Episodes
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Fertiliser carbon tax, 25 years of responsible spraying, & Britain’s first olive harvest
Will a new carbon tax push up fertiliser prices? Has the farming industry successfully regulated its own pesticide use? And could English olive oil become the next big farming opportunity? In this episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast, we examine the government’s latest proposals for a carbon tax...
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Autumn Budget Special: Hit or miss for farming?
Has the government missed another opportunity to support British farming? In this special edition of the Farmers Weekly Podcast, we examine Chancellor John Healey’s Autumn Budget and ask what it really means for farmers, food production and the wider rural economy. The Chancellor extended the…
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Farm tax breaks, potato harvest, organics, and Clarkson at Tory conference
Farm leaders are calling for an urgent rethink of inheritance tax and investment allowances ahead of the autumn Budget on 28 October. With farm investment stalling and confidence at a low ebb, the NFU and major supermarket chains are urging the government to introduce tax reforms that could…
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Red diesel prices, Can AI replace your agronomist? & Farmers Weekly Live
Soaring diesel prices are putting fresh pressure on farm businesses – and the outlook suggests volatility could continue well into 2027. In this episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast, we examine what is driving the surge in fuel costs, whether farmers should buy now or wait, and how hedging and...
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SFI26: Sifting through the wreckage of the Sustainable Farming Incentive
Farmers are ploughing up environmental features after thousands were shut out of the Sustainable Farming Incentive when funding ran out less than six hours after applications opened. In this episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast, we hear from Lincolnshire farmer Charles Anyan as he returns buffer...
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Emergency Episode: SFI26 funding gone in under six hours – what now?
Defra is under intense pressure after the £233 million budget for the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive was exhausted just five hours and 48 minutes after applications opened. In this emergency episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast, farmers describe technical problems that prevented them from...
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SFI scramble, sugar beet arbitration, maize quality, & Daniel Zeichner on life inside Defra
Farmers face a race to secure funding when the Sustainable Farming Incentive reopens – with warnings that the available money could be allocated within just 24 hours. We look at how to prepare an SFI26 application, why growers should resist simply chasing grant money and what could happen to...
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Abi Kay's Big Questions: Former minister Daniel Zeichner lifts the lid on life inside Defra.
In an exclusive interview with Farmers Weekly's Abi Kay, former farm minister Daniel Zeichner gives an extraordinary account of life inside Defra. Revelations include Mr Zeichner's claim that as a minister he knew nothing about government plans to impose inheritance tax on farmers until after…
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Farm rent cuts, secret rural crime workshops, pig sector crisis, & Derek vs Derek
Tenant farmers are being urged to seek rent reductions as difficult arable economics put pressure on farm businesses – but how far should landlords go to share the pain? This week, we examine calls for rent cuts of up to 20% and ask whether landlords and tenants need a new approach to negotiating...
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River Wye pollution progress, gene-edited soya, falling livestock numbers & Great British Harvest Festival
In this episode, we examine new farm-level evidence suggesting phosphorus is coming into balance on farms in the River Wye catchment – and ask what it means for water pollution. We visit a field trial where precision breeding could make UK-grown soya commercially possible. We examine the…
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Autumn drilling gamble, fertiliser warning, sugar beet drought, Brazilian beef imports, and firearms licensing
In this episode, how much rain is enough to start drilling after one of the driest summers in recent memory? We look at autumn crop establishment as growers weigh up whether to put oilseed rape and other crops into exceptionally dry soils – or wait for more meaningful rainfall. We assess the...
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Drought crisis loans, does regen farming stack up?, bluetongue vaccination, & China food security
Could government-backed crisis loans help cash-strapped farmers recover from drought and keep Britain producing food? This week, we examine industry proposals for a Keep Britain Growing Loan – an interest-free, government-backed scheme planned for farmers. With the bluetongue outbreak continuing…
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£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,...
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Drought crisis, grain marketing, farm welfare grants, & 150 years of Aberdeen Angus cattle
As drought conditions worsen across England, MPs demand urgent government action to safeguard water supplies for food production. South Norfolk MP Ben Goldsborough says farmers need more flexible abstraction licences, simpler rules for building reservoirs and adequate support. We examine Defra’s...
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Bluetongue surge, harvest yields explained, and wildlife-friendly farming
Sheep farmers are being urged to consider vaccination as a surge in bluetongue cases causes serious losses across south-west England. We have the latest on the worsening outbreak, the risks associated with livestock movements and whether vaccination makes financial sense. We also examine the…
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Angela Eagle returns to Defra, Welsh farm funding, sugar beet factory closure, David Barton tribute, & combine harvester fires
What does Dame Angela Eagle’s appointment as Defra secretary mean for UK agriculture? This week, we examine the new secretary of state’s priorities, political influence and ability to secure the long-term budgets farmers say they need. We also hear from NFU Sugar chairman Kit Papworth following...
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What to expect from Andy Burnham's government, no murder charge over farm shooting, & UK chickpea challenge
What does an Andy Burnham government mean for UK agriculture? This week, Westminster watcher Jeremy Moody examines the new prime minister’s farming credentials – and whether a land value tax could hit agricultural businesses. We also examine the law on defending yourself and your property after...
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Heatwave harvest grain-washing alert, Farming Roadmap 'waffle', Scottish agriculture, & Erling Haaland backs British farmers
A third summer heatwave is creating difficult harvesting conditions, with shrivelled grain, variable cereal yields and combines being forced to operate early in the morning or late at night. We examine warnings against “grain washing” - adding water to very dry harvested grain before it goes into...
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Groundswell 2026: Private money for green farming, Wildfarmed, Kemi Badenoch & 10 years of regenerative agriculture
This week’s Farmers Weekly Podcast comes from the Groundswell show in Hertfordshire, where Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch tells farmers she wants their ideas for a new rural policy. Speaking to Farmers Weekly, Ms Badenoch says future policy should be shaped by farmers and land managers – not...
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Flaming June, Farming Roadmap, bovine TB, farm machinery 10 years post- Brexit, and green award for farm estate
This week, we examine whether the government’s long-awaited 25-year Farming Roadmap will deliver the certainty, confidence and investment farmers need. NFU president Tom Bradshaw gives his reaction to Defra’s plan, while we discuss profitability, agri-environment funding, climate resilience and…
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Verdict on SFI budget, fertiliser warning, Red Tractor responds, and Only Farmers
Defra has finally unveiled the budget for its flagship Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme – but is £240 million enough to meet demand from farmers? Former Natural England agriculture head Geoff Sansome gives his verdict – and explains why thousands of farmers could still be left in limbo when...
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Cereals 2026 at Clarkson's Farm: Does it still pay to grow combinable crops?
This live Cereals 2026 episode tackles one big question: with high input costs and mediocre grain prices will planting cereals this autumn be financially worthwhile? The discussion starts with markets and margins, including break-even wheat prices, grain carryover, milling wheat premiums and the...
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Relaunched SFI - what it means for you, High Court and abattoirs, Red Tractor, and Open Farm Sunday
This week, Defra confirms England’s Sustainable Farming Incentive will reopen for applications on 30 June – but only for some farmers, and with questions over budget. Farm business adviser Katie Hilton explains the key changes in SFI 26, including land use caps, no-till rules and revised payment...
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Carbon cash delays, farm assurance frustration, Minette Batters book, & the rise of regenerative supply chains
This week, farmers report delays receiving payments from soil carbon scheme Agreena – with some growers saying they are owed thousands of pounds. We examine the latest Farm Assurance Review and ask whether Red Tractor and other schemes can deliver fairer treatment for UK grain producers facing...
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Hare-coursing clampdown, tariffs cut on food imports, Beef Expo, & fertiliser from thin air
This week, police pledge tougher action on hare coursing after an Essex farmer suffers almost 200 incidents in eight months. The government unveils plans to slash tariffs on 100 food items imported into the UK. We examine the impact of food price controls on UK farmers. Beef sector leaders call…
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Fuel and fertiliser fears deepen, Dyson’s farm future, pig markets, & a royal farming honour
Fuel shortages triggered by the Iran conflict could leave crops rotting in fields this harvest unless food production is prioritised. We hear from CAAV adviser Jeremy Moody, who warns that red diesel availability is now an immediate concern for arable farmers, with further uncertainty for autumn...
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Glyphosate ban - would it work? Licences for dairy and livestock farmers, beef price wobble and starter farm tenancy
This week, food and environmental groups call for a ban on pre-harvest glyphosate use. We look at the alternatives – and whether this could be the thin end of the wedge. We also hear why farm leaders are pushing back against proposals to extend environmental permitting to beef and dairy farms....
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Fertiliser - best time to buy, regenerative farm tenancies, AI bird counts, & TikTok cow-huggers
This week’s episode is brought to you with Bayer Crop Science. As fertiliser prices rise and new-season supplies tighten, we ask when farmers should buy — and whether a little-and-often approach is the best way to manage risk. We also look at a new 25-year regenerative farm business tenancy from...
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Turmoil over autumn cropping – Clarkson hits out, Starmer tackled on red diesel, Cereals preview & farm safety
Celebrity farmer Jeremy Clarkson speaks out as soaring fuel and fertiliser costs force arable growers to rethink autumn cropping plans. MPs urge Kier Starmer to help reduce red diesel prices as they tell the prime minister the Iran war makes food security paramount. We preview this summer’s…
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Legal challenge over unauthorised Traveller sites, setting the record straight on grain prices, and farmer runs marathon for dad and Sepsis Trust
In this episode, Travellers set up an unauthorised encampment in Hertfordshire and new planning rules face their biggest test yet. The situation has big implications for growers and livestock producers – as Louise finds out when she spoke to one local farmer affected by the development. How…
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Help on new inheritance tax rules, electricity standing charges, farm management software, & dog attacks on sheep
In this episode, farm charities offer a listening ear as inheritance tax rules come into effect – leaving farming families facing a hefty bill following the death of a loved one. We’ve the latest on help for those who might be affected by the changes, including farmers who haven't yet taken…
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MPs launch farm profit campaign, Ensus bioethanol plant, spring lamb boom, and on-farm indoor ski slope
In this episode, an influential group of MPs launches a campaign to boost farm profitability. The Labour Rural Research Group has already had some success persuading the government to ease back on inheritance tax for farmers. We speak to Noah Law MP and ask: will their campaign be successful this...
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Red diesel prices reach new highs, Land Use Framework, upland farmers shut out of schemes, and farmer fends off industry challenges
In this episode, red diesel prices reach new highs as the Iran War escalates. The government unveils it’s long-awaited Land Use Framework – and says farmland must be managed differently and some must come out of production. There's concern for upland farmers who face being shut out of two…
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Latest farm income figures, Natural England admits environmental payments aren’t delivering, and Nigel Farage under fire over chlorinated chicken
UK cereal farmers earn less than the minimum wage, according to the latest government figures. Why environmental payments aren’t delivering for growers and livestock producers. And Reform leader Nigel Farage is under fire after saying we shouldn’t worry about cheap imports of chlorinated chicken....
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Iran War: Impact on UK fertiliser, fuel & food security
As war spreads across the Middle East, we look at the implications for UK farmers – including the impact on fertiliser, fuel and food security. In a volatile market, we examine the latest information on prices and availability – and what you can do to secure vital farm inputs. Supply chains both…
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Revamped SFI payment rates, fly-tipping, NFU elections, & farm minister Angela Eagle
Just what is the government’s long-term plan for farm support? We’ve an exclusive interview with Defra farm minister Angela Eagle. We get to grips with the latest proposals for the revamped Sustainable Farming Incentive – how your business will be affected. A campaigning farmer hits out over lack...
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Big drop in farmland sales, £100m landscape recovery scheme, Red Tractor, winter bean warning, & storing winter rainfall
In this episode, we discuss the reasons behind a big drop in farmland sales – and it isn't all to do with inheritance tax. We join dozens of farmers who’ve teamed up to create the UK’s biggest ever landscape recovery project – worth £100m We've the latest on the Red Tractor farm assurance scheme;...
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How to farm profitably without subsidies, how to sell wheat for £660/tonne, harness the marketing power of social media, & farmer walks 150 miles to London for charity
In this episode, as concern grows about funding for the government's flagship agri-environment scheme, we look at ways to farm profitably without subsidies. Farmers who are doing just that share their secrets at the Norfolk Farming Conference and the BASE UK conference in Huntingdon. They include...
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Winter floods, drainage and soil health, Big Farmland Bird Count, closer UK-EU links and farming, & Mind Your Head week
As a wet winter sees leaves many fields under water, a special drainage scheme is delivering benefits for farmers and the environment. We pay a special visit to the Allerton Project at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust farm in Leicestershire. How a closer relationship with the EU could…
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Judge orders review of inheritance tax, beef & dairy licence to farm, cereal yields & YEN future
Did the government break its own rules when it imposed inheritance tax on farmers? The High Court orders an urgent two-day judicial review of the Chancellor’s plans to hit family-owned businesses with death duties. Beef and dairy producers could have to pay a licence to farm – we find out what...
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Farmers Weekly Question Time: AICC Agronomy Conference 2026
Welcome to this special episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast – the Farmers Weekly Question Time Event at the 2026 Association of Independent Crop Consultants Conference. Recorded in front of a live audience on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, farmers and other conference delegates quiz industry…
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Why farming needs better leaders, illegal meat imports, lamb welfare and tail-docking, & Society of Agriculture
In this episode, failure to test illegal meat imports could leave livestock farmers exposed to animal disease, say food safety experts. Sheep producers face a government clampdown on tail docking and lamb castration – how you can have your say on animal welfare. And why farming needs better...
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Doubts over net zero for farming, arable profits and independent agronomy, NFU leadership challenge, farmland market, and Women in Agriculture
In this episode, questions are raised over agriculture's Net Zero ambition after the NFU makes two climate change experts redundant. With cereal margins under pressure, can independent agronomists help make arable farming profitable again? Farm leader Tom Bradshaw faces a leadership challenge…
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Farmers Weekly Question Time: Oxford Farming Conference 2026
Welcome to this special episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast – the Farmers Weekly Question Time Event at the 2026 Oxford Farming Conference. Recorded in front of a live audience on Wednesday, 7 January 2026, farmers and other conference delegates quiz industry leaders on topical agricultural...
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Should we continue campaign against inheritance tax? Can the government win back farmers' trust? First details on relaunched Sustainable Farming Incentive, & New Year Honours for farming
Can the government really win back farmers' trust in 2026? Or is it a bridge too far? Defra secretary Emma Reynolds uses the Oxford Farming Conference to set out her vision for the relaunched Sustainable Farming Incentive. After the Treasury's partial climbdown on inheritance tax, should we...
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Inheritance tax special - what Christmas climbdown means for your farm business
In this special episode, we examine what the government's partial U-turn on inheritance tax means for your farm business. It follows the Treasury decision to water down plans to impose 20% inheritance tax on farm assets worth more than £1m. In a major concession the government has announced that…
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Farming Profitability Review: will it work? Interview with Minette Batters; How to forge your farming future - Oxford Farming Conference preview; farmers wanted to grow hazelnuts
In this episode, we get to grips with the long-awaited Farming Profitability Review and its 57 recommendations for government. Will it really make a difference? We've a special interview with review author Minette Batters. How you can forge a better future for your farm business – we preview the...
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Nightmare before Christmas: Battle to save biodiversity net gain, cross-resistance fungicide warning, UK-France lamb war, & Red Tractor reviews standards
In this episode, is the government about to backtrack on plans to pay farmers for creating and improving wildlife habitats. We report from the frontline on the battle to save biodiversity net gain. A warning for arable growers looking to use two key fungicides together – how to avoid...
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Should we be more upbeat about farming? New Landscape Recovery scheme, risk v reward – latest wheat varieties, rebel Labour MP suspended over IHT, and African swine fever hits Spanish pig exports
In this episode, experts voice concern at a get-out clause in government plans for a £500m Landscape Recovery scheme for farmers. We look at the opportunities for growers and livestock producers from Defra's Environmental Improvement Plan – and ask: is it fatally flawed? How much risk should you...
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Police face questions over banned London tractor protest, inheritance tax & what Budget means for your farm business, and National Fruit Show celebration
In this episode, Metropolitan Police chiefs face questions after banning protesting farmers from bringing tractors to London. As the government makes a small concession on plans to impose inheritance tax on farmers, we examine what the Budget means for your farm business. Budget analysis by…
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