News review quiz 1999
24 December 1999
News review quiz 1999
This year, we decided to do it differently.
Instead of our usual Christmas review, we thought
wed turn the news into a quiz. All the stories
referred to below have appeared in FARMERSWEEKLY
during 1999. So dig out those back issues or rack
your brains and see how many you can remember
JANUARY
1) UK, Greece, Denmark and one other country did not adopt the Euro when it was introduced in January. Which one?
a) Sweden b) Spain c) Finland
FEBRUARY
2) Junior farm minister Jeff Rooker told delegates attending the NFUs AGM that the government intended to charge all food retailers, regardless of size, to help fund the proposed Food Standards Agency. Although the plans were later dropped, how much were the charges going to be?
a) £75 b) £90 c) £110
MARCH
3) Why did 40,000 European farmers take part in violent demonstrations in Brussels?
a) to protest against Agenda 2000 reforms
b) to protest about trade restrictions after the dioxin scandal
c) to protest against the lifting of the beef ban
4) Senior MAFF official Mike Roper said sheep farmers might become what, instead of farmers?
a) guest house hosts b) contractors c) park keepers
5) Stunned landowners were left reeling after a government decision. What was the decision?
a) to legislate for a right to roam b) to ban fox hunting c) to build more bypasses
6) Prince Charles hit the headlines during a visit to Wales in March for doing what?
a) attacking biotechnology companies
b)declaring he was a vegetarian
c)eating banned beef-on-the-bone
APRIL
7) Government ministers underestimated the boom in organic farming and allocated just £6.2m for conversion payments for the next 12 months. But how long was it before the coffers were emptied and applicants were turned away?
a) six months b) four months c) five months
MAY
8) Rumours of a merger between two machinery giants began when New Holland and which other company considered joining forces?
a)Ford b) Case c) Renault
JUNE
9) Who opened Londons first farmers market in Islington
a) Prince Charles b) Nick Brown c) Ben Gill
10) Former farm minister Jack Cunningham was accused of wasting taxpayers money. What did he spend it on?
a) his over-time payments b) first class travel tickets c) a new pair of wellies
JULY
11) After an Institute for Occupational Health report confirmed exposure to sheep dip may cause chronic ill health and nerve damage, what course of action did government recommend?
a) a ban on OP use
b)a moratorium on OP use
c) a redesign of OP product packaging
AUGUST
12) When the Calf Processing Aid Scheme closed at the end of July, farmers took drastic action to highlight their cause. Which high profile welfare campaigner was gifted with over 40 calves? a) Joanna Lumley b) Carla Lane c) Brigitte Bardot
13) Hot on the tail of the Belgian dioxin scare and after refusing to lift the export ban on British beef, the French were caught with their trousers down for putting what in animal feed?
a)dioxins b) sewage c) OPs
SEPTEMBER
14) Government agreed to continue to pay for cattle passports as part of its September aid package. How much would farmers have been forced to pay for each passport?
a)£7 b) £3.50 c)£6.50
15) Four thousand farmers demonstrated about the state of agriculture outside the Labour Party Conference. Where was it held?
a) Blackpool b) Brighton c) Bournemouth
16) Farm minister Nick Brown announced a £537m aid package in September. But how much new money was pledged?
a)£1m b) 0 c) £498m
OCTOBER
17) After the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report, Milk Marque split into three regional co-operatives. What is the new name for the central region co-op?
a)Axis b) Zenith c) Meadow Fresh
18) What percentage of milk producers using the FW voteline voted in favour of generic milk advertising?
a) 50-60% b) 60-70% c) 70%+
NOVEMBER
19) After MAFF announced farm income figure predictions – if farmers only worked a 48-hour week – which profession would earn least per hour?
a)farmer b) paperboy/girl c) McDonalds trainee
20) Farmers Ferry chairman Terry Bayliss embarked on a project to break into which sector?
a) sportswear b) food retailing c) chunky knitwear
21) Complex consultation documents on HLCA reforms gave detailed calculations of a switch from headage to area payments. How long did government give the farm industry to state its view?
a) less than 14 days b) 20 days c) 28 days
22) Which of these has not recorded a vote in FW Personality of the Year
a) Nick Brown b) Mr Blobby c) Tony Blair
DECEMBER
23) Which city hosted the World Trade Organisation talks?
a) Toronto b) Atlanta c) Seattle
24) Farm minister Nick Brown said he intended to introduce modulation of all direct subsidies from 2001 to pay for rural development. Which scheme will not be funded?
a) countryside stewardship b) early retirement c) rural enterprise
25) Farm minister Nick Brown sought to honour his pledge to help rid the farming industry of unnecessary red tape by setting up three working groups. Which of the following issues was not reviewed?
a) IACS system and farm inspections
b) meat hygiene inspections
c) planning inspections.
ANSWERS
Multiple choice1) a 6)c 11)c 16)a 21)a2) b 7)b 12)b 17)a 22)c3) a 8)b 13)b 18)b 23)c4) c 9)b 14)a 19)a 24)b5) a 10)b 15)c 20)b 25)c
Missing headlines1)US 2)VEGETARIAN
Anagrams1)Richard Haddock, Chairman NFU Devon2)Jim Walker, SNFU president3)Christine Gwyther, Welsh farm minister4)Terry Bayliss, Farmers Ferry Chairman
PicturesMixed Up NFU Man: Hair: Tony Pexton, deputy presidentEyes: Tim Bennett, deputy presidentMouth: Ben Gill, president Beard: Richard Haddock, chairman NFU Devon
Had their chipsC) National Chip Week
Happy eatersA) Aug 1.
Meat and one vegB) Posing for a calendar.
Meat and one veg…
Twelve west country farmers braved the autumn weather and stripped off. Why?
a) It was the Farmers Weekly annual naturist holiday
b) They were posing for a meat British beef calendar
c) They were at the Young Farmers Club AGM
Four well known men competing for top jobs at the NFU are mixed up in this picture. Can you name them?
Happy eaters…
Junior farm minister Elliot Morley (right) and NFU deputy president Tony Pexton celebrate the EU Commissions decision to end the ban on British beef exports. When was it lifted?
a) Aug 1 b) July 1 c) Sept 1
Had their chips?
These two 7ft chips were spotted wandering the streets of London in February was it
a) An anti-biotechnology protest
b) A pro-biotechnology demonstration
c) National Chip Week?