New Inspection Reporting to Improve Livestock Health
UK - The British meat and livestock sector is to establish new systems and protocols for reporting abattoir meat inspection results along the food chain....

Farmgate Prices Report Shows Livelihoods at Risk After Payment Delays
UK - The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee warns that farmers in the UK are at risk of suffering further cash flow problems if the Rural Payment Agency (RPA) does not commit to fixing...

Weak Lamb Prices Cutting into NZ Sheep Farmers’ Profits
NEW ZEALAND - Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has released its mid-season update....

Would British Farmers be Better Supported Outside the EU?
UK - British farmers could receive a basic grant of £90 per acre to replace the subsidies in the Common Agricultural Policy if the UK votes to leave the EU in June....

EU Won't Compromise on Antibiotics and Hormones in US Trade Talks
EU - The EU will not compromise on it block on imports of beef raised with the use of hormones and it will stand firm to maintain geographical location on products in negotiations with the US...

EU Exit for UK Would Be "Leap Into The Dark"
UK - At a time of severe price volatility and global market uncertainty it would be wrong to leave the European Union, the UK's Environment Secretary Liz Truss told the National Farmers Conference...

Livestock Margins Still Very Tight Despite Lower Input Costs
UK - Despite falling input costs livestock farmers still face a challenge to achieve positive margins when selling finished animals, according to the latest figures from Quality Meat Scotland’s...

El Niño Continues to Impact 2016 Weather Patterns
ANALYSIS - A two-year El Niño event has bad a strong influence on world weather, according to Art Douglas, PhD, Professor Emeritus at Creighton University, who recently presented the annual...

What are the Implications of Brexit for UK Food and Agriculture?
ANALYSIS - If the UK votes to leave the EU in the forthcoming referendum, the British government would have to renegotiate all its trade deals with both Europe and third countries....

New Programme Sets Sights on Strong Wool Returns in New Zealand
NEW ZEALAND - A new collaboration between The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) aims to deliver premiums for New Zealand's strong wool sector - a...

Unique Orkney Sheep Producers Apply for PGI Status
SCOTLAND, UK - Applications to grant European Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) status to North Ronaldsay Wool and North Ronaldsay Mutton were launched last week in Kirkwall....

Industry to Work More Closely Together to Promote Beef, Lamb
UK - The supply chain must continue to find ways to work together more closely to stimulate demand for beef and lamb, an industry round table meeting agreed last week....

Cumbrian Floods Caused Hundreds of Sheep Deaths, Survey Shows
UK - Farmers who suffered flood damage in the worst hit areas of Cumbria have responded to an industry led survey and the results are staggering....

Producers Need to Ensure Lambs are Sold at Target Spec
ANALYSIS - UK sheep meat prices over the last year have been below previous years and well below the five year average....

Busting Myths and Misunderstandings Over Antibiotic Resistance and Regulations
ANALYSIS - Concrete proposals under the review of the European regulations for the use of veterinary medicines are expected to come into effect by the end of 2018 or the beginning of 2019....

Parasite Problems Could Worsen After US Winter Warmth
US - Recent mild weather has set the stage for what could be a significant infestation of potentially deadly parasites in sheep and goats this spring, a Purdue Extension expert has said....

Brexit Could Place British Farming in Jeopardy, Report Warns
UK - The future of many UK farming businesses looks uncertain, according to a new report on the agricultural implications of leaving the EU written by a University of Warwick academic....

Mild Winter Increases Fluke Risk in UK Sheep, Cattle
UK - There is a high risk chronic liver fluke burdens in livestock in western regions of the UK and especially in Scotland, according to the latest NADIS Parasite Forecast, sponsored by Merial...

Joint Plea for Dog Owners to Act Responsibly Around Sheep
UK - With the traditional lambing season approaching and reports of dog attacks on sheep increasing, the National Sheep Association (NSA) and RSPCA have teamed up to urge dog owners to take extra...

More Support for Llama, Alpaca Farming in Bolivia
BOLIVIA - An agreement signed recently between the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the government of Bolivia will help 30,000 poor rural families in the Bolivian High...

Scottish Farm Profits Heavily Reliant on EU Payments
SCOTLAND, UK - Staying in the EU is ‘absolutely crucial’ for the future of Scottish farming, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has said....

Calls for More Funding to Keep Syria's Farmers in Production
SYRIA - With the war in Syria now approaching its sixth year, agricultural production has plummeted and food supplies are at an all-time low, so the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has...

European Commission Makes Farm Incomes Priority
ANALYSIS - Farmers’ incomes are to be given top priority this year by the European Commission as it seeks to ensure “a fair return for producers for their products”....

NFU Urges Government to Renew Efforts to get Aid to Flood-Hit Farms
UK - The National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the Government to redouble its efforts to help farms still struggling with the deluge of water from Storm Desmond....

Land Management Essential in Managing Volatility and Food Security
ANALYSIS - Land management and mitigating the effects of climate change are expected to be the major challenges to the European farming sector and the focus for the Common Agricultural Policy....

New Research to Inform Australians on Lamb Cuts from Heavier Carcases
AUSTRALIA - Australia Day lamb connoisseurs will this week be treated to an array of never before seen cuts as innovative chefs and retailers design new recipes to showcase the flavours of our...

Market Analysis Shows Importance of Stimulating Lamb Demand
UK - Farmgate prices for hoggs have started 2016 on a positive note for producers by increasing slowly in recent weeks, although they are still well behind prices of a year ago, according to...

Ethiopia Faces El Niño Emergency as Livestock, Crops Lost
ETHIOPIA - The strongest El Niño weather episode in the last several decades has caused repeated crop failure, decimated livestock herds and driven some 10.2 million people across Ethiopia into...

Mohair Conference to Improve NZ Goat Businesses
NEW ZEALAND - Some of the world’s leading experts in Angora goats and mohair are arriving in New Zealand to share their knowledge and expertise with the country’s Angora goat farmers....

New Videos Highlight Dangers of Dirty Livestock at Slaughter
UK - Producers are being reminded about the importance of ensuring livestock are clean when they are presented for slaughter in two videos produced by levy board AHDB Beef & Lamb....