AHDB Food & Farming

In this episode we are joined by three speakers who discuss the AHDB Beef & Lamb marketing and advertising activity that has taken place this year in response to Covid-19. This activity was supported by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) as part of the ring fenced funding. These promotional campaigns include our Make It Steak activity, which was brought in near the begi...

The Middle East may not be the first place on your list of markets for foodstuffs produced on UK farms but Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar represent significant opportunities for exports in the coming years. This is according to a report commissioned by the UK Government and produced by Promar.   In this episode John Bates talks to Caroline Dawson from Promar and AHDB’s Senior Exports Manager Lucy...

It’s that time of year again, harvest 2020 is underway and farmers are coming to the end of what has been a challenging year for growing crops. In this episode, we’ll hear from growers from across the country. They’ve had to deal with extreme weather, a global pandemic and the uncertainty Britain’s exit from the EU continues to pose for markets. Despite this, as we’ll hear, there have been mixed f...

What a year it has been, too wet then too dry, crops failing to establish, followed by worries about the ground being suitable for getting new seeds sown.  Extreme and severe weather patterns cause more weather worries, too dry, too hot, you know the form and the indications are that the harvest will be a disappointment – who’d be a farmer eh? In this podcast, John Bates speaks to Dr Toby Willison...

In this episode we are discussing how potato growers should prepare their crops and stores for the first season without CIPC. Guest speakers: Tom Macfarlane - Farm Manager at Bannister Farms James Lee - Business Unit Manager at Produce Solutions Adrian Cunnington - Head of Crop Storage Research at Sutton Bridge Links:   Learn more about storage without CIPC  Watch Store Cleaning Webinar Book a fre...

In this episode, Ben Williams, KT Senior Manager, speaks to three industry experts about some of the work that has been taking place to help farmers become more energy efficient as we move towards net zero. He also discusses AHDB’s strategic aims in terms of the environment with Jon Foot, Head of Environment. Find out about the potential for releasing energy from slurry, the scope for improving en...

In part one of this episode, independent sheep consultant Liz Genever talks to two of AHDB’s Challenge Sheep farmers, Sam Jones and Rob Hawke, about their approach to sourcing replacements this year, given the restrictions associated with coronavirus. There is also mixed forage supply following a dry spring, so she explores whether this is influencing their decision to retain more animals or opt t...

The breeding decisions taken by dairy farmers are crucially important to the productivity, health and welfare of our national dairy herd.  In this episode Knowledge Exchange Manager Becky Miles talks to Keith Gue from Huddlestone Farmers in Sussex to understand how he makes his breeding decisions and the impact it’s had on the herd. Find out more about genetics on our  Dairy Breeding & Genetic...

Our research has identified various key components for an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy to combat cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) and uses a traffic-light code to indicate the current reliability for control. In this podcast, AHDB pest specialist Charlotte Rowley, ADAS entomologist Sacha White and Richard Ling from Diss Monitor Farm discuss the results and unlock the secrets for effect...

In a world that’s constantly competing with emerging food trends, diets and changing tastes – it becomes harder for farmers produce to rise above the noise and maintain the front and centre position, on the plate. The marketing and advertising people do their utmost and headlines, a few weeks ago shouted Porky Brits now fatter than pigs – a topic of a separate podcast – which supports the work bei...

In our latest episode, AHDB's KE Manager for Soft Fruit and Tree Fruit Scott Raffle sat down with Louise Sutherland - Chair of the Raspberry Breeding Consortium, Nicki Jennings - Raspberry Breeder at the James Hutton Institute and Jeff Layton, a Fruit Agronomist . They discussed each of their roles, the current state of play and how raspberry varieties may change in the future. To discover more ab...

After losing the approval for Diquat in 2019 growers are looking for alternative solutions for desiccation. Gozai and Spotlight, straight or in combination, along with flailing have shown good results in the 2019 trials. Trials on desiccation will continue this year at our SPot farms.  In the first part of this episode we will discuss with Mike Shapland, Strategic Potato Farm host in the East regi...

In this episode John Bates talks to Head of Market Specialists Chris Gooderham, and Duncan Wyatt, Lead Analyst, about the challenges faced by the beef, lamb, pork and dairy sectors in 2020 and what the future may hold. They discuss some of the winners and losers of the coronavirus pandemic, and touch on Brexit.   You can find more information on prices and consumer trends, both in the short- and l...

In March 2020 Nicholas Saphir was appointed by the Secretary of State to follow Sir Peter Kendall and become the new chairman of AHDB. In this episode, John Bates questions AHDB's new chair, Nicholas Saphir on his future plans for the agriculture and horticulture industry. Bringing a strong set of new skills and experience, Nicholas shares the vision of where he wants AHDB to be in the upcoming ye...

In this podcast, Katie Thorley, AHDB Beef & Lamb’s Knowledge Transfer manager talks to AHDB Beef & Lamb board member, Richard Sparey, about how he has successfully outwintered his stock, as well as advice and top tips on how you can do the same. Outwintering webinars Making a success of outwintering cattle Outwintering options for sheep

In this episode John Bates talks to AHDB Consumer Insight Analysts David Swales and Sarah Baker about the challenges faced by the agricultural sector in 2020 and what the future may hold for the industry.   You can find more information on prices and consumer trends on our Market Intelligence page or by reading the latest Agri Market Outlook report .   Feedback survey: We'd love to know what you t...

In this special edition agri-market podcast, we invite the AHDB Market Intelligence team to review the results from the Spring Planting Variety Survey. This annual survey provides estimates for the planted area in Great Britain ahead of harvest this year. We look at the headline results from the years’ survey then analyse what this means for main arable crop sectors. Wheat We look at the regional...

‘Porky Brits now fatter than pigs’?   The Sunday Times published a front-page story written by science editor Jonathan Leake which read – While Britain’s have been getting heavier, pigs are no longer as fat. It may one day become a compliment to be told “You are as thin as a pig”     In this podcast John Bates addresses how and why the fat levels in UK pork have dropped as new research has reveale...

In the first season without CIPC we are looking at alternative sprout suppressant solutions. In this episode we will discuss more about Maleic Hydrazide, including Sutton Bridge trials, instructions on how this chemical should be applied as well as costs of application.  Speakers: Jonathan Papworth- Potato grower in Cambridgeshire and AHDB Potatoes Board member   Adrian Briddon - AHDB Crop Storage...

In this podcast edition Nicola Renison, AHDB Beef & Lamb’s regional manager, from the North West, talks to livestock farmer and consultant, Tom Chapman, all about mob grazing, including how he’s found it to benefit his own farm business.

AHDB's soft & tree fruit specialist Scott Raffle recently sat down with some key staff at the Plum Demonstration Centre at NIAB EMR in Kent, of which AHDB are part funders. They discussed previous work done at the facilities and future projects going forward, providing an evaluation of the site's progress so far.

America represents a massive opportunity for Exports of British produced food. American shoppers love many of the things British farmers are proud of – the way animals are reared and cared for and how other foods such as cheese are produced. In this podcast, John Bates flips the coin and looks at the story of food from Britain being imported into the USA to see if that ‘special relationship’ could...

In this edition of the Cereals and Oilseeds podcast, we invite breeders to share their tips on selecting varieties for this autumn.  Hear KWS UK Ltd, RAGT Seeds UK, Senova Ltd, Elsoms Seeds Ltd, Syngenta, Limagrain UK and DSV UK give tips on selecting winter wheat varieties and what things you should be considering.   We also hear from AHDB’s Knowledge Exchange Manager Michelle Nuttall on our upco...

Brexit and the transition arrangements are a huge challenge for the British Government. In this episode, John Bates, AHDB Senior Media & PR Manager, speaks to Tania Gesto-Casas, an AHDB policy manager based in Brussels, and Sarah Baker, AHDB Strategic Insight Manager. In light of the negotiations advancing, we have reviewed the previous scenarios prepared for farm business managers and updated...

Soil health underlies crop productivity. Understanding whole soil health can aid decisions which can benefit both productivity and animal health. In this episode Knowledge Exchange Manager Sarah Hurford talks to Strategic Dairy Farmer David Cotton from Bridge Farm and Mark Tripney from ISoils about the importance of good soil management and how to get the best from your land.   Follow Bridge Farm’...