Farm News
Revealed: UK agriculture industry among healthiest occupations
»»
AGRICULTURE WORKERS are among the healthiest workforce in the UK, according to new research.
The survey of 2,014 UK adults by IronmongeryDirect revealed that those working in the agriculture sector such as, farm managers, mechanics, technicians and administrators are among the healthiest workers in the UK.
‘ the average agriculture worker is active for four and a half hours per day’
Due to the nature of the job and often being close to huge sprawling open spaces, the average agriculture worker is active for four and a half hours per day( 270 minutes).
When it comes to getting physical, agriculture workers are healthier than those in the retail and manufacturing trade, and follow just two other industries( trades and health & fitness) when it comes to hours spend being active.
Those working in offices top the poll of being the unhealthiest workforce, with individuals from marketing and professional services sectors are all failing to be active for an hour per day, burning less than 300 calories through work related activity.
Despite this, almost one in five( 19 %) UK workers‘ tops up’ his or her activity levels with a weekly gym session.
Agriculture workers in the main are not office-bound and, therefore, are less likely to succumb to sugary treats, with 23 % admitting to enjoying a daily indulgence, as sweets and biscuits are passed around.
GROUNDS CLEARANCE MADE EASY
»»
GROUNDS TEAMS ARE being encouraged to make the most of the better weather and prepare areas before temperatures drop.
Robust brushcutters from Billy Goat are designed for cutting the toughest of overgrown areas. They plough through dense brush up to 6’ high, as well as grass and weeds as tall as 8”. Even saplings don’ t stand a chance! These powerful brushcutters are unfazed by hidden items lurking in the grass. They make clearing vast areas, meadows and fields a breeze, as well as also being handy for clearing paths and tackling overgrowth.
There are five models in the range offering a variety of options. All models have a 26” cutting width and a heavy-duty blade spindle that is reinforced on four sides to tackle the toughest of cutting tasks with ease, as well as a rigid deck for extra stability. There are two self-propelled models with three speeds, both powered by 13hp petrol engines, and weigh in at 166kg. There are three hydrostatic transmission models available, all powered by 13hp Honda petrol engines. These have the option of either pull or electric starting and feature a unique pivoting deck to offer increased manoeuvrability.
www. billygoat. co. uk
RABDF ANNOUNCES‘ SCOPING THE FUTURE’ CONFERENCE
|
»»
A NEW BUSINESS AND Policy Conference is to be held in London on Wednesday 18 October.‘ Scoping the Future’ will be the theme of the event, which will focus on the UK dairy industry post-Brexit.
This inaugural conference will be held in conjunction with The Trehane Trust and will include the key findings of Trehane Fellowship recipient Mike Houghton of Andersons, who
|
has been researching future options and opportunities for the sector at home and abroad.
RABDF president Lord Curry will open the conference, following which the Policy Group’ s Simon Ward will outline what is happening behind the scenes with regard to trade, subsidies, market access and labour. Arla’ s Graham Wilkinson will look at processor
|
perspectives and independent industry commentator Chris Walkland will talk about future issues, trends and action points.
Matthew Knight, managing director of RABDF, says:
“ We already know that moving forward, farmers need to be more competitive, more switched into markets and more aware of global impacts on their businesses,
|
|
regardless of the systems they use or the market they supply.
“ With the future of production-based support still unclear, the day will aim to elevate the discussion beyond the obvious challenges and look instead at opportunities to reshape the industry.”
A full programme can be found at www. rabdf. co. uk
|
www. farmers-mart. co. uk Autumn 2017 5