The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

1. 1
   Number 1: 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 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.

   September 04, 2026·44min
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2. 2
   Number 2: £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 package 01:52 – SFI flexibility in extreme drought 06:33 – What does the £65m package actually offer? 10:40 – Extra grazing for livestock farmers 13:07 – Can farmers rely on SFI long term? 15:51 – Farmers Weekly Harvest Update with KWS 18:04 – When should growers start autumn drilling? 23:17 – Blackgrass, herbicides and dry seedbeds 26:06 – Should growers risk drilling oilseed rape? 28:37 – Livestock forage crisis deepens 29:57 – Drought threatens fertility and production 32:18 – Sheep, forage and winter feed stocks 5:23 – Listener feedback and farming resilience 36:34 – Farmers battle South Wales wildfires 39:29 – Grain prices react to Black Sea attacks 40:26 – This week’s farmgate prices 42:56 – Three old men in boats 44:37 – 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.

   August 15, 2026·50min
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3. 3
   Number 3: 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 prospects for the coming sugar beet harvest after drought, heat and pest pressure take their toll on crops. And farm leaders call for tougher controls on Brazilian beef and imported eggs as questions mount over whether food coming into Britain meets the same standards expected of UK producers. Meanwhile, fertiliser suppliers urge growers to start talking about next season’s requirements as geopolitical disruption threatens to disrupt another buying season. And finally, a police watchdog says firearms licensing in England and Wales is “not fit for purpose”. What would a new national licensing authority mean for the thousands of farmers and other rural businesses that rely on shotguns and firearms for their work? This episode is brought to you by KWS – seeding the future since 1856. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 00:53 – How much rain is enough to drill oilseed rape? 02:24 – How late is too late for oilseed rape? 03:21 – Drilling into exceptionally dry seed-beds 04:01 – Should growers increase seed rates? 05:07 – Has this week’s rain changed anything? 07:14 – Grass, cover crops and an exceptionally early maize harvest 08:21 – What happened to cabbage stem flea beetle? 09:24 – Farmers Weekly Harvest Update with KWS 11:45 – How badly has drought hit sugar beet? 14:02 – Beet armyworm adds to pest pressure 15:01 – Building more resilient sugar beet crops 16:05 – Can plant breeding deliver drought tolerance? 16:52 – What are growers expecting from harvest? 19:29 – A difficult lifting campaign ahead? 20:49 – Calls to stop Brazilian beef imports 21:11 – Imported eggs and the salmonella outbreak 22:53 – Farmers urged to plan fertiliser requirements early 24:17 – Geopolitics puts fertiliser supply chains under pressure 25:01 – But what about farm cash flow? 26:17 – Can the supply chain cope with another late rush? 28:59 – Markets update 29:20 – Firearms licensing ‘not fit for purpose’ 30:25 – Farmers’ experience of firearms licensing 31:26 – Would a national firearms authority work better? 32:18 – Closing remarks Guests Jock Willmott – partner and agronomist, Ceres Rural Matt Bull – product manager, KWS Dr Georgina Barratt – head of crop production, British Beet Research Organisation Harriet Trewin – head of fertiliser, Agricultural Industries Confederation Lee Freeman – HM inspector of constabulary Useful links ⁠Ceres Rural ⁠British Beet Research Organisation ⁠Agricultural Industries Confederation Latest UKHSA salmonella outbreak update Government firearms licensing guidance 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.

   August 28, 2026·46min
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4. 4
   Number 4: 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 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.

   September 18, 2026·52min
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5. 5
   Number 5: 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 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.

   September 15, 2026·49min
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