NFU and CLA at loggerheads over CAP By Philip Clarke
With the next phase of CAP reform now on the horizon, the CLA has this week issued a joint paper with the RSPB, arguing for a policy that gives greater reward for rural development and agri-environment measures, at the expense of direct agricultural support.
The CLA/RSPB argue that there is a better chance of defending the overall CAP budget if more emphasis is put on the environment. "All payments should be based on a clear contract between the farmer and society, spelling out the public goods that the farmer is expected to deliver."
This has been like a red rag to a bull for the NFU, which has described the idea as "old school thinking" and "naïve". It takes the view that, since food security is at the top of the political agenda, the time is right to call for a policy that prioritises productive farming. Environmental protection is just an "important-side effect".
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Badger Cull Trial
A cull of badgers aimed at curbing the spread of bovine TB is to go ahead in a disease hotspot in west Wales this May.
The killing fields are in 111 square miles (288sqkm) of north Pembrokeshire and in tiny parts of the neighouring counties, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. The slaughter is to be carried out by a team of contractors who will trap and shoot the nocturnal creatures.
Elin Jones, Welsh Rural Affairs Minister, approved a pilot cull after rapid escalation of the disease in the Principality.
In 2008 some 12,000 TB infected cattle had to be destroyed compared to just 700 when Labour first came to power in 1997.
Animal welfare campaigners have objected to the cull and the Badgers’ Trust has launched legal action to seek a judicial review of the decision.
However, a spokeswoman for the Welsh Assembly said the plan was to proceed with the humane slaughter of badgers.
Ms Jones said: “We know cattle and badgers are the main sources of the disease and that if we want to achieve our aim of eradicating bovine TB, we have to tackle the disease in both species.
“The approach we will be taking in the pilot area, carrying out a badger cull alongside strict cattle controls, has not been tried before in the UK. However, it is proving successful in countries like New Zealand, where wild possums and cattle are the main source of infection.”
The killing fields are in 111 square miles (288sqkm) of north Pembrokeshire and in tiny parts of the neighouring counties, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. The slaughter is to be carried out by a team of contractors who will trap and shoot the nocturnal creatures.
Elin Jones, Welsh Rural Affairs Minister, approved a pilot cull after rapid escalation of the disease in the Principality.
In 2008 some 12,000 TB infected cattle had to be destroyed compared to just 700 when Labour first came to power in 1997.
Animal welfare campaigners have objected to the cull and the Badgers’ Trust has launched legal action to seek a judicial review of the decision.
However, a spokeswoman for the Welsh Assembly said the plan was to proceed with the humane slaughter of badgers.
Ms Jones said: “We know cattle and badgers are the main sources of the disease and that if we want to achieve our aim of eradicating bovine TB, we have to tackle the disease in both species.
“The approach we will be taking in the pilot area, carrying out a badger cull alongside strict cattle controls, has not been tried before in the UK. However, it is proving successful in countries like New Zealand, where wild possums and cattle are the main source of infection.”
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Local Business Winners
2009 Wessex regional winners
Businesses from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and two from Dorset are celebrating winning a regional title in the fifth annual Countryside Alliance Awards. The four businesses now go forward to the Grand Final and are up against fellow regional winners in a bid for the British title.
The Countryside Alliance Awards celebrate the characters, skills, traditions and enterprise of the countryside through the people who work so hard to make it tick. 2009’s Wessex champions are:
1. Local Food Award: Neston Park Farm Shop, Atworth, Wiltshire http://www.nestonparkfarmshop.com/ 01225 700881. Head Judge Delly Everard commented: “Phenomenal quality produce and impeccable attention to community are the benchmark at this very special shop. Aside from their fantastic supply of local food, it is the attention to the family and children that really struck me at Neston Park, in particular their positive attitude towards informing the next generation about the countryside. A nature trail has been set up in the Farm Shop grounds and children are encouraged to get close to the pigs, cows and sheep, and learn where their food comes from and the benefits of low food miles.”
Businesses from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and two from Dorset are celebrating winning a regional title in the fifth annual Countryside Alliance Awards. The four businesses now go forward to the Grand Final and are up against fellow regional winners in a bid for the British title.
The Countryside Alliance Awards celebrate the characters, skills, traditions and enterprise of the countryside through the people who work so hard to make it tick. 2009’s Wessex champions are:
1. Local Food Award: Neston Park Farm Shop, Atworth, Wiltshire http://www.nestonparkfarmshop.com/ 01225 700881. Head Judge Delly Everard commented: “Phenomenal quality produce and impeccable attention to community are the benchmark at this very special shop. Aside from their fantastic supply of local food, it is the attention to the family and children that really struck me at Neston Park, in particular their positive attitude towards informing the next generation about the countryside. A nature trail has been set up in the Farm Shop grounds and children are encouraged to get close to the pigs, cows and sheep, and learn where their food comes from and the benefits of low food miles.”
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Future of Farming Report
A soaring global population, climate change, diminishing energy sources and depleted fish stocks mean that society can no longer be complacent about its ability to feed itself, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will say.
The food strategy, set to be launched on Tuesday by Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, will encourage consumers to throw less food away and to adopt leaner and healthier diets. It will promote higher crop yields, urge food producers to reduce the impact they have on the environment, and recommend a move towards accepting GM crops in order to create a "sustainable and secure food system for 2030".
The report will warn: "It is now clear that we face a big challenge in feeding the world. With a growing population, climate change and the pressure we are putting on land, we will have to produce more food sustainably.
"We also need to provide the right information for people to make more informed choices about what they eat. Diet will have a huge impact not only on our health and our economy, but most importantly on sustainability."
The food strategy, set to be launched on Tuesday by Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, will encourage consumers to throw less food away and to adopt leaner and healthier diets. It will promote higher crop yields, urge food producers to reduce the impact they have on the environment, and recommend a move towards accepting GM crops in order to create a "sustainable and secure food system for 2030".
The report will warn: "It is now clear that we face a big challenge in feeding the world. With a growing population, climate change and the pressure we are putting on land, we will have to produce more food sustainably.
"We also need to provide the right information for people to make more informed choices about what they eat. Diet will have a huge impact not only on our health and our economy, but most importantly on sustainability."
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