Latest stories DIVERSIFICATIONFarm recycling sideline grows into full-time enterpriseHenry Harrison and Edward Medforth launched H&M Recycling four years ago to provide a service for farm plastics. They began by baling polypropylene fertiliser and seed bags, also taking polyethylene… NEWSThis Week in Farming: Contractor charges and beef upheavalWelcome to another edition of This Week in Farming, your regular round-up of the best FW content from the past seven days. But first, how about coming to a brand… BEEFWhy radical change is needed for sustainable beef industryPlanning ahead to face upcoming issues and working to improve efficiency and build beef businesses with resilience were among the key conclusions from a round table discussion held at Rothamsted… TECHNOLOGYClaas rolls out new look Connect digital platformFarmers who are signed up to a new “digital ecosystem” being rolled out this year by Claas will be able to add tractors and other machines to their account simply… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Grain maize and sunflowers help in tough yearPlanning ahead for spring work is always a challenge. I usually hope things get going before the end of March, and by April, spring cereals are established. Then the focus… NEWSOpinion: Build fairness in farming from the bottom upThe oddest whinge I received about my last column was that it was easy for me to be opinionated because I don’t rely solely on farming for my income. This… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONTransition Farmers expand and restructure businessesFarmers Weekly’s Transition project is following a group of farmers on their journey to adapt and meet the challenges of farming. Here, we look at the progress of two farms.… 4X4SIsuzu unveils souped-up special edition D-Max pickupsIsuzu has pimped up its D-Max pickup with two special edition models. The first is the Steel, which adds more bling to the top-of-the-range V-Cross but is otherwise identical underneath.… OILSEED RAPEBeekeeper bemoans collapse of OSR acreage in the UKHoneybee colonies are suffering from an early-spring pollen shortage in the farming landscape due to shortages of flowering plants such as oilseed rape, with some colonies facing starvation, say beekeepers.… More articles OpinionSee all NEWSOpinion: Build fairness in farming from the bottom upThe oddest whinge I received about my last column was that it was easy for me to be opinionated because I don’t rely solely on farming for my income. This… NEWSEditor’s View: In praise of average farmersHow do you build a farm business that has the highest possible chance of long-term success? Is it by being a great farmer, or by building a great system where… NEWSOpinion: It isn't a binary choice between farming and wildlifeI’ve never thought long and hard about the great bustard, but now is the time. Rewilding enthusiasts have been celebrating news that farms in Wiltshire and Derbyshire are to be… NEWSOpinion: Let's not make the same mistake as the minersPolmaise Colliery near Stirling was the first to walk out over pit closures in the miners’ strikes of 1984. I wonder if, back then farmers ever thought they’d need to… Subscribe to Farmers Weekly Save money and never miss an issue. Subscribe ArableSee all FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Grain maize and sunflowers help in tough yearPlanning ahead for spring work is always a challenge. I usually hope things get going before the end of March, and by April, spring cereals are established. Then the focus… OILSEED RAPEBeekeeper bemoans collapse of OSR acreage in the UKHoneybee colonies are suffering from an early-spring pollen shortage in the farming landscape due to shortages of flowering plants such as oilseed rape, with some colonies facing starvation, say beekeepers.… CROP MANAGEMENTHow couple are developing organic, no-till cropping businessStarting five years ago with an optimistic vision and a blank slate, first-generation organic farmer and emergency doctor Alex Fraser had a plan to produce healthy food for local people.… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Wet weather pics on social media are hearteningOne of the many good things about social media is that although there are some in the farming community who only post portrayals of agronomic excellence, there are enough farmers… BARLEYGreater yield and margin for winter barley growerScottish grower Neil Ramsay is pushing the boundaries of winter barley production, striving for both yield and margin. He achieved a top yield of 13.5t/ha last harvest and has an… POTATOESTrials show it's safe to use key herbicide on Elland potatoesFarmers growing Elland potatoes are set to benefit from another herbicide option this season, after tests show a key pre-emergence active can be safely used. Metribuzin is key component of… CROP WATCHCrop Watch: T1 fungicide timing tricky in variable seasonAs the fourth week of April arrives, the weather remains highly variable with below-average temperatures for this time of the year. Like the weather, wheat growth stages are variable and… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: A few false starts to spring drillingUnfortunately, the weather is still the main point of conversation, and it is little consolation to know that further south, the situation is probably worse. There have been a few… LivestockSee all BEEFWhy radical change is needed for sustainable beef industryPlanning ahead to face upcoming issues and working to improve efficiency and build beef businesses with resilience were among the key conclusions from a round table discussion held at Rothamsted… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONTransition Farmers expand and restructure businessesFarmers Weekly’s Transition project is following a group of farmers on their journey to adapt and meet the challenges of farming. Here, we look at the progress of two farms.… BEEFStruggle for survival revealed in wide-ranging beef surveySome 66% of beef producers will have difficulty in surviving without the farm subsidy – and only 33% reckon their beef enterprise makes a profit every year. This is according… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Mind whirring with five days of silage leftI’ve got the mower on and greased up ready for tomorrow, 16 April. Although, as I write this looking out of the window, I could do with a few more… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTWhy Gloucs dairy farmer is adopting longer-grass grazingA Gloucestershire dairy farmer is adapting her grazing management to make her farm more resilient as the climate changes, improving her soil health and reducing reliance on inputs. Third-generation farmer… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT6 tips for managing this year’s first-cut silageSlurry stores are full and forage stocks are running dangerously low on many farms. While grass is generally growing well, many fields remain vulnerable to damage by poaching and machinery.… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Applicants for skilled pig staff hard to findTwo years ago, I wrote about the disappointing start we had experienced farrowing the first of our then, new, Landrace gilts. These pigs are the dams of our home-bred commercial… SHEEPHow Ayrshire hill farm runs sheep for £11 a eweA total cash cost of less than £11 a ewe is helping a family business buy hill ground in Ayrshire. Strict culling in a low-intervention system and accepting the environmental… MachinerySee all TECHNOLOGYClaas rolls out new look Connect digital platformFarmers who are signed up to a new “digital ecosystem” being rolled out this year by Claas will be able to add tractors and other machines to their account simply… 4X4SIsuzu unveils souped-up special edition D-Max pickupsIsuzu has pimped up its D-Max pickup with two special edition models. The first is the Steel, which adds more bling to the top-of-the-range V-Cross but is otherwise identical underneath.… PLOUGHSCNH sells off Overum plough businessDuring a period of seemingly never-ending acquisitions, CNH Industrial has gone against the trend by selling off the Overum factory in Sweden, which makes mouldboard ploughs. This business was acquired… TECHNOLOGYLemken-Krone VTE autonomous tractor gains front links and ptoEngineers developing a driverless tractor for arable and grassland field work say they are now moving from the early prototype trials stage to deployments on commercial farms with a near-finished… CommunitySee all FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Grain maize and sunflowers help in tough yearPlanning ahead for spring work is always a challenge. I usually hope things get going before the end of March, and by April, spring cereals are established. Then the focus… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Mind whirring with five days of silage leftI’ve got the mower on and greased up ready for tomorrow, 16 April. Although, as I write this looking out of the window, I could do with a few more… WILL'S WORLDWill's World: Woodburning stove is a farmhouse favouriteDo you have any favourite possessions? I have a few that I’m very fond of indeed. A pair of comfortable and durable walking boots that I’ve worn for years, a… NEWSRoyal Countryside Fund unveils new £15m farming strategyThe Royal Countryside Fund (RCF) has launched a four-year strategy to extend its support of farming and rural families – which includes raising £15m. Founded by the King, then Prince… BusinessSee all DIVERSIFICATIONFarm recycling sideline grows into full-time enterpriseHenry Harrison and Edward Medforth launched H&M Recycling four years ago to provide a service for farm plastics. They began by baling polypropylene fertiliser and seed bags, also taking polyethylene… COMPLIANCERed Tractor 'a victim of its own success' says chief execRed Tractor farm assurance is a “victim of its own success”, which is why some primary producers have little option but to be members, according to the organisation’s chief executive… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONFW's Transition Live unites farmers for talks on key issuesHundreds of farmers and growers have already booked their places at Farmers Weekly’s Transition Live event on 9 May. The event, held at Cambridge University’s mixed, arable and dairy farm,… LAND MARKETSRare mixed farm offering for sale in Vale of GlamorganIt is not often that good-quality commercial farms are offered on the open market in the Vale of Glamorgan, so Stembridge Court Farm is expected to stir a good deal… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTTCFD rules: Threat or opportunity?Climate change is a financial threat to big business. Supply chain disruption caused by extreme weather is expected to cost many billions of pounds. Governments and global economic institutions are… TENANCIES AND RENTSNew landlord-tenant code of practice – what’s changed?The need for an Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice to put the relationship between all parties on a more positive footing was a key recommendation of the 2022… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONTransition: Ways to generate non-farming incomeDeveloping non-agricultural income is an increasingly important consideration for farm businesses. And it doesn’t always have to come at the expense of food production, as speakers at a recent Farmers… DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICESFairer dairy contract regulations come into force in JulyMilk processors will be required to begin issuing farmers with new “fairer” dairy contracts from this July. Legislation has been designed to create more price transparency for farmers, as well… Futures prices Updated end of day Copyright © 2019. All market data is provided by Barchart Solutions. Futures: at least 10 minute delayed. Information is provided 'as is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice. To see all exchange delays and terms of use, please see disclaimer. Careers LIVESTOCKValuable business skills courses for dairy farmersMany dairy farmers tend not to be driven by profit: satisfaction comes from a herd of fine cows, full clamps or milk in the tank. But being good at milking… POULTRYAdvice on developing a well-trained poultry teamA team can make or break any business, and a poor poultry team can affect production as well as efficiency. NFU Poultry Board member Will Lea helps deliver staff training… COMMUNITYApprenticeship guide set to help farmers bridge labour gapTo coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, Lantra has launched a new guide to help farmers and small businesses take on their first apprentice. It is hoped that the guide, called… ASSESSING PERFORMANCEHow a new entrant got backing to set up in dairyA simple, once-a-day system, relying on grazed grass and spring-block calving, was the step into dairy farming for new entrant Nick Cavill. The first cups went on in 2018 and…
