NFU advert banned

The NFU have been banned from running an advert about the number of animals being slaughtered due to TB.

The Badger Trust and the Vegetarians International Voice for Animals complained about the advert which shows a cow lying dead on the floor.

The Advertising Standards Authority have said that the advert can't be run again as it looks now.

It seems strange to me, considering this advert is (other than raising awareness) targeted at farmers to make them vaccinate, and clearly has the shock factor, that the very people complaining about the advert are the people who would prefer that farmers chose to vaccinate rather than insist on a badger cull.

What is wrong with shocking the public? This advert featured in The Times, regional press and The Farmers Weekly last year. If it has made the the joe public realise what a serious problem TB is and how it affects farmers and their families, and persuaded farmers to vaccinate, then surely this advert can only be a good thing?

The advert also doesn't directly imply that badgers are soley responsible for the spread of TB.

Image Coutesy of Sunfox on Flickr

Eat Welsh for a Week Challenge

Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones did it November and now the NFU has challenged the whole Rural Development Sub Committee of the National Assembly to Eat Welsh for a Week.

The NFU decided to set the committee the challenge after Elin Jones spoke of difficulties of eating out in particular whilst doing the challenge.

NFU Cymru's President, Dai Davies hopes the committee will experience for themselves just how easy or difficult it is to source Welsh food.

Chairman Alun Davies and the rest of the committee will start the challenge tomorrow morning.

It'll be interesting to see how they get on.....

Image Courtesy of Welsh Icon (Dom) on Flickr

Andrew Lloyd Webber visits Welsh Farm

The son of North-Wales sheep farmers Myfyr and Sue Evans is in the semi-final of Eurovision - Your Country Needs You.

If Mark Evans from Llanrhaeadr wins the competition - he will represent the UK in The Eurovision Song Contest in Russia later this year.

So today, Judge Andrew Lloyd Webber is visiting the family farm ahead of the semi-final this Saturday.

Image Courtesy of misstraceynolan on Flickr.

Farmhouse Breakfast praises Welsh Produce

As part of Farmhouse Breakfast Week, The Farmers Union Wales held a breakfast event to promote eating a local and healthy breakfast.

Farmhouse Breakfast Week is a yearly campaign. This year's theme 'Think Breakfast' aims to encourage everyone to wake up to breakfast as part of a healthy balanced diet and active lifestyle.

Meat Promotion Wales Chairman Rees Roberts spoke at the event. He told me how well exports of lamb are doing in particular.

Image Courtesy of 'Just a Temporary Measure' on Flickr

Woodburning stoves are on the increase

People are buying woodburners like they're going out of fashion. But is the problem that they're 'in' fashion? As people are looking at alternatives to buying fossil fuels, some retailers in Wales have waiting list of more than four months for people waiting to buy a woodburner with a backboiler.

But do people really realise just how hard work it is running a hard-fuel fire? Emptying out ashes, laying it in again if it goes out, chopping logs and kindling. Unfortunately many have fallen in love with the idea that woodburners are something pretty to look at.

The other worry is that logs are too cheap and may seem a little too appealing. The actual price of buying and installing a woodburner is quite costly initially, but we've all seen bags of logs on the side of the road for as little as £1.50. But just how energy efficient are these logs? To make a woodburner cost effective and environmentally friendly - we need to be burning good quality logs. Otherwise, people who've already purchased a woodburner, may find themselves getting very little energy for the wood they're buying.

It goes without saying; if there is an increasing demand for woodburners, then more logs will be needed. But if this is the case, woodlands need to be farmed more sustainably to ensure the forestry industry can meet demands.

Woodland Management Charity Coed Cymru are creating a factsheet for customers and suppliers to make sure wood is being sold at the right price. They want to make sure that customers are buying the right logs and using them in the right way so they don't become disillusioned with wood as a cheap fuel.

Project Manager Andy Stewart told me what it was all about:




Image: Courtesy of Stuart L Ruffel on Flickr