Latest farming opinions OPINIONOpinion: The age of volatility demands a new approachIt’s been quite the half decade, hasn’t it? Covid-19, departing the European Union, the largest European war since 1945 and, now, a conflagration in the Middle East which threatens to… OPINIONEditor's View: Pleasing end to thorny dairy succession issueIf you have been to a few farming conferences in your time, you may well have seen the cartoon of two business owners talking about their staff. “What if we… OPINIONOpinion: New SFI means more risk and more cost for farmersThe announcement of the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive has been met with a largely positive response, with the overwhelming feeling one of relief. It is unbelievable that our expectations have… OPINIONOpinion: Agri-tech must earn its place on-farm The potential benefits of embracing agri-tech for farmers running high-risk, capital-intensive businesses are clear to see. Innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, for example, holds huge potential to bring… OPINIONOpinion: Response to goose problem highlights crofting spiritOn a bright winter morning, six little heads appeared over the lip of a grassy slope on our croft. I watched the gaggle of greylag geese from my kitchen window… OPINIONEditor's View: Upheaval for farming likely in May electionsThere is a well-worn phrase in political circles about how one should interpret the many, many things that come out of the mouth of US president Donald Trump. The media,… OPINIONOpinion: A 'Wild' group can help farming women prosperThe UN has declared 2026 the Year of the Woman Farmer. So let’s start with the good news. It’s been 85 years since the first woman graduated in agricultural science… OPINIONOpinion: UPFs and inertia are to blame for obesity crisisPolicy shouldn’t be complicated, but somehow even the simplest ideas end up strangled in red tape. Take the straightforward notion that we should not be buying beef linked to deforestation.… OPINIONEditor's View: Iran war is yet another food security threatWith less than a week having passed since the US and Israel started bombing Iran, the nation remains gripped by every fresh headline about the conflict and how the effects… OPINIONOpinion: 7 things I’ve learned from rewildingI’ve been working at one of lowland Britain’s most famous rewilding projects for more than three years now, and what a wild time (pun intended) it’s been so far. I… OPINIONOpinion: Farmers need support in move to higher hen welfareI have spent more than 20 years standing in poultry sheds and farmyards talking to producers who both care about their birds and about keeping their businesses viable. I've seen… OPINIONOpinion: New CS payment could be lifeline for native breedsI own a herd of rare pedigree Sussex cows that are the main joy of my farming life. Indeed, it’s the greatest regret of my farming career that I didn’t… OPINIONEditor's View: Lack of resilience leaves farmers vulnerableIn Birmingham this week for the NFU Conference, the theme was resilience. The backdrop running right across the impressively large stage was a photograph of a landscape taken from the… OPINIONOpinion: Rush to build houses harms countryside and farmersHow many more new houses do we need? Everywhere you go, the urban sprawl gets bigger, infilling gaps between town and ring road on green belt, destroying farmland and habitat.… OPINIONOpinion: EU 'alignment' would be death-knell for cerealsOne piece of kit that gets a decent workout on the farm is our trailed sprayer. For the past decade and a half, we have had a model of keeping… OPINIONEditor's View: I'm all for civil servants and farmers mixingWhat has been the greatest farming controversy of this still relatively young year so far? Some of you will answer the sorry state of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, our lead… OPINIONOpinion: Farming has training problems, not hiring shortagesWe talk regularly about the problem of insufficient young people coming into agriculture and horticulture. A recent report from the School of Sustainable Food and Farming at Harper Adams University,… OPINIONOpinion: It's time to introduce a fit-for-purpose tractor testTractor runs used to be a Sunday afternoon jaunt for a few dedicated vintage tractor enthusiasts. But this once-steady pastime has surged in popularity over recent years. Drivers will travel… OPINIONEditor's View: Is the government losing its ambition on SFI?Is the UK government, regardless of which party is in control, capable of delivering ambitious policies? That’s the question I’ve been pondering this week following the revelation that Defra is… More articles
