All from last 7 days FARMLIFEPhotos: Farmers share their fantastic festive farm photosChristmas is upon us and we’ve been asking you to share photos of what your farm looks like this festive season. We've been impressed by your entries to our Christmas… BOVINE TBFarmer faked TB test result to claim compensationA livestock farmer injected five cattle with a type of diesel in a bid to fake a positive bovine TB test and claim compensation. The farmer, who has not been… BOVINE TBMore than 32,000 badgers killed in fight against bovine TBA total of 32,601 badgers were culled in England this autumn as part of government plans to eradicate bovine TB. The government’s official report into the badger control operations, which… HEALTH AND SAFETYChild safety fears raised over family farm TV showA Channel 5 docuseries about a family farming in northern England has been branded “irresponsible” and “disappointing” after a number of scenes appeared to show health and safety breaches. Our… DIVERSIFICATIONSo you want to…tap into the Christmas turkey marketFarmers looking for a diversification with low start-up costs and good margins should consider if there is an opening for another direct-selling turkey producer in their area as consumers are… CROP MANAGEMENTYoungest-ever Duchy tenant switches to precision farmingAlly Hunter Blair is a young man in a hurry. The youngest-ever tenant of a Duchy of Cornwall farm is trying out new crops, embracing precision farming and working on… TELEHANDLERSTelehandlers on test: Claas Scorpion 741In an extension of our telehandler test in the 4t lift and 7m reach category, we have taken a look at the best-selling rigid-frame machines from Kramer, Claas, Cat and Bobcat.… NEWSOpinion: British wildlife – the thing dreams are made ofI was in a bookshop, waiting while my wife browsed for a book she can carefully read on the train, then wrap up and give to a friend for Christmas.… CRIMEVehicles and dogs seized in hare coursing crackdownPolice in Wiltshire have broken up a large hare coursing event on the Salisbury Plain after receiving a number of calls from farmers and landowners. Officers swooped on the illegal… TAKING STOCKRobex shearling gimmers to 6,000gns at CarlisleGimmer trade hit 6,000gns at Borderway, Carlisle, as six pedigree flocks marketed female consignments on Friday (14 December) at the Christmas Crackers sale. The Robex flock benefited from a Messrs… NEWSVideo: Farm fire destroys thousands of straw balesThousands of straw bales were destroyed when a fire engulfed farm buildings near Choppington, Northumberland, at the weekend. Some 20,000cu m of straw and three agricultural vehicles are believed to… PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTSWelsh fertiliser ban places some Glastir contracts in jeopardyRenewal agreements for Glastir contracts due to be signed this week could force many Welsh farms to reduce stocking rates or face a fodder deficit because they ban fertiliser use… STAFF MANAGEMENTScotland to push minimum farm wage up by 4.85%All farm workers in Scotland should be paid a minimum of £8.21/hour, according to the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB). The SAWB has agreed from 1 April 2019 the minimum… DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICESFirst Milk latest buyer to announce new year price dropFirst Milk has become the latest milk buyer to announce a cut in its milk price, blaming falling international dairy markets for the move, with a 0.75p/litre reduction coming into… TELEHANDLERSTelehandlers on test: Kramer KT407In an extension of our telehandler test in the 4t lift and 7m reach category, we have taken a look at the best-selling rigid-frame machines from Kramer, Claas, Cat and… CROP MANAGEMENTYoung agronomist tackles BYDV and fungicide costsUsing companion crops to tackle the phosphate problem in chalky soils and growing barley yellow dwarf virus-tolerant barley varieties in disease hotspots are some of novel solutions being trialled by… DIVERSIFICATIONBusiness Clinic: VAT implications of diversification plansThere’s a lot to get right when you’re starting a diversification. Lisa Oliver, associate director with accountant Hazlewoods, runs through some essential business structure considerations and outlines common VAT issues… DAIRYHow Nuffield Scholarship helped farm ownership dreamRhys Williams has made a spectacular ascent up the farming ladder since winning a Nuffield Scholarship and travelling abroad to learn the intricacies of wealth creation in dairy farming. While… TECHNOLOGYNew imagery tool alerts farmers to crop changesFarmers Edge has released a tool that automatically scans satellite imagery and notifies growers of changes in their fields. The new Health Change Maps and Notifications function has an integrated… BUSINESS CLINICBusiness Clinic: Advice on capital taxes when diversifyingThere is great scope for diversification on many farms. Nicholas Smith of accountant Duncan & Toplis outlines the importance of taking a long-term look at the tax implications of plans… NEWSOpinion: How we should tackle decline in milk salesThe rise of soya, oat and almond “milks” has dominated media discussion about the future of cow’s milk. But the biggest challenge is not veganism, but that milk does not… TAKING STOCKFestive demand lifts steers and lambs 10p/kgCattle and prime lamb prices continued to firm last week, with the SQQ up to 183p/kg and prime steers at 208p/kg, both about 10p/kg dearer than at the end of… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: A refreshing Monitor Farm conferenceSo far our accumulative rainfall this year at Lower Hope is 84mm higher than last year, which is quite extraordinary considering the year we have had. The accumulation came from… MAIZE DRILLSDuo of Italian drills provide ultimate row width flexibilityIt wasn’t long ago that forage maize was a rare sight in the East of England, but after AD plants started appearing, the popular AD feedstock crop is now a… LIVESTOCKWales to introduce single traceability system for all speciesWales is to have its own umbrella traceability system for cattle, sheep and pigs from 2020 to put the country in a strong position for negotiating trade with Europe post-Brexit.… More articles
