Oh for some wise men

It's a little sad when the best we can do today in the way of three wise men is 'les enfants terrible' Margaret Beckett, Lord Witty and Elliott Morley - I don't think they could follow a star if they were attached to it! However, such remarks are not charitable and it is unbecoming to be bitter at this time of year.

Our butcher friend, Peter Pearson, proffered this warning and prayer: "Help me to be careful of the toes I step on today; as they may be connected to the feet I have to kiss tomorrow."

An expensive and uncompromising feature of the past ten months has been the necessity to transport only one species of livestock from one single holding; so that even if two adjoining dairy farms at Scarborough had one cow each to go to the collection centre, both had to be transported in separate vehicles for the 80-mile round trip.

Last Thursday, it was announced that this regulation would be eased and, initially, for OTMS cattle going direct to slaughter, DEFRA will allow up to five pick-ups from different farms, with one or two other provisos:

- All the farms must be in a disease- free county (which doesn't include North Yorkshire as yet).

- Each farmer has to transport his animals to the farm boundary for transfer to the main wagon; or create two separate loading bays.

It sounds a bit complex, but it is a start and, hopefully, it will lead to freeing up the transport situation to collection centres in the New Year.

Having operated our C&D facilities at Malton and York without too many problems for the past six months, it now seems that MLC wishes to 'regularise' the position. It feels that it is a biosecurity risk to be operating within 60 yards of the farmers' market at Malton which, after all, is only a collection of produce stalls and has nothing more to do with susceptible animals than Safeway or Sainsbury's.

Nevertheless, MLC has closed the wash on both of our last farmers' markets.

Even more frustrating, they arbitrarily withdrew support from the C&D wash at York on the Christmas poultry sale day, which was again pretty illogical as all the birds were dead and no traffic, neither human nor vehicular, went anywhere near the wash.

I just hope we aren't running into another quango that wants to flex its muscles.

All being well, the wash will be open at Malton again on December 27/28.

Brian Glaves and his merry band of brothers have kept supplies going through the crisis, so buy your Christmas fare from a local source.

If we don't support them, Fred Silverwood's cautionary tale may become true. Fred started life in his father's butchers' shop, in Cudworth, where there were 11 butchers in total serving the community.

Forty years on, he is the only one left, although Cudworth now boasts three times the population. Even then, Fred says, it is difficult to make ends meet.

I am afraid the demand for lamb has dropped off, although the price is still holding on grimly. Anyone with hoggs to sell will be better keeping them into the New Year and giving us a ring.

Cattle are scarce, with the prospect of the increased slaughter premium, but we could still do with some for the collection centre on Thursday. Give a ring as soon as you open the paper if you want to come for that day or Wednesday, January 2.

The pig market will no doubt enter its cyclical period following the boom prices before Christmas.

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

A final ditty from Peter Pearson which expresses pretty well why any of us in agriculture are still there.

"I have been in business for a long time. I have been cussed and discussed, boycotted, bullied, lied to, hung up, held up and robbed, and the only reason I am staying in business now is to see what the hell is going to happen next."

A very happy and, more importantly, prosperous New Year to one and all.

Updated: 08:52 Thursday, December 27, 2001