Latest farming opinions OPINIONOpinion: Support system shambles could almost be a conspiracyI always thought that propagating conspiracy theories was a pastime for the gullible, solipsists and simple-minded. Believing in an all-powerful sinister masterplan is nuts, when most governments and large organisations… OPINIONEditor's View: So far, trade deal detail leaves me shruggingWell, after I predicted at the end of last month that prime minister Sir Keir Starmer would have to choose between closer co-operation with the EU and a trade deal… OPINIONOpinion: The farmer 'strike' was a flawed idea from the startSo, how did the call to stop loading milling wheat and leave our customers without hot cross buns over Easter go? Not only were there plenty of hot cross buns… OPINIONOpinion: Why fresh meat is better than processed foodsIn a world where one-third of the global population lacks access to a nutritionally adequate diet, questions about how to eat “correctly” can feel like a privilege. Yet even in… OPINIONOpinion: A sustainable future will slip beyond our graspIn the aftermath of the sinking of Titanic in April 1912, the Board of Trade report into the disaster returned one key recommendation: that ships should henceforth carry sufficient lifeboat… OPINIONEditor’s View: New-look FBT is catching up with realityThere is always pleasure to be taken in a landlord-tenant relationship where there is goodwill on both sides and a desire to collaborate. As journalists, too often the stories we… OPINIONOpinion: Animal welfare can't be 'collateral damage'The UK public has a long history of being animal lovers, perhaps more so than anywhere else in the world. We are home to the oldest and largest animal welfare… OPINIONOpinion: Batters' review is a 'sop' to angry farmersImagine for a moment you’re a dairy farmer. If you found out that 18% of your cattle were producing 79% of your milk yield off 56% of your grazing platform,… OPINIONEditor’s View: Who is going to speak up for the farmers?The dark art of influencing politicians and others to act in farming’s interests is always an important topic for farmers. It’s not often that food producers feel well understood by… OPINIONOpinion: Farming's sub-culture is best form of PR we haveFrom Mods to Skinheads to Roadmen. The UK has seen youth subcultures rise and fall. It’s a scene that’s always evolving, constantly feeding off cultural and social influences. The farming… OPINIONOpinion: Composting for soil health and rural resilienceEvery year, vast amounts of nutrient-rich organic matter are lost instead of being returned to our soils, where they could support British farming and soil health. Instead of treating unavoidable… OPINIONOpinion: Rivers are the 'lifelines' of our landscapesAs extreme weather becomes the norm (thanks, climate change) we’re destined to have many more of the “wettest ever autumns” and “driest ever springs”. Three months ago, we were lamenting… OPINIONEditor's View: Agriculture centre to Starmer's trade dilemmaWhat a shame for Sir Keir Starmer. Try as he might to ignore farming, it keeps getting shoved further up the pescatarian prime minister’s agenda. Now agriculture is a component… OPINIONOpinion: Avoiding 'Mustardies' and men with clipboardsWhen the Sustainable Farming Incentive’s (SFI) doors were suddenly slammed shut a few weeks ago, we breathed a small sigh of relief that we were unaffected. We have made it… OPINIONOpinion: 'Hidden' rural poverty is getting worseRural poverty is something barely spoken about and rarely noticed. Some would even argue that it doesn’t exist. But government research has shown the number of working people, children and… OPINIONEditor's View: Fert shortage reveals cost of low confidenceIn the ongoing debate over where farm policy should end up, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are each, in their own way, striving to do something new. Apart from… OPINIONOpinion: Truck theft sparks search for new farm vehicleImagine my surprise a few weeks ago to find that the farm truck was no longer where I thought I’d parked it in the yard. After I’d twice checked that… OPINIONOpinion: New planning framework offers farming opportunitiesThe new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) brings the best opportunity many farmers will get in a generation to secure planning permissions. By effectively reintroducing mandatory housing targets for local… OPINIONOpinion: Politicians simply don't care about farmingThe sudden unexpected closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) in England to new applications is a reminder of the inherent risks to farmers of repatriating farm policy to Westminster… More articles
