It is said that anyone living in a city, will always be within six feet of a rat. I am not sure that applies to those of us fortunate enough to live in the countryside, but according to the Farm Train course which I am studying on line, most farms are attractive to both rats and mice, and the countryside is alive with them.
The purpose for this scholarly effort, is to enable me to buy rat poison, once the new legislation kicks in, in 2018. Our Red Tractor status is currently sufficient, but it needs to be done.
The subject of rats and mice is surprisingly interesting. I did not know that 100 rats can eat up to a ton of wheat in a year. A female can produce every 3 – 4 weeks, they are sexually active by 9 weeks, and over 27 weeks 2,000 rats can result from the original pair.
They carry or cause 35 diseases, including Salmonella, Weills, Leplospinosis, and Toxoplasmosis, and are responsible for hundreds of fires by chewing through cables. By the end of the course, I hope to have advanced my effectiveness, so none will dare set foot on the farm.
While on the subject of rats, there are, according to sections of the press, plenty of candidates here and in the USA, who could wear the label. Not the ‘sinking ship’ kind.
By Wednesday, we will know if it is President Trump or Clinton. It will not be dull if Trump, who will shake truly up the establishment. If Clinton makes it, the USA will probably continue in much the same vein, although she comes with much baggage. Either will divide the nation.
Here there are apparently many potential candidates, such as Mrs Miller and her three judges, following their High Court ruling that parliament must have a vote on leaving the EU fit the bill. A judgement which has divided, and caused certain hysteria. However, those with an understanding of the principles, say that the judgement has handed down a masterpiece. It punts the matter back to the legislature, and will not in fact “stop” Brexit. It has though plainly tied Scotland up in knots, and Mrs Sturgeon will soon recognise her ideas for ‘Independence’, have not a leg to stand on.
Others may believe Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Arlene Foster’s face fits, having declared at her first DUP conference that Brexit is the biggest economic opportunity for the UK in decades. And that, “Rather than talking up the challenges, we should be looking forward to those opportunities”. A positive attitude.
The Brexit debate will run and run, but in the meantime Mrs May is being encouraged to keep her nerve and aim to trigger Article 50 in March.
The Vote to leave has also created uncertainty for existing agri-environmental agreements, and Countryside Stewardship applications according to the NFU. We know that the existing CAP agreements will be honoured in full until 2020, as are the current Countryside Stewardship agreements due to start in January 2017.
There were a few more applications for the Countryside Stewardship this year, but they are still well down on DEFRA’s expectations. It is hardly surprising as to gain very little additional funding, farmers must jump through countless hoops, many of which are somewhat ludicrous and will hardly benefit the environment, let alone improve farmland.
An example of an idiotic option, is for grass fields to have six meter boundaries fenced off to prevent grazing: - ‘To allow the natural plants to thrive’. In our neck of the woods natural plants which thrive when fields are left unattended for more than twelve months, are brambles, ragwort, blackthorn and rushes. And many of our grass fields, and those of my neighbours who have told me about this, average around 6 acres, which leave precious little in the centre of the field to feed the livestock. Added to which, installing miles of stock proof fencing is exceptionally expensive.
It is hardly surprising that very few farmers are applying to join this particular club, and I can’t see that changing in a hurry.
RSS Feed