Written by Eva Osborne-Sherlock from Agriland
The National Drought Group (NDG) has said farmers are currently facing the problem of too much water, rather than too little.
The Environment Agency chaired its regular meeting of the group yesterday (Thursday, April 18) where it discussed the ongoing challenge of managing future droughts.
However, the meeting heard how England has experienced its wettest October to March period on record, and how the weather could impact this year’s growing...
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Written by Richard Halleron from Agriland
Culling badgers will not deliver the full eradication of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) according to a leading UK cattle vet.
Dick Sibley, a veterinarian with 47 years experience, told a meeting hosted by the Northern Ireland’s Pedigree Cattle Trust in Armagh, that focusing only on badgers is not the correct approach to bTB.
According to Sibley, based on his experiences gained in the South West of England over recent years, badgers are not the primary...
Long-term structural change in EU agriculture
Written by Alan Matthews
The reduction in the number of farms and farmers in the EU has attracted increasing attention in this EU legislative period. It has been a distinctive message of the Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski, who emphasised the ongoing decline in the number of farms in his confirmation hearing before the European Parliament in October 2019 and has regularly highlighted the issue, most recently in his address to...
Written by Maeve Hennessy from Agriland
Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), a farming mental health charity, announced on Wednesday April 17, that it would be increasing its spending on mental health services by £10 million over the next five years.
RABI’s pledge was made as it launched its year-long “Empowering the Worth and Wellbeing of Farming People initiative”, while it was joined by around 100 politicians, opinion formers and farming sector leaders.
The initiative...
Written by Maeve Hennessy from Agriland
Following an accident in which a lorry carrying 40 cows overturned on the A5 in Gobowen, Shropshire in which seven of the cows died, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent a letter to Selattyn and Gobowen Parish Council chair councillor, Erica Morgan, asking for approval to erect a memorial at the scene.
The tribute created by PETA would feature a picture of a cow and an inscription that reads, “In Memory of the Cows Who Suffered...
She was fired after not endorsing Splenda-filled salads to people with diabetes. Why? | Neil Barsky
Written by Neil Barsky from the Guardian
Elizabeth Hanna says she was fired by the American Diabetes Association after refusing to approve recipes heaped with the additive made by a major donor
Elizabeth Hanna had a simple job: help people with diabetes figure out what to eat. Anyone with common sense knows this should probably not entail foods that might increase people’s risk of getting...
Written by Maeve Hennessy from Agriland
Companies which took part in the Scottish government’s first ever business delegation at COP28 say they expect to generate an estimated £66.74 million in net zero export sales over the next three years, according to a new report published on Tuesday (April 16).
A total of 19 net zero focused companies attended the programme of business activities at the global climate summit in Dubai, which was supported by First Minister, Humza Yousaf and the...
Written by Eva Osborne-Sherlock from Agriland
UK pig meat production has fallen 2.5% year-on-year, with production in the first quarter of 2024 totalling 227,000t.
This is a decline of 2.5% compared to the same period last year and the lowest Q1 volume recorded since 2017.
The figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) showed that carcase weights have seen an uplift of 1.6kg year-on-year, averaging at 90.5kg in Q1 2024.
However, reduced numbers of pigs...
Written by Eva Osborne-Sherlock from Agriland
A study co-authored by scientists at UNDO has found that enhanced rock weathering contributed to a 9.3-20.5% higher crop yield and suggests increased crop resilience to future climate challenges.
Rock weathering is a nature-based carbon dioxide removal process that accelerates natural weathering.
The study’s results show significantly higher first year crop yields, improved soil pH and higher nutrient uptake.
The results from the ongoing...
Gene editing crops to be colourful could aid weeding, say scientists
Written by Helena Horton Environment reporter from the Guardian
Creating visually distinctive plants likely to become important as more weed-like crops are grown for food
Genetically engineering crops to be colourful could help farmers produce food without pesticides, as it would make it easier to spot weeds, scientists have said.
This will be increasingly important as hardy, climate-resistant “weeds” are grown for food...
Written by Eva Osborne-Sherlock from Agriland
GSC Grays is urging farm businesses to “embrace resilience” and strategic planning to navigate through the current challenges facing the sector.
Record rainfall has significantly increased the financial pressures on farm businesses, GSC Grays said, but it believes there are tools to help the industry tackle to current challenges.
Recently, the vice president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said that it is “no exaggeration to say a...
Written by Eva Osborne-Sherlock from Agriland
Red Tractor has said claims from English beef and lamb producers that they have “world-leading standards” look to be correct, according to a new report from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
The report is the first of four that will be evidencing current competitive English farmgate production standards for the beef and lamb sector from AHDB.
The report compares Red Tractor with Australia’s Livestock Production...
Written by Francess McDonnell from Agriland
Lakeland Dairies has blamed a “challenging year” for a €300,000 drop in turnover to €1.6 billion in 2023 compared to €1.9 billion in 2022.
The co-op today (Wednesday, April 17) also reported a slump in operating profits from €32.5 million in 2022 to €14.8 million – before exceptionals – last year.
Lakeland Dairies’ latest annual report details that during the year, there were also once-off exceptional expenses as a result of redundancies and...
Written by Eva Osborne-Sherlock from Agriland
Dorset Police’s rural crime team has recovered a stolen lamb that had been “sheepnapped” from a field in the area of Sturminster Newton.
One person is in custody for theft and for causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Officers from the Dorset rural crime team made enquiries along with Sturminster Newton NPT and recovered the stolen lamb yesterday (Wednesday, April 17).
The team said one farmer and ewe have been reunited with...
FiPL spotlight: the Central Dartmoor Farm Cluster
Written by Mark Ward
Dartmoor is a distinctive landscape. Open, windswept moorland sheltered woodland valleys, enclosed farmland, varied geology and unrivalled opportunities for recreation are just a few reasons why it was designated as a National Park in 1951.
It is home to 35,000 people, a place for work for 10,000 and a source of enjoyment for millions. Farming has been the main land use for more than 5,000 years. Today, around 90% of...
Written by Eva Osborne-Sherlock from Agriland
A study conducted by the University of Oxford has concluded that bats can be “valuable allies” for farmers by feeding on important agricultural and forestry pests.
The study was released today (Wednesday, April 17), on International Bat Appreciation Day, and the findings demonstrate that encouraging bat species can be a win-win for both conservation efforts and local farmers.
The study analysed the diet of the three bat species living on the...
Written by Eva Osborne-Sherlock from Agriland
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) has said it has “increasing concerns” for the UK’s rare native pig and poultry breeds following the release of its new watchlist.
The conservation charity said it is calling for targeted government action to encourage more people to keep them.
The new watchlist moves all native chicken, duck, geese and turkey breeds into the ‘Priority rare’ breed category in response to the impact on poultry breeding...
Written by Eva Osborne-Sherlock from Agriland
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is urging the public to respond to the UK government’s food labelling consultation and demand clearer labelling on animal products.
The animal welfare charity said this will improve farm animal welfare. The eight-week consultation was launched in March and will remain open until May 7, 2024.
It centres on how clearer labels on pork, chicken and eggs could be produced in order...
Written by CPM Magazine from CPM Magazine
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Being left behind is a frustrating situation to be in, and while many countries have adopted crop spraying with drones the UK and the EU are yet to take this leap. CPM speaks to two firms that are advocating for the adoption of this technology.
By Melanie Jenkins
Back in November, CPM travelled to Hungary to see first-hand what relative newcomers to the UK, ABZ Innovation, is up to and how it hopes to help bring drone spraying to...
Written by Claire Sammon from Agriland
The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA, has announced payments totalling £9.4 million to Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) participants have commenced.
It means the total amount paid out under the scheme has hit £66 million.
Minister Muir said that he is “delighted to say that 93% of claims for the 2023 EFS payments were made yesterday (Monday, April 15). The remaining claims will be processed and paid as soon as...
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Tractor Chat #01
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20
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Tractor Chat #01 - with Direct Driller Magazine Farmer Focus writer Phil Rowbottom
Discussing direct drilling wheat, Oil seed rape growing in the UK, Fendt 724 tractor and his Sky Easy Drill.
Discussing direct drilling wheat, Oil seed rape growing in the UK, Fendt 724 tractor and his Sky Easy Drill.