s new chief scientific adviser Prof Robert Watson spoke about climate change at the Oxford Farming Conference. After his speech, WILLIAM SURMAN caught up with him and asked what sort of advice he would be giving Defra Secretary Hilary Benn.

  • News and pictures from the largest LAMMA Show to date

    18 January 2008

    BIOMASS CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS

  • NFU brands TB figures ‘a disgrace’

    January 18th 2008

    THE NFU has described the bovine TB situation as a ‘national disgrace’, after new figures showed 2007 to be a record year for outbreaks of the disease.

  • NI production rises but beef price holds

    15 January 2008

    TOTAL Northern Ireland beef production increased last year by over 10,000 tonnes and total value was up by £20 million compared to 2006 – but there was no change in farm-gate price.

  • No further cases of avian flu found so far but testing continues

    14 January 2008

    NO FURTHER cases of avian flu have been discovered following confirmation of the deadly H5N1 strain at a Swannery in Dorset last week.

  • Offal – one of the great neglected delicacies

    January 18th 2008

    BEEF and lamb offal is set to make a comeback this year as consumers rediscover the delights of traditional dishes such as oxtail, kidneys, liver, tongue and more.

  • On BCPE board

    January 18th 2008

    BRITISH Crop Production Enterprises (BCPE), the operating arm of BCPC, has announced the appointment of Prof Peter Mills of Warwick University to the BCPE board.

  • PAN-FRIED LIVER WITH ONIONS AND SAGE

    January 18th 2008

    Serves 4

  • Parelli to join British Open line-up

    16 January 2008

    THE British Open Show Jumping Championships has announced that this year’s show will host a demonstration by natural horsemanship experts Parelli.

  • Performance of sequences and mixtures studied

    January 18th 2008

    IN fungicide programmes targeting septoria tritici in winter wheat, the addition of chlorothalonil to the triazole epoxiconazole reduced the triazole dose required for equal disease control by 50 per cent or more.

  • Peter's blog Jan 16

    16 January 2008

    FG has a new blogger. Vice chairman of the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers and Farm Business Consultant at Andersons Peter Garbutt will be writing a weekly blog exclusively for Farmers Guardian on issues and events affecting young farmers. Read his first entry.

  • Pollen beetle: Awareness of resistance risk

    18 January 2008

    THE Home-Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) has published a new factsheet to raise awareness of controlling pollen beetle and combating insecticide resistance in oilseed rape.

  • Potato vodka distillery plan

    January 18th 2008

    A crisp company is building a potato vodka distillery and biofuels plant in Herefordshire. Tyrrells has been given planning permission for the site on farmland at Preston Wynne. It plans to make vodka from potatoes grown on its farms but which are too small to turn into crisps and to deliver waste sunflower oil from crisp manufacturing to the site for conversion into biodiesel.

  • Poultry expansion

    14 January 2008

    CARGILL is expanding its poultry operations in the UK with the acquisition of Freeman’s of Newent, a primary chicken processing business in Gloucestershire.

  • Poultry restrictions in place for at least another three weeks

    January 18th 2008

    RESTRICTIONS on poultry farms will be in place in the area around the outbreak until mid-February at least.

  • PRESSED OX TONGUE SALAD WITH HORSERADISH AND HONEY DRESSING

    January 18th 2008

    Serves 6

  • Pressure mounting for increases in food price 

    January 18th 2008

    PRESSURE is set to grow for further increases in the price of food, in response to higher oil prices.

  • Quality of feed must be deciding factor

    January 18th 2008

    Providing consistency and quality is key when feeding pregnant ewes, although current cereal prices mean this would be more expensive this lambing season than ever before. JOANNE PUGH joined members of the National Sheep Association (NSA) Marches Region to find out why price should be the last consideration when buying feed compounds.

  • Quota cost has limited Canadian expansion

    January 18th 2008

    THE high cost of milk quota is one of the main factors limiting expansion of cow numbers on Canadian farms, said Ben Loewith of Summitholm Holsteins, Lynden, Ontario.

  • Racehorse to Riding Horse performance awards

    16 January 2008

    THE annual Racehorse to Riding Horse Performance Awards, sponsored by South Essex Insurance Brokers, were presented during a glittering ceremony at the British Breeding Breeders Awards Dinner in London.

  • Ramsay is new SAC manager

    January 18th 2008

    THE new group manager of SAC Farm Business Services, which provides business and technical consultancy service to Scottish farmers, is Sandy Ramsay, formerly manager of SAC Select Services. He succeeds Dr Stuart Somerville, who has retired after five years in the post.Taking Mr Ramsay’s post at Select Services is Iain Riddell, one of Scotland’s best-known beef and sheep specialists, who introduced the Monitor Farms concept into Scotland.

  • Record bTB figures a ‘national disgrace’

    15 January 2008

    THE NFU has described the bovine TB situation as a ‘national disgrace’, after new figures showed 2007 to be ‘the worst year in modern times’ for outbreaks of the disease.

  • Record-breaking trade at Taunton hits £2,540

    January 18th 2008

    AN entry of 80 Holstein cows and heifers at the weekly sale at Taunton, Somerset, saw a fast trade, with eight entries making over £2,000 – a new market record.

  • Reduction in farm visits the aim of Assembly’s review

    January 18th 2008

    THE Welsh Assembly is to review the level of farm visits and checks carried out by officials, as well as the forms which have to be completed by farmers.

  • Revamped disease management plan

    January 18th 2008

    A revamped HGCA wheat disease management research programme will see the end of the long standing appropriate fungicide dose project and the introduction of a new ‘fungicide performance on winter wheat’ project from this season.

  • Robin Page compensated

    January 18th 2008

    FARMER Robin Page, the chairman of the Countryside Restoration Trust, has received £2,000 compensation from Gloucestershire Police for wrongful arrest and detention.

  • Robot weeder and sprayer

    January 18th 2008

    THE agricultural department of Aarhus University has developed a robot that is capable of carrying out mechanical weeding and spraying tasks.

  • Royal Society tells Government to wake up over biofuels

    14 January 2008

    BIOFUELS will deliver a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport but only if the Government gets its act together, warns a new Royal Society report today.

  • Royal Society tells Government to wake up over biofuels

    14 January 2008

    BIOFUELS will deliver a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport but only if the Government gets its act together, warns a new Royal Society report today.

  • Rural marketing workshops

    January 18th 2008

    EFFECTIVE branding and marketing are the subject of two workshops being organised by The Rural Business Centre, based at Myerscough College, near Preston, Lancashire.The first, on January 24 at Crooklands, near, Kendal, Cumbria, is targeted at producers selling direct to the consumer. A week later, on January 31, the second workshop looks at those selling to the service and retail sectors. Details from the Centre on 01995 642255.

  • Ryedale is fourth win for Bristow and Floss

    January 18th 2008

    DAVID Bristow and Floss earned their fourth win on Saturday at the Ryedale nursery at Pilly Hall Farm, Easby, North Yorkshire.

  • SAUSAGE AND KIDNEY CASSEROLE

    January 18th 2008

    Serves 4

  • Scientific body to provide 'expert oversight' on bTB

    16 January 2008

    A NEW scientific body has been set up to advise Defra on research related to bovine TB.

  • Scotch Beef on the menu

    January 18th 2008

    QUALITY Meat Scotland’s Scotch Beef Club is sponsoring this year’s Dine around Edinburgh event with a competition prize of two meals each week during the promotion, which can be taken at any participating restaurant

  • Scottish sheepdog trial results

    January 18th 2008

    CULDEES (Judge, S. Alexander, Abernethy) 30 ran, 1, A. Wilkie (Lintrathen) Cap, 93; 2, K. Freeman (Killin) Glen, 91; 3, I. Brownlie (Forestmill) Wisp, 82; 4, A. Carnegie (Comrie) Gyp, 79 Outbye; 5, N. Campbell (Kinross) Cap, 79; 6, J. Ogston (Killin) Floss, 78.

  • Self-propelled windrowers

    January 18th 2008

    THE show provided visitors to take a close look at a brand new range of self-propelled windrowers from Canadian-firm Mac Don.

  • Selling prime lambs at Clitheroe Mart

    January 18th 2008

    Auctioneer Joe Worthington sells prime lambs at Clitheroe Mart, Lancashire, on Monday. The 900 hoggs on offer averaged 101p/kg and sold to 120p/kg. Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.

  • Semex Dairy Conference

    January 18th 2008

    The key message of this year’s Semex Dairy Conference in Glasgow, was that a sustainable future was closely linked to supply and demand and, in breeding, a step back from high performing, extreme type of dairy cow.

  • Semex Dairy Conference

    January 18th 2008

    The key message of this year’s Semex Dairy Conference in Glasgow, was that a sustainable future was closely linked to supply and demand and, in breeding, a step back from high performing, extreme type of dairy cow.

  • Sheepdog trials diary

    January 18th 2008

    19 January.

  • Slurry robot

    January 18th 2008

    MANY Danish dairy farms working with a milk robot are now looking at new ways to reduce labour costs still further, one of which includes a slurry robot.

  • Smaller dairies are better placed to respond to change

    January 18th 2008

    CONSUMER interest in locally produced foods is provided opportunities for many of the smaller dairies and processors, said David Potts, Dairy Farmers of Britain.

  • 'Soft landing' for milk quotas is unlikely to benefit UK

    January 18th 2008

    A REPORT for the European Commission has advocated a radical annual increase in milk quotas as the best way to ensure a soft landing for farmers when they end in 2015.

  • Specialist crops pair for HDC panels

    January 18th 2008

    CROP protection, agronomy and consultancy company, Agrovista UK, have had their agronomic technical knowledge recognised in specialist crops with the appointment of two members of staff to Horticultural Development Council (HDC) sector panels.

  • Spring barley fits environmental and farming needs on Stetchworth Estate

    18 January 2008

    PROFITABILITY is key when growing any crop, says Ron Gabain, but growing spring barley in East Anglia is something that holds a much wider appeal.

  • STUFFED BRAISED LAMB’S HEART

    January 18th 2008

    Serves 4-6

  • Successful year in fight for survival

    January 18th 2008

    TWO of the biggest success stories on the updated Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) ‘Watchlist’ were for the British sheep breeds Llanwenog and Ryeland.

  • Supporting and encouraging a future for crofting

    January 18th 2008

    ENCOURAGING and supporting young people to become crofters will be an integral part of the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting’s vision.

  • Tackling stubble

    January 18th 2008

    Where straw is not required then combine operators should be looking to increase the height of the stubble from 100 to 350mm as a way to increase forward speed. That is the message from Spearhead Denmark, which says that the list of benefits includes the fact that faster working speeds means that fewer hours and less diesel are needed to cut the crop.

  • Temple to face triple challenge for NFU vice president slot

    15 January 2008

    THREE members of the NFU council will challenge Paul Temple for the post of NFU vice president in next month's union elections.

  • The penny must drop as beef becomes scarcer

    January 18th 2008

    VIEWPOINT: By Robert Forster

  • TO PREPARE TONGUE

    January 18th 2008

    Preparation time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 3 hours

  • Tulip contracts renegotiated

    January 18th 2008

    PRODUCERS who supply pigs to Tulip abattoirs, including Geo Adams, received a letter on Saturday advising them that all contracts are to be renegotiated.

  • Unacceptable pesticide levels

    January 18th 2008

    Diffuse pollution from agriculture can be a big problem in waterways and a headache for the utility companies. JOANNA BAKER found out how the England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative is working with farmers in the Wyre River Catchment to tackle the issue.

  • Underlying structural deficiencies must be put right before confidence returns

    January 18th 2008

    THERE were many reasons to be genuinely upbeat about the prospects for the British dairy industry, but there was no room for complacency, said NFU national dairy board chairman, Gwyn Jones.

  • Understanding the role of gene markers

    January 18th 2008

    A NUMBER of organisations have joined forces to further understand the role of gene markers in the production of tender beef.

  • Unusual weather brings fungicide questions for winter wheat growers

    January 18th 2008

    Disease control experts tackled a range of issues, from fungicide choice to optimum dose rates at the first HGCA/Farmers Guardian wheat disease management workshop at Peterborough this week. Teresa Rush reports.

  • Welsh sheepdog trial results

    January 18th 2008

    BRECKNOCK v GLAMORGAN Nursery: 1, R. Millichap (G) Tweed, 8; 2, K. Evans (B) Bob, 9; 3, K. Evans (B) Jim, 10. Novice Class: 1, D. Griffiths (G) Sally, 10; 2, Y. Abrey (B) Peg, 13; 3, C. Gordon (G) Mirk, 14. Open: 1, D. Evans (B) Floss, 6; 2, G. Goombs (G) Spot, 9olf; 3, I. Jones (B) Jess, 9.Team result. Brecknock 389 points, Glamorgan 431.

  • When it comes to breakfast farmers show they know best

    January 18th 2008

    A TEAM of farmers showcased their cooking skills this week at the launch of a new campaign to promote the Great British breakfast.

  • Why Farming Matters campaign

    18 January 2008

    FARMERS, retailers and consumers have been invited to speak out on the state of the declining red meat sector as part of the campaign ‘Why Beef and Sheep Farming Matters.’

  • World’s first mobile milk robot

    January 18th 2008

    IT is estimated that 12 per cent of the 4,500 Danish dairy farms work with a milk robot. Making this the highest percentage in Europe, SAC used the show to reveal the world’s very first mobile version.

  • WRAP gives funding to enable greater production of compost

    January 18th 2008

    FUNDING will be given to nine farms around the country to develop existing compost production facilities and increase the UK’s compost production capacity by 75,000 tonnes.

  • Yorkshire YFC win grant to promote healthy hearts

    January 18th 2008

    THE Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs beat 50 hopefuls to win a grant to promote Heart Research UK’s Healthy Heart scheme.

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