Farming's shocking fatality rate, mixed forecast for farm incomes, beef prices on the up, water pollution controversy, & farmers remember Prince Philip

Welcome to this special episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast – the Farmers Weekly Question Time event at Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire.

Recorded in front of a live studio audience, farmers, students and other guests quiz industry leaders on topical agricultural issues.

Our panel is:

Climate change minister Lord Benyon
Victoria Vyvyan, president of the Country Land & Business Association
Rothamsted Research scientist Jonathan Storkey
Charlie Ireland, farm business consultant, Ceres Rural
Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate & Hertfordshire farmer Stuart Roberts

Sponsored by The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture, Lightsource BP, plant breeder KWS and Lantra, this Question Time event was recorded on Thursday, 22 February 2024.

With grateful thanks to Rothamsted Research for providing the venue for this event.

Hosted by Farmers Weekly Podcast editor Johann Tasker. To attend future FW Question Time events, visit fwi.co.uk/questiontime.

In this episode, we find out what the last spring budget before the general election means for your farm business.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw says direct action by farmers in England isn't necessary to get their message across.

We've our regular market round-up – and all the latest commodity prices.

And we speak to the farmer who rowed across the Atlantic to raise money for charity.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Scottish farmer Sandy Kirkpatrick.

Additional reporting by Farmers Weekly news editor Philip Clarke.

You can contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast by emailing podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

In this episode, farmers are taking land out of production because wet weather and rising costs mean planting crops is just too risky.

We find out what they are doing instead.

Protests escalate in Wales as growers and livestock producers say government policies for agriculture will destroy their livelihoods.

We've our regular market round-up – and all the latest commodity prices.

And we speak to the farmer who is raising money for Ukraine with a picture signed by President Zelensky and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Scottish farmer Sandy Kirkpatrick.

Additional reporting by Farmers Weekly news reporter Matilda Bovingdon and chief reporter Phil Case.

You can contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast by emailing podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

In this episode, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak takes to the stage at the NFU annual conference to unveil a £220m support package for farmers.

The Liberal Democrats go further – promising £4.2bn for agriculture if they win the forthcoming general election.

We've all the latest market prices – and we find out what the general public really think about farming.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Scottish farmer Sandy Kirkpatrick.

Additional reporting by Farmers Weekly deputy editor Abi Kay.

You can contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast by emailing podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

In this episode, as farmers leader Minette Batters prepares to stand down, we reflect on her time as NFU president.

Essex farmer Tom Bradshaw, who is set  to  replace Ms Batters, asks farmers to judge the NFU on the outcome of the Red Tractor farm assurance review.

We find out about how a Scottish beef producer is benefiting from focusing on good time management on the farm.

We've our regular market round-up – and all the latest commodity prices.

And we meet the man who is is measuring nutrient density – and discovering out what makes food healthy.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Scottish farmer Sandy Kirkpatrick.

Additional reporting by Phil Case, Michael Priestley and Louise Impey.

You can contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast by emailing podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

This week, thousands of farmers rally at Carmarthen livestock mart to protest against Welsh government policies for agriculture.

Farmers and crofters attending the NFU Scotland annual conference in Glasgow give their thoughts on ways to secure a sustainable and profitable future.

At the Base UK conference in Nottingham, USA-based soil health guru Jay Fuhrer gives his advice to British farmers who want to 'turn the dial' on carbon.

And we look at how you can take part in this year's Big Farmland Bird Count.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Scottish farmer Sandy Kirkpatrick.

Additional reporting by Debbie James, Phil Case and Louise Impey.

You can contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast by emailing podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

In this episode, we discuss whether UK farmers should take to the streets following protests by French and German growers and livestock producers.,

We look at the impact of the wet weather on spring cropping decisions – and how growers might overcome a shortage of spring seed.

The Welsh government is accused of pursuing an environmental policy which could see livestock and farmers leave the land. How should you respond?

 We speak to the Lincolnshire farmer who won a Yield Enhancement Network award after growing a 16.6t/ha winter wheat crop.

We've our regular market round-up – and all the latest commodity prices.

And we find out how a new scheme is getting youngsters into dairy farming – ahead of this month's DairyTech event.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Scottish farmer Sandy Kirkpatrick, with additional reporting by Emma Gillbard, Shirley Macmillan, Phil Case and Abi Kay.

You can contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast by emailing podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

In this episode, we find out what's hot and what's not with thousands of farmers at the LAMMA machinery show in Birmingham.

Red Tractor bosses face a call to resign as growers and livestock producers say the farm assurance scheme is too onerous and delivers little benefit.

We've our regular market round-up – and all the latest commodity prices.

We meet the Yorkshire livestock producer generating bigger profits by using less barley to finish his beef bulls.

And we go bell-ringing with the Worcestershire farmer diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, who is raising money for charity.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Scottish farmer Sandy Kirkpatrick, with additional reporting by Abi Kay.

You can contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast by emailing podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

Welcome to this special episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast – the Farmers Weekly Question Time event at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Recorded in front of a live studio audience, farmers, students and other guests quiz industry leaders on topical agricultural issues.

Our panel is:

Defra minister Robbie Moore MP
Sophie Thoup, head of agriculture and sustainable sourcing for Morrisons
Guardian journalist Robyn Vinter
Efra committee chairman Sir Robert Goodwill MP
Fera Science executive director Andrew Swift

Sponsored by The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture, Lightsource BP and GSC Grays, this Question Time event was recorded on Thursday, 11 January 2024.

With grateful thanks to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and the Future Farmers of Yorkshire for providing the venue for this event.

Hosted by Farmers Weekly Podcast editor Johann Tasker. To attend future FW Question Time events, visit fwi.co.uk/questiontime.

In this episode, farmers clash with supermarkets over the value of assurance as the furore over the Red Tractor scheme continues.

As Minette Batters prepares to step down as NFU president, we look at her likely successor – and ask why there aren't more candidates to become union leader?

How can farming recruit and retain the best people? We look at a new drive to make the UK agricultural industry more professional.

We've our regular market round-up – and all the latest commodity prices.

And a new safety initiative at the LAMMA machinery show aims to reduce the number of farm fatalities involving quadbikes.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Scottish farmer Sandy Kirkpatrick, with additional reporting by Abi Kay.

You can contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast by emailing podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.