Arable

Around a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted – a fact that I still find hard to comprehend, says Peter Maddox, WRAP director.

Straw prices are rising in anticipation of a small harvest this year, but merchants have warned against any panic buying.

Farmers, including NFU president Minette Batters, have taken to social media to vent their fury about ’unbalanced’ reporting in an episode of the BBC’s Countryfile.  

Farmers, local foodmakers and other small businesses will receive early payments from the supermarket to help mitigate the potential impact of coronavirus.

Hemp, or Cannabis sativa, was widely grown across the UK throughout history and once upon a time it could be found on many farms as a staple crop. But despite its multitude of uses from culinary to construction, it has struggled to gain traction in more recent years.

Many farmers voted to leave the EU despite the fact that leaving putting the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) at risk. As we all know, the top up from the BPS is the difference between profit and loss on many farms.

While most oilseed rape growers are striving to kill cabbage stem flea beetles (CSFB), a programme of rearing their number one pest is going ahead using AHDB funds.

The battle against billions of locusts devastating crops in East Africa will continue through into April as the international community steps up efforts to control the pest.

Farms will need to monitor their costs more than ever as challenges greater than the weather set to perturb arable incomes in 2020 and beyond.