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  • Have McDonald's got all their eggs in one basket?
    posted by Louise Taylor in General Chat
    comments: 0

    Farmers Weekly reports that the egg supplier that provided all of the eggs used by McDonald's in the west of the USA has been dropped after an undercover camera exposed animal cruelty and unsanitary conditions on their farms.

    Footage broadcast on ABC News America filmed last summer by animal rights group Mercy for Animals, shows poultry workers at Sparboe Farms bying birds to strings and throwing them around the factory, dragging them...

  • Welsh Lamb goes to Canada.
    posted by Louise Taylor in General Chat
    comments: 0

    Hybu Cig Cymru has headed a red meat promotion trade mission and been successful in exporting Welsh Lamb into the Canadian market with high hopes for sales into Sweden and China.

    It was revealed at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair that a consignment of Welsh lamb has already been shipped across the Atlantic, with further supplies to follow.  This marks a successful attempt to move into the North American market by HCC and several Welsh...

  • Defra announces new Farming and Forestry Scheme
    posted by Louise Taylor in Farm Finance
    comments: 0

    Defra has announced a new Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme which will make £20 million available in grants of between £2,500 and £25,000.  The grants will be for qualifying items and further information, including a guidance booklet,  is available on the Defra website. 

    The application form for applications under the first round should be available to download from 16th November 2011 when the application period...

  • CAP reform proposals update - what is in store?
    posted by Louise Taylor in Farm Finance
    comments: 0

    Dan Bowden has been researching and analysing the CAP reform proposals and has written a brief information sheet trying to explain what the current proposals might mean to British farmers.

    One of the biggest challenges will be proving that you are an 'active farmer' and could potentially result in you having to disclose a great deal of personal information about non-agricultural income. 

    ...

  • Paice defends badger cull plans.
    posted by Louise Taylor in General Chat
    comments: 0

    Jim Paice, farming Minister, has defended Government plans for a badger cull in the face of fierce criticism of the proposed policy from Opposition MPs.

    The Farmer's Guardian reports that MPs repeatedly clashed over the scientific justification and humaneness of the proposed cull in England during a headted debate in the House of Commons yesterday (Tuesday).

    Labour MP Mary Glindon, who led the debate, claimed the policy was not...

  • Lanchester Dairies restructure business.
    posted by Louise Taylor in General Chat
    comments: 0

    The largest independent dairy in the North East, Lanchester Dairies, is under new ownership after the company's entire shareholding was acquired by two of its four founders, Billy and Julie Austin.

    The Austins are now sole shareholders of the dairy, based in Lanchester, Co Durham, after buying out co-owners Geoff and Sandra Austin, with whom they founded the dairy business as a diversification from the family dairy farm in 1992.

    ...
  • Welsh LFA to lose part of subsidy.
    posted by Louise Taylor in Farm Finance
    comments: 0

    The Welsh Government's decision to abolish the Less Favoured Area payment top-up within its new environment management scheme will result in farmers in these areas losing 20% of their subsidy, according to a report in the Farmers Weekly.

    The decision, which will affect nearly 80% of agricultural land in Wales, means that for the first time in more than 60 years, Wales has no scheme specific to areas with more challenging farming...

  • Farming company fined after accident.
    posted by Louise Taylor in General Chat
    comments: 0

    A farming company in Fife has been fined £20,000 after an employee became entangled in machinery inside a grain reception pit. 

    Heavy rain at R Todd & Company's Blacketyside Farm had caused the pit to fill with about 12 inches of water.  Farmworker Peter Ednie was trying to empty the water when his foot got caught in the unsheathed part of a screw auger inside the pit and although it was switched off it had not been...