Author Posts: Farmers Guide

A dry start to the summer followed by a wet July means farmers in the North East need to take a close look at calf nutrition over the next few months, according to Steven Eddie, ruminant nutritionist at East Coast Viners.

The third consecutive GB Calf Week will be kicking off at the UK’s largest dairy industry event on 13th September, with a series of on-farm and virtual events promoting responsible dairy calf management.

Research carried out by UCD’s School of Agriculture and Food Science has shown that significant cost savings are possible when using multispecies swards for grazing livestock, which can yield up to 25% more herbage and lead to quicker finishing times.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is urging sheep farmers to consider disease risk when buying in replacement stock and take the necessary precautions to prevent their flock from becoming infected.

AHDB’s We Eat Balanced campaign will be promoting home-grown meat and dairy using the term ‘British’ for the first time, following a rule change that will allow the organisation to better showcase support to UK farmers.

Defra’s expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) will be accepting applications from 18th September, with farmers able to register their interest from this Wednesday (30th August) through the online Rural Payments service, the government has announced today.

Aimed at farmers, growers, landowners and the wider agricultural sector, the Autumn Farming Conference is organised by Larking Gowen, a major regional independent accountancy partnership and one of the UK’s top 40 accountancy firms, in conjunction with the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), the membership organisation for owners of land, property and businesses in rural England and Wales.

Quasquicentennial! It’s not a word you use every day but on Saturday 24th June Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd celebrated this significant milestone in its history. In celebration, the company shares an insight into its rich history…

For its latest community blog, A-Plan Rural Insurance is shining a spotlight on podcasters Becca & Lizzie who have have recently interviewed the minister of farming, food and fisheries, Mark Spencer, for their podcast. Mark Spencer has publicly shown his support for mental health in agriculture.

The screen adaptation of Bea Roberts’ multi-award-winning stage play And Then Come the Nightjars is set to land in cinemas soon, bringing viewers a heart-warming tale of friendship and survival set against the backdrop of the infamous foot-and-mouth outbreak. Farmers Guide chatted with film director Paul Robinson for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look.

A free downloadable flyer has been released by the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) to help inform farmers and growers of new photo ID requirements for ammonium nitrate fertilisers coming into force this autumn.

With the gap between farmgate milk and retail prices promising no let-up and high input costs putting significant strain on the sector, British dairy farmers are facing a tough six months ahead, the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has warned.