Checking in on the future markets and seeing the downward trending red arrow week after week is becoming increasingly disheartening.

I sold a good chunk of 2024 wheat about a month ago, at what now seems like an excellent price.

The concerning thing is, the price I sold at was only just scraping past breakeven point for the cropping year. Markets have continued to slide since then, which is a cause for concern.

See also: Spring barley list sees five additions and net blotch scores

About the author

Billy Lewis

Billy Lewis farms 140ha in North Herefordshire in partnership with his parents. They keep Hereford cattle, sheep and grow combinable crops. He also contract farms an additional 110ha. Cropping includes wheat, oats and spring beans.

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Couple this with the calamitous weather challenges we’re now facing, the abrupt end to direct payments, recent uncertainty surrounding capital grant funding, soaring input costs, and the clunky rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, and it’s hard not to question where we are supposed to go from here.

I’ve never been more grateful to be a mixed farmer.

There have been many years in the past when the money to be made from rearing livestock simply hasn’t matched the profitability of arable farming.

However, the tables are turning. A quick back-of-the-envelope calculation makes it clear to see that the economics of growing cereal crops are becoming increasingly precarious.

Of course, the new government and their planned changes to agricultural property relief make all of this seem almost trivial by comparison.

I’ve never seen such a united stance on an issue from the farming community.

I attended last month’s mass demonstration in London alongside the tens of thousands of farmers, as well as the many who were also there from the wider industry. It was great to be a part of.

Not a speck of litter was left behind and no trouble caused for the Met police. Sadly, I don’t think we were taken very seriously by a certain group of politicians.

Let’s hope we can come together once more, whether that’s regionally or nationally, in a constructive manner and continue to keep this topic in the headlines.

You won’t hear from me again now until the new year, so I’ll take this opportunity to wish everyone a restful festive period.

I hope you all manage to recharge the batteries in preparation for whatever 2025 has in store for us.