Last week’s farming press was full of news that DEFRA had surplus stock of Blue Tongue vaccine – by some estimates around nine million doses; and with a July expiry date these must be taken up or thrown away at a cost in excess of £3 million.

When one looks at the devastation wreaked in some European countries, there is simply no answer to the voluntary vaccination scheme except to do it.

We are at the ideal time of year for vaccination with stock being turned out for the summer grazing so every responsible livestock farmer should consider getting the job done.

Every farmer who doesn’t vaccinate will put at risk not only his own stock, but also those of his neighbours.

To make matters worse, the volatile French have launched a protest against their own compulsory vaccination policy last week and they are in denial.

French farmers have a deadline of May 1 for vaccination, but being no strangers to confrontation they are refusing to comply.

If the French protest continues, then the greater the risk of exposure to the United Kingdom.

Sheep dog trials and tribulations

Yet another example of how our agricultural industry is controlled by ill-informed idiots came last week, when Tesco issued an edict to their New Zealand suppliers to stop using sheep dogs unless they could be restrained to be “more considerate” towards the sheep.

One Kiwi farmer commented that this is absolute baloney and likened it to taking the hammer away from a builder.

In reality, it would be far more stressful to try to move sheep without dogs, but such a reasoned argument carries no sway with the omnipotent superstores.

It is really worrying how they can issue such a directive, which in effect means comply or die.

Market report

Forward 78 cattle inc 11 bulls and 15 cows 2031 sheep inc 57 lambs and 346 ewes light steers to 160p A S Russell Pickering ave 156.2 heavy steers to 204p G D Nutt Thirtleby ave 163.2 light heifers to 154p A L Bosomworth Thornton Le Dale heavy heifers to 213p G I Marwood Harome ave 167.8 light bulls to 167p M & J Hayhurst Kirby Misperton heavy bulls to 170p A Cussons & Sons Kirkbymoorside ave 164.9 OTM clean to 160p OTM cows to 144p T S Pearson Allerston ave 121.5 standard lambs to 256p C T Stonehouse & Son Brawby ave 225.5 medium lambs to 246p C T Stonehouse & Son Brawby ave 219p heavy lambs to 225p W L Caley Tibthorpe ave 202.8 standard hoggs to 203p J A Cussons Ltd Heslerton ave 187.2 medium hoggs to 210 M D Medd Sawdon ave 185.3 heavy hoggs to 210p J & R Waind Brawby ave 185.4 overweight hoggs to 199p L W Aconley & sons Cawthorne ave 175.2 ewes to £120 A R Bulmer Great Habton ave £69.84