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Know How / Market opportunities

In a competitive market for arable crops, keep on top of where the market opportunities lie. Find out which grain and oilseed rape contracts offer a premium, how future changes to subsidies may affect grain markets and how other farmers have switched varieties to find new markets.

Advice and tips

OTHER CROPS

Round-up of the niche crop options for UK growers

Introducing alternative break crops to an arable rotation can help growers improve soil health, spread market risk and further financial gain. As pesticide actives are lost and resistance fears build,…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Strategy pointers for selling grain in a volatile market

Wheat growers are being urged to calculate their cost of production before selling any grain for harvest 2023, as input costs have risen sharply while wheat prices have drifted lower.…

BARLEY

Advice on growing malting barley to gain from high premiums

Premiums of £55-£60/t for malting barley are being offered this harvest, with the price supported by beer's history of being recession-proof and the post-Covid recovery in beer sales. For these…

BARLEY

Major maltster picks top spring malting barley for Scotland

The spring malting barley variety Diablo could become the number one variety in Scotland in the next two to three years after an initial good performance on-farm and through the…

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Case studies

DIVERSIFICATION

How Canadian grower became Alberta’s first craft malthouse

Hamill Farms in Canada diversified their traditional grain farm into Alberta’s first craft malthouse in a bid to add value to barley crops and ignite the family’s succession plan. It…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Wildflower seed diversification gives arable tenants security

Diversifying a traditional arable rotation with a wildflower seed business has helped secure a viable future for one tenant farming family, who faced losing their farm to building developments. In…

ARABLE

Arable farm finds new income streams with nature-based system

Nature-based solutions are being put to the test on a Cotswolds arable farm, both locally and at scale, to see what benefits and rewards they have to offer. Dunthrop Farms…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Big brewer offers a premium for regen barley

Ben Taylor is growing spring malting barley for brewer Carlsberg which will earn him a price premium for following regenerative farming practices, such as growing cover crops and establishing a…

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Insights

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Vertical growing systems - next big farm diversification?

Establishing an on-farm vertical farming system could open the door for farmers to develop an additional revenue stream to sit alongside traditional agricultural practices. Vertical farming involves growing plants such…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Could carbon-cutting carinata provide a profitable break?

Seed technology firm Nuseed is hoping successful UK trials of new Brassica carinata varieties over the next two years will offer growers a new combinable crop opportunity to help boost…

POTATOES

What is GB Potatoes and why should farmers join?

GB Potatoes, the new industry body which aims to represent the views of the potato sector and champion British produce, is calling for more growers and processors to join the…

OTHER CROPS

Could sunflowers be grown on more UK farms?

Farmers looking to diversify their rotation or attract people on-farm to generate income could benefit from growing sunflowers this spring. Sunflowers provide a bulk ingredient in the bird-seed market and…

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News

HARVEST

Video: Grower completes world's first Capulet bean harvest

Lincolnshire grower Andrew Ward has successfully harvested the world’s first field-scale trial of Capulet beans destined for the baked bean market. Thanks to the development of a UK-specific common dry…

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

How six farmers hope to earn regen farming premium

Six farmers hope to implement a new assurance standard this September, paving the way to sell regenerative produce under a premium label. The Green Farm Collective initiative also aims to…

ARABLE

Scottish oat growers to benefit from streamlined Leaf audits

Scottish oat growers can now benefit from a more streamlined and joined-up auditing process to cut back on the costly time and pressure of inspections. From April, Scottish Quality Crops…

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

New oat variety attracts miller for 2023

A major miller has given the new oat variety Merlin the thumbs up, providing growers with two potential spring options in the coming year.  Brin Hughes, agronomy manager at Bedfordshire-based…

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Video

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Video: UK agroforestry system integrates fruit and arable

First-generation tenant farmer Stephen Briggs planted the UK’s largest agroforestry system, integrating fruit trees and arable cropping to boost land productivity. More than a decade after the 4,500 apple trees…

ARABLE

Video: How to grow a cereal crop for seed

Cereal growers with clean weed-free ground could earn themselves a significant premium over the price of feed wheat and barley by growing crops for seed production. Prices of 10-12% over…

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