This Week in Farming: Diesel dips, crop plans and kit guides
© Associated Press/Alamy Stock Photo Welcome back to This Week in Farming, your one-stop shop for the best Farmers Weekly content from the past seven days.
First, here are your markets (opens as PDF), and it’s cheering to see a significant drop in the price of red diesel, even amid headlines in the mainstream media earlier this week about supply fears in the next months.
Despite the dip, that leads us straight on to…
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Fuel frustrations
Farmers across the island of Ireland were out protesting the cost of fuel this week, along with hauliers and others, and our lead story this week probes whether food producers on this side of the water may do likewiseÂ
In my editorial, I argue that while the anger is justified, this might not be one for farmers to be at the front of.
However, the pressure is real, with a new report funded by the Countryside Alliance and published by the Labour Rural Research Group warning that higher living costs, limited services, and economic fragility are placing increasing strain on rural households and businesses.
Have you got new metal money?
No sector has had a tougher time of it recently than arable, and this is borne out again by the latest tractor buying statistics, with crop-growing regions of the country lagging behind their livestock-heavy counterparts.
If you are one of those with fleet decisions to make, our annual ultimate guides to buying a tractor and buying a telehandler are here, with all the vital statistics of new machines on the market.
Latest advice for growers
If you’re a grower, you might want to take a glance at the latest advice on managing fixed costs in arable businesses.
And speaking of crops, this week we’ve looked at the differing tactics for tackling wheat disease this season – with six Arable Insights farmers sharing their plans for defending some decent-looking crops.
And if all else fails, indulge in this ultimate arable diversification story – how an old grain store became an indoor ski slope. The jokes write themselves.
TB or not TB
In livestock news, Defra has awarded a £15m contract to vaccinate badgers against bovine TB as we wait for a promised update to their overall TB strategy, including a likely end to badger culling.
The latter move won’t be popular given infection rates have fallen in some areas which have seen culling – with the long-running crisis just one of the reasons we are still seeing a continual decline in livestock numbers.
On the bright side, that is prompting retailers to shore up their supply chains – with M&S announcing decade-long contracts for beef and sheep.
And Farmers Weekly‘s front cover story this week explores how well a Worcestershire farmer has made a dairy-beef enterprise fit alongside a suckler herd.
Who’s up and who’s down?
Feeling positive this week is FW opinion columnist Sam Walker, who opens up on his shift from organic cynic to convert after taking on the tenancy of a farm already under organic stewardship.
Feeling frustrated this week is FW opinion columnist Jo Franklin, who has in the last year had unfit fertiliser, diseased seed, a crop contract default, a company changing their terms mid-contract, and two environmental scheme contracts torn up.
Quite understandably, she says its time for the supply chain to up its game.
Listen to the FW Podcast
Don’t forget to come back on Monday for the Farmers Weekly Podcast, with Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.
In this week’s episode, the team debate whether autumn drilling plans stack up, react to the prime minister being quizzed on food security and report on the latest call to improve farm safety.
You’ll find it anywhere you get your podcasts, or listen free on the FW website.