From what I’m hearing, most of you have now finished lambing and spring drilling. For many, the potatoes are in the ground, first-cut silage is underway, and the blend of sunshine and rain is setting things up well for the season ahead.
Unfortunately, one less welcome sign of this time of year is the usual rise in reports of livestock worrying by dogs. We continue to highlight this issue in the local media. In April, I appeared on ITV Granada Reports alongside NFU members, the Bargh family, at their farm near Blackburn—once again proving I have a perfect face for radio! On a more positive note, after seven years of sustained NFU lobbying, the law has finally caught up. New powers mean police can now seize and detain dogs, take DNA samples and mouth impressions, and courts are able to impose unlimited fines for livestock attacks.
We have been contacted by Lancashire Police and Environmental Health regarding concerns that some farm premises in parts of the county may be being used for the illegal slaughter of livestock. Please remain vigilant and to report to the police any approaches from individuals seeking to buy and slaughter livestock on your premises. Further information on this issue is available further down this webpage.
Having already caused concern with proposed restrictions on tail docking and castration in lambs, it seems Defra now has the beef and dairy sector in its sights -Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR), to give it its proper name. While pig and poultry businesses have been operating under these controls for some time, the prospect of extending permitting to beef and dairy is worrying. Experience from other sectors suggests permits could cost up to £8,000 initially, with ongoing annual fees of around £2,000, which is quite an impressive way of turning fresh air, grass, and hard work into an invoice! The NFU believes this places an unnecessary burden on farm businesses and that there is a more practical, industry-led route to achieving similar outcomes. A big thank you to all members who contributed to our recent survey on this — your 920 responses will play a vital role in shaping our policy ahead of Defra’s expected consultation later this year.
We’ve been busy taking our touring rodenticide use test on the road—most recently stopping off in Skipton, Lancaster and Bury. Over 160 Lancashire members have now received their shiny Lantra certificates and are no doubt making a beeline for the local store to stock up on bait. I am hoping to squeeze in another session somewhere before the end of the year. If you still fancy doing your test through the NFU (for the bargain price of £95 plus VAT, including the ever-coveted green NFU plastic pen), get in touch with us at NFU North and we’ll let you know when the rat roadshow is heading your way!
I know many of you are eagerly awaiting further details on the new SFI scheme. We’re hoping to run a couple of events in June to guide members through the new offer, alongside some online webinar. We’ll do our best to translate policy into something resembling plain English. Please keep an eye out for updates.
For our crops members, be sure to mark Thursday 25 June in your diary. Just before harvest gets into full swing, we’ll be hosting our joint NFU and AHDB summer event in Aughton, West Lancashire, hosted by the Webster family. You’ll have the opportunity to view winter wheat Recommended List trial plots, gain valuable BASIS and NRoSO points, and hear the latest cereals policy updates from the NFU. And forget the usual sandwich buffets and hog roasts — at this event we raise the bar on catering and go full artisan with the finest, freshly baked, wood-fired pizza! Former NFU Cheshire County Chairman turned pizza maestro, Jonny Hewitt, will be firing up his portable pizza oven for us - worth attending for that alone!
Finally, another date for your diary is the NFU Lancashire Harvest Ball. Join us on Saturday 3rd October for what promises to be a fantastic evening at Ribby Hall. Tickets are now on sale, so be sure to secure your place.