Latest farming opinions OPINIONOpinion: Many farmers trapped on ‘big ag hamster wheel’What a state UK agriculture is in at the moment, with commercial farmers pitted against agri-corporates, and some commodities running at all-time highs and grain prices at all-time lows. There… OPINIONOpinion: How farming’s past is shaping a resilient futureResilience has always been at the heart of UK farming. Every generation has faced uncertainty and adversity, from technological innovation to unpredictable weather, and every generation has found ways to… OPINIONOpinion: Ag funding needs to target practical problemsWhen it comes to helping with technical research projects, I try to be relatively charitable with my time because it is interesting to see what this plethora of startup businesses… OPINIONEditor's View: Eagle has me reaching for comfort of historyIs there a time of year more associated with British victories than the end of October? The 23 October 1942 was the start of the second battle of El Alamein,… OPINIONOpinion: This is a time of opportunity if you have the visionThis week saw the fulfilment of one of my longest-held ambitions. After decades of growing crops on a patchwork of rented fields, we have just taken a lease with the… OPINIONOpinion: What if expansion or diversification aren't options?How many cows do you milk? It’s the standard dairy farmer conversation starter across the UK. Whenever I’m asked this question, my standard reply is: “150 through three robots”, but… OPINIONEditor's View: In praise of arable's persistent optimists“Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.” This was the phrase that sprang to mind amid a stampede of emails from lobby groups on Wednesday (15 October), taking… OPINIONOpinion: Farms are micro-businesses in a world of corporatesTrump. Love or loathe the man, he knows how to build and protect his home-grown economy. This is in stark contrast to “Farmer Harmer Starmer”. But it’s not just farmers… OPINIONOpinion: My YouTube debut will just have to waitMy teenage son, awestruck by the range and financial possibilities of YouTube farming videos, suggested setting up a channel this summer. We’re lucky to have some inspiring views, abundant wildlife,… OPINIONOpinion: Time for Red Tractor to look beyond its clipboardsAnd so my letter to Red Tractor began… “To whom, I believe, it should concern,” I wrote. “Please think outside the prescribed audit boxes for a few minutes to consider… OPINIONEditor's View: Growing hope on IHT but still no certaintyThere are tentative signs this week that Treasury officials are taking seriously the proposals from tax think tank CenTax to further amend the proposals to reform inheritance tax (IHT), which… OPINIONOpinion: Joke can be on us in this funny business of farming“You know what testicles feel like don’t you?”. I consider my response carefully. “I don’t know what a day-old calf’s testicles feel like”. I have been restraining the calf for… OPINIONOpinion: Even smart farmers fall for devious tarmac gangsThere was a strange noise coming from the countryside a couple of Fridays ago. Farmers the length and breadth of the land were reading Emily Lees’ article on being scammed… OPINIONEditor's View: Defra are nursing punches without a planThere’s rarely a time when farm business advisers and accountants aren’t reminding farmers of the need for good forward financial planning. I hear bankers are asking a lot more questions… OPINIONOpinion: Scots growers should be central to whisky marketingAlong with Highland cows and Edinburgh Castle, uisge beatha – the water of life, aka malt whisky – is the cornerstone of Scottish tourism and one of our biggest worldwide… OPINIONOpinion: Are we shutting out the people we need?Most people with a connection to farming say the same thing about Clarkson’s Farm, that it has done a lot of good for British agriculture. It has given a beautifully… OPINIONOpinion: Defensive noise shouldn’t drown out self-analysisIn August I wrote a piece intended to initiate a conversation about the role of young children on farms, and their safety. It was not a comfortable subject, nor was… OPINIONEditor's View: Will AI's impact on farming be meek or mega?“The data revolution will be bigger [for the farming industry] than the invention of the tractor.” Perhaps the most remarkable claim at AI(Live) – a conference held this week that… OPINIONOpinion: Water companies can fund positive farm-level actionI remember sitting around the table with our environmental farm adviser when it was announced that the SFI 22 agreements were to be closed early and all agreements ceased. He… More articles
