Business News

Erosion of resistance genes is a major concern, and with a declining plant protection toolbox, scientists, breeders, agronomists and farmers are working together to try to catch a moving target. Farmers Guide spoke to an agronomist, a breeder and a researcher to find out what is being done to help the industry – Heather Briggs reports.

James Maguire has been named as the new President of Pulses UK, the trade association representing the processors and users of British-produced pulses, at its annual meeting held earlier this month.

Auto Spray Systems has announced the launch of a new breed of autonomous robot – the first of its kind in Europe – which promises increased efficiency and reduce emissions.

The redistribution of red meat levies to take account of cross-border livestock movements between England, Wales and Scotland has been agreed by all three nations, and will be implemented on 1st April 2021.

A new survey has revealed nearly 80 per cent of farmers who responded said the phasing out of BPS payments will have a negative impact on their business.

The team behind the popular Farmer Time initiative – which links up farmers and schools using digital platforms – is urging farmers across the country to sign up now, as there are 200 schools ready and waiting to be matched.

Swedish oat drink company Oatly – which has sparked a backlash among farmers for its claims about dairy farming’s environmental impact – has unveiled plans to open its first UK factory in Peterborough in 2023, sourcing oats from UK farmers.

Farm weather station specialist Sencrop has announced an upgrade to its popular mobile app, allowing customers to use their preferred weather forecast service from within the app itself.

SymAgri, Systems for Agriculture, a new division powered by the Thurlow Nunn group has been created to provide customers with independent technology solutions and is now a dealer for Trimble Agriculture products, for Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and North Essex.

Obtaining planning can and should be relatively straightforward for farmers and landowners. Mark Allen from Johnstruct Ltd, which provides steel frame buildings and turnkey building in Hertfordshire and Essex, provides a brief introduction to the challenges and opportunities.

UKRI and Defra have announced their R&D collaboration for an exciting new funding opportunity, Farming Innovation Pathways. 

Herefordshire farmer Ally Hunter Blair began his Instagram account as a way of sharing positive stories around agriculture, but has found that looking back over the photographs helps him to appreciate what he has. We spoke to Ally about farm life, the pros and cons of social media and life in a pandemic.