Today's News - 25 September 2012

"The Government's failure to act on neonicotinoid pesticides is astonishing - there is still a massive question mark over the impact of these chemicals in declining bee populations."
Friends of the Earth’s Paul de Zylva on the need to ban neonicotinoid pesticides – Farmers Weekly – 23 September 2012
Find out more about The Plight of the Honeybee.

DEFRA dismisses study linking bee deaths to pesticide use
A DEFRA report has rejected calls for a ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, dismissing the latest research findings that claim their use is having serious repercussions on UK bee colonies.
Farmers Weekly (23 Sept)
Find out more about The Plight of the Honeybee.

Anti-badger culling petition passes 100,000-signature milestone
Campaigners hope for parliamentary debate on pilot cull of protected animals now that numerical threshold is reached
The Guardian (24 Sept)
Read the Soil Association’s position on the badger cull.
New Farming Minister insists badger cull will go ahead
Farming Minister David Heath has insisted the Government remains 100 per committed to implementing pilot badger culls in England this autumn, despite growing public opposition to the policy.
Farmers Guardian (25 Sept)
RSPCA call for 'badger-friendly' milk
The RSPCA has called for ‘badger-friendly’ labels on milk and yogurt so consumers can choose dairy products that do not come from farms taking part in the controversial badger cull.
The Telegraph (25 Sept)
Sainsbury’s position statement on badger cull
Retailer Sainsbury’s has said it supports the eradication of bovine tuberculosis in response to questions about their position on a pilot badger cull and whether it will stock milk from farms taking part.
Farmers Weekly (24 Sept)

Richard Lochhead: DEFRA team must understand Scottish needs
The new DEFRA team is being urged to take into account the unique needs of Scottish farmers ahead of crucial EU talks on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) this week.
Farmers Weekly (24 Sept)

NFU launches new youth programme
The next generation of poultry farmers is set to take part in a ground-breaking new initiative to set them up with all the tools they need to ensure the sector has a bright and sustainable future.
Farmers Weekly (23 Sept)

Live sheep exports resume from Ipswich
A ferry carrying a cargo of live sheep left the port of Ipswich on Friday night, following the recent suspension of live exports from Ramsgate, according to the RSPCA.
Farmers Guardian (24 Sept)

North Korean farmers may be able to keep more crops after reforms
North Korean farmers may be allowed to keep more of their crops to sell or barter, according to several sources, in a move that could raise living standards and mark an important shift in economic policies. The north's collective farms have long struggled to feed the country's 24 million people. Around a third of the north's children are chronically malnourished, according to the United Nations World Food Programme.
The Guardian (24 Sept)

Farming Today
After the wettest summer in 100 years, Peter Gibbs from the BBC weather centre tells Farming Today that we are in the middle of an unusual weather system. Farmers growing maize as an energy crop for biogas are trialling plots of wildflowers to add to the mix. Anna Hill goes to meet Oliver Knowland who is pioneering the use of flowers for energy in the UK. As the tupping season starts for sheep, vet Nick Hart gives advise on how to lessen the risk of Schmallenberg virus.
BBC Radio 4, listen again (25 Sept)

And finally…Orphaned baby gorillas rescued in Congo – in pictures
Baby gorillas rescued from poachers are cared for at the Senkwekwe Centre in Virunga national park, Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Guardian (25 Sept)