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DAIRY

How milk source heat pumps have slashed dairy’s energy bills

Installing three milk source heat pumps is saving a Somerset cheesemaker more than £70,000 a year on electricity bills. Investment by Barber’s, Maryland Farm, Ditcheat, in this new technology is…

FINANCE

How the Universal Credit system is failing farming families

Falling farm incomes mean that many more people are eligible to receive Universal Credit. For some, it is the stigma associated with claiming that puts them off; for others, it…

PEST MANAGEMENT

Potato and sugar beet aphid insecticide gets new formulations

A popular insecticide for aphid control in potatoes and sugar beet crops has two new formulations available this season. The liquid and granule formulations will replace the previous powder formulation…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

Farmers advised to vaccinate against bluetongue as cases rise

Livestock farmers are being advised to vaccinate their animals against bluetongue, as vet and industry leaders warn the coming “season” could be the worst yet since the disease appeared in…

MOWERS

Claas Disco 1100 plain disc mower gets crop swathing augers

Buyers of Claas’s big Disco 1100 plain butterfly disc mowers can now spec a Direct Swather system on the back. It comprises a pair of augers that grab crop straight…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Fertiliser reshuffle and yellow rust alert

With the rain finally stopping at the end of February, we were able to get our fertiliser on. My original plan was to apply 35kg N/ha and 15kg S/ha at…

FARM POLICY

Food production pledge in Defra land plan questioned

Defra’s long-awaited Land Use Framework pledges to maintain food production while also supporting housing, infrastructure, energy, and nature – but industry leaders say farmers will need clarity on what is…

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

Thousands of commoners face SFI and CS exclusion

Thousands of upland farmers in England face exclusion from future agri-environment schemes after Defra confirmed there is no mechanism to include common land in 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) or…

INPUT MARKETS AND PRICES

Red diesel prices spike by 60% as supplies remain tight

Red diesel prices in the UK have skyrocketed following conflict in the Middle East, with prices lifting by more than 60% in the past month. Prices collected by Farmers Weekly…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

UK finished pig prices fall to three-year low

Finished pig prices have fallen by 13p/kg since the start of the year, reaching their lowest levels since the industry backlogs of 2022. The Standard Pig Price stood at 184.6p/kg…

LIVESTOCK MARKETING

Diverse cattle tracing systems could undermine disease control

Meat industry representatives have warned that the development of separate livestock movement recording systems in England, Scotland and Wales could undermine the effectiveness of a previously unified traceability system. But…

FARM POLICY

NFU and green NGOs seeks greater protection from imports

The NFU has joined forces with the RSPCA and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to demand that the government draws up a set of “core standards” for animal…