AHDB Food & Farming

In this episode we are focusing on the decisions you will have to make before you plant, to make sure you will be able to desiccate without diquat and store without CIPC.    Sequence of discussions and speakers:   Desiccation talk with Will Gagg (SPot Farm North host)   Knowledge Exchange team’s view on desiccation – Bill Watts, David Wilson and Harry Henderson  Advice on what you can do now to pr...

For this month’s edition, Nicola Renison, Regional Manager for the North West, chats to Richard Carruthers, one of our Strategic Farmers in Cumbria about how having a positive mind set has helped with his farm business and his work-life balance. He farms just under 1,000 sheep and 60 sucklers. You can find out more about Richard's farm business here:  https://ahdb.org.uk/farm-excellence/rawfoot

Austin Russell returned to his family dairy farm seven years ago and has since been working on improving mastitis control. Alistair McLaren spoke with him to understand the issues Austin was having, how using AHDB’s Mastitis Pattern Analysis Tool helped him put in place targeted control measures to reduce the rate of new mastitis infection cases on farm, and the benefits this has had to the bottom...

Welcome to the first AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds podcast of 2020! In this short episode AHDB Communications Manager Jason Pole explains the recent changes to the Recommended List (RL). Speaking to Paul Gosling, head of the Recommended List team, the two discuss the launch of the online Variety Selection tool and how it works. The new tool brings the features of the RL into a digital format and inc...

January 2020 should be seen as a huge opportunity to set the record straight, hold our heads high and shout about the positives of livestock farming in the UK. How can we do this together? We've produced a pack of support materials to help positively manage the reputation of meat and dairy during January 2020 and beyond. The packs contain evidence-based resources and social media infographics to s...

Welcome to the AHDB Dairy Strategic Farm podcast, part of our Farm Excellence podcast series. Throughout December, you will hear from a number of farmers in our Farm Excellence network, who will tell their story of the inspirational work they are doing with the help of AHDB to improve the performance and profitability of their business.     In this episode, we hear from Karen Halton and Joe Carter...

This podcast is part of our Farm Excellence podcast series. Throughout December, you will hear from a number of farmers in our Farm Excellence network, who will tell their story of the inspirational work they are doing with the help of AHDB to improve the performance and profitability of their business.    In this episode, we hear from Jen Waters and Richard Bows, who are both part of our Pork kno...

Welcome to the AHDB Beef & Lamb Strategic Farm podcast, part of the Farm Excellence podcast series. Throughout December, you will hear from a number of farmers in our Farm Excellence network, who will tell their story of the inspirational work they are doing with the help of AHDB to improve the performance and profitability of their business.  In this episode, we will speak to two strategic fa...

The first episode in the Farm Excellence series of the AHDB podcast focuses on cereals & oilseeds. The Monitor Farm programme comprises a network of farmers from across the UK and Northern Ireland committed to driving innovation and best practice. They host regular meetings at their farms in which they discuss issues facing agriculture in their region.   This November saw the Monitor Farm Conf...

Welcome to the Farm-Excellence podcast series produced to tell the story of the inspirational work farmers, growers and AHDB are doing under the umbrella of Farm-Excellence.  The pace of change in the agriculture sector seems only to increase as all farming businesses adapt to address the challenges and opportunities.  This 7-part series aims to spill all the  inspirational work these farms are do...

Could this be one of the wettest autumns on record? Two farmers tell us about the actions they’ve taken to keep their farms afloat during extreme rainfall.     Five years on from the Somerset Levels floods, cereals and beef farmer James Winslade reveals how social media anchored the news agenda around the troubles, which helped protect his business today.    With reservoirs fully topped up after t...

We take look at the factors affecting the British liquid milk market with Patty Clayton, AHDB’s lead analyst for dairy.   In this episode we discuss how much milk is produced, where it’s processed, the challenges affecting Wales and Scotland as well as resources available to help dairy farmers plan for the future.   For the latest industry data, analysis and insights from the dairy sector, visit o...

In this month’s Pork-focused episode, we’ll be focusing on welfare and looking at what Defra’s updated Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock means in practice for pig keepers. We’ll also be hearing about some of the key highlights from last month’s meetings for small-scale pig keepers and finish with a quick look at the Chinese pig market. The updated Welfare Code sets out a number...

In this short podcast, Rebecca Small, AHDB Beef Scientist, is in Shropshire with Robert Wilkinson from Harper Adams University, who led on the Protein and Mixed Forage Research project. She talks to him about preliminary findings of the project and how this can be applied on farm. She also chats to Andrew Schofield who looked at Mineral audits in finishing cattle.

With BP2019 taking place in Harrogate next week, we hear from Jimmy Phillips and Adrian Cunnington about what information will be available at BP2019 regarding potato storage. Rob Clayton and Graham Bannister then discuss what else people can expect from AHDB at this year's show. If you would like to attend this event and haven't booked, please click the following link to book your place at BP2019...

In this episode we focus on soils. After the recent wet weather, it has made getting crops into the ground almost impossible. Managing soils in this condition requires planning and coordination before during and after major weather events. We will hear from two soil experts, both who have spoken at recent Monitor Farm events.  Philip Wright from Wrights Resolutions Ltd has been working on our new...

This podcast looks at the Livestock Information Programme. (LIP) It’s a joint effort between Defra and AHDB to create a new system of tracing and managing livestock data, and is backed by an industry design group comprising representatives from all parts of the livestock and meat production industry. Hear from Richard Laverick, Chief Officer for the Livestock Information Programme and Ray Keatinge...

Andy Rutter was the breeding manager at Genus for 18 years before re-joining the family dairy farm 18 months ago. Alistair McLaren spoke with him to understand how he makes his breeding decisions, the tools he uses and the impact it’s had on his herd.   For any farmers out there wanting to know more about how genetics can help their business, hear from other farmers and access helpful tools and re...

Especially during current times with uncertainty looming over us, it is vital growers and farmers need to consider methods in cutting down on resources and business costs.  Experts at the NFU have been working with the GrowSave project and working closely with growers and farmers to reduce energy costs. We speak to AHDB’s Knowledge Exchange Manager, Nathalie Key and NFU’s Senior Energy Expert, Jon...

In this episode, we talk about the potential impact of a no deal Brexit. It was recorded before the announcement of the new deal on 17 October, which still needs to be passed by both UK and EU parliaments and so leaves “no deal” as a possibility. We hear from Angela Christison, Strategy Director (Pork), Duncan Wyatt, Lead Analyst for red meat, and Liam Byrne, Head of Meat Marketing. Useful links a...

In this episode, we talk about the potential impact of a no deal Brexit. It was recorded before the announcement of the new deal on 17 October, which still needs to be passed by both UK and EU parliaments and so leaves “no deal” as a possibility. We hear from Will Jackson, Strategy Director (Beef & Lamb), Duncan Wyatt, Lead Analyst for red meat, and Liam Byrne, Head of Meat Marketing. Useful l...

“As delegates gather in London for the annual Grain Market Outlook Conference today, David Eudall and Peter Collier of AHDB’s Market Intelligence sit down to review the latest market data.   David and Peter discuss global issues, with lower prices resulting from trade surpluses meaning plenty of export competition for cereals. Meanwhile it’s a varied picture for oilseeds with plenty of soya beans...

In this episode, Danny Fanning, a Masters student from University College Dublin spent a two month placement at AHDB looking at Herbal Leys. During this time he spoke to Ian Wilkinson of Costwolds seeds about his farming practices and how he manages his herbal lays. * Please note this episode was filmed outside, so in parts it can be quite windy! Further information on the extensive opportunities...

Ben Stroud’s family farm in Leicestershire incorporates a 190 dairy cow herd, 140 hectares of arable crops and 80 hectares of forage and grazing. The farm grows Lucerne as a cheaper source of protein for the dairy cows, which is also helping to control blackgrass. With plenty of muck and slurry produced by the cows and youngstock, making use of this on both forage land and crops is important for b...

Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus was reported in the UK this year for the first time. And while no further outbreaks have currently been recorded in the UK, the virus has the potential to cause significant impact for tomato growers.  In this episode Adrian Fox, the Senior Plant Virologist at Fera will be discussing how growers can prevent Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus along with an update from Ph...