Author Posts: Farmers Guide

Farmers in the Midlands are being advised by the police to increase vehicle security following a spate of 20 high-value tractors and telehandler thefts in Staffordshire and Shropshire over the last month. Police suspect a highly-organised criminal gang is responsible for the thefts.

With cows being at increased risk of disease in the first month post-calving, farmers are being urged to act now to prevent milk losses due to ketosis and transition-related disease.

Sheep dipping contractors, farmers and prescribers are being urged to make themselves aware of the latest updates to the Mobile Sheep Dipping Code of Practice, which aim to ensure the ongoing effectiveness and safe use of organophosphate (OP) dips in the UK.

Dr Johnny Wake, who took over the running of the historic Courteenhall estate ten years ago, was presented with the prestigious Bledisloe Gold Medal for Landowners at the Royal Windsor Estate yesterday (Thursday 7th September).

The EPIHERD project led by Antler Bio was awarded a Smart Grant from Innovate UK to develop a platform for dairy farmers to access epigenomic data on their herds to better understand and improve cow performance.

Northants farmer Emma Bletsoe was reassured in her decision to drill Mayflower last year, a Group 2 winter wheat from Elsoms Seeds, following the crop’s positive performance bucking recent trends of sliding Hagbergs and low specific weights for milling wheats.

With the launch of the SFI scheme delayed until mid-September and farmers facing a bleak end to 2023, the NFU is calling on the government to “do the right thing” and halt all further reductions to BPS payments until environmental schemes are fully up and running.

Returning for its second year, the National TB conference is a platform for farmers and industry stakeholders to come together and discuss the challenges of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and the barriers that remain towards a disease-free future.

A hot topic in the transitioning agri industry, sustainability and green farming will be the overarching theme at this year’s Midlands Machinery Show, taking place on 8-9th November at the Newark Showground.

As of July, primary pork products including steaks, roasting joints and mince, have been knocked off the best-performing red meat spot as consumers opt for more affordable proteins in an attempt to save money.

Twelve new varieties have been added to the British Society of Plant Breeder’s 2024 Forage Maize Descriptive Lists (DL), published last week (1st September).

With higher than average BYDV risk predicted this autumn, managing aphids that can infect newly emerging cereal crops will be of critical importance to arable growers, warns Neil Watson from production specialists Hutchinsons.