Industry
One in seven English farm holdings has disappeared since 2005
English farm holdings have fallen by 36,000 since 2005, a drop of 14.6%, while the total area of land being farmed has barely changed.
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.
Industry
Should you sell your straw to the building trade? The 2026 numbers
Should you sell your straw to the building trade? I checked every UK buyer: no straw-panel factory, no published construction price, and bedding wheat straw pays £75/t.
Industry
Sainsbury’s salad growers deal: why 10-year UK contracts matter
Sainsbury's salad growers Thanet Earth and Evesham Vale have signed 10-year supply deals. Why contract length matters more than volume.
Crops
Bristol Fruit Market 2026: A Working Grower’s Guide to St Philip’s
A working grower's guide to Bristol Wholesale Market at St Philip's in 2026: hours, salesman commission, South West and Welsh buyer mix, entry costs.
Crops
Glasgow Blochairn Wholesale Market 2026: A Working Grower’s Guide
A working grower's guide to Glasgow Blochairn Wholesale Market in 2026: hours, salesman commission, Scottish buyer mix, delivery routes and entry costs.
Crops
Manchester New Smithfield Market 2026: A Working Grower’s Guide to Openshaw
A working grower's guide to Manchester New Smithfield Market in Openshaw, 2026: hours, salesman commission, buyer mix, delivery, entry costs.
Crops
Western International Market 2026: A Working Grower’s Guide to Southall
A working grower's guide to Western International Market Southall in 2026: 75 wholesalers, ethnic and exotic produce trade, commission, entry costs.
Industry
UK Harvest 2026 Yields: Wheat, Barley, OSR and Oats
Harvest 2026 yields tracked crop by crop: early results for wheat, barley, oilseed rape and oats against 2025 averages, and when official figures land.
Crops
New Spitalfields Market 2026: A Working Grower’s Guide to Leyton
A working grower's guide to New Spitalfields Market Leyton in 2026: hours, salesman commission, sale or return, entry costs and gotchas.
Industry
British brassica growers launch supermarket league table to shame retailers
The Brassica Growers Association will rank UK supermarkets monthly on how much British produce they stock, after a 2025 season that saw crops ploughed in.
