The Farmers Weekly Podcast

In this episode, Defra announces a 30% increase in Countryside Stewardship payments  in England– but does it stack up?The government unveils crackdown against the crime of hare-coursing . Will it really help stop the illegal activity.Livestock farmers vent their frustration after Asda decides to source beef from Ireland, rather than buying British.Pop star Ed Sheeran says he wants to buy as much land as possible – and rewild the UK. Is he just another mis-guided celebrity?On the markets – the latest arable prices into the New YearAnd we meet the young farmers raising money for charity by collecting and recycling Christmas trees.This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Surrey farmer Hugh Broom.

In this episode, we talk to three Net Zero farmers – and ask whether cutting carbon emissions is good for farm incomes as well as for the environment.Would animal welfare labelling on UK meat improve livestock returns?As Basic Payments land in bank accounts – with reduced amounts for farmers in England – we ask two experts for their advice on managing farm finances.We'll have the latest prices in our regular market round-up.And we meet the first breeder since Brexit to import live sheep from the EU into the UK via the Calais-to-Dover crossing.This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Surrey farmer Hugh Broom.

In this episode, we examine the payment rates for Defra's new Sustainable Farming Incentive - will it work for farmers?We count the cost of Storm Arwen on farms and rural businesses – as a Yorkshire farmer recounts an unusual rescue mission.With a whopping 37 seed varieties added to the AHDB recommended lists, we look at how you choose the cereal and oilseed crop that's right for you?On the markets, we review the 2021 farmland market – and look ahead to 2022.And we take a walk with the Hedgerow Chaplain – who holds a very different kind of church service in the Somerset countryside.Recorded at the CLA Rural Business Conference in London, this episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Surrey farmer Hugh Broom.

In this episode, cereal prices are on the up – but so too are input prices. We look at the impact on arable cropping decisions.The Red Tractor farm assurance scheme acknowledges that non-assured growers should have like-for-like access to UK feed mills.What does this mean for growers?On the markets, we get the latest consumer insight on red meat.We play the latest version of the Farming Simulator video game – and find out why from the people who make it why it matters so much.And we visit an award-winning shop – and discover how a Lancashire farming couple won a top accolade in Yorkshire.This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Surrey farmer Hugh Broom.

In this episode, we run the rule over Defra's  £27m Farm Investment Fund for England and ask: is it worth applying for a grant?The government finally launches its long-awaited consultation to reform the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).We ask Defra secretary George Eustice: will levy payers get value for money?How was lockdown for you?  A major study is examining how the Covid pandemic affected the mental health of farmers and farming families.Researchers are encouraging farming families to complete a survey, with a separate survey for farm support organisations and volunteers.On the markets – dairy dilemma – milk prices are up but so too are input costs. So who are the winners and what are the prospects for 2022?And we take to the skies for a surprise wedding proposal – flying over the specially farmed countryside in a helicopter.This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Surrey farmer Hugh Broom.

In this episode, scientists call for stricter pesticide testing rules following concern that some co-formulated products are bad for bumblebees.With plans to build the world's largest vertical farm in Norfolk, we ask – should your farm reach for the sky too?There's more on methane – with livestock farmers divided over the best way to combat climate change.On the markets – wheat prices continue to surge ahead – despite concerns over quality. How high will they go and for how long?And we meet Yorkshire shepherdess Amanda Owen in Boots & Heels – a new podcast series coming your way from Farmers Weekly.This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Surrey farmer Hugh Broom with FW community editor Lizzie McLaughlin and FW arable correspondent Louise Impey.

Britain faces a shortage of farm vets – with recruitment and retention posing key challenges for veterinary practices and the future of the sector.Industry insiders estimate there are more than 3,000 veterinary job vacancies across the UK – with big implications for the livestock producers who rely on them.What are the reasons for these challenges? And what are the prospects for new entrants looking for a successful veterinary career?Combining the expertise of Harper Adams and Keele universities, a new vet school aims to encourage a new generation to enter the profession.But will it succeed? Are farm vets really an endangered species? Or is there a bright future for vets who provide a vital service to UK livestock farmers? With thanks to  the Harper & Keele Vet School, the British Veterinary Association, XLVets, VetPartners, LLM Vets and everyone who contributed to this episode.Written, narrated and produced by Johann Tasker from Farmers Weekly.Featuring Sarah Tomlinson, (vet and technical director of the TB Advisory Service), Cheshire dairy farmer Richard Blackburn,  Hannah Batty (LLM Vets), Italian vet Alphonso Camassa, Ian Cure (VetPartners), Andrew Curwen (XLVets), James Russell (British Veterinary Association), Jane Richardson (Harper & Keele Vet School) and Professor of Sustainable Livestock Health and Welfare Jonathan Statham.

In this episode, farm leader Minette Batters gives her views from the COP26 climate change conference on red meat and methane.Are livestock really to blame for greenhouse gas emissions – or do fossil fuels have a bigger part to play? And what should we do about it?West Yorkshire doctor and former farm worker Jerry Alderson explains why it's good to talk about farm accidents – and how we can help each other stay safe.On the markets, buoyant demand sees a big increase in the oilseed rape area drilled for harvest 2022 – and a sudden uplift for beef and sheep.A new veterinary school at Harper Adams University and Keele University aims to encourage more farm vets – and overcome a shortage in the sector.And we take a ride with the Welly Wheelers – a group of Somerset farmers who take their cycling very seriously indeed.This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Surrey farmer Hugh Broom with FW livestock editor Rhian Price, FW senior livestock reporter Michael Priestley and FW business reporter Charlie Reeve.

In this episode, farmers are risking their lives on a daily basis – with tiredness and fatigue contributing to the UK's worst fatal accident rate.The stark statistic is revealed in a Farmers Weekly survey at the start of a new farm safety campaign called Dying To Feed You.Dairy farmer's son William Sayers tells how his arm was torn off by a rotating power take-off shaft on the back of a tractor when he was just 12-years-old.As ag-inflation goes through the roof – we look at how farmers are dealing with soaring input costs and fertiliser prices.We look at the Red Tractor farm assurance scheme – is it really delivering for growers and livestock producers.On the markets – we give the verdict on the government's autumn budget. How will it affect your farm business? And what about agricultural investment allowances?And we celebrate Hallowe'en – with the farmers who fire pumpkins out of a cannon.This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Surrey farmer Hugh Broom with FW business editor Suzie Horne and FW arable reporter Emma Gillbard.

In this episode, as the government launches its latest plan to tackle climate change, we ask whether the UK can reach Net Zero without reducing livestock numbers?Could famers and rural businesses be clobbered by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak targeting capital gains tax in his imminent autumn budget?Amid charity warnings of a mental health crisis among farming families, what is the future for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution?How you can make natural capital pay on your farm – with the help of an online carbon trading platform.And we crown the winners in our Britain''s Fittest Farmer competition.This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Farmers Weekly executive editor Philip Clarke, with FW chief reporter Philip Case and FW community editor Lizzie McLaughlin.