Farmers Guardian
March 23rd 2007

  • ‘Best practice’ on pesticides

    March 23rd 2007

    THE Crop Protection Association (CPA) has published new best practice advice on keeping pesticide residues out of water.

  • ‘Drive your business forward’ is the advice

    March 23rd 2007

    YOUR business is less likely to survive unless you are proactive in driving it forward, Cheshire dairy farmers were told at a conference themed ‘profits and dairy farming –it can happen’.

  • ‘Drive your business forward’ is the advice

    March 23rd 2007

    YOUR business is less likely to survive unless you are proactive in driving it forward, Cheshire dairy farmers were told at a conference themed ‘profits and dairy farming –it can happen’.

  • ‘Transparency in supply is only way’

    March 23rd 2007

    A CLEAR and honest supply chain is the only way British farmers will get fair trade, said Sir Don Curry, Defra’s main advisor on sustainable farming.

  • ‘UK cereal growers are sitting on a septoria time bomb’

    March 23rd 2007

    UK cereal growers are sitting on a septoria time bomb. The efficacy of T0 sprays will be absolutely critical to controlling the disease this year, according to ProCam technical director Dr David Ellerton.

  • ‘Wake-up’ call on OSR crop management

    March 23rd 2007

    WHILE the UK’s top arable producers made serious progress in terms of production and profit with winter wheat last year, oilseed rape is standing still and has been doing so for many years, according to ProCam agronomist Nick Myers.

  • 2012 legacy recommendations announced

    March 23rd 2007

    The British Equestrian Federation (BEF), the national governing body of Olympic horse sports, yesterday revealed key recommendations which will form the basis of the 2012 Equestrian Legacy Plan.

  • 400 Holsteins at Beeston Castle sale

    March 23rd 2007

    An entry of more than 400 Holsteins were forward at Beeston Castle Auction’s mid-month sale in Cheshire and trade peaked at £1,190.

  • 7,600gns Harvester sets UK record for a Lincoln Red bull

    March 23rd 2007

    A new record price of 7,600gns for a Lincoln Red bull sold in the UK was the highlight of the Lincoln Red Cattle Society’s show and sale at Louth Livestock Centre, Lincolnshire.

  • A golden opportunity for dairy stock exports

    March 23rd 2007

    The National Holstein Show always attracts visitors from overseas – and this year will be no exception. Ahead of the event on Tuesday, April 17 at Bingley Hall, Staffordshire, Holstein UK considers how the export market has developed since the ban was lifted in May last year.

  • A lively debate

    March 23rd 2007

    Getting people together from a wide spectrum of interests for a debate can go one of two ways – and for the Fair Trade for British Farmers symposium last week, that way was the right one.

  • A third of food we buy is wasted

    21 March 2007

    HOUSEHOLDS in the UK throw away 6.7m tonnes of food every year, new research has revealed.

  • A very British herd with an American pedigree

    March 23rd 2007

    Cattle breeder Edward Penty has travelled the world to search for the very best in genetics.

  • Administrators in at Dansco plant, but dairy is viable

    March 23rd 2007

    THE search is on for new owners of the trouble-torn Dansco mozzarella cheese making plant at Newcastle Emlyn which has now gone into administration.

  • Agchem dose rates must be adhered to, ‘Maintaining, testing and calibrating sprayers is important’

    March 23rd 2007

    Cereal producers in the Coquet Catchment project in Northumberland were updated on effective pesticide applications at a meeting and demonstration at Morwick Farm, Acklington earlier this month. The project is part of a national Catchment Sensitive Farming initiative that aims to help growers get the most out of spraying, cultivations and fertiliser and manure spreading. By helping producers farm more efficiently the initiative also aims to help improve water quality in the River Coquet ...

  • Anger at tax hike

    21 March 2007

    THE farming industry has reacted angrily to Gordon Brown’s announcement today that road tax for the most polluting vehicles including 4x4s is to almost double next year.

  • Announcements next week on milk prices?

    March 23rd 2007

    WHILE hopes of an early milk producer price announcement this week have come to nothing, the big processors say they are working on it – and Farmers For Action has had a positive response from the reputedly difficult middle ground retail sector.

  • Application form reminder

    21 March 2007

    JUST over a quarter of the 17,000 livestock producers in Scotland who were sent application forms for authorisation to transport animals over 65km, have applied for the forms.

  • Are ewe having a laugh?

    27 March 2007

    Read the latest installment from our online diarist Dr Graham, a scientist from Leeds, who has decided to become a sheep farmer.

  • Beef special feature

    March 23rd 2007

    FARMERS Guardian's special feature looks at the long term benefits of selecting the right bull for suckler herd replacements and more.

  • Beef special feature

    March 23rd 2007

    FARMERS Guardian's special feature looks at the long term benefits of selecting the right bull for suckler herd replacements and more.

  • Benefits from greater business collaboration

    March 23rd 2007

    GREATER collaboration between the livestock and dairy sectors can bring benefits, says the English Food and Farming Partnerships, highlighting a deal between Meadow Quality (MQL) and Dairy Farmers of Britain as an example. 

  • BETA boosts diverse equestrian exports

    23 March 2007

    BRITISH products from riding holidays to equine bandages enjoyed exposure to a European audience in excess of 200,000 equestrian enthusiasts at Equitana.

  • Beware insurance set-aside rules

    21 March 2007

    ANYONE with insurance set-aside need to be aware that they could fall foul of management restrictions on the land for the first time this year.

  • Beware insurance set-aside rules

    21 March 2007

    ANYONE with insurance set-aside need to be aware that they could fall foul of management restrictions on the land for the first time this year.

  • Beware of shares scam

    March 23rd 2007

    IF you hold Dairy Crest or Genus shares, beware letters offering free reports on future performance prospects.

  • BHS launch Ragwort Pulling Parties

    March 23rd 2007

    The British Horse Society (BHS) is launching the first part of their 2007 Ragwort Awareness Campaign, urging all concerned parties to get pulling - to prevent the spread of Ragwort.

  • Bid to improve sheep ID compliance

    March 23rd 2007

    LIVESTOCK industry organisations have said they will be working with the Government to improve industry compliance with sheep tagging rules.

  • Big rise in 4x4 tax duty hits rural businesses

    22 March 2007

    FARMERS and landowners who rely on 4x4 vehicles to run their businesses are to be hit with a 90 per cent hike in road tax.

  • Bling it on – Suzuki unveils KINGquad 700 sports version

    March 23rd 2007

    SUZUKI has added some bling to the KingQuad 700 to create a sports version. Black bodywork covers the standard workings and the only other major difference is some chrome on the wheels and different tyres. It will only be offered through the 30 or so sports dealers with a price tag of £6,999.

  • Booklet places information at your fingertips

    March 23rd 2007

    THE new recording booklet from Eblex – ‘Better Records For Better Returns’ – has already proved popular with farmers who have signed up for the Beef Better Returns Programme.

  • Boosting Welsh beef sales

    March 23rd 2007

    A six-week long national newspaper advertising campaign aimed at boosting Welsh beef sales was launched this week by Hybu Cig Cymru, the Wales-based red meat promotional body.

  • Brome guidance available on-line

    March 23rd 2007

    CLEAR, up-to-date guidance on effective brome control is now available in the latest on-line training tool provided by the Weed Focus initiative from Bayer CropScience. 

  • Bryan is member of the year in Scotland

    March 23rd 2007

    OVER 450 members of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers’ Clubs gathered in Thurso to battle it out in a range of competitions from five-aside football to senior speechmaking.

  • BSE risk assessment in sheep ‘confusing’

    March 23rd 2007

    A RISK assessment of BSE in sheep, published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), has been described as ‘disappointing, confusing and unhelpful’ by the UK sheep industry.

  • BSE risk assessment in sheep ‘confusing’

    March 23rd 2007

    A RISK assessment of BSE in sheep, published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), has been described as ‘disappointing, confusing and unhelpful’ by the UK sheep industry.

  • Budget welcomed by Greenergy

    22 March 2007

    BIOFUEL manufacturer Greenergy has welcomed this week’s Budget announcement that the Government is to extend the 20ppl duty rebate on green fuels.

  • Bull export

    March 23rd 2007

    THE first British Friesian exported out of the UK since the ban has gone to Dovea Genetics in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. The bull was Kirkby Jayson, a Marshside Rocket 3 son out of Kirkby Jay 16, a 1997-born cow currently in her seventh lactation as part of the Kirkby herd at Hinckley, Leicestershire.

  • Carbon offsetting could help fund upland peat restoration

    March 23rd 2007

    THE ongoing battle by European governments to reduce carbon emissions and so tackle climate change could have an unlikely benefit for the UK’s upland areas.

  • Cheltenham Festival

    March 23rd 2007

    WHERE fancy hats and glamorous dresses were once the preserve of Ladies Day at Ascot, more and more National Hunt meetings are attracting the well-dressed.

  • Cheltenham Festival

    March 23rd 2007

    WHERE fancy hats and glamorous dresses were once the preserve of Ladies Day at Ascot, more and more National Hunt meetings are attracting the well-dressed.

  • Choosing a livery yard

    27 November 2007

    LIVERY yards are a popular option for people who are unable to keep their horses at home, but before you decide on a yard, there are a number of things you need to think about, says SARAH CRIPPS.

  • Choosing a livery yard

    22 March 2007

    LIVERY yards are a popular option for people who are unable to keep their horses at home, but before you decide on a yard, there are a number of things you need to think about, says SARAH CRIPPS.

  • CLA centenary survey

    10 April 2007

    CLA is inviting Farmers Guardian readers to take a few moments to fill in its centenary questionnaire.

  • Compost protocol for waste exemption

    March 23rd 2007

    A new protocol for the production of compost, will avoid the requirement for farmers who use the compost to register with the Environment Agency for a waste exemption.

  • Consider spring barley as high performing forage crop – NIAB

    March 23rd 2007

    LIVESTOCK and mixed farmers wanting a high performing forage crop for planting this spring should consider spring barley, suggests research carried out by NIAB.

  • Consumer views on farm animal welfare vary widely across Europe

    March 23rd 2007

    ALTHOUGH a large majority of consumers in the United Kingdom feel farm animal welfare is important, the figure still falls well below that in other European countries, a major survey has revealed.

  • Continental cross stores to £1,460 at Wigton

    March 23rd 2007

    A Catalogued entry of 908 continental cross store cattle went under the hammer at the annual prize show and sale at Wigton, Cumbria, and a top price of £1,460 was realised.

  • Dairy action plan is put to Minister

    March 23rd 2007

    THE Welsh Assembly’s environment, planning and countryside committee has put forward its recommendations to Countryside Minister Carwyn Jones for inclusion in a new strategy for the Welsh dairy industry – and they largely reflect industry views.

  • Dairy sector to oppose cost-sharing

    26 March 2007

    DAIRY farmers have made clear their opposition to Government plans to get them to pay for disease outbreaks.

  • Dairygold in grant funding legal row

    March 23rd 2007

    THE Welsh Assembly Government is taking legal action to recover grant funding paid to Irish-based Dairygold Food Products.

  • Dalfibble Holsteins peak at 2,300gns

    March 23rd 2007

    Prices rose to 2,300gns when John Mackie’s Dalfibble herd of pedigree Holsteins was dispersed at Dalfibble Farm, Dumfries. The herd consisted of commercial type cattle, perfect for large dairy operations, and more than 140 animals were exported across the Irish Sea to 18 buyers.

  • Dealing with employment law issues

    March 23rd 2007

    Worcestershire law firm Thursfields has recruited employment law solicitor Michelle Chamberlain, from national firm Eversheds, to head up Thursfields new Employment Law Service. Employment issues have increasingly become an important area for the firm, it says.

  • Death of dog trainer Fred Exel

    March 23rd 2007

    FRED Exelby of Colton, near Ulverston, Cumbria, has died, aged 95. After competing during the 1950s and 60s he then concentrated on training dogs, which he continued to do until quite recently.A successful trainer, some of his youngsters went forward with top handlers throughout the country.

  • Decision on rivers access

    March 23rd 2007

    Attempts by the British Canoe Union to gain a statutory right of access to rivers and streams have been turned down by the Government in favour of a voluntary approach.

  • Defra defends cull decision

    March 23rd 2007

    DEFRA has defended its decision to cull 567 dairy cattle from a Cheshire farm after its dispute with the farmer attracted national attention.

  • Defra man to replace Forster at NBA

    26 March 2007

    THE National Beef Association has appointed a senior Defra livestock specialist to replace its chief executive, Robert Forster, when he retires from his post at the end of July.

  • Defra must work more closely with RPA, says report

    22 March 2007

    DEFRA Ministers need to work more closely with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to avoid a repeat of last year’s SPS debacle, according to a Government review published this week.

  • Defra set to tour English livestock markets

    March 23rd 2007

    DEFRA is touring livestock markets across England to spread messages about animal health and welfare.

  • Defra to sell off six ADAS farm-based research sites

    March 23rd 2007

    SIX of the ADAS farm-based research and development sites are being sold with vacant possession by landlord Defra.

  • Demand for mutton increasing

    March 23rd 2007

    A REPORT on Renaissance Mutton – mutton produced to agreed standards – has concluded the market for the product can continue to achieve steady growth and farmers with large hill or upland holdings are best placed to benefit.

  • Demote Beckett, sack Bender over SPS fiasco say MPs

    29 March 2007

    FORMER Defra secretary of state Margaret Beckett should have been demoted and at least one senior civil servant sacked for the “catastrophic” handling of the Single Payments Scheme, MPs said this week.

  • Discussion on crops for fuel

    March 23rd 2007

    THE possibility of growing crops for fuel instead of for food will be one of a number of bio-energy issues under discussion next week at a special North Wales event being held at the College of Horticulture, Northop, on March 29.

  • Don’t delay your fertiliser application after first-cut silage

    March 23rd 2007

    Not getting fertiliser on immediately after first-cut is a costly business, according to Yara and following research into different application dates.

  • EEDA welcome Lord Iveagh

    March 23rd 2007

    LORD Edward Iveagh has been appointed to represent the rural sector on the board of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).

  • Effectiveness of 42 day TB testing rule is questioned

    March 23rd 2007

    DOUBTS have been raised from within the State Veterinary Service (SVS) about the effectiveness of testing younger calves for bovine TB.

  • Encouraging good hare days

    March 23rd 2007

    It is estimated that brown hare numbers have dropped by about 75 per cent since the war and in certain areas this worrying trend is continuing. However, a workshop on Thursday, April 5, at Crowhurst, Surrey, is designed to show farmers and land managers how this situation can be reversed by careful habitat management.

  • End of the road for IPU in June 2009

    March 23rd 2007

    USE of the herbicide isoproturon (IPU) is to be phased out in the UK following a recommendation by the government’s Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) that its movement into surface watercourses presents an unacceptable risk to aquatic life and that exposure to IPU ‘cannot be satisfactorily’ managed.

  • End to mass deer culls?

    March 23rd 2007

    A REPORT which revealed that deer were not the biggest cause of damage to upland habitats had to lead to a change in deer management in Scotland, said the Scottish Countryside Alliance.

  • English Sheepdog Trials Results

    March 23rd 2007

    PENNINE INTER-CLUB Championship, Peat Ponds Farm, Lindley Moor, Nursery Individual (35 ran): 1, R. Fielden (Todmorden – Meltham) Brad, 94 of 100; 2, R. Airey (Trawden – Yorkshire) Sky, 91, OLF; 3, Jim Jackson (Downham – Trawden) Jess, 91; 4, Richard Hutchinson (Littledale - Fylde) Wenndale Roy, 89; 5, R. Handy (Settle – Yorkshire) Spot, 87, 6, Richard Hutchinson Maggie, 84.

  • Enterprise award winner’s indi

    March 23rd 2007

    AS antithesis to the marketing big guns at the conference, one of the winners of the HGCA’s enterprise awards had his own approach.

  • Entitlement buying is put in perspective

    March 23rd 2007

    NATIONAL press stories last week over non-farmers allegedly making a killing from buying entitlements have been put in perspective after Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ final sale of the season at Inverurie.

  • Excitement and awards galore at the Welsh finals

    March 23rd 2007

    DRAMA and public speaking competitions, in both English and Welsh, have generated a number of exciting finals and a plethora of award winners in the Welsh Federation of YFCs annual finals.

  • Exhibition of new paintings by British artist Colin Allbrook

    March 23rd 2007

    This weekend a Nottinghamshire gallery opens a striking exhibition of new paintings by British artist Colin Allbrook, depicting scenes from British farming.

  • Exports of cheese up, butter d

    March 23rd 2007

    Exports of cheese up, butter down

  • Farm plastics recycling club is set up in Leicestershire

    March 23rd 2007

    Farmers in Leicestershire are being encouraged to recycle farm waste such as as fertiliser bags, feed sacks and other plastic packaging through a club set up by the Game Conservancy Trust’s Allerton Project at Loddington.

  • Farmer and furniture maker: Bridging the urban-rural divide

    March 23rd 2007

    WHAT a hectic life Bobby Morgan leads. First and foremost he is a sheep farmer. He is a Powys county councillor, too, and has just taken on a two-year stint as chairman of NFU Cymru’s Montgomeryshire county branch.

  • Farmers give a lead – the rest will follow

    March 23rd 2007

    FARMERS have the ability to change their own carbon footprint and help the rest of society to change theirs, said Environment Minister Barry Gardiner.

  • Farming Matters

    March 23rd 2007

    CONTRARY to prevailing opinions across both Government and business, farming does matter, said NFU president Peter Kendall.

  • Fears TB action group could disappear in May

    March 23rd 2007

    FEARS are growing in Wales that the industry-supported Bovine TB Action Group – the body that could hold the key to tackling the disease in wildlife – could disappear after May’s Welsh Assembly elections.

  • Fighting the crofters’ cause

    March 23rd 2007

    NFU Scotland elected Jo Durno, Glenlivet, as its new chairwoman and Ronnie Campbell, Mull, as vice-chairman at its Crofting and Highlands and Islands Committee meeting, Inverness.

  • Fighting the fly-tippers

    March 23rd 2007

    FARMERS in Derbyshire will have the chance of attending an all-day event focusing on how they can reduce the likelihood of people fly-tipping rubbish on their land and finding solutions for their own farm waste.

  • First large bioethanol plant ‘will benefit livestock farmers’

    March 23rd 2007

    THE UK’s first large-scale wheat bioethanol plant, being built by Ensus on Teesside and to be completed by 2009, will have the capacity to produce more than 400 million litres of bioethanol from around 1.2 million tonnes of wheat.

  • First two months sees tractors

    March 23rd 2007

    THINGS are looking good for 2007 with tractor sales up 15.7 per cent compared to the first two months of last year. In February there were 777 units registered a massive increase of 23.3 per cent. The AEA has moved the cut off point for agricultural tractors from 40hp to above 50hp.

  • Fishmeal ban led to milking problems

    March 23rd 2007

    MOST hill sheep farmers would use fishmeal again, if they were allowed, as they say it helps to maintain the milking ability of ewes.

  • Fly-tipping is abuse of countryside

    21 March 2007

    THE escalating problem of fly-tipping is costing farmers more than £40 million every year, according to new figures.

  • FUW appoints press officer

    March 23rd 2007

    THE Farmers Union of Wales has appointed farmer’s daughter and former television researcher, Menna Davies, as its new press officer. Aged 24, she succeeds Peter Roberts who was promoted to the role of director of public relations in December.

  • Game sales soar by 46pc

    March 23rd 2007

    SALES of game, particularly venison, pheasant and grouse increased by 46 per cent between 2004 and 2006, reaching £57 million last year.

  • Genus sees operating profits double in last half of 2006

    March 23rd 2007

    GENUS has reported an increase in profit for its six months to December 31, 2006.

  • Getting small-scale producers in the aisles

    March 23rd 2007

    A NEW business initiative to give the best of Yorkshire’s food and drink producers a bigger presence on supermarket shelves has been launched.

  • Goats’ milk industry in need of more producers, says supplier St Helen’s

    March 23rd 2007

    THE UK’s largest supplier of goats’ milk products says the £20 million industry needs even more producers nationally.

  • Good trade for Belgian Blue cull cattle at Market Drayton

    March 23rd 2007

    A TREMENDOUS trade for pedigree Belgian Blue cull cattle has been reported by Barbers Auctions, Market Drayton, Shropshire.

  • Government to share cost of expanding stewardship scheme

    22 March 2007

    FARMERS in England have been spared future national modulation rates of 20 per cent – but they will continue to face the biggest Single Payment deductions in Europe for the next few years.

  • Grazing Monitor 2007: It’s time to plan for turnout

    March 23rd 2007

    The first results from our contributor farmers are in and Promar regional consultant David Burns considers the implications for turnout management.

  • Greenbelt land to be ‘sacrificed’ to meet targets

    March 23rd 2007

    THOUSANDS of acres of greenbelt land will have to be ‘sacrificed’ if Government housing targets are to be met, countryside campaigners have warned.

  • HGCA’s processor conference

    March 23rd 2007

    Innovation driving the market, but high failure rate danger

  • Horse trust seizes initiative on African horse sickness

    27 March 2007

    MIDGE-borne viruses which have already seriously affected sheep and cattle in Europe are poised to strike the UK’s equine population – where mortality rates of around 90 per cent are predicted, says The Horse Trust.

  • Hugh’s captive audience...

    March 23rd 2007

    Hugh Crabtree gets in some extra practice before setting off on tour with his folk-meets-rock band Feast of Fiddles. Yorkshireman Hugh, who is also managing director of Farmex, a company specialising in high-tech ventilation equipment for piggeries, will be performing with the band at various venues across England between March 25 and April 5. For more information and details visit www.feastoffiddles.com.

  • ICEP - Hartley Nurseries

    March 23rd 2007

    A Merseyside nursery is believed to the first in the UK to deal on-line directly with Dutch flower auctions, said Anne Louise Hartley of Hartleys Nurseries, Lydiate, Liverpool.

  • ICEP merseyside rural awards

    March 23rd 2007

    FISH breeding, a garden nursery, and a sustainable conversion of farm buildings won the Businesslink Merseyside Rural Business Awards, presented at a St Helens conference.

  • IGER Background

    March 23rd 2007

    • IGER’s roots go back to 1919 when the Welsh Plant Breeding Station was established under the guidance of Sir George Stapledon.

  • IGER could become part of university structure in Wales

    March 23rd 2007

    MOVES are afoot which could see the world-renowned Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research becoming a key part of the university structure in Wales.

  • Improving efficiency is the key driver to beef profitability as modulation bites

    March 23rd 2007

    IMPROVED genetics, feed and management for technical performance and efficiency, combined with a firmer market place will be essential for beef producers to remain profitable in the future as modulation begins to bite under the new regime and payments rapidly erode, according to beef farmer Christopher Askwith.

  • Insurance set-aside rules

    March 23rd 2007

  • Kauto is festival Star in Gold Cup victory

    March 23rd 2007

    HE went into the race with his fair share of doubters, but Paul Nicholls’ brilliant chaser Kauto Star answered his critics in the very best way, winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in convincing style under Ruby Walsh.

  • Lemken to expand eastwards

    March 23rd 2007

    LEMKEN has increased its turnover and has plans to produce implements in the East.

  • Limousin breed still on top

    March 23rd 2007

    FOR the eleventh consecutive year the British Cattle Movement Scheme figures have confirmed British Limousin as the leading beef breed sire in Britain, as well as the largest numerical cattle breed.

  • Lincolnshire Society’s new chi

    March 23rd 2007

    THE Lincolnshire Agricultural Society has appointed Helen Houghton as chief executive.

  • Livestock and arable farmer takes over in York East area

    March 23rd 2007

    EAST Riding livestock and arable farmer, John Gatenby, is the NFU’s new county chairman for the York East area.

  • Local sourcing event

    March 23rd 2007

    LINCOLNSHIRE food producers are encouraging the public sector to source ingredients locally through a special event this month.

  • Lucky 16 are off to Finland

    March 23rd 2007

    A TRIP to Finland is in store for 16 lucky junior members of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers’ Clubs.

  • Maize and high sugar grass help double milk yield

    March 23rd 2007

    A dairy farming family has made a two-fold impact on increasing milk from home-grown forage – by growing maize and re-seeding cutting and grazing fields with high sugar grass varieties.

  • Making inroads on the supermarket scene

    March 23rd 2007

    AN innovative market-led initiative is making major inroads on the supermarket scene across Wales.

  • Many hands help manage Derbyshire Dales Nature Reserve

    March 23rd 2007

    Local primary schoolchildren, youth groups and students have been getting their hands dirty helping to look after one of the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserves.

  • Market opportunities for offal

    21 March 2007

    MORE money can be made from beef and lamb offals than is currently the case says a new report.

  • Milk losses not sustainable, crisis meetings are told

    March 23rd 2007

    THE message was simple – but clear. Dairy farmers could not go on producing milk at a loss of around 3p per litre. That was the overriding message put to the panel of speakers at a meeting attended by 120 producers at Llandissilio, Pembrokeshire.

  • Milk losses not sustainable, crisis meetings are told

    March 23rd 2007

    THE message was simple – but clear. Dairy farmers could not go on producing milk at a loss of around 3p per litre. That was the overriding message put to the panel of speakers at a meeting attended by 120 producers at Llandissilio, Pembrokeshire.

  • Milling wheat study examines yield benefit against nitrogen input cost

    March 23rd 2007

    AN HGCA-funded project to help growers determine whether growing milling wheat is right for them has investigated the agronomic and economic effects of nitrogen applications on Group 1 and 2 wheats.

  • Modern thinking wanted at our agricultural shows

    March 23rd 2007

    As spring approaches the show season beckons and I look forward to 30 or so days commentating from the Midlands to the Borders.

  • Modern thinking wanted at our agricultural shows

    March 23rd 2007

    VIEWPOINT: By Mike Keeble

  • Monty takes champion stallion accolade at the Shire Horse Spring Show

    March 23rd 2007

    THE Shire Horse Spring Show at the East of England Showground, Peterborough, featured one of the strongest senior stallion classes seen for many years.

  • More offal opportunities around at home and abroad

    March 23rd 2007

    MORE money can be made from beef and lamb offals than is currently the case, says a new report, but at farm level, diseases like liver fluke need to be better controlled.

  • More Waiting

    21 March 2007

    Despite looking like wooly beachballs on legs, there are still 6 ewes that haven’t yet lambed.

  • National Equine Forum provides platform for industry updates and discussion

    27 March 2007

    THE 15th National Equine Forum was held last week in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal and attended by around 200 leading representatives (the largest number of attendees to date) from diverse sectors of the UK’s equestrian industry.

  • National Holstein Show

    March 23rd 2007

    The National Holstein Show always attracts visitors from overseas – and this year will be no exception.

  • New combine plant commits Claas to long-term involvement

    March 23rd 2007

    CLAAS is set to increase its manufacturing presence in India with a second factory. Cathrina Claas inaugurated the land on the nine hectare site at Morinda in the Punjab state in northern India.

  • New event attracts huge numbers

    21 March 2007

    A SHOWJUMPING gelding secured the top price of 5,000gns at the season’s first horse and pony sale at Borderway Mart, Carlisle.

  • New products

    March 23rd 2007

    A mineral lick suitable for use by organic farmers – and certified by the Soil Association – has been launched by the Denis Brinicombe Group.

  • New routes to success

    March 23rd 2007

    Farm retailing and floristry were featured for the Merseyside Rural Business Conference at St Helens, Merseyside, organised by ICEP – Integrated Countryside and Environment Plan, Merseyside, together with Business Link and The Mersey Forest. NEIL RYDER reports.

  • New weekly oats price survey

    March 23rd 2007

    THE Home-Grown Cereals Authority has launched a new weekly ex-farm price survey for oats. It says there have been industry concerns over the lack of reported oats prices in the UK.The new survey will be produced from data it already collects but will not form part of the official HGCA corn returns prices. The oats crop is small compared to wheat and barley and much of it is grown on contract. (See page 102).

  • NEWS IN BRIEF

    March 23rd 2007

    Special project

  • NFU to survey arable farmers over central grain storage

    March 23rd 2007

    THE NFU is to conduct a survey of arable farmers in the north east to gauge interest in central storage for grain.

  • Northern march of bluetongue a real concern for British farmers

    March 23rd 2007

    With bluetongue on our doorstep and the UK facing a very real threat this summer everyone must be on alert, according to Defra chief veterinary officer Debby Reynolds.

  • Offal market opportunities

    21 March 2007

    MORE money can be made from beef and lamb offals than is currently the case says a new report.

  • Optimising dry matter intake for greater beef profitability

    March 23rd 2007

    DRY matter intake (DMI) is one of the main drivers to increasing growth and performance when finishing cattle, according to Ian Pickles of KW Alternative Feeds.

  • Organic beef to remain a niche market despite its rapid growth

    March 23rd 2007

    The future of the British organic beef market was discussed at a Soil Association conference at the NAC, Stoneleigh. VIC ROBERTSON reports.

  • Payments in kind under The Agricultural Wages Order

    March 23rd 2007

    IT is not uncommon for agricultural employers to provide accommodation for workers and maybe also provide services and benefits such as meals.

  • Plan to tighten rules on over-valuation of cattle

    March 23rd 2007

    STRICTER new rules are being planned in Wales to prevent the over-valuation of cattle that have to culled as a bovine TB control measure.

  • Producers must rise to meet Argentine challenge

    March 23rd 2007

    THE challenge of Argentinean organic beef provided some hard questions and even harder lessons for the British organic beef sector, said Mark Measures, director of the Institute of Organic Training and Advice.

  • Promoting our meat abroad

    March 23rd 2007

    EBLEX is busy promoting our beef and lamb in Europe. This week, the organisation was at Europe’s biggest specialist meat exhibition in Kortrijk in Belgium.

  • Quarter apply for transport authorisation

    March 23rd 2007

    JUST over a quarter of the 17,000 livestock producers in Scotland who were sent application forms for authorisation to transport animals over 65km have applied for the forms.

  • Reconnecting with consumers ‘key’

    March 23rd 2007

    Reconnecting producers with consumers is the key to the public accepting fair trade said Ian Bretman, deputy director of the Fairtrade Foundation.

  • Remember late applications in OSR nitrogen calculations

    March 23rd 2007

    OILSEED rape growers making spring nitrogen calculations need to remember the potential of late season fertiliser applications to increase yields, advises Rod Burke of Syngenta.

  • Retailers gain first-hand knowledge of the supplier

    March 23rd 2007

    WAITROSE believes that those selling their meat should know all about where it has come from. Angela Calvert joined the latest group of trainees at Dovecote Park on a tour of the abattoir.

  • Ruby Red Devons to £2,520 at Forde Abbey ‘silver’ reduction sale

    March 23rd 2007

    A top female price of £1,785 was achieved when Lisa Roper held a ‘silver jubilee’ reduction sale from her Forde Abbey pedigree Red Ruby Devons at Forde Abbey, Chard, Somerset.

  • Rural project helps thousands develop their agricultural and forestry skills base

    March 23rd 2007

    NATIONAL Farmers’ Union vice-president Paul Temple saw how the South Yorkshire Rural Skills (SYRS) project had beaten all expectations when he visited a variety of people who had successfully completed training in the region.

  • Russia accuses EC of ‘turning a blind eye’ on meat hygiene regulations

    March 23rd 2007

    THE Russian Government has named and shamed a number of member countries it claims are breaking EU meat hygiene regulations, accusing the Euopean Commission of turning a blind eye to these problems.

  • Sainsbury’s go cage-free early

    March 23rd 2007

    SAINSBURY’S says it will be the first of the big four supermarkets to sell only cage-free eggs ahead of 2012.

  • Schering-Plough and Intervet in merger

    March 23rd 2007

    TWO big names in the animal health market are being merged.

  • SDF to open China plant

    March 23rd 2007

    BETS are on that China will be the most important tractor market in the next few years and the Same Deutz-Fahr Group has started on a building a new plant in Dalian.

  • Selecting the right bull for suckler herd replacements can have long-term benefits

    March 23rd 2007

    THE financial impact of bulls used to breed female replacements in English suckler herds can be very high and extremely long lasting, according to the latest Eblex calculations.

  • Set-aside entitlement claims misleading

    21 March 2007

    NATIONAL press stories last week over non-farmers allegedly making a killing from buying entitlements have been put in perspective after Aberdeen & Northern Marts’ final sale of the season at Inverurie.

  • Set-aside entitlement claims misleading

    21 March 2007

    NATIONAL press stories last week over non-farmers allegedly making a killing from buying entitlements have been put in perspective after Aberdeen & Northern Marts’ final sale of the season at Inverurie.

  • Sheepdog Trials Diary

    March 23rd 2007

    ENGLAND

  • Shropshire tops in drama final

    March 23rd 2007

    THE Shropshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs came out on top in the West Midlands area drama final, taking first and third place.

  • Silver scurf could cause storage and skin quality issues

    March 23rd 2007

    Seed stocks carrying silver scurf infection this season could lead to reduced skin quality and create storage problems for the ware crop at harvest.

  • Sir Edward is Notts CLA’s new chairman

    March 23rd 2007

    SIR Edward Nall, a staunch rural campaigner and the county’s first chairman of the Local Access Forum, has been appointed the new chairman of the Country Land and Business Association’s Nottinghamshire branch.

  • Six ADAS farms to go

    22 March 2007

    SIX of the ADAS farm-based research and development sites are being sold with vacant possession by landlord Defra.

  • Small producers’ key to the door

    March 23rd 2007

    THE food industry is launching a new food safety scheme which will make it more affordable and less onerous for small food producers to directly supply local retailers.

  • Smaller engine but new Suzuki inherits plenty from big brother

    March 23rd 2007

    PACKING 450cc, the latest KingQuad from Suzuki shares lots of features with the firm’s top dog, the 700.

  • Smiling in Cumbria

    March 23rd 2007

    THERE were smiles all round in Cumbria when the YFC county federation came away from the northern area final with the highest marks after 10 competitions. They also took the top two prizes in three key areas – drama, disco dancing and badminton.

  • Split OSR sprays advised

    March 23rd 2007

    WITH some oilseed rape crops close to yellow bud stage, ADAS plant pathologist Dr Peter Gladders is recommending that some crops may benefit from split light leaf spot and plant growth regulator sprays.

  • Staffordshire competitions

    March 23rd 2007

    THREE competitions have been keeping members of the Staffordshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs busy – clay pigeon shooting, darts and fence erecting.

  • Standing firm over call to raise Tir Mynydd payments

    March 23rd 2007

    WELSH Assembly Countryside Minister, Carwyn Jones, has been patting himself and his Rural Payments Wales staff on the back for getting the full Tir Mynydd hill farming support payments to less favoured area farmers across Wales on time.

  • Stop over-estimating the value of grass, and start optimising the benefits

    March 23rd 2007

    Dairy herds that average 8,000-10,000 litres could increase yields by up to 500 litres per cow per year – worth around £12,600 to a 140-cow enterprise – just by making better use of grazed grass, according to Mole Valley Farmers.

  • Strong horse message delivered

    March 23rd 2007

    Last night the British Horse Society launched a manifesto for the horse in Scotland - setting out priorities to boost the Scottish equine industry.

  • Supermarkets can do fair trade – Waitrose

    March 23rd 2007

    ALL retailers could treat their suppliers fairly and it would be in their best interest, said Waitrose managing director Steve Esom.

  • Tackling climate change must be ‘based on sound science’

    March 23rd 2007

    ACTION to tackle climate change must be based on sound science, according to John Gilliland, co-chair of the Rural Climate Change Forum.

  • Taking the NFU chair in Herts

    March 23rd 2007

    HERTFORDSHIRE’S new NFU county chairman, Bill Barr, is urging farmers to champion their industry and highlight the contribution it makes, though he is facing very different challenges to those faced by his father, James, when he was county chairman just over 30 years ago.

  • The big debate

    March 23rd 2007

    THE conundrum of cheap food or saving the planet will be discussed at the 2007 South West Excellence Debate on March 30 at Sandy Park Conference Centre, Exeter.

  • The Crown Estate legal services

    March 23rd 2007

    THE Crown Estate has completed the restructuring of its legal services. The exercise cuts from four to two the number of firms handling the rural portfolio. Burges Salmon are re-appointed to handle higher value work, while Clarke Willmott will manage the balance of legal services. Vivienne King, of The Crown Estate, said: “We wanted teams that understand our vision and core values of commercialism, stewardship and integrity.”

  • The Fair Trade for British Farmers symposium videos

    March 23rd 2007

    Listen to what John Gummer MP, Caroline Drummond from LEAF, Steven Esom from Waitrose and Sir Don Curry had to say on Fair Trade for British farmers.

  • The Fair Trade for British Farmers symposium videos

    March 23rd 2007

    Listen to what John Gummer MP, Caroline Drummond from LEAF, Steven Esom from Waitrose and Sir Don Curry had to say on Fair Trade for British farmers.

  • The false view of cost of food

    March 23rd 2007

    CITING the example of how much consumers paid for bottled water compared to milk, the Former environment secretary John Gummer MP told the audience that most consumers still had a false view of the cost of food.

  • Three are arrested in egg-labelling fraud probe

    22 March 2007

    THREE people have been arrested in connection with Defra’s ongoing investigation into egg labelling fraud, including two employees from Stonegate, the UK’s second largest egg packer.

  • Tir Gofal: 'A farce and a shambles'

    22 March 2007

    THE Welsh Assembly was challenged this week to admit that the latest application window to the join the Wales-based flagship Tir Gofal agri-environmental scheme was a ‘farce’ and a ‘shambles’.

  • Top arable producers’ winter wheat margins up over 50pc

    March 23rd 2007

    THE UK’s top arable producers increased winter wheat margins by over 50 per cent last year, but it was not just down to higher cereal prices, according to ProCam’s 4cast analysis of crop production for 2006.

  • Treacle Toffee

    March 23rd 2007

    “This is a very nice brittle toffee,” says sender Brenda Roberts, of Nant y Cwn, Denbigh. “It is nice to make and give as gifts.”

  • TRQs are available next month

    March 23rd 2007

    MILK producers affected by herd movement restrictions will have a month to send in completed temporary reallocation of milk quota application forms.

  • Tywi Valley – protecting its own heritage

    March 23rd 2007

    A UNIQUE three-year farming-linked project aimed at raising awareness of the special qualities of the Tywi Valley is getting underway in West Wales.

  • UFU anger at Northern Ireland modulation rates

    28 March 2007

    THE Ulster Farmers’ Union has reacted angrily to the announcement that farmers in Northern Ireland face modulation rates of 15 per cent by 2011.

  • Waitrose’s cunning plan to stay ahead of the game

    March 23rd 2007

    BY many accounts, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose headed most AB customers’ lists for innovation, but the former may have a secret  ‘cunning plan’ in keeping ahead of the game, as trading executive Ian Bentley revealed.

  • Watch for pollen beetle activity

    March 23rd 2007

    MILD winter weather and highly advanced oilseed rape crops mean pollen beetle could attack early this year and beetles are already reported to be actively feeding on early flowering primrose and other wild flowers.

  • Welsh Assembley vote in favour of restoring Tir Mynydd cuts

    28 March 2007

    WELSH Assembly Opposition AMs have honoured their pledge to vote in favour of restoring payment cuts in the Wales-based Tir Mynydd hill farming support scheme.

  • Welsh committee recommends tail docking in working dogs

    March 23rd 2007

    THE Welsh Assembly’s environment, planning and countryside committee has decided to recommend the retention of tail docking for ‘working’ dogs.

  • What does it mean for farmers?

    22 March 2007

    National modulation rates to apply on a regional basis This concession by Brussels should come as a relief to Scottish and Welsh farmers in particular as it means they can have their own national rate that reflects their rural development needs.

  • Will new levy board see cash go back across the borders?

    March 23rd 2007

    BRITAIN’S new agricultural levy board could be about to give Scotland and Wales back some of the thousands of pounds that are lost annually when cattle, sheep and pig are processed in England.

  • Win your club’s t-shirts for the 2007 NFYFC AGM

    March 23rd 2007

    WHAT will you be wearing in Torquay this spring? There are now only six weeks left to prepare for this year’s NFYFC annual meeting so FG is offering you the chance to win one less thing to think about.

  • WiRE aims to inspire rural women to achieve their goals

    March 23rd 2007

    INSPIRATIONAL women and the power of networking was the main focus of the WiRE (Women in Rural Enterprise) regional conference held at Aldwark Manor Hotel, near York.

  • Wolds Way beer now in bottles to celebrate walk’s silver jubilee

    March 23rd 2007

    A FARMER turned award-winning brewer has collaborated with the Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail to produce a bottled beer to celebrate the silver jubilee of the walk.

  • Working closely with vegetable growers to improve efficiency

    March 23rd 2007

    MOST growers currently in the potato and field-scale vegetable sector are there for the long haul.

  • Yockings Gate Holsteins see a 4,500gns top price

    March 23rd 2007

    The dispersal sale of the entire Yockings Gate pedigree Holstein herd of A.W. Hiles and Son, Whitchurch, Shropshire, at Beeston Action, Cheshire, produced a top price of 4,500gns.

  • Yorkshire takes the title but Brad shows he’s boss

    March 23rd 2007

    AT the Pennine Inter-Club Championship held on Saturday, the Yorkshire Society took the team shield, while the individual title went to Robert Fielden with Brad.

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