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WHEAT

No-insecticide wheat yields over 10t/ha for Norfolk grower

Norfolk grower Will More is planning a second season of drilling a virus-resistant wheat variety with environmental and financial benefits, while also producing a good yield at harvest 2023. Using…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Trying a three-way winter wheat blend

Harvest has finally been completed; it’s been a relatively smooth one, but has dragged on longer than it should have. Results on the whole have been a little disappointing, with…

SOILS

Can climate change champion biochar match its potential?

Soil improver, waste recycler and atmospheric carbon capturer – there’s a lot of excitement about the potential benefits of biochar. Equally, there are a lot of unknowns about whether that…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Wildflower seed diversification gives arable tenants security

Diversifying a traditional arable rotation with a wildflower seed business has helped secure a viable future for one tenant farming family, who faced losing their farm to building developments. In…

MAIZE

Maize crops perform well in this year's challenging weather

Maize has done well in this year’s challenging weather conditions, utilising summer rain for excellent plant growth, reports Neil Groom, manager of forage specialists Grainseed. “Spring was wet and maize…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Damp harvest sees return of straw raking

With the changing weather fortunes we ended up harvesting the driest wheat at only a slightly higher moisture than the wettest oilseed rape. Hagbergs were great, specific weights decent, but…

Arable news

ARABLE

Glyphosate ‘critical’ for regenerative farming, says Coffey

Defra remains committed to keeping glyphosate available for farmers and growers to use, environment secretary Therese Coffey has said. Ms Coffey was roundly applauded at the NFU’s Back British Farming…

HARVEST

Harvest 2023: Heatwave brings down moisture levels

Harvest 2023 is coming to an end throughout the country as spring barley is cut in the North, with this week's heatwave keeping moisture contents below the drying threshold. Morayshire…

NEWS

NFU and British Sugar beet price talks hit a deadlock

The NFU and British Sugar are at loggerheads over the processor’s beet pricing offer for the 2024-25 crop, amid reports it is lower than this year’s price of £40/t. NFU…

OTHER CROPS

Asda is third UK supermarket to sell vertical farm salad

Supermarket chain Asda has become the third in the UK to stock a range of bagged salads that have been grown in vertical farms. In a bid to improve sustainability,…

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Regenerative farming

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WHEAT

No-insecticide wheat yields over 10t/ha for Norfolk grower

Norfolk grower Will More is planning a second season of drilling a virus-resistant wheat variety with environmental and financial benefits, while also producing a good yield at harvest 2023. Using…

SOILS

Can climate change champion biochar match its potential?

Soil improver, waste recycler and atmospheric carbon capturer – there’s a lot of excitement about the potential benefits of biochar. Equally, there are a lot of unknowns about whether that…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Wildflower seed diversification gives arable tenants security

Diversifying a traditional arable rotation with a wildflower seed business has helped secure a viable future for one tenant farming family, who faced losing their farm to building developments. In…

MAIZE

Maize crops perform well in this year's challenging weather

Maize has done well in this year’s challenging weather conditions, utilising summer rain for excellent plant growth, reports Neil Groom, manager of forage specialists Grainseed. “Spring was wet and maize…

BLACKGRASS

Tips on tackling brome caused by blackgrass measures

Brome problems arising from blackgrass measures can easily be tackled, providing that farmers know which species they are dealing with.   Both meadow and soft bromes have been an unwanted…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Can blackgrass cultural measures also tackle ryegrass?

Early findings suggest that cultural measures for managing blackgrass are also effective against ryegrass. Agrii has just started the fourth season of a trial on a North Yorkshire farm near…

PEST MANAGEMENT

How to introduce SFI 2023's no insecticide option

After another delay, applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2023 are due to finally open in mid-September, with the new no use of insecticide action being one of the…

HARVEST

How did harvest go for our Arable Insights farmers?

It’s been a difficult stop-start harvest across the country, but how have our regular featured Arable Insights farmer panel fared? See also: Harvest 2023: The 5 top-yielding spring barley varieties…

ARABLE

Grower improves fungicide use and compaction with helicopter

A helicopter is not the standard piece of farm kit to be stored in a machinery shed, but Canadian grain producer Wade McAllister plans to combine his passion for farming…

HARVEST

Harvest 2023: The 5 top-yielding spring barley varieties map

Throughout harvest 2023, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from 2023’s AHDB spring barley Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the five…

SOILS

How natural fungi can be encouraged to aid crop production

Mycorrhizal fungi play a valuable role in maximising crop performance, and a team of researchers is on a mission to delve deeper into the world of mycorrhizas to explore how…

ARABLE

Seed sales show heavy reliance on a limited number of varieties

After a testing season and difficult harvest, growers are sticking to a narrow range of varieties for the new cropping year. Farmers Weekly finds out what’s filling the drills. See…

ARABLE

Olly Harrison sows OSR and cover crop with quadcopter drone

Merseyside arable farmer and agricultural YouTuber Olly Harrison planted a 1ha segment of oilseed rape via aerial application with a quadcopter drone. The P40 XAG drone also broadcast a cover…

AWARDS

Farmers Weekly Awards 2023: Mixed Farmer of the Year finalists

The 2023 Farmers Weekly Mixed Farmer of the Year finalists demonstrate a commitment to producing quality British produce, with an impressive handle on costs. Despite operating a range of farm…

CROP MANAGEMENT

4 key lessons from the first AHDB Cereals Strategic Farm

After six years, Brian and Patrick Barker’s Lodge Farm, near Stowmarket in Suffolk, will be finishing its run as the AHDB’s first Strategic Cereal Farm. It was also an AHDB…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Northants grower cuts nitrogen fertiliser using drone

Will Green is using a drone on his Northamptonshire farm to cut his nitrogen fertiliser use by nearly a third on his winter wheat destined to make breakfast cereal at…

Farmer Focus

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FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Trying a three-way winter wheat blend

Harvest has finally been completed; it’s been a relatively smooth one, but has dragged on longer than it should have. Results on the whole have been a little disappointing, with…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Damp harvest sees return of straw raking

With the changing weather fortunes we ended up harvesting the driest wheat at only a slightly higher moisture than the wettest oilseed rape. Hagbergs were great, specific weights decent, but…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Pain ahead with drought and falling prices

It seems that when the pendulum swings out to one extreme, it doesn’t return to the centre, but takes a wide arc out the other side. From record-high product prices…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: Winter wheat down 1t/ha, but quality good

After receiving 110mm of rain in July, we then had 102mm in August. We managed two proper days of combining, starting before 10am and finishing at about midnight. The rest…

Harvest

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HARVEST

How did harvest go for our Arable Insights farmers?

It’s been a difficult stop-start harvest across the country, but how have our regular featured Arable Insights farmer panel fared? See also: Harvest 2023: The 5 top-yielding spring barley varieties…

HARVEST

Harvest 2023: Heatwave brings down moisture levels

Harvest 2023 is coming to an end throughout the country as spring barley is cut in the North, with this week's heatwave keeping moisture contents below the drying threshold. Morayshire…

HARVEST

Harvest 2023: The 5 top-yielding spring barley varieties map

Throughout harvest 2023, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from 2023’s AHDB spring barley Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the five…

HARVEST

Harvest 2023: Wheat and barley grain quality in decline

Wheat and barley grain quality is sliding following poor summer weather, with yields also proving slightly disappointing. See also: Harvest 2023: Wheat quality suffering as Hagberg levels fall Devon The south-west…

Markets

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CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Wheat prices strengthened by lower global production

Tighter global supplies of grain have added some short-term support to wheat prices this week. Production estimates have been lowered for 2023-24 in Australia, Canada, Argentina and the EU in…

NEWS

NFU and British Sugar beet price talks hit a deadlock

The NFU and British Sugar are at loggerheads over the processor’s beet pricing offer for the 2024-25 crop, amid reports it is lower than this year’s price of £40/t. NFU…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Oilseed markets push back towards £380/t

UK rapeseed markets remain buoyant and responsive to wider global oilseed trends such as less favourable crop conditions in the US. However, industry reports suggest a slightly more bearish outlook…

BUSINESS

Inglis' farmer creditors receive less than 2p in the pound

Farmers and other unsecured creditors have been paid just 1.82p for every £1 they are owed by failed grain merchant Alexander Inglis & Son. The company went into administration in…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Barley-wheat price gap narrows to less than £17/t

Tighter global supplies of barley are helping to support markets and reduce its discount to wheat. Spot prices collected by Farmers Weekly on 23 August put feed barley at £152.40/t,…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Bearish outlook pushes wheat futures to two-month low

UK feed wheat futures fell to a two-month low of £186/t on 15 August for the November contract, after some fairly bearish forecasting from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)…

BUSINESS

Crop buyers' contract terms farmers should be vigilant about

Growers should check the annual terms of trade issued by buyers to make sure they are aware of all requirements and restrictions, say advisers. These terms apply for each crop…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Ukraine wheat harvest yields impressive but area down

Ukraine’s wheat harvest is producing impressive yields, but with fewer hectares planted as a result of the Russian invasion, there will be no record for overall tonnage this year. Yields…

Commodities

Futures markets and commodity risk management online course

Learn all you need to know about the futures markets and how you can benefit from them:

  • Risk management strategies for a more predictable financial performance
  • Educated conversations when collaborating with your advisors
  • Negotiate better prices with your grain merchants

Find out more

 
 
Spot and forward prices (£/t ex-farm)
Each set of prices comes from a single merchant, co-op or broker, and are the latest prices being paid to farmers. Ranges of prices, within one category relate to the distance of the farm from the buyer. Oilseed rape prices are latest spot and forward prices, not contract prices. Ex farm prices vary with the distance from Hull, Liverpool and Erith, crushing factories.

Arable machinery

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CULTIVATION AND DRILLING

Tillage 2023: Kverneland, Kuhn and KRM launch new kit

Persistent rain at this year’s Tillage-Live event in Warwickshire gave the hardy souls who braved it a good chance to see how the latest cultivators and drills perform in sticky…

CEREAL DRILLS

Direct drills revisited: Horsch Avatar 6.16 SD

Few farmers will have first-hand experience of quite as many direct drills as father-and-son team Lionel and Edward Shaw. Having got a taste for a low-till approach during a trip…

CEREAL DRILLS

Direct drills revisited: Novag TForcePlus 440 improves soil

Since we visited Andrew Tucker last year, he has put another autumn and spring season’s worth of work through the farm’s 4m Novag TForcePlus 440 drill. It has performed well…

CEREAL DRILLS

Direct drills revisited: Mzuri Pro-Til 3T out, Avatar in

The transition from multi-pass cultivations to a no-till system is all but complete at Gillshaw Farm, the final piece of the puzzle coming last summer with the switch from a…

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