Latest stories OPINIONEditor's View: New low with Treasury - but we can't give upThis week marked a new low in the relationship between Labour and farm lobbyists. Representatives of the NFU, Country Land and Business Association, Tenant Farmers Association and the Central Association… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESSmaller breeding flock to keep lamb prices elevated in 2025Domestic lamb prices are due to remain supported during much of 2025 as a result of fewer breeding ewes and a smaller lamb crop. The UK breeding sheep flock has… NEWSFarmers left in limbo waiting for grant paymentsMany farm businesses could be left facing major cashflow concerns after the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) announced changes to repayment terms for some of its grants. The RPA released an… NEWSSenedd committee announces HCC inquiryThe Senedd’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs (Etra) committee has launched an inquiry into troubled red meat promotion body – Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC). The levy board has faced turmoil… NEWSFuneral arrangements made for Norfolk farmer Tony MartinFuneral arrangements have been announced for renowned Norfolk farmer Tony Martin following his death at the age of 80 after suffering a major stroke. Mr Martin gained national attention in… CRIMEAppeal after 160 sheep stolen from Northamptonshire farmPolice are appealing for information after 160 sheep were stolen from a farm in Badby, Northamptonshire, on Thursday 13 February. The alleged theft took place sometime between 9am on 9… INPUT MARKETS AND PRICESHow the carbon tax on fertiliser will impact farm businessesA Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (Cbam) is due to be implemented by the government from 1 January 2027, leading to higher fertiliser costs on farm. However, the industry is still… NUTRITION AND FERTILISERHow microbial seed dressing helps cut nitrogen fertiliserAn increasing number of farmers are looking to cut their reliance on bagged nitrogen fertiliser, and trials suggest a microbial seed treatment could help them achieve this without affecting cereal… DAIRYIn-parlour sniffer sensors could provide low-cost methane testSensors that sample cows’ breath while they are feeding in the milking parlour could provide a simpler and more accurate solution to monitoring methane emissions. The sniffer sensor technology has… More articles OpinionSee all OPINIONEditor's View: New low with Treasury - but we can't give upThis week marked a new low in the relationship between Labour and farm lobbyists. Representatives of the NFU, Country Land and Business Association, Tenant Farmers Association and the Central Association… OPINIONOpinion: Labour's 'anti-farming' policies just keep comingThe government’s inheritance tax changes might be getting all the headlines – and certainly all the protests – but I fear that for many the once-a-generation nature of them is… OPINIONOpinion: Spending time with a 'farming genius'I’ve known Matty since he was 27, and he’s known me since the day I was born. We sit together and talk in the hospice. He was once my father’s… OPINIONEditor's View: Two points of hope over IHT as gloom deepensWeek by week we learn more about the priorities of this Labour administration, and week by week they are doing a poor job at persuading people that farming is one…  Subscribe to Farmers Weekly Save money and never miss an issue. Subscribe ArableSee all NUTRITION AND FERTILISERHow microbial seed dressing helps cut nitrogen fertiliserAn increasing number of farmers are looking to cut their reliance on bagged nitrogen fertiliser, and trials suggest a microbial seed treatment could help them achieve this without affecting cereal… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Is sugar beet algorithm against growers?We lifted the last of our 2024 sugar beet on 31 January and have had a good year. Each customer’s sugar beet crop has yielded comfortably above budget, despite using… ARABLEScotland’s first drone crop-spraying service set to launchSky-Pin Drones, a Scottish business led by entrepreneur James Braid, will become the first in Scotland to offer advanced crop spraying services using a drone. This new service, set to… REGENERATIVE AGRICULTUREUniversity regenerative ag trial aims to plug research gapA trial at the University of Leeds is measuring the impact of regenerative agriculture principles to plug the research gap and support evidence-based practise for farmers. An array of metrics… DISEASE MANAGEMENTAdama launches three new fungicide co-formulationsAhead of the critical spring spraying season, Adama has launched three new fungicide co-formulations in the UK, all of which contain the active prothioconazole partnered with either an azole, an… DISEASE MANAGEMENTNew cereal fungicide gives strong performance in AHDB trialsIndependent trials for the recently authorised cereal fungicide Plaxium reveal that the three-way mix gave strong broad-spectrum disease control across winter wheat and winter barley. In autumn 2023, Bayer launched the SDHI… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Success with two YEN wins and a baby boyWell, Arthur John Barr Blackburn (my married name) was born on 30 January at 7.36am at the Borders General Hospital, Melrose. Arriving at speed and 10 days ahead of schedule,… PEST MANAGEMENTSilicon offers neonic alternative for virus yellows threatFollowing Defra’s decision to deny sugar beet growers emergency neonicotinoid seed treatments to combat virus yellows, farmers are reminded of biological alternatives that can help tackle the disease. Silicon-based products… LivestockSee all DAIRYIn-parlour sniffer sensors could provide low-cost methane testSensors that sample cows’ breath while they are feeding in the milking parlour could provide a simpler and more accurate solution to monitoring methane emissions. The sniffer sensor technology has… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Shearlings drag down A-flock scan rateAfter an average scan with our B-flock of 180%, we were quietly optimistic about scanning the A-flock, which we lamb outdoors in April. These are our best ewes, plus 100… BOVINE TBTB breakdowns take toll on Welsh dairy farmerA Pembrokeshire dairy farmer has spoken of her anguish after a further 26 dairy cows have been taken following a positive TB test, reducing the milking herd to 190. Mary… LIVESTOCK DISEASESBluetongue cases hit 200 as zone extends in South WestThe bluetongue restricted zone (RZ) in England has been further expanded in the South West, now covering Dorset, Wiltshire, and parts of Somerset and Devon. This follows more than 200… DAIRY4 ways to overcome labour shortages on UK dairy farmsAutomation, better staff packages, and using contractors could hold the key to addressing labour shortages on UK dairy farms. Olivia Ward, farm business adviser at GFW, explains that Brexit, which… LAYERSWhy a poultry and arable unit uses 'circular feeding'Poultry and arable enterprises complement each other well at Nun Monkton Farm, near York, where the Throup family have farmed for nearly 40 years. “Everything we grow on the arable… SHEEPAuto lamb weighers to give in-field trial insightsA lamb performance project gathering growth rate data automatically through in-field weigh crates is under way. Four farms are trialling the low-stress method, which combines a walk-over weigher, creep feed… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Sausage venture highlights staff challengesIt has been a busy start to 2025. We all got the opportunity for a bit of time out over Christmas, which was important, and an advantage of working with… MachinerySee all CULTIVATORSEinbock to offer weed-killing shallow stubble cultivatorEinbock tillage and weeding equipment importer Terrington Machinery plans to add the Austrian manufacturer’s new Razor cultivator to its portfolio once fieldwork with a number of pre-production examples has been… CEREAL DRILLSWeaving updates Tine Combi Drill piggy-back seederHydraulic depth adjustment enabling operators to set up their machine quicker is one of a handful of upgrades to Weaving’s Tine Combi Drill piggy-back seeder for power harrows. It’s also… TRAILERSMarshall unveils low-loader trailer with hydraulic beavertailThe first low-loader trailer from Marshall features a novel hydraulically raised and lowered end section that can be used as a loading ramp or load deck. It gives the trailer… 101-200HPClaas ramps up four-cylinder output with 180hp Arion 570Claas has squeezed an extra 15hp from the 4.5-litre John Deere engine used in its Arion 500-series, making the new 570 Cmatic its pokiest four-cylinder model to date. This long-awaited… CommunitySee all FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Shearlings drag down A-flock scan rateAfter an average scan with our B-flock of 180%, we were quietly optimistic about scanning the A-flock, which we lamb outdoors in April. These are our best ewes, plus 100… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Is sugar beet algorithm against growers?We lifted the last of our 2024 sugar beet on 31 January and have had a good year. Each customer’s sugar beet crop has yielded comfortably above budget, despite using… YOUNG FARMERSOlivia Rohll: It's important to engage with Land Use FrameworkThe Labour government launched its “national conversation” on land use in England on 31 January, inviting stakeholders to give their views on the type and scale of land use change… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Sausage venture highlights staff challengesIt has been a busy start to 2025. We all got the opportunity for a bit of time out over Christmas, which was important, and an advantage of working with… BusinessSee all MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESSmaller breeding flock to keep lamb prices elevated in 2025Domestic lamb prices are due to remain supported during much of 2025 as a result of fewer breeding ewes and a smaller lamb crop. The UK breeding sheep flock has… INPUT MARKETS AND PRICESHow the carbon tax on fertiliser will impact farm businessesA Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (Cbam) is due to be implemented by the government from 1 January 2027, leading to higher fertiliser costs on farm. However, the industry is still… BUSINESSDefra secretary Steve Reed backs US trade dealDefra secretary Steve Reed has thrown his support behind the possibility of a trade deal between the UK and US, despite concerns from British farmers about cheaper American imports undercutting… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESGlobal pig herd set to grow as producer margins improveGlobal pork production is set for a modest increase in 2025 of roughly 1%, with sow herds expanding in China, Mexico, and Brazil, but contracting in the US and EU.… TENANCIES AND RENTSSuccession tenancies in England and Wales not subject to IHTSuccession tenancies are not subject to inheritance tax (IHT), the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) has clarified. Although a tenancy may have statutory succession rights, the tenancies themselves are not… PLANNING PERMISSIONFarm accommodation - the planning options and processEven as building costs escalate, it is still cheaper, and in many cases more suitable, for farmers to construct a new-build house on their land or convert a redundant barn… FARM POLICYWelsh farms could make up 40% of IHT impact, report findsWelsh farms could account for 40% of the total affected by proposed changes to inheritance tax if the plans go ahead. The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) has warned… LAND MARKETSLand market in your area 2024: ScotlandThe combined forces of a wet spring and high borrowing costs deterred activity by commercial farmers in the Scottish land market in 2024. Sales that did go ahead were driven… 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 STAFF MANAGEMENTHow agricultural mentoring can benefit farm businessesAmid the many challenges facing the farming industry, mentoring initiative Cultivate Success is empowering individuals with a six-month programme that aims to build resilience, foster leadership, and strengthen community spirit.… COMMUNITYAnalysis: How hiring apprentices helps solve labour problemFor years, a large portion of the workforce in dairy, poultry and horticulture has come from abroad. However, since Brexit and with immigration policies tightening, this labour supply is no… CAREERS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTStem students get a taste of careers in agricultureFarmers Weekly showcased agricultural careers to some 26,000 people from non-farming backgrounds at New Scientist Live last week, with the help of its partners. Among the visitors to the event… CAREERS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTAg careers are star of the show at New Scientist Live 2024Farmers Weekly’s Future of Food & Agriculture exhibit will return to New Scientist Live next month, showcasing ag technology to a non-farming audience for the sixth year running. Together…
