High costs, difficult weather conditions, poor potato prices, and strong cereal markets mean there is great uncertainty about potato plantings for next year. The lack of information about the size of this year’s crop is not helping. The disbanding of AHDB Potatoes last year means there is no one collecting national potato planting, yield and […]
Lamb New Season Lamb (NSL) prices remain strong. Even though the GB liveweight NSL dropped by 6p on the week to average 288.1p per kg this is still 27p/kg above year earlier levels and 54p above the five year average. Deadweight prices tell a similar story, the NSL SQQ was down 7p on the week […]
Defra has announced the next phase of the Future Farming Resilience Fund (FFRF) will commence in October 2022. Through the FFRF, BPS claimants in England can receive free business advice during the early years of the Agricultural Transition. Under this latest, and final round, 17 organisations will receive a total of £32m to support up […]
Potato planting conditions were largely good this year but drought fears increased in April and early May. They were alleviated by rain in late May and into June and, by late June, crops were looking in good condition. However, growers were already expressing concern that dry weather could impact the crop again through July and […]
Defra Statistics The area of UK land managed according to organic principles grew again in 2021. Latest figures released on 12th May from Defra put the organic land area (both fully organic and in-conversion) at 507,000 hectares. This is a rise of 3.6% compared to 2020. The organic area peaked in 2008 at over 700,000 […]
The requirement to house all poultry to combat avian flu was lifted on the 2nd May. UK Chief Veterinary Officers removed the mandatory housing requirement for poultry and captive birds. However, the Avian Influenza Preventions Zone (AIPZ) still remain in force across the UK until further notice, with only the housing measures being lifted. This […]
The second round of the Future Farming Resilience Fund will be available until September 2022. The fund, which offers farmers free business advice to help them prepare for the agricultural transition in England, was due to close in March 2022. But according to Defra, the take up has been slower than expected due to the […]
Proposals to simplify the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol would see checks on consumer goods arriving from Great Britain drop by an estimated 80% as well as a greater role for NI institutions in the operation of the Protocol. The plans come from the European Commission and aim to address the difficulties that Northern […]
The Scottish Government has launched an initial consultation on future agricultural policy. Called Agricultural Transition in Scotland – First Steps Towards our National Policy it follows on from the work carried out by the Farmer Led Groups (FLG). These were set up in 2020, covering all the agricultural sectors in Scotland to recommend ways in […]
The potato market is split in two. Growers with good quality potatoes find willing buyers and premiums. Those with lesser quality material find it difficult to sell and have to settle for low prices. The banning of the anti-sprouting chemical CIPC has made storage more of a challenge this season and those who can keep […]