Scared of a mouse?

Unfortunately, most of the money is swallowed up in bureaucracy and the production of meaningless consultancy reports which benefit nobody. With a bit of luck we may have stumbled across the key to unlock one of these funds whose challenging objective is to make all farmers computer literate.

I did mention this some weeks ago and here is the full story:

- A Government quango called LANTRA has been given £5m to spend before the end of March and a similar amount for next year.

- LANTRA has produced a large selection of computer training courses, from a beginner's programme ("What is a mouse?") through word processing to website, connections and including farm software packages.

- The courses are available, not only to farmers but also to anyone connected with the agricultural industry. The only cost is a £25 registration fee which lasts for the full year. For this you can take as many courses as you like.

- There needs to be a training centre and as of today we are planning to convert a room at York Livestock Centre into a six-PC unit which will be available to book at any reasonable time. Once you have got under way with your course, some or all of the rest can be done at home on your own PC if you have one.

We are in the process of setting up the same procedure for an operating centre at Malton.

- We shall have backup staff who are there to assist if you go off piste; and they will be your contact point for advice and guidance.

- Of greater relevance to farmers is that, once having completed the theoretical part, the practice module will be a specially produced farm management and livestock market software package which will be of direct interest to us.

So far the Agricultural Computer Training for Yorkshire (ACTY) has attracted a lot of interest. It seems to have hit the right note and farmers are keen to join.

The first open day will be at York Livestock Centre on Tuesday, February 26.

As I told you a couple of weeks ago, every farmer will have received a consultation document from DEFRA regarding the implementation of the EC nitrates directive. I have now received a very helpful paper from the NFU with some more facts and figures.

- Currently, we have around 600,000 hectares of land designated as 'Nitrate Sensitive' and subject to controls; but the EC does not consider our methodology to be acceptable.

- In March 2000 this Government made these statements, amongst others, in a commitment to farmers regarding the nitrate directive.

"It will do everything it can ... to minimise the extra burden on farmers" and "We must regulate only where it is really necessary".

- The only options now offered to farmers are that either 80pc or 100pc of the United Kingdom be designated as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.

- One of the worst features is that the restrictions will apply not only to the application of farmyard manure but also will include all animals grazing in the fields using an estimated discharge per head.

- A miserable cost to be thrust on us all is the record-keeping for every field, both grass and arable.

- There will be a ban on the spreading of slurry and manure in the autumn which will entail many livestock units in extra storage costs averaging an estimated £30,000 per unit.

- DEFRA seriously suggest that the increased cost to the farmer can be retrieved by increasing the price of our produce - they don't live in the real world!

- The scientific standards for measuring nitrate seem to be unsafe and the NFU is challenging these.

The NFU is planning two open meetings in the north-east on February 15 and I will give you the details when they arrive.

Meantime, it is essential that we do gird our loins and fight this latest takeover of our right to farm.

One thought did strike me and that is Extensification has played quite a large part in recent years and, as a starting spot, surely all those farms qualifying for Extensification should be exempt from the paper-filling ritual.

At long last there seems to be some progress on the reopening of livestock markets and we are hoping that the first sale in Malton will take place on Tuesday, February 19.

We had an action meeting last week and all the various tasks have been allocated.

The final version of the regulations is due out today as we go to print and we have been in touch with DEFRA for an inspection.

We will do our best to get going but we still need your support.

This week's prunings from the agricultural gossip columns include the following:

- Beef Labelling Regulations - the new beef labelling rules came in on January 1 and all beef should have a proper tag on it at retail level. The information should say "British Beef - Origin UK".

- The National Beef Association is pushing hard to get rid of the 21-day standstill order. The association's preferred option is to have a 21-day standstill on the individual animal coming onto the farm but not sterilise movement for the rest of the livestock on the holding.

- Total Meat Production in the UK fell by some 15pc in 2001. We now start 2002 only capable of producing 65pc of the beef needed to feed Britain compared with nearly 80pc at the end of 2000.

- Confirmed cases of BSE in Ireland topped 250 last year for the first time; and they are just behind France in the ratings.

- My head gardener reports the appearance of the first snowdrop this year.

The market is in a bit of turmoil at the moment and wants handling with care.

Generally, beef is still good to sell although one or two of the bigger abattoirs were trying to lop the odd penny off the price this week.

'R' grade bulls are running from 170-174p/kilo with clean cattle around 5p in front.

There are still good premiums for the best retail cattle running up to 195p/kilo.

I don't think numbers are there in depth and that we should resist any attempt to drop the price.

Sheep trading has been difficult with prices drawing a few more forward but the result has been to fill up abattoir slots and pull back the trade.

There is quite a wide variation in prices being offered from 195-210p/kilo and much depends upon the maximum weight being paid.

Again I feel that the volume of hoggs is not going to be there this year and if you can hold onto your sheep for a week or two it should pay.

Pigs have become very hard to place. Bacon weights are making anywhere from 85p-95p/kilo with the best gilts coming out at just over 100p.

Help us to help you and phone our help lines at Malton on (01653) 697820/692151 and York on (01904) 489731.

Updated: 08:44 Thursday, January 24, 2002