I Clltheroe Advertiser &TImes,-niureciay, July 19,2012 “ww-clltheroeadvortlser c you go on holiday


AS summer gets underway and many people prepare to go on holiday, NHS Blood and Transplant


(NHSBT) is reminding blood donors in the Ribble


IS needed all year round, and ivith restrictions on donating after travelling to certain parts


r » • '


Valley to give blood before they go. A constant supply of blood


. of the world, donors are be­ ing encouraged to give blood ahead of their holidays.. Donated blood is used not


the eligible population give blood and only 0.03% donate platelets. ■ ,


only in accident and emer­ gency situations, but also for patients undergoing surgery and receiving treatment for cancer and blood diseases, such as leukaemia. Current- ' ly 7,000 units' of blood are needed every day to help save the lives of sick and injured patients across England and North Wales, yet only 4% of


Barbara Blanche, Lead Do- ■


nor Relations Manager for NHSBT, said: “Blood has a limited shelf life of 35 days for red blood cells and just seven days for platelets, so it is vital


: that both existing and new blood donors come forward now to ensure that vital sup­ plies of blood are available for the patients that need them over the summer month's."


Anyone aged between 17


to 65, weighing more than 50kg (seven stone 12Ibs) and in general good health could potentially start saving lives by becoming a blood donor. TTiere is no upper age limit for


:donors who have donated in the last two years. • The next blood donor


sessions in Clitheroe will be held on Friday July 20th at St James Church Hall, St James’ Street, between 2 and 4 p.m. and 5 and 7-30 p.m.


First-class savings by county council


s a v in g s o f around £300,000 will be made by


o f around


Lancashire County Coun­ cil, simply by sending non­ urgent items through the second-class post. -The cost-cutting project has already led to a major reduc­


tion in the amount of public money spent oh postage by the council. During the first three months of this year, the percentage of post sent first class reduced from 50% to just 10%.


- i ; I I 1 v e r t i s e r a n d Clitheroe


Lancashire County Council, said: “In 2010/11 we were spending nearly a million pounds a year on postage .- half of which


,


target to save a minimum of £300,000 a year, through a variety of measures, includ


was first- class mail “We set a


^


1i n i e s • ,


Geoff Driver. ifiaHpr leader of


ing reducing the percentage of post we' send by first class mail. And we’re looking to reduce that further. “Reducing the


Jr amount of post ^ ‘ going out first class ’ is just part of a big­ ger drive to reduce the amount of post


3 ^ ^ psrt of an even bigger picture, as we work to save £205m. from the


mr we send out overall. “This is in turn


council’s budget by the end of 2013/14.


- will have saved £150m. by making administrative and


P^rt of £10m. a year savings that will be delivered for the council by One Connect Lim­ ited, a strategic partnership


between Lancashire County Council and BT.”


bureaucratic processes more efficient. “This £300,000 saving is


in February 2011 - by the end of that three year period, we


“We.set a three year budget 0 B . '”


Lady farmers ’ £ 1,200 for Rosemere charity


_ . J f O s e m e « '4:'ifA www.clltherooadverti8er.co.uk Clitheroe Advertiser & Times,Thursday, July 19,2012 A weekly look at the local countryside and the issues CASH BOOST: The presentation of the £1,200 cheaup


from the Wilpshire Ladies Branch of the NFU to Rosemere Cancer Foundation.


A WHOLE year of fund-raising for Rosemere Cancer Founda­ tion has been celebrated by the Wilpshire Ladies Branch of the National Farmers Union, who presented a cheque for £1,200 to the charity.


12 months organising a series of fantastic events to help raise funds for the charity, which helps to provide cancer care


their annual open night in Oc­ tober, with star guest Stephen Lowe from BBC Radio Lan­ cashire, to whist drives and the


andsupport to local people. . Events have ranged from


Lady Farmers church collec­ tion.


The ladies have spent the past


^ yew as a tribute to her husband ■ who sadly lost his battle with leukaemia in 2006. Mr Wall- bank had been treated at Royal Blackburn Hospital, which re­ ceives fu n ^ from the charity. Dan Hill, area fund-rais­ ing co-ordinator at Rosemere


with them and see the huge ef­ fort they’ve put into supporting


our work-helping local people fight cancer.”


l E ^ a d e r : • I t r e e return \


Honie to A i r p o r t T


k transfer h , mm •


Lapland The h ome of S a n t a C l a u s


Day excursion, Saturday 15 December 2012 From Manchester airport


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•Arport transfers, use of thermaidothingandahotbuffellunch • The chance to meet Santa Ciaus •


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For more great reader offers visit: www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk/ReaderTravel I


Cancer Foundation, said: “The ladies have done some amazing work over the past year to help raise money for Rosemere. “It’s been great to be involved


bank chose Rdsemerc Cancer Foundation as her charity of the


Branch president Ann Wall-


in real terms, to North West dairy farmers.


litre less, but for many dairy farm­ ers - particularly the small scale family farms that have traditional­ ly dominated areas such as Ribble Valley- it could spell the end. In this feature the NFU’s North West Regional Director, Robert Sheas- by, sets out what these cuts mean,


ing able to pay the bills or not, invest in the business or not, have a secure future or not. The NFU has drawn a line in the sand, we are negotiating hard and building relationships, but


ficult buying choices and cost is a big factor especially given that we all have to stretch that cash a little further: For North West dairy farmers and the National Farmers’ Union, however, price is everything; and seeing just a few pence cut off the milk price at farm gate by big processors, before the milk heads off to the supermar­ kets, makes a big, big difference. It’s the difference for farmers of be­


till though could be the difference between a North West dairy fanner staying in business or not. As shoppers, we’re all facing dif­


WHEN we’re shuffling around the supermarket it’s very easy to drop that two litre bottle of milk in. the trolley and not give the price a second thought. An extra couple of pence on the


FROM August 1st, several of the major milk processors will again cut the pHce paid to dairy farmers for the milk they pro­ duce. , _


Aiifnic# 1 f : lt might be only a couple of per I t 's m ak e o r b re a k for d a iry fa rm e rs


' per litre and 1.65 pence per litre re­ spectively. Knock-on effects of the cuts have already started, with First Milk cutting its milk price by 1.7ppl for its liquid pool and 0.9pl for bal-


. ancing. This comes on the back of fur­ ther significant cuts in recent months


and the latest round will hit our dairy farmers hard.


.


efficient bunch working profession­ ally, producing great produce to h i^ welfare standards but even the most


grumbling farmers, this is about a real problem which has the potential to rock the rural economy. North West farmers are a high-tech,


Let’s be clear, this is not about ROBERTSHEASBY


.efficient farm business will struggle given the average current milk price being passed back at farm gate. We know there is big profit for others in the dairy sector. - More than 175 farmers left the UK


stronghold but sadly in 2009 there were just 1,913 dairy farms, in 2010 there were just 1,841 - a drop of 4%. This cannot go on and the NFU is working tirelessly to make sure we have a strong sustainable sector in the foture. More than 550 farmers turn­ ing up to an NFU dairy meeting this week to discuss the issues shows how


Prime time double for ‘baron’ Baines


dairy industry last year; that’s more than three a week and North West daily farmers, according to the latest statistics from the Government, are also under the cosh. The region has always been a daiiy


ness, that’s capitalism”, but unfortu­ nately farmers are trapped in con­ tracts which are often one-sided, offer no clarity on price and they are locked into one buyer with long notice peri­ ods. This needs to change and efforts are being made. Most dairy farmers get paid well below the break-even point, produc-


24 hours after the meeting was called and hopefully it sent a powerful mes­ sage, a real wake-up call that the in­ dustry can take no more and action is needed. Nationally the number of producers took a dive from more than 16,500 in 2003 to just 10,724 last year. At such a fate; which will be further added to this year if the retailers and processers don’t return to paying a fair price, the future of the industry is undoubtedly hanging in the balance. People often say “well that’s busi­


serious a problem there is. The farmers were there less than


ies, Aria Foods UK and Dairy Crest have announced cuts to their milk prices of 1.7 pence per litre, two pence


dairy is at a crisis point and farmers are taking a battering from those passing their losses on. This month Robert Wiseman Dair­


________:_L


; - N . ; \tA


__ . . . '^ 0 i / s r - s‘


tion costs are estimated at around 30 pence per litre, and the outlook gets worse and worse with every price drop. Some retailers though are doing what they can and Salnsbuiy’s, Tesco ' and Marks and Spencer, through ded- icated supply routes, have milk price formulas designed to give some daily farmers a milk price to cover costs of


. have little or no option of supplying someone else.


Stuart mak^es Skipton judging debut


. Verity made his debut as a judge in the dairy arena at the opening July Craven Dairy Auction at Skipton Auction Mart. Mr Verity, of RadholmeLaund


CLITHEROE farmer Stuart \A/nir


high lig hts INCLUDE: Islands • Rotorua


Wellington - the Franz Josef Glacier region Queenstown • Milford Sound Mount Cook • Christchurch


I n t PRICE INCLUDES: • ^plor S pw ^ Christchurch to London Heathrow '


. . T o S a g e r • N^ne Jnners^d^So


BEST BEEF: Paul Baines (left) Is con­ gratulated by James Robertshaw.


Thornton, Bradford, the victor at £1,230 (248.5p/kg), outshone by the 495kg runner- up at £1,245, (a show high of 251.5p/kg). Keelham made a fifth acquisition with a further Jim Baines heifer at £1,029 (214.5p/


kg)-,. ,


peating his May prime championship suc­ cess at Skipton. This month, he also pfe- sented the second prize British Blue-cross heifer, which made £1,096 (235.5p/kg) when joining judge Richard Binns for his butcher’s shoo in Saltaire. '


' u i ,........... Multiple prizewinner Mr Baines was re­ ■ '''T ■


and Trawden, maintained his recent domi­ nance of the monthly prime cattle show ring when his first prize home-bred Limou­ sin-cross heifer progressed to lift the title, while he also secured the reserve champi­ onship with his class-winning British Blue- cross bullock. Both sold to Keelhani Farm Shop, of


RED Rose “beef baron” Jim Baines landed yet another prime time double at Skipton Auction Mart’s July show and sale. Mr Baines, who farms in both Clitheroe


joining Paul Bolland, of Airton. The reserve champion, from the same exhibitors, joined the same buyer for £2,200. With 26 pedigree and commer­ cial dairy cattle forward, newly-


Fann, w ^ right on.the mark, as he saw his chosen champion, a newly;calved heifer from father and son dairy farmers Jim and Jonathan Caygill, of.Rylstone, Skipton, progress to achieve the day’s top price of £2,350 when


DEBUT: Jonathan Caygill (left) with his champion and re­ serve, picked out by judge Stuart Verity.


calved heifers averaged £1,585, newly-calved cows £1,287 and maiden heifers £740. The main


July BOCM Pauls-sponsored Craven Dairy Auction takes place on Monday, July 23rd.


Gravestons take top two at Gisburn


DAVID and Sue Graveston, of Bolton by Bowland, took the top two places in the in-calf heifer class at Gisburn Auction


heroe-based feed mer­ chant Dugdale Nutri­ tion, the sale saw the Gf avestons selling their champion at £1,660 to ■ K. and M. Berry and Son, of Skipton,:and reserve at £1,500 to J . : Shuttleworth and Son.


Mart’s dairy sale. Sponsored by Clit-


DOUBLE SUCCESS: Catherine Graveston shows Dugdale Nutrition’s James Oddle her family’s prize winning in-caff heifers.^:


ofGargraye.Elsewhere- Starkie, of A. C. and in the busy sale, Nick N. Starkie, Padiham.


claimed the day’s top price of £2,180 and equal second highest price of £2,080. Both of


•i the top priced animals . went to W.A. Blockley, ,. of Knutsford, Cheshire,


■: while Mr Starkie’s secr ; ond prize winning heifer went at £1,820 to agent


• Aubrey Greenhalgh, o f . Elswick, Preston. ; Averages included:


; Ayrshire cows, £1,600; in-calf heifers. £1.534.


EXCEPTIONAL: Robert Walker is pre­ sented with the Agricultural Student of the Year Award by his tutor Howard Hartley at Newton Rigg College.


Newly-calved heifers ■ £1,782; n'ewly-calved


tional Diploma Agriculture student who has studied at Newton Rigg (part of Askham Bryan College) for the past two years: He was presented with the prestigious award, by his course tutor, Howard Hartley - When not studying, Robert lives and


A YOUNG farmer from the Ribble Valley won the Agricultural Student of the Year Award at Newton Rigg College, Penrith. Eighteen-year-old Robert Walker is a Na­


• :


deflationary nature of price nego­ tiations between retailers and milk purchasers. It is these negotiations and the resulting actions of the milk purchasers as they seek to undercut one another on price to secure busi­ ness with the retailers which are re­ ally hurting. The risk and failure is essentially passed on to farmers who


cream has indeed come down dras­ tically, but riot only did they not pay daily farmers a true value for the liiilk, when cream hit an all-time high they made no mention of the returns fi'om their prima^ liquid milk business. The true issue is the aggressive and


justification being sighted by the ma­ jor liquid milk purchasers based here in the UK. All of them have sought to blame the recent deterioration in dairy commodity markets, most no­ tably the decline in the price of com­ modity or bulk cream (which is a by­ product of skimming liquid milk). On the surface, the value of bulk


kind of relationship and fairness that is needed elsewhere to address the problem. So what is the crux of the is­ sue and what can be done? Firstly it is critical to highlight the reasons and


production; This is riot widespread and is the


ent supply chain, one that ensures a fair return for farmers, we will never break free from this vicious cycle of . crisis after crisis in the dairy sector, ' We now heed more milk purchas- ers to take responsibility and own up to the fact that they have been selling milk so cheaulv in the first nlace and have become too rbliant on the price of by-products'like cream for their in­ come. They need a new strategy, one that broadens their product and mar­ ket base so they can negotiate fairer milk prices.


p y p


do everything it can to back and assist the NFU as we push to sort out the mess that is dairy contracts. Practices like jong notice periods, retrospective pricing and volume capping must be scrapped.


Secondly the Government needs to


buyer must offer certainty of price or allow the .fanner the option to get out of the contract much sooner, 12 months is unfair and will only allow ■ the exploitation to continue.


a part. Enjoy a great, healthy product, but question how much of that milk price you pay is being passed back to .the farmer down your road. . This is not a moan about prices,


• Until all retailers and milk purchas-' ers commit to a fair and transpar-


• mentally wrong and is crippling the daiiysector. ‘ We have also not ruled out direc­


tion action.


Robert’s top of the class


Ito nri


meetings with the Government, and both the milk purchasers and retail­ ers. Continuing to pass unsustainable prices on to farmers knowing they have to continue the supply is funda-


North IVest shoppers can also play . Contracts between farmer and milk


but North West dahy farmers fighting desperately for their future survival. The NFU will now be calling urgent


works on the family hill farm in Dunsop Bridge and is a member of Slaidbiim Young FarmersClub.


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