• Similar to 2012, milk prices were hitting the headlines in 2002 with Tesco claiming processors held the key to producers getting more money.

Tesco director, John Gildersleeve, said at the time: "Although we cannot determine the price paid to farmers, we are today calling on all milk processors to pay producers at least 2p per litre more because of the need to sustain the UK dairy industry."

The move was welcomed by NFU Scotland who was planning demonstrations outside supermarket demos.

• Scotland's foxhound packs were battling for survival and appealed to farmers and landowners to accept their offer of continued fox control using legal 'gunpacking'.

They argued against the mounted ban as it was the sports' financial lifeline against a huge anti-hunt campaign from England.

A militant anti-hunt group called the Urban Alliance circulated a list highlighting 100 leading hunt supporters and suggested they be targeted for 'direct action'.

• It was revealed that farmers markets in the south were earning cash-strapped producers a total of £166m a year – two and a half times that of just two years ago.

It showed the phenomenon, which started in 1997 with a single fledgling market, was a thriving industry in its own right in virtually every area of the country.

25 years ago

• The Scottish Milk Marketing Board was bidding to buy a controlling interest in Scotland's largest distributor of liquid milk in a deal which would amount to more than £10m.

The board was negotiating to take control of Glasgow-based Scottish Farm Dairy Foods. It was expected their intentions would surprise most producers and would cause controversy at both sides of the industry.

• Devotees of angora and cashmere goats were natural allies and were urged to make common cause to convince Scottish farmers that goat keeping was a respectable way to farm.

Reay Campbell, Tulloch, Bonar Bridge, made this point to The SF and welcomed the fact that the two breeds were getting together in the coming week to discuss this and other joint interest, such as health, and the public image of goat farming.

• Action to prevent subsidised exports of grain from the new UK harvest was being taken by the National Pig Breeders' Association.

The NPBA was asking the UK government and EEC commission to refrain from making export restitution payments on feed grain in the early months of the new cereal year.

"Such subsidies if granted now, will inevitably encourage the outflow of grain and deplete supplies on the UK market," said the association.

50 years ago

• The Scottish Milk Marketing Board reported increased sales of fresh cream and cheeses and a continuing rise in milk output in 1962.

They put this down to a later-than-average soft fruit season pushing up cream sales in July to 31% over the year before, compared to the increase of cream sales in June on 11% above the previous year.

Milk used used for fresh cream during the month was 419,000 gallons – equivalent to about 31,000 gallons of double cream.

• Into Leith Docks came 15 crates of Finnish Landrace sheep – the first ever to come to Scotland. After unloading, they were taken to a quarantine station where they were to stay for 28 days under strict supervision.

The sheep had been bought from the Finnish government by the Animal Breeding Research Organisation, in Edinburgh.

They were then to be sent to Blythbank experimental farm to be used in long-term trials being carried out on various breeds into the problems of sheep fertility.

100 years ago

• Household contributor Gretchen gave a tip to mend broken button holes: "A button hole should be buttoned with linen or silk or cotton – according to the material – at the weakest part at the first sign of wear, when it is merely the button-holeing thread which has worn.

If allowed to go on till the material is frayed, it is impossible to mend it quite neatly, but something may be done by tacking a fine piece of nattow tape underneath, and button-holeing over that."

• Gretchen, also gave a tasty-looking recipe for boiled cabbage with cream: "When the cabbage is sufficiently cooked, drain, and chop it, not too fine, then return to a clean saucepan with a slice of butter and gill of cream; add a seasoning of pepper and salt, and stir over the fire till perfectly hot." A gill of cream in modern day recipes is quarter of a pint, or 5oz.