AHDB Food & Farming

Take a waste walk around your silage clamps this winter and make sure that however much home-grown forage you have managed to make this year, it’s going to be fully utilised. You can lose half of a grass crop through the silage making process, and even maize crops are vulnerable – just through poor management at every stage from harvest to feeding out.  With maize now costing over £1,400/ha to gro...

This episode of the Food & Farming podcast was recorded live from SIAL Paris, one of the largest and most respected food and drink trade fairs in the world bringing over 310,000 visitors from more than 200 countries together under the one roof. AHDB's Head of Media & PR Phil Maiden speaks to a range of different visitors at the event to find out how AHDB are delivering the best value for l...

A good team is worth its weight in gold and finding the right people, at the right time, with the right skills is vital for the success of your business. However, recruiting and managing people can feel like a daunting task. In this episode of AHDB’s Food & Farming podcast, Kay Lane, AHDB's Agrileader Workforce Development Manager, chats to Kim Stafford, Director of U&I, and farmer Nicola...

In this podcast episode, Dr Bethan John Animal Health & Welfare Scientist at AHDB, speaks to Dr Philip Skuce from Moredun Research Institute in Scotland to talk about Liver fluke and why autumn is a key time for liver fluke control.  Philip has extensive expertise on the sustainable control of worms & fluke in livestock, and conducts research into anthelmintic resistance, parasite diagnost...

A successful weaning programme reduces stress, disease, and ensures dairy calves maintain target growth rates so they will enter your herd at the optimum time. And since adult cows will spend half their time ruminating, developing a calf’s rumen is critical if you want them to utilise energy for efficient production in later life. In this episode, AHDB Knowledge Exchange Manager Alan McFadzean is...

In this episode of the Food & Farming podcast, our host John Bates speaks to AHDB’s CEO Tim Rycroft as he reaches his 12-month anniversary at the helm of the organisation. Tim reflects on the momentous challenges faced over the past year, both within the organisation and in the wider industry. This includes a discussion around the loss of the two sectors; potatoes and horticulture, which ultim...

Knowledge is power but the clever thing is to use that power wisely and to good effect. Knowledge Exchange is at the heart of what we do at AHDB, sharing knowledge, research and skills with levy payers. Our pork knowledge exchange team consists of experienced and enthusiastic individuals located across England. They share best practice and facilitate discussions among levy payers. They run pig clu...

In this episode, Hannah Bowden chats to two Monitor farmers who have just wrapped up harvest 2022 in different parts of the UK.  Dan Moore, arable manager at R&L Anthony in South Wales and Rob Waterston from the Welford estate partnership near Newbury, are today’s guests. They both discuss their successes and struggles of this year’s harvest, how the drought has impacted them and their plans f...

In this episode of the Food & Farming podcast, independent specialist Liz Genever speaks to three of our AHDB Beef & Lamb Strategic Farmers located in different parts of the country to ask them how the dry summer has affected their farm business. Focusing on how farmers have dealt with the dry summer we find out what decisions they made and what they would do differently given the chance....

A healthy body, a healthy mind, many people live by that mantra.  To help the young understand the importance of a healthy, balanced diet, teachers are using the free, fact-based resources available on the Food – a fact of life website. A site backed by a partnership between AHDB and the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF).  As the new school year begins, we ask teachers Amy Bergiers and Michaela R...

Exports is one of the activities levy payers rated highly when asked to comment on AHDB’s priorities.  In this episode of AHDB’s Food & Farming podcast, John Bates chats to members of our export team to find out what’s involved in getting red meat and dairy from Britain into homes, supermarkets and restaurants around the world and why levy payers support the work. This week’s guests: Phil Hadl...

In this episode of the Food & Farming podcast, our host John Bates turns his attention to the marketing activity going on at AHDB. Our market development strategy is about helping your businesses thrive. We work to create a healthy market for your product by developing and maintaining domestic and overseas markets and helping you give the customer what they want and will enjoy.  Speakers: -   ...

The combination of the post Brexit new world, recent dry weather and the wider environmental challenges, political uncertainty, food security, the rising cost of living, we’re all impacted in one way or another. Add ELMS and reducing subsidies into the mix and all make life just a little more complicated if you’re a farmer. AHDB is not immune to pressures either with the recent Shape the Future vo...

In this episode of the Food & Farming podcast, John Bates discusses AHDB’s latest Agri Market Outlook for the arable sector with guests Millie Askew, lead analyst for Cereals & Oilseeds and Olivia Bonser, an analyst in AHDB’s market specialist team. Within this podcast, Millie will highlight the impact of the hot, dry weather on this year’s harvest, examining what cereal and oilseed rape p...

In this episode of the Food & Farming podcast, our Signet Breeding Manager at AHDB, Samuel Boon, talks through the role of CT scanning when making breeding decisions, whilst Signet consultant Laura Eyles speaks to Kirsty McClean and John Gordon from SRUC to find out the how and the why. Using Computed Tomography (CT) scanning is a great tool for identifying superior genetics within terminal si...

In this AHDB Food & Farming podcast episode, our resident podcast host John Bates speaks to AHDB’s Senior Market Analyst, Amandeep Kaur Purewal, to discuss whether the UK-New Zealand free trade agreement is likely to be a threat or an opportunity for UK producers and explains the likely impact on the UK supply chain. There has been intense scrutiny over the impacts this new trade deal will hav...

In this Food and Farming Podcast, John Bates examines the introduction of a Digital Grain Passport with guests George Mason from Heygates Flour Millers, Ed Ford from Dyson Farming, James Mills, a Yorkshire grower and NFU Combinable Crop Board member and Derek Carless, Head of Farm Economics at AHDB.  This podcast will examine where the idea for a digital grain passport came from and its benefits t...

With food price inflation still on the rise, and persisting for longer in the UK than in Europe, margins will continue to be squeezed over the coming months.  In this episode, John Bates speaks to some of AHDB’s market specialists and analysts to find out what impact this will have on the beef, lamb, pork and dairy sectors, as they discuss the latest Agri market outlook for livestock. Guests Sarah...

Most pig farmers are already aware of the biosecurity measures they need to take to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks, such as ASF. So, what are the threats and what can we all do to keep ASF out of the UK? ASF is well-established in parts of Europe, Russia and China, with a reservoir of infection in the wild boar population. The recent announcement of ASF in a pig dense area of Germany, close...

France used to lead the way with the many varieties of cheese they produced. But Britain has been playing catch up and some say they now offer more choice than any other country in the world. From classic cheddars to more unusual varieties, there’s no doubting that British cheese is some of the tastiest around. In this episode Alistair McLaren is at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards in Sta...

In this Food and Farming podcast Olivia Bonser, Analyst (Arable), will discuss the Planting and Variety Survey, released a few weeks ago, with guest speaker Anthony Speight, Senior Analyst (Arable). This podcast will discuss the changes to the Planting and Variety Survey, including new data from Northern Ireland. Data collection has been difficult over the last few years due to the coronavirus, wh...

In this Food & Farming podcast, AHDB’s Senior Knowledge Manager, Sarah Pick, talks to Professor David Kenny, Head of Animal and Bioscience at TEAGASC in Ireland about how early life nutrition impacts heifer reproductive development. Download today to find out about what studies Professor Kenny has been working on and what these results mean for breeding your own beef replacement heifers. This...

In this Food and Farming podcast, John Bates discusses the New Zealand - UK lamb trade deals since the UK exited the European community with guests - Steven Evans, Senior Consumer Insight Manager and Sarah Baker, Senior Strategic Insight Manager. Addressing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that is being negotiated with commonwealth member New Zealand. Some people see this as an opportunity; however,...

Farming is an industry facing unprecedented change and upheaval. Mental health has emerged as one of the most significant issues facing the industry and the 160 years old Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution or R A B I as it’s known have conducted a detailed survey involving thousands of people to uncover information and trends not previously recognised concerning individuals’ mental health. ...

Are you interested in joining the Sustainable Farming Incentive but are unsure what would benefit your farm business?  In this episode of our Food and Farming podcast host, John Bates discusses the Sustainable farming Incentive with guests –­ Amandeep Kaur Purewal, Senior Market Intelligence Analyst, AHDB, John Calder, Land Manager in the Southwest of England and Janet Hughes, Director Future Farm...