Latest news with #ArnoldsKeys–IrelandsAgricultural
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion: Minette Batters is a welcome farming appointment at the heart of government
Simon Evans, agricultural partner at , discusses Minette Batters' new role. The news that former NFU president Minette Batters – now Baroness Batters – has been appointed by DEFRA to lead a review of farm profitability has been widely welcomed within the agriculture sector. Batters is well-respected both as an active farmer and for the way she led the NFU through some tricky times. Her new role will be to listen to farmers and growers, as well as engaging with other government departments whose work impacts farmers. She will then propose actions for government and industry that will support farming profitability as part of the government's 'New Deal for Farmers'. Simon Evans, agricultural partner at Arnolds Keys – Irelands Agricultural (Image: Arnolds Keys) A standard first task for anyone starting in a new role like this is to conduct a SWOT analysis, and it won't take her long to realise that there are rather fewer entries in the 'Strengths' and 'Opportunities' columns than there are in the 'Weaknesses' and 'Threats'. In those bulging 'W' and 'T' boxes will be the measures announced in the autumn Budget, the sudden closure to new applications of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), global political uncertainty, and the danger of food and farming getting caught in the crossfire of President Trump's 'Liberation Day' trade wars. But the other side of the analysis is not entirely empty. Resilience remains a key strength of farming, and while opportunities may seem limited at the moment, if government action can bring stability through its spending choices and its international diplomatic efforts, then agriculture could be in a good place to take advantage, especially with a renewed focus on food security (thanks to that global uncertainty), which means that farming will be – or certainly should be – a higher priority in government thinking. Having someone like Minette Batters working at the heart of DEFRA, presumably aiming to build some much-needed bridges between government and farming, can only be a good thing. The fact that there is a new 'Profitability Unit' within DEFRA is encouraging, and we have to hope that this is something more than warm words and good intentions. In the DEFRA press release announcing her appointment, Batters is quoted as saying: 'There will not be one 'silver bullet' to fire but I'm hopeful this review can make a difference to a sector that produces the nation's food, underpins the rural economy and delivers so much for the environment.' If those words had come from a politician, then many farmers would have taken them with a liberal sprinkling of salt. We have to hope that spoken by the respected former NFU president, they mean rather more than that. For more information, visit
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
It's time for farmers to spring into action
It's time to prepare for spring, says James Hill of Arnolds Keys – Irelands Agricultural. Every farmer will know that the best-laid plans can easily be upended by our capricious weather, and that an element of flexibility is always required to mitigate the effects of the UK's variable climatic conditions. There are several factors to consider when approaching the spring workload. The first will be timing, including in some cases deciding when to desiccate any cover crops. Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) rules state that this cannot be more than six weeks before the spring crop is sown, leaving a relatively short time in which to ensure that the cover is eradicated. Alongside this is the question of when is best to drill spring cereals. Early-drilled crops will likely have better established root systems to deal with potentially dry spring conditions, but cereal seed should ideally go into continuously warming soil, which means avoiding the temptation to sow as soon as there is a brief spell of warmer weather. As ever, a good seedbed is crucial for crop establishment and soil-to-seed contact is crucial to ensure good germination. As the old saying goes: 'A crop well sown is a crop half grown.' James Hill, a land agent and associate at Arnolds Keys – Irelands Agricultural (Image: Arnolds Keys) Another key consideration is the choice of seed variety. This will depend on several factors, including soil types, proposed harvest date and end user market. Perhaps the biggest dilemma facing farmers at springtime will be how to make the most of inputs. At a time when the cost of fungicides, herbicides and fertilisers is high – but accepting they are critical to the health of the crop and to yields – making best use of these inputs at the appropriate levels to achieve the optimum yield is crucial. Tempting though it is to cut back on expenditure on such inputs, this could very much be a false economy. Instead, farmers should be concentrating on making sure they are wringing every last ounce of benefit from every last drop they use. View this as an investment which should have a return, rather than just another cost. Ensuring you make best use of inputs means constant field monitoring, frequent discussions with your agronomist and focussing use on those areas which will return the best yield – while cutting your losses where crops might already be compromised. James Hill is a land agent and associate at Arnolds Keys – Irelands Agricultural. Visit
