A shot in the dark – badger cull ‘lottery’ starts amid accusations of deceit, negligence and incompetence
International wildlife charity Care for the Wild has slammed the decision to go ahead with the cull, which is based on scientific evidence which actually summarises that culling badgers can have ‘no meaningful impact on the disease’. Philip Mansbridge, CEO of Care for the Wild, said: “This cull is literally a shot in the dark. […]
High Court grants injunction to protect farmers from harassment and intimidation from anti-cull activists
The injunction will prevent those opposed to the cull from carrying out a number of unlawful acts against farmers and landowners. Speaking after the judgment, NFU President Peter Kendall welcomed the decision. “Let’s be clear from the start, this has never been about preventing people from holding legitimate and legal protests. This injunction is about […]
Arla Milk Link to increase its conventional and organic milk prices from September
This is as a result of improvements in business performance, taking the AML standard litre to 32.31 pence* from 2 September 2013. In addition, Arla Milk Link is increasing its organic premium by a further 2.35ppl, taking the AML organic standard litre price to 40 pence. Arla is working with AML’s farmer representatives to develop […]
Retailers edging towards next food scandal
NPA has noted a number of pork, bacon and gammon lines being switched back to imported product, because it is marginally cheaper. It is not naming the retailers concerned until it has had meetings with them to find out their reasons for retreating from their post-Horsegate promises to introduce short supply chains. Since the heat […]
Are TB rates in cattle still trending downwards?
Figures released today by Defra showed that the rate of bovineTB (bTB) in cattle is continuing to trend downwards, although this was not mentioned in the department’s media release. Defra’s official announcement showed that between January and May 2013,15,250 cattle were compulsorily slaughtered in Great Britain due to bovine TB. Farming minister David Heath said: […]
Is extra calcium at pre-calving going against the grain?
Two pedigree Holstein herds suffering crippling milk fever and retained foetal membranes have seen a complete transformation in results when a new concept in dry cow nutrition was introduced via pre-calver feed on their units. Mac Dunlop, who farms an 8,300 litre, autumn calving herd near Larne in Northern Ireland, suffered terrible problems with milk […]
We’re backing Britain, says NPA
The association is throwing its weight behind the Back British Farming Charter launched yesterday by the National Farmers Union, which calls for shoppers, food companies and politicians to help reverse the decline in the nation’s food self-sufficiency. “Around 60 percent of the pork products we eat in this country — including bacon, sausages and ham […]
University of East Anglia research could contain infectious disease outbreaks
Focusing on the avian flu virus strain H5N1, research published today in the journal PLOS ONE identifies key stages in the poultry trade chain which lead to its transmission to other birds, animals and humans. High risk times for the disease to spread include during transportation, slaughter, preparation and consumption. It is hoped that the […]
Milk production figures released – July 2013
The United Kingdom wholesale milk deliveries totalled 1,141.5 million litres in July, the fourth month of the milk year. At the same time last year the figure was 1,116.0 million litres. The cumulative total for the year is now 4,664.7 million litres. At the same point in 2012 this figure was 4,758.2 million litres. The […]
