Winter silage shortages continue to be cause for concern, with beef and dairy farmers are being encouraged to prioritise forage budgets. Producers facing challenges with fodder quality are encouraged to feed their best quality forage to the animals who need it most in the months ahead following the dry... Read more

Alarming amounts of meat and dairy products illegally imported to Great Britain could cause a major disease outbreak, say MPs. The warning comes in a report by the cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Illegal meat imports carry a high risk of animal diseases that threaten food security,... Read more

Twelve new varieties have been added to the British Society of Plant Breeder’s 2026 Forage Maize Descriptive Lists. New entrants on the Favourable First Choice List for 2026 include KWS Zimo, KWS Reo, Amarola, Agrolino and KWS Portabello from KWS; SU Addition from Bayer and LG31206, Harmony and LG31152,... Read more

The impact of this year’s unusually dry weather is increasingly clear – particularly for producers trying to get ewes into optimal body condition for tupping, says Nerys Wright. While rainfall has been highly variable across the UK, some areas have been hit harder than others, with many parts of... Read more

Sheep farmers are being urged not to panic when faced with new gut worm outbreaks amid reports they are becoming more prevalent. Also known as Barber’s Pole worm, haemonchus is no longer a problem restricted to the south of England. Given the right conditions – usually warm and wet... Read more

Dairy farmers are being urged to carry out their winter forage budgets early to give them enough time to secure any additional feed requirements. Farmers may be caught out if they leave it late to secure additional winter forage stocks, says Csaba Adamik, regional business manager for Lallemand Animal... Read more

Plans to ensure dairy-beef calves are reared with purpose are achievable but not without their challenges, says a leading vet. The GB Calf Strategy 2025-2030 was launched last month for the sector to ensure every calf is reared with care, purpose and value – including those which are often... Read more

It was lovely to meet so many farming folk out and about over the summer, writes Nerys Wright. Thank you for mentioning that you enjoy reading these articles, it’s always nice to hear. I co-host a podcast called The Sheep Geeks with my friend Liz Genever. We’re both sheep consultants... Read more

Egg producers should remain vigilant in managing salmonella risk – and not let success lead to complacency, say industry experts. The UK egg sector has a world-leading record on salmonella control – but producers at Elanco’s recent annual lay conference were told that the risk remains very real indeed.... Read more

Special steps should be taken reduce the risk of mycotoxins in this year’s maize crops, say silage and nutrition experts. Toxic substances produced by certain types of fungi, mycotoxins are becoming more prevalent in maize silage across the UK due to more crops being grown in marginal areas and... Read more