The tenth and penultimate edition of a rural affairs programmes produced by Tyne Tees Television that looks at the future of agricultural and the countryside as it heads towards the new millennium. In this edition presenter Eric Robson looks at the economics of fuel farming through the production of rape seed oil for biodiesel and coppice willow as a biomass burning. In a field Eric Robson introduces this edition by saying that as part of the government’s ‘set aside’ scheme farmers are...

The tenth and penultimate edition of a rural affairs programmes produced by Tyne Tees Television that looks at the future of agricultural and the countryside as it heads towards the new millennium. In this edition presenter Eric Robson looks at the economics of fuel farming through the production of rape seed oil for biodiesel and coppice willow as a biomass burning. In a field Eric Robson introduces this edition by saying that as part of the government’s ‘set aside’ scheme farmers are looking at alternative ways of using their land, no longer producing food they are now producing fuel. Title: Farming 2000 At a British Biodiesel Ltd fuelling station near Darlington a man fills his Vauxhall Cavalier with biodiesel. His car is covered with labels relating to this fuel. Biodiesel, explains Eric, is big business in Europe and a group of North Yorkshire farmers are setting up fields to produce the raw material to make the fuel. They are in partnership with a chemical company on Teesside and with the Farmway Agriculture Co-operative to persuade the government that motor fuel from Yorkshire acres rather than the North Sea is a venture worthy of support. His car filled the man drives away. In the forecourt of the biodiesel station Eric speaks with David Hamilton of Farmway Darlington who states that oil seed rape is an ideal crop to produce as it fits naturally into farming rotation, has environmental benefits to the user and be a chance for farming and industry to work more closely together. He continues to talk about Britain being behind the rest of Europe in biodiesel development, overcoming doubts in its environmental benefits and the effects on the industry should the government decide to impose excise duty. He finishes by being non-committal with regards the government’s attitude to biofuel but believes the revenue currently being generated from North Sea oil is colouring their view. In the distance surrounded by green fields another field of yellow flowers from rapeseed. Sitting at the rear of a 4x4 vehicle powered by biodiesel Eric holds a container full of processes rape seed oil. David Randal from Chemoxy International explaining how the seeds are processed into something similar to a vegetable oil. In anther bottle the finished biodiesel. As David explaining the muti-stage process of producing biodiesel views of a chemical plant and a tanker being filled with the finished product. Eric asked David questions with regards its environmental friendliness and the end user price compared to normal diesel especially with likelihood excise duty would be included. Inside a chemical plant an engineer checks over measurements during biodiesel production. Eric also asks why Britain is ‘out of step’ with biodiesel development compared to Europe? David explains that there are two reasons for this. Firstly, the environmental lobby has more influence in Europe than they do in Britain and secondly, we have reserves of oil, gas and petroleum in the North Sea that countries in Europe don’t have. More fields if rapeseed and an interview with Durham farmer John Seymour in one of his fields of oil seed rape. The 18-month trial he has been involved in has proven that biodiesel is better than derv oil. It also protects the environment by being both biodegradable and renewable. Eric asks John if fields of oil seed rape are going to take over the countryside, he doesn’t believe so as new variety of green rather that yellow flowering plants are being developed. John is asked if bio crops will become a major contributor to farm income, in the long term he believes so, but he doesn’t see it being a big industry. On farm near Ripon in North Yorkshire coppice willow grower Murray Carter looks over his crop blowing in the wind. He talks with Eric about the production and harvested of short rotation coppicing as part of the governments ‘non-fossil obligation’ scheme. Eric asks questions about plant breeding to make a productive and commercial crop and the types of farms where coppice willow will ‘take root’. Murray talks about infrastructure challenges as well as costs of this type of energy which is double the price of electricity. Murray says that the industry is working to bring costs down, so it does compete with conventional fuels. He also says the industry has no intention or ability to blanket the countryside with willow as some would fear, what would be planted would have a positive contribution to the countryside both visually and environmentally. Standing beside a farm gate Petra Biberbach, a conservationist with the Council for the Protection of Rural England who accepts these are exciting times for production of renewable energy products such as willow, but she wants to make sure it is done right and there are no long-term environmental penalties for the British countryside. On a piece of waste ground with Blyth power station in the distance energy expert Professor Ian Fells from Newcastle University explains that the present government isn’t enthusiastic about energy supply. We have all become complacent as energy saving as much as energy production is just as important. He explains how biomass such as willow is ‘gasified’ rather than burned to produce energy. He doesn’t see biomass as being a major UK player in energy production, unlike counties such as the United States who see it as an important way ahead. Eric Robson ends the programme by looking forward to the next and final episode of this series and three visons of the countryside’s future. Footage of that edition plays over the closing credits. Credit: Camera David Leeder Sound Ken Davison Electrician Ken Hurd, John Mason Production Assistant Pauline Grant, Eileen Young Editor David Middleton Researcher Eithne Beggan Director Malcolm Dickinson Producer Bob Farnworth End credit: A Tyne Tees Television Production for ITV © MCMXCV