Unpredictable weather changes emphasis for maize this spring
ArableSpring Crop Management 21/12/2023
Drilling maize by soil temperature rather than calendar date is increasingly important in light of increasingly variable weather conditions during spring. With potential yield loss from uneven emergence as high as 40% and poor seedbed conditions at drilling being a further challenge, growers need to take extra care with... Read more
Malting barley growers are being encouraged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions – helping to future-proof their businesses and lower their environmental impact. It follows a collaboration between Simpsons Malt and BASF. The companies are working with grower groups this winter and spring to record how they can reduce... Read more
The annual competition to find the UK’s Soil Farmer of the Year is open for entries. Run by the Farm Carbon Toolkit and Innovation for Agriculture, the accolade champions farmers who lead the way in improving soil health and increasing the resilience of their farm business. The competition has... Read more
More farmers are expected to grow spring oats as they seek to loosen up rotations and limit the build-up of disease. Oats for human consumption will continue to be grown predominantly in Scotland, say seed breeders. But growers much further south are realising the potential of the crop... Read more
A big increase in spring cropping is on the cards with wet weather and sodden fields leaving many growers unable to get drilled up last autumn. Growers who haven’t already done so are being advised to make spring cropping decisions and secure seed sooner rather than later – or... Read more
Fatstock Cup double for Oswestry farmer
News 21/12/2023
Oswestry sheep farmer Martin Jones completed a notable silverware double at Christmas fatstock show and sales at livestock markets in Shropshire. Mr Jones, from Lower Forest, The Racecourse, followed a cup win at Oswestry Market by winning the silverware on offer in the Christmas Fatstock Show and Sale at... Read more
British-grown baked beans are one step nearer thanks to a Lincolnshire farmer and scientists at Warwick University. The first crop of commercially grown Capulet beans have been harvested by Andrew Ward, who farms at Leadenham, between Sleaford and Newark. Previously, baked beans have had to be imported from as... Read more
A tight rein on cashflow will be key for farmers wanting to optimise their business performance this year, say analysts. Balancing input costs and farm output will remain a challenge over the coming months, says Andersons Outlook 2024– the annual forecast for the year ahead published by the farm... Read more
Harry West (Prees) Limited, the long-established farm machinery producers, has sold its latest batch of dual muck spreaders and trailers to Japan. A market-leading product in the UK, where Harry West (formed in 1966) designed the Dual Spreader for better efficiency and much improved health and safety in hilly... Read more
Farm support payments should be refocused so smaller producers can turn a profit while enhancing the environment, says a think tank. The Green Alliance argues that the current structure of the government’s Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMs) is unfair and inefficient because it rewards large arable farms that are... Read more