There is a well known saying, 'no pain, no gain' and that will be ringing true in the minds of Milk Link’s 1,600 producers, who are on the brink of reaping just reward for 12 years of loyalty and investment.Farmers Guardian
July 15, 2011
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A ‘black day for badgers’ - RSPCA
20 July 2011
THE RSPCA described the decision, in principle, to permit a badger cull in England as a ‘black day’ for badgers.
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AHDB delivering ‘better value for money’
13 July 2011
THE Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) claims to have made ‘enormous progress’ in delivering better value services to levy payers.
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Around the marts _ July 15
July 15, 2011
Round-up of auction action from across the country this week.
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Badger cull would not work – Krebs
12 July 2011
THE scientist who instigated the 10-year Randomised Badger Culling Trials (RBCT) has insisted that a badger cull would not be an effective way of controlling bovine TB (bTB).
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Beet growers warned to expect powdery mildew
July 15, 2011
With pressure from powdery mildew and ramularia, and the rise in incidence of cercospora, Dominic Kilburn assesses the options and strategies available to sugar beet growers this season.
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Bovine TB found in pigs highlights susceptibility
15 July 2011
BOVINE TB has been identified in pigs kept on three farms in Wales in recent months - highlighting the fact that pigs are also susceptible to the disease.
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Breed societies given new funding
11 July 2011
TEN livestock groups have been allocated funds under the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s 2011 breed support programme.
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Broiler plans are rejected
July 15, 2011
A FARMER has lost his appeal to build a 250,000 chicken broiler unit in Shropshire.
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Bury Show, Greater Manchester, results
July 15, 2011
CattleOverall champion, D. Cropper, Blonde Bombshell (Commercial); reserve, Wythenshawe Community Farm, Dendor Bonanza (Hereford).Hereford, Sup., Wythenshawe Community Farm, Dendor Bonanza.Native breeds, Sup., P. and M. Stanley (Aberdeen-Angus).Commercial, Sup., D. Cropper, Blonde Bombshell.
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BVA backs tighter rules on internet pharmacies
July 15, 2011
THE British Veterinary Association (BVA) is backing plans to impose tighter controls on internet pharmacies, following the exposure of Europe’s biggest illegal veterinary medicine operation.
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Calved heifers to £2,180 at Gisburn
July 15, 2011
AN entry of 76 cattle was forward at Gisburn auction mart’s dairy show and sale last week.
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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).
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Campaigners step up fight against proposed pig farm
14 July 2011
CAMPAIGNERS have stepped up their fight against plans to develop a pig farm with the capacity to hold 25,000 animals.
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Case study: Alan and Tanya Winstanley
July 15, 2011
BOTH IT3 and Visiolac were trialled on pilot farms before the official launch last week.
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Changing feed regime boots the bottom line
20 July 2011
Visitors to one of KW’s ‘Compass Farms’ last week learnt how beef finisher Gary Allis has improved profitability over the previous two years. Angela Calvert reports from Bilsby, Lincolnshire.
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Charity sky dive nets £6k for RABI
14 July 2011
AGRICULTURE tools and machinery specialists Spaldings have handed over more than £6,000 to RABI after completing a daring sky-dive.
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Cheese pool forges ahead
July 15, 2011
ANOTHER 0.38ppl is being added to First Milk’s cheese and balancing pool prices bringing payment to 26.5ppl backdated to July 1.
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Christianne Glossop's efforts in animal health rewarded
17 July 2011
WALES Chief Veterinary Officer, Christianne Glossop, today (Friday, July 15) becomes a Fellow of Aberystwyth University in recognition of her work in animal health.
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CLA warning over Yorks agri-tourism
14 July 2011
YORKSHIRE must find a way to replace the loss of a major funding body or face the possible decline of rural and agri-tourism.
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Combining interests leads to exclusive book deal
July 15, 2011
What started out as mutual hobbies turned into two exclusive book deals for two farmers who photographed farming through two very different lenses.
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Commercial dairy cattle reach high of £2,290 at Leek
July 15, 2011
PRICES rose to £2,290 and the top nine commercial entries averaged £2,026 at Leek’s dairy sale on Tuesday.
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Concerns raised yet again over Glastir
14 July 2011
ON-GOING concerns over the Wales-based flagship Glastir land management support scheme have been raised by the Farmers Union of Wales with Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Agriculture Alun Davies.
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Conference examines the challenges facing farming
July 15, 2011
THE challenges of farming in the future were examined at a conference hosted by Whitchurch-based Fieldfare Farmers.
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Cost-effective home-grown feeds
July 15, 2011
RATHER than just focusing on ‘more milk from forage’, dairy farmers wanting to offset escalating feed costs should look at a wider range of home-grown feed materials, says nutritionist Malcolm Graham from FiveF.
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Creameries profits up by 219 per cent
July 15, 2011
SOUTH Caernarfon Creameries’ has driven operating profit up by 219 per cent in the past year to £890,037 as it pursues its branded products strategy.
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Dairy farmer lands book deal after creating a one-off gift
July 15, 2011
What started out as mutual hobbies turned into two exclusive book deals for two farmers who photographed farming through two very different lenses.
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Dairy farmer to lead Welsh Assembly Conservatives
14 July 2011
GLAMORGAN dairy farmer, Andrew Davies, has been named the new Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Assembly in a two-way contest.
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Date set for Gangmaster trial
11 July 2011
NINETEEN dairy farmers and farm businesses charged with employing labour from an unlicensed gangmaster are set to go to a full criminal trial in October.
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Demand increases for welfare friendly pork
11 July 2011
THE amount of pigmeat sold under the welfare-friendly Freedom Food more than doubled in the first quarter of this year, following a big increase last year.
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Doncombe females in demand at Worcester
July 15, 2011
BULLS peaked at 4,000gns at David and Sue Knight’s production sale from their Doncombe herd of Blondes sold at Worcester market.
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Dorset Downs peak at £620 at Ston Easton
July 15, 2011
BIDDING peaked at £620 at the Dorset Down Sheep Breeders’ Association’s annual sale at Ston Easton, Somerset.
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Dried lucerne could benefit winter diets
July 15, 2011
Farmers faced with either a shortage of forage or poor quality grass silage could benefit from the inclusion of dried lucerne in the diet this winter, says Trevor Rees, ruminant product manager with Dengie Crops.
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End of anti-potash dumping measures
13 July 2011
THE European Commission has intervened to effectively open up new sources of potash for British farmers and growers.
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English sheepdog trial results – July 15
July 15, 2011
RINGINGLOW, Perrydale Farm, Peak Forest, Derbyshire (Judge, G. Redpath, Dacre) Saturday Open (48 ran) 1, J. Dumbleton (Bollington) Jess, 73 of 90; 2, R. Saxon (Bradwell) Cammen Rip, 71; 3, J. Chamberlain (Barnsley) Whiterose Cap, 70; 4, A. Heathcote (Rainow) Blue, 67; 5, M. Gregory (Peak Forest) Kune, 64 OLF; 6, G. Bonsall (Slindon) Tim, 64.
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Farmers angry at Welsh cull delay
12 July 2011
FARMERS in Wales are ‘angry and frustrated’ after the Government shelved plans for a badger cull, Union leaders have told Environment Minister, John Griffiths.
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Farming needs great leaders for the future
July 15, 2011
What makes a good leader and why, contrary to belief, do many believe they don’t have what it takes to lead others? Jane Craigie finds out why leadership doesn’t always start from the top.
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Feed efficiency vital to getting more milk
July 15, 2011
It pays to measure and use feed efficiency to manage your cows, says Keenan Systems specialist Jennifer Picken.
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Firm helps cut cost of woodland management training
13 July 2011
ORGANISATIONS looking to offer woodland management training in the Eastern region can now claim up to 65 per cent towards delivering those courses for eligible participants.
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Former ISG scientists attack Government cull plans
14 July 2011
FORMER members of the scientific group who advised the previous Government against a badger cull have stated their opposition to the policy currently proposed by Defra Ministers.
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Four bulls stolen from Lancs farm
July 15, 2011
FOUR bulls have been stolen from a farm in Lancaster, Lancashire.
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Future secured with new parlour and buildings
16 July 2011
Investing in improved facilities to give cows opportunity to fulfil their potential is the way forward, believes Joanna Binnington. She tells Angela Calvert about her vision for the future.
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Give power back to dairy farmers, says Kendall
12 July 2011
THERE is no looming doomsday scenario for the UK dairy industry but power must be returned to farmers’ hands, NFU president Peter Kendall has claimed.
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Gloucester cow and calf top 1,050gns at Shrewsbury
July 15, 2011
THE cattle championship at Shrewsbury livestock auction’s show and sale of traditional and native rare breeds went to a Gloucester cow and calf.
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GM field trial sites destroyed
15 July 2011
MASKED attackers overpowered guards at two GM trial sites in Saxony-Anhalt, destroyed plants and caused damage worth hundreds of thousands of euros.
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Great Yorkshire Show: Dairy young handlers in pictures
13 July 2011
YOUNG handlers from far and wide competed in the first of four showmanship events at the Great Yorkshire Show today (Wednesday July 13), sponsored by Farmers Guardian.
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Great Yorkshire Show: Sheep Young Handlers in pictures
14 July 2011
CATCH up on all the pictures from the young handlers sheep championships at the Great Yorkshire Show.
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Growers should have realistic expectations on prices
July 15, 2011
The 2011 National Organic Cereals Event was organised by Organic Farmers & Growers and hosted by Clive Martin, at Whitegates Farm, near March, Cambridgeshire. Dominic Kilburn reports.
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Gwyn Jones leads at Mynyddislwyn
July 15, 2011
THE trial at Mynyddislwyn started on Friday evening with the South Wales-style classes, the oldest form of trialling, with Gwyn Jones and Nan taking top spot, six points ahead of Lee Bowden and Jay.
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GYS: Beef Shorthorn beats 16 breeds to take top title
14 July 2011
OF the 16 breeds forward for the beef inter-breed judging, it was the Beef Shorthorn which reigned supreme, with the Limousin and Hereford breeds taking reserve and third place respectively.
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GYS: Panorama Prince is inter-breed pig champion
14 July 2011
THE pig inter-breed title went to Bleddyn and Chris Becks from Neath, Glamorgan, with their Large White boar, Panorama Prince, which judge Brian Knight, Walgrave, described as having ‘great style’.
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GYS: Percy Tait takes inter-breed with three-shear Rouge
14 July 2011
PERCY Tait, 82, celebrated returning to the Great Yorkshire Show after an absence of 10 years by taking the sheep inter-breed title with a home-bred, three-shear Rouge ewe, Knighton Harriet, by Knighton Boycey.
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GYS: Saxelby Goldwyn Rose takes dairy victory
14 July 2011
FOR the second consecutive year, the inter-breed dairy title went to Saxelby Goldwyn Rose, a Holstein fourth-calver from Robert and Elaine Butterfield of Bentham, near Lancaster.
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GYS: Steak from Limousin sired heifer wins top accolade
14 July 2011
A STEAK from a Limousin sired heifer won the top accolade in the third Asda/ABP Beeflink steak competition of the summer season at the Great Yorkshire Show.
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Ian Brownlie victorious at Aberfeldy
July 15, 2011
Mo takes the lead on steep hill course.
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Inbreeding damages the bottom line
July 15, 2011
WHILE inbreeding in the UK is currently low (around 2 per cent, compared to 6 per cent in the USA), there is a steady rise and dairy farmers should take action to mitigate it, says Rob Braithwaite, UK Worldwide Mating Services manager.
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Increased risk of blight from warm, wet weather
July 15, 2011
CONFIRMED cases of potato blight, combined with repeated rain showers and hot humid weather, has significantly increased infection risks, potato growers are being advised.
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Jamie Oliver and Sainsbury's go their separate ways
12 July 2011
TV chef Jamie Oliver is to end his partnership with Sainsbury’s after 11 years.
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John Davies: Ewes and lambs are drenched and turned back out on the range
14 July 2011
Sunshine and showers best describes the weather for the last month here in Breconshire, although worst luck, the showers seem to have lasted longer than the sunshine.
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John Walton: Hungry cows and milk contract difficulties
July 15, 2011
WE are nearing the end of what could be described as a very difficult time within the OMSCO milk contract with very severe seasonality adjustments. As a level producer I have taken it on the chin until now.
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Joskin add new line spreading boom to range
14 July 2011
Joskin has extended its range of line spreading booms with an 18m working width version.
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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.
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Land prices start to slow
13 July 2011
FARMLAND values have topped £6,000/acre.
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Manorhouse dispersal achieves 9,000gns peak
13 July 2011
A FINAL bid of 9,000gns for a seven-year-old cow sold with her calf at foot led the on-farm dispersal sale of the Manorhouse Limousin herd sold on behalf of W.J. Wright, Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
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Milk Watch - July 2011
July 15, 2011
While the Milk Watch farmers are heading towards a busy calving period, Boehringer takes a look at the risk of summer mastitis.
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More options when harvesting cereals
July 15, 2011
Developments in harvesting and preservation technology mean the harvest window for fermented wholecrop cereals has been extended, allowing more choice about harvesting, says Biotal national technical support manager Roy Eastlake.
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Natural England wary of local badger ‘extinction’
14 July 2011
NATURAL England has challenged Defra Ministers on whether the proposed English badger cull would breach the Bern Convention on wildlife preservation.
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New AD loan fund should help cut emissions
12 July 2011
A NEW £10m Anaerobic Digestion Loan Fund (ADLF) for new AD plants will help the UK go some way to cutting its emissions by 2020, experts say.
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New grain store opens
14 July 2011
SOMERSET grain trader Wessex Grain has opened its new £2.5 million grain storage facility at Henstridge, Somerset.
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New SDHI set for 2012 in battle against septoria
July 15, 2011
CEREAL growers look set to have the option of a powerful new weapon against septoria and other key diseases next season following the successful progression of carboxamide (SDHI) active ingredient Xemium through the European approvals process.
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New service to help tackle rural crime
11 July 2011
FARMERS and agricultural workers in Norfolk are using a new subscription service to outsmart thieves in the area.
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New tools to ensure rations are used effectively
July 15, 2011
A WHOLE new approach to dairy cow rations has been developed by BOCM Pauls, with the development of an ‘IT3 index’ to help create diets and the ‘Visiolac’ diagnostic tool to assess the effectiveness of rations.
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Non-inversion tillage has a role to play in organic sector
July 15, 2011
NON-INVERSION tillage will work on organic farms but it must be carried out with the right machinery, and at the right depth if weed control problems are to be overcome successfully, said Mark Measures, an adviser to the organic industry.
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North of England Mules at the Highland
July 15, 2011
First ever classes held at Royal Highland show.
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Oral badger vaccine plans hit by major setback
14 July 2011
GOVERNMENT plans to develop an oral badger TB vaccine, seen by many as the only feasible long-term alternative to a badger cull, have suffered a massive setback.
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Pennant Williams and Sweep win at Ringinglow
July 15, 2011
PENNANT Williams won the Ringinglow double gather championship with Sweep (A. Williams’ Jess, P. Williams’ Dale) to conclude two days of competition.
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Poor broadband connections 'limiting rural businesses'
13 July 2011
THE CLA has said the lack of a suitable broadband connection makes it nearly impossible for rural businesses and communities to communicate.
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Pressure mounts to scrap six-day rule
13 July 2011
PRESSURE is mounting in Wales for the Welsh Assembly to ease the controversial six-day animal movement standstill rule.
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Prime lambs at Gisburn to 244p/kg
July 15, 2011
Gisburn auction mart’s prime lamb show and sale, held last week, saw the continental class won by a pen of 37kg Beltex lambs from Robert Lambert, Wigglesworth, Settle.
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Prince Charles announces £200,000 in countryside grants
13 July 2011
SIX countryside projects are to benefit from £200,000 in grants announced by Prince Charles at the Great Yorkshire Show.
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Protected fats price not affected like other feeds
July 15, 2011
THE cost of rumen-protected fats is not affected by the same factors which influence the price of most other feeds, says Daniel Chilvers of Trident.
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Quality genetics are never wasted
19 July 2011
Low input dairy farmers who believe top quality genetics are wasted in their low production herds are missing out on profits, according to new findings from Promar International.
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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.
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Redistribution effect protects new growth in potatoes
July 15, 2011
TRIALS with blight fungicide Valbon (benthiavalicarb-isopropyl and mancozeb) mixed with adjuvant ZinZan have demonstrated systemic activity providing protection for new growth.
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Research cuts threaten future food sustainability
15 July 2011
FARMING chiefs have slammed plans to streamline UK agricultural research giant Rothamsted, fearing the move could be a massive blow to the industry.
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Ridleys hold open day as part of ‘Limousin Weekend’ celebration
14 July 2011
IT is 40 years since the Limousin breed came to UK shores and the British society was formed. To mark the occasion a ‘Limousin Weekend’ has been organised, supported by FG and including a farm open day. Katie Lomas visits the hosts.
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RPA pledges to put customers at its heart
15 July 2011
THE Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has pledged to put ‘customers at the heart of every decision’ it takes, as it outlines its plans for the next 12 months.
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Runners raise funds for RABI
13 July 2011
RUNNERS hit the streets of London to raise funds for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution.
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'Rural businesses should be more sustainable'
14 July 2011
RURAL businesses should be self-sufficient and sustainable in their use of natural resources, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales has said.
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Rushcove herd sells to 2,200gns top at Beeston
July 15, 2011
AUCTIONEERS reported one of the ‘best trades of the year’ when the Rushcove herd of Holsteins from Rushcove Farms, Lowestoft, Suffolk, was dispersed at Beeston Castle last week.
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Rust confirmed in beet – get ready to spray
12 July 2011
SUGAR beet growers are being advised to get ready to apply fungicide treatments to their crops following confirmation of the presence of active brown rust in sugar beet at Broom’s Barn research centre in Suffolk.
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RWS 2011: Welsh lamb looks to Canadian market
18 July 2011
CANADA is being lined up as a premium export outlet for Welsh lamb, it emerged at this morning’s (Monday, July 18) opening of the four-day Royal Welsh Show.
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Sainsbury boosts pig welfare
12 July 2011
SUPERMARKET giant Sainsbury’s is introducing new farming techniques to improve the welfare of millions of pigs, thanks to practices developed on a pioneering ‘concept farm’ in East Yorkshire.
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Sainsbury's to pay more for British pork
12 July 2011
SAINSBURY’S has announced increased prices to its pig farmers will continue until the end of August at 3p extra per kilo.
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Scientists unlock mystery of potato genome
11 July 2011
SCIENTISTS have sequenced the genome of the potato, paving the way for dramatic improvements in the breeding process.
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Scottish farmers cash in on wheat crop
July 15, 2011
WHEAT has been exported from Scotland for the first time after Aberdeenshire farmers saw a surplus at the end of the season.
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Scottish sheepdog trial results – July 15
July 15, 2011
Round-up of results from this week’s Scottish trials.
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Sedgemoor stores headed by £2,500 British Blue
July 15, 2011
THE ‘dearest trade ever seen in the south west’ was reported for store cattle at Sedgemoor livestock centre last week.
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Sheep gunned down in Northamptonshire field
11 July 2011
ARMED thugs gunned down a flock of sheep as they grazed in a field in Northamptonshire.
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Sheepdog trials dairy – July 15
July 15, 2011
ENGLAND
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Silages have quality rather than quantity
July 15, 2011
The first grass silage analysis reports from both Mole Valley Feed Solution and Frank Wright Trouw Nutrition International are very promising, suggesting there is some very high quality forage in clamps around the UK, even if volumes are not as large as would be liked.
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Spelman confirms new GLA chair
14 July 2011
MARGARET McKinlay has been confirmed by Defra Secretary Caroline as the new chair of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA).
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Sticking with dairying meant heavily investing in the future
13 July 2011
Pembrokeshire dairy farmer, David James, tells Barry Alston why investment at Langdon Mill has tripled cow numbers, yields and a lot more besides.
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Take action and have your estate in order
July 15, 2011
IF you want to leave all of your money to an old dogs’ home – you might not be able to.
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Take care and capture low bean pods
July 15, 2011
TAKE care when combining bean crops this harvest – the dry weather has resulted in short crops which have podded close to the ground and pods could easily be lost.
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Tavistock Galloways sell to 1,700gns top
13 July 2011
GALLOWAY cattle sold to a top of 1,700gns at the breed’s second annual sale at Tavistock in Devon.
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Technical improvement can raise profitability
13 July 2011
Top performing farmers have adopted successful strategies for using feed effectively, says Andrew Thompson, Promar managing director.
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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.
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TFA calls for stronger action on grocery adjudicator
11 July 2011
THE Tenant Farmers Association has called on the Government to ‘fast forward’ its plan to introduce a retail adjudicator.
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The buyer: Adam Buitelaar, Ireland
July 15, 2011
Mr Buitelaar says: “We can utilise the black and white bull calf from the diary herd. The ideal is 60 per cent Holstein, 40 per cent Friesian, which if fed properly can match any breed for succulence and tenderness.
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The nutritionist: Michael Marsden of KW
July 15, 2011
DR Marsden says: “The aim is to optimise the genetic potential of the black and white Holstein Friesian bull. Much of this can be realised in the first six months by a combination of rapid early growth and testosterone.
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The vet: Lianne Young, Fenwold Vet Group
July 15, 2011
AS part of the new regime a vaccination programme has been put in place.
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Tractor registrations increase
14 July 2011
Tractor registrations over 50hp have reached 7,996 units in the UK in the first six months of this year, an increase of 2.9 per cent compared to the same time last year.
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Type of tyre makes all the difference
14 July 2011
A trial carried out on behalf of Michelin has found differences in the level of soil compaction from a combine harvester, depending on the make and type of tyre fitted.
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UK's biggest solar farm up and running
14 July 2011
THE UK’s largest solar farm has opened in Newark.
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Using clover to keep up feed intakes
July 15, 2011
This year’s British Grassland Society summer meeting visited farms in Somerset and Devon. In the first of a three-part report, Katie Lomas takes a look at how three forage-based systems in the area work to deliver a sustainable farm business.
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Vets get ready for Nantwich Show
12 July 2011
VETS in Cheshire are gearing up for the UK’s largest one-day agricultural show.
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Volkswagen Amarok - competitive but not class-leading
July 15, 2011
If you’re thinking of taking a look at VW’s new Amarok double cab truck, you’d better be quick. With only 900 right-hand drive models coming to the UK this year, it won’t be a common sight on farms in the next 12 months.
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Volkswagen Amarok pick-up in pictures
July 15, 2011
VW’s long-awaited Amarok pick-up is now on the road - see our picture gallery of the latest model complete with full shots of the interior.
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Welsh Assembly urged to relax movement restrictions
13 July 2011
PRESSURE is mounting in Wales for the Welsh Assembly to ease the controversial six-day animal movement standstill rule.
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Welsh milk plant hopes to reopen after 17 years
July 15, 2011
A West Wales creamery, which closed 17 years after a chequered history, could be reopened in part if plans for a new milk bottling operation get council go-ahead.
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Welsh sheepdog trial results – July 15
July 15, 2011
Results from Welsh sheepdog trials over the past week.
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World Horse Welfare horses help children and adults with special needs
11 July 2011
Two World Horse Welfare horses being used in London are helping to give people of all ages with special needs the opportunity to achieve personal development and independence.