Farm Business

British beef farms are among the world’s least profitable, an international study of performance has showed.

My ancestors were farming livestock in the 18th century and although I left my family farm to become a scientist, I subsequently returned to farming.

Industry representatives have welcomed Government’s inclusion of ‘food producers’ on its critical workers list to help negate the impacts of COVID-19 on labour.

The NFU has published a Q&A for employers on coronavirus on its website from its specialist advice team.

Excess moisture in the US Midwest may delay sowings in some of the early-sown states, although the main sowing period is still a few weeks away, which may allow fields to dry.

The Government has announced it will relax the crop diversification requirements known as the three crop rule for farmers for 2020.

Whatever seemed relevant two months ago, perhaps only two weeks ago, has been turned on its head. None of us really knows what’s going on now, but the impact on everybody and everything is impossible to second-guess, says Oliver Dowding, arable farmer and agricultural spokesman for the Green Party in the south west.

It is March 20, 2040 exactly 20 years to the day since the Coronavirus pandemic forced Prime Minister Boris Johnson (remember him?) to acknowledge the Brexit transition period would have to be extended, says Cambridgeshire Fens farmer Tom Clarke. 

With the current existential threat of the coronavirus pandemic, we must ‘pause for thought’ in considering our future policy for food and farming outside EU rules and regulations, says George Dunn, Tenants Farmers Association chief executive.

While farmers tend to experience isolation from the very nature of their lifestyle and work schedule, communication is key to tackling coronavirus and we must all reach out and show concern, says Baroness Anne McIntosh of Pickering.