Author Posts: Farmers Guide

Since 2019 the NFU’s petition to ban sky lanterns in the UK has gained over 100,000 signatures as more research is conducted into their potential ability to start wildfires, kill animals, destroy crops, set buildings alight, as well as littering the countryside. To date 188 councils out of 333 have banned them in England and Wales.

Dairy farmer Stephen Carson recently installed the UK’s first batch milking system, with milk being pasteurised and bottled on site before being sold through vending machines. Allowing him to keep the profits through the supply chain, the project was funded by a combination of government grants and specialist agri finance.

British potato farmers have been facing significant challenges in recent years. The costs of production have all increased substantially and the sector is also being asked to become more sustainable. Everybody wants more predictability in the cost of inputs, marketable yield and the selling price at the farm gate. More and more UK potato farmers are turning to biostimulants to mitigate these challenges. Maxstim Ltd CEO Richard Salvage and CSO Dr Colin Fleming, who are both research scientists at the Institute of Global Food Security at Queens University, Belfast, explain.

An autumn application of ICL Polysulphate multi-nutrient fertiliser to supplement conventional spring timings can increase wheat yields by 0.3t/ha and significantly decrease leaching of N and P over the winter months, new independent trials are suggesting.

Voltloader is transitioning to sustainable haulage with the launch of a new fully electric haulage service initially focusing on the agricultural industry.

The latest RUMA Targets Task Force 2 (TTF2) progress report has been released, which summarises the third year of progress against the current set of antibiotic use targets which span 2021-2024.

Woburn Farms has invested in a future-proofed grain processing plant, which allows them to grow a much larger percentage of high-quality crops with the associated premiums.

British Sugar has today (1st November) contacted its 2,300 sugar beet growers with details of its contract offer for the 2024-25 growing season.

From 4th July 2024 the use of rodenticides containing bromadiolone and difenacoum in open areas will be illegal. The law has been passed to reduce the number of wild and non-target species affected by second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) residues. Lodi’s David Reece offers an advice on an alternative.

A leading rural insurance company has welcomed the “timely” introduction of new legislation aimed at preventing the theft of all terrain vehicles (ATVs).

This year marks 75 years of the Land Rover Series 1, so a fitting celebration will take place at the Newark Vintage Tractor and Heritage Show on 4th and 5th November.

Higher demand, coupled with the soaring costs of agriculture, has prompted many British farmers to look into new ways to grow and diversify their income. Bev Dumbleton, chief operating officer at Sykes Holiday Cottages, shares some advice on holiday lets.