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New Year's resolutions

This blog was first featured as an article in the December issue of Three Counties Farmer:​ By my own admission, I don't have the best track record of sticking to New Year's resolutions. Whilst they are (in theory) usually easy to achieve, they aren't necessarily life changing and it would be a fairly safe bet to say that, by April, I'll have broke...

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Frontrunner - 14th December 2018

WHEAT World wheat prices move higher A number of factors have helped send world wheat prices higher this week. Increasing optimism over the improving US/China trade situation provided an initial tonic as US weekly export sales hit a season high of 754,000 tonnes.The fast pace of Russian wheat exports is also making an impact with supplies proving h...

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Stewardship can be good for any business

This article was first published in the December issue of Three Counties Farmer.  As soon as the autumn drilling and harvest period came to a satisfying conclusion, it seems thoughts and potential decisions immediately moved to the spring. No doubt the British weather will serve up some extremities in the coming months but, in the meantime, bo...

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Frontrunner - 7th December 2018

WHEAT UK markets trade a narrow range Domestic and futures markets traded in a narrow range this week with the benchmark LIFFE finding a level around £175/t for May delivery. Physically, grain consumers continue to take cover in a marketplace with very little farm and merchant grain offered, which is lending support to prices.However, the uncertain...

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DISCOVERING ICEBERGS at Frontier’s NRoSO sprayer operator days

Our ever-popular sprayer operator days will soon be upon us. As well as a great lunch and sufficient NRoSO points to ensure status on the register is secured, the events give farmers and sprayer operators valuable insight into current industry issues and the chance to discuss guidelines and best practice recommendations. Conversations are always to...

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Frontrunner - 30th November 2018

WHEAT Security of supply in December Domestic wheat markets remain focused on securing short term supply through December as logistics have become a constraint for this period. This has created a short term demand, however post Christmas where consumer cover remains ample and Farmers return from the break are likely to find a well supplied and subd...

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Balgonie: an Interreg North Sea Region PARTRIDGE project

As part of my role as a Kings advisor, one of the great things I am involved with is the Balgonie grey partridge project in Fife. Balgonie features as one of 10 Interreg North Sea Region PARTRIDGE projects and, as with the work we also support at Loddington, it serves as a demonstration site and involves us working closely with the Game and Wildlif...

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Frontrunner - 23rd November 2018

WHEAT Encouraging price rally for UK wheat After an initial bearish start to the week, UK wheat prices eventually staged an impressive four day rally. Helped on by the weaker sterling and higher continental future prices, London futures gained £4 per tonne in a market was minimal trading activity. Consumers have good cover and there is little to ju...

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Grow your precision strategy at CropTec 2018

SOYL has been exhibiting at CropTec since it first started back in 2013. In the four times that it has been held since, the show has grown considerably and is a valuable chance for growers to talk to us in a focussed yet informal and relaxed environment. CropTec is considered the "UK's leading technical and knowledge exchange event for the arable f...

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Frontrunner - 16th November 2018

WHEAT Global markets less volatile Wheat markets traded within a narrow range this week, with global prices closing either side of unchanged. As harvest progresses in the Southern Hemisphere, poor weather continues to cause uncertainty around crop quality. The forecast is poor for Argentina over the next seven days with 84% of the crop still to har...

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Foliar feed timings seen to increase maize yields

For some people maize is perhaps seen as a somewhat less worthy crop when it comes to allocating management time and resources. Getting it in, being conservative with inputs and taking whatever yield comes along at harvest is often the order of the day. I think if more growers knew what could be achieved by pushing maize harder, they might take a d...

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Frontrunner - 9th November 2018

WHEAT 'Bears' 1 vs. 'Bulls' nil this week World markets have had to digest another USDA WASDE data release that was not bullish for wheat markets. Reductions in southern hemisphere crops were smaller than anticipated and the feed grain complex was boosted massively by China's unexpected stock find of 148 million tonnes. The grains complex feels hea...

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Not all grain pools are the same

Selling via pools helps to take away some of the risk associated with trading in an open market. They can form a key part of your grain marketing strategy and are a sensible option at a time when so many factors are impacting prices. Committing to a grain pool, however, requires some considerable thought. Before you enter into a contract with a mer...

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Lime product options

At the beginning of August, I wrote a blog on the importance of correcting your pH and the benefits that this can bring to you and your land. Lime spreaders have been working at full capacity across the UK since then and it has served as a reminder of just how many different liming products are available. As a result, I thought it would be helpful ...

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Integrating new policy into the modern farming business

This blog was first featured as an article in the November issue of Three Counties Farmer: The sun has continued to shine. As I write, the weather forecast shows a considerable rain event over the coming weekend preceding another settled spell. Autumn drilling and harvest continues but, with my growers at least, there isn't an air of comp...

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Frontrunner - 2nd November 2018

WHEAT Russian rumours rumble on The world's leading wheat exporter has played a major part influencing prices this season. Wheat yields slashed by adverse weather saw their crop drop more than 15 million tonnes on last year's record 85 million tonnes. In August, rumours of a possible Russian export ban sent the world's wheat future markets soaring ...

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The laws of physics or the rules of nature?

When I was a lad at school the laws of physics, including Newton's third rule "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction," seemed of little consequence to me. However, as I grew up I came to realise that the laws of physics are all around us every day and life is bound inextricably to them. To a certain extent nature applies its own ...

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Frontrunner - 26th October 2018

WHEAT Ensus announcement weighs on prices in the North On Monday, CropEnergies announced that their Ensus bioethanol plant in Teeside would pause production from the end of November "due to the difficult market conditions". With the plant having historically used a combination of both wheat and maize the news came as a shock to the UK grain trade, ...

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Don’t overlook boron in your OSR crop this autumn

Boron is a key nutrient for oilseed rape, with its main functions associated with aiding stem elongation and flowering. While these developments will happen later next spring, it is important to start addressing some of this need now before the crop enters winter.  The last thing we want is OSR coming out of the colder months with a deficiency...

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Market report - 25th October 2018

World markets US wheat futures have traded down to six-week lows. This is partly due to poor US export figures but, for the most part, is lead by politics. A two-month high in the US dollar is weighing on US wheat, as are falling equity and crude oil markets. A number of weather issues have been impacting grain markets but these are now well accoun...

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