News in brief: August 2023

Just when it looked like combines, balers and mowers were going to get a clear run at the fields, along came the rain. At the time of writing, landowners with crops to harvest are grabbing what they can in between showers, wondering when the summer weather is going to finally arrive. There’s plenty of news to catch up on in the meantime. Here are a few stories that have caught our eye this month.   

 

Weather causes stop-start harvest

Spare a thought for arable farmers, who are being forced to contend with heavy rain following weeks of high temperatures. Farmers up and down the country are navigating a stop-start harvest and progress is falling behind the previous five-year average, according to AHDB. Recent analysis shows that the cost of grain drying will impact gross margins of arable crops, which is bad news for farmers who are also contending with feed wheat prices bobbing below £200/tonne, and a continuation of high input costs. “Ultimately, we cannot help the weather this harvest, and if it rains, it rains,” says Anthony Speight, AHDB Senior Analyst (Cereals & Oilseeds). “However, what this analysis does show is that if there is chance to wait for your grain to naturally dry somewhat in the field, it may pay dividend in the end and lower input costs. Likewise, if you do use a continuous flow drying system or mobile dryers, it may be worth looking at the fuel you use to power them, with kerosene, currently working out cheaper than gas oil/red diesel.” 

Cost of rural crime up by nearly a quarter

Rural crime cost the UK an estimated £49.5m last year, according to NFU Mutual’s annual rural crime survey. A significant increase from £40.5m the previous year, crimes such as theft of GPS equipment have risen dramatically, costing the UK £1.8m in 2022 and the crime doubling in the first four months of 2023 alone. Quad and ATV thefts were up by 34% and the value of livestock theft rose 8.7% to £2.7m. “Over the past 18 months highly organised gangs of criminals have continued to plague the British countryside,” says the NFU’s Vice President, David Exwood. “The huge increase we’ve seen in criminal activity is significantly impacting farm businesses and farming families both financially and emotionally, with many rural communities left feeling vulnerable and intimidated. All at a time when the industry is facing numerous other pressures, not least soaring production costs."

Reports of food insecurity ‘shocking’

 EFRA published its Food Security Report in July, revealing that the number of households experiencing food insecurity was currently higher than during the pandemic. The report also highlighted that just over half the food eaten by the British public is grown in the UK and one fifth of households experienced severe or moderate food insecurity in January 2023. Two issues are identified as being particular challenges to the UK’s food supply: fertiliser production and carbon dioxide availability, and labour shortages. “At such a tricky time for many UK households, the report addresses much of the inflationary pressures experienced by both families and farmers and growers,” says NFU President Minette Batters. “Everyone should have access to affordable, quality, sustainable food and British farmers and growers need the support of government to have the confidence to continue producing. The report’s findings that only 54% of the food eaten in the UK being grown here is shocking and it is concerning that this number could decrease further if British food and farming isn’t valued.” 

Groundbreaking study of ‘nature-friendly farming' launched 

A project has been set up to help build a picture of the current state of farmland habitats and soil conditions across England. Funded by Defra and Natural England, the England Ecosystem Project is being rolled out by Fera with the support of 15 organisations. The data collected will show how farmers are helping to achieve the UK's 2050 net zero goal, and highlight untapped opportunities. Martin Worsley, natural capital researcher at Fera, said: "Our aim is to quantify the living aspect of soils across every type of farmland habitat, from upland livestock farms in the Scottish borders to horticulture and arable farms down in Kent. Creating this baseline will help us to track important metrics, such as soil carbon and nutrient levels, over time to show where farmers are helping to move the dial with environmental protection.” 

‘Energy injustice’ inhibiting net zero progress 

Experts have warned that one of the central challenges faced by the rural economy is solving the ‘energy injustice’ currently being felt by farming businesses. Restrictions holding back farmers from investing in small renewable energy projects need to be removed, said a panel of experts brought together by the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) at the Royal Welsh Show. On-farm investment into renewable energy has slowed down dramatically following the removal of feed-in tariffs in 2019, planning restrictions and a lack of grid capacity. Dewi Owen, FUW Diversification Committee Chair, says: “Our reliance on and exposure to global fossil fuel markets has been laid bare over recent years. Vast amounts of renewable energy are produced on Welsh farmland, but we have only tapped into a fraction of what is possible. We need to ensure that barriers are removed and incentives restored in order to boost agriculture’s contribution to future energy targets.”