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ARABLE

Young farmers bold move to take on council tenancy pays off

Joshua Dennis, a 26-year-old arable farmer from Cambridgeshire, made the bold move to take on a county council tenancy at just 22 years old. Three successful yet challenging harvests later,…

PEST MANAGEMENT

New slug pellet with novel active ingredient available

A new slug pellet with a novel active ingredient will be available to UK farmers in autumn 2026, offering greater choice and efficacy for slug control. Ferrabait developed by Adama…

ARABLE

Farmers advised 'be ready to act fast' on SFI 2026 support

With details of the eagerly-awaited 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) still to be announced, farmers have been urged to be “ready to move swiftly” to avoid missing out once the…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Year-end reflections on boom or bust rainfall

As I draft my last article for the year, I thought I would digest the past few years. The main influence in that time has been the weather. Our five-year…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: First Christmas tractor run won't be my last

I recently went on my first tractor run. The Ringmer Christmas tractor charity run has been going for a few years, but I'd simply never joined in. However, having been…

ARABLE

Young farmer completes marathon 2,000-mile US harvest

When Eleanor Gilbert graduated from university, she knew she wanted to travel overseas – not looking out the window of a tour bus, but by completing a marathon 2,000-mile harvest…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Lobbying brings positive NZ legislation change

There has been a hectic five months of lobbying to help achieve positive legislative change in New Zealand. The environment is managed in this country by the Resource Management Act,…

OTHER CROPS

How agronomist is helping growers earn more from niche crops

Armed with new research findings, analysis of farm yield data and many hours of crop walking, a team of agronomists are helping farmers maximise returns from their niche crops. For…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: All goes smoothly with three farm audits

How on earth is it December already? I love December for many different reasons. Not only is it because of Christmas, the delicious turkey and the festive gatherings, but it…

VARIETY SELECTION

New barley set to be key dual-purpose variety across UK

Belter is set to become a major dual-purpose spring malting barley variety across the UK within the next couple of years, because of its consistent high yields and high malting…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Machinery running costs are only going one way

With all field work now long complete, the sprayer and drill are back in the shed and in need of some TLC, much like a lot of our older machinery.…

ROTATIONS

Poor grain outlook sees farms rethink rotations and machinery

For many arable farmers, the reality of low grain prices and minimal government support has triggered some of the toughest decisions of their careers. As margins tighten and markets fail…

OTHER CROPS

First English olive harvest marks new milestone

A Lincolnshire business has completed what is believed to be the world’s most northerly commercial olive harvest, with The English Olive Co, based near Spalding, pressing its first olives this…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Business review reveals surprising results

This time last year, my Farmers Weekly submission was centred on my plans post Rachel Reeves’s inheritance tax Budget. I said in that winter article that I would spend next…

Arable news

OTHER CROPS

First English olive harvest marks new milestone

A Lincolnshire business has completed what is believed to be the world’s most northerly commercial olive harvest, with The English Olive Co, based near Spalding, pressing its first olives this…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Crumpets made from 100% British regen wheat launched

Crumpets made from 100% British regeneratively farmed wheat are the latest product launch from regen food and farming business Wildfarmed. The launch marks the brand’s first expansion from bread into…

CROP SELECTION

Gene editing clears final hurdle in Parliament

A new regulatory framework, which allows the commercial cultivation of gene-edited crops in England, has cleared its final hurdle in Parliament and comes into force from today (13 November). The…

POTATOES

UK potato tech firm acquires sprout control specialist

Yorkshire based potato company Produce Investments has announced the acquisition of Biofresh Safestore, an established leader in sprout suppression. Expanding a growing technology portfolio, Produce Investments hopes the acquisition will…

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ARABLE

Young farmers bold move to take on council tenancy pays off

Joshua Dennis, a 26-year-old arable farmer from Cambridgeshire, made the bold move to take on a county council tenancy at just 22 years old. Three successful yet challenging harvests later,…

ARABLE

Young farmer completes marathon 2,000-mile US harvest

When Eleanor Gilbert graduated from university, she knew she wanted to travel overseas – not looking out the window of a tour bus, but by completing a marathon 2,000-mile harvest…

OTHER CROPS

How agronomist is helping growers earn more from niche crops

Armed with new research findings, analysis of farm yield data and many hours of crop walking, a team of agronomists are helping farmers maximise returns from their niche crops. For…

ROTATIONS

Poor grain outlook sees farms rethink rotations and machinery

For many arable farmers, the reality of low grain prices and minimal government support has triggered some of the toughest decisions of their careers. As margins tighten and markets fail…

SUGAR BEET

Suffolk beet grower counts huge cost of beet moth

Beet moth was responsible for a sugar beet yield reduction of 25%, a drop in sugar content and a forced switch to earlier lifting at Troston Farms in Suffolk, where…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Why genetics must be central to late blight management

Late blight resistant varieties must be an active component of potato crop management regimes, rather than a “just-in-case” safety net. That is the view of Dan Milbourne, who is leading…

COVER CROPS

Trials reveal best ways to maximise cover crop benefits

Opting for a chemical method cover crop destruction and at a later timing are key to getting the most out of cover crops, according to a series of three trials.…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How to tackle the increasing problem of Italian ryegrass

Good crop rotations and cultivations are two critical factors in controlling troublesome Italian ryegrass in arable crops, in tandem with a good residual herbicide regime. These two cultural control methods,…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

How heritage rye is used to produce regen premium whisky

A startup firm is delving into English whisky making, which is a relatively rare concept, and its core product is rarer still – rye whisky. Fielden regen whisky has a…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Biostimulants show wheat yield promise under low N use

Results from a three-year independent study revealed the use of biological products had a greater impact on winter wheat yield and margin where a lower nitrogen rate was applied. Efforts…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Why variety and drill date are key to yield and disease

Growers looking to reduce fungicide use and reliance on synthetic chemistry are advised to start by focusing on two key decisions: variety choice and drilling date. While there is growing…

VARIETY SELECTION

Why wheat variety blends will prove their worth in 2026

Next year could be the season where wheat variety blends prove their worth, bringing benefits with blackgrass control and for managing the new race of yellow rust. Speaking to farmers,…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

How next-gen satellites take guesswork out of N management

The science behind optimum nitrogen rates is well established, yet in practice, most crops are still either over- or under-fed. While several precision tools and sensors aim to solve the…

POTATOES

How Cotswold potato grower produces high-quality seed

Specialist seed potato growers outside of well-known production areas in Scotland and Yorkshire are few and far between, but in many ways that’s what gives Jason Brain’s business its edge.…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How a farmer is planning weed control without flufenacet

Oxfordshire wheat grower Ollie Stobo has been using new autumn herbicide Fundatis to control his “medium” levels of blackgrass and some troublesome broad-leaved weeds. He has trialled FMC’s product across…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How two farmers integrate strategic glyphosate in rotations

Use of glyphosate – the most widely applied herbicide in the UK – has surged over the past three decades. In recent years that increase has been driven by the…

Farmer Focus

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FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Year-end reflections on boom or bust rainfall

As I draft my last article for the year, I thought I would digest the past few years. The main influence in that time has been the weather. Our five-year…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: First Christmas tractor run won't be my last

I recently went on my first tractor run. The Ringmer Christmas tractor charity run has been going for a few years, but I'd simply never joined in. However, having been…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Lobbying brings positive NZ legislation change

There has been a hectic five months of lobbying to help achieve positive legislative change in New Zealand. The environment is managed in this country by the Resource Management Act,…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: All goes smoothly with three farm audits

How on earth is it December already? I love December for many different reasons. Not only is it because of Christmas, the delicious turkey and the festive gatherings, but it…

Markets

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CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Wheat margin achievable in 2026 after tough year for growers

UK cereals growers have endured a challenging 12 months, with low farmgate prices, weather constraints and a smaller domestic crop. While pressure remains on wheat prices due to a well-supplied…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Defra review targets fairer returns for growers

Arable farmers have been given a “real opportunity to reset the balance of power” in the crops supply chain after Defra launched a consultation on contract fairness across the combinable…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK wheat growers pinched by inflation and flatlining yields

UK wheat growers are facing a financial squeeze, with inflation, flatlining yields, and low farmgate prices all having an impact on margins, according to agronomy and consultancy firm Ceres Rural.…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK arable farms lose £828m because of extreme weather

UK arable farmers are facing an estimated £828m drop in revenues after one of the worst harvests on record. This was driven by prolonged weather volatility across spring and summer…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Grain outlook points to larger UK wheat crop next year

An increased planted area and favourable growing conditions for this year’s wheat crop point towards a potentially larger domestic crop in 2026. At AHDB’s Grain Market Outlook, analysts indicated potential…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Sugar beet growers face increased import competition

Sugar beet growers will face increased competition from imports with the existing tariff-free quota set to be expanded from the start of next year. The government confirmed its plans to…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK wheat markets falter with global supplies set to rise

UK feed wheat futures for May 2026 dropped to a contract low of £171.50/t on 26 November, as a stronger pound made domestic wheat less competitive on global markets. The…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Spring barley area set to fall by 15% in 2026 as wheat rises

Provisional estimates forecast the total UK barley area will fall next year to the lowest levels since 2010, at below 1m hectares. The spring barley area is expected to fall…

Spot and forward prices (£/t ex-farm)
Each set of prices comes from a single merchant, co-op or broker, and are the latest prices being paid to farmers. Ranges of prices, within one category relate to the distance of the farm from the buyer. Oilseed rape prices are latest spot and forward prices, not contract prices. Ex farm prices vary with the distance from Hull, Liverpool and Erith, crushing factories.

Arable machinery

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MAIZE DRILLS

Seed and weed robot now geared for maize, beans and peas

A new sowing unit, designed to handle precision planting of large-seeded crops such as maize, beans and peas, should bring the FarmDroid autonomous seeding and weeding machine into the scope…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Tom Mixture's John Deere 6R 250

Sitting at the apex of John Deere’s “mid-size” tractor line-up, the 6R 250 offers a healthy slug of power in a modestly proportioned chassis. Its versatility in tackling jobs both…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Robin Ward's Massey Ferguson 8S.305

For the Massey Ferguson buyer seeking 300 horses, both the 8S and 9S can deliver the goods. But the former’s blend of power and manoeuvrability made it the sensible choice…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Dan Chanin's Claas Axion 870

Armed with a 6.7-litre FPT engine and a choice of transmissions, Claas’s five-model Axion 800 range has the 200-300hp sector covered. And it’s the range-topping 870 with Cmatic CVT that’s…

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