Well, that was a fascinating excursion to Australia. Nine flights in 12 days probably help to emphasise the phenomenal scale of the country.

As with most places around the world, the farming folk were exceptionally friendly and highly hospitable, giving an open and frank insight into their farms, emphasising the challenges that they face.

After three long years of drought, many were pleased to see spring rainstorms bringing much-needed moisture to parched countryside. Needless to say, some were unlucky and missed out on their share.

See also: Read more from our arable Farmer Focus writers

At a dinner hosted by the National Farmers Federation (NFF) it was most interesting to witness the respect in which they held their guest, who happened to be the government minister of trade and investment.

Farmers in Australia are very clear that their future profitability – indeed their future survival – is based on international trade, rather than anything that the minister of agriculture can deliver at home.

Their focus, not only on this but on many other issues, reminded me of some of the themes that we had discussed at the Defra meeting a couple of weeks before I left: in particular, developing export markets, branding and the risks associated with both.

I would suggest that we really need to heed lessons learned by others and attempt to understand fully how global markets work, what barriers are in place blocking our entry to them and, most importantly, how we can innovate to find ways into those lucrative markets.

What you can learn from relatively short conversations with very focused individuals really is quite refreshing.

In addition to a passion for selling and marketing their produce, I also witnessed many of the same issues that we are facing here: ranging from a massive increase of resistant weeds, through environmental challenges and right the way to the burden of red tape.

Back at home, I do think that they noticed that I was away, but I am not totally sure. In my absence, sugar beet lifting continued to make slow but steady progress. Now at the halfway point of harvest, it is disappointing that our sugar content is still relatively low, at less than 17%.

No doubt it’s a result of the mild, wet conditions you have all experienced in my absence.

Andrew Blenkiron manages the 4,400ha Euston Estate, south of Thetford. Principal farm enterprises are combinable and root crops, including sugar beet. In addition the estate supports let land, sheep, outdoor pigs, poultry, suckler cows, horses and stewardship