Machinery
Robot revolution hits the fields as £20 million funding announced
Farmers are being promised a wave of new labour-saving technology after Defra and Innovate UK opened a £20 million competition on Monday 3 August aimed at.
From the fields and beyond
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Stories, practical guides and a working farmer’s view.
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.
Livestock
Swaledale Sheep: Yorkshire Dales Hill Breed and the Mule Ewe
Swaledale sheep are the horned, white-muzzled hill breed of the Yorkshire Dales and northern Pennines, and the dam of the North of England Mule. Swaledale sheep in…
Industry
Red Diesel Prices UK 2026: What a Litre Costs and the Duty Cut Running to December
Facts last checked against primary sources: 21 October 2026. Tim’s take: Fuel is the input cost nobody budgets honestly, because nobody knows where it will be by…
Livestock
Blackface Sheep: The UK’s Most Numerous Breed and Why the Hills Run on It
Tim’s take: Stand on any Scottish hill road long enough and the sheep that walks out in front of the car will be a Blackface. No breed…
Livestock
Orf in Sheep and Lambs: Symptoms, Treatment, Vaccination and Protecting Yourself
Orf (contagious pustular dermatitis, or “scabby mouth”) is a contagious viral skin disease of sheep and goats, caused by a pox virus that survives for months in…
Arable
UK Wheat Prices 2026: Feed Wheat, Milling Premiums and What Moves the Market
Last updated: 20 October 2026. Facts last checked against primary sources: 21 October 2026. The price table and the market analysis cover AHDB figures for the week…
Livestock
Sheep Breeding in the UK: Tupping Dates, Ewe Lambs and Ram Ratios
Tim’s take: Sheep breeding decisions get made in August and paid for in March. The ram going in this autumn sets next spring’s lambing percentage, the labour…
Livestock
Cattle Gestation Calculator: Calving Dates for UK Herds
Use this cattle gestation calculator to turn any service date into an expected calving date, then plan the scour vaccination window around it.
Industry
How Much Does a Cow Cost in the UK? (2026 Prices)
Current GB deadweight values turned into per-head money, why there is no public national price for store and breeding cattle any more, and the CPH number and…
Industry
How Much Does a Sheep Cost in the UK? (2026 Prices)
Live per-head figures from the October 2026 trade, the arithmetic behind a finished lamb's value, why breeding ewes have no national price, and the CPH registration you…
News
More Than 700 Scottish Farms to Share £14.25 Million in New Grant Funding
Grants of up to £20,000 per business will be available regardless of holding size, with at least 725 operations expected to benefit.
