News
- New Jag 980 arrives as contractor Jim Watt rues cashflow challenges June 1, 2023Farmers Weekly Jim Watt of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire runs a busy contracting firm focusing on baling and forage harvesting. Cashflow is one of the biggest challenges facing his business as farmers’ margins tighten and prices become more volatile. Despite the challenges though, if the weather plays along and work goes according to plan, he […]oli mark
- Soil virus prompts move to resistant winter barley variety June 1, 2023Farmers Weekly Soil-borne viruses have pushed a light land Somerset farm into growing only one variety of winter barley and one of winter wheat, which are resistant to the yield-damaging mosaic strain, after suffering big yield losses. Winter barleys in patches of the farm were seeing yield reduction of up to 50%, and the patches […]David Jones
- Business Clinic: Can I put land and buildings into a pension fund? June 1, 2023Farmers Weekly Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Neil Berry, partner at MHA, offers advice on how land and buildings can be put into a pension fund. See also: Top tips for farmers on avoiding inheritance tax pitfalls Q: I’ve heard that I can buy […]Suzie Horne
- Farmer Focus: Cut barley to save money on finishing bulls June 1, 2023Farmers Weekly With lambing finished, things have become a bit less hectic here. It has gone well, with the weather in our favour. Lambing everything outside certainly leaves us vulnerable on this front, but it’s the right system for us – and good weather can tip the balance of enjoyment. See also: How finishing bulls […]Michael Priestley
- Will’s World: Baleful effort from No 10 could be last straw June 1, 2023Farmers Weekly “If you can keep yourself from growing sour, surly, bitter and cynical, man you’ve got it half licked,” wrote Henry Miller in his seminal 1972 book On Turning Eighty. I think about this a lot, as it’s difficult, as you get older, not to become cynical. You’ve seen it all before, modern life […]Emma Northam
- Mixed farm shows how to add value using British wool June 1, 2023Farmers Weekly The wool trade once formed the historic backbone of the British economy, with fleeces sold overseas to foreign merchants, however, in recent times its value has taken a tumble. See also: Charles III: Advocate of traditional family farming and King The latest announcement from the wool board revealed payouts of just 75p/fleece, despite shearing […]Matilda Mcculloch-Bovingdon
- Editor’s view: Voluntary price cap is the silliest food policy yet June 1, 2023Farmers Weekly Is there a secret pact between Labour and the Tories to see who can infuriate the countryside more? Just when you think you’ve heard every curious idea thought up by the government, along comes a story that it is investigating whether to persuade retailers to agree to a voluntary cap on the price […]Andrew Meredith
- SSEN power lines plan ‘a threat’ to Scottish farming June 1, 2023Farmers Weekly Controversial plans for new power lines passing across prime seed potato growing land represent a significant threat to the Scottish farming industry, say rural and energy advisers. A proposed 400kV pylon line connecting Fiddes, south of Stonehaven, and Tealing, near Dundee, will run through some of Scotland’s best agricultural land. See also: Farmers […]Philip Case
- Bovine TB transmission from cow to cow most likely, study finds June 1, 2023Farmers Weekly Cattle-to-cattle bovine tuberculosis (bTB) transmission is the most common form of disease spread, but badger-to-cattle transmission is also detectable, a new study reveals. Researchers from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) studied the disease transmission within and between cattle and badger populations (PDF). They used whole genome sequencing of the bacterium that causes […]Philip Case
- Worcestershire farmer raises £20,000 in 24-hour ‘shearathon’ June 1, 2023Farmers Weekly Worcestershire farmer and shearer Michael McPherson has completed a 24-hour “shearathon”, raising more than £20,000 for Cancer Research UK and the Farming Community Network (FCN). From 28-29 May, Mr McPherson managed to shear 816 Texel-cross and North Country Mules, working in two-hour stints followed by a half-hour break to get through the 24-hour […]Matilda Mcculloch-Bovingdon