£65m drought aid, autumn drilling, livestock forage, firefighting farmers & fundraising for mental health

In this episode, Defra unveils a £65m package to help drought-hit farmers – we examine how it could help your farm business. We also look at whether growers should start drilling winter crops into exceptionally dry soils – and assess the worsening forage situation for cattle and sheep. Elsewhere, farmers in South Wales help firefighters tackle wildfires, grain markets respond to renewed turmoil in the Black Sea, And three veteran kayakers take to the rivers of East Anglia to raise money for rural mental health charity YANA (You Are Not Alone). This episode is brought to you by plant breeder KWS. Guests Ian Gould – Independent farm adviser John Cousins – Weed scientist, ADAS Andrew Jones – Independent dairy and beef nutritionist Brian Bowen – South Wales farmer Henry Kilvert – Norfolk farmer and YANA supporter Chapters 00:00 – Defra unveils £65m drought package01:52 – SFI flexibility in extreme drought06:33 – What does the £65m package actually offer?10:40 – Extra grazing for livestock farmers13:07 – Can farmers rely on SFI long term?15:51 – Farmers Weekly Harvest Update with KWS18:04 – When should growers start autumn drilling?23:17 – Blackgrass, herbicides and dry seedbeds26:06 – Should growers risk drilling oilseed rape?28:37 – Livestock forage crisis deepens29:57 – Drought threatens fertility and production32:18 – Sheep, forage and winter feed stocks5:23 – Listener feedback and farming resilience36:34 – Farmers battle South Wales wildfires39:29 – Grain prices react to Black Sea attacks40:26 – This week’s farmgate prices42:56 – Three old men in boats44:37 – Tackling loneliness in farming Usel links Government £65m drought support announcement: Sustainable Farming Incentive: Environment Agency drought and water resources information AHDB harvest progress AHDB drought, feed and fodder advice ADAS YANA – rural mental health support This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker. To get in touch with the Farmers Weekly Podcast: - Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/ Contact or follow Louise: linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/ Contact or follow Hugh: linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/ For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly To contact, sponsor or advertise on 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.