Plant breeder KWS is to launch its first ever hybrid barley into the UK market later this year – with a strong pipeline of varieties behind it. The company said the move underlined its commitment to the sector in the coming years. Although a newcomer to hybridisation in barley,... Read more
A Lincolnshire couple who started with modest beginnings have built a sizeable sheep flock and created an award-winning retail food brand. Chris and Louise Elkington bought their first 30 sheep a decade ago. Today, they have a flock of breeding ewes and market every lamb reared through their Gelston... Read more
More growers are switching land into agri-environment schemes – as they try to cut their losses following a challenging year and wet winter. Provisional farm income figures from Defra suggests a slump in income across a range of enterprises in the year to February 2024 – including cereals (-77%),... Read more
Radio waves could be used to measure soil moisture – helping farmers manage flood risk and make important decisions about irrigation. A two-year project using drones carrying synthetic aperture radar equipment to make a high-resolution map of the earth’s surface is being undertaken by experts at Cranfield University. Led... Read more
Changes to permitted development rights could benefit farmers, says Suzanne Tucker Farmers and landowners could find it easier to convert old buildings into new homes following changes to permitted development rights. The UK is facing a national shortage of good quality and affordable homes, so a raft of new... Read more
More than 10,000 farmers have now applied to join the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) – and receive payments actions that support food production and the environment. One-in-eight eligible farmers having submitted applications for the Defra scheme in the four months since it re-opened last September. This is on top... Read more
Non-farmers purchased more than half of all farms sold on the open market last year, suggest the latest figures from land agents Strutt & Parker. Farmers accounted for the lowest level of transactions on record during 2023 – equivalent to only 44% of open market transactions during the year... Read more
A step-by-step approach will help growers get the most from the government’s Sustainable Farming Incentive – delivering bigger benefits for farm businesses and for the environment, say advisers. “While 2024 has started with the promise of numerous new SFI options to be introduced during the summer, coupled to a... Read more
More than 30% of GB sheep flocks don’t know their barren ewe rate or are reporting a figure greater than 5% after lambing. The finding follows an online survey of 966 sheep flocks conducted by MSD Animal Health. Animal health livestock veterinary adviser Kat Baxter-Smith described the figure as... Read more
5 steps to better surplus lamb growth
Livestock 05/03/2024
Sheep farmers with surplus lambs to rear over the 2024 lambing season are being encouraged to make the most of these newborns’ early life growth potential to boost flock returns. Maximising lamb numbers sold per ewe is a key benchmark for a successful sheep farming enterprise. This mean rearing... Read more