Farmers Guardian
March 2nd 2007

  • Gwent FYFC 2007 drama crown

    March 2nd 2007

    THE Gwent FYFC 2007 drama crown has been passed to the Bedwas club after a competitive drama competition held at the Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

  • ‘There is little room for manoeuvre on EU nitrates directive’

    March 2nd 2007

    ROSS Finnie, Scotland’s Rural Development Minister for the past eight years and the longest serving minister since devolution, made his last address to a major farming gathering.

  • ‘Unhappy suppliers should complain’– Sainsbury’s chief

    March 2nd 2007

    SAINSBURY’S chief executive Justin King waded into the fair trade debate by calling on unhappy suppliers to come forward with their complaints.

  • £1,450 for Belgian Blue cull cow at Market Drayton

    March 2nd 2007

    AN eight-year-old cull cow made £1,450 this week at Market Drayton Mart, Shropshire. The Belgian Blue, bought as a heifer in Belgium, is now en route back to her homeland for processing. Weighing 886kg, it sold at £1.64/kg.

  • 3,000gns Integrity Amanda heads Threelimes Holsteins

    March 2nd 2007

    THE final chapter of the Threelimes herd, from Rob and Jenny Musson, Ochiltree, Ayrshire, came to an end when 156 pedigree Holsteins were dispersed at Carlisle.

  • A fair old time at Scarborough

    March 2nd 2007

    BAINTON and District YFC in the East Riding of Yorkshire wants all past, present and potential future members and friends to help them celebrate.

  • A no compromise strategy can pay

    March 2nd 2007

    ADOPTING a no compromise strategy for feeding dairy cows can lift feed efficiency by at least 0.1kg per kg DM fed and deliver an extra £90 per cow margin over a 300-day lactation, according to research on over 8,000 farms from 2003-2006.

  • Abattoir terms can be harmful – NSA

    March 2nd 2007

    SHEEP farmers must be fully aware of the terms and conditions of trade surrounding the weighing of lamb carcases by abattoirs or livestock market operators, the National Sheep Association (NSA) has warned this week.

  • Advance and thrive conference

    March 2nd 2007

    Scientists and advisers want dairy and beef farmers to pay more credence to feed conversion efficiency (FCE) as a gauge of animal nutrition and health in a bid to improve the long-term sustainability of EU farms as subsidies make way for a knowledge-based future. Simon Wragg reports.

  • All the news from the NFU National Conference

    March 2nd 2007

    THE first NFU conference under Peter Kendall’s leadership was notable for its emphasis on the future, the highlight of which was a well-attended and upbeat ‘next generation workshop’.

  • Alternatives to later cut silages offer potential for extra margins

    March 2nd 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.Michael Marsden, ABNA technical manager.

  • An hour in the March garden

    March 2nd 2007

    The daylight surprises us as the afternoons grow more spring-like and spring bulbs flourish amidst the greening grass, says PAUL PEACOCK.

  • Angus buyers want performance

    2 March 2007

    AN analysis of prices paid for Aberdeen-Angus bulls at the Perth sales two weeks ago clearly showed that buyers were seeking bulls with a high terminal sire index.

  • Animal welfare concerns boost sales of ‘welfare friendly’ food

    3 March 2007

    OVER half of the population is buying at least one or two higher welfare products a week because of ‘growing’ concerns over animal welfare on farms, new research shows.

  • Anniversary reunion dinner

    March 2nd 2007

    Wrexham Farmers Ladies Section is inviting past members to a reunion dinner to celebrate their 40th anniversary.The dinner will take place on Wednesday, April 4, at Cross Lanes Hotel, Marchwiel, Wrexham. Tickets are £20.For more information, contact Gill Williams (chairman) on 01978 311032 or Helen Parry (secretary) on 01978 780291.

  • Avian flu outdoor poultry ban lifted

    1 March 2007

    POULTRY that have been kept indoors since the beginning of February due to the avian flu outbreak will be allowed outside from today (March 1).

  • Beet safety net overproduction ‘not necessary’

    March 2nd 2007

    OVERPRODUCTION is no longer a necessary ‘safety net’ when growing sugar beet, says NFU sugar board vice-chairman William Martin.

  • Benefits of early nitrogen application

    March 2nd 2007

    IF you have yet to apply your first top dressing to grass then get the spreader out of the shed as soon as you can – that is the advice from Kemira GrowHow advisor Mike Denney.

  • Bennett back after reflective year

    March 2nd 2007

    ONE year ago Tim Bennett cut a forlorn figure as he made his way past waiting journalists and farmers crowded into a corridor in the Birmingham hotel that was hosting the 2006 NFU conference.

  • Best Young Farmer Producer Award – get your entries in now

    March 2nd 2007

    For the second year, Farmers Guardian has teamed up with Waitrose to run the Best Young Farmer Producer Award, part of the well-established Small Producer Awards.

  • Biofuel bonanza in the balance

    March 2nd 2007

    In the second article in FG’s ‘Farming for Energy’ series John Parry asks whether time is running out for the UK’s fledgling biofuels industry to be up and running to meet the EU’s 2010 deadline for a 5 per cent incorporation level in all transport fuels.

  • Biofuel margins at risk from raw material rises

    March 2nd 2007

    INCREASING corn prices on world markets are worrying some ethanol producers – and livestock farmers.

  • Blind Society celebrates its first 140 years

    March 2nd 2007

    GALLOWAY’S Society for the Blind, which for many years has recorded a weekly talking edition of Farmers Guardian, celebrates its 140th anniversary this year.

  • Boldness required in spreading the key messages

    March 2nd 2007

    NFU president Peter Kendall closed the conference by urging everyone involved with the NFU to become bolder in getting its key messages across.

  • Bowland Dairy Products given clean bill of health

    5 March 2007

    EAST Lancashire based Bowland Dairy Products, closed four months ago after the EU took issue over its procedures for reprocessing antibiotic and other tainted milk, has now been given a clean bill of health.

  • Bowland Dairy Products given clean bill of health

    5 March 2007

    EAST Lancashire based Bowland Dairy Products, closed four months ago after the EU took issue over its procedures for reprocessing antibiotic and other tainted milk, has now been given a clean bill of health.

  • Breakout was a sedate affair

    March 2nd 2007

    THE dairy breakout session on Monday afternoon – an event that usually sparks heated debate and confrontation – was a surprisingly sedate affair.

  • Brecknock Federation’s annual hedging match

    March 2nd 2007

    FOURTEEN young farmers took part in the Brecknock Federation of Young Farmers’ Club’s annual hedging match, held at Mr and Mrs Colin Price and family’s Felindre Farm, Upper Chapel, Brecon.

  • Brecon show potential record price of £7,100

    March 2nd 2007

    A CROSSBRED heifer sired by a Limousin bull and out of a Belgian Blue cross cow bred by E.A Davies, Pantmeinog, Llangadog, smashed all records at the sale of show potential cattle at Brecon Market.

  • Broadbent joins Dairy Crest

    March 2nd 2007

    THE Milk Development Council’s Liz Broadbent is joining Dairy Crest in April as commercial director in milk purchasing. DC is also looking for a specialist organic milk supply manager.

  • Brussels CAP health check

    5 March 2007

    EU farm lobby organisations have begun to set out what they want to see on the agenda for the CAP health check next year - and high on their list are moves to reduce the red tape associated with the CAP in general and cross compliance inspections in particular.

  • Brussels organic label

    5 March 2007

    THE European parliament's agriculture committee has said yes to an EU wide organic label - but it has called for tougher standards to ensure consumers have confidence in the first EU wide quality assurance scheme.

  • Brussels WTO

    5 March 2007

    THERE are growing signs that a new World Trade Organisation deal will not be as great a threat to the dairy industry as forecast.

  • Building an understanding of farming through schools

    March 2nd 2007

    SARAH CRIPPS reports from the Farms for Schools conference at Chatsworth.

  • Burden may get lighter

    March 2nd 2007

    FARMERS may face a lighter burden from cross compliance in future, following a Europe-wide review of the regime due to report this month, NFU chief legal adviser Julie Robinson told farmers.

  • CAP discussions ‘shouldn’t be seen as a savings quest’

    March 2nd 2007

    EUROPEAN Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has warned EU leaders they must not use discussions on the Common Agricultural Policy budget post-2013 as a ‘quest for savings’.

  • Challenger face-lift for Spra Coupe

    March 2nd 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.

  • Cheap food imports: Who gets the benefit?

    March 2nd 2007

    VIEWPOINT: By Jim Webster

  • Choosing the right stallion for your mare

    March 2nd 2007

    Once you’ve made the decision to breed your mare, choosing the right stallion is next on the agenda, says ANGELA CALVERT

  • Clitheroe suckler-bred

    March 2nd 2007

    THE championship at the show and sale of suckler-bred cattle at Clitheroe, Lancashire, went to a 10-month-old Belgian Blue steer from J. and W. Hoyle, Whitewell. It sold to J. Burrows, Kirkby Malham, North Yorkshire, for £740. 

  • Commission cuts cheese and butter support

    March 2nd 2007

    FURTHER evidence has emerged of the buoyant state of global dairy markets.

  • Compactor baler is a winner when dealing with farm waste

    March 2nd 2007

    THREE Norfolk farmers have been rewarded for their efforts with farm waste management in a special competition.

  • Concern over new tax proposal

    5 March 2007

    A NEW tax being proposed by the Treasury came under fire for the devastating impact it could have on rural areas.

  • Could 42-day TB testing rules spell the end for small scale livestock sales?

    March 2nd 2007

    Costly, dangerous and disruptive it may be, but that has not stopped Defra extending pre-movement testing to younger cattle this week. TOM LEVITT went to Bakewell Livestock Market in Derbyshire to find out how farmers will cope.

  • Current Meetings and training events for livestock farmers

    March 2nd 2007

    WITH the first three Beef Better Returns Programme events fully booked before they were even publicised, there is great anticipation for the following training days.

  • Daffodil bulbs could become a cash crop, say researchers

    March 2nd 2007

    ONE of Britain’s best-loved flowers could be put to work to provide a drug treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, say scientists in a new report and give farmers an opportunity to diversify .

  • Deadline date for new waste exemptions

    March 2nd 2007

    ALL farmers throughout England and Wales will have to complete a Waste Exemption Form (WMAW 01) for their farm before May 14 in order to register their agricultural waste exemptions.

  • Decision on badger cull ‘not far off’

    March 2nd 2007

    DEFRA appeared closer to a verdict on badger culling this week after Food and Farming Minister Lord Rooker said a decision would be made ‘more or less’ by May.

  • Defra launches a three-month consultation for regulation changes

    5 March 2007

    A THREE-MONTH consultation on proposed changes to the Veterinary Medicines Regulations has been launched by Defra.

  • DFB retains most of Co-op supply contract

    5 March 2007

    THE majority of Co-op stores across England and Wales are to continue their milk supply arrangement with Dairy Farmers of Britain.

  • DFB retains most of Co-op supply contract

    5 March 2007

    THE majority of Co-op stores across England and Wales are to continue their milk supply arrangement with Dairy Farmers of Britain.

  • Don’t cut corners with parlour hygiene

    March 2nd 2007

    Vet Neil Howie looked at parlour hygiene and automatic cluster flushing in last month’s Farmers Guardian dairy health focus, now Pete Larner of Vaccar continues the debate.

  • Don’t get taken for a ride on debt

    5 March 2007

    ‘BAD DEBT’ often appears an alien concept for many farmers.

  • Don’t get taken for a ride on debt

    5 March 2007

    ‘BAD DEBT’ often appears an alien concept for many farmers.

  • Dramatic events unfold

    March 2nd 2007

    THE Young Farmers’ entertainment season has started in earnest with clubs across the country competing for a place in the national final at the YFC annual convention in April.

  • Dungannon Limousins to 5,000gns

    March 2nd 2007

    Demand for Limousin bulls and females continued with good sound trade at the Northern Ireland Limousin Cattle Club show and sale at Dungannon.

  • English Sheepdog Trial Results

    March 2nd 2007

    TRAWDEN, Lower Twiston, Clitheroe, Nursery Championship (7 ran): 1, R. Fielden (Todmorden) Brad, 91 of 100; 2, K. Salisbury (Riddlesden) Scott, 90; 3, Tim Longton (Quernmore) Pip, 88; 4, J. Cropper (Deerplay) Ben, 87, OLF; 5, Richard Hutchinson (Littledale) Wenndale Roy, 87; 6, Richard Hutchinson Maggie, 84.

  • Fair trade takes centre stage

    March 2nd 2007

    FAIR trade for British farmers took centre stage at this year’s NFU conference in Birmingham.

  • Farm tours on May 16

    March 2nd 2007

    J.C. Crabtree and Son, Bolton Park Farm, Bolton Abbey, Skipton

  • Farmer fury at TB testing extension

    1 March 2007

    THE controversial law change requiring young cattle moving from Bovine TB hotspot areas in England and Wales to be pre-movement tested comes in today.

  • Faster filling and wider injection on slurry pumps

    March 2nd 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.A vacuum pump is used to prime the system before the centrifugal pump takes over.

  • February 2007 winner

    1 March 2007

    THE winner of the February caption competition, who wins £50, is Charlotte Ormondroyd of Bridle Stile Farm, Queensbury, Bradford, who came up with: ‘Must ‘ave got wrong day Bill, sure this int Romeo and Juliet.’

  • Feed price hike of 25-30 pc but consumer silver lining?

    March 2nd 2007

    UK livestock farmers are being warned of substantial hikes in feed prices as the impact of the world biofuel boom kicks in.

  • Finding new homes for border collies

    March 2nd 2007

    A BORDER collie rescue centre in North Yorkshire is keen to hear from farmers or stockmen who may be able to offer homes to one or more of the dogs in their care.

  • Food advertising ban for children ‘draconian’

    March 2nd 2007

    THE banning of certain food advertising for children, as set out by Ofcom, has been slammed as ‘draconian’ and ‘failing the interests of parents and children’.

  • Food industry thrives but Cornish farmers struggle

    March 2nd 2007

    THE food industry in Cornwall may be thriving but their farmers are still getting a raw deal.

  • Fresh approach to selenium may reduce cell counts and mastitis

    March 2nd 2007

    Research and development

  • Front linkage for the T8000

    March 2nd 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.

  • Galloway bull Boris heads fixture at 1,200gns

    March 2nd 2007

    GALLOWAY cattle sold to 1,200gns at the annual spring sale at Carlisle.

  • Gap in children’s food knowledge

    March 2nd 2007

    THERE is a real need to educate children about the origins of their food, with thousands of eight-year-olds believing that cows lay eggs and that bacon comes from cattle or sheep.

  • Going for biggest capacity to get crops to store quickly

    March 2nd 2007

    Scottish contractor Russell Gaw has taken delivery of a Korte 2000 crimping machine. This is the first machine of this size to be operated in the Galloway area, where he is based.

  • Greater tanker capacity

    March 2nd 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.

  • Groundbreaking program aids the cost control of business changes

    March 2nd 2007

    When thinking about making significant on-farm changes, it is often impossible to predict how the business would be impacted. Now the Milk Development Council is offering a ‘what if?’ package to help farmers make difficult decisions.

  • Heavier weight flail for thicker material

    March 2nd 2007

    With many hedgerows only getting cut once every two years or so, McConnel has been back to the drawing board to develop a heavier weight flail.

  • Heifers for Spain

    March 2nd 2007

    CHESHIRE-based livestock auctioneers, Wright Manley, have co-ordinated the first large-scale consignment of dairy cattle to be exported since the lifting of the ban when they sent 30 in-calf heifers to Spain. They were consigned by several vendors one being John Edge, Middlewich, Cheshire, the North Western board member for Holstein UK.

  • Herefords go to Germany

    March 2nd 2007

    THE Hereford breed’s export links with Europe have been re-established after a 17-month-old bull and two heifers travelled to Bremen, north Germany. They came from the Romany herd of J.R.B. Wilson and Sons, Cowbog, Kelso and bought by Hergen Eickhorst.

  • Herefordshire drama winners

    5 March 2007

    SIX clubs from the Herefordshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs took part in the federation’s drama festival at the Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat School in Hereford.

  • Heritage working woollen mill to open

    March 2nd 2007

    A working woollen mill, highlighting the history of the wool business from shearing to finishing, is all set to open in south west Wales.

  • Holsteins to 1,300gns in Derbyshire

    March 2nd 2007

    A GOOD crowd gathered for the dispersal of the Beanfield Holstein herd on behalf of the Barker family, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, which saw prices peak at 1,300gns. 

  • Homes crisis is a social time bomb for young and old

    March 2nd 2007

    The shortage of affordable housing in rural areas is a potential social time bomb. The exodus of young people from rural areas may well leave an increasingly isolated and ageing rural population with falling local support and services as Cumbria Rural Housing Trust’s Judith Derbyshire told NEIL RYDER.

  • Illegal off-road riding on the increase

    5 March 2007

    THE problems being caused by illegal off-road motorcycling are getting worse in some parts of the country, according to a report presented to the Welsh Assembly.

  • Improve Welsh breeding herd

    2 March 2007

    NOW is the time to buy a new ‘bully’ says Hybu Cig Cymru, the Wales-based red meat promotion body.

  • Improvement grants on offer in Cornwall

    March 2nd 2007

    CORNISH dairy farmers still have time to access grants to help with any investments they want to make to improve energy efficiency and the access to milk tankers at their farm.

  • Inspect your at risk crops

    March 2nd 2007

    LEATHERJACKET populations are ‘high’ or ‘very high’ and at risk crops should be inspected now, growers are being advised.

  • Ladies win at Gisburn Mart

    March 2nd 2007

    LADIES were triumphant at the Swaledale Sheep Breeders’ Association’s third annual show and sale of prime hoggs at Gisburn Mart, Lancashire.

  • Limousin registrations and herd health take-up increases

    March 2nd 2007

    THE British Limousin Cattle Society has announced a rise in participation of its herd health initiative and a record year in terms of animal registrations.

  • Llawhaden show ’em

    March 2nd 2007

    SEVEN clubs competed in the Pembrokeshire FYFC drama competition, but only one could go through to the final – Llawhaden YFC.

  • Looking for love in farming?

    2 March 2007

    WILL the drive to improve the image of farming make it sexy? And what will it do for the average farmer's chance of finding love? Listen to our podcasts.

  • Low N levels prompt soil test demand

    March 2nd 2007

    EARLY reports of low soil mineral nitrogen levels have prompted an increase in demand for soil testing this spring.

  • Low quality silage is just one factor behind poor winter milking performance

    March 2nd 2007

    FEEDING dairy cows this winter has not been easy and Duncan Rose, chief technical officer for Carrs Billington Agriculture, said he believed there were four reasons why some herds had not milked well since housing.

  • Making sure winter wheat crops meet growers’ expectations

    March 2nd 2007

    WITH six out of every 10 winter wheat fields drilled last autumn planted to a Nickerson variety, the company is under pressure to ensure that harvest 2007 crops meet growers’ expectations.

  • March 2007 winner

    1 March 2007

    THE winner of the March caption competition, who wins £50, is Sarah Barwick of St. David's, Pembrokeshire, who came up with: ‘The tablets were beginning to work, but they were hell to carry.’

  • Marketing pedigree Guernsey beef as a ‘quality’ product

    March 2nd 2007

    What do you do with a problem like pedigree Guernsey bull calves? If you are Mark and Susan Jones, you start fattening them and selling the finished product as a quality eating experience. JOANNE PUGH went to meet the couple who have turned a by-product into a marketable commodity.

  • Marts and farmers stung by collapse of meat company

    March 2nd 2007

    A number of auction marts and individual deadweight sellers in the north of England are reported to be owed tens of thousands of pounds by Sunderland-based meat packer Northern Counties Meat which went into administration last week.

  • Mid Wales milk processing hit as a second cheese plant prepares to close this month

    March 2nd 2007

    MILK processing in West Wales has suffered another major blow as a second cheese plant – this one at Felinfach, near Lampeter – prepares to close at the end of March with the loss of 44 jobs.

  • Mid Wales milk processing hit as a second cheese plant prepares to close this month

    March 2nd 2007

    MILK processing in West Wales has suffered another major blow as a second cheese plant – this one at Felinfach, near Lampeter – prepares to close at the end of March with the loss of 44 jobs.

  • Miliband: Improve environmental record

    March 2nd 2007

    DEFRA secretary of state David Miliband urged farmers to take on the green agenda and said eco-labelling on food packaging was inevitable.

  • Milling industry shifts blame for bread rises

    March 2nd 2007

    NFU combinable crops chairman Arthur Hill has accused the milling industry of being ‘disingenuous’ in trying to blame farmers for rising bread prices.

  • MLC’s new chief executive

    March 2nd 2007

    RICHARD Lowe, former consumer affairs director at the Meat and Livestock Commission, has been appointed its new chief executive. He succeeds Kevin Roberts, who has been appointed interim chief executive officer for ‘Levy Board UK’. Peter Barr’s appointment as chairman extended for a further 12 months.

  • More on the FR9000

    March 2nd 2007

    The FR9000 has three grass pick-up options of which the smallest 3m will probably be the most popular due to road transport restrictions. There is also 3.8m and 5.2m versions but all have the tines powered from a central hydraulic motor. These new pick-ups also have cam tracks at either end and the speed of the tines alters automatically with the ground speed of the machine.

  • Mr Bean to star on milk cartons

    6 March 2007

    MR BEAN milk cartons will soon be available from a store near you.

  • New chairman for Norfolk NFU

    March 2nd 2007

    HOCKWOLD arable farmer and vegetable grower, Bob Young, has been elected as the new chairman for the NFU’s Norfolk county branch, succeeding George Harcourt in the position.

  • New Holland unleashes its self-propelled chopper range

    March 2nd 2007

    In the last few months alone, New Holland has added two new tractor ranges and now, at the SIMA show, which starts this Sunday, it is set to unveil the FR9000 self-propelled forager. Mervyn Bailey reports.

  • New register attracts over 100 grooms

    5 March 2007

    MORE than 100 qualified grooms have joined the British Horse Society (BHS) Register of Grooms since its launch at the beginning of this year.

  • New trial site for GM potatoes

    March 2nd 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.

  • New vision for Lincolnshire’s coastal landscape

    March 2nd 2007

    THE Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh Project is holding a consultation to discuss its plans to protect the distinctive landscape and its associated wildlife.

  • New voice for food and farming

    2 March 2007

    A NEW working group has been created to give a strong commercial voice to businesses in the food and farming industry in the East of England.

  • NEWS IN BRIEF

    March 2nd 2007

    Awards for Innovation

  • NEWS IN BRIEF contd

    March 2nd 2007

    FUW gets new county officer

  • NFU Scotland annual meeting

    March 2nd 2007

    Look to the future – the past is past, says Kinnaird

  • Norfolk Farming Conference

    March 2nd 2007

    Sustainability was the theme of this year’s Norfolk Farming Conference, which attracted a full conference hall of 380 delegates, and for which Farmers Guardian was media partner. CLEMMIE GLEESON reports.

  • North West food awards

    2 March 2007

    FOOD and drink companies from across the region are being invited to enter the prestigious Food Northwest Awards 2007.

  • Now is the time for fine tuning livestock diets

    March 2nd 2007

    WITH many farms now looking to adjust rations for the rest of the winter in order to make the most of available feed stocks, KW nutritionist Dr Matt Witt is urging all livestock producers to take the opportunity to double-check performance against expectations, and fine tune diets immediately if necessary.

  • One-pass drilling combination for an efficient system

    March 2nd 2007

    Demanding conditions have led Sam Parsons to find an efficient one pass drilling operation. Farming 810 hectares in east Lothian, harvest and autumn sowing prove to be very busy times before the weather turns for the worse.

  • PA180 to be unveiled at SIMA

    March 2nd 2007

    McConnel is also putting the finishing touches to the PA180, which is set to be unveiled at SIMA. It can be used either side of the tractor and has a forward crank making it easier for the operator to view the cutting head.

  • Paice: Key issues need addressing

    March 2nd 2007

    SHADOW Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Jim Paice told farmers at a Mid Wales meeting that honest labelling, less regulation and more farm-based energy production were key issues that needed addressing.

  • Ponies (UK) announces Winter Show president

    5 March 2007

    MRS Pearl Underwood from Bury St Edmunds will continue in her role as Winter Show President for the Ponies Association (UK) Winter Championship Show.

  • Power Arm range gets 5.5 and 6

    March 2nd 2007

    The Power Arm PA55, and 60 are the latest additions to Shropshire-based McConnel’s reach mower range.

  • Pre-screening for HLS applicants

    March 2nd 2007

    APPLICANTS to the Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) scheme are to have the opportunity to have their cases screened before they invest time and money.

  • Press the RPA on common land issue

    March 2nd 2007

    THE Rural Payments Agency should continue to be pressed for transparency in its calculations of single farm payments on common land, said the new chairman of the Federation of Cumbria Commoners.

  • Pressure increases on dairy herd margins

    5 March 2007

    LOWER milk prices and increasing feed costs are having a negative impact on dairy margins.

  • Pressure increases on dairy herd margins

    5 March 2007

    LOWER milk prices and increasing feed costs are having a negative impact on dairy margins.

  • Proposal ‘nothing short of theft’

    March 2nd 2007

    THE proposals to increase coastal access without any landowner compensation were called ‘nothing short of theft’.

  • Raughton’s resounding recognition

    March 2nd 2007

    WITH senior debating, junior member of the year and drama competitions, members of Cumbria FYFC have been battling it out for a host of awards.

  • Record-breaking five Craven championships

    March 2nd 2007

    Jeremy Taylor made it a record-breaking five-strong haul of Craven Dairy Auction championship victories at the February show and sale of 77 pedigree and commercial cattle.

  • Records broken at North Wales Potentials

    March 2nd 2007

    Records were broken at this year’s North Wales Potentials show and sale of 80 show potential cattle at Ruthin Auction and sponsored by Farmers Guardian.

  • Registering Northern Dairy Shorthorns

    2 March 2007

    WITH the Northern Dairy Shorthorn now recognised by both the Shorthorn Society and the British Cattle Movements Service, Northern Dairy Shorthorn breeders are being asked to take care when registering animals.

  • Restructuring failure could mean indiscrimate beet cuts

    March 2nd 2007

    THE restructuring scheme – one of the most important elements of sugar reform – has failed to reduce tonnage by as much as it was hoped which may mean indiscriminate quota cuts in the future.

  • Reversing years of fertility decline

    March 2nd 2007

    A genetic fixation on high milk production may be one of the factors behind poor fertility, but genes could also provide an answer to the problem. Farmers Guardian sought the opinion of two semen companies.

  • Robert and Brad are Trawden champions

    March 2nd 2007

    In a closely-fought contest, Robert Fielden and Brad took the Trawden Championship. The trial winners were Jim Cropper and Ben.

  • RPA under attack over ‘appalling’ HFA errors

    5 March 2007

    THE Rural Payments Agency has come under fire in the House of Commons over administrative errors that have hit hundreds of upland farmers.

  • Rural survey aims to unearth housing needs

    March 2nd 2007

    SEDBERGH Parish Council is one authority that has asked the Cumbria Housing Trust to carry out a survey looking at its housing needs.

  • SAC receives upgrade grant

    March 2nd 2007

    A £750,000 grant from SEERAD has been awarded to SAC for a major upgrade of its beef development and research facilities at Easter Howgate Farm, near Bush, Edinburgh.

  • Science critical for meeting challenges

    March 2nd 2007

    THE cut in the science budget for agriculture had been ‘the most damaging step of recent years’ warned the former Tory Agriculture Minister John Gummer.

  • Scots play to packed house

    March 2nd 2007

    THE East Region of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers’ Clubs has reaffirmed its reputation for cabaret by again selling out their venue – this year at Perth Concert Hall – despite an increase in the number of seats from 500 to 1,200. After a close competition, Bell Baxter ADS were victorious with their entry ‘Bridge The Barricades’.

  • Scottish beef exports hit £10m

    March 2nd 2007

    EXPORTS of beef from Scotland have reached the £10 million pound mark since the ban on trade was lifted in May last year.

  • Scottish Sheepdog Trial Results

    March 2nd 2007

    Teams - North Scotland 1, H. MacLean, Culloden, Kim, 83; 2, E. MacKinnon, Lochcarron, Shep, 75; 3, S. Grant, Strathcannaird, Jen, 65; 4, M. Murray, Back, Jim, 51; 5, H. MacLean, Culloden, Roy, 46. Reserve, H. Munro, Leys Castle, Gael, 43.

  • Sector heads mean Levy Board UK is closer to creation

    March 2nd 2007

    The radical restructuring of the current levy boards and the creation of Levy Board UK has moved a step closer with the appointment of its board members, including chairmen for each of the sectors represented.

  • SFP entitlements sold at auction

    March 2nd 2007

    WELSH Single Farm Payment entitlements sold at auction to £645 per unit at St Asaph last week.Auctioneers Jones Peckover say the sale generated interest from farmers throughout North and Mid Wales. The majority of lots were sold by auction or after the sale by private treaty. Year 2006 Value entitlements with a unit value of £260.79 topped the sale while units worth £230.30 made £506. At the other end of the scale, £132 units sold at £140.

  • Sima show bigger than ever

    6 March 2007

    THE SIMA 2007 show is proving more popular than ever with UK farmers and those in the trade who are among the 200,000 expected to attend the five-day event held near Paris.

  • Sloe Gin

    March 2nd 2007

    This recipe was sent in by Mrs K Heathcote of Matlock, Derbyshire. “This is a very warming drink,” she says.

  • Smaller band saw arrives

    March 2nd 2007

    WOOD-Mizer has introduced a smaller band saw – the LT10.

  • So just where did the panel get their milk?

    March 2nd 2007

    DEFRA Secretary David Miliband once famously branded organic food a ‘lifestyle choice’ and questioned whether it was, in any way, superior to conventional food. But that does not seem to have clouded his own buying habits.

  • Split field trial results show

    March 2nd 2007

    WITH mixtures of triazoles and chlorothalonil offering more consistent control of septoria than straight triazoles, there is a case for looking beyond leading triazoles prothioconazole (PTZ) and epoxiconazole (EPX) at the T0 and T1 fungicide timings this season, says Syngenta.

  • SPS fiasco: 2005 situation just goes from bad to worse

    March 2nd 2007

    JUST when you thought it could not get any worse, new evidence has emerged of the sheer scale of the 2005 Single Payment Scheme fiasco.

  • Strathroy Dairy goes organic in farmer co-op deal

    March 2nd 2007

    ONE of Ulster’s biggest dairies has teamed up with a farmers co-operative to produce and distribute organic milk.

  • Supermarket pressure driving worker abuse

    March 2nd 2007

    WORKERS in the food and farming sector are still routinely abused, a report from the Food Ethics Council (FEC) said today. It says that people working in food and farming are worse paid and more likely to be killed at work than in other sectors.

  • Survey shows rural contentment but concern over loss of services

    6 March 2007

    A MAJOR survey of people living and working in rural areas has revealed high levels of contentment with their life in the country, but concern over the loss of rural services and environmental issues such as fly-tipping.

  • Talks over beet contracts flex

    March 2nd 2007

    IMPROVING the flexibility of sugar beet contracts is an essential part of ongoing negotiations between the NFU and British Sugar, said NFU sugar board vice-chairman William Martin at this week’s union conference.

  • The industry’s major players joining a race against time:

    March 2nd 2007

    GREENERGY FUELS

  • The Royal Highland’s new home

    March 2nd 2007

    THE Royal Highland Show is to move across the road from its present Ingliston site on the outskirts of Edinburgh at a cost of around £275 million.

  • The top positions at the NFUS

    March 2nd 2007

    President: Jim McLaren

  • Theme this year is ‘action for profit’

    March 2nd 2007

    Excitement is mounting ahead of Beef Expo 2007, to be held at Skipton Auction Mart on May 17. This year Farmers Guardian is the office media partner for the event and will be running regular updates on what to look out for on the big day.

  • This is a year for T0 fungicide sprays

    March 2nd 2007

    IF ever there was a year for T0 fungicide sprays, this year is it, according to a leading agronomist.

  • Time for a whole new approach to cow health and welfare – Beever

    March 2nd 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.David Beever, Keenan international nutritional director.

  • Time to raise age limit for spine removal, says NBA

    March 2nd 2007

    THE added cost of vertebral column removal from cattle over 24 months is alarming the beef industry and the National Beef Association says it is time to raise the age limit.

  • Town and country unite to save Post Office network

    5 March 2007

    MEMBERS of the ‘Future for our Post Office’ coalition joined forces during the recent National Post Office Rally to draw attention to the plight of rural post offices.

  • Tractor MOT test may be on cards after safety survey

    March 2nd 2007

    UK farmers could now face mandatory testing of tractors. A nationwide survey reveals that over 65 per cent of tractors have faults, which make them unsafe to drive on the road. Andy Collings reports.

  • Trying to justify a major investment for the farm

    March 2nd 2007

    BARRY ALSTON meets up with a Pembrokeshire milk producer – undecided as to whether to invest in a brand new dairying complex.

  • TV series follows animals from pasture to plate

    1 March 2007

    A NEW television series that follows the path of animals ‘from pasture to plate’ should present nothing to fear for the livestock industry, according to a farmer involved in the programme.

  • Union wants more milk levy money for Wales

    March 2nd 2007

    MORE initiatives to attract long-term investments and add value to milk were being called for yesterday when NFU Cymru leaders gave oral evidence to the Welsh Assembly’s environment, planning and countryside committee.

  • Warm January raises virus yellows threat

    March 2nd 2007

    THE warmest January in 90 years and temperatures at least 2degC above average since Christmas means the virus yellows forecast for sugar beet in is showing high levels of virus, where no pest measurement measures are used, even if crops are drilled early.

  • Waste disposal: Still a lot to learn

    March 2nd 2007

    The UK’s first Farm Waste Event took place at the Newark showground, Nottinghamshire. With waste disposal now a major issue for the agricultural industry, attendance was high.

  • Weidemann gives more power to compact loader

    March 2nd 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.

  • Western Holsteins peak at 1,400gns for Patriot Flo

    March 2nd 2007

    THE Western Holstein Club’s monthly show and sale of pedigree freshly calved cows and heifers at Beeston Castle, Cheshire, attracted an entry of 114, of which only 11 were not forward, and a top price of 1,400gns.

  • Western Holsteins peak at 1,400gns for Patriot Flo

    March 2nd 2007

    THE Western Holstein Club’s monthly show and sale of pedigree freshly calved cows and heifers at Beeston Castle, Cheshire, attracted an entry of 114, of which only 11 were not forward, and a top price of 1,400gns.

  • Whitebred Shorthorns to 2,800gns at Carlisle

    March 2nd 2007

    A TOP price of 2,800gns was realised at the annual show and sale of Whitebred Shorthorns at Carlisle.

  • Win Shire horse show tickets

    March 2nd 2007

    Farmers Guardian has 10 pairs of adult tickets for the Shire Horse Spring Show on Saturday, March 17 and Sunday, March 18 at the East of England Showground in Peterborough, to give away.

  • Workshops will highlight what waste is exempt

    March 2nd 2007

    Farmers in Yorkshire will have an opportunity to attend workshops to help them find out what waste is exempt of the new environmental laws.

  • Wythall YFC ‘beauty pageant’

    March 2nd 2007

    GLITTER, glamour, talent and hairy legs took to the stage at Henley-in-Arden Golf and Country Club, Warwickshire, at the weekend as Wythall YFC staged their own special beauty pageant – Mr ‘Miss’ YFC 2007.

  • Wythall YFC ‘beauty pageant’

    March 2nd 2007

    GLITTER, glamour, talent and hairy legs took to the stage at Henley-in-Arden Golf and Country Club, Warwickshire, at the weekend as Wythall YFC staged their own special beauty pageant – Mr ‘Miss’ YFC 2007.

  • Youth impart their own visions for the future

    March 2nd 2007

    THERE was one room at this year’s conference that had a markedly different atmosphere – jokes, optimism and above all youth.

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