Latest stories BREXITMPs fear border weaknesses as physical food checks loomWith physical checks on food and agricultural goods coming into the UK from the EU due to start on Tuesday (30 April), MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESLidl commits to British pork and cost of production contractsDiscount retailer Lidl has introduced new contracts for pork producers that guarantee a margin for farmers above the cost of production. It will invest £500m through this new initiative and… PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTSNew 'safety net' farm support for NI to start in 2025Farmers in Northern Ireland will receive a new Farm Sustainability Transition Payment in 2025 to replace the Basic Payment Scheme, with the full Farm Sustainability Payment coming into operation in… CRIMEEight arrests made at illegal farm rave in SuffolkEight people have been arrested after police closed down an illegal rave on farmland in East Anglia. Suffolk Police were called just after 2.15am on Sunday 28 April to reports… AIR AND WATERWelsh government unveils £20m funding for slurry managementThe Welsh government has unveiled a multimillion-pound funding package to help farmers improve slurry storage infrastructure on farms to comply with air and water regulations. In total, £20m has been… LAYERSAdvice on free-range layer rations, stage by stageFrom early chick development to transition into laying, feeding birds the correct nutrition at every stage will help achieve the best possible performance and egg quality. Attention to detail is… DISEASE MANAGEMENTHow farmers will benefit from new SDHI wheat fungicide at T2Winter wheat growers will see a step up in the control of septoria, the crop’s number one disease, at the T2 timing this spring, with a new broad-spectrum fungicide offering… CROPS MARKETS AND PRICESHeavy showers crush farmers hopes of late spring plantingsFurther rainfall and flood warnings across the UK have scuppered plans for farm businesses hoping to get spring crops in the ground ahead of harvest. An exceptionally wet winter has… MACHINERYTough trading conditions cause turmoil for machinery dealersUnrelenting economic headwinds have seen to the demise of several well-known machinery dealerships. Oliver Mark rounds them up, and shares some cheerier expansion and acquisition news from the past few… More articles OpinionSee all NEWSOpinion: More inclusivity helps raise farming's productivityWhen I was at school and sat in front of the careers advisor, the answer that came from the tick box survey was “veterinary”, which I guess did have some… NEWSOpinion: Build fairness in farming from the bottom upThe oddest whinge I received about my last column was that it was easy for me to be opinionated because I don’t rely solely on farming for my income. This… NEWSEditor’s View: In praise of average farmersHow do you build a farm business that has the highest possible chance of long-term success? Is it by being a great farmer, or by building a great system where… NEWSOpinion: It isn't a binary choice between farming and wildlifeI’ve never thought long and hard about the great bustard, but now is the time. Rewilding enthusiasts have been celebrating news that farms in Wiltshire and Derbyshire are to be… Subscribe to Farmers Weekly Save money and never miss an issue. Subscribe ArableSee all DISEASE MANAGEMENTHow farmers will benefit from new SDHI wheat fungicide at T2Winter wheat growers will see a step up in the control of septoria, the crop’s number one disease, at the T2 timing this spring, with a new broad-spectrum fungicide offering… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Grain maize and sunflowers help in tough yearPlanning ahead for spring work is always a challenge. I usually hope things get going before the end of March, and by April, spring cereals are established. Then the focus… PEST MANAGEMENTHow insect sensors enhance pest detectionHigh-tech insect surveillance sensors are shaping up to be an effective means of monitoring pest populations in crops, with detection up to four days earlier than traditional methods. Data on… OILSEED RAPEBeekeeper bemoans collapse of OSR acreage in the UKHoneybee colonies are suffering from an early-spring pollen shortage in the farming landscape due to shortages of flowering plants such as oilseed rape, with some colonies facing starvation, say beekeepers.… CROP MANAGEMENTHow couple are developing organic, no-till cropping businessStarting five years ago with an optimistic vision and a blank slate, first-generation organic farmer and emergency doctor Alex Fraser had a plan to produce healthy food for local people.… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Wet weather pics on social media are hearteningOne of the many good things about social media is that although there are some in the farming community who only post portrayals of agronomic excellence, there are enough farmers… BARLEYGreater yield and margin for winter barley growerScottish grower Neil Ramsay is pushing the boundaries of winter barley production, striving for both yield and margin. He achieved a top yield of 13.5t/ha last harvest and has an… POTATOESTrials show it's safe to use key herbicide on Elland potatoesFarmers growing Elland potatoes are set to benefit from another herbicide option this season, after tests show a key pre-emergence active can be safely used. Metribuzin is key component of… LivestockSee all LAYERSAdvice on free-range layer rations, stage by stageFrom early chick development to transition into laying, feeding birds the correct nutrition at every stage will help achieve the best possible performance and egg quality. Attention to detail is… LIVESTOCKNew bluetongue vaccine gives hope for UK farmersThe Dutch authorities have approved the use of a new vaccine against bluetongue serotype 3, developed by Spanish company Syva, giving fresh hope to farmers in the UK that it… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONTransition farmer achieves closed sheep flock goalAchieving his goal of running a closed sheep flock to improve ewe health has been a slower process than James MacCartney anticipated, involving three years of breeding replacements and screening… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Behind with spreading work and short of strawI’m struggling for inspiration this month, and I’m not allowed to use expletives here, so all I’ll say is it’s rained – a lot. Here was me thinking when I… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONSecond farm investment helps pig farmers meet business goalsInvesting in a second farm with buildings is helping pig farmers Vicky and Kate Morgan take back control. The appeal of the former 30-acre pig breeding site was its farmyard… BEEFWhy radical change is needed for sustainable beef industryPlanning ahead to face upcoming issues and working to improve efficiency and build beef businesses with resilience were among the key conclusions from a round table discussion held at Rothamsted… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONTransition Farmers expand and restructure businessesFarmers Weekly’s Transition project is following a group of farmers on their journey to adapt and meet the challenges of farming. Here, we look at the progress of two farms.… BEEFStruggle for survival revealed in wide-ranging beef surveySome 66% of beef producers will have difficulty in surviving without the farm subsidy – and only 33% reckon their beef enterprise makes a profit every year. This is according… MachinerySee all MACHINERYTough trading conditions cause turmoil for machinery dealersUnrelenting economic headwinds have seen to the demise of several well-known machinery dealerships. Oliver Mark rounds them up, and shares some cheerier expansion and acquisition news from the past few… CEREAL DRILLSCataya EcoLine to replace Amazone’s popular AD combi drillAmazone has introduced a bottom-of-the-range replacement for its venerable AD piggyback drill, which was retired at the end of 2023 after a 30-year production run. Its successor, the 3m-wide Cataya… TECHNOLOGYClaas rolls out new look Connect digital platformFarmers who are signed up to a new “digital ecosystem” being rolled out this year by Claas will be able to add tractors and other machines to their account simply… 4X4SIsuzu unveils souped-up special edition D-Max pickupsIsuzu has pimped up its D-Max pickup with two special edition models. The first is the Steel, which adds more bling to the top-of-the-range V-Cross but is otherwise identical underneath.… CommunitySee all COMMUNITYFarms are popular places to tie the knotA couple of statistics in the latest National Wedding Survey caught my eye. In 2023, 26% of wedding receptions took place in barn/farm wedding venues – and the percentage of… FARMLIFE FRAMEDPhoto of the Week: 'Princesses can farm too'This week’s Photo of the Week comes from Betsy in Derbyshire, who is pictured here helping to feed the calves while wearing a princess dress. As we prepare the second… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Behind with spreading work and short of strawI’m struggling for inspiration this month, and I’m not allowed to use expletives here, so all I’ll say is it’s rained – a lot. Here was me thinking when I… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Grain maize and sunflowers help in tough yearPlanning ahead for spring work is always a challenge. I usually hope things get going before the end of March, and by April, spring cereals are established. Then the focus… BusinessSee all MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESLidl commits to British pork and cost of production contractsDiscount retailer Lidl has introduced new contracts for pork producers that guarantee a margin for farmers above the cost of production. It will invest £500m through this new initiative and… PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTSNew 'safety net' farm support for NI to start in 2025Farmers in Northern Ireland will receive a new Farm Sustainability Transition Payment in 2025 to replace the Basic Payment Scheme, with the full Farm Sustainability Payment coming into operation in… CROPS MARKETS AND PRICESHeavy showers crush farmers hopes of late spring plantingsFurther rainfall and flood warnings across the UK have scuppered plans for farm businesses hoping to get spring crops in the ground ahead of harvest. An exceptionally wet winter has… BUSINESS CLINICBusiness Clinic: What should my grazing agreement include?Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Caroline Raspison, associate, Carter Jonas, Truro, advises on a grazing agreement. See also: Business… COMPLIANCERed Tractor chief blames poor communication for GFC collapseRed Tractor chief executive Jim Moseley has insisted that the principles behind the now defunct Greener Farms Commitment (GFC) were sound, but the project was scuppered by a combination of… DIVERSIFICATIONFarm recycling sideline grows into full-time enterpriseHenry Harrison and Edward Medforth launched H&M Recycling four years ago to provide a service for farm plastics. They began by baling polypropylene fertiliser and seed bags, also taking polyethylene… COMPLIANCERed Tractor 'a victim of its own success' says chief execRed Tractor farm assurance is a “victim of its own success”, which is why some primary producers have little option but to be members, according to the organisation’s chief executive… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONFW's Transition Live unites farmers for talks on key issuesHundreds of farmers and growers have already booked their places at Farmers Weekly’s Transition Live event on 9 May. The event, held at Cambridge University’s mixed, arable and dairy farm,… Futures prices Updated end of day Copyright © 2019. All market data is provided by Barchart Solutions. Futures: at least 10 minute delayed. Information is provided 'as is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice. To see all exchange delays and terms of use, please see disclaimer. Careers LIVESTOCKValuable business skills courses for dairy farmersMany dairy farmers tend not to be driven by profit: satisfaction comes from a herd of fine cows, full clamps or milk in the tank. But being good at milking… POULTRYAdvice on developing a well-trained poultry teamA team can make or break any business, and a poor poultry team can affect production as well as efficiency. NFU Poultry Board member Will Lea helps deliver staff training… COMMUNITYApprenticeship guide set to help farmers bridge labour gapTo coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, Lantra has launched a new guide to help farmers and small businesses take on their first apprentice. It is hoped that the guide, called… ASSESSING PERFORMANCEHow a new entrant got backing to set up in dairyA simple, once-a-day system, relying on grazed grass and spring-block calving, was the step into dairy farming for new entrant Nick Cavill. The first cups went on in 2018 and…
