NFU Scotland is seeking clarification as to how the €500m dairy package, announced by the European Commission this week to compensate for the global downturn, will work. The package would see €150m allocated as an incentive for dairy producers across the EU to reduce production and €350m in national envelopes to member states.

The UK is to get just over €30m - the third highest share in the EU, but lower than the country's €40m allocated from a separate, but similar, EU aid package last September. The UK Government will be able to "top-up" this money by 100 per cent, using treasury funding if it chooses to do so.

NFUS chief executive Scott Walker commented: "While global sums of money have been announced there is as yet too little detail and too many unknowns to say what this will mean for a dairy farmer in Scotland."

At the time of going to press Scotland was being represented by UK officials at a technical meeting in Brussels, when details on how the money can be spent will be agreed.

* Meanwhile, the Soil Association has written to UK millers and supermarkets asking them to avoid flour made from milling wheat treated with glyphosate in the run-up to harvest.

Glyphosate is a herbicide widely used as a desiccant to speed up the ripening process prior to harvest. The chemical has been the subject of considerable controversy over whether or not it is carcinogenic.

According to the Soil Association, glyphosate sprayed on wheat crops prior to harvesting can follow the grain into our food. It quotes the results from tests by the Defra Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food that found that 30 per cent of UK bread contained glyphosate.

Market round-up

C&D Auction Marts Ltd sold 19 prime heifers in Dumfries on Wednesday to a top of 228.5p per kg and an average of 202.9p.

There were 56 OTM cattle presented in the rough ring when beef cows sold to 136p and averaged 118.8p, while dairy cows peaked at 117p and levelled at 93.3p.

The firm also sold 331 prime lambs to a top of £94 per head and 204p per kg to average 189.8p (-4.5p on the week).

A nice show of 532 cast sheep saw heavy ewes sell to £90.50 for Texels and average £69.21 (-£2.88), while light ewes peaked at £63.50 for Blackfaces and levelled at £46.72 (+£2.66).

Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd sold 663 prime lambs in Newton Stewart yesterday to a top of £93 and 207.5p to average 188.9p (-10.6p).

There were also 181 cast sheep forward when ewes sold to £110 for Texels and £64.50 for Blackfaces.