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World
Net zero pressure
PLEDGES from retailers to work alongside farmers to source only from 100% net zero carbon farms bring opportunities to the farm gate – if the economics stack up.
This week, Morrisons announced it would become the first supermarket to be completely supplied by net zero British farms by 2030, with Waitrose making a similar commitment for 2035. Welcoming the move, NFU deputy president Stuart Roberts said farmers were part of the solution to mitigating climate change and demonstrating their green credentials would give them a competitive advantage.
“If we are to address societal concerns around climate change then the entire supply chain is going to have to work together and it is great to see Morrisons’ commitment on how it will work with its supply base and share the cost,” Roberts said during a net zero debate at the online Low Carbon Agriculture Show.
“Some of it is simply about improving animal genetics and nutrition and does not have to be over complicated.
“We have got a positive opportunity with climate conscious customers to premiumise our product with this story and we should look at this challenge offensively, rather than defensively.”
Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology chief executive Dr Nina Skorupska says environmental, social and governance targets meant companies such as supermarkets and processors were under pressure from investors to meet net zero goals and as a result this would put pressure on the whole supply chain.
“As people want to ensure green finance keeps flowing, I think this trend will accelerate and this is an opportunity for UK farmers,” Skorupska said.
UK Farmers Guardian
GOAL: Net zero carbon beef products are expected to hit shelves by 2025.
Contractors urged to avoid wood
FENCING contractors are being urged to find alternatives to wood when installing new fence posts given the tendency for traditional materials to rot.
The suggestion is being made by the Association of Fencing Industries (AFI) – the trade body representing fencing installers – which recently conducted a survey of its members to investigate the problem.
The reliability of wooden fencing posts has been called into question ever since a ban on copper chrome arsenate (CCA) treatment was introduced by the European Commission in 2006.
Instead, most post makers now supply so-called UC4 timber – which involves kiln drying and the application of a preservative.
More than 200 responses to the AFI survey were received, with more than 75% saying they had experienced post failures between 2006 and 2012, rising to 90% since 2012.
A third of respondents said replacing rotten posts was a weekly or monthly task, while around 80% said they had looked at concrete, steel or plastic alternatives to wood, or reverted to creosote-treated timber.
This is despite the fact UC4 post suppliers often offer a 12 to 15-year guarantee for their product.
The AFI says these “guarantees” do not cover the full replacement cost, and often come with so many caveats and conditions as to be of limited use.
“If the treatment industry believes in its end-product, then it needs to provide proper guarantees, covering the full cost of replacement,” an AFI spokesperson said.
“As it seems it is not prepared to do this, AFI has no choice but to recommend installers only use chemically-treated timber in ground contact where this is a specific requirement by the client.”
They are also advised to make the client aware that post failure due to fungal attack is not the responsibility of the installer.
But the move has been criticised by the Wood Protection Association (WPA), which insists the preservative systems used by its members are effective “when applied in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions and installed correctly”.
Biocidal products, such as wood preservatives, are subject to rigorous testing by the Health & Safety Executive prior to approval, WPA chief executive Gordon Ewbank told UK Farmers Weekly, so users should have confidence in their efficacy.
“We acknowledge that there have been some examples of premature failure of preservative treated wood in ground contact over recent years and this has had an adverse effect on the perception of post-CCA treatments in certain segments of the market,” Ewbank said.
However, he says this was often due to customers going for cheaper products rather than paying for quality.
The WPA is engaged in a supply chain education programme, urging installers and their clients to use Class 4 posts only, from an accredited supplier.
“Cheap product will probably not perform, so buy the best and be prepared to pay a premium which will give better long-term value,” he said.
He acknowledged that, when it came to manufacturer guarantees, “some are better than others”.
But while the WPA and AFI had been in talks about establishing a warranty scheme, including costs of replacement, in practice it was hard to deliver as it would need significant buy-in from the whole supply chain.
There was also a question about the legality of any scheme brokered by two trade associations which might be contractually binding on their members’ actions.
UK Farmers Weekly
Gordon Ewbank Wood Protection Association
ISSUE: The reliability of wooden fencing posts has been called into question ever since a ban on copper chrome arsenate (CCA) treatment was introduced by the European Commission in 2006
Trade chaos over post-Brexit rules
FARM businesses in Northern Ireland are struggling to cope with post-Brexit trade disruption, according to the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU).
The union has listed a number of problematic regulations introduced under the Northern Ireland Protocol, which came into effect on January 1.
These include: the official certification of arable seed for planting this spring; residency periods for livestock that have travelled to Great Britain before re-entry into Northern Ireland; livestock identification changes; and certification requirements for freedom from soil or other potential contaminants for machinery and rooted seedling plants/ trees.
UFU president Victor Chestnutt says the protocol was supposed to allow GB/ NI trade to continue without imposing a restrictive land border with the Republic of Ireland.
However, he says it had instead caused chaos and added costs for farmers and NI agri-food processors, with livestock disrupted and vital arable seed consignments delayed.
“Now is the time when sheep need to be moved from Scotland to NI and seeds needs to be brought from GB to NI for spring sowing,” Chestnutt said.
“Seasons do not wait for bureaucracy. Action needs to be taken now.”
He says the time to address the many issues is running out fast, yet engagement with NI regarding trade disruption has been poor to date.
“We are supportive of UK/EU alignment or a bilateral agreement on agri-food standards and have been proactively conveying this,” he said.
“Brussels and Westminster need to recognise that on January 1 the whole of the UK was uniquely aligned with EU rules.”
