Royal Welsh Show 2006

First-time dairy champ goes to Jersey breed
Both the dairy and beef interbreed competitions turned out to be ding-dong battles between two breeds, with honours shared.

Call to help boost local retailers
Farmers should be trained to promote local food to help boost the ailing independent retail food sector in Wales, a regional planning academic claimed at the Royal Welsh Show.

FUW milk committee boss ponders quitting industry
The chairman of the Farmers Union of Wales’s milk committee is considering quitting the industry.

Minister pedals benefit of renewable energy
Welsh Assembly rural affairs minister Carwyn Jones demonstrated his green credentials at the show by backing environmental schemes and plugging renewable energy.

Tories congratulate FW on food miles campaign
Welsh Conservatives say Farmers Weekly is to be congratulated for highlighting the huge level of support among consumers for tackling the issue of food miles.

Agri-environment warning
Country Land and Business Association president David Fursdon has said agri-environment schemes are fine as a bolt-on to profitable farming, but cannot keep the agricultural industry viable.

Cattle squeeze
A new cattle crush featuring a squeeze mechanism to improve the routine handling of cattle on large US feedlots – and also one 1400-head Pembrokeshire dairy herd – was launched to UK producers at the show.

Raising herd efficiency helps maintain margins
Increasing farm efficiency was the watchword of many at this week’s Royal Welsh Show, Simon Wragg and Bob Davies report