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® BERKSHIRE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page five Continued on page five Spending Review – October Deadline Act now to secure funding LEADER Grants nts rthacker.co.uk Government ministers are under pressure to explain why local supply contracts which encouraged farmers and growers to provide fresh produce have been scrapped. “It does not matter whether it is apples, pears or food in general,” said Gordon Hend- erson, the Conservative MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey in Kent. “The government should be saying to all its departments that it is important that tax payers’ money should be going to help British farmers and growers.” Mr Henderson raised the issue in a parliamentary debate on supplying the Prison Service with food. “The government should be saying in the first instance that there is a requirement – unless t here is a n over whel m i ng benefit to the tax payer from Top-fruit growers in Kent and across England are using the results of recent trials for the first time to help save them money on spraying apple orchards to prevent scab. Agrovista, the agronomy company, has been running trials for the last three years to find out how growers can improve the efficacy of scab fungicides during the critical period for scab infection, which begins at budburst in spring. “When apple leaves are very small, it is dif ficult to wet t heir su rfaces wit h f ungi- cide,” said Paul Bennett, Agrovista’s fruit team leader. “For the past three years, we have been using different adjuvants to try to improve the fungicide activity “Scandalous” food policy attacked other arrangements – to procure British produce,” Mr Henderson told South East Fa r me r. He added that he would pursue the matter with Crispin Blunt, the Conserva- tive prisons minister and MP for Reigate in Surrey, and urge him to change the existing regime so that there is a “mecha- nism by which contracts can be let to local people.” In his speech, Mr Henderson drew Mr Blunt’s attention to Brambledown (Kent) Ltd, a business based on the Isle of Sheppey which had been supplying food and fresh produce grown on Kent farms to Kent prisons since about the time the Labour tiated individual supply contracts with six prisons in Kent. Information supplied to Mr Henderson for the parliamentary debate showed that these arrangements worked until 2007, when the former Labour government changed its procurement policy for prisons. “They scrapped local supply Cutting costs in orchards Galaxy gala, Wisbech Contract Farming: scab free gala which had Transcend included in the spray programme this season contracts and introduced a national framework contract. That contract was awarded to a company called 3663 First for Foodservice, which is part of a multinational group based in South Africa,” said Mr Hend- erson in the debate. To give an idea of the impact that the government’s policy had on individual companies, Mr Henderson said Bramble- down saw its annual income from the prison service drop from £345,000 in 2004 to just £375 in 2008. “I have spoken to a number of prison gover- nors and they have confirmed what I suspected, which is that the service and quality of food have not improved under the government came to power in 1997. Today, Brambledown runs a large farm shop and a wholsesale business supplying pubs, restaurants and cafes. Craig Condon, a director of Brambledown (Kent) Ltd with his father Edward, told South East Farmer that they had origi- nally been supplying 26 prisons indirectly through the prison service’s own in house distribu- tion centre based at HM Prison Standford Hill in Kent. When this operation ceased some six years ago, Brambledown nego- ® BUYING OR SELLING UNWANTED FARM ITEMS? WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMMACHINERY.NET PLACE YOUR FREE ADVERTISEMENT ONLINE WITH A FREE PHOTO BERKSHIRE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ESSEX, HAMPSHIRE, KENT, OXFORDSHIRE, SURREY & SUSSEX Maximise your productivity Productivity is key in any business. JCB’s comprehensive Loadall range features powerful engines and hydraulics, ergonomic cabs with easy-to-use controls, excellent visibility, manoeuvrability, cycle times and versatility. So you can do more, faster, in more comfort. With lift heights from 4.0 to 9.5m, there’s a JCB Loadall for every farm. Ask your dealer for a demonstration, call 0800 917 3325 or visit www.jcb.com A Product of Hard Work Maximise yo Uckfield 01825 880152 Adrian Woods 07831 847321 Quinten Waring 07740 935761 www.haynesagritec.co.uk Maximise your productivity ® BUYING OR SELLING UNWANTED FARM ITEMS? WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMMACHINERY.NET PLACE YOUR FREE ADVERTISEMENT ONLINE WITH A FREE PHOTO BERKSHIRE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ESSEX, HAMPSHIRE, KENT, OXFORDSHIRE, SURREY & SUSSEX FREE UPGRADE TO DGPS INTELLISTEER GUIDANCE ON CX/CR COMBINES*. *CR/CX combines must be ordered with SmartSteer. Further terms and conditions apply. NEW HOLLAND CR AND CX. PRECISION HAS NEVER BEEN SO AFFORDABLE. FREE UPGRADE TO DGPS INTELLISTEER GUIDANCE ON CX/CR COMBINES*. *CR/CX combines must be ordered with SmartSteer. Further terms and conditions apply. NEW HOLLAND CR AND CX. PRECISION HAS NEVER BEEN SO AFFORDABLE. FREE UPGRADE TO DGPS INTELLISTEER GUIDANCE ON CX/CR COMBINES*. *CR/CX combines must be ordered with SmartSteer. Further terms and conditions apply. NEW HOLLAND CR AND CX. PRECISION HAS NEVER BEEN SO AFFORDABLE. BEEN Maidstone 01622 755726 Uckfi eld 01825 841100 Lingfi eld 01342 893524 Eastry 01304 611112 www.haynes-agri.co.uk FREE UPGRADE TO DGPS INTELLISTEER GUIDANCE ON CX/CR COMBINES*. NEW HOLLAND CR AND CX. PRECISION HAS NEVER BEEN SO AFFORDABLE. FREE UPGRADE TO DGPS INTELLISTEER GUIDANCE ON CX/CR COMBINES*. *CR/CX combines must be ordered with SmartSteer. Further terms and conditions apply. NEW HOLLAND CR AND CX. PRECISION HAS NEVER BEEN SO AFFORDABLE. FREE UPGRADE TO DGPS INTELLISTEER GUIDANCE ON CX/CR COMBINES*. *CR/CX combines must be ordered with SmartSteer. Further terms and conditions apply. NEW HOLLAND CR AND CX. PRECISION HAS NEVER BEEN SO AFFORDABLE. ® BERKSHIRE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX November 2010 Continued on page five Government ministers have been warned that pesticides will continue to cost billions of pounds a year unless there is a change of policy. Don’t cut school fruit! Government ministers are being warned not to cut the free school fruit and vege- table scheme. Too little detail is available to see how the comprehensive spending review (CSR) is going to hit farming and the countryside, but there are fears the s c h e m e w i l l b e s c r u t i n i s e d i n t h e m o n t h s to come. The scheme spends £80 million annually on providing school children aged between four and six with a piece of fruit a day. “The benefits to the NHS from the scheme further down the line far outweigh the justification for cutting it,” said Robert Balicki, who grows top fruit at Chilham in Kent and is chief executive of Worldwide Fruit, one of the UK’s largest fruit marketing companies. After the CSR announcement, farmers and conservationists breathed a sigh of relief when DEFRA announced an increase in the higher level stewardship scheme which pays farmers to preserve habitats and landscape. But with the CSR slashing DEFRA’s £3 billion annual budget by 29% over the next four years, the NFU and others suspect there is more to come when the detail is published in the coming weeks and months. Although DEFRA has already unveiled plans to reduce the number of its 92 “arms length” agencies by over a half, sceptics fear the sheer size of the budget cut – bigger than many other government departments – means further losses. Even before the CSR, some of the biggest cuts to farming and rural areas in the South East had come from SEEDA, the development agency, which is to be wound up in March 2012 and had been trimmed right back by the previous Labour government. “SEEDA provided grants for storage facilities, and any loss like that is bad for growers,” said Mr Balicki. “But everyone has to support trying to reduce the national deficit and if that Contact Lucy Carnaghan to help you complete your Soil Protection Review Protect your soil... Protect your payments... Battle: 01424 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Haywards Heath: 01444 453181 Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Chemicals cost billions Campaigner Georgina Downs, who was exposed to pesticides at her West Sussex home, has written to the prime minister, the deputy use. She told the government that these costs far outweigh any potential costs of introducing new regulatory controls on pesticides, and shifting prime minister, the chancellor, and DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman to highlight the existing health and environmental costs of pesticide means there are no grants available, then that has to be accepted.” Before the CSR, there had been fears that funding to generate heat and power from farms would be hit. But Andrew Rigg, an energy expert who farms near Winchester in Hampshire, said some of these concerns had not been realised. “Everyone thought the spending review would affect solar power, but it hasn’t happened, which is good,” said Mr Rigg. “There will be no immediate change to the feed in tariff. The predictability of solar is very high compared with wind power, and there is a lot of interest in photovoltaics.” Wind farms are still a hurdle for most farmers because of the difficulties in pushing large scale developments through the planning system. The CSR did not provide any extra boost for wind farms, but Mr Rigg said the combination of smaller turbines and the feed in tariff i s p r o v i n g a t t r a c t i v e t o f a r m e r s . S p a r s h o l t College in Hampshire is putting up a small turbine. Despite the coalition’s initial enthu- siasm for anaerobic digestion, Mr Rigg added there was nothing in the CSR which would make the system more affordable for small and medium sized farms. policy to sustainable non chemical methods which don’t depend on pesticides. “The former government’s costs analysis on the use of pesticides was hopelessly flawed,” said Ms Downs. “The new coalition government cannot afford to make the same mistake.” These children were attending the National Fruit Show at Detling, Kent, to see for themselves the best of British Fruit. For a full review – turn to page 12 ® NGHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page five ministers have hat pesticides cost billions of less there is a t cut school fruit! being warned uit and vege- e to see how ng review g and the fears the e d i n e m o n t h s million hildren a piece the out- it,” ruit u- ’s s Contact Lucy Carnaghan to help you complete your Soil Protection Review www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Chemicals cost billions eorgina Downs, who was es at her West Sussex home, prime minister, the deputy use. She told the government that these costs far outweigh any potential costs of introducing new regulatory controls on pesticides, and shifting prime minister, the chancellor, and DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman to highlight the existing health and environmental costs of pesticide means there are no grants available, then that has to be accepted.” Before the CSR, there had been fears that funding to generate heat and power from farms would be hit. But Andrew Rigg, an energy expert who farms near Winchester in Hampshire, said some of these concerns had not been realised. “Everyone thought the spending review would affect solar power, but it hasn’t happened, which is good,” said Mr Rigg. “There will be no immediate change to the feed in tariff. The predictability of solar is very high compared with wind power, and there is a lot of interest in photovoltaics.” Wind farms are still a hurdle for most farmers because of the difficulties in pushing large scale developments through the planning system. The CSR did not provide any extra boost for wind farms, but Mr Rigg said the combination of smaller turbines and the feed in tariff i s p r o v i n g a t t r a c t i v e t o f a r m e r s . S p a r s h o l t College in Hampshire is putting up a mall turbine. Despite the coalition’s initial enthu- asm for anaerobic digestion, Mr Rigg ded there was nothing in the CSR ich would make the system more rdable for small and medium sized s. policy to sustainable non chemical methods which don’t depend on pesticides. “The former government’s costs analysis on the use of pesticides was hopelessly flawed,” said Ms Downs. “The new coalition government cannot afford to make the same mistake.” These children were attending the National Fruit Show at Detling, Kent, to see for themselves the best of British Fruit. For a full review – turn to page 12 ® BERKSHIRE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX November 2010 Continued on page five Government ministers have been warned that pesticides will continue to cost billions of pounds a year unless there is a change of policy. Don’t cut school fruit! Government ministers are being warned not to cut the free school fruit and vege- table scheme. Too little detail is available to see how the comprehensive spending review (CSR) is going to hit farming and the countryside, but there are fears the s c h e m e w i l l b e s c r u t i n i s e d i n t h e m o n t h s to come. The scheme spends £80 million annually on providing school children aged between four and six with a piece of fruit a day. “The benefits to the NHS from the scheme further down the line far outweigh the justification for cutting it,” said Robert Balicki, who grows top fruit at Chilham in Kent and is chief executive of Worldwide Fruit, one of the UK’s largest fruit marketing companies. After the CSR announcement, farmers and conservationists breathed a sigh of relief when DEFRA announced an increase in the higher level stewardship scheme which pays farmers to preserve habitats and landscape. But with the CSR slashing DEFRA’s £3 billion annual budget by 29% over the next four years, the NFU and others suspect there is more to come when the detail is published in the coming weeks and months. Although DEFRA has already unveiled plans to reduce the number of its 92 “arms length” agencies by over a half, sceptics fear the sheer size of the budget cut – bigger than many other government departments – means further losses. Even before the CSR, some of the biggest cuts to farming and rural areas in the South East had come from SEEDA, the development agency, which is to be wound up in March 2012 and had been trimmed right back by the previous Labour government. “SEEDA provided grants for storage facilities, and any loss like that is bad for growers,” said Mr Balicki. “But everyone has to support trying to reduce the national deficit and if that Contact Lucy Carnaghan to help you complete your Soil Protection Review Protect your soil... Protect your payments... Battle: 01424 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Haywards Heath: 01444 453181 Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Chemicals cost billions Campaigner Georgina Downs, who was exposed to pesticides at her West Sussex home, has written to the prime minister, the deputy use. She told the government that these costs far outweigh any potential costs of introducing new regulatory controls on pesticides, and shifting prime minister, the chancellor, and DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman to highlight the existing health and environmental costs of pesticide means there are no grants available, then that has to be accepted.” Before the CSR, there had been fears that funding to generate heat and power from farms would be hit. But Andrew Rigg, an energy expert who farms near Winchester in Hampshire, said some of these concerns had not been realised. “Everyone thought the spending review would affect solar power, but it hasn’t happened, which is good,” said Mr Rigg. “There will be no immediate change to the feed in tariff. The predictability of solar is very high compared with wind power, and there is a lot of interest in photovoltaics.” Wind farms are still a hurdle for most farmers because of the difficulties in pushing large scale developments through the planning system. The CSR did not provide any extra boost for wind farms, but Mr Rigg said the combination of smaller turbines and the feed in tariff i s p r o v i n g a t t r a c t i v e t o f a r m e r s . S p a r s h o l t College in Hampshire is putting up a small turbine. Despite the coalition’s initial enthu- siasm for anaerobic digestion, Mr Rigg added there was nothing in the CSR which would make the system more affordable for small and medium sized farms. policy to sustainable non chemical methods which don’t depend on pesticides. “The former government’s costs analysis on the use of pesticides was hopelessly flawed,” said Ms Downs. “The new coalition government cannot afford to make the same mistake.” These children were attending the National Fruit Show at Detling, Kent, to see for themselves the best of British Fruit. For a full review – turn to page 12 ® BERKSHIRE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page five Government ministers have been warned that pesticides will continue to cost billions of pounds a year unless there is a change of policy. Don’t cut school fruit! Government ministers are being warned not to cut the free school fruit and vege- table scheme. Too little detail is available to see how the comprehensive spending review (CSR) is going to hit farming and the countryside, but there are fears the s c h e m e w i l l b e s c r u t i n i s e d i n t h e m o n t h s to come. The scheme spends £80 million annually on providing school children aged between four and six with a piece of fruit a day. “The benefits to the NHS from the scheme further down the line far outweigh the justification for cutting it,” said Robert Balicki, who grows top fruit at Chilham in Kent and is chief executive of Worldwide Fruit, one of the UK’s largest fruit marketing companies. After the CSR announcement, farmers and conservationists breathed a sigh of relief when DEFRA announced an increase in the higher level stewardship scheme which pays farmers to preserve habitats and landscape. But with the CSR slashing DEFRA’s £3 billion annual budget by 29% over the next four years, the NFU and others suspect there is more to come when the detail is published in the coming weeks and months. Although DEFRA has already unveiled plans to reduce the number of its 92 “arms length” agencies by over a half, sceptics fear the sheer size of the budget cut – bigger than many other government departments – means further losses. Even before the CSR, some of the biggest cuts to farming and rural areas in the South East had come from SEEDA, the development agency, which is to be wound up in March 2012 and had been trimmed right back by the previous Labour government. “SEEDA provided grants for storage facilities, and any loss like that is bad for growers,” said Mr Balicki. “But everyone has to support trying to reduce the national deficit and if that Contact Lucy Carnaghan to help you complete your Soil Protection Review Protect your soil... Protect your payments... Battle: 01424 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Haywards Heath: 01444 453181 Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Chemicals cost billions Campaigner Georgina Downs, who was exposed to pesticides at her West Sussex home, has written to the prime minister, the deputy use. She told the government that these costs far outweigh any potential costs of introducing new regulatory controls on pesticides, and shifting prime minister, the chancellor, and DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman to highlight the existing health and environmental costs of pesticide means there are no grants available, then that has to be accepted.” Before the CSR, there had been fears that funding to generate heat and power from farms would be hit. But Andrew Rigg, an energy expert who farms near Winchester in Hampshire, said some of these concerns had not been realised. “Everyone thought the spending review would affect solar power, but it hasn’t happened, which is good,” said Mr Rigg. “There will be no immediate change to the feed in tariff. The predictability of solar is very high compared with wind power, and there is a lot of interest in photovoltaics.” Wind farms are still a hurdle for most farmers because of the difficulties in pushing large scale developments through the planning system. The CSR did not provide any extra boost for wind farms, but Mr Rigg said the combination of smaller turbines and the feed in tariff i s p r o v i n g a t t r a c t i v e t o f a r m e r s . S p a r s h o l t College in Hampshire is putting up a small turbine. Despite the coalition’s initial enthu- siasm for anaerobic digestion, Mr Rigg added there was nothing in the CSR which would make the system more affordable for small and medium sized farms. policy to sustainable non chemical methods which don’t depend on pesticides. “The former government’s costs analysis on the use of pesticides was hopelessly flawed,” said Ms Downs. “The new coalition government cannot afford to make the same mistake.” These children were attending the National Fruit Show at Detling, Kent, to see for themselves the best of British Fruit. For a full review – turn to page 12 ® BERKSHIRE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page five Government ministers have been warned that pesticides will continue to cost billions of pounds a year unless there is a change of policy. Don’t cut school fruit! Government ministers are being warned not to cut the free school fruit and vege- table scheme. Too little detail is available to see how the comprehensive spending review (CSR) is going to hit farming and the countryside, but there are fears the s c h e m e w i l l b e s c r u t i n i s e d i n t h e m o n t h s to come. The scheme spends £80 million annually on providing school children aged between four and six with a piece of fruit a day. “The benefits to the NHS from the scheme further down the line far outweigh the justification for cutting it,” said Robert Balicki, who grows top fruit at Chilham in Kent and is chief executive of Worldwide Fruit, one of the UK’s largest fruit marketing companies. After the CSR announcement, farmers and conservationists breathed a sigh of relief when DEFRA announced an increase in the higher level stewardship scheme which pays farmers to preserve habitats and landscape. But with the CSR slashing DEFRA’s £3 billion annual budget by 29% over the next four years, the NFU and others suspect there is more to come when the detail is published in the coming weeks and months. Although DEFRA has already unveiled plans to reduce the number of its 92 “arms length” agencies by over a half, sceptics fear the sheer size of the budget cut – bigger than many other government departments – means further losses. Even before the CSR, some of the biggest cuts to farming and rural areas in the South East had come from SEEDA, the development agency, which is to be wound up in March 2012 and had been trimmed right back by the previous Labour government. “SEEDA provided grants for storage facilities, and any loss like that is bad for growers,” said Mr Balicki. “But everyone has to support trying to reduce the national deficit and if that Contact Lucy Carnaghan to help you complete your Soil Protection Review Protect your soil... Protect your payments... Battle: 01424 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Haywards Heath: 01444 453181 Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Chemicals cost billions Campaigner Georgina Downs, who was exposed to pesticides at her West Sussex home, has written to the prime minister, the deputy use. She told the government that these costs far outweigh any potential costs of introducing new regulatory controls on pesticides, and shifting prime minister, the chancellor, and DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman to highlight the existing health and environmental costs of pesticide means there are no grants available, then that has to be accepted.” Before the CSR, there had been fears that funding to generate heat and power from farms would be hit. But Andrew Rigg, an energy expert who farms near Winchester in Hampshire, said some of these concerns had not been realised. “Everyone thought the spending review would affect solar power, but it hasn’t happened, which is good,” said Mr Rigg. “There will be no immediate change to the feed in tariff. The predictability of solar is very high compared with wind power, and there is a lot of interest in photovoltaics.” Wind farms are still a hurdle for most farmers because of the difficulties in pushing large scale developments through the planning system. The CSR did not provide any extra boost for wind farms, but Mr Rigg said the combination of smaller turbines and the feed in tariff i s p r o v i n g a t t r a c t i v e t o f a r m e r s . S p a r s h o l t College in Hampshire is putting up a small turbine. Despite the coalition’s initial enthu- siasm for anaerobic digestion, Mr Rigg added there was nothing in the CSR which would make the system more affordable for small and medium sized farms. policy to sustainable non chemical methods which don’t depend on pesticides. “The former government’s costs analysis on the use of pesticides was hopelessly flawed,” said Ms Downs. “The new coalition government cannot afford to make the same mistake.” These children were attending the National Fruit Show at Detling, Kent, to see for themselves the best of British Fruit. For a full review – turn to page 12 ® BERKSHIRE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page five Government ministers have been warned that pesticides will continue to cost billions of pounds a year unless there is a change of policy. Don’t cut school fruit! Government ministers are being warned not to cut the free school fruit and vege- table scheme. Too little detail is available to see how the comprehensive spending review (CSR) is going to hit farming and the countryside, but there are fears the s c h e m e w i l l b e s c r u t i n i s e d i n t h e m o n t h s to come. The scheme spends £80 million annually on providing school children aged between four and six with a piece of fruit a day. “The benefits to the NHS from the scheme further down the line far outweigh the justification for cutting it,” said Robert Balicki, who grows top fruit at Chilham in Kent and is chief executive of Worldwide Fruit, one of the UK’s largest fruit marketing companies. After the CSR announcement, farmers and conservationists breathed a sigh of relief when DEFRA announced an increase in the higher level stewardship scheme which pays farmers to preserve habitats and landscape. But with the CSR slashing DEFRA’s £3 billion annual budget by 29% over the next four years, the NFU and others suspect there is more to come when the detail is published in the coming weeks and months. Although DEFRA has already unveiled plans to reduce the number of its 92 “arms length” agencies by over a half, sceptics fear the sheer size of the budget cut – bigger than many other government departments – means further losses. Even before the CSR, some of the biggest cuts to farming and rural areas in the South East had come from SEEDA, the development agency, which is to be wound up in March 2012 and had been trimmed right back by the previous Labour government. “SEEDA provided grants for storage facilities, and any loss like that is bad for growers,” said Mr Balicki. “But everyone has to support trying to reduce the national deficit and if that Contact Lucy Carnaghan to help you complete your Soil Protection Review Protect your soil... Protect your payments... Battle: 01424 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Haywards Heath: 01444 453181 Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Chemicals cost billions Campaigner Georgina Downs, who was exposed to pesticides at her West Sussex home, has written to the prime minister, the deputy use. She told the government that these costs far outweigh any potential costs of introducing new regulatory controls on pesticides, and shifting prime minister, the chancellor, and DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman to highlight the existing health and environmental costs of pesticide means there are no grants available, then that has to be accepted.” Before the CSR, there had been fears that funding to generate heat and power from farms would be hit. But Andrew Rigg, an energy expert who farms near Winchester in Hampshire, said some of these concerns had not been realised. “Everyone thought the spending review would affect solar power, but it hasn’t happened, which is good,” said Mr Rigg. “There will be no immediate change to the feed in tariff. The predictability of solar is very high compared with wind power, and there is a lot of interest in photovoltaics.” Wind farms are still a hurdle for most farmers because of the difficulties in pushing large scale developments through the planning system. The CSR did not provide any extra boost for wind farms, but Mr Rigg said the combination of smaller turbines and the feed in tariff i s p r o v i n g a t t r a c t i v e t o f a r m e r s . S p a r s h o l t College in Hampshire is putting up a small turbine. Despite the coalition’s initial enthu- siasm for anaerobic digestion, Mr Rigg added there was nothing in the CSR which would make the system more affordable for small and medium sized farms. policy to sustainable non chemical methods which don’t depend on pesticides. “The former government’s costs analysis on the use of pesticides was hopelessly flawed,” said Ms Downs. “The new coalition government cannot afford to make the same mistake.” These children were attending the National Fruit Show at Detling, Kent, to see for themselves the best of British Fruit. For a full review – turn to page 12 ® BERKSHIRE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page five Government ministers have been warned that pesticides will continue to cost billions of pounds a year unless there is a change of policy. Don’t cut school fruit! Government ministers are being warned not to cut the free school fruit and vege- table scheme. Too little detail is available to see how the comprehensive spending review (CSR) is going to hit farming and the countryside, but there are fears the s c h e m e w i l l b e s c r u t i n i s e d i n t h e m o n t h s to come. The scheme spends £80 million annually on providing school children aged between four and six with a piece of fruit a day. “The benefits to the NHS from the scheme further down the line far outweigh the justification for cutting it,” said Robert Balicki, who grows top fruit at Chilham in Kent and is chief executive of Worldwide Fruit, one of the UK’s largest fruit marketing companies. After the CSR announcement, farmers and conservationists breathed a sigh of relief when DEFRA announced an increase in the higher level stewardship scheme which pays farmers to preserve habitats and landscape. But with the CSR slashing DEFRA’s £3 billion annual budget by 29% over the next four years, the NFU and others suspect there is more to come when the detail is published in the coming weeks and months. Although DEFRA has already unveiled plans to reduce the number of its 92 “arms length” agencies by over a half, sceptics fear the sheer size of the budget cut – bigger than many other government departments – means further losses. Even before the CSR, some of the biggest cuts to farming and rural areas in the South East had come from SEEDA, the development agency, which is to be wound up in March 2012 and had been trimmed right back by the previous Labour government. “SEEDA provided grants for storage facilities, and any loss like that is bad for growers,” said Mr Balicki. “But everyone has to support trying to reduce the national deficit and if that Contact Lucy Carnaghan to help you complete your Soil Protection Review Protect your soil... Protect your payments... Battle: 01424 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Haywards Heath: 01444 453181 Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Chemicals cost billions Campaigner Georgina Downs, who was exposed to pesticides at her West Sussex home, has written to the prime minister, the deputy use. She told the government that these costs far outweigh any potential costs of introducing new regulatory controls on pesticides, and shifting prime minister, the chancellor, and DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman to highlight the existing health and environmental costs of pesticide means there are no grants available, then that has to be accepted.” Before the CSR, there had been fears that funding to generate heat and power from farms would be hit. But Andrew Rigg, an energy expert who farms near Winchester in Hampshire, said some of these concerns had not been realised. “Everyone thought the spending review would affect solar power, but it hasn’t happened, which is good,” said Mr Rigg. “There will be no immediate change to the feed in tariff. The predictability of solar is very high compared with wind power, and there is a lot of interest in photovoltaics.” Wind farms are still a hurdle for most farmers because of the difficulties in pushing large scale developments through the planning system. The CSR did not provide any extra boost for wind farms, but Mr Rigg said the combination of smaller turbines and the feed in tariff i s p r o v i n g a t t r a c t i v e t o f a r m e r s . S p a r s h o l t College in Hampshire is putting up a small turbine. Despite the coalition’s initial enthu- siasm for anaerobic digestion, Mr Rigg added there was nothing in the CSR which would make the system more affordable for small and medium sized farms. policy to sustainable non chemical methods which don’t depend on pesticides. “The former government’s costs analysis on the use of pesticides was hopelessly flawed,” said Ms Downs. “The new coalition government cannot afford to make the same mistake.” These children were attending the National Fruit Show at Detling, Kent, to see for themselves the best of British Fruit. For a full review – turn to page 12 ® SEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX November 2010 Continued on page five t school fruit! Contact Lucy Carnaghan to help you complete your Soil Protection Review www.batchellerthacker.co.uk 01892 509280 Chemicals ost billions who was sex home, e deputy use. She told the government that these costs far outweigh any potential costs of introducing new regulatory controls on pesticides, and shifting prime minister, the chancellor, and DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman to highlight the existing health and environmental costs of pesticide eans there are no grants available, then t has to be accepted.” fore the CSR, there had been fears funding to generate heat and power farms would be hit. But Andrew an energy expert who farms near ester in Hampshire, said some of oncerns had not been realised. ne thought the spending review ffect solar power, but it hasn’t , which is good,” said Mr Rigg. ill be no immediate change to tariff. The predictability of y high compared with wind there is a lot of interest in s.” are still a hurdle for most use of the difficulties rge scale developments nning system. The CSR any extra boost for wind g said the combination s and the feed in tariff t t r a c t i v e t o f a r m e r s . S p a r s h o l t hire is putting up a ion’s initial enthu- digestion, Mr Rigg thing in the CSR he system more d medium sized policy to sustainable non chemical methods which don’t depend on pesticides. “The former government’s costs analysis on the use of pesticides was hopelessly flawed,” said Ms Downs. “The new coalition government cannot afford to make the same mistake.” These children were attending the National Fruit Show at Detling, Kent, to see for themselves the best of British Fruit. For a full review – turn to page 12 ® SSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Is your land suitable for Development? 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Continued on page five Continued on page four n - inks between cancer d food are unproven concern over what they said were flawed figures in a report from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). The initial report, first published in 2007, has been used as proof of a link between eating red meat and developing cancer. Subsequently, said the NFU and EBLEX, two scientists highlighted number of mistakes in the WCRF report, ncluding analytical inconsistencies and data extraction errors in the evidence. After eight years of complex work, a Food Standards Agency (FSA) report on meat and iron is expected to be published soon. This has drawn on work by the scientific advi- sory committee on nutrition (SACN), whose draft report on iron and health examined concerns about possible links between red and processed meat intake and colorectal cancer. Red and processed meat are good sources of iron. SACN’s draft conclusions cited the WCRF report on the impact of cutting red meat on the nation’s iron levels, and the meat industry will be keen to ensure that any resulting advice from the FSA is based on sound data. As well as the controversy over the WRCF report and the impending FSA study, the most recent European EPIC survey found that eating more fruit and vegetables has only a modest effect on protecting against c a n c e r. The study raises questions about whether the government’s much publicised “five a day” campaign to persuade people to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables will have any impact on cancer rates. The team of researchers, including Professor Key, esti- mated that only around 2.5% of cancers could be averted by increasing intake. Yet most experts still stress that eating fruit and vegetables is still key to good health. In 1990, the World Health Organisation recommended that everyone consume at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day to prevent cancer and other chronic diseases. The advice has formed a cen- tral plank of public health campaigns in many developed countries. It has been promoted in the UK since 2003 and in the rompt rethink farmland bird numbers across the South East. Arable farms are in the front line of the campaign to reverse that decline. The latest regional farm bird index published ® IRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page five Continued on page five Spending Review – October Deadline Act now to secure funding Battle: 01424 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Top-fruit growers in Kent and across England are using the results of recent trials for the first time to help save them money on spraying apple orchards to prevent scab. Agrovista, the agronomy company, has been running trials for the last three years to find out how growers can improve the efficacy of scab fungicides during the critical period for scab infection, which begins at budburst in spring. “When apple leaves are very small, it is dif ficult to wet t heir su rfaces wit h f ungi- cide,” said Paul Bennett, Agrovista’s fruit team leader. “For the past three years, we have been using different adjuvants to try to improve the fungicide activity ndalous” food cy attacked by which contracts can be let to local ple.” his speech, Mr Henderson drew Mr nt’s attention to Brambledown (Kent) , a business based on the Isle of Sheppey ich had been supplying food and fresh oduce grown on Kent farms to Kent isons since about the time the Labour tiated individual supply contracts with six prisons in Kent. Information supplied to Mr Henderson for the parliamentary debate showed that these arrangements worked until 2007, when the former Labour government changed its procurement policy for prisons. “They scrapped local supply s in orchards e gala which this season contracts and introduced a national framework contract. That contract was awarded to a company called 3663 First for Foodservice, which is part of a multinational group based in South Africa,” said Mr Hend- erson in the debate. To give an idea of the impact that the government’s policy had on individual companies, Mr Henderson said Bramble- down saw its annual income from the prison service drop from £345,000 in 2004 to just £375 in 2008. “I have spoken to a number of prison gover- nors and they have confirmed what I suspected, which is that the service and quality of food have not improved under the government came to power in 1997. Today, Brambledown runs a large farm shop and a wholsesale business supplying pubs, restaurants and cafes. Craig Condon, a director of Brambledown (Kent) Ltd with his father Edward, told South East Farmer that they had origi- nally been supplying 26 prisons indirectly through the prison service’s own in house distribu- tion centre based at HM Prison Standford Hill in Kent. When this operation ceased some six years ago, Brambledown nego- ® HIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page five Continued on page four For more information on Renewables Contact Oliver Robinson MRICS www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Cuts will hurt arm finances in fortunes for birds such as corn bunting, grey partridge and lapwing,” said Bruce owkes, the RSPB’s farmland adviser in he South East. “To see the hard work of rmers supported by agri environment hemes go to waste would be a tragedy.” ohn Archer, environment and land e adviser to the NFU in the South East, nted out that DEFRA statements had spent locally. For every £1 invested in HLS, £1.43 is spent within a 40 minute drive of the agreement holder. “This means if HLS was cut, contractors, suppliers and local shops would all feel the pinch,” said the RSPB. If HLS payments were not as attractive because they had been cut, Mr Archer assumed that some farmers would drop repeatedly given a “high pri- ority” to biodiversity, which could indicate a reluctance to cut the green schemes. But if cuts were introduced, they would affect the commercial viability of farms. “In my per- s on a l opi n ion, a g r i env i r on ment payments such as those under environmental stewardship act as an incentive for as long as market returns are low.” The RSPB cited a recent DEFRA study which showed that 80% of all environmental stewardship expenditure is out of environmental stewardship. “But a lot of farmers are ethically committed to environmental management and would never abandon stewardship now they are in it.” DEFRA could decided to leave HLS and the other schemes in environmental stewardship untouched and reduce the number of staff at Natural England which administer the schemes instead. And even if HLS funding is cut, existing contracts under HLS will be unaffected: these have ten years to run with a break clause after five years. In the case of ELS, the contracts run for five years. e pays farmers ect environment is running a special project to encourage more visit farms across the South East. tional “one million children outdoors” pro- been running for the last two years, Natural g with Farming and Countryside Education pported by the NFU and the Royal Agricul- and. mme aims to allow more school children on ture reserves and to see the results of envi- ip, a scheme which pays farmers to protect y Crook, Natural England’s education spe- t, said that the region had been particularly children national nature reserves, partly Lapwing ® BUYING OR SELLING UNWANTED FARM ITEMS? WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMMACHINERY.NET PLACE YOUR FREE ADVERTISEMENT ONLINE WITH A FREE PHOTO BERKSHIRE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ESSEX, HAMPSHIRE, KENT, OXFORDSHIRE, SURREY & SUSSEX Maximise your productivity Productivity is key in any business. JCB’s comprehensive Loadall range features powerful engines and hydraulics, ergonomic cabs with easy-to-use controls, excellent visibility, manoeuvrability, cycle times and versatility. So you can do more, faster, in more comfort. With lift heights from 4.0 to 9.5m, there’s a JCB Loadall for every farm. Ask your dealer for a demonstration, call 0800 917 3325 or visit www.jcb.com A Product of Hard Work Maximise you Uckfield 01825 880152 Adrian Woods 07831 847321 Quinten Waring 07740 935761 www.haynesagritec.co.uk Maximise your productivity ® BERKSHIRE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page five Continued on page four For more information on Renewables Contact Oliver Robinson MRICS Looking to profit from Power? Battle: 01424 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Haywards Heath: 01444 453181 Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 G o v e r n m e n t c u t s i n t h e forthcoming comprehensive spending review could hit the funding of green schemes which have proved popular with farmers. Both the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the NFU are warning that the finances of some farms will suffer if DEFRA funding of the rural development programme for England (RDPE) is cut. Environmental stewardship, which pays farmers to protect the environment, is funded by the RDPE, and split into an entry level scheme (ELS), an organic scheme and higher level stewardship (HLS). The concern is that October’s comprehensive spending review will focus on HLS, cutting the funds which farmers spend on habitat protection and special landscape features, for example. Cuts will hurt farm finances In the South East, the loss of support for wildlife friendly farming through HLS would threaten farmers trying to reverse the decline of farmland birds, according to the RSPB. Farmland bird numbers have fallen further in the region than elsewhere, and the RSPB fears that any cuts will harm efforts to halt the trend. “In the South East it could mean a reverse in fortunes for birds such as corn bunting, grey partridge and lapwing,” said Bruce Fowkes, the RSPB’s farmland adviser in the South East. “To see the hard work of farmers supported by agri environment schemes go to waste would be a tragedy.” John Archer, environment and land use adviser to the NFU in the South East, pointed out that DEFRA statements had spent locally. For every £1 invested in HLS, £1.43 is spent within a 40 minute drive of the agreement holder. “This means if HLS was cut, contractors, suppliers and local shops would all feel the pinch,” said the RSPB. If HLS payments were not as attractive because they had been cut, Mr Archer assumed that some farmers would drop repeatedly given a “high pri- ority” to biodiversity, which could indicate a reluctance to cut the green schemes. But if cuts were introduced, they would affect the commercial viability of farms. “In my per- s on a l opi n ion, a g r i env i r on ment payments such as those under environmental stewardship act as an incentive for as long as market returns are low.” The RSPB cited a recent DEFRA study which showed that 80% of all environmental stewardship expenditure is out of environmental stewardship. “But a lot of farmers are ethically committed to environmental management and would never abandon stewardship now they are in it.” DEFRA could decided to leave HLS and the other schemes in environmental stewardship untouched and reduce the number of staff at Natural England which administer the schemes instead. And even if HLS funding is cut, existing contracts under HLS will be unaffected: these have ten years to run with a break clause after five years. In the case of ELS, the contracts run for five years. Scheme pays farmers to protect environment Natural England is running a special project to encourage more school children to visit farms across the South East. As part of the national “one million children outdoors” programme which has been running for the last two years, Natural England is working with Farming and Countryside Education (FACE), which is supported by the NFU and the Royal Agricul- tural Society of England. The national programme aims to allow more school children on to farms, national nature reserves and to see the results of environmental stewardship, a scheme which pays farmers to protect the environment. Jenny Crook, Natural England’s education spe- cialist in the South East, said that the region had been particularly successful at showing children national nature reserves, partly Lapwing ® BUYING OR SELLING UNWANTED FARM ITEMS? WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMMACHINERY.NET PLACE YOUR FREE ADVERTISEMENT ONLINE WITH A FREE PHOTO CKINGHAMSHIRE, ESSEX, HAMPSHIRE, KENT, OXFORDSHIRE, SURREY & SUSSEX tures powerful llent visibility, ore comfort. .jcb.com A Product of Hard Work Maximise your pro ckfield 01825 880152 47321 Quinten Waring 07740 935761 haynesagritec.co.uk aximise your productivity ® GHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page five inisters have at pesticides ost billions of less there is a t cut school fruit! being warned it and vege- to see how g review and the ears the d i n t h e m o n t h s million ildren piece the out- it,” uit u- ’s Contact Lucy Carnaghan to help you complete your Soil Protection Review www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Chemicals cost billions orgina Downs, who was es at her West Sussex home, rime minister, the deputy use. She told the government that these costs far outweigh any potential costs of introducing new regulatory controls on pesticides, and shifting prime minister, the chancellor, and DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman to highlight the existing health and environmental costs of pesticide means there are no grants available, then that has to be accepted.” Before the CSR, there had been fears that funding to generate heat and power from farms would be hit. But Andrew Rigg, an energy expert who farms near Winchester in Hampshire, said some of these concerns had not been realised. “Everyone thought the spending review would affect solar power, but it hasn’t happened, which is good,” said Mr Rigg. “There will be no immediate change to the feed in tariff. The predictability of solar is very high compared with wind power, and there is a lot of interest in photovoltaics.” Wind farms are still a hurdle for most farmers because of the difficulties in pushing large scale developments through the planning system. The CSR did not provide any extra boost for wind farms, but Mr Rigg said the combination of smaller turbines and the feed in tariff i s p r o v i n g a t t r a c t i v e t o f a r m e r s . S p a r s h o l t ollege in Hampshire is putting up a all turbine. espite the coalition’s initial enthu- sm for anaerobic digestion, Mr Rigg ed there was nothing in the CSR ch would make the system more dable for small and medium sized . policy to sustainable non chemical methods which don’t depend on pesticides. “The former government’s costs analysis on the use of pesticides was hopelessly flawed,” said Ms Downs. “The new coalition government cannot afford to make the same mistake.” These children were attending the National Fruit Show at Detling, Kent, to see for themselves the best of British Fruit. For a full review – turn to page 12 ® . MAIN DEALERS on in Kent, offers full sales, s-at-Wade please ask for details Sales Contacts Quinten Waring 07740 935761 Andi Taranczuk 07841 817643 E US AT THE AGRI-EXPO (SE) N 1 MARCH Read our first ever What’s new? section on pages 40 - 49 a monthly review of new farm equipment ® BERKSHIRE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page four Contact Canan Clatworthy MRTPI For your free planning appraisal 01892 509280 Planning for Change in 2011? Battle: 01424 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Haywards Heath: 01444 453181 Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Scientists and farmers are concerned that the criteria for the proposed badger cull to control TB in cattle could end up excluding the South East’s main area for the disease. If the cull – which is currently South East could miss out on badger cull out to consultation – was only carried out in areas with a high incidence of the disease, then this could leave out the South East enclave in East Sussex where the disease has been endemic for some years. DEFRA, organised the consultation, and may find it attractive to only include high incidence areas in the cull as this would diminish the chances of judicial chal- in conjunction with the Badger Protection Act, culling is already allowed for disease control purposes. To avoid judicial review of its culling plans, the government needs to show badgers are infected with TB in a given area. But DEFRA does not know what the levels of TB are in badgers, because it does not test them. So the consultation proposes that culling is only licenced in areas where there is a high TB incidence and in parishes where there is annual testing for the disease. In its favour, the East Sussex enclave does have evidence of badger infection, because the disease is spoligotype 13, which is peculiar to the area and has recently been detected in badgers there. The other argu- ment which has been used in support of the enclave is that it has hard boundaries such as a road and railway which make it more likely that the disease has been con- tained. But recently, the Surrey Wildlife Trust has found a badger with spoligotype 13 which had wandered north of the A27, one of the hard boundaries around the enclave. This, as well as the rate of infection in herds, could weaken the enclave’s case for a cull. It could also mean that a ring of badger vaccination will have to be done outside the enclave to dampen down any perturbation effect from the eventual cull: this could take many years. With evidence of badger infection the NFU and other organisations would argue Green warning from France has adopted compulsory ecological set aside at a rate of three per cent in the first year. The move means that French farmers will have to introduce green measures on to their farms in return for the single farm payment (SFP). The aim is to regain the ecological benefits which were said to be lost when set aside was aban- doned some years ago. France’s decision is significant for two reasons. Firstly, UK farmers are being asked to implement green measures voluntarily under the campaign for the farmed environment (CFE) to stave off the threat of six per cent set aside when the CFE stops in 2012. Secondly, the European Commis- sion is already talking of including French style compulsory ecological set aside in its plans to reform the common agricultural policy (CAP) by 2013/2014. “French farmers will be required to set aside up to 5% of their land in 2012,” said Andrew Clark, the NFU’s head of policy. “This is a smaller per- centage than the average of set aside historically. But it will be part of the cross compliance conditions for receiving SFP, and the approach has been picked up by the European Commission in its communication on the CAP as one of the ways Continued on page five A major portfolio from London and Continental Railways has come onto the market as a result of comple- tion of the works associated with the construction of the High Speed 1 Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Look inside for our 20 page End of Year Property Review and other land and farms for sale – turn to page 27. Property review lenges from the badger protection lobby. “It is certainly a concern,” said Mall Hovi, regional veterinary lead for Animal Health, the DEFRA agency. The incidence of TB in herds in the South West, for example, is running at between ten and 20% a year, compared with an incidence of between four and six per cent in the South East. “It is a per- tinent point because it could be argued that a cull is not justi- fied in the TB free areas of the country,” said Dr Hovi. Under the Animal Health Act In a foretaste of what could happen on UK farms, France ® BERKSHIRE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page four Contact Canan Clatworthy MRTPI For your free planning appraisal 01892 509280 Planning for Change in 2011? Battle: 01424 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Haywards Heath: 01444 453181 Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Scientists and farmers are concerned that the criteria for the proposed badger cull to control TB in cattle could end up excluding the South East’s main area for the disease. If the cull – which is currently South East could miss out on badger cull out to consultation – was only carried out in areas with a high incidence of the disease, then this could leave out the South East enclave in East Sussex where the disease has been endemic for some years. DEFRA, organised the consultation, and may find it attractive to only include high incidence areas in the cull as this would diminish the chances of judicial chal- in conjunction with the Badger Protection Act, culling is already allowed for disease control purposes. To avoid judicial review of its culling plans, the government needs to show badgers are infected with TB in a given area. But DEFRA does not know what the levels of TB are in badgers, because it does not test them. So the consultation proposes that culling is only licenced in areas where there is a high TB incidence and in parishes where there is annual testing for the disease. In its favour, the East Sussex enclave does have evidence of badger infection, because the disease is spoligotype 13, which is peculiar to the area and has recently been detected in badgers there. The other argu- ment which has been used in support of the enclave is that it has hard boundaries such as a road and railway which make it more likely that the disease has been con- tained. But recently, the Surrey Wildlife Trust has found a badger with spoligotype 13 which had wandered north of the A27, one of the hard boundaries around the enclave. This, as well as the rate of infection in herds, could weaken the enclave’s case for a cull. It could also mean that a ring of badger vaccination will have to be done outside the enclave to dampen down any perturbation effect from the eventual cull: this could take many years. With evidence of badger infection the NFU and other organisations would argue Green warning from France has adopted compulsory ecological set aside at a rate of three per cent in the first year. The move means that French farmers will have to introduce green measures on to their farms in return for the single farm payment (SFP). The aim is to regain the ecological benefits which were said to be lost when set aside was aban- doned some years ago. France’s decision is significant for two reasons. Firstly, UK farmers are being asked to implement green measures voluntarily under the campaign for the farmed environment (CFE) to stave off the threat of six per cent set aside when the CFE stops in 2012. Secondly, the European Commis- sion is already talking of including French style compulsory ecological set aside in its plans to reform the common agricultural policy (CAP) by 2013/2014. “French farmers will be required to set aside up to 5% of their land in 2012,” said Andrew Clark, the NFU’s head of policy. “This is a smaller per- centage than the average of set aside historically. But it will be part of the cross compliance conditions for receiving SFP, and the approach has been picked up by the European Commission in its communication on the CAP as one of the ways Continued on page five A major portfolio from London and Continental Railways has come onto the market as a result of comple- tion of the works associated with the construction of the High Speed 1 Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Look inside for our 20 page End of Year Property Review and other land and farms for sale – turn to page 27. Property review lenges from the badger protection lobby. “It is certainly a concern,” said Mall Hovi, regional veterinary lead for Animal Health, the DEFRA agency. The incidence of TB in herds in the South West, for example, is running at between ten and 20% a year, compared with an incidence of between four and six per cent in the South East. “It is a per- tinent point because it could be argued that a cull is not justi- fied in the TB free areas of the country,” said Dr Hovi. Under the Animal Health Act In a foretaste of what could happen on UK farms, France ESSEX HAMPSHIRE KENT OXFORDSHIRE SURREY SUSSEX Continued on page five Government ministers have been warned that pesticides will continue to cost billions of pounds a year unless there is a change of policy. Don’t cut school fruit! Government ministers are being warned not to cut the free school fruit and vege- table scheme. Too little detail is available to see how the comprehensive spending review (CSR) is going to hit farming and the countryside, but there are fears the s c h e m e w i l l b e s c r u t i n i s e d i n t h e m o n t h s to come. The scheme spends £80 million annually on providing school children aged between four and six with a piece of fruit a day. “The benefits to the NHS from the scheme further down the line far outweigh the justification for cutting it,” said Robert Balicki, who grows top fruit at Chilham in Kent and is chief executive of Worldwide Fruit, one of the UK’s largest fruit marketing companies. After the CSR announcement, farmers and conservationists breathed a sigh of relief when DEFRA announced an increase in the higher level stewardship scheme which pays farmers to preserve habitats and landscape. But with the CSR slashing DEFRA’s £3 billion annual budget by 29% over the next four years, the NFU and others suspect there is more to come when the detail is published in the coming weeks and months. Although DEFRA has already unveiled plans to reduce the number of its 92 “arms length” agencies by over a half, sceptics fear the sheer size of the budget cut – bigger than many other government departments – means further losses. Even before the CSR, some of the biggest cuts to farming and rural areas in the South East had come from SEEDA, the development agency, which is to be wound up in March 2012 and had been trimmed right back by the previous Labour government. “SEEDA provided grants for storage facilities, and any loss like that is bad for growers,” said Mr Balicki. “But everyone has to support trying to reduce the national deficit and if that Contact Lucy Carnaghan to help you complete your Soil Protection Review Protect your soil... Protect your payments... Battle: 01424 775577 www.batchellerthacker.co.uk Haywards Heath: 01444 453181 Tunbridge Wells: 01892 509280 Chemicals cost billions Campaigner Georgina Downs, who was exposed to pesticides at her West Sussex home, has written to the prime minister, the deputy use. She told the government that these costs far outweigh any potential costs of introducing new regulatory controls on pesticides, and shifting prime minister, the chancellor, and DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman to highlight the existing health and environmental costs of pesticide means there are no grants available, then that has to be accepted.” Before the CSR, there had been fears that funding to generate heat and power from farms would be hit. But Andrew Rigg, an energy expert who farms near Winchester in Hampshire, said some of these concerns had not been realised. “Everyone thought the spending review would affect solar power, but it hasn’t happened, which is good,” said Mr Rigg. “There will be no immediate change to the feed in tariff. The predictability of solar is very high compared with wind power, and there is a lot of interest in photovoltaics.” Wind farms are still a hurdle for most farmers because of the difficulties in pushing large scale developments through the planning system. The CSR did not provide any extra boost for wind farms, but Mr Rigg said the combination of smaller turbines and the feed in tariff i s p r o v i n g a t t r a c t i v e t o f a r m e r s . S p a r s h o l t College in Hampshire is putting up a small turbine. Despite the coalition’s initial enthu- siasm for anaerobic digestion, Mr Rigg added there was nothing in the CSR which would make the system more affordable for small and medium sized farms. policy to sustainable non chemical methods which don’t depend on pesticides. “The former government’s costs analysis on the use of pesticides was hopelessly flawed,” said Ms Downs. “The new coalition government cannot afford to make the same mistake.” These children were attending the National Fruit Show at Detling, Kent, to see for themselves the best of British Fruit. For a full review – turn to page 12 ® BUYING OR SELLING UNWANTED FARM ITEMS? WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMMACHINERY.NET PLACE YOUR FREE ADVERTISEMENT ONLINE WITH A FRE
Exciting new show – first of its kind! Agri-Expo (SE) may be the most ambitious new event to be hosted at the Kent Showground by the Kent County Agricultural Society (KCAS) for many years, but it’s also the one that seems the most likely to succeed. Exhibitors, sponsors and supporters agree that with the nearest alternative large-scale machinery show a half-day’s drive away, this is an event that farmers across the South East have been crying out for. The showground’s executive manager Roger Moore is confident that the new show will be a success this year and into the future. “RAMSAK, KCAS and South East Farmer as media partner have worked closely together to attract more than 100 exhibitors showing products from a huge range of manufacturers. If the farming community support us – and I believe they will – then this will be a great start to a successful new annual event,” he said. Visitors can see everything from state-ofthe-art hardware to efficiency-improving software, they can talk to land agents and bank managers and they can find out more about new buildings, new brushes and everything in between. “It has been some years since there was a dedicated agricultural and rural business show such as this in the South East, and the overwhelming support we received from all manner of land-based businesses showed us that there was a demand for one,” said Roger. “KCAS have been very keen to promote new developments in agriculture and were very happy to work alongside RAMSAK to plan this new show. That hard work has paid off and has resulted in the wide array of companies exhibiting here at Detling. “As well as giving exhibitors an opportunity to promote their businesses, the partners are keen to promote agricultural education and training, business development, diversification opportunities and collaborative projects,” said Roger. “The official Agri-Expo (SE) website that RAMSAK will manage over the coming year will support these areas with education and training news and opportunities as well as highlighting other industry developments and announcements as and when they arise.” Check out the official show website at www.agri-expo.co.uk 2011 27 BiG M II
Page 1 and 2: Lots of questions... As the managin
Page 5 and 6: 5 INTRODUCTION A foreword from Kare
Page 7 and 8: INTRODUCTION Welcome... On behalf o
Page 9 and 10: EXPO SPOTLIGHT It’s here, it’s
Page 11 and 12: Visit www.profi.com or Tel: 01795 5
Page 13 and 14: Going for gold New Holland’s awar
Page 15 and 16: Continued from page 11 still delive
Page 17 and 18: Spoilt for choice The machinery on
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Page 23 and 24: Massey Ferguson and JCB main dealer
Page 25 and 26: Summing up Sumo Sumo produces a ran
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Page 43 and 44: SPEAKERS’ CORNER 09.45 10.30 13.4
Page 45 and 46: TRADE STANDS A AB Components Ltd Ke
Page 47 and 48: B B & W Feeds Outside 85 Process an
Page 49 and 50: Chaffer Sprayers Outside 78 Range o
Page 51 and 52: Fieldhouse Assessments John Hendry
Page 53 and 54: Hobbs Parker John Hendry Pavilion 4
Page 55 and 56: Keeble Outside 78 Manufacturers of
Page 57 and 58: L Lambert & Dyson Outside 80 Range
Page 59 and 60: MC Group Ltd Outside 92 New Isuzu R
Page 61 and 62: Phil Ford Machinery Outside 71 Sale
Page 63 and 64: Reco Outside 94 Suppliers of farm m
Page 65 and 66: Skelton Plant Hire Outside 77 Plant
Page 67 and 68: T Tanks R Us Outside 76 Supplier &

History : Download the 2011 Show Guide - Agri-Expo

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