2021: What made the farming news in May and June?
Our review of 2021 agricultural news continues with a look at May and June.
With springtime in full swing, Priti Patel faced farmers who were struggling to recruit staff, dog attacks on livestock soared at an alarming rate and Jeremy Clarkson spoke to us about his (lack of) farming experience and his new-found respect for the industry.
See also: Priti Patel warned of labour crisis on dairy farm visit
May
Home secretary Priti Patel was warned of a looming labour crisis in agriculture when she visited a farm in Shropshire.
Fed-up farmers told Ms Patel they would struggle to recruit workers for roles because many farm occupations, such as milkers, were not deemed to be “skilled” under the government’s new visa scheme.
© Phil Blagg Photography
Kind-hearted members of the farming community rallied to the aid of teenage eBay tractor scam victim Harvey Waters.
An online fundraising campaign raised more than £8,400 to cover the cost of the life savings the Cornish schoolboy lost – money he had saved to buy his first tractor.
UK farmers continued to report problems with blocked fuel filters in tractors and other machinery.
NFU Scotland said the addition of biofuel to red diesel was clogging up filters and causing vital machinery to break down, costing farmers valuable time and hefty repair bills.
Defra revealed plans to offer older farmers in England wanting to retire lump-sum payments of up to £100,000.
Farmers wishing to quit the industry will be able to receive their Basic Payment Scheme money up front, so creating opportunities for new entrants to access farmland. The scheme will open for applications in 2022.
The AHDB announced plans to axe up to 140 (of 473) full-time equivalent jobs as it set about scaling back its potato and horticulture operations. The changes followed the two ballot results earlier in the year.
A heifer at the centre of a bovine TB row between a dairy farmer and the Welsh government was slaughtered in an early morning swoop by police and government vets at a farm in Coybal, New Quay.
Farmer Anthony Brunt said the cow had had three inconclusive TB skin tests and five negative blood tests for the disease. He believed it should not have been killed.
Farmers urged machinery manufacturer John Deere to provide urgent solutions following reports of signal problems with its StarFire GPS satellite receivers.
A company spokesman claimed newly introduced 4G mobile phone network frequencies were behind the issues.
June
Jeremy Clarkson admitted farming was not as easy as he thought – battling red tape, extreme weather and draconian rules.
“You’ve got to be a midwife, a vet, an agronomist, a fortune teller, a businessman, a gambler, an entrepreneur, a mechanic – you have to be so many things to be a farmer, and I’m none of those,” said the TV presenter-turned-farmer, speaking ahead of the release of Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime.
© Colin Miller/MAG
Defra confirmed it will no longer issue any new intensive badger culling licences in England from 2022, as part of efforts to tackle bovine TB. Instead, work on badger vaccination, increased cattle testing and the development of a cattle vaccine would “be accelerated”.
Tens of thousands of people tuned in to watch the Royal Highland Show from the comfort of their own homes.
The Ingliston showground was closed to the public due to Covid, but the show went ahead, albeit online. There were about one-third fewer sheep entries than usual, but the quality was high.
The cost of dog attacks on livestock soared by more than 50% during the first quarter of the year, according to claims data released by NFU Mutual.
A surge in dog ownership and a lack of awareness about the need to keep pets on a lead in the countryside – especially near livestock – were blamed for the rise.
A slump in the number of full-time British farmers was predicted over the next decade, with cuts to direct farm support expected to drive many businesses into the red.
Rural business consultancy Andersons forecast that the number of full-time farm businesses would fall, from about 54,000 in 2020 to just over 42,000 by 2030.
Four EU member states tasked with evaluating glyphosate, and the renewal of its licence, concluded that the weedkiller is safe.
France, Hungary, Sweden and the Netherlands submitted their draft assessment to the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency on 15 June. Both organisations were evaluating whether to renew the licence for glyphosate which expires on 15 December 2022.
Details of a broad free-trade agreement between the UK and Australia were greeted with huge disappointment by UK farming organisations.
Beef and lamb tariffs will halt after 10 years, and after eight years for sugar. UK food and farming alliance Sustain warned British farmers “face being put out of business by low-standard, low-welfare produce from Australia”.