2022
News from 22nd December 2022
Lords Committee Report
The House of Lords Land Use Committee has published a report ‘Making the most of England’s Land’. It recognises the conflicting priorities for land use including food production, nature conservation and biodiversity restoration, carbon sequestration, housing, infrastructure and access and wellbeing. It recommends that the only way to balance these priorities is to create a Land Use Commission tasked to produce a land use framework. It is also highly critical of the lack of clarity on the Environmental Land Management Scheme and recommends that this is addressed urgently.
Coffey supports Farming
Speaking at a recent CLA conference, Secretary of State Dr Thérèse Coffey emphasised the Government’s support for farming but admitted that the long awaited announcement on the future of the Environment Land Management Scheme will not happen until early next year. The Government should be concerned because a recent annual survey for Farmers Weekly found that support for the Conservative Party amongst farmers had fallen to its lowest ever level. It stands at 42%, down from 57% last year and 72% the year before.
Woodcock as Quarry
Woodcock are both resident and migratory visitors to these shores. Although the overall number at this time of year is relatively stable, there is some evidence that the resident population is declining. Many shoots do not allow woodcock to be shot at all, others only when the visitors arrive, usually in December. There has been one report of unusually high numbers this year which may be due to weather patterns in other countries from whence the woodcock come. It is generally accepted that waterfowl and waders should not be shot in periods of hard frost when it is difficult for the birds to feed.
Clarkson’s Farm
The immensely popular television programme Clarkson’s Farm returns for a new series on Amazon Prime on 10th February. Kaleb, ‘Cheerful’ Charlie, Lisa and Gerald will be back to amuse us with their antics on Diddly Squat Farm. Filming for the third series is already underway.
News from 8th December 2022
Total Income From Farming
Defra has released regional figures for the Total Income From Farming (TIFF) for 2021. Overall, the average across England increased by 17% to £4.274 billion, the arable east seeing over 30% rise with the south west static and the north west declining by 8%. This reflects a better than expected harvest and grain prices driven up by the war in Ukraine but higher animal feed costs for livestock farmers. The subsidy paid to farmers was £2.049 billion or 48% of the total, 44% in the south east rising to 89% in the north west.
Environment Agency Criticised
On top of the outrage caused by the Environment Agency’s failure to curb the illegal discharge of raw sewage into watercourses comes criticism over agricultural pollution. During the two years of 2020/1, only 2,213 inspections were carried out to assess nitrate pollution from farms. Of those around half found breaches of the regulation yet only one farm faced sanctions. Two green lobbies ClientEarth and WWF have lodged a formal complaint with the Office of Environmental Protection whilst the Marine Conservation Society and WildFish seek a judicial review over the Government’s plans to curb sewage pollution which sets a deadline of 2050 for full compliance.
Onshore Wind Farms
Despite a pledge during the summer Conservative Party leadership campaign to maintain the moratorium on new onshore wind farms, it appears likely that the Prime Minister will have to back down. An amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill has the support of a significant number of Tory backbenchers as well as the Labour Party.
North Wessex Downs AONB
The annual forum of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was held at the end of last month. Almost a hundred people attended the event held at Marlborough Golf Club to celebrate fifty years since the AONB was designated on 1st December 1972. Discussion centred on challenges for the next fifty years including biodiversity loss, food security, public access to the countryside and climate change.
News from 10th November 2022
Swift Influx
A large influx of swifts, notably the pallid swift, has been seen around the UK, very
unusual for late October. The cause is the unprecedented high temperatures,
particularly over Spain and France, and brisk south westerly winds bringing the birds
to our shores. There has also been an increase in migratory Lepidoptera with at
least two species of moth new to Britain recorded.
Gene Editing Bill
The Genetic Editing (Precision Breeding) Bill has received its third reading in the
House of Commons and now moves to the House of Lords. The purpose of the
legislation is to allow technologies including gene editing which at present are not
allowed on a commercial basis. MPs supported Defra’s science-based approach to
new technologies but raised concerns about lack of specific detail in the Bill.
Housing Order
The spread of avian influenza is such that a Housing Order has been imposed on all
poultry flocks from midnight on Monday 7 th November. This follows the whole of
Great Britain being declared a Protection Zone three weeks ago and the raising of
the risk level from the disease to ‘very high’. It means that all flocks of captive birds
must be kept indoors. This has implications for the sale of products labelled as free
range but it is not clear whether any derogation will be allowed beyond the 16 weeks
that eggs can be sold as free range before they have to labelled as barn eggs.
New Defra Ministerial Team
There is yet another Ministerial team at Defra following the election of Rishi Sunak
as Prime Minister. They are: Dr Therese Coffey as Secretary of State with Mark
Spencer Minister for Food, Trudy Harrison Minister for Environment, Lord Benyon
Minister for Rural Affairs and Rebecca Pow.
News from 27th October 2022
Gamebird Release
At its AGM on 15th October, the RSPB called on Defra to impose further regulation on the release of gamebirds in England. It has large-scale shoots in its sights, admitting that small-scale shoot often have a net benefit for native wildlife. However, no evidence of any detrimental impact of releasing gamebirds has been produced to justify further regulation. In any event, it is thought that at least 30% to 40% fewer birds were released this year, mainly due to avian influenza.
Farmland Prices Rise
The value of farmland has risen to its highest level since 2015 according to Strutt and Parker. Arable land is worth £9,800 an acre and expected to reach £10,000 by the end of the year. Pasture is worth £8,000 an acre. Land prices reflect an excellent investment as they have risen by 33% over the past ten years.
Cow Burp-tax
Hundreds of New Zealand farmers have staged more than fifty protests across the country at their Government’s plans to introduce a farm levy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The 26 million sheep and 10 million cows account for nearly half of the country’s total emissions, according to the Government. The levy has been dubbed the burp-tax but it is not entirely clear at this stage how it will be raised. The farmers complain that it is a fundamental attack on the most important industry and that any saving in emissions will be insignificant on a world scale.
Farm Input Cost Inflation
The cost of farm inputs has risen by 34% over the last year according to the country’s largest buyer group. Top of the list is fertiliser at 134% with fuel and power at 43% and animal feed and medicine at 36%. Whilst the rate of inflation of food and non-alcoholic beverages in the shops is currently 14.3%, the highest for 40 years, there is still a large gap to the cost of production.
News from 13th October 2022
The Country Food Trust
We are pleased that The Country Food Trust has become our latest supporter and, in turn, we would thoroughly endorse support for their work, which addresses the joint problems of food poverty and the use of game as one of the most natural food sources. TCFT is a charity who raise funds to provide meals to feed people in need and their meals are produced by a specialist food manufacturer. They are game based, high in protein, low in fat and are supplied in one of two ways:
In single, ready to use retort pouches that do not need to be refrigerated and have a one year shelf life.
In catering packs to those charities who feed a large number of people at any one time.
https://www.thecountryfoodtrust.org
New National Nature Reserve
A huge former industrial wasteland was designated as the latest National Nature Reserve earlier this month. The 740 hectares of land around Wigan and Leigh in Greater Manchester was once an intensive coal mining area but subsidence of the ground led to a wetland of shallow lakes and marsh, home to many wildlife species including rare bitterns, water voles and great crested newts. It is a fine example of how nature can recover from man’s destructive interference.
John Lewis’ Plan for Nature
The John Lewis Partnership has published a new Plan for Nature. It includes a pledge to eliminate deforestation in the supply chain for all its products and to ensure that raw materials are from sustainable or recycled sources. This applies to timber, copper, soya, palm oil, coca and cashmere by 2025 and polyester, leather and manmade cellulosic fibres by 2028. The plan also includes targets for foods. The Partnership’s own estate at Leckford aims to achieve net zero by 2024 with the experience passed on to all UK suppliers so that all farms providing food products can be net zero by 2035.
Shooting Season
The pheasant season opened on the first of the month joining the partridge season that started a month earlier. Rarely can a season have faced such challenges. Outbreaks of avian influenza in France have severely limited the number of birds released whilst costs have soared, particularly energy and feed. Some shoots have shut down, temporarily or permanently, whilst most others have reduced days and/or bag size. Now we have the threat of bird ‘flu here with no shooting possible in the disease control zones imposed around the seven outbreaks so far this month. Coming so soon after the Covid lockdowns, these challenges pose a severe threat to a sector that provides employment and environmental benefits.
Sewage Discharge Penalties
The new Secretary of State at Defra, Ranil Jayawardena has announced an increase in the maximum fine that may be levied by the Environment Agency for the illegal discharge of raw sewage into waterways from £250,000 to £250 million. This comes as part of Defra’s crackdown on the widespread practice and follows on from the storm overflows discharge reduction plan introduced recently by the previous Secretary of State, George Eustice.
News from 15th September 2022
Sewage Plan
On 26th August Defra issued its ‘Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan’ in response to the outcry at the discharge of raw sewage into our rivers and seas. The plan sets targets for water companies to reduce discharges by 2035 and cut them out by 2050 except where there is exceptional rainfall. The plan has been received with shock and disbelief by environmentalists including WildFish that has asked Defra to withdraw the plan or face Judicial Review. The strategy effectively sets regulation for 2050 where it should be today and allows water companies to continue to discharge raw sewage into watercourses.
New Defra Secretary of State
After becoming Prime Minister, Liz Truss quickly appointed her new Cabinet. The Secretary of State at Defra is Ranil Jayawardena, the MP for North East Hampshire. His previous role was Minister for International Trade where he helped to negotiate trade deals with Australia and New Zealand which is hardly likely to endear him to farmers. The farm Minister is Mark Spencer, previously Chief Whip, who comes from a farming background and studied at Shutleworth. He replaces Victoria Prentis who has gone to the Department of Work and Pensions. Lords Benyon and Goldsmith remain Defra Ministers, along with Steve Double who was appointed in July to replace Rebecca Pow.
Deer Cull
The population of deer soared during lockdown as the demand for venison plummeted. To counter the impact of deer on the Government’s ambitious tree planting programme, Defra has produced a strategy to reduce numbers which have risen from 450,000 to over two million before the pandemic. However, both the British Deer Society and the National Gamekeepers Organisation have said that they were not involved in drafting the plan and claim that it will not achieve its targets.
SFI Uptake
The number of farmers signing up to the Sustainable Farming Initiative is said to be lower than anticipated. Defra has not released the number of applications to the scheme that opened in June but anecdotal evidence from farming organisations put the figure at hundreds rather than thousands. Lack of clarity, poor communication and low rates of grant are given as the reasons for the lack of enthusiasm. Defra hopes that 70% of farmers will join the scheme in time.
News from 18th August 2022
Stubble Fires
Modern combines have automatic height adjustment as skids under the header detect the ground. However, one farmer told me that whilst cutting spring barley on a flinty soil, the skids kept sparking on the flints and setting light to the stubble. The fire brigade was called the first time but the fire had been extinguished by the time they arrived, which was just as well as it was beside the M4. From then on a water bowser followed the combine at all times and put out any fires before they could take hold.
Rivers in Drought
Southern chalk streams face environmental degradation as low rainfall and over-abstraction lead to low flows. Whilst climate change is held responsible, the environmental charity WildFish claims that, as with the scandal of millions of litres of raw sewage discharged into our waterways, the fault lies with decades of underfunding, mismanagement and failed regulation. Why have not leaks been mended, more reservoirs built and investment made for a water scarce future?
Englefield Invaded
Around 130 people, many dressed as Morris dancers or sheep, invaded the Englefield Estate on Sunday 7th August and enjoyed a picnic under oaks in the park. The organisers, Right to Roam, claim that far too little of the countryside is open to the public and thus chose to invade the estate owned by Lord Benyon, a Defra Minister in the Lords. The protest was entirely peaceful and no litter was left behind. There was no confrontation with estate staff or police who chose to ignore the event.
Glorious Twelfth
The grouse shooting season opened last Friday, the Glorious Twelfth of August. After several years of poor numbers due to bad weather at critical times, reports suggest that populations of these entirely wild birds are recovering. It will not be a bumper year as it will take time to rebuild stocks after the poor season in 2020 and disastrous one last year but at least shoots are being held this year and the rural economy will benefit as a result.
News from 4th August 2022
European Harvest Downgraded
The latest reports from the harvest in Europe suggest that yields have been hit by drought and record temperatures. Cereal yields are down 2% on the five year average whilst maize, sunflowers and soya bean are expected to be down by 8% to 9%. Prices are very volatile as this report is offset to some extent by the possibility of some exports from the Ukraine.
Save Our Grassland
A recent report in the Atlantic highlights the importance of grassland as an ecosystem that is hugely undervalued. The loss of rainforest causes an outcry across the world and yet there is little recognition of the loss of ancient grassland, savannah or veld. They support a huge range of wildlife and have vast amounts of stored carbon and should therefore have the same protection as forest. And yet, in many countries, activists demand that trees are planted in grassland that they see as a degraded landscape.
Animal Health and Welfare Pathway
Grants are available from the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway for vets to visit livestock farms for an annual review. Still in the pilot stage, rates of grant are £684 for the visit to a pig farm, £522 for beef, £436 for sheep and £372 for dairy. Each visit will last three hours during which advice will be given on both the animal welfare and health of stock and farm biosecurity. However, one prominent professor of veterinary science has lambasted the scheme for its overwhelming bureaucracy with a long list of tick boxes to be filled in. As vets are regulated by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, he argues that a simple certificate of compliance should suffice.
Drones used for deer management
Drones equipped with thermal imaging technology are being used on a 1,000 hectare conservation area of newly planted trees in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Images from the drones can be used to identify the number and location of deer present to help stalkers control the population to prevent damage to the establishing woodland. However, the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) suggests that killing deer is not the right approach but their food supply should be restricted instead. How is animal welfare protected if deer starve rather than be shot?
News from 7th July 2022
Meat Alternatives Decline
There was a report in the Daily Telegraph last week that sales of meat alternatives, such as veggie burgers, are falling fast. On global stock markets, investment in ‘food tech’ rivalled that of the dot com boom and now faces a similar fate. The CEO of Kellogg’s spoke of ‘irrational exuberance’ as he announced withdrawal from the sector. In the UK, market leader Beyond Meat’s share price has fallen by 82% whilst supermarkets have cut back on shelf space for vegetarian products.
Calls for Pesticide Reduction
The RSPB has called for stringent new targets to reduce pesticide use in UK crop production in a report published last week. ‘The combination of lack of research, inadequate risk assessment and weak regulation has created a toxic situation where an unchecked cocktail of different chemicals are regularly applied across our countryside.’ This comes at a time when the European Commission has proposed a nature restoration directive to restore the 80% of European habitats that are in a poor ecological state. This includes a target to halve pesticide us by 2030.
Atlantic Salmon Decline
The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust has reported that the number of Atlantic salmon returning to the river Frome in Dorset last year was down almost 10% on its 10-year average. This matches reports from Scotland and Norway where 2021 annual salmon catches were the lowest on record. The decline is long term and becoming critical. The reason for loss at sea is not entirely clear but overfishing and climate change are major factors, whilst fish farming is a serious threat on Scotland’s west coast.
Gene Editing Closer
The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill is progressing through Parliament, reaching its Committee stage last week, as farm leaders and scientists warn of the consequences for British agriculture if gene editing is not allowed. The NFU has said that, as the EU is taking similar hesitant steps, there would be no impact on trade.
News 23rd June 2022
National Food Strategy
The Government published the National Food Strategy last week, its response to Henry Dimbleby’s report of last year. It has been welcomed by farmers as it gives priority to food production, but criticised by conservationists for much the same reason. There is a broad commitment to maintain current levels of food production overall and to expand areas where there is opportunity, notably horticulture and seafood. However, there is very little detailed policy of how the objectives might be achieved.
Fruit and Veg Rotting
In a direct contradiction to the Government’s aim to expand fruit and vegetable production, vast areas of existing crops are left to rot in the field and end up ploughed in because of the lack of labour for harvest. Before Brexit, most pickers came for EU countries but freedom of movement was cancelled by Brexit. Many of the vacancies were then filled by Ukrainians but they are now at home fighting Russians. Recruitment agencies have now turned further east, to Nepal, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan but numbers are inadequate. The Government’s seasonal workers scheme is limited to 30,000, now extended to 40,000, but that is still less than half the requirement. The British berry industry is worth around £1.7 billion in the shops. In 2019, fruit worth some £12.4 million was left unpicked, rising to £18.7 million in 2020 and £36 million last year. It is expected to be far higher again this year. Meantime, more fruit is imported. This is a national disgrace.
ELMS Funding
In its Farming Blog published just before the National Food Strategy, Defra has changed its priorities for funding for the Environmental Land Management Scheme. In a policy paper in January, funding was to be split equally between the three tiers of the scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery. Now the proportion for Landscape Recovery has been reduced to £50 for the three years to 2028. Conservationists have described this as a betrayal but the move allows more investment in the other two tiers and fits the change in priority to food production.
The Future of Natural England
There has been discussion about the executive agencies of Defra, the Environment Agency and Natural England amongst them. This is part of the campaign led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency, which includes scrapping all EU directives in British law within three years and reducing the size of Government. One of the suggestions is to scrap Natural England and bring its remit with Defra itself. George Eustice is said to be resisting the proposals egged on by conservationists who fear that they will weaken environmental and wildlife protection.
News 9th June 2022
First cut Grass Silage
The end of May is the traditional time for grass and clover leys to be cut for silage. This year there was little growth at the start of the month due to the dry spring but, as the rain fell, the crop bulked up just in time. Perhaps a week later than planned, the first cut turned out well with good yields.
Poor Balls – Poor Leather
There have been complaints about the quality of the Dukes cricket balls this summer, they have been soft and lose shape easily. The first batch used in the county championship had to be replaced. A spokesman for Dukes suggested that the quality of the leather was poor, perhaps because the cattle had been fed a diet that impacted the hide. There was no suggestion of how the diet might be improved to result in higher quality cricket balls.
Delay change?
For some time the NFU has been calling for the phase-out of the Basic Payment to be delayed due to the unprecedented challenge of rampant inflation in farm costs. The introduction of ELMS might also be delayed as a consequence because the savings brought about by the phase-out is due to fund the new agri-environment scheme. Now some right wing Tory MPs, led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, are supporting the delay and calling for the scheme to be scrapped altogether to save money in the cost of living crisis. Farmers and conservationists are appalled by the suggestion.
Big Farmland Bird Count
The Big Farmland Bird Count took place again this year between 4th and 20th February. Over 19,000 farmers and gamekeepers took part covering one and a half million acres. 420,000 birds were counted of 130 different species, 26 of which are on the conservation red list. The most common were wood pigeon, starling, lapwing, fieldfare and rook, the middle three of which are red-listed. Organised by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, the count started in 2014 and has grown each year since.
News 26th May 2022
Threat to Trees
Trees are at increasing risk from pests and diseases with a record number of infections in the past year, according to a recent survey. Reports were up 25% on the previous year, the main issues being oak processionary moth and Chalara or ash dieback. There is concern that new pests and diseases may be imported with plants coming in from abroad. To counter these threats, the Forestry Commission has opened a new research centre at Alice Holt in Surrey. Costing £5.8 million, it will bring together experts on pests and pathogens.
Sewage Discharges
Despite the outcry that met reports of vast quantities of raw sewage discharged into our watercourses, the Government is resisting regulation. Water companies must record the frequency and length of spills but not the volume discharged, despite such a recommendation by the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee. The Government says that such a requirement would be difficult and expensive. Meantime, the Environment Agency has reported widespread and serious non-compliance with existing regulations with average raw sewage discharges of more than 1,000 times a day last year.
Early Payment of BPS
Defra has announced that the Basic Payment will be paid to farmers in England in two sums this year, with half in July and the remainder at the normal time in December. George Eustice, the Secretary of State, said the 50% advance is in recognition of the pressure on cash flow caused by high input costs. The lower rates of BPS, up to £30,000, was cut by 5% last year and a further 20% this year, with rates in the higher brackets reduced even more.
India bans wheat exports
India has announced a ban of the export of wheat as a temporary measure to ensure sufficient domestic supplies. Although India is the world’s second-biggest wheat producer, it is not a major exporter as most of its crop is sold on domestic markets, but it was planning to export a record ten million tonnes this year to alleviate shortages due to the war in Ukraine. A heatwave and drought has hit crops and prospects for harvest downgraded. However, this has come at a time of rapidly rising world wheat prices and the G7 countries have condemned the move as unhelpful.
News from 12th May 2022
Free Range Eggs
Restrictions introduced due to avian influenza last November meant that hens had to be housed. There then followed a 16 week period when eggs could still be sold as free range even though the hens were not allowed outside. That ran out on 21st March, the date from which eggs had to be described as barn eggs rather than free range. However, the restrictions have now been relaxed so that free range eggs can once more be sold.
Farm Machinery Looted in Ukraine
There have been reports that Russian troops have been stealing combines, tractors and other farm machinery valued at over £4 million from a dealership in south east Ukraine. The kit was fitted with GPS tracker devices that showed the machinery was transported on low loaders to Chechnya. However, it will be of little benefit to the thieves as the equipment could be controlled remotely, making it inoperable!
Fewer Insects on Windscreens
A recent survey has found a sharp decline in the number of insects that ‘splat’ on car windscreens and registration plates, down 60% since 2004. This backs up other reports that have found a severe decline in insect populations across the world that conservationists have described as terrifying. However, other surveys suggest that this is simplistic with varying results and some insect groups have increased in number. Maybe the lower ‘splat rate’ is due to improved car aerodynamics.
Cleaner air, less rain
As farmers and gardeners are desperate for rain, there has been a quirky theory about the lack of precipitation put forward by one eminent scientist. It has been suggested that particulates in the atmosphere act as a focus for raindrops to form and that their presence in the air declined significantly during the pandemic leading to a lack of rainfall!
News from 28th April 2022
Henry Plumb Dies
The death has been announced of Lord Plumb on 15th April at the grand old age of 97. He had an extraordinary career starting when he left school at 15 to run a 300 acre farm his father had acquired. This was in 1940, wartime, with few workers, although he managed to recruit some German prisoners of war from a local camp. He rose through the ranks of the NFU to become President in 1970, at a time before we joined the Common Agricultural Policy when the Minister of Agriculture and President of the NFU organised British farming. He was elected a Member of the European Parliament and served from 1979 to 1998, as President of the Parliament from 1987 to 1989, the only Briton to hold the post. He was knighted in 1973 and became a life peer in 1987, sitting in the House of Lords until his retirement in 2017. He was truly a giant figure in farming and politics for over half a century.
Environment Agency Exodus
It is reported that salaries paid to Environment Agency staff are so low that many are leaving, claiming that they cannot afford the escalating cost of living. Recruitment is described as ‘a nightmare’ whilst institutional expertise is being lost as experienced staff resign. This comes in the context of severe criticism of the Environment Agency for poor performance despite a large increase in its budget.
Protected Areas may not help Wildlife
A global study has found that protecting areas of land across the world for wildlife has limited success. Assessing bird populations in wetland protected areas, numbers in some have risen, in others they have not. The conclusion is that it is the management that is critical not just the designation. It is a timely warning when Governments around the world are aiming to increase protected areas to 30% of farmland by 2030.
Lamb sold to help Ukraine
A nine year old boy has raised £600 for the Ukraine appeal by selling one of his lambs. His father, who has white sheep, bought his two sons a Blue Texel ewe each. A friend then gave them a Black Beltex ram to tup the ewes resulting in black lambs. The boys were so upset by the plight of Ukrainian children shown on the news that Oliver sold his first lamb, born this time last year, through Welshpool Market to donate to the cause.
Lord Mancroft retires
Lord Mancroft has retired as Chairman of The Countryside Forum after 13 years. The photo below shows his successor, the Marquess of Abergavenny, presenting Lord Mancroft with a picture subscribed to by the supporters of the Forum. On their behalf, Lord Abergavenny thanked Lord Mancroft for his distinguished chairmanship which steered the Forum through a number of challenges and changes
News from 14th April 2022
Labour Shortage
The Parliamentary EFRA Committee has warned that the shortage of labour in farming and the food chain has serious consequences. Last year, out of a total workforce of four million, there were half a million vacancies. That led to a quarter of the UK daffodil crop left unpicked and fruit rotting in the fields. The MPs are ‘struck by the Government’s failure to grasp the labour issues’ according to Committee Chairman Neil Parish. Unless the Government takes action to allow more immigration, the crisis will lead to rising prices and more food imported from abroad.
Price of Milk
As the price paid to farmers for milk creeps up towards 40p per litre, a top consultancy firm has reported that nearer 50p is required to cover costs and reverse the chronic reduction in production. Inflation in fuel, fertiliser and feed prices is such that at least 46 to 48p is the cost of production. Last year, 1,000 litres of milk would pay for one tonne of nitrogen fertiliser, now it takes more than 2,000 litres. Shortage of milk is now a distinct possibility in this country.
Cattle and Sheep Numbers
Latest figures released by Defra show that the numbers of cattle and sheep rose slightly in 2021. Last December there were 9.4 million head of cattle in the UK, up 0.8%, and 22.8 million sheep, up 3% on the previous year. Although 15.3 billion litres of milk were produced in 2020, the highest annual figure since 1990, there are fears that the latest inflationary crisis is leading to a rapid decline.
Rural Votes
A survey commissioned by the CLA has found that the Conservative vote in rural areas has collapsed. In the 2019 General Election, the share of the vote in the most rural counties, Cornwall, Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Norfolk and Gwynedd was: Conservative 46%, Labour 29% and Liberal Democrat 13%. Now the Conservatives have only 38% with Labour on 36%. The Government has so far failed to heed the warning that rural issues are being routinely ignored and that this is having an adverse impact on their standing.
News from 31st March 2022
Avian Flu
There will be no free range eggs in shops for the foreseeable future due to the avian flu epidemic. Laying birds have to be kept indoors as a precaution to stop the spread of the disease so their eggs cannot be sold as free range. Instead they will have to be sold as barn eggs. Restrictions may ease when the bird migration season is over. Meanwhile, there are significant outbreaks in western France where many game farms are situated. This will severely limit the export to this country of partridge eggs and chicks, the majority of which come from France. British game farms are unlikely to be able to fill the gap.
Badger Cull
An article published in Vet Record claims that the badger cull ‘cost a fortune and saved nothing’. It was written by an ecologist and two vets from research using a variety of statistical approaches to analyse publicly available data. However, Defra scientists refute the allegations, saying that the conclusions were drawn from flawed analysis to fit a preconceived outcome as all three are vociferous longstanding opponents of the cull. Official Defra statistics show a significant decline in bovine tuberculosis in the cull areas.
Red Diesel
Red diesel is fuel that has been treated with a dye to distinguish it from DERV, the normal fuel. It can be used in a number of industries and attracts a much lower level of duty, 11.14 pence per litre rather than 57.95. On 1st April this year, the circumstances in which red diesel can be used legally will be tightened significantly, although most farming activities will still be allowed. However, there has now been a cut in duty of around 1 ppl in line with the 5 ppl reduction in road fuel duty announced last week in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement.
Tree Planting
A recent report from the Parliamentary Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee suggests that the Government’s ambitious tree planting targets will be missed by a wide margin unless there is much greater support. Whilst most trees will be planted in Scotland, England is falling woefully behind its target of 10,000 ha of new planting each year by the end of this Parliament in 2024. In 2019/20 only 2,300 ha were planted.
News from 17th March 2022
Environment Agency Budget
The Environment Agency has come in for huge criticism over recent months, not least over the pollution of our rivers and coastal waters by raw sewage. Its budget has been cut over the years leading to claims last year that it had become insufficient to cover the cost of its remit. In particular, all but the most serious pollution incidents could not be investigated. Now, however, a significant increase in funding has been announced and the Chief Executive, Sir James Bevan, has pledged to use some of the new money to increase farm and sewage works inspections in a bid to improve water quality.
New Zealand Trade Agreement
A new trade deal with New Zealand was signed on 28th February. Nearly all tariffs will be removed on the day the treaty is ratified, likely to be in the summer of 2023. However, there is protection for some agricultural products including cheese, beef and sheepmeat, the provision of transitional tariff rate quotas that will be phased out over time. Those deadlines are six years for cheese, ten for beef and twenty for sheepmeat. The deal has been greeted with delight by New Zealand farmers but with dismay by livestock producers in the UK who believe that they will not be able to compete once the transitional arrangements have ended.
Injurious Weeds
There are five plants specified as injurious weeds in the Weeds Act 1959, ragwort, two species of thistle and two of dock. Under the Act, it is an offence to allow them to spread but, in practice, very few prosecutions have ever occurred, although Highways England and Natural England claim that around £10 million is spent every year controlling them. Now, however, research by scientists at the University of Sussex, funded by Rowse Honey Ltd., has found that ragwort and the two thistles attract a far greater abundance and diversity of pollinating insects than the species recommended by Defra. There have been calls for the Weeds Act to be repealed for some time, this research can only make that more likely.
Pig Farmers Lose Money
The latest report from the AHDB (Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board) shows that pig farmers have been losing money for over a year. The figures for the final quarter of 2021, the fifth consecutive quarter of losses, show that the average production cost was £177 per pig but the sale price was only £138, a loss of £39 for every pig sold. As the cost of feed escalates rapidly, the situation can only get worse unless there is a significant increase in sale prices.
News from 17th February 2022
Plants flower early
Scientists at Cambridge University have analysed the first flowering dates of 406 species of plants and have found that they are about a month earlier than in 1986 due to rising temperatures. But this may cause a ‘temporal mismatch’ as the life cycle of pollinating insects are adapting more slowly. This means that plants may not be pollinated if they are in flower before the requisite insects are present and the pollinators may starve if the flowers are over by the time they emerge from winter. Generalist pollinators may be fine as they have alternative hosts but some plants and insects are specifically reliant on each other.
New Countryside Code
There has been a lot of coverage in the media of the guidelines for farmers published to accompany the revised Countryside Code. It is designed to help more people enjoy the countryside and to reduce potential conflict between them and farmers. There is advice on keeping rights of way open and welcoming, suggestions that styles be replaced by self-closing gates and exhortation to farmers to be polite and friendly even when they encounter trespassers. There is also guidance on the worrying of livestock by dogs with the plea that they should be shot only as a last resort.
WWF Report
A report from the conservation charity WWF says that British farmers must reduce production of meat and dairy by a third in the next ten years if targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are to be met. This applies not just to ruminant animals due to their methane emissions but also covers pigs and poultry because the imports of soya to feed them causes deforestation and environmental degradation in countries such as Brazil.
Lump Sum Exit Scheme
Secretary of State for Defra, George Eustice, has announced that the long awaited Lump Sum Exit Scheme will open for applications in April. Farmers are able to claim future Basic Payment as a lump sum in return for retiring, selling or renting out their land or surrendering their tenancy. The lump sum will be calculated as the average Basic Payment for 2019 to 2021 times 2.35. There will be a maximum limit of £100,000, equivalent to 430 hectares. However, farmers have been warned that the tax implications are not yet known and are urged to hold off any application until they have been clarified.
News from 3rd February 2022
Big Farmland Bird Count
The Big Farmland Bird Count will be held from 4th to 20th February this year. Organised by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Farmers Union of Wales, the event has been running since 2014 and last year 1,800 farmers took part recording more than 130 species across two and a half million acres. Not only is it a snapshot of bird species, numbers and range but, as each year passes, it gives more data on longer term trends. Farmers, gamekeepers and land managers are urged to take part.
Success at Loddington
Songbird numbers have increased significantly over the past thirty years at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s farm at Loddington in Leicestershire. Counts have been taken since the Allerton project began in 1992 when gamekeeper Malcolm Brockless introduced a regime of habitat management, winter feeding and predator control. The numbers of breeding songbirds doubled in the first seven years but dipped thereafter when many of the beneficial management practices were withdrawn. The latest figures for 2021 show a renewed increase to 191% above the 1992 base year.
Shoot Costs to Rise
As the shooting season ends, planning is already underway for the 2022/23 season. Following an increase in the price charged for shooting of around £2.50 to £38 per bird this season, further significant rises seem inevitable for next year. Substantial inflation in the cost of gas, labour and feed on game farms mean poults will cost more, perhaps 10% to around £4.50 per head. The same pressures will apply once the birds are released so that shoots may charge an average of £42 per pheasant shot in the coming season. Where VAT is applicable, the total cost will rise to over £50 per bird in the game cart.
Country Farms to Let
Following comments to the Oxford Farming Conference by George Eustice about revitalising the County Council farm tenancy scheme to encourage new entrants to farming, there are nine farms currently up for tender this spring. Cambridgeshire, the county with the largest farmland holding in England at more than 32,000 acres, has invited tenders for seven farms ranging from 165 to 370 acres whilst Powys has two farms to let. Although many county farms have been sold off over recent years, in England and Wales more than 270,000 acres of farmland are let by local authorities.
News from 20th January 2022
Countryside Stewardship
Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference, Secretary of State George Eustice reported a 40% increase in applications for Countryside Stewardship last year. The scheme has been heavily criticised since it replaced Environmental Stewardship in 2014, but it has been made simpler with less bureaucracy and there are now 40,000 farmers participating. He also announced increases in the rates of grant averaging 30%, to encourage more farmers to take part before it is replaced by Environmental Land Management in 2024.
Polluted Rivers….
No English River is free from pollution according to a report from the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee. Farming and discharges from sewage treatment plants are the main culprits with the regular discharges of raw sewage into rivers continuing to cause shock and anger. A nurse taking part in a challenge to swim the entire length of the River Severn, 220 miles, was taken to hospital after swallowing raw sewage.
….Yet Environment Agency reduces Scrutiny
Despite the outcry at the state of English waterways, the Environment Agency has told its staff that low level pollution incidents should not be investigated as there are not sufficient funds. Whilst conservation groups are appalled by the leaked directive, the Environment Agency says it can only work within its budget which it has told Ministers is inadequate.
Global Food Prices
Food prices across the world reached a ten year high in 2021 according to the latest analysis by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. They rose to 28% higher than the previous year with the main increases in cereals and vegetable oils. In a separate report from the European Commission, global consumption of meat is expected to rise by 1.4% a year over the next few years.
News from 6th January 2022
Tony Juniper Reappointed
Tony Juniper has been reappointed as Chair of Natural England for a second term. Before he took up the post in 2019, he was Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF-UK and President of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. His was a controversial appointment and it has been a critical time for Natural England with significant mistrust by farmers and the introduction of the 25-year Environment Plan and the Environment Act. He will now be Chair until 22nd April 2025.
Oxfordshire Goes Vegan
Oxfordshire County Council has caused uproar by voting to ban all meat and dairy products being served at official events. Green Party Councillor Ian Middleton, a vegan for the past twelve years, put forward the motion which was passed at a full Council meeting before Christmas. It will now be referred to the cabinet for a final decision.
Methane Reducing Pellet
Dairy farmers are being offered a methane-reducing feed supplement free of charge for six months in return for data to show how methane emissions may be reduced. The pellet is produced by a Swiss/British ag-tech company and has been used on a Lancashire farm since 2018. Results from a recent trial on the farm have shown that methane emissions have been cut by 30% and milk yield increased by 2 to 3% with no adverse impact on animal health or milk quality.
Oxford Farming Conference
The Oxford Farming Conference is currently being held, but the decision was taken just before Christmas that it should take place online only rather than in person due to the huge increase in Omicron Covid cases. This follows the earlier decision by the Oxford Real Farming Conference to be held online only. Both run from 5th to 7th January.
News from 23rd December 2021
Scientists query nutritional advice
An international group of scientists has questioned the conventional nutritional advice that consumption of red meat should be reduced, claiming that there is no relationship between eating red meat and human health or deaths. A separate study from Cambridge University has also cast doubt on nutritional advice, saying that the evidence is more complex. Saturated fats from red meat and butter may cause a higher incidence of heart disease but those from cheese and yoghurt actually give some protection whilst milk has a neutral effect on human health.
Farmer support for Government plummets
Farmers Weekly conducts a poll every year to ‘take the pulse’ of the industry, including attitudes to the Government and political parties. In the latest finding, support for the Conservative Government has plummeted from 72% in 2017 and 2020 to 57% this year. Comments on the results show that farmers have lost confidence in a Government that has remarkably limited understanding of farming or rural issues and little appetite to address the undoubted and mounting problems faced by farmers and country folk.
Dispute over labour in the food chain
No one denies that a shortage of labour on farms, in abattoirs and processing plants is causing havoc in the food chain. Many thousands of pigs have been culled on farms because abattoirs cannot take them and the chaos spreads into other meats as well. But there is dispute about attempts to remedy the situation. Speaking at a NFU meeting recently, Secretary of State George Eustice blamed the processors. He said the Government had instigated a temporary visa scheme to augment the skilled worker visa scheme to attract 800 butchers from abroad but none of the big four processors had even attempted to access the schemes.
The value of hedgerows
There are 435,000 miles of hedgerow in Britain, more than the entire road network. They are incredibly rich in diverse wildlife, birds, insects, small mammals; on ecologist counted 2,070 species in an old hedgerow near his home. A study in Belgium found 30% higher species richness in hedges than in woodland. In France, President Macron has committed €50 million to establish 4,300 miles of hedgerow whilst, in this country, the Climate Change Committee has called for an increase of 40%, at least 120,000 miles.
News from 9th Dccember 2021
Increase in Red List
The latest report of birds of conservation concern has just been published. Of the 245 species regularly seen in the UK, 70 are now on the Red List of highest conservation concern, an increase from 36 over the past 25 years. There are 103 species on the Amber List and 72 on the Green List. Swift, house martin, greenfinch and Berwick’s swan have been added to the Red list whilst the white-tailed eagle has moved from Red to Amber. It is extremely worrying that over a quarter of our birds are now seriously threatened despite efforts to help them.
Payment Rates for SFI
Secretary of State George Eustice has announced more details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Three standards will be available next year: arable and horticultural soils, improved grassland soils and moorland and rough grazing. The rate of grant will depend on the level of activity, introductory or intermediate for each standard; £22 and £40 per hectare for arable and horticultural soils and £28 and £58 per hectare for improved grassland soils. Farmers’ leaders have expressed disappointment at the inadequate rates of grant whilst the National Trust, Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB have condemned the plans for their ‘shocking lack of ambition’.
Bugs not Soya
In an interesting collaboration between the supermarket Morrisons and start-up firm Better Origin, food waste from Morrisons’ fruit and vegetable site in Yorkshire is fed to freshly hatched insect larvae. Just before the larvae pupate, they are fed to laying hens at Morrisons’ poultry farms. The insect protein can partially replace imported soya in the chickens’ diet.
Gene Editing
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has warned that gene editing in livestock breeding must be heavily regulated to protect animal welfare. The Government is considering relaxing prohibition, saying it will take a ‘step-by-step approach to enable gene editing, starting with plants only and then reviewing the application to animals’.
News from 25th November 2021
Antibiotics in Food
A new report has found that supermarkets may be selling imported meat, dairy products and eggs produced using antibiotics banned in this country. All supermarkets have a policy of ending the prophylactic use of antibiotics in the food chain but most only apply this to fresh home-produced foods and not imported or process foods. Antibiotic use on UK farms halved between 2014 and 2020 but other countries lag behind.
Farming Investment Fund
The Farming Investment Fund has a budget of £27 million and is made up of two grant schemes, The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund and the Farming Transformation Fund. The application window for the former opened on 16th November and runs to 7th January 2020. Farmers can claim grants of up to £25,000 in the first window and up to £50,000 over the lifetime of the scheme. There are 119 items on the list for which grants are available including slurry separators, direct drills, slurry application equipment, rainwater harvesting equipment and solar powered electric fences. Each item has a set grant whatever the farmer pays for the item; for example £7,613 for a slurry separator. The Framing Transformation Fund is for more substantial items, initially focused on water management such as crop irrigation or on-farm reservoirs.
Pigs still being slaughtered for lack of labour
Large numbers of pigs are still being killed and rendered due to a backlog at processing plants caused by a lack of labour. A figure of 14,000 has been mentioned but that is said to be a massive underestimate. Meantime, the Efra Committee chaired by Neil Parish MP has slated the Government for its totally inadequate response to the labour crisis in the food and farming sector.
600 million birds lost across Europe since the 1980s
A report from RSPB and Birdlife International has found that populations of birds have fallen by around 600 million across Europe in the past forty years. Total losses of 900 million are offset by a gain of 340 million in some species. The biggest declines were in the 1980s and 1990s but numbers are still falling. The main cause is said to be the intensification of farming.
News from 28th October 2021
Cattle on Hungerford Common
The cattle that graze on the ancient pastures of Hungerford Common are at risk of being hit by cars, especially those being driven at excessive speed at night. There have been four accidents in the past ten weeks, three in the past week as the nights draw in. One accident resulted in the animal having to be destroyed on the spot, the others in various injuries. There is a minority of locals who cause the damage and then complain that cattle should not be allowed on the road. The Town and Manor of Hungerford and the Liberty of Sanden Fee, to give the correct title, dates back to John of Gaunt in the 14th century, along with associated common land. The inhabitants of the town are fortunate indeed to have recreation on such open pastures, which are kept looking as they are because of the grazing of cattle. Indeed, it is illegal under Commons Law to have internal fences on commons. The highways department of West Berkshire Council have declined to take any further action to reduce speeds on the roads so the ancient regime is at risk from the unacceptable behaviour of a few selfish, ignorant drivers.
Heather Burning Challenge
The High Court has dismissed a judicial review of Defra’s Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2021 brought by Wild Justice. Heather burning is allowed under the regulations between October and April on shallow peat and, in very exceptional circumstances, on deeper peat. Having listened to evidence of the major benefits brought by muirburn, not least in reducing wild fires, the judge dismissed the case, an attempt to ban the practice.
New Zealand Trade Deal
A trade deal with New Zealand covering beef and lamb has been warmly welcomed by farmers in New Zealand but greeted with dismay by those in Britain. There is a transition of 15 years during which quotas are gradually increased until there are no tariffs whatever. The fact that one party is delighted, the other disappointed tends to suggest that it is hardly a balanced agreement!
Standards Pledge
However, the Government has pledged to uphold British standards of animal welfare and environmental protection in new trade deals. There will be an independent watchdog to ensure that new trade deals meet commitments on health, welfare and quality standards, effectively a strengthening of the existing Trade and Agriculture Commission.
News from 14th October 2021
Pause BPS Reduction
The NFU has called for the postponement of the phased reduction to the Basic Payment for the next two years in the light of multiple challenges. These include severe disruption caused to farm businesses by a shortage of labour, transport and rising costs, not least of energy and fertiliser. Defra’s slow release of details of the ELM scheme is also criticised by the NFU, leading to difficult decisions for long-term planning.
Piglets Killed
The National Pig Association reports that there is a backlog of at least 120,000 pigs ready for slaughter due to the lack of butchers in abattoirs. With pig farms running out of space to keep the animals, some farmers are now killing piglets at birth to avoid overcrowding and serious animal welfare problems. The NPA is calling on the Government to allow more foreign butchers to come into the country to alleviate the problem.
New Oat Plant
Such is the demand for oats for human consumption that a new processing plant is under construction in Northamptonshire. The state-of-the-art plant, which will be the biggest in Europe, is the project of Novara Oat Milling, a consortium of Frontier, the farmer co-operative Camgrain and Anglia Malting Holdings, a food and drink ingredient manufacturer. It will offer contracts to local farmers, a welcome alternative in crop rotation.
New Shooting Season
After the disappointing opening of the grouse season in August due to a poor breeding season, the lowland shooting season opened last month for partridge and this month for pheasant. Last season was severely restricted by the Covid pandemic with fewer birds released and some shoots closing altogether. Game farm sales are not back to previous levels, partly because of the birds left over from last season, but most shoots are optimistic about a successful season to come.
News from 30th September 2021
Lamb Exports
It is now clear that there will not be a comprehensive US/UK free trade deal in the foreseeable future. In some ways that is a relief in that the UK would have to align with US standards to achieve an agreement, including accepting hormone fed beef and chlorinated washed chicken. However, there are still small deals to be done as the US has lifted its ban on UK lamb exports imposed in 1989 during the BSE crisis. It is not expected that large quantities of lamb will be imported; AHDB puts the potential gain at £37 million over five years. Nevertheless, it comes at a good time as AHDB reports that lamb exports from January to July this year are down on last year by 25% by volume but only 5% by value because of higher prices. Most of the decline has been in exports to the EU, by far our largest market.
Bluefin Tuna
Bluefin tuna have been spotted off the coast of Cornwall for the first time in over sixty years. Catching Bluefin tuna is banned in the UK but licences have been issued for them to be caught, tagged and released for a three month trial. Scientists think that the fish, which can grow to 12ft long and are very valuable, have returned to UK waters because of rising sea temperatures. They aim to find out how many there are, their age structure and any other information they can get.
Science can transform farming
As the Government consults on allowing gene editing, Professor Nick Talbot, executive director of the Sainsbury Laboratory, writing in the Guardian newspaper, makes a plea for a comprehensive legislative framework to cover gene editing and genetic modification in farm crops. He calls for environmentalists who wish to see less use of fertiliser and pesticides to join with farmers and scientists to agree a way forward. He cites the example of the potato crop; using GM, geneticists have developed a variety that is resistant to potato blight thus avoiding the need for the current fifteen to twenty applications of fungicide each year. And yet it cannot be grown in the EU or UK due to ill-informed and outdated regulation.
No Livestock Farming
Eighteen film and television celebrities have written a joint letter to Alok Sharma MP, the President of the COP26 summit in Glasgow in November, calling for radical changes to farming if net zero by 2050 is to be achieved. These include shifting subsidies away from livestock farming, offering incentives to develop non-livestock alternatives and changing public sector procurement priorities.
News from 19th August 2021
Catchment Sensitive Farming
The Catchment Sensitive Scheme has been running since 2005 to offer farmers and land managers practical advice and grants to tackle water resource management in 79 priority catchments in England, approximately 40% of farmland. Now it is to be expanded with its budget almost doubled to £30 million a year to cover the whole country. Run by Defra, Natural England and the Environment Agency, more advisers will be recruited to help land managers to comply with the Farming Rules for Water.
Glorious Twelfth
Last week saw the start of the grouse season, fondly known as the Glorious Twelfth. However, it has not been so glorious this year as many moors have cancelled early shoots for lack of birds due to extreme weather in spring and early summer. It is not clear how many shoots will be held as the season progresses. The sport is also under threat as never before with licensing due to be introduced in Scotland. There are numerous campaigns to limit or even ban grouse shooting and management practices such as the controlled burning of heather, despite the weight of research evidence that proves the benefits.
Rewilding Jobs
The campaign charity, Rewilding Britain, has the aim of rewilding 5% of England and claims that that would create 20,000 jobs, increasing employment by 50% compared with intensive farming. So far, around 0.2% of the country has been rewilded and the figures are extrapolated from 27 large rewilding sites totalling over 72,000 acres.
Harvest Progress
After the heat wave in July, the weather has been disappointing, cool and wet. However, it has not caused too much disruption to harvest as most winter barley was cut in the dry weather and winter wheat was not ripe. Framers are now taking advantage of some drier days to cut the remaining crops but it is too early to tell what impact the wet weather had on yield and quality.
News from 5th August 2021
Farming in Protected Landscapes
A new grant scheme has been launched for farmers in protected landscapes, that is National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Although not an agri-environment scheme, it will fund projects that support nature recovery and mitigate the impact of climate change as well as providing opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage. The grants will provide 100% of the cost provided there is no commercial gain to the farmer.
Staff Shortages
There have been numerous warnings of severe food shortages this autumn, largely as a result of the pandemic. There have been growing shortages of staff for the fruit and vegetable harvest following Brexit and tighter immigration rules. This has now been exacerbated by the large number of people ‘pinged’ and told to self-isolate. There are exemptions for workers in the food supply chain but these are too little and too late according to industry leaders. One major food producer, 2 Sisters Food Group, warns that we may see the worst food shortages for 75 years since wartime rationing!
Curlews at Sandringham
The curlew is one of Britain’s most threatened birds, red listed, and there are a number of initiatives to increase numbers. The latest is taking place in Norfolk with curlews released on the Ken Hill and Sandringham Estates with the support of the Prince of Wales. 106 eggs were collected from military and civil airfields where nesting curlew pose a risk to air safety and taken to a hatchery where 84 chicks fledged. These have now been released.
Harvest Underway
Harvest is now fully underway, at least between the showers and thunder storms. The hot dry weather earlier in July ripened crops rapidly and most winter barley has now been cut. Early reports suggest average to good yield and quality. Oilseed rape has been cut, too, with very mixed results. Most farmers are still optimistic about the winter wheat harvest which will be underway shortly. Livestock farmers have taken their second cut of grass and clover leys, with good yields after the rain and warm weather. What is needed now is a prolonged spell of dry weather.
News from 22nd July 2021
Public Support for British farming
A survey commissioned by the NFU has found that a huge majority of the general public wants future trade deals to protect British farmers against cheaper food imports of lower standard. 84% of respondents said that trade deals should ensure that environmental farming standards for imports were the same as the UK whilst 86% said that animal welfare standards should also match those that apply in this country.
Small Local Abattoirs
Campaigners are demanding more small local abattoirs after a third have closed in the last ten years. With only 62 remaining, livestock has to travel further distances for slaughter. Regulation makes small abattoirs uneconomic and it is increasingly difficult for those with farm shops and other local outlets to ensure that their own carcasses are kept separate. However, Secretary of State George Eustice said recently that the UK has a broad distribution of abattoirs that meet farmers’ needs.
Prince Charles Warning
The Prince of Wales has warned that allowing small family farms to go to the wall will ‘rip the heart out of the British countryside’. The phasing out of direct support for farmers will lead to massive change in the structure of farming and Prince Charles fears that the focus on plentiful cheap food will mean that small family farms struggle to compete.
Game Fair
The Game Fair returns this weekend after last year’s cancellation due to the pandemic. It will be held at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, from tomorrow, Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th July. With good weather forecast, it is likely to attract large crowds happy to celebrate country sports once again.
News from 24th June 2021
Biogas Boost
Future Biogas, a green energy company, has announced plans to build 25 new anaerobic digestion plants across the country by 2028. Each will require some 60,000 tonnes of feedstock every year and local farmers will be offered 15 year contracts to grow maize, rye and grass. There are currently ten existing plants taking in a total of 500,000 tonnes of crop each year. These plants produce biogas which is used to generate electricity whilst they offer opportunities for local farmers.
Asian Hornet Invasion
Asian hornets have been spotted in this country, posing a significant threat to bees. They are no more harmful to humans than a wasp but each can eat up to 50 honey bees a day, bringing a fear that an invasion might cost £7.6 million in damage each year. There have been 17 sightings to date, the latest in Dorset in late 2019, and scientists have urged anyone who spots these pests to notify a specific website’s hornet map.
Jays Plant Oaks
Two fields adjacent to a wood in Cambridgeshire have been left to rewild for 59 and 24 years. The former now resembles a mature woodland with 390 trees per ha, 52% of them oaks. The younger has become a young wood with 132 trees per ha, 57% of them oaks. Research has shown that the likeliest origin of the oaks is acorns buried by jays as a cache of winter food.
Duke of Burgundy Butterfly
The Duke of Burgundy butterfly is rare having declined by 84% since the 1970s, its range mostly confined to central southern England. However, a new colony has been discovered on a 60 acre chalk down in Dorset and is thought to be the largest in the UK. Although many species of butterfly are in serious decline, others have increased in number and range in recent warm summers.
News for 8th July 2021
Defra under Attack
Defra and its agencies are coming under increasing attack for failing to meet environmental targets. The Environment Agency is said to be presiding over poor ecological standards, particularly pollution of rivers by sewage works. The Climate Change Committee claims that targets for net zero by 2050 may be laudable but progress is falling way behind that required, not least in woodland creation.
Grants Rates for SFI
Speaking at the Cereals event last week, Secretary of State, George Eustice gave further details of the rates of grant available in the new Sustainable Farming Incentive. He chose to highlight soil health, saying there would be three levels from £26 per hectare for the most elementary soil management rising to £70 per ha for increasing soil organic matter. These levels, he said, are roughly 30% more than would have been available had the old EU methodology been applied.
Invest in Nature for Good Return claims RSPB
A major new report from the RSPB claims that every £1 invested in the restoration of peatland and saltmarshes and creation of woodland would bring a return of £3. The £6.4 billion is itself dwarfed by the indirect benefits of improved water quality, flood management, job creation and mitigation of climate change.
Protein from Insects not Soya
A report from WWF suggests that 20% of imported soya bean could be replaced by insect protein in animal feeds by 2050. Rations for pigs and poultry are heavily reliant on soya, much of which is imported from Brazil and said to be the cause of deforestation. There would need to be a change in legislation as insect protein can only be used in pet food and aquafeed, not farm animal feed. There is no reason why the insect protein should not be produced in this country, another benefit.
News from 10th June 2021
Rise of Organic Farming
The latest Defra figures show that the area of land in organic conversion across the
UK rose by 12% last year. Apart from 2019, it has seen a modest increase every
year since 2014. The total area of land farmed organically or in conversion is
489,000 hectares, an increase of 0.8% compared to 2019. That shows that land is
coming out of organic production at almost the same rate as going in. 62% of that
land is permanent pasture and only 9% is used to grow cereals.
Badger Vaccination
Defra has announced £2.27 million of funding to persuade farmers to vaccinate
badgers against bovine tuberculosis in a 250 sq km area of the South Downs in East
Sussex. The trial will last for five years to determine how a project might be rolled
out nationally. However, one member of the Government’s newly formed advisory
group said that a previous similar trial in Gloucestershire had shown that vaccination
is ineffective.
Heather Burning
In the face of increasing calls to ban the burning of heather, the Game and Wildlife
Conservation Trust has come to its defence. Pointing out that evidence shows that
regular rotational burning actually improves carbon capture rather than releasing it,
the report goes on to describe the devastating impact of wildfires where the peat
burns as well as the heather. One example of that was Saddleworth Moor in 2018
when seven square miles burnt, destroying wildlife and 200 years of stored carbon.
Controlled burning of heather in the wetter moths is the best way to avoid wildfires.
‘Gangsters’ Paradise’
A recent report from Rothamsted Research based on a 50 year experiment on
arable fields has shown that ploughing together with the use of artificial fertiliser and
pesticides has created soil conditions in which detrimental fungi and bacteria thrive
at the expense of the beneficial. The microbiome of such soils was described as a
gangsters’ paradise!