European Halal Development Agency chairman Mohamad Nazir will be speaking at Campden BRI's major meat industry seminar in October.

A newspaper advert by animal rights activists Animal Aid has been banned by watchdog Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), despite two out of the four complaints being upheld.

The Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) will offer a Research Training Scholarship this autumn.

Three-quarters of people who buy a whole chicken will wash it before cooking it, increasing the risk of food poisoning, says consumer magazine Which?

The solution to the meat industry’s environmental challenges lies in miniature cows, according to The Guardian.

News of the reformation of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been given a cautious welcome by some industry members.

Pig producers are threatening to hit the campaign trail over fears that processors and retailers are looking to turn their back on British gammon in favour of cheaper imports this Christmas.

A Private Members' Bill put forward by MP Rob Flello is suggesting cuts for imports of livestock feed by a half, with British farmers growing alternatives.

The European Commission has fined 12 producers of animal feed phosphates €175m for operating a cartel across Europe, inflating feed prices for livestock producers.

Beef industry bodies are welcoming a unwinding of mad cow disease restrictions across Europe to help secure consumer confidence in the safety of British red meat.

Meat bosses have hit out at vegetarian campaigner Sir Paul McCartney for 'recycling' outdated information.

Beef and veal output could continue to decline, following a 2% average fall in major producing countries in 2009, Eblex is warning.

A Chinese trade and investment minister is meeting the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) today (Monday) to improve Welsh meat links between the two countries.

A record year for exports and increased returns for farmers point to a positive outlook for the Welsh meat sector, according to the chairman of Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).

Grazing cattle could be a contributor to the future survival of rapidly declining game bird the black grouse, new research has found.

Waitrose and Sainsbury’s have come out on top as the most animal welfare-friendly supermarkets in an awards ceremony run by Compassion in World Farming.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has branded the European Commission’s decision to let individual member states decide GM policy a ‘dangerous precedent’ as it threatens farmer choice.

The Scottish Pig industry and Quality Meat Scotland have developed a health declaration form in order to avoid thousands of pounds of losses through disease in the national pig herd.

Poultry processor Moy Park is pledging its support for improved resource efficiency and reduced carbon impact by signing up to the Courtauld Commitment.

Environmental charity Friends of the Earth this morning entered trains on the busy London commute dressed as cows to highlight the source of feed for livestock in the UK.

The European Union will today announce that member states can choose if they want to allow the growing of GM crops, as well as letting others ban GM.

Increasing the use of ‘fifth quarter’ products will be the theme of a new conference to be set up by Eblex, Bpex and the Food Chain and Biomass Renewables Association.

A new report from the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) has claimed that an 80% reduction in livestock products will reduce 82% of greenhouse gases in the agricultural sector in the UK.

Animal Health and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency are to merge as part of cutbacks in the Defra budget.

A private members Bill that claims to "fix the food chain" has been given a cautious welcome by meat industry leaders.

The European Parliament is scrapping extensions to the Integrated Pollution Prevention Control (IPPC) Directive thanks to lobbying by the National Farmers Union (NFU).

The world meat industry needs to be working together more to combat climate change, International Meat Trade Association (IMTA) director Liz Murphy has urged.

Livestock has all sorts of positive effects in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, a leading scientific advisor to the Scottish Government has said.

Animal welfare leaders have welcomed a decision by Defra that broiler chickens must be stocked at no more than 39kg per square metre - but they will continue to push for lower levels.

The European Parliament voted yesterday for a ban on meat and milk from the cloning of animals.

Reaching the 11% target set by Eblex of reducing greenhouse gas emissions makes financial sense as much as an environmental one, Eblex R&D head Duncan Puller has claimed.

The last remaining Scottish sheep farms affected by the Chernobyl disaster have been given the all clear by food standards bosses.

Breckland Council in Norfolk is giving the go-ahead for Cobb Europe to construct a 'state-the-art breeding facility' to build over its chicken farm near Bawdeswell.

Supermarket group Asda is to provide beef suckler breeder-finishers with contracts at an initial rate of £2.70/kg.

Feeding traditional curry spices to sheep could help reduce emissions and help the environment, according to latest research from scientists.

Soil Association policy director Peter Melchett has predicted factory farming will end by 2050, as a radical and revolutionary change occurs in UK farming.

Quality Meat Scotland is searching for a new Scottish organic monitor farm as part of a project with the Scottish Organic Producers’ Association.

Beef and lamb producers looking to export were given an insight into how to exploit available opportunities abroad at the recently held Eblex Export Conference.

Beef and lamb bosses are hoping for success with the relaunch of a website aimed at becoming an essential tool for industry.

Organic producers will have to include a new EU logo on all pre-packaged organic food products which came into force yesterday (1 July).

British poultry needs to avoid focusing on niche premium markets or run the risk of exporting mainstream production to countries such as Thailand, a leading producer has warned.

Meat & Wool New Zealand has announced it has changed its name to Beef + Lamb New Zealand. The move, which takes effect today, reflects a shift in focus for the organisation.

Brazilian poultry bosses are calling for European trade barriers to be lifted or the country may begin to target other markets instead.

Two-thirds of visitors to the countryside have never heard of E.coli O157, new findings have revealed.

Research by a national newspaper has claimed UK supermarkets are “routinely” selling food from animals reared on GM crops, without declaring it on the label.

East Anglia meat supplier C&K Group will open doors to its multi-species abattoir on 2 August 2010 as part of a £5m+ investment project.

The Scottish red meat sector is set to benefit from a further £150,000 worth of efficiency projects, Quality Meat Scotland has announced.

A new area for processing equipment manufacturers has been created at the Dairy Event and Livestock Show in September.

Asda is hoping to recruit younger farmers into producing premium quality Wagyu beef cattle with the launch of a new scheme.

Intensive farming has slowed down the rate of climate change in the last 50 years, a US study has claimed.

Meat from slaughter without stunning will now be labelled as such following a vote in the European Parliament.

Poultry processing will be the most successful sector in 2010 according to a leading financial services provider.

Food products escaped the feared inclusion into VAT in Chancellor George Osborne's Emergency Budget this week, and will do so for the period of the current Parliament.

Poultry delegates from far afield as Kenya, Israel, Finland and Turkey, descended in Paris on 16-17 June to take part in packaging firm Sealed Air Cryovac’s Packforum.

A former managing director of the Grampian Country Food Group poultry business has set up a new business bringing ‘innovative technology’ to the poulty food chain.

Bernard Matthews’ full year statement has revealed group turnover fell last year while operating profits rose in the same period.

Compulsory country-of-origin food labelling could become mandatory for all meat and poultry products sold in the European Union (EU) after it was accepted by the European Parliament.

Lord Rooker has criticised the public's abhorence of GM technology, and called it a result of 'anti-science'.

Meat from the Gloucester Old Spot pig variety has been given EU protected status, joining other UK products such as Melton Mowbray pies and Cornish clotted cream, as well as Parma ham and Champagne.

A report released this week by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts rises in wheat and grain prices of between 15% and 40%.

Britain's hill farmers are on the verge of being wiped out, according to the Commission for Rural Communities.

South-east Asian country the Philippines has reopened its market to pig producers from Britain after three years.

MP Anne McIntosh has been voted in as the new chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee.

A survey released today has found that 66% of British consumers would like their food to be free of GM feed.

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) marketing manager Margaret Stewart as been awarded an MBE for services to the Scottish red meat industry.

Feltham and Heston MP Alan Keen is calling for less meat to be sourced from rainforest-damaging producers.

Former TV presenter Janet Street-Porter is at the forefront of a range of activities for the government's Red Tractor Week, which runs from 14-20 June.

Key changes which now affect whether overseas butchers and meat processors can work in the UK have been implemented.

A UN report calling for a substantial diet change away from meat has been described as "negative" by industry leaders, who said it "should be kept in perspective".

Beef supplies could be under threat if prices continue to fall, farmers have warned. The National Farmers' Union said the the drop in price was knocking producer confidence and undermining the long-term sustainability of UK production.

UK and Irish farmers have heavily criticised the decision by the EU to re-open negotiations with South American meat-producing countries.

Regulatory red tape in food and farming is to come under scrutiny as part of a major review, agriculture minister Jim Paice has announced.

Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman is backing the use of genetically modified (GM) crops in the wake of the resignation of two members of the FSA GM steering group.

Beef and sheep producers are hoping for a repeat of England's last World Cup performance – but not on the pitch.

News that the European Commission is set to reclassify Great Britain's bluetongue status from a BTV8 protection zone to a Lower Risk Zone (LZR) has been welcomed by industry.

A substantial worldwide movement away from meat would help the environment, a UN report has claimed.

Government bodies are holding a training exercise in November to test Britain’s ability to deal with a significant outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Planners have rejected two developments in Shropshire that would have housed almost half a million chickens.

This year, the pig industry's most prestigious accolade, the David Black Award, celebrates its Golden Jubilee and the hunt is now on for somebody to receive the honour.

A National Assembly for Wales report has called for a review of how legislation governing abattoirs is implemented in Wales.

McDonald’s has held its inaugural Open Farm visit to raise awareness of the role farms will play in providing produce for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Plans have been unveiled for a new multi-million-pound pig unit in Derbyshire. Midland Pig Producers wants to develop a specialist 2,500 pig-rearing facility at Foston.

Consumer culture needs to change and meat consumption must be reduced, according to government advisor Professor Tim Lang.

Red Tractor bosses claimed the scheme has reached a "tipping point" and are hoping to build on a decade of hard work with the launch of Red Tractor Week, 14-20 June 2010.

Meat Trades Journal would like to say thank you to its readers for ensuring it remains the highest* ABC audited circulated title for news and information on the UK meat market.

Meat importers have expressed concern over recent reports which claimed the European market could face an "influx of cheap meat" as the result of trade talks between the EU and the Mercosur countries.

The new Defra Secretary of State Caroline Spelman has played down questions over a conflict of interest with a family food consultancy.

Animal activists have launched an attack on UK livestock farming, claiming the industry presents a significant threat to human health.

Food processor Moy Park is acquiring Northern Irish rival O’Kane Poultry in a move designed to accelerate market growth.

Sainsbury's is staking its claim to be the number one retailer of Freedom Food-assured products. The chain claims its Freedom Food (FF) sales have doubled to hit the £143m mark, giving it a 62% share of the market.

A central halal hub supplying the demand for meat in the UK is now in full trading, with further expansion plans to supply the European mainland.

Two new additions have been announced for the boards of Bpex and Eblex. Warwickshire farmer Adam Quinney has been appointed to Eblex, while Essex-based pork processor Marcus Cheale will be taking up a role with the board of Bpex.

As many as four in 10 consumers worry about animal welfare as their number one food concern, due to campaigns by celebrity chefs, research from Mintel has revealed.

Animal Health has warned that it has received several reports of heavily pregnant livestock being transported in 2009 and 2010.

Plans have been unveiled for a new multi-million pound pig unit in Derbyshire.

European meat importers will be looking to boost supplies from the Mercosur countries of South America if they strike a planned trade deal with the European Union (EU).

Norfolk abattoir J H Lambert has suspended two staff and another from slaughter duties after secret filming by animal activists allegedly revealed incidents of animal mistreatment.

Only a quarter of consumers would reduce their meat consumption if it meant cutting carbon emissions, a new survey has found.

Welcome to the first in our series of monthly updates on the beef and lamb sectors. The aim of this regular feature is to give Meat Trades Journal readers an insight into what's happening at market and in the supply chain; how supply and demand are affecting prices; whether certain beef or lamb cuts have good availability and therefore offer particularly good value at a given time; and to provide retail and catering butchers with advice on how to get the best from the cuts concerned.

A top environmental consultancy is offering a free online tool to help farmers assess and reduce energy consumption and cut carbon emissions.

The UK Parliament is to have its first-ever Green MP, voted in by a manifesto that includes a pledge to set a minimum target for organic food conversion.

The UK supply chain for beef is being put at crisis point by retailer deals on mince.

UK lamb slaughter figures plunged 18% for the first quarter of 2010 compared to 2009 leaving producers in New Zealand with an increased share of the UK market.

A British turkey campaign, launching this May, has the potenetial to convert more than 30m consumers to the white meat over the next three years.

Conservative Caroline Spelman has become the new Secretary of State for Defra as a new government has taken shape, involving a Tory and Liberal Democrat coalition.

A new report from the United Nations has put meat consumption at the head of factors that are causing a loss of global biodiversity.

The UK pig industry is in the black for the first time in more than 10 years, according to Bpex.

The Scottish SPCA’s welfare agreement with Quality Meat Scotland scooped the Success through Working in Partnerships award at Scotland’s Food and Drink Excellence Awards 2010.

Farming leaders are claiming a significant victory after MEPs voted not to extend further legislation as part of the Integrated Pollution Prevention Control (IPPC) Directive.

A proposed doubling of the pig levy, which could increase the spend on marketing, is being considered, Bpex has said.

Loans from banks to livestock farmers have increased by £550m since May 2009. However, there will be more to come throughout 2010, according to a banking expert.

Two Leicestershire farmers have teamed up to start work on new multi-species abattoir to serve the Melton Mowbray area.

The meat industry has hit out at the BBC for airing an interview on the day of the general election with Sir Paul McCartney over his Meat Free Monday campaign.

Bernard Matthews Holdings has announced that it has acquired Lincolnshire-based Lincs Turkeys which specialises in free-range and fresh turkey products.

Suffolk pig farmer Jimmy Butler is pursuing a doubling of the pig farmer levy in order to promote the British pig brand against other labels.

Blade Farming, the cattle rearing-to-slaughter company, plans to grow the number of cattle in its business from 9,500 to 50,000 within the next five years.

The meat industry has hit out at online grocery operator Ocado after it publicly backed the ‘Meat Free Monday’ campaign, launched by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.

Farming leaders have defended the high prices of lamb, describing it as a "high-value product delivering excellent value for money for the consumer". However, retailers and processors are calling for them to be "realistic".

Turkey bosses have announced the 14th annual British Turkey Awards are now open for entries. With 10 categories available, the event, organised by the British Turkey Federation (BTF), will give manufacturers a chance to showcase the way they are responding to ever-changing retailer demands and consumer needs.

Scientists from across Europe will use genetic expertise to improve livestock breeding and meat quality, focusing especially on pork, notably chorizo and Parma ham. The EXCELMEAT project is led by Bristol-based the University of the West of England (UWE) and part funded by the European Union (EU).

Reform of the EU common agricultural policy (CAP) continues to pose one of the biggest threats to the Scottish meat processing industry, leaders have warned.

Eblex managed to raise a total of £2,500 as part of its ‘Donate a Dinner’ and Crisis Christmas campaign last year.

Over a thousand restaurants in Cairo boycotted meat for the day on Monday after a huge rise in prices, the BBC reports.

Lamb prices may be riding high, but Welsh farmers are failing to cover their costs. Figures released by Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) claimed that only the top third of Welsh sheep farms made a profit in 2008/09.

The British Poultry Council (BPC) and inspection body SAI Global are set to launch a new Duck Assurance Scheme at the Pig & Poultry Fair in May.

A farmer from Long Stratton, Norfolk has been fined £10,000 for feeding his cattle and pigs dog biscuits.

The RSPCA has written to the major supermarkets asking them to ditch faster-growing breeds of chicken in favour of slower-growing alternatives.

Assured Food Standards (AFS) has announced it will mark the 10th anniversary of the Red Tractor food assurance scheme with a new Red Tractor Week. Running from 14–20 June, Red Tractor Week will celebrate a decade of food and farming under the Red Tractor logo.

The often claimed need to double food production by 2050 has been branded a "big fat lie" by organic bosses. The Soil Association has accused government scientists, UN leaders, Monsanto and the National Farmers' Union of misleading consumers with the claims for the need to increase food production.

Ripley St Thomas School, near Lancaster, has won Gold awards for its sausages at the Bpex roadshow.

A chicken farmer from Cumbria has been fined £20,000 for not having an environmental permit.

Animal welfare will be a key topic in a wholesale review of the European Union's (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), launched this week by the European Commission.

Concern is rising about the soaring price of lamb, with one processor telling MTJ, "Lambs are too expensive to sell dead", and others questioning the market's sustainability.

Sheep producer confidence has improved despite the tough winter weather conditions, according to Quality Meat Scotland economic services head Stuart Ashworth.

UK government targets of a 70% reduction in food carbon emissions by 2050 are unlikely to be met unless the meat industry, a major contributor to greenhouse gas outputs, can radically alter the way it does business, according to Mark Driscoll, head of the WWF’s One Planet Food Programme.

Sion Roberts, chief executive of the English Food and Farming Partnerships, has warned that supplier and processor relations need to improve to prevent severe loss of business.

The Liberal Democrats have said they will merge current quangos and create an Animal Protection Commission to investigate animal welfare abuses in their manifesto launch today (Wednesday).

A new study puports to show that transportation of lamb from New Zealand is a negligable part of the overall environmental impact.

An experiment involving cattle grazed on grassland in China actually reduces greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, a study published in Nature has found.

The Soil Association has revealed that sales of organic food fell by 12.9% to £1.84b in the UK last year with meat particularly being hit hard, a study has shown.

UK shoppers are voting with their trolleys and plumping for higher-welfare chicken, with sales climbing by 22%, according to latest figures from Compassion in World Farming.

Consumers are prepared to back financial support for farmers, according to a new survey.

Farming and poultry officials have said there is great optimism for the poultry sector after the annual Poultry Conference was held recently by NFU Cymru.

Sales of organic products are on the rise again after a difficult period, according to the Soil Association.

The National Farmers’ Union has demanded that large UK multiples sell more meat from within their own shores, after an Eblex report showed major falls in the amount on-shelf.

The Government has been questioned on what action it was taking to tackle the causes of the “long-term decline of the British pig industry”.

The cost of housing and feeding beef through a long winter will lead to significantly higher beef store prices, a number of experts have predicted.

Research into nanomaterials by food companies could be hampered if industry were to follow House of Lords recommendations into food science transparency, a government report has said.

A man has been jailed at Swansea Crown Court for 15 months for producing smokies – sheep carcases with skin on.

The Scottish red meat industry is this week embarking on a world-first project, aimed at developing breakthrough technology to determine the eating quality of meat.

A Kent primary school headteacher, who resigned her position after sending a school lamb to slaughter, has been reinstated in her post.

The dedline is now approaching for ABN's £1000 innovative and creative marketing idea competition for British pig or poultry meat as part of the British Pig & Poultry Fair.

TV series Great British Menu, in which chefs compete to serve the best UK regional dishes, is to be supplied by National Trust farmland.

The National Farmers' Union has re-elected Alistair Mackintosh to the role of chairman of the livestock board for a second term. John Hore has been elected as vice-chairman, replacing the outgoing Malcolm Corbett.

Freedom Food has seen a wide range of livestock rearers, foodservice businesses and butchers at its Food & Drink Expo stand this year, according to its consumer marketing manager.

This year’s Langford Food Industry Conference is aiming to tackle the two main issues facing the UK meat industry - nutrition and climate change.

Consumers will have to make some tough decisions over the coming years on their eating habits, including meat, a leading Soil Association official has warned.

Ambitious proposals to ban the sale of European Union (EU) reared meat in all 27 member states where livestock has suffered from poor welfare have been tabled by the European Parliament’s agriculture committee.

Police in Cumbria are investigating what they have described as the "suspicious" dumping of cattle and sheep carcases in streams.

Quality Meat Scotland is to increase spending in support of its products to £7.3m for 2010/11, an increase of 24%.

Peter Ainsworth MP has presented a new livestock bill to Parliament aimed at significantly reducing the environmental impact of the UK’s meat and dairy consumption.

A UN advisor has admitted flaws in the statistics of a report that claimed meat production was responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, following claims by a US scientist.

Poultry supplier Rectory Foods has announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with Acura Foods, which will extend Rectory’s fresh and frozen pork and beef range.

A decision on the planned badger cull by the Welsh Assembly is expected to be announced late next week.

Levy-paying livestock farmers are being given their chance to air their views on climate change and export markets at an Eblex meeting on 19 April.

Manual workers in the processing industry, along with other industries, are denying themselves a chance to gain new skills, according to new research.

Police and fire investigators believe a blaze at a Nottinghamshire free-range poultry unit could have been caused by a faulty extractor fan.

Charles Bourns has been re-elected as NFU poultry board chairman for a further two years.

French guinea fowl producers are hoping to take the UK market by storm with the launch of their latest marketing campaign, which will see them team up with the Craft Guild of Chefs, as well as offer culinary workshops.

The RSPCA has a launched a new website for the general election in a bid to create an animal welfare manifesto to lobby prospective parliamentary candidates.

Government agency Animal Health has warned sheep owners in England, Scotland and Wales that docking animals’ tails to an excessively short length could result in prosecution.

Levy rates for the livestock sector are set to remain the same for the forthcoming year, according to the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board.

A new series from the BBC will pitch couples against one another in a reality TV farm contest.

Mosques in Birmingham have called for consumers and processors to be made more of aware of machine slaughtering used in halal meat production.

Vegans are to be given the same protection against discrimination as religious groups, according to reports.

Animal rights activists in Switzerland have failed in a bid to have animals represented by lawyers in a nationwide referendum over the weekend.

Cancer bosses have dismissed a report by the US meat industry, which it claimed cast doubt on links between meat and cancer, as “more spin than science”.

The English pig herd grew by 4% last year, taking breeding herd numbers to 438,000.

Consumer publication Which? has given the Food Standards Agency (FSA) an overall positive review to celebrate the Agency’s 10th anniversary.

Climate change continues to dominate the headlines and will be the main topic of conversation at the annual Outlook Conference in London in April.

Lamb and mutton exports reached £312m in 2009, an increase of 19% on the previous year.

A Suffolk poultry company has been refused permission for a major expansion.

An East Yorkshire farmer and his wife were banned from keeping livestock for five years, and fined £21,000 after rotting carcasses and appalling conditions were found on their farm premises.

At least 44% of new lamb slaughter tags ordered last month by English sheep farmers were of the manual type, not part of the new EID system.

The NFU and the Environment Agency have launched a new initiative which it hopes will cut red tape and reduce costs for pig and chicken farmers.

Welsh lamb has proved to be hit at the Gulfood 2010 in Dubai as total export sales are set to top £100 million a year, claimed Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).

NFU president Peter Kendall has been re-elected for a third term after securing more than 75% of the vote from NFU Council members.

Butchers and restaurants in Cumbria are being warned by police that a herd of sheep, recently stolen, could be harmful for humans to consume.

The benefits of meat to the environment needs to be better communicated to the British public, according to NFU livestock chairman Alistair Mackintosh.

Businesses are being invited to tender for new government contracts for the collection, slaughter, salvage and disposal of cattle infected by bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in England and Wales.

Shadow Defra secretary Nick Herbert has branded the Rural Payments Agency “a shambles and a disgrace”, and committed his party to its overhaul.

Defra secretary of state Hilary Benn has dismissed calls for a major bovine TB cull.

A final labelling code of practice for pork has been launched today (Tuesday) by Defra Secretary of State Hilary Benn at the NFU conference in Birmingham.

The Scottish government has put forward £250,000 to educate children about the food chain, the benefits of eating seasonal produce and career opportunities within the food industry.

The Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) plans at least 38,000sq ft of office space to house its facilities, costing up to £10m.

The annual NFU Conference launches today (Tuesday) with DEFRA secretary of state Hilary Benn in attendance.

New Zealand Meat and Wool UK market manager John Mabb has dismissed the possibility of adverse effects on the lamb sector despite a report by a former chairman of Meat and Wool New Zealand stating the declining wool market would hit sheep farming.

Scottish producers are hoping to appeal to health conscious consumers with the launch a new healthier bacon.
The bacon, which features 25% less salt and 20% less fat, was developed as part of a £40,000 Quality Meat Scotland project, match funding by Scottish Enterprise.

Welfare standards are on the rise within UK livestock production, according to the RSPCA. The organisation's Freedom Food scheme has seen a 46% increase in the number of animals produced under its guidelines.

Cuts to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) could significantly affect Single Payment delivery, the NFU has said.

Ian Watson, a 73-year-old employee of Aberdeen food and drink group ANM, has registered for a food manufacture apprentice scheme, specialising in livestock droving.

Employees of Cranberry Foods have become the first recipients of Food and Drink Qualification’s new award in poultry meat inspection, the company has announced.

Provision Trade Federation (PTF) out-going chairman Tony Stanton has warned suppliers to be wary over demands to cut animal products for the environment.

Former NFU director general Richard Macdonald CBE has been snapped up by poultry giant Moy Park in a non-executive director role.

Macdonald takes up the position this month, and will join the Moy Park Board working closely with the executive team and CEO, Nigel Dunlop.

At least 25% of meat in the UK has arrived from overseas farms that do not have to meet national standards of animal welfare, it has been revealed.

A former NHS boss is to take over the top job at the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), it was announced this week.
Tom Taylor will be stepping into the AHDB’s chief executive position later this year, replacing Kevin Roberts who leaves to head up the National Farmers Union in April.

Muslim scholars have rejected calls for mechanical slaughtering in the UK halal meat industry, a survey commissioned by the Halal Monitoring Committee (HMC) has revealed.

Lambs aged between two and six years old have been stolen from Tile Barn farm, in Hampshire.

The NFU has requested that EU rules on animal welfare in the UK be held off until other countries in Europe have put their own regulations in place.

A headmistress has left her post at a school in Kent after a vitriolic campaign against her killing of a sheep.

A film examining the major players in the US agriculture industry opened in the UK on Friday.

Pork is "better than Viagra", according to South American politicians and UK pig farmers are now hoping to spread the word this Valentine's Day.

Pork rose in a declining market for both lamb and beef last year, up 3% compared to lamb, which was down 9%. Beef sales were cut by 3%. As a result, pork grew its share of the meat market by 10% in December on the previous year.

Irish meat exports into the UK faced a very tough time last year, according to Aidan Cotter, chief executive, Bord Bía (Irish Food Board). The sterling/euro differential reduced their value by 30% over 2007. Sterling declined against the euro by 18% in 2008 and a further 12% in 2009.

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has been accused of being on an "anti-meat crusade" after it reportedly refused to acknowledge claims that its high-profile report linking meat and cancer was found to have "significant" flaws. However, the WCRF has hit back, branding the accusations as "outrageous" and "ludicrous", and claiming any flaws were too minor to have affected overall conclusions.

New parasites and endemic infections are likely to appear as climate change takes its toll on UK farming, a group of scientists have warned.

Sheep meat production is likely to fall to 294,000t by the end of 2010, a reduction of 4% on 305,000t on the previous year.

A series of rustling episodes in Northumberland may have led to stolen meat entering the domestic market.

Vigilance and vaccination remains the key to keeping British livestock free from bluetongue in 2010, farmers are being urged.

Supermarkets today face the implementation of new regulations monitoring their dealings with suppliers, known as the Grocery Supplier Code of Practice (GSCOP).

Consumption levels of pork and poultry need to be radically reduced if the UK is to pursue environmental sustainability, Peter Melchett, policy director of the Soil Association has claimed.

Food supplier Harrisons Poultry has announced it is continuing to trade despite going into administration in January.

New figures show that prime cattle slaughterings reached 2,075,100 in the UK last year, up by 50,000 from 2008.

Prize money of £1,000 is being offered to anyone under 35 who can come up with the most innovative marketing concept for British pig or poultry products.

Nutrition company ABN, partner of the Royal Agricultural Society of England’s (RASE) British Pig and Poultry Fair, has created the new prize, the ABN Innovation Award. Young staff at companies in the sector, or college and university students are being encouraged to enter.

Pork sales rose by 13.5% over the festive period in the UK, driven by increases in shoulder and loin roasting joints.

A Romanian-born cow aged over 30 months was not tested for BSE before being slaughtered in the UK.

Morrisons is trialling a larger offal range and cheaper cuts of meat in 54 stores after reporting a 12% jump in value sales of beef, pork and lamb offal last year.

Freedom Food Outdoor Bred Pork will be taking on the sausage production of high-profile company The Black Farmer, also known as agriculturist Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones.

A future Conservative government would split up the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as part of its plan to improve public health strategies.

Tennis fans in Melbourne, Australia will be offered a taste of Scotland when haggis is served to supporters gathered at Melbourne Park tomorrow (Thursday).

Meat bodies have welcomed a move by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to seek Ministerial approval to change the law on Skin-on Sheep meat production.

A group of young farmers have been given expert training by processors as part of a special scheme to support the Welsh lamb industry.

An independent inquiry into farmer support in Scotland suggests using area-based payments to address falling livestock numbers.

The interim report, produced by chairman Brian Pack, says future support should consist of four strands: direct payments, a top-up fund, rural development programme funding and Less Favoured Area support.

Cherry Valley Farms has won an award from Cathay Pacific for its ‘Continued Commitment’ to duck production in Hong Kong and China.

Pig bosses are playing down fears over a new disease which breeders have claimed poses as great a risk as foot-and-mouth disease and could devastate the British pig industry.

Ditching a diet of meat for imitations such as tofu and Quorn could be more damaging to the environment, a report from a charity has found.

Latest price trends from across the UK

Demand for Welsh Lamb remains buoyant despite the recession, leading to increased sales overseas and improved prices for producers at home, claimed bosses this week.
“It’s been an encouraging year for farmers and prices have held up well,” said Rees Roberts, chairman of Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales.

An undercover investigation by Compassion in World Farming (CiWF) suggests that the vast majority of the 250m pigs reared each year in the EU are being farmed in illegal conditions.

Six competition winners will be part of history when the Ryder Cup comes to Wales, thanks to Welsh Lamb.

The refusal to accept GM technologies was costing lives, claimed former top-government scientist Sir David King last night.

Meat assurance schemes have been rebranded under the Red Tractor logo to create clearer labelling for shoppers.

This year’s Bpex and Eblex Outlook Conference will focus on climate change and how it affects consumer perception and the working of the supply chain, as well as forecasts for 2010 and beyond.

All Welsh chicken producers will now have to comply with a maximum stocking density figure, even if they do not belong to an assurance scheme.

British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) bosses were back on the recruitment trail as news broke that a second member of staff will be crossing over to industry.

Country of origin labelling is not a "top priority" for consumers, according to new research by the Food Standards Agency.
A new study by the FSA, pulled together from five separate pieces of research, claimed that while there was an awareness of country of origin labelling it was not a main concern for consumers when shopping.

Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones has announced that a limited badger cull will take place in West Wales as part of the Assembly’s TB Eradication Programme.

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has raided the culinary history books to find warming winter dishes for late-season Scotch Lamb.

Environmentalists will once again call for a reduction in meat consumption, with the publication of a new report next week.

Tim Bastable has joined Holme Farmed Venison as its procurement manager, with responsibility for overseeing the procurement process, including sourcing stock – both as finished animals for processing and as calves for growing.

The Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) is looking to reward advances in humane slaughter techniques.

The government has announced it is to begin consulting on the creation of a body to oversee supermarkets’ relationships with suppliers.

Kevin Brennan, consumer minister with the department for business, innovation and skills, has accepted the Competition Commission's recommendation for an ombudsman to enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, and will launch a consultation on the issue next month.

Scottish agri-business ANM Group has announced it is to close its Highland Country Foods processing unit in Forres, leading to a number of job losses.

Burger giant McDonald’s has launched a nationwide study involving UK farms to find new methods of producing beef that cut greenhouse emissions.

A co-founder of a leading turkey brand has passed away aged 80, her family has announced.

Three free Bpex events next week aim to update everyone in the pig industry on the organisation’s plans.

Farmers and agricultural experts have been named in the New Year’s Honour’s List.

Pork industry body Bpex has launched its annual survey to gauge the ‘state of the nation’ in pigs.

Farmview Meats owner Jonathan McDowell shows customers Grace and Sharon McKenna the type of high-quality meat they can expect after forking out for two prize-winning cows.

Cattle

Scottish beef farmers are calling on the authorities for emergency cash to help deal with damage from the recent snow-fall.
The National Beef Association (NBA) has called on the Scottish government's cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead to set up a national emergency fund to help farmer limit damage caused by the snow.

Falling livestock numbers threaten to derail the Scottish meat industry and cause lasting damage.

The stark warning comes from Alan Craig, president of the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW), who said unless production was rebuilt, Scotland’s international reputation as a source of quality meat would be seriously diminished.

Hints by the government’s chief scientist in his speech to the Oxford Farming Conference that Britain should embrace genetically modified (GM) crops has been slammed by two leading environmental organisations.

Welsh officials are hailing their bovine TB testing scheme a success after it resulted in the slaughter of 185 infected cattle from 96 herds, which were thought to be disease-free.

Scottish food companies are being encouraged to recycle their waste and help power the region.

With landfill tax set to rise by £8 per tonne each year until at least 2013, Scottish Water Horizons - the commercial arm of Scottish Water - is keen to hear from businesses that have solid and liquid waste that could be turned into electricity.

An abattoir in South Wales has relaunched after a refurbishment which should help increase production and promote locally-sourced beef, lamb and pork.

Environmental campaigners have hit out at the Government’s Food 2030 strategy for failing to address the problem of “environmentally-destructive factory farming”.

The Conservative Party has pledged it will create a supermarket ombudsman if it wins the election in a speech made by Shadow Environment Secretary Nick Herbert.

The government is to set out its first major food strategy since the Second World War, amid a storm of media reports which claim it will be urging people to go vegetarian.
Defra minister Hilary Benn is to launch the strategy, entitled Food 2030, at the Oxford Farming Conference this morning. However, the Daily Mail has already claimed the report will urge people to stop eating red meat – a claim denied by Defra, which said the report is urging people to eat a healthy and sustainable diet.

Poultry and pig producers need to start giving animals at least 95% organic feed when new European rules kick in this year.

Welsh Lamb will be on more dinner plates in Luxembourg after it was featured in a prime time television programme.

Animal Aid has withdrawn claims that a farm next to an abbatoir where it filmed alleged chicken cruelty is Soil Association certified.

The Livestock Auctioneers Association (LAA) is urging farmers and hauliers in England and Wales to ensure they meet the new Food Chain Information (FCI) regulation when sending cattle, sheep and goats to market.

Beef and sheep producers are looking for new technologies to make them more efficient and lower their costs and carbon footprint.

The PM’s wife Sarah Brown showed her support for the British turkey industry when she accepted a 5kg Christmas bird at No 10.

Scottish minister Richard Lochhead has accepted the recommendation by Quality Meat Scotland to up levy rates.

Organic bosses have hit back at animal activists over claims secret filming showed alleged cruelty against one of its members farms.

Animal Aid published secretly filmed footage at what it said was Otter Valley Poultry, a farm it claimed had Soil Association (SA) approval, a claim denied by the SA.

Animal Aid has announced it has obtained further footage of alleged cruelty, this time against birds in an organic and free-range poultry farm in Devon.

The animal rights organisation filmed secret footage on two occasions in November and December 2009 at Otter Valley Poultry where it has alleged cruelty towards chickens.

Eblex has attacked the BBC for appearing to adopt an editorial policy of encouraging consumers to eat less meat.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned slaughterhouse operators and livestock keepers that they will soon have to ensure that Food Chain Information (FCI) is provided for all cattle, sheep and goats sent for slaughter.

Agriculture’s contribution to climate change needs to be kept in perspective, according to a leading Conservative MEP.

Richard Ashworth, speaking at AgriLIVE Smithfield’s Big Debate, said agriculture was very much in the second division when it came to industries causing climate change. “Climate change is a threat to industry,” he told visitors to the show in Stoneleigh last week, “and we in farming have to understand we are seen as part of the problem.

Eblex has unveiled an ambitious export marketing programme for winter 2010, which includes exhibitions and roadshows in France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Dubai and Cyprus, while breeding stock exports will be promoted in the Ukraine and France.

Halal issues within the meat sector are to be given greater focus following the establishment of a new industry group.

Bishops Castle abbatoir has now re-opened with the help of 60 shareholders after a two-year closure.

The three-species abbatoir was bought and upgraded by Daysdrove Holdings in the summer, after the group of local farmers and businesses invested in the project to become shareholders of the new limited company.

Abattoir lorry wash users have the chance to get some early Christmas cheer by taking part in a survey of facilities.

A government watchdog has released a report claiming that cutting down on meat would make a big contribution towards improving health and reducing environmental impact.

Sainsbury's is setting out its stall on sustainability with the roll-out of a carbon footprinting initiative to around 6,500 farmer suppliers. The scheme has already proved a success following trials in the dairy sector and has now been rolled out to beef and lamb producers, with pig and poultry farmers to follow in the New Year.

The NFU has urged the government to support British farming by ensuring that there is a fair and competitive taxation system.

All meat served at the 2012 London Olympics will be UK farm-assured after organisers vowed to hold the most sustainable Games in history.

The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) will procure UK Red Tractor Assured food wherever seasonally possible; meat at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be fully traceable and will have been produced to strict standards from farm to venue.

Paul McCartney has taken his campaign for ‘meat-free Mondays’ to a European Parliament hearing, although he received political brickbats for his trouble.

The pig industry has unveiled its strategy to tackle the dual challenge of improving the environmental sustainabiliy and reducing the carbon footprint of English pig production.

Bpex has published two reports examining at the environmental impact of producing pigs and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Supermarket chain Waitrose is to supply Welsh Black Beef exclusively through its branches in Wales from December in a launch supported by the Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones AM.

Defra has confirmed that a sixth case of pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza virus in pigs in the UK was detected in Norfolk yesterday (Wednesday).

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned that “simplistic sound-bites” from celebrities over meat consumption will not help solve the issue of climate change.

The Union was talking ahead of Sir Paul McCartney’s speech to the EU Parliament today, where he repeated calls for people to eat less meat.

Scottish farming leaders have used a meeting with the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee to agree to a prompt review of controversial new regulations on electronic identification (EID) of sheep.

Asda has rejected attacks over its commitment to British meat sourcing, branding the Eblex figures on which they are based as “unreliable”.

An East Sussex farm shop is celebrating after beating local butchers to take home the top prize at the South East Sauasage and Pie Competition.

Caterers, butchers, hoteliers and retailers are being invited to stand and bid for some of the country’s top livestock at the ringside of a premier winter livestock show.

Pig prices are continuing to fall, according to producers, who fear the tumbling daily average price (DAPP) could soon see returns below the cost of production.

A Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) student has been selected by the Scottish Sheep Strategy, supported by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), to participate in a major sheep breeding event.

People with a passion for the pig industry have a unique opportunity to study and travel as Bpex and Merial Animal Health are jointly sponsoring a Nuffield Scholarship award this year.

The European Commission has granted State Aid approval to a promotion scheme for the Red Tractor logo. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has welcomed the decision as a “significant milestone”, pointing out that State Aid approval was a prerequisite before levy funds could be used to support the Red Tractor scheme.

A second Brazilian beef exporter has agreed to stop sourcing cattle from farms involved in the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

The UK needs to radically rethink the way in which food is produced and processed if we are to enjoy food security in the future, Hilary Benn said today.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs secretary was talking at the launch of the country’s first food security assessment, which analyses the current state of the UK’s food supply and highlights the key challenges to a sustainable future.

A new organisation to represent Danish farming and agribusiness in Denmark and abroad has been announced in the form of the Danish Agriculture and Food Council (DAFC).

Irish minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Brendan Smith has announced a fresh cash injection into the Irish cattle and sheep breeding sector worth €1.08m.

THe NFU's livestock board chairman has met with European sheep breeding organisations to discuss the shared implications of EID.

The Pigs Are Worth It campaign, run by BPEX and the National Pig Association, has won two prestigious international PR awards.

For the armchair cyclists among the industry, those who really would have joined the Butchers on Bikes’ audacious trek from London to Paris if only their chain hadn’t fallen off their bike – hope is at hand.

The BoB team has launched a special Butchers on Bikes blog to allow the entire industry to keep up to date with the teams activities, both in the run-up, and during the ride itself.

Twelve Scottish farmers will be competing at next month’s Royal Highland Show for the coveted accolade of producing the best Scotch steak.

Farming leaders have joined forces with a prominent UK welfare charity to take out an advert in the national press outlining the reasons retailers should sign up for a supermarket ombudsman.

An animal rights group has re-erected a controversial billboard proclaiming that “feeding kids meat is child abuse.”

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has unveiled the inflammatory poster in Coventry, the home of Leanne Salt - a the 30-stone woman dubbed “Britain’s fattest mother”, who has admitted feeding her kids nuggets and burgers since they were six months old.

The body that promotes Welsh meat has launched a scheme which enables farmers to increase their income by up to £4 per lamb.

A CEO of a major meat processor has written to all his employees after being caught up in the finger-pointing of the Mexican H1N1 outbreak.

Single farm payments are unlikely to disappear fully in 2012, a Defra representative has admitted.

The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was planning to cut single farm payments in 2012 under CAP reform, but the department's head of livestock John Bourne has said although the subsidies will decrease, it is unlikely they will disappear altogether.

Strong meat exports have given a welcome boost to the UK meat industry, but producers will have to fight to remain competitive in the future, experts have warned.

A government advisor has slammed the meat industry for its lack of action over climate change, warning that it is “miles behind” other food sectors.

Last week's first-ever Pig and Poultry LIVE event was a big hit with the industry, event organisers have said.

Members of the National Farmers’ Union of Scotland (NFUS) have given an 83% no to a government measure which addresses the issue of reducing livestock numbers.

The media has gone "beserk" over the so-called swine flu outbreak, according to the UK marketing director for Danish Bacon.

The Welsh Assembly Government has launched a new over-arching strategy for farming in Wales to ‘build a secure future’ for Welsh food and farming.

A £4m campaign to promote EBLEX’s Quality Standard Mark (QSM) has been launched to replace the long-running Beefy and Lamby characters. Featuring the strapline ‘Tough Standards. Tender Results’ the campaign gets under way on Monday, 18 May, to promote beef and lamb at the start of the barbecue season.

A Food Standards Agency (FSA) announcement to move to a more proportionate and risk-based BSE control regime for cattle over 30 months has been welcomed by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU).

The Soil Association is inviting the organic meat trade to nominate its favourite products for assessment in this year’s Organic Food Awards.

Professor Ian Crute has been appointed the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB’s) first chief scientist and will ensure collaboration and co-operation across the group’s £15m research and development (R&D) invesments.

An interim report on the practicalities of electronic identification of sheep (EID) has revealed a number of problems with the new equipment.

An animal welfare group is using the H1N1 outbreak to renew attacks on intensive farming, claiming the virus is the result of “farming pigs in unnatural and inhumane conditions”.

Fundraising is under way for the Butchers on Bikes epic ride, with Aldi currently leading the field with a whopping £500 donation.

The charity bike ride will see a team of riders from across all areas of the meat industry make the trek from Smithfield Market in London to Rungis Market in Paris, totalling more than 186 miles.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has predicted that global import demand for meat will fall for the first time in over a decade this year.

The A/H1N1 virus has been found in a herd of Canadian pigs, fuelling fears that the flu could spread from humans to livestock.

Top turkey products from across the industry are in with a chance to scoop a prestigious award as the 13th annual turkey awards gets under way.

Alan Craig has now taken over as chief executive of the ANM Group, replacing Brian Pack OBE, who retired from his post after almost 19 years in charge of the Thainstone-based farmer-owned co-operative.

Welsh leaders are calling for comments on poultry welfare prior to drafting regulations that will set down legal limits in areas like stocking density.

Chicken campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has visited Defra to highlight a government proposal which he claims will increase overcrowded chicken sheds from 2010.

Defra could save £44m from its animal diseases surviellance systems in a bid to cut public expenditure, it was revealed in the recent government Budget.

The UN has stepped in to shield the international pig industry from allegations over “swine flu”, mobilising a team of experts to investigate and confirm that there is no direct link between the new H1N1 virus and pigs.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have also increased animal disease surveillance to ensure response readiness should the new virus spread to the pig population.

Welsh producers are hoping to turn Hong Kong’s love of rugby to their advantage and will try to convert the Chinese to Welsh Lamb.

The international pig industry and world officials have rejected claims that the H1N1 flu outbreak, which is causing worldwide panic, originated on intensive pig farms.

EBLEX has launched an online tool to help abattoir owners, butchers and meat buyers correctly price products and maintain margins.

The Welsh Assembly Government has launched a Strategic Action Plan to safeguard and further develop the Welsh red meat industry.

The Competition Commission has published a public consultation on the proposal for a supermarket ombudsman to police the new Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCP).

Farmers and food producers in Scotland have joined forces to set up a cooperative business venture aiming to provide a new abattoir and processing facility.

Scientists have announced they have finished the genome sequencing of cows, which could lead to an increase in disease resistance, meat quality and animal welfare.

Laboratory service provider LGC has increased its BSE national testing coverage with the opening of a new laboratory in Devon.

ASDA’s subsidised semen initiative is already yielding results, with the first calves born successfully at Tom and Mike Powley’s farm in Yorkshire earlier this month.

Panic over swine flu has caused pork shares to plummet, despite government assurances that the virus cannot be contracted through eating pig meat.

Chairman of Assured Foods Standards (AFS), Colin Smith, will stand down this year after serving the full fixed six-year term of office.

Mild spring temperatures mean that the need to vaccinate livestock against bluetongue is now “critical”, said Wales’ chief veterinary officer.

UK venison producers were told to get the message out to retailers and consumers about the benefits of eating venison at a recent industry seminar.

The economic downturn is dwarfing all other issues for the meat sector, but there are positives, delegates to the Outlook Conference heard last week. Richard Brown, a consultant with Gira, said: “All the other issues that people have spent time worrying and fretting about – even disease – have been dwarfed by the economic situation.”

A beef producer in Somerset has developed a scheme to help dairy farmers improve the beef qualities of its pure Holstein male dairy calves.

The Black Farmer is hoping to stand out from the crowd with a new look. The sausage brand has refreshed its packaging to a portrait format, which the company hopes will allow its products to stand out better on-shelf.

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has welcomed the announcement by the Scottish Government that its assurance schemes fees will now be eligible for support under the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP).

A UK-wide, strategic research policy for the beef sector will be launched at the Beef Expo in Malvern, Worcestershire next month, the National Beef Association (NBA) has announced. The new policy document will then be circulated to government policy officials across both the UK and EU in a co-ordinated effort to re-invigorate disappointingly thin funding streams for much-needed development work, the NBA said.

Young male farmers are being tempted to strut their stuff on the catwalk with the possibility of winning some beer. The Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s “Find a Model Young Farmer” competition is drawing to a close, with entries needed no later than the 30 April.

MTJ is now posting daily news and views on Twitter, the micro-blogging service taking the internet by storm.

The Bovine TB Advisory Group has published its final report, which concludes that “renewed vigour” and sufficient resources are needed immediately to tackle the disease.

The industry needs to be ready to tackle “simplistic” messages on meat and the environment, the chief executive of EBLEX warned.

The NFU has urged farmers to contribute to Defra’s consultation on proposals for the individual movement recording and electronic identification of sheep.

A violation of bluetongue regulations has left two Dutch animals stranded in Scotland and prompted calls from farming leaders for European legislation to be tightened and properly enforced by all member states.

Farmers are being advised to make sure their insurance is up to scratch, following a spate of live animal thefts in the wake of rising meat prices.

Pig producers are still lacking in confidence, but are more optimistic about what the future might hold, according to the latest research from BPEX.

Demand for locally produced meat is set to continue, with the latest research revealing that the UK market for regional and local food has increased by £1.3bn since 2003.

The food industry’s relationship with the media will come under scrutiny at the latest meeting of the Food Club International.

Leading meat supplier Vion has thrown its weight behind the National Farmers’ Union’s Africa 100 appeal. Vion has pledged its support for the industry-wide appeal which has so far raised more than £160,000 to help support agricultural projects on farms in East Africa.

The Royal Show will be closing its doors for the final time this year, organisers have announced. This year’s show, held at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire from 7-10 July, will be the final event after the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) said the event was no longer economically viable.

The British Turkey Federation has signed up as a sponsor of the British Food Fortnight, a celebration of the best home produced produce.

Leading farmer-owned co-operative the ANM Group has announced it made a trading profit of £909,000 for 2008 in the face of tough economic global conditions.

Experts from the agricultural sector will gather in Prague this week for a conference to address the challenge of securing sufficient food supplies for the future.

A bid by farmers to claim damages following the 2007 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has been dismissed

The UK’s chief medical officer has warned that, through excessive use of antibiotics, the livestock industry is potentially signing a “death warrant” for future medical patients.

A leading member of NFU Scotland (NFUS) has told MSPs that the pig industry is in danger of collapsing if confidence amongst producers fails to improve.

An innovative £300,000 project to bring together pig farmers across Yorkshire and the Humber to improve the health of pigs has just got under way.

Defra has launched a consultation on its proposal to establish an independent body for animal health and transfer some of the costs of controlling animal disease to the livestock industry.

The chairman of the Scottish Agricultural College has said science will be the answer when solving a future world food supply crisis.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) and broiler growers have called for more investment in the British chicken industry to safeguard the future, following the release of a new report.

Hopes that EID sheep tagging regulations may be overturned have been dashed, following a ministerial meeting in Brussels on Monday (23 March).

New figures from promotional body Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) show that calf registrations in Scotland fell by 2% last year to around 586,000.

Industry and political figures will meet this morning (Wednesday) to discuss the future global challenges of food production and a growing population.

Industry leaders have welcomed news that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted its ban on English meat.

A nutritionist has cast doubt over the findings of a study that linked the consumption of fresh and processed red meat to increased risk of blindness.

A project to vaccinate badgers against tuberculosis (TB) will commence next year in a bid to hinder the spread of the disease, which is devastating cattle herds in the UK.

The Pig Meat Task Force met for the first time yesterday to discuss the biggest challenges facing the supply chain.

The Conservative Party has stepped up its campaign for 'honest' food labelling by introducing a Bill that would make country-of-origin labelling mandatory for meat.

The Royal Agricultural Society of England is urging producers to act fast to secure a place at Pig and Poultry LIVE '09.

The Royal Show has revamped its National Lamb competition to ensure it better reflects the demands of high street butchers.

UK farming groups are celebrating after EU ministers agreed to review plans to introduce compulsory electronic identification (EID) and the individual recording of sheep.

Ministers from Defra, the Scottish government, the Welsh Assembly government and DARD have agreed that the UK pig levy should be restored to the pre-crisis rate.

Butchers, chefs, farms and mutton enthusiasts gathered at Lucknam Park Hotel in Chippenham for the last of this season's Mutton Renaissance Club open events.

Irish farmers have staged protests outside Irish beef plants, claiming that processors are trying to undermine confidence by cutting carcase prices.

British meat is disappearing from supermarket shelves under Labour rule, an opposition party has claimed.

The EU Parliament has voted on changes to the Integrated Pollution Prevention Controls Directive, rejecting an ammendment which would have reduced costs for hundreds of pig farmers.

Defra has announced it will be sending officials to livestock markets to give farmers the opportunity to ask questions on legislation and disease.

Food experts from across Europe will meet in Prague tomorrow (12 March) for a two-day debate on the future of food labelling.

A Suffolk pig farmer has been forced to pay over £7,000 after admitting responsibility for the pollution of a River Deben tributary.

The National Beef Association (NBA) has warned that producers will resist any attempts that are made to force them to contribute to full cost recovery for meat inspections.

The Danish Meat Association (DMA) is to merge with Denmark's two agriculture bodies to create an umbrella organisation which represents the industry 'from farm to fork'.

Defra has confirmed that the H6N1 avian influenza virus found at two poultry premises in East Anglia is of low pathogenicity.

Animal welfare is a top priority for the UK halal meat industry, a leading consultant told delegates at an EBLEX event in Milton Keynes.

The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has warned MPs in Northern Ireland that the widening of European pollution regulations could hit the pockets of small farmers.

Defra has been successful in tackling outbreaks of avian influenza and foot-and-mouth, but is failing on established diseases such as bovine turberculosis, a report has found.

Production levels of Scottish finished organic beef increased in the 2008/09 period, but prime lamb remained static, a survey of organic produce has revealed.

A sheep farmer from Llanrwst, North Wales, has been selected as the first face of Welsh Lamb by a panel of judges organised by Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Compassion in World Farming have announced the winner of the Chicken Out! campaign's design-a-label competition.

British pig genetics firm ACMC has won an order to supply a Spanish integrator with breeding stock, in a deal worth €2.25m.

EBLEX is to ditch its Beefy and Lamby characters for its next consumer advertising campaign.

The Competition Commission has published proposals to strengthen and extend the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP).

A Somerset livestock market has been ordered to pay £4,515 for polluting a nearby stream with animal slurry and human sewage.

Investigations are being carried out into the suspected outbreak of Avian Influenza on two Bernard Matthews sites in East Anglia.

An agricultural society in East Anglia has entered the Guinness Book of Records after organising the largest ever simultaneous roast dinner.

Around 70 people have fallen ill in China after eating pork contaminated with a banned food additive.

The Conservative party has slammed the government for its lack of progress over country-of-origin meat labelling.

The Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) has embarked on an on-farm cattle behaviour study to establish if there is a link between temperament and eating quality.

A big push to recover global markets - and build new ones - has resulted in an impressve increase in the UK's pork exports over the last year.

Delegates at the 12th annual Langford Food Industry Conference will discuss the implications of global trends on meat production in the UK, it has been announced.

Livestock farmers in the Midlands are poised to enter the lucrative halal meat market.

The national body for Welsh meat promotion has announced it is aiming to get Welsh Lamb sold on German supermarket shelves.

Retailers and processors must become more innovative with forequarter cuts to balance out higher cattle prices, says the National Beef Association.

The government faced a cross-party attack regarding its pork procurement policies in a recent House of Lords debate.

Bristol City Council is considering creating its own beef herd to supply meat to local schools.

The chief veterinary officer for Wales Dr Christianne Glossop has written to all vets in Wales advising them to urge farmers to vaccinate against bluetongue.

EBLEX has joined forces with the Livestock Auctioneers' Association (LAA) to run a trial examining how electronic identification of sheep (EID) proposals will impact on the day-to-day operation of livestock markets.