Step forward
The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers has welcomed Tesco's announcement offering direct contracts to 850 dairy producers, guaranteeing them a farm - gate milk price of around 22ppl. The new arrangement which it says is a 'huge step forward', is open to all farmers who already have contracts with Arla and Wiseman and will fulfil 100 per cent of Tesco's annual 930 million litre requirement. In addition, the association says that the supermarket's offer of direct contracts to 150 smaller family owned dairy farms to supply its newly launched 'local choice' brand in return for a 6ppl premium, is equally good news - this offer is available to Dairy Farmers of Britain suppliers with less than 100 cow herds. Whilst this announcement will have positive connotations for many, both directly and indirectly, it is of paramount importance that the remaining retailers now follow suit in order to ensure the long term viability of the whole dairy industry.
Red faces
At a recent race meeting, the vigilant gate stewards were told by loyal P2P supporters that back in the queue they saw a car occupant get out of the car and jump in the car boot. When the car entered the course the gate man collected the £25 from 4 occupants and asked - 'is that all?' - Yes was the reply - Can I look in your boot? The gate man quickly opened the car boot and extracted a young man - a further £5 was quickly given along with red faces and apologies. This incident aptly focuses on the steps some people will stoop to gain admission to an event or show.
On-line
Two-hundred ABP producers across South Wales will benefit from an announcement that it has chosen Farmplan Computer Systems as the major supplier for the £1 million plus Sainsbury's Farm Connections project. Farmplan will source the laptop computers and provide the software and full support services to a total of 700 producers who supply cattle for Sainsbury's premium beef ranges. Sainsbury's funding means that the whole package, which includes livestock management software will be free to the participating farmers for the duration of the project. Recent figures suggest that only one in five British beef farmers use IT to help manage their businesses. Sainsbury's, by providing beef producers with computers, will help them operate and compete professionally in the market and access beef supply chain information. The scheme will also connect the producers to the internet and email network, improving the business' access to a huge range of information, services and products.
Seasonal souls
Visitors to West Wales over the winter months find it is a wonderful time for walking. There are times, they say, when it can feel as if you have the whole country to yourself! Up hill and down dale you wander, lonely as a cloud, without sight or sound of another human being. You've heard that there are 60 million people on our little island, but you can't, for the life of you, work out where they all are. But, by the time April comes around, the clocks leap forward and out they all come. Suddenly, with a sprinkle of blossom, a splash of sunshine and a light, warm wind, everyone professes their undying love for the great outdoors again. For the hardy winter walker, this can be rather irritating. 'Where were you when there was horizontal sleet, knee-deep mud and a wind-chill factor of minus 50?' you think. 'Part-timers!' So, here's some good news for full-time nature- lovers. Whilst most people are re-acquainting themselves with the colour of grass, you can be one step ahead of the masses by venturing into the woods to seek out one of nature's spring- time treasures. Wild garlic, said to be in abundance at this time of year is - for those with an acquired taste - a delicious addition to the spring kitchen. I'm told you'll find it in damp, shady places and will do as well to follow your nose as your eyes when looking for it.
ARAgS
John Phillips, of Esgairddaugoedd, Cwmfelin Mynach, Whitland, has worthily received an Associateship of the Royal Agricultural Societies for his influential work in pedigree breeding particularly with Texel sheep and Limousin cattle. Expertly developed with his Heather, their Gronw Limousins are recognised as one of the top herds in the county and Gronw cattle have been sold for leading prices at breed society shows and sales. A former chairman of Wales YFC, John has travelled widely overseas on fact-finding tours of farms specialising in Limousin cattle breeding, including to France, Zimbabwe and Canada, and he is presently chairman of both the South Wales Texel Breeders Club and the South Wales and Mid West Limousin Breeders. As a life member and county president of the young farmers he has held all the offices at local club level and was Carmarthenshire county chairman in 1974.
No light?
The FUW has expressed disappointment that new Welsh Assembly figures continue to forecast further major drops in farm incomes. The first estimates of Welsh aggregate agricultural output and income for 2006 reveals total income from Welsh farming has fallen by approximately £44m (29 per cent) between 2005 and 2006. "The figures highlight the crippling effect that higher fuel prices coupled with the ever mounting costs of keeping up with EU legislation and bureaucracy is having on farm incomes," said president Gareth Vaughan. "Whilst our costs have increased substantially our product prices have stayed the same and these estimates emphasise the impact that low margins are having on farm incomes. "With the introduction of the CAP reform in 2003 we had hoped that the industry would be placed on a more secure financial footing but unfortunately these figures suggest that this isn't the case at all. "To attract young people to venture into the industry farming needs to become more financially sustainable and it is therefore time that our politicians and the supermarkets demonstrate some social responsibility - before the damage being done to our rural communities and our food industry becomes irreversible."
Let farmers do what they do best
The FUW chose the impressive new village hall and community centre at Maenclochog to announce its Assembly election manifesto in which it calls for an urgent review of the burden of regulations on farming and outlines the key issues in the fight to safeguard the future and sustainability of agriculture and rural Wales. "We are well aware that the vast majority of bureaucracy originates from the EC but what makes this red tape many times worse is that the UK has a nasty habit of gold plating it," suggested union president Gareth Vaughan. He urged politicians in Cardiff to allow Welsh farmers to compete on a level playing field with others across Europe by rationalising on-farm inspection and record-keeping. Calling for existing and new regulations to be subject to greater scrutiny and that devolved legislation is only introduced if it meets the five principles of better regulation, namely that it is proportionate, accountable, consistent, transparent, and targeted he insisted that the Assembly should allow farmers to concentrate on what they do best - farming and not sitting at a desk!
For fuel - think bio!
Following the successful one-day event last October, this year sees the exciting Biodiesel Expo expand into a much larger two-day event with double the number of visitors and triple the number of exhibitors, as well as an enhanced conference agenda. There is growing interest, particularly in West Wales, to this event - planned for the Newark Showground at Nottingham in October - which will be broader in scope and encompass other Biofuels for the first time. Even the Government plans to feature on the speaker line-up to discuss the latest news on biodiesel issues as well as clarifying what has been put into legislation following the RFTO white paper. The biodiesel market is one of the fastest growing markets in Europe today and this Expo will give visitors the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in biodiesel production, as well as the economic and environmental benefits of using biodiesel.
Do it now
If left untreated, stress sadly can become a real killer, as many farming families already know to their cost. It can lead to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and a host of other ailments that are certainly not good. A medical friend last week told me that many more should take time to learn how to deal with the stress in their lives. Seek advice before it becomes a serious problem - just do it.