News from United Kingdom

Britain should reap the rewards of GM crops In an era of plenty, we risk forgetting the importance of the harvest. Once, its failure would have been devastating, ushering in a period of penury a... Badger cull a PR disaster for UK countryside A growing number of farmers are now questioning the nature of the cull and its effectiveness. And some are blaming poor biosecurity and intensive farm... Tractor theft leads farmer to spend £10,000 on security A Suffolk farmer has spent £10,000 on security because of fears "organised criminals" are targeting his business. Thieves took Colin Clifton-Brown'... Careless farming could cost us benefits of GM crops Resistance is far from futile. Agricultural pests are evolving immunity to the toxins in genetically modified crops that are meant to kill them, accor... Young and old gather to celebrate sheep farming From fleece competitions to sheepdog sales and hundreds of woolly wonders... anything and everything to do with sheep was on show at Moortown Barton, ... Farmers fail to feed nation after extreme weather hits wheat crop The wettest autumn since records began, followed by the coldest spring in 50 years, has devastated British wheat, forcing food manufacturers to import... Countryside bodies warn dog walkers of cattle danger Dog walkers have been urged by countryside organisations to take care around cattle. The warning follows the death of 65 year-old dog walker Mike P... Is the rise in antibiotic use on farms a threat to humans? The use of some of the most potent antibiotics available has surged among British farmers in the last decade, stoking fears that the burgeoning number... Ease curbs on GM food, says Willetts Controls on ‘Frankenstein Food’ crops should be slimmed down to clear the way for commercial cultivation, according to Britain’s science minister. ... Warning to ramblers about aggressive foreign cattle The imported cattle have already been held responsible for a number of attacks on herdsman, including Lawrence Haygarth, who suffered 17 broken ribs a... More concerns raised in dairy sector More concerns are being raised about the uneven debt burden in the dairy sector. The issue's being highlighted in a Ministry of Primary industries ... It's time we challenged agricultural hegemony The dam is beginning to crack, faster than I would have believed possible. Britain, one of the world's most zoophobic nations, is at last considering ... Land ownership ‘obsession’ is stalling best use progress An ‘obsession’ with who owns the land rather than the best use of it halts progress, Buccleuch Estates’ boss told a seminar in Edinburgh last week. ... Less than one in 100 are farmers, census shows A report from the Office for National Statistics analysing censuses from 1841 to 2011 found that the proportion of workers who are in agriculture and ... Sir James Paice: 'Treasury doesn't understand farming' There can be few politicians who understand the world of farming better than Conservative Cambridgeshire MP and farmer Sir James Paice. That's why ... MPs call for transparency on land deals to protect smallholders MPs on the international development committee have expressed concern about the purchase of large areas of land in poor countries cultivated by smallh... Work starts on new £5m agriculture base at Stoneleigh Park Work has started on a a new £5million building which will see Stoneleigh Park transformed into an internationally-renowned centre for agriculture, rur... If GM crops are bad, show us the evidence It is nearly 20 years since the first GM crops were grown. Some 28 countries cultivate them on a commercial scale, and many hundreds of millions of... 1,000 tonnes of fodder imported to Northern Ireland farms Almost 1,000 tonnes of fodder has been imported into Northern Ireland to help farmers feed their livestock, after one of the worst spells of weather t... Migrant jobs squeeze alarms UK fruit farmers Kent apple farmers say loss of seasonal Eastern European pickers will raise prices and bring industry to its knees. The rise of Ukip is having unex... CAP reform delay a ‘threat to EU’s health’ A leading European farming leader warned yesterday that, far from a “health check”, the common agriculture policy (CAP) could need major surgery. F... For dairy producers, size does matter With a public sympathy for small family dairy farms, a suggestion was made yesterday that some method of keeping them in business – possibly with fina... Why Britain's barren uplands have farming subsidies to blame Even before you start reading the devastating State of Nature report, published today, you get an inkling of where the problem lies. It's illustrated ... Farmers have to pay for disposal of snow killed livestock Farmers will have to foot some of the bill for disposing of livestock killed during the freak snowstorms earlier this year. Around 10,000 sheep are... Farmers 'betrayed' by Welsh government, says industry leaders Farmers' leaders say members feel "betrayed" by the Welsh government and are calling for more help. The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) say they hope ... Farmer provides 'life-saving' help to weather-hit farms A Lincolnshire farmer has set up a scheme to help stricken farms in other parts of the country. Andrew Ward, from Leadenham, set up the Forage Aid ... Frustration grows over dairy farm housing plan People living in Ewhurst’s Somersbury Lane are growing increasingly frustrated at what they see as the lack of action to bring an end to the unauthori... Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill in ash disease warning Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill has emphasised the need to be alert to the threat posed by the tree disease Ash Dieback. Urging people to rep... Vaccine for Schmallenberg virus 'available this summer' A vaccine to protect sheep and cattle from a virus spread by midges has been approved by government vets. The virus, which emerged in the Netherlan... New schmallenberg vaccine given go-ahead A vaccine targeting the Schmallenberg virus (SBV), which can cause serious deformities in new-born lambs and calves, has been given the go-ahead. T... Legislation may be needed to protect dairy farmers A voluntary code to protect farmers from cuts to milk prices is the best option, but the industry must adhere to it, according to a report published b... Scottish dairy herd free of Schmallenberg virus So FAR so good but watch out in the future was the message from the NFUS yesterday after it reported no positive samples in a survey as to whether the... Call to end milk quota system MOVES in Brussels that would fund short-term supply problems in the milk sector in Europe were yesterday attacked by both Scottish and English NFUs as... Farming: Unanimity is lacking in EU THERE was unanimous support for only one issue yesterday at the EU Agricultural Council yesterday and that was a need to have all the main bones of th... Strabane jobs announced by Department of Agriculture Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill has confirmed that her department will open an office in the County Tyrone town. It will provide a 'one-stop ... Scotland hit with £8m fine from EU SCOTLAND was yesterday hit with a fine of almost £8 million over a long-running dispute regarding the implementation and regulation of European Union ... Roadshows intended to shape the future of SRDP IN A separate move yesterday, the Scottish Government announced a series of roadshows intended to shape the future of the Scottish rural development p... Man dies in County Londonderry farming accident A 71-year-old man has died in a farming accident in County Londonderry. It is understood the victim, who has been named locally as Benny Foster, wa... Dairy Partners of Wales tipped as possible buyer for Saputo Talks are under way with a buyer for a Carmarthenshire cheese factory, which is in danger of closing. It was announced in February that Canadian co... Fen Blow phenomenon: Farmers count cost of 'perfect storm' A weather phenomenon known as the Fen Blow has caused damage to spring crops, farmers in the east have said. Top soil was whipped off fields during... Adam and the JLS pop star This week Adam Henson offers some farming advice to JB - Jonathan Benjamin Gill – from the pop group JLS. The 26-year-old singer has decided to fa... Land 'grabs' expand to Europe as big business blocks entry to farming Vast tracts of land in Europe are being "grabbed" by large companies, speculators, wealthy foreign buyers and pension funds in a similar way to in dev... Welsh Government: No compensation for sheep farmers hit by heavy snow The Welsh Government says sheep farmers devastated by the recent heavy snow will not be compensated with cash aid to cover their losses. On Tuesday... Foxes foiled by alpacas A HERD of five foot high alpacas are on duty in a village field protecting tiny new born lambs from marauding foxes. Foxes were brazenly swaggering... Agriculture department officials at Stormont over snow crisis Officials from the Department of Agriculture will face a Stormont committee on Tuesday to explain their response to last month's severe weather. Te... Restating the case for modernising smallholder farming It is widely known that smallholder farmers in developing countries use too few modern inputs and technologies, which often results in low yields and ... Isle of Man livestock burial rules relaxed Laws preventing the burial of livestock on private land have been temporarily relaxed as farmers deal with thousands of casualties from the heavy snow... Government minister sees scale of Cumbria livestock disaster A top Government minister is in Cumbria today to meet farmers who have faced catastrophic levels of animal fatalities in the recent snow storms. Fa... Northern Ireland farmers still recovering from snow Nearly three weeks after the spring blizzard the department of agriculture says it has collected the carcasses of almost 10,000 sheep and 300 cattle f... Veterinary drug bute found in Asda corned beef Supermarket chain Asda said on Tuesday that it was recalling its range of budget corned beef after low levels of the veterinary pain killer phenylbuta...