Winter cereal trial plots will be under scrutiny when more than 1,500 visitors attend the Arable Event on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border next month. Organised by Wynnstay and Graintrial plots of wheat, barley, oats, hybrid rye and triticale. It takes place on 19 June at Woodlands Farm, which is part... Read more
Britain’s supermarket bosses are being urged to help UK farmers bounce back from the disastrously wet winter and spring. In a joint letter to major retailers, leaders of Britain’s four main farm unions say the challenging weather has brought food security into sharp focus. And they call on supermarket... Read more
Farmers and landowners are often concerned about the prospect of tax changes if a Labour government comes to power. A perennial fear is a hike in capital gains tax – or even the introduction of a yet more punitive ‘development tax’. With Keir Starmer’s party tipped to win the... Read more
Get the most out of multi-species leys
Forage 03/04/2024
With the Sustainable Farming Incentive paying £382/ha for planting multi-species leys (MSLs), interest in them is growing rapidly but livestock producers should carefully consider how they fit into forage systems. While there are many benefits, including increased biodiversity and better soil health, MSLs require a different management regime than... Read more
Modern silage films are making the ensiling process quicker and more reliable – and delivering a significant return on investment. “True oxygen barrier films can help reduce wastage and ensure more of the forage energy clamped is available for milk or livestock production,” says Jim Juby of Horizon Seeds.... Read more
Prepare now for first cut silage success
Forage 03/04/2024
Dairy farmers are being urged to prepare well ahead of the silage season so they are ready to cut at the first good weather opportunity. Last year, many farmers did not end up taking first cuts until June. Often this was because they weren’t in a position to move... Read more
Helps to reduce carbon footprint Hybrid rye is increasingly being seen as bringing significant benefits to pig and poultry rations as well as having major agronomic benefits for growers with its low nitrogen requirement and tolerance to increasingly frequent drought conditions. The earlier advantages seen when rye is fed... Read more
Lallemand Animal Nutrition has expanded its monogastric team by appointing a new poultry sales manager with a wealth of industry experience. Antonia Chittock brings more than 13 years of poultry expertise to the team – having started her career at AB Agri as a feed sales trainee and progressing... Read more
Pig producers are being encouraged to reach out to their vets to perform free diagnostics if they are concerned about post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD). Elanco is funding veterinary testing for the F4 and F18 strains of E.coli – both of which are a common causes of PWD and have shown to be present on... Read more
Pig project set to reduce emissions A Nottinghamshire pig producer has joined a pioneering programme that will see retailer M&S work with farmers to decarbonise its meat supply chain and reach net zero by 2040. Wold Farm, which supplies M&S pork through Cranswick, is one of seven farming enterprises... Read more