This Week in Farming: Block calving, beet optimism and IHT

Welcome back to This Week in Farming, your regular round-up of the best content from Farmers Weekly in the past seven days.

First, here’s your markets (opens in PDF), and I’m still not tired of picked my jaw off the floor at the beef price, with analysts now saying that even with higher imports predicted this year, the trade is likely to remain very strong.

Now, on with the show.

Inheritance tax latest

It’s been another dramatic week for the biggest issue in farming at the moment, ending with prime minister Keir Starmer being forced to cut short a visit to a housing development on Friday (13 February) after getting drowned out by honking tractors.

Earlier in the week, a mass of farmers had again descended on Westminster in tractor cabs and on foot to make their voices heard as politicians debated the changes, with some backbench Labour MPs now calling for adjustments to the hated policy.

The NFU has asked members to donate used toys to make an eye-catching display for politicians at its conference later this month, and also revealed that it and other lobbying groups will have a meeting with Treasury officials next week.

In my editorial, I highlight two points of hope amid heightening gloom over the prospect for a quick fix, while columnist Doug Dear lets rip, likening Starmer and Reeves to Laurel and Hardy.

Roots to success

Cheering news this week for sugar beet growers as the cold January weather has reduced the risk of beet virus yellows by killing a swathe of the population of aphids that spread it.

With neonicotinoid seed coatings no longer available to tackle it, deputy arable editor Emma Gillbard spoke to the manufacturer of a silicon-based biostimulant product that helps deter aphids from landing on the plants.

Beet harvester owners and drivers will be interested to learn that the UK’s most popular model, the Vervaet Q-616, has had a cab upgrade to the Claas X11 version alongside a host up other tweaks and upgrades.

Separately, there has also been work on fitting beet and potato harvesters with yield mapping tech, a tricky proposition given the dirt component.

Schmallenberg and avian influenza 

Unfortunately, there’s less positive news for livestock diseases this week.

The National Sheep Association warned that deformities in newborn lambs caused by the Schmallenberg virus had been found in flocks across large swathes of the UK, including areas that had not suffered the disease in previous seasons.

Separately, precautions have been ramped up to limit the spread of avian influenza in poultry, with a housing order extended across a larger area of England to include parts of the Midlands and the North West from tomorrow (16 February).

Bird gatherings, including fairs, markets, shows, sales, and exhibitions, have also been banned across the whole of England, Wales and Scotland.

Putting the block in calving

There’s a focus on improving breeding rates within the livestock section this week.

Getting as many cows calved as possible within the first six weeks of a block helps keep things simple through the season, but some farmers are ignoring fertility problems which prevent improved conception rates, a consultant has warned.

Separately, organic milk producers Sophie and Tom Gregory share what they have learned from 10 years of selection decisions on their farm on the Dorset/Devon border.

And in other encouraging news for cattle owners, a new way of analysing data from Johne’s disease tests holds out hope of more accurate predictions of which cows are likely to be at high risk of contracting the condition in the future.

Who’s up and who’s down?

Bad news for feral pigs after government agencies swung into action in Scotland to recapture a group that had allegedly been released by “guerilla rewilders”.

On the up this week are of course all the lovers after Valentine’s day. Here’s Will Evans talking about his latest ‘crush’.

Listen to the podcast

Don’t forget to tune in to the FW Podcast, with Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

You’ll find it anywhere you listen to podcasts, or free to listen to on our website.