This Week in Farming: Glyphosate, Lamma and dairy optimism
Welcome back to This Week in Farming, your regular round-up of the best Farmers Weekly content from the past seven days.
But first, here’s your markets (opens as PDF). Keep an eye on that red diesel price – quite a shift up on the previous week, although if the value of sterling has stabilised that might help.
Now, on with the show.
Spray and pray
The discovery of the first glyphosate-resistant ryegrass was a classic example of news that was a surprise, but not a shock.
All chemicals are eventually defeated by the population they target, and resistance has already been found in other parts of the globe.
Yet, as news editor Phil Clarke notes in this week’s editorial, it should be a fresh reminder to users that there is definitely now no room for complacency when using this important product if we are to preserve its efficacy for as long as possible.
In more positive arable news, it’s great to read how an industry partnership is helping tackle two of the biggest pest problems facing growers – wireworm in potatoes and cabbage stem flea beetle in oilseed rape.
Compulsory purchase
Losing land to compulsory purchase is often traumatic, but landowners are at least currently compensated for it at the market rate. That could be about to change.
The government is consulting on updates to the rules that would see only the agricultural value of the land paid by local authorities, rather than the “hope value”, as part of a package of measures to help increase the rate of housebuilding.
Read the article for all the details – including information on how to have your say.
Dairy development
There’s a cracking read this week from the livestock team on how increasing automation and individual cow data helped one upland farm increase cow health even while expanding the herd.
And if you’re looking for new technology, we’ve also got a round-up of five innovations to see alongside the usual exhibits at the Dairy-Tech event in Warwickshire next month.
That will be where the winner of this year’s NMR RABDF Gold Cup will be announced. Meet the finalists here.
Lamma highlights
Kubota’s first pivot-steer loader was among a slew of new and upgraded products for punters to ponder at this week’s Lamma event.
Farmers Weekly was out in force to bring it all to you – the major launches are covered here – as well as additional coverage of the main events from the podcast team (see below).
The wireless reversing camera on this Stewart trailer would have come in handy for me during my university placement year. But the less said about that the better.
Who’s up and who’s down?
Milk producers should be on the up this week according to markets editor Charlie Reeve, who filed this upbeat report from the Semex conference.
Forecasts point to the average farmgate price staying above 40p/litre for the first quarter of the year.
Feeling glum are red meat producers in Germany after officials discovered a single case of foot-and-mouth disease in water buffalo, prompting a severe curtailing of their ability to export.
Listen to the podcast
Don’t forget to tune in to the FW podcast, with Johann Tasker, Louise Impey, and Hugh Broom taking in the sights and sounds of Lamma.
You’ll find it anywhere you listen to podcasts, or free to listen to on our website.