Author Posts: Patrick Over

Rising costs will be crucial to farm business planning over the next six months as high rates of inflation impact the UK agricultural economy, according to the latest AHDB Agri-Market Outlook. 

NFU president Minette Batters met with minister for exports Mike Freer MP, to explain the NFU Dairy Export Strategy designed to help unlock new opportunities within international markets. 

In an industry where, traditionally, additives, chemicals and fossil-based products and energy are essential to the manufacturing process, Witham Group has challenged itself to ensure, wherever possible, the environment is at the heart of the company’s activities – as well as helping others to become more sustainable.

Productive relationships between farmers and scientists are crucial to solving the urgent challenges facing agriculture such as food security and net zero, according to an international team of researchers which includes ADAS crop physiologists and inventors of the Yield Enhancement Network, Prof Roger Sylvester-Bradley & Dr Daniel Kindred.

The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) has welcomed the retailer’s decision to tackle food waste by swapping use-by dates for best before on the majority of its own-brand milk.

Farmers planning to turn sheep and cattle onto fodder beet this winter are being encouraged to vaccinate stock against clostridial diseases before giving them access to the crop.

With 80% of Johne’s disease infections occurring within the first month of life, the growing threat of Johne’s in the UK is encouraging significant numbers of dairy farmers to offer bespoke colostrum replacements to newborn calves.

Growing phacelia or oil radish cover crops in vegetable rotations helps to build and stabilise soils – with a new trial revealing it could safeguard future productivity.

Changing from a conventional to strip tillage in 2019 was something of a baptism of fire for fourth-generation East Yorkshire grower Jonathan Hodgson.

Extra measures are being implemented for Dairy-Tech 2022 held on 2nd February to ensure it is Covid-secure.