Author Posts: Farmers Guide

A free integrated pest management (IPM) planning tool has been developed by ADAS, NFU, SRUC and Voluntary Initiative (VI) to help farmers create crop-specific IPM management plans.

Responding to the latest State of Nature report, published this Wednesday (27th September), NFU President Minette Batters echoed farmers’ ambition to do more for nature recovery while producing high-quality, sustainable food, provided there is adequate support in place to keep businesses viable.

At today’s Sustainable Farming Conference, NFU Cymru has urged the government to provide long-term funding that accurately reflects the modern-day cost to Welsh farmers of producing food, enhancing the environment and combatting the climate challenge.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, supermarket own-label products are performing well in both red meat and dairy sectors, while most branded items are struggling with falling demand, AHDB analysis has shown.

The Advanced Feedrate Control system, developed for Case IH Axial-Flow combines and previewed at Agritechnica 2023, has been awarded a silver medal for innovation at the biennial farm machinery event organised by DLG.

The latest figures from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) report that, between April and June 2023, the UK agriculture sector has seen more workplace fatalities than any other sector and continues to have the highest rate across all workplaces.

Blackstone’s exceptionally wide sowing window from mid-September to March looks to be a major benefit to Scottish growers, with Kirkcaldy-based farmer Willie Murray seeing high average yields of 12.5t/ha after sowing the crop for the first time in September last year.

Ruminant nutrition company Rumenco has announced its acquisition of family-run Owens Nutrition as of 21st September, 2023.

Dairy and beef farmers are being advised to plan parasite control before housing to avoid costly losses, with recent warm and wet weather exposing cattle to high worm and fluke challenges.

Following the announcement that the Habitat Wales Scheme will open for applications this Friday (29th September), NFU Cymru is calling for further clarity on funding for the scheme amid concerns that many farmers could lose a significant portion of their income due to budget constraints.

As Storm Agnes is set to kick off this storm naming season with winds of up to 75mph in many parts of the UK, NFU Mutual is urging farmers to act now and protect their farms before it is too late.

Following reports of sawdust shortages across the supply chain, farmers are being urged to secure bedding supplies now to avoid falling short in the winter.