Farmers Guardian
June 4, 2010

  • ‘Unsustainable’ livestock industry under attack

    4 June 2010

    A SUBSTANTIAL reduction in meat and dairy consumption is essential to save the planet from environmental disaster, according to a new UN study.

  • 2,000 farmers still waiting for 2009 payments

    2 June 2010

    THE Rural Payments Agency has said it is working to process the 2,000 outstanding English 2009 Single Payment claims ‘as quickly as possible’.

  • Agriculture in the national news - June 2

    2 June 2010

    A DAILY look at how agriculture has caught the headlines across the country (Wednesday, June 2).

  • Agriculture in the national news - June 3

    3 June 2010

    A DAILY look at how agriculture has caught the headlines across the country (Thursday, June 3).

  • Agriculture in the national news - June 4

    4 June 2010

    A DAILY look at how agriculture has caught the headlines across the country (Friday, June 4).

  • Agrochemical innovation with established chemistry

    June 4, 2010

    POST-patent agrochemical supplier Rotam is aiming to demonstrate the potential for innovation with existing chemistry with a range of active ingredients currently in development trials.

  • Amazone's online machinery performance calculator

    June 4, 2010

    Amazone has launched a online calculator which enables working out of machinery plans, and will indicate width requirements, time required and work rates. The tool offers areas for crop protection, fertilising, tillage, drilling and precision drilling into which different parameters can be set. Once data such as acreage, working days, width and speed are fed in, the calculator delivers a statement on whether the required outcome is possible given the mechanisation level, and can suggest ...

  • Arable farmers warned to act on environment campaign

    3 June 2010

    ARABLE farmers in England have been urged to turn ‘good intentions into action’ in response to concerns over the limited impact so far of the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE).

  • Awards spread at Llanybydder open day

    June 4, 2010

    A KEENLY fought carcase competition during the open day at Llanybydder, saw the main awards evenly spread across Wales.

  • Beef breeding cattle see 2,700gns at Skipton

    June 4, 2010

    TOP at Skipton Auction Mart’s show and sale of beef breeding cattle was 2,700gns paid for a Limousin bull from Simon Bennett, Silsden.

  • Beef producers should see benefit of fifth quarter

    June 4, 2010

    DEVELOPING markets for fifth quarter beef products (offals) means processors will be able to increase their returns from carcases.

  • Benn grills Spelman on badger cull

    3 June 2010

    SHADOW Defra Secretary Hilary Benn turned the tables on the Tories last week when he grilled new Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman on a badger cull.

  • Beware of low sulphur diesel

    June 4, 2010

    The AEA is warning farmers they may need to alter their approach to fuel storage once low or ‘sulphur-free’ red diesel becomes the norm on January 1, 2011. At present, red diesel can contain 1,000 parts per million of sulphur, but EU legislation means this will be reduced to just 10 parts per million of sulphur.

  • Bolland dispersal peaks at 2,600gns

    June 4, 2010

    BIDDING peaked at 2,600gns when Bolland Brothers, Nelson, Lancashire, dispersed their Bollthwaite herd of Holsteins, after 35 years in the dairy industry.

  • Boost wheat yields through better variety selection

    June 4, 2010

    SPENDING a little more time matching individual wheat varieties to field and drilling and rotational positions could boost yields by up to 10 per cent, according to one leading variety consultant.

  • Britain on course for new bluetongue status

    3 June 2010

    BRUSSELS officials are set to decide today on a request to grant Britain a new bluetongue risk status that would see tighter controls placed on imported livestock.

  • Bute dairies ‘a priority’ for island's dairy industry

    June 4, 2010

    Draft findings from SAC report issued to stakeholders.

  • Calving survey of beef sires better than EBV

    June 4, 2010

    WHEN choosing a beef bull to use on dairy cows, a proven calving survey measured over dairy cows could be better than calving ease EBVs, says Arwel Owen, Genus ABS’ beef development manager.

  • Challenges ahead for red meat supply chain

    June 4, 2010

    Dunbia invests £1.5million in Llanybydder lamb abattoir.

  • Claas investment in new Le Mans paint facility

    6 June 2010

    CLAAS has put a hand in its pocket to splash out on a new paint plant at its Le Mans tractor facility.

  • Clearer message on red diesel usage for dealers

    4 June 2010

    BAGMA (British Agricultural & Garden Machinery Association) has received clarification on the use of red diesel by agricultural machinery dealers.

  • Cockermouth sale tops £1,950

    June 4, 2010

    Cockermouth mart held it’s first May sale of 163 breeding cattle and 681 ewes and lambs.

  • Consistency key in bread-making varieties

    June 4, 2010

    WINTER wheat Gallant could take as much as 50 per cent of Group 1 seed sales this autumn in just its second season on the market, believes breeder Syngenta Seeds. The firm is staking its claim on the back of the variety earning a 20 per cent 2009/10 share.

  • Co-operative Farms make most of Xerion

    June 4, 2010

    For The Co-operative Farms, the high capacity of a 6,000-litre Knight sprayer and Claas Xerion makes commercial sense, as Jane Carley reports.

  • Cothi Bridge Show, Carmarthenshire

    June 4, 2010

    Results from the 2010 Cothi Show.

  • Cotswold grain processing facility ready for harvest

    June 4, 2010

    A 35,000 tonne grain processing facility is being developed in the heart of the Cotswolds in time for this year’s harvest.

  • Dairy industry needs investment - Paice

    1 June 2010

    FARMING Minister Jim Paice has hit out at the gap between liquid and processed milk prices, calling on the dairy industry to look for new ways to maximise their returns.

  • Dairy Vet June 2010 - Clinical Quiz

    1 June 2010

    Test your skill for a chance to win a special prize - this month we have two sat-nav systems to give away.

  • Dairy Vet June digital edition

    1 June 2010

    Don’t miss this month’s Dairy Vet. Take a look at the digital edition today.

  • David Bellamy praises farmers

    3 June 2010

    THE beneficial work which many farmers do towards conserving Britain’s natural environment deserves to be better recognised, according to natural historian David Bellamy.

  • Dealers team up for McCormick

    4 June 2010

    TWO independent farm machinery businesses have teamed up to provide a new sales and service outlet for McCormick tractors throughout Staffordshire and parts of Shropshire and Cheshire.

  • Devastating future for UK farms without CAP support

    2 June 2010

    MORE than half of UK farmers would struggle to stay in business if direct support payments under the CAP were removed, a new study has found.

  • Discaerator stretched to 4m width

    June 4, 2010

    FOLLOWING last year’s launch of McConnel’s Discaerator, the company has taken steps to ensure it will remain in the thoughts of larger equipment buyers with the arrival of a four-metre version.

  • Don’t skimp on T3 – despite the dry weather

    June 4, 2010

    While disease pressure - and wheat prices - remain low, a T3/GS59 fungicide could be just as valuable to wheat growers looking to maximise yields, even of feed types, as it is to producers of quality milling wheats aiming primarily to limit fusarium/mycotoxin risks.

  • Dry soils affecting nutrient take-up

    June 4, 2010

    NUTRIENT deficiencies showing up in spring crops as a result of dry soil conditions should be addressed as soon as possible with a foliar nutrient application.

  • Drymen Show, Lanarkshire

    June 4, 2010

    Results round-up from Drymen Show, Lanarkshire.

  • Eblex completes its board line-up

    June 4, 2010

    WARWICKSHIRE farmer Adam Quinney has joined the Eblex board, bringing it up to its full complement of 15.

  • Elation as cows go out

    June 4, 2010

    The In Your Field series this week charts the ups and downs of farmer/writer JOHN GORDON, of Aberdeenshire. He details recent developments on and around his farm.

  • Essential for beef to focus on new export markets

    June 4, 2010

    AROUND 6,500 visitors attended the National Beef Association’s Beef Expo last week. Angela Calvert, Katie Lomas and Howard Walsh report from the event, held at Hexham Mart in Northumberland. Pictures by Marcello Garbagnoli.

  • Farmer shot dead by Cumbrian gunman

    2 June 2010

    A FARMER is among those shot dead in a series of shootings in Cumbria, according to reports.

  • Farmers improve on carcase specification

    3 June 2010

    A new report shows that an increasing number of farmers are getting it right when it comes to meeting the market specifications, with carcase weights well up on last year.

  • FSA accused of wasting money on GM debate

    1 June 2010

    THE Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been accused of wasting £500,000 of taxpayers’ on its attempt to hold another debate on the merits of GM crops.

  • FSA under pressure to abandon GM debate

    3 June 2010

    THE Food Standards Agency (FSA) is coming under pressure to abandon its plans for a national GM debate, following the resignation of another member of the project’s steering group.

  • Genetics is the cheapest way to profitability

    June 4, 2010

    INVESTING in genetics is the cheapest way to improve profitability says Northern Ireland beef producer, William Haire.

  • Genomics have a part to play in beef

    June 4, 2010

    ALTHOUGH genomics are more typically associated with dairy breeding its relevance to beef production should not be forgotten.

  • Grassland society’s study tour

    June 4, 2010

    THE Upper Severn Grassland Society, based in Caersws, Powys, has been on a six-day study tour to Montenegro and Albania.

  • Growth in rural supply

    June 4, 2010

    THREE quarters of farming households now regularly use the internet to buy products, says the UK’s largest rural retailer.

  • Haltcliffe Dynasty tops female Limousin trade at Borderway

    June 4, 2010

    MAIDEN heifers at 28,000gns and 21,000gns from the Haltcliffe herd of Messrs Ridley, Hesket New Market, Wigton, led a strong Limousin female trade at the production sale held at Borderway Mart recently on behalf of the Haltcliffe, Goldies, Lodge and Ronick Herds.

  • Hampshire Downs to £1,320 at Stratford

    June 4, 2010

    ?Hampshire Down ram lambs met a strong trade and achieved a new £1,320 record at the breed association’s official show and sale in Stratford last week.

  • Handy income from bull calves

    June 4, 2010

    Regardless of sex or breeding, early growth is the cheapest growth in cattle – and rearing heifer and bull calves together can produce two valuable products, says KW nutritionist, Dr ?Richard Wynn.

  • Health certification will add value

    June 4, 2010

    KNOWING your herd and purchased stock’s health status, effective biosecurity and improving communication between buyers and sellers is important for disease control, said Ian MacDougall, Biobest Laboratories.

  • Heifers too strong for commercial challenge

    June 4, 2010

    A strong entry of commercial cattle turned out at Beef Expo for judge, Archie MacGregor, Glasgow, but both his overall champion and reserve came from the heifer section.

  • Hertfordshire Show's inter-breed joy

    June 4, 2010

    The wet and windy conditions at Hertfordshire Show on Saturday did not dampen the enjoyment of Boomer Birch who won the inter-breed beef championship with his three-year-old Simmental cow with calf at foot.

  • Holstein cow record broken as third-calver tops 6,200gns

    June 4, 2010

    JUST two months after the record for a milking heifer was smashed at the Western Holstein Club sale at Beeston in March, the record price for a cow was broken at this month’s fixture.

  • Incorrect IACS should go unpunished

    4 June 2010

    FARMERS whose IACS applications were incorrect because they had not been informed of rule changes in time should be exempt from penalties, the Scottish Parliament has been told.

  • Jim Cropper’s Fleet masters awkward hoggs

    June 4, 2010

    MANY trials were held on the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, including the Northumberland League, which held its first open of the season, at Shirlawhope, Longframlington, hosted by Tony Iley.

  • John Deere opens Moscow plant

    7 June 2010

    JOHN DEERE has moved east with the opening of a new manufacturing and parts facility just south of Moscow.

  • Joy at wool price prospects

    June 4, 2010

    The In Your Field series this week charts the ups and downs of farmer/writer DOMINIC NAYLOR, of East Yorkshire. He details recent developments on and around his farm.?

  • Kendall vows to fight supermarket abuse

    2 June 2010

    NFU president Peter Kendall will lead his European counterparts in the fight against supermarket abuse after his election to an important EU food chain body last week.

  • Key Issues: Respiratory disease with Pfizer Animal Health

    4 June 2010

    The prevention and control of respiratory disease in cattle is the subject highlighted in this week’s Key Issues sponsored series. Pfizer vet Carolyn Hogan looks at ways to safeguard youngstock.

  • Kverneland's Siloking 24-hour endurance challenge

    June 4, 2010

    Kverneland’s Siloking partner in Germany, Meyer, used a 30cu.m, tri-axle Feed Mixer System 1000, self-propelled diet feeder wagon to complete a 24-hour endurance field test.

  • Lamma 2010 winner

    June 4, 2010

    The winner of the Farmers Guardian/New Holland Lamma 2010 competition was David Lowe of Burscough, Lancashire.

  • Leek depot for McCormick dealer Barlow's of Henbury

    4 June 2010

    MACHINERY dealership Barlow’s of Henbury is celebrating 60 years of agricultural engineering service to rural businesses and the opening a second branch.

  • Lesmahagow Show, Lanark

    June 4, 2010

    Results round-up from ?Lesmahagow Show, Lanark.

  • Lips proudly promote pig power

    1 June 2010

    Whether providing bacon butties at a radio station, talking to television or serving sausages to show visitors, Ladies in Pigs are not backwards at coming forwards. ANGELA CALVERT found out just what motivates them.

  • Machinery news in brief

    June 4, 2010

    JOHN Deere has invested US $60 million to expand its European Parts distribution centre while Hertfordshire-based Stonga has expanded it’s BulkLoada range of trailers.

  • Managing aphid control sustainably

    June 4, 2010

    A SUSTAINABLE Arable-Link project is aiming to maintain the range of chemicals available for aphid control, safeguarding the contribution of highly effective neonicotinoids and other novel aphicides to UK aphid pest management.

  • May 2010 winners

    1 June 2010

    THE winner of the May 2010 caption competition was Mr D. Flory with

  • McDonalds Open Farm project kicks off

    4 June 2010

    FAST food chain McDonalds has kicked off its Open Farm initiative to raise awareness of British farming.

  • Native beef supply chain initiative starts to grow

    June 4, 2010

    By linking cattle finishers in the east with breeders in the west, regional supermarket Booths has been able to expand its retail offering of native-sired beef.

  • New 3,000-cow 'super dairy' planned for Lincs

    3 June 2010

    A COMPANY is applying for planning permission to install a 3,000-cow ‘super dairy’ in Lincolnshire just two months after Nocton Dairies failed to obtain planning permission for an 8,100-cow unit.

  • New AgriSearch advisory member

    June 4, 2010

    BEEF and arable farmer James Taylor of Portrush, County Antrim, has been appointed to the AgriSearch beef advisory committee as an independent member.

  • New flail mowers from Weaving Machinery

    4 June 2010

    WEAVING MACHINERY has launched a new range of flail mowers which are aimed at the more frugal buyer.

  • New Pig Veterinary Society president

    June 4, 2010

    ?ON becoming the new president of the Pig Veterinary Society, Nigel Woolfenden of Bishopton Veterinary Group, Ripon, North Yorkshire, has called for ‘more honesty’ in the marketing of pork and bacon, to ‘safeguard’ progress on UK pig welfare.

  • NFU expresses sadness at murder of Cumbrian farmer

    3 June 2010

    THE NFU has expressed ‘shock and sadness’ at the death of a farmer who was shot when a gunman went on the rampage in Cumbria yesterday.

  • Norbrook loses appeal on NoroSeal authorisation

    June 4, 2010

    ANIMAL health company Norbrook has lost a legal appeal regarding its product NoroSeal, a teat sealant for use in dairy cows.

  • Northumberland County Show results

    June 4, 2010

    Champion of champions (Judge, M. Robinson) Supreme, A. and P. Forster, Walton Rocket (Bluefaced Leicester); reserve, Cormack McDowell Partners, Greenhill Viper (Limousin).Beef

  • Novelist Ian McEwan wins Gloucester Old Spot pig

    2 June 2010

    CELEBRATED novelist Ian McEwan was awarded a Gloucestershire Old Spot pig at the Hay Literary festival last week for his comic novel about climate change. 

  • Options for Bute dairying

    June 4, 2010

    RETENTION of the remaining dairy farms on the island of Bute is a priority in terms of supporting the local economy and jobs.

  • Oversupply of OSR may lower its value

    June 4, 2010

    OVERSUPPLY could possibly damage what is arguably the arable margins league table leader.

  • Patient fetch wins the day for Jeff and Nel

    June 4, 2010

    GATLEY Park Estate, Wigmore, the home of the Dunne family, was the impressive venue for the Kingsland trial.

  • Peach-potato aphid risk expected to be low

    June 4, 2010

    SEED potato crops could face relatively low virus risk from aphids this year, experts are advising. Forecasts are for potato aphids appearing late, and in low numbers.

  • Pen of four continental lambs realise £109 a head

    June 4, 2010

    A pen of four continental lambs shown by J. Whalley and Sons, Darwen, picked up the overall championship title at Clitheroe Auction Mart’s spring lamb show and sale.

  • Planning laws are strangling the countryside

    2 June 2010

    BRITAIN’S planning laws are strangling the economic development of the countryside and leaving many villages to die a sorry death, according to the Country Land and Business Association (CLA).

  • Police urged to clamp down on illegal raves

    1 June 2010

    POLICE in South West Wales are being urged to tighten up their intelligence gathering after around 2,500 people descended on farmland at the weekend for an illegal ‘rave’.

  • Potential premiums as SureCalf scheme grows

    June 4, 2010

    Pfizer is extending its SureCalf self-certification scheme across Scotland and into North England, with the aim of rolling it out slowly across the whole of the UK.

  • Prepare for BVD – or run risks

    June 4, 2010

    Northern England cattle farmers and progressively, those further south, will need to get their health status act together quickly if Scotland adopts a BVD eradication programme.

  • Price increase from First Milk

    7 June 2010

    FIRST Milk has increased its producer prices by between 0.3ppl and 0.5ppl.

  • Protect your tractor from thieves

    June 4, 2010

    South Lincolnshire Police is warning of a spate of tractor and machinery thefts from the area over recent months, totalling over £1m. Farmers are advised to follow John Deere dealer Bourne Tractors in installing machines with the CESAR Datatag system to reduce theft potential. PC Dave Sargent says: “Our recommendation is farmers fit CESAR to their tractors as this has proved to be a powerful deterrent.”

  • Rachels Organic could be sold off

    3 June 2010

    SPECULATION is building that the West Wales-based Rachel’s Organic - one of the UK’s leading organic yogurt and dairy product manufacturers - could soon be up for sale.

  • Read the right signals when breeding dairy heifers

    June 4, 2010

    WHILE many dairy farmers may be familiar with Cow Signals, Youngstock Signals is a similar concept for rearing dairy heifers.

  • Real purpose puts Nick in the Black

    June 4, 2010

    Meet the top three in the first Beef Stockman of the Future Award.

  • Red Poll exports to Ireland resume

    June 4, 2010

    THE first Red Poll cattle to be exported from the UK for 50 years have arrived in Ireland. The Red Poll Cattle Society says the sale of 32 heifers and a bull to 12 buyers in Northern Ireland and the Republic is a ‘major stepping stone’ in a project launched three years ago to re-establish the breed in Ireland.

  • Repeater Rocket wows the judges at Northumberland once again

    June 4, 2010

    FOR the second year running the Bluefaced Leicester ram, Walton Rocket, owned by Alan and Peter Forster, Hexham, took the champion of champions award at Northumberland County Show.

  • Resources are key to farming future, claims Melchett

    1 June 2010

    THE most important issue for farmers in the future will be how they manage their resources, not how much food they produce, according to Soil Association policy director Peter Melchett.

  • Saddle up for the adventure of a lifetime

    2 June 2010

    Do you have a taste for adventure, enjoy exploring on horseback and making new friends? If the answer is YES then you need to sign up for the 2011 Canadian Wilderness Challenge in aid of leading international horse charity World Horse Welfare.

  • Same calf growth rate on once-a-day regime

    June 4, 2010

    FEEDING calves once a day can deliver the same growth performance but with ‘significant savings’, says Tom Warren of Bonanza Calf Nutrition.

  • Scotland looks ahead to BVD-free future

    2 June 2010

    SCOTLAND could be officially declared BVD-free in a few years if a ground-breaking eradication scheme announced by the Scottish Government this week is implemented.

  • Scots to receive compensation for winter deaths

    2 June 2010

    THE Scottish Government’s £200,000 emergency aid fund for sheep farmers is to be paid out as a percentage of the costs they incurred for the uplift of dead sheep during the severe winter.

  • Scott Donaldson joins Harrison and Hetherington

    June 4, 2010

    AUCTIONEER, Scott Donaldson, has joined Harrison and Hetherington as sales director.

  • Sheepdog trials diary

    June 4, 2010

    Sheepdog trials for the week comencing June 4, 2010.

  • Sheepdog trials results

    June 4, 2010

    Resuts for the week ending June 4, 2010.

  • Soil structure: Target what lies beneath

    June 4, 2010

    Ensuring that you look carefully at your soil structure, plan ahead and choose cultivation methods to suit will ensure better yields, says farm management firm Sentry.

  • Spaldings tools launch

    June 4, 2010

    Spaldings has launched a new range of Evolution electric tools. The 42mm magnetic drill will cut from 12 to 42mm, and is compact and portable, while the 355mm TCT multi-purpose cut-off and 185mm TCT circular saw incorporate ‘RAGE’ technology, which will cuts through steel, aluminium and wood with the same blade. The blade used on the TCT machines is said to be virtually spark and burr free, and as metal is cut cold, can be handled immediately.

  • Start planning now for winter

    1 June 2010

    WITH grass growth estimated to be 20-25 per cent down in many parts of the country beef farmers should start planning for next winter said Dr Basil Lowman from SAC.

  • Stewarton and Dunlop Show, Ayrshire

    June 4, 2010

    Results round-up from Stewarton and Dunlop Show, Ayrshire.

  • Still time to change SFP currency option

    June 4, 2010

    Changes to already-submitted currency options for Single Payments must be made by June 11.

  • Stronger milk replacers boosts calf performance

    June 4, 2010

    WHILE mixing milk replacer at 10 per cent is ‘optimum’, higher rates of 12.5 or 15 per cent are ‘most appropriate for producers seeking to increase calf performance’.

  • Subsoiling key to better OSR establishment

    June 4, 2010

    Before subsoiling begins, Northamptonshire-based grower Robert Farrington and arable operator Gordon Jackson walk their fields and dig a number of shallow pits to check soil structure.

  • Surrey Show: Aphrodite heads beef line-up

    June 4, 2010

    British Charolais, Mortimers Aphrodite, took the beef inter-breed championship at Surrey Show on Monday, coming out on top in a quality line-up of beef animals. PICTURES: Theresa Eveson

  • Tanhill Sheep Show, North Yorkshire

    June 4, 2010

    Results round-up from ?Tanhill Sheep Show, North Yorkshire.

  • The best in growing malting barley

    June 4, 2010

    HIGHLIGHTING the very best in growing, storing and marketing malting barley is the aim of a new competition launched this spring by the Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain (MAGB).

  • Tortrix moth in pea and spring bean crops

    June 4, 2010

    TORTRIX moth has been reported in some crops of peas and spring beans, says PGRO.

  • Turkish manufacturer Erkunt expands

    6 June 2010

    TURKEY’S first tractor manufacturer, Erkunt Tractor Industry Inc., has expanded its sales and service network under a new name of ArmaTrac.

  • Upper Teesdale gets its own Monitor Farm

    June 4, 2010

    The Upper Teesdale area now has its own Monitor Farm - Richard Ward’s Cragg Top Farm, Langleydale, Barnard Castle, County Durham.

  • Website highlights pork labelling facts

    June 4, 2010

    A new website designed to obliterate the ambiguous and potentially misleading labelling of pork has been launched.

  • Welsh Blacks reach 3,500gns twice at Llandovery

    June 4, 2010

    A top price of 3,500gns was achieved twice for Welsh Black cattle at Llandovery last week.

  • Wilson’s first ever drive through tractor auction

    June 4, 2010

    Auctioneers Wilsons of Dalry, near Glasgow, has announced it will hold its first ever drive through tractor auction on June 10. The sale will include more than 100 tractors, says the company’s Robert Weir, with new machines being added daily. Gareth Wilson, grandson of Wilsons’ founder, William J. Wilson, is confident the auction will attract farmers and trade buyers from around the UK in a comfortable and weatherproof format, which is also a more traditional method of auctioneering.

  • World business news round-up - June 4

    June 4, 2010

    A ROUND up of farming news from around the world this week (June 4)

  • Yield boost with strobilurin fungicide

    June 4, 2010

    STROBILURIN fungicide azoxystrobin used as a triazole partner at T3 can boost specific weights by 1.23kg/hl, results from Syngenta trials have demonstrated.

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