Andrew Clements on a busy two months.

Ian Atkinson on the spring lamb trade.

Skilled staff are vital to farm business success, but training does not have to mean endless expensive courses for employers to fund. Jez Fredenburgh speaks to a training consultancy specialist to find out what options are out there to benefit both parties.

It seems over recent months that good news policy announcements for our sector have been few and far between, so it was welcoming to hear the recent Government decision confirming the roll out of E10 petrol this year.

The exceptionally dry April has significantly reduced soil moisture levels and with only limited rain forecast, growers may have to intervene to mitigate potential crop stress during the crucial canopy-building stage.