Farm Management

September Brings Key Decisions for Drilling As September begins, many farmers focus on post-harvest cultivations and drilling plans. Poor and variable yields remind us of last autumn’s wet conditions, tempting some to drill earlier. However, patience pays off—waiting until October helps control disease, barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), and grassweed. Why Early Drilling Increases Disease […]

Summer has progressed quickly, bringing to a close the turbulent 2023/24 growing year. The hard work doesn’t stop once the combines are back in the shed however, and up and down the country our agronomists and farm managers are busy planning and preparing for the coming autumn drilling campaign. Following the year we have had, […]

Welcome to the Ceres Rural Farming Update July, a publication that provides independent insights on agricultural issues, from policy and grant funding, to administrative updates and key market information. Read the update here: Farming Update – July 2024. For a printer-friendly version, click here. Please consider the environment before printing this publication.

A Challenging Start to Spring for Winter Wheat Spring has been tough for winter wheat crops. Soil temperatures have taken far longer to warm up because of excess water. Normally, at this time of year, soils would be around 12°C. In early May, they were only 9°C. On top of that, stressed crops have suffered […]

It is often said that farming is facing the biggest period of change for a generation. There is a complex range of challenges and opportunities, with various interdependencies between them, which can make them difficult to navigate. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer or silver bullet, but doing nothing is clearly not a viable strategy. […]

Key Changes to SFI Actions Under the new rules, SFI applicants can allocate only 25% of their land to six specific actions that remove land from direct food production. These actions include: Flower-rich grass margins Pollen and nectar flower mix Winter bird food on arable and horticultural land Grassy field corners and blocks Improved grassland […]

Welcome to the Ceres Rural Farming Update March 2024, a publication that provides independent insights on agricultural issues, from policy and grant funding, to administrative updates and key market information. Read the update here: Farming Update – March 2024. For a printer-friendly version, click here. Please consider the environment before printing this publication.

Welcome to the Ceres Rural October Farming Update, a publication that provides independent insights on agricultural issues, from policy and grant funding, to administrative updates and key market information. Read the update here: Farming Update – October 2023. For a printer-friendly version, click here. Please consider the environment before printing this publication.

We’ve reviewed the data and put together a detailed comparison report reviewing the costs and returns across the last five years in relation to Contract Farming Agreements (CFAs) for both contractors and landowners. There is a complete dataset of 52 CFAs up to 2022, spanning a geography across the south and east of England. For […]