Here in Cambridgeshire we have been very lucky with the weather in comparison to others.

It has been wet, but with nothing like the amount of rain experienced across the border in Bedfordshire and other parts of the county earlier in the autumn.

And more recently we escaped the worst of the storms.

See also: Pesticide rules: NI arable farmers losing out under Brexit

About the author

Matt Redman

Farmer Focus writer

Matt Redman farms 370ha just north of Cambridge and operates a contracting business specialising in spraying and direct-drilling. He also grows cereals on a small area of tenancy land and was Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year in 2014.

Contact:

Email: office@mattredmanag.co.uk

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@redmanmatt

Read more articles by Matt Redman

Luckily, a few weeks of dry weather in November allowed wheat to be drilled in conditions that were significantly better than we could have hoped for in October.

As a result, I am going into 2025 with slightly more wheat drilled the planned, although emergence is slow, slugs are a problem, and there will be some flooded areas.

As expected, the gamble to drill some grain maize towards the end of June has meant that harvest won’t be until the new year, but harvest results of what was drilled in April have been positive, so a larger area for next year is planned, replacing most of the spring barley.

The Budget back in October has, rightly, sparked outrage across the industry, and further afield.

While agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) are grabbing the headlines, other aspects are going to have a hard-hitting, and faster impact on farm businesses in the next 12 months.

We all knew the Basic Payment Scheme was being phased out and had made plans for the gradual reduction in income from it.

But the news that it is now being slashed to significantly lower levels for many businesses next year, at a time when cashflows are already tight following two challenging years.

It is going to be a real headache for many.

This income loss will come on top of potentially increased labour costs and the possible threat of the APR and BPR issues in future, or mean increased costs to put planning into place earlier.

Hopefully, 2025 will bring some positivity, good weather and a decent harvest to brighten up what is feeling like an industry on its knees.

The Budget has been the catalyst and final straw in a long period of farmer bashing.

Farmers are resilient, but won’t take being knocked down continuously and 2025 could be an interesting year as they start to dig in and fight back.