Minette's farm profitability review, should farmers really diversify? Resistant wheat shows signs of yellow rust, local food plan report, & auctioneer's giant red fibre glass cow goes missing

In this episode, the government appoints former NFU president Minette Batters to lead a Defra review to solve farming's 'profitability problem'. Her appointment – by Defra secretary Steve Reed – aims to help growers and livestock producers increase their profit and financial resilience. We ask three experts what Baroness Batters should really be looking at – and whether farmers should be encouraged to diversify. Emily Norton, from Farm Foresight; Richard King, from Andersons farm business consultants; and Jonathan Armitage, from Strutt & Parker, share their thoughts. We get out in the field, where resistant wheat crops are showing signs of yellow rust - samples for analysis should be sent to the UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS). We look ways farmers can supply more local food - according to the Local Food Plan. And we try to track down a giant red fibre glass cow after it goes missing. This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable Contact or follow (X): @sondesplacefarm For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly To contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email [email protected]. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.