The setting of thresholds for medication usage and disease management will help milk producers to get the most out of their relationship with the farm vet, says Owen Atkinson of Cheshire-based Dairy Veterinary Consultancy.

Mark Richardson sees positive signs.

‘I had no intention of pursuing a career in agricultural journalism, but when I saw Farmers Guardian was recruiting for a reporter based in London, I knew I had to go for it.’

Working within the agriculture sector means you are constantly moving and have to adapt to change so quickly. It’s fun but but it’s not just about muck on wellies, there are so many areas to explore. The opportunities are endless. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

I have been able to progress though a number of roles since joining the business in 2006 and now in my roles as Farmers Guardian Head of Livestock and Editor of Dairy Farmer I have a great variety to my job.

I feel that so much pressure is put on young people not to make the wrong choice with their career, but hopefully you can see from my story that all experience counts, especially in an industry like agriculture which is continually striving to reflect, adapt, learn, and improve.

It seems to be the time of year for surveys. I have done the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust Big Farmland Bird Count, noting that bird numbers are down.