Arable

Defra has launched a £12.5 million competition to help accelerate the development of technologies to create new sources of resource efficient, low-emission proteins.

When fifth generation grower, James Smith, of Loddington Farm in Kent lost his love for the land, it was adapting to a regenerative farming model that brought the entire business back to life. Alice Dyer reports.

Defra must reword its ‘unachievable’ Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) arable soils standard on organic matter or risk it being snubbed by farmers, according to Stephen Ridsdale, chair of the British Farming Union.

Lack of rain and early crop senescence has meant that potassium offtake from straw could be significantly higher than usual this harvest.

Grain futures dropped on Friday following the announcement of the deal but traders were uncertain of the impact it would have in reality

The Young Farmers’ Club mantra that you do not need to be a farmer to join its ranks continues to be its message as it recruits members. It is also the opening gambit put forward to introduce teenagers to agriculture as a career possibility.

High input costs and poor selling prices are squeezing incomes at horticultural businesses across the UK. Cedric Porter reports from Fruit Focus in Kent.

Growers were making changes to their cropping plans due to the high costs of fertiliser

Advance Basic Payment Scheme payments are being issued to farmers, with the large majority expected to receive them by the end of July, the Rural Payments Agency has announced.