Strength in numbers at agronomy conference

More than 70 farmers attended the inaugural client conference held by independent agronomy firm Indigro last month.

Believed to be the largest one-day event of its kind by a UK-based independent agronomy company, the conference took place on 4 February at Whittlebury Hall, Northamptonshire.

The day was themed around farm resilience. A packed and wide-ranging agenda covered subjects as diverse as soil health, sap testing and gross margins – and ways to integrate the Sustainable Farming Incentive within the farm business.

‘Critical issues’

Technical sessions looked at varietal choice, appropriate disease control, weed management, regenerative practices, biodiversity net gain and soil carbon management – including revenue potential.

With a theme of Fit for the Future, the day concluded with an after-dinner speech from agronomist Sean Sparling, executive director and former chairman of the Association of Independent Crop Consultants.

Indigro director and co-founder Roger Davis said: The aim of the conference was to update and engage our clients about critical issues in today’s challenging times and make them and their farm businesses more resilient.

“The conference provided truly independent advice on a broad spectrum of subjects to improve farm profitability and the quality of the food we produce, whilst also improving the health of soil and water and natural capital.

Positive discussion

Mr Davis said the event was well-attended, fostering healthy and thought-provoking discussions. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, he added,  and Indigro was delighted with the level of debate.

Indigro offers cropping advice for all the main arable, root and pulse crops – as well as specialist planting on both arable and mixed enterprises – across the Midlands, East Anglia and south-west England.

The company conducts its own trials and research analysis to ensure our customers receive the most up to date information. Crop and soil management advice – ranging from cultivation systems to regulatory advice and carbon management.

Hundreds of growers join regen-agri scheme

A regenerative farming initiative started by commodity trader ADM has exceeded expectations thanks to solid support by farmers, says the company.

ADM’s regenerative agriculture programme encourages farmers to implement practices that help to improve soil health and water quality, promote biodiversity – and curb carbon emissions.

More than 260 farmers enrolled on the programme in its first year. They receive payments for using regenerative farming methods and technical support on how best to implement these practices on their farm.

“Farmers understand the important role regenerative agriculture plays in securing the future of their businesses and the planet,” says Jonathan Lane, managing director of ADM Agriculture.

“ADM is committed to supporting farmers in our effort to create a more sustainable and resilient food system, and our UK experience gives us confidence as we seek to continue to scale up our efforts globally.”

The global company defines regenerative agriculture as an outcome-based farming approach that protects and improves soil health, biodiversity, climate and water resources while supporting farming business development.

Bigger target

After expanding from North America to Europe last year, ADM’s global regenerative agriculture programme targeting 1.4 million hectares in 2024. It is now targeting 2 million hectares in 2025.

Globally, ADM says the initiative reduced its Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions and delivered carbon dioxide sequestration that was equivalent to removing more than 135,000 cars from the road for a year.

ADM works with key implementation partners offering remote data collection and validation to give farmers a deeper understanding of their carbon footprint and sustainability performance.

The UK programme was designed with farm data specialists Map of Agriculture – giving ADM customers crucial insights into the environmental impact of their supply chains, including verification by techniques such as remote sensing.

For more details about the scheme, email ClimateSmartuk@adm.com.