David's Digest

I cannot reveal my source but an allegedly true story has reached me that I feel I must share.

It concerns one of Tesco's top chicken meat buyers who recently pulled rank on her junior staff when the opportunity arose to visit Thailand. The main purpose was to inspect poultry farms from which the supermarket was importing chicken meat. The possibility of some off-duty hours among the shops and flesh-pots of Bankok may have been an added attraction.

However, the lady had failed to appreciate intense bio-security measures designed to stop the spread of avian flu.

At each poultry farm visited she was made to strip off all her clothes and walk through what can only be described as a sheep dip full of disinfectant. The liquid was shoulder deep and to ensure total and thorough immersion three bars had been placed at surface level under which she was forced to pass.

Even more unpleasant, as she went through the dip, was the knowledge that many others, including male and female workers, had been through the same liquid during previous hours and days.

Will this experience limit the importation of possibly flu infected Thai chicken? Will it mean fewer Tesco inspections? Should we offer our sympathy to the lady for having to endure such indignity? Or should we, on the other hand, let rip a guffaw and say it serves you right for relying on so many imports?

You may think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

If you were the lorry driver travelling too fast in a northerly direction down the narrow main road at Woodton in Norfolk at about 7.45am this morning, I want you to know that I was driving the 4x4 in the opposite direction which you cut up.

Your wheels were at least 18inches my side of the white line. Mine were half way up the left bank. Despite this the side of your flat lorry clipped my mirror and smashed it to smitherines.

Even worse, you didn't even bother to stop. Don't tell me you didn't know you had hit me. The noise as the mirror and the shell that contained it smashed was like a gun shot.

I was unable to turn round and chase you because the road was narrow and there was too much traffic. Meanwhile you disappeared into the distance. You clearly knew you were guilty and that you should not have been going so fast on such a road. You decided I would not be able to catch you and that it was likely you would get off scott free. Thanks a lot!!!

I am now faced with a bill for replacing the mirror of a few hundred pounds (it was heated and electrically operated) or putting it through my insurance and risking increasing the excess.

I am also suffering from road rage. Why are some drivers such b.......s?

They don't let me lose on tractors much these days. But when the pressure is on and there are urgent jobs to do I'm pleased to oblige. The younger generation sometimes seem surprised that I know how to drive and that I quite enjoy it.

The other morning I was allowed to Cambridge roll a field of newly drilled oil seed rape. It had been min-tilled and it was important to consolidate the soil around the seed to preserve enough moisture for germination (yes, even after the wet summer) and to help frustrate predatory slugs whose numbers are said to have doubled this year.

What I didn't expect as I set off around the perimeter was an infestation of rats. I must have disturbed dozens, some as big as cats as well as several young. They were presumably looking for wheat grains left behind the combine and still near the surface after shallow cultivation. They scurried to the hedge where I presumed their holes were as I passed.

I don't ever remember seeing as many rats on arable fields at this time of year. I can only assume their survival rate through last winter was high because it was so mild and that the wet summer caused them fewer problems that it did us. Whatever the reason it's clear that as soon as the food on the fields runs out and/or the weather turns chilly, those blighters will head for the grainstore in the farmyard.

Note to self: get stock of rat poison ready for when that happens.

I had just dropped off to sleep after a strenuous day when I thought I dreamed that people were shouting fire. The trouble was it wasn't a dream. Once I realised it I blundered out of bed, pulled on a pair of trousers over my pyjama's and raced downstairs.

A good neighbour who had been driving past our gate had seen flames coming out of one of our buildings and had come down the drive to warn us. A quick look at the scale of the fire showed that it was beyond our capability to control with on-farm extinguishers so we rang 999. In the meantime the flames had spread to threaten some of the stables used by our livery customers.

There followed a frantic few minutes as we released the horses and later led them past the flames to their paddocks. The first of six fire engines arrived (so the Chief Officer later told me) just nine minutes after our emergency call. A very creditable performance, even so it seemed longer as we did our best to deal with the fire and move the horses to safety.

Four hours later, as the firemen raked over the remains and we began to assess the damage to buildings and contents, we were able to bring the horses back. None of the stables had been damaged, although a couple of grain barns and a crop drying engine (the probable source of the fire) are either in need of serious attention or totally written off.

We're busy clearing up the mess this morning and the acrid smell of the fire still hangs in the air. But I can't help thinking we were very lucky. If our neighbour hadn't been passing, if the fire station hadn't been so close; if we hadn't had help to move the horses - all of those things and more - I could be writing a very different blog today - or perhaps not.

If they happen to read this - my sincere thanks to all who helped avert a real tragedy.

Why is it that pigeons prefer freshly drilled seedling rape to thick stands of well established self sown plants on rape stubbles harvested a few weeks ago? There are any number of the latter around here, waiting to be ploughed and drilled with wheat for next year, on which the predators would do no harm at all.

But no. They'd much rather pick at the tiny two leaved, vulnerable rape plants we've drilled for harvesting next year. And despite using several bangers and flags to supposedly frighten them away I am spending hours each day trying to chase them off our crops until they are properly established.

A nice rain would help. The topsoil into which the rape seed has been drilled is very dry and seeds would grow faster and be less vulnerable to the pigeons with a bit more moisture. It would help keep the birds away as well because they don't like getting their feet wet and muddy.

So, a nice warm inch of night rain would be ideal. But none is forecast for the next few days.

Re-reading the above makes me realise that non farmers must think our industry is bonkers. All summer we've been complaining about too much rain. Now, after only a couple of weeks of fine weather, we want some more. But that's farming for you!

Isn't it time for DEFRA to be humanely slaughtered and incinerated to stop it spreading yet more catastrophe's across UK agriculture?

Virtually everything it has touched since it came into being five years ago it has messed up.

The catalogue, which is by no means comprehensive, includes an abject performance on encouraging the production of bio-fuels (despite its misleading claims to the contrary) leaving the UK light years behind most other countries. A disastrous run-down in our food self-sufficiency so that now, as that irresponsible policy begins to be seen in its true light, Britain is increasingly reliant on imports from dubious sources. The fiasco that its Rural Payments Agency made of single farm payments which is still not resolved on a number of farms. And now Foot & Mouth disease for the second time in six weeks.

Not only did the disease escape from one of its own facilities but in its indecent, politically inspired, haste to show how much cleverer Gordon Brown and the current management are compared to the 2001 lot it has compounded the disaster on many farms.

Only in this country, it seems, is such incompetence rewarded by high salaries, secure jobs and political popularity. There's something cockeyed somewhere.

In the Appointments section of today's Sunday Times, The Farmers Club in Whitehall, London, is adverstising for a new Chief Executive. This makes public what insider's have known for some time - that Grieve Carson the present CE will be retiring next Spring.

He doesn't look old enough or unfit enough to retire, partly because of his regular tennis playing and members will be sad to see him leave. For in the 160 year history of the Club he has arguably been the most successful CE ever.

Under Grieve's watch the Club has grown in stature and efficiency. Even more importantly he has made it a friendly place for the 5,500 or so members and extended activities out into the area's where most of them farm. There have been receptions at shows, visits to farms and estates, participation in regional and national conferences and so on.

As someone who has endured impersonal hotels across the country and the world I know how lonely they can be. But when you stay at the Club you meet people you know, or if you don't to start with you soon do and it is a real pleasure to be there and be waited on by staff who also become friends.

The warm atmosphere in which this happens has been enhanced and developed by Grieve Carson's own friendly and approachable personality. What a pity we can't clone him or inject him with the elixir of eternal youth!

In Linclonshire with my wife the other day we called in on Uncle Henry's. For those not familiar with the north of the county Uncle Henry's is the brainchild of Meryl Ward (prominent in pig politics among other things) and her husband Steve. They've set up a farm shop and associated farm trail just off the A15 at Kirton in Lindsey and since the previous occupant of the place was called Uncle Henry by everyone in the district that's what they named the enterprise.

It's really impressive and despite the lack of chimney pots in the area appeared to be very successful. Moreover, in the year since it opened it has achieved all of its financial objectives and developed a loyal and regular clientele. Several customers were having breakfast (including bacon from the Ward's own pigs) while we were visiting. Its a bit distant for my wife to shop there regularly but on this occasion I noticed the credit card being put to intensive use as she found herself unable to resist the goods on offer.

As I recovered from her retail therapy over a cup of coffee in the cafe I noticed a diner on a nearby table reading the latest issue of the Farmers Weekly. "Is he a farmer?" I asked the Ward's. "Oh no, he's just one of our regular customers" was the reply. "So why is he reading Farmers Weekly?" I continued. "Well, we leave it out with other countryside magazines so that single customers can read while they are eating and guess what - Farmers Weekly is the one that is read most of all."

What a compliment to FW. And what a good idea for spreading the UK food and farming message. Perhaps this note will persuade other farm shop and cafe owners to do likewise.

Many justifiably harsh words have been spoken about the way supermarkets held down ex farm milk prices while raising retail prices. It was obvious they were coining it while claiming what they were doing was in the best interests of consumers. However, I doubt if many dairy farmers realised a criminal cartel was in operation. That, anyway is what the Office of Fair Trading has alleged. The full facts, after the supermarkets have been given the chance to defend themselves, will be released in a few months.

Meanwhile, during the period of the alleged offences thousands of dairy farmers were forced out of business, some tragically. Its what happens when one side of an industry becomes so powerful that it can treat the other side with disdain; when greed takes over from fair business ethics; when individual hunger for bonuses becomes so dominant that they are prepared destroy the lives of those they deal with. Its what globalisation is doing on an even bigger scale.

The case has been reported extensively and there is no need for me to give further details here. However, a couple of key questions remain.

If supermarkets are fined hundreds of thousands of pounds, as some commentators suggest, where will the money go? To the farmers who were robbed in the first place? Or the Treasury? Do you need three guesses?

And if supermarkets were colluding over milk prices, how many other commodities might have been subject to similar behaviour? The Competition Commission should tell us that sometime next year. This may be the first of many shocking disclosures.

As an arable farmer it's difficult to know what to say to those who keep livestock except that you have my deepest sympathy.

It hasn't exactly been a vintage year for crops, what with the spring drought and the summer deluge but at least prices have risen to help compensate. However, arable problems pale into insignificance beside Foot & Mouth, Blue Tongue and in case you'd forgotten, Avian Flu, all in a few months.

This year's catalogue of farming problems has been of Biblical proportions and you wonder what might happen next. What makes it worse is the helplessness we all feel and not knowing what to do to make it better. If ever there was a time for the whole of agriculture to stick together and try to help one another this must be it.

We've finally started lifting sugar beet today. British Sugar would probably have liked us to start last week so we were ready to deliver when the Cantley factory opened on Monday. But the land was too hard and dry and in any case we hoped for a few more days of growth to increase yields.

The half inch of showery rain we've had since has at least softened the top few inches of soil and the roots are lifting easier than they would have last week. But yields look as disappointing as we expected them to be. I'm guessing because nothing has gone off to the factory yet but I would doubt that we are lifting more than 20t/ac (50t/ha).

Not that this is a surprise given the way crops have looked all summer. But it's a long way short of the 70t/ha that British Sugar itself says is necesarry for viability. Later lifted crops may be a bit better as they continue to put on weight through the autumn but it's already clear that we'll make a substantial loss on beet this year.

Somehow, if British Sugar wants to secure supplies beyond next year, they will have to find some more money for beet. If they don't a lot of previously committed growers looking at the comparitive profitabilty of other crops are likely to change to oil seed rape instead.

Driving round the farm the other morning to check how the rape was doing (and whether predatory pigeons are still after it) I passed through a sharp shower. As it cleared, there ahead was one of the most beautiful rainbows I have ever seen. It was sharply defined against the dark cloud beyond and its spectrum of colours were spectacular.

I wished I'd had a camera with me - or perhaps a spade. For one end of it came to earth in the middle of the rape field. Did that indicate a pot of gold as I was told as a child? Of course not. But the crop certainly has more promise of profit than for several years as prices for next year hold steady so there is reason for some optimism.

Further on I disturbed three roe deer grazing a wheat stubble. We've seen more deer on the farm in the last twelve months than ever before. They had done extensive damage to cereal crops that was clear from the combine seat. Moreover we've arranged for a friend who is fully licensed to do so to thin out the population this autumn.

But the build-up of the wild deer population across southern Britain must create the possibility of uncontrollable foci of F&M and/or Blue Tongue. Don't get me wrong. I love to see a few deer about the place. But they are not all good news and I for one would advocate converting some of them into venison.