This Week in Farming: Arable woe, a £5k quad and calf toys
© Tim Scrivener Welcome back to another edition of This Week in Farming – indeed, the last-but-one before Christmas.
First, here’s your markets (opens as PDF). And if you’re looking for festive cheer, then (as has been the case for much of the year) I’d steer clear of the arable section.
Now, on with the show.
See also: Farmland in your area 2025: West Midlands
About the author
The pain in grain (again)
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help” may be a phrase to strike fear into the hearts of some farmers, but that’s exactly what Defra has done for combinable crop growers this week, launching a review into the fairness of contracts in the supply chain.
These sorts of non-financial interventions are the best that struggling sectors can hope for, with former NFU president Peter Kendall warning at the recent Ceres AgriStrategy conference that farmers will have to solve their own problems, given the state of the public finances.
Nevertheless, the Defra announcement is helpful after a year of tough prices and low yields.
Growers are considering all options, including rotation, machinery and diversification to help cashflow – including these two who spoke to deputy arable editor Emma Gillbard.
Changes coming
And next year will also be critical for the future of glyphosate in the UK, as chief reporter Phil Case notes in this story on the outlook for the country’s most-used herbicide, with a major consultation set to launch early in the new year.
One farmer who doesn’t use it is organic Farmer Focus writer John Pawsey, who has been making some changes of his own, including taking headlands out of production.
In separate news that will be of interest to farmers across many sectors, Red Tractor also announced it would be holding a sweeping review of farm standards as part of its response to the Farm Assurance review.
Ain’t things a price?
Will we see the cost of new machinery go into reverse in 2026 – or will it become the preserve of even fewer businesses?
That’s the subtext to this week’s major machinery review – a new quad bike from Kawasaki that comes in at only just over £5,000 thanks to its partnership with budget Taiwanese manufacturer Kymco.
Elsewhere, there’s also a preview of what new kit will be on offer at next month’s Lamma, and all the details of Fendt’s 700 series refresh.
Calf toy bonanza
Should Santa call by your calf shed? Toys help calves to express play behaviour and can even improve daily liveweight gain. Livestock reporter Anne Dunn rounds up the options.
It shouldn’t break the bank, but a major farming expansion can do.
Deputy livestock editor Shirley Macmillan met Dumfries farming brothers Richard and Craig McCornick to find out how they navigated their way through some serious debt after buying land to expand their sheep and beef enterprise.
Who’s up and who’s down?
It’s been a topsy-turvy week for lamb after exporters were rattled by French officials seizing £650,000 worth of product amid claims there was still wool on the carcasses.
Fortunately, it was eventually allowed to return.
In better news, prime lamb prices have pushed back above £7/kg for the first time in several months, although as livestock Farmer Focus writer James Kimber notes, we are surely now pushing at the limits of what some consumers are willing to pay.
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 bring you the latest on the battle to save biodiversity net gain schemes, a warning over fungicide resistance and a plea from Red Tractor for farmers to respond to its review.
You’ll find it anywhere you get your podcasts, or listen free on the FW website.