Dairy farmers in the Netherlands say they face being driven out of business after being told to slash greenhouse gas emissions.

It follows calls by the Hague government for a 50% cut in nitrogen emissions by 2030 – a target that has seen farmers take to the streets in protest.

One of the world's most densely populated countries, the Netherlands is home to some 16,000 dairy farmers milking some 1.57 million cows.

Dairy farmer Herman Miedema milks 175 cows across some 100ha of grass and maize silage in Friesland province – the Dutch dairy capital.

Mr Miedema is one of the lucky ones. Under the Dutch system, he still has his licence to farm. But the permits of 3000 other farmers have been declared invalid.

Those 3000 farmers find themselves in a “nitrogen crisis”.

The banks won't lend them money to invest in their businesses. But they can't sell-up either – because no-one want to buy a farm with an invalid permit.

In this episode, we find out what is happening, some possible solutions, and what lessons farmers and consumers can learn from the Dutch experience.

Written, recorded and produced by Johann Tasker for Farmers Weekly. Contact:  [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 (0)7967 634971.

Before making any changes to the way you farm, it's important to ask: is your farm business financially robust?

Stress testing and financial modelling are valuable tools in identifying overall farm business vulnerabilities and finding answers to all your “what-ifs”.

Measuring how vulnerable you are to changes in interest rates, market price fluctuations, inflation and rising input costs could make the difference between success and failure.

In this Transition Podcast, we look at:

• How are all these factors influencing your farm’s working capital?
• What changes should be implemented to make your farm more resilient?
• Financial modelling: Why and how should you do it?
• How are gearing rates, borrowing, assets and liabilities affecting your business?

Our panellists are Jeff Claydon, of Claydon Drills; Tim Coates of Oxbury Bank; Tom of the Environment Bank; and William Foyle of Hutchinsons.

This episode of Transition Agriculture is hosted by Hugh Broom and recorded on 8 December 2022.

In this episode, we are discussing food security – and the need to balance profitable food production with care for the environment.

Agriculture faces a defining decade – with farmers expected to do much more than simply produce safe, affordable and nutritious food. 

Growers and livestock producers are increasingly required to provide environmental benefits too – as well as helping to mitigate climate change.

Discussing ways we can get this balance right are three special guests:

• Carl Atkin, chairman of the Institute of Agricultural Management
• Emily Norton, head of rural research at Savills
• Phil Jarvis, chairman of farming and the environment at Albanwise Farming

The Farmers Weekly Transition project is working to secure a more sustainable future for UK farm businesses.

For details, visit www.fwi.co.uk/transition.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Transition Agriculture Podcast is hosted by Johann Tasker. Recorded on Monday, 24 October 2022.

Carbon is set to become an increasingly important revenue stream for farmers over the coming years.

Whether it being paid to off-set carbon emissions on behalf of somebody else or reducing  your own on-farm emissions, the possibilities seem endless.

But it is a fledging market and it can be confusing – and often daunting

So how do you make money from carbon – what are the opportunities and how do you avoid the pitfalls?

To answer these questions and more, we are  joined by four experts:

• Emily Norton is head of rural research, energy & projects at farm business consultants and land agency Savills
• Rory Geldard is commercial manager for NRM, part of Cawood, the independent soil  testing laboratory
• David McCulloch is head of CarbonStore at forestry management company Tilhill 
• Juan Palomares, managing director for Trinity Natural Capital Markets 

Transition Agriculture is the Farmers Weekly podcast for farmers seeking to secure a more sustainable future for their farm business.

This episode is hosted by Johann Tasker. For more details about the Farmers Weekly Transition, visit fwi.co.uk/transition.

In this episode, we discover how technology can increase farm profitability by reducing input costs while driving down greenhouse gas emissions.

We look at a number of options for arable farmers when it comes to establishing, managing and harvesting combinable crops and maize.

We examine how strip tillage systems can get crops off to a good start by using precision planting alongside injected slurry as an alternative nutrient source.

In terms of crop protection, we investigate the benefits of mechanical weeding as an alternative to chemical herbicides – and find out whether it is cost effective.

Where herbicides are deemed necessary, we look at how spot spraying can reduce their application on weed-free parts of the field.

We also find out how real-time monitoring of grain protein content while wheat crops are harvested can be used to optimise nitrogen fertiliser applications.

And we look at developments in tractor technology which are helping to reduce soil compaction and reliance on fossil fuels.

This episode was recorded during a sustainability day hosted by machinery manufacturer John Deere on a farm near Magdeburg, Germany.

Huge increases in farm input costs pose a massive challenge to UK growers and livestock producers, piling pressure on business cashflows.

Eye-watering levels of AgInflation have seen fuel costs more than double in recent months, with fertiliser prices more than trebling.

Commodity prices too have spiked on the back of global weather concerns and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, one of the world's major grain exporters.

With harvest 2022 approaching in the UK, this episode of the Transition Agriculture podcast examines ways farmers can best adapt to market volatility.

We speak to growers, farm business advisors and agricultural bankers – and find out how farmers can ensure their businesses have access to cash.

We look at the best way to purchase farm inputs, such as feed, fuel and fertiliser – and the options when making major purchases, such as farm machinery.

It comes as farmers face major changes in farm policy, including the phase-out of the basic payment scheme in England, and challenges such as climate change.

Farmers in England can access business support during the early years of the agricultural transition by visiting Defra's Future Farming Resilience Fund.

This episode recorded during a farm seminar held by Oxbury Bank and Ceres Rural on Thursday, 19 May 2022, at Braxted Park, Essex.

This episode hosted by Farmers Weekly Transition editor Johann Tasker. For more details about the Farmers Weekly Transition project, visit www.fwi.co.uk/transition.

Transition Farmers Rachel and Richard Risdon run a grass-based herd of 300 Friesian cross Jersey  dairy cows at Bramford Speke, near Exeter, Devon.

The herd is rotationally grazed and yield about 4,900 litres and 452kg of milk solids from about 650kg of concentrate.

Grass is topped up with cake when necessary, focusing on having cows out grazing from calving in February until late November.

The couple have three main goals: reducing their carbon footprint, understanding new agri-environment schemes, and recruiting good staff.

For more about the Farmers Weekly Transition project, visit www.fwi.co.uk/transition.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Transition Agriculture podcast is hosted by Hugh Broom.

Beef and sheep producer James MacCartney farms near Oakham in Rutland – in the East Midlands of England.

It's a 160ha grass-based farm – about 400 acres – and in his quest to become more sustainable, James says he has three key goals:

Improving the grassland, gaining disease free status for his sheep flock – and reducing his carbon footprint so he is better than net zero.

In this episode, we look at the challenges James faces as he strives to meet his goals – and how he hopes to overcome them.

Presented by Johann Tasker with James MacCartney, Ben Wixey of Germinal, beef and sheep consultant Liz Genever and Rebecca Davenport of Rutland Veterinary Centre.

UK farmers stand on the cusp of a new agricultural revolution.

Food production is their primary role.  But the need to do so sustainably has never been more important.

From a focus on all-out production, there is an increasing emphasis on farming in a way that improves the environment too.

Working to improve soil health, water and the air we breathe. Enhancing biodiversity. Combating climate change.

Many farmers are already refocusing their businesses to ensure they remain financially viable and thrive while looking after the environment.

From Farmers Weekly, this podcast explores their journey – and how farmers are working to secure a sustainable future for their farm business.