And now - cow clap control!

I am currently trying to find out a bit more background to this but, for the time being, suffice it to say that we have in this country areas set aside as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones in which the application of nitrogen is controlled.

The European Court of Justice decided that the UK is not doing sufficient and the EC is taking proceedings to enforce that judgement. I find it strange to see them taking such swift action against us and yet it took years to do anything about the French ban on our beef which, by the way, is still in place.

Back to the nitrate question and DEFRA's proposals to implement the judgement:

- The DEFRA consultative document offers two options to the farmers - the first is that the whole country will become an NVZ and the second, only a mere 80pc.

- The measures required in the designated area, whatever its size, would be: Limits and controls of nitrogen fertilizer to crop requirement only; the spreading of organic manure will be controlled, including FYM and "the contribution from grazing livestock"; slurry storage provision; keeping farm records.

- To implement these measures, farmers will be required to keep accurate individual field records which include details of cropping, livestock numbers and the use of both manufactured fertilizer and organic manure. In addition, farmers will be required to demonstrate that they have not applied nitrogenous fertilizer in excess of the crop requirement after taking into account crop uptake, soil supply from organic matter, crop residues and organic manures.

- There will be closed periods when you are not allowed to apply nitrogenous fertilizer, broadly from September to February over the winter period. For farmyard manure and slurry the closed period runs from August to November.

- Any intensive livestock unit that cannot hold sufficient slurry or manure for the closed period will have to build new storage tanks.

The most ludicrous part of the document is a suggestion by DEFRA that the increased cost to the farmer could be met by higher prices achieved for their products. They argue that as the prices for livestock are largely driven by competition within Europe, rather than from world imports, then this regulation will affect all farmers in the EU equally.

I sometimes wonder upon which planet DEFRA have been living.

Have they lost their files on the beef, lamb and chicken imports? I cannot imagine Botswana or Argentina seeking to enforce similar controls; and cereal growers in North America and eastern Europe will be laughing all the way to the bank at yet another suicidal nail in the European farmer's coffin.

We have until February 28 to reply and my friend at the NFU is going to let me have their official reaction for next week.

My latest information is that DEFRA is looking towards Monday, February 18, as the possible start date for livestock markets. At the moment, it is only going to include cattle and sheep destined for slaughter and pigs will have to find their own route, as at present.

At Malton we are working hard towards that date and trying to discover the conditions required by DEFRA for opening up; but that in itself is quite a quest.

We will be sending out a circular well before the date so that you can let us know entries for the day and we will then match buyers to the stock. Anyone wanting the up-to-date position, please ring either Peter Woodall or myself.

Over New Year, The Telegraph printed a fascinating article about the attitude towards hunting across the Channel. In La Belle France, hunting is considered to be the inalienable right of every male citizen and this popular myth dates from the French Revolution. It would therefore be unthinkable to try and stop it and nobody seems to want to, apart from Brigitte Bardot who fronts a miniscule minority.

Hunting itself is a term which covers everything from chasing deer to shooting wild boar and netting swallows, of which some 30,000 were downed last year. The government freely provides 1,700 paid hunting officials to administer the rules for 3pc of the population who participate in the various sports; and yet the other 97pc, apart from BB, are quite happy to support them.

With a degree of French arrogance, one native comment summed up their attitude to hunting: "The male has perhaps two great passions; creating life and terminating it!" At that particular dinner table nobody disagreed but I venture to ask how the conversation might have gone over the tomato soup in England?

The new rates for 2002 have just been published and these are as follows with the equivalent 2001 rate shown in brackets:

Steers (2 claims) - £90.13, (£81.49)

Young bulls (1 claim)- £126.18, (£110.85)

Suckler cow - £120.17, (£109.05)

Slaughter Premium - £48.07, (£31.76)

Extensification Premium

1.4-1.8 LU/ha - £24.03 (£19.77)

Less than 1.4 LU/ha - £48.07, (£39.55)

- As if in answer to DEFRA's circular on nitrates, Peter Turnbull sent me a cutting from a newspaper about our self-sufficiency in broiler chickens.

Apparently, a few years ago we produced virtually all the chickens we ate in this country and now the situation has deteriorated to where we import 60-80pc of them. We have become a dumping ground for foreign poultry pumped up with water and chemicals to increase weight. They don't conform to our welfare standards nor to any of the costly regulations imposed upon us by the EC.

Chicken meat is potentially the most dangerous of all the foods we eat and yet there don't seem to be any measures taken to protect us.

What do you say to that DEFRA?

- I have another sad case where the MHS has refused to identify an animal that arrived at the abattoir having lost its tags, and binned the carcass.

This particular farmer only has 14 cows and there was incontrovertible evidence from his movement records that it could have been none other than the beast shown on the passport. We have had similar instances at other abattoirs during the crisis and these have been dealt with in a more practical way, but this was to no avail.

My concern is that my first contact was a Spaniard, as was my second, and their superior was a German. It is understandable but not acceptable that they reached the decision they did; however, I do not believe that their background gives them a wide enough comprehension of our agricultural practices nor sufficient commitment to the continuance of our meat industry.

I am taking the matter to appeal on behalf of the farmer.

- After all the problems we have with the Gisburn Gestapo who closed York down for a week, the files have thankfully gone back to the permanent DEFRA staff.

A week last Monday, we were faced with a crisis at the collection centre when, at 6am, there was ten degrees of frost and no water could be persuaded to go down the pipes. The situation could have become ugly as the queue of trailers was building up at the wash.

I have no hesitation in handing out a bouquet to the DEFRA vet who recommended that each livestock trailer should be returned to its farm of origin, kept away from livestock, and washed out as soon as it was thawed. The transport lorries were to be dealt with as best we could with buckets and brushes.

If only all the officials were as helpful.

Numbers have been slow in coming forward at the beginning of the year and we have spaces and orders in most sections.

Fat cattle are now running from 172-178p/kilo on an 'R' with the higher range being given for clean cattle and the lower end of the market for bulls. Friesians and other breaking-up cattle have now bottomed out at around 150p/kilo with the odd '0+' coming back at 166p/kilo. We still have room for OTMS cattle if you have some to go.

With sheep there seems to have been a reluctance to draw them in the first 10 days of the year but they are now coming forward a bit better. Trade has settled around 220-230p/kilo but this very much depends on the maximum weight offered by the abattoirs. There is plenty of demand so if you have some ready please give us a ring.

Pigs have been the only species to decline with their seasonal dip and most are struggling to make 100p/kilo with the odd packet of gilts going up towards 108p/kilo.

Help us to help you and phone our help lines at Malton on (01653) 697820/692151 and York on (01904) 489731.

Updated: 10:54 Thursday, January 10, 2002