BVA President celebrates Scotland’s animal welfare successes but warns of challenges ahead
John Blackwell, President of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), praised Scotland for leading the way in many areas of animal welfare but also warned there are challenges ahead for the Scottish Government and vets in Scotland. Speaking at the BVA’s annual Scottish dinner (Wednesday 13 May 2015) hosted by John Scott MSP at the Scottish […]
Erosion of new season lamb price gives cause for concern
NFU President Meurig Raymond has underlined his growing concern for the British lamb market as new season lamb prices have come under pressure in recent weeks. “Late April typically sees the numbers of new season lambs increase, with prices adjusting through the season as increased supplies become available,” he said. “However, the last two weeks […]
Supermarkets shun cheap imports for British pork
Despite cheaper imported supplies being available, supermarkets have stepped up their support for British pork, according to the latest Porkwatch survey. “This is a remarkable testament to the quality of the domestic product at a time when the gap between British farm-gate prices and the average European Union price is 26p a kilo, and the […]
Arla and Dairy Pro announce ground-breaking training collaboration
Professional development register Dairy Pro has reached a ground-breaking agreement with the UK’s largest dairy company, farmer-owned cooperative Arla, in which Arla UK farmer members engaged in its Sustainable Dairy Farming Growing Together programme will be able to register all their development activity through the Dairy Pro scheme. Arla’s sustainable dairy farming programme involves a […]
BVA calls for change to badger culling method and wider roll-out in England
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has called for the four-year culls of badgers in West Somerset and West Gloucestershire to be completed using the ‘tried and tested’ method of cage trapping and shooting only. In light of the results from two years of culling in the two pilot areas, BVA has concluded that it can […]
Feeding in volatile dairy markets
Dairy farmers will soon discover that 2015 will be a challenging year to maintain profitability, according to one industry expert. 2014 was a year characterized by both record high and low milk prices. The milk price in both the EURO and the US Dollar are converging and this could have an impact on exports from […]
Farmers warned not to hang on to last year’s lambs
Farmers are encouraged to get their old season lambs away quickly to avoid losing out financially, says the National Sheep Association (NSA), suggesting the practice of carcase splitting regularly leads to reports of animals being devalued by £25 per head. The reminder comes as many of last season’s lambs reach the age when their first […]
£6m funding to improve UK livestock health
Funding for eight projects that aim to improve the health of livestock within the UK has been announced by the Animal Health Research Club (ARC). The club, whose members include Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and other industry organisations, has allocated over £6 million in the second round of funding. In total, £10.8 million […]
Ice pigging technology offers dairy industry significant savings
New analysis published today by the Carbon Trust quantifies the benefits of introducing ‘ice pigging’, an innovative way of cleaning pipework using ice slurries, into commercial dairies to improve profitability and reduce environmental impact. The industry trials, funded by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, were carried out at production facilities of Yeo Valley, a leading […]
