Specialist technical advice is key Hatchery managers are being encouraged to carry out regular hygiene audits to support their biosecurity protocols. Hatcheries present unique hygiene challenges compared to other farm settings, operating more like food factories which require significantly higher cleanliness standards, says Rob Hallewell, hatchery hygiene expert at... Read more

Farmer leader Tom Bradshaw has urged Keir Starmer to hold firm on poultry production standards when negotiating trade deals. The NFU has written to the Prime Minister calling for the government to continue its balanced approach to trade and to protect UK standards as trade negotiations progress with the... Read more

• Constraints are continual challenge • Sector hampered by too many rules • Planners need to be more consistent A planning overhaul is needed to secure a better future for pig production, industry leaders have told the government. The National Pig Association made the plea in response to Defra’s... Read more

• Good showing for UK dairy farmers • Growing momentum for organic milk • Big range in farm performance levels The last milk year was positive for dairy producers, with continued improvements in cow health and growing momentum in the organic milk sector, according to the latest annual report... Read more

An innovative project aimed at boosting efficiency and productivity in the livestock industry through enhanced water technology is gaining momentum. British agri-tech firm Oxcel has reported successful outcomes from Innovate UK-funded trials, confirming that its nano-oxygen-enhanced water technology delivers significant benefits for both farmers and the environment. The trials... Read more

Essex turkey producer Paul Kelly is inviting people in the sector to join the Worshipful Company of Poulters – and support its charitable work. Daring back to 1368, the poulters livery company was founded to regulate London’s poultry, swans, pigeons, rabbits and small game. Today, it operates as a... Read more

Good biosecurity is top of agenda A Staffordshire poultry producer has ramped up biosecurity in a bid to keep his business safe from bird flu. Mark Holt houses 40,000 turkeys in four state-of-the-art sheds at Toft Farm Growers, near Stafford. Formerly a dairy farming business, the Holt family diversified... Read more

• Improvements in pig productivity • Focus on consumer and welfare • Food service sector opportunities UK pork production is expected to remain steady in 2025, suggests the latest forecast from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. Limited growth in breeding herd numbers and continued pressure on export markets... Read more

• Cost-benefit vaccine calculator • Helps to properly assess risks • Already being used in the field A new weapon is helping vets and farmers decide whether it is worthwhile vaccinating livestock against bluetongue. The Battle Bluetongue tool is a vaccination finance calculator to help beef and sheep producers... Read more

Bale grazing suckler beef cattle in winter can produce a financial benefit of £1.58 per head per day – and generate other benefits too, says a report. The Economics of Bale Grazing study is part of a wider Pasture for Life and Innovative Farmers project, to quantify the impacts... Read more