News

New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has raised several political careers from the dead just in time for Halloween. But will Chancellor Jeremy Hunt take his reaper’s scythe to the farming budget? Abi Kay explores.

Fraser Jones milks 1,500 Holstein Friesians across two sites near Welshpool. As a Disease? Not On My Farm! ambassador, he works closely with his vet Oli Hodgkinson, of Trefaldwyn Vets, to prioritise animal health and welfare. Here he provides a farmer’s perspective on the recently launched National Office of Animal Health Livestock Vaccination Guidelines and considers their potential impact on the dairy sector.

top price of 160,000 and a further 28 lots at five-figures, ensured a record average for ram lambs at the sale of Blackface rams at Lanark.

An unseasonably early harvest and record-breaking temperatures have increased the risk of yield loss from barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV).

Early drilled winter wheat is at risk of heightened weed burdens after dry conditions have prevented pre-emergence herbicides from working effectively, growers are being advised.

Tree planting and rewilding are driving an increase in dispersals of hill flocks, according to Longtown auctioneer John Walton.

Farmers are facing ‘less scrutiny’ as cost pressures see consumers ditch eco-credentials in favour of lower prices, new research has suggested.

Despite a challenging season characterised in many parts of the country by the drought and extreme temperatures affecting growth rates and cob development, the silages produced compare well to previous years on average and show maize should feed well this winter and complement this year’s grass silages.

This year’s extreme summer drought in many parts of the country has reinforced the need for dairy farmers to look for alternative fodder sources to maximise milk production from home-grown feeds. Dairy Farmer reports.

An open mind and the habit of questioning everything are key for anyone considering carbon – and their farm costs – says Shropshire farmer Harry Heath.