Farmers are not very good company at the present time.

I have been quite selective in which invitations I accept to meetings received for the November to Christmas slot.

The reason for this is to avoid an overdose of doom and gloom from despondent colleagues.

The changing room before Saturday’s game of rugby and the touchline when watching my daughter’s hockey team on a Sunday morning haven’t proved to be an escape either.

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Other farmers seek one out and come over to have a whinge, and the response from non-farming players and supporters has, as you would expect, been very predictable.

One conference I did attend recently and speak at was Oats 2020. There were 120 attendees at this event and I have to admit I was the only farmer present.

I think it must be the first conference that has been solely dedicated to oats and it attracted worldwide attendance with visitors from Canada, USA, Australia and the Scandinavian countries.

After a period of decline through the mid-20^th century, demand and production of oats has increased dramatically in the past 30 years, with the UK crop up by 250%.

A lot of this has come about through health issues and the growth of the breakfast cereal market. However it was fascinating to learn about new uses for oats and potential for the future.

As a grower of some 220ha of oats, I am aware that the performance of the crop in the field has lagged behind the advances made with the other cereals such as wheat, barley and rye.

However despite not being able to hybridise oats, investments and advances are being made with breeding superior varieties.

The agronomy of oats has been also receiving more attention from trial centres and the buyers of the crop, with more trials and surveys being undertaken.

It’s great to be part of a forward-thinking and growing industry.

Wishing growers and readers a well-earned festive break and a positive outlook for 2016.

It will be a busy one here, with 1,250 ewes due to lamb between mid-December and January. 

Robert Law, 2006 Farmers Weekly Farmer of the year, farms 1,500ha on the Hertfordshire/Essex/Cambridgeshire borders growing cereals, turnips, mustard, forage rape for seed and sugar beet, plus 300ha of grassland supporting a flock of 2,500 ewes. He also manages 500ha of Nottinghamshire sandland