This Week in Farming: Better wheat, milk woe and sheep burps

Hello and welcome to This Week in Farming, your weekly round-up of the best that the Farmers Weekly website has to offer from the last seven days.

Here we’ll take you to five hot topics that we’ve honed in on this week and have a look ahead to what’s coming up in this week’s edition of the FW Podcast.

Dairy prices pain

Farmgate milk prices seem to be in retreat this year as quickly as they rose last year, pushing farmers close to, or under, the cost of production and threatening farm business viability.

Prices are now as low as 33p/litre and NFU dairy board chairman Michael Oakes warned this week that many producers are questioning whether they will still be milking cows in 12 months’ time.

One bright spot is the fact that organic prices have not seen the same dip as their conventional counterparts, although this has been primarily driven by significant shrinkage in the milk pool over the past 18 months.

It’s been a particularly difficult start to the month for market leader Arla.

First, it introduced a larger-than-expected price cut, then had to announce the departure of its well-liked UK managing director Ash Amirahmadi, and finally came in for criticism for plans to introduce a plant-based version of its popular Lurpak butter.

Weather warning

Concern is growing across the UK about the impact of the prolonged dry spell, with temperatures set to soar this weekend.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency warned farmers this week to put water scarcity plans into action now.

Our Crop Watch agronomists noted that the dry weather has halted the spread of septoria, but poorer-rooted crops are now looking stressed.

Livestock need protection too, with Farmer Focus writer Rob McGregor writing about how he has recently added extra shade for his sows, while NFU Mutual has launched an insurance product that pays out to dairy farmers if temperatures rise above a certain level.

Focus on second wheats

The work isn’t done on this season’s crop, but focus is already turning to establishment next year, with many growers snapping up fertiliser and scrutinising cropping choices.

With the OSR area unlikely to climb again, many will be mulling how much second wheat to select, so we’ve put together the latest advice on how to make the most of this sometimes tricky crop.

Elsewhere, take a look at the latest results of a long-term trial of exactly how a direct-drilling system impacts farm profitability and the environment compared with a conventional establishment system.

Climate-proofing sheep: How can it be done?

Sheep attract a lot of criticism in certain quarters for their emissions and impact on habitat, but there’s plenty to be done that can limit this and position the UK as a climate leader, experts at the recent NSA Welsh Sheep Event said.

If we’re not to lag behind our exporting rivals, such as New Zealand, it’s vital that the UK steps up research on how to select for methane-reducing traits, while retaining profitability, said Rachael Madeley-Davies, head of sustainability and future policy at Hybu Cig Cymru.

And if you’re looking for a livestock farm that may be fit for the future, how about this 15-year tenancy up for grabs in North Yorkshire?

Why must government have to re-learn old lessons?

Are we close to making the same mistakes as a generation ago? That’s the question new opinion writer Julia Stoddart powerfully tackles in her debut column.

She picks out why the Scottish government’s gung ho support of tree planting to hit its carbon sequestration goal may in fact be stifling another of its objectives – the support of endangered species.

Welcome to the Opinion stable, Julia. We’re very pleased to have you.

Listen to the FW Podcast

Don’t forget the latest edition of the Farmers Weekly podcast with Johann Tasker and Hugh Broom. This week they’ll be bringing you the very latest news on what’s moving the markets and discussing how to remain profitable amid the latest squeeze on margins.

Listen here or bring us with you in the cab by downloading it from your usual podcast platform.