COUNTRY WEEK

Farming news, rural life, equestrian and outdoors. Plus: The Yorkshire Vet.

Events

DRIFFIELD: After Dark at Driffield Showground includes scare mazes, a funfair, street food and live music on Friday and Saturday. For tickets, see www. driffieldshowground.co.uk

RIPON: Take a guided walk around Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s latest nature reserve, Ripon City Wetlands, above, on Saturday at 10.30am. To book, see www.ywt. org.uk

OTLEY: A farmers’ market will be held in Otley Market Place on Sunday from 9am to 1pm.

YORK: Join a guided walk of the gardens at Beningbrough Hall near York on Thursday and Friday next week, at 12pm and 2pm, and hear about how the changing seasons impact on its trees.

HEXHAM: The Northern Farming Conference at Hexham Auction Mart, two weeks today on November 6, looks at how farmers can take control of their businesses. For tickets, see www. northernfarmingconference. org.uk

#onthefarm

IMPORTS OF oil seed rape have grown from 60,000 tonnes to 220,000 tonnes between 2015 and 2018, with new figures from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board showing a 16-year low in areas planted with the crop in England this year.

The National Farmers’ Union Farmers has previously warned of heavy crop losses after restrictions to the availability of neonicotinoids – substances used in plant protection products to control harmful insects – over fears they were harming bees.

@JoeWStanley: Farmers warned government that this was the predictable consequence of the #neonic ban

@LeeFarming: And the environmental impact of shipping that product rather than growing it on the doorstep?

@wheat_daddy: Oh heck, don’t go there!