For the second month running, drought dominated August’s agricultural news, with the government announcing a package of much-needed farm support. Also in the headlines was bluetongue, as cases surged past 550 and the disease seemingly establishes itself as a seasonal threat. Elsewhere, beef producers found some reassurance after a difficult few months, planning reforms promised a boost for on-farm reservoirs and the resurgence in oilseed rape got a boost.
Government unveils £65m drought package but farmers call for more
With around three-quarters of England now in drought, the government has announced a £65 million relief package, including an extra £50m for the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (taking the total budget to £290m) and up to £15m for on-farm reservoirs. (See next item.) Farmers affected by drought will also gain greater flexibility under SFI, Countryside Stewardship and legacy stewardship agreements, allowing some to graze or cut land normally reserved for wildlife habitat without losing payments. NFU President Tom Bradshaw welcomed the announcement as recognition that “investment in farming’s resilience is an investment in the country’s resilience,” but warned of a “huge crisis of cashflow and confidence across all sectors,” with urgent support still needed to help farmers keep producing food into next year.
New planning framework welcomed as reservoir barriers eased
The government has published its refreshed National Planning Policy Framework, promising to make it easier for farmers to build on-farm reservoirs by reducing “unnecessary barriers” and updating planning guidance. The
NFU has broadly welcomed the reforms, which are intended to support food production and provide long-term business resilience within a planning system that has often been criticised for holding back agricultural development. The changes sit alongside the wider drought relief package and reflect growing recognition, following successive dry summers, that water storage infrastructure needs to be built faster and with less red tape if the sector is to withstand future droughts.
Bluetongue cases top 400 as NFU urges vaccination
Bluetongue (BTV-3) continues to spread at pace, with the UK government confirming 556 cases across England and Wales for the current season. Although the South West (particularly Devon, Cornwall and Somerset) is the worst-affected area, the hot, dry weather has created ideal conditions for the midges that carry the virus. As a result, cases have been confirmed as far north as Cheshire, Greater Manchester and East Yorkshire. The NFU’s Livestock Board Chair, Clare Wise, said the recent surge was “a stark reminder that bluetongue poses a serious and growing threat to the UK livestock sector,” warning it is “not going away any time soon.” Vaccination remains the strongest available defence, and AHDB, NFU and vets are urging farmers not to wait for clinical signs before acting, though some vaccine demand and supply pressures have been reported as farmers rush to protect their herds and flocks ahead of fertility and movement season.
Beef prices stabilise but pressure remains on producers
After a strong start to the year, high beef retail prices dampened demand and and by the end of June, the average steer price was 11.1% lower than last year. But the market has since found firmer footing, with farmgate prices showing some signs of recovery. This will offer some relief to beef producers who have spent the year juggling volatile input costs, drought-hit forage supplies and a testing consumer environment. However, ongoing challenges around margins are expected to impact market confidence into the back end of the year.
Crop Watch: ORR recovery gets a boost
Oilseed rape coverage continues to grow, with prices creeping towards £500 per tonne and two decent years of establishment and yields. New trial work suggests there may be scope to improve the performance of existing insecticides against cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB), the pest that has done more than any other to undermine confidence in the crop since neonicotinoid seed treatments were withdrawn. Trials now suggest shallow cultivation of OSR stubble shortly after harvest has been shown to cut emerging adult flea beetle numbers by 50-90%, and a second consecutive season of low larval counts is giving growers renewed confidence to bring the crop back into the rotation. Agronomists however are warning against complacency.
NFU takes on Netflix over “Big Chicken” documentary
A new Netflix documentary, ‘Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy’, has reignited debate over UK poultry farming since its release on 5 August. Presented by comedian Mo Gilligan, who eats fried chicken three times a day for 28 days to investigate its true cost, the film traces the industrial poultry supply chain from South London to the United States. The NFU says it is reviewing the documentary and will challenge any misinformation. NFU Poultry Board Chair Will Raw stressed that “poultry production in the UK is very different to systems often seen in the US,” pointing out that British farmers operate under some of the highest animal welfare, food safety and environmental standards in the world, and warning that much of the chicken served in UK takeaways and fast-food outlets is imported from countries where production methods would be illegal here.
Sources:
Drought www.nfuonline.com/news/government-drought-package-is-important-step-to-building-water-and-food-resilience/ www.newfoodmagazine.com/news/farmers-welcome-65m-drought-package-but-say-urgent-support-still-needed/2136245.article
Bluetongue www.nfuonline.com/news/bluetongue-vaccination-best-form-of-defence-as-concern-grows-over-spread-of-virus/ www.gov.uk/guidance/bluetongue-latest-situation www.fwi.co.uk/news/bluetongue-is-the-uks-strategy-keeping-pace
Beef prices www.farmersguardian.com/news/4534223/beef-prices-recover-challenges-remain-ahead
Planning framework www.nfuonline.com/news/national-planning-policy-framework-refresh/
Crop Watch www.farmersguardian.com/news/4534149/turn-osr-grass-weed-cleaning-crop-rotation www.farminguk.com/news/new-trials-point-to-stronger-control-of-cabbage-stem-flea-beetle_68925.html www.farmersguide.co.uk/arable/oilseed-rape/oilseed-rape-growers-buoyed-by-low-csfb-stem-larvae-counts/
Netflix documentary www.nfuonline.com/news/nfu-reviewing-new-netflix-poultry-documentary/
