Today's News - 12 April 2012

"I am pleased that the EU has come to a decision which gives organic poultry producers the scope to continue with high levels of nutrition that provide birds with good welfare.”
Martin Humphrey, organic poultry representative – Farming UK – 12 April 2012

Stormont assembly food award-winning
If you have ever eaten food in Parliament Buildings you will be interested to know it was award winning. The Northern Ireland Assembly has become the first organisation in the country to achieve the prestigious bronze Food for Life Catering Mark for all meals served in the Parliament Buildings. The award was announced last week at an event to mark the launch of the Soil Association Sustainable Food Communities project in Northern Ireland.
Farm Week (5 Apr, p.15)
Read more about Sustainable Food Communities in Northern Ireland.
Find out more about Sustainable Food Cities here.
Find out more about the Food for Life Catering Mark here.

Layer health, welfare discussions imminent
The AssureWel project is arranging discussion meetings for farmers on laying hen health and welfare in the coming weeks. Meetings will be held in the spring for laying hen farmers to discuss taking a bird–focused approach to optimise the health, welfare and overall efficiency of laying hen flocks. AssureWel is a multi-species five year (2010-2015) project led by the Soil Association, University of Bristol, and the RSPCA with collaborative links with several industry bodies including the Red Tractor Farm Assurance scheme, Quality Meat Scotland and UK Organic Certification Bodies.
The Poultry Site (11 Apr)
Find out more about the AssureWel project here.

Increase use of pulses for ‘greener’ pigs, trial advises
Research funded by Defra and Bpex has found that increasing the use of home-grown pulses in pig feed would increase the sustainability of the UK pig industry without compromising on growth performance or slaughter measures. The research formed part of a £1.5m project, launched in 2008 by a consortium, whose members include Bpex, the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC), Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the University of Nottingham, the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) and the Soil Association.
MeatInfo (11 Apr)

New organic regulation ’will give producers confidence’
The NFU has successfully lobbied for a new EU regulation on organic feed that will give producers confidence in the sector. The new regulation allows monogastric producers to use a five per cent allowance of non-organic protein feeds currently not available in organic form until the end of 2014.
Farming UK (12 Apr)

Organic stores in demand at Hallworthy
Hallworthy’s monthly sale of organic cattle saw an entry of 100 meet a premium trade, with steers selling to £1,280. Organic Limousins sold to £1,145 and black Herefords £1,095.
Farmers Guardian (12 Apr)

Eggs-clusive: Cost saving on food is up the pecking order at Fulham's training base
The club's hierarchy has shelled out on 12 organic, free range hens because they're convinced it's an eggs-cellent idea. This isn't a yoke or a poultry effort but a real coop as the club attempts to save £5,000 a year on catering.
The Daily Mail (11 Apr)

GM protesters dump ‘giant’ pasty at DEFRA offices
Protesters have ramped up their campaign against genetically modified wheat trials, by delivering a ‘giant’ pasty to the DEFRA offices.
Farmers Weekly (11 Apr)

Food manufacturers warned of GMO rice fraud
Food manufacturers are being warned of a possible food fraud surrounding the production of important basmati rice which could be intentionally contaminated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
Food Manufacture (11 Apr)

Livestock drug rules stiffened
Farmers and ranchers for the first time will need a prescription from a veterinarian before using antibiotics in farm animals, in hopes that more judicious use of the drugs will reduce the tens of thousands of human deaths that result each year from the drugs' overuse.
New York Times (12 Apr)

Farming Today
Farming Today travels to a Cheshire dairy farm to look at zero-grazing. As Schmallenberg disease continues to appear in Britain's dairy herds Caz Graham hears how a fungus lurking in most of our back gardens could help reduce the spread of midge-borne diseases. And as the government plans to phase out peat for use in gardening and horticulture, there are problems with some of the alternatives.
BBC Radio 4, listen again (12 Apr)

And finally…Pick up a carrot and whistle
The British Carrot Growers’ Association (BGCA) is hoping to push home the message of healthy eating by encouraging consumers to ‘whistle a tune on a carrot’.
Farmers Guardian (12 Apr)