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Know How / Market opportunities

In a competitive market for arable crops, keep on top of where the market opportunities lie. Find out which grain and oilseed rape contracts offer a premium, how future changes to subsidies may affect grain markets and how other farmers have switched varieties to find new markets.

Advice and tips

PULSES

Getting the most from intercropping: Your questions answered

Intercropping is becoming a popular option for arable farmers looking to reduce chemical inputs and enhance yields. Particularly as the Sustainable Farming Incentive pays £55/ha for companion cropping. Despite its…

OTHER CROPS

Round-up of the niche crop options for UK growers

Introducing alternative break crops to an arable rotation can help growers improve soil health, spread market risk and further financial gain. As pesticide actives are lost and resistance fears build,…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Strategy pointers for selling grain in a volatile market

Wheat growers are being urged to calculate their cost of production before selling any grain for harvest 2023, as input costs have risen sharply while wheat prices have drifted lower.…

BARLEY

Advice on growing malting barley to gain from high premiums

Premiums of £55-£60/t for malting barley are being offered this harvest, with the price supported by beer's history of being recession-proof and the post-Covid recovery in beer sales. For these…

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Case studies

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

How new income streams are protecting Shrops farm business

Arable businesses are facing one of the worst profitability challenges in living memory due to a combination of soaring input and machinery costs, poor crop prices and an uncertain future…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Groundswell 2025: Oxfordshire regen farm works with bakery chain

A loaf of sourdough on sale in Gail’s bakery, and named after the Oxfordshire farm the flour was sourced from, is described by the bakery chain as a celebration of…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

On-farm grain processing adds value and market

Taylors Farm in Lancashire has transformed itself from a traditional beef and arable farm into a regional hub for grain processing services. Over the past five years, the Webster family…

OTHER CROPS

The perennial crop offering a maize alternative for biogas

Maize is wonderful crop to grow for biogas. But imagine an alternative that is cheaper to grow, is a perennial (so doesn’t need drilling each spring) and provides valuable food…

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Insights

PULSES

Home-grown pulse incentive required to replace soya imports

The environmental gains of replacing imported soya in livestock diets with UK-grown beans could be substantial, but without financial encouragement for increased pulse production, targets may not be met. About…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Why spring linseed could be a strong option in 2026 rotations

With demand for UK-grown linseed continuing to remain high against a backdrop of depressed markets and uncertainty surrounding many other spring crops, spring linseed could be the solution for many…

VARIETY SELECTION

What to consider when selecting spring malting barley varieties

UK farmers are being advised to focus on proven barley varieties with strong market flexibility when selecting seed for the coming season, as uncertainty over area, premiums and end-market demand…

BARLEY

Glimmer of hope for UK spring malting barley growers

A forecast sharp drop in the spring barley area this year, together with industry capacity cut backs could inject some optimism into a depressed malting barley market and push up…

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News

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Farmers advised to respond to crops fairness review

With just over a fortnight left before the deadline, arable farmers are being urged to respond to Defra’s consultation on fairness in the UK combinable crops supply chain, amid concerns…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Premium Crops unveils record contract values for spring 2026

A specialist niche crop company unveiled its spring cropping offers at the CropTec event, including a record spring linseed contract of up to £600/t as well as premium market opportunities…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Crumpets made from 100% British regen wheat launched

Crumpets made from 100% British regeneratively farmed wheat are the latest product launch from regen food and farming business Wildfarmed. The launch marks the brand’s first expansion from bread into…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Huge linseed demand fuels high spring contract offers

A £600/t spring linseed contract for the 2026 harvest has been launched in response to rising demand across food, feed and industrial markets. The updated contract from Premium Crops provides…

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Video

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Video: UK agroforestry system integrates fruit and arable

First-generation tenant farmer Stephen Briggs planted the UK’s largest agroforestry system, integrating fruit trees and arable cropping to boost land productivity. More than a decade after the 4,500 apple trees…

ARABLE

Video: How to grow a cereal crop for seed

Cereal growers with clean weed-free ground could earn themselves a significant premium over the price of feed wheat and barley by growing crops for seed production. Prices of 10-12% over…

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