Menu

All articles about Crops markets and prices

Check the latest futures prices and spot and forward prices for feed wheat, milling wheat, oilseed rape, feed barley, peas and beans. Keep fully informed of what is happening in the crop and grain markets with our prices news and trends analysis and the market outlook for growers.

Advice and tips

BUSINESS

Crop buyers' contract terms farmers should be vigilant about

Growers should check the annual terms of trade issued by buyers to make sure they are aware of all requirements and restrictions, say advisers. These terms apply for each crop…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

How to use grain futures and options to manage risk

Grain futures and options provide a way of managing volatile grain markets, but understanding how they work is critical to using them successfully. The futures market is a formal, regulated…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Trading grain: Advice on locking in to profitable prices

Many arable farmers are not taking a rigorous enough approach to grain trading to protect themselves from losing money in volatile grain markets, say experts. James Bolesworth, director of independent…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

How to avoid costly disputes over grain contracts

Contracts are legally binding documents and set out the agreed quantity, quality and delivery aspects of a deal between the arable grower and merchant. However, many growers don’t take time…

See all

Case studies

Get more for your grain with free online auction site

Both merchants and growers are benefiting from a new free online grain trading site, developed in the South Downs by a grower and computer developer. Growers are saving time in…

See all

Insights

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Outlook 2026: Sugar beet faces lower prices, increased costs

It was written last year that despite the 17.5% price reduction to a headline £33/t, the 2025-26 sugar beet campaign would produce returns for growers that compared favourably to alternative…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Outlook 2026: Potato price pressure mounts

The optimism of the sector experienced over the past two years has been dampened by the finish to the marketing of the 2024 harvest, due to oversupply as old crop…

BUSINESS

Outlook 2026: Small returns for best combinable crop growers

The past two seasons have been incredibly challenging for all combinable crop growers – physically for all and financially for most. Fundamentally, yield, or rather lack of it, has been…

BUSINESS

Outlook 2025: Sugar beet prices depressed but break even

When the 2024-25 campaign contract offer was finally announced in December 2023, many growers felt the headline price of £40/t did not reflect the futures market, which suggested a value…

See all

News

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

NFU seeks sampling improvements in future grain contracts

The NFU has called for a major overhaul of combinable crop contracts, claiming the scales have been “tipped against growers for far too long”. It has submitted its official response…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK cereals demand hit by bioethanol losses and maltster cuts

Demand for UK cereals has plummeted as a result of the closure of the UK’s major bioethanol plants and decreased usage by brewers, maltsters and distillers. The UK cereals supply…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Larger UK wheat crop may drive exports and weigh on prices

The expectation of a larger domestic wheat crop this year could leave the UK having to compete more on global export markets, according to grain industry specialists. A panel discussion…

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…

See all

Video

BUSINESS

Video: Basic features of futures markets and hedging

In the second part of the Commodity Risk Management online course, Professor Joost M.E. Pennings builds on the foundations laid in part one of the course. He goes into more…

BUSINESS

Video: Value of risk management and hedging

In this video, Professor Joost M.E. Pennings explains the role of hedging in lowering the cost of captial and increasing net cash flow. As an authority in the field of…

BUSINESS

UK barley exports keep up good pace

UK barley exports continue at a good pace, with 26,000t of UK feed barley heading to Algeria through Gleadell Agriculture’s Immingham export facility. The 900 or so lorryloads it will…

BUSINESS

VIDEO: Feed prices crippling pig industry

Stuart Bosworth, Farmers Weekly Pig Farmer of the Year 2011, talks about the rising costs of pig feed and how this is affecting the industry. With 60-70% of the cost…

See all

Webinar

See all