Ahdb Cereals & Oilseeds

Milking cows and dry cows have very different requirements from their diet. What might be high quality silage for one animal is another’s poison! As forage makes up the major part of a cow's ration it is vital that silages are made with the end use in mind, and targeted to the dietary requirements of the group. Planning a silage strategy starts well before the mower comes out of the shed. Sward type, slurry and fertiliser applications, and timing of mowing are all vital in producing optimum silage quality that meets the requirements of the specific stock on your farm. In this episode, Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager David Ball is joined by Matt Jackson from Penllech Bach in Wales, part of our strategic dairy farm programme, and Dave Davies from Silage Solutions, to find out how the two have been working together to ensure Matt is optimising forage quality for his dry cows. Find more tools and resources on silage Follow Penllech Bach's strategic farm journey Feedback We'd love to know what you think o

“The next generation has always been and will be better than the previous one. If it is not, then the world would not be moving forward” – Kapil Dev, former captain of the Indian National Cricket team. This is a concept not limited to the world of cricket. Building on your herd foundations from generation to generation is key to the success of a livestock farming enterprise. The selection and breeding decisions you make each year will influence the next generation of your herd. In this episode, AHDB’s Senior Beef Breeding and Genetics Manager Alex Brown speaks to suckler farmer Sam Awdry, and his farm vet James Ryder about breeding heifers, including selection of heifers based on farm recording and pre-breeding checks, and how he chooses the bulls to use on them. Sam previously ran a semi-flying herd with a mixture of homebred cattle and dairy-bred replacements but has been working hard to reduce their reliance on bought in stock, to avoid disease and increase efficiency. This episode of the AHDB Foo

Trade is crucial for the UK’s domestic and global prosperity. This means delivering an ambitious set of Free Trade Agreements and removing market access barriers.  In this episode of AHDB’s Food & Farming podcast, hosted by John Bates, AHDB’s Dr Phil Hadley and Karen Morgan from the Department for International Trade (DIT) explain what it takes to open new markets and how they go about strengthening alliances with like-minded trade partners around the globe. Karen also talks about the importance of collaborative working and the value the department gets from the data and market analysis work done by AHDB on behalf of levy payers. Find out more about AHDB’s export work. Harnessing consumer buying behaviour for British exports. Find out more about the DIT. Feedback We'd love to know what you think of our podcasts. If you’d like to give your feedback, please complete our short questionnaire, which will help us to improve the podcast on an ongoing basis, or email: foodandfarming@ahdb.org.uk.   

This Food & Farming podcast episode is part one of two episodes which follows the journey of Beef & Lamb Strategic Farmer Chris Elkington and independent consultant Dr Liz Genever as they look into reducing inputs (such as fertiliser) and understanding what soil tests are telling us. The condition of soil on livestock farms directly influences the yield and quality of grass and forage crops, as well as animal performance and profitability. Over the two episodes Liz will speak to three industry specialists in order to formulate an action plan to run a trial on Chris’s farm.  Chris is a sheep farmer from Lincolnshire and Liz has been working as Chris’s consultant for the past two years as part of the AHDB Strategic Farm programme. The dry weather and low moisture levels have limited grass growth this spring and soil tests have highlighted low phosphate (P) levels and low potassium (K).  Liz is also joined on the podcast by Elizabeth Stockdale from NIAB. Elizabeth collected soil samples from Chris’s fa

Join this Food and Farming podcast with AHDB's Will Jackson and NFU President Minette Batters to find out more about the next steps for voting on AHDB's Shape the Future. You’ll get to have your say on the challenges you want AHDB to focus on and the services we will deliver for you in the future. It’s your chance to influence how your levy is spent on the things that matter to you most. The sector councils have identified some key priorities they think are important to the industry and we want you to tell us how much you agree. For more information visit Shape the Future

British food products remain relatively niche in export markets and more needs to be done to highlight the positive attributes of pork from the UK. These findings come from new research from our consumer insight team, which explored consumer buying behaviour across three continents to provide valuable insight into where British produce fits into these markets. In this episode, John Bates speaks to guests Steve Evans, AHDB’s senior consumer insight manager, and Dr Phil Hadley, Director of International Market Development, about this research and the purchase drivers of shoppers in 17 different markets across Europe, North America and South East Asia. Find out more What motivates consumers around the world to buy British pork? Harnessing consumer buying behaviour for British exports  UK secures market access to Chile for pork sector   Chilean market opens to UK pork exports - GOV.UK Get in touch If you want to find out more about this research or any of our consumer insight or export activity, get in

This special podcast celebrates all things beef and is in support of the 12th Great British Beef Week, which will take place this year from 23 April. Farmers, processors, supermarkets, butchers, farm shops, pubs and restaurants are uniting to celebrate the beef produced in the UK.  St Georges day begins a week of celebrations known as Great British Beef Week (GBBW). This podcast focuses on the great quality and the excellent environmental credentials of beef produced in the UK.  John Bates is joined on the podcast by Minette Batters, NFU president and co-founder of GBBW, and beef farmers David and Churi Barton who are united in their support for quality beef. To join the fun or for more information visit www.ladiesinbeef.org.uk.   The podcast was produced by Gemma Pamment and hosted by John Bates. Feedback We'd love to know what you think of our podcasts. If you’d like to give your feedback, please complete our short questionnaire, which will help us to improve the podcast on an ongoing basis, or e

As we embark on another year of output from our growing network of strategic farms, Jane Craigie takes some time to speak to Suffolk farmer, Brian Barker, the first ever AHDB strategic cereal farm. This episode discusses the journey and successes so far, creating that blueprint for future farms and what’s left to do.

In this AHDB Food and Farming podcast John Bates speaks to AHDB analyst Vikki Campbell as she has been looking closely at the  situation in Ukraine and what it means for markets expecting wheat and other food stuffs to be shipped. The big picture here is the dependency of one part of the globe has on another.  Here at home, we see food security rising the political agenda as  fuel and energy prices climb, fertilizer rocketing in cost and  uncertainty about the grain which is ready to be exported to world markets from  Ukraine but in the present circumstances that now seems unlikely.  Also, crucially will Ukraine’s farmers have the opportunity to get next season’s crops even sown.  This podcast was hosted by John Bates produced by Gemma Pamment. Links: Market Impact of Ukraine conflict Spring Grain Market Outlook Nitrogen Fertiliser adjustment calculator Cost benefit calculator Cereals & Oilseeds markets Cereals & Oilseeds market analysis

With the UK Government’s plan to replace Single Farm Payments with new Sustainable Farming Incentives, the environment will become central to all farms over the next few years. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to make the environment a primary focus area within your business plan. In this episode James Hague, Knowledge Exchange Manager for AHDB Dairy, is joined by Ruari Martin, Farm Director at Myerscough College in Lancashire, part of our strategic dairy farm programme. Ruari discusses how he’s working to improve his soil health to produce as much energy and protein as possible for feed, but also encourage carbon sequestration. Learn more about improving your soil health Follow Myerscough College's strategic farm journey Feedback We'd love to know what you think of our podcasts. If you’d like to give your feedback, please complete our short questionnaire, which will help us to improve the podcast on an ongoing basis, or email: foodandfarming@ahdb.org.uk.    This episode was produced and edited by Kat

Pork: Effective management of feed on farm Feed is not straightforward and accounts for a huge percentage of the costs of rearing livestock, of which farmers have little or no control. In this pork-focused edition of AHDB’s Food and Farming podcast, Vikki Campbell, Senior Market Specialist Manager (Arable) AHDB, Carol Davis, Lead Analyst - Farm Economics AHDB, Dr Phil Baynes, Managing Director Baynes Nutrition Ltd., and Patrick Loten, Knowledge Exchange Manager (South and Central) Pork AHDB chat with host John Bates about effective ways to manage feed. They discuss facts on the impact of the war in Ukraine on feed, price volatility, practical ways to improve feed efficiency and on-farm storage and so much more. Levy payers are at the heart of everything we do, so it’s only right that we give you a greater voice in how we spend your levy. Find out how your levy is invested and how it makes a difference to your business and the industry.  In April 2022, you’ll get to have your say on the challenge

In this AHDB Food and Farming podcast AHDB’s Emma Steele, Knowledge Exchange Manager, chats to beef and arable farmer, James Herrick who farms 450 acres in Leicestershire. They have a discussion around James’ grazing story and how he went from a traditional stocked farm to rotational grazing. James gives honest advice on how he started his rotational grazing journey and the benefits of grazing your livestock in this way. For more info on Grassland management: AHDB Grass Forage for Knowledge Rotational grazing with Leicestershire farmer James Herrick YouTube channel with James Shape the future of farming Levy payers are at the heart of everything we do, so it’s only right that we give you a greater voice in how we spend your levy. Find out how your levy is invested and how it makes a difference to your business and the industry.  In April 2022, you’ll get to have your say on the challenges you want AHDB to focus on and the services we will deliver for you in the future. It’s your chance to influence how

This AHDB Food and Farming podcast follows part of a visit that The British Embassy in Washington recently undertook, as part of a four-day agriculture trade mission to the UK. The delegation of US officials visited the UK, to understand more about UK food and farming in all its glory. AHDB's John Bates tagged along for part of the programme when the delegation visited two livestock farms in Gloucestershire, and he got to ask our American friends some questions. We also hear from beef farmer, David Barton and sheep farmer, Richard Gale, both in Gloucestershire. AHDB's Phil Hadley also summarises the benefits of trade missions with other countries and why it's important for AHDB to be facilitating discussions.   The purpose of the visit was to demonstrate UK food and drink sector, and our sectors, given our current access status for beef and pork (export value £11m and £24M respectively in 2021) and the new opportunity for lamb. While of course the UK wants to showcase our quality products, the US deleg

In this episode John Bates is joined by Tim Rycroft, AHDB’s chief executive, to answer some questions sent in by levy payers around Shape the Future. Tim also talks about his first six months in the job and how the next six months are shaping up.  Shape the future of farming Levy payers are at the heart of everything we do, so it’s only right that we give you a greater voice in how we spend your levy. Find out how your levy is invested and how it makes a difference to your business and the industry.  In April 2022, you’ll get to have your say on the challenges you want AHDB to focus on and the services we will deliver for you in the future. It’s your chance to influence how your levy is spent on the things that matter to you most. Register before 31 March 2022 to have your say. Feedback We'd love to know what you think of our podcasts. If you’d like to give your feedback, please complete our short questionnaire, which will help us to improve the podcast on an ongoing basis, or email: foodandfarming@ahdb.

The Environment Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee is the topic for this podcast. As a levy payer the work of the EFRA committee is relevant and so too, is the liaison AHDB does on your behalf to inform discussions and decisions made by the committee. Select committees are an important part of examining the work of government. Put simply they check and report on areas of government departments such as spending, policies and administration. John Bates speaks to the chair of the EFRA committee MP, Neil Parish and to AHDB’s Sarah Baker both have got a tale to tell albeit from different sides of the table. Shape the future of farming Levy payers are at the heart of everything we do, so it’s only right that we give you a greater voice in how we spend your levy. Find out how your levy is invested and how it makes a difference to your business and the industry.  In April 2022, you’ll get to have your say on the challenges you want AHDB to focus on and the services we will deliver for you in the future. It

It feels like dairy farmers move from one challenge to another, with few periods of stability in between. Currently high input costs are challenging margins, and while milk prices have moved up to help offset them to a degree, periods of tight margins occur on a regular basis.   On top of that, the industry is being faced with increased scrutiny and pressure to justify its environmental credentials and about to embark on the biggest adjustment to agricultural policy in a generation. So, with all this change happening around them, how can dairy farmers get a heads up on what changes are in the pipeline, and ultimately, prepare their businesses for the future? In this episode, Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager Steve West talks to Martin Wallis, forum member for the DCD producer organisation and a regional NFU representative, and Patty Clayton, Lead Dairy Analyst in our Market Intelligence team, to get their views on how having information can help famers deal with new and rising challenges. Visit our

In our latest Food and Farming podcast, we headed to Scotland to chat about agricultural policy, climate, digital data, barley (and of course whisky!), costs of production, AHDB’s Monitor Farm and the legacy that followed. Grab a cuppa and join us in the grain shed. Shape the future of farming Levy payers are at the heart of everything we do, so it’s only right that we give you a greater voice in how we spend your levy. Find out how your levy is invested and how it makes a difference to your business and the industry.  In April 2022, you’ll get to have your say on the challenges you want AHDB to focus on and the services we will deliver for you in the future. It’s your chance to influence how your levy is spent on the things that matter to you most. Register before 31 March 2022 to have your say Feedback We'd love to know what you think of our podcasts. If you’d like to give your feedback, please complete our short questionnaire, which will help us to improve the podcast on an ongoing basis, or email:

Last year, we conducted a review of leadership and management in the UK farming sector, looking at best practice, traits, qualities, uptake, barriers and future needs. This review highlighted a shocking statistic that only 0.37% of farmers and their employees engage each year in any formal leadership and management training. In this episode, AHDB’s Mark Campbell talks to two farmers about their experiences and thoughts on leadership and management, and their take on this review, which you can read in our Bridging the gap report. Phil Halhead is a third-generation dairy farmer with a herd of 300 dairy cows. He is also the founder of Norbreck Genetics. Phil was the 2007 Farmers Weekly Young Farmer of the Year and has travelled extensively through his career. His contributions to agriculture resulted in Phil receiving a Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Societies (FRAgS) and the Freedom of the City of London in 2012. Phil has a passion for ongoing development, especially around leadership and empowering hi

In this podcast Bryony Ennis talks to specialist sheep vet Fiona Lovatt and farmer Clare Wise to get a practical take on best practice advice at lambing time to prevent watery mouth, with their top tips for managing ewes and lambs to prevent disease. They discuss nutrition, body condition and the importance of colostrum.  Speakers: Clare Wise is a 5th generation beef, sheep and arable farmer from lowland County Durham. Winner of Northern Sheep Farmer of the Year 2018, Clare has a particular interest in sheep health and welfare, especially reducing the use of anthelmintics and antibiotics on farm. A strong advocate for British farmers and promoting British Farming, Clare is an actively involved in ‘Facetime a Farmer’, connecting schools and farms together, YAS Countryside days and NFU Education.  Fiona Lovatt is a RCVS recognised Specialist in Sheep Health and Production and is the clinical lead for the RCVS Knowledge initiative Farm Vet Champions. Fiona runs Flock Health Ltd, a sheep veterinary consultancy

In this pork-focused edition of AHDB’s Food and Farming podcast, AHDB’s John Bates chats with pig farmers Rob Mutimer and Fergus Howie, and AHDB Senior Marketing Manager Nicola Dodd. They discuss our Mix up Midweek with Pork marketing campaign, as well as our We Eat Balanced campaign, which are both targeting consumers during January and February. Since 2017, we have been changing the perceptions of pork by positioning it as a tasty, healthy, quick and easy dish to cook during the busy week. Independent evaluation of the January 2021 pork marketing campaign shows it reached more than 85% of UK households, with consumers’ desire to buy pork at its highest level in three years. Now in its fifth year, we are promoting the health and taste credentials of pork at the start of the year – a time that is associated with consumers trying a healthier diet and new lifestyle changes.   Find out more about the Mix up Midweek activity and how you can get involved Find out more about the We Eat Balanced campaign