New charity book is perfect Christmas stocking filler
A new book packed full of light-hearted tales from the agricultural community is now available to order. All profits from the sale of “Farming is Still a Funny Business” will go to RSABI, the charity supporting people in Scottish agriculture. The book, compiled by Andrew Arbuckle, includes stories, jokes and anecdotes kindly contributed by farmers, auctioneers, vets, journalists and many others involved in the farming community. The book also features colourful cartoons from former Cartoonist of the Year Brian Petrie, as well as sketches by Graham Lang. Andrew Arbuckle said: “I am extremely grateful to those who took the time to contact me with their story suggestions.
“The content I received was very wide-ranging and, while it was not possible to include every quirky tale sent in, I very much hope the selection which has made it into the book might prove to be a useful record of farming experiences, as well as providing an entertaining read.” The latest initiative follows two previous books compiled by Mr Arbuckle, and his brother John, which have collectively raised over £72,000 for RSABI. Mr Arbuckle hopes that the proceeds of the third book will take that total to over £100,000. Nina Clancy, Chief Executive of RSABI, said: “Recent months have been incredibly tough time for everyone. We are extremely grateful to everyone who took the time to contact Andrew to share their memories of fun and lighthearted experiences which I am sure will raise the spirits of those who read the book.” The new book is available to buy, along with a selection of farming-themed Christmas cards and previous books, from the RSABI online shop – https://www.rsabi.org.uk/ RSABI-Shop or by calling 0131 364 4205.
RSABI’s helpline – 0300 111 4166 – is open every day of the year from 7am to 11pm. The charity provides emotional, practical and financial support to people in Scottish agriculture. Visit www.rsabi.org.uk to find out more.
arable & root crops BASF bucking trend with packed pipeline for potatoes
Potato growers’ armoury against pests, diseases and weeds has been shrinking in recent years. More than ten active ingredients have already been lost and a further 50 are under threat from non-renewal. One manufacturer, BASF however, is bucking that trend with four new potato products in the pipeline. In total BASF has seven crop protection products coming to market in the next five years, a result of continued research and development. “We invested 900 million in R&D in 2020 and it’s bearing fruit,” says Matthew Goodson, BASF Marketing Manager for Specialities. “The FAO estimate over 30% of potential yield is lost to weeds, pests, pathogens and viruses in the field, yet potato growers are losing chemical controls at an unprecedented rate. With our growing portfolio of products, we’re offering some solutions to some of these real-world problems.” The news has been warmly welcomed by Mike Renouard, Business Unit Director of one of the UK’s most recognisable potato brands, The Jersey Royal Company.
“Growing a heritage variety with fewer crop protection products on fields that have an average size of just two acres inevitably increases the potential for weeds, soil-borne pests and diseases,” he says. Farming more than a third of the island’s cultivated land mass, The Jersey Royal Company faces more scrutiny than most. It’s activities have a significant bearing on the island’s aesthetics and many of firm’s fields are catchments for the island’s water supply. “Through the Action for Cleaner Water Group we devised a risk-based assessment for herbicides and fungicides. Though it restricts the range of products we can use on some fields, it’s helped reduce our impact on the environment which is more important.” With early crops covered with plastic mulches leaving little time for herbicide applications, options are limited further. So the announcement of a new herbicide, currently known as BAS 656, coming to market is good news for Mr Renouard.
www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com
