The NFU for England and Wales is urging UK MEPs to reject a draft law limiting the amount of crops involved in biofuel production which is to be presented to the European Parliament on April 29th 2015.

This is the last parliament vote on the draft before it is instated as legislation and comes after extensive debates on Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC), in a European Council, Parliament and Commission trialogue and the Environment Committee.

The cap on the volume of crops allowed to be used for bio-fuel processing will be reduced from ten to seven percent should the compromise proposal be adopted. The NFU says this will further expose farmers to market volatility as it will narrow the biofuels market for wheat, oilseed rape and sugar beet.

The NFU believes that the "food versus fuel" basis for the legislation is invalid as the stable, reliable domestic supply of high-protein animal feed made from the biofuel processing co-product is vital for UK livestock producers.

The indirect impact on UK farmers will be a reduction in export opportunities for bio-fuel crops - countries like Germany, the main importer of UK oilseed rape for that purpose, will buy less.

While the prolonged and polarised debate on ILUC has reduced the level of ambition in Europe to promote bio-fuels, the NFU has continued to reiterate the significant benefits it believes sustainable bio-fuels have on the environment and the economy.

The NFU's farmer-expert on bio-fuels, Brett Askew says the proposals will limit the scope of these potential benefits by imposing scientifically questionable ILUC factors and a cap on the contribution crop-based bio-fuels can make in achieving the minimum of ten per cent Renewable Transport Fuel by 2020.

Mr Askew, who is the NFU Crops Board Chairman for the North East of England, said: "Legislators have clearly been bullied into this U-turn by a series of environmental and social pressure groups that, until recently, stood shoulder to shoulder with industry and praised the potential contribution of bio-fuels in decarbonising the transport sector."

Market round-up

Messrs Craig Wilson Ltd only had134 prime hoggs forward at their weekly sale in Newton Stewart yesterday that sold to a top of £90 per head and 205.6p per kg to average 186.4p (+1.5p on the week).

There were also 110 cast sheep that continued to meet a good trade with rams selling to £171 for Texels, while ewes peaked at £148 for Beltex and £80 for Blackfaces.