This Week in Farming: Agritechnica, agchem alarm and AHDB

Welcome back to another edition of This Week in Farming, a snapshot of the best Farmers Weekly from the past week.

First, here are your market prices (opens as PDF). Finished lamb prices continue to climb, validating those blistering store prices seen in the past month.

See also: Will’s World: Sun, sea and budgie smugglers (or what I did on holiday)

About the author

Andrew Meredith

Farmers Weekly editor

Andrew has been Farmers Weekly editor since January 2021 after doing stints on the business and arable desks. Before joining the team, he worked on his family’s upland beef and sheep farm in mid Wales and studied agriculture at Aberystwyth University. In his free time he can normally be found continuing his research into which shop sells London’s finest Scotch egg.

Contact:

Email: andrew.meredith@markallengroup.com

X: https://x.com/Merry_Meredith

Read more articles by Andrew Meredith

And another quick reminder about the Oxford Farming Conference, which we are partnering with in 2026 to bring attendees another Farmers Weekly Question Time event.

This week, we profile four emerging entrepreneurs and researchers that will be presenting at the event in January. More event information on can be found on the OFC website.

Now, on with the show.

Agritechnica 2025

Europe’s biggest machinery show, Agritechnica, wraps up today (15 November) to the relief of many a footsore exhibitor tired of wandering the miles of Hanover hallways.

Our machinery team have filed more than 20 articles from the Agrictechnica event, and below I’ve pulled out the tractor stories for your perusal:

• New Holland XDs push T7 range to 435hp (the most read event story so far)
• Revamped Claas Axion 9 gets high-spec cab
• Deutz-Fahr unleashes 310-340hp 8-series
• Basak goes to 170hp with six-cylinder 5165
• 160hp Tadus tractor gets swappable batteries.

Growing pains

The question is, of course, who’s buying them?

Arable farmers at least have had a good start to this cropping season – but in another blow they could’ve done without, even the chemistry that supported that could be under threat in a couple of years, as deputy editor Abi Kay reveals this week. 

Growers are already preparing for life without flufenacet at least, as the arable team reported this week when they met Oxfordshire wheat grower Ollie Stobo, who has been trialling a new product from manufacturer FMC.

And deputy arable editor Emma Gillbard met with two farmers who are gold-plating their glyphosate use to help prolong its efficacy for as long as possible.

Better beef businesses

Prices may be good in the beef sector, but profitability will only come when it is combined with good business acumen.

Scottish Borders farmer Robert Wilson found three new ways to hone the latter after partaking in the AHDB’s Roots to Resilience programme.

He told livestock editor Judith Tooth what actions he had put into practice with his pedigree Hereford herd.

And speaking of sucklers, we are also following the fortunes of Salisbury beef producers Dan and Catherine Mercer as they join the Livestock team’s Farmer Focus line-up. 

Inheritance tax latest

Succession has been at the forefront of many minds this year, in part thanks to the inheritance tax debacle.

In the latest feature digging into the detail of this thorny topic, we look at the role of executors and trustees, and what it means to accept this significant responsibility.

Meanwhile, politicians and lobbyists are attempting to keep the pressure on the Treasury (although Farmers To Action has disbanded), with the Labour-dominated Welsh affairs committee calling for a delay in the changes being imposed.

The NFU’s Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign to persuade people to write to their MPs on the topic has now seen more than 12,000 letters submitted to law makers, with NFU president Tom Bradshaw thanking supporters this week.

And our New Zealand-based opinion writer Kate Tomlinson laments the contrast between NZ and the UK , saying among Kiwis “farming feels accepted, respected, and better understood”.

Who’s up and who’s down?

It’s a good week for people with alliterative names, as chartered accountant Helen Herniman was revealed as the new AHDB chief executive.

And it’s a bad week for current and former ag students of Nottingham, with both lamenting the news that the university does not intend to teach agriculture after it has shepherded the current crop through to graduation.

Listen to the FW Podcast

Don’t forget to tune in to the Farmers Weekly Podcast, with Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

This week, the team discuss the Batters farm profitability review publication date, Emma Reynolds first keynote speech to farmers and Agritechnica.

You’ll find it anywhere you get your podcasts, or listen free on the FW website.