Farmers Guardian
May 4th 2007

  • ‘Bucking beef export trends’

    May 4th 2007

    OF the 4,000 tonnes of beef exported by 10 Scottish companies in the 12 months since the reopening of export markets, Quality Meat Scotland says two thirds has been prime beef and a third cow beef.

  • ‘UK could meet double its biofuel target if planned plants were at full capacity’

    May 4th 2007

    The biofuels market has grown dramatically in recent years as a result of increasing awareness of global warming and its effects, combined with general concerns on security of energy supply. Biofuels are being promoted as a step in helping to tackle these problems, and many countries globally have taken it upon themselves to set objectives and targets for biofuel inclusion in their fuel usage. FG asked HGCA environment economist Helena Athanasiou to outline some of the dynamics affecting ...

  • £1,100 top at Skipton dairy sale

    May 4th 2007

    A TOP price of £1,100 was achieved at the monthly Craven Dairy Auction at Skipton, North Yorkshire, paid by M.R. and G.R. Parkin, Hambleton, Selby, for an in-calf Holstein Friesian heifer from George Emmott, Steeton, Keighley.

  • £1m project to look at making renewable chemicals from grass

    May 4th 2007

    GRASS – something Britain has plenty of – could soon be put to work to supply a range of chemicals used in plastics, coatings and cosmetics, according to a team of scientists based in Wales.

  • 27,000gns Doris tops Bristol Holsteins sale

    May 4th 2007

    A 27,000gns telephone bid from Cornwall put a ceiling on trade in the ‘Springtime Showcase’ Holstein sale at the Bristol Sales Centre, Easter Compton.

  • 27,000gns Doris tops Bristol Holsteins sale

    May 4th 2007

    A 27,000gns telephone bid from Cornwall put a ceiling on trade in the ‘Springtime Showcase’ Holstein sale at the Bristol Sales Centre, Easter Compton.

  • 3,000gns Newfailand peak

    May 4th 2007

    PRICES peaked at 3,000gns when the Newfailand herd of Holsteins, from G.P. Jones, Failand, Bristol, was dispersed on-farm. The top call was Newfailand Rubens Val Carol, a third calver that had given 11,000kg as a heifer. Buyer was Mr Thomas, Carmarthen.

  • 3,800gns Longhorn bull

    May 4th 2007

    LONGHORN bulls sold to 3,800gns at the breed society spring show and sale at Worcester but it was the females that stole the show.

  • A recipe for good silage

    May 4th 2007

    Making good quality silage is never as easy as it may seem. Here Ecosyl Products, the mainline sponsor for ScotGrass 2007, looks at the key issues of ensiling grass.

  • A second trade set in the heart of the community

    May 4th 2007

    WHEN Michael Thurlby realised the family farm, at Tallington, Lincolnshire, would no longer provide a realistic income for himself and his brother and sister, on his father’s retirement, he began to look around for other opportunities.

  • Agromek show changes

    May 4th 2007

    From 2008, the Danish Agromek show will be held in November every year with a different machinery focus. Machines for fieldwork will be exhibited every second year, while their internal mechanisation will always feature at the show. To match in with the change-over, there will be two shows in 2008. The one in January will be based on internal machinery, while field-working kit will be at the second show.

  • An hour in the May garden

    May 4th 2007

    May sees the start of those seemingly never-ending afternoons in the garden, though the weather often has something to say about it, says PAUL PEACOCK.

  • April 2007 winner

    2 May 2007

    THE winner of the April caption competition, who wins £50 of Countrywide vouchers, is Maurice Kennaugh of Ballatrollag Farm, Ballabeg, Castletown, Isle of Man, with:

  • Are sustainable biofuels a reality?

    May 4th 2007

    With the Government’s mandatory requirement for road transport fuel to include biofuels less than 12 months away, the focus on the UK sector has never been greater. Critics are asking if biofuels will reduce carbon emissions and whether its production might cause environmental damage. Tom Levitt reports back on some of the key issues from the ‘Developing Biofuels Sustainably: Can it be done?’ conference in London.

  • Argentine Government intervenes

    May 4th 2007

    ARGENTINA reopened its registry for exports of wheat flour in late March after reaching a price deal of £60 per ton with the country's millers – but new exports of the grain remained suspended. The Government made a similar move to curb corn exports in November, as part of a long running strategy to keep prices in check after inflation hit 10 per cent last year.

  • Attracting the next generation of farmers

    May 4th 2007

    ATTRACTING the next generation into farming is the key to the future of the industry says the the Scottish National Party in its new agricultural manifesto.

  • ATV Winner

    May 4th 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.

  • Aussie lamb exports set to increase

    May 4th 2007

    AUSTRALIAN lamb production is forecast to increase by 25 per cent by 2015, although this forecast may have been made before the severe drought in southern states.

  • Ayrshire leads on 2,000gns

    May 4th 2007

    DEMAND exceeded supply in the Lake Counties Jersey Cattle Club’s Gold Top sale at Carlisle that included Red and White cattle. Top priced Jersey was 1,120gns for a fresh second calver from Messrs Richardson, Wheelbirks, Stocksfield. Wheelbirks Hot Tuna , went to Messrs Watson, Wigton.

  • Be vigilant on storage after fertiliser bomb convictions

    May 4th 2007

    FARMERS have been reminded of the importance of securing their fertilisers, following the outcome of a terrorist trial at the Old Bailey.

  • Beef Expo 2007 – NBA’s annual event

    May 4th 2007

    VISITORS from right across the UK, and some from overseas, will be flocking to Skipton Auction Mart, North Yorkshire, on Thursday, May 17, for Beef Expo 2007, the National Beef Association’s annual event.

  • Benefits of shorter dry cow period

    May 4th 2007

    Managing for health and productivity was the theme of this year’s ‘large herd seminar’ at Claverdon, Warwickshire. KATIE LOMAS reports.

  • Bentham dairy top of £1,310

    May 4th 2007

    STRONG demand for dairy cattle continued at Bentham Auction’s weekly sale where a top price of £1,310 was relised. Sale topper was a pedigree freshly calved Holstein heifer from Nelson Barton, Kirkby Lonsdale. This Roylane Jordan daughter went to R. Metcalfe, Gargrave, Skipton. Auctioneers: Richard Turner.

  • Better deal for farmers on phone wires

    May 4th 2007

    FARMERS who have telephone wires running over their land will get additional payments backdated to 2004 after a deal was secured by the NFU and the CLA.

  • Big Asda cheese deal stays with First Milk

    May 4th 2007

    FIRST Milk has held on to Asda’s regional cheese supply contract which it ‘inherited’ in the £62million deal with Dairy Crest last autumn.

  • Bobcat S100

    May 4th 2007

    The S100 is the latest skid steer loader from Bobcat. Power comes from a 34hp Kubota four-cylinder engine, which is transverse mounted for better serviceability.

  • Borderway all-industry event

    May 4th 2007

    HARRISON and Hetherington have asked us to make it clear that its own ‘all-industry’ livestock event being planned for November 2 at Borderway Mart, Carlisle (FG April 27), is completely unconnected with the RABDF or the Stoneleigh Dairy Event. It will be relevant to sheep, beef and dairy farmers.

  • Branching out into olives

    May 4th 2007

    THINK olive groves and most people look to Italy, Greece or Spain – but all that could be set to change with the planting of the first olive trees in North Wales.

  • Brazil begins FMD vaccinations

    May 4th 2007

    BRAZIL has begun a massive campaign to vaccinate its cattle against foot-and-mouth disease.

  • Brazil corn production

    May 4th 2007

    BRAZIL’S corn production for 2006/07 is forecast at a record 48 million tons, up from 42 million tons last year thanks to favourable weather conditions and a greater planting area. Demand from the United States for a growing ethanol industry has pushed prices higher and also encouraged farmers to increase their growing area in summer and winter. Winter corn normally accounts for 25 per cent of Brazil’s total corn area.

  • Brecon Charolais sell to 5,700

    May 4th 2007

    CHAROLAIS bulls met a solid demand from a packed ringside of commercial men at Brecon at the breed society’s official inaugural sale at the centre. Bidding peaked at 5,700gns and 17 lots sold to average £2,477.

  • Brown rust must be at forefront of fungicide efforts

    8 May 2007

    WITH unprecedented levels of brown rust now in evidence in the UK’s wheat crop, growers are being advised to put the disease at the forefront of their T2 fungicide campaign.

  • Brown Swiss at 5,600gns

    2 May 2007

    AN in-calf heifer grabbed the headlines at 5,600gns in the ‘Unique Opportunity’ sale of Brown Swiss milkers and young stock at Myddle, Shropshire.

  • Brown Swiss level over £1,280 at Shropshire sale

    May 4th 2007

    AN in-calf heifer grabbed the headlines at 5,600gns in the ‘Unique Opportunity’ sale of Brown Swiss milkers and young stock at Myddle, Shropshire.

  • Bryson is new president

    May 4th 2007

    LEADING author Bill Bryson is set to become the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s new president, taking over from newspaper columnist and military historian Sir Max Hastings.

  • Bull semen testing plan

    May 4th 2007

    FINDINGS that one in every three bulls do not come up to the mark on fertility have prompted Hybu Cig Cymru, the Wales-based red meat development body, to offer £70 towards the semen testing of one bull per farm during 2007.

  • Bunning centenary

    May 4th 2007

    The Bunning family is celebrating 100 years at their Norfolk site. The business was founded in 1906 by Robert Bunning, a blacksmith who was joined by his son. George Thomas Bunning, in 1925. George’s initials are now used in the company’s name – GT Bunning.

  • Busy times

    8 May 2007

    After a bit of a mix-up with FG about the publication of my last entry, this one is a bit of a catch-up.

  • Campaign attacks Government's biofuels policy

    9 May 2007

    A COALITION of some of UK’s most powerful environmental groups has launched an advertising campaign attacking the Government’s biofuels policy.

  • Campaign out to recapture children’s imagination

    May 4th 2007

    THE Year of Food and Farming has launched its campaign website and logo and more than 20,000 schools have been contacted with details of the resources on offer.  

  • Carcases improve – but still scope for better

    8 May 2007

    THE percentage of prime beef carcases hitting preferred specification, whether steers, heifers or young bulls, has increased.

  • Carcases improve – but still scope for better

    8 May 2007

    THE percentage of prime beef carcases hitting preferred specification, whether steers, heifers or young bulls, has increased.

  • Carcases improve – but still scope for better

    8 May 2007

    THE percentage of prime beef carcases hitting preferred specification, whether steers, heifers or young bulls, has increased.

  • Case study: Hammonds End Farm, Hertfordshire

    May 4th 2007

    Hammonds End Farm is a 270-acre farm in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, owned and managed by Howard Roberts.

  • Case study: Lavenham Lodge Farm, Suffolk

    May 4th 2007

    John Pawsey farms 2,430 acres at Lavenham Lodge Farm, 724 acres of which is under farm management contracts. In 1999, 350 acres was converted to organic production.

  • Case study: Rushbrooke farms, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

    May 4th 2007

    Conversion of land at Rushbrooke Farms started in 2000 with 250 hectares of the total 600 hectares.

  • Cash boost for Cotswolds Conservation Projects

    8 May 2007

    THREE important grant schemes that help to conserve the Cotswolds have received a 'top-up' and people are being encouraged to apply for funding.

  • Cash for bull semen test in Wales

    May 4th 2007

    FINDINGS that one in every three bulls do not come up to the mark when it comes to fertility have prompted Hybu Cig Cymru, the red meat development body in Wales, to offer £70 towards the semen testing of one bull per farm during 2007.

  • Champion takes 7,000gns at Dungannon Charolais

    May 4th 2007

    DEMAND for Charolais bulls continued unabated at the Northern Ireland Club’s April show and sale at Dungannon, where bidding peaked at 7,000gns and 22 entries sold to average £2,314.

  • Chance to learn more about sheep diseases

    11 May 2007

    THE first round of Farmers Guardian-supported sheep health management meetings has taken place – but it is not too late to book a place for the second round.

  • Chance to learn more about sheep diseases

    11 May 2007

    THE first round of Farmers Guardian-supported sheep health management meetings has taken place – but it is not too late to book a place for the second round.

  • Cheshire equine trade fair May 21

    9 May 2007

    ON the back of booming interest in horse riding, www.saddleupcheshire.co.uk, in conjunction with the Rural Enterprise Programme, is organising Cheshire’s first equine trade fair.

  • China preparing for the biggest agricultural reorganisation ever

    May 4th 2007

    A possible future scenario for rural China would see 650,000 modern new farms of eastern European scale.

  • Common land rules change eligibility for SPS payments

    3 May 2007

    HUNDREDS of farmers face losing their Single Payments and Hill Farm Allowances because of an unannounced change to eligibility rules on common land.

  • Companion horses looking for homes

    8 May 2007

    ILPH Penny Farm is looking for suitable homes for some of its non-ridden companion horses.

  • Conference leaves cheesemakers with a positive message

    May 4th 2007

    This week's Cheese Summit, mounted by Dairy UK, was clearly a game of two halves. On the one hand, cheesemakers had a potentially lucrative world market, on the other Government and the Food Standards Agency were intent on delivering a double whammy in environmental and nutritional terms. VIC ROBERTSON reports.

  • Conference to address ‘green’ issues to dairy farmer advisers

    9 May 2007

    A CONFERENCE to increase the awareness of environmental issues affecting dairy farmers is being organised by Dairy UK.

  • Conference to address ‘green’ issues to dairy farmer advisers

    9 May 2007

    A CONFERENCE to increase the awareness of environmental issues affecting dairy farmers is being organised by Dairy UK.

  • Consortium to preserve future of ‘heritage’ breeds

    9 May 2007

    SHEEP specialists from across Europe have met in the Yorkshire Dales to set up a new consortium to protect potentially vulnerable ‘heritage’ sheep breeds.

  • Consortium to preserve future of ‘heritage’ breeds

    9 May 2007

    SHEEP specialists from across Europe have met in the Yorkshire Dales to set up a new consortium to protect potentially vulnerable ‘heritage’ sheep breeds.

  • Cow leasing option for increasing milk producti€on

    May 4th 2007

    IF a dairy farmer wants to increase milk output quickly, then milking more cows is the most effective option.

  • Defra urged to stand firm on tag derogation

    May 4th 2007

    DEFRA is being urged to fight to keep the derogation on the double tagging of sheep in response to signs its resolve on the issue is weakening.

  • DEMAND for organic animal feed up 30 per cent

    May 4th 2007

    DEMAND for organic animal feed has grown by 30 per cent in the past 18 months, explained Nigel Gossett of Norton Organic Grain.

  • Developing skills for using rifles safely

    May 4th 2007

    NORFOLK’s Easton College is launching a course aimed at sporting rifle users at the end of May, following its link-up with Diss-based Riflecraft.

  • Director of administration for 2010 Games named

    8 May 2007

    The World Games 2010 Foundation, the organization responsible for planning and executing the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, today announced that Anne Buchanan has been promoted to director of administration.

  • Discussing key issues with industry experts at farming forums

    May 4th 2007

    FARMING, food and rural life were the main topics discussed at the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Forum, where young farmers from across England and Wales met industry experts.

  • Dock infestation – at what stage do you spray?

    May 4th 2007

    STATISTICS reveal that 90 per cent of farmers are not spraying pasture for docks until more than 20 per cent of grassland is infested.

  • Dorset Fresh Start Academy launched

    May 4th 2007

    THE Dorset Fresh Start Academy has been launched at Kingston Maurward College, bringing together the college, County Farms Estate and Dorset Agricultural Advisory Service, to deliver a programme of meetings that will help young farmers and new entrants make informed business decisions.

  • Drop-in clinic will answer your questions on grass and forage

    May 4th 2007

    THE British Grassland Society will be offering a ‘drop-in clinic’ at ScotGrass, offering farmers opportunity to pose any questions they have about grass and forage.

  • Efficient slurry use by shallow injection demo

    May 4th 2007

    THE location for ScotGrass 2007 is Crichton Royal Farm, a 600-acre dairy farm in the Nith Valley, near Dumfries, and part of the Scottish Agricultural College.

  • EU poultry labelling plans dumped

    May 4th 2007

    EUROPEAN Union plans for a labelling scheme for poultry that meets higher EU standards have been dumped because of member countries’ opposition.

  • Eurotechnics agri group formed

    May 4th 2007

    French manufacturers Suire, Goizin and Jean de Bru have pooled together to form the Eurotechnics Agri Group.

  • Fact-finding in the Yorkshire Dales

    May 4th 2007

    THE new director general of the Natural Environment Group at Defra, Peter Unwin, has been on a fact-finding visit, meeting officers and members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, learning more about the role of England’s nine National Parks.

  • Fallen stock adds to CO2 emissions

    8 May 2007

    DEFRA has been criticised for failing to monitor greenhouse gases released by transporting and disposing of dead livestock following the introduction of a burial ban in 2003.

  • FAMILY FRUIT STRATA SALAD

    May 4th 2007

    “I enjoyed this salad when visiting Idaho,” says sender Mrs Nancy Taggart of Onchan on the Isle of Man. “It was during the first week of their strawberry picking.”

  • Feed guide

    May 4th 2007

    KW Alternative Feeds – one of Beef Expo’s mainline sponsors – has completely updated its much sought-after livestock feed guide to reflect the greater number of alternative feeds, or co-products, now available to farmers. The guide contains a full nutritional analysis of the company’s complete range of moist and dry feeds, and liquids, together with advice on how to best utilise them in ruminant rations. It also includes feed descriptions and their availability in terms of seasonality ...

  • Fine Juggling Act

    3 May 2007

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

  • First run from Peg set a mark that was not beaten

    9 May 2007

    WITH the first run of the day Richard Briggs won the Trawden Spring Open with his home-bred bitch, Wenndale Peg.

  • Foreign meat investigation

    May 4th 2007

    THE increasing practice of foreign meat being passed off as prime local produce is being investigated by Trading Standards officers across the country.

  • Fredericks wins Badminton Horse Trials 2007

    8 May 2007

    AUSTRALIA took the title for the second year running and Lucinda Fredericks added a second four-star win to her collection when she won Badminton Horse Trials at the weekend riding Headley Britannia, the first mare to win the event for 56 years.

  • Government needs to rethink its approach to dairy

    May 4th 2007

    AGAINST the positive messages for cheese manufacture, Dairy UK chairman David Curry accused the Government of adopting a too negative approach.

  • Grazing Monitor

    May 4th 2007

    Low rainfall affects grass availability ahead of the peak growth period

  • Growing the family business to cater for the market

    May 4th 2007

    BARRY ALSTON takes a look at how Pembrokeshire’s first early potato crops are shaping up.

  • High drama in strongly contested competitions

    May 4th 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.The Sidney Fawcett Trophy was won by Katherine Sealy of Gillingham and Shaftesbury YFC, Dorset.

  • Increasing value by making grey wool white

    10 May 2007

    A SECRET process developed by a family-owned company in Belgium could be the first step towards improving wool prices for hill farmers running flocks of Swaledale sheep.

  • Inspect beet crops for aphids

    May 4th 2007

    SUGAR beet growers are being advised to start inspecting crops that have not been treated with either an insecticidal seed treatment or granules for aphids following the discovery of wingless myzus persicae at near spray threshold levels in a crop in Suffolk.

  • Investigation under way after hen harriers ‘disappear’ from moorland nesting site

    9 May 2007

    EFFORTS have been stepped up to prevent England’s rarest bird of prey - the hen harrier - from becoming extinct as a breeding bird in the uplands of North Yorkshire.

  • JCB Queen’s awards

    May 4th 2007

    JCB is celebrating three more Queen’s Awards for export achievements. The Loadall business at Rocester, Compact Products at Cheadle and the International Transmission plant at Wrexham all received an honour, which now brings JCB’s collection to 21 since getting its first in 1969. It is the only company to have such a tally of these awards.

  • Jim and Jess take spoils as Erwood provides a real test

    9 May 2007

    THE Erwood Trials were able to return, for the second year, to a testing course at Noyadd farm and Felindre Farm, thanks to the co-operation of the Morgan family and the Griffiths family.

  • Jim Cropper makes it five wins out of five

    3 May 2007

    JIM Cropper’s current form is best described as ‘unbeatable’ as he won all three of the open trials in the North of England at the weekend.

  • Keeping Chickens

    4 May 2007

    The essential guide to enjoying and getting the best from chickens.

  • Kendall in Brussels plea for fair and flexible cross compliance

    8 May 2007

    NFU President Peter Kendall will call for a shift to a ‘fair, flexible and proportionate’ cross compliance regime when he gives evidence at a public hearing in Brussels today (Tuesday, May 8).

  • Kuhn Pro longer hedge cutters

    May 4th 2007

    Kuhn is expanding its range of Pro Longer hedge cutters with the addition of a 5.2m model and a crank arm option for this and the 5.7m reach machine.

  • Land and property

    May 4th 2007

    • In Devon last week, auctioneers Kivells sold land at Highborough Farm, Holsworthy well in excess of the guide price. The 79.86 acres of productive south-facing pasture land with cattle shed, yards and silage clamp sold for £315,000. Auctioneer David Kivell said: “Land continues to be in high demand, and achieving good prices.”

  • Langunnet Implement Sale

    8 May 2007

    THE implement sale held at Tregunnet Farm, St Veep, Lostwithiel on 17th April drew a large attendance of buyers from throughout the West Country.

  • Legal challenge is ‘for all farmers’

    3 May 2007

    THE man who is challenging Defra in the High Court over its controversial table valuation system for cattle says he is fighting for a fairer deal on behalf of all farmers.

  • Letter leads to resignation of Levy Board sector head

    May 4th 2007

    THE man due to take charge of the horticultural sector company on Levy Board UK has resigned after an anonymous letter questioning his appointment was circulated within the industry.

  • Llangadog proves popular – and the course testing

    3 May 2007

    ONCE again the Llangadog and District trial proved immensely popular. It was so well supported that the raffle raised £800, which will be distributed to local charities.

  • Margins from better-performing OSR crops nearly 40pc greater, national study finds

    May 4th 2007

    BETTER performing oilseed rape crops generated gross margins nearly 40 per cent higher than the average and well over double those earned by their poorer-performing contemporaries last season, according to results from ProCam Agronomy’s latest annual OSR performance study.

  • Marina helps secure dairy farm’s future alongside busy canal

    May 4th 2007

    Building a marina alongside the Llangollen Canal has secured the future of dairying on a Cheshire farm. Cheshire FWAG held an open day at Swanley Marina to mark their association with LEADER+. Neil Ryder went along.

  • Maximising farm assets

    4 May 2007

    ALTHOUGH arable land has increased in value due to the short supply and new lifestyle buyers, farmers are increasingly tuning-in to the potential benefits of diversifying in order to maximise their assets, supplement incomes and sustain current staffing levels.

  • May 2007 winner

    1 June 2007

    THE winner of the May caption competition, who wins £50 of Countrywide vouchers, is Joy Samuel, TYNewydd, St Davids, Pembrokeshire, with:

  • Meeting profits challenge and boosting returns by £200 a head

    May 4th 2007

    ONE man who is meeting the challenge of making a profit despite modulation head-on, and boosting returns per animal sold by £200 per head (after costs) is Steven Crabtree.

  • Milk link producers to get 0.75ppl price rise

    May 4th 2007

    MILK Link producers are to receive another 0.75ppl, Dairy Crest is going up by 0.25ppl, and Wiseman has decided not to make a much-rumoured cut.

  • Milk quota prize helps winner with expansion

    11 May 2007

    THE 100,000 litres of milk quota, the prize on offer from IGENITY at the National Holstein Show, was won by Valerie Norman.

  • Mixer wagon win brings increased flexibility to farm feeding system

    May 4th 2007

    The prize up for grabs in this year’s Farmers Guardian and Keenan competition which launches on May 25 is a Keenan Klassik 100 bale chopper. DAVID BURROWS speaks to last year’s winning farmer.

  • MTX front linkage option

    May 4th 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.

  • Mushrooming without fear

    8 May 2007

    Mushrooming Without Fear is a guide that aims to remove the concerns would-be mushroomers have about gathering mushrooms for consumption.

  • New appointment

    May 4th 2007

    Same Deutz Fahr has appointed Marc Haggart as its territory manager for Northern England and Scotland. Marc’s appointment follows the recent promotion of his predecessor, Paul Concannon, to UK and Ireland sales manager.Having been brought up on his parent’s farm in Perthshire, Marc has worked for both agricultural dealers and main line tractor manufacturers.

  • New bagma general manager

    May 4th 2007

    The British dealer association BAGMA has appointed Keith Christian as its new general manager. Keith started with outdoor equipment company H Burlingham in 1979. He was chairman of the Agricultural Engineers Association Outdoor Power Equipment Council from 2000 to 2002.

  • New canopy complete stage blight fungicide launched

    May 4th 2007

    A new blight fungicide from Syngenta will be available this spring, after going from development to registration in less than eight years.

  • New chairman for Red Poll society

    May 4th 2007

    THE Red Poll Cattle Society has a new chairman. Ben Woolf, 30, farms at Sproughton, near Ipswich, and took over in April from Richard Dawes who is retiring after six years in the job.

  • New export market for South West

    May 4th 2007

    SIXTEEN pedigree Limousins have been exported from Devon to Poland – believed to be the first export of pedigree Limousins from the South West to that country.

  • New holland service

    May 4th 2007

    Farmers and contractors using New Holland kit can now make use of the firm’s Top Service Team. Available on a 24 hour, seven days per week free-phone number 00800 64111111, where the customer service team will work with the customer’s dealer and locate parts from across Europe.

  • New pedigree Charolais herd a ‘cool’ farm venture

    May 4th 2007

    IF you buy an ice-cream at Beef Expo 2007 it will likely come from Gary and Mandy Rogers – a couple that have just established a pedigree Charolais beef herd alongside their existing ice-cream enterprise.

  • New WTO paper outlines concerns

    May 4th 2007

    A NEW World Trade Organisation paper on agriculture has been published this week, but it does little more than underline where problems lie.

  • NEWS IN BRIEF

    May 4th 2007

    Woodfuel supply boost

  • NEWS IN BRIEF

    May 4th 2007

    New research chairman

  • Numbers are up for FarmText

    May 4th 2007

    SAC has just signed up the 1000th subscriber to its FarmText service. The service, which uses telephone messaging facilities to deliver up-to-the-minute information and advice directly to farmers on their own mobile phones, was launched in 2003 with Leader Plus support.

  • NZ milk now on American shelves

    May 4th 2007

    NEW ZEALAND’s A2 Corporation finally has its milk on supermarket shelves in the US.

  • Open your farm and spread the good news about farming

    3 May 2007

    FARMERS throughout the UK are being encouraged to open their farm gates to the public for Open Farm Sunday taking place on Sunday, June 10.

  • Output of £350 per acre target for pedigree Angus herd

    May 4th 2007

    AN output of £350 per acre is the target for the Ribble herd of pedigree Aberdeen-Angus at Windy Pike Farm, Gisburn, Lancashire – one of the farms to be toured ahead of Beef Expo.

  • Passport option could save waste

    May 4th 2007

    THE DNA testing route for late passport appeals could save a potential £11 million wastage from the beef industry.

  • Peers seek evidence for CAP investigation

    3 May 2007

    PEERS have launched a major investigation into the future of the Common Agricultural Policy.

  • Plan to cut methane emissions

    May 4th 2007

    A recent study in Argentina has raised concerns that the growth in exports of agricultural and livestock products pose an environmental threat where ‘half their greenhouse gases are emitted in rural areas’.

  • Pneumonia

    May 4th 2007

    A new cattle pneumonia risk assessment tool is being launched at Beef Expo by Intervet Animal Health – one of the event’s mainline sponsors – and will be available free to all visitors.

  • Poultry producers told to play up environment credentials

    May 4th 2007

    CONSUMER concerns about the environment are beginning to outweigh animal welfare and organic issues, according to grocery analysts.

  • Power versus force

    May 4th 2007

    In the third and final part of her series for Farmers Guardian, JONI BENTLEY examines power and force in riding, demonstrating why a horse that is crooked behind cannot go on the bit properly and the potential problems this can cause.

  • Prices reach 2,400gns for Bristol Aberdeen-Angus

    May 4th 2007

    PRICES peaked at 2,400gns at the Aberdeen-Angus spring show and sale at Bristol Sales Centre. Top was Lockerley Easy Tiger, Lockerley Hall Farm, Romsey, Hampshire. This March 2005 bull, sired by Netherton Krackerjack and out of Lockerley Evening Tinge, sold to T.R. Wolfe, Stevengae, Hertfordshire. At 2,300gns Dark Lane Proud Lord from N.J. and B. Pittams, Brecon, went to by N.H. and J. Wheeler, Chipping Campden.

  • Protecting rare bloodlines with a mix of commercial farming and conservation

    May 4th 2007

    A broad-based approach to commercial farming and conservation, making use of a traditional breeds and methods in a modern context, is proving a winning formula for Maggie Gordon and her husband Bob Lee on their Dumfriesshire farm. NEIL RYDER reports.

  • Protecting rare bloodlines with a mix of commercial farming and conservation

    May 4th 2007

    A broad-based approach to commercial farming and conservation, making use of a traditional breeds and methods in a modern context, is proving a winning formula for Maggie Gordon and her husband Bob Lee on their Dumfriesshire farm. NEIL RYDER reports.

  • Quick fit points

    May 4th 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.

  • Report claims crop approval processes are biased against GM

    May 4th 2007

    THE approval processes for genetically modified and conventional crops are fundamentally flawed and biased against GM.

  • Report claims crop approval processes are biased against GM

    May 4th 2007

    THE approval processes for genetically modified and conventional crops are fundamentally flawed and biased against GM.

  • Returns will have to improve from the marketplace, say farmers

    May 4th 2007

    RETURNS will have to improve to keep J.A. and J.M. Wade and Son producing beef on their 500-acre marginal farm of Royd House, Cononley, Keighley, North Yorkshire.

  • Robert’s tough nine years at the helm of the NBA

    May 4th 2007

    For nine years Robert Forster has headed up the National Beef Association, the organisation behind Beef Expo. Ahead of his retirement in July, HOWARD WALSH takes a look at his career.

  • Rotation design ‘essential’ to success

    May 4th 2007

    ROTATIONS are essential for the organic producer to reduce the weed, pest and disease burdens of the land and are the route to successful organic cropping, explained Andrew Trump of the Organic Arable Marketing Group.

  • Rumanian agriculture market opportunities worth around £600m over the next 10 years

    May 4th 2007

    FUTURE agricultural trade with Rumania could be worth £600 million over 10 years in pedigree livestock, equipment and expertise.

  • Scholarship to develop woodland craftsmanship

    May 4th 2007

    AN organic smallholder has won a £2,500 scholarship which will help him develop his hurdle making, hedge laying and woodland management skills

  • Scottish cheddar launch

    May 4th 2007

    THE Cheese Company has responded to consumer demand for premium Scottish cheese with the launch of Mature and Extra Mature Scottish Cheddar.

  • Scottish project tackles NVZ pollution issues

    May 4th 2007

    THE best ways in which farmers can effectively and realistically address NVZ and diffuse pollution issues are being investigated in an SAC project.

  • Second half exports belie export growth

    May 4th 2007

    SHEEPMEAT exports, although slow in the second half of last year, did maintain year on year growth. The latest figures from the English Beef and Lamb Executive (Eblex) show exports up by more than 2 per cent on 2005, at 87,000 tonnes.

  • Set-aside initiative

    10 May 2007

    STRATEGICALLY placed ‘fido-fields’ are being called for by a pressure group of Welsh livestock farmers who 12 months ago set up MAPS – or Managed Access Packages.

  • Sheepdog Trial Results

    9 May 2007

    Welsh results

  • Sheepdog Trial Results

    9 May 2007

    English results

  • Sheepdog Trial Results

    3 May 2007

    ENGLISH RESULTS

  • Sheepdog Trials Diary

    3 May 2007

    ENGLAND

  • Sheepdog Trials Diary

    9 May 2007

    England

  • Shocking new figures highlight plight facing dairy farmers

    May 4th 2007

    MILK producers are losing on average 3.42p on every litre they produce, shocking new figures from the Royal Association of British Farmers (RABDF) and the NFU reveal.

  • Simmental success set to continue at Bristol

    May 4th 2007

    SINCE the Bristol sale was started by club members on-farm in the early days, it has grown from strength to strength and is now the main sale for Simmental cattle in the South.

  • Simmentals in demand

    May 4th 2007

    A bigger catalogue, improved clearance and bulls up £75 – those were the highlights of the British Simmental Society’s spring sale at Carlisle.

  • Skipton Blues to 2,650gns

    May 4th 2007

    TOP price at Skipton’s sale of pedigree Belgian Blue cattle was 2,650gns claimed by a March 2005-born bull, Aprilton Ambrose, from Eileen Wilson, Scorton, Richmond. Aprilton Ambrose is by Serum D’Anloy and sold locally to K. and M. Berry, Thornton-in-Craven, Skipton.

  • SPS update

    3 May 2007

    2007 SPS

  • Standen evolution fluted rollers

    May 4th 2007

    Standen Pearson has introduced a new separating option for its Enterprise harvesters. The Evolution fluted rollers have been in development for two seasons.

  • Subscriptions lead debate at ‘memorable and historic event’

    May 4th 2007

    Temperatures and spirits were high as Young Farmers from across England and Wales travelled to Torquay for the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs Annual Convention. KATIE LOMAS reports on a weekend of competition finals, debates and socialising.

  • Sudden death of Midlands auctioneer Michael Bletsoe

    May 4th 2007

    EAST Midlands auctioneer and chartered surveyor, Michael Bletsoe, a partner in the family firm of chartered surveyors, Henry H. Bletsoe and Son, has died suddenly at the age of 42.

  • Taking steps to minimise IHT

    May 4th 2007

    SHARP increases in the price of farms and land in Northern Ireland have meant a big increase in the number of people being caught by capital gains tax and inheritance tax.

  • The challenge is to hit profitability without the SPS

    May 4th 2007

    The beef industry is facing challenging but exciting times.

  • The essentials for livestock farmers will be on show

    May 4th 2007

    Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.Manufacturers will be unveiling their latest products and machinery at ScotGrass.

  • The showcase for new machinery

    May 4th 2007

    Scotgrass 2007 – the only major grassland event being held in the UK this year – is set to be an important event for the industry as manufacturers use the occasion to introduce their latest machinery. Andy Collings provides a taste of what visitors can expect to see.

  • The younger generation need to carry the fight

    4 May 2007

    The great rural commentator of the pre and post war years, A.G. Street, often referred to ‘time out of mind’.

  • Think twice on chop length

    May 4th 2007

    ANYONE contemplating increasing silage chop length to help minimise the risk of sub-acute acidosis should consider the potentially negative effect on fermentation and quality.

  • Thousands of school children attend School Farm Fair

    11 May 2007

    THREE and a half thousand school children from 83 schools across Suffolk descended on Trinity Park for the School Farm Fair.

  • Timetable

    May 4th 2007

    MAIN EVENTS

  • Top bid of 30,000gns at May Day show

    8 May 2007

    A BID of 30,000gns topped the British Limousin Cattle Society’s May Day show and sale at Carlisle, which saw a total of 13 bulls pass the 10,000gns mark.

  • Top bid of 30,000gns at May Day show

    8 May 2007

    A BID of 30,000gns topped the British Limousin Cattle Society’s May Day show and sale at Carlisle, which saw a total of 13 bulls pass the 10,000gns mark.

  • Tractor registrations

    May 4th 2007

    The latest AEA figures show that Lancashire and Yorkshire has seen the greatest increase in tractor registrations for the first quarter of the year by 59 per cent to 387 units.

  • Trident show how to get rid of tyres on the clamp and reduce cost

    May 4th 2007

    THROUGH their stand at ScotGrass, Trident will be showing how effective self-weighting silage clamp covers can be as an alternative to using tyres.

  • Two more moves on milk price

    8 May 2007

    ARLA and First Milk are the latest to have announced further producer price increases.

  • Two more moves on milk price

    8 May 2007

    ARLA and First Milk are the latest to have announced further producer price increases.

  • Ty Draw fundraiser sees Owen and Lightfoot take first placings

    3 May 2007

    ABOUT 70 dogs had been entered in the Ty Draw Fundraising Trial by 9am, and by the end of the day this had risen to 121 split between the two sessions.

  • Udny YFC founder member dies

    May 4th 2007

    Retired North East farmer, David Argo, Tillymaud, Udny, has died at the age of 90 days before he was to be guest of honour at the 80th anniversary celebrations of Udny Young Farmers’ Club on Saturday night.

  • UK arable sector could take advantage of organic ‘boom’, says Soil Association

    May 4th 2007

    Is converting to organic arable production worth it? CLEMMIE GLEESON reports from a Soil Association event held at Rushbrooke Farms, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, which aimed to show growers that it is.

  • UK beef exports hit £100m

    May 4th 2007

    BRITISH beef exports in the past 12 months have been twice the predicted level and have hit the £100 million mark.

  • View from the rostrum

    May 4th 2007

    Marts thriving again

  • Waste Regulation Exemptions

    May 4th 2007

    With time rapidly running out thousands of farmers have still not registered for exemptions to the agricultural waste regulations. ALISTAIR DRIVER looks at why it is important to register in the two weeks that remain and the issues you need to consider.

  • Western Holsteins fixture

    May 4th 2007

    PEDIGREE Holstein bulls went to 1,800gns at the Western Holstein Club show and sale at Beeston, Cheshire.

  • What price lamb this season?

    9 May 2007

    A switchover from hoggets to spring lamb is imminent by some of the big players in the meat processing and retailing business.

  • What price lamb this season?

    9 May 2007

    A switchover from hoggets to spring lamb is imminent by some of the big players in the meat processing and retailing business.

  • Wheat prices are dependent on the good weather

    May 4th 2007

    WHEAT prices have rocketed by 10 to 15 per cent with the continued dry weather in April.

  • Why do we need a derogation on double tagging?

    3 May 2007

    The double tagging of sheep and goats is compulsory across the EU and is in place everywhere else except the UK and Ireland.

  • Win tickets to East of England Country Show

    4 May 2007

    FANCY a day out at this year’s East of England Country Show? Farmers Guardian has six pairs of tickets to give away.

  • Winging in to count lapwings in the Peak District

    10 May 2007

    MORE than 60 volunteers are taking part in a project to count lapwings across the Peak District.

  • Yorkshire could be the key to grey partridge recovery

    8 May 2007

    FARMERS and landowners from across Yorkshire are being urged to join the Yorkshire Grey Partridge Recovery Group to help save this declining farmland bird.

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