Hello and welcome to a wintry edition of This Week in Farming, your warming hotpot of the best stories from FW.
Here’s a run-through of five topics that will be worth catching up on, and a look ahead to what’s coming up on the next episode of the Farmers Weekly podcast.
Food scarcity
There was a fresh appeal this week from NFU president Minette Batters for increased fairness in the food supply chain, amid increasingly urgent warnings that a number of critical farming sectors are scaling back production.
Pig, poultry and horticultural producers have all endured a bruising 12 months after seeing production costs race ahead of what the market is willing to pay for their products, with another sharp drop in pork prices this week.
Ms Batters warned that this will leave consumers even more exposed to further retail food price inflation if it means becoming more reliant on imports, but Defra secretary Therese Coffey firmly ruled out any more intervention in food markets.
In my editorial this week, I ask what the NFU should be doing next if food security is under threat and the government is unwilling or unable to act.
Tax and spend
Some farmers in England will have had a welcome dollop in their bank accounts this week after the second part of their Basic Payment Scheme payments were delivered.
While useful, the size of the payment compared with last year will have been another timely reminder that direct support is being reduced each year and may spur further conversations about how businesses will transition to surviving without it.
Those that have chosen seasonal diversification, such as Christmas tree sales, should be aware of potential tax pitfalls, warned accountants Saffery Champness this week.
Meanwhile in Scotland, the government announced a funding package aimed at providing fresh support to the agri-tourism sector through an expansion of the monitor farm network.
What a blow
Tis the season for livestock farmers to be deep in the winter feeding and bedding routines.
If you’re partial to a straw blower to keep things looking tidy but your current model is giving notice, then take a look at our complete guide to feeders and bedders.
Extracting enough money from a suckler herd to cover fixed costs is a difficult task for many, so this week we took a close look at how one Canadian breeder has had a crack at breeding a cow that really suits his system – and what UK farmers can learn.
Retired and looking for work
Are you a man? A farming man? Do you still regard yourself as young? Well Charlie Flindt might not, but Will Evans does – just about.
In their respective columns this week, recently retired Charlie has his say on what’s changed (more walking) and what’s stayed the same (hobnob consumption) since handing back a large slice of his farm to the National Trust.
Meanwhile, Will has realised the number of naps he’s taking in his “Dad chair” have reached new highs, and it’s not the only way he’s turning rapidly into his father.
On the other opinion page this week, Joy Bowes has taken on the thankless task of defending council planning officers – and done it with aplomb.
The characterisation of them as “council jobsworths” and “pen-pushing pedants” is tiresome and lazy she said, after they have been dragged into the spotlight again recently by Jeremy Clarkson’s well-publicised application woes.
Clarkson’s Farm
Speaking of Britain’s (arguably) most famous farmer, we’ll round off this week’s bulletin with some good news for fans of Clarkson, Kaleb, Cheerful Charlie and Friends – the launch date for season two of Clarkson’s Farm has now been announced.
You can read our Clarkson’s Farm article but since we’re not in the business of clickbait, I’ll just tell you if you haven’t heard – it’s 10 February of next year.
Listen to the FW Podcast
Don’t forget the latest edition of the Farmers Weekly podcast with Johann Tasker, Hugh Broom and Charlotte Cunningham.
This week, the team grapple with the food supply crisis, take an in-depth look at the AHDB’s red meat strategy, and speak to a Cornish farmer who’s restored a tin mine.
Listen to the FW Podcast here or bring us with you in the cab by downloading it from your usual podcast platform.
