Will the new government bring new ideas?

With the election well behind us, I really wonder how much of any manifesto will ever be fulfilled, writes Cecilia Pryce, Openfield’s head of research, compliance & shipping. Will change happen? And if so, how and what form will it take?

UK agriculture is a complicated thing with divergence regularly appearing between our own nations and our closest trading partners in the EU. My question is, will the new occupants in Westminster have some new ideas or will they purely babysit the current UK agricultural policy? Much has changed since we ‘Brexited’ but do we really believe that there is a plan for the future?

I recently read an agenda for a meeting which involved the following key words: land use network, strategic priorities, net zero, food production, sustainable land management, nature restoration, leadership and finally innovation. To be honest, they certainly create a ‘full house’ if you were playing conference bingo, but from where I sit there seems to be many meetings but largely with little in the way of visible action.

Maybe the word that is missing from the list is education. Meeting rooms can be full of individuals all trying to be the best they can be, but how many really understand their subject matter and bring input to meetings? Again, it comes down to the fact that those in the agricultural supply chain (whether it’s farmers at the start or retail consumers at the finish) do the job daily and are largely too busy to take on the daily education of those that are chosen to make the decisions.

In my mind there has never been more of a need for associations and groups to stand up and engage with the legislation and law makers but it needs to be done in the right way.

The problem is those fully in the know are few and far between and as a result we seem to be ending up with mixed messages due to education gaps with the semi-educated trying to engage with the uneducated. The result of such a situation isn’t good, but regrettably it’s something witnessed on a regular basis. Maybe we should ask how many working in agriculture have any background in the subject or a relevant degree?

Maybe the new team in Westminster and others need to sign up to the NFU Cereals Development Programme, or perhaps the trade and the NFU should set up a new ministers’ equivalent?

Either way, in a world that seems more exposed to climate change uncertainties and macroeconomics, I feel it’s time we all really focused on what matters and make sure the right individuals are employed to explain issues in a clear, simple and knowledgeable way.

If the key words at the start of this article were to be fully engaged with, then the future may be bright but if they are really just there to fill a bingo card then the proverbial ‘can’ may just get kicked down the road again. Or worse still, UK agriculture becomes, if it’s not already, a real-life experiment which could have very many unintended consequences for us all, while those that designed it feel no pain.

In my mind, the future is bright – but only if we take full responsibility to educate ourselves while imparting what we fully know and understand to others.     

Fertiliser matters

Harvest is the perfect time to consider grain nutrient analysis, says Openfield fertiliser trader Gemma King. Testing your harvested grains straight off the combine helps assess nutrient uptake and utilisation.

The test is suitable for cereals, oilseeds, and pulses, and unlike standard grain sampling, this analysis identifies the nutrient content of the crop.

It includes testing for essential macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulphur, as well as micronutrients such as calcium, iron, boron, zinc, and manganese.

This in-depth assessment helps diagnose nutrient deficiencies and provides accurate data for P and K offtake calculations.

These valuable results also complement other crop analysis tools like soil sampling, helping to build a comprehensive picture of your crop’s health and performance.

Having such an in-depth analysis maximises crop performance, optimises nutrient management plans, helps achieve yield targets, improves environmental practices, and fine-tunes your fertiliser strategy for the next season.

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