Latest farming opinions NEWSOpinion: How should farmers value community engagement?If sustainability on UK farms and rural estates is a three-legged stool, it has arguably been a little lopsided for some time. There has understandably been a huge focus on… NEWSOpinion: Society and government need farmers more than ever The future of farming is bright, even if it may not feel that way at times. Ultimately, there will be some 10 billion mouths to feed by the middle of… NEWSEditor's View: Little prospect of bigger budget at DefraWhat do the NFU, Country Land and Business Association, RSPB, National Trust and the Wildlife Trusts have in common? No, it’s not that they represent more than 50% of the… NEWSOpinion: Farmers need a new mindset and sense of purposeOf all the problems that beset farming, the idea that farmers are heroes is one of the worst. The film poster for the new US movie documentary Common Ground even portrays… NEWSOpinion: Colostrum will be key in two-tier calf marketA bit like our scraper tractor, whose throttle has been stuck since the mid 1980s, it takes quite a bit to get me revved up. But an article in Farmers… NEWSEditor's View: Time for Red Tractor to find reverse gearThe dam has sprung a leak. Farming officialdom – in the form of the NFU, NFU Scotland, Ulster Farmers’ Union and AHDB – has finally recommended Red Tractor’s Greener Farms… NEWSOpinion: Simple self-help tools can be useful to farmersAn Irish podcaster known as “Blindboy”, famous for wearing a mask fashioned out of a shopping bag, may have one of the best tools for mental health. He highlights the… NEWSOpinion: Welsh SFS plans take toll on farmers' mental healthWhen is the Welsh government going to undertake an analysis of the mental wellbeing of farmers affected by its new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS)? That’s a question I asked myself… NEWSOpinion: Welsh farming SFS proposal has 'ignited a fire'Saturday night and I am in the theatre in Port Talbot. My 10-year-old son is performing in the Glamorgan Young Farmers drama competition. The place is buzzing with mums, dads,… NEWSEditor's view: Political reset gives hope to Welsh farmersIt was 120 years ago that the Welsh National Agricultural Society was born in Committee Room 12 in the Houses of Parliament. This week, that poignant milestone has been honoured… OPINIONCharlie Flindt: 'Lorry Rage' soon turns to melancholyA two-hour drive to the West Midlands on one of the few nice days we’ve had in the past month inspired the first twinges of regret since our big lifestyle… NEWSOpinion: Diversification feels like MonopolyDairy farming these days can feel a bit like a life behind bars so, to use a Monopoly analogy, it seems our many trips around the farming board just repeatedly… NEWSEditor’s View: Batters' baton passes to Bradshaw. What next?The Batters era is over. The Bradshaw era has begun. The NFU presidential baton was passed this week at the annual conference, with David Exwood and Rachel Hallos coming in… OPINIONOpinion: Farmers getting plenty of mixed messagesThese are confusing times to be a farmer, torn between concerns about the impact that food production has on the environment and the need to grow ever more food for… NEWSOpinion: The scientific case for land sparing is compellingA report last year from the World Resources Institute (WRI) noted that, while about 85% of the planet’s usable land is already used for commercial forestry or agriculture, the world… NEWSOpinion: 'Pivot fever' aside, Kiwi farmers are remarkableMy wife and I have just returned from a delayed honeymoon in what is, in my opinion, one of the finest countries in the world – New Zealand. Twelve years… OPINIONEditor's View: Fine job so far by Welsh protest organisersLast week (8 February), an estimated 3,000 people gathered in Carmarthen Market to say: “Digon yw digon. Enough is enough”. It followed a meeting in Welshpool on 1 February with… OPINIONOpinion: Tractor blockades would just 'irritate' supportersI hear rumours of British farmers wanting to mirror the protests in Europe. French farmers are using their tractors as a show of defiance. Echoing the spirit of Mary Antoinette,… OPINIONOpinion: Too many politicians are ignorant of rural lifeOf all the eyebrow-raising moments in former MP Rory Stewart’s recent memoir, Politics on the Edge, an encounter with Liz Truss in the Defra offices was truly astonishing. Our shortest-serving… More articles