Archived News

10th January 2008

Laurence gave a local radio interview on New Year's Eve, looking back on the difficulties of last year and into the unknown of 2008.  He gave a positive interview and is hopeful that a vaccine will be available for Bluetonge disease before the disease gets a hold this summer.  There is of course the question of how much vaccine will be produced by summer and how/if it will be made available to farmers.

We are moving positively into the new year and continue to champion quality British produce. This is all very well for farmers who have found ways of diversifying but what about the farmers interviewed last night on 'What Britain Earns' ( TV programme with Peter and Dan Snow) Whilst the average income in Britain is £22,000

there was one farmer whose profit last year was £4,000 - how many people would continue to work a full week and try to live on that income?  On a good day at market a sheep might sell for £35, the same price as twenty five years ago!

A ban on battery cage egg production will come into force in 2012. The NFU Poultry Board Chairman says that egg producers are prepared to accept the battery cage ban as long as it doesn't lead to the export of the egg industry to countries with lower standards of chicken welfare. It will be pointless and counter-productive if the same level of welfare is not extended to all of the chickens involved in supplying eggs to the European market, not just those chickens that happen to be housed in the EU.

The NFU goes on to say 'While Hilary Benn has been crowing about the cage ban, and making much of his commitment to animal welfare, Government departments are still sourcing over 40 per cent of their food from imports, including products like chicken, eggs, pork and bacon from countries which are still using systems that would either be illegal in this country or which would be unacceptable under our farm assurance protocols' 

'Well said!'       This comes back to level playing fields.