The Farmers Weekly Podcast

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 on imported fertiliser – and what they could mean for farm businesses when the new rules take effect in January 2027.

New figures suggest the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) could initially cost considerably less than feared. But with fertiliser prices already rising, growers remain concerned about the longer-term implications.

We speak to Harriet Trewin of the Agricultural Industries Confederation about the likely impact on ammonium nitrate prices and what farmers should do ahead of the changes.

We also visit Parliament to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Voluntary Initiative, the industry-led scheme promoting responsible pesticide use.

Voluntary Initiative chairman David Bell explains why good stewardship is increasingly important as farmers face the loss of key crop protection products.

Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain discusses the importance of industry self-regulation and the need for government support.

Meanwhile, in Lincolnshire, farmer David Hoyles is bringing a taste of the Mediterranean to the Fens with what is believed to be Britain’s first commercial olive harvest.

After investing £1 million and planting 18,000 olive trees, he is producing premium English olive oil. We visit his farm near Spalding to discover how the venture is progressing.

Plus, our latest autumn drilling update with Bayer Crop Science examines the balance between delayed drilling, grassweed control and crop establishment.

We also bring you the latest UK livestock and arable commodity prices, discuss farmland bird populations and preview Farmers Weekly Live, taking place at Stoneleigh Park in July 2027.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is hosted by Johann Tasker, with Farmers Weekly deputy editor Abi Kay and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker.

This episode is brought to you by Bayer Crop Science – weeding out uncertainty.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction and this week’s headlines
00:56 – Fertiliser carbon tax: What will CBAM cost farmers?
01:28 – Harriet Truan, AIC: Latest estimates and fertiliser price implications
05:14 – Analysis: Carbon taxes, farm margins and global competition
10:34 – Autumn Drilling Update: Grassweed control with Bayer Crop Science
13:08 – The Voluntary Initiative celebrates 25 years
13:38 – David Bell: Responsible pesticide use and protecting active ingredients
17:21 – Wendy Chamberlain MP: Why industry self-regulation matters
19:37 – Analysis: Has the Voluntary Initiative been successful?
26:11 – Farmers Weekly Live: Plans for July 2027
28:40 – On the farm: Rainfall, cover crops and farmland bird populations
31:05 – Commodity markets: Latest livestock, grain and fuel prices
32:38 – Britain’s first commercial olive harvest gets underway
33:15 – David Hoyles: Growing olives and producing premium English olive oil
36:19 – Analysis: Could olive growing take off across Britain?
40:39 – Closing thoughts and next week’s podcast

Guests

Harriet Trewin – Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC).
David Bell – Chairman of the Voluntary Initiative and Scottish farmer.
Wendy Chamberlain MP – Liberal Democrat MP for North East Fife.
David Hoyles – Lincolnshire farmer and founder of the English Olive Company.

Useful links

Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC)
UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
The Voluntary Initiative
Farmers Weekly Live
English Olive Company
National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO)

To get in touch with the Farmers Weekly Podcast: -

Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/

Contact or follow Abi: linkedin.com/in/abi-kay-38927130

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.

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 fuel duty cut on red diesel, temporarily suspended tariffs on fertiliser and heating oil, and announced business rates relief that could benefit farm shops.

But with farm profitability under severe pressure, inheritance tax reforms unchanged and food production costs continuing to rise, industry leaders say the Budget offers little encouragement.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw warns that farmers feel abandoned by a government that repeatedly promises to make food security a national priority.

Country Land and Business Association president Gavin Lane says the Budget represents a missed opportunity to stimulate rural economic growth,

Meanwhile, agricultural accountant Sam Kirkham, partner and head of farms at Albert Goodman, urges farming businesses to keep a close watch on cash flow.

We also examine changes to biodiversity net gain, the outlook for food price inflation and the political calculations behind what some describe as a surprisingly benign Budget.

Could the Chancellor’s cautious approach even signal an early general election?

Hosted by Johann Tasker, with Hugh Broom and Louise Impey.

Guest speakers
Tom Bradshaw – President, National Farmers’ Union (NFU)
Gavin Lane – President, Country Land and Business Association (CLA)
Sam Kirkham – Partner and Head of Farms and Estates, Albert Goodman

Chapters
00:00 – Autumn Budget: What does it mean for farmers?
01:17 – Sam Kirkham: A Budget that fails to encourage investment
02:41 – Tom Bradshaw: Farmers feel abandoned
05:17 – Gavin Lane: A missed opportunity for rural growth
06:55 – Inheritance tax: Has the government closed the door?
09:41 – Food inflation and the cost of production
10:26 – Red diesel and fertiliser: Will tax relief make a difference?
12:01 – Rural energy costs: Who benefits from the Budget?
13:45 – Business rates: Welcome relief for farm diversification
15:31 – Biodiversity net gain: Has the market been undermined?
18:16 – Farm profitability and the future of food security
22:18 – What does the government want from the countryside?
24:05 – Practical advice: What should farmers do now?
25:54 – Hugh Broom and Louise Impey deliver their verdict
29:15 – Could a cautious Budget signal an early election?
31:12 – Can the government deliver growth while ignoring farming?
33:40 – Final verdict: A missed opportunity for agriculture

Useful links

- HM Treasury – Autumn 2026 Budgets Documents
- Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)
- National Farmers’ Union (NFU)
- Country Land and Business Association (CLA)
- Albert Goodman – Accountants and Business Advisers
- Farmers Weekly – Latest farming news and analysis

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is hosted by Johann Tasker, with 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.

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 unlock billions of pounds of private investment in UK agriculture.

CLA chief tax adviser Louise Speke explains why changes to inheritance tax and capital allowances could help farmers invest in machinery, buildings and reservoirs – without requiring major government spending.

We visit Lincolnshire potato grower Alex Godfrey, who explains how drought, soaring fuel costs and increasingly unpredictable weather are making potato production more challenging.

With irrigation and storage requiring substantial investment, growers want greater certainty over water supplies and future contracts.

Meanwhile, McCain’s latest FarmDex report highlights growing concerns about extreme weather, rising costs and government policy.

We also examine the government’s plans to encourage organic farming, the newly agreed sugar beet price for 2027-28 and the latest livestock, grain and fuel markets.

And Jeremy Clarkson and Cheerful Charlie Ireland make a surprise appearance at the Conservative Party conference, highlighting the financial pressures facing British farmers.

Plus, our autumn drilling update with Bayer Crop Science examines herbicide resistance and how growers can protect the effectiveness of weed control programmes.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: What farming needs from the autumn Budget
01:28 – Farm tax reform: NFU and CLA call for investment incentives
02:03 – Louise Speke: Inheritance tax and capital allowances
05:45 – Farm investment stalls amid policy uncertainty
11:08 – Food security and the case for government action
16:41 – Autumn drilling update: Herbicide resistance and Italian ryegrass
18:59 – Potato harvest: Drought, irrigation and rising production costs
22:31 – Why growers need better access to water
23:46 – Lessons from a challenging potato harvest
26:27 – McCain FarmDex: Farmers struggle with costs and uncertainty
29:24 – Farmers Weekly journalists celebrate industry awards
31:30 – Hedgehog decline: The debate over farming and badgers
34:29 – Organic farming: Government plans to expand production
37:58 – Sugar beet: New 2027-28 price agreement
40:40 – Markets: Beef, sheep, pigs, cereals and diesel
43:08 – Jeremy Clarkson and Cheerful Charlie at the Conservative Party conference
45:37 – Farming policy and the future of environmental regulation
49:12 – Conclusion: What next for British farming?

Special guests:

Louise Speke – Chief tax adviser, Country Land and Business Association.
Jenny Deakin – Bayer Crop Science.
Alex Godfrey – Potato grower, Lincolnshire.

Useful links:

National Farmers’ Union – Farming policy and campaigns
Country Land and Business Association – Taxation and rural business policy
HM Treasury – Government Budgets and financial statements
HMRC – Agricultural Property Relief
HMRC – Annual Investment Allowance
GB Potatoes – Potato industry information
AHDB – Agricultural market intelligence

This episode is brought to you by Bayer Crop Science – weeding out uncertainty.

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.

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 reducing diesel use could help manage the risk.

We also ask whether artificial intelligence could eventually replace your agronomist after Bedfordshire grower Andrew Robinson handed control of a winter wheat fungicide programme to AI.

Plus, we hear from some of the winners at the 2026 Farmers Weekly Awards, discuss the latest debate over rural Britain and farm policy, bring you our weekly market round-up, and unveil Farmers Weekly Live – a new farm business event coming to Stoneleigh Park in July 2027.

The episode also includes the Farmers Weekly Autumn Drilling Update, in association with Bayer Crop Science.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction
00:53 – Why diesel prices are soaring
03:59 – Should farmers buy diesel now or wait?
06:33 – What expensive diesel means for farming
14:10 – Autumn Drilling Update
17:02 – Can AI replace your agronomist?
19:05 – How AI could change agronomy
24:36 – This week in farming
27:37 – Rural Britain and Westminster
31:17 – Farming and the UK’s relationship with Europe
34:05 – Markets
36:38 – Farmers Weekly Live launches
43:01 – Podcast close

Guests

Patrick Crean – fuel procurement manager, AF Group
Jenny Deakin – Bayer Crop Science
Andrew Robinson – Bedfordshire arable farmer
Andrew Meredith – editor, Farmers Weekly
Dan Smith – managing director, Farmers Weekly
Presented by: Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

Useful links

Farmers Weekly Live – 6-7 July 2027, NAEC Stoneleigh
Details of the new event and registration of interest. 
⁠https://www.fwi.co.uk/sp/events/farmers-weekly-live

Red diesel price volatility hits autumn fieldwork
Farmers Weekly’s report on the sharp rise in fuel costs and the implications for autumn operations. 
⁠https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/red-diesel-price-volatility-hits-autumn-fieldwork

Farmers Weekly Awards 2026 winners
The full list of this year’s winners, including Farm Manager of the Year Will Jones and Environmental Champion Colin Chappell. 
⁠https://www.fwi.co.uk/sp/events/past-winners-2026

Alistair Leake – Lifetime Achievement Award
Farmers Weekly profile of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement winner. 
⁠https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/farmers-weekly-awards-2026-lifetime-achievement-winner

Bayer Crop Science – autumn grassweed management
Advice on blackgrass, Italian ryegrass and brome management in wheat. 
⁠https://cropscience.bayer.co.uk/insights/weed-management/weed-out-uncertainty

Alternator Met herbicide information
Bayer Crop Science information on autumn cereal weed control and application timings. 
⁠https://cropscience.bayer.co.uk/our-products/herbicides/alternator-met

Farmers Weekly – latest farming news, analysis and markets
⁠https://www.fwi.co.uk/

Contact the podcast: [email protected]
UK listeners can text FARM followed by their message to 88440.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 strips to wheat production following problems with his SFI application.

NFU vice-president Robyn Munt sets out what the union wants Defra to do next – including urgent clarity for farmers left without agreements and an earlier opening for SFI 2027.

Shadow farming minister Robbie Moore gives the Conservative response and argues that the government and Treasury must provide greater certainty over future funding.

And we visit the Allerton Project in Leicestershire, where a planned SFI agreement worth about £85,000 a year failed to get through.

Allerton head of sustainable farming Joe Stanley considers what the debacle means for environmental delivery – and whether private natural-capital markets can fill some of the funding gap.

Chapters

00:00 – SFI fallout: farmers start ploughing up environmental features
09:27 – Autumn drilling update: grassweed control with Bayer Crop Science
12:19 – NFU demands answers from Defra
25:41 – Political fallout from the SFI closure
37:18 – Markets: beef and sheep strengthen
39:42 – Allerton Project: £85,000 SFI shortfall
45:20 – What now for farm environmental policy?

Special Guests

Charles Anyan – Lincolnshire farmer
Robyn Munt – vice-president, National Farmers’ Union
Robbie Moore MP – shadow farming minister
Joe Stanley – head of sustainable farming, Allerton Project

Useful links

• Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 – scheme information
• Defra: SFI26 Window 2 update
• Defra: SFI26 Window 2 applications and statistics
• NFU: SFI scheme guidance and information
• Allerton Project

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.

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 submitting complete applications despite weeks of preparation – leaving some facing holes of more than £50,000 in their farm budgets.

Farm business consultant James Bush explains what went wrong, what farmers should do next and why Defra and the Rural Payments Agency need urgently to clarify what happens to those who missed out.

Podcast hosts Johan Tasker, Hugh Broom and Louise Impey discuss the wider fallout – including fears that farmers could abandon environmental measures if funding remains unavailable.

In this episode

00:00 – SFI funding exhausted in under six hours
The £233m budget disappears after applications open, leaving thousands of farmers without agreements.

00:52 – West Sussex farmers hit by application problems
Frans de Boer and Rupert Hoare describe unexplained compatibility errors, missing options and incomplete applications despite extensive preparation.

02:45 – £55,000 hole in a Cambridgeshire farm budget
Beef and arable farmer Peter Hatley explains how technical problems prevented his application and why losing expected SFI income could force major changes to his farming system.

04:14 – Dartmoor farmer loses £50,000 agreement
Matthew Cole describes spending hours preparing his upland application only for errors to prevent submission before the budget disappeared.

05:19 – Hugh and Louise react
Hugh Broom and Louise Impey discuss the stress, confusion and frustration surrounding the application window – and the consequences for farmers who missed out.

08:07 – Farm consultant James Bush: what went wrong?
James Bush, head of agriculture at GSC Grays, describes consultants preparing for a 24-hour application marathon – only to see the entire budget exhausted within six hours.

10:08 – What Defra needs to fix
Technical problems, mapping issues and the shortcomings of a highly compressed application window.

12:00 – What farmers should do next
James explains why land-use codes, land cover, digital mapping and contingency plans need to be checked ahead of any future application window.

13:07 – The particular problem facing upland farms
Why farmers in the uplands have fewer alternatives when environmental support disappears – and how one moorland agreement was left with a major funding shortfall.

15:04 – Don’t panic – but demand clarity
What farmers need to know about another SFI window and how SFI 2026 might interact with future schemes.

16:10 – Could environmental land go back into production?
Hugh warns that frustration with government schemes could encourage farmers to remove margins and other environmental measures.

19:38 – Budget, IT – and communication
Louise argues that Defra must either provide sufficient funding or redesign the scheme around the budget actually available.

21:03 – What happens next
The team looks ahead to Friday’s Farmers Weekly Podcast and further coverage of the SFI fallout.

Guests

Frans de Boer – West Sussex farmer
Rupert Hoare – West Sussex farmer
Peter Hatley – Cambridgeshire beef and arable farmer
Matthew Cole – Dartmoor farmer
James Bush – head of agriculture, GSC Grays

Useful links

• Farmers Weekly – latest Sustainable Farming Incentive news and analysis
• Defra – Sustainable Farming Incentive guidance
• Rural Payments Agency – SFI applications and scheme information
• GSC Grays – agricultural and farm business advice

This emergency 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.

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 farmers whose existing agreements prevent them joining this time around.

Sugar beet growers face another period of uncertainty after price negotiations between NFU Sugar and British Sugar break down. With the 2027/28 contract heading to arbitration, we ask whether the crop can continue to earn its place in the rotation.

After one of the earliest maize harvests on record, we examine maize quality, forage shortages and why regular silage analysis could prove particularly important this winter.

And former farm minister Daniel Zeichner gives an extraordinary account of life inside Defra – including his claim that he knew nothing about the government’s inheritance tax changes until after they were announced in the 2024 Budget.

This episode is brought to you by Bayer Crop Science – weeding out uncertainty.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction
01:09 – SFI26: will the money run out in 24 hours?
08:01 – SFI: preparing for the scramble
14:21 – Autumn drilling update: managing dry seedbeds
16:56 – Sugar beet price talks head to arbitration
20:50 – Does sugar beet have a future?
25:39 – Around the farming world
30:01 – Maize harvest: quantity versus quality
34:25 – Markets: livestock up, grain down and diesel jumps
36:46 – Daniel Zeichner: what really happened inside Defra?
44:20 – Abi Kay on an extraordinary interview

Special Guests

Chloe Timberlake – farm business adviser, Ceres Rural
Nick Scantlebury – senior farms manager, Elveden Estate
Neil Groom – maize specialist, Grainseed
Daniel Zeichner MP – former Defra farm minister
Abi Kay – Farmers Weekly chief reporter

Useful links

Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026
SFI26 Window 2 update
Sugar beet price arbitration
British Sugar’s Cantley plans
Bovine TB transmission research
Daniel Zeichner interview

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.

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 they were announced in the 2024 Budget.

He says he was then “dutifully dispatched to defend” the policy to furious farmers.

Mr Zeichner also admits that Labour was not sufficiently prepared for government when it was elected in July 2024.

He says he was unable to tell farmers the “full story” about problems with the government's flagship Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), which ran out of money in March 2025.

He also describes feeling “man-marked” by Treasury officials he had never met – and says the government should have foreseen the trouble its inheritance tax plans caused.

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 Abi: uk.linkedin.com/in/abi-kay-38927130

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.

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 rents during difficult years.

We also investigate the secret workshops helping farmers protect themselves against increasingly sophisticated rural crime.

Security specialist Frank Cannon explains why some crime-prevention advice is deliberately kept behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, pig producers face a difficult autumn after processors served notice on supply contracts.

Thousands of pigs could be left without a contracted buyer each week, accelerating the decline of independent production.

And finally, we head to the cinema for Derek vs Derek, a feature-length documentary following two neighbouring Devon farmers with very different ideas about the countryside: dairy farmer Derek Banbury and rewilder Derek Gow.

Derek vs Derek is directed by James Dawson and follows Derek Banbury and Derek Gow over three years. Its UK cinema release begins on 2 October 2026.

This episode is brought to you by Bayer Crop Science – weeding out uncertainty.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction
00:59 – Should tenant farmers demand rent cuts?
09:41 – Who should carry the pain in a bad year?
13:27 – Autumn drilling update with Bayer Crop Science
15:23 – Secret workshops tackle rural crime
18:11 – How farmers can make themselves harder targets
25:10 – Farming politics on the road
27:35 – Back British Farming Day
29:06 – Pig producers face contract crisis
33:43 – Markets: livestock, grain and fuel
36:09 – Derek vs Derek: farming meets rewilding
38:38 – Food production or nature – must farmers choose?
47:23 – Podcast wrap-up

Guests and useful links:

Richard King – partner, Andersons farm business consultants
Jeremy Moody – secretary and adviser, Central Association of Agricultural Valuers
Frank Cannon – chartered security professional, Rural SafeGuard
Alistair Driver – editor, Pig World

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.

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 continuing decline in cattle and sheep numbers, and run the rule over the latest livestock and arable markets.

And we discover why some of Britain’s biggest music names are heading to Suffolk for a harvest festival with a difference.

This episode is brought to you by Bayer Crop Science – weeding out uncertainty.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction
00:51 – River Wye: are farmers turning the tide on pollution?
10:18 – Bayer autumn drilling update: tackling weeds field by field
12:20 – Could gene-edited soya become a UK break crop?
21:51 – Farming news: El Niño, Asian hornets and SFI26
26:07 – Why are Britain’s beef and sheep herds shrinking?
32:21 – Markets: beef firms as grain prices rise
34:59 – A Great British Harvest Festival with a difference
42:13 – That’s all for this week

Guests

• Dan Smith – farm facilitator, Herefordshire Rural Hub
• Rachel Banks – technical manager, Bayer Crop Science
• Dr Frank Röber – Europe Breeding Alliances lead, Corteva Agriscience
• Philip Case – Farmers Weekly
• Prys Morgan – beef and lamb sector director, AHDB
• Andrew Sunnucks – farmer and music producer

Useful links

River Wye nutrient balance project
River Wye water quality – Environment Agency
SFI26 Window 2
AHDB Beef & Lamb
Bayer Crop Science
Great British Harvest Festival

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.