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If the UK is ambitious about its future, the interests of farmers and consumers must be front and centre in any new trade policy, says Conservative peer Anne McIntosh.

September 2020 Arable Farming Issue

At the start of this year, I said 2020 could be the year of opportunity for dairy. Little did I know at the NFU Conference in February that we would all be facing a global pandemic and the many challenges which have arisen as a result of Covid-19.

When the time came to swap an ageing seven-furrow plough, one Somerset grower turned to Halse South West and downsized to an Ovlac six-furrow fully-mounted model. Geoff Ashcroft reports.

Writing this as we enter the last week of August I am reminded of how our industry is at the mercy of the weather.

I would like to start with a heartfelt apology to the people of Scotland. Last month I mentioned that an Englishman, an Irishman and a Welshman travelled to Scotland and achieved their 400-a-day shearing goals.

Joining the grassland monitoring project, GrassCheckGB, and switching to paddock grazing is helping a high-yielding herd in Dorset maximise milk from grazed grass and cut its concentrate costs.

Matt Styles is 25 and lives and works on a 1600 acre arable farm in the Cambridgeshire Fens. Along with his wife Floss, he runs a flock of 70 sheep.

A grassroots army has kept the Young Farmers’ Club movement alive during the Covid-19 pandemic. There have been online rallies, bake-offs, stockjudging, training sessions, committee meetings and more. Sarah Todd reports.