Author Posts: Farmers Guide

The 2022/23 season started quickly for many, and so has the spring. Warm February weather saw a quick return to field work, reflecting what happened at the start of the season. With harvest ending early, many took the opportunity to get winter wheat into the ground early.

With recent news suggesting that the UK is “falling behind” on its national carbon emission targets, the UK’s biggest dairy company Arla is calling on more young Brits to enter farming in the next decade to help the industry meet its carbon targets.

Understanding soil structure and nutrient content will be key to farmers meeting the new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) ‘arable soils’ standard and supporting future crop growth, according to David Newton, technical manager at Timac Agro.

Emma Ledbury, who lost half of her dairy herd to TB last year, was overwhelmed by support from Clarkson’s Farm fans and resolved to donate some of the funds to the mental health charity RABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution).

To support dairy farmers on the eastern side of the UK, T H White has opened a new base in Attleborough, Norfolk, extending DeLaval territory from Wales to the east coast.

Sheep farmers could soon see a fair price being paid for their wool if the wider horticulture industry is to adapt the revolutionary practice of Gwinllan Conwy vineyard, where sheep fleeces are being used to ripen grapes more fully and create higher quality wines.

Following the launch of the MICHELIN SprayBib CFO (Cyclical Field Operation*) in 2022, a new dimension has now been added to the range – the MICHELIN SprayBib CFO VF 710/60 R46. Designed for self-propelled sprayers, it is the first very-low-pressure flotation tyre in the MICHELIN SprayBib CFO range.

The end of the tax year is not far away and there is still the opportunity for rural businesses to make best use of 2022/23 tax allowances and to be in the best position for the start of the next tax year. The Land and Rural Practice Group at Saffery Champness has produced these top five seasonal tax planning tips for farmers and rural businesses.

Machinery manufacturer Kubota (UK) Ltd has approved use of the paraffinic fuels HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) and GTL (Gas To Liquid) for all its diesel engines in an attempt to lower the environmental impact of its agricultural, turf and construction machines.

At Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) 2023, policy campaigners from The Landworkers’ Alliance (LWA) and the Irish equivalent body Talamh Beo provided an update on what small farmers can expect from future subsidy payments across the four UK nations.

The Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) group is encouraging sheep farmers to use the monitoring of ewe body condition score as a practical step to significantly reduce how many doses of wormer are administered this lambing season.

The latest Antimicrobial Focus Report from Kingshay shows a quarter of UK dairy farmers from those sampled are responsible for 49% of total antibiotic usage in the sector.