Industry
Straw Prices 2026: Wheat Straw £74/t as Bedding Gets Cheaper
Wheat straw is averaging £74/t ex-farm, £7 down on last year, after English wheat straw production rose 24% to 3.2m tonnes. What it means for buyers and…
From the fields and beyond
UK farming news
What’s moving in UK farming this week — DEFRA announcements, market shifts, technology rollouts and the trade decisions that hit the gate price. Coverage from outside the press release: policy detail and on-farm consequences side by side, written by Suffolk grower Tim Harfield.
News
Filling Farm Reservoirs in October: What the EA’s RPS 382 Allows
The Environment Agency's RPS 382 lets licence holders fill irrigation reservoirs outside their licensed period from 1 to 31 October 2026. Here's who qualifies, the conditions, and…
Crops
What supermarkets, processors and foodservice buyers require from fresh produce growers
What Tesco and other supermarkets, processing factories and foodservice wholesalers check before they buy from a grower: assurance, audits, specifications, Brix and labelling.
Crops
Which Route to Market for Your Crop? A Working Grower’s Guide to the Five Channels That Move UK Fresh Produce in 2026
A working grower's comparison of the five UK routes to market for fresh produce: wholesale markets, supermarket contracts, foodservice, direct sales and box schemes, with prices, payment…
News
East Anglia Abstraction Restrictions: Winter Reservoir Refill Is Now the Risk
The EA's 25 September drought update: abstraction restrictions up to 533, Section 57 in East Anglia until 31 October, and farm reservoirs at 0–20%.
Farming Grants
SFI26 Window 2 Applications: 72% Came From Farms Whose Agreements Are Ending
Defra's SFI26 Window 2 figures: 12,200 applications, 72% from farms with agreements ending by February 2027 and about 10% from newcomers. What it means.
Industry
Irrigation and Wash Water Testing for Salad Growers: A UK Guide
What UK salad growers must test, how to treat irrigation and wash water, and the Red Tractor, abstraction and private water supply rules that apply.
Grants
Delinked Payments 2026: When You Get Paid and Why the Maximum Is £600
Delinked payments 2026 are capped at £600 for every English farm. Here is how the 98% reduction works, when the RPA pays, and what 2027 leaves behind.
News
PM Pledges £65m Drought Package as July Driest on Record
The Prime Minister has announced a £65 million support package for English farmers hit by the worst July drought since records began, with cash for water.
Industry
Bluetongue surge sparks ‘buyer beware’ warning ahead of sheep sales
Sheep farmers heading into the busiest trading window of the year have been told to treat every purchase as a potential disease risk.
